2011 Pineland 50 - Race Report (Part IV - the final miles (...hopefully!))

Back to Camp.  I'm not sure what prompted the decision, but I planned on putting on new socks.  What a task!  Sitting on the foam roller, I leaned forward towards my shoes.  That put everything from my feet all the way up to my back into sometime of wild cramping.  When I'd try to stretch one muscle/muscle group the opposing muscle(s) would immediately start cramping.  Rick worked at trying to get my socks and shoes off.  I'm not sure how it was finally accomplished, let alone how he was able to get them back on, because I continued to spasm.  Mindy put straight Gatorade into my bottles.  I put lots of salt on each potato piece I took time for.  Better move while I still could.

Mindy started working to make sure I remembered to drink.  A new problem surface; my stomach began to feel unhappy.  I don't think it was absorbing the drinks quickly enough.  Mindy told me that the salt and straight Gatorade would get into my system soon.  I'd feel better.  That it would help with both my stomach and the cramping.  As we got further into this lap, I definitely got needier and more toddler-like.  Fortunately, Mindy took all of it in stride.  I could see her working out new strategies as we went.

Not long after we set out, I felt the familiar pain on the outer side of my left knee.  Soon I was feeling twinges up in the hip/butt area, too.  I did some pathetic attempts at stretching the band.  Stretching prompted cramping of other muscles.  Mindy volunteered to try and find the spot and work it out.  I wouldn't have wanted to touch me.  Back up and running, well moving.  After the Valley Farm aid station, I was back down trying to stretch out some cramps.  Jamie was heading our way.  He asked if I was OK.  Mindy said, yes, just cramping.  Jamie said some encouraging words as he headed off.  Mindy!  He's on his way to finish!!!  We both yelled big time for him.  I hope he heard.  I was happy to have recognized his effort before he got away.  He was looking very strong this late in the course.  Wow.

Off my ass and back to forward progress.  I complained of a different pain, lower than the knee.  Mindy started putting some pieces together.  Maybe it was my piriformis acting up, bothering the nerve.  She pointed out that could be a good thing; the piriformis is easier to stretch than the ITB.  We could get on top of this.  Down on my back, getting totally covered in all kinds of trail debris, I stretched.  Yes.  Back up, I was able to run again.  Yes.  While I could run, I could actually run at a decent pace.

I told Mindy that if we walked a hill and I kept walking, she should start running.  If I went with her, good;  she just reminded me to run.  If I kept walking, means I meant to keep walking.  Same for anytime I walked.  She should start running.  Very good.  There would be pretty frequent breaks for stretching, but the periods between started to lengthen.

I had periods of light-headedness.  Mindy wanted me to get in more potassium.  At an aid station she gave me a banana.  Yuck.  It was too green.  I really was a toddler at this point.  Did I pout?  Pretty sure.  Nothing appealed to me.  PBJ?  They have good ones at a later aid station.  Yes, I am fussy and got fussier.  I hate PBJs with a lot of PB, especially when running; swallowing is hard enough.  Remember to take GU.  That became Mindy's job, too.  Stomach issues would continue.  Don't, don't, don't puke.  Nobody likes that.

I think somewhere after the 2nd Yurt visit, my piriformis had been tamed.  I would still have periodic cramping of random muscle, but, Mindy's methods were working.  The stomach would only bother for a bit while it dealt with trying to absorb the stuff I needed.  The chafing that had started a while back now became really annoying.  The lube stuff wasn't working at all.  Though most of my body had chafing, it was the short hem-line that was the problem.  Mindy handed me a wipe (yes, she'd brought unscented, moist towelettes...no one likes sticky-GU/Gatorade fingers.  We'd already been through a lot of these.  Sticky fingers kept attracting trail shit like Pig Pen attracts dust.  I finally had to give up on the idea of clean fingers...) the idea being to start from scratch.  OOOWWWWW!  Major, major stinging.  "But they're alcohol-free!"  Ouch, ouch, ouch.  Now nothing helped.  Shouldn't have even been an issue; it's just chafing.  You can run with chafing.  So we did.

We were approaching the Yurt for the last time!  We celebrated.  Then!  Was that a mirage?  They had popsicles!  Oh. My. God.  It's amazing how just that could raise you up so high.  I asked who's idea.  Sara's.  I said, "You'd think you were married to someone who runs ultras!"  Another volunteer said, "She is!"  I smiled.  "I know."  I gushed.  I said they were my favorite of all aid stations ever.  They were.

Mindy reminded me it was getting to be GU time.  I told her I'd take it when we got to the "troughy up in the field place" or something very similar.  And she knew where I meant.  How in tune is that?!  When we got there, "isn't it GU time?"  Very good.  Mostly now, walking was due to heat/dizziness.  I'd, we'd, pretty much worked out the left leg pain.

Valley Farm aid station.  Anything look like you want it?  Watermelon!  The toddler reappeared.  I'm not sure if it immediately came back out, but I know I "yucked".  Blah.  Hot, mushy watermelon made me want to hurl.  Then I tried to hide my reaction from all but Mindy; the aid station volunteers were doing an awesome job.  I didn't want to make them feel bad.  Besides, they are the ones that make the good PBJs : )

Oh, we are so getting there.  I hope this doesn't sound like I was miserable this entire last loop.  Mindy and I were having fun even while dealing with the pains, cramps, fueling issues.  We were working well; dealing with and solving the problems.  I did realize at this point that I was not going to even hit my "B" goal.  That was OK.

Whoa!  Coming back into the Grove, you'd think I was on pace to set the course record.  The TMs were out in full-force, cheering.  Ian asked our neighboring camp if we could steal some of their shade.  A chair was produced.  I had ice on me, drinks, salted potatoes, and was encircled by friends.  Emma!  How'd you do???  She gave me her little impish smile and said good, but didn't go on much.  I got the sense that, right now, this is still about you.  Jim handed me a sip of his beer.  Mmmm.  Better get up and finish this.

heading out for the last 5+ miles (see why those shorts chafed?)

I know we took a long time across the road, but it was good.  We knew we had it.  Still had to work on fluid intake.  I had to go down all steep hills backwards (better on my really sore big toes and easier on the ITB).  We were still leap frogging a lot of our same people.  We did pick up a couple, younger woman, older man (both in relation to me).  Also a younger (20 something) woman, Joslynn Lee, who, though struggling with the heat, seemed to have the best attitude (turns out it was her 1st 50!).

Maybe 1/2 mile out from the last aid station, we see Alan running toward us!  He offered encouragement and advice.  Told me that a worried Rick was waiting for me at the aid station.  Then, there he and the aid station was!  People tend to hate that field.  I was very happy to see it.  I wanted to make sure I stayed ahead of the couple.  Mindy was to look back and let me know.  I was going to use them to push me.  I didn't hate them like I did my "stick" from last year's race, but I would definitely beat them.  OK, Mindy was giving me targets to run till, but we just kept running.  I loved not stopping when "allowed".  I saw TMs near the end of the field.  After walking that little hill near the end, I would make sure I pushed, for me and for them.

Emma (remember she's already run 50 miles) running out to bring us home!

I ran fast and faster.  I felt like I was sprinting through the finish.  Rick and Monsters made me feel like a hero!  People waited on me hand and foot (pretty literally!).  I was shaded by Ryan (though he needed reinforcements, he casts a narrow shadow!).  After icing my feet and discovering my first-ever black toenail, I was lead over to the Triffitts camp and put in Jeremy's chair (it was already wet).  Emma gave me a wonderful shoulder massage.  I wish I could have stayed there listening to their tails of the trail longer, but, I began to shiver.  Time to get home.

In Jeremy's chair (an honor, really.  read about his amazing race)

So, my slowest time yet, but I had fun and learned so much.  This race was about surviving the heat and the cramping it brought.  I had no residual pain in the piriformis/ITB leg.  I think it was a spasm not an injury.  Looking back in my log to my first 50, I commented that it was "perfect weather".  I truly believe that, with the training I did, I was capable of 10 hours.  I needed the "perfect weather" though, not the hot, humid, hell that we had.  I am complaining, but I'm not complaining.  It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.  I liked this race.  Next year's 50 will be a day earlier calendar-wise.  I will try again.  I'll hope for good weather, but...



PS.  I had no delayed onset muscle soreness.  Means I didn't work them hard enough.  Seriously, I had to do too much walking/stopping.  I look forward to having the stairs as my enemy next year.  I want to earn that.