Umstead 100 Race Report- April 2 - 3, 2011
And so it begins....
Friday was a final day of preparation. I spent the morning cutting fruit and preparing fuel. Bags were packed and everything was almost ready. I even had time for a quick nap before race registration and the race meeting/spaghetti dinner. I figured I may as well get all the sleep I could since I was going to lose a few hours over the next several days! Once at the race site, I met up with Steph and we registered and listened intently to all last minute advice provided by the race staff. Race director, Blake Norwood, and the other race staff gave all the first timers some advice! The one statement that I used more than suspected went something like this….Your physical fitness got you to the starting line of this race- through all your training, but your WILL is what will get you to the finish. And tomorrow night, your WILL will be tested. For some, it will be too much, but for others, you will have to dig deep to keep going. I really do think that this is what helped me in some of my lowest times over the next 30 plus hours :) I also had practiced some mantras to help me through the day(s)! I was home and in bed around 9:30!
Race Director, Blake Norwood at the Race Information Meeting
Excited Racers and Crew! Steph and I are still smiling :)
We hope to pass under this sign 8 times tomorrow!
In summary, the race was long and an amazing experience. Each runner experienced his/her own set of trials and tribulations. I only detail mine here to share my day(s)! The 100 mile race is all held within William B. Umstead State Park. It consists of 8 laps, each 12.5 miles in distance. Each lap is approximately 1000 feet of elevation gain, with the second half typically more challenging than the first half (for me, anyway :))!
Saturday AM: Alarm went off at 2:45 AM and I was up and ready to go! No need for a snooze this morning, no way was I going to drift back to sleep. Kris, Ginny, and I packed up the last minute items in the car and headed out to Umstead. We arrived at the park gate at about 4:45 AM, just as the entrance gate was opened. There were about 200 cars driving through the dark park roads, heading to their assigned parking. We somehow got superstar parking, which worked out great for wardrobe changes! We were able to park at the bottom of the hill to headquarters, so when we needed to change clothes, we just stopped and changed at our cars! Perfect :) Once at the start, we helped the crew find a good spot for the weekend and anxiously awaited for the 6 AM start.
3:30 AM breakfast! Oatmeal!!!!!
Race Start! Keep an eye on these two, they may win :)
It sure is dark out here!
Race Start!
Official Time! Gulp!
Here We Come Turkey Creek!
Headquarters, TimingTent, Turn-around :)
Lap 1: 6AM and the gun went off. It was COLD, but we quickly warmed once we started running. It was still dark out, which made for a tricky start, but otherwise the start was uneventful- which is a great way to start a 100 miler! Steph and I decided to stick together for the first lap or so and see how each person’s day unfolded. I knew that she (aka, the pace master) would keep me slow in those early miles! We ran the first few miles which were flat (flat is also relative and becomes much more discretionary later in the race) or downhill. When we got to the uphill sections we walked, but walked with a purpose. We were doing well with staying on plan with pace, hydration, and fueling. At about mile 3.5, our ultra running buddy, Bill Burns (aka, the Mayor of Umstead :)), came running up behind us with his cheery smile! We looked at each other slightly panicked because we had joked a few weeks back- “If we are ever ahead of Bill, we are in trouble. He will finish in 18 or 19 hours, and we will finish after at least 28 hours.” Oops….but Bill assured us that he started at the back and started extra slow. We chatted with him for a brief time, he provided some last minute words of wisdom, and he was off! The rest of lap 1 was great, and we were both still feeling good! Ah, embrace those good moments! We were carrying our own fuel and water, so we didn’t stop at aid station 2 (AS2) for the first several laps. We did, however, stop and refuel at the headquarters AS (HQ AS) each lap. The crew (Kris, Ginny, John, and KO) were ready for us, and we were in and out- and slightly ahead of schedule, but not too much as to worry about going out too fast!
Regrouping after Lap 1...
Peace out! Going back out for another lap of the park!
Lap 2: Lap 2 was still somewhat uneventful in the first half of the lap….as the lap progressed, my migraine hit…of course it did, we all (okay, so me and a few of my peeps) knew it was coming! I had taken a preventive ibuprofen that morning at 3:00 AM, and it was obviously not enough. Steph had 1 in her backpack, so I took one more. I was not happy about having to take the ibuprofen, but my options with a migraine were limited. This lap was tough, because other than my head, I felt okay physically. But with the pounding head, even the walking up hill was tough. I decided once we got back to HQ AS, I would take enough ibuprofen to really hit the headache, and drink some coke to allow the caffeine to assist! Kris went for a 10 mile run while we were out and caught up with us for a quick picture on the back side of Turkey Creek during this lap. Once back at HQ, I changed socks and clothes (it was getting warmer) and noticed the start of blisters….uh oh. So, I made sure to body glide my feet, and off we went!
Walking up the monster hill on Turkey Creek!
We met lots of new friends along the way :)
Lap 2 Refueling!
Race Supporters!
More Race Supporters :)
Lap 3: This is where things got tricky, not impossible, but tricky. Steph and I were both struck with GI issues….hers started a few miles before mine (maybe even Lap 2?), but during this lap, we were both in constant search of the porta-potty. What in the world is going on? We kept moving forward, running flats and downhills, and walking the hills with a purpose, and stopped every 3 or 3.5 miles for our potty breaks. It was actually somewhat amusing, in a weird way :) I will just go ahead and say, for the remainder of the race, I stopped every 3 miles at the porta-potty. And anyone reading this report most likely knows that I am NOT a fan of the portable pot. (We joked later that this was one sure fire way to help me get over my porta-potty phobia!) At the end of Lap 3, I changed socks, lubed up again, refueled and we headed back out for Lap 4. During Lap 3, my right knee started rebelling. It had tried to speak to me the weekend before, and I worked on my IT band all week. The good news, it hurt when I ran uphill, and I wasn’t running many uphills. Although, now I could not run any uphill….my knee knew it was uphill before I did! Oh well, work with what you’ve got.
Heading back into Turkey Creek- Sawtooth Section!
Lap 4: I still felt good (relatively) heading out to Lap 4. I was listening to my iPod and moving along the trail. The weather was great throughout the day, and everyone still seemed happy out on the course. The knees and feet were starting to get worse, and the GI issues persisted. But, I have to say, somehow, I still felt relatively well, and felt like I could really do this! I knew the sun would be going down soon, so changed clothes at the end of Lap 4 before heading out for Lap 5. I also had to perform some serious blister control….and before heading out on lap 5, broke out the alcohol, needle, and duct tape. My feet were not doing well, and were actually worrying me. I knew that blisters are one of the main reasons people drop out of ultras. This was not the way I wanted to go down, but in such a long race, you never know what is going to happen. My thought was to continue to do the best I could with the damage that was already done, and try to prevent additional damage.
Lap 5 Pacers- KO and Chris Stewart. Ready and waiting while I change clothes again :)
Getting ready for Lap 5!
And we're off!
Lap 5: First lap with pacers! Woo hoo, fresh entertainment. I was sad to separate from Steph, here, but I knew we would both be starting the real race on this lap, as the night was coming. So, I headed out after a lot of lost time on the feet, with KO and Chris Stewart. It was nice to have some fresh meat out on the course :) And, most importantly, I finally took my camelback off and KO agreed to carry it for me! I was still able to run the downhills and flats, but my knee was getting worse, so there was NO running or shuffling any amount of uphill, and even walking up some of the steep hills on Turkey Creek caused a sharp pain that took my breath away. So, I began to march up the steep hills. I still felt relatively well on this lap, but fatigue was beginning to set in. I had stopped all power gels (I thought this may have been my GI cause), and was running out of food that was appealing. KO kept me on track, though…and her and Chris were super excited to get some pizza at AS 2. I, however, could not consider the pizza…so with the fruit I stuck :) At the end of Lap 5 is where the blisters started to really be a problem-the big blister on the bottom of my right foot (on the ball) split….so once back to HQ AS, I lost more time trying to fix my feet.
Lap 6: I was still able to run (aka, shuffle) on the downhills. Kris and Jamey were pacing for this lap, and they were like drill sergeants:). Kris, “alright, time to run again…” me, “I’m too tired.” And off they went, so off I went with them! I hit my first REAL low about 4.5 miles into this lap. I had not ever experienced a crash like this one. Once I got to the aid station and got some chicken soup and mountain dew, I was good again, and once again I somehow picked it up for the back, tough part of Turkey Creek. Once off Turkey, we ran down Gralyn, and headed back to camp. I thought to myself, remember how bad you felt for those few miles before AS 2, and then how you felt good again…..this is going to be the cycle, and you have to remember that you can come out of that feeling. This was a valuable lesson!
My Lap 7 Running Angels :) You can't tell from the picture, but they have christmas tree lights under their tutus!
Lap 7: As I ran in from Lap 6, the first thing I saw were big white wings! I changed clothes again and headed out on Lap 7 with my running angels, Liza and Julie. Their tutus lit the way. This was by far my WORST lap, and I believe the cause of my post race nightmares :) I have not ever hit a low like I hit on this lap. I was sooo stinking sleepy, and freezing. I had on 3 shirts, a biking jacket, gloves, tights, a hat, mittens, and Liza’s big jacket - and I was still physically shivering. The girls did a good job trying to keep me moving, despite the fact that I begged them to let me take a nap….Just 10 minutes, right there in that spot. Of course they said, no, (Julie called Kris because I think I almost had her convinced it was okay) and as I was walking I literally fell asleep. It was the strangest feeling. Finally, we made it to AS 2, (Kris called back and said “sleeping is no reason to stop!”) and I went in to warm up at the heaters, restock my sugar, and warm up from the inside with the soup. I think Liza and Julie were excited about the re-fueling options, too. The volunteers asked if I wanted to lay down on the cot and wrap myself in a blanket (Did I look that bad- perhaps they thought I wasn’t going back out??, either way, I declined ). I piled on an extra layer of fleece (under the other 2 jackets), and headed back out. I was counting down the minutes until the sun would come up. I knew this lap was taking way too long, and I couldn’t do much about it. My knee and feet were limiting my progress, so I decided, just keep moving forward. Liza and Julie tried to entertain me, but I wasn’t able to be entertained. Finally, the sun came up and I was a new woman (well, sort of ). I was still cold and exhausted, but it is amazing what a sunrise can do for a woman! As I headed in from this lap, I saw Steph headed out on her lap 8 (she was at about mile 3). I was glad she was doing well, but wished that I was with her! Liza ran ahead to HQ AS to get things prepared, and Julie helped me in (of course after the normal 3 mile porta potty break). Once I arrived at HQ, the crew took me inside to warm up at the fire (and I saw all the racers finished and sleeping by the fire- trust me, if I didn’t have to go inside to warm up and fix my feet, I would NOT have subjected myself to such warm and toasty thoughts!). My feet were an absolute disaster, so while I warmed and drank more soup, Kris, Tim, and another volunteer tried to “fix” my feet. We removed the duct tape, they cleaned things up, and applied an adhesive and special tape. I remember saying to Kris, “I don’t think I have enough time for this last lap.” And Kris very distinctly said, “You have plenty of time.” I was too exhausted to do math, so believed him. (He sounded convincing at the time, but I later learned that was purely for my benefit- he knows me well :)). It felt like my feet were broken when I shoved them back into my shoes. So with tears streaming down my face, I waddled back out for Lap 8.
AS 2 view at night!
Holly and Tracey getting their war faces ready! Grrrrrrrr....
Lap 8: Holly and Tracey had their work cut out for them, and they were prepared. Apparently they practiced their “war face” back in the lodge while I was out on Lap 7. There was some occasional shuffling (my form of a run at this point), but this was too painful on my knee and feet, so mostly I walked. Holly was secretly texting everyone back at the ranch as we passed each mile marker and I decided to just turn off my brain and do what Tracey and Holly told me to do. I walked as fast as I could, ate and drank when and what they told me to, and focused on making it to the next tree. When we made it to the AS 2, Kris met us there….he had already said no stopping, so the girls were trying to gently ask me what I needed so I could keep moving. Of course, I did get my porta potty break (no one could take those away- not even Kris!). While I was in the porta potty, the girls got what was later described to me as a “stern talking to.” I knew something happened because when we hit the other side of the trail again, they had their even bolder war faces on, and told me very matter of factly “Okay, Val, we are gonna have to pick up the pace and move a little faster than we did the first half of the lap. “ Okay, here goes- and it was one foot in front of the other, literally, from one tree to the other. As we left Turkey Creek for the last time, I said a proper farewell, which shouldn’t be repeated here, and headed for home. We still had about 3 miles, but it seemed doable to me. At mile 10, my mind thought for a brief moment, I am done…I am just going to sit down and not get up. Nobody can make me. And then I said, “Hey voice…..suck it!”…and away we went. And finally, I saw the last climb to the finish line…and we were there. The feelings can’t be described- I was ecstatic, overwhelmed, exhausted, and so glad I didn’t have to eat another piece of fruit!
More supporters and signs :)
Steph all done! Getting her well deserved buckle!
Steph and Ella (and more supporters)!
DONE!!!!!!
Blake Norwood and my new buckle!
All done :) Let's go home!
These girls are happy that they are done with Lap 8 :)
The Feet.......
Lessons Learned:
I am definitely looking forward to completing another ultra…I have already been contemplating, and have a semi-plan in place for later this year! I hope to figure out a way to protect my feet better- any ideas here are welcome! Perhaps I have to tape them totally up before I even start a race? And, also very important, I am going to have to figure out what happened with the GI tract and fuel replacement strategy. This, I believe, will just take practice- which means, well, more fun races! Don’t anyone panic, my next plan involves less than the 100 mile distance! Of course, just like after my first marathon, I have to attempt another 100 miler, because I feel like now I have to try to make some things better, an d maybe just maybe have a time goal next time????
I have also learned the POWER of chicken soup! Who knew that chicken soup and mountain dew were so magical!
Quotes of the Day(s):
Oh, look! A trail treasure!!!! (said by one of our early friends, when they found a hot pink silly band on the trail!...loved their excitment :))
Oh crap, why are we ahead of Bill?
Liza, I do NOT have to eat every 2 seconds :)
Liza- “Do you want to hear more stories or play favorites some more?” Val- “Please no more favorites!”
Chris Stewart- “My feet hurt. Do your feet hurt KO?” :)
Sweet, there’s the porta pot!
I am never eating fruit again.
Red Cross looking at Steph's feet with a headlamp- "I don't think there is a blister there. Your feet look good. Now go back out there and show'em how tough you are." Steph- "Is he calling me a princess?"
Red Cross looking at Steph's feet with a headlamp- "I don't think there is a blister there. Your feet look good. Now go back out there and show'em how tough you are." Steph- "Is he calling me a princess?"
WOW Val! WOW is all I can say. You are THE WOMAN! Your feet look wretched. How will cute shoes ever feel good again? I'm SO proud of you! Thanks for sharing your journey..........
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