AC100, My Rite of Passage

By the time we got to Wrightwood on Friday, I felt like I had gained 10 pounds. The tapering and hydrating and forcing myself to eat meals all left me feeling pretty stuffed. It was confirmed at the weigh-in, I was about 5 pounds heavier than my normal weight. We had to have our drop bags ready by noon, so we spread our stuff
out in the parking lot and got to it.


Packing Drop Bags on Friday
I woke at 3 AM on Saturday morning feeling like I had actually slept some. I was very happy about this, as I knew I wouldn't be sleeping for the next 24 hours. I think all of us were anxious to start the race.





Sandee, Kevin & Donald at the Start in Wrightwood

100 miles to go....As I left Wrightwood I tried to concentrate on running slow and steady, so I knew I would finish. The temperature was chilly, but nice and the other runners seemed to be in their heads, too, planning their race. It was eerily quiet as we started our first ascent. My goal

was to finish, but also to have a good race, one without dehydration issues and stomach distress. These are the things that always seem to plague me in long runs and races.

Coming into Islip Saddle

Me and Pacer John at the finish

I didn't see Jamie and Gail (my awesome crew) till mile 25 at Islip Saddle. I was feeling great at this point and when I weighed in I hadn't lost a pound, which means I wasn't dehydrated. Yeah! I left my headlamp, bandanna, gloves and long sleeve shirt behind and put on my flappy hat that Jerry J gave me this summer. It was perfect.

75 miles to go...I decided to concentrate on getting to Chantry Flats (mile 75) since I knew if I could get there, I would finish the race. That was 50 miles of eating, drinking, peeing, running, walking, running, you get the picture. As I checked in at each aid station, it was Jamie and Gail who's concerned, but happy faces, always greeted me. It was all I could do not to cry sometimes and tell them how much I loved them, as I came rolling into the aid station. I was curious about how the guys were doing and kept asking at each aid station. Kevin went from 3rd to 1st and then won the race before I even arrived at Chantry Flats. We finally learned that Donald was making awesome time as well.

When I reached Shortcut, it was just getting dark and my feet were killing me. My left ankle was swollen from twisting it and it kept hitting the side of my very stiff shoe. I knew I had several blisters and my right knee pain was just kicking in. This was a low point for me and the girls saw it on my face as I came into the aid station. I knew I needed to eat more and take my e-caps, but it just seemed so hard. I managed to get some chicken soup down, which would become the only thing I could eat for the rest of the race, aside from a few little things forced on me. I asked Gail and Jamie to change my shoes and socks, but don't tell me about my blisters. I was shaking with cold and exhaustion, but finished my soup, put on some warmer clothes and left shortcut, alone, in the dark.

Something wonderful happened out there on the trail, at night. I started to feel good again and I was truly enjoying the race. That was until I took a fantastic superman-type fall right in front of two other runners. This was one of two of this type of fall, that I take on this particular stretch of trail. It was dark and technical and I guess I wasn't the only one out there falling. So, now I have managed to scrape both knees and there is blood running down my right shin. I am super dirty, with oak leaves stuck to me. Thank god it was dark.

Somehow, I make it to Chantry Flats. I start thinking it would be nice to have a pacer. All the other runners out there from Shortcut on, have had pacers. I ask my crew if they can ask around and this woman overhears me and shouts,"Does anyone want to pace this girl? She's cute!" Then, like my knight in shining armor, comes John, the pacer. His friend dropped and he was out there, all ready, with no one to pace. Lucky me. Thus begins the last 25 miles of my journey.

25 miles to go... I knew this would be tough, for one, I've already run 75 miles, but now I have to go up Mt Wilson and I know from experience this climb sucks. I also know that I will not see Jamie or Gail till the finish. No smiling, concerned faces of my friends, just me and John. John has never paced before, but turns out to have it in his blood. He forces me to eat and drink and keep moving forward. We talk about life and the time passes as I get closer to the finish line. He realizes that every time he feeds me some little snack, I pick up the pace for a while. I'm like a wind-up toy.

As we near the last aid station, there seems to be a group of us running (or walking) together. Getting to Millard seems to take forever and I try not to get discouraged as the mountain bikers keep passing us, forcing me to stop and step to the side. John is very protective of me and watches to make sure I don't fall over the edge. We come upon a woman who has fallen on the trail and is pretty beat up. I can't stop for long, but John stops to help her, then catch up with me(she is not in the race).

5 miles to go...When we finally make it to Millard, it's as if we are all on a mission and the pace increases dramatically. We hike quickly up the one mile of incline and then we are off and running. Really running for the first time in hours. It actually feels good and I keep wondering how my body is moving like this after 95+miles. I am once again with Dennis from Denmark, who I met at mile 5, and haven't seen since then. He says he recognizes my braids, I only recognize his voice. We are both emotional about the finish, in fact, we keep getting all choked up just talking about it, but decide we will run better if we don't cry. Wise decision, we agree. Soon we see the vicinity of our finish and people are directing us...less than a mile to go. We are trying hard not to get choked up now. John tells me it's okay if I slow down to savor the moment- hell no! We run like antelope (well, wounded antelope) for the finish line and right before I cross, this woman, passes me. WTF? I forgive her now, but I was pretty pissed. Who passes at the end of a 100 mile race? C'mon. She promptly grabs me and hugs me after we cross the finish and I'm a little hesitant, than joyful and of course choked up. Hal, the race director, hands me a 'finishers' t-shirt and Gail and Jamie direct me to a chair, aaahhh.

I'm so happy to have finished my first hundred and very humbled to have met so many great runners who have finished several of these races. I have some great new friends and feel like a true ultra runner now. I'm already thinking about the next race I can do. I'm thinking 50 miles sounds good. Unfortunately for my friends, there are more 100's in my future. So, for now, running remains my lover, xxoo.