LRiz
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It all started with a rather spur-of-the-moment Facebook conversation on October 18, 2010...
Adam: 2011 Boston Marathon filled up before I got a chance to qualify. Who's interested in Rocky Raccoon 100 for 2011?
Adam: I've reserved a campsite for RR but haven't actually signed up yet. I was hoping to have someone to go with before I actually go through with booking the flight and signing up.
Me: Interested... will be fun to finish dead last
.
Adam: The second any of you commit to going with me, I will sign up.
Me: Flights are pretty cheap right now via Southwest. When would you plan on arriving/departing?
Adam: Fly Southwest Airlines from Manchester to Houston on Friday morning (2/4), race Saturday, fly home Sunday evening. Only 1 day off work.
Me: Signed up...
Adam: Signed up. It's on!
To paraphrase the words of another dear friend of mine: it’s amazing how many life decisions are made via a simple Facebook comment. In a matter of minutes, I’d committed myself to attempting an event that seemed far beyond the capabilities of a newly minted ultra runner. Yes, I’d run a few of events over the course of 2010... but 100 miles? That’s longer than my drive up to Pinkham Notch! The distance was overwhelming, yet at the same time the thought of venturing into unknown endurance territory was very exciting.
Four months, a 50 miler, and one quad injury later, I was standing at the start line in Huntsville State Park. It was a balmy 19 degrees out, thanks to the ice storm that wreaked havoc across southwest Texas. The runners surrounding me were bundled up in layers of warm clothing (many even wore face protection), but being the New Hampshire girl that I am the cold did not faze me. Let’s just say I got many bemused looks from others due to my short sleeves and running skirt! Although I’d barely slept the night before, I found myself strangely awake. The energy and nervousness in the air was almost tangible, and in no time at all we were off.
The Rocky Raccoon course is a series of 5 20 mile loops. In the words of the race director, it’s a course that “was built for speed and comfort.” The trail is soft – coated in a bed of pine needles – and the terrain is gentle and rolling. My biggest challenge, I assumed, would be motivating myself to go out and complete the loop again and again, knowing in the back of my mind that I still had so much distance to cover... but I refused to let any negative thoughts overwhelm me in the 6am darkness. Here I was, running a race that I had only dreamed of for the past four months! Talk about the best feeling ever.
Initially, it was difficult to settle into an easy running pace. Caught in the middle 400 runners, the first 3 miles involved a lot of walking. The ground was rock solid, and the bog bridge sections extremely icy. Nevertheless, I had a blast sliding across the ice while most chose to bypass anything at all treacherous. As fun as it was, I found myself wondering whether the conditions would improve as the day pressed on.
Sunrise in Huntsville State Park was just beautiful. The trees were shrouded in a fine mist that seemed to glow with an ethereal quality as sunlight seeped through the boughs. I could have kicked myself for not having brought my camera, which was stored comfortably in my drop bag at the start/finish line.
Reaching mile 12, I was thrilled to see Rob sorting through his drop bag a little ahead of me. At the start of the race I had accepted the fact that I’d be running the course alone. I’m always worried about slowing others down, so when Rob seemed to want to stick with me I was happier than ever! We continued on at an easy pace down the dirt road to the Park Rd aid station, and then 4.4 miles later completed our first loop in just under 4 hours.
Only 80 miles to go! Ha. We quickly resupplied and headed out back onto the course. Our goal was to complete the second loop in a similar time, and with the ground below us quickly thawing I suspected that this would be a rather easy feat. The beauty of a loop course is that you get to encounter many of the faster runners as they breeze past you. Heading out of DamNation, we saw Adam fly by us on his way back into the aid station. He had a huge grin on his face and his running seemed effortless – a trend that would continue every time we encountered him out on the trail.
8 hours into the race and we were done with loop 2! I was nervous that we were running too fast only 40 miles into the race, so we decided that we would slow our pace down for loop 3. The temperature had increased quite substantially by that time, peaking at around 59 degrees. That’s a 40 degree temperature swing! With the sun setting at 6, we decided to bring our headlamps and extra layers along to make sure that we stayed comfortable after dark.
During loop 3 I was amazed at how everything seemed to be falling into place for me. I typically struggle with stomach issues during ultras, but my nutrition and hydration were 100% on par. My legs still felt strong, and other than a rather silly trip-up on one of the bog bridges I was moving along at a nice easy pace. It was incredible to watch the frontrunners of the race breeze on by, already 40 miles or so ahead of us! The men’s field contained some of the best ultra runners in the world, and it was an honor to share the course with them.
Rob and I decided to change our shoes and socks before heading out for loop 4. Fortunately, my feet were holding up well (no blisters), but it felt so wonderful to have nice, dry, happy feet! I was glad to be running in the dark again. There’s something so peaceful about being out at night, with nothing but the beam of your headlamp to show you the way forward. Hitting the Nature Center aid station at mile 63, I officially surpassed my previous distance record. From this point onwards, I’d be venturing into unknown territory...
We started to play little games to keep ourselves amused. About 2 miles out from DamNation, there’s a very sharp turn in the course, we’d ”bring it arooooound town” in Spongebob style. It was silly, but a lot of fun.
Hitting mile 72, I started to struggle with my nutrition. Solid food and gels suddenly seemed very unappetizing to me. The only thing I could stomach was chicken noodle soup, and I started to drink cups of the stuff at each aid station! In my fatigued state, it tasted better than anything I’d ever consumed before.
I couldn’t believe that we were almost at the 80 mile mark. After covering that distance, 20 miles sounded – dare I say – feasible. Three miles from the finish, Adam flew past us. His goal was to finish under the 20 hour mark and he was on track to CRUSH it. I was so proud of him. Without his support and encouragement, I can honestly say that I never would have dared to venture into the ultramarathon world. He’s truly an inspiration to me, and I was so happy to see him realize his goal.
Heading into loop 5, Rob and I were on track to finish the race in under 24 hours. It was at this point that I started to make some pretty big mistakes. Excited at the possibility of a sub-24, I went out far too fast. By mile 90, I was really starting to struggle. Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed me, and even after downing two 5 hour energy shots I found myself crashing hard. As our pace slowed to a crawl, I realized that I’d made the worst mistake of all: I was not properly layered. With only my short sleeved race shirt and a thin techwick on, I simply couldn’t stay warm. At mile 95.6, 23 hours into the race, I knew I needed to take a break.
The aid station volunteers hurried me into a heated tent, where they wrapped me up in fleece blankets and encouraged me to rest. What was supposed to be a 10 minute break turned into an hour long nap. I felt so lucky to have Rob by my side. Although he could have easily finished the race in under 24 hours, he chose to stick with me and make sure I was okay. It meant the world to me.
At 15 minutes past 6, I informed the folks at the aid station that I was going to continue. A really kind young man lent me a sweater so that I’d stay warm on my way to the finish line. Without it, I know I would have been too cold to press on for those last 4.4 miles. Before leaving the aid station, I asked the volunteers what time the sun would rise. “As soon as you reach the finish line,” they replied. “You will bring the sunrise with you.”
I was worried that I’d stiffened up something terrible during my nap, but the reality was quite the opposite. My legs felt energized once again, and we moved forward with surprising fluidity. Climbing up the last little bump, the reality of what we were about to accomplish finally hit us. We were going to do it! My vision grew blurry as tears filled my eyes. In no time at all, the start line was before us. We broke out into an all-out sprint, and crossed the finish line in 25 hours, 10 minutes, and 10 seconds.
In summer 2007, I was an overweight, out-of-shape girl who could barely climb a 4,000 footer. Had you told me back then that I’d run 100 miles, I’d probably have laughed out loud. I truly believe that with enough determination, we are all capable of accomplishing anything that we put our minds to. Thank you to all of my friends for your continued encouragement. You all made this possible for me!
A huge thanks to Adam for letting me use his pictures! I highly encourage you to read his fantastic race report here.
Adam: 2011 Boston Marathon filled up before I got a chance to qualify. Who's interested in Rocky Raccoon 100 for 2011?
Adam: I've reserved a campsite for RR but haven't actually signed up yet. I was hoping to have someone to go with before I actually go through with booking the flight and signing up.
Me: Interested... will be fun to finish dead last
.Adam: The second any of you commit to going with me, I will sign up.
Me: Flights are pretty cheap right now via Southwest. When would you plan on arriving/departing?
Adam: Fly Southwest Airlines from Manchester to Houston on Friday morning (2/4), race Saturday, fly home Sunday evening. Only 1 day off work.
Me: Signed up...
Adam: Signed up. It's on!
To paraphrase the words of another dear friend of mine: it’s amazing how many life decisions are made via a simple Facebook comment. In a matter of minutes, I’d committed myself to attempting an event that seemed far beyond the capabilities of a newly minted ultra runner. Yes, I’d run a few of events over the course of 2010... but 100 miles? That’s longer than my drive up to Pinkham Notch! The distance was overwhelming, yet at the same time the thought of venturing into unknown endurance territory was very exciting.
Four months, a 50 miler, and one quad injury later, I was standing at the start line in Huntsville State Park. It was a balmy 19 degrees out, thanks to the ice storm that wreaked havoc across southwest Texas. The runners surrounding me were bundled up in layers of warm clothing (many even wore face protection), but being the New Hampshire girl that I am the cold did not faze me. Let’s just say I got many bemused looks from others due to my short sleeves and running skirt! Although I’d barely slept the night before, I found myself strangely awake. The energy and nervousness in the air was almost tangible, and in no time at all we were off.
The Rocky Raccoon course is a series of 5 20 mile loops. In the words of the race director, it’s a course that “was built for speed and comfort.” The trail is soft – coated in a bed of pine needles – and the terrain is gentle and rolling. My biggest challenge, I assumed, would be motivating myself to go out and complete the loop again and again, knowing in the back of my mind that I still had so much distance to cover... but I refused to let any negative thoughts overwhelm me in the 6am darkness. Here I was, running a race that I had only dreamed of for the past four months! Talk about the best feeling ever.
Initially, it was difficult to settle into an easy running pace. Caught in the middle 400 runners, the first 3 miles involved a lot of walking. The ground was rock solid, and the bog bridge sections extremely icy. Nevertheless, I had a blast sliding across the ice while most chose to bypass anything at all treacherous. As fun as it was, I found myself wondering whether the conditions would improve as the day pressed on.
Sunrise in Huntsville State Park was just beautiful. The trees were shrouded in a fine mist that seemed to glow with an ethereal quality as sunlight seeped through the boughs. I could have kicked myself for not having brought my camera, which was stored comfortably in my drop bag at the start/finish line.
Reaching mile 12, I was thrilled to see Rob sorting through his drop bag a little ahead of me. At the start of the race I had accepted the fact that I’d be running the course alone. I’m always worried about slowing others down, so when Rob seemed to want to stick with me I was happier than ever! We continued on at an easy pace down the dirt road to the Park Rd aid station, and then 4.4 miles later completed our first loop in just under 4 hours.
Only 80 miles to go! Ha. We quickly resupplied and headed out back onto the course. Our goal was to complete the second loop in a similar time, and with the ground below us quickly thawing I suspected that this would be a rather easy feat. The beauty of a loop course is that you get to encounter many of the faster runners as they breeze past you. Heading out of DamNation, we saw Adam fly by us on his way back into the aid station. He had a huge grin on his face and his running seemed effortless – a trend that would continue every time we encountered him out on the trail.
8 hours into the race and we were done with loop 2! I was nervous that we were running too fast only 40 miles into the race, so we decided that we would slow our pace down for loop 3. The temperature had increased quite substantially by that time, peaking at around 59 degrees. That’s a 40 degree temperature swing! With the sun setting at 6, we decided to bring our headlamps and extra layers along to make sure that we stayed comfortable after dark.
During loop 3 I was amazed at how everything seemed to be falling into place for me. I typically struggle with stomach issues during ultras, but my nutrition and hydration were 100% on par. My legs still felt strong, and other than a rather silly trip-up on one of the bog bridges I was moving along at a nice easy pace. It was incredible to watch the frontrunners of the race breeze on by, already 40 miles or so ahead of us! The men’s field contained some of the best ultra runners in the world, and it was an honor to share the course with them.
Rob and I decided to change our shoes and socks before heading out for loop 4. Fortunately, my feet were holding up well (no blisters), but it felt so wonderful to have nice, dry, happy feet! I was glad to be running in the dark again. There’s something so peaceful about being out at night, with nothing but the beam of your headlamp to show you the way forward. Hitting the Nature Center aid station at mile 63, I officially surpassed my previous distance record. From this point onwards, I’d be venturing into unknown territory...
We started to play little games to keep ourselves amused. About 2 miles out from DamNation, there’s a very sharp turn in the course, we’d ”bring it arooooound town” in Spongebob style. It was silly, but a lot of fun.
Hitting mile 72, I started to struggle with my nutrition. Solid food and gels suddenly seemed very unappetizing to me. The only thing I could stomach was chicken noodle soup, and I started to drink cups of the stuff at each aid station! In my fatigued state, it tasted better than anything I’d ever consumed before.
I couldn’t believe that we were almost at the 80 mile mark. After covering that distance, 20 miles sounded – dare I say – feasible. Three miles from the finish, Adam flew past us. His goal was to finish under the 20 hour mark and he was on track to CRUSH it. I was so proud of him. Without his support and encouragement, I can honestly say that I never would have dared to venture into the ultramarathon world. He’s truly an inspiration to me, and I was so happy to see him realize his goal.
Heading into loop 5, Rob and I were on track to finish the race in under 24 hours. It was at this point that I started to make some pretty big mistakes. Excited at the possibility of a sub-24, I went out far too fast. By mile 90, I was really starting to struggle. Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed me, and even after downing two 5 hour energy shots I found myself crashing hard. As our pace slowed to a crawl, I realized that I’d made the worst mistake of all: I was not properly layered. With only my short sleeved race shirt and a thin techwick on, I simply couldn’t stay warm. At mile 95.6, 23 hours into the race, I knew I needed to take a break.
The aid station volunteers hurried me into a heated tent, where they wrapped me up in fleece blankets and encouraged me to rest. What was supposed to be a 10 minute break turned into an hour long nap. I felt so lucky to have Rob by my side. Although he could have easily finished the race in under 24 hours, he chose to stick with me and make sure I was okay. It meant the world to me.
At 15 minutes past 6, I informed the folks at the aid station that I was going to continue. A really kind young man lent me a sweater so that I’d stay warm on my way to the finish line. Without it, I know I would have been too cold to press on for those last 4.4 miles. Before leaving the aid station, I asked the volunteers what time the sun would rise. “As soon as you reach the finish line,” they replied. “You will bring the sunrise with you.”
I was worried that I’d stiffened up something terrible during my nap, but the reality was quite the opposite. My legs felt energized once again, and we moved forward with surprising fluidity. Climbing up the last little bump, the reality of what we were about to accomplish finally hit us. We were going to do it! My vision grew blurry as tears filled my eyes. In no time at all, the start line was before us. We broke out into an all-out sprint, and crossed the finish line in 25 hours, 10 minutes, and 10 seconds.
In summer 2007, I was an overweight, out-of-shape girl who could barely climb a 4,000 footer. Had you told me back then that I’d run 100 miles, I’d probably have laughed out loud. I truly believe that with enough determination, we are all capable of accomplishing anything that we put our minds to. Thank you to all of my friends for your continued encouragement. You all made this possible for me!
A huge thanks to Adam for letting me use his pictures! I highly encourage you to read his fantastic race report here.
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