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.

I am ready for FANS

Tomorrow is Fans and I am ready. I had a nice 6 mile slow run this AM and wanted to run longer and harder so that was good.
My daughters will be there for me which will be especially nice. I am looking foreward to a day of easy running and feeling that total exhaustion feeling that you can only feel trying to run in the middle of the night. Maybe I am sick to want to feel that.
I had a PR at Med city road marathon two weeks ago so that was a big boost.
I don't think I have any lingering effects of the colesterol med; I think the pain pain I get now is normal stuff.
Life is very busy- I like it like this- I would rather have too much to do than not enough. I have to get back to work!!