Well...here it is ...race week...We runners have all been here before...the miles are logged, the injuries have been avoided...the entry fee has been paid.....we are ready? It is now time for some rest, some reduced miles, some good nutrition, and organization to make sure race morning goes smoothly.
With all the above in mind, here are the goals until the race, April 7th: rest, run no more than 30 miles, rest, eat well (as in don't gain weight and feel sluggish), rest, enjoy a bit more free time (oh very funny!!), rest....
Monday; April 2: Up early at home and out the door with Traysen for a nice 8 miler. Oddly enough it was quite chilly and windy!
Tuesday; April 3: What tha......!!!!! We woke up to this:
It's April 3rd for crying out loud!
Well, Traysen would have no parts of this....and Mom here waited til the worst of the wind left before finally getting it out the door for a sloppy 7 miler.....good thing the miles are reduced this week.....
Wednesday; April 4th: With the blizzard behind us, Traysen and I had a nice 10 miler in somewhat too chilly for April temps; nevertheless a good outing and the last run of any length before the weekend.
For many of us, with a big race on Saturday, the nerves start kicking in about now.....many runners dwell in the nerves and start race day with a queasy tummy and jitters...others opt to over analyze the whole event and psyche themselves right into a sloppy race.....and then there are the ones who just go with the flow, don't worry about the big event...they just ensure their gear is organized and they stay injury/sick free. Me? Here is how I remained calm all week!
Ally, Laramie, Traysen keep Mom busy!
Seriously, having two puppies in the house will keep one on the go and there will be no time for race jitters!
Thursday; April 5th: Opting for some quiet time in the morning, Traysen and I finally made it out to Garden of the Gods for a very easy 3 mile walk! This was the heat training for the race as it was about 75 degrees.....
Friday; April 6th: Travel day to Atlanta for the race so it was a day off.....
Saturday; April 7th: Well...here it is ...race day...Never having run 62 miles in the same day and never having run an ultra on the east coast, this was uncharted territory. Luckily, plenty of rest during the week put me right where I needed be to start this adventure.
At 7am sharp, someone hollared (that's southern speak) "GO" and off we 50+ runners went....some of the young fellas took off like it was a 5K, but others of us gathered ourselves and began to settle in for the first of four 15.5 mile loops! As advertised, the course went up the hill, down the hill, through the pasture, up the hill, down the hill, through the woods, up the hill, down the hill, through the fire burn, up the hill, down the hill, through the creek (which happened about 4 times on each loop), up the hill, down the hill, around the cottage, up the hill, down the hill, around the barn.....and so it went for four 15.5 mile loops.
Notes about the course:
*Trail running Georgia? What trail? We don't need no stinkin' trail....we just blaze one through the woods! There was very little actual single track trail; it was mostly ATV (complete with tree roots, rocks, and pot holes) trails and an assortment of sections where the course just took a 90 degree turn into the woods and off we went til popping out onto another ATV trail......some sections went right through thickets of brier patches...OUCH.....
*The course was marked as many of us have come to expect in some of these races....pink/orange ribbon tied to trees....it worked...well, most of the time it worked....for the most part, all 50+ of us had a few off course excursions. Where there wasn't enough pink/orange ribbon, the local cow population had left fresh cow pies to guide us! Couldn't have done it without them!
*It is HOT in Georgia in April! By Colorado standards anyway....a high of about 77 degrees with full sun yielded most of us stripping down the bare minimum and really enjoying those creek crossings. Luckily, aid stations/drop bags were available every 5 miles (well stocked all day).
*Funny to watch runners tiptoe through the wet grass at packet pickup...trying not to get shoes wet....the first water crossing was less a a mile from the start! (My own shoes used for this day are now retired...partly due to mileage but also due to the fact that they absolutely black and would never dry out properly!)
*Sightings: several cows, a few goats, one puppy that liked to step on your heels for about 50 yards, one turkey, several GA mountain rednecks, squirrels, birds and THEN, there was this guy:
Now, I like all creatures...great and small....but I don't like snakes!!! This is a black racer and wouldn't hurt anything except bugs and crickets, but still....it is a snake!!!!
As for my own experience: Wooo Hooooo....it was an awesome day! Even with the very challenging course, all systems were working correctly and the head was in the right place. The hydration/electorate intake was on que as well as 7 gels over the course of 62 miles; while this may not seem like much, this is actually more than normal for my needs. The first 15.5 mile lap was a "race" speed since I was grouped in a pack of guys and went with it. The 2nd and 3rd laps were at a much reduced speed with almost all running on the 2nd lap and some uphill power hiking on the 3rd lap. Those two middle laps were of course, the most difficult....now being solo was actually a welcome relief, they were hard since the temp was rising and knowing there were two and one more laps remaining. What eased the mental work was actually more mental work...this course required constant attention or the runner became one with the dirt/water/cow pie. The 4th and final lap was much welcomed....the body was tiring and head was set to finish this outing. I told myself that if I had to walk the entire last 15.5 miles, that was ok...this was a very challenging course on a hot day and for 45+ miles I had run quite well. Oddly enough it was on that last (and cooler lap since it was past 4pm), that the body was able to continue running fairly well...of course, the very steep hills were walked but for the most part, the legs kept it going at a decent clip given what they had been through. It was also helpful to know from about 35 miles on, I was the lead female and in the top 10 overall...the competitive spirit also added to a solid effort all day. As nightfall approached, the legs blazed through the last ugly downhill deep in the woods (mighty dark in there! and of course, the headlamp was in a drop bag many miles away....opps, a forgetful moment at that aid station) and then it was through the pasture, around the big truck in the field (it's been there since at least 1961), through a creek, past the horses, and a quick trot for less than a half a mile to the finish.....Oh...how did I do? First overall female and 8th overall....kicked some boys butts!!!
Sunday; April 8th: Running today?....OH Paaalllleezzzzz..even a Super Badass Psycho Bunny knows when to back off! Happy Easter!
Summary: Wow...what a week! The 100k is in the books and it is time for much needed rest and reduced running. What's next? Well, not ruling out another 100k race, it will certainly not be any time soon.....in fact, there will not be any races for awhile....some life changes, etc warrant some needed attention and the focus will not be there for the training (not to mention the above said sentence of needing some rest/reduced running). The race director, Karen Pearson, asked if there is a 100 miler in the future...the answer is a basic, "Probably not....100k seems to be long enough for this ole girl."
Would I recommend this race...? Absolutely! Well organized, a very challenging course, and a beautiful setting...just expect some creek crossings and cow pies! Google The Georgia Jewel.
Total miles for the week: 90.0
Total miles for 2012: 923.0
