**Nearly 9 months after the race… FINALLY!!!**
Hopefully you enjoyed part 1, which briefly covered why I wanted to get back into trail running as well as a few races leading up to the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 mile trail run (MMT). This is going to be long as fuck, detailing everything from day before/night before prep, thoughts and feelings from aid station (AS) to aid station, as well as my training and nutrition pitfalls at the end. Seriously, it’s long, clocking in at a lot of words.
TL;DR version – I ran a long way, it took nearly 35 hours. It rained and I didn’t eat or drink well, I cried a lot and pooped a lot, but my crew got me to the finish and we laughed a lot. THE END.
If you have about a day and a half – as long as it took me finish – continue on..
And as you can see now, I probably won’t censor myself, cuz I like to swear. So it’s best to not read this silently or aloud if you or others around you can’t handle words like shit and fuck and anatomical parts of the body. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
RECAP – YEARS PAST
I first did MMT back in 2007 and finished in 35:45 – 15 minutes before the cutoff. I tried again in 2008, but DNFed. I was chasing the aid stations cutoff times most of the day, and left the aid station at mile 67 about 10 minutes before the cutoff. My feet were trashed, I could barely stand up, and I missed the time cut at the next aid station by a significant margin. I vowed to never let that happen again. I finished in 2009 in 32:20 when I was in probably the best shape of my life. Injury caused me to pull out out the race before ever starting in 2010, but I came back from 2011-2013 when I was at the height of my CrossFit training, and utilized the (now defunct) CrossFit Endurance method to train. I worked with Brian MacKenzie in 2011 and came back with a 34:19 finish time. The next two years my parents struggled through medical problems that kept my race schedule light, and even my training was sub-par. I wasn’t running much, if at all. However, I went on to finish in 33:39 and 32:07, respectively. Something tends to come over me that day, that weekend. Whether it’s adrenaline or just thinking about my parents’ struggle and how I should be grateful for my health and the ability to do these races, I’m able to put together a good race.
So part of me was relying on that mental strength and that course knowledge to get myself to the finish line.
The week before I started to get my nutrition lined up, gear packed, and aid station script written out for Jordan and Liam who would be crewing for me.
I never know what to expect weather-wise until about 2 days out, but you can guarantee that it will rain. At some point during the race, typically overnight, it will rain. I’ve run in cold, I’ve run in the rain during the Bunny Run, and I’ve run in warm/hot/muggy weather, so I was ready to take on whatever Mother Nature wanted to throw at me.
I maintained my typical work schedule on Friday, coaching my normal three AM CrossFit classes and walking dogs per usual from 11am-3pm. I thought I was prepared, but there are always last minute things to pack, which left me scrambling to get out of DC at a decent time. I was rushed and stressed and knew even though I was WAY overpacked. I had to be forgetting something. Leaving at 5pm is usually a recipe for disaster, but traffic was actually decent once getting past the Beltway on 66W. Nearly Front Royal I ran into a brief but intense thunderstorm that I sped through to be greeted by clear and cool blue skies the rest of the way to the start of the race at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp in Fort Valley, VA near Luray, Va.
Typical me, I was late getting to the race site as bag check closed at 645pm. I rolled in at 7pm and was fortunate enough to get my bags included.
I checked in and got my race number and shirt, some grub, and drove up to the cabins for the night. I’ve camped up there in 2012 and 2013, and this was no different as I just planned to sleep in my car since it’s close to the nice indoor bathrooms and a short walk to the start area.
I spent the evening finalizing my bags. Grouping them by spare clothes – shorts, armwarms, tshirts, socks, hats, buffs, etc. Socks were put in sandwich baggies – one pair of regular socks, one pair of Injinji toes socks , which I normally wore. Shoes were put in a bag in order of which I would wear next on top, down to my last pair at the bottom. A bag of medical supplies, sunscreen, bug spray, wipes, etc was prepared, as was the extra bag of nutrition. I had my drop bags, but this was ‘just in case’ stuff.
The notes/script I had prepared for Liam and Jordan was fairly detailed through Habron, mile 54, and after that was pretty up in the air.
– Food – probably something hot
– Shoes – probably changing at Habron or Camp Roos or Gap
– Lucky Charms – for sure at Picnic area
– Jacket – maybe at Gap
I had a lot of back and forth emails and texts with them before remember one of the last things Liam said to me – “We’re big boys, we’ll figure it out.” With that, I stopped fretting over everything, finished the last of my sweet potatoes and turkey, brushed my teeth and called it a night. Was in bed in my car, sleeping at an awkward angle with the fold of the seat in my back, by 830pm.
RACE MORNING
Alarm went off at 250am. It took a second to gather myself and realize where I was and what time it was – sleeping in my car about to take on 100 miles. I stayed there for a bit longer before the urge to pee was too much, and I slipped out of my bag and car to pee right outside the door. Peeing in close quarters around others would be a theme for the next day, so this was no biggie. I stayed calm as I got dressed and ate my prepared breakfast of a banana, Lucky Charms, sweet potatoes and turkey, and chased it with coconut water. I finished preparing my bottles with my nutrition for the first 12 miles before brushing my teeth, pinning my number on me, and heading down with the masses toward the start. I quickly realized that I had left my Garmin on the dash and headed back to get that, leaving me with about 10 minutes to spare once I got to the tent. I met up with a few friends and said a few hellos before taking my place in the back of the pack, ready for the 4AM start.
THE START
Off we went, 195 starters at the 23rd running of the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 mile run. We had a beautiful evening the night before, however, it rained considerably Wednesday and Thursday, and it showed as we all – careful to keep our feet as dry as possible for as long as possible – traipsed through the soggy grasses up to the road for 4 miles of dirt road to the first aid station at Moreland Gap. So much for dry feet. My plan here was to take it easy. What’s tough is going out too fast and burning out on the first climb, or going out too slow and getting stuck behind walkers on the first climb. So I had to find that in-between and just run within myself. The temperatures were cool, in the 40s, and I was set up with a buff, a tshirt and cooling shirt underneath, arm warmers, and the same Coeur tri shorts that I wore for the first time at Bull Run. After my issues with chaffing at Reverse Ring, these worked great for me during Bull Run Run 50, so I invested in a second pair. I normally wear calf compression sleeves to keep my calves warm and to ward off any prickly bushes, but went without and figured I’d throw them on if it got cold overnight. I started off with a headlamp and small handheld light, but rarely used either as I took advantage of the lights from others and reserved my batteries for later. I would pick this headlamp up again at Habron, passing it off to my crew at Edinburg (mile 12), which was included in the script.
AS1-AS2: MORELAND TO EDINBURG – 8.1 miles/12.1
This is Short Mountain. On the old course, years 2007 and 2009, this was miles 67.7 to 75.9, and most people ran it at night on tired legs. It’s where “bad people go to die”. But in recent years it’s not so intimidating anymore. I settled in to a good pace of running and walking slogging through some muddy sections, hopping rocks over others, and working my way up to the ridge line. Settled into a good pace with some other runners doing the same. As the sun rose the pace quickened, and the group I was with was itching to run more than walk, so we started passing the leader of our pack, who I didn’t realize was a friend of mine running MMT for the first time. We said some quick hellos and I didn’t see her again until Sunday afernoon. The familiarity of the course helped me stay calm on my way to Edinburg. Once off the trail, I pulled over for a quick bathroom break, before running the last quarter mile to the aid station.
With Jordan and Liam not arriving until the morning of the race, I gave them a spare car key a few days before and let them know where I would be parked so they could switch cars when they arrived to use mine, all set up to go. With zero cell service I was relying on them to find the car and make it to Edinburg, and the “big boys” made it.
(Credit: David Potts)
(Credit: David Potts)
“Here’s your first go at it.. ,” I said to Liam as he shouted “That’s our girl!” as I ran down Moreland Gap Road.. “Don’t fuck it up,” I added, which drew a laugh from the large crowd of crew members gathered roadside waiting for their runners. That seemed to lighten the mood and set the tone for the day(s). With script in mind, I switched out one bottle for another, grabbed some Gu Bloks, polished off half a banana and some coconut water, switched out my buff for a hat, passed off my headlamp, and passed on other instructions as I wouldn’t see them again until mile 33.3 at Elizabeth Furnace. Walked out of the aid station on my way up toward the next aid station.
(credit: Mike O’Grady)
AS2-AS3: EDINBURG TO WOODSTOCK TOWER – 8.2 miles/20.3
I settled into an easy walk, keeping a couple runners in front of me. I figured it was about 1.5 miles to the top, then about a rolling 6 miles across, 2 miles between trail crossing signs, then another 1.5 miles from the last sign to Woodstock. I know that doesn’t add up, but that’s my mental breakdown of this rolling, runable section. I always assume the climbs are 1-2 miles long. The two in front of me split, one going ahead of the other, who I caught up with on the climb. It was Jim, who I ran with into Camp Roosevelt during Reverse Ring. He’s a regular at MMT and the Ring events, but he’s usually waay ahead of me, so either I was going WAY too fast, or he was struggling. Turns out it was the latter. We chatted a bit about how he was just having a rough go at it. I continued on knowing I would see him later, as is the case with most runners this early in the race.
This section was fairly uneventful. I had my tunes in my ears and I tried to keep sipping on water, my nutrition, and eating my Gu Bloks. About 30 minutes from the aid station it started to rain. No big deal. The air was still cool and it felt refreshing. I got to Woodstock, called out my number, and a volunteer was there with my bag in hand waiting to help me. I made some quick changes – taking out trash and refilling my bottles, grabbing more Gu Bloks and another baggie of powder, as there would be no drop bags at the next aid station. I grabbed some fruit and potatoes for additional calories and carbs and headed out on the next section of trails.
AS3-AS4: WOODSTOCK TOWER TO POWELLS FORT CAMP – 5.6 miles/25.8
A group of 3-4 runners took off ahead of me, but their bright colored tops were easy to stop. I didn’t worry too much about trying to catch them as there was still A LOT of trail ahead of us. No point in “making my move” now as I tend to use Elizabeth Furnace (50k point) as a place to assess how I’m doing, and that was a long way off. The rain continued to fall and I continued to plod on. A couple things I noticed was swelling in my hands and my shorts not feeling right. The few times I went to the bathroom, I had to adjust the crotch more than normal to get it sitting right. It felt off, and I was more aware of it than I wanted to be, so I was aware of the chafing that was starting. I caught up to and passed some runners, and was passed by them and others on this section. I like it for its runability and beauty. I ran it in the reverse back in February for Reverse Ring, and 2.5 months later it was green and lush with life. It had an emerald look to it, it was so bright in some sections. It was beautiful, and it helped take my mind off of the chafing for a bit.
I followed the colorful jackets down the trail, up another, and down the last, steep half mile to the dirt road leading to aid. This descent was muddy due to the rain and slow as runners were trying to keep their footing.
It’s great to hear your name yelled out by Natalie, the AS captain, when you enter, and to have that followed by “she needs bacon” as you approach the tent. I had one volunteer help refill my pack as I noshed on bacon right out of the pan and other typical fare of potatoes dipped in salt and more fruit. Natalie asked how I was doing as, and I was blunt with “I’m chafing”. After getting my pack set, grabbing more food and passing on my thanks, I was on my way. I chatted with a few other volunteers on the way out (‘my crotch hurts’), one who zipped up my pack before I took to the dirt road for the next 2 miles.
AS4-AS5: POWELLS FORT CAMP TO ELIZABETH FURNACE – 7.5 miles/33.3
This can be a lonely, hot section. But it was raining, so the mood was somber and damp with many heads bowed due to the rain. There’s always small streams to cross, but with the ran earlier in the week and currently, they had swelled. Keeping feet dry was pointless at this point. You trudged onward.
I lost sight of the pack in front of me, the ones I followed into Powells Fort, when I stepped off the trail to take a shit. I hate when I have to go because there’s the thought process/timeline that goes something like this..
“Hmm.. I might need to go in a bit”
“Yeaaah.. I need to go”
(scoping places off trail to drop trou with enough coverage and easy access)
“Yeah.. I shouldn’t fart”
“Should probably find a place soon.. ah fuck yeah I need to go NOW”
And then it’s dealing with my shorts and getting them in the right place when I pull them back up. And there was no ‘good place’. I knew I was chaffing, it was going to be bad, and I would have to deal with it for the next 70 fucking miles. I had some Aquaphor in my pack and that helped a bit. I carried on.
Around the reservoir and nearing the turn onto the blue trail, I caught and passed another runner in sandals (crazy!!), and was eventually caught by Jim. He had a resurgence and started to feel better. We chatted as I pulled us through the climb up the Tuscarora Trail. I let him take the lead at the top on the long descent into Elizabeth Furnace, which seems to feel longer than the mileage listed. Another runner joined our group and we worked well together, as Jim held a great conversational pace about past and future runs, upcoming trips, and anything to keep the mind distracted. We caught up to and passed some other groups and splashed through the puddles and slogged through the mud, knowing that shoes would be changed at Elizabeth Furnace.
AS5-AS6: ELIZABETH FURNACE TO SHAWL GAP – 4.7 miles/38.0
(Credit – Angela Flowers-Russell)
(Credit – Angela Flowers-Russell)
One of my instructions for the crew was to ‘have a spotter’ – someone away from the aid station a bit to keep an eye out for me and to direct me to the chair. I saw Jordan and his sweet, sweet boots and he led me to Liam and the chair placed just under the coverage of the pavilion. I hadn’t seen them in nearly 5.5 hours, so there was much to talk about – how I was feeling, changes to nutrition (alternating 2 bottles instead of rotating the 3 as planned), my hands swelling and chaffing, and when to change clothes – all while I changed shoes and socks. It was still raining, but clean, dry feet and a fresh pair of socks and shoes feels awesome. I grabbed some grub – banana, coconut water, Fuel for Fire pouch, and some mangoes.
“Where are the ones in the little containers I had divvied out?”
“Ummm..”
“Y’now.. the ones in the little containers that says 20g on it.”
“oh..”
“Ehh..don’t worry about,” said as I pick another piece out of the plastic clamshell container, “by the way, you probably don’t want to have any of this cuz I wiped my butt with this hand.”
I finished eating, getting my bottle, and left with a “see you on the other side” from Jordan as well as a weather report regarding the rain ending around 1pm (it was around 12:30).
I was joined by Jim again and we followed a few others on the long, twisting climb up to where the blue/orange Tuscarora-MMT Trail meets up with the yellow Shawl Gap Trail. We chatted along the way, and I am normally not a talker, but I appreciated the company and conversation as it kept me relaxed and moving at a good but comfortable pace. I know the descent can be steep and muddy at parts, so I let a few others take the lead as I am forever tentative on the downhills. And my left knee bugs me a bit, but it was tolerable. All the while I could feel a rumble in my stomach and I started to have the conversation with myself that I outlined earlier. Sure enough, about 5 minutes from Shawl aid, I had to pull aside and shit again. It took a bit of walking to feel ‘right’ again as the chaffing hurt. Just couldn’t get my shorts to line up right.
AS6-AS7: SHAWL GAP TO VEACH GAP – 3.1 miles/41.1.
I didn’t see Jordan and Liam at first, surprising them as I came in earlier than expected, I guess. They led me to the car at the end of the parking lot and I refueled and changed my shirt, taking off the arm warmers as well. I stank. I hurt. I was puffy. We chatted and I checked in on them, making sure they were eating, sleeping, etc, before heading out for 5k of road. It would be 17 miles before I saw them again.
Another uneventful section. It was nice to have no rain for a chance, but I was afraid it would lead to bugs and humidity especially on the open road. Luckily it wasn’t too bad. I caught up with Jim who was slowing down again. Stomach issues and nausea were getting to him, and he told me to run ahead. He was a fast walker, so my run didn’t put me too much farther ahead of him. But I did catch up to another couple runners and we all came into Veach pretty close together.
AS7-AS8: VEACH GAP TO INDIAN GRAVE TRAILHEAD – 9.0 miles/50.1
I grabbed some grilled cheese and quesadillas in addition to fruit and potatoes. I had grabbed a few things from Shawl that I forgot at EF (salt tabs and Gu Bloks and FtF pouch) to help cover the distance between aid stations and seeing crew again at Habron. I also made sure to get a large swath of Vasoline on my crotch. The chaffing was bad. Real bad. But I only had 1 change of shorts so I had to do what I could between changes and until the end. I didn’t want to DNF due to crotch chaffing. I had my little tube of Aquaphor, but it felt good to get a large handful of goo between my legs.. (that’s what she said??).
I grabbed a couple more pieces of quesadilla (after cleaning my hands..) that I put in a baggie to take with me and headed out.
I felt good on the climbs, catching up and passing a few people, and still trying to do a few quick steps here and there. I neared the top with Paul, and it was nice to pause and look east towards the Shenandoah mountains. We spend so much time bent forward, head down, that it was worth the few seconds to enjoy the view. It was incredible. But also time to keep moving.
Jim got another burst of energy and eventually caught up to me. He told me the history of Morgan’s Road, which we passed soon after leaving the aid station, as well as the life of Daniel Morgan, whom it was named after. A very interesting man worth reading about. I spend so much time on these trails that it’s great to learn more about the history.
We continue talking and not talking, just doing whatever necessary to pass the time to get to the next trail marker of Milford Gap, then only a few miles to the turn off down the purple trail onto Indian Grave Trail. I tried to eat the quesadilla I brought with me, but a cold quesadilla isn’t very appetizing.
We worked our way down the trail, I let others go ahead as this was STEEP, and I really, really didn’t like it. I’ll train on certain sections of the course more than once, but I’ll only hit this race day. I hate it. It’s slow. I’m slow. And my knees don’t like it. And I’m sure all the braking I’m doing isn’t helping, but it’s keeping me upright. Again, near the bottom, about a half mile from aid, I have to duck into the bushes to take a shit. I don’t know why I’m having to go so frequently, but about 4 times by now and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of trying to find a place to go, of having to deal with the chaffing, of not eating something in hopes of figuring out the cause.
I finally made my way into the aid station, and I was hitting a low point.
(Credit- Annie Gie)
AS8-AS9 – INDIAN GRAVE TRAILHEAD TO HABRON GAP – 3.9miles/54.0
I knew the aid station captains as I volunteered with them in 2010, so when they asked how I was feeling, I could honestly say “my crotch is on fire and I can’t stop shitting”. I avoided anything with cheese that they might have to offer as I thought that might be the culprit, so I wanted to nix that for a bit. I grabbed a veggie burger and bacon instead, and realized the burger had corn and black beans in it. Well.. I’ll be seeing that again in a few hours. After eating I went to apply more Vaseline until Michelle mentioned she had some TriSlide in her car. I dropped trou and sprayed the fuck out of my crotch. Anything to cool it down. After a pack refill of water I was on my way again.
I kept Paul and another runner in sight as much as possible. Jim was long gone. The road was lonely. My running had slowed, and I didn’t like the open road, but I kept moving from blaze to blaze, one tree to the next, running 20 steps and walking 40, etc. I eventually caught up to Paul and we walked into the aid station together.
AS9-AS10 – HABRON GAP TO CAMP ROOSEVELT – 9.8 miles/63.9
This is another ‘check point’ for me as shit starts to get real. This is mile 54 and I’ve been moving for just over 14 hours. Sun is probably setting in another hour or so and I have a long stretch ahead of me. Part of my script said to keep track of length of time in the aid station since it can be easy to linger and waste time, but it’s nice to sit and chat. I also had on my script to tell me a joke here, which Liam did, but it didn’t make sense. So instead I sat and bitched about my crotch and the chaffing I had going on. How bad was it? Here’s a sample of what we talked about..
“It’s like ground beef you get at Wal-mart that’s on sale because its sell by date is in 3 hours. And you buy it with the intent on cooking it that night. But it’s now 4 days later when you discover it in the back of the fridge. So you peel back the slimy plastic wrap and do the sniff test and are initially taken back by the smell. But you go in for a second stiff.. shrug.. and figure it’s not that bad and you’ll make it work somehow.”
And that’s where I was, at the mid-way point mileage wise with my chaffing – I had to make it work somehow and gut it out.
Also, you’re welcome for that visual.
So at Habron I lingered a bit longer than I should’ve as I ate more mangoes, refilled water, ate a turkey wrap with sweet potato fries, and joked around with Liam and Jordan. Got my headlights set, heaved myself out of the chair, and chatted with Natalie, who I last saw way back at Powell’s Fort, on my way out.
I still had a good bit of daylight left and wanted to make the most of it. I felt decent on the climbs and tried to keep moving at a good clip. I passed Paul and another runner and just kept plugging away. About half a mile up my watch died on me. But I still had my music. At the top I picked up the ridge and headed towards Stephen’s Trail.
I moved as quickly as I could, taking advantage of what was left of the sun. There were some tricky sections to see on this trail, so I wanted to get to them, and get through them, if at all possible. I was also aware of stream crossings and muddy sections. I wasn’t too concerned about keeping my feet dry as I knew the next section would be miserable and I’d be changing my shoes at Gap. I was able to see the trail better than expected, especially since I hadn’t been on this section since my last MMT in 2013. I was still getting restless about getting to the next aid station. I remembered the stream crossings and the short rises immediately after, and that there was at least another half mile after the last one.. but was that the last one? Were there 4 and not 3? And what is that red light in the distance.. is that a car’s tail light? The light was actually a headlamp and it was closer than I had thought, only a few feet from the end of the trail, which dumped into a parking lot not far from the aid station. I walked through the parking lot and met up with Liam at the end, I could tell it was him, waiting at the road to walk into the aid station with me.
AS10-AS11 – CAMP ROOSEVELT TO GAP CREEK/JAWBONE I – 5.8 miles/69.6
Started hitting a low point here. It was cold, *I* was cold, and it was a busy aid station. I immediately put on my windbreaker and eased myself into my chair – the chaffing was so bad it hurt to sit. I grabbed some soup and a Poptart (Brown sugar cinnamon is the bomb) and some coconut water. Switched out watches and iPods for some better tunes I wasn’t eating much or drinking much. Sipping with the songs, but maybe an ounce or so at a time. I talked with Liam and Jordan about my plan at Gap – full lower body change of shorts, socks and shoes. Chatted with a few other crew members on the way out while shoving some food in my mouth.
It was raining again, but that didn’t really matter much on this section as it floods when it rains, and this was no different. What was different was how shitty I moved on this section. It seemed like I was standing still, and everyone and their mother, brother, and cousin twice removed was passing me. Water was over ankle high and there really was no good line to move through. I can usually tell how long the trail is based on the sound of the river that runs parallel, and a couple water crossings close to the intersection with Peach Gap Trail – the blue trail that takes us up and over the ridgeline and into the aid station. But it was constant. The water crossings were there as expected, but there were a few extras due to the rise in the water. No matter, just plow ahead on through it. Everyone had to deal with the same elements, but it’s how you handle them that keeps you moving. My mood wasn’t very positive until the intersection. I had to pull over yet again to shit, then I was good to good. My crotch was on fire and it took longer than usual for the pain and burning to subside even a little bit. Sore feet from kicking rocks, fiery crotch, a queasy stomach, and a mind all over the place, but I still fared well on the climb.
The descent was full on slop – everything I had experienced on the straight away from Roosevelt and on the climb was just all downhill now.. mud, rocks, streams of water, big ass puddles, etc. Definitely getting your monies worth. I was able to keep a group of runners in sight, and that helped keep me moving. Seeing the trail of lights snaking their way down the side of the mountain, seeing the lights strung up at the aid station, and hearing the commotion from runners and crew members and volunteers helped keep my spirits completely out of the dumps.
I made my way through the final stream crossing and into the aid station, calling out ’90’ and hearing “Alright JEN!” from Liam.
AS11-AS12 – GAP CREEK/JAWBONE 1 – VISITOR CENTER – 8.5 miles/78.1
They lead me over to the camp chair on the outer edge of the aid station. Jordan started working on getting my shoes off and Liam tried to get me something to eat. My hands were jacked, like I was wearing MMA sparring gloves.
I needed sodium – “They have pickles,” said Jordan, “I hate pickles,” I replied.
Liam comes back with food, “Hey I got you some pickles..”
The food was secondary at this point as I needed to tend to my lower half. I was trying to take my shoes and socks off while sitting down, but my hip flexors kept cramping up as I bent over. This happened at Reverse Ring. I took a second, massaging the area, and it worked itself out. It was raining and I was trying to remove the last 24 miles of grime. I also needed to get my shorts off, but couldn’t do that sitting down. So the guys held up my sleeping bag to shield me from everyone in the aid station, while I basically faced the other direction, where lead runners would be coming in. I took my chances and gingerly stood up and tried to balance myself.. and RIGHT as I was dropping trough, the radio guy in the truck 100′ from me turns on his lights. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! is what I said with my body language, arms raised in a ‘WTF!?!?!?’ manner, which I thought was enough to get him to turn them off. NOPE! Lady bits on FULL display now to ANYONE on that side of the camp. It was laughable more than it was upsetting, nearly 70 miles in at this point. You get your monies worth, right?
I cleaned up my bits and pulled on a fresh pair of shorts – same brand, size. The rain was picking up a bit so I sat and finished up with my socks and shoes and got some food to eat – after cleaning my hands – but no pickles. Took a few Pepto Tabs hoping those might kick in. And since Liam and Jordan were too busy crewing to take action shots, they took a picture of my foot to prove that I was part of their weekend adventure in the mountains.
It was a slow walk out of the aid station, but man it felt good to have fresh socks and shoes on. This section wasn’t too muddy, but there can be some wet sections on the climb. This can be a tough section, especially the climb, since there can be the fast runners on their way through for a second time – passing as if you’re standing still. Luckily no one came though, and I followed the trail of lights from other runners on the way up.
I don’t mind Kerns, and I know it runs slower than when I was on it for the Bunny Run, but it seemed to go MUCH slower. I went off trail *slightly*, missing a hard to see sharp turn early on, but righted myself and kept moving. At one point I had to switch out headlamps, stuffing my current one in one of the front pockets of my hydration pack ready to turn it over at the next aid station. I had a few runners behind me, and used that as motivation to keep a decent pace no matter how bad ‘stuff’ felt. The Pepto tabs weren’t enough to combat whatever was going on inside of me, and I had to shit yet again. It hurt. Pulling down, wiping, applying Aquaphor, pulling back on, nearly brought me to tears. It really fucking hurt. I had to walk a bit to collect myself, mentally and physically, before I could start attempting to run again.
I made sure to take a second at an unofficial overlook – Q’s View – to appreciate everything around me.
Stop. Breathe.
I made my way down off the trail and onto Crisman Hollow Road for about 2 miles of basically sleep walking until Picnic Area Aid station at mile 78.
AS12-AS13 – VISITOR CENTER TO BIRD KNOB – 3.5 miles/81.6
If Gap was a low point, this was a lower point. I sat and just sunk into the chair. I ate stuff and drank stuff, but my head just wasn’t in it. It was around 3:20am. I couldn’t stop yawning and I told Liam and Jordan how I would try to get some shut eye on the last road section. I would close my eyes and count 10-20 steps, and hope I was moving in a straight line when I opened then. I’d right myself and continue. Sometimes I would lose count and it was the change of ‘feel’ on the side of the road that woke me up.
Finally Liam said it was time to go. I was getting too warm by the fire, a temptress Siren at this point in the race. Liam took some actions shots on the way out..
..and that’s when I remembered about the headlamp in my pocket. I checked and it was gone. Son of a… I figured it fell out when I took off my pack to take a shit. It wasn’t the monetary value of it, but it was the headlamp I first got back in 2007. So I was a bit bummed. If I was low coming into the aid station, I was low on the way out. But shouts of “Go get ’em” from Liam and a calm “you’re doing great” from Jordan pushed me onward.
I moved as well as I could along the connector trail before starting the first part of the climb up to Bird Knob aid station. A quick glance up to spy a headlamp at the top of this first climb to give me an idea of how far I had to go. Head down and grind it out. I looked up every so often, but kept my head down and plugged away. It’s about 2 miles up before you hit Ant Hill Road, a split at the top where it levels off, and is about another mile before the aid station. Right around here I had to shit again. I did a mix of walking and not completely walking all while trying to get some shut eye. At one point I literally woke up doing something like this..
.. and it took me a second to come to and realize where I was. I made my way into the aid station.
AS13-AS14 – BIRD KNOB TO PICNIC AREA – 6.4 miles/87.9
I stood there not knowing what to do or what to eat. I finally sat down and had some soup and had some more. I was so tired. There was a small electric heater near my shins that felt really good. I was a little worried it would keep me in the chair longer than necessary, but I headed out not long after another couple of runners.
Sun would be up in another 45 minutes or so. I just needed to make it that long. I got a little more shut eye on the road section, wandering a bit more left and right that forward, before the turn onto the trail. I kept the couple in sight and just plugged on. I don’t mind the Southern section of the course as I ran it for WTF 50K and Bunny Run. At this point you know the mental countdown of “climbs remaining” after Bird Knob is now down to this Purple trail, up Duncan Hollow (orange) from where it meets up with the white connector, and then Jawbone again. I knew my switches here, just head down and grind. I wasn’t looking to the winding downhill as my knees were bothering me, my feet were hurting pretty badly, and they kept sliding around in the shoes. So I spent a lot of time tentatively braking and adjusting my body to find the best way possible to move downhill without slamming my delicate lady toes. It was taking a lot of time. But it was after 6am and the sun was bright. Starting to get a *little* more rejuvenated despite all that I had going on. And I had to shit yet again. If you’re tired of reading about, yeah.. that’s how I felt. *almost*.
This next section is a rolling descent, and it’s really fun to run when the course is dry, but it was not. Rock covered and now a flowing stream, it had some added difficulty as you couldn’t really tell how deep it was where you were stepping, or if there were any rocks underneath. Luckily I managed to stay upright as I had throughout the race, but I was just moving really, really slowly. And it was most noticeable with with the scores of people that started to pass me. I tried to enjoy the section as much as possible since I was bare in January and dark the month before, and now it was green and lush as other sections of the course. It was really beautiful and quite the contrast to the suffering that the runners were dealing with. I made my way – walking at this point – into the aid station. I was ready for breakfast.
AS14-AS15 – PICNIC AREA TO GAP CREEK/JAWBONE II – 8.9 miles/96.8
I was a sad, stinky, sight. But I was really looking forward to eating my Lucky Charms. Liam asked, “how’s your bladder?” and I was still with it mentally enough to reply “which one?” and capped it off with a “Heeyoo!” So I hadn’t completely lost my sense of humor. It’s great to get to Picnic Area, and there’s like 17 miles to go, but it’s a LOOONG way to go. I tried to not think about that and instead keep a positive attitude while joking with Jordan and Liam about the size of my hands, the sad state of the rotting hamburger between my legs, and swearing more than we should’ve at that time and place. But we were having fun.
I was definitely taking too long eating my eggs and waffles, so I made a sandwich out of it and Jordan fed it to me while I did over stuff. What service!
I was a tiny bit dramatic about how hot the hot chocolate was, trying to wash down the last of breakfast. You can sort of see how puffy my hands were – no creases – and how I was holding the cup is about all the dexterity I had in that hand. I couldn’t make a full fist, let alone half a fist, with no pain.
I needed help to stand out of my chair, and it took a couple seconds before I took those first tiny steps, followed by another one, and another. I took a deep breath, a mighty sigh, and eased my way out of the aid station, planning to start running again once I picked up the main trail. I took a few hobbled running steps and started walking, repeating this pattern, but my run wasn’t much different from my walk. I still tried and lasted as long as possible until my feet or crotch said ‘nahh..’.
And this mile section to the 211 parking lot is when my body said ‘no more’. And I listened to it.
I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. I had smaller bouts of tears earlier in the race, but I was able to push them aside.
But at this point I realized my ‘goal finish time’ was out the window. There was a lot of this negative self talk and it continued as runners continued to pass me whether I was shitting in the woods – which I did on the Connector trail after 211 – or any point on the Orange trail on my way up Duncan Hollow. It felt like the doors opening at Wal-mart on Black Friday – a constant stream of runners and their pacers passing me. They didn’t look like they were hurting or suffering at all, whether it was on an uphill, downhill, over rocks, etc, and that was the worst part.
My feet were worse off, and they’d been slowing me down a lot since coming off the purple trail on the south section of the course after Bird Knob AS. I had changed into Altra Lone Peak at Visitor Center (mile 78.1) after wearing 2 pairs of Brooks Cascadias, which have been my go-to shoes since 2009. I’d worn them to walk dogs, but never on the trails. Mistake #I’ve lost count.
AS15 – GAP CREEK 2 TO FINISH – 6.9 miles/103.7
I limped into the final aid station with Liam meeting me along the road, walking me in with my head down. Defeated.
But I was with it enough to make a comment that, when you started to close your eyes the road looked like the Infinity Mirrors exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum.
I dawdled at the aid station, but joked around with the guys, volunteers, and other people at the aid station who were waiting for their runners. I changed out of my Altras and back into a torn up pair of Cascadias – my last pair – while Jordan and Liam changed pants. Jordan was going to pace me this remaining section. Finally someone pushed me towards the trail ‘Go.. they’ll catch up’. And I was on my way to the finish.
The finish was still a long ways away. Fresh socks and shoes feel good, but my feet, crotch, body, and worst of all, my mind were just gone. I walked a lot. I stopped a lot. The climb up Jawbone isn’t too terrible, and I know the switchbacks, but when you’re out of it mentally, it’s hard to muster the strength. I did my best, though, and hobbled along the course. I still had to stop a few times to go to the bathroom. And the blackbean and corn veggie burger finally made its way through my system. Jordan took my pack for me for a bit, and it felt like 100# and been removed from my shoulders. There’s the question/test about how much a glass of water weighs. Hold that glass with your arm extended for 5 minutes, 10.. 30 min.. 2 hours.. now how much does it weigh? Same for a hydration back with 2L of water. Here’s your answer – it’s fucking heavy.
We made our way off the trail and onto the road. It was about 5k to the finish. I remember the day before when another runner commented on the number of poles and bridges there were before the turnoff of that main road toward the finish. It didn’t add up. We tried counting but spent more time trying to figure out what was considered a pole. We gave up and just kept moving. I had to stop a lot. Feet hurt, back hurt. My pride was hurt as other runners now came flooding by. My friend that I passed the day before on Short Mountain passed me. I hated getting passed this close to the finish, but I had zero gas or fumes in the tank. I was basically walking 99% of the last 16 miles of the race. It wasn’t a race anymore, it was pure survival. Just get to the finish and collect my 6th buckle.
And that I did. Jordan kept me moving. We talked and we didn’t talk. He was extremely supportive without being ‘rah rah’. Cool, calm, and collected. I don’t know how he put up with me on that last stretch. But he got me up the final road, through the camp, and across the final stream where I gave everything I could to muster enough effort to run the loop to the finish line.
Final time – 34:32:57
Suddenly everything stops hurting for a few minutes. Euphoria sets in. The smile is wide and proud over what I had just accomplished. The cheers from the crowd of other finishers and their crew means a lot because they were all out there suffering, too. They know what I went through because they went through it, too.
I can’t say enough about my crew – Liam and Jordan. They were rock solid and cool under pressure. They believed in me when I didn’t and kept me moving. You need people like that on your side because it’s hard to finish a race like this on your own.
Epilogue
Everyone has a story.
I could go on about my time and how it was my second slowest time, my slowest being my first finish in 2007.
I could go on about how swollen my hands were and that I couldn’t make a fist.
I could go on about how wrecked I was from the waist down.
I could go on about how poor my nutrition and training were leading up to it and the day of.
I could go on about a lot of negatives. But I accomplished something that a lot of people haven’t done once.
And I’ve done it 6 times on this particular course.
I don’t know what drives me, what compels me run trails, to run out in the mountains of Virginia, to do this race.
You see how punishing it is mentally and physically. You see how many ups and downs there are – literally and figuratively – throughout the race.
I’m driven to get better. To do better than the year before. To prove.. something. What that is.. I’m not sure.
Maybe I’ll figure it out this year when I toe the line for the 8th time, seeking my 7th finish. I hope you will follow along with me.
Thank you for reading if you made it to the end.
