100 Kilometer Run.

Friends and family have been asking me about the race...... I tell them that I went to places that I have never been to before, both emotionally and physically. The hardest part to sort out is that I really had a lot of negativity and self doubt. Not only was I negative about the race but negative about life in general. It's that negativity that really troubles me. Every race that I had struggled in before always had a light at the end of the tunnel. This time was different.

I am going to focus on getting rid of negativity in my life.


Anyway....

I didn't mention it before but 2 weeks earlier my ITB started giving me trouble (like it did during my 30 miler). So much so, that I couldn't run without pain. I did manage one 3 mile run a few days before the race and it wasn't pretty. I went into the 100k hoping to make it through. All the while knowing that the odds were against me.

I struggled early on.... it was mile 15 and I wasn't pumped and excited like I normally am. I am usually pretty peppy for the first 30 miles. Running seemed like a chore this time.

Mile 25... I could feel that my lower back was "out". When that happens, my IT band issue begins. I ran several miles pushing my left hip forward (with my hand) to avoid the crippling pain.

I was so fortunate that my physiotherapist was there (she ran/ bladed the 100km). During our lunch stop she worked on my back and got me aligned. I continued running, hoping that I would be alright. Fortunately, it never troubled me again.

At mile 35 I had a friend/ running partner join me for the duration of the run. My "pacer" I suppose. Rick, even though I bit your head off a couple of times I still really appreciated you being there.






The day continues....

I don't know exactly when it happened but my left foot started getting sore. I thought that I had tied my laces too tight so I loosened them. The pain continued to get worse so I loosened the laces once again. By this point, I am in a lot of pain. I knew that I would have to get Mary (physiotherapist) to take a look at it.

Mary had a chance to look at it at the stop before the final leg. She did her thing and adjusted my foot. She mentioned something about a jammed ankle and foot bone and that she got it back in place. There was some relief.... by this point I had been running on it injured for about 10 miles. During the last leg (with about 200 m to go) my ankle gave out and I twisted the sucker. I am not sure how I finished... but I did!

Earlier in the run I had begun to get quite emotional. I had to fight back tears at some points. I had thought that I would have had a HUGE breakdown at the finish. Luckily, at the end, I was in too much pain to become a puddle.

Andrew came out several times during the day to meet up with me and show his support (what a sweetie). He had even surprised me by showing up at the start area. He was out of town on business and I wasn't expecting to see him until the afternoon. He drove home on 2 hours sleep so that he could see me off. Right now is when you say "AAAAAAAAAAAAW!"

I tried to Twitter as often as possible to let him know where I was and how things were going. At one point I Twittered asking him to bring me a Freeze when we ran past my house (may have called it a popsicle). I gotta say that nothing could have tasted better and been so refreshing. They were a little hard to run with (2 of those 14" ones). Well worth the trouble!!!


Front Yard Party shown above.


I have to mention this: During the final stretch I felt like I wasn't connected to my body. I saw Janet, dad and Andrew cheering and waving but it was in slow motion, very surreal.


The last 100m. I am second from the right.


I must say that I am very proud of my achievement.

This not my typical race report, but this was not my typical race (if there is such a thing).

Thanks again to dad and Janet for coming down to see my race. It meant a lot to me to have you here.