| Event Map | Elevation Map | Parking Lot Map |
|---|
If you didn't click on the link I provided, I'll quickly explain the different things you see here. The big gun on top is the double barrel gun which is the award you get for doing both the 50K and the 50M in the same day as shown in the middle level. Actually to be exact, you get the double barrel if you do 2 races in the same day so in theory 100M/50M or 100M/100K but tradionally it's the 50K/50M combination. The double barrel gun by the way is a butane lighter. Pretty cool. On the bottom shelf on the left, you have the 100M belt buckle with the spinning barrel. On the right, you have the 100K award which is actually a USB drive.
Since this will be my last time there, I decided to also do the 1M and the 10M races on Sunday. I will be there waiting anyway so why not...
You can read my previous race reports here but if you don't, here's a quick summary:
Some friends who will be there include: Bill, Jamey, Hammad, Kate, Eva, Michelle, Diane and Michael Ortiz.
Last year, Jamey and I met Michelle Frew and her husband Greg (UConn) who didn't run. She decided this will be her first hundred. Jamey decided to do the hundo too. So, the plan is to do the 100K with them and then leave them to shower and sleep a little. I will be back soonest to help them out and also help Hammad who is doing the 100K. Later in the morning, do the 1M and the 10M, hopefully syncing up with them again. Kate is doing the 100K. Diane is completing the arsenal like me with the 100K. She did the Hundo the same year I did it and we met last year at the double barrel. Eva is doing the 100K. Michael Ortiz is doing the 100M.
I should just quickly mention that I had a talk with Hammad 2 weeks before the race asking him his intentions. Was he really going to do the 100K or was he gonna drop down the distance. I asked because he was NOT trained enough. He was constantly trying to recover from injury. Unfortunatly he would repeat the same damn cycle of coming back and pushing too much and getting injured again. This is my opinion. OK - others said that too. Still, if that's what he wants then let's make that happen.
We all took turns driving and resting but let's face it: Jamey took the brunt of the driving. He doesn't mind driving and none of us minded him driving. A perfect situation. We rolled into the school and immediatly started seeing people that Bill, Jamey and I recognized. Right away, someone who I remembered by face, heard my voice and asked if I was that guy. Nice...
Got our stuff and went to the almost mandatory meeting. Take a look at the pictures and see what shape Jamey was in. All of us took a picture of him. The drive really is that long/hard. I won another raffle - Coupon for Altra shoes and we left. The boys went out to eat dinner. Not me. I gotta eat my own stuff and decompress and lights out.
While they were eating, I asked Kate if she wants to go with us. Last year there was some tension about space and she took a hotel shuttle. This time, I asked her if she wants to go with us and told her that I would make sure that there is space. She tried to comvince me to leave later. We had already decided early as a) Bill wants a prime spot for his car and b) we all want either an opportunity at the indoor plumbing which they don't have too much or a fresh port-a-potty. Still she tried. I tried to explain. She still tried by telling us to use the indoor plumbing at the hotel. I gave up. Sent the text to Michael for him to appreciate. All I can say is "no good deed goes unpunished". As it turns out, we got there early (happy) and she got there 2 minutes after us because she was bored. Did I need all that grief? Why fix someone's problem when they don't see it as a problem? Whatever...
We got there and still saw more people. I introduced Hammad to the locals. I dragged Jamey to say hello to others. A nice surprise was Jim Lampman which is always awesome.
We started. Kate and Bill started up ahead. Michelle, Jamey and I started more toward the back. Hammad was even more in back of us. I don't remember where Ortiz started.
(Un-)Surprisingly the loop hasn't changed much.
First loop was us talking to different people before we settled into our threesome. I hated the fact that my 2 buds had a shorter turn around than I did after the start/finish. The Milers turn around a little earlier than the K-ers. Oh well. But I went down the hill and had to catch them. A few times, I wasn't sure where they were but we survived. It was a little annoying in the beginning but they ended up using that time to use the bathroom or re-apply anti-chafe and it worked out. It wasn't easy for me in the beginning but I get it.
Hulkamania running wild - There was a tall muscular guy who wore a Hulkamania shirt throughtout the race. Of course everytime I saw him in his 100 Mile quest, I would immediatly scream something Hulk Hogan related. Initially, I think he enjoyed it. As the later loops happened and he got tired and perhaps cranky, he mostly did not enjoy it and I stopped. Well, at least out loud I did. I still did it in a quiet voice. Afterwards, I went and talked to him and apologized if I annoyed him. He was cool about it. His picture is there in my gallery.
Belt guy - So, during the meeting, we were introduced to the dude who was making belts for purchase to go along with the buckles. In the meeting, he made sure to say, that no one better ask him about belts during the race. And... Obviously I did. Constantly. He took it in stride and we talked every time we saw each other. He was cool about things as I was the only one who recognized him.
Gremlin made me do it guy - There was a guy who ran with a little gremlin attached to his backpack. The gremlins bib number was 666 and apparently the gremlin made him sign up for the race. He would never have done it himself. Nice... I'm not sure he made it. At the very end of the race, they were letting people still go out for another loop. I didn't at the time and still don't think that it made sense as they would definitly not finish in time but I guess people still want to finish what they started even tho a DNF is there. I don't know. I hope he made it.
Wheelchairs galore - Proper respect must be given here. The usual, this is the 3rd year I saw them, duo was there. It's made up of 2 females. The wheelchair bound person uses her arms and 1 leg. She also steers. The pusher is legally blind. What a duo... RESPECT. The other respect story was a young kid who was doing the 50K. I'm gonna let someone else tell his story. His story IS what the sport is all about.
Little girls with big dreams - So, we were out there and we (I think it was actually Michelle) saw a kids pair of sneakers on the course. OK. Weird. Later we saw a little girl running with just socks. What? Later we saw her without shoes. Seriously? She did the 50K. Yes - I saved a picture of her as well.
Kate - This one was a little weird. I like Kate. I actually like her a lot but she was being weird above and beyond our collective thing. She seemed like she didn't want to be passed by us. We did pass her once and it was clear she did not appreciate it and later passed us. And seemed weird about it. My theory is that she was using us as a sweeping kind of pacers. Whatever it was, it was a little strange but A) she finished and B) she was happy and I guess that's all that counts. As long as she's happy... I'm good.
Michael Ortiz - Ran with him, ran without him, ran with him... At one point, really not sure when or how, he was ahead of us. That was weird. Many strange things happened obviously. Still, at one point, we were together and got to a small bridge and the photographer was there and I don't remember what the hell I was thinking but before I knew it, I suggested that I make the "jump line" for them. I did. Some pretty cool pictures are there I thought. Michelle even made a small video of it for my Birthday...
Abby - We met Abby with the braids and she was cool. Ran some with her and some without her. Her boyfriend was doing the double barrel and we saw him at the end of the 50K, waiting a little away from the the finish line. He wanted the Marksmanship award and "unfortunatly" ran the 50K, 20 minutes too fast. So he waited for the clock to run out before finishing. OK... She was pretty cool tho.
Halbert and the hat - Halbert it seems broke up with his girlfriend whose name I am currently blanking on. That sucks. I thought they were good together. Still, we all have our schtick and he had his. His was that he made himself a hat. He actually crochet himself a hat for when it got cold. It did and he wore it proudly.
It's almost time for the 1M/10M. I see Hammad. I tell him to get a move on. He goes back out. Everyone knows about him. He found 2 sticks and has been using them almost like trekking poles. Good for him. The 10 milers start. I was told I would start the 1M after them, finish, get my 10M bib and then start that. Cool.
Before I start recounting the 1 Mile race, I would like to mention something here. Races are strange animals. Sometimes you can PR and not do well in comparison with other people while other people in a different age group or different division (sex) can be slower and do better. That being said, it depends a lot on who shows up and what those who show up do. I signed up for the 1 miler. Why not? I was there. Why not do it? I already did a 100K. I still have a 10M. Does it make me a wuss? No... My plan was a very fast 1 mile, hopefully a 7 minute or less thing and then do a 10M and then find my people. Now that being said, I took a lot of abuse for it. Some just fun and some I felt was a little more. I don't know if it was jealousy but it kinda hurt. I got ribbed by lots of people but I feel a little different about it from those who were still doing the hundo versus those who weren't doing anything.
The 10 milers left. The 1 milers? It was me and one other guy. I was still all stiff from the night and all plans of going fast were gone. I just wanted to end this. The course? Unlike all the other loops that make a right out of the school, we started the same but instead went left, small uphill and then that long downhill past the Mile races turnaround, past the Kers turnaround to our very own turnaround. I was just gonna work with the dude. We shook hands. We chilled. I even told Will that we also want a gun start. We started. I thought I would hang with the dude but he decided to take me on or rather took off. Sheesh. Well, we are not having that so I sprinted to catch him. We made the left together toward the small up hill and he looks me over and decides to push that too. Seriously? Really? No - I don't think so. We get to the top of the hill. I am expecting a battle going down the hill but he slows and I was not having any of that either. I took off down the hill which I never do. I finally found the turn around and turned. I expecte d to see the dude any minute but nope. Still, I took off and pushed up the hill. I sprinted up the hill and to the finish. They have my time wrong. It was 8 minute-ish. I was happy. I couldn't find my new bib but finally did and started the 10 mile. My goal was to catch people.
I saw Michelle coming in with UConn and decided to tell her that the timer says she needs 1 more loop. She smiled but wasn't happy. She was miserable and wanted to get it done. I wonder if she would have had a better experience if I was with her all 10 loops. I think so... Who knows... Anyway, a runner heard me say that and yelled at me. I told her that we were friends and just joking. Nice to get rebuked tho. I don't mind it. I get to the leprachan station. I leave it. About a 1/2 mile later, I get to Hammad. What?!? He cramped up so bad at the aid station that he needed to stay there for 45 minutes drinking pickle juice before his muscles released. Crap... I continue. I say my goodbyes at Woody. I see Jamey. He tells me not to wait for him but to just go. Michelle had to leave due to miserableness and that he's cool with that. He's such a good guy. I told him that I would be back for him.
I come across a guy who remembered me because of my voice and we stayed together to the school. He would finish with his kid so he waited for him. I went to finish.
We did see Jameelah tho and someone asked how she's doing and she mumbled something about "why is everyone so worried about her and that they should mind their own buisiness...". Sheesh. She was the big drama from last year and you can read it there. Spoiler alert tho for this year: Even tho she finished the hundred (I think), she did NOT PR nor did she Double Barrel. Yeah... Enough about that.
After I finish, I went to look for Jamey. I got as far as the BIG downhill into the trail when I saw him. Cool. I was on the phone with Raina and was able to send her a picture of him climbing that hill and she was happy to hear that he was ok. We went together to finish. Michael Ortiz was chasing Jamey. Jamey was having none of that. We went down the hill past the school. Rather he went to the turnaround. I didn't go all the way down. My job was to tell him where Michael was. The attitude was if Michael Ortiz wants it then he would have to work for it. Good. Back up the hill. To the school. Took him to the last aid station and let him finish his sprint into the finish with a photo finish by himself.
Michael Ortiz came in eventually and had to moonwalk past the finish line.
I heard that they are looking for me because of some award so I was going inside the school when my phone rang. The caller id freaked me out. It was Hammad. My heart sank. I immediatly answered with "Where are you? Are you ok?". I really thought he was in an ambulance or something. Nope. Apparently even tho he had already finished the loop 5.5 times, he was lost! He got to the MLK center and was lost. I told him what to do and went out again to find him.
I don't know how he made it up that hill. I really don't. I brought him back to the start/finish. He told me later that his transtitional glasses turned black and that he couldn't see and that's why he got lost and went about 1/2 mile the wrong way. From my observation, he was not completly there. He would ask me a question. I would answer it and then he would ask me the same question 5 more times. He would then ask someone else that same question... Those sticks of his? He couldn't lift them anymore and just dragged them along. I asked him to drop them but he said they helped him. My guess is that he was using it for balance as it just gave him more weight to carry. Tough old mule and I say that with love. We got to the school and Miguel took him down and up the hill. Nice!
Everyone was in. Nice!
My award? I got a nice huge plaque for the 1 mile finish. I DON'T CARE that it was only me and 1 other guy. I signed up. Why didn't everyone else? I pushed. I ran a 100K. I ran a 8ish minute mile. I ran a 10 miler. But haters will hate. Case in point, was Kate telling me that she could have run it and beat me. Now let me just explain here... I love Kate and she's definitly faster than me in certain things BUT not on a 1 mile race when I am a sprinter. I don't have a problem getting chicked but I don't think so... I respect you but no... Michelle also ribbed me but that's cool - she had an excuse why she didn't sign up ;)
Speaking of Michelle, Jamey was impressed with her superhero power of "super fast peeing" totally beating him in that race ;)
By the way, there was a Marathon Maniac/Half Fanatic volunteering at the start/finish kinda doing what I was doing last year except in an official capacity. She was awesome. She brought many a costume and changed quite regularly. I saved her pictures in the gallery.
Lastly, the drive back as usual sucked. Jamey was tired, makes sense, and more of us had to drive and longer distances. We got home safe and souncd. Yay.
