Wildflower Century (4/29/12)

Wildflower Century with a bit of Wildcat


Chico Wildflower Century seems to be a popular event amongst cyclists.  So, I signed up along to do the century.  Seemed like a nice area.  I have heard it was a fun event.  Well, I finished and not sure I would do the event again.  Some nice parts but overall but not the best ride I have been on.  Perhaps the worst organized event I have participated in.   

The evening before 

During check in, Craig asked the guy if they had a cue sheet.  The guy looked genuinely confused as to what Craig meant.  Do you have a route sheet?  The bandana in your swag bag has a map on it.  This was nice but not the most convenient thing to be riding around with.  He later tells us where we can get maps on paper.  Still not route sheets.  Kind of odd to not have a route sheet on an organized ride.  But, they said the roads were well marked.

We then go look at the map of the Wildflower Century and Wildcat 125 route.  We had been told that the last part of the century is flat, flat, flat.  And, often times, windy.  I am not a flat rider.  We heard some people cut out the flat part at the end but we wanted to ride a century still.  This year, they had a Wildcat 125 mile option.  Craig was not too interested in riding 125 miles.  But, we checked out where the route went.  Look to be a nice loop with some good climbing.  So, we thought we can maybe do the extra Wildcat Loop and then cut out the flat part at the end and still end up with a little over 100 miles.  Sounded like a good plan. . . .

The Ride

Craig and I get to the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds sometime after 6 a.m.  We get our bikes together and off we go, ready for a fun day of riding.  The weather seems rather nice and sunny!   Off we go.  

Horrid Humboldt Road

We ride a few miles and then we cross this street and start riding on Humbolt Road.  The road is really rough with tons of potholes.  This is a rather annoying road to be riding on.  We bounce away on this rough road and then I notice that we are going uphill.  The grade is not steep but it is definitely not fun to be riding on this road, much less climbing on such a poor quality road.  And, there are all kinds of people around cutting this way and that way in front and around me.  I am getting mighty irritated.  What a horrible start to this ride!

At mile 7 or so, I reach the top.  I fly down a more smoother road.  We loop back around to where we had originally crossed the road.  I see a number of cyclists who opted to just turn right rather than ride up Humbolt Road.  Wish I had known what a crappy road that was.  I would have just turned and avoided the stupid climb. 

Honey Run Road

After that, we ride along for a bit.  Craig comments as to how the roads are not the smoothest.  Not nearly as bad as Humbodlt Road but a little rough in some spots.  We ride along and get into some nicer looking sections. 

We eventually get to Honey Run Road.  We start riding along.  It is pretty crowded so we ride mostly to the left of the road in order to pass some of the slower folks.  We are in a crowd at one point and this lady is pushing herself up the middle of the road and crowd saying loudly, in a snarky tone, "on your left, on your left!!" and has the demeanor that she is some hot shot cyclists (which she does not look like one).  A small group of us pass her to her left, much more quieter than she does.  At some point, Craig shifts a little to the right and the lady yells at him "hey, you're cutting me off!"   Craig tells her something about she should not be crossing tires and she gives him some attitude.  I scurry along away from crazy lady and hope Craig does not get into it too much with crazy lady.  

We easily get away from crazy lady and continue riding along.  The grade starts increasing a bit and Craig disappears into the crowd ahead of me.  I continue trekking my way up the hill.  Along the way, I see some poor lady laying on the side of the road (tended by a couple other folks).  She seems to be okay.  But, shortly later, an emergency vehicle and ambulance come down the hill.  Mind you, this road is pretty narrow and filled with cyclists so a bit tricky to slide over for a couple emergency vehicles to come down.

This climb is pretty nice though.  Nice and shaded with lovely trees but it does go on for a bit.  My friend Kallie has talked about how this hill got her the first time she tried riding this (back before she got stronger on hills).  Now, as I am climbing on the hill, I could see how this hill is a bit of a challenge.  I like hills though so liking it.  Though, there are a lot of people around so I have to watch the people around me.  A lot just like to cut across in front of you in a not so safe, slightly careless manner.

I observe one guy riding so far to the left that he falls over into the ditch and his bike nearly went flying down the side of the hill.  Shortly later, I see a lady riding to the far right and her bike slides a little on some gravel and she has to stop before she falls.  I decide I should ride closer to the middle.  The edges seem dangerous!

I eventually get to the top, where Craig is waiting for me.  Shortly pass this is the rest stop.  We hit that up.  We snack a little (the food choices are okay, not great).  But, I do get to drink a bottle of Coke, the only Coke I would have on this ride.

From Paradise to Stirling City

After the rest stop, we ride through Paradise.  We hit the Wildflower/Wildcat split.  We turn left to go onto the Wildcat route.   As we ride along, it is a lot less crowded.  Much more peaceful.  Nice smoother roads too.  Craig jokes that we must no longer be in the same county as these roads are much nicer.  The scenery is just beautiful.  Lovely trees all around us.  We really enjoy this ride now.

We hit some good climbs too.  I had looked the evening before and saw it is nearly 2000 feet of climbing from Paradise to Stirling City.  Both Craig and I are climbing pretty well here.  We just plug along, enjoying ourselves.  I think we are both glad we opted to do the Wildcat loop rather than stick to the regular century route. 

We eventually arrive to Stirling City and stop at the rest stop for a bit.  We refill on water.  They have little by way of snack choices but that's okay.  I think the next stop should be lunch.

On the way out of this rest stop, I have a stupid clipless fall and scrape my knee.  Craig then has some issues with his front brakes so we ride back so he can fix it.  Good thing he noticed before we started descending.

Stirling City to the Bottom of Table Mountain

We leave Stirling City and enjoy some super fun descents hitting around 40mph.  Whee!  We rock and roll back down and pass Paradise.  As we hit around mile 70ish, both of us are starting to feel ready for lunch.  It is also starting to get a little warm out.  But, we trek along thinking lunch should be at the next rest stop.

We come out of the forest looking areas and into the countryside.  Craig does not like this so much but I still think it's nice out.  We pass what I believe to be Table Mountain.  I am feeling hungry.  These miles seem to be taking forever.  Where is the rest stop?!  We keep riding, riding, riding.  The roads are also not the smoothest to ride on.  I sometimes cannot tell whether it is easier to ride in the bike lane or just on the road.  Both surfaces are equally bad.  Craig says we are spoiled back at home with nicely paved roads.  These roads are pretty cruddy! 

Finally, close to mile 80ish, we reach this park near the bottom of Table Mountain.  And, it is NOT the lunch stop!  I remember people saying that you have lunch and then climb Table Mountain.  We are pretty disappointed that this is not a lunch stop.  And, the pastries they have here have been sitting out in the sun far too long.   I find some almonds to munch on.  The drinks are all warm too.  There are no power drinks either (i.e. Gatorade).  I just want to get going but Craig is starting to bonk a bit.  We share some fruit drink and then get back on our bikes.

Table Mountain

We head to Table Mountain.  My friend had told me they have cold coke at the top of this climb.  I am really looking forward to it.  I need some Coke.  My legs are starting to get tired and the heat is not helping.

We hit the hill.  I eat my one and only GU, which I had saved for the last climb.   And, we climb away.  It is warm but I am thinking this is not nearly as bad as climbing Mix Canyon in the heat last Saturday.  So, I just pedal away up the hill.

Partway up the hill, I see this girl starting to walk her bike.  She had made such a show in passing me at the bottom of the hill, I feel a little pleased that I am climbing better than her.  =P  No way am I going to walk up this hill! 

At one point, I see Craig stop.  I pass him and ask if he's okay.  He seems rather spent.  Poor guy.  I climb a little more and see Kane & Tammy with their tandem. They are standing under the shade of a tree.  They look spent too.  I ride a little further and see a guy with his son sitting in the shade of another tree.  Their bikes are on the other side of the road.  I continue on thinking of the Coke at the top of the hill.  It should not be too much longer.

I finally make it to the top.  Craig is not too far behind me.  This rest stop looks rather barren.  There is hardly anything here.  I see empty bottles of Coke.  I ask the guy if there is any Coke left, he says there are out.  I am not pleased.  He does find me some root beer and gives me a bottle.  I am a bit cranky since I am in need of a Coke fix.  Craig seems frustrated too as he wants some real food and probably a Coke as well.

All the cyclists are tired and probably cranky.  It is a bit annoying that those of us here are those that opted to go for the longer route.  We are the people who need the support but these rest stops are not doing a very good job in supporting us.  And, now that the day is getting warmer, everyone looks rather spent. 

Down Table Mountain to the Worst Rest Stop Ever!

We continue on our way.   We hit some rollers before we finally hit the real descent down Table Mountain.  The descent is rather fun.  Went flying down it and I am glad I am less anxious cornering now (had gotten a bit anxious on turns after my bike crash in November but I seem to have gotten mostly over that anxiety).  We fly down to what has to be the lunch rest stop.  We are nearly 90 miles into the ride.  There must be lunch at this next rest stop. . . .

We go into a rather barren rest stop.  There are some sad looking sandwiches that have been sitting out a bit too long.  I eat some of one.  Craig does not like mayo so does not eat a sandwich (all of them have mayo on them).   The volunteers are starting to pack things up. 

I go to where the drinks used to be and see a bottle of juice of some sort, a V8 can, and a cup.  I ask the lady is this all you have for drinks?   She says yes.  No Coke, no Gatorade, etc. . . .I do not see water even.  WTF?!!?

I meander around trying to find some real food that Craig may want to eat.  I see a box of cliff bars.  Rather than have individually packaged Cliff Bars, they opened them all and dumped them into the box exposed.  This isn't very smart I think.  What if riders want to carry the Cliff Bars.  I spy a bag of Cheese-Its and nab it.

I bring it over to a picnic table where Craig, Kevin, and another fellow are sitting.  We are all complaining as to how bad the support is for the Wildcat 125 riders.  We discuss how to cut out the last part to get back to the end the fastest.  It still looks like we have a ways to go.  

The Final Flat Stretch

We leave the rest stop and ride along Durham-Pentz Road.   It is long and flat.  Craig keeps saying how done he is with this ride.  He seems to be riding okay though.  Craig sometimes picks up the pace.  I think he wants to get this over with as fast as possible.  We are both tired and ready for this ride to be over with.   My Garmin says we have crossed the 100 mile mark.  I am thinking I am on my second longest ride.  Though, it feels longer than my double century.  Definitely, the worst support ride I have ever been on. 

We eventually cross Highway 99 and I think the turn is coming up soon.  The road keeps going and going and going.  We finally see Midway Road and turn.  We are not even going to try going to the rest stop knowing it will be barren as well, if not all packed up and closed down.  Again, I am irritated that they set up a longer route option but did not bother to provide support for those that opted to do the longer ride option.

 We join a few others on the bike trail.  Others that opted to cut out some of the ending to get this ride over with.  Craig talks to one guy and they both agree that they were SO done with this ride awhile ago. 

We eventually get off the bike trail and hit a street.  We look around to figure out where we are.  I see Fair Street.  Yes, we are just around the corner from the fairgrounds.  This ride is nearly over!  We ride by a convenience store and agree we will hit that store up for Coke after we get done.

We finally reach the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds.  We do not bother staying for dinner as it will probably be barren with food and drinks like the rest stops.  We are done and ready to head back home.  We do stop at the convenience store and buy a couple cokes, which taste oh so refreshing after that ride!

Final Remarks
 
So, 112ish miles for the day, 7400+ feet of climbing.  It was enjoyable until about mile 70-80ish.  I am happy that my climbing legs were doing well today.  My endurance for long distance rides held out pretty well.   Made me want to get back to doing another double century soon!  I was tired but never felt like I was bonking.   The lack of Coke just made me cranky.  The rest stops all annoyed me.   I felt the planning for this whole event was poorly done.   I am glad we did do the extra Wildcat 125 loop as that was one of the nicest parts of the ride.  I had enjoyed the extra climbing.  But if I had known the end was going to suck so badly, we might have cut more of the end out.  As much hype as Wildflower had, I was disappointed with it.  Not sure this is an event I want to do ever again.  But, I did enjoy spending the day riding with Craig though.  That was nice.  :)

Pacing AR50 (April 7, 2012)

Preface

My friend Scott ran in the American River 50 (AR50) mile Endurance Run on Saturday. This would be his first 50 mile race. AR50 starts in Sacramento (nearish Sac State) and ends in Auburn (at ADO). The first part (a marathon) is on the bike trail. Then, you get to Beals Point (in Granite Bay) and run on the trails all the way to Auburn. The last three miles is up a big hill to the Auburn Dam Outlook (ADO). From Beals Point and on, a racer is allowed to have a pacer run with him/her.

In ultra running, runners may have pacers. Pacers are sometimes described as "trail companions." Unlike in shorter racers where there are pacers running a particular time or pace so one may meet a particular time goal, a pacer in an ultra-marathon is more of a support role for the runner. And, a pacer is usually focused upon one particular runner. That pacer is to be a companion, to provide support, to make sure they are staying properly fueled, to help them move along, etc. . .

In my training for my first Ultra Marathon, Way Too Cook 50k, I learned more about ultra running and about pacers. I also started running more with my friend Scott. He and I seem to run about the same pace. And, we bonded over many long miles running on some trails. He certainly helped me in my first ultra-marathon. In Way Too Cool, we ran the bulk of the race together.

For AR50, I agreed to be Scott's pacer. When I first heard of AR50, I had already signed up for the Pardee Party 100k bike ride, on the same date as AR50. As I thought about pacing Scott, I thought then that I can ride the Pardee Party route anytime and do the event another year, but to pace my friend in his first 50 miler race was a rare opportunity. And, I wanted to be there for my friend's first 50 miler. So, I gave my Pardee registration to another friend (making him very happy) and paced my friend Scott (making him happy).

Then, I had to decide where did I want to pace Scott from. A pacer can start at Beals Point (running about 23 miles) or at other points along the way (and not have to run quite as long). But as I thought about it, I wanted to be there for my friend the whole allowable distance. So, I opted to start from Beals Point.


The Race

Beals Point (mile 26.53)

At 6am, Scott (and all the racers) started their race. They had to run a marathon mostly on the American River Bike Trail.

Around 10am, I start heading over to Beals Point. It takes me awhile to get into the State Park as there are a row of cars going in. I eventually get into Beals Point and see a TON of people. A ton of energy too. All very exciting! People are cheering all the runners coming in! Since this is the point where pacers can join the runners, there are a lot of runners around, ready to pace their friends.

I get my gear together for the run and go looking for Mary, Scott's wife. I find her and she updates me as to Scott's location. Not too long from now. The sun was shining and getting warm already. I worry a little bit as to how hot it will be during the run.

At one point, Mary and I stand and see Scott come running into Beals Point. He is just full of energy. Really amped up about the race. I am really happy to see that the marathon part for him went well. He did a good job in pacing himself and not going out too fast. I stood by as he changed into his Gordy shirt and into his trail shoes. He ate some food. I grab a few extra GUs for him and stash away into my fuel belt.

Mary tells me I am his wife from here on out (we joke that I am Scott's running wife) and for me to take care of him. Scott gets a big hug from his wife and sons. Then, we start running (a little before 11 a.m.).

As we head out of Beals, Scott tells me how good he feels. He seems just full of energy. I am amazed as to how much energy he has having run 26+ miles already.




Beals Point to Granite Bay (mile 31.67)

From Beals, we run through Cavitt. Scott tells me about the beginning half of the race. We are enjoying ourselves. I am doing my best to not run out too fast but I feel excited and know my legs want to go faster. But, I stay with Scott's pace. As we are running along, we hear a mountain biker behind us. He hangs back behind us for awhile commenting on how interesting this race is. Amazed people are running 50 miles. We eventually hit a fork and he heads to the right while we run to the left. He wishes us luck.

We run along Cavitt and Scott spots Paulo on the side. Paulo & Fred are in the grass to the side taking pictures and cheering runners on. Always nice to see our running friends.

My first few miles for me go by quickly. We hit Granite Bay quickly. I am really amazed as to how much energy Scott has and how well he is running. We stop at the aid station quickly. I drink some coke and eat a couple potatoes. I generally get pretty hungry near the lunch hour so I am making sure I eat a bit.

Granite Bay to Buzzard's Cove (mile 34.67)

After we pass the 31 mile mark, Scott says he just wants to just sneak through the 30s. I see he is still running pretty strong. He is now officially on his longest run. Running into unfamiliar distances. He looks to be running well. We make sure we pace ourselves and not go too hard. At some points, I run up some of the hills but tell Scott to tell at me if he wants to walk certain hills. It is tricky to figure out how he might be feeling since he has 26+ more miles than me. He tells me to walk at some points and I walk for him. Even walking some of the hills, Scott still looks strong.

The day is warming up. I find myself drinking a lot more water than usual. I check on Scott to make sure he's drinking enough water. We continue along.

We chit chat about various things. I ask him if he gets a qualifying time at this race if he will throw his name into the Western States lottery. He says yes. I tell him if he gets into Western States, I will pace him in that race too. Sounds like a plan. hehehe.

As we reach Buzzard's Cove, Scott refills his water pack. They have ice cream cones at this aid station. I get one for myself and one for Scott. It tastes wonderful. Nice on a warm day. Some of the ice cream melts a little on my fingers. I eat the whole thing and Scott only eats part of it before tossing the cone.

We then continue onward.

Buzzard's Cove to Horseshoe Bar (mile 38.14)

At some point, Scott tells me he's taking a S-cap and tells me to remind him to take one again in 30 minutes. A little later, he takes a GU and again tells me to remind him to take another one in 30 minutes. So, I keep an eye out on my watch. I have to remember to keep Scott on top of his fueling. He seems to be doing well.

About 20 minutes after Scott had taken the S-cap, Scott tells me he's getting a little headache so taking another S-Cap. I note the time. Five minutes later, Scott asks if it's time to take an S-Cap again. I tell him he just took one five minutes ago. He forgot. I am familiar with how the brain starts not thinking very clearly when you run long distances. He must be getting a little tired but he seems to be running well. I remind him every so often to take a S-Cap or a GU.

These miles seem to be taking longer than usual. Horseshoe Bar seems to be taking awhile to get to. Scott says he feels like each mile is taking a long time now. He still just wants to sneak past the 30s.

Eventually, we get to Horseshoe Bar and take a moment at this aid station. We see a few friends here. I refill on water and eat some chicken soup. Tastes SO good! I eat some potatoes too and drink more coke. Scott refills his water and puts some ice into his water pack. The cold water feels and tastes wonderful. Scott says he likes the ice cold water on his back. This is nice as the day is getting warmer.

Horseshoe Bar to Rattlesnake Bar (Mile 40.94)

We walk out of Horseshoe Bar. I had grabbed some electrolyte drink for Scott and he was drinking it. Said it tasted like salt water. He then tossed the cup and we start running again.

At one point, we see a small cluster of people sitting on the right side of the trail cheering people on. Scott expresses a little disappointment to not see Mary there. I tell him she's going to be at Rattlesnake. He thought we were at Rattlesnake. I tell him we are about a mile from Rattlesnake and she'll be there. I sure hope Mary is at Rattlesnake when we get there.

We eventually make a turn down the trails and head down into the parking lot at Rattlesnake. I can hear the crowds cheering. I pop off the trail and immediately spot Mary there. There are a ton of people at this aid station. It is like a big party! I turn to see Scott run down and see Paul dash past us.

Scott is energized by all the people at Rattlesnake Bar! He says he feels like a rock star and they were all cheering for him. I am happy to see him so excited. He talks to his family and friends for a little. He eats a little. I refuel a little bit and see they have a bucket of water with sponges. I tell Scott he should probably sponge himself down.

Rattlesnake Bar to Dodwin's Post (Mile 43.92)

As we get ready to leave, Scott notes that he's about 8 hours into his race. He does not think we can get to ADO in two hours (Scott's goal is to break 10 hours). He seems a little disappointed at the time. He feels we are behind in time and that he may not be able to break 10 hours. I look at my watch and think we seem to be good on time. I think we can do it.

So, I start running in front of Scott. And, I kick up the pace just a little bit. Scott has finally gotten past the 30s and had said he wanted to pick it up in the 40s so that is what I am going to do. We start rocking and rolling through this section. We run a few of the smaller hills and briskly walk the steeper hills. And, we just fly on the downhills. I sometimes get a little ahead of Scott and worry I may be going too fast. But, I look over my shoulder and see he is still right there behind me. So, I keep up the pace. I figure he will tell me if I start going too fast. I am amazed he is still running so strong 40 miles into the race. We pass other runners along the way. We have a good momentum going and as we approach runners ahead of us, both Scott and I will yell out that we are approaching to pass. Both of us do not want to lose our momentum.

At some point, Scott's garmin dies. So, we are relying on my watch now. I keep checking that Scott is taking s-caps and GU and water.

We roll into Dowdin's Point in hardly any time. Last year, Scott had volunteered at this aid station. He had served chicken soup to runners and back then. At that time, he had thought to himself that he wants to run this race next year. And here we are, a year later, Scott is running in AR50. We eat some chicken soup and other food.

I drink more coke. But, I realize that I have not been drinking any electrolytes this whole time. I dump out one of my water bottles and fill it with the electrolyte drink. I do not feel like I am near bonking. I feel pretty good and strong. Have been eating a lot of real food (which is better for me). But probably should put in a little electrolytes to get through the last section.

To Last Gasp (Mile 47.56)

I note that we are doing good on time. We run along. Scott talks about when we hit the bottom of Cardiac Hill, we will just power up the hill as best we can. He says he wants to just pass Last Gasp and push up the hill to break 10 hours. I am glad that he is believing again he can still make his time goal.

We keep going along at a decent pace. Though, I feel like it is taking forever to get to the bottom of Cardiac. Where is that darn hill?! I keep hoping to see it after every bend.

Finally, we near it and the BIG hill begins. I am feeling strong and feeling good I can help Scott power up this hill. Unfortunately, Scott is now starting to feel weary. I gently run up the hill but he is walking. He eventually yells at me to stop pulling him and that he has to just go at his own pace or he will stop. So, I slow down and walk alongside him.

I run ahead at one point just to snap a couple pictures of him. We are nearly there! Just up this hill! We stop at the mile 47 marker for a quick picture and continue our trek up the hill.

We get to the Last Gasp aid station. Scott does not feel like eating anything anymore. He is not feeling well. So, after a brief moment, we get going.

Last Gasp to the Finish (50 miles!)

As we continue up the hill to ADO, I notice another runner dragging himself up the hill. His pacer is a super bubbly girl jumping alongside behind him. Way too peppy I think.

I ask Scott how he is doing. He says not good and to stop asking him. This is the tough part for me as a pacer. I don't know what to say to him to help encourage him on but also not annoy him. So, I stop asking him how far he's going. Since Scott's garmin is dead, he just wants me to tell him how far the finish is. I tell him we are 2 miles away, 1.5 mile away.

Two miles from the finish, we start running again. Up the hill. Scott says we have 26 minutes to go 2 miles. We have it! And, I notice that we are running a sub-10 min/mile pace. This is really good. We can totally break 10 hours. I am very happy for him. I am feeling excited and emotional to be there for Scott's big accomplishment.

Then, I feel a twitch in my left calf. The pre-cramp twitch. oh no! The right calf does the twitch too. I make a little hop at one point and try to shake out the twitches. Scott asks if I am okay. I say I got a little pre-cramp twitches happening in my legs. He asks me if I have been taking enough s-caps. I tell him I am fine as I do not want to worry him. He should focus on finishing. But, I know I had not been taking enough electrolytes. I had been focused on reminding Scott to refuel properly. I forgot about myself. And, it is too late now. I eat a GU and drink my electrolyte drink. But, it's too late to get into my system. I just pray my legs keep it together.

As we approach the mile marker, Scott says to tell him every quarter mile that has passed. So, I look at my Garmin and check the mileage. Meanwhile, both my legs are twitching like crazy. They both want to cramp up badly. I would slow down but Scott has picked up his pace. He smells the barn and is kicking it up to the finish.

I am struggling and begging my legs to keep going. I tell Scott at one point, I may go down due to cramping but to just keep going and you will finish great! I really want to finish with him. I have run 23 miles with him and I want to finish with him. It would break my heart if I end up cramping up this close to the finish.

I tell him we are 3/4 mile away. Legs, please keep going. 1/2 mile away I tell him. My legs are tightening and I mentally tell them to hang on for 1/2 mile. 1/4 mile away I tell Scott. You're doing great Scott, I tell him. My legs are twitching like crazy. They are ready to cramp up.

We make the final turn onto the grass and see the crowds cheering us on for the final stretch. I hear people cheering Scott on. I do my best to just stay behind him. My leg has started cramping but I keep running, with a slight hobble. Oh man, this hurts so bad but I want to be there for Scott's finish. I run behind Scott. He crosses the finish and I cross a moment behind him. He breaks 10 hours! My whole leg is cramped up. I am glad to have reached the finish. Scott hugs me. I am just doing my best to stay standing. :)



Post-Race Pain!

Scott is greeted by his family and is so very happy. I just want to sit. I hobble along. As we are walking to the spot Mary had set up for us, my left calf cramps up and I collapse onto the grass. I am tearing grass out and swearing up a storm, I have not experienced such bad cramping. Any movement hurts.

Mary eventually comes to help me. She rubs my calf a bit and helps me up and over to a chair. A little later, I cramp up really badly again that I have to get carried to the massage table. Two guys tag team me in massaging both my legs. The cramping is happening all over. I am just yelling out in pain and all parts of my leg....left calf, right foot, right hamstring, etc....

I then sit in a chair for awhile unable to stand. Mary gets me food and soda. I am tired but I feel good to have been there for Scott. I see he's just so full of energy. Socializing with other runners. I am happy for him. All this pain I feel now is worth it. I am glad I got to be there for him for this accomplishment.

Reflections of being a pacer
Being a pacer is an interesting experience. You are running someone else's race rather than your own. In some aspects, I feel less pressure since it is not my race. In other aspects, I feel more pressure because I feel responsible for the runner. I want to make sure I remain strong for them for whatever he needs.

But, I did rather enjoy being that support person for another in a major accomplishment. I felt honored to have been Scott's pacer. I felt great during the entire run. Yes, I did kind of forget to take care of myself during the run and ended up cramping up pretty badly. But, I did what I set out to do and I feel happy with that. And, I am just glad I that I fulfilled my job as pacer in being there for Scott as he finished his first 50 mile race.

I would not mind being a pacer again. I rather enjoyed the experience. Though next year, for AR50, I am going to run the full 50 miles myself. ;-)

Scott's official time: 9:54:58

A Happy Two Years with Java Joggers!

A HAPPY TWO YEARS WITH JAVA JOGGERS

"Years later, thinking back on beginning, I see that while eventually, I came to understand that running would be good for my body and for my mind, it took me longer to know what it would do for my heart. Not the knobby muscle that pumps blood through the body, the organ that keeps the physical self alive, but the notional place where feelings pool and clog and eventually spring free. What I didn't realize, when I first started lacing up my shoes, was that for me, running would be so much about love.

Running with another person is an intimate activity. Run with someone long enough at a time and you will be stripped bare. Modesty falls away with the miles. The body -- its functions, its excretions, its wants -- cannot be ignored. The heavy breathing, the sweating, the soft talk that comes after exertion, the hours spent together -- running with another person is an intimate activity. it's hard to keep the heart uninvolved."

--except from the book "Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running" by Rachel Toor

My friend Cathy wrote today:

"Helen is one of the most fabulously craziest woman I've ever met! She is one of a kind and I know I speak for the rest of the JJ's when I say, "We are the luckiest runners/cyclist to have her in our lives." She has come into our lives only two years ago and she has done so much! She is our biggest cheerleader, our biggest supporter, recruiter and most of all biggest crazy crown wearer! Thank you Helen, I know my world is much more colorful with you in it. You really are an inspiration. I look foward to the next two years and can only imagine the extraodinary feats you will accomplish."

Two years ago, I was a shy little runner. Barely a runner. Searching for running groups, I found this group called Java Joggers. It seemed to be a low pressure group welcoming all levels...walkers, joggers, marathoners...slow and fast people...And, of course, the "java" part of Java Joggers appealed to me.

So, on April 4, 2010, a Sunday morning, I went out to the Aquatic Center for my first meetup with Java Joggers. I wore some cotton t-shirt and shorts and cheapie running shoes. I felt really nervous. I had started to do some running around the neighborhood and think the most I had run was 4 miles. No idea how fast/slow. The only goal I had in mind was to be able to run 3 miles in the run portion of a triathlon I was trying to train for.

The day of my first run, David, the organizer, greeted me in the parking lot along with other runners. We talked about what we were going to run. Some talked about doing the "lake loop," whatever that meant. Two people said they were going to do about 5 miles slow/easy. So, I stuck with them. We all started off and I saw the backs of David and Cathy as they took off to do the "loop." I then ran behind Diane and Gerry. Both were super friendly and chatted my ear off as I did my best to keep up with them. I was also surprised as to how much personal stuff is talked about while running. Gerry talked about his son. I can't quite remember what Diane talked about. I was just trying to keep up. Boy was I relieved after a couple miles in, they decided to walk a little bit. I finished the five mile run/walk. This would be my longest run at the time.

After the run, we gathered at Starbucks. I remember asking Gerry, "how long will the others be out?" Gerry said they were running around the lake so probably be another 45 minutes. Around the lake?! How far is that? 11-12 miles. Wow! I was in awe.

Eventually David and Cathy joined the group at Starbucks. And, I just had a nice time listening to all them jabber about this and that. What a friendly group!

So, I came back. . .I ran...I java'd...I became a crazy runner...and, I fell in love with some of the greatest friends to be part of my life...:)

In two years, I have attended over 250 meetups with Java Joggers. They helped me be able to run my first 10k, my first triathlon, my first lake loop, my first half marathon, my first marathon, and my first ultra-marathon. They have helped me become a faster and stronger runner. They have kind of made me into a crazy person too. I started off as just as girl who just wanted to be able to run 3 miles at the end of a triathlon. I did not plan to ever run crazy long distances. I did not believe two years ago I could ever run a marathon. But, Java Joggers changed me somehow. They made me a happier and healthier person. They got me to believe in myself. Believe that I can do what I once thought was impossible. And, I love they just encourage and inspire the craziness.

While I do love my other running friends, my cycling friends, and my swimming friends, there is something particularly special with me and the Java Joggers. They have become family to me. Cathy sometimes jokes that we should be called the Jabbering Java Joggers because we talk so much when we run. But, it is because we talk that we are so close to one another. Hours are spent running together. In those hours, we have covered many subjects from serious to silly. From personal to just pure randomness. We have talked, shared, listened to just about everything and anything.

What I did not know back when I started was that I would just fall in love with these people. I did not know that these are the people I would end up sharing so much of my life with. And, not just my running life. I have grown to cherish them because they have helped fix what was once a broken person, that they have continually picked me up when various life things just knock me down, and they continually make me smile and laugh. They have become the greatest group of friends a person could ever ask for. They are always my greatest cheerleaders and greatest supporters!

So, for my two year Java Joggers anniversary, I wish to thank all the Java Joggers for all the wonderful runs and other adventures we have shared in the past two years and I look forward to even more runs and crazy adventures in the years to come! :)

I almost always wear the Java Joggers shirt in my races...Because Java Joggers are the reason I am good to the last mile.