Epic End to the Summer of Awesomeness

Mindy capped off her Summer of Awesomeness by rocking out her birthday 40 for 40.  It might have been the end of the SoA, but it was the brilliant start to her life as an ultra-runner.

Rick and I tried to get everything packed the night before that we'd need for the long day.  There's a lot of planning that goes into having the right stuff.  We had a cooler with electrolyte drinks, bottled water, Coke, ice, PBJ, meatballs (for Rick to make a sandwich), Honey Stinger Wafers, and GU.  We had changes of running clothes and post-run clothes.  I'd made the tally sheet for the runners to keep track of laps and time.  There was the trail mix to share (the event was fat-ass style) and a squirrel cupcake that WholeFoods just happened to have in their case.   There was the crepe paper for Mindy's finish line and her finisher's medal.  Fortunately, Rick remembered to put in folding chairs.

You'd think it was my big event; I didn't sleep well.  I was a little too excited.  I'd almost say like a kid before Christmas, but I don't think that's quite right; I don't think the Christmas experience has an element of...not fear...not apprehension...um...an element of...uncertainty?  I knew Mindy was totally ready from being with her for most of her training, but, with an ultra, you never really know what the event will bring.

As planned, Rick and I arrived at the Brad by 6:40.  Mindy and Pete had the base camp pretty well set up right next to the big field by the parking lot.  Some TMs were already there and lots streamed in right around then.  Soon the picnic table was full of yummy looking goodies.  A buzzing energy permeated the group as people visited before the start.  A brief instructional speech from Mindy, a group photo, and we were off!

I'm not sure how many runners went out with the first group, but it was sizable.  There was even some walking on the single trail as the accordioning that accompanies the start of large groups sorting out pace on single track.  It didn't last very long; by a mile in everyone was where they should be and able to just run.  The first loop I enjoyed catching up with Shauna, who I rarely get to run with.  I'm sure I had some banter with Jim, too.  I was marking the intersections with flour, since the group would not be sticking together and not everyone was familiar with the course.  Now and again, I also tried to pop out ahead of where the lead runners were (very easy on the twistiness that is the east side of Bradbury) to get a picture.  I wanted to capture as much of the event that I could.  Unfortunately, my batteries died and most of the pictures I did take were blurry.  I did run out of flour when the course switched over to Ginn West.  Fortunately, I met Pete, out there on his mountain bike, and he said he'd get the other bottle and mark where I left off.  Pete was to be found all over the trail throughout the day.

The first loop was over before I knew it.  I replaced my two empty FuelBelt bottles with full ones.  I tried out Nuun for the first time.  The first lap I had the citrus flavor; the second I took the cola flavored.  I have a feeling this post is already going to be too long, but I do want to report that I think the Nuun is good for me.  I didn't have to dilute it too much to tolerate it like I do the Gatorade.  I think, with the amount I sweat, that is a big plus.  Also, it has more of both sodium and potassium per serving than Gatorade.  I hesitated trying it since it has sugar substitutes, but my stomach was unaffected.  I also think it was a pretty good test since the humidity decided it wanted to be around for the last of the Summer of Awesomeness.

I drank some during the time between 1st and 2nd lap, but forgot to eat anything.  At least I'd eaten a bigger breakfast than I normally do before a long run.  This lap, I shared a good amount with George.  He's is a great person to run with because he's so upbeat and takes everything in stride.  I'm sure I talked with other people, too.  I got back to base when the clock read 3:11:something.  I couldn't believe we'd been running three hours already.  It just flew!  Mindy looked great and happy.

Rick had sat the 2nd loop out, but was going to head out for some more miles on the 3rd (he'd get in the most miles in one run since 2006!).  We jumped on the back of Mindy's group.  I was between Emma and Rick.  On the Ragan, Rick started to slow.  I dropped back to his pace, but, after a bit he encouraged me to go (I felt a little guilty taking his suggestion; I'm not sure he'd have left me if it was reversed), saying he was going to slow even more.  I caught back up with the group and chatted with Emma till maybe a mile later I looked back and saw Rick right on our tail.  So I ran with him till he decided there was going to be some walk/run happening.  Then I ran my first solo miles of the day.  I came back in just after Mindy's group.

My plan for the day was to run between 24 and 32 miles depending on how I was feeling.  Still feeling pretty good after 24, I decided to head out on the 4th lap.  Mindy was just ahead of me at the beginning.  She seemed really strong, but told me she was feeling the effort for the first time.  It was here that I sort of made a plan for the rest of my run.  I decided to head back on one of the short cuts I knew so that I could run with Mindy on a portion of her last lap.  I really hadn't planned on all forty.  She was with Jeremy, Ian, and Emma when I left.  Did I mention that Pete had left little flour messages for Mindy along the course.  I'm very sure they helped her along, especially the smiley face : )

So back at base camp, I had some time to socialize, eat, and change.  Mmmm...fresh running clothes!  Even with my generous application of BodyGlide, I had some chafing issues.  Ann, Linda, Chandra, Rick, Kate, Ryan and Sam, Four (who was dozing on and off, at this point), Nate A, and perhaps some others were keeping the home fires burning.

Mindy came in looking strong.  I asked her about the lap.  She reported starting to feel better later in the loop.  My guess, right around the ledge in the snowmobile trail before turning off onto Ginn West.  There, you know you're almost done, besides it being mostly downhill.  There are pretty rooty sections to pain tired feet, but the heading back, down hill trumps all the roots.  The break between the 4th and last lap seemed long.  Either it was or it was the fact that my break was really long having cut short the 4th lap.  I just know that I was pretty stiff heading out for the final leg.  From the sounds emanating from the others, I wasn't alone in feeling stiff (of course, they had 4 extra miles on me).

I think our group consisted of Zak, Jeff, Ian, Emma, Jeremy, me, and the Mighty Mindy.  For a few miles, Zak and maybe a couple others led the group.  I was debating whether I would run the entire lap.  I feel ashamed to admit that I was worried that Mindy wouldn't have someone paying attention to her pace.  How could I doubt that those guys wouldn't take care of her?  Maybe it's not not having faith in them, but...I guess Mindy is now under my protection.  I've run with her too many miles (ok, not too many...but many, many miles with her).  She is one of my people now.  That means I can't help it; that's how I am.  I paid close attention.  I noticed that, around 3 miles in, they had let Mindy take the lead, dictating the pace with all of them seamlessly following suit.

I had pretty much decided I'd peel off at the next short cut, when BAM!  I had a near fall, the kind where it would have been better to just fall.  I felt a sharp pain shoot through my achilles.  I guess I did end up on the ground.  I tried to make them all keep going, not wanting to cause Mindy's last lap to take longer.  Emma pretended she needed to stretch.  I thought I was really hurt.  It was probably good that I felt like I had to run to get them to run; I think half the time you can keep an injury from stiffening up and being worse by keeping it moving (oh and I did immediately put it in a bucket of ice when I got back).  From Fox East, I cut across to the snowmobile trail (just below the bridge) to head back, knowing, like I should have from the start, that she was in very capable hands.

Coming in, I found Pete to report where I thought Mindy would be.  He headed off to run her in.  At base, we prepared for her finish.  Rick headed across the street to be able to alert us.  She's coming!  We stretched out the crepe paper ribbon for her to break.  Mindy came through with a huge smile and a roar of the crowd!  What a finish to the SoA!

Awesome!  (photo thanks to Kate : )