Great report. I'm feeling inspired...I've already told my husband that one day I'll be an ultra runner, and when I read a RR like this it confirms that.
in the meanwhile, I'm going to go stand in front of my full length mirror and practice posing like Colleen so I'll be ready.
Great RR. I was most moved by the fact that your dad drove a couple of hours to visit (knowing you had already downgraded and stopped) and only stayed an hour before driving home. How cool is your dad?! I also thought it was funny that Brady pointed out how filthy your shirt was, apparently the mentality at the end of 100 miles includes lowered inhibitions for telling the truth, LOL. Sounds like you had a fabulous time, even though the ending wasn't the one you envisioned when you started out.
Great report..you write some of the best RR's, really enjoy reading them..
Thanks all. Like I said, I don't mean to make it sound like 100k+ is no big deal. But I *didn't* meet my goal. The way I see it, it’s similar to when I see friends comment on their "terrible" race times that are run at blistering fast paces I could never dream of. While my initial inclination used to be to roll my eyes, point out how fast they were, how few people ever run that fast, that they don't have anything to be upset about, etc., over time I've realized that it's always disappointing when a goal isn't met. No, I'll ever understand first-hand feeling of discontentment about not running a sub-2:30 marathon, but I can understand it's hard to train well for something and come short of that goal for whatever reason.
OC Mom, If you want to do an ultra someday and are willing to put in the training, you can do it. As I previously said, I think ultras are put on a pedestal as something that the "average" person could never do, but that's totally not the case. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask. There are lots of books, web sites, etc. with info too
Amy, My dad is awesome. He's always been super supportive. He also went to my first marathon, my marathon PR, and finish of my second 100-miler. As far as lowered truth-telling inhibitions, perhaps that's true, but Brady's not one to hold things back "normally," lol. His "filthy" comments cracked me up, though. People aren’t supposed to be held responsible for anything they say late in an ultra as irritability/crankiness tends to be at a high. But Brady was fun to pace and he didn't complain at all (which was something I noticed about his son the week prior during his first 100), which was very refreshing. I've been super lucky that the few people I've ever paced have been very low-maintenance!
Katrina
... OC Mom, If you want to do an ultra someday and are willing to put in the training, you can do it. As I previously said, I think ultras are put on a pedestal as something that the "average" person could never do, but that's totally not the case. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask. There are lots of books, web sites, etc. with info too ... Katrina
...
Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have any recommendations for books/websites? I read Dean Karnazes' 50/50 book last month and was inspired. Yesterday, I did some poking around on the web and found out Nanny Goat is just 40 minutes from my house!
Right now my training is at 100 miles a month. 100 miles in one race is sort of mind-boggling.
If Nanny Goat is so close, it might be worthwhile for you to stop by the race next year and check it out. That race in particular is like a party, lol. The environment is amazing. I'd recommend going by the second morning and sitting by the finish line. I think you'll find it inspiring... or you'll wonder why people do that to themselves. One of my friends had his dad come by during the race and his dad was disturbed about the whole thing (lol). Nanny Goat has a 12-hour option. I don't intend to push you into something you're not interested in, but I'll point out that in fixed-time races, people are free to run/walk as much as they want, take breaks, and there's no obligation to even stay out on the course the entire duration. Perhaps not next year, but whenever you want to explore ultras, I think a race like this (and this specific race since it's so close) is the perfect opportunity.
There are two books I'll recommend:
Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon by Neal Jamison and Don Allison
This book is the first glimpse I got into ultras. It's not a how-to book, but it is a collection of different people's stories about ultras. When I read it, the name David Horton (an ultrarunning legend) kept coming up as someone who seemed to directly or indirectly assist a lot of people in their first ultras. When I got to the end of the book, I found his email address. I emailed him and asked him if he thought I could complete a 50k, based on my pretty pathetic running history. His encouragement led me to sign up for my first ultra. And I still exchange emails with him every now and then.
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons by Bryon Powell and Eric Grossman
This is more of a how-to book. It has tons of info about ultras, but it approaches them in a very unintimidating way. It isn't all-inclusive, but it discusses many topics that will at least give you a starting point so you know what to research more.
www.ultrunr.com is one of my favorite web sites on ultrarunning. It has lots of topics, and because there are many different people providing information, you can get different perspectives. That's one thing you should realize--in ultras, people's strategies for training, shoes, water, fuel, mileage, walking, pacing, racing, etc. vary significantly. There is no one "right" way to do anything.
And another fun link has info on documentaries that have been done on ultras. http://www.irunfar.com/2013/02/ultrarunning-films.html There are a few trailers, which I think are neat. I'm not sure about all of them, but Running on the Sun is available in its entirety (90ish minutes) on YouTube; it's about the 1999 Badwater 135 race (from Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the contiguous U.S. to Mount Whitney Portal).
I think that's a good start. Are you on Facebook?
OK, I'll look for those, thanks.
Sent you a PM.
Are we there, yet?
Be careful, very careful! I did just that at NC 24 last year and now I'm registered to run the 12-hour race after managing to avoid ultras for 45 years.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Finally had time to read this.
What an interesting adventure and great read as always, Katrina.
Congrats on another job well done, especially with helping and encouraging your "running family".
Thanks Katrina,
What I've learned from my first 100M at NG is that really everyone wins at these ultras. While we all set out for certain goals at the start, there is only so much we can control and ultimately, the ultra gods really dictate whether or not, and in what fashion we get to the finish. I think you can hold your head up high and feel great about your accomplishment and take in the experience for what it is. And to me it is just a part of the journey that continues to make us better runners and better people. It was a pleasure and joy to learn from you and the other experienced runners and share the course on an adventure I will never forget.
Jeff
Thanks, all It was definitely a memorable experience. As for being able to remember so much, I’m always surprised. At the end of most of my races, everything seems like a blur, but within a day of finishing a race, I try to take a bunch of notes of things I want to remember. When I write my report over the next few days, I use those notes as memory joggers and it all just sort of comes together. Or course I’m sure I got some details wrong, like what happened at what mileages, but it’s close enough. Speaking of details, my friend Jeff, who I referenced in my report, came up with 100 people, things, or thoughts that somehow motivated him; they correspond to each one of his miles. He also noted certain observations by mile. I’ve never seen something like this, and I was fascinated. It also gives people an idea of what goes through someone’s head when they run 100 miles (their very first one in this case). I was honored to get his Mile 8 and for us as his stall mates to collectively get Mile 76. His report is located at http://thepedestrianrunner.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-2013-nanny-goat-100-unforgettable.html if anyone wants to check it out. What is kind of funny is that while I did not attain the 100 miles I set out to do, because no one was locked into a certain race, it didn’t technically count as a DNF—I just got my results published in the 24-hour standings. I don’t totally know how to refer to it, as it was treated as a “downgrade” not a DNF technically. I don’t really like levels, so I’ve avoided calling it anything. I’ve also had to catch myself from saying I “only” did 64 miles (not counting pacing). I’m compelled to say “only” because I fell short of my goal. However, I try to avoid saying this as I don’t want to sound like that mileage is no big deal. To do that has the potential to negatively impact others who have done less. I mean, if I say I “only” did 64 miles, what might people think I’m implying about people who have “only” done 50 miles, a marathon, or a 5k? Even more importantly, how is the person who just got into running and it so happy about running a mile for the first time going to take a statement like that? Granted, I can’t control how people respond to anything I say, but I can be cognizant of other people’s feelings and not say things I know could easily be viewed as condescending. I don’t have any races scheduled for the time being. I’m getting a bit antsy, but I will find something eventually. George, the ultrarunning community is small! When I was chatting with the guy who got into Badwater this year, he mentioned he’d done Labor of Love 100 last year; I’d done the 50-miler there. When he mentioned his finishing time, I was able to name 4 people who he probably knew because they finished within 15 minutes of him. Granted, this was sort of a coincidence I happened to know this, but it still made me smile. I thought it was neat that I’d never met him, but we still knew a lot of the same people. Riblah, ultras that take place on small loop courses like this are quite different from larger loop races or point-to-point ones. Having access to drop bags and aid every mile or two is a huge luxury. People were free to sleep if they wanted. To clarify, I actually had zero intent of continuing my race after to taking a nap. But there were people who rested and went back out. It didn’t matter, as long as they made the cut-offs. In other races, particularly ones on trails, it’s not really feasible to take naps mid-race, although I have heard of people sleeping by or ON the trail for a few minutes. In my three successful 100-milers, I didn’t sleep; in my first one, I never even sat down (except to pee)! Fixed time races have a different atmosphere in general from fixed distance races. Since this race was a 12-hour, 24-hour, and 100-miler all going on simultaneously , and people could choose mid-race which one they wanted to do, it had more of a laidback feeling. Fixed time races are very neat in the respect that they give people an opportunity to test their limits in a no-pressure environment as there’s no obligation to cover a certain distance. It’s a big confidence-builder for a lot of people who cover way more distance than they thought they could. People are free to run/walk as much as they want and rest as often and for as long as they want; they also don’t need to stay on the course the entire duration. I did my first 12-hour race (and covered 52 miles) over a year before I did my first official 50-mile race. Katrina
Thanks, all It was definitely a memorable experience.
As for being able to remember so much, I’m always surprised. At the end of most of my races, everything seems like a blur, but within a day of finishing a race, I try to take a bunch of notes of things I want to remember. When I write my report over the next few days, I use those notes as memory joggers and it all just sort of comes together. Or course I’m sure I got some details wrong, like what happened at what mileages, but it’s close enough.
Speaking of details, my friend Jeff, who I referenced in my report, came up with 100 people, things, or thoughts that somehow motivated him; they correspond to each one of his miles. He also noted certain observations by mile. I’ve never seen something like this, and I was fascinated. It also gives people an idea of what goes through someone’s head when they run 100 miles (their very first one in this case). I was honored to get his Mile 8 and for us as his stall mates to collectively get Mile 76. His report is located at http://thepedestrianrunner.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-2013-nanny-goat-100-unforgettable.html if anyone wants to check it out.
What is kind of funny is that while I did not attain the 100 miles I set out to do, because no one was locked into a certain race, it didn’t technically count as a DNF—I just got my results published in the 24-hour standings. I don’t totally know how to refer to it, as it was treated as a “downgrade” not a DNF technically. I don’t really like levels, so I’ve avoided calling it anything.
I’ve also had to catch myself from saying I “only” did 64 miles (not counting pacing). I’m compelled to say “only” because I fell short of my goal. However, I try to avoid saying this as I don’t want to sound like that mileage is no big deal. To do that has the potential to negatively impact others who have done less. I mean, if I say I “only” did 64 miles, what might people think I’m implying about people who have “only” done 50 miles, a marathon, or a 5k? Even more importantly, how is the person who just got into running and it so happy about running a mile for the first time going to take a statement like that? Granted, I can’t control how people respond to anything I say, but I can be cognizant of other people’s feelings and not say things I know could easily be viewed as condescending.
I don’t have any races scheduled for the time being. I’m getting a bit antsy, but I will find something eventually.
George, the ultrarunning community is small! When I was chatting with the guy who got into Badwater this year, he mentioned he’d done Labor of Love 100 last year; I’d done the 50-miler there. When he mentioned his finishing time, I was able to name 4 people who he probably knew because they finished within 15 minutes of him. Granted, this was sort of a coincidence I happened to know this, but it still made me smile. I thought it was neat that I’d never met him, but we still knew a lot of the same people.
Riblah, ultras that take place on small loop courses like this are quite different from larger loop races or point-to-point ones. Having access to drop bags and aid every mile or two is a huge luxury. People were free to sleep if they wanted. To clarify, I actually had zero intent of continuing my race after to taking a nap. But there were people who rested and went back out. It didn’t matter, as long as they made the cut-offs. In other races, particularly ones on trails, it’s not really feasible to take naps mid-race, although I have heard of people sleeping by or ON the trail for a few minutes. In my three successful 100-milers, I didn’t sleep; in my first one, I never even sat down (except to pee)!
Fixed time races have a different atmosphere in general from fixed distance races. Since this race was a 12-hour, 24-hour, and 100-miler all going on simultaneously , and people could choose mid-race which one they wanted to do, it had more of a laidback feeling. Fixed time races are very neat in the respect that they give people an opportunity to test their limits in a no-pressure environment as there’s no obligation to cover a certain distance. It’s a big confidence-builder for a lot of people who cover way more distance than they thought they could. People are free to run/walk as much as they want and rest as often and for as long as they want; they also don’t need to stay on the course the entire duration. I did my first 12-hour race (and covered 52 miles) over a year before I did my first official 50-mile race.