Happy News to Share

I did it !  I successfully completed The Limberlost Challenge.  There were 4 races - a 14K, 28K, 42K and a 56K.  I did the 42K(26.1mi).  We ran in the Limberlost Forest and Reserve just outside of Huntsville, On on the western side of Algonquin Park.  It's gorgeous scenery and I'm guessing about 95% of it was on trails in the woods.  We only had very small stretches on dirt/gravel roads and a small bit in the sun.  It was definitely the challenge for sure!  About 1-2K in, there is a massive hill that goes and goes that's just about vertical it seemed.  And many, many more along the way.  There were lots of very small rolling hills and dips and rocks and roots and boggy places to get thru and trees to maneuver over.  Maybe about 1/2 of it was nice soft squishy dirt ground, but you had to watch each and every foot step for roots and rocks.  It started at a decent temperature, but each loop got a bit warmer and warmer.  By the time it was over it was really hot!  I ended up drinking about a gallon of fluid(and didn't pee for 11 hrs!).  I carried my hydration pack with water with me the entire time, 3 bottles from my hydration belt, and I stashed a couple of gels in it, some bug spray and a snack.

Jason(56K), Julie(14K), Me, Janice(14K), Judy(14K), Annalisa(56K)

Start of the 56K(8:00; 42K@8:20; 28K@8:40, 14K@9:00)

My first loop went really well.  It started slow, but that's not suprising.  I tend to take a LONG time (ie, sometimes an hour) to really warm up and get into my rhythm.  I felt great once I got warmed up and past the 1st water station.  However, I got stuck behind a few slower people, but in the end, it probably helped keep me slower so I could last longer.  I guess there was a bear.  I finally got around people and just before the 3rd water station, I caught up to some, he noted how good my pace was and asked if he could tag along with me.  I said, of course.  We'd run into a person or two now and again, but there were several times,  there wasn't anyone else around for 15-20 minutes.  I only got passed by 3-4 people which I think were all from the 28K race.  I knew by the first water station, when I got passed the two people I was tailing, that I was the first female.  I didn't realize later, how far behind anyone else was.  Anyway, Terry and I cruised right along thru the first loops.  I caught Annalisa just as we were climbing out of the woods and back into the open grassy field where we started. 

I still had lots of fluids with me and another gel so decided I'd keep going.  Terry did as well, but got ahead of me.  I lost sight of him at some point, but caught back up to him at the first water station.  By this time, my legs were starting to feel the ups and downs.  I decided to walk on the bigger hills to help save me for the 3rd loop.  We still kept a decent pace and the "flat" parts still felt pretty good.  We'd stop for a minute or two at the water stations, grap some sports drink and maybe a bit of fruit or snack.  I'd even get my little sports drink bottle filled at the 3rd water station.  I stopped for a few minutes once we finished the 2nd loop, refilled a water bottle, grabbed another snack, I ditched my shirt, then headed off.  I was a bit unsure what this loop would bring as I hadn't gotten this far before.  Annalisa and I did 2 laps about a month ago when we did a trial run here. 

I felt refreshed starting the 3rd loop, but tired and sore.  The big hill about 1K in was brutal!  My legs were just burning in pain.  I grabbed onto some of the rocks and trees to help me out.  I even thought about trying to go up backwards to help.  Eventually I got up, walked for a little bit, then willed myself to break back into a run.  There is a big downhill shortly after and my quads screamed, but I ran down as carefully as I could.  Again, I caught back up with Terry at the 1st water station.  The two of us headed out together again.  It was slower going, but we ran.  I walked a few more hills this time, but tried my best to run all the smaller ones.  We got up a step hill, crossed a hot road and short trail piece in the sun before coming to the 2nd water station.  I was pleasantly suprised to see Janice, Judy and Julie at the water station.  It took me a minute to realize it was them that I was seeing!  No wonder why I hadn't seen them at the end of my 2nd loop.  Terry and I continued on.  This part was tough.  Sometime after the 3rd water station, something happened and I realized my legs didn't bother me and I felt good again.  I ran on....willing myself to run up some of the smaller hills.  At one point, there was another good sized steep hill and I turned to see if Terry was still behind me...he was, but a little bit back.  Once I got up and still felt ok, I continued on, but came to realize he wasn't behind me anymore.  My little spirt put me ahead.  I had to keep going.  However, it started wearing off as I got closer and closer to the end, but as I got close, I knew I could hang in so I kept going.  I walked up some of the hills, but willed myself to do run the smaller ones.  I finally approached the hill leading into the open grassy field, walked up it, then ran past the cars in into the finish!  5 hours and 12 minutes later! 

3rd loop, 2nd water station - Terry on the right

I did it!  And, I knew I was the first female!  I didn't realize, I was the 4th 42K finisher!  Ok, it was out of (I'm guessing) about 15 people signed up, but still!  What a day!  I was well under 6 hours of which I wanted to do(I knew I could, but you never know with a race like this on a 90F some degree day).  Oh, and I fell on my first loop shortly after the big hill.  Thankfully, it was a really quick fall, just down briefly on my hands and I popped back up.  I don't think the two people just infront of me even noticed.  I hadn't even lost a step.  It felt so good to be done.  I even got a plaque for the first female finisher.  I jumped in the lake, washed off a bit, then sat and watched the other runners come thru.  Jason and Annalisa were still out there working on the 56K.  I got up now and again to walk around, got some food, checked out the results and dry off.  I'm guessing as I can't remember clearly, but I believe my first 14K loop was around 1hr, 37min, my second loop was about 1hr 45min and my last loop was about 1hr 53min or somewhere around those.  At one of the roads on my first loop before Terry and I joined up, someone in a jeep directing people warned me of a bear, but I thought he was joking...come to find out later, there really was a bear around. 

Our "camp" where I sat after finishing and where we stashed some coolers for supplies

Today, I'm ok as long as I don't move too much.  I did some work in the yard this morning, but trying to get into or out of a chair or car or up and down steps isn't so easy.  I'd have to say, this trail race is so much differnt than road races.  You use many more muscles which saves some, but uses others that you might not use as much in a road race.  I guess good and bad.  I'm excited to have some more time and not have to train like crazy.  I'll take it "easy" for a few weeks and see how things go.  In the meantime, Jeremy's been working away.  We're dog sitting for Bean and Cooper again.  They came Friday morning while we were at work.  Poor Jeremy got stuck with them himself for a day, but he managed.  He's working on the cabinets again.  I think he just finished getting the 4th coat of varnish on the inside frames and he started varnishing the last set of doors out in the garage.  Hopefully by the weekend, we'll have them all back up and hanging!  It's so exciting and it's looking fantastic!  I can't wait to post some pictures....what an amazing transformation!

Last bit of news....NO strike!  They came to a tentative agreement on Thursday.  Whew!  Well, I think that's about all I have time for - it's almost 10pm and I'll have to get up early to get the dogs out before work so I must get to bed.....need my rest.