The long road to finishing 100k

Where to start. 2022 has been such an interesting journey for running. At times feeling like a runaway train, out of control, on the verge of derailing, but sometimes on track.

After completing Strolling Jim 40 mile I wasn't sure what was next. Stacy had expressed interest in attempting 100k, but we didn't have a plan. After researching a ton of races, we finally settled on Flat Branch 100k in Columbia MO in early November. She got started on her training plan and I struggled. I had very little down time between training/completing Strolling Jim and starting the 100k plan. Throw in another case of COVID that took me out for a few weeks, and I would be playing catchup for the entire training cycle. Fast forward to the end of August. After one of our long runs I decided to check my email only to find one from Ultrasignup that stated our target race was cancelled. Now what? We continue training while we look for a different race to run. We focus in on Lake Thunderbird Trail Run in OKC, scheduled a week later than the original race. The timing of the race worked pretty well with our training plan, so we made a few adjustments and kept pushing towards our goal.

As part of my training, I like to run races to give myself a change of scenery and also get support for the longer distances. I found a 50k in Nashville, Long Hunter Trail, promoted as flat and fast that could be run in road or trail shoes. I figure I would give it a try. As luck would have it my coach for Strolling Jim would also be at the race running a shorter distance. As we enter the first section of single-track trail, I note that it is rather rocky. I had opted for road shoes, and they seemed to just grab and pull on every rock I hit. I continue to press on, up a road section and onto even more single track and extremely rocky trail. I start tripping more and more and eventually at mile 10 take a very hard fall. A very nice lady behind me helped me up and encouraged me to keep moving. There was no visible blood or broken bones, but I knew there was damage and refused to look under my capris. I happened to fall at the marathon/50k turn. I briefly considered dropping to the marathon but eventually took the other turn to stay on the 50k route. There was nobody around. The lady in front of me was gone. I knew there was an aid station soon but it took forever to get there. Running was out of the question because I continued to trip even while walking. I was mad and miserable and just wishing I could get out of the woods. I hit the aid station briefly then continue to the trail that would lead me out of the woods and back down the road towards the start/finish. I was last. And I told the people at the next aid station I would be dropping when I got back to the paved trail. As I made the final few turns letting the race staff know I was dropping I started to cry. It was such a sucker punch to the gut. I just knew I could not risk another fall and when I finally got to the finish and raised my pants, I could see the damage. I attempted to clean up a bit and then head to the car to leave. And there in the distance was Coach Brian who was very surprised to see me. We chatted briefly, I sent a message to the tribe and Scott to let them know I had dropped. And then went to the first gas station I could find to clean up and change before I made the drive home.

My knee was not good. It cost me a week of training but by the next Saturday I was back at it completing a 28-mile training run.

In the final few weeks leading to the OKC race I would question the course. I even reached out to the race to ask questions. They promoted the race as flat and fast. I was told it was not technical. Yet something in my gut was telling me different. But there were 3 other ladies going so I went along and hoped for the best. The week prior to the race, Bella would get sick with Flu A. I was a ball of stress that week waking up every morning wondering if I would get sick and be unable to go on the trip. But Friday came and we loaded up early to make the long drive to Oklahoma. The weather was not great. It was cold and we would even see snow when we got to Oklahoma. Race temps in the 20s was not going to provide for an excellent experience.

We show up to the race at 5:30 a.m. to get our race packets and setup our station for the looped course. We take off at 7 a.m. to be met by single track trails with roots and ruts and rocks and everyone immediately starts tripping. Several of our group took hard falls numerous times. We had people in front of us and behind us falling. We pressed forward in somewhat dismay at what the day would bring. Loop #1 was done and we regroup and head out again. By the end of Loop 2 the ladies doing the 50k had decided to slow down and walk more to minimize the trips and falls but Stacy and I continue on knowing we had to keep up the pace to stay ahead of cutoff. As we approach the end of loop 3, Stacy says we need to make a decision. We were still on pace to finish in 18 hours but we knew when dark came, we would slow even more as we continued to trip on roots. We made the decision to walk the last loop and drop down to the 50k and call it a day. The last loop was long, full of laughs and pictures and maybe some fireball. Finishing in a little under 10 hours, we would wait for our friends to finish and officially become ultramarathoners. Today, we would not reach our goal of 100k.

I came out of that race pretty beat up, barely able to walk, sit, or take stairs for a week. On the drive home from OKC we jokingly said, "I wonder if there's a rail to trail race in December we could run"! So, leave it to me to bring up UltraSignup and find Freight Train 100k in Farmville VA. It looked perfect for us, but it would require significant travel plans and another month of training. At the time I was not ready to even consider doing something that sounded so crazy. But by Friday, the burning in my quads had subsided and after having several conversations with Stacy we registered for the race and booked all of our travel 5 days post failed attempt #1. And the next day I continued my training, logging 15 miles on the treadmill.

I struggled through several more weeks of training. Never feeling great, still struggling with the injury from the Nashville race. My Coros was quick to tell me I wasn't in performance shape. I pushed forward. As race day approached, I had decided if I didn't feel great when I got to Virginia I would just drop to a shorter distance and crew Stacy. In fact, the day prior to leaving, Rhett woke up sick and I wasn't even sure I would make it to Virginia. But at 5 a.m. Friday 12/9, Stacy and I left for the Nashville airport. Ready or not, we were going to attempt it again.