Scared silly

I do not think that I have ever been so anxious before an event as I am now. I am having race nightmares about going off course, losing my pacer, forgetting to eat, general pre-race anxiety. But this week seems to be horrible...

I have placed some links on the left side of the blog for "Burning River Race info" The webcast should be interesting and let everyone follow the race as it unfolds. 'Race' is probably not the right word for me, I just want to finish! My previous post contains a pace chart with estimated time of arrival at aid stations, depending upon my pace. I would like to run a 27-28 hour pace, but we will have to see how the day unfolds.

Weather. Well, depending upon when you look at the forecast, it is good and bad. I have stopped looking. It looks like it will be hot, humid, with a chance of rain. Typical summer day.

Goals for the weekend:
1) Finish
2) Stay out of the hospital
3) Finish under 30 hours
4) Enjoy the experience because there will not be a "next time"...

Things remaining to do: Pack drop bags. I have all of my stuff, or at least everything that I plan on taking, I just need to organize it into piles for each aid station.

Just start running...

Here is a pace chart for next weekend (Click on it for a larger view). It is hard to believe that next week at this time I hope to have finished the 100 miles! My goal for the day is simple: FINISH! This is all that matters. I think that if things go well, I will finish between 26 and 28 hours, but I honestly do not know.

The magnitude of this event is really sinking in. Most of you are probably saying "Duh!" right now, but as with all endurance activites, I cannot think of the entire event in one chunk. My mantra will be "Just get to the next aid station." It will be a true test of "how bad do I want it" and "can I keep going when everything is telling me to stop?"


Oh yes, the taper jitters are hitting me full force!

42 wet minutes

Took a nice 42 minute run with Gina last night in the rain. We had a blast! Gina has always enjoyed rain and last night was no different. We normally walk to the park entrance from our house but I suggested that we jog easily instead since it was raining and we would keep warmer by running. She agreed and off we went.

Once we hit the cover of the woods, the sound was very pleasent and not quite as wet. We shared a lot of laughs, talked about my upcoming race, her upcoming cross-country season, and just enjoyed being in the woods. We stopped so that she could take her coat off and the rain tapered off a bit also. We made it to the vernal pools and started off on the red trail. We startled a baby deer from the brush and chuckled as it darted left, then right, in an effort to evade us. It did not realize that we really weren't chasing it!

The rain started again in earnest and Gina put her coat back on. The rain was really coming down hard and the puddles were forming on the trail. I told Gina the best part of running in the rain on the trails is that it is just easier to run through the water/mud instead of trying to avoid it. I suddenly heard lots of splashing and giggles as she did just that, ran right through the water and mud. Times like these are priceless!

We made it back home just in time for the rain to stop and the clouds to clear. I would not have changed a thing...

Note to self...

Abby and I rode the tandem 26 miles in the Medina Ice Cream Odyssey yesterday. It was a nice day and we had a really nice time together. I am glad that we only rode the shorter distance since the day turned hot. We returned home to see the recently-returned-home-from-camp Gina! We all missed her last week and it was fun to catch up and hear all about her week.

I woke up early this morning with some sort of flu. Denise then got it around 8am too. It hit me hard for 45 minutes early morning, then I was just feeling off. Denise was not so fortunate and has fought it off and on all day. She was planning on a 10 mile run and I wanted to get 20 in during the heat of the day.

I was feeling ok at 10am so I decided to go for it. I changed and drove over to the Alexander Road aid station with the plan of running to Egbert and back. Then I would run to Station road and back, hitting the tow path during the heat of the day. I have been dreading this part of the course since it is totally exposed and promises to be very uncomfortable for race day. I was doing my 8 minute run/2 minute walk plan today and it was working well. During the open section, I changed to a 4/1 instead. It was not too bad. I ended up getting the 20 miles in and then returned home.

Gina was itching for a run so I then took off for 30 minutes of run/walk with her. It was a very good day in the heat.

Oh yea, the title of today's blog, Note to self: Don't forget the body glide for race day. Lots of sweat and no glide makes for some uncomfortable post-run sensations...

Time to get the final drop bag plans completed, check lists for aid stations, and my "things to get before the race" list created. Time is going fast, confidence is growing. Lots of things to finalize and most important, don't panic!

Golf Clubs

I took Denise for a drive thursday evening to show her where some of the aid stations were located and to work out some logistics of how to get from point A to point B. We started at Happy Days and worked our way down towards Covered Bridge. We were discussing various options of when/where she would meet me during the day.

We stopped at the Covered Bridge and took a walk across it. We were both starting to realize the challenge of just trying to follow the race, yet alone run it. All I have to do is run and keep moving forward. Denise has to juggle driving to the different aid stations to supply me with moral support, extra food, shoes, socks, and other things not in my drop bags, while also keeping the girls and herself fed, returning home to let the dogs out, shuttling pacers if necessary, etc. We have always joked that it is easier to do a race than to watch/support one. In the ultra community the support group/team for a runner is called a crew. There is an acronym for C.R.E.W. that is probably pretty spot on: Cranky Runner, Endless Waiting

We were starting to leave the covered bridge parking lot and Denise all of a sudden stopped and stated, "I know what I am getting you for Christmas. Golf Clubs! You need a different Hobby!"

We drove to ONeil Woods, then to Merriman Road, then to Memorial Parkway. We then drove to the finish line and took a stroll along the sidewalk area at the finish. It will look a lot different August 3rd!

The plans are starting to gel... 2 weeks to go!

A different kind of training...

Gina is at camp. Denise and Abby are in NY visiting Denise's parents for a few days. So I took this opportunity for some guilt-free running. This is where I get to run as far and as much as I want because no one is home. Sunday, I ran two sections of the BR100 course:

• Station Road to Carriage Trail and back.
  
• Station Road to Ottawa Point and back.
  

20 miles total. I only got lost once when the Buckeye Trail took off from Riverview road. Lots of high grass and weeds hid the trail quite well. In fact, I almost fell into a small ditch and then almost smashed into a fallen log. The grass was covering these obstacles and I did not see them until the last moment. Once I got out of the weeds, I missed a trail marker and wandered for a few minutes before I found the trail again. I simply retraced my path from Ottawa Point to Station road to complete my day.

Monday evening I ran an hour after dark for some night training. I discovered that the new trail near our house has started construction and so I followed it a bit to see the progress. It is going to be very nice when completed!

I have been staying up way later than normal. As long as I keep active and doing something, I don't really feel tired. It is when I stop and relax, then it is "night-night" time... So the plan for race day is that: "Keep moving!" I know that a well timed cup of coffee or hit of Mountain Dew will help me stay awake also.

Tonight, I applied the first coat of stain onto the deck. My hand is sore from holding the brush for 2 hours. Tomorrow night, coat #2. The weather this week is fabulous with sunny days and no rain. Perfect opportunity to let the deck dry between coats.

I am so glad that Denise and Abby will return home tomorrow night. It is too quiet around here...

Feeling the heat!

I decided to try and run this week during my lunch break in order to start to get used to the heat. Tuesday was my first and it was 86 degrees with a Heat index of 95! Perfect! I took a nice 6 mile run on the Parkway to Richmond Road and back. It was pretty hot in the sun but I was suprised that I felt as good as I did. I am slowly realizing that it is yet another mental battle that I must face regarding hot weather. I can handle it, I just need to go slow and not get all 'hot and bothered'!!

I ran again today and it was much cooler, only about 80 degrees. I ran up to Harper Ridge shelter and back for another 6 miles. I ran w/Gina last night as she took me on a tour of her cross-country course at the school and then I ran home from there for another 5 miles. Shorter distances this week.

I am volunteering at the Muddy Paws race saturday morning. It will be nice to be on the 'other-side' of an event. Only a few short weeks left before the race... I am getting anxious.

My birthday is today and we are about to dive into a blueberry cheesecake! I can't wait...