I DID IT!!!!! 1st Ultra-Marathon Under My Belt

Well, sorry, but yet another short post.  It's just after 9pm and I MUST get to bed soon.  I'm in desperate need of sleep! 
 
So, Jeremy and I headed to Limberlost Reserve - just outside of Huntsville, ON, on the far side of Algonquin Park.  It's about a 3 hour drive so we left work a little early so we could get on the road.  We made it there just after 7pm, set up our tent(yes, we camped right at the start), headed into town for a quick bite to eat and headed back.  We met Will(someone we both new from work) and chatted with him for a bit before it got dark and we went to bed.  The sun was up early so we got up.  I had plenty of time to get ready.  I ran into Stewart and his brother, another runner I knew from Pembroke.  We all gave each other good luck and then my race was off. 
I started in my five-fingers since I knew the trail was fairly soft.  I forgot how many rock and stick and roots there were though.  But, I managed to get 3 loops (just over 42km or 26miles) in them before changing into my trail shoes.  What a relief!  I had forgotten just how hilly it was.  I walked up all the big ones, but I knew I was going to have a good challenge once I got going on my first loop.  I knew my legs didn't have much in them.  I managed my first 14k(which I'm guessing was actually about 14.5k/9 mi) ok.  I stopped and refilled my bottle of sports drink and headed back out.  My second loop was definitely tougher.  I walked up the smaller hills this time.  Plus, I was basically all alone.  No one in front of me, and no one behind me that I could see.  Every so often, I'd come across someone slower and passed them.  My feet started to notice and feel everything on the ground, but it wasn't too painful so I continued.  There were several wetter areas with mud and each loop got worse and worse as more and more people passed those areas.  I felt my shoe get sucked in the mud once, but I managed to keep it on. 
By loop 3, I was tired.  I walked up every hill, over every root and stone.  My hamstrings hurt from breaking on the down hills, my feet were sore, I pulled something behind my knee on loop one that I could feel.  My head was starting to hurt.  Ummm....but I still had one more loop.  I finished loop 3, stopped to change my shoes, get more to drink and then I started out again.  It was tough to get going again, but I had to.  Before long, I came upon another woman.  She turned and said hi and we chatted for a moment.  She asked if I wanted to pass and I said, no, I was ok, that I'd follow her.  So, we tagged along together for a bit.  She kept asking if I wanted to pass, but I said no.  I was pretty tired and felt myself slowing even more.  She was keeping me going.  Eventually she asked again and I said, ok.  I'd lead for a bit.  I kept going and checked behind me a few times and she was back there.  I looked again after a bit and realized I didn't see her anymore.  So, I kept going.  At the very last water station, she got there just as I was leaving so I knew where she was.  I must have gotten a bit of a second wind or my will power allowed me to keep going.  I was so tired and it hurt so much to walk up all those hills, but eventually I realized I thought it was easier to run.  So, once I could get up each hill, I told myself to pick up the running.  The ground got a bit softer and I felt a bit better.  I was getting closer. 
So, I ended up finishing my 4th loops in 7 hours 45 minutes!  That's quite the record of how long I've "run"!  Turns out (from what I can remember), my first and second loops were 1hr 46min and 1hr 47min.  My third and fourth loops were 2hr 3min and 2hr 4min.  Not too bad!  Was I relieved to be done!!!  Turns out I came in 3rd female in my age group(30-39) so I got another nice plague.  Jeremy, Hayde and I did a quick dip in the lake, changed, took the tent down and headed home.   I was exhausted!  We stopped once we got thru the park for dinner. We got home about 9pm, unpacked the truck, I showered and went to bed.  Finally, I got close to 10 hours of sleep!
Today, I'm feeling really sore, stiff and tired!  I have no strength in either my arms or legs nor do they want to move.  Jeremy however, got two more windows in place.  I tried to get the kitchen cleaned and the laundry done and anything else I could manage.  So, it's now time for bed.