|
My
first encounter with the famous WS100 was back in December of 2002, when
I joined the VCTC and heard from Firdaus that he was accepted into this
run by lottery. I looked at the website – and my dream was born.
|
At this point I had just completed my first marathon, and despite
not having any idea what it is like to endure the distance longer
than 26.2M, this trail run drew my undivided attention. I didn’t
know when it would be possible, if possible at all, but I wanted
to do it. My family has always wanted to live in California and
that added to my anticipation. I assumed the responsibility of a
pacer for Firdaus for his run, but family business didn’t
allow me to follow through. He really missed the pacer between miles
62 and 78 and I felt guilty for that. But – things go their
own way sometimes. I slowly progressed with running longer and trails.
I loved it. In September of 2003 I made an attempt at a 50M for
a single reason – to qualify for WS. My application went off,
and before I had any time to comprehend the idea – the lottery
results came up and I was in! The excitement and intimidation started
to build. In April of 2004 I ran Umstead 100M as a training run
testing the distance and it went well, I finished in 18:46, first
female and 3rd overall. Looking back I can say now – it was
a walk in the park. It was a park after all! But I knew that Umstead
wouldn’t compare to what awaited me.
|
|
The
best preparation for this run was the training camp that race officials
hold on Memorial Day weekend when the last 70 miles of the run is split
between 3 days. I made sure to go. It was just fantastic! All the people
I met there, runners and volunteers, the weather, beautiful sky without
a single cloud and – the trail. Now I knew what draws people back
time and time again to this run. This trail, besides the pure history
– the miners, the horse riders’ cup, and the first 100M trail
race – has a soul on its own. Mountains are calling you. Canyons
are testing your inner strengths. Views are magnificent. The thin air
leaves you gasping for a simple breath. Yet it’s not only that.
There is something else that I found so inspiring and so deep about it
that can not really be explained by words. I fell in love with this trail.
It has become a part of me so amazingly quickly I couldn’t do much
but to live this love. I also made new friends one being Mike Pastore
from South Carolina who ran Umstead this year as well. We will share our
anxiety during next month via email. The whole stay at the camp had not
a single bad moment for me. I was ready.
Or so I thought. The weekend after the camp was my last long run and I
did it on the Overlook mountain in Catskill – 1700 feet elevation
change in 2.5 miles up and down 4 times – with my good friend Dick
Vincent, race director of the Escarpment trail run, the one who is responsible
for me falling in love with trail running. I had been battling shin splints
since before the Umstead and all that mileage and downhill running did
me in – I got a stress fracture in my lower right tibia. There was
no way I was not going to make it to the start of WS. The following 3
weeks were the hardest I’ve ever had. No running – doctor’s
order. Not a single step. And this is at a time when I am scared in anticipation.
At this point it didn’t matter, I was going.
Now is the time to acknowledge my wonderful support crew. My husband couldn’t
go as we decided it would be too much pressure to have kids around and
we don’t have family here to care for them. But I had 5 wonderful
people who flew all the way out to CA to offer me help and encouragement.
My pacer was Nick Palazzo, who’s been in the ultrarunning world
for 20+ years and is famous for the movie “Running on the sun”
about the Badwater 135 mile run in Death Valley. We’ve run at the
same races here in NY but never really talked until he offered his knowledge
and help. Amy Peterson, my friend from my first year of running NYRRC
races and who came to cheer me on at my first marathon, was all psyched
up to come to Lake Tahoe for me again. My good friend and lately a running
partner from work Shannon Moran and her boyfriend Eric accepted my invitation
as well and their young energy and enthusiasm were just great. Ian Brooks,
the announcer of the races at the NYRRC, who was interested to see another
side of the running community and did his best to make our stay before
and after the run more enjoyable. “Crew” stands for Cranky
Runner Endless Waiting. That is what they had ahead. It was a “dream
team”. They were all pumped up and ready for whatever this run would
bring them.
Those couple of days we spent at Squaw Valley were filled with electric
atmosphere all around. We visited some of the pre-race meetings, wandered
around the resort and Lake Tahoe, met old friends and made new friends,
and by Friday I was just a nervous wreck (and a pain in a butt for everyone
around me). Having had practically no sleep for the last week didn’t
help either.
Saturday at 3 am the alarm went off. I felt pretty calm. That was it.
Nothing to be frightened about. Today is about the trail and me. There
was not a single doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t arrive at the
finish line (why would I start otherwise?), but at what cost and with
what time? I picked up my number and got myself to the starting line.
The gun went off at exactly 5am and we were off. From the starting elevation
at 6200 feet we climb 4.5 miles to the top of Escarpment ridge at 8750
feet. It was a hike for most of us, sometimes pretty steep. The altitude
didn’t seem to bother me. The only snow we had to go through was
a 60 foot patch at the top. Photographers took pictures of runners, volunteers
refilled our bottles and we went into the trail system. For quite a while
I ran with the famous Monica Scholz, the woman from Canada who did 22
100M runs in 2002. She is such an amazing and down to earth person! Next
to us was a guy who is interested in bird watching and one of his objectives
was to identify 100 birds – by mile 10 he had counted 12. I was
taking it easy, hiking the uphill sections (I have a rule – if it’s
above 3% grade, I am hiking) and taking it very easy on downhill. I was
also resolved not to pay attention to my watch so I don’t screw
up my rhythm. The first major checkpoint and crew access were at Robinson
Flat (24.6M) I arrived at exactly at 10am, 30 min ahead of my projected
24 hr pace. Here I have to admire the organization and volunteers at this
run – it was unbelievable! Seconds – literally – you
spend at the aid station - you are weighed in, your bottles are refilled
by an assigned volunteer, and food is given to you as you walk out. This
is where my Dream Team came to see me for the first time. I was feeling
fantastic. No pains (Voltarene helped), no blisters (I used insoles from
SofSole, my sponsor for this year), no stomach problems (keeping it all
down with Energice, another sponsor’s product). I changed socks
and went off in 1 minute flat. I would see them next at Little Bald Mountain,
28.6M, only 47 minutes later. I was still moving at a good clip but started
to feel tired. Looking back, I realize the cause was as simple as not
getting enough food. I was drinking a lot but was so focused on leaving
the aid station that I forgot I had to eat. I arrived at Deep Canyon aid
station (mile 33.7) almost 50 min ahead of 24 hr pace. The last aid station
I felt great at was Dusty Corners at 38 miles.
|
The
weather was beautiful, mid-80’s, topping at around F95 in
canyons. It was one of the best years for the run. It still seemed
pretty hot, though not humid, to me, but I kept putting ice into
my hat and bandana around my neck. I also used a sponge in the ice
bucket at every aid station to cool off my body.
Next stretch was flat – relatively – but it also meant
I had to work to move forward. I look at trail running like this:
you hike the uphill portions; it’s slows you but uses different
muscles. Then you float downhill, allowing gravity do all the work
and trying not to spend too much time with your feet on the ground.
I bonked at around 40 miles into the run very badly. Worst of all
was the guilty feeling that I had to walk, on flats, that early
in the run. Time was closing in on me. I had to reassess my expectations.
At the foot of Devil’s Thumb I fell apart. Funny, I knew I
was deep in what they call a “valley”, emotionally and
physically, I knew I would come back, but at the moment dealing
with this “valley” was tough. This low sugar level in
your brain plays horrible tricks with your mental stamina. Climbing
that mountain was pathetic – I hardly moved at all and every
3-4 switchbacks (there were 36 of them) I would just sit down and
try to catch my breath and wait for the feelings in my legs to come
back.
|
|
However
slow, it took me only 55 minutes and as I entered the aid station and
saw all the wonderful volunteers I immediately felt better. I was still
30 minutes ahead of 24 hr pace but I already knew (maybe I gave up too
early) 24 hours would not happen today. I finally started to eat, downing
some soup and potatoes and moved into Eldorado canyon. There were some
steep downhill sections there and by the end of the canyon my quads seized
and I had to sit in a chair. Beware of the chair – they don’t
say it for nothing. Next to me was Bethany Hunter, a young girl from VA
who has set course records at all trail ultras she went to. We met the
day before when the winners of different 100M runs were introduced. It
just wasn’t her day. She said she wasn’t feeling well since
mile 11 and planned to drop out at Michigan Bluff to save her energy for
the upcoming Vermont 100M in July. Sitting next to her gave me an excuse
to spend more time resting and applying a cold towel to my thighs. We
moved together to the next climb,not as steep but just as miserable as
the previous one. My right quad wasn’t doing so well, I felt a shooting
sharp pain of a pulled muscle every so often, but overall my body felt
a tad better.
At
the top of Michigan Bluff I came around a turn and entered a huge crowd
– all the volunteers, spectators and the Dream Team! They were cheering
so loudly, it was a bizarre and surreal experience after hours of being
alone. I made it to the weigh station (still the same number) and dropped
on the massage table – my right leg was screaming with pain. Getting
massage and words of encouragement from a cute guy definitely helped.
I sat with my crew for a couple more minutes and received a jolt of energy
from them (as well as more rubbing on my thighs) while changing my socks
and eating soup again. We decided that the new goal was to drag my sorry
pathetic behind to the finish line even if it takes me a whole 30 hours.
I was relieved to see their enthusiasm towards my new target. Putting
one foot in front of another was my primary focus now. Guys sent me off
into next section and Amy met up with me at Bath Road aid station. We
walked together to Foresthill School, the official place where I was to
pick up my pacer. I spent another few minutes there, first giving a kiss
to a volunteer boy dressed up in a Hawaiian skirt which made everybody
laugh and lightened my mood, and then getting another massage from Shannon
and Eric anddouble-espresso from Nick.
Running with a stitch
|
At
7:20 pm, 20 min behind my old schedule, Nick and I moved onto my
favorite section of the trail, California loop, the one I was dreaming
about from the very beginning. Those 16 miles were mostly gentle
downhill (gentle being the key word) with nice surroundings and
a river somewhere below which made a wonderful noise. And I was
moving! I ran pretty much the whole thing, making up time and passing
people. At midpoint, when the darkness fell, I turned on my lamp.
The night was gorgeous, with so many stars up in the sky, warm and
filled with a quiet forest, whispering fairytales right into my
ears. Nick turned out to be a great pacer. He stayed a step behind
me the whole way letting me know it was my run and he is there along
for the ride. When I was concentrating on running he would be quiet
and once in a while simply say how fantastic I was doing. When I
would hit a climb and slow down, he would join my side and talk
me through, telling many stories from his experience. Somebody said,
to know a person, you don’t have to spend a lot of time together,
just go for a run. It is completely true. This is the time when
you’re stripped to a bare minimum. We found an abundance of
things in common, not just in our love for running, but in life,
views on politics and religion, and – this was a surprise
– Bikram yoga. Indeed, I was back. That was my peak, I felt
great and despite pulling a ligament behind my right knee around
mile 65 I was high. Luckily I had a knee brace with me and Voltarene
in a pocket so the pain was minimized. And the evidence of how well
I was feeling was the fact that I approached the river only 1 minute
behind that delusional 24 hr pace!
Before
we came to Rucky Chucky I was dreading the river crossing –
is it going to be deep and cold? But it turned out to be so much
fun. Volunteers held the cable across and lit the way as I jumped
in. It was only waist deep and not cold at all (for me). I screamed
more to entertain them and got out on the far end in good spirits.
Here was my only drop bag with new set of clothes and shoes. A young
girl, who was pinning my number to the new shorts while I was changing,
got scared when I proposed I will just continue without them. The
new shoes were very uncomfortable (different brand) and I made yet
another mistake that day – I left my medicine in the old shorts.
|
Slowly
moving on to Green Gate (2 miles up) the pain snuck up on me: my shin,
my quad, behind the knee, ball of the foot, my toes, and all on the right
side! The approach from now on was to not make stops at the aid stations,
but make progress onward however slow and painful. We were supposed to
meet the Dream Team at the Green Gate but they were late due to an encounter
with a wolf-like dog and a wild imagination (they also met a bear –
and I didn’t see a single animal) and we went on to the next section.
I was still jogging a bit and walking at a very brisk clip and even passing
people on occasion. The section from Green Gate to Brown’s Bar (managed
by Hash Harriers with blasting rock music) was rolling hills and I tried
my best to execute Gordy Ainsleigh’s (the man who started this run)
advice of walking 15 steps and jogging 15 steps (he said it would make
it a 12 minute mile – I don’t believe I was doing it that
fast but Nick kept reassuring me it still was quicker than only walking).
At Highway 49, 7 miles from the end, we saw the crew girls and I told
them I will need my hat back for the finish. Why? Because in the last
hour I was keeping myself busy by thinking that I need to look good for
the final official picture and having a headlamp and hair all salty and
messed up wasn’t going to cut it (I took off all my braces before
I entered the track for the very same reason). Imaging how much fun people
at the aid station had when they heard this! And I was dead serious! I
was always together with my mind and trying to have fun no matter what.
The only thing that would give away my tiredness was that I couldn’t
keep the numbers in my head during the night part of the run. I would
look at my watch, note the time and estimate the approximate time to the
next aid station only to forget it 10 minutes into the run. Anyway, with
pain getting stronger and the next section being pretty steep downhill
all the way to No Hands Bridge I fell off my walking pace and Nick finally
took the matter in his hands and by telling me to move on and stop pretending.
I was walking like a crab – sideways, not being able to straighten
or bend my right leg at all.
 |
At
the No Hands Bridge – we saw a sun rise for the second time
in a day. I broke down to tears. All the scenes from the movie about
this race came back and I cried. My dream was happening to me. We
picked it up a bit for the final climb and entered the road stretch
of 1 mile leading to the track. Shannon and Eric joined us here.
I got my hat and no matter how much my team encouraged me I didn’t
move any quicker. Two runners passed me here – and because
of that I crossed the finish line #100 (and 20th female)! We came
upon a track at Placer High school and I began to run around it
in a company of Nick and Shannon, feeling adrenaline rush. Nick
told me if I sprinted I would brake 20 minutes – and on a
final stretch I did. Who knows why it was important, but I flew
under the banner in time of 25:19:26 right into the arms of Tim
Twietmeyer, 23 times finisher and 5 times winner of the WS100! He
put a medal around my neck and Greg Soderlund (race director) gave
me a pin for being a 100th finisher. I collapsed on to a chair for
blood pressure/pulse check, weighed same as at the start (wow!)
and went for the medical research study I was a part of (more blood
donation and lots of questions). A mere 8 minutes later Mike came
in. He was being paced by Rachel Toor (a senior writer from Running
Times and Marathon & Beyond magazines) and was right behind
me all the way. We had different problems along the way and different
sections had bad patches but came to the finish line at the same
time. I was really happy to see him finishing in such a fantastic
time and looking great. I made my way to the tent for a massage
but never got it - Doctor Bob Lind examined the area behind my right
knee (which was blue, tight and painful), gave me ice and discharged
me from the massage table. I couldn’t cry anymore. Neither
from pain, nor joy. Yet I was totally ecstatic. I think I just left
all my emotions on the trail and I would have to come back and pick
them up!
|
Aftermath
The rest of the day was very fuzzy. Scott Jurek won for the sixth time
in a row in a course record time. In women’s division it was Nikki
Kimball from NY State on her first try at the 100M distance! We had shower,
some rest, went for an award ceremony (very long and hot but certainly
well worth attending), ate some food and drove to the airport for an overnight
flight (very uncomfortable) - and I was back to work on Monday. The soreness
went away couple of days after the finish (I attribute my speedy recovery
to regular yoga practice), but I was limping for a week. All the guys
from the Dream Team seem to have had a great time and offered their help
in the future. This is a fantastic feeling knowing that I dragged my friends
into this ordeal and they loved it, they were inspired by runners, volunteers
and beautiful surroundings and they long for more!
Thanks!
There
are not enough words to express my gratitude to my crew (Amy, Shannon,
Eric, Ian) and my pacer Nick for their unbeatable support throughout the
run and the days before and after. My deepest heartfelt thanks to my family,
my husband Oleg and my boys Alex and Stephen, for their patience during
my training and (especially) my tapering, for their believe in me and
their endless love, and their putting up with the crazy mom who travels
around the country participating in runs most people don’t know
exist. Thanks to my running club VCTC for their encouragement and warm
wishes those two years I’ve been a part of it. And thanks to all
those guys from my work and yoga studio and all the friends who followed
my progress on the web cast during the run – knowing how many of
you are watching me didn’t allow a single thought of dropping out!
There are many amazing trail runs in this country and in time I will try
to run most of them. But there is one thing for sure – I can’t
wait to see the application form on the WS100 website for the next year!
California trail beckons me, and I will be back!
|
