Wow. What a great weekend. Terrapin Mtn 50k and half marathon is truly a special race. I was really looking forward to this race because I had ran it last year, and LOVED it. I was very excited because I knew the course and was looking to improve my time, AND I knew I would it would be such a wonderful opportunity to see all my trail/ultra running friends. The iron mtn trail runners had a pretty good group coming to represent, and I was excited for us all to be running the same event together.
I arrived at the Sedalia Center friday evening, and the first person I see is David Sniper!! Who immediately gifted me with some gummi bugs to eat during my journey the next day! Thanks so much Sniper! I really appreciate the gummies! :o) The Sedalia Center was filling up fast with campers and people coming to pick up their packets, and it was so exciting to see so many friends! I went for a little shake out run with Grossman for about 2 miles and came back and listened to a couple running stories David Horton was telling to a captive audience he had gathering around him:o) I was sad to leave. I had booked at room at the ultra-illusive days inn of bedford, and I was kicking myself for just not bringing my tent and camping out with all my friends. I definitely plan on camping at Promise Land! I have to say I was THRILLED with the terrapin mtn running tank. It's made out of the new patagonia silk weight capilene.. NICE!!
I went back to bedford, ate at ruby tuesdays ( where I saw kenny wheeler!) and Then proceeded to go back to the room. I had already laid out all my gear for the next morning, so I took a shower and then watched a movie on my laptop.. okay it was PRE... I had to get a running movie in there to psyche me up! and I fell asleep at 9! DORK! BUT... I got up at 4am.. feeling good. I ate breakfast, and got ready, loaded the car and checked out. Went over to super 8 where the rest of the IMTR's were staying. Beth jumped in the FJ with me and we followed the family van to the Sedalia center. It was packed! wow! this race is growing! Excitement in the air! It was great seeing even more friends! :o) I was nervous.. not as nervous as last year, but I think the task of what's ahead settles with me and I always get a little nervous just because I know alot can happen in 31 miles ( even though way MORE can happen during a 50 miler haha)
We line up and GONG!!! We're running... we're running.. I'm feeling good going up the first big climbs. SO I just keep on rolling. I left all my friends but I seriously didn't feel like I was pushing it too hard. big hills are kinda my thing.. downhills are not. I knew this, so I felt that I should just seize those moments when I felt GOOD. because I knew I'd have a hard time with the downhills ( and everyone else would be flying by me if I hung back on the hill)
I got the the first aid station 2nd female.. NICE.. but then I knew I had a good 8 mile stretch of down hill. so I ran as fast as I could in a controlled non red-line fashion which ended up being 6:50ish avg miles for 8 miles ( really?! maybe I need to run some road races..:oP) but I did feel SO good it didn't even feel that fast.. even on the flat. I felt like the scene in forest gump where he breaks out of his leg braces and starts running.. I felt like whatever had been burdening me or holding me back for the past year ( ie heavy legs and slow paces) I had escape their hold on me and "and I was running!!" ( love forest gump) I was just grinning ear to ear the entire time.. gone were the tiny steps I was striding out and moving and a groovin.. I thought to myself HOW amazing it would be to run an entire race this way!!!
but all good things must come to an end. got to the 3rd AS still 2nd female and you have an ENORMOUS hill ( and then some single track -- that is part of the hellgate course) I still was feeling REALLY great. When we were almost back on the road to go UP camping gap with marlin, sophie and rick gray caught me. marlin and sophie were powering up camping gap and I couldn't stay with them, so I followed rick.. I was now in 3rd.. but I was really happy because I knew I was having a good race. I felt MUCH worse at this point in the race last year. This was where beth tackled me last year. So I just tried to get up camping gap as quick as I could. I was happy to get to the AS to fill up my bottle and start the WOR loop ( white oak ridge) I saw the leaders here last year.. but this year, I past 3rd and 4th place.. which was fun because I got to yell "margaritas!!" at Jeremy Ramsey as he past me. I couldn't help but think how AWESOME it would be to get out of the WOR loop.. but I worked hard on getting through it. I just tried to run as much as I could and take care of my nutrition on my climbs. got my first punch for my bib and before I knew it, too was running out of the WOR loop and high-fiving my buddies who were going in.
Still happy I was feeling good and strong.. I was ready to tackle the crazy insane climb to terrapin rock and fat man's misery. I got out on terrapin rock with GUY ( who I had pretty much been running with all day long ( and that was awesome!) got my second bib punch and made my way to fat man's guy went through first.. then me.. I didn't fall like I did last year ( and won best blood!) Thankfully, BUT I didn't see the punch and just ran on through the rocks and Guy and I proceeded to make our way off the mtn.. THEN I realized I didn't punch and turned around and so did GUY. CURSES!!!! :o( for a split second I thought about going on-- but then I knew it wasn't right even though I had ran the entire course.. you are supposed to have 3 punches for your finish to be official so I ran back face burning at my stupidity. I got to the punch and there is my best buddy beth! she was like" what are you doing?!" and I told her what I'd done.. we ran together for awhile but we got to a hill ( for those of you who read my blog you know what happens when beth and I get to a downhill together!) bye- bye beth... she looked strong and was running great.. I still felt strong but nothing like the rush beth was on
.. but sweet lord, I was HEARTBROKEN in my extra .8 miles ( total .4 to the punch and then back again) I had allowed people I had a good 5 min on to catch me.. and now i was tippy toeing through the rock garden.. PERFECT.. GRR. and here comes Jamie Darling.. running seriously with reckless abandon through the biggest sharpest scariest rocks I've ever ran on... and she looked so happy -- zoomed past me while I was seriously just standing there on the trail...
5th!!! I seriously just wanted to take a page out of my 3 yr old's book sit down and cry at this point.. my perfect beautiful race--- it was ruined.. ALL MESSED UP and getting worse by the second. I just want it to be over.. WAH!!!! :o( but I didn't.. I think that is the crazy thing about ultra running you are seriously on an emotional roller coaster with so many highs and lows. I quickly pulled myself together and told myself if I didn't get my butt in gear I was going to do FAR worse than 5th place.. just don't let anyone else pass you! SO I resolved to work hard the next 5 miles. After the last AS I saw super sweet chelsie viar and liz barry where totally RIGHT behind me.. both of these girls are FAST and I ran with both of them alot at holiday lake. I knew the next 5 miles was single track but very runnable trail. So that was enough for me to keep on rolling and not let up until I reached the finish line. 6:07 5th overall female. Last year I was 9th and ran a 6:13.. so I'm happy to see improvement.
haha.. I hate that I made some stupid mistakes but really other than the hole punch and maybe not being such a wuss running off terrapin mtn through the rocks.. I wouldn't of changed a thing about my race. Beth still probably would of caught me because she ran VERY hard the last 8 miles. I didn't have enough UMPH at the end to have done what she did I know she really cranked out some solid miles. Beth is tough, tough, tough.. I'm just waiting for her to start winning these things. I looked the only way I got the drop on her was the first climb where I took off from everyone. and some on the other climbing sections. She avg 6:47 per mile for the same 8 mile stretch between AS1 and 3..so she ran even faster on that stretch than I did.. maybe we both need to go run a 10k.. :OP The finish line was wonderful. I was so happy to be finished and not stressing about finishing anymore. It was great to cheer on my friends as they finished and hang out with ALL the cool people who finished ahead of me. I feel this race really has a super special vibe at the finish. Everyone is SO nice and SO positive and supportive. It's really a beautiful collective of runners. I'm so happy to be apart of this community.
So I'm looking forward to promise land in a couple weeks!! the IMTR's are planning on camping out! WOO! can't wait!! I'm also looking forward to training for promise land. I know there isn't that much time, but I'm looking forward to getting some good work in to prepare me for the 34 mile journey! :o)
here are some pictures from the finish line!
beth with her LUS jacket and new matching patagonia messenger bag for being third overall female!!
RD Clark Zealand and 2nd overall female Sophie Speidel with her "patagucci"
me and jaime darling ( 4th overall female) at the finish. I have NEVER seen anyone run down such a technical section as fast as Jaime ran down terrapin mtn!! ( and not fall!)
