RUNNING Against the OdDs: WoodStock recap and RECOVERY

The following day after running Woodstock 100k I boarded a plane to Lake Tahoe.

My Friday 4pm start time to race over 66 miles started a 10 day whirlwind.

Finally, I am gathering my thoughts on last weeks race, more like 10 days ago now, I am hoping I can remember enough to bore you with.

WOODSTOCK 100k

When: Friday, Sept. 7th, 4pm.

Distance: 66 miles...LONNNG 100k!

Elevation: 4725

Where: Hell Creek Ranch, Pinckney, Mi.

Goal:14-15 hours

With a afternoon starting time of 4pm, I really didn't head to the starting line with a lot of butterflies.

The loudest voice in my head was really the sound of curiosity.

I had a plan most all summer of how I was going to run Woodstock. The week of the race all the way to the morning of the race my plan began to dissolve. Unfortunately, I really didn't have training to confidently change my racing strategy due to how I trained all summer. I put the miles in but I didn't put any speedwork in my training to run stronger than my goal. Even my goal was going to be work for me. (Free commercial...always set your goals high)

THE 100K IS 4- 16 .66 MILE loops.

LOOP 1: Day Light & Bees

I headed into my corral with all the 100milers and 100K runners. I stayed close to Kris hoping to run with her. Kris was under the weather during the week and was hoping to pace her friend, this left me curious to what my first loop would be like.

I stayed with them for about 2 miles, I could hear them chatting behind me and decided I would just head out and run my own race. I haven't done this in a long time. I really didn't know what to expect.

I took the next couple miles praying and constructing a plan.

In typical Anita fashion, I hollered coming into the aid stations, made friends and paced my every mile.

For the first loop, I wanted to maintain a 12-13 min mile. In order to do this I would need to stay focused and cruise in and out of the aid stations.

Somewhere around mile 12, I was running with this gal, "Sass" when I felt this terrible burning sensation on my wrist, then my arm, my leg, my neck...

"Sass" was telling me a story and I was behind her swatting what felt like Tracker Jackers burning my skin up. I could hear the BUZZING around me but I couldn't locate the little demons stinging me.

Finally I screamed "OUCH, I am Gettting STUNG...." I looked down on my burning wrist and a hornet was attached to my skin with a death grip.

I tried to remain calm especially because "Sass" didn't even skip a beat and looked at me like I was crazy. I tried to be "Tough" but I was secretly freaking out.

It took a couple miles for me to assess the damage and relax. My wrist instantly swelled up while the rest of my stings were on fire.

With a couple miles to go, "SASS" and I kept a good pace. I was excited that it was still going to be light out when we finished our first loop.

Sass was full of energy and racing her 100 miles. I just tucked in behind her as we came into the START/FINISH line aid station completing our first loop. Soo hyped I didn't pay attention to the fact that I ran right through the aid station and back towards the trail.

I saw "Holly" a friend of mine at the end of the path as I was making my way BACK into the trail, this final distraction was the deciding factor to keep moving forward.

Loop: 3H14min

LOOP 2: Into the Darkness

I wanted as much daylight as I could have to both run my strongest as well as not have my headlamp on.

As soon as I headed into the trail I texted Andy. He asked who I was running with. "I am running solo" I responded. Out of nowhere came these voices with a heavy Hispanic accent "You are NOT alone! We are right behind YOU!"

Startled, I looked behind me and there were 3 jolly Mexican guys just a few yards behind me.

We gabbed for a couple miles but I could hear their breathing labored and knew they would be soon falling back and I would be running into the evening alone.

I wasn't really that nervous about running in the dark by myself. Woodstock is not a real technical race. It has a combination of rail trails, backroads and trails with aid stations every 4-5 miles.

The darkness slowly encapsulated me forcing me to pull out my head lamp.

I felt great and wasn't too annoyed with myself, all I had to listen to was my inner voice. I found myself talking out loud and giggled at my single conversation.

I hit the Gracie Aid station with my routine "MARCOOO" laughing and ready to snack on something salty. I had about 10 miles to go to get back to the START/FINISH and complete my second loop. Munching on some olives, the salt was soo good, I looked up and to my surprise I saw Matt and Paula. I was SHOCKED that I caught up to the speedy couple.

After running by myself for those couple hours, I was excited to see a familiar face. As they headed out I quickly followed, hoping I could keep up and not burn myself out.

They were running right where I had planned.

We finished the loop together and I was still feeling good and on schedule.

Loop: : 3h27min

Loop 3: The Tortoise

One of my biggest concerns was that I wouldn't be able to pace myself properly.
I was hoping I would be able to keep my legs fresh, not burning them out, making me suffer more than I had to the final loop. I was planning on running each loop 15-30 minutes slower depending on how I felt.

Paula set the pace and it was perfect. She ran through the woods strong and steady. Just when I was getting concerned with my abilities we would come into an aid station or we would be walking down the backroads. The backroads were so flat it actually hurt to run. We walked a lot of the flats. The walking was great for recovery, however it was not great for keeping my body tempertures up.
I found myself getting cold. The nighttime air was a clammy 58'. I was running in a heavier running skirt, tank top and a vest. I didn't add any layers because I knew the temps would be staying there.

One of the issues I was struggling with was nausea. My headlamp threw off shadows that made me dizzy. This made my stomach flip.
When I get nauseaous I do NOT want to eat or drink. I learned very early on in my ultra running career you do the very thing you do NOT want to do if you want to finish successful.

If you feel good in the beginning...DON'T run faster.
If your not thirsty, DRINK anyway.
If your stomach is quirky and you haven't eaten...EAT!

You really have to run with your brains. Every aid station I would ask for a cup of ice. This settled my belly and hydrated me. I literally ran with a cup of ice in my hand for miles. Eating on a upset tummy is a little more tricky. The aid stations have such a variety of food you can find something. I grabbed plain Pringles, soup, ramen, and PIZZA! It took everything in me to get it down but I made sure I tried to swallow most of it. (I ate these items at different stations, not all at once!)

Little things were beginning to irritate me as we finished up our loop. My hydration vest felt like a straight jacket, my head felt like it was being squeezed from the headlamp. My headlamp was actually dimming making me strain to see in front of me. Even my running skirt felt too tight as it was cutting into my hips.

"One more loop...just get to through..."

LOOP 4: 4h:18min

LOOP 4: Horses to the Barn.

We came into the START/FINISH aid station close to 3am. I was pooping out. I went to my drop bag, grabbed some MORE Motrin, retrieved my batteries for both Paula and my headlamps and headed back to eat. I drank some coffee for energy and tried to get some soup down. Vegetable soup, BARF in my MOUTH. I wondered if I swallowed what tasted like barf would it be the same as barfing. I FORCED myself to gulp most of it down but found my ice cubes more edible.

We headed back out after about 10 minutes in the aid station.

I wanted to be DONE. I felt good and was ready to finish it up. This is when the excitement of finishing motivates you to wake up and GO.

We were running the trails but walking the rail trail. I was freezing. After almost 3 miles into our last loop, I slowly separated and found myself on the trails alone again.

My Garmin began chirping at me letting me know she was about to die. I really needed her to help me get through most of this last loop.

My Garmin is like a silent running partner. I would look down, see my pace, my time and run accordingly. Running the numbers helped me get from mile to mile. I am NOT good at math so trying to extrapolate and compute numbers is a great way to waste time for me and keep me distracted.

It was funny all the runners out there and yet the woods were so quiet. I saw a few frogs but that was it for wildlife.

My Garmin made it to mile 59. I knew The course was NOT a true 100k, 62 miles. Each loop is 16.66 miles X's 4 puts the course at almost 67 miles.

Surprisingly I felt great. My body had no aches. At the aid stations I would ask what time it was.

I would be finishing up as the sun came up. The thought of LIGHT made me smile.

I was happy with how I had been running. My body felt exactly how I had hope it would. I found myself maintaining my pace and running slower but more steady.

Each mile I finished, the more anxious I got. The sky slowly lighting up made me crave the finish line.

With 4 miles to go, out of NOWHERE my right knee began aching. My hips were irritating me a little bit but this was significant PAIN.

My legs wanted to move, my lungs were even fresh, full of energy, however, my knee was DONE.

I normally fly down the hills. I looked like a drunken sailor hobbling down trying not to put any weight on my right knee.

With less than 2 miles to go, this little horsey ran on.

Even though I had came through this last section 3 times, as I came up, made a slight turn and saw the trail opening up into the camp ground my eyes welled up.

I was DONE, Home Stretch. Ignoring my throbbing knee, I picked up my pace, let my grateful tears roll and smiled through the camp. With both my hands in the air I came though overally excited. I MISSED the finish! Spectators motioned me BACK, cracking up at myself I made a smooth turn back up then back down to the right under the Finishers Bridge.

LOOP 4: 4h11min

Finished: The Other Side of Impossible

In the beginning of my race I was running in between about 8 runners. I shared a quote that I like, "Most people quit and don't even realize they have a second wind."

Then everyone started sharing inspirational quotes.

My favorite was from "BOB", " The Other Side of Impossible is the Best feeling in the World."

"Impossible" isn't always they BIG victories, sometimes "Impossible" is the little victories that it took.

FINISH TIME: 15H:14MIN

OVERALL: 12/75

GENDER: 4/31

AGE GROUP: 1/6

I might have ran a little over my goal, but I was SOO stoked with my results. I ran hard, I ran smart and I had FUN!

This and That:

A BIG congrats to all my friends that ran, Paula, Matt, Kris, and those I am forgetting. Congrats to my friends who drank the Kool aid running their FIRST 50K, Chris and Doug. And Claudia rocking out a killer 50k. All of us ran and PR-ed! We all got age group awards, I was really proud of my friends.
Great job to Justin, running the half marathon.

Also, a BIG THANK you to "HOLLY". This is Brads girlfriend. When I came into the finish line I was a Happy Mess! I was alone, it was early and I could barely walk. Holly never quit nursing me. She was an angel.

It was great to see, David St . Germaine out there, Joe Burns and I was excited to see Christina Bray pacing.

Andy couldn't make it out but was so encouraging. He texted me often. It was very nice to chat with him when I was alone. He is always so good at keeping me focused. A big thank you to him for tolerating all my nighttime texting.

Anita~

RECOVERY...Lake Tahoe!