My top ten reasons to be Thankful that I am an Ultra runner

10-Getting dirty..you know muddy while tromping in woods.
9-Calories in calories out.
8-Can blame age related forgetfulness on Ultra brain.
7-Can't have enough shoes.
6-All nighters.
5-See exciting parts of the world like Perryville Arkansas.
4-Training beats housework.
3-Love chocolate gu.
2-All you can eat buffets...aka aid stations.
And the number one best reason to be Thankful for being an Ultra runner is..
1-Men runners have nice legs.

Arkansas Traveller 100

On Oct 3rd and 4Th I ran in the Arkansas Traveller 100. It takes place in the Ouachita (sounds sort of like Witchita) National Forest. This was my first Trail 100finish after having DNF'd on my first trail attempt at Mcnaughton (mile 73 drop) this past April.
I traveled by car last Thursday and Friday with my sister in Law Nancy. Her and my brother Pat were my "crew" for the previous year's Mother Road 100 so it was good to have her come with me. We took the scenic route down thanks to AAA directions. We both had different directions so thought the AAA would be better.
We arrived at Camp Ouachita mid day on Friday, after picking up the packet we went 1/2 mile down the road to the Lake Sylvia Campground -they had free camping in group campsites so I set up my tend and met some really great people. Benny from Indiana, who was attempting his first 100. Janet from Ohio who has attempting to finish her first 100. She had tried the two previous years at AT100 and was back to try it a 3rd time. And Claude from Texas who was doing like his 4Th 100 of the year.
The rest of the day was spent at the 2PM race briefing where my Sis-in-Law kept meeting lots of people to introduce me to, the free pasta dinner which was very good and just getting everything ready. I was in my tent before 8PM. Nancy slept in the mini van.
The race started at 6am -we were in the dark for about an hour. The course sounds like it would be easy- mostly gravel roads with only 8 miles on the single track of the Ouahita trail. However the roads varied a lot. Some were very very rocky and there were a lot of hills. Someone the day before said series of rolling hills. I wouldn't call them rolling hills, there were long climbs some pretty steep, funny there did not seems like that many downs- well there never does in any race.
I felt extremely well through about 50 miles, I may have taken this too fast(for my ability) finished 50 in under 12 hours.
About the same time it started to get dark I started to get very nauseous and sleepy, despite taking no-doZ, those two have been going hand in hand for me. I look a spill somewhere before mile 57 had to get my cuts cleaned up. It would have been worth it however if would just wake me up.
At mile 63 aid station which was a crew station, someone told the aid station guy I was having problems, and they told me I was probably dehydrated from what I told them I was taking, my nausea and my lack of peeing. I am sure I was. The gave me some S caps (they didn't like the amount of sodium in the e-caps) and some rock salt which is absolutely horrible and off I went.
The next 20 miles were somewhat of a blur. I was so sick and sleepy, I did pee alot though and I would stop by the road a few times and just sit- I did not lay down and officially nap I am happy to say. I cannot tell you how I made it through this part. During this part it also started to rain and it continued till the end of the race.
At mile 84 with 16 miles left I got to a crew station. My sis in law had been asking everyone if they saw me and had everybody there looking for me so when I got in to that station there were all these people saying it's 79 it's 79. I am sure they would all be happy to have to not hear from Nancy anymore once I was out of there. Nancy tells me I looked horrible, she gave me a cup of soup I tried a noodle and got very sick in the grass, I sat down and just needed to close my eyes!! She said I should probably drop. No way I told her I did not come this far to DNF. This old runner guy was great he told Nancy I would make it and I asked him to just let me sit there under the canopy till I had just enough time to walk it in. I changed my upper half clothes- put on a fresh garbage bag under my rain poncho and fell asleep. I don't know how long it was that I sat there, probably a 1/2 hour before I was woke up to finish the race. I got up felt horrible and campy but started on my long walk in. It was still an hour and 1/2 or so till there would be daylight.
I did not eat or drink much in the last 16 miles but just kept on going taking tiny bits of water and food hopping to not get sick again. I was getting so tired again and daylight came right in time, I trudged on another 4 hours in the rain, My quads and ankle prevented me from breaking into any run. I was glad to have the layers on I did as it got colder as the morning progressed. I finally got to the finish, It felt so good to be done. I had an hour to spare.
I found out Benny finished his first 100, he had passed my about mile 73 looking great. Janet DNF's again when it started to rain in the middle of the night, bu came back to see me finish. Claude came in 5Th place, he had never told us he was so fast.
I know I have alot to figure out I am going to work on something new because what I have been doing lately has not been working well. I think I had some pretty good arguments back there in the middle of the night why I should give up Ultra running but I can't think of what they could possibly be right now. I am anxious to do it again to do better, or really just to feel better while doing it.
I want to go back next year, The free jacket has the name of the finishers of the previous year on it so it would be nice to get that. The volunteer for this race were fantastic and very knowledgeable. The race director Chrissy Furgeson was fantastic and quite entertaining. I recommend this race highly.

In true Ultra style

After Vouageur someone, can't remember who told me, "now don't go thinking you have to run 50 miles for your birthday, this counts". I said something like right as if I had the faintest intention. Well, I thought about it and decided that is exactly what I will attempt to do. I am taking a vacation day to morn my 40's and see how 50 feels. I will head out like at 5am and try to get in 50 miles. The plan is to head to st paul and then river road then to the Lakes and back- hope that is close to 50. I think I will try to find that website that gives milage. I am going to walk a lot I think. I thought I had better post so it not too easy to back down.

50 by 50- DONE!!!

Yeah!!! I made my goal of completing 50 marathon or higher races by the time I turned 50 (insert un-smiley face here-for the turning 50 part) ansd I have one month to spare.
The good news is that my mission of making physical activity and good health a part of my daily life is achieved. After all this is what this goal was about - lowering my risk of death from heart and diabietes realted problems. The early death of my parents and a few siblings have made the risk very real and funny the older I get the more I care.
Vouageur was alot of fun despite everything . My first 1/2 went great. I even got to hear the song perfect day on my I-pod and it was so good- I was all alone going thru the power lines -so was able to sing as loud as I wanted. If fact I re-played two more times if felt so good and so perfect that this song was playing right then. I had a very hard second half. I have not felt so sick since FANS two years ago- when I had the same stomach ache thing. But I hate to dwell on things that don't go well because well- I finished -I might have just dropped if finishing this one was not so important.
It was so good to see so many of my running friends before and during the race. I don't know how I got so lucky to know so many great people. I really do not deserve it.
I owe alot to Rick B who was out spectating, he was very encouraging and helped me alot through the end, even running with me for a while, him in his sandals and all. It helps to be stronger when you are trying not to look like you are not as bad off as you feel. I also hated for him to be wasting his time out there so I knew I better just finish or he would never get home.
I really appreciate all the volunteers out there. Thanks Wayne for taking all the pictures!!!
Now I hae decsions to make- What to re-name the blog to?
I probably need goals too but what?

Humbled at Big Horn

Short version is I finished!! I almost did not, I was seconds from being dropped at mile 34 (where I had to quick leave without even being able to fill my water bottles),and except for the end of race I was the last person making the cut offs. I had my ankle pain come back right from the start so the wonderful long downhill advantage I thought I had were lost. The course was absolutely breath taking. There is no way to see this remote mountain course without doing it. It was so very different than driving through- it was so fantastic!!! Pictures do not do it justice, it doesn't show the largeness of it all.

The long version I had been working on for a few days I decided to can it and just leave it with the short version.
I have not run since the race, I my ankle and up into my shin still bother me. I won't be doing Afton even though I am signed up. Too bad I wasted my money. I had wanted to wait till after Big Horn but didn't know registration would be extended. I was pretty sure right after I wouldn't be able to run for at least a few weeks since it was worse than after FANS and two weeks was not enough from after that.
So what to do after this? I don't know I am signed up for 1/2 Voyageur -I see how I am doing.
Maybe I just need to concentrate on being a better runner before I do any long races. I think someone at Big Horn suggested that but I can't remember who or when or if someone said it even. Maybe it was just me.
This was my favorite race so far, even with me doing so bad.

After Fans/Pre Big Horn

I have been thinking a lot about wanting to do another 24hour race. I hate to wait too long, I think there is no reason I can't speed things up a little and get in that 114 miles that I had been mistakenly credited for a few years ago. I am still surprised how OK I felt the whole time.
I have hardly run in the past almost 2 weeks. My ankle I think is better now and the skin on my thighs has grown back-this was pretty painful since the race, even when not doing anything. I am really surprised I did not feel all that skin rub off while I was running- I guess I was lucky for that. I know now to use compression shorts when it will be very wet.
I am leaving tomorrow for Wyoming. I had thought this was going to be a solo trip but my niece Ann agreed to come with me and then John Taylor was looking for a ride so he is riding out with us too. He will be doing the 100 miler. I wish I were doing the 100 miles but I need to concentrate on just going faster than I normally do on trails. The plan is to leave at noon tm and drive to Gillette Wy, stay there and get to Dayton early the next day. The 100 starts at 11:00 Friday. The 50 has a bus to start leaving at 4AM Saturday with race starting at 6AM.
My vegan diet is still going well. I do not miss meat/eggs/chesse at all!!
I have to get lots of stuff ready since we are camping in Dayton. I am so excited to be doing a new race.

FANS 2009

I tried adding pictures but I am not sure how I got them to go where they did so they are totally in the opposite order I wanted them to be...Not sure how to change this.
My daughter Char dropped my other daughter Kaitlyn and I off at the Lake before 6:30,she was going to return after she was off work. It would be good to have only one vehicle there at the end. We had lots of stuff. Way more than we would ever need, most of the stuff I packed was stuff for the girls. We set up next to John Taylor. He had an canopy so if the Large tarp covered umbrella I had for rain protection blew away in the expected heavy rains and winds, the girls would have somewhere to sit. We were very lucky the morning was dry so we were able to get everything set up. I also set up a small tent. Wayne Nelson who was doing his first 12 hour that day, set up his stuff on the other side. It was fun that morning seeing all the people I knew.
It started out cool and dry for a while then the rain started, it seemed to never have stopped. My plan was to get in 50 miles by 10 hours then hopefully still 60 by 12, then allow myself to do 4 miles per hour till the end, which I was able to do.
I started out feeling great, took it easy, walked from the start only before the cedar ave bridge, to the end of the bridge. The plan was to get in 4-5 mins of walking per 1/2 hour, not scattered like I normally would do but all at once from the start. I had been out to Nokomis a few weeks before and had the timing of this all worked out. This worked great, at first it was hard to walk when you didn't need to, especially for 4-5 mins,but the theory is that if you waited to walk till you needed to it was too late.
I went round and round at first keeping it easy going, my friend Linda showed up and ran 4 loops in the rain with me. Later my friend Jenny came out for a few laps, she was waiting for the rain to let up but it really never did. It is always good to see people you know out there.
I stated to feel good after mile 22, the feeling is hard to describe but a definite difference that point in a race in which I think is where your body starts to burn more fat.
I owe alot of my success in this race to my daughters they were there every loop asking me what I wanted. I got really tired at night, I could only take so much caffeine or my stomach was too bothered and Kaitlyn would speed walk/light run some loops with me. Since they were the picture takers I am disappointed I did not get a picture of them.
I did struggle in the middle of the night when I felt like I was falling asleep on my feet. The thought of being that tired out on a technical trail is scary, but when the caffeine kicked in, I felt good, I was able to run/walk the whole time. The last 45 mins I stayed on the short course which is a back and forth and I ran a lot- it is hard to walk when the people on the side are cheering you on.
I got my 100 miles in at 22:23 (I think) and went on to get in 106.98 miles, good enough for 3rd place female, not sure what I was overall.
We also got the best campsite award because my girls were so cheerful and friendly to all the other runners. I am really more proud of this than anything else.
The volunteers were great just so supportive- I can't describe how great it felt to call out your number as you came in at the end of loop and every single time to be met with many people saying how great you were doing. I can't image any other race having this kind of support. Thanks to Wayne also for sticking around all night and being great support to me and the girls. It was a tough cold wet night to be out all night when you were not running- way colder than running. I would not have taken 3rd if it was not so wet and cold some runners had to drop out for a while due to hypothermia. I was lucky that I had a place to change clothes the times that I did because there is no way I could have make it without that.
The awards breakfast was fun, I also got a great sweatshirt that says 100 miles in 24 hours.
I did not get any blisters but the top of my ankle is swollen and sore, Big Horn 50 mile race is in two weeks, time to heal and get ready for that.