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.