72 hours. 51 miles. 12,750 feet.

It's hard to believe it's been a week since the fantastic Solemates Silverton 1000 Multi-Day Run 72 hour race began. I have spent pretty much that entire time processing the experience.  In many ways, I'm still processing.  This race represented a number of firsts for me.  It was my first multi-day event.  It was the first time I spent time out on a course at night, in the dark.  It was the first time I really dug deep and pushed myself past where I thought I could go.  I want to say that it was the experience of a lifetime, and it was, but it's an experience I definitely want to repeat.

What I remembered from last year's Silverton race:  the absolute beauty of the course and surrounding scenery, the fabulous race directors and aid station, the camaraderie with other runners out there on the course, and having a great time.

(photo credit to Joshua Holmes, Run it Fast.)

What I forgot about last year's Silverton race (I think it's like having a baby - you remember the joy and the end result and forget what it took to get it!): the effect the altitude has on *everything*, how that one mile loop seems to be different with every mile, and just what a butt-kicker the course actually is, especially some of those downhill segments!

I had a strategy laid out in advance to help me keep going for three days.  I ran it past my hubby and my friend Shawna Wentlandt (ultra runner extraordinaire) in advance and they thought it seemed very sensible and that it should make my goal (100k) doable. Prior to the race and once there, I discussed it with a few other ultra runners and they agreed.  Basically, my plan was to put n 3-4 miles and then sit for 15 minutes in my zero gravity chair with my feet up.  I was hoping this would accomplish two things:  keep my feet from swelling too badly and take the pressure off my spine (I have lumbar arthritis and getting off my feet helps tremendously in dealing with the pain) at regular intervals.  I would repeat this for several cycles and then take a 3 hour sleep break. 

I stuck with this strategy pretty reliably for the 72 hours of the race and it really worked out for me.  That being said, those mile loops took me much longer than I had planned on.  I've made no secret of the fact that I am not the speediest person on the planet.  I pretty much walk rather than run most of the time and if I am putting in 16-18 minute miles, I'm pretty happy with myself.  I had forgotten how much altitude can affect everything, including your speed, though, and most of my loops would end up taking me 45-50 minutes to do. I had also intended on doing more running on the downhill than I did.  While I typically love running downhill, this course is covered with loose rock in many of those downhill sections and they were steeper than I had remembered.  Consequently, I did very little actual running as I decided I would much rather remain on my feet by taking a slower approach on those downhills than risk falling on my behind (in addition to being slow, I'm not the most graceful athlete out there!)  I admit to sheer admiration for those who were out there on that course and just flew down those inclines with grace!

I put in 4 miles before I took my first break with my feet up and even then I was itching to get back out there on the course. I was making sure that I took a few drinks of my sweet tea and eating a piece or two of watermelon at each trip through the aid station but I still ended up letting myself get dehydrated. At 7 hours into the race, I had not yet needed to pee. I had been commenting on this fact for a few loops and finally the course medic told me I needed to sit and drink until I needed to.  By that point, however, I'd downed several additional ounces of water and decided to make a pit stop as I passed the bathrooms at the beginning of the next loop. I continued trudging along and made it to 12 miles before I stopped at 6:30 pm for my first sleep break.  

We were lucky enough to be able to park our RV right along the course so it was convenient to stop for those rest breaks.  It also allowed the privacy to strip off those sweat drenched clothes and take a baby wipe bath before crashing.  I had wondered if I'd be able to fall asleep but figured any rest would be beneficial.  Interestingly enough, I didn't have any trouble getting sleep during any of my rest breaks.

Rob came in to call it a night as I was getting ready to head back out at 9:30 pm.  He asked if I was sure I wanted to go back out, since I'd never really done any night loops before, but I was sticking to my plan.  I had more miles to put down before I could stop again.  I had changed from my running skirt and a short sleeved shirt to running pants and a long-sleeved shirt and jacket and broke out my new headlamp.  It was full dark by this time and I had to finish my lap going in what was now the wrong direction before I could head in the direction everyone else was now going.  I felt great after my break and I loved being out there in the dark.  I found it very peaceful and serene and the sky was utterly gorgeous and full of stars and decided I liked being out there in the dark.  There was something almost spiritual about the experience.

There are fewer people out there on the course in the dark and it's a great time to let yourself be contemplative and reflective.  I followed my strategy throughout the night and kept going until about 3:45.  This was a few miles short of where I wanted to be - 18 miles rather than 21 - but I was starting to lose my ability to focus on the trail and decided it was time to call it a night and sleep for another 3 hours.  Still, I was happy because I was 3 miles beyond the mileage that I'd managed at last year's 24 hour race here.

I was back up and on the course by 7:30 or so, leaving my husband still bundled up in blankets and sleeping. Those first few morning miles felt terribly slow for some reason but I kept plodding along. It was another gorgeous day in the mountains and a perfect day to spend climbing up and down a mountain, surrounded by the glories God created.  

I had hoped to make it to 21 miles by 9 am but didn't quite make it. At this point, I was starting to wonder if I'd be able to do 100k since I was short on the mileage I had wanted in by the end of the first day.  Still, I was feeling good about where I was and determined to stick to my plan and strategy.  The fabulous food at the aid station kept me well fed and fueled during day two.  My favorite thing of the entire race was the chicken salad sandwiches served for lunch this day.  I enjoyed the half of sandwich I had so much, in fact, that I asked Sharill if she'd set aside another half for me to have later.  She graciously obliged because that's just the way she is!  Really, I can't say enough about how fabulous Mark and Sharill Hellenthal are.  They truly go the extra mile to take care of all of their runners.

For some reason, after I got up from my mid-day sleep break, I had a terrible time breathing.  The gradual incline of the direction we were heading seemed worse than the steeper uphill ascent from that first loop on the first day when I was sounding like a steam engine.  I reassured myself with the knowledge that I could stop for my rescue inhaler and see if that would help when I passed the RV on my next loop.  I allowed myself a little break in the aid station even though I'd only done the one loop.  Unfortunately, when I stopped at the RV, I couldn't seem to find my inhaler.  So I resigned myself to just going a little slower than I wanted to until I could breathe again.  Luckily, the worst of the breathing issues passed after another couple of loops and I was able to keep going.  By this time, though, it seemed certain that there was no way I could get in 100k so it was time to set a new goal.  50 miles seemed reasonable and it was still a considerable PR in distance over the 50k that was the furthest I'd gone to date.

The previous night I'd slept through the sunset so I was pleased to be out there and to watch the changing skies as the sun sank down behind the mountains.  At this point, you find that the miles and hours tend to blur into each other.  I can't tell you how many miles I was at when I stopped to sleep for my 3 hour nap. Somewhere around 27 or 28? Heck, I'm not even sure what time it was, athough I know it was dark.    I know it felt colder when I got back up.  I know that when I was out there, in the dark and the cold, doing lap 31, I had hit the wall.  The stick a fork in me because I'm done wall. I was cold. I was tired.  It felt like every bit of my body hurt.  I was determined that even though I hadn't been out that long, that this was maybe only my 3rd or 4th loop since I'd gotten back out there, that I was calling it a night.  Strategy be damned.  I couldn't do it any more.

At about that time, I could see the lights of Ed Ettinghausen, the Jester, and Shawna Wentlandt, approaching behind me.  I am blessed to be able to call these two fabulous and inspiring runners my friends.  We stopped to chat a minute, as they passed me, taking time to give me a hug.  They had no way of knowing it, but the words they said at that moment gave me what I needed to go on in those cold, dark hours.  You see, not only are these two people my friends, but they are two of my own personal running heroes.  And, having no idea what it would mean to me, they both told me how proud of me they were.  Proud of me for being out there in the dark and the cold. Proud of how far I'd come.  I told them that I felt like shit.  And Ed told me that everyone felt like shit at some point.  It's what you do when you feel that way that shows your heart.

With those words to fuel me, I dug deep.  And I kept going.  And when Ed and Shawna passed me on the next loop, again stopping to give me big hugs, I told them how much their words on the last loop had meant to me.  How that pride and encouragement from two people that I admire so much had given me what I needed to keep going.  I don't think I was the only one who got a little teary as we had a moment on that mountain in the middle of the night.  It just goes to show that you never know what you might say or do that will give someone what they need to keep going, especially in the dark and cold. I made it to 33 miles (which might not sound like a lot but it was probably another two hours past when I wanted to quit) before I stopped for my 3 hour sleep.

Shawna and I, day 1

Sometime during those last couple of miles in the dark, I decided that I needed to put in 51 miles instead of just 50.  That would give me one mile for every year I've been alive.  I thought that seemed like a good goal to have and it would still represent a considerable PR for me.  Once I'd passed the 31 mile mark in the wee hours of the morning, every step I took was a PR.  I'd gone over twice as far in less than 48 hours than I'd managed to squeak in in 24 hours last year.  I was feeling pretty happy with myself, I must admit!

With 24 hours left to go, I had about 36 miles in.  It was another beautiful day and new people, those doing the 24 hour race, were joining us on the course.  On one hand, they looked a whole lot fresher than those of us who had been traipsing up and down the mountain for 48 hours (or more, in the case of those doing the 6 day!) On the other hand, they were now learning the effect that elevation has on your speed, of the ups and downs of the course, and other things that were now old hat to the rest of us.  They were experiencing one direction and hadn't yet decided whether they liked that direction best or whether they'd like it better when we switched again at 3 pm. Me, I kept changing my mind about which direction I liked best.  At times, my mind and body were in conflict because I preferred one direction but my back liked the other one much better.  In the wee hours in the dark, I decided that I really didn't like going downhill in a certain direction.  In fact, I spent at least one lap mentally rearranging the course in my head, wishing we had Hunger Games technology to make those changes possible.

This day, day 3, felt a little slower although some of my laps showed as faster.  Maybe I was just mentally slow at this point!  No matter what hurt, however, the course remained stunningly beautiful and it was great to be out there with friends.  People had begun to meet their goals, knocking off a hundred miles or more.  Some of them stopped and some of them kept going.  Truly inspiring to watch.  As I counted the miles down, I decided that I would try to get all of them done before stopping for sleep.  I'd take 20 full minutes with my feet up every 3 miles and see if that would be enough. As I got down to needing less than 10 miles, my goal got close enough that it felt like I could reach out and touch it.  I stopped somewhere around 5-6 or so to change my clothes for the night and decided I needed to lay down with my feet up for 30 minutes.  Which I did, fully dressed.  And then I reset my 30 minute alarm 3 more times before I made myself get up and get out there again.  I had 45 miles in with only 6 left to meet my goal.  A goal I had told enough people about that I knew I couldn't just quit at 50 miles, as appealing as that might sound at times!

This night, I gained some company on the course.  My friends Rosemary and Regina decided to stick with me for a few laps.  For Regina, these were her first laps in the dark, marking a huge personal achievement for her in getting out there and conquering her fears!  She stuck with us for 2-3 miles and then went out with my husband, who had another 10 miles or so to go to get his 100.  We knew if she stuck with him, she should be able to finish the 72 hours with at least 90 miles, maybe even making it to a buckle.  During this time, I was starting to have an issue with my left knee, initially only on the descent.  It was not a type of pain or in a location I'd ever had pain before.  During the next loop, I sent Rosemary on, not wanting to slow her down.  She was hoping to get in a 50k before we switched directions at 3 am and I was going progressively slower, particularly on the downhills.  

In spite of my hopes of continuing on, I decided to call it a night at 49 miles.  My knee was now hurting whether I was going uphill, downhill, or walking on the flat, kind of like being stuck with an icepick at every step.  I could feel my balance starting to go, too, and decided I was nothing more than an accident waiting to happen.  With only 2 miles left to go, I knew I could get 4 hours of sleep and still be up on the course early with plenty of time to finish before 9 am.  My hope was that getting off of my leg and resting it would fix whatever was going on with my knee.

I was back out on the course between 5-6 the next morning.  This time, I was early enough to see the sunrise. 

As I was finishing mile 50, different people told me that my husband was out there on his last lap for the 100 so I decided to wait for him to finish before I headed out on my last loop.

If you could read it, the board shows that Rob's at lap 100 and I'm at lap 50

With plenty of time left, I headed out on my last loop, determined to take my time and enjoy every minute of it.  I stopped to take pictures of all thing things I'd admired or thought beautiful during the previous 50. I turned my music off and spent the mile in self reflection.  I dedicated that mile to my dad, knowing how immensely proud of me he would have been. As I was nearing the final descent, Jeremy Ebel caught up with me again (he had already passed me once while I was on this loop!)  Knowing it was my last, he stayed with me during the final descent and we ran in the last part of it together.  At this point, Jeremy was approaching 300 miles himself (last year, he did 350 in 6 days; he is truly an amazing athlete and person) so I was honored that he finished my last lap with me.

Jeremy and I the first time he passed me on this loop!

When you're at a race like this one, you get to know the people out there on the course with you as you see them again and again, loop after loop.  So many inspiring people out there, putting in loop after loop.  As the hours went by, you would see people who flew past you on the first day slow down a little.  Since pretty much everyone out there is faster than me, I tried to be aware of my fellow runners coming up behind me so that I could step out of the way.  Exchanging a smile and a word of encouragement, telling people that they were looking good or doing great, is part of what makes a race like this one so fantastic.  I always tried to offer that encouragement and that smile because I knew how much it meant to me when I was given that acknowledgement, that encouragement, as others passed.

Even the best runners out there have moments of struggle.  Ed struggled with altitude sickness and eventually  had to go down to a lower altitude for some rest yet came back and was there to give me the encouragement I needed so desperately at mile 31.  Shawna was in tears being unable to sleep due to her throbbing feet and still got back out there to not only finish her own 100 but to stick with Ed for another 10 miles until he finished his (his second hundred). Patrick Sweeney kept going with tremendous swelling and issues with his right foot, continually encouraging even after he finished his race.  Hope Fox ran miles on what turned out to be a broken foot, determined to get her 100 miles in regardless of the pain.  Colby Wentlandt came back from having to stop due to the flu and not being able to keep anything down, and still managed to get more miles in than me!  So many inspiring athletes out there that it was an honor and a blessing to be able to share a trail with. So many people put down personal bests and went beyond where they'd been before.

One of the highlights of this race, other than the incredible scenery and company, is the awards BBQ on Labor Day.  This is where everyone's distance is acknowledged and awards are handed out.  I'm thrilled to have come in 17th (out of 18) in the 72 hour with my 51 miles.  I was also extremely humbled and honored to be awarded the "Git R Done" award, which is given out by the race directors to acknowledge someone they felt put forth great effort and dug deep to "get r done".  This still doesn't seem quite real, I'll admit!

Okay, this has been really long but it was a 72 hour race!  It's hard to put into words what an experience like this is truly like or how it changes you.  Amazing.  Spiritual.  Life affirming.  Painful.  Challenging.  Priceless. Relentless.  Gorgeous.  I encourage everyone to come out and challenge themselves on this beautiful course.  I promise you won't regret it.  As for me, I'll be back out there next year.  I'm going to try for that 100k once more!

A couple more pictures I have to share.

Josh Holmes, who allows me to be a part of Run it Fast - The Club, telling me that it's all about attitude.  He was constantly encouraging me out there and made my day when he told me he was proud of me. 

The fabulous Jester, Ed Ettinghausen, who kept me going with his hugs and words of encouragement during the dark hours. He finished his 24th and 25th 100 mile (or more) races during 2014 during this event!

And my hubby, without whom I wouldn't have even dreamed of doing anything like this.  Love you!