Getting our New York on at the NYC Marathon 2014

NYC marathon 2014 was by far my favorite marathon to date, even though I had already run it in 2010.  This year I ran it for a fun time and the NYC crowds know how to give a girl just that!  Every borough, every street, every intersection was overflowing with sign-holding, spirit-lifting, high-fiving, cheering, roaring spectators!  I'm not sure which was working harder, the runners or the watchers.  I was in complete awe of these bundled up, early risers standing in gusting cold winds just to say great job, you're looking great, you CAN do it!  It seemed as if it was just as important to these complete strangers that we finish as it was to us. They wanted and seemed to need to high five us and encourage us. 

 

I always dedicate my races to someone because I know that there are those out there suffering and can't or don't think that they can run.  It's my thought that if I am an example that maybe one day someone will say, hey, if she can do it, well I most certainly can, too.  Well, it occurred to me on the streets of NYC that these peeps were counting on us, each of us that will make the whole, to finish.  We are the example of something to them--determination, hard work, dedication, grit, or maybe just crazy and entertaining.  Whatever it was they had all gathered to watch their own loved ones or maybe just us, the NYC marathon runners, because today was the day to celebrate the runners and their streets--a little place they like to call home.  We were welcomed with enthusiasm and it made you feel like you could fly (along with the wind, I thought it was going to actually be possible a few times)! 

I ran NYC with a dear friend, Luis.  We had a grand time on our amazing race, which started in Garner as we traveled by car to Charlotte at 4 am on Saturday morning, made a drop off of some precious cargo at Shannon's house, and then switched cars to be dropped off at the airport. Next we were flown to NYC, grabbed a taxi, made a pit stop at the grand Roosevelt Hotel and then hoofed it to Grand Central Station to catch a bus to the expo.  One of the top two expos on my list (with Marine  Corps Marathon being my fav to date).  Did all that we needed to do, got my pic with Bart Yasso, and then we hear the announcement that ALL Asics apparel is 50% off. What?!  It was the last hour and this stuff needed to go.  We helped them get rid of some of it.  Luis looks mighty spiffy in his new jacket. 

Now we had to get back to the hotel, but the shuttle buses were bursting out the seams and lines were streaming down the sidewalks.  It was cold and rainy, but we decided that it would be in our best interest to walk up a bit and catch a cab, and so did a few hundred other folks. We walked a good ways and then caught a cab. He took us a good portion of the way, but made a wrong turn, so out of the cab and back on foot.   Walk, walk, stop by for a bottle of wine, stop by Tony's Di Napoli to make dinner reservations (highly recommended Italian restaurant) and then walk back to hotel. Finally feet up for 30 minutes, glass of wine and then out (by cab) to Tony's to stuff ourselves with family-style pasta dishes. We got the lobster-stuffed ravioli with shrimp, spinach, tomatoes and garlic in a wine sauce and a platter of Ala Vodka sauce with penne pasta and we all three ordered dessert for later!  We wobbled like Templeton the rat back home. 

Time for some race prep made easy-peasy with the assistance of the flatman creation.  We were sure to be prepared by laying it all out.  Now feet up and dessert time.  Yum.  Bedtime at 9:15, but wait it will really be like 8:15 with the time change. Very nice plus for a race weekend!  Luckily, I had gotten my ferry time changed so that Luis and I could travel together and I gained two more hours by doing so.

We headed out by 6:45 and caught the subway to Staten Island Ferry (arrived in less than 30 min.).  Hung out for a while people watching and then on the ferry, meeting a few folks and getting a great view of The Lady, herself, Ms. Liberty--a sweet reminder of why life is good for us and that life could be worse.  Off the ferry, and...

Into the ferry station to watch and hear some more people, (so many different languages) more meetings of interesting people and then out the door to the buses!  Wait!  Is that the wind gust they were talking about?  Yes, and worse than they had predicted and a lot worse than what I had expected.  Now, I was finally a little worried.  We waited a good while here huddled up to our fellow runners and eavesdropping without intending to so on everyone's conversations, sharing warmth and some unintentional snuggles, too.  We were all saying the same things, so not too much juicy gossip--runners, especially during a race, speak runner's talk--what kind of shoes are those, do you have goal time, is this your first marathon.  Luis and I did meet an interesting fellow that talked about a variety of things from car thievery, and stock market to living as a musician and playing the guitar in some well known musicals.  After a good bit of waiting, we are now on the bus with a new set of folks.  I watched their faces--some looked really nervous and others looked ready to get this thing going.  Bus ride was kind of long, but it was nice to be warm and sitting down.  

Off the bus and patted down and wand-ed for weapons--really. The police presence was large and appreciated.  I felt safe and secure at all times. One last stop to the potty, where we struck up yet another conversation with interesting peeps and then a dash for the starting corral.  Yikes, our dash was a more like where do we go and hopping over discarded clothing.  The starting corrals were littered with every sort of clothing and brand name you can imagine. Comforters, sleeping bags, towels, snuggies, pajamas, robes, sweat shirts and pants, fleece jackets, puffy coats, down filled coats, heavy winter coats, flannel shirts, business suits, hats, scarves, gloves, socks, and more hats, and the brand names were well represented--Asics, Adidas, North Face, Patagonia, REI, Nike, Dunkin Donut, and more! 

We made it to our corral and took off most of our own extra clothing, but found it necessary to keep our Tyvek jackets on. We watched some runners passing by as we were waiting for our own start and then figured out that they were our start (!)--so off to join them.

The course is so much about the people and I think I've pretty much given you a good idea about them. There are many great bands and music on this course and they are playing stuff you recognize, but I should insert a warning here--this will make you want to stop and dance or at least play a little air guitar or drums.  Aid stations are loaded in Gatorade and water with gels offered around mile 18.  Sadly, no PB&Js or hot potato soup for me.  How does one survive on Gatorade and gels alone?  And, yuck!  The course is pavement all the way, with five bridges that offer great views and pic opportunities. 

 

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is by far the most spectacular of the lot.  There's a whole lot of running to be done on this one and it is impressive.  On our trip across the Verrazano we saw bags dancing in the air above our heads and clothing being swept over the side by the 55 mph wind gusts and taking the dive into the deep, cold waters below.  The wind was bossy and it was trying to clean this bridge of everything that did not belong, including us runners.  At one point, my left leg was blown into my right leg and almost tipped me over!  This happened to Luis later on in the race as well! It felt like we were being swept up into the cyclone that took Dorothy to Oz--we were blown two steps forward only to be blown two steps back.  It was exhilarating and it made me laugh out loud many times.  The many signs on the course certainly helped to distract from any low points and added A LOT humor to the course, albeit, some of them are twisted!  The crowds are NEVER-ending and they are always encouraging and the miles seem to disappear and before you know it you're at mile 20--that's where the fun run begins!  I love that last six in any marathon.      

The ice cream on top of the apple pie a la mode is when you turn the corner to go into Central Park and see the street lined with crowds of spectators that will not let you stop now--no way--you must keep on keeping on.  Here is where I saw my beautiful husband--I knew he wouldn't disappoint--time for a quick kiss and a selfie. 

 

One more turn, one more band, more peeps, "Where's the finish?", he said.  "I know that you can't see it yet, but I promise when you get to that little turn there up ahead you will see it", I replied.  He saw it and he said, okay, let's go.  The most beautiful words ever and my feet responded accordingly.

Luis, you were awesome!  I had a wonderful time sharing the streets of NYC with you.  I loved your excitement, enthusiasm and your high fives to the kids.  I was grateful to have you to talk to during my own low points and especially during my high points!  I really loved it when you went "back home".  I wanted to shout to the crowds, "This is Luis from the block!"  It was great to be a part of this experience with you and watch you dig deep and grow as a runner in so many ways. 

After crossing the finish line, well let's speed it up by saying we were medaled, space blanketed, food bagged and after A LOT of walking, ultimately ponchoed (thanks Adam's wife) and then out to meet JD at family spot U.  Found him, and began the long walk home, JD treated us to a ride part of the way in a rickshaw, but the guy was pulling way too slow for his per minute rate, so we opted to hoof it yet again back to the hotel and arrived 1 hr and 45 mins after crossing the finish line.  We treated ourselves to a hot meal, adult beverages and dessert in bed (separate beds, of course!).

Luis and I had a fabulous time and think that some of our friends and families should start entering the lottery to get in--we'd love to go watch you!  There are a few of you that we know would absolutely love this race!  Not going to call you out by name but, Si, te encantara!  And Oui, vous aimeriez aussi!  Okay, I will call one of you out by name, Ryan B, I know you would love it and I bet you could qualify for it! 

Thanks, Big Apple! 

 

Uwharrie Trail 100M 2014

My plan for the Uwharrie Trail 100.  Show up, eat, drink, run, climb,

eat and drink some more, run and climb some more, smile, and have fun.  

I did all of these, and it worked. It's the people involved along the way that

help bring a race/run like this together.  I am blessed with wonderful family,

friends and now a Uwharrie family, which includes some amazing race directors,

Dan and Amanda, and some fantastic volunteers. Vinny, your soup kept me chugging

along.

Having an understanding family that also runs is

a plus to an ultra runner.  I was prepared to go into this race with no

pacer, but just days before Shannon, my daughter, offered her fiancé, Danny to

pace me through a loop.  It was a good thing that I had Danny through that

third loop because I was in pain, my spirits were down and I needed to keep my

mind off of the next two loops.  It turns out that Danny knew just what to

do--talk about this and that, ask how I was feeling, tell me I was doing great

and NOT to tell me about the sick kiddos they had been dealing with back at

camp.  We trudged through the dark very slowly but surely and he safely

returned me back to HQ.  There I met up with J.D., my husband (who just

finished his own 100 miler at Oil Creek, a tough course, just six days

earlier), but thought he could handle a loop at my "asleep on my

feet" pace.  J.D. did not let me just slog along as I expected he

would, however, he was a man with a mission and that was to make sure I

finished.  He'd tell me to speed up my walking and to run when I thought

it wasn't possible.  I was practically sleep walking/running the entire

loop with him until the sun came up and the new day dawned.  Shannon camped

out with the babies while my pacers were pacing and made sure all was well on

the home front--roasted marshmallows and carved a jack-o-lantern with the

babies, and dealt with sick babies.  Thank you to my very own baby girl, I

know that was gross and even parents don't like to do what you had to do! 

Having friends who run is also a plus to an ultra

runner.  Juliet Brundige, who named me her Sasquatch Sister, offered for

me to bunk with her and a ride down with her as she too was competing in this

race.  She informed me that she could not offer me a ride back, but did

suggest that maybe I could run home.  Haha:)  Since we share the same

interest and both get excited about all of this ultra stuff, it made for a

pleasant evening the night before.  Thank you my Sasquatch Sister!  I

look forward to sharing some more trail time with you!  Juliet achieved a

PR of her own on this challenging and unrelenting course.  Way to go,

Juliet!  By the way, I'm sure I was catching glimpses of Sasquatch while

out there alone.  I always felt like I was being watched.  Spooky.

Yes, I'm going to say that having volunteers that

run is a huge plus as well.  Those folks know how to take care of a lady.

 The food was amazing!  I typically only eat peanut butter and jelly

sandwiches and occasionally some soup on these races, but who could resist the

fresh hot waffles and bacon a Vinny's Station?!  Wow!  And then the

hot, homemade potato soup made with a Food Network recipe by Vinny, himself!

 That was like heaven through the night--just imagine--sitting by a

roaring fire with a hot cup of delicious soup in your hands in the middle of

the dark, cold woods.  Like I said, must be heaven.  Then came

another wonderful surprise, Kelly's Kitchen, because it was loaded with my MTC

folks!  Such an uplifting moment to see all of those beautiful blue

shirts!  And then to hear them call you by name (your name is Antonette,

but everyone calls you Rosie, haha), and ask about J.D.--just like family, I

swear.  The Headquarters Aid Station is always a great place to return to

because you can check one of those loops off, but on top of that you get many

cheers, claps, "way to go's", and "what can I do for

you's?".  Believe it or not, with all of that time on the trail to

think about what you'll need when you get to the aid stations, somehow, when

you get there you forget!  Thanks to one of the boys behind the table that

asked me if I needed any salt tablets! Yes, I did, but i had

forgotten--you saved me!  Then off you go with a lot of "you got

this's" and "great job's".  And you trust them, because you

know that they've been in your spot before or they are part of that ultra

family that supports their own runners at these events.  They get it.

 I love y'all!  

What completes this amazing race is the wonderful

race directors (RDs).  This may have been Dan and Amanda Paige's first

event as RDs, but you never would have known it.  I think everything went

perfect.  Wow, how do I sum it up for you without leaving out the

important details?!  First of all, there are multiple training runs set up

on the course and Dan, himself, attends them.  The shirts, buckles and

awards are all great!  Personally, In ever had one unexpected issue out

there on that trail.  Every mile was marked, every aid station was manned

and provided anything a person could need, there was always a presence of

medical aid available, the trail was well marked with flags and glow sticks so

one could easily find their way in the dark night.  Dan and Amanda treated

my family like their own.  Both of my young grandbabies (3 yo and 1 yo)

were there with my husband, and they played with them, held them, talked to

them--it was just wonderful to come across that finish line and see that those

babies were a part of the ultra family.  It's just like when you see your

child eating a healthy meal and you feel good about it, well I saw these babies

being part of a healthy experience and I felt good about it.  Dan, Amanda

and their children go over and above what would be expected and made this

experience a memorable one.  Bayla is still talking about Ryan.

Explaining those miles/hours on the course is

easy, yet difficult.  I can tell you about this climb and that climb, but

to get you inside of my head at that time is probably impossible.  It's

weird how you imagine that you'll think about everything under the sun while

you're out there because of all of the alone time you'll have, but your head

doesn't work like that--at least mine doesn't. I constantly keep up with

my goals, and when I start falling short of my goals (like when I expect to be

at the next aid station or mile marker) then I start to recalculate.  When

I start thinking of how far I've still got to go or when things get tough, I

count.  I'm a counter.  Everything is possible if you break it down

in to manageable amounts, so I broke down the course like this:  6 miles

to Vinny, 9 impossible, grueling, *%^#$ miles back to Vinny, but in the middle

there would be a little pick me up at 5.5miles when I got to Kelly's Kitchen,

after getting back to Vinny all I had to do was 5.4ish freakishly hard miles to

the end of the loop--and there you have it one loop of 20 plus miles.  

All I had to do was repeat it four more times.  This helped me manage each

loop in my head, although there are certainly times that my head takes over and

tells me it's impossible to keep going.  We, my head and I, battled

frequently with this thought.  I ultimately won the battle with this  

little speech to myself--This is your "me time", this is your

"vacation", your "alone time", and just look where you

are--exactly where you always wish you were when you're not, and you can't

waste such a gift.  It's just pain, and it's your pain--no one can take it

from you, you can't give it away,--it is all yours now use it in a positive way

and quit whining.  (I talked to myself a lot.)  The course, for me,

can be described like this--the first 6 miles are the easiest.  You can

run most of the first two miles, although there are some ups and downs and then

at mile 3 there is a pretty significant climb, although it did not have an official

name, I eventually gave it a name that I can't repeat.  After that climb,

there were many ups and downs until you reached the first AS.  The next

5.5 miles to Kelly's Kitchen are very hard.  You come up to Sasquatch Summit

around 7.25 miles and it is a steep climb up through big white rocks, few trees

and it just keeps going.  You can't just walk it up though, you have to

climb it.  On the first loop through at the start of the climb I had a

huge cramp attack the inside of my inner thigh and then move up and down my

leg.  I was startled and scared, I just knew that if cramping started at 7

miles in that I would never make it to the end.  At the top of the climb,

I started digging into the cramp with my hands and forced it out (I have a huge

bruise from it now!)  I cursed a little and then told myself to suck it

up.  I had to climb Sasquatch Summit with my hands on loops 2-5and mainly

depended on my hands to pull me up by the last two loops.  Once you clear

this hurdle you can't rest easy though, because you know that in the middle of

mile 8 you are going to be faced with the "Soul Crusher", and yes,

that was what it was named.  It goes on forever, it's hard, it is brutal going

up and brutal going down--steep both ways.  Going down has the extra bonus

of scree and you were constantly in danger of losing your footing and sliding

down on your rear end instead of running down with your feet.   The Soul

Crusher did not succeed in crushing my spirits for long though, because each

time that I fought the battle with her and came out on the other side, I felt

stronger at least until the next loop.  However, she did succeed in

crushing my two big toenails--they will be history soon.  After getting

through those "significant" climbs and many other non-significant

climbs, you are rewarded with some great running--soft, pretty, creek

crossings--just watch out for the snakes!

I had the great fortune to meet up with a friend

for a few miles on loop two, Jeff Kimrey, and but for him and his quick

spotting and quick warning, I would've been sporting a Copperhead bite instead

of a buckle at the end!  Having someone to run with had picked up both of

our spirits and we were running and talking, and then all of a sudden he said,

"SNAKE!" and he jumped up in the air.  Well, since we were

moving fairly fast at that point I had no time to actually verify that there

was a snake, so I didn't even bother to look, I just took two huge leaps on

legs that just minutes before didn't feel like they could raise more than two

inches in the air.  We then looked back at the most beautiful copperhead

snake with her head reared up in the air, maybe three inches high.  I'm

sure she was wondering what the heck was that or dang, just missed her!

 It was scary, exhilarating and so cool.  Thanks, Jeff, for saving my

life and my race!  

After the snake, I kept on keeping on, (all the

whilst keeping a good eye out for any critters on the trail and hoping I'd get

lucky enough to see a Rattlesnake) and finally reached Kelly's Kitchen.

 From Kelly's Kitchen back to Vinny was less than 3.5 rolling miles with

the exception of maybe only one significant climb.  After Vinny's there is

5.4 or so, I think, to the end.  There is some great running through this

part, lots of creek crossing and rock hoping, Hallucination Hill, and a few

steep short climbs thrown in just for fun.  Hallucination Hill comes at a

time on the course when you are anxious to just get back to HQ, and it is

steepish and rocky.  It slows you down right when you think everything is

getting easier--Uwharrie's way of reminding you that she is still the boss and

respect is due!  Did I have any hallucinations?  Yes, I saw a fluffy

white kitten, which turned out to be a beautiful piece of white rock called

Feldspar, and I think I saw some Planet of the Apes faces once at the top but

then thought that can't be.  The kitten is funny because I recently told

J.D. that he would find his "spirit animal" on a run like this, so

apparently mine was a kitty.

 That's the race course, a piece of one loop or a

piece of another loop, so that you can get a feel for what each section of the

20 mile loop feels like.  However, each piece of each and every loop has a

different story out there and each one is to be respected.  The story

changes with each loop and can have new characters, new emotions, new

atmosphere, new meaning, new "second wind", enter at any time.

 That keeps it exciting and mysterious as to what the next loop will be

like and always makes you wonder if you'll be able to handle the next one.

The final loop does have a story that was unique

in that my run had turned into a race!  An unexpected turn of events had

happened.  I started this race almost as the last person on the trail and

had never really laid eyes on but a handful of the 100 milers and that was only

once or twice.  On the last loop, I had to go it alone due to no pacer and

I was ready to just plug away at the course and try to finish before the 36

hour cutoff.  But, right before I stepped my foot on the trail, J.D. said

he had to tell me something, which was--they say you may be the first female

finisher.  "You're kidding me" , I say with complete shock.

 He says nope.  I say, gotta go, with absolutely no emotion because

my head was counting and calculating.  I didn't slow down to eat those

PB&Js like I had every other loop, I just held on to that little plastic

baggy of sandwiches until it was almost pulverized into liquid.  My pain

was gone, magically and mysteriously gone.  I was blown away with this

news.  I started running with a renewed energy stronger than the one that

I had started the whole race with, stronger than any that I'd ever felt before.

 My timid little feet that are always so very scared and careful on the

trail, especially going down as those who know me well will confirm, were

moving fast and fearless over every root, rock, and I was no longer running

that trail, I felt like for the first time I was a trail runner.  That

trail and I had a mission and that was to keep me up in front of the females.

 I ran like a crazy woman--talking to myself, eating that pulverized

PB&J's on the big uphill, leaping, jumping--I felt like I could fly.

 I could hear voices somewhere and I was sure it was a woman's.  I

just knew that the lady behind me was going to catch me at any second because I

knew that she was a strong runner.  I caught up with a male 100 miler and

his pacer, a lady--whew, I thought, maybe it was their voices that I had heard.

 Voices travel out there on those trails.  We said our hellos and

goodbyes, I passed him and I kept on keeping on.  I passed a bow hunter in

complete camouflage, even his face, and had some creepy thought about what he

was really hunting and I sped up even more! I reached Vinny's (mile 6 of loop),

grabbed my PB&Js and Gatorade and asked the update on the women racers.

 He told me--you're it.  What?!  You're kidding!  OMG.

 How many males will finish, I asked.  OMG.  Maybe I won't even

be the last finisher.

New goal,  stay ahead of the last runner I

passed.  I continued to run like a crazy lady.  

I came up on another runner, male.  He

seemed to be in a lot of discomfort.  He gave me some encouraging words

and we said our hellos and goodbyes, and I kept on keeping on.  I thought

about him often during the remainder of the loop and every time I would have to

battle yet another difficult beast of a hill, I thought he's never going to be

able to handle this in his condition.  You can never assume anything about

any runner at any point of a race, beginning, middle, how they look, act, or

behave before, during or after a race, because ultra runners are made up of

some magical ingredients inside that can't be seen.  This guy did finish

the race--he was on his feet for almost 40hours, well after dark on the second

night just plugging away at what must have seemed like eternity.  Just

amazing and beautiful--magical.  

I continued my crazy running until Sasquatch

Summit and Soul Crusher took a little bit out of me, but not too much because I

was planning ahead for them.  My plan was to push up hard for 10 counts

and if you need to, rest, and if not push up hard for another 10 counts, and

this is how I handled every hill from that point on for the last loop.  I

employed a new technique that my body made up on the spot--I went into an

almost squat, legs wide apart and arms at90 degree angles and I climbed/marched

up.  It was trying to suck the life out of my legs, but then I heard

voices again, and off I went.  (The voices were probably just campers, but

it didn't matter because it was all I needed.)  I got in and out of

Kelly's Kitchen.  I was trying to make sure that I was out before any of

the racers saw me because I know that anytime your mind and body can renew

itself with a second wind, and I didn't want to motivate them to chase me down

if they saw me!  I needed to know that there was someone on my heels in

order to make it out of those woods before the36 hour cutoff or I might not

make it.

Off I went heading to Vinny's for one last time,

recalculating all the way because my time was starting to slip away.  The

miles to Vinny's had gotten longer and I had not planned for that!  Where

is the 14 mile marker?  I was getting worried that I would not buckle this

race and all that work would have to be done again next year!  (That's how

I think.)  Then I looked up and there she was, the trail gods had sent me

a gift, a trail angel named Rhonda.  She nonchalantly said that she'd run

with me for a while, if I wanted, and so I said sure.  We made it back to

Vinny's and she offered to run in with me, if I wanted.  I said sure, but

was hoping she wouldn't think I was a wimp, because I knew that I'd be

suffering on the last five.  Wow, Rhonda is an ultra running aficionado.

 She stayed behind me "just for some company" but her words were

perfect, challenging, and the motivation that I needed.  I realized

quickly that she was not going to let me back off, relax, or just finish.

 She challenged me to get my time down as low as possible.  I was

thinking that she clearly had unrealistic expectations of me.  I told her

that that last mile and a half was very long and that there was no way.  I

tried to tell her, but she didn't fall for it.  I told her that I just

wanted to finish before the 36 hour cutoff and she replied I think you can do

it under 35.  My new goal, my new challenge.  My crazy, fearless

running started to come back, she was right, I am a "smell the barn"

kind of runner and it was calling me.  She talked me through with

encouraging words, funny stories and bar jokes!  She gave me something out

there on that trail that I will take with me to every race I do--she made me

believe in myself.

34:53

An ultra runner walks into a bar and the bartender says...

Hey, does my bar look like a hill to you?  

Made that one up for you, Rhonda.  (Crickets chirping)

28 Starters
8 finishers-7 males/1 female (me!)

Inaugural Uwharrie Trail 100 miler, Uwharrie National Forest, Troy, NC; October 18-19, 2014
www.uwharrie100.com