Hello all,
So, this email is LONG overdue. And those of you who know me well, know that one of my "charming" qualities is my ability to procrastinate. But now that I've had some time to settle back into work and daily life, and the time to reflect on what we accomplished, I can now write about it.
First and foremost, thank you ALL!!!! The most amazing accomplishment was that we were able to raise $2,346.00 for Susan G. Komen's Maine affiliate. Our efforts will help with screenings, education and, most importantly, getting closer to a cure. Again, thanks to everyone for your donation and dedication to making a difference and supporting such and amazing organization.
I thought I might also share my "race report" of sorts. Show a few pictures, describe the experience and let you see what else your support helped accomplish.
THE BACK STORY:
Since my aunt Linda's passing in May of 2010, I had been wanting to do something to support Susan G Komen. I was also looking for a new personal challenge to test my own limits of endurance. Looking at race calendars for events happening across the country, I found the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run (whiteriver50.com). It had all the challenges I was looking for along with the perk of traveling to a part of the country I had yet to see. It was 50 miles, nearly all single track trail, a total elevation gain of 8,700 feet (total elevation change of 17,400 feet), two mountains to climb, each rewarding me with unobstructed views of Mt. Rainier as you ran the ridge top. There was no element of the race that I had experienced before. Everything was a first for me! So White River it is! This was going to be the race to honor Linda and help raise money for Susan G Komen. Thirty minutes later, I had registered for the race. Fiver seconds after that came the "OH S**T!" moment. Race directors are smart, they always make it clear there are no refunds for race registration fees.
GETTING MY INNER "PANSY" INTO SHAPE
I registered in April for White River. In May I was running the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon so any training specific to White River would have to wait until after the marathon, leaving only 9 weeks to get ready to take on 50 miles of trail and major elevation gain. The worst part, was that I had no idea HOW to train for something like this. Where in Maine was I going to find a run that would give me the same sort of elevation gain? Where was I going to find long enough trails to run on that would recreate what my feet were going to have to endure? How do I carry enough food and water for this sort of training? What do you eat for this sort of thing?
Luckily, I didn't have to take it on alone. Joanie Kallin was instrumental in my training and preparation for the race! There is no doubt in my mind, that had Joanie not been there to help and support me, I WOULD NOT have been able to finish Whit River! She put up with all my griping and worry and non-stop chatter about the race and training (I don't think anyone deserves to endure that much savant-esque chatter about running!). She was the poster child for selflessness and support.
With my marathon in Vermont over, I took a few days off then hit the pavement again. During the week, my goal was to get as much time on my feet as possible. I knew that I had to build up my physical and mental endurance. That i had to get my feet accustomed to taking a steady pounding for nearly 12 hours straight. This meant that I would be running 6 days a week. Running to work in the morning, with my clothes and thermos of coffee tucked into my bakpack. My direct commute is 6.5 miles door to door. If i woke up early enough, I would tack on extra miles in the morning. And, since I had ran to work, I was stuck running home as well. I would end a normal day having ran around 15-18 miles. On the days where i could not commute via foot, I would hit the pavement post work and just run for as long as I could to get used to being on my feet for hours. That was my week. My weekends were even more fun!
Joanie and I decided the best place to get the elevation gain needed, along with the distance and the uneven, gravel/rock/root terrain was to run the Kancamagus Highway in New Hamphire. The Kancamagus is a 35 mile long scenic byway that connects the towns of Conway and Lincoln through the White Mountains. Starting in Lincoln at 900 feet and rising to a little over 2,800 feet for roughly 12 miles to the peak. This was to be my training run! The first weekend Joanie and I trekked out the "The Kanc" we only covered 30 miles. Joanie dropped me off in Lincoln at the start of the Kanc and then drove back to the peak where there was a scenic overlook of the river valley and a parking lot. She would then start running down towards me and then we would run together back up to the car. Back at the car, we would decide how much further to go. Neither one of us really knew what we were taking on by trying to run up the Kanc, but we made it. When we reached the top we decided to tack on 10 more miles. So Joanie drove 10 miles down the road and parked (did i mention her patience). I finally made it to the car, and felt like i could do more. So Joanie drove another 7 miles down the road. Did i mention how fun the weekends of training were?
The next weekend, Joanie and I drove back out to the Kanc to do more. This time we had a better plan: we would BOTH run up from Lincoln to the summit, then back down to the parked car. Once back at the parked car, I would begin my second trek up the hill to the scenic overlook at the summit, where Joanie would meet me with the car...and a large bottle of ibuprofen. We were also smarter about carrying water and food. This time, on our way to Lincoln, we stopped at the scenic overlook and left a drop bag full of water, peanut M&M's, clementines, sport beans, honey waffles and body glide. We also left a cute note pinned to the bag to deter any would be thieves. That day Joanie and I ran the furthest either one of us ever had. We drove back to Portland with 25 and 37 miles covered respectively! That day was the major confidence boost I needed.
At this point, I was running around 75-100 miles per week. Unfortunately, it started to take its toll on my feet. Three weeks prior to the race, i developed two stress fractures, one in each foot. This dramatically reduced my mileage and my confidence. I was lucky to get a run in that lasted longer than 5 miles due to the pain in my right foot. I kept telling myself it was too late to back out. Donations had been made, plane tickets bought, hotels booked and too many miles ran to have a little pain stop the momentum.
OH, THOSE ARE THE MOUNTAINS I'M GONNA BE RUNNING!
I'm finally in Washington state along with Mom, Dad and Joanie; my support crew. We are all loaded up in the car and heading towards Crystal Mountain where the start line awaits us. We make it to the resort where we will spend the next two nights, and which is also hosting the race. We check in for the race and grab a bag of race goodies then grab a glass of wine to calm the nerves. There is a pasta dinner that evening at the resort pub where many of the runners have gathered to get a briefing from the race director about the conditions of the trail, amenities, course rules, etc. This is when I really became anxious. Imagine small pub full of other running masochists all chomping at the bit to hit the trail in the morning...the energy was amazing. Usually, before a marathon, you have the expo where vendors sell their wares and you peruse and maybe chat with a few strangers. But mostly, you check out the scene then split to your dinner and get some rest. There is less a sense of community. This was completely opposite. There were no vendors, aside from one sponsor who was more about grabbing a beer than selling a shoe. Everyone was friendly and talkative. And this was only the tip of the iceberg.
With a a full belly, a course briefing and a glass of wine (or two), we head back to the room to to fill the drop bags for the race and get all things prepped for the next morning. After a few hours, the drop bags are set and ready to go. Each one containing a salt pill, two ibuprofen, 3 bags of sport beans, 2 honey waffles and a electrolyte tab to drop in my water bottle. Joanie and my parents are all asleep, but my nerves and I are still pacing the room. That's when a bottle of red wine comes in handy. Another glass (or two) later and I can smell sleep.
WHAT AM I WAKING UP AT 3 AM TO DO AGAIN!?!
My alarm goes off and I hit snooze. My second alarm goes off, I reach for snooze but realize I'm only prolonging the punishment. I roll out of bed and start my pre-race rituals: make some tea, toast some carbs, lather in peanut butter, pull all my drop bags together, recount them, double check my backpack to make sure everything needed is there, find my clothes, make sure my bib is attached, fill my water bottle, fill my waist pack with food and tissue (you never know), potty break, another cup of tea, another slab of carb doused in PB. The SC (Support Crew) begins to wake up and get ready. Shortly thereafter we are in the car driving to the start line at an old airstrip about 7 miles up the road.
There's an odd sense of calm at the start line, even though there is a constantly growing mass of runners and supporters buzzing around in the still dark morning. The sun has yet to come up, and we are 15 minutes away from the 5:30 am start. Mentally I have resigned myself to the fact that every moment from now until the finish is done. Done in the sense that there is no more prepping I can do, there is no more training I can take on to better my chances, no rest to give to the stress fractures in my feet. I just have myself as I stand, SC who I will see along the route several times and my stubborn and competitive will (another one of my "charming" qualities to those who know me well).
5:30 am sharp the bullhorn goes off and we start our day long stroll through the mountains. The only sound is from the pack of runners' feet hitting the gravel road. A short minute later and we are running along a river beneath the trees coming to our first ascent. Then, we start our trek up! This climb will last for roughly 15 miles until we summit and then begin our ridge line run. Within those first 15 miles we will gain roughly 3,500 feet in elevation, nearly all of which is on a trail barely wide enough for one runner to pass another on switchbacks that seem to NEVER end. I came into the first aid station, only 4 miles into the race and I knew that I hadn't trained enough. But again, I had resigned to the fact that there was nothing more I could do except continue. My SC were ready at the first aid station with my words of encouragement and support, I tell them that this is already (still 46 miles to go) harder than anything I had expected, strip off my shirt and I am back on the trail heading to aid station #2 at mile 12.
Just out of the first aid station is where the switchbacks start. They are endless and taunting. You can't see the top or final one so you can't get a sense of how much to push of pull yourself back. You get to the point where you quit counting them. The crowd of runners has also thinned out at this point. I've pulled ahead of the majority of the pack and have found two other runners who look like they know what they are doing. So I fall into the same pace as them in hopes that they will keep my speed in check.
We're getting higher and the switchbacks are never ending. At this point I've passed the second aid station (mile 12), jumped over downed trees, ran under other ones, lost my footing on the edge of a switchback or two and had to climb two stories of wooden stairs up along side a waterfall. I'm hurting the say the least. Coming to the "switch" part of a switchback, the trees open up and I can see Mt. Rainier for the first time. It is amazing! Not a single cloud in the sky, temps in the 60's with a gentle breeze through the trees. Everything was simply beautiful and perfect. Another runner came jogging up and i said to him "with a view like this who needs gu!". I felt like I had just started the race all over again, renewed and full of awe.
We're are getting closer to the first peak. I know because there is now patches of snow covering the trail, averaging about 2 feet deep. They had mentioned that the last 1.5 miles to the summit was covered in snow. So they had put up sections of rope to hang onto for the steep sections. How considerate! Luckily it was all packed down pretty well and our feet didn't dig in too deep.
After the snow the trees opened up and it was only a short distance to the aid station at mile 17. From there it was all downhill...till the second mountain. Now it was time to go back down through the same snow that we had just trudged up. I have never been in a more controlled chaotic moment in my life. I felt like a child again and just let me feet go with gravity and bombed back down through the snow. It wasn't so much running as it was finding footing every so often to keep your speed in check. I was hooting and hollering and exclaiming my presence to all the other runners I was catching up to.
I somehow managed to make it back down the mountain without a single fall. The race course then takes you back to the start area for aid station #5 at mile 27. When I arrived my SC was waiting with camera bag in hand. We chatted a bit as I at a PB&J, some soda and some boiled potatoes dipped in salt. I refilled my water bottle, re-stocked my waist pack and was ready to go. I was amazed at how GOOD I felt. I felt as if I had only ran about 10 miles and yet I was over halfway through the course. One more mountain to go!
Back into the woods, across the road and onto the switchbacks. The ascent up to the second peak was pure switchbacks and over half of it was in direct sun. The temps had warmed to the mid 70's with zero clouds. Again, the views of Mt. Rainier and river valley below were amazing! I could have stayed up there all day taking in the view.
Aid stations #6 & #7 were themed and full of extremely energetic volunteers. Aid station #6 at mile 32 had a tropical theme, with inflatable fish and palm trees. The best part was the west sponges and spray bottles to cool yourself with. Aid station #7 at mile 37 was an American Pride theme with American flags waiving and Bruce Springsteen blaring from a stereo. This was also the final aid station before you final descent back to the finish line. As the volunteers spotted you coming up they would immediately begin to cheer and shout your name and encourage you on. Once at the top they would take your wattle bottle, refill it, find your drop bag and stand there with it open so you could simply take what you needed. Everyone was so amazing you couldn't help but smile.
Final downhill, this should be easy right!?! The next 7 miles from aid station #7 were along an old gravel fire road with a very steep incline. Running downhill can be more challenging than running uphill, especially at such an angle and especially for so long. I had to stop twice because i felt my left knee buckling and wanting to give. Once at the bottom, you cross back over the road and follow the river through the woods with some slight rolling hills. You then come out onto a dirt road leading back to the airstrip where you first started, 50 miles and nearly 11 hours ago. You make a left onto another dirt road and you see banners ahead marking the final yards of the race, where everyone is positioned on either side to cheer you in across the finish. Coming down the chute, my legs felt fresh again. I saw my SC to my right and a wave of emotion crept up on me as people were cheering and clapping and I saw my mom running to the finish line to meet me there (I actually think she beat me!).
I crossed the finish line in 10:36:15 feeling great! Seeing my parents and Joanie and thinking about what I had just finished I again had a wave of emotion come over me. It was more difficult to keep from crying than it was to keep from falling over.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Since the concept of rest is rather lost on me, I am already looking for the next challenge...and another shot at hitting the $3000 goal for Susan G Komen! So here's what I am thinking: 2 marathons 2 weeks apart. I will run the Maine Marathon on October 2nd, then fly to Columbus, Ohio to run the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon on October 16th. Both races will be in honor of my aunt Linda and both will be fund raisers for Susan G Komen. Here's the link again:
http://maine.info-komen.org/
This time I won't be running alone, nor will I be alone working to fund raise for a worthy cause. Sara Germann, another strong runner, is working to fund raise as well. Sara Germann recently completed the Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon as a part of Team Challenge which works to fund raise for The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Here is an excerpt from her fund raising email:
"I am again fundraising for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), an organization that provides support, education and research for individuals and families who deal with these conditions on a daily basis. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are chronic, painful, and often times debilitating conditions of the gastrointestinal tract that affect at least 6 million people in the US, most under the age of 30. Imagine being a teenager and being unable to attend school, or frankly even leave the house due to pain and diarrhea. It can be isolating and life changing. Some patients will eventually need surgery, often requiring a colostomy. There are medications to control and manage the symptoms but there is no cure. We can change that through this kind of fundraising.
Why does this mean so much to me? I have ulcerative colitis, diagnosed 4 years ago. But I'm so lucky. Medications have kept me to minimal flare ups of my colitis and I live a happy fulfilling life. The CCFA provided me with support that really helped me through the difficult times in the beginning when I could barely leave the house. So, I want to run this half marathon in order to give back to the foundation that helped me and maybe, with continued effort, we can finally find a cure. After all, at 30 this isn't so hard to deal with. But a 6 year old shouldn't be homebound."
Sara will be running the Maine Marathon with me in an effort to further her fund raising for CCFA, AND to complete HER FIRST MARATHON! Here is the link to her fund raising page: http://www.active.com/donate/
Here is Sara's email if you have any questions in regards to supporting her cause: sara_germann@hotmail.com
Let's keep this great momentum going (please, so I can take a break from this running thing!). Sara and I both are very close to our goals, we only need a small push to get there. Please share this with your friends and family. Event though they may not know Sara's or my own personal connection to our causes, they may know someone else who Crohns or Colilitis or breast cancer may afflict. I ask that you share now as a way of giving (although neither one of us would say know to a donation!).
Truth be told, the experience I had, from the moment I initially emailed everyone about my goal, has been awe inspiring. The supportive emails, calls and texts. The generosity shown in the amount of money we were able to raise. The selfless giving of their time and energy and support by may parents and Joanie. My amazing Support Crew!!! To the three of you, I owe a special thank you. My jaw still drops when I reflect upon how much everyone gave of themselves to help me.
Here is a link to a gallery of images from the race. If anyone has trouble viewing it, please let me know and I will fix it.
http://www.facebook.com/media/
1 comment:
Z-
Your dedication and strength are amazing. I know we talked about this during the marathon, but what an experience training and running the 50 miler! Wow :)
-S
*yes I read this from time to time....
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