Ok, now I wasn’t going to write anything, but I kept getting emails as sort of reminders to send my report. After all, it was finally my first 100 mile finish, after 6 attempts. And I sure was excited about this! The weather report kept changing and the last I heard was that it was going to be in the 30’s at night and mid 60’s in the day for the 2nd Mother Road 100 miler November 8/9th along mostly the old Rt. 66 from Elk City to El Reno, Oklahoma. There were two fears I went into this with – one of which was not being able to stay awake at night. No, I’m not a party animal and I like to sleep. The other was fighting the cold, after Mother Road #1, with night-time lows of 27 degrees, and lots of hypothermia, and drops, including myself, after not being able to warm up. Several people told me – learn something from every run. So I loaded up those drop bags with those handy little hand warmers, lots of warm clothes (though – even the night before I was scrounging more from helpful friends like Rosie Evans and one crew member Laurie Underwood). That’s another thing! I knew from the last time and also from the web site this time, that the aid stations could be few and far between and crew is recommended. So I gathered up some unsuspecting and hopefully not to be lost later, friends, who were naively excited to help! I had drop bags packed, food and extra clothes
loaded into my other crew member, Don The start was actually quite sunny and warm, and I had time to fix the other foot. I had done one in the morning at the hotel and had one left to do. I’m at the right of the pic, resting and that’s’ ‘Fuzz’ to the left. It was pleasant and comfortable, and a pretty darn nice start. (and yes, I’m paying for the pics – so I guess it’s ok to use them). The run was Elk City to Canute, Foss, Clinton, Weatherford, Hydro, Bridgeport, Geary, on to Calumet and finish at Ft. Reno, mostly on old Rt. 66. My ‘race’ plan was 6 – 7 – 8 – 9, meaning 6 hrs. for the first 25 miles and figure out the rest, with a planned finish of 29 hrs. and 50 minutes. I followed some Zombie advice and walked the first 15 minutes, with 25 year old Alice, who was quite an inspiration! Then I started on my 8’s and 2’s, 8 minutes running and 2 minutes walking and yes, I did walk up the hills also. And there were hills. T I met the beginnings of my crew about mile 18, which was about 32 miles earlier than planned. Don just couldn’t wait! He was excited! Richard and Julie traipsed by over an hour prior, Don said. I told him he really needed to go get some rest, but he swore he couldn’t rest. The 3rd aid station, in Clinton, at the Rt. 66 museum was 14.2 miles from the last aid station, but not to worry. This race had the best crew available. Everyone’s crew helped everyone. There was no way one could be without in this race. Every single crew that went by asked if I needed anything – if only life could be as wonderful and helpful as this. In addition, after my crew left me with hot soup or something, another crew would collect my trash. After Clinton, which I had arrived at an hour early and grabbed some grub from Don and said I would meet him on down the road to change into warmer gear and gather up some lights. It was too early at this point. Exit 71, the next aid station, when I got there was unmanned, with some water bottles out – I filled up and there were several crews out there waiting for their runners. Don grabbed a sub from an across the highway convenient store and got Rosie some 7-Up. He tore a piece off the sub for me and it was grand! Somewhere down the road I met up with the party RV, which I would see on and off for the rest of the race. I walked into the back, thinking it was an aid station and they were set up to feed and water us all! I got coffee from them all night long, water when I wanted and snacks too. Crew-wise, this race was the best. Help from others crews could be counted on throughout the night. I cannot brag enough on how helpful everyone was. Weatherford was to be next and huge it was! I pitied the crews trying to follow their runners as we took separate routes due to a road or bridge or something out. This was fast food haven where several runners were doing the window on foot and eating on their way to the aid station. There was lots of walking and sidewalks here as traffic was heavy, it was dark, and where was that aid station? I found Don at a gas station – he was hooking up with Laurie and we would meet again down the road. Finally, mile 50 at the Medical Center, an hour earlier than planned. I spent a little too much time here, getting food, going inside to use a real restroom, gawking at all the runners resting in the lobby. Pressing on to an aid station at Hydro, small, with teens working the aid station and lots of runners sitting around. There were a few potatoes in a bowl and I asked for salt – no salt, the young helper said, she thought she put enough on them. How would she know – I thanked her, and went on my way, first grabbing Laurie to say hi to Dmitry who was at that aid station, taking a break. My next stop at mile 62 was a rest in the truck with my feet up, for 15 minutes, then another 15 minutes to get re-geared up as it was getting a little colder. Night-time is slower and slower, with so much else to do, more stops, more eating and more walking. Somewhere, I don’t know where – I think Weatherford, I downed one of the truck stop 5 hr. energy shots and whoa boy – don’t do that straight! Next time I’ll pour it into my water bottle and drink it diluted. It messed up my stomach for pretty much the entire night. I also was developing a blister on the ball of my left foot, which was under a few layers of skin and I knew there was nothing I could do about it, but press on. The stomach hurt, the foot hurt and I was walking, but moving. And I wasn’t too cold. Somewhere in all this were some hills that felt like they were getting steeper and steeper. Also somewhere in there was a church aid station with a few runners laid out in the pews getting some rest and hopefully regeneration. I was super excited about reaching Taturs at mile 72.5, but it was sort of dead and laid back there - all the action I guess happened earlier, but I grabbed some too peppery potato soup and some coffee, rested a bit and then on to Geary and yippee! Finally! The dirt road! ! ! Laurie was with me since mile 50. Don headed back to get some rest – I told him he wouldn’t last! Tim (Laurie’s husband who came at the last minute and had no clue what he was getting into) would drive ahead and rest in the truck. The dirt road started in the dark and the almost 6 miles seemingly lasted forever and ended in the light of the beginning new day. Yay! I made it through the night! Somewhere along the way Don came back and announced Richard had made it to Calumet, mile 89.6, and I knew he would finish, and so would I! It was windy and a bit cold in the morning, but the sun was nice and the hills flattened out. Now, a feeling like a knife cutting into the bottom of my left foot. The blister broke and I couldn’t even walk. Don said press down on it. OK, I thought – maybe it will flatten out, get rid of the fluids and believe it or not, it did. The stomach was better, the foot was better and I could actually run for small portions of time and as the morning gathered, I could run even more. I don’t remember much about Geary, except that I needed to get rid of some night-time clothes after the dirt road. I do remember Calumet, as Don had taken over running with me and Laurie and Tim and gone ahead to Calumet, where a policeman had bid adieu to the former aid station volunteers and he was helping out and talking to Laurie. They had a yellow Igloo of warm water and some Ramen noodles which made quite an excellent brunch of crispies and broth – nothing like I’ve ever had before! Now I was feeling actually alive and better and was running more and more. Somewhere in there Don saved a small Westie-looking dog that was so excited and wanted to follow us and run around, surely to bit hit by a car later. Don took it to its owner and met up with me down the road. Now, Laurie took over sometime later. And now it was a finish for sure. I don’t think I could fully comprehend finishing, but it was a 5k left and then the turn into Ft. Reno and 1.5 miles to go! Don says – you can finish under 29 hours and I had to do it. Someone saw the finish and it looked like I would never get there, but did! !! In 28:50:11 – was I ever excited. I was given a buckle, led downstairs to breakfast with the rest of the just finished runners, had the absolute best omelet I ever had. My certificate was brought down later and Laurie, Tim and Don headed out to put the gear in my car. What a wonderful crew! And they basically got no sleep either! It was the first time I ever did anything with a crew and it was fabulous. I couldn’t have done it without them! Richard had finished in 24:41 I believe – what an awesome time! And Juli broke 24 hrs. . . . again! Everyone was tired and I actually walked up the stairs after breakfast but looked around and couldn’t remember where I parked my car, didn’t see Don’s Scamp or Tim’s truck and about freaked. I asked a volunteer and they pointed quite a ways off – whoa - that’s a long way! Taking a short cut across the grass, and reaching the road to get to my car, holding gently to my certificate and harder to my buckle, I trip over the curb and fell into the road, scraping my hand, my elbow, my shoulder and acquiring a humungous bruise on my leg. All this way and I can’t even make it to my car! My certificate was slightly crumbled and I hesitantly, briefly looked back to where they were generating them, thought, no – go to the car and worry about it later. I know this all sounds like fun and games and not really a difficult run, but I’m writing this two weeks after, when I’ve nearly forgotten all the pain and the hunger, the upset stomach, the hills, the cold, and all that! There was not a great finishing rate here and that should say something about the difficulty. I loved the course, loved the way the race directors set this up. I had a blast! But . . . the Tuesday after, heading home from work, I almost screamed! My finish line drop bag! Still there! My crew picked up all the drop bags along route, but the one from the shuttle was now, hopefully in some homeless person’s hands, as all left stuff was donated. I had done the ice bath after the run, and it proved good, no sore muscles. The blister healed grandly. I was a bit tire for a week. The crumbled certificate got laminated and I still have to find a belt for the buckle. Now, something during the race, I thought we were all crazy for wanting to do this, but now, like all others, I’m looking for my next 100 miler!
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Plummer’s li'l Scamp trailer
and even had a good mileage base under my belt! Another thing I was
worried about – the shuttle. So, we started in El Reno (where my
hotel and race check-in was), which is the finish, to shuttle to the
start, in Elk City, Oklahoma. I picked up Richard and headed out
early to get the shuttle from the finish point. That meant lost sleep
in the a.m., as the people starting out in Elk City would get about 2
more hours sleep than us! But then, they would need a ride back to
their car at the end, when all we would want to do was go back to the
hotel and sleep! The bus was one of those party busses, cramped and
cozy with fellow runners and actually quite a nice trip. I learned
one thing from Mike and that was, when your crew does something you
aren’t sure of, thank them anyway and cuss them after they are out
of site. Good thing to remember. Juli, Angela, Dmitry, Mike and
Richard were some of the runners on the shuttle.
he
towns were small and quaint and even though I prefer trails, this was
amazing. I loved the course and the trucks on the adjacent highway
honking and waving all along the way. One early town with a gas
station converted to house, small pink bike parked out front, a young
girl comes out, waves and says hi! In another town, I believe Foss
where the cleanest neatest town hall was, young scruffy boys bid good
luck. I ran on every grassy off the road spots I could find and
believe it helped me tremendously.