BlackBeards Revenge 100K: Gird Yourself

 "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." Acts 12:8

8 of us gals took a road trip to race Blackbeard's Revenge. 5 of the gals were battling the harsh conditions as a relay team that started much earlier than my10am start. 

It was 7am in the Outer Banks and the wind was blowing with intense anger. I found myself trembling at the thought of racing in the brutal conditions. 

BlackBeard's Revenge 100K

Place: Outer Banks N. Carolina 

Distance: 62 miles

Time: 10am

Elevation:189ft

Weather: 59'degrees, Head wind 35mph, rain

I curled up on the couch with my coffee, throw blanket and bible. 

I was feeling a little bit lost. 

I was lacking confidence in my training, my abilities and my body. 

I opened my bible searching for a voice bigger than my own. I needed the Lord to fill in my inadequacies.

This was the only area that I was confident in, my Faith that the Lord would direct me, would call me and lead me. 

I began to read...And I prayed. And the Lord navigated me to "Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord will, we will live and also do this or that..." 

I rested there, humbly with peace and contentment. 

I wanted more so I opened my bible study on "BY FAITH" and the Lord showed up in a mighty way. 

"An Angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and He struck Peters side and woke him up saying, "Get up Quickly." and his chains fell off his hands. And an Angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me..."  Acts 12:7-8

GIRD YOURSELF ANITA:

Lynn, Christina and I pulled up to Jennettes Pier, our starting line. The winds raged around us; the rain was pummeling us as we rushed towards the protection inside the store. The pier reaches out into the ocean 1000 ft, displaying violent waves that crashed into each other with fury.  High white caps and loud winds added another element of fear as we quickly entered shelter. 

The course had already been changed in the middle of the night due to the turbulent evening which resulted in flooding. We were still waiting on the final call, if they were going to allow us to run across the bridge. 

Just minutes before the start they announced we would get to run the bridge; this produced an ignorant applause. We would find out very soon what suffering was really like. 

GOO time! The three of us girls headed across the starting mats with blind faith and excitement. I instantly noticed I messed up my RACEJOY app. I needed this app to work, I had family following me and I needed them. I had helped both the girls set theirs up and now here they were helping me recover mine! 

After we fixed my technical difficultly, I GIRDED myself up and settled in. Together us gals stayed together but the winds were so loud I found myself talking thinking they were with me rather when I turned around, I discovered I had been talking to myself. 

It was less than a mile and I knew I would be running a long, lonely, blistering race. 

MY PLAN: 

I always have a plan; I fight and battle to follow a plan seeking God in all of it. Prepared for God to change things up at any time...His Will be DONE.

Run BY 20'S- 

• The first 20 miles 10-10:30min miles
• The second 20 Miles 10:30-11min miles
• Last 22 -11-12min miles
• Finishing in a sub-12-hour 100K

I broke down the plan even more, into 5-mile increments. Every mile intentionally eating and drinking. We had a strong head wind, so I just tucked myself in and coached myself to stay calm and steady. 

The first aid station came about the 5-mile marker. I quickly ran in and grabbed a hummus wrap, the rain had subsided allowing my food to not be soggy. 

I saw the bridge as it melted into the gray sky with no prominent boundaries. I told myself this is what I train for. I train for elevation, for suffering, for discomfort. I entered the bridge with the wind smacking me harshly in the face. The elevation was gentle allowing me to not feel too abused all at once. The bridge is 2 miles long and the center of the bridge takes a more drastic climb. I was fixated on my pace trying so hard to stay on target as the unmerciful winds blasted me head on. Dead birds mangled and lifeless had met their demise in these harsh conditions and were scattered all across the bridge. With a sustaining 35 mile an hour wind gusts of up to 60mph would almost stop me in my tracks. I would grunt and wince clenching me fists and laughing like a crazy person. Snot was dripping down my nose, my fingers were frozen, and the rain appeared again searing through me. 

And I laughed harder. Andys last words to me were "Anita, you are going to have a head wind right in your teeth..." 

He wasn't lying! 

I made it up, turned around and headed back with the wind at my back. 

I saw both Christina and Lynn on the turnaround, they looked strong, and I cheered them on. 

"Get to 20 miles Anita".  

The SECOND 20.

I somehow made pace through severe winds, pelting rain, flooded roads and solo running. This race was all pavement, roads and highways. I have been avoiding pavement due to an injury I have been battling for months. My left shin has been temperamental and pavement pounding exasperates it. 

But here I was going into mile 20 with NO pain. What did concern me was cramping. The temperatures warmed up and the humidity was at 95%. I drank water from my hydration pack, pickle juice, took salt tabs and drank Tailwind at the aid stations. I came into the aid stations full of life thanking all the volunteers with great appreciation. 

And I ate. I knew I had to stay ahead of my calories. 

I maintained my pace, encouraged by all the "CHEERS" I was getting from the RACEJOY app when Andy called me. 

Andy was following me from the app from home in Michigan, he was getting notifications on every mile, my pace and my exact whereabouts. "NITA, how long are you going to maintain that pace?" Andy was uneasy with my pace because of my injury and lack of training. 

I responded "I feel good, I'll be slowing down..." 

Only I never really did that second 20. 

THE Final 22. 

It was closing in on 6pm. I was staying lucid doing math and extrapolating miles, pace and time. But fatigue was approaching. I told myself I would slow down only to argue back to keep running pace while I felt decent. 

The temperatures slowly dropped again. I drank some warm water at one aid station with a PBJ, some ramen noodles and a banana bite at another. 

I had caught up with another 100K runner and we went back and forth encouraging each other but I picked up my pace to pass her for the final time. 

This is when I knew I was racing. 

As the sun began to set, I was noticing the same cars piggy backing. They were the 100-mile crew cars. They also noticed me. They would roll down their windows and shout and scream, I would raise my hands with thumbs up and high fives. 

I came into an aid station around 8pm hot. I knew I needed to get out fast. The workers were great as I yelled what I needed. As I was quickly getting out a girl jumped out of a car I recognized and said "I have to come see you, you are amazing..." I blushed said thank you and said, "Glory to God" and headed back into the evening feeling far from amazing. 

I would see her several more times. About 9 pm the evening rested darkness around me, I could see my breath with every exhale, and I didn't have the energy to put my long sleeve shirt back on. I committed to just running. I had been adding walk breaks but I knew in order to stay warm I needed to keep moving. 

My knee was beginning to ache, my feet were so sore and I had removed the last latch on my hydration pack because my ribs were so tender and bruised. 

And I could no longer see enough to trust my legs when I saw that same girl in the white car. I ran to her side and knocked on the window. I scared the sh@% out of her!  But asked her if she could reach in my pack to get my handheld light. She was my road angel. 

The wind picked up and I had called Andy a few times when I got turned around but now Andy was calling me to cheer me up. 

I had run for hours by myself. With winds, rain, pavement pounding, my own stinking thinking was elevating, and I was just getting so tired. I answered the phone whiny and winded. "I am so cold, and so tired..." But Andy wouldn't have it. He doubled down, shared what the last 5 miles would be like and told me to get after it. 

I had a 2 mile out and back section. Anguished at the winds and cold I made it to the turn around. Andy had called back "Nita, is your shin hurting?" I grumbled "No". And he hollered back "THEN GOO! I want to see the last miles 10min/mi, you have a tail wind, PICK IT UP!!" 

It took me a second to let that all register. GO! I picked it up running with purpose. Alive and strong my mental fortitude powered back up. 

BUT as the second mile to the finish approached my phone rang again, it was Andy. "ANITA!! YOU missed your turn!" 

"WHAT?" I squawked. 

I praised God that Andy had been tracking me so closely. I had ran right by Corolla Park where the finish was, overshot about a quarter mile. 

It's not a race if Anita doesn't get lost, especially on an OUT AND BACK! 

I came into the Finish so happy to finish I had no idea why everyone was making over me. 

I had no idea I was First Place Overall Female!

I praised God. 

RUNDOWN: 

Gird yourself...I had chains of doubt, chains of being broken and discouraged. But I "CAME to Myself"(Acts 12:11) somewhere at mile 20 and realized that the Lord makes a way when there is no way! 

Some races will test you more than others. 

Sometimes you will be able to rise to the challenge. 

Sometimes you go at in faith with fear in the shadows.

BUT whether it's FAITH or FEAR it is BOTH BRAVE and BEAUTIFUL when you RISE to the challenge. 

TIME: 11:16:47

1st Place Female, 4th Overall

SPECIAL THANKS to those who cheered me through RACEJOY or text me during my race, it meant SOO much to me: Leeanne C, Holly P,  Antonio R, Tricia B, Doug M, Jamie B, Deanna T, Deb C. Andy, Tanya K, Deborah M, Barb F, Holly P, Erica A, Sarah K,  and Sara F. 

"Setting Goals requires gazing way out at the horizon of your life. But once you set your course, most of the time your awareness should be on the trail under your feet," Lauren Fleshman

In Peace, Not Pieces,

Anita