I run happy.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Javelina Jundred; Scariest Race Ever

Have you ever had one of those experiences that filled you with adrenaline all day?  Kept you from sleeping, eating, and doing anything NORMAL like reading, playing scrabble on your iPhone or flossing?


Javalina Jundred HAPPENED on Saturday.
a true life event
I usually need about 10 hours of sleep a night, every night.
Somehow,  I functioned off of three hours and managed to stay in some sort of Javelina Jigh without the use of any substance.

Before you read on,  let it be known that I DID NOT RUN THIS RACE.  I was the wife.  It was a strange and unusual role for me because I'm usually the one racing but I FINALLY got my chance to be Sherpa, Tony Robbins,  Bad Grandma and medic to my 100 ultra attempt-er, Boy Scout.
He's the "giver" in this relationship and he likes to flaunt that over me... A  LOT.
Finally, a chance for me to be THE GIVER.  
I couldn't wait.
I'd rally.
I drink copious amounts of coffee to stay awake.
I'd make him leave the aid station after 5 minutes, max.
I was ready.  I'd read blogs on how to be the best pacer imaginable.  I had jokes, jingles and funny antidotes ready to share with him in the middle of the night.
Game on. I ,too, could be "t"he giver.

We headed to HEADQUARTERS on Thursday before the race.  There was already a tent city erected on top of the very place where many scorpions, tarantulas and coyotes call home.  Runners and support crew peeps rent out these tents and put up their own homesteads.  Some were draped with Halloween decorations,  so many in fact that I felt like I was back in elementary school at our annual Halloween Carnival.

As the weekend progressed,  I was proven correct.  This WAS a carnival.  Runners in costumes were everywhere!  Spooky running mummies,  clowns, jesters,  brides...they all attended the event. 
*Junk in a Box*

 I spent the whole weekend wondering how they kept their costumes on; sweating in the 95 degree heat.  Wings melted,  wigs wilted,  make up ran...a horror show if I'd ever seen one.
And then the bodies.
A 100 miler can do a horrible thing to bodies...in 105 degree heat(which was recorded at one aid station).
I should know.
I spent over an hour in the med tent with Boy Scout as he recovered from a violent case of vomiting and dehydration.
Or was it heat exhaustion?
Moaning was the predominant  sound coming from this haunted house med tent.  Runners were cramping and screaming.  Some writhing.  Some white, waxen and  WAY TOO SILENT.
When Boy Scout was ready to stagger,  I scooted him out to the start/finish crossing and seated him where he could watch all the runners coming in, refueling and heading out once again.
What better motivation?
He cooled down.
He refueled.
He re energized.
And I played Bad Grandma.


*Ready to head out once again*

And, the day(and night)continued.
I had no way of knowing where he was during the next loop.  I could only hope and pray that he hadn't been sick and wasn't  throwing up under a cactus, curled up in a ball along the trail with scorpions and tarantulas and rattle snakes crawling all over him.  I had actually heard(afterwards)that there were some runners in this condition(minus the reptiles).  This vision became too much for me and  at about 4:30 p.m. ,  despite the fact that BS's two SUPER PACERS were about to arrive(and my cell phone died),  I took off  running up to the next aid station to check on my Haunted  Hubby.  
After a few hours,  a run back with an un-costumed, very nice man,  I returned to Head Quarters with the news that, yes,  BS had been sick and couldn't continue without a headlamp and a shirt.  
It was now NIGHT TIME.
In the desert.
Still 80 degrees.

Super Pacer #1 was off.  With his invisible  cape and mask,  he was driven by four wheeler  up to BS with head lamp and shirt in hand and then continued on with  the death march.  BS  was NOT eating, not drinking and felt like *&)(*).  Never, ever a good sign in an ultra at mile 40.  However, relentless-forward-motion happened.

**About this time,  I headed back to our hotel to eat and *try* to sleep. Then returned to Head Quarters.**

Super Pacer #2 assumed duties and let BS take a nap in the tent for 20 mins. Then, filling him with a hot dog and chicken soup which was a total B-12-like experience for him ,   sent him on into the night ready to fight.  Or not.  The night got long, the trails were rocky, words and moans  were spoken(well, maybe no one heard those words and they were just in his head)but somewhere along that long, long, hot trail,  BS decided he'd settle for the 100k.  So he did.

No regrets.
No tears(or at least Super Pacer #2 didn't tell me about them-it's a guy thing I guess).
No pouting.
Earned  a 100k  belt buckle.

We packed up at 3:30ish a.m., headed back to the hotel and SLEPT like zombies until mid-morning.

So now, the NEW plans and plotting have begun.
The next 100 miler is being pondered and planned.
The NEW training for the next  HOT 100 Miler is being studied.
Moving Forward and not looking back is in play.
My husband appreciates punishment and wants to beat this 100 miler thing.  

SOOOOO proud of my ghoulish man.

I must also express my admiration and gratefulness to ALL of the Javelina Jundred runners, those that finished and those that met their demise but will rise once again.
Although often eeri,  I saw faces of joy, anguish, determination, fortitude and love out there in the  Arizona  desert and I will never forget some of the finest performances of athletes anywhere.
Truly a carnival of tough, BIG HEARTED runners, volunteers and the finest ultra event planners ever.

Congratulations HONEY  and everyone!  I KNOW that Javelina will be an ultra that we'll want to attend every year.
Hauntingly Amazing!

Saturday, October 19, 2013

100 Miler--Javelina Jundred Here We Come and a little race report on St. George!

BS is tapering for his first 100 miler...another stepping stone for Western States?  He is sound, ready, had his last massage and now we must wait...
If a marathon is both science and mind...what is a 100 miler?  I can't fathom what would happen to mind after 50 miles but I will be there to witness, report, cheer, yell and possibly,  play BAD WIFE...by not letting him quit.
The Javelina Jundred 100 miler is in Arizona and is basically an ultra in the desert that is a looping course.  Every three hours I should see my BS come around and my plan is to hug and kiss, check in on the mental state, and let him decide WHEN and What to eat.  
I look forward to being TOUGH WIFE...I should have done it during the last ultra but when I looked into his eyes and held his chin between my palms,  I saw a candle that had been blown out-extinguished- and I folded.
Next Saturday,  I   WILL   NOT  FOLD.
We will light that candle again, together if necessary.

Here he is finishing ST. GEORGE with a 3:29,  a PR!


PR's For All!
St. George was definitely the best marathon I've run.  It was FUN, gorgeous scenery and we were all ready for the demanding down hills.  I would never, EVER say that because this race was down hill that it was EASY.  A few well-meaning peeps had some comments to share about it being an automatic PR race and I will admit,  that's why I chose this race.  However,  a lot of down hill training went into this race...heck,  a lot of HILL TRAINING period.  There were a couple of tough up hills in the race but when I hit the down hills,  I was mentally kissing and hugging my coach for the AWESOME training plan and for the 3 x weekly down hills we did during the last month of training.  SMACK!!

My goal was to PR at 3:19 and I was some seconds over that.  My second goal(because I'm like that)was to run my last 6 miles stronger than any other part of the race.
Science,  consistency and confidence in the hills and a beautiful course were on my side and my final miles were
7:00 min. pace or faster.
Ahhhhhhh, second goal met.
Finish strong.

Goal 3:  Take off two full weeks from running after the race.
Epic fail.

I succumb to peer pressure and OCD with running.
I returned to jogging at the track workout for 4 miles,  7 days after the race.
I know that the reason my training and racing for St. George was strong and injury-free is because I focused MORE on recovery than on the workouts.
At 48,  recovery is everything.

Guess I'm going to have to work at goal 3 a little more.

 This is the starting line at St. George.  Dark, chilly and eery!  There were about 24 of these bonfires and about 40 runners around them,  melting their shoes and snuggling in Mylar blankets.

So,  we're off to Arizona soon!  With two weeks off from school,  I plan on reflecting on my first trimester of school that just came to an end;  how to better herd my kittens who are extremely lively as well as BRIGHT.  More rainbow skeleton building may be in order!
 I also plan on playing a lot with this little guy who made his own cat and people puppets...
 As well as a ghost mask.  Lots of fun planned!  And recovery.
Happy Fall!!