RRR - Trudging and a New Type of Fun

Eight point two miles to Long Lake. I was now in my shorts, Tammy's TMR tee, and my white TMR hat. This was how I wanted to finish. I think Tanya can verify that for a good stretch of this leg, I would still do a form of running whenever the trail was smooth. Now, pretty much at a 90 degree angle, I could only see the trail right in front of me. I could bend my neck to look ahead, but couldn't do that very long without my neck really complaining. Once when I stopped to stand up (my back felt much better, well less painful, when standing up, but I couldn't move forward that way), Tanya told me to lift my arms straight over my head. She said Tami K taught her that and would say, " XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" Well, damn. My arms could barely lift my hands to head level. No stretching for me. OH! I could try my fake kitty yoga. I got down on all fours in the trail and tried a few of my "yoga" poses. Yeah, that wasn't helping. We only could laugh at me as she helped me stand back up.

I knew we were getting close to Long Lake, but I was definitely having less and less running or power walking sections. I complained to Tanya, "I wish there was something that didn't hurt. Sigh. Tanya was kind, yet firm. There was no talk about stopping ever and she encouraged me to move faster all the time. I know one time when I was griping about my back, she said, but you're still going!! Yeah, what choice do I have. She agreed, there would be no helicopters! 

There's the aid station!! Someone asked if I wanted to see the medic. Yes, please. They plopped me in a chair and the medic came over. He asked if I wanted the massage gun, CBD oil, or, hmmm, I know there was another option. I said I wanted everything. While he was getting the tool, I coughed in unison with my aid station chair neighbor. We bonded over the cough...so much dust inhaled on the trail. She asked about my back. I tried to talk about it, but said, I think I'm going to cry. It was more relief that maybe I could get some relief. Everyone was all, go ahead and cry. The consensus was there is definitely crying in ultras. I more just had tears leak out.

The gun was painful, but I think it might have been helping. Then came the CBD oil. Then a regular ol' massage. I asked him what he thought about ibuprophen. He said as long as a person is well hydrated and peeing (oh, hell, I was peeing way to much...did I mention I would fall over when I tried to squat??!), that (3) 200 mg tablets were fine to take every 6 hours. Well, I'd had the one Mindy gave me which was still in the dark I think. And then I had raided the one I'd had in my pack for years somewhere before Summit. He handed me three.

Tanya had put some pancakes in foil for me at the last aid station that had them so I could have more along the way, but we were now out. They had hash browns. Why not. I don't like to take advil, but I really don't like to take things on an empty stomach. I downed one and started on a second. Tanya checked on hot chocolate for me as soon as we pulled in. They'd just dumped it; it wasn't moving. Somehow, Tanya got them to make some just for me. She was good at getting the aid stations to give me something I wanted. I took two of the pills and thought to save the other one...I really don't like taking anything.

Karl Meltzer came over (it's his aid station). He said, "you're what we call a leaner. I've been one myself, but I've never seen anyone as bad as you." Wow, I'm sure he's seen a lot. I said, well, you can't go 89 miles and give up. I've got lots of time. He said, "What's your number? I want to see if you finish." 800. 

We better go. 6.8 miles to Mt Warner. Whoa! I stood upright and took a few steps. The guy had helped. Let's get going!!! I don't think it was even a half mile before I was totally folded again. Shit! I'm going to take that third advil. Not that the first two did anything. Tanya thought that it hadn't had time to work yet. 

She said it would be great to get in a few 20 minute miles, but we could do 25 min miles and still probably make the cut off. She tried to get me to put in some running stretches. Could I? I don't know at this point. I do know that sitting was the only position where I wasn't in pain. I looked for rocks of the proper height. We don't have time for you to sit long. OK, just a few seconds. I may also have fallen off a few that I thought (or hoped) were the proper height. 

Did I mention that every now and then my right foot would cross over my left? I'd end up either 45 or 90 degrees to the trail. WTF, Tanya. She said, well, you're not just bent, your twisted too. I think we both had to laugh. How much longer to the aid station? Just 5 miles. JUST? JUST? ok, just keep going. 

Tanya started running by my side...this was single track so she was in not very nice footing. But it was like we were doing kid's candlestick bowling and the kid needed the bumper in the alley to play at all. Tanya was my bumper to keep me in the lane. She may still have the bruises to prove it. More and more runners started to pass us. Most tried to give encouragement or salt tabs. Lol, I wished it was something salt tabs could solve. Tanya thanked them and cheered them on. I don't think I said much.

How much farther? Just a little over 3.5. No. No! NO! We've been out here forever. I'm not sure when I realized that Tanya was really not discouraging me from taking breaks. Hmmm, we were not going to make the cutoff. Yeah, Tanya said we could put in a few 25 minute miles, not 45. 

Tanya, this isn't type 2 fun or any of the the others. This is type 0 fun. None. And then we both laughed. Ok, it sucked. It seemed never ending, but we could still laugh. Then she said we should keep moving though because we wanted to be out before dark. I'm really trying.

Was it around 2 or 1.5 miles to go when the 100 mile sweeper came through. He was a pharmacist and worried about my kidneys being the problem, especially when I mentioned ibuprofen. No, no, I am peeing more than fine and the ibuprofen was in response the the back pain, not the other way. He was very nice, but very, very chatty. Tanya finally tried to shut him down. We need to focus on moving, not talking. She's a forced. A pink one, but no less powerful.

It was starting to get dark and chilly. We needed to be done. I was done. Sigh. Finally, finally, the aid station. They were breaking it down, but they were concerned and wonderful. I think I got a can of ginger ale and Tanya wrapped me in a space blanket. I could sit in a chair!!! I was pretty painfree, or at least in comparison, that it just felt good to be.

The aid station was run by a family, dad, mom and three young kids. The kids said everyone told them about us and were worried. I said to the dad, can you make sure you record me? I want credit/proof I made it. Almost 96 miles. It would have been all down hill from here. I said to Tanya that it was probably good that I timed out. Could you see me trying to go down the hill bent like that??? I would have been eating dirt. No way could my arms have supported me. 

They gave us a ride back to town in a very tall pick up down the bumpy dirt road. That sucked, but I was in a sitting position with a great seat heater and the heat blowing right on me. I texted Rick that we were getting a ride in the sag wagon. They dropped us in town close to the start/finish. I didn't recognize where we were at all. The dad said if we walked over to that row of lights, it was escalators that would take us down to the field. It would have been another funny video if someone filmed the mom and Tanya trying to help me out of the truck. 

So bent over me, my poles, and Tanya started toward the row of lights. Across the way, a guy in a suit or at least neatly dressed yelled over something like, "Hey hundred runner! Rabdo?" Both Tanya and I assumed he was with the race. He hurried over. We said we were making our way to the escalator and that I didn't have Rabdo. Agian we talked with a stranger about my peeing. He said for me to hop on; he'd give me a piggy back ride. Huh? Um, no. The next thing I know he's scooped me off my feet and is literally running with me to the lights. 

This is where I realized he was not with the race. He said something about having to be somewhere. I realized he'd been drinking. But then, there we were at the top of the escalators and he was running the other direction. He did save us a slog. I think Tanya got a good hold on me as we made our way down the escalator. Um, we're still not  where we need to be, but there are chairs over there that are near fire pits. We went to sit and warm. I called Rick. We sort of described our location and waited for them to find us.

I thought about the end of Rocky where Apollo Creed says to Rocky, "There ain't gonna be no rematch" and Rocky says, "Don't want one" I don't know if my body is Apollo and my brain is Rocky or the reverse, but you get the idea. Rick did point out to me there were many more Rocky's after that. 

Ok I think I lied. I'll do one more wrap it up installment. But, at least I covered the 96 miles and 20,000' of elevation.