Here is a video that we accidentally got that captures a lot to entertain you before you read the journey.
We signed up for this race in February and started training shortly thereafter. We made the decision at the beginning of October to drop from the 50 mile to the 50K and as hard as that decision was to make, it was the best one. It went through my mind countless times that maybe, just maybe when we reach the start/finish area where we would have to head out on the 10 mile out and back to complete the 50 mile race, that maybe we could do it. It is the irrational and stubborn part of my psyche that believed it could happen. Thankfully I married a more sensible and reasonable man who said, no we are just doing the 50K. Okay, fine, we will see, I mean okay.
Several months ago we signed up to go to a trail running camp with RWB (Red White Blue) a veteran's outreach group designed to enrich veteran's lives through physical, social, community activities. I had originally got into the camp, but Kevin didn't. I was so excited that I got in but kept it inside, then a week before we found out he got into it. It was what changed our running forever.
We went to Tempe, near Phoenix for 4 days of running, education and enrichment. It was an all expenses paid camp, lodging, food, everything. It was awesome. The education we got there from amazing mentors and top level athletes was truly invaluable. From nutrition, running form, techniques and simple motivation. (I still need to work on not running like a T-Rex)
In regards to nutrition we just packed in snacks and made sure I ate ever hour so I didn't get mean. We would take electrolyte pills on the hour and drink water. That was the jest of it. In the camp we learned about planning the nutrition out specifically with a plan and following it. So, I sat down and figured it all out. I had gone to Sprouts to look for glucose pills, since you need to replace glucose that is turned to glycogen in your muscles and is burned off. For men, they burn through this glucose in 3 hrs before complete depletion and women in 2 hrs. Made sense to me that you should replace it sooner and why I always felt the way I did. While at Sprouts and I searched and searched and to no avail, then this person turned me to glutamine after explaining why I wanted it and sharing my constant tummy problem on the run....with the runs. So I left with glutamine and some probiotic stuff. A friend at work told me about BCAA, branched chained amino acids, which I remember from the training can help to rebuild proteins lost in muscles. I had already been experimenting with liquid nutrition with Tailwind so I thought I will make up a kick ass concoction.
My friend Krystal had talked to me about being worried about running at night with the Ragnar Relays coming up. I was super excited to take her out on an night run because it is what we love to do, helping people. I thought I would try out my concoction for our run. We walked more than ran, but the mix was perfect. I got done and it was 930 at night and I wanted to run all night. Magic juice.
I used it again for the more efficient testing at Ragnar which was the first week of November that kicked off November-challenge-fest. Last year we thought Ragnar was a challenge, now, it is just a party and fun. But, I used the magic juice and it was working. I didn't have one single GI tract problem. No poo on the run!! Done. It is what we will use for the race. Note, I said we. Kevin hardly ever eats and he was on board. Mostly because it tasted like Jello powder that he would eat as a kid. Who eats that?
For the nutrition for 2 people for 35 miles for someone who sucks at math was a challenge, but one I accepted. I was excited to not feel awful in a race. I put it all together on paper, several pages of notes and came up with: 1 bag=2 scoops of Tailwind which is 200 calories, 1 scoop BCAA, 2 tsp glutamine. Every other bag had caffeine version. We had one at the start in a hand held water bottle that held 16 oz of fluid and the other bags labeled by Aid Station. So, 7 bags each. (1400 calories). For our electrolyte tabs, 2 at the start and 2 on the hour for each of us. Which based on 8 hours would be 32 tabs. (important note--my math is bad and I came up with 28). I gauged our water to be 20 oz per hour each, so I figured his camelback bladder held 50 oz and mine holds 100 oz, but it would be too heavy completely full so if we stayed at least 50oz we would be okay to refill every other aid station. I split up the tabs and baggies of mix for us to put in our packs at the drop bag location at mile 11 and 22 so we weren't carrying all that weight with us. I also packed some extra zip lock bags for snacks from the aid stations if we wanted to eat real food. It was a great plan and the first time I ever planned it out and I was really excited to put it into motion.
I was even more excited to do this race for my running buddy, Corey. Corey is a little boy we have never met and hope to meet one day. He is 9. We entered a program called I run4 Michael which is a group that matches a sick child or young adult to a runner and the runner runs miles they can't and takes them virtually on adventures never thought possible. Corey was matched with us a couple months ago and we couldn't be more excited. He has a disease called luekodystrophy which means his white brain matter is atrophying, it is dying. With it is his functions. I have grown close with his Mother, Nicole and this race was for him. His fragile body pushed us through many training runs and other events since we were matched. Through out the race I had the honor of sharing who he is and encouraging others to join I run4 Michael.
So here is how the race works. It is an out and back course with an Aide station every 5-6.3 miles. There is a time cut off at 3:30 at the last aide station which is 4.9 miles from the finish. The drop off bag point is at the 11 mile mark. There was an option for the 50K to start 30 min earlier if you were worried about making the time cut off. We chose to start earlier, not knowing how my foot would be and any other variables. We had on 50 miler bibs which was confusing to others through out the race. But, we knew the plan and the plan was 50K.
Back to the denial. I was so excited and nervous for this race. Biggest challenge. Months on end of training, injuries, chiropractors, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and sprays, shoes, socks, mixes...so much prep for ONE DAY. It was relate-able to the wedding which I spent a year planning for ONE DAY---but the memories of that day will last a lifetime and I knew the memories of this would last too. In getting the truck packed with our things to stay at his Dad's the night before--45 min closer to the race, I was in denial. Driving across town and searching on the phone for a Papa Johns for pizza for dinner, denial. Laying all our clothes out like we always do, denial. Making our breakfast sandwich for the morning...all denial. Even getting up and driving to the start line--it all felt like a train out of control. It was a weird feeling, just nerves really. Felt like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
We got out to the race area and hung out by the fire and just soaked it all in. It was happening and we were doing this thing. By the end of the day we would know if we were ultra runners for real. If all our work paid off. I was worried with not having a longer run than that awful 23 miles when we dropped down. I always knew we had the mental grit, but 35 miles is a long way on the body.
I won't go into every mile because I simply can't remember every mile, just moments along the way.
We started out really slow and I was already freaking out about the pace. Kevin made the plan for the pace chart (thank god he did with his math skills and not mine). We had the ultimate best case at 13 min pace to worst case scenario with 18 min pace. In the first mile it is uphill and single file and we at first started out too fast and pulled over and notched in slower, which was almost too slow, but a blessing because I always go too fast. After we found our space and pace we were mostly on our own. Eventually we would get passed by the fast 50K people or a late start 50 miler.
We started out with gloves, long sleeve shirt and buff on because it was so cold. We both had short sleeve shirts on and I had arm sleeves too. As the sun was coming up I told Kevin I was getting hot and ready to shed a layer and he was too. We didn't have another technical difficulty stop until the most craziest thing happened. My running capris split at the seam on my inner thigh. They are my favorite and trusted and true so I was sad to see that happen, I was even more baffled by it. I was chaffing in that space and I put some lube on it and used one of the largest race bib safety pins I have ever seen to repair it. Last thing I wanted was my legs rubbing together and it ripping further.
Another stop involved my shoes. I felt like my feet were slipping back and forth and was worried for shearing blisters on the bottom of my feet. I felt like Larry was sliding and it was hurting a lot. It was early in the race, maybe 6 miles or so and I was really worrying it would last. So I cinched down my shoe really tight, almost too tight but I felt like I had more support and it wasn't sliding anymore. Several miles later I did the same to my right shoe. I have never ran with shoes so tight, but, I will from now on.
At the first aide station it was manned by one of my friends from RWB so it was nice to see her. This is also the cut off aid station too. I was hoping the next time I saw this aide station it would be joyful because we made the cut off. We would also see Kathy and Cecilia there. It seemed forever until we would see them, but it was motivation to keep going. This was the Gabe Zimmerman trail head. The whole reason for the race. The race director is Gabe Zimmerman's father. He lost his son due to the January 8, 2011 shootings of Senator Gabbie Giffords and other victims. The trail head has pivotal meanings. I knew as we left that spot, denial was no more.
Along the way there is this tunnel that goes underneath I-10, it is creepy to say the least. Here is going through video and a pic of when we saw it again.
We came into the next aide station at Sahurita road which is also where the drop bag is to replenish our packs and drop our clothes. They are so awesome at every aide station. We came in and they were searching for our bag and opening it and offering to help. A guy playing a guitar as we came in. Everyone was just so happy to see us. Such a wonderful feeling. We left out of there on our way.
Before then I wasn't moving as fast as I would like, it is a gradual incline to the turn around and some nasty terrain was coming up. Kevin being the motivator he is said, "we need to pick the pace up or we aren't going to make it at this rate" Not very motivating. "I am just trying to be realistic, we need to get moving the worst is yet to come" No words spoken for awhile.
But with every race things turn around and get dumped and come around again. I was thankful there were no tummy troubles, legs were tired as expected and miles were ticking away. We came to a road crossing where a couple was with their son and they asked about Corey. I got to share who Corey was and it inspired them to get a running buddy too. We weren't sure but we think the guy said he was signed up for the 1 mile but sprained his ankle and couldn't do it. I thought he said 50, but it may have been 1? Who knows. We were going to ask when we came back through, but they were gone. When we left there I was a little more pepped up to move faster. The trails don't have many people but when they do it is nice and pushes you a little more. After we left them dark times were coming.
The really hard part. Miles 13-17. The terrain is rough, the incline is steep and it was getting hot out. I was so thirsty. At the 11 mile aid station when we should have refilled we both discovered we didn't drink much water. At this point I realized I was having an issue with my camelback bite valve, it was leaking and I was sucking air. Every time I had to drink I had to put my thumb over the split and hold it with two hands. It was a pain. We were good with our drink nutrition but this was so annoying and it was hard and our pace was slipping quickly.
We came to another road crossing which helped lift my spirits. It was these two guys and a young girl. He said, across the street is bacon. Bacon, heck yeah. I got a piece and decided to do some metabolic process which caused me to inhale some and choke. To this moment I think I have bacon in my lungs. Bad bacon. I did get a twizzler, thought that will be good. It sucked the saliva out of my mouth like eating a paper towel. How can twizzlers and bacon go bad?
I cried on those 13-17 miles sure we missed our chance. We had to step aside so many times to allow a person to come the opposite way. Each time Larry swore at me words I never heard a foot say before. Yes, my foot told me to f off. All I could think about was ice. Cold ice. I was so thirsty and for God's sake how much longer until we get to the turn around so we can go down this crap? I was upbeat and said good job to everyone I saw and they said it back. The camaraderie in an ultra is amazing, won't find this on the road where the leader will say to you that you are looking good!!
In those 13-17 miles Kevin did the unthinkable. He fell. He never falls. I turned to make sure he was okay and he said don't stop I am fine, keep moving. I know his pride was hurt, but kept on moving.
We finally got into sight of the aide station with signs of a pirate ship coming up, with walk the plank and other references. I kind of thought are they really expecting me to walk on a piece of wood, because that is bs.
Of course it wasn't, they were all dressed like pirates and elated to see us!! We both had our jobs at the aide stations, which were unwritten, but it is how it worked. He took our water bottles and took care of the mix and filling and they took our packs and filled with water and ice and I would eat something and get him something if he wanted it. We would take turns peeing if need be. This time I asked for tape to fix my nozzle. The ladies were on it right away trying to help me. It was awesome. I asked them to fill my bladder up full because it was leaking. Kevin had offered his many times but I was so annoyed I didn't want to drink out of his to slow us down. When I choked on the bacon I peed a little because I had to go so bad and didn't want to slow us down. Dark times.
At this aide station I experienced euphoria in the shape of small cubes of ice cold watermelon. It was ice cold like ice cubes I was dreaming about and it tasted amazing. I have a new addiction to watermelon. Every aide station after that I had watermelon. I put some in my ziplock bag, had duct tape on my nozzle and ice cold water in the pack. Kevin said we are behind. How bad. Bad. How bad, we have to go 13 miles in 3 hours. Feeling all pepped up on watermelon I said no problem we can do it!!! I am sure the people at the aid station thought we were on crack.
So off we went. We saw all those behind us and gave them encouragement to how close the turn around was. Kevin said we have to commit to running all the downhills no matter what. I was on a mission and we can do this. My damn camelback was still leaking. I decided to use a blister bandaid and that worked finally. Still leaked if I bent over, but it was better then before. I tasted bandaid the rest of the race. Kevin said at least it is sterile. Thanks.
We picked up the pace being able to run downhill. The training we got at camp came into play again with hips facing where you want the body to go and not the feet going where you want to be. It seems simple, but it is easy to lead with your feet and not your hips. We caught up to people even. Passed some too. Caught up to a guy eventually that we nicknamed Lucky Charms from what was on his shirt and it was green. He was moving really well and we passed him up. We caught up to another girl named Marti and she was walking fast but doing well. We did the cat and mouse with her for awhile. Caught up to two older gentlemen and passed them up. We were going to be okay. Then it happened. I had to go poo (only one of two for the entire race). It was a barren area, but I had to go. I found a tree just off the trail and went. Well crap the two guys caught up with me with my pants down. I called out to Kevin to maybe have him create a diversion but he was too far away, so the guys saw my bare ass. I wiped and apologized and they understood. Trail drops have to happen. Only in an ultra!!
So we stayed with the guys for awhile, can't remember if we lost them before or after Sahurita Road Aide station. They got ahead of us. Marti was with us for awhile and we went ahead and ended up at the Aide station together. At that stop we were doing good on time, we were going to make Gabe no problem. They were awesome there. Gave us Popsicles and more watermelon. Had a swig of Coke and Mountain Dew, Kevin had a few pretzels. We used the purple porta potty and I was thankful they have that handle on the inside so I could get up. I chatted with the aide guy about my camel back problem and he immediately offered to get one from his truck. I declined but was blown away. Aide station volunteers in an ultra are a special breed. Seriously amazing!!! As we left a funny thing happened with the race numbers being for the 50 mile. So the lady said you are for the 50 mile and Kevin said no, we quit that. Which came out like we are quitting and I said no, no, we dropped to the 50K from the start, we are not quitters. However, at that aide station which is 22-23 miles, Lucky charms who was doing well, quit. A kid half our age, quit. A former friend who is an Ironman, quit at this aid station last year. We are NEVER QUITTERS. You have to drag our cold dead bodies off before we quit. We may DNF, but we will never quit. Unfathomable.
Off we went. We had 6.3 miles to the next Aide station and cut off. We had it in the bag, but we needed to get moving. All through the race Kevin kept Kathy up to date on us and where we were at and ETA of things. He recharged his phone once and mine was fine the whole way. We left there and started the emotions. We were going to do this. I am crying typing this.
We came back to the bacon-twizzler crew. I took my time and talked to the sweet girl there, sharing far too much info with her about peeing in the wilderness. Her dad said she had to pee on a rock today and it was a big deal. I told her the wind blows and it goes on your shoes sometimes. She was sweet with fresh painted nails from the spa. They didn't have anymore bacon but had slim jims. Kevin ate one and I had a few twizzlers that thankfully didn't suck the saliva from my mouth and off we went.
We caught up to the old guys again and Marti. We came into sight of where Gabe Zimmerman was. I started getting emotional again. I felt I had to announce it to Kevin. "I am getting emotional". It was silly. Then I saw Kathy and Cecilia and I was done. Tears flowing now. They joined us for a 1/4 mile or so and we were booking it, we are on a timeline. We got into Gabe and so much love and excitement. I made the mistake of trying to fill the bottles and made a giant mess. I wanted more watermelon but forgot I had a ziplock bags and asked if they had one. Kathy poured half the container into a gallon bag which was hilarious but I really didn't care. Before GZ Kevin said as long we get in and get out in time we can crawl the rest, take a nap, whatever, we just need to get in and get out in time. Deal and mentally it stuck like super glue.
We left GZ at 2:59, 31 minutes before the cut-off. Armed with a gallon ziplock of watermelon (which I ate like a hostage with my left hand for wiping purposes) and knowing we did this, we just enjoyed the last part of this journey. The wheels were loose on the train and they just wiggled right the hell off. Our pace was snail worthy. We got our asses handed to us!!! We had the water and nutrition, our bodies were just done. Our mental was not. That is what the ultra is about the physical is 40% and the mental is 60%!! It is so pretty this last part, the favorite really but it seems to go on forever really. The longest 5 miles known to man. When the phone said 31 miles we celebrated we did a 50K and only a 5K to go. Just a simple 5K to go. Wow. Heavy words. A 5K. 3.1 miles. This was the most awful miles covered. It was uphill until you get to a saddle where you can see the finish area. That saddle, that damn saddle seemed to not exist. I thought more then a hundred times that we were no longer on the trail. I didn't see the orange markers anymore. We were lost. I was sure of it. Then a marker would turn up and I would say holy crap we are still on the trail for real? Why are we not at the saddle? Where is the saddle? Can I not ever hear the word saddle again? Saddle. Saddle. Saddle. Saddle.
Somewhere out here Kevin said it is time for tablets, pills etc. and I opened the container to two tablets left. Damn Math.....we still had a ways to go. This was a rock that nearly ended us.
All through the day we had mountain bikers who checked on folks and just talked with us from time to time. I questioned them on if we were on the right course and they laughed and said we were. The saddle was just up there or this far or that far or straight this way. It was comical and awful. Each step was a challenge. Down hurt Kevin's knees. Up hurt Larry. We tried to carry on conversation. I asked how he was doing? He said Peachy.
Well hell. I love peaches. Peach tea. Peach Pie. Peach Balini. Peach Cobbler. Sliced peaches and ice cream. Sliced peaches with cinnamon. It occupied my mind for awhile.
Another thing that occupied my mind was Corey. His struggles to make his legs work, his mind do what he wants, to be a normal boy. Our good friend Marco De Leon who is a wounded combat veteran with shrapnel in his body and half his body that doesn't work right and spine that fails him. But he trekked up a hill we call Tumamoc which is a tough climb on two able legs in a perfect body. On Veteran's day he pushed up and down that hill on foot one agonizing step after another and he did it. He never quit. Last year he needed help pushed by a wheelchair!! I thought about my patients who are too weak to walk. Who wish they could walk again before the stroke took their ability or stole their mind to know right from left. I could do this for them. It isn't a time for selfishness.
Then more mountain bike guys came and I shared my dismay about the invisible freaking saddle. They rode up to the Saddle and waved the flags where it was. Amen. It is in sight UP THERE. We spoke to the race director and he thinks he may put a lighted flag up there.
We reached the SADDLE!!!! We could hear the finish area. We could see it. We could taste it. Would they have peaches? It was there. I announced "I am emotional". He was too. Then all of a sudden this guy comes up from the trail and says "Hey Kevin and Kristin, it is you!!!" He was so excited to see us. Had us pose for a picture there in that SADDLE and I was fighting more tears. He was awesome. Part of the race crew as he had a radio and shared we were alive and okay.
These are pics Cecilia got of us coming down from the Saddle.
I felt a pep in my step I hadn't had in me for a long time and we ran. After 34 miles, we ran. We ran to the wash and stopped running or we would fall to our death. We climbed this dumb little hill out of the wash and ran to the finish. We crossed under the banner and hugged and cried and hugged and cried some more. Then we were told no, this is the finish line, 20 more damn feet. So Kevin drug me up across the line and we were done. We freaking did it!!!!!!! We ran 35 miles and are ultra runners. I can't stop crying for what an awesome moment that was for US. We celebrated our first year of marriage tackling a challenge together.
AMAZING. He even gave me a rock for our anniversary!!!!
I can't wait to see what is next.....oh wait, I already know!!
10 Things your Momma don't tell you about doing an ultra marathon:
1. Get pretty smelling TP, your nose and butt will appreciate it. I can't do snot rockets.
2. Treasure the small things like watermelon
3. Trust your plan and follow it
4. Leave competitiveness at the house
5. Prepare for transformation not put into words
6. Ultras will make you feel like a moth does to a bug zapper
7. Try everything and try some more
8. Never ever say I can't, I quit, I won't as soon as you do--it comes true
9. Believe in miracles
10. Time space travel happens out there before you know it
After the race all the focus putting one foot in front of the other kind of ends and you have to put together the rest of the evening. Food. Chair. Massage. Food. Beer. Wine. Peaches. Driving home. It was a team effort to get us food and home. We got some garlic knots from Papa Johns, wine, gatorade and Pepto (just in case) and mac and cheese from Albertsons and Steak and Chicken strips from Lucky Wishbone. Got home to his dads in one piece, ate some chicken on the way and we got in the hot tub. Followed by motrin and shower and food and beverage watching the U of A and Utah game. Okay I slept on the couch mostly as Kevin watched the game. To note, when I push myself really hard I push my lungs to the point they sound like I have emphysema. It is bad. I think it was the bacon but not sure. Still a cough today a couple days later. However I was making the weirdest noises. On the trail I thought I heard ducks, it was my wheezing. As I laid on the couch the sounds I made were bad. When we went to sleep I was making noises in my nose and lungs. A side effect of exertion. It is my personal way of saying, I gave it everything I had. Everything. We didn't eat much that night and it was so hard to sleep to try to get comfortable. The next night was better and tonight will be the best, we had a massage.
So what is next? El Tour de Tucson 104 mile bike ride of course. It is Saturday. While I am typing this he is working the logistics for El Tour.... The morning after the race I looked up Elephant Mountain 50K, my first attempt which I had a DNF for from missing the cut off by 8 min for the last loop and we will be doing that on Feb 20th, redemption. I have learned so much since then and it is easier then the 50/50. Oh and the Tucson Marathon is in 3 weeks....and then Feb 6 we are doing 2 parts of a Half Ironman for Benjamin's Memorial. Corey will be with us each step and pedal. Benjamin who motivates us each day will always be there!!! We saw hints of him every training race and all over the day with butterflies fluttering to show us the way and keep us going.
It took us 10:41 to do this....over 3 hours to go 4.9 miles, when we went 13 in 3 hours.
Never quit. Never stop believing in the impossible. Live life to the fullest each and every day!!
P.S. 50 mile race in March....possible.....yes......
Great write up, Kristin, enjoyed reading it all. Laughed out loud a few times! My son & his wife head up the aid station committee, I saw my DIL in one of the photos of your finish. Thank you for participating & sharing your post. Best to you & your sweetie.
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