Well That Didn't Go As Planned

A few days before the 26th running of the Arkansas Traveller 100 I posted this to my Facebook page.

Hit me hard if I ever do that again.

The stress of this race started a few weeks before.  Walter our elderly gentleman German Shepherd Dog is on the last chapter of his life.  Chris decided that we couldn't use Walter with a pet sitter, so he was going to go either stay home (I would kill him) or take Walter.  I have a firm, hard, solid rule about no dogs.  The first year out there, allowing one dog got us eight dogs and all the chaos and poop they generate.  I LOVE dogs!  But the race isn't about your dog!
So Wally went with.  Wally knew a few people who were going to be out there, Shea and Vance, so at least Chris would have help keeping him cared for.

After it was all over Chris said never again.  He was very stressed by it all.  Later he said to give him a month to get over it.

Wally and Shea

Crew and pacers this year:

Kyle Hicks - Crew Chief
Chris Beason - Pacer & Crew
Jeff Beason - Pacer & Crew
Elaine Gimblet - Pacer

Kyle Hicks at the pre-race meeting with me.

Last year's challenges had been my focus for this summer's training block.  I stood on the starting line confident in my training and working out the challenges from last year (blisters, aid station management)

Chris, Kyle, Me - we are ready to rock & roll.

And we are off!

Browns Creek outbound, 5.2 miles, 1 minute to get the trekking poles off my pack.
I had to mess with the heel of my shoe at Flatside, mile 8.6.  Less than 1 minute.
Browns Creek inbound, mile 11.9, in and out 

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For the first 16.4 miles I was very near last year's schedule.  This really added to my confidence.

Coming in to Lake Sylvia Aid Station, 2 minutes behind last year's schedule.

I did have to take my shoes off.  UGH.  I added some more lamb's wool to pad certain places on my feet.  This was the last time I took my shoes off, or had to mess with my feet.  So I think I did figure out the feet.  Time in aid station, 8 minutes.

Things starting to go bad - can't breath!

Between Lake Sylvia and Cross-Roads is way to early in the race to have things start to go sideways.  But when it does.....  I couldn't breath.  This turned out to be a bad breathing day.  Uphills, were impossible to power-hike.  I need to power-hike as fast as I can to make it.  At this point I could still run down hills, so that is what I did.  Walk uphill as fast as my lungs would let me.  Run downhill.

By the time I got to Pumpkin Patch, mile 22.1, I was struggling, panicking and my head was not in a good place.  Chris and Vance calmed me down and got me out of the aid station.  Time in aid station 2:46 minutes.  At this point it was time to start using the ice hat and ice bandana.

After this, except for Lake Winona, mile 31.9, all aid station stops were in and out under a minute, only the time used to re-ice both hat and bandana.  The aid station volunteers were so perfect.  I would take both off coming into the aid station.  They would fill up with ice while I would drink Mt Dew and Gingerale on the rocks, then out I would go.

Making progress, really thinking I might be able to snap out of it.

This spider was pacing me uphill - and beating me

Club Flamingo, mile 39.4, in and out in under 3 minutes.  I left my hat and bandana because it was cooling off and I would want them for the morning.  This was the best place to leave them.  I searched for a flashlight, which was in the next box not this one.  So with no light, off I went.  

Deep in the not breathing cave.  Really scared for my race.

At Bahama Mama, mile 43.2, a dear aid station volunteer gave me a flashlight.  I'm so glad you can get a flashlight at Walmart for under 3 bucks, I didn't have to feel guilty about taking her light.  I did promise to give it back, she told me to keep it.  I will pay it forward.  A volunteer walked me out of Bahama Mama praying with me and helping me get my head right.  Breathing was still so labored.  I was at this point 45 minutes behind last year's pace.

I got into Powerline Aid Station, mile 48, maybe at 8:15 with a cutoff of 8:30.  I was done.  Kevin King, Susan McCourt, Eddy Light, came over from the Pumpkin Patch Aid Station where they were volunteering to see what the heck was going on.  They knew I should have been at Powerline long ago.   I told Kevin I couldn't go on because I couldn't get out and back before the next several cut offs.  He reminded me that I couldn't quit.  I needed to go on till I hit a cut off if that was going to happen.  Okay almost came out of my mouth when I felt what can only be called a "snap" in my left calf.  I think I heard it too, but at mile 48 and arguing, I don't know for certain.  But I could no longer put weight on my left leg.  My race was over.

I went back with Chris, Kyle and Jeff to the race start/finish and was checked out by medical.  Rehydrated and then Chris, my husband, took me to the Pumpkin Patch Aid Station where I spent the rest of the race.

Grinding it out.

This is what I posted to my Facebook page on Oct 6, 2016

Kyle Hicks, Jeff Beason, Chris Burkett Beason, Elaine Moss Gimblet
Thank you for being the most amazing support a girl with a dream could possibly have. You all just nailed it, what great pit stop aid you gave.
My heart is full with all you gave to me.
Jeff will be running it himself next year.
Kyle's path is still being defined. 
I look forward to working with Chris again next year to get this done, Kyle too if he isn't pacing or running it himself :O

Last year Elaine wasn't given much to work with, this year I didn't even get to her. I already have her booked for next year.

100 in under 30 is doable for me. I will do this.

Kevin King, Thank you for being out there. Thank you for the proper amount of "bullying". You were right.

"God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless."
Chester W. Nimitz

I forgot that, Kevin you reminded me.

Thank you Eddy Light, Susan McCourt and Kevin for going to find out what was wrong. It meant the world seeing you out there. You saw me at my very worst and you love me anyway.

I have more support, more love, then any one person can ask for. I am most blessed. Thank you all for being in my life.

Chrissy Ferguson read PoDog's post again. I can't say it better. Not only do you share in so many ways, but you shared the very best of what trail running is all about with all of us. Through that we all get to love on and share with each other. You and Stan are priceless treasures.

Carrie DuPriest, Michael DuPriest, PT Paul Turner, Robert Vogler
Thank you for gluing me back together.

I can walk about wearing Chacos. There is something about the foot shape that I can walk without straining my calf. When I can run again my goal is to be more fit than I am today.

Yes, I'm sad, so sad, but I count my blessings and it is fuel for next time. I did so many things right, things that I got wrong last year. Things just went wrong this year! LOL Next year I will know more, make different mistakes but with enough dedication, training, clean eating, and that wee bit of luck 100 under 30 will happen.

None of this would be in my life if my non-runner husband, Chris, didn't support his crazy runner wife. He would be much happier I think if I didn't get 100 under my skin. He supports me anyway.

It is lovely how trail running, ultra running, running, brings out the ability to count blessings, feel gratitude and just love life!

Much improved over last year.  I think I have figured out not to have the big piggies blister now. 

My current cardio 

It is a week later, a week and two days.  I'm still unable to run.  I can walk as long as I don't try to stride out.  My goals are to be stronger and lose weight while I'm resting and healing.

If I don't find another 100 that is Lisa friendly soon after I can run again, I will set my sights on Arkansas Traveller 100 - 2017 edition.

3 Days and Counting

The 26th Annual Running of The Arkansas Traveller 100 is nine days away

I didn't know what to expect from this year's training.  I did guess it would feel different than last year, and boy has it!

I have had way too many plates spinning this year.  Team RWB, Team RWB Leadership Fellowship, housewife, train for 100 miles.  Its just too much to keep up with, but here we are, nine days away.

I'm as ready as I can be.  Heat training has been done, now it is just too manage what is on race day.

My mind just isn't in this blog post.

Eagles On My Six

The first obvious question is; what the heck is Lisa doing at a triathlon camp?  Those who know me understands this to be one of the very least likely activities with which I would be involved.

So why?

Early in 2016, a call went out for applicants for a new leadership development program at Team RWB.  This new fellowship program would offer learning and leading opportunities as well as certificate and guided programs of individual choice for those selected.
Click here to learn more.
I had, at the time, attended multiple leadership academy training sessions with Team RWB Southeast Region.  The ideal would be to have another local leader apply.  This year wasn't a good year for a program like this for those on our Central Arkansas team.  So I filled out the application.
One of my bad habits is "one downing" myself.  So in my head it was brave just to hit the submit button.  A week or so later I was notified that I had been accepted into the program.  Full blown panic ensued.  In my ideal world I live in a cabin in the mountains having supplies dropped in by drone.  Peopling is outside my comfort zone.  After talking with my husband, who urged me to take advantage of this program, I embarked on my "year of living bravely".

We, the Southeast Eagle Leader Fellows, (Lani Faulkner, Josh Winters, Dennis Volpe, and myself) planned this triathlon and leadership camp.  My part in the planning was very minimal being in AR with the camp located in Daytona Beach, FL.  Much of my involvement was on the ground, gofer and clean-up crew, I'm okay with that.
Each of the fellows had an opportunity to also participate in the triathlon camp.  

Thus, I found myself .....

 Facing the ocean with 25 Eagles at my back I have never felt safer doing something that scared me so badly.  I had spent most of my life avoiding water deeper than hip deep.  

As I child reoccurring dreams of death by drowning interrupted my sleep.  

As an adult, after graduating high school, I taught myself to swim in the shallow end of a pool.
So fast forward to Team RWB Southeast Regional Triathlon and Leadership Camp in Daytona Beach,  FL
I stood on the beach listening to our coach, Rob Wallace
teaching us how to enter open water, specifically ocean.  A storm a few days out was creating larger than normal waves, wind, surf.
Coach Wallace told us that had this been an actual triathlon most race directors would call off the swim portion because of the waves.
To get under the waves instead of fighting them we were instructed to "porpoise dive" under the wave right before it hit.  So this porpoise diving was the only thing I planned on practicing.  Hence I would have this brave new experience without getting too far out into the deep, strong waves.
Teams of five would enter the ocean, high step till the water was thigh deep then start diving under the waves.  Coach would advise us on shore using the group ahead as an example on how to manage the challenges.
My turn?  Oh crap!  I'm not even interested in triathlon (I love hanging around passionate people).  This is part of my summer of living bravely.
The waves insistently pushed toward shore as the sand underneath our feet slid away urging us out to sea.
3, 2, 1 and go!
High stepping and diving under waves is hard work for body and will.
As I practiced these new skills I knew I could do it.  Well, I knew I was safe.  All I had to do was look behind me at who had my back.
It is an odd feeling being so scared and feeling so safe at the same time.  The mood allowed for a whole hearted effort.

I hope others can experience this secure foundation in which to launch themselves into something way outside their comfort zones.
Why secure?
Elite lifeguard, coach, lifeguard trainer, half a dozen elite to very good swimmers,

The atmosphere of Team RWB is one that has to be experienced.  The lack of experience and skill is a non-issue, Team RWB leaders teach, lead, love.

Run with The Horses Marathon - August 20, 2016 - Green River Wyoming

What do you do when a dear friend and mentor asks you on a road trip?  Why you go!
I was raised in WY, going to run a marathon there, with no time limit meant I could actually get WY
checked without another DNF.

Run with the Horses Marathon, in Green River, WY  is a very small marathon, maybe 35 participants.  

Road Trip!  Chrissy & me

The day before race day we played our hand at being tourists and seeing the sights.  There is always something to see even in small town WY.

Sight Seeing Before The Race The Next Day

This is the the "rock" on which the petroglyphs are carved.

Google "Petrroglyphs near Rock Springs WY" to find out how to get to this place

Its hard to imagine how the natives put these hand prints in the rock. 

Of course we had to climb to the top! 

There are so many views of the carvings.  Unfortunately some modern day yahoos decided to leave their mark too.

This is a view from on top of the big "rock". 

Race Morning, you can see the rock formations in the background. 

 It was a little chilly race morning, probably in the 40's if I remember right.  It didn't last long.  When the sun came out we had temperatures in the 70's all day.  These are the windswept high plains desserts of WY.  We were fortunate that we didn't have much wind that day.  The breeze did pick up when I was at about mile 16 or so.  It wasn't too terribly bad though.

The race starts at 6100 ft elevation and climbs to 7600 ft elevation.  It is a very good hill workout!

Knowing it was mostly exposed, no shade, so wearing a long sleeved shirt was in order.  It worked out well.

The first 5 miles are mostly all uphill.  Two miles pavement than gravel roads.

The course goes through wild horse country.  I saw three.

This little race really has it going on.  They had a water stop every two miles, a bit of food too. 

Turn around for the marathon on this out and back course.

In essence we ran from Green River to Rock Springs above the freeway on county dirt roads.  This is Rock Springs, WY

What goes up does come down.

 There were long stretches of road where no other runner was in sight.  Like I said this is a very small marathon.

More downhill for the last 5 miles.

Second in my age group!  woohoo!  

The race recommended adding an hour to your average marathon time to get your expected race time.  My best marathon, last December, was 5:20.  I finished this in 6:29, that is right on target.  I'm happy with that.  

The next day it was back to being a tourist.  We thought a ghost town would be kind of cool.  The local ghost town isn't an old west type, it is a mining town.
We wanted to check out these formations first before we took off for our daily adventure.

These rock formations were near the hotel in which we stayed.

I love the formations and the blue, blue sky!

Superior WY 

Union Hall back in the days of coal mining in Superior, WY

Chrissy makes a friend!

Chrissy at the abandoned mine shaft

Superior Wy abandoned coal mine

Todd & Norma Clark - lifelong friends 

 Would I recommend this race to a friend?  You bet I would!  If someone wants to get Wyoming checked off their last this would be the one to do it.
Generous time to finish a hard race.  Well organized.  Well marked.  Lots of aid.  Very friendly volunteers.  Yes, I recommend this race.