Nobody else has crossed the finish line and my results are still up on the race director’s computer. You worked so damn hard for me to be here. The RD is passing around moonshine he made. I sat on a folding metal chair with my shoes off and food in my hand that I couldn’t bring myself to eat. I would have liked to break 24 hours, but I’ll take this. With a few hundred feet to go, I looked around and didn’t see him. I could see Miles on the other side of the canal and just wanted to jump in and swim to him. At mile 98, the finish line came into view. Run a mile, walk a bit, run a half mile, walk a little less. He’d be at the finish and we could start our grand New England vacation when I got there. I’ll never stop being overwhelmed with gratitude for that. He walked with me as the sun came up for at least a mile…in flip flops. I hobbled into the 87.5 mile aid station and told Miles that my legs were gone. One of the other racers told me that the last lap runs itself. Friends, you’ll never know how much you truly motivate me to push myself. Sweaty as hell, stinking like a rotting yak, and wiping away tears. I know a facebook comment of heart emojis and “Go Jenny” seems like a silly thing to get all misty over, but there I was. Knowing that everyone was watching, waiting, and cheering me on from afar brought me tears of joy. He read text messages and facebook comments from friends and family. Smiled at me and told me I was doing great. Miles ran out and found me a giant iced coffee. High fives and “you’re looking strong” were all over that trail.įeeling good at the halfway mark, the night was creeping in. The participants were all friendly and encouraging. I had set the bar in my mind quite low for a flat course. It was warm and humid, but not intolerable. The aid stations were well stocked with all the standards as well as pizza, soup, pancakes… really anything you could want. The course runs down about a mile to a bridge, crosses the Erie Canal, continues 12.5 miles to another bridge, crosses the canal again, and the turn around point is just on the other side. After a diner waffle and loads of coffee, we headed to the start. The race didn’t start until 10am because the RD won’t wake up early (The website says so). I’m usually so excited the night before a race that I can’t sleep. That afternoon I told Miles that I had to get back to the hotel and get off my feet. He’s from the area and a history buff, so this was next level. Peter gave us a wonderful tour of the area. The next day, we went to Niagara Falls with Miles’s old friend/coworker. This is a small, hometown race with a lot of charm and lovely people. Everyone on the Beast of Burden facebook page was kind and open with information about the area. Hit the hotel for a fantastic nights sleep. I’ll talk more about this in a later post, but it’s become something that I’ll carry through my training from now on. I also gave up added sugar and all booze during this period. (And it was fun!) 20 miles the day before, 12 miles after the ski Bitchin photo by badass boyfriend Not only did this break up the mileage, but it made me so much stronger. Instead of just two long runs on the weekend, I’d have one long run, then a ski and another long run the next day. I also mixed up my training this year with a lot of ski touring. I’d spend time on Benton Crossing Road (known locally as Green Church Road) to get as many flat-ish miles as I could. I know flat sounds ideal, but I live in the mountains, y’all! I can’t find flat unless I hit a treadmill. My training was done mostly on road to get my body ready for the pounding of a flat race. Unlike any other ultra I’ve done, this was a fast, flat course that was run as four out and backs along the Erie Canal. We’d fly into Buffalo and then start our great driving tour of New England while I healed. Then, I stumbled upon the Beast of Burden 100 in Lockport, New York. It’s in northern Indiana and we could go straight to Chicago and fly in to Boston. Miles and I wanted to plan a trip back East to visit his family and friends (and catch a Red Sox game and eat lobster in Maine).Īt first, I had picked Indiana Trail 100. Picking an ultra this year had a couple more factors than it has before.
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