Nanny Goat 12 Hour Race Report

On Saturday, I ran my second 12 Hour run - The Nanny Goat in Riverside, CA. I had the option of starting at 8am or at 8pm. I was leaning toward running at night but the weather forecast said it would be cool & partly cloudy so I decided to run it during the day and I'm really glad I did.

Pre-Race
Since I decided to do the 8am start, I carbo loaded on Friday and I think I did a pretty good job of it. On Saturday morning, I got up at 5, ate breakfast, and got dressed. Then I packed my backpack and a chair for the day. I made sure to pack a couple extra pairs of shoes and socks along with food, Scaps, Aleve, and body glide.

Once I got to the ranch where the race was at, I set up my chair in a strategic location - close to the porta-potties and the food! :) Then I checked in, got my bib, timing chip, shirt, and mug.

The Plan
My training for this was pretty much non-existent because I hurt my foot back in March. My longest run in the last 2 months was the 19 mile run/hike on my birthday last weekend. I also had one 16.5 mile run and a handful of half marathons and that's it. No back-to-backs either. Like I mentioned before, I wasn't scared about this but honestly didn't know what to expect. I dreamed about hitting 50 miles (A goal), or my age (B goal), but hoped to just be on my feet all 12 hours (C goal). With that in mind I decided my plan for this would be 5 min running/1 min walking. It felt doable. I hoped. :)

Race
Steve, the RD, gathered us in the barn for last minute instructions and then we were off! Lucy Jacobs (carrying the flag below) led us out of the barn. It was a reminder of why and who we were running for at the Nanny Goat. FYI - Lucy did the 24 Hour and she carried the flag the entire time!

I ran the entire first loop to get the excitement out of my system. When I came to the barn (where the timing mat was), I heard "Hey, Run It Fast." and then "Go Lisa!". I looked and it was Kylie! I knew she would be there. :) On the second loop, I started the interval timer on my watch and started the plan. I had to stop and say hello to Kylie and give her a hug when I got back to the barn but other than that, I kept to the plan for the first 30 miles.

I did have some extra breaks in there - bathroom breaks (damn hamster bladder), 2 shoe/sock changes. Also, about 2 hours into it, I walked a little bit with Kylie who, by the way, went into labor last night and little Mackenzie was born this morning! Congrats Kylie and Mike! See, my plan to help her start labor totally worked. ;)

Back to the race... My feet started hurting around 3 hours into the race. I'd brought 2 other pairs of shoes with me because I wasn't sure which I would want and I decided to change shoes at 3.5 hours to see if it would help. It did for a little while though not much but I stuck with the plan. Those laps seemed to go by quickly but things were starting to go south. Every lap, my feet felt heavier and heavier. I changed my shoes and socks again at 6.5 hours and I think that was a mistake. The sock change was good but I saw I already had a blister on each foot. Even with the gaiters, the dust/sand got in my shoes. I think once I knew for sure they were there it was harder to ignore them.

I told myself I had to stick to the plan for at least 50K but I couldn't resist the hamburgers they were barbecuing and grabbed 1/2 a cheeseburger as I finished lap 30. I walked while I ate it and then finished a run/walk for the lap but not really the plan schedule. Probably more walk than run. After that, I thought maybe walking a couple of laps would give my feet a rest. I grabbed my camera as I finished lap 31 so I could take some pics of the course while I walked.

There were basically 3 types of terrain there: the grassy/gopher hole section (above right), the dirt orchard lane section (right), and a stretch of road (below).

That's Run It Fast - The Club Member #121 Ed Ettinghausen in the Jester costume! He had a whole bunch of hats and changed them throughout the day. When I heard a jingle, I'd know it was him and check to see what he was wearing next. His hats:

One more thing about Ed. He was a fabulous cheerleader on the course. He learned everyone's name and he greeted you by name every time he saw you and offered encouragement. Totally cool! Here's a few more pics of the ranch:

Nice course, huh? Interesting stuff to see and different surfaces to keep you paying attention. Though I think the gopher hole section contributed to my calf problems later I enjoyed it. After this, I put my camera away but continued walking. I was at the 8 hour mark and sort of resigned myself to walking the rest of the day. The next 90 minutes were all walking. I am a slow walker but I was trying to do at least 3 laps per hour. Each lap, my feet felt more and more like bricks and I was so frustrated. It wasn't just the blisters but the whole foot and ankle that were hurting. I didn't even pay attention to laps but I think it was lap 36 were I seriously considered stopping. In my mind, I said I would rest for 30 min or an hour and then start again but I kind of figured if I did that, I wouldn't go back out. :(

Not only were my feet killing me but so were my calves and my legs were complete noodles because after the cheeseburger, I hadn't felt like eating and all I was doing when I stopped was a cup of coke or sprite and  a slice of fruit. I decided I would try changing my shoes one more time and take some Aleve and see how it went. I changed back into pair #2 for the day but didn't want to take my socks off  (or look at my feet). I also grabbed some peanut butter & jelly crackers. I tweeted my frustration while I was sitting there but then I made myself get up and start walking again.

I walked for about half that lap, read the encouragement from my tweeps and then a funny thing happened. I decided to see if I could start running again. And I did! Woo! Maybe it was the Aleve kicking in or the pb&j crackers or a second wind. Whatever it was, I was so happy. I was running! :) So then I decided that I didn't want to risk walking again and I finished that lap without walking again and then ran the next 5 laps. They were slow but I didn't care because I was running.

Towards the end of lap 42, my stomach started feeling not so good and my right calf started to twinge like it wanted to cramp. It was getting close to the 11th hour and I think I burned up whatever second wind I had because I started feeling noodley again. I was so happy to finish lap 42 and see I only had 1 hour left! I ran/walked the last hour and got 3 more laps in. I finished lap 45 at 11 hours and 53 minutes so not enough time for another lap or new PR. :( But hello, I ran 45 miles! I was so sure I wouldn't even make it to 40 that I was thrilled with 45. I had run the last part of that lap with another runner and when we finished we congratulated each other. Turns out we both ran 45 miles. He said "We could have run the whole thing together." and I wondered to myself how different our paths were to the same place.

Post Race & Thoughts
My second 12 Hour was in the books! They took my chip and gave me my medal:

The medal also has a magnet on the back and can be used as a refrigerator magnet. I think it's a fun medal. This is what the 12 & 24 hour people got. If you ran the 100 miler, then you got a buckle. Once I had my medal, I went back to the barbecue and grabbed a piece of tri-tip (no bread or anything else - coyote style ;) ) that I had been smelling for the last few laps and ate that while I rested for a little while. I was starting to get cold so I packed up my stuff and headed home to clean up and take care of my feet.

So...I reached my B goal for the night. My age - 44 plus 1 to grow on. :) I was really surprised that I ran 45 miles yesterday when I considered myself undertrained vs. 45.6 miles for the New Years 1 Day where I considered my training just about perfect. I wonder if it's just that I had done it before so knew I could do it again? What do you think?

All I know is that though I had not so much fun with my feet, I had fun talking to the other runners, watching the horses, the dogs, & crazy guard chickens on the farm, seeing the runner's family cheering everyone on, that it was a beautiful day to run, and it gave me an opportunity to battle some demons. When I was getting frustrated, I tried to remind myself that I was lucky that I COULD put myself thru that torture, I mean, fun. I would see Lucy on the course, carrying that flag and not complaining, and just keep moving forward. I thought of my grandpa walking everywhere. I thought of Joshua and Naresh running Vol State 500 last year when they were tired and their feet hurt. I thought of all my twitter friends who've run 100 miles and suffered more than I did. But most of all, I tried not to think at all and just keep moving.

This was the first race in a long time where I listed to music (last 8 hours) to fill my mind with something else besides my feet. I had to laugh because the song that was playing when I finished was Fallin' by Alica Keys.

Oh, oh, I never felt this way / How do you give me so much pleasure and cause me so much pain? / Just when I think I've taken more than would a fool / I start fallin' back in love with you

Definitely some lows/pain during the day but a happy ending. Running can be a bitch but you gotta love something that can give you such amazing experiences and teach you lessons like this. :)  

Thanks for reading!

Jackson Jackass 50K Race Report

You know how when you were a kid, you'd be super excited about Christmas and then be disappointed because you got clothes & underwear? Yeah, that didn't happen on my trip to Tennessee. It was the best trip ever! Even with the mud and the rain...maybe because of it actually...the Jackson Jackass 50K was a wild, fun ride.

Pre-Race
I flew to Tennessee on Thursday so I could have a nice easy day on Friday. The flights went well and I arrived in Memphis about 2:30. I drove downtown to check out Beale St. for a while and then drove to Jackson.

On Friday, I decided to check out the trail for Saturday. I probably shouldn't have but I was a little nervous about it. I didn't run the whole thing and that was probably a good thing because if I'd known what was waiting for me, I would have really freaked out! When I was done, I had a message from Joshua (@bayou) and I met him and Jonathan (@JonathanBobbitt) for lunch at Jimmy Johns. It was a fun lunch. Those two crack me up and it was great to finally meet Jonathan.

After lunch, I went to the store to get supplies for my drop bag and then went back to the hotel to put my feet up until dinner. Just before 5:30, I walked over to meet Dallas (@smithbend) at the old Country Store where we were meeting the others for dinner. We had hot chocolate in the Ice Cream Shoppe while we talked and he signed one of his books I'd brought with me. Pretty soon the other started showing up and what do you know...I was the only woman! Me and 9 Southern Gentlemen. I may have been a little quiet because I was enjoying listening to them talk. I love southern accents. Sigh. ;) But seriously, everyone was very nice and the food was delicious. I ate too much but couldn't help it! It was the best pre-race dinner I've ever had. Good food, good company, lots of running talk...what more could a runner girl ask for?

When I got back to the hotel, I put my feet up again and went to bed about 11, I think. I woke up the next morning to the sound of pouring rain. Good thing too because I forgot to set the alarm! Doh! Ate breakfast, finished packing my drop bag, got dressed, and headed to the race. I met Dallas and Emily (@trailjunke) in the parking lot and we walked over to the start. I met all the others I hadn't met which was fun and so cool to finally put real faces to all te twitter names I've been following.

The Race
It was still raining a little bit but it wasn't cold. We gathered at the start and Naresh sent us off into the wilds of Jackson. ;) OK, not really but it certainly felt like it. Yes, I was scared. I run trails at home a lot. Single track, hills, rocks. But not mud. I thought I had hidden my fear but Josh told me later he saw it on my face. It wasn't that I didn't think I could do the distance. I just didn't know if I could handle what the day had in store for me. So I let everyone go in front of me so I wouldn't slow anyone down. I found Josh waiting for me at two points on the course to give me advice and I was really thankful for that. Other than that, I was on my own most of the time.

The first lap was the hardest. I fell twice in the mud and I was really, really frustrated with how slow I was and how terrible I was doing with the mud. I'd tried to catch myself both times with my right arm and my shoulder was not a happy camper. It still wasn't 100% from whatever I did a couple of weeks ago and didn't even like carrying my bottle in that hand. But it wasn't a game changer. Just one more thing I was frustrated with. I would like to apologize for the 2 times I jerked it hard and let out a bad word or three! Anyway... I finally gave myself a firm taking to and told myself to get over the pity party. To stop thinking about it and just do it and concentrate on getting the current lap done.

I was feeling good in the beginning. Legs felt good. I felt good. When I got thru the first loop, I felt better. There wasn't anything I couldn't handle as long as I paid attention. The second loop was pretty uneventful. Two more falls, more slides really, and I was still worried about my overall time (didn't want the guys to have to wait around for me) but I just kept moving.

However, the third loop was miserable. Right as I left the aid station, my stomach went wonky. I figured it would get better but I stopped eating and drinking to give it a chance to settle. I thought I might throw up a couple times and maybe it would have helped if I did, but no. When I got back to the aid station, I didn't know what to do as far as food/drink goes. I didn't want to give up my gu brew yet so didn't get any water. Naresh (@iamarunr) talked me into some pretzels and I grabbed a handful and left for loop 4. About half way through that loop, my stomach felt normal and then it was never an issue again. I think I fell once on loop 3 and once on loop 4 so my average was going down! Woo! Things were looking up!

I realized while I was into loop 4 that I was half way thru the race but at no time did I ever think of the race in terms of miles. I didn't wear my Garmin so had no idea what mile I was on ever. I'm kind of glad. Anyway, I was getting passed by the fast guys and Emily and I would move off to the side and watch them go by marveling at how fast and strong they were running. That was a very cool aspect of a loop course. Usually fast runners are way out in front and you never see them. But this course gave me that chance and they all had encouraging words for me which helped a lot. In fact, I got way more encouragement out there than I gave. I would see glimpses of other runners but without my glasses, I couldn't always tell for sure who they were unless I remembered what they were wearing. I enjoyed my brief moments with Jeff, Jonathan, Emily, Dallas, and Josh. Emily made sure to remind me that she'd brought potatoes, pretzels, & pb&js and that might help my stomach. Dallas ran with me for a while on one of my laps and that was very cool.

I tried to finish my gu brew before I got back to the aid station so I could switch to my water bottle. I realized that I'd only had 20 oz of liquid in more than 4 1/2 hours and that probably wasn't a good thing! On the next pass thru, I did grab my bottle with water and some potatoes w/salt and some peanut butter crackers I'd brought. Laps 5 & 6 went well. They passed in kind of a blur. I'd learned where my bad patches were so I could avoid falling again. In fact, I have to say I really enjoyed those laps. I'm not sure why but when I was in the "lost" section, I found myself singing as I ran. I don't think anyone was around to hear me, but if you heard a coyote howling...that was me. ;) I couldn't remember many songs though so went to some old faves: Amazing Grace, You Are My Sunshine, The Jello commercial jingle (watch it wiggle, see it jiggle...), and an old lullaby my aunt used to sing to me. Strange choices, I know, but they made me smile.

After one of these laps, I remember being super, super thirsty and Naresh filled my bottle, waited for me to drink it, then filled it again. He talked me into more food and I took some pb&j and some potato. Heading out to the last lap, Josh gave me some Aleve. My shoulder was killing me. I'd tried not to use that arm at all but had to at the rope section and a couple of other muddy hills and had used it to stop a couple of slides. But my poor left arm did most of the work that day. The Aleve helped a lot.

Finally, finally, finally...I was on my last lap! I kept thinking as I passed through some of the muddy sections "yay, I don't have to do that again!" I was going along pretty well and then BAM! Caught my foot on a root and went down onto my left side! Thank god. I landed on my knee and shoulder but the nice thing about the trail was that it was nice and soft from all the mud. Picked myself up, dug my bottle out of the mud, cleaned it off with a leaf, and went on my way. I didn't sing on that lap really. Just a little Amazing Grace. Figured I could use all the help I could get. ;)

And then I saw heaven. As you got near to the aid station, you could glimpse the blue tarp there thru the trees. And then the guys would start shouting encouragement and it would make me so happy to hear them and know I was close that I'd pick it up a little. I never saw them at that point but it was comforting to know they were there. Then I'd turn the corner and usually see Naresh waiting for me. But this time was different! You see, when you finished the 7th loop, you had one more mini loop of less than a mile to do. When i finished loop 7, Josh and Naresh were waiting for me. I didn't stop and then surprise! Josh joined me for my last loop! He told me to do whatever, he was just going to keep me company. And then we heard someone behind us and it was Naresh! He joined me for my last loop too! I cannot even begin to tell you how much it meant to me to have them with me for that last loop. The two of them have inspired me no end and not just because they are two of the toughest ultrarunners I know but because they are two of the nicest, most generous men I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Perfect example...Josh had a cracked rib and Naresh had hurt his knee. Neither of them should have been running but they ran with me to celebrate my finish. :) That is what I'm talking about when I say they are generous. I would have cried they made me so happy but there's no crying in ultrarunning. :)

So...we turned that last corner and I was done! Josh gave me my medal and we took some pictures and it was the most fun and satisfying finish of all my races. My second ultra and my first 50k. Woo! Josh had asked me while we were running if this had been harder than the 12 HR I did and I said yes. It was much more difficult and challenging and intense. But also a lot more fun to run with so many people I'd gotten to know. And the challenge made the finish that much more satisfying! I did it!

Post Race
I was the last one to finish so when I was done we cleaned up the area and went back to the cars. We made plans to eat together after and decided on Coyote Blues. Ha! Loved that! I'd told them I was dreaming of burritos that last lap and Coyote Blues was a Cajun Mex restaurant. I went back to the hotel and took the fastest shower of my life! And one of the messiest. Mud everywhere! But I was hungry! Coyote Blues was a lot of fun. I had some crab enchiladas and they were delicious. And then I had dessert. Oh yeah! Raspberry cheesecake. I can't even remember the last time I had cheesecake. It was all good. The conversations were the best though. I had a great time hearing about the adventure of the others. Then dinner was over and I went back to the hotel and made like a spud. I was wiped! I didn't feel too bad though. I had some scratches from sliding into trees, raw spots where, my belt rubbed, and an achy shoulder/arm but otherwise I was good. Not even any blisters which I thought for sure I had (it must have been the mud that saved me - like a spa mud treatment for my feet because they sure were soft after! Ha!).

A Big Thank You
I cannot end this post without saying thank you to these people:

Josh - Thank you for inviting me and believing in me. For all the work you put into the race and for being a great host. For seeing my fear and being encouraging. And especially for running with me at the end,

Naresh - Thank you for being Race Director, crew, and course photographer! I know you must have been disappointed that you couldn't run but you always had a huge smile and tons of encouragement & advice. And thank you for running with me so I could see the Bedrock sandals at work!

Jeff - Thank you for the work you also put into the race and on the trail and for your encouragement while I ran!

Jonathan - Thank you for giving us all a reason to run together and get cool bling. I really appreciated your encouragement out there too. And not once did I curse your name. ;)

Dallas - Thank you for inspiring me and for coming all that way to run with us even though you don't do trails. For pacing me and encouraging me. For signing my book, for our Hot Chocolate "date", and for buying me dinner.

Emily - Thank you for bringing real food! Potatoes are my favorite ultra food! And thanks for your encouragement as well.

I am grateful that Josh, Jeff, Dallas, Chris, and Naresh waited SO long for me to finish and made me feel like a rock star at the end. I'm so grateful I finished. And I'm grateful I didn't see any bears or bobcats, just a squirrel. Squirrel!

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah. Most of all, I'm grateful I had the opportunity to visit a great state and meet some awesome runners!

I have to say that for a first 50k, the Jackson Jackass 50k was a pretty epic one! Did I mention I love the medal? Sweet bling!

Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading!