Friday, July 15, 2011OMG.. 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” Ju
liane, 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…
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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…
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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…..
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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..........
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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!
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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 be
en 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…
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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…
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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 li
ght , 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
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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.
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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…
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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
