I've been waiting to say much until I know more. But time is going by and so much is still up in the air. Next week Dan has several interviews in Colorado. They all look promising. We might actually be moving to Colorado soon...like the end of May. Crazy. But unless Daniel finds a job he likes here, we will move. I thought Austin might be an option, and I guess it still is. But Dan hasn't pursued any jobs there. Honestly, I would LOVE to live in CO. But I will miss so much down here if we move. Like my running team. If any of you Traverse guys read this, I promise I will let all of you know what is happening as soon as I know. And I WILL be at the Rouge and Captain Carl's races this summer either way. That much is certain.

Melanie needs...

OK. I couldn't help it. A friend of mine posted a note listing her top 10 needs. She googled her first name followed by needs and posted the first 10 things. Here is mine.

1. Melanie needs to accept that no one is self-sufficient all the time, and to be gentler with her "childish" emotional needs and wants.
HUMM.....

2. Melanie needs to find a happy medium between being a strong female and being overzealous.
Do I, now?

3. Melanie needs to become more tolerant, especially of emotions.
I'm starting to think google dosen't really know me.

4.Melanie needs to add some sparkle and color back to her wardrobe.
Sure. Why not?

5. Melanie needs help in the morning.
With making lunches?

6. Melanie needs to hire someone to fix this mess.
What mess? Google is crazy off.

7. Melanie needs help.
Can't argue that one.

8. Melanie Needs to Study.
Nope.

9. Melanie needs to travel a long way in a short time.
I wish I could.

10. Melanie needs a diamond necklace.
Ah. The truth, at last. I need a diamond necklace. :)

Now what

Frustration. It is a perfect cool-almost-cold day for running. But no running for me. Not today. Not tomorrow (if I'm smart). Maybe not Monday either. Such a bummer. My left knee is having issues. I just don't get it. I've been running for 15 years and had about 4 injuries...all in the last year! My mileage has been down and intensity way down. So why am I still fighting off injuries? Blah. Maybe this knee thing is tied to the flu...which I am trying not to have. My success has been intermittent in this. But currently I have no fever. My temperature hasn't reached 101 at all and it hasn't stayed over 100 for even a whole day. But still, maybe my knee and this flu thing are connected. Rest sucks. I think I need to go workout.

My first 100 mile run

I am happy to say I have now run 100 miles. Before I get into details from Rocky Raccoon, here is what I wanted going into this. I didn't want to race. I didn't want to push my body into an uncomfortable place unless it was purely in order to finish. I love running and I even love racing. But I have been recovering form injuries and haven't been able to race since August. I have, in the past, felt a lot of pressure to live up to other people's expectations for my running/racing. I needed a change. A "race" that would be a do able challenge on its own. Something I could go into with absolutely no expectations and no thoughts of racing- only finishing. My goals where to 1. finish, 2. Learn about 100 mile runs, how my body handles it, and how others race them, and 3. HAVE FUN!!! I am happy to say I accomplished all three goals. Goal number 2 only partly, but at least I got some good work on that one. And lots of notes to learn from.

I woke up on race morning about 4:15am. After showering and putting on my running things, Daniel and I headed down to the lobby for breakfast. The hotel we stayed at was great. They had a good breakfast ready for all the runners at 4:45am. I had 2 hard boiled eggs and an English muffin. Before leaving for the race, I grabbed some coffee. Dan had called the Starbucks across the street the night before and they said they would be open at 4:45. But I grabbed coffee just in case. It is a good thing I did!! That Starbucks was still closed at 5:10. We could see the barrista's in there getting things ready, but they weren't taking orders. Glad I had my back up coffee!!

At 6am it was time to go. I started the race with a friend of mine from SA named Liza. We talked and ran together through the first two aid stations (about 6miles). Then we parted ways a bit at Dam Road. My aid station plan was to use a hand held bottle through all the close aid stations (3-4.6 miles apart) and my waist pack through the Dam road part. The course was designed with a 6ish mile loop starting and ending at Dam Road. I also took off my head light and left my hand held flash light in this drop bag because I wouldn't need them again until night. After downing a carton of chocolate milk and putting on my waist pack, I was off.

For some reason this section of the course was very slow for me. But it was beautiful. On the way out of Dam Road, I dropped my pack, picked up my hand held bottle, had some more choc-o milk and left. We had about 8 more miles to go before hitting the start/turnaround/after-5-loops-a-finish area. I finished loop one in about 3:10. And I was feeling like a turtle. At that time, Jamie and Liza had already left for loop two. I think a lady named Julie was eating when I left for loop 2. I was disappointed, because Daniel wasn't there and he had my electrolytes. It was getting hot...but what could I do? I had electrolytes at Dam road. But I had expected to get them from Dan here. After asking around for some with no success, I left.

Shortly after my legs started cramping. I knew Dan would show up at the next aid station with my Succeed, so I tried to just ignore it. After all, this was a short little 3 mile section. When I got to that aid, Daniel was there. Along with our 3 treasures and my parents. Dan filled my bottle, said sorry for thinking I had started at 6:30 and not 6, gave me succeed and a few extra for my bottle bag, gave me food, and I was off once again.

The next 40ish miles passed in much the same pattern. Lots of eating, drinking, electrolyte tablets, and a few bathroom breaks. (Bodies. I tell ya'!) But I couldn't get the cramping in my legs to let up. I really was tinkling a lot, so I upped my electrolytes to 2 succeeds an hour and an occasional Enduralyte on top of that. But nothing was helping. I have a huge problem with cramping up in the heat (it got up to 81). Someday, somehow, I want to solve this problem. The cramping was slowing me down, but this was a 100 mile event. Being I could still run, I did my best to stay comfortable and just have fun. After all, the cramping could have stopped.

At about mile 63 I no longer felt like running on my cramping legs. I knew I COULD, but it would have sucked. I had decided going into this that I wanted to have fun. And having run 40 or so miles with leg cramps was starting to cause some major leg discomfort. I struggled with my competitive self for a little while. If I just pushed on, I could likely hold 3erd place. But that would mean the rest of this race would suck. Finishing and placing well would be great, but the running to do so wouldn't. I let it go. I wanted to have fun. There would be other 100 milers in the future that I could train better for and push the lines on. I wanted to enjoy this first one to its fullest.

It got dark about the time I finished 70 miles. Luckily, I had my favorite lights in the right drop bag. Dan had back up lights, but I was happy to have the ones I like most on hand when I needed them.

I had asked Daniel to be ready to pace me after dark. When I got mile 75.6, Dan was ready to go with me for last 24.4miles. As we left the aid station, I told him I was just wanting to walk, talk a little, and enjoy sharing this experience with my husband. He was happy to oblige.

We really were just walking. An occasional granny jog, but the jog was arguably slower then the walk. I think we covered the next 12 miles in about 4hrs. But we were having a great time! We started off with Daniel singing to me as we went. Then we sang some together. We talked about all sorts of things and did some wooping to keep our spirits up. During the Dam road loop we said our favorite long passage to try and eat up time. I think it worked. But man, walking is way slow. I must have thought 20 glow sticks were the turn spot where they take our numbers down. Finally, we hit that turn! I was pumped! We had a little more then 10 miles to go! I was going to be a 100 mile fisher!! I picked our walk up to a power hike. We hit the 90 mile area, did an attitude check (hu!), and I started to run. That was when I got a nice face full on sand for the first time. Blah. My heart was ready to get into running again. My legs said, "Wow Anie. Whats up with running down a hill after having covered 90 miles today? Not happening..."

When we left Dam Road, I was super excited. 8 miles to go! Just a little 8 miles. After 92, what ta-hay is 8 more? WOO HOO! This time when I tried to run, my legs cooperated. It was a slow run, but I could feel my legs loosing up as we went. I think the coolness of the night was helping the cramping fad away. The coolness and the excitement. When we got to the last aid station, I looked at my watch. All day long I had been doing my best to ignore that thing. But now I was ready to guess my finishing time. My watch said I had been running for 19:20. We were 4.4 miles from the finish, so......maybe I would be done in 20:20. Good. I could run/walk/jog this last 4.4 miles to the finish in an hour. I was sure.( I thought it was 4.6...)

I started out with a comfy jog that turned to a fast walk on the first hill. But when we started down that hill, I let myself go. And yeah!! This time my legs really went!!!!!!! I looked at my watch again when we hit a turn that was over a mile but less then two miles from the finish. 19:56! Wow! I might finish in 20:15! Dan and I did some more wooping and I started running for real. It felt great to run again. Truly, this was the fastest I had run alllllllll day loooooooong. I was so excited!! 11 minutes later, I finished. Taking off my head light as I stepped on the mat, I turned a summer salt and landed on my back, arms open to the sky, in 20:07.

As I sat and chatted at the finish line, several people asked me what place I had come in. I was thrilled with the fact that I didn't know. Maybe 5th...but I had tried to ignore that. Of course I couldn't completely ignore it, but I had done my best to let all that go. I finished my first 100 miler! And I had a blast doing it. The best part was getting to share so much of it with my favorite person in the world while enjoying being together. I likely won't get that out of another 100 miler. Certainly not if I am racing!

Daniel and I hung out a while longer. My friend Liza was still out there, and I wanted to see her finish. She finished in 21:33, sealing her win of the Texas Trilogy. Liza took 2end at the Bandera 100k on January 7th (8th 9th? Not sure.) and I think 4th at the Sunmart 50 mile run in December. Those 3 races made up the trilogy. Next year Cactus Rose 50 will replace Sunmart 50 for the trilogy. This was Liza's first 100 miler too. Go LIZA!!

The next morning at the awards ceremony, I was happy to find out I had placed 4th. It was fun to get a little extra treat with this run. And Liza had finished 5th. I am super excited to train and race a 100 miler in the future. This was such a great experience all the way around. I had so much fun that I am reserving the right to run and not race any "race" I want to in the future!!! But I do plan on racing a 100 someday, too. :) Racing is fun in such a different, masochistic way.


Things I left out that might be of interest:

For 3.5 miles I had to carry my bottle funny because the valve started leaking. Water was just splashing out the top like the lid was open, only it was surely closed. Just broken.

Twinkies are sooo good after 60miles. I was drooling at the thought of getting another Twinkie from my bag after having eaten my first one.

I ate at least 5 whole PB and J's over the course of this run. Along with 2 cartons of chocolate milk, 3 Twinkies, a couple hands full of Gummie Bears, maybe 8 Oreos, a Chex bar, some potatoes (Very good), a few slices of quesadia, a few veggie meat balls, 4 Red Bull's, ????water????, ?????heed????, some Jellie Bellies, a little Coke, and 1 hard candie. I think thats it. But I might have missed stuff.

When my legs were cramping at their worst, I switched to Gatoraid in my bottles. It didn't help the cramps. :(

I wish I could post the funny things I saw and did. Only this is a family blog. And most of you guys truly don't want to know. I get that. Just let me say ultra runers are a diffrent breed of person. I am glad to be an ultra runner girl!

Febuary

This is shaping up to be an eventful month....and it is only the 3erd.

1.My car is gone. :( A lady hit me and that is the end.
2.We might move...but only if Dan can't find a job in SA. But we don't know how long he has to look...his project is going down...soon(???). Maybe this month. Or in May. Or August.
3.I have my first 100 mile run on Saturday. At least this one is my choice! And fun. :)

Life.

I just ran for about 7 hours and did 46 miles. The break up is 46 miles of moving in 6:59:33, plus about 10mins of changing shoes, opening and drinking soup, etc. I am super excited, because this run was really easy physically. The strain was convincing my brain to start another trip out my garage after having run 33 miles and 5hrs. I was thinking that was enough...but... yeah for sticking with it... I needed to go for 7hrs. I am thinking I will do a 100miler in 3 weeks. Just for fun and with the only goal being to finish. So today was key. Amazingly I ran a pretty even pace the whole time. I felt like I could have kept that same pace going...not sure tell when. But at least another 10ish miles.
What I learned:
1. I like the Pearls better for super long stuff. They keep my legs and back feeling less strained.
2. DRINK, DRINK, electrolytes, DRINK. Maybe 2 cups an hour and one pill for every 2-3 cups.
3. I like to eat plain bread and soup.
4. Eating so a must! I could feel the difference when I went over 10miles w/o food. I should be eating more often. Like every hour.

So I got in a fun run and learned a lot about running long today. What a good day. And I still have Jenna's wedding to go to! Yeah for weddings!!!!

Bandera 2009

What a race!! What an awesome, butt kicking race. I registered for the 100k wanting to run better then I did last year. This was a very realistic goal, because I ran last year underprepared for that mileage and without electrolytes on a hot day. But I all told, my mental game got me through with a good finish of 11:25. This year, things had potential to go awesome for me. But I pushed my body too hard in training, didn't allow myself adequate recovery time from injures, and ended up toeing the line of this 100k VERY untrained. But I had to try. All year long my biggest running goal has been to run under 11hrs on this course. I know I am very capable of doing it. But the training needs to be there. After running an easy 50k in 5:15, I was ready to quit. My ankles and knees were hurting on the down hills in a way that I could tell was warning of injury. My body just wasn't ready to take the pounding that course gives it. Too bad. Yesterday was just a great day for that course in so many ways. The ground was dry, there was a little cloud cover, and the high was only in the upper 50's. The only draw back was the wind gusts on the flats. But I had to give it a go. I am glad I did. Knowing I wasn't ready beats wondering if I could have done it.
A giant congrats to the female winners. Marcy Beard (1st) just ran awesome. She gutted out that second 50k, passing the 2end (Liza Howard-11:48) and 4th (Bridget DeLaRosa, also under 12hrs) place females. Melissa Heggen just rocked all day, scoring a PR in the 11s and placing 3erd female. GO LADIES!!!!! That course kicks butt, and you gals kicked its right back!!