Peaks 50 - the Last Miles

We came into the farm.  Immediately we were greeted by Team Crux:  Alison, Jeff, and Francesca.  We visited a bit, getting the scoop on Jeremy's progress.  Alison tended to us.  Mindy and I both were treated to ice.  I put a huge chunk under my hat.  Ahhhh.  We thought the guys would be there already.  We needed our headlamps, just in case.  I think we both hoped to be done before dark.  It was so nice chatting, but we were almost ready to just go without them.  Alison produced a headlamp.  It was Emma's.  She'd left it since I forgot one???  I didn't forget one, but one headlamp was better than none.  I took it and we prepared to head out.  Just then we saw the guys heading in from the parking lot.  Phew!  We stuffed our lamps in our packs while Alison wiped our wrists and necks with a damp wipe.  I think I purred.  Mmmmm.   As we headed out, she told me to run with gratitude.  I was thankful for so much.  What great treatment!

We crossed a makeshift bridge to easily runnable trail.  I sort of regretted the order I wore my shoes.  This side was a bit more rooty and slippery.  While I thought my old shoes would feel better at the end, their 2000ish-mile soles were not the best for the trail.  A couple of miles in, we hit some mud.  The Squirrel thought it was only right the 100+ Ultra people got to play in the mud, too.  Then the climb started.  The trail reminded me of the Brad more.  Nice.  The climb started, but it was switch backs.  Scout and Squirrel we feeling a little smug.  This side was easy.  I'm shaking my head right now at the us that was.  The switchback turned into another long, long steep straight up the mountain stretch.  Wow.  I'm not sure where the nasty, near-the-edge-of-a-steep drop trail was.  It was mixed in somewhere.  I had to focus on the inside of the trail to not notice.

 

Meanwhile, I was feeling worse, stomach-wise, a lot worse.  A few times I told Mindy I had to walk.  I started having some dry heaves.  Ugh.  There was a shack at the top of the long climb.  It had some stuff inside.  We couldn't decide if it was the aid station or if it was some runners' drop bags.  At some point, I took out a Honey Stinger Waffle.  Though I was feeling sick, I was starving.  As soon as I took one bite, it was over. More heaves.  I caused us to walk when we shouldn't have.  I couldn't even think of running.  Every time I looked at the wafer, there would be more dry heaves.  I think if I had anything in my stomach, the heaving would have been the real deal.  I could tell Mindy was still feeling strong.  The way I felt, I thought I was going to have to walk the rest of the way back.  I hated that.  More, I hated that I was holding Mindy back.  Finally, I told her I wanted her to just go.  It took a bit of convincing, but I was adamant.  I felt bad enough without that guilt.

As she ran off, I wondered how long I'd be out there.  I looked at the waffle and faux-hurled again.  After a few hundred feet, I decided to ditch the waffle.  Instead, I just started sucking on the hydration pack.  It wasn't too long before I realized I was feeling better.  More fluids.  I started running.  I could run fairly fast.  Shit.  Why didn't I recognize dehydration?  More drinking, more running.  Then there was the Squirrel!!!  I caught her in mid-squat.  Oops.  Just a peein'.  I think she cheered or something.  I kept running by to give her some privacy.  Then it was Scout and Squirrel!  Yay!!!  And we were both running strong :D

Somewhere on the mountain, we passed another person.  He looked down.  We were not.  We speculated on how long till we met up with the guys.  We'd asked them to meet us with 3 miles to go.  We had no idea how long this course really was.  Besides, how would the guys know when to head out?  Rick and Pete had offered to run the last 10 with us.  Both Mindy and I decided we'd rather have them greet us with a few miles to go.  Not the same switchbacks as up, but we found ourselves on very, very runnable down.  We heard voices.  The guys!  Amazingly, Pete's GPS said 3 miles just when we met up.  Rick said he was so happy to see us running.  They didn't have any idea what shape they'd find us in.  Maybe a mile later, we realized we'd better break out the headlamps.  The darkness fell quickly.

They told us we were going to have to do a tricky stretch before the bridge.  No kidding.  I can't even begin to imagine the 100 mile people dealing with this stretch multiple times during the darkness.  It was on a bank, slick with mud, and pretty much bushwacking.  Rick went ahead to give us reports of what we were approaching.  I looked back.  Mindy and Pete were further back than I expected; Mindy had slipped in the mud and landed on her posterior.  I told Rick that I wanted Mindy to finish before me.  She was so strong through the day.  I was just ahead now cause that's the order we run in.  Soon we were all together again.  We had to walk on the rocky (boulder-y) stretch near the river.  The skinny little bridge was harder to cross over 53 miles into the day.  Rick said he'd run ahead to get stuff ready for us.  What did we want?  I told him to get my cell phone and take a picture of us finishing*.  We smelled smoke.  We were close!

Mindy and I were running pretty good.  As we reached the hill back to the finish, we ran fast and faster.  Done!!!  The guy asked for my number.  30.  Shit, I meant 85.  Mindy said, 30.  The guy at the line, said that he put us down together :)  gIANt was there to give us a big hug.  He said he was so proud of us!!!  I knew he meant it.  I felt proud of us to have made Ian proud.  Happiness.  Tiredness.  Thoughts of Jeremy still out there.  People kept thinking I should eat.  NO.  I did get a Coke and a beer.  I looked at the food.  Yuck.  A woman asked me if I was getting ready to go back out?  NO!!!  She had just finished 40 out of the hundred and was afraid to go back out alone cause of coyotes.  I tried to assure her she'd be ok, but it would be scary out there alone even though no creatures were gonna get her.  She was afraid she was gonna be cut off anyway.

We all grouped together talking about the course, our days, Jeremy, the course.  Bradbury  Mountain, (don't listen Brad) we decided, was Bradbury Knoll.  I loved that so many of us shared the event.  It was epic.  Mindy later said something that I've repeated lots of times now.  I am so done with Pineland.  It's true.  I think I might not be done with Peaks.

Then we all noticed flames out near the woods.  That smoke we had smelled was not camp.  I was really worried about the people still out there.  Why wasn't anyone doing anything.  I a bit, someone did check.  Even though it appeared like an out of control fire.  Supposedly, someone was just burning trash.  At 9 on a Saturday night???  At least I could sort of not worry about the runners.

Soon I was freezing.  I didn't want to leave the people.  I wanted to be there the next time Jeremy came through.  I wanted to hear everyone's tail of their day.  I wanted to hear ours, relive it.  The chill was just too much.  I needed a hot shower.  Rick told me to take some food.  I said we could just buy something if I wanted it later.  Yeah?  The town pretty much closes at 9.  There'd be no other food.  Wisely, he grabbed a couple of bananas.  They ended up being my meal for the night.

*Unfortunately, my cell phone battery was dead.  No finish picture.  I should have given Rick my camera.