Start |
Uncle Ronnie and I trudging along. He was trying to block the wind for me. |
Not sure where this is but somewhere in KS :) |
After Lapland I saw the crew again at Teterville and Ridgeline. I was feeling good the entire way. I met some awesome folks. Lent a guy my phone so he could call for a new ipod. Saw a snake or two and I was eating and drinking. Calories seemed good and fluids were in check. I was getting tired of wet feet but it wasn't so bad either.
I look so cheery at the start |
By mile 42.5 at Matfield Green when I saw the crew and picked up Joanne for pacing I was feeling loopy. I knew when I left Ridgeline something was up so I took my first Enduralyte of the day and something for my headache. Alert Alert Alert!!!!! Don't you wish your head sent off alarms like that or your crew could see the red flags waving as you ran into an aid station? I had a headache (I never get headaches) and I was disoriented. Duhhhhhhh!!!! How did I not know I was in serious need of salt. Anyway, no alarms or bells went off so I trudged on like a ding dong. I went out with Joanne. We picked up the pace, having a pacer will do that to you. We hit the turn around (50 miles just in case that isn't obvious) at 9 hrs. Once again, how was that not an ALARM!! Come on, 50 miles in 9hrs. I was in over my head. If I had slowed down right then and there I might have salvaged this thing but instead I did the opposite. I cranked it. Dropped the pace into the 9-10mm range and dug deep. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! What was I thinking? Joanne and I saw Uncle Ronnie and that was great. I love that I have a 72yr old uncle who is willing to come out and run with me. He is amazing. Seeing him only made me go faster. Clearly I am nuts. By the time we hit Matfield Green again (mile 58ish) my stomach was D.O.N.E. done, as in done. That was it for food staying down. Uncle Ronnie and I headed out for Ridgeline and I slowly fell apart. By the time I got to Ridgeline I was a mess. I had never felt that bad at that point in a race and I didn't know what to do. We changed my clothes and I chilled for a bit while I tried to eat and then I headed out with Anne. She BTW did the next 18 miles with me and they were horrible (pace wise), she kept my spirits up and kept me moving. She was the BOMB!! When we reached Teterville, I was a more of a mess than before. By this time I had figured out that eating anything was trouble and I was just going down hill. I stopped and tried to recoup and Anne and I headed out again but, by 1.5 miles out of the aid station we were both thinking we should turn back for help. We somehow decided to press on, the pace got slower, my digestive track got worse and we just kept walking. It was brutal. I was with it but couldn't really walk straight or stand up without help, I was a total wreck. By the half way point of the 8 mile leg we both knew it was over for me. For a bit we thought if I could get to Lapland we could get help and I could move on but we soon saw the writing on the wall, I had let myself get too deep in the hole. So at 82 miles I dropped. Tracey picked us up and we headed home.
This wasn't the journey or outcome I planned but I have to say I had a great time with the crew and I learned a lot and once again I have been taught a lesson on patience. A 100 miles takes patience and resilience. I need to work on pace, go out easy and see what happens and I have to stay on top of my stomach. Big lesson learned and a great weekend.
Thanks so much to the crew. I am in awe of all of them. They all worked so hard. I am a lucky gal to have such great friends.
Until the next adventure...Happy Running!!
The Awesome Crew!!! Anne, Joanne, Tracey and Danielle |