Hawk 100

Hawk 100, September 8^th 2012

Before I start, I owe a heart warmed “Thank you” to my Crew – Henry, Bill, Beth and Zach for crewing for me. They were amazing and had me in and out of the aide station faster than a NASCAR  pit crew!  Shout out to my Pacers, Larry and Dave for keeping me moving forward, on those tough technical trails, once the sun went down; I appreciate you both giving up precious family time to share my race day with me. 

Wow, I never thought I could surpass the wonderful experience I had at my first 100 miler, Rocky Raccoon 100, but the HAWK 100 was AMAZING!  There is nothing better than training and running a 100 miles on your home turf; I completely felt the energy and love from the Ultra running community the entire race.  At every aide station I saw a familiar face and having that constant encouragement from my running buddies was very uplifting.

Race Morning

My crew and I arrived at the race about 5:20am and immediately ran into Darin S and Dave Wakefield . As most of you know Darin is my mentor and running buddy; He molded me into a trail runner!  Darin also paced me at Rocky Raccoon, my first 100miler, so we have a strong running bond.  Darin and I trained a lot together this summer on the race course at Clinton. We typically started our Saturday runs at 5am, to try and beat the heat, and after 5 to 6  hours of running we were totally WIPED out, humbled, and beat down from the heat and humidity.  Our typical routine was to run together until the sun rose and then I’d tell Darin to go run the “piss and vinegar” out of his legs.  We typically met back up at Park Road and then ran the final 11 miles together.  This routine worked well for me because he would knock down all the gnarly spider webs, and I always ran the last miles faster with him nipping at my heels…lol!

Anyway, after we all chatted for a bit we moseyed over to the start area to hear the last minute directions from the race directors: Danny Miller and Coleen Voeks.  Shortly after that all the 100 and 50 mile runners  lined up on the road for the start of the race. I gave my Husband a big hug and told him I’d see him in a couple hours at the Park Road aide station.  Darin and I gave each other hugs and before we knew it, we were off and running at 6am!  

 Race start

Loop 1    25 miles   Time: 4:35

The course is a 25 mile loop, mostly single track technical trails, and my goal was not to get boxed in, behind other runners during the first loop.  I experienced that at Freestate 100K and it was miserable not to be able to stretch out and run my own pace.  So to avoid this I positioned myself in the  front of the pack, behind the rabbits, to make sure once we ran Sanders Mound I would be on the blue trail away from the pack. 

After a few miles, a few runners caught up to me and we introduced ourselves and chatted about the race.  I kept offering for the group of four to pass me but they were content with me leading.  When I came into Lands End aide station (mile 4.5) I gave a shout out to Gary Henry, one of my running buddies, and kept on running.  My hydration pack had plenty of water/nuun and I had a protein bar and honey stingers for fueling.  I was still leading the pack and enjoying the conversation but felt that the pace was a bit too aggressive for me, considering I was running 100 miles.   I knew I was exerting too much energy early on, so I opted to step off the trail and water the bushes.  This was a very wise decision on my part; after the quick potty break I felt more comfortable running relaxed at my pace.  I would run solo until mile 50 when Larry, my pacer, joined me.

Before I knew it I was coming off the Cactus Ridge section onto West Park Road, (mile 10.5) way ahead of schedule.  On this section my crew saw me twice; there is a 2.5 mile loop up Bunker Hill and back.  I dropped my hydration pack for Henry to fill and switched to a handheld water bottle for the short romp and tore off my short sleeve shirt to get some fresh air.  Dave W.  was at the aide station also, he gave me my sunglasses and told me to pace myself up the hill.  Dave crewed for Darin, he is an amazing runner and great guy; it was so nice to have his encouraging words throughout the day. 

Bunker Hill

 It was a relief to have a break from the weight of the hydration pack on my back and the cool breeze felt amazing! I thought this loop would be dreaded, but it was a nice change of scenery and I welcomed the openness.     After the loop, I came back into the aide station and Beth handed me a fresh shirt, my hydration pack that was reloaded with water/nuun , bars/stingers, and Bill handed me a turkey wrap to eat while I was running.  This would be the routine for the entire day…my crew was so FREAKING efficient!

I was pretty much in the zone during this section, but before I arrived at Lands End (mile 18.5) I could feel I was starting to warm up a little. I stopped briefly at the aide station to add some ice to my hydration pack to keep the water/nuun cool.  From my experience this summer if my water gets to warm it tends to sour my stomach and it was WAY too early to risk any tummy issues.  I grabbed a couple pringles and said, Thank you to Gary Henry and the wonderful volunteers and trotted of.  I only had 6.5 miles  back to the Start/Finish area!   I zoned on this section, I know it like the back of my hand.  I was feeling strong; fueling was good, electrolytes in check, so I ran all the hills and glided over the rocks.  Next thing I knew I was coming into the Start/Finish, about 45minutes ahead of my projected time.  I dropped my hydration pack for Henry to fill, after pulling out a tampon from my pack,  and ran to the porta potty…Yes, I RAN a 100 miles on my period, which conveniently showed up Friday morning!  You guys have it so EASY, you just have to worry about chaffing!!  My crew did an amazing job again and I was off running. I could hear Henry telling me I was WAY ahead of pace and to slow it down; I told him I would scale back on the next loop since it was warming up.

Mile 25

Loop 2: 5:04    25-50 miles   Total Run Time: 9:39

After leaving the aide station I ran up to the top of Sanders Mound and picked one of Gary Henry’s poems from the notebook.  This was something the 50 and 100 mile runners had to do to prove we ran the 1.25 hill and didn’t bypass it. Who would do that?  It was a super fun check point to add to the race and at Land’s End (mile 29.5) I read the sweet little poem to Gary and kissed him on the cheek…this would be our little special moment all day!  I then took off and Gary yelled “Don’t you want some food?” I yelled back…”I’m good” and headed down the hill to the red section.

I spent most of this loop running an easy pace and not overexerting myself; I did not want to overheat! My Training over the summer was brutal in the heat and I experienced heat exhaustion multiple times, so I decided to run smart and scale back my pace a bit. My first loop was faster than expected so I knew I had a nice cushion and could afford to relax my pace.

When I came into West Park Road(mile 35.5), I saw Larry but not my crew!  I had run out of water about a mile ago so I needed my handheld for Bunker Hill.  I had a total Linda Blair moment and said "*uck it", and dropped my hydration pack, ripped off my shirt and took off running.  My crew was running my way from the camp site but I was on such a damn mission I just kept running.  My son Zach caught me and handed me my handheld and I gave him a quick kiss and took off towards the hill.  I laughed at myself, but felt like a totally Bitch.  I ran this section pretty fast because I wanted to get back and apologize for snapping at my Crew.  They work so hard they didn’t need me being a DIVA.  When I got back to the aide station, we all laughed and I apologized for my outburst.  My crew was so sweet; they felt bad that they missed me.

At his point,  I was starting to warm up at this point, so I made sure I iced the girls…ice in the sports bra! It felt great and it’s such a perfect way to cool down the core.  Beth gave me fresh shirt and re-glided my back and waistband area, she was so awesome! Henry gave me my full hydration pack and a  Bill handed me a few marshmallows, which I scarfed and then I took of running with a turkey wrap in my hand.

I could feel the heat of the day a little at this point and stopped briefly at Land’s End (mile 38) to add more ice to my pack and ice the girls again. I grabbed a cup of mountain Dew and Gary told me I was doing great, he’s such a sweetheart.  I decided to be smart and power walk most of the hills on this section, I still felt strong but again I did not want to overheat…I knew I would not be able to recover if I did.

When I pulled into the start finish at mile 50, my crew worked me over.   I started drinking ginger ale with my turkey wraps and the cool fizziness felt awesome. My crew iced me down again and Dave D, one of my pacers, told me I needed to stop blowing through the aide stations so quickly…lol! After I was all geared up I noticed one of my friends, Indika was sitting on the bench with a jacket on and my heart sank…I knew she must have dropped from her 50 miler and I felt for her. She inspires me in so many ways; I just wanted to cry for her.  I know she’s got the GRIT and will have that perfect race day soon.

Larry Long…my bad ass pacer at mile 50!

                                           

Loop 3:  5:57   Mile 50-75     Total 15:35

When I left the aide station, Larry joined me! I was not expecting to have a pacer until mile 60.5 when Dave jumped in so I was so excited to have company.  As we were leaving the station Dave W. gave me a high five and told me I was in THIRD place and the second place runner was just ahead of me.  Cool Beans, I thought!

Larry and I headed up to Sanders Mound and picked another poem and read it to Gary when we got to Lands End (mile 54.5). I think I filled up on ice and grabbed a quick snack but they all kind of blur together after 50 miles.  We headed down to the red section and power hiked it, It’s so dang rocky!!!  Larry did a great job of talking my ear off and even deterred a family from continuing on the trail while I was in the bushes…lol.  My Pacers are so awesome and Larry has the most calming aura…you just feel "at peace" in his presence.   

Before we knew it we were coming off of Cactus ridge, which we both agreed would not be fun to run at night, into the Park Road aide station. Dave D jumped in and took over pacing me to give Larry a break.  We ran the Bunker loop and  when we got back to the aide station my crew had set up a tent so I could change into some fresh clothes for the night miles.  My toes were pretty beat up at this point and I had a couple hot spots on my foot that I wanted to duct tape to prevent blisters.  It takes time to change, tend to the feet, and get on new shoes/gaiters…but it is so worth it.  It’s a great feeling going into the night with fresh clothes and shoes.

 Dave D and me on Park Rd – Mile 63.5

Dave and I headed out of the aide station and I continued to lead until the sun went down. As soon as it gets dark my vision is very wonky.  It takes a little while for my eyes to adjust to night running with the headlamp,  so I  focus on the my pacers shoes and watch their foot placement until my eyes adjust.  Dave went above and beyond and was telling me everything that was coming up on the trails; he made it really easy for me.  It seemed like it took forever to get to the Lands End (mile68.5). Bryan W was there to help Gary and he filled my hydration pack for me and Dave and I grabbed a bite of Gary’s gruel and some mountain dew.  The next section back to the Start finish was rough; I hit my right toe, which was already hamburger, a few times on a rock…. it hurt like a SOB!  Dave did a great job of entertaining me and picking up the pace on the runnable sections.  When we came out onto the section by the road we only had a mile left. Dave pointed out the stars…they were so beautiful, I had to stop to gawk at them.  Next thing I know we were back at the start/finish and my crew is getting me ready to go back out.  Again, they were AMAZING!!  I thanked Dave for pacing me and Larry and I headed out for the final loop.

Loop 4: 6:23    Miles  75-100   Finish Time: 21:58:28

As Larry and I left the station I took an ibuprofen hoping it would numb the pain in my TOES. My legs felt great but my toes were hurting.  Larry was leading since I had mushy brain…he would do all my thinking for me this last section and make sure I kept on top of my fueling and hydration.  We hit Sanders Mound and picked out a short poem and I had Larry read it to Gary at Lands End (mile 79.5)  but I still gave him a kiss on the cheek.  We ate some Gruel and drank some mountain dew and headed down to the dreaded RED section.  It took us 18 minutes to get through the section, it’s so dangerously rocky  at night! My previous mile was 20minutes since we spent a little more time at the aide station; I was not happy with those splits!  I asked Larry to push me on the runnable sections and we could powerwalk the hills if needed.  I told him “I still had run in these legs!”

The next section until Cactus Ridge is a blur. The only thing I remember is that Gary’s Gruel started to affect us with gruel powered gas! We swore off anymore gruel and vowed to inform Gary when we got back to Lands End that although it is yummy we were going to pass on it.

 Once we finished creepy cactus ridge, which was not fun in the dark, it was nice to stretch our legs out on park road and power hike Bunker Hill.  When we got back to Park rd (mile88.5) I ate some soup and drank some Mountain Dew and my brother Bill told me the 2^nd place guy was just ahead of me.  I really wanted to finish behind Darin and get second place, but I knew how tough the next 11 mile stretch was in the dark and Larry and I decided to just do the best we could.  It was at this time the little whiney woman that resides in me made her special appearance...I was in total whine mode!

The Final 11 miles……………..

We left the aide station and I felt warm…too warm. I kept thinking it’s from the soup I just ate. The next 4 miles to Lands End seemed like if took FOREVER! I was warm, I was peeing ALL the time and I just seemed off!  Larry was so amazing about talking to me to keep me from obsessing about possible being overhydrated.  We concluded that I only had 10 or so miles left and I would be alright; Larry encouraged  me to keep eating small bites of food  and to take small sips of water.

 
At some point I made a comment about seeing spider eyes.  I think I said it multiple times and then I asked Larry “Do you see them too?”  Larry, Said “yes, I see them too.”  I thought I might be hallucinating.  We also had some excitement and literally ran into a couple of kids sleeping on the trail! According to earlier reports by Darin we missed the action, by the time we ran around them they were passed out!

Finally we arrived at Land’s End (mile 93.5) and I was in whine mode, I kept whining “I just want to run.” This section was so tough, it seemed the trails had grown more rocks and HILLS on this loop and it was more power hiking than running.  We did get a chuckle out of the aide station volunteers when Larry informed Gary  that his gruel was gas powered fuel!

When we were ready to leave the aide station the second place runner, which I had been chasing for the last 50 miles, came up the blue trail; they took a wrong turn at the bottom of the hill!  We all left together and I offered for them to go ahead of us, but he declined and said I was running stronger.  

All of a sudden the whiney woman was GONE!  Larry took off like a “Bat out of Hell,” and told me he was going to push me to put as much distance between us and the other runner.  I didn’t look back  and only slowed down when I needed to pee and when we walked the rocky sections.  Larry kept me running strong the final 6.5 miles and kept encouraging me to drink small sips and eat small bites of food.

When we got to the last mile we both realized that I could possible run a sub 22….  and "we ran like the wind!"   I really didn’t think we were going to make it but it felt great to still have “run in my legs”  at mile 99!  Larry and I crossed the finish line together in 21:58:28 and I was just an emotional rag doll!  My goal was to try and run a sub 24 hour race, and I was overwhelmed that I ran so well and beat that goal on such a tough course! 

Finish line

Darin was at the finish to give me a BIG hug!  It was pretty special that he got first and I came in second place on our home turf!  Coleen and I embraced and cried together, she’s such an amazing runner and role model.  My running buddies, Chris W, Bryan W were there also…it was just lovely!  

Super Star Race Director  Coleen giving me a girl power hug!

My Mentor Darin with Larry in the background

I think we look tired...I wonder why!

 After all the hugs and celebration time, I changed into some comfortable clothes and sat down to visit for a while. Coleen made me a cheese quesadilla and congratulated me again.  It was just a perfect race day and I feel so blessed to have had so much love and support all day!  This is going to be a tough 100 to beat as far as memories….It was an AMAZING day. Coleen , Danny and the aide stations were wonderful…just a priceless day. 

Finish Time: 21:58:28 Second Place Overall – New PR!

To my support team!

Dave - I know your spare time is limited, thank you for sacrificing family time to support and pace me.

Larry - Lovely Larry, you are something special my friend. Thank you for surrounding me in a blanket of comfort and keeping me safe those last 25 miles. 

Brother Bill -  you make a mean turkey mustard wrap big brother, thank you for keeping me fed all day! You have always been my protector and I appreciate and love you!

 Beth - Thank you Sis for keeping me in dry clothes and greased up all day! Girl Rule…love ya Sis!

Zach – Thanks , my love, for supporting your Momma!

Henry – My number one fan and Water Boy!   Thank you for supporting my crazy adventures, without your support and unconditional love none of this would be possible.  Thank you for loving me even when I’m chaffed, covered in oak bites, poison ivy and when all my toenails fall off.  Thank goodness you are not a foot guy. 

My poor toes