Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

So yeah.... its been a few months since I posted..but it's not for the lack of trying..

These last few months have been a mishmash of mayhem with over half of my immediate family's birthdays happening in a condensed time frame (mom’s, dad’s, Joe’s, Heather’s, Joe's mom's, sister-in-law’s, 2 nieces, and my birthday), our anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas, working, school, training (kinda training), and a couple unexpected mom hospital visits...so yeah the writing suffered... a bit..

Eventually, I will finish my Tussey 50 miler story and my ramblings about attending the lung cancer conference (realizing I was sitting in the wrong conference for an hour), and oh yeah the hysterical breakdowns about Anatomy class and … so…. Life goes on.. and then someone shows me a website that not only takes mayhem to a whole new level, it compounds the already obsessive, compulsive disorder as well..

Welcome to Pinterest… http://pinterest.com/ (If you are even slightly crafty, love to dress, bake, sew, decorate and dream… this site will be your little piece of heaven on earth… )

Not only did I in the last two weeks, run out and buy TWO aprons, I also baked two cakes from scratch, made coleslaw from scratch (which Joe promptly called a science experiment).. got this REALLY “Fantastic Idea” about MOD PODGING a couple photos on wood for my parent's Christmas presents.. yeah..ME!!!…. If I wasn’t catatonic then… I am now.!

December 23rd.. two days before Christmas.. (put in Christmas music here)... after a "less" than stress free day of work, I somehow convinced Joe to drive from Philly (his work) to Exton (the shopping mecca).. about an hour or so drive for him and damn same for me due to the rush hour and HOLIDAY traffic..so we could meet me at the stores to do some “last minute shopping”.. oh and yeah… stop at the local craft store to get some “items” for my “project”… thanks and have a nice day…

I give Joe a lot of credit.. he’s sticking around… and not sure why… all I had to do was find the items I need for my “creation”…(1) Mod podge (found it no problem) and (2) Gel Medium (problem)…

Joe being the good chap he is.. helped me scour the store… not sure how many men would actually spend 45 minutes in any store, let alone a craft store but he does... 45 minutes looking for this thing called “GEL MEDIUM”… and
Joe to Wendy: "Wendy, what the hell is that?
Wendy: "HELL, I don't know" its kinda like.. um glue?
Joe to Wendy: "Then how do you know you need it?"
Wendy to Joe: "BECAUSE Joe the lady on the video said i need it!!! (STOMPING FEET)...
Joe to Wendy: "What video.. ?
Wendy to Joe: "The video on line...on how to mod podge the damn pictures...! (hysterical... )

And so this is how it goes.. Wendy trying to explain not only to Joe but to the store workers on how to create this mod podge thing I saw on the internet with something called Gel Medium...!

It goes something like this..
Wendy explaining to the workers with hands in air brushing imaginary wood... the girl on the video, said that you do this (whisp, whisp)..and this ( swish .. swish... ) … and (CRICKETS sounding )..

BLANK LOOK from workers ...

Wendy (wide eyed pig headed not going to give up until the store closes hysterical..) Joe frantically attempting to locate said video on cell phone... and between that and the store manager finally suggesting to look in aisle 14 (the paint aisle).. and whew...(the victory dance.. insert music here )... YES life was good.. viola… GEL MEDIUM… !!!

So now to race home… (forgetting the lets go shopping for Christmas presents part)… the pictures are printed, now I just have to brush gel medium on wood, invert picture… press.. let dry overnight… next morning I can wet back of paper and remove it from wood.. dry it again and then mod podge. AND VIOLA?!

UM... NO GET...VIOLA... it is now the next morning... Christmas eve day…

December 24th... I am NOT finished wrapping presents, its my daughter's birthday, and I am due at my parents for Christmas dinner at 4pm..and what am I doing? FRANTICALLY scrapping the back of the paper with my finger.... I CAN NOT GET THE M-FO paper off this piece of wood.. 3 hours later.. YES, 3 hours later.. like the shroud of Turin.. I see an image… and I am crying.. I now have to MOD PODGE these damn pictures… and get to wrapping, dressing and AHHHHHH!!!!
















So I just want to thank you … to all of you... for accompanying me on this adventure... because if one more person sends me some "fun" link, or some "fun" website, or some new "fun" adventure .. I will hunt you down.. each and every one of you…

PS: In case you want to try out the “EASY” lets mod podge a piece of wood here you go (here's the video)... www.petapixel.com/2011/10/06/how-to-transfer-a-photograph-onto-a-block-of-wood

THIS WOMAN NEEDS TO BE SLAPPED!…

Just some school ramblings...

Teacher: love your sandals but aren’t your feet cold?
Wendy: Thanks, a little...but I need to air the feet out…..
Teacher: oh…?

Wendy: (I better explain this one)… see I run a bit on the weekends…
Teacher: Oh yeah they are cute... You know this fellow teacher I was talking to is training for the Philadelphia marathon …..

AND SO IT BEGINS……………………..

Teacher: ......he runs all these miles and 6 miles at a time on the elliptical, and ..
Wendy: yeah, I ran the Wineglass marathon on Sunday.
Teacher: .....um, like did you run the whole 26 miles?

THANKFULLY.. SHE DIDN’T ASK HOW MANY MILES A MARATHON WAS……

Wendy: ...Yeah the whole 26 in the cold and rain.. it was not fun.
Teacher: How are your knees? I used to ice skate but cant now because I have knee problems…

OMG WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS GO FOR THE KNEES!??

Wendy: knees holding up, but the body is old, usually stiff and achy.
Teacher: I guess you must really love it, I heard people do it because they get all those endorphins and such.

PERHAPS I SHOULD NOT ANSWER THE LOVE PART RIGHT NOW SINCE I AM STILL IN RECOVERY…

Wendy: I don’t know, I use the time to get away from people, and I like to beat people.
Teacher: (slightly concerned look)…OH...
Wendy: I mean I don’t always win, in fact I don’t always even come close to winning but its fun to race.
Teacher: (still a bit concerned…. ) … At least you don’t come in last... So I know this guy who does these things called triathlons where he swims like 3 miles or something then does a bike and a run.

LETS JUST NOT GO THERE..

Wendy: yeah ......

I have come to the conclusion that normal folks will never understand what I do or why I do it because HELL I don’t really understand what I do or why I do it! And the looks I get from them are usually is she BAT SHIT CRAZY or what!?

So its just best and just a heck of a lot easier to keep hush……

Thankfully BAT SHIT crazy UNDERSTANDS BAT SHIT CRAZY.. so if you are reading this and can relate.. WELCOME……

Wineglass Marathon - MISERY

MISERY – wasn’t there a Stephen King novel called that?

Sunday, October 4th
Way back in the spring, I came across an ad for a delightful marathon that would take place in the finger lake area of New York.

The thoughts of walking hand in hand with my guy amongst cobblestone streets in the crisp autumn foliage, smelling cider and tasting wine… caused such a rush of elation that I signed us both up for the wineglass marathon.

The course was said to be relatively flattish, down hill and then the thoughts of running fast times and of grander and glory then followed.....

I have now realized I am delusional and so glad that joe is happy about that..

Perhaps, the forecast of 42 degrees and rain should have sent up a red flag or a giant flare or something.. I mean why would anyone purposely drive 10 hours (5+ hours up and 5+ hours back ) to run for 4 hours in the cold rain?.

Ok... so perhaps we were a little stressed in having to get mom home from the hospital and make sure she was ok prior to leaving her and the pup with dad… and of course a fight ensues.. because I am a let's get going.. its 7am … and he is more of what the problem if its 8:15am.. .

My biggest fault is I bring a lot of crap to make sure I have everything but all that crap is damn well in the truck at least a half hour before we are “scheduled to go”..

Joe's biggest fault is he can't move or think fast in the am and so everything takes a REALLY LONG time…

so then the fight ensues...I STARE at him(even though I offered to help him move it along) and he glares at me because I STARE AT HIM (EVEN THOUGH I OFFERED TO HELP)..

SO yeah Saturday didn’t start off very good… and to think I have to sit in the truck for 5 hours with him .. f- me.. !!

SO Of course I get hungry about an hour into the trip.. because I have been up for hours WAITING for him… so I ask him to stop at a service plaza on the turnpike because I need some food and coffee NOW…

By the time we got to Corning we were talking again but that was because I was plenty full of sugar and coffee and how can anyone seriously resist me... !??

When we arrive it is drizzling and windy. The expo was cute, people very friendly and nice but I was a bit disappointed that all the 30th anniversary gear was sold out.. but HECK I could buy 28th or 29th anniversary gear if I wanted… sigh

I actually was excited at this point, heck who cares what the weather is like, we are away, somewhere new and it will be fun!!

Damnit I will make it fun!

We get our wine glasses and splits of champagne and walk to find a restaurant that serves a cheap lunch and check into our hotel.


Of course they had jacked up the hotel prices this weekend and we were paying the same price we would for a luxury beach front hotel ….except we didn’t get a beach.. we got a highway instead, and our bed was a tad lumpy (giant bedbugs?) and the indoor pool.. a little too green..

OH but least we could walk to our pre-race dinner at Denny’s, which is anything but really scary but food is food. Then of course Joe went to get gas at the gas station and someone took off without paying and still had the gas hose attached to their get away car… drama follows us like a disease ...

We went to bed thinking omg its forecasted now to be 37 degrees at the start and raining.. whats the point of this again?

Waking up every hour from 1am on is never a good sign on whats to come.. by the time the alarm went off at 4am, and we were dressed and out the door (a little late) by 5:35 am… we jetted over to try and catch the busses that would be take us to the start (26 miles away). OF COURSE I want to catch one of the first busses and of course its once again early AM and JOE NO MOVE VERY FAST…

SO here we go again… me GLARING at him as he takes his time getting his water bottle ready and all his gear… and WTF ....we need to make the bus!!

We “sprint” to the bus and make it on at 6am… and as soon as we get on it goes.. of course there are other busses behind us filling up so technically we didn’t have to get on the first ..

BUT I am glad we did.. because there were suppose to be 3000 people getting on the buses and only 10 port a pots at the start… YEAH I know the math!

So they drop us off at 6:45am at the start… well what we all think is the start.. and its pouring rain out.. its FREEZING..

DID I MENTION FREEZING... and the race does not start until 8am… there is NO SHELTER for any of the runners… YEAH US!… F- us ALL!!

So we stand around in the cold for an 1-1/2 hours before the race (race starts late) and then just because it needs to get a little more exciting, the start is actually 1 mile down the road.. so we all have to walk 1 mile down the road… THANK YOU.. because once we start the race.. if we EVER start the race I won't have run enough so this extra mile is soo helpful.

The course was suppose to be a downward and fast. DAMN I am always duped when it comes to listening to what upstate people say is flat. Sure it was flattish in spots, but it did have some inclines and well for the fast part, heck I don’t know but there were too many turns for me. Flat is SHAMROCK IN VIRGINIA BEACH.. NEVER BELIEVE ANYONE UPSTATE WHO SAYS THEIR RACE IS FLAT.. it is flat to them because the dont run anything but hills!

The first 3 miles I tore it up.. because I am an I-D-I-O-T… I don’t know what is wrong with me.. I have done over 20 marathons now and cannot EVER run them at one pace…

So I FRENCH FRY my legs... I run until i cant run no more.. which this case was... oops 5 miles.. thanks..and have a nice day… I got so warm during this segment of my many hours of delight that I had to take off my jacket and tie it around my waist. I love when I completely trash my legs in the first 45 minutes of a 4 hour run… yeah me.. !!!

I held it all together until about mile 8… and then well.. I noticed that damn it ..I WAS FREEZING... and it was raining really hard... so I attempt to put back on my jacket and my joints were soo frozen that I could not bend enough to get my arm in the armhole... so here is me trying to put on something as simple as a jacket and unable to...

.. this is when you know humanity will be ok... if there are runners in the world... a really nice older gentleman stops his run to help me put on my jacket... chivalry is not dead! Marathon Runners are the BEST!

Once I had my jacket back on I felt a bit better and tried to pick up the pace… but boy was this cold and rain beating me up... I tried to will a shuttle from the half way point to the end… PLEASE.. PLEASE.. PLEASE... LET THERE BE SOMEONE TO TAKE US TO THE FINISH at mile 13.1.. i dont care I will be ok with that.. me no wanna run no more...

BUT NO.. damn I really do have to finish this shit myself....

All the volunteers were amazing… bless them for having to stand in the rain and be nice to us! And I had to take a drink from one little tot who was just too damn cute…. does it matter that I am not thirsty NO>>. that cute little boy with glasses I cannot refuse!!

Although I did refuse the woman who offered me a beer... now if it had been wine.. may have been a different outcome... !not much to tell in the race other than I needed to go from point A to point B as fast as possible and unfortunately my body was not really responding to the fast as possible request.

Life is what you make it.. and I am ok with that. I don’t mind the rain, in fact normally I love the rain… and I usually don’t mind the cold (when I am properly dressed) but combining the two and having to run in it for 4 hours… well.. that’s just a little MISERABLE

I wish I could have said OMG we had a great time at the finish line party… but we were both so frozen that once I crossed the line we left… no pizza.. no nothing… just our medals and left.

Joe finishing in 3:54 and me in 4:36 ish… we got to change out of our wet clothes at the YMCA and take cool showers (yeah I think 3000 people trying to take showers at once didn’t help the water heater)…

I felt like I was in the army with a bunch of smelly half naked woman waiting for a cool shower…

The ride home was fun.. 5+ hours in the rain… with joe and sore legs but we just smiled at each other.. because…

Misery loves company!

FAMILY AFFAIR - Kimberton 5K

Yeah its been a while since I posted.. not that we haven't done anything interesting.. I mean we ran for 12 hours on September 4th... Labor Pains Ultra Trail Run.. Joe completing 50 miles and I completing 35 miles and spraining my ankle.

And yeah.... I started back up at night school again...Anatomy and Physiology... two hours on Tuesday nights and three hours on Thursday nights..ask me anything about plasma membrane and I bet I can tell you... oh and then we ran the Philly Rock and Roll Half Marathon on September 18th and lets see... yeah just spent a full filled weekend on September 24th and 25th running three 5K's. Its almost like old times!

Kimberton 5K - Saturday, September 24th @ 9am
VERY excited to be able to run the Kimberton 5K with my dad and my nephew James. I did this race 5 years ago (in 2006) and at that time it was my 2nd race ever…

I had just started running and couldn't remember why I wanted to do it but did it and won my first medal ever, placing 3rd in my age group (actually I was 2nd in my age group because the 2nd place person was actually a guy but never mind that story for now).. and I have that medal and tshirt hanging in a plaque on my wall to remember WHAT HAS CAUSED ALL THIS MADNESS!!!!

I mentioned to dad that I thought this would be a great race for him to try.. it only had one hill and was local, the price was right and well I knew he had been working on increasing his runs and a little bit of a hilly course would help him with his endurance and so why not!

HOWEVER, you would have thought that 5 years wouldn’t have totally erased my memory of how many HILLS there actually were.

It's when you start the race and realize UH OH…. and it's an "ok" thing if you are solo in the race and didn’t convince your father and nephew to join you.. but when you have other's join in and its an UH OH.. then well its a BIG UH OH!

YEAH, now I remember this was one of the hilliest courses i had done in the area... how the heck could I have forgotten that!!... and mental note… DO NOT FORGET THIS IS A HILLY COURSE....note taken...

I ran fine… placing second age, which thrilled me as I LOVE HARDWARE! ....But what was significantly more satisfying was to see that Dad and James ran exceptional!

My nephew James had just started doing 5K's & training and I noticed that he is a natural....
After the race I spoke to him about the race and he wasn't even out of breath and he mentioned to me that he wanted to walk so many times but didn't and that the hills were tough....
.... That my young nephew is mental toughness. ....
James made a power move on his own within 200 yards of the finish, sprinting passed a kid in his age group and the kids father and held the placing to win third in his age group.

My dad also lit this course up, running his best 5K time ever on one of the hardest hilliest courses! Dad was thrilled with his first place age win... and I was thrilled just to be a part of it all!

I love my family!!!

We scored a first, second and third place medal (in our own respective age group categories) and James won the big doorprize of a bucket of car cleaning items… yeah!

TEAM DUFFY ROCKS!!
Results: http://kimbertonrun.com/5kresults.htm

Warwick Trail 5K - the Wetlands

Not sure how I'm going to piece all these stories together.. but if they fall out of order, just pretend you live my life... it will all make sense.. somehow..

Saturday, September 24th @ 5:30pm
SO I thought how cool a trail 5K at my local park, 10 mins from home and at 5:30pm, how could I resist?

Um.. I didn't resist that is.. there was a slight problem though... the bum ankle was still bum and well it was on trail, so uneven terrain, and well I guess I better wrap the bugger up so I don't break it.. and off i go.. for my second race of the day!

I gotta admit the day started off great.... with the Kimberton race.... but got even better with the Warwick Race.... The Warwick course was rerouted because parts of the course were washed out from all the rain. So as they were showing us the new course...was wondering if they provided a guide with that...

.. Run down this way and then go that way, turn around this tree, turn around this bush, down by this pasture and back.. and all the turns are marked and just follow the people ahead of you... and

...so the new and “improved course” was on the marshlands and had a giant grass hill… and oh yeah me… as I most certainly didn’t get enough hills this am!

Although there were not a lot of people in the race, there appeared to be a few age groupers who I KNEW were in my age group. How did I know?

Well i SPIED out their bibs with my EAGLE EYE BALLS!... LIE.. ok.. so I just casually got close enough to be able to TRY and read their ages on their race bibs and really since I am half blind I DO HAVE TO SQUINT... ok fine... So I glare at them and look really fast to try and catch their age. DAMN.

One of these women looked really exceptionally fast with sleek runners legs, and a toned body and just portrayed an air of confidence...…ok.. not going to worry about it.. i came here to have fun not compete, have fun... not compete.. just to have fun...

So I lined up in the back, not worry about placing.... have fun.. not compete... and then we were off..... It was SOO much fun giggling and squealing through the mud and fields...heck yeah... slamming tons of wet, gooey mud around.. yeah.. to run without any purpose but to have fun.. this is SOO great!!!

Around a tree.. and through the woods... and um wait... i am passing people.. and before I knew it I had caught up to the two women I had checked out in the beginning of the race... uh oh..

Super sleek legs looked over her shoulder at me and sped up … UM OH NO SHE DID NOT…
. and so I was off… chasing her ass across the field....we passed the other gal in our age group and I trailed her ass until the hill..

And LO AND BEHOLD sleek, legs gal… with her beautifully, toned legs .....was not a hill runner!

Not only did I overtake her on the hill … I gained a lead… GOD BLESS that I am a hill runner …

BUT no amount of hill running will make you have more oxygen when you get to the top of a hill in any course… I thought I would pass out and DIE... but now it's no longer about the fun... its about the competition...

And so it begins… I didn’t intend to run so hard … but I couldnt let either of them repass me. HELL NO!

SO not knowing if they were catching up or falling farther behind I just ran like I was on fire… I am not sure if I pushed anyone out of the way or kicked any mud on anyone but no one was getting past me.

I clocking in what I believe was my best trail 5K time ever.. I secured first in my age group and went home oxygen deficient but with an excellent age group award and a smile. OH yeah and all this play is hard work!!

The two learnings from this story are
(1) looks can be deceiving and
(2) DON’T EVER look over your shoulder at me. EVER

Results: http://runccrs.com/results/?p=1923

Philadelphia Zoo 5K - MESS

OK.. so it's not like me to make grumbles about a race.. . because I can appreciate what everyone does.. especially if its for something as important as Cancer...

BUT then again...when i see something that is such a disorganized mess... i gotta wonder if my funds really do go to where they are suppose to... for cancer research.

Sunday, September 25th
DARK AND EARLY.. yeah.. 4:30 am up and getting ready to drive into Philly to run the Philadelphia Zoo 5K...

I was VERY EXCITED for this race..! It was for cancer (so a good cause) and we were allowed free admission to the zoo after the race.. it was a win-win!..

BUT OMG what a DISORGANIZED f-cking mess this event was!

I have been to a LOT of races and this one almost makes the number one spot for disorganized mess. Let me bullet point a few things…

But before I do let me tell you what most runners like to do:
1) Get their racing bib
2) Get their t-shirt
3) Take their t-shirt back to the car
4) Find the potty
5) Warm up
oh yeah.. and preferably … BEFORE THE RACE…

Race is suppose to START at 7:45.. i waited to about 7am while some utterly confused girl tries to sort bib numbers… (I'm sorry is alphabetical sorting too hard for you and shouldn’t this have been done maybe the NIGHT BEFORE.. )

So ok.. I don’t have anywhere else to go but I do have to find the potty and would like to warm up since I am a bit stiff… The T-shirts and Potties are in there (lady pointing to the closed gate)… zoo keeper said NO ONE ALLOWED IN ZOO YET!

Seriously!?.. wait patiently… its now 7:15.. a HALF HOUR before the start of the race.. no one has their tshirts yet.. nor has anyone gotten a chance to go potty.. there are now about 300 people milling around….

So people start SNEAKING in.. swear to god… and you know what… so did I… f-ck that I mean I have to go!... so I get in and get my potty done and get my tshirt and sneak back out. Felt like a damn criminal!

BTW they did not let the masses in until 10 minutes before the start of the race… ridiculous…. Seriously.

So obviously the race is going to start late… and they gather everyone together I thought to give us a description of the course BUT OH NO they START calisthenics…WTF!??

I made friends with a girl in my age group (although they are not doing age group awards) its always nice to see someone you can compete against. AND HOW DID I find out her age?!.. IT WASNT ME THIS TIME.. she asked me! And you all think i am the nosy one!

I find out she did an Ironman before and well.. is a LOT faster than me.. she did Lake Placid in 11 hours and 30 minutes or so many years ago … to my Chessy man of 15 hours and 20 minutes. Was kinda funny when I mentioned my swim time being around 2 hours.. and she just said, "OH… "

heehheee

We come to find out that course will be two loops OUTSIDE of the zoo and then the final quarter or so mile inside the zoo… UM.. but what about the cute little zoo chart with animals on it...

We got to see the back alley of the zoo where the workers parked and where the drunks throw up... and cars... nice.. around and around we go... and as I was coming into the zoo after my second lap I saw walkers ahead of me.. WTF?

They only did one loop and cut the course? (they didn’t have a special finish shoot just for walkers and they didn’t have anything special on their bibs saying they were walkers) so they were being scored with us. PERHAPS that doesnt bother some people... but that damn well bothers me... !

Oh yeah and THERE AINT NO ANIMALS in the zoo at 8am in the morning! They must all be sleeping in.. so I went home and took my OWN animal pictures... .

I didn’t post a good run time and only got myself mad… but it was for a good cause and so chalk it up to a disorganized mess… I just hope the cause actually gets the funds…

Race Results: http://runccrs.com/results/?p=1925

Heaven & Hell - Indian River Vacation 2011

Destination: Indian River, Delaware
Objective: 2 weeks camping at the beach with the family

Sunday, July 24th
So the caravan is off… YAHOOO….!!!!
We are on our way for our ANNUAL 8th Family Camping Vacation at the Beach extravaganza...!!

Jump up.. Jump down.. JUMP UP AND DOWN!!

Each year is a “fun” filled adventure of family drama and togetherness. And like a kid at Christmas, I don’t know what I am going to get! So off we go with wide eyed expectations and anticipations.…

Mom, Dad, and my oldest nephew (James) in the lead vehicle pulling MY camper and then Bessie (pup), Fernando (our 21 year old feline), and I in the trailing vehicle…

WE ARE ON OUR WAY!! WAHOO!!… DELAWARE BEACHES LOOK OUT!

So kinda bummed that I was unable to pull my own camper this year.. .. but due to some unfortunate events, like people playing smash up derby on my truck (someone smashing into the side of my truck and then two weeks later someone else smashed into the back of my truck).. well that and the karma was bad ...kinda affected the ability to pull the camper… thankfully dad stepped in and volunteered to haul it.. dad really rocks.. !

I am so needing to re-analyze how I am the one “on vacation” and Joe has to “slave away” at work… Wendy listening to the cat scream for 2-1/2 hours and maul poor Bessie who patiently is wondering WTF is wrong with the cat as its only a car ride.. OH AND DID YOU KNOW? That a cat can actually lock the door of a truck for you while the keys are inside and you are outside?

Kinda glad I had a bit of forethought at the rest stop and put the window down a hair (enough to get my arm in it)… but not enough for the beast to actually jump out and walk down route 1 like in the whole 2010 fiasco.

…oh yeah and YOU try and set up a camper in the 95 degree heat with a cat and dog and having to take EVERYTHING out of the camper in order to set up the camper and then putting everything back in the camper REALLY QUICKLY when it decides it going to storm and OMFG vacation rocks!

Monday, July 25th
Official first day of HELL.. its 1,000 degrees out and humid… OH did I mention HOT ? Yeah the air was cooking itself and I decide I need to get a run in. Cranky run and just miserable but its done and I can wash my hands of it. I’m glad James (the nephew) asked to go the beach because I am thinking that sitting in cold water will help… I can sit and re-analyze this life.. how in the world would I ever think moving to Florida would be a good idea?

After jumping waves for about 30 minutes I need to sit for a minute; James, Aunt Wendy needs to go sit down on that blanket, pointing to the nice, relaxing beach blanket .. ok?..

Thinking, dang…I’m exhausted and would like to lie down and just close my eyes for a bit… ..

Of course I can’t just fall into a coma like I want, I am the responsible adult and have to keep an eye on the nephew! I don’t want the lifeguards to have to go in to save him and YEAH that to get back to the brother.. no way …

So I am watching and my eyes are rolling into the back of my head.. and TWEEEEEEEEEEEET>>> I jump up as I hear the lifeguard whistle as he flies into the water.. I try to focus...oh thank the LORD he is not after James… heart rate up.. ok.. so James can we go back to the camper now? Thanks…

Tuesday, July 26th:
Long Run day. Goal: run from the campsite to Fenwick and back.. 20 miles roundtrip. Done it before in previous years.. just have to get out and back before the scorching sun.. Backpack packed with extra water , off I go. DAMN those extra pounds hurt.... need air to breathe… suppose to be another 90+ degree day …

Had read an article about endurance being compromised the weeks after an ultra… and yeah I was compromised… I WAS TIRED AT MILE 2... I was hoping my legs would be able to hold at least a 10-11 min mile pace for most of the run but…..the sun…..was out..
I wasn’t sure what got me to mile 10.. It was SO HOT, the air so thick, and I was chafing… my skin was so raw that each step was becoming a battle between was I going to die of heatstroke or die from rotting flesh.

Then I got a bright idea. I should ALWAYS be VERY weary of MY “bright” ideas. I knew in a few miles there would be a small Kayak landing with an opening to the bay. Cold water.. I would cool down and soak the chafing! OH YEAH I AM SOO SMART.. I think I actually smiled at my superiority!

AHHHH… taking of my shoes, socks, backpack and garmin and still relishing in how I could get that smart… I laid down in the lukewarm water… hmm not as cool as I was expecting… and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH ……

……………. SALT WATER…

I was on freaking FIRE… I didn’t have to worry anymore about dying of heatstroke or some sort of rotting flesh because there will now not be any flesh to rot and I will have died from the pain sensors exploding. I don’t know if you as a kid did this but when you put salt on a slug how they shriveled in pain and died… yeah kinda like that… I SCREAMED while running 3 miles to try and get to the nearest convenience store to buy NON SALT WATER to pour on myself.

I am soo glad I got that college education

I calculate, I have 5 miles remaining of my 20 miler… I can see little children on their way to the beach whispering to their parents, “mommy, whats wrong with that lady”.. and the parents gently hushing them..

Im glad I’m missed. Dad and mom realized that I hadn’t returned from my long run in the projected time frame and unbeknownst to me set off looking for me. There is nothing else you can do but go forward…shuffling along… I tell myself.. this is good training, this is “fun”, you are doing fine… I hear sizzling… I wonder if its possible to cook blood cells…I know I don’t have any brain cells left, and wonder if they will speak nicely of me at my passing. Wendy you have 3 miles… And then I see dad’s truck heading the other way.. I want to wave but cannot…

OH PLEASE let him be looking for me and COME BACK.. the next thing I know his truck is along side of me and I was in it… I have never been soo happy to be picked up in ALL my life!






When I got back to the campsite I had to ice my body, I was trembling and in-between screams attending to my chafing. My pain sensors were dead… I assume it took me about an hour to cool down. The chafing was soo bad that I had to actually put burn cream on. I really hope this is all worth it.

Wednesday, July 27th
Third DAY OF HELL: Since I cant do ANYTHING because I am a chaffed, exhausted mess.. I think I will just hide in the camper, SULK and study. The sun is EVIL. RUNNING IS EVIL.

Thursday, July 28th
Since I need to stay out of the sun and had promised to take mom to the Coast Guard station museum, this is what we were going to do, and it will be fun! This will NOT be a day of HELL! So off we go: mom, James and I. I was feeling a WHOLE HECK of a lot better and it felt nice to do something other than sulk. The museum was a self guided tour, which would have worked perfectly had I been with people who wanted to move at the same pace. Mom wanted to read everything really slowly and James I think was questing how fast he could see all the exhibits.

I did have to pull James aside and explain to him that Grandmom (mom) was a little slower and needed a little more time so if he could be just be a little more patient and perhaps tone it down a notch that would be great. Honestly I was laughing because I am so much like James in racing around the exhibits it was like speaking to myself. Bless his little 11 year old soul.

Life wouldn’t be interesting without a little OMG. Upstairs in one of the exhibit rooms mom receives a call on her cell phone, which btw its shocking that she heard it and SHOCKING that she actually answered it..AND SHOCKING THAT SHE SAT down on one of the exhibition props in order to talk..so there is mom sitting on what I hope is not a 200 year old chair as the next tour group comes through with gasps and looks..
What can you say?

… BTW.. I did get in a 3 mile run today… I Vaselined and taped myself up from head to toe… that’s all there is too say… and oh yeah Joe finally arrived for vacation… vacation can now officially start now!

Friday, July 29th
So Joe..like whats that hanging on your antenna?

This is his take on it, “ I'm driving down route 1 last night, oh about 60-65 MPH in the rain, when this rather sizable thing swoops in front of my truck, hits my antenna, whips around and then smashed my windshield like a baseball."

Pause…"Joe, is that a Bat WING?"

Joe ran today , I did not. No comment

Saturday, July 30th
RACE DAY.. Team Duffy is all set to tear it up at the BEACH 5K, it’s a 3.1 mile course and the whole family is doing it! I was thinking myself big stuff being all ahead of Joe for the first mile and what fun this was until my core body temperature exploded and the thought of sudden death sounded appealing… of course the excitement of the day was DAD placing 3rd in his age group, for his FIRST EVER MEDAL! DAD ROCKS!!! My heart was swelling with pride!

Joe thought it quite interesting that after the race, one of my competitors came up to talk to me. This is a girl who mind you won’t speak one word to me usually but this time she kicks my ass and so I guess its ok to talk to me now?

So of course I am nice… I am a nice person.. and during our maybe 3 minute “talk” she says to me, “Looks like you lost some weight” .. IS SHE SERIOUS?…. I need to work on taking her out.. NOW…

Sunday, July 31st
WALLY WORLD DAY! Actually it’s the day with the nephews, bro and sister-in-law at Jungle Jim’s., floating on the lazy river… Aunt Wendy lets go on that slide!!! Sideward’s glance to the anaconda looking five foot tubing riveted together. UM no…NO THANKS … oh Aunt Wendy, come on..

So laugh as you may this Irongirl does NOT do small round vertical tubes. Luckily for them Joe does and well off they go to scream and having fun, more power to you all… my fat arsh is going back to the river.

I am not sure if I can possibly eat any more really bad stuff… lunch is a cheeseburger, cheese fries and soda.. that makes up for the chocolate and nut covered donut I had this am.. yahoo.. vacation rocks!

Shame that I will no longer be able to fit into the 5,000 outfits I brought.

JUST know that I don’t think mom and Joe purposely tried to kill me by feeding me raw shrimp for dinner.. and so glad Dad yelled at me that I should know better…

Monday, August 1st
Happy Monday. I think… the heat is doing me in. Or maybe it’s the sodium content in my system but I am a complete bitch.. a wanker… a wolly burg… and Joe calls me on it… I don’t know what wrong with me.. I am miserable and he tells me in no uncertain terms that I better ship up or shape down… no I mean shape up or ship out.. yeah whatever… so we head to the bay to get the kayaks out.. it’s a bit quiet in the ole truck…I think I want to cry...

Yeah… I thought perhaps since I was such a bitch I better do something productive like save the world. Draggin the beach blanket out for the perfect spot.. its still a little quiet… and I need to remove the dead horseshoe crab carcasses from around our blanket.. …oh yo.. that bugger is still ALIVE…. as I am holding it up by the tail and taking it clawing to the water… so I proceed to scour the beach and return every upside horseshoe crab into the surf.. I WILL SAVE YOU ALL… Wendy the savior bitch… . I wonder if Joe really questions his decision he made 20 years ago… in sickness and health…

Received a call from mom who proceeded to call me some choice names with the word bitch attached to them and well that just solidified the day… So not sure if it was the heat or what but our family was getting along about as well as… a dog and fleas

Tuesday, August 2nd
Lock Ness has been sighted at Rehoboth! Joe must have felt bad and bought me a giant inflatable serpent.



Of course he is the BEST EVER…poor man had to use the foot pump to blow the sucker up. DUDE why are out of breath?

Spent the entire morning playing with the serpent and teaching the nephews to Kayak. Which then we were too exhausted to do our annual Bar Crawl.. as the thought of actually staying awake to drink was exhausting… NAP TIME…

Wednesday, August 3rd
9th DAY OF HELL.. Unfortunately, my brother had to leave vacation early, SO LUCKY HIM… so we moved up our normal family dinner out and family portraits to Wednesday instead of Thursday. And then as Heather put it.. I had a food baby.
NEVER EVER… put an athlete in front of a food buffet. Just saying…

I don’t know how its possible to consume that much food and be able to walk out of the restaurant.

Thursday, August 4th
Since we hadn’t run in a few days… I thought it best we do a longer run in the am and then a second run in the pm. I mean what would a vacation be without a little excess?

WOW this vacation is great.. everyone is now numb with happiness and I think the shear excitement about going home in a few days has lifted everyone’s spirits. I love you Joe!… I love you Mom and Dad… !and I love my vacation!!!


Friday, August 5th
Love that THRIFT store shopping!


Really cool finds with oh yeah I’m going to use this under my desk at work and PEDAL! And JOE SAYING, “NOT ONE MORE THING”..
Last day of vacation!!! YEAH LOVE VACATION!!!

Saturday, August 6th
HAPPY AS A PIG IN SHIT!!!

Time to pack up and go home!

24 Hours - 80 Miles

Friday, July 15, 2011
OMG.. I AM SOO EXCITED ….!

I just got done picking up my race packet for my 24 hour race. They took my vitals: weight, blood pressure, internal body temperature, heart rate and respiration. They needed numbers to compare to in case, well.. I didn’t look to good on the course tomorrow.

I can’t believe I’m doing this… !!

Lone Ranger Website: The Stroehmann Back on My Feet Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon has become one of the most popular Ultras in the country. It’s for experienced runners who want to test themselves to see how many 8.4-mile laps they can do around Philly's Schuylkill River Running Loop in 24 hours. See the course here.

The race will be capped at 300 runners and starts at 10 am on Saturday, July 16th, 2011 in front of Lloyd Hall (One Boat House Row) and ends at 10 am on Sunday, July 17th. Each time you pass The Beneficial Bank Starting Line, your time and mileage will be recorded. There is no minimum or maximum number of loops Lone Rangers have to run, but there will be awards for those running 50 miles and 100 miles. Lone Rangers can start and stop at any point during the 24 hours to rest, eat, sleep, chill, get a massage, etc. Please note that all Lone Rangers must be 18-years old

Saturday, July 16, 2011
5:00 am: up and ready to roll… truck is packed with tent and gear ..on road by 5:45am..Philly here we come! Yeah its already 73 degrees…its going to be a warm one!

When we arrived it was a bit like a carnival, with runners, and cars, and police, and dogs, and bikers, and just plan general madness and its only 6:30 in the morning.. . eh gads!… Thankfully, Joe and I had a plan and we executed it with skilled precision.

We double parked at the gear drop, emptied the entire contents of the truck (which by the way, anyone who knows me .. I don’t travel light), then Joe whisked the truck away to find a parking spot and I lugged the gear to a near perfect spot…. for our “home away from home” for the next few days..

We choose to put up a 10x10 canopy and a small 5x6 tent.. a couple chairs, and a cooler.. and a “Party is here mat”… now time to sort the clothes, food, and medical equipment. Sniff. Sniff… yeah should be nice… I haven’t even run yet and I smell like a bog turtle.




The goal: Run 75-85 miles… with the ultimate goal of trying to run 100 miles.

AH, so finally let’s rest a bit and wait for the start…. THIS IS JUST SOOO DAMN EXCITING!

Keeping myself calm is always difficult… but extremely important.. its not like I am running the 400 meter dash…I need to remain.. C-A-L-M..


I got to meet a couple fellow runners.. Phil Anderson one of the co-founders of the Hat Run 50K Ultra run, he was here to check off doing another ultra…

I also will meet up with Hannah a girl who also did ChesapeakeMan (but I wouldn’t see her until I am on the course)…. And “ladybug girl” Juliane, who ran the entire 24 hours in a lady bug costume.. yeah sounds like something I would do… now doesn’t it!!!!!?

Its soo nice to have like minded people around…. I don’t feel so… crazy…

And then voila, time to line up… and
10:00am and we are off…

*******************************
LAP 1 (0-8.45 miles) Time: 10:00-11:27am (total time 1-1/2 hrs)

Well you remember that excitement I had about an hour ago?

Yeah, you can wipe that right off my face… jostling tons of people on a small running path, annoyed that TONS OF PEOPLE where in my personal space… unable to formulate any type of rhythm.....I TRIED NOT to run into the back of people..nor give them the finger.. would not be nice… ultra runners must be nice….I need to be nice..

It was starting to get really hot out… and sigh… OMG did I mention HOT!? I was trying to keep around a 10:30 min mile pace and didn’t walk during this first lap .. I found a group of men that appeared to be running quietly (not talking) and I tucked in behind them for a few miles. They kept me on pace and I got the approval nod of ok you can stay here as long as you don’t talk… I was good to go.

A few miles later my man group had dwindled to two .. me and he.. and so I had to pick up a new group to run with … a couple gals… ladybug girl and Hannah

They say that this first lap is usually the hardest and I have to admit I think it was…
************************

Lap 2 (8.45 miles – 16.9 miles) Time 11:27am-1:08pm (total time 3 hrs) *approx times

I finished the end of Lap 1 with an older man who said I should do the Comrades Ultra in South Africa with their group.. I told him I had soo wanted to do that, but not now.. thanks. So I start Lap 2 with a wave and smile and pic from Joe! See you soon honey.

BTW I want a water ice at next break!! Love you!!!

Lap 2 was definitely easier than lap 1.. I understood that I needed to really watch my pace. I got myself into a rhythm and just stuck with it. I loved the fact they had fresh iced washcloths for us to put on our head. It was blazing hot out and some dude mentioned that at least its not as hot as it could be.. dude its almost 85 degrees .. ok so maybe its not 100 but don’t make me pummel you to death… .

Yes I know running is suppose to make you feel relaxed, euphoric, happy, blissful, or something like that..but I told you .. 75% of my runs are painful.. I am guessing the remaining 25% are annoying!

So I get to the half way point of the lap.. at aid station 4 .. remember this.. this will be a very important aid station for me… its at mile 4.12 of the 8.45 mile loop.

SO I get to the aid station and I go to get my drop off bag (which has my perpetium and refueling stuff) and I go to fill up my water bottle with water to mix my drink and one of the volunteers REFUSES to allow me to take a full bottle of water, saying… “You can’t have that.. we are running out of water…"

OK.. so the expression on my face was BEYOND priceless …. I was literary ABOUT to RIP HER EYEBALLS OUT..

I think she realized after she said it and after I stood there looking at her with razor blades shooting out of my eyes that she better let me fill my damn water bottle NOW… and so she did..I MEAN WTF!?

NOTE: this was only two hours into the race… I AM thinking I SURE HOPE she ain’t serious about them running out of water already... lets put that aside.. because all of the other volunteers I encountered during the entire 24 hours were wonderful ……..

So I leave aid station 4.. ANNOYED!

I finished lap 2… and Joe got me my water ice@@@@!… YEAH!!!! I head to the tent to change my shoes and rest. Jim Standish… our dear friend had surprised us with a visit… between the two of them I felt like a queen… they both made sure I got juice, fuel, and what I needed.

And then they made sure I was promptly… BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN…..

***************************************

Lap 3 (16.9 miles – 25.35 miles) Time 1:08-3:18pm (total time 5 hrs) 15 min break *approx times

I was starting to feel a bit nauseous during the last loop and it was really started to bother me NOW. I think it was the heat… It was just REALLY SOO HOT OUT… . and I couldn’t get enough cooling rags on my head. This is SO NOT fun.!!.

NOT FUN … AT ALL!!!

I was trying to think of the reason WHY I wanted to run around in the heat and cook my brain..WHY !

When I signed up last October I was sitting in my cushy office and looking out to a beautiful crisp fall day… just saying…

While I was doing the whole hold my mouth with my hand routine so I didn’t vomit, a fellow runner came up to me and said that if I stuck my finger down my throat ...it would make me throw up.. and I would then feel better. And she said this all with a smile saying this worked for her… um…Thanks?

And UM... I THINK NOT!

So pleasant to know that others are suffering too ..

I ended lap 3 wishing I could throw myself in front of a truck, just to make sure I would have a valid reason to go to the hospital.. life sucks…

SUCKS..........
***************************

Lap 4 (25.35 miles – 33.8 miles) Time 3:18-6:30pm (total time 8 hrs) 20 min break *approx times

The guys allowed me an extended break this time.. I think they felt pity on my sick ass… allowing 20 mins instead of 15 mins… yahoo.. .. my crew rocks…

I had a bit of turkey sandwich, and some juice… OK.. GOSH… Jim pointed to the watch and joe gave me a little pat .. time for you to go out .. AGAIN. ...

ITS HOT.. did I mention,.. that?! HOT… Yeah I am sure I did…

So this is my last solo lap, I will be able to pick up my pacer at the next lap..

WOW I am violently ill… I don’t think my pacers are going to get much run out of me… yeah its kinda ugly..

WTF was I thinking.. I have16 hours left..

OMFG…………..

As I’m walking and feeling a lot of a bit sorry for myself, I see an angel.. ok so maybe this is why people love the people that keep them prisoner... I see my friend Jen Raley who drove all the way up from Dover, Delaware with her family to see me… I thought I would cry…

She told me Molly and Claudia (tri baby friends) all were wishing me well... seriously I am going cry.. you can stop now..

We walked together for a bit, and then a bit of running and YES, I’m done lap 4!

*************************

Lap 5 (33.8 miles – 42.25 miles) Time 6:30-9:14pm (total time 10 hrs) 21 min break *approx times
PACER: Megan Murray

The tent was full of excitement.. not only had Megan my first official pacer arrived and was ready for duty, Gary my second pacer was already there… and the entire Jen clan (4+ kids and hubby) and Jim and Joe.. it was a giant party!

I changed my clothes, I got some fuel and gathered all the energies from my wonderful crew… and then they sent me back out.. AGAIN…………

I had to apologize to Megan that I would have to walk a bit because I couldn’t get rid of this nauseous feeling and she and I talked and walked… and I realized that it was now 7pm and I had actually been in motion, with a couple breaks, for over 9 hours.. WOW…

I started to have a problem actually trying to pee, sorry to be so graphic but I think I wasn’t getting in enough water or enough salt or something.. and the last thing I wanted was to end up with my kidneys shutting down over something like this..

Megan is a nurse so I wasn’t worried … but I was SICK of drinking … and so I ended up sucking on ice cubes.. but the pee thing had me a little considered.

I hit every port-a-pot on the way around.. trying to pee.. I felt the need to pee.. just nothing

Megan and I did get to run a bit… probably a total of maybe 3 miles during the whole 8.45 mile lap. Much less running than I thought but given the condition I was in .. I was lucky
And then…. We were done lap 5…

*********************

Lap 6 (42.25 miles – 50.7 miles) Time 9:14-11:30pm (total time: 13hrs) 21 min break *approx times
PACER: Gary Perkins
I headed to my favorite place.. the tent… changing once again to longer sleeves as I was starting to chill from the light sunburn and noticed it was starting to get dark…

Tom my pacer after Gary was already there too… Megan headed home and said she would have a beer for me… I thanked her and wished her well…

Gary got his reflective vest on and the guys helped me with mine… and after a craving for an apple and ice tea I was back out on the road AGAIN..

I started lap 6 walking.. but I have to admit it was an extremely FAST walk. Gary is a speed walker and even though I was ready at times to blow chunks I had to keep up with him in order to save face.. you know…

The setting of the sun was nice.. I started to feel better. Someone from a car threw a light stick at us.. I picked it up. I would have to say this lap had the most drama. We saw wildlife ( a raccoon in a trash can), men fishing in the Schuylkill (like would you really eat anything you caught from there?), and yeah a runner got MUGGED.. and now they were instructing everyone , especially women to have a pacer with them at all times...

After the mugging drama… and me hitting every port-a-pot in the attempts to pee I finally got to aid station 6 and viola pee… so we ran in the last couple of miles… and Gary got hollered at for entering the wrong finish chute…

*********************
Lap 7 (50.7 miles – 59.15 miles) Time 11:30pm-3:00am (total time: 16hrs) 25 min break *approx times
PACER: Tom Howe


Each break seemed to take a bit longer.. my brain was slowly seizing… but I felt really good.. and to have my friends around me helped a lot.

The guys informed me that at this point I was 19th place female out of like 70+ females.. and I was now at the most I had ever run… I was thrilled!

Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Midnight Race was ready to start and all the crazy runners dressed in glow sticks were lining up to run one lap.. soon we would have entertainment on the course.

I was still wondering how the heck the guy with the large Christmas tree lights hanging around his neck would stayed lit? I MEAN did he have to carry a big battery!?? Gary hung out with Joe for a bit as Tom and I headed out for lap 7…

Tom was also very gracious in being ok with walking.. I was feeling ok but needed to walk .. Tom is actually quite funny.. we were walking along in the dark and we hear a couple of really loud bangs..BANG …BANG.. like gunshots… we kinda looked at each other.. So we picked up the pace a bit.. and then Tom said, “heck maybe you just moved up a couple of places?”

We heard more loud bangs and I yelled out.. "Yahoo… another place!" … SICK I KNOW….
A train went by and Tom mentioned, "Wow it’s a train… " - silly country folks..

I screamed out loud… loud enough to wake the dead… “ OMG THERE IS A TRAIN IN PHILLY!!!..”

Sarcasm and stupid folk.. . I spit on myself.. and yeah

So Tom let me walk a lot in silence.. and occasionally when I winced in pain he gently patted my back… it was nice that he was holding my water bottle.. I couldn’t hold it any longer.. that one pound was just too damn HEAVY..

I stopped in the middle of the path… “Don’t want to go on”.. Tom very gently, without saying anything lightly pushed my back and moved me forward.. and I was walking again…

So I told him .. since he had the light , that he needed to stand outside the port-a-pot and point it at the stall so I could see inside while I was in there… of course when a woman went by with a concerned look about reporting him to the police , finally Tom had enough sense to say.. "OH I am shining a light in there for my runner to see"… (yeah peeping tom)

Tom swears there was something slithery under the bridge that touched his leg.. lovely.. my pacers are hallucinating and not me.

Because I am a child at heart,… I started to collect every single glow stick that had fallen off the midnight runners who passed…and then enlisted Tom to do the same… just saying.. crazy

*****************
Lap 8 (59.15 miles – 67.6 miles) Time 3:00am – 6:30am(total time: 20hrs) ??? mins of breaks *approx times
PACER: Joe Mastripolito
Zombie girl… and its time to start Lap 8.. I think I had the rest of the turkey sandwich.. it was time to continue on…. Joe was my pacer for Lap 8.

He was soo sweet with his kind words of "FINALLY I get to pace you."

OH heck I completely forgot to mention. Since joe KNEW I would be walking when he had to pace me .. he decided back when I was doing lap 4 that he would run a lap himself in the heat by himself “as exercise”… um.. yeah… and you call me crazy.
So Joe and I are off to the world of the dead.. no one is really up.. even in Philly… except these really nutty ultra runners… .and so began another 3 hour lap…

.. Joe stumbled (he didn’t tell me until later that he actually feel asleep while walking)… I myself had a bit of trouble with listing to the right… … I am sure we looked a fine pair…

The Pajama Run was going to start at 6am and we would have some early morning entertainment…

Daylight was a welcome sign..

THANK GOD only a few hours of this shit left.

*********************************
Lap 9 (67.6 miles – 76.05 miles) Time 6:30am – 9:00am (total time: 23hrs) ??? mins of breaks *approx times
PACER: Dana Daugherty

Dana met us at the start line with donuts and coffee.. he is a god.. how perfect!!!

I really didn’t think I would make it around Lap 9 before it hit 10am.. I felt mentally spent… this is when having a good crew comes in handy.. they are your brain when your brain gets fuzzy, They are there to make sure you eat, drink, and watch your health. They think for you.. they are your other you.

Joe instructed Dana to make sure I am drinking every 10 minutes.. Joe said I was refusing to drink and to make sure I did. And OFF we go AGAIN..

KILL ME NOW.. I am in no mood to do this course anymore.. sick of it.. SICK …SICK…SICK.. OF IT… nothing was crossing my mind. I was an empty shell of voidness..

Dana did say that he was surprised I didn’t look like walking death, was shocked that I was moving pretty well for the beating I did to myself, that I walked too damn fast, and that I spent 98% of my time looking straight ahead.

Then something happen….I started to run... we ended up running the last 2.5 miles of this lap. It was like I was possessed… I finished this lap… 76.104 miles and have one hour left on the clock… the officials ask if I am going to continue on or stop…

I have been in a state of movement for 23+ hours .. and there never was a question.. I am continuing on..

My goal was to just walk until the clock stopped..and have the sag wagon pick us up.. Joe’s goal was completely different…

*********************
Start of Lap 10 ( 76.05 miles – to 80 miles) Time 9:00am – 10:00am(total time: 1hr) NO BREAKS *approx times
PACER: Joe Mastripolito
*****The rules say each partial lap, depending on where you are, are counted. At this point, they started to use the rubber bracelet system.. For each aid station you passed you got a rubber bracelet. There are three points on the 8.45 mile course that you can get bracelets at approx mile 2, 4, and 6.

Here is my breakdown:
• If I would get to aid station 2 I would be at 78.63 miles

• If I would get to aid station 4 I would be at 80.224 miles

NOTE: If you are in-between aid stations when the clock runs out, you will only get whatever mileage you had from the aid station you passed NOT the aid station you are closer to. So thus you needed to get that next aid stations if you are close!

KAPESH?

I HAVE HAD IT… the sheer thought of going back out AGAIN sucked.. But I have to run out this clock… Its starting to get HOT again… and I am really really just sooo sick of this crap… I am completely comfortable with my 76 miles… I just want the madness to stop…

As I am shuffling along, Joe carefully explains that if I pick up my pace we can make it to mile 80… we watch a girl run by us and then watch her stop and start to stagger… the heat is killing us.

Joe says, "We can do this."

I just wanna make it to aid station 2… I will be happy with 78 miles…I am ok with that. Joe is not.

"YOU CAN MAKE it to 80"…he says

I am in PAIN, PAIN, PAIN… ITS HOT... HOT......HOT...AND I just WANNA stop...STOP... STOP!!!

I am crying.. he has me in tears.. I NO WANNA do 80.

Joe: "But 80 will be soo much better than 76 or 78.. !"

Sniff Sniff... I see aid station 2… I have my 78 miles…

Seriously 2 more miles… ?

How much time is left.. ?

Impossible… I'm never going to make it..

We leave aid station 2… SNIFF...SNIFF...SNIFF..
.
Joe says to me.."We can go back if you want (back to the last aid station)"

WHAT!? at this same time another pair of runners passes us and she says… "COME ON you can make this.. you can DO THIS!"

Joe says, "YEAH you can…"

And then I started to run. RUN like I have never run before… every ounce of my soul was put into that run.

Joe calls out splits, you have 15 mins… I run faster.. you have 11 mins.. I run faster.. I see the aid station … I don’t hear anything else.. I have left Joe some yards back

and I grabbed me a Bracelet!!! ....... 80 MILES!!!!!

(afterwards joe checks his Garmin to find we were running well under an 8 min pace with me hitting under 5 min pace in the last 100 yards or so)

I DID IT!!! WE DID IT!

80 miles!!! With few minutes to spare… I was too exhausted to cry… !

What Joe did for me…his belief in me. He is my rock and soul…

Its amazing how the mind sometimes cannot see what REALLY can be done… and it takes someone to help show you… The girls who had passed me came up and congratulated me and let me know how happy they were that I made it.. they knew I could… and I did!

We all didn’t have to wait long for the return shuttle, ending a near perfect 24 hours.
By the way… If I EVER see that course again …..I will rip my eyeballs out.

I believe my accomplishment was due to my terrific team who were my ears, eyes, brain and guiding spirits in this journey.

Thank you to Joe, Jim, Jen, Paul, and the kids, Megan, Gary, Tom, and Dana… to all those who believe in me, especially my mom, dad, daughter, and family.

The funds for the race went to an excellent cause (Back on the Feet Charity for the homeless) and I realized something about myself:

THAT I AM STRONGER THAN I BELIEVE… I will NEVER doubt myself in any situation again.

PS: My recovery has gone really well.. that day my feet were ON FIRE and I needed to ice them a few times in order to be able to stand, I ate and peed and slept and tended to the blisters and realized I just did something harder than any IRONMAN… I JUST ran 80 miles in 24 hours… !!!
11th woman!! 41st overall.. 3rd Masters woman…
FINAL RESULTS

Lap breakdown