Where do I even begin? This accomplishment started way before the training plan went into effect. It started way before I even decided to attempt such a feat. This journey started long ago, the day I picked up running. When I look back about 10 years ago, I see a person who was overweight, full of anxiety, full of fear... a smoker, incredibly unhealthy and miserable. The person I was then exists no more. She is a shadow of my past and running helped me finally leave her there.
You can look back over my blog posts the last 6 or 7 years and see my running accomplishments each year. You can get an idea of what led me to this post. This crazy, insane idea that I could achieve the impossible. That I could become an ultra-runner. That I could finish a 100 miler.
I will start with my training plan and work my way through the actual race day. I picked a random plan from a Google image search- seriously. It looked like this and I tweaked it of course...
I know the non-runners have no interest in this part, but trust me when I say the runners do! First, I did most all of my runs at an easy pace- unlike this chart suggests. Occasionally I would do some long runs pushing a little harder, but for the most part I kept all my miles very easy and low key so I would not get injured training before the race (it worked by the way). I ran multiple 50K's and half marathons back to back on the weekends. I got closer to 70 mile weeks for blocks 3 and 4. I tapered pretty hard the last 2 weeks- running less than the chart suggested.
Total Miles:
Dec- 155 miles, highest week 50 miles
Jan- 300 miles, highest week 70 miles
Feb- 260 miles, highest week 76 miles
March- 225 miles, highest week 65 miles
April- Taper, only 2 mile run before race on April 6
I did a lot of 50K races to train for this race. 3 of which were followed the next day by a half marathon. I did a total of 5- 50k's and a 44 mile run at the Yeti 7/11. The 44 mile was my longest run this training block. My longest distance ever leading up to the 100 was a 50 miler last summer at Dam Yeti and was not a part of this training block.
All of my long runs were done on trail and more than half of my weekday running was on road or dirt road. (I believe it is important to mention this now, because it directly effected my race). My long runs were on much harder courses than Umstead. I trained for gain and for technical. Umstead did not have much of either. I always trained with plenty of water in my hydration pack, lots of real food, occasionally a GU or chew and also used some tailwind on long runs.
Race Weekend:
Lap 2: 25 miles
The sun was beginning to peak out and it was warming up a bit. Lap 2 was much faster than the first. I knew the trail at this point and saw where I could make up time and where I should slow down at. My back had a rub that was bothering me (my pack tends to rub a spot on it if it has too much water in it) so I had my crew apply some trail toes all over. I felt really good this loop and was just taking things one aid station to the next. There was a huge aid station on the back side of the course at mile 6.75. It helped break the loop up and keep me motivated and moving.
Lap 2:
Total Time- 5:33
Filled pack with water, took my sun-visor with me, ate a huge veggie burger from the main aid station and headed back out. Did not sit or stay. I never stayed more than 2 or 3 minutes the first several loops
Lap 3: 35.5 miles
Things were still going good. I continued to keep a nice, easy pace. I met some people on the trails to chat with and pass the miles away. I knew I only had 1 more lap alone and I could pick up my pacers. Nothing eventful, things were moving along smoothly. I ate every 6 miles- a snack of some sort and continued to keep moving.
Lap 3:
Total Time- 8:36
Filled pack with water, took 2 more GU's out with me to replace what I had eaten, 1/2 muffin, 1/2 banana, drank a cup of lemonade, had a few chips and took my bag of granola (Robyn makes this amazing granola that I swear must have crack in in) out with me.
Took portable charger and cords out with me for lap 4 to charge both watch and phone.
Lap 4:
Total Time- 12:03
Water filled, ate grilled chicken and coke from aid station, changed sports bra and tank top. Took out a light jacket for night fall and headlamp.
Lap 7: 87.5 miles
I could see the end in sight. The sun would begin to rise soon and I knew I only had 1 lap left. The pain continued in my ankle/shin and a new pain began in my other foot (more than likely from over compensating). I peed every single lap and stayed very well hydrated. The course had port-o-potties at mile 3.5 (which was a cross in the loop, so it was also mile 10), and potties at the 6.75 mile aid station as well as the start/finish. I used the potty at the 3.5 mile aid every loop, but there were still a few times during the night that required mid-run emergency forest/tree use! I was not sleepy and was overall in good spirits. Every other muscle in my body felt great! My mind was still strong and I knew I had plenty of time to beat the 30 hour cutoff, even if I had to crawl across the finish line with my foot! Arabelle kept me entertained with endless stories. She has had such an incredible journey she calls her life. I stayed moving because of her. She just kept going and I followed. We laughed, and giggled and even shared sad stories. We also shared some bathroom time in the woods... I could not of asked for a better pacer! We didn't get many pictures during the night.. but we sure did have fun! I had stayed on top of my nutrition the entire race. I always ate whether I was hungry or not. I ate when I was nauseous, I ate every 2 hours. I was burning at least 100 calories per mile, so I tried to eat 200 to 300 calories every few miles and although I wasn't able to consume that many by the final miles- it was okay, because I wasn't in a deficit going into those last few hours.
Lap 7:
Total Time: 23:48
With only 1 lap to go, we topped off my water and picked up my sister and headed out. (I had gotten permission ahead of time for her to run the last loop with me and Arabelle). Oh, for the last lap- you get to wear an awesome glow bracelet so the other runners know this is your last loop! I was so excited when I finally got mine.
The finish line! I could taste it. The last lap was painfully slow. I was exhausted, but still moving. I could only run 60 to 90 seconds at a time without my feet hurting. So unfortunately I had to walk most of the last 10 miles. This loop took me the longest to complete, by far. We left out on loop 8 at 5:48 am. This loop should not of taken more than 3 hours. However, I would not see the finish for almost 5 hours. We averaged a 22 minute mile. I stopped and stretched 100 times. I knew I was going to finish, so at this point I just gave my body the halt it was begging for and slowly walked it out. My pacer knew my foot was an issue and did not push me any harder than necessary that last loop. My sister being with me was a must! I knew I needed her by my side to cross that finish line. We were all so delirious and everything made us laugh, after all we had been up over 28 hours. The last loop didn't go as planned, but does any race ever go as planned?
Lap 8:
Total Time: 28:33
Finish:
The race director and the rest of my crew were waiting at the finish line. It was such a relief to finally be done. My foot was stiff and could no longer bend by this point. I was so tired I could hardly see straight. But with the help of my friends, I finished! I completed my first attempt at a 100 mile and it was epic! The support offered at the Umstead 100 was astounding. The aid stations had anything you could ever dream of! Food and meds and experienced workers, there was even a blister guru there who could apparently work miracles. The volunteers were top notch and offered help before you even knew you needed it. It was a stellar race. The course however, disappointed me. Well, it disappointed my foot at least. I had trained on some asphalt and dirt roads (I said this in the beginning of my post) but I had no idea the entire course would be on hard pack dirt road. There were no soft trails, no roots, no big boulders... just hard, hard, hard packed dirt. My long runs were all done on true trail. I don't think my feet were ready to run 100 miles on such unforgiving ground. Looking back at training, I think had I done some really long runs on dirt road, I would of been better prepared. But, I was under the impression that at least half of this course was on single track through the woods. I was wrong. And my feet paid the price. As for the aftermath, I could hardly walk. I did get to take a shower and a 2 hour nap before we headed to the airport. My sweet friend packed up all my stuff and they cleaned the house too. I spent the week recovering. My body was fine. My muscles and aches were no big deal. My injured feet however had me resting all week. I finally got to run the next weekend. My feet felt well enough to run 8 miles over the course of the weekend- exactly 1 week after the race. Things are still slowly recovering with my anterior tibial tendinitis (I found out what the problem was when I returned home and had time to google.) It will be a slower recovery than I had anticipated, but I will be patient and give it time. The weekend is still a blur and seems like a dream, but I smile with pride and satisfaction every time I think of it. And of course... I can't wait to try another one!
You can look back over my blog posts the last 6 or 7 years and see my running accomplishments each year. You can get an idea of what led me to this post. This crazy, insane idea that I could achieve the impossible. That I could become an ultra-runner. That I could finish a 100 miler.
My amazing crew (minus my sister- behind the camera) at 5:30 am pre-race
I know the non-runners have no interest in this part, but trust me when I say the runners do! First, I did most all of my runs at an easy pace- unlike this chart suggests. Occasionally I would do some long runs pushing a little harder, but for the most part I kept all my miles very easy and low key so I would not get injured training before the race (it worked by the way). I ran multiple 50K's and half marathons back to back on the weekends. I got closer to 70 mile weeks for blocks 3 and 4. I tapered pretty hard the last 2 weeks- running less than the chart suggested.
Total Miles:
Dec- 155 miles, highest week 50 miles
Jan- 300 miles, highest week 70 miles
Feb- 260 miles, highest week 76 miles
March- 225 miles, highest week 65 miles
April- Taper, only 2 mile run before race on April 6
I did a lot of 50K races to train for this race. 3 of which were followed the next day by a half marathon. I did a total of 5- 50k's and a 44 mile run at the Yeti 7/11. The 44 mile was my longest run this training block. My longest distance ever leading up to the 100 was a 50 miler last summer at Dam Yeti and was not a part of this training block.
All of my long runs were done on trail and more than half of my weekday running was on road or dirt road. (I believe it is important to mention this now, because it directly effected my race). My long runs were on much harder courses than Umstead. I trained for gain and for technical. Umstead did not have much of either. I always trained with plenty of water in my hydration pack, lots of real food, occasionally a GU or chew and also used some tailwind on long runs.
Race Weekend:
Day 1:
We decided to fly out to Raleigh because I knew we all had to be back Sunday night, and there was no way I could ride in a car for 7.5 hours after the race. This was a really exciting trip for multiple reasons. This was my sisters first time on a plane! In all her 36 years, she has never flown. She was nervous.. but the flight attendants on Southwest were amazing and made her laugh from take-off to touch-down! Unfortunately this was one of the most turbulent flights I have ever been on, but she survived! The attendants knew her by name and called her multiple times over the speaker to ensure everyone on the plane knew it was her first flight, and then see if she was okay with the safety features and that she had a good flight! We were even given wings when we landed. Such a fun time! This was my best friend Stacy's first flight in 20 years and first time leaving her kids for 3 nights- so we were full of excitement!
Getting her wings!
After we landed, we headed to our rental house and met up with the other crew members. Michael and Robyn Cook drove up to help out during the race. We got groceries, meal planned and had a wonderful dinner at a BBQ place in downtown Durham called "The Pit"
Day 2:
We started off the day with a little 2 mile shake out run... in the rain. It actually poured all day. I was so thankful the rain moved through the day BEFORE the race. We spent the afternoon planning and discussing and getting everything ready for the next day. Packet pick-up was at the park, so we ventured out to check things out and get the race goodies. The place was a mess- covered in water and mud. I was concerned for the next day if the rain didn't move out soon. We left the park and headed the airport to pick up my secret weapon. My pacer Arabelle. We grabbed her quickly and had a early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory before heading back to the house for final prep and prayer!
Obligatory pre-race cheesecake!
Ready for the big day!
Day 3:
Race Day. Alarms were set anywhere from 3:30 am to 4:15 am (mine was set for 4:15.. I just wanted to roll out of bed and go). I threw on my clothes, grabbed some coffee and a cliff bar and we were off. The park was about 15 mins away, the race started deep inside the park and was about 30 mins from our house. We arrived plenty early enough to get in with no problems. We were pleased the find the parking spot we were assigned was in an OPEN parking lot! We were told it may be closed due to weather and we were very concerned about having to park over a mile away. Everything went well with pre-race start and finding our place. Now, all we had to do was wait until 6 am when the big day would officially begin!
Pre-race start selfies!
And before I knew it, we were off. I was embarking on a long journey with a lot of unknowns. I had trained, I had prepared, I had planned.. but you just never know what can happen.
Lap 1: 12.5 miles
The Umstead 100 is a loop race. You run 8 full loops to complete the race. Each loop is 12.5 miles and has 1000 feet of climb, totaling 8,000 feet of gain for the whole race. I chose this race for my first 100 because of this. I wanted my crew to have a nice place to set up and be able to help me. Each lap I was able to come through my crew and get what I needed and get out quickly. We decided up-front that I would save time by NEVER stopping at an aid station. I could walk through the stations and get food and snacks and drinks, but I was NOT to stop and eat or sit and waste time. I did this throughout the entire race and saved myself tons of time! I tend to piddle at aid stations and waste 3 or 4 minutes each time which would add up to over an hour wasted if I stopped at each aid station. Lap 1 went well (I would be in trouble if it wasn't). I kept q nice easy 12:30 to 13:00 min mile the first few loops. I was in and out quickly. Here are the details. (My sister kept a log of crew events)
Lap 1:
Total time- 2:44
I started the race with just water and added tailwind to my pack for loop 2. I ditched my headlamp, my long sleeve shirt and had 1/4 PBJ sandwich and an orange slice.
My sister and Stacy kept me and every other runner highly entertained with their signs each loop!
The sun was beginning to peak out and it was warming up a bit. Lap 2 was much faster than the first. I knew the trail at this point and saw where I could make up time and where I should slow down at. My back had a rub that was bothering me (my pack tends to rub a spot on it if it has too much water in it) so I had my crew apply some trail toes all over. I felt really good this loop and was just taking things one aid station to the next. There was a huge aid station on the back side of the course at mile 6.75. It helped break the loop up and keep me motivated and moving.
Lap 2:
Total Time- 5:33
Filled pack with water, took my sun-visor with me, ate a huge veggie burger from the main aid station and headed back out. Did not sit or stay. I never stayed more than 2 or 3 minutes the first several loops
Lap 3: 35.5 miles
Things were still going good. I continued to keep a nice, easy pace. I met some people on the trails to chat with and pass the miles away. I knew I only had 1 more lap alone and I could pick up my pacers. Nothing eventful, things were moving along smoothly. I ate every 6 miles- a snack of some sort and continued to keep moving.
Lap 3:
Total Time- 8:36
Filled pack with water, took 2 more GU's out with me to replace what I had eaten, 1/2 muffin, 1/2 banana, drank a cup of lemonade, had a few chips and took my bag of granola (Robyn makes this amazing granola that I swear must have crack in in) out with me.
Took portable charger and cords out with me for lap 4 to charge both watch and phone.
These crazy loons still had the signs going!
Lap 4: 50 miles
Halfway done! This was my last lap alone. It went very well. I was beginning to feel some pain at the bend of my right foot. The pain went up into my shin a little. It wasn't terrible, but it was a dull ache off and on and I was concerned about it, considering I was only half way through. I could finally take out a pacer with me on the course. I was very ready for some friendly conversation. I had listened to some music and some podcasts, but I was ready for a friend! It was about 6 pm when I came through the 50 mile mark. We knew nightfall would come before I returned from the next lap, so my crew made the decision to stop me for a few minutes here and change clothes and do a good assessment. Pace at this point had been a steady average if 13 to 13:00 min miles. I had plenty of energy running at this pace left for the last 50.
I headed out on lap 5 with my best friend Stacy!Lap 4:
Total Time- 12:03
Water filled, ate grilled chicken and coke from aid station, changed sports bra and tank top. Took out a light jacket for night fall and headlamp.
So happy to have a friend head out with me for lap 5!
Lap 5: 62.50 miles
This was probably the worst lap for me in terms of mood. I started out good, I was excited to be over half way- but my foot quickly became an issue and I started walking more. I spend the majority of this loop complaining about my ailments and whining about pretty much everything. Luckily Stacy was super positive and kept me going. She would let me walk a little but would also make me run. About half way through lap 5, she helped me pick up the pace and we came back in a little sooner than the crew expected! It was dark by this point, but the temperature stayed warm. Stacy just ran 1 loop with me. The last 40 miles were going to be with my pacer, Arabelle. She was so amazing to drop what she was doing and come run ALL night with me and help me cross the finish line of my first 100! We met a few months back at a 50k and hit it off immediately. We are definitely trails sisters, and connected by a bond that is indescribable.
Lap 5:
Total Time- 15:48
My right ankle was swollen and the lower shin was hurting pretty bad. I took 4 Advil about 9 pm to help with the pain. I sat down for the first time the whole race at the end of loop 5. My crew changed my shoes and out and put on some socks for me to help keep my feet dry. They also decided to put a compression sleeve over the foot with the pain. This ended up helping tremendously and lap 6 was much faster and almost pain free. Although I never got sleepy, Umstead did have a cabin available with beds to take a short rest in if any runner needed it. Some people need a 20 min. nap to finish. I found I did not.
All tailwind was dumped from pack, it was making me sick- and only water was used for the duration. It wasn't hot and it was night- so it didn't seem to effect me. I had 1/2 muffin, 1/2 ham sandwich, granola and pickle juice from aid. I had also had a half a roast beef sandwich and chips from the mid point aid station. I headed out with Arabelle.
Lap 6: 75 miles
We came in from lap 6 making pretty good time. I was faster this loop than I was on 5. It was nice to have Arabelle kind of push me through 1 loop and it was also nice that my foot had stopped hurting. That was until I touched it. I moved the compression sleeve a bit to adjust it, and excruciating pain just went radiating through my foot and leg every step I took. The last 25 miles it would never quit. I had to finish the race despite the pain. The last 25 miles would take me almost twice as long as the first 25 had taken. Nausea had set in pretty good at this point as well. I was able to eat saltine and PB crackers and ginger-ale from the aid station. The muffins I had brought from Kroger continued to be a good calorie source as well. Michael would grill them for me and they were DELICIOUS! I was still only drinking water through the night. Anything sweet or sugary did not sit well with my stomach.
Lap 6:
Total Time- 19:35
My sister quit logging at this point.. (probably because it was like 3 am.. ) but I'm pretty sure I had chicken soup and broth along with a grilled cheese half from the aid station. I could not stomach much but I continued to try and eat. I sat down for a minute and ate. I still never stayed in the aid more than about 5 minutes. Arabelle and I headed out for the next to the last lap.
They were over it..
Soup break and a blanket so I didn't get cold while I ate!
Lap 7: 87.5 miles
I could see the end in sight. The sun would begin to rise soon and I knew I only had 1 lap left. The pain continued in my ankle/shin and a new pain began in my other foot (more than likely from over compensating). I peed every single lap and stayed very well hydrated. The course had port-o-potties at mile 3.5 (which was a cross in the loop, so it was also mile 10), and potties at the 6.75 mile aid station as well as the start/finish. I used the potty at the 3.5 mile aid every loop, but there were still a few times during the night that required mid-run emergency forest/tree use! I was not sleepy and was overall in good spirits. Every other muscle in my body felt great! My mind was still strong and I knew I had plenty of time to beat the 30 hour cutoff, even if I had to crawl across the finish line with my foot! Arabelle kept me entertained with endless stories. She has had such an incredible journey she calls her life. I stayed moving because of her. She just kept going and I followed. We laughed, and giggled and even shared sad stories. We also shared some bathroom time in the woods... I could not of asked for a better pacer! We didn't get many pictures during the night.. but we sure did have fun! I had stayed on top of my nutrition the entire race. I always ate whether I was hungry or not. I ate when I was nauseous, I ate every 2 hours. I was burning at least 100 calories per mile, so I tried to eat 200 to 300 calories every few miles and although I wasn't able to consume that many by the final miles- it was okay, because I wasn't in a deficit going into those last few hours.
Lap 7:
Total Time: 23:48
With only 1 lap to go, we topped off my water and picked up my sister and headed out. (I had gotten permission ahead of time for her to run the last loop with me and Arabelle). Oh, for the last lap- you get to wear an awesome glow bracelet so the other runners know this is your last loop! I was so excited when I finally got mine.
We were so happy to see the sun come up!
About 93 miles in, we were both sooo tired from being up all night!
My pacer had to pee. I did not. But I was so tired.. I just used the toilet for a seat while I waited. Clearly you can see how exhausted I was at this point.
Lap 8: 100 miles
The finish line! I could taste it. The last lap was painfully slow. I was exhausted, but still moving. I could only run 60 to 90 seconds at a time without my feet hurting. So unfortunately I had to walk most of the last 10 miles. This loop took me the longest to complete, by far. We left out on loop 8 at 5:48 am. This loop should not of taken more than 3 hours. However, I would not see the finish for almost 5 hours. We averaged a 22 minute mile. I stopped and stretched 100 times. I knew I was going to finish, so at this point I just gave my body the halt it was begging for and slowly walked it out. My pacer knew my foot was an issue and did not push me any harder than necessary that last loop. My sister being with me was a must! I knew I needed her by my side to cross that finish line. We were all so delirious and everything made us laugh, after all we had been up over 28 hours. The last loop didn't go as planned, but does any race ever go as planned?
Lap 8:
Total Time: 28:33
My final lap.. the most hilarious sign of them all!
Finish:
The race director and the rest of my crew were waiting at the finish line. It was such a relief to finally be done. My foot was stiff and could no longer bend by this point. I was so tired I could hardly see straight. But with the help of my friends, I finished! I completed my first attempt at a 100 mile and it was epic! The support offered at the Umstead 100 was astounding. The aid stations had anything you could ever dream of! Food and meds and experienced workers, there was even a blister guru there who could apparently work miracles. The volunteers were top notch and offered help before you even knew you needed it. It was a stellar race. The course however, disappointed me. Well, it disappointed my foot at least. I had trained on some asphalt and dirt roads (I said this in the beginning of my post) but I had no idea the entire course would be on hard pack dirt road. There were no soft trails, no roots, no big boulders... just hard, hard, hard packed dirt. My long runs were all done on true trail. I don't think my feet were ready to run 100 miles on such unforgiving ground. Looking back at training, I think had I done some really long runs on dirt road, I would of been better prepared. But, I was under the impression that at least half of this course was on single track through the woods. I was wrong. And my feet paid the price. As for the aftermath, I could hardly walk. I did get to take a shower and a 2 hour nap before we headed to the airport. My sweet friend packed up all my stuff and they cleaned the house too. I spent the week recovering. My body was fine. My muscles and aches were no big deal. My injured feet however had me resting all week. I finally got to run the next weekend. My feet felt well enough to run 8 miles over the course of the weekend- exactly 1 week after the race. Things are still slowly recovering with my anterior tibial tendinitis (I found out what the problem was when I returned home and had time to google.) It will be a slower recovery than I had anticipated, but I will be patient and give it time. The weekend is still a blur and seems like a dream, but I smile with pride and satisfaction every time I think of it. And of course... I can't wait to try another one!
Finish line with my crew
Finish line hugs from my pacer!
So thankful for this lady, could not have done it without her!
The race director was waiting at the finish line to hand me my buckle and my splits.
Got that buckle!
I was very impressed with the director and all she did to ensure an almost fail proof race!
