My Attempt at Becoming an All Night Trail Running Diva

Ok, let's just leave the diva part out, but we could call it a valiant effort!!!

My quest started as soon as I found out that I did not win a spot for Western States.  This was ok with me since I had never run 100 miles on trails before and I only found myself qualifying by accident the very weekend that the applications were due.  I had run 101 miles at a 24 hour event in San Diego-much different than running all day on the trails if you ask me.  I had been hearing about Rocky Raccoon (or as XY would call it Roxy in the Coon) and decided that it fit well with my miles and it was not mountainous.  I'll give it a try.

I flew out with my princess friend which proved to be comical since we refused to check any of our gear.  It was two plane flights later that we arrived in Houston.  It was very late on Thursday night.  Friday was filled with last minute adjustments and a low key evening at the hotel.  I did not even go to the pre race dinner.  Susan, my friend from Houston came and spent the night and we had pizza in my room.

4:00 am came way too fast.  I estimated that I had only gotten an hour of sleep that night.  For some reason I had a very hard time clearing my head.  And to make matters worse, as I awoke, I was joined by any woman's worst inconvenience.   I am not one for show tunes but even if I were, this one,  I would not be singing - "I Enjoy Being a Girl."

We got to the start and mingled in the lodge.  It was cold out.  My drop bags were all taken care of and I had little to worry about since I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  At 6 am we were off.  I hooked up with my friend Fred.  I thought that I would just stick with him for a while.  He knows what he's doing and I hoped to learn a little from him.  Before we knew it, we had finished our first 20 mile loop.  It took us 4:06 to complete it.  That was much better then I expected especially because of the unplanned stops that I ended up taking.

I pulled out of the lodge before Fred and listened to my music during the whole second loop. My stomach was hurting and as I pulled onto the Dam Road aid station I asked if there were any runners that could help me.  Duh. Everyone that was there was a runner.  I asked them what I could eat because I was having trouble with my stomach. They took very good care of me and helped me get food down every time I came through.  I was a bit slower on this loop and I took a nasty fall.  I would call it a face plant.  I was horrified when the man that I was running behind stopped to see if I was ok.  I was hoping that he would not have noticed.  But I was not hurt.  The soft ground made for a not-so-bad landing.  Just a few small scrapes and some nice bruises.   My second loop was not so good.  I was annoyed the whole way by,  let's just call it the powers of femininity.

 After pulling into the lodge for the second time and quickly trying to take care of business, I took some ibuprofen and was feeling much better.  I hooked back up with Fred and my friend Susan and her boyfriend John ran with us for a few hours.  The afternoon sun was warm and we were feeling great.  It was  fun to recognize fellow runners on the course as we passed each other.  Jorge was a joy to see.  Dave Bursler was a face in the crowd that I was able to recognize.  And who could miss MARTY!  My trail DIVAS brought me encouragement every time they passed me by.  Many thanks to Dirty Girl XY, Rock Star Michelle and Princess Anita!  You dirty Divas you!  And I have to tell Gretchen. You are cute beyond words.  You were an inspiration and a lifesaver at mile 80.  By the tail end of our third loop,  Fred and I found ourselves in the dark.  My light was dim but I would be picking up a new one at the lodge.  Fred was kind enough to stay with me as we shared his.  With three miles to go on our third loop, we saw Shannon and Mari waiting for Jorge to pull in to the aid station.  He was not far behind us and he would be finishing up for the night.  Shannon and Mari are always a great sight to see.  So motivating and helpful. Something as small as a smile and a little recognition can really help to perk you up at mile 57.  As we made our way in the newness of the night, stumbling and tripping on the roots, Jorge would run freshly by us.  He would finish just seconds off the course record.  What a thrill to run a course where you get a chance to see the front runners several times.

Pulling into the lodge for my fourth leg of this run was exciting for me.  I would be picking up my pacer Morgan.  Anyone with a cool name like Morgan was going to be fun to run with.  I ran into the lodge yelling "Morgan, your date has arrived" and that is how he found me.  He helped me make some clothing changes and readjustments.  I picked up a fresh light and we were off.  I am not sure what happened to Fred.  As we made our way into the late late night hours, I said to Morgan "so tell me, are you married, single, divorced or gay?" and that is when I knew that we were going to hit it off just fine. (He's married by the way.)   My fourth loop would prove to be my worst.  My stomach hurt.  The roots would be a challenge and I had issues with adjusting my light.  I fell two more times and was stumbling all over the place.   I had become very skittish of running in the dark-especially on the single-track with all the roots.  When I got back to my friends at the Dam Road aid station,  they helped to dress me in my warmer clothes. I was wearing 5 layers and was feeling quite cozy.  Now it was off to the Far Side or should I say the dark side.  This was very long and very far away.  I took my last spill on this stretch.  I don't know how I did it but I stepped in a hole and fell backwards.  Pulling back onto Dam Road on the return trip, I changed into my road shoes.  Ahhh, what a relief!  My feet were hurting sooo bad.  As we were finishing up with the fourth loop, runners kept passing our slow and careful stepping.  I could tell that they were heading for home.  With less then two or three miles to go, I would tell them "good night" and "to think of me when you are in your nice warm bed".  I would still have 20 miles left to go. 

Pulling into the lodge for my last loop would  be an ordeal.  It took me over 30 minutes before we would leave again.  I found myself with a real dilemma.  My hands were swollen and stiff and I had no dexterity in them.  But I had this little issue I needed to take care of and no way to physically manage it.  Thanks to Gretchen who happened to be in the lodge stretching at the time,  was able to come up with a good alternative and find me what I needed.  What a girl!  (And we will just leave it at that)  With two Excedrin and my excellent pacer Morgan, I was feeling like a new woman and we got our "boogie" on.  I was feeling more confident and was willing to run more.  We ran all the jeep roads and even most of the up hills knowing that the single-track would slow me down.  It is during these very early hours that you see the reverent suffering of the ultra runner.  In the stillness of the pre-dawn when all the 50 mile runners have long since gone and the front runners have finished, you find yourself quite spread out from one another.  It is eerily calm and quiet during these hours.  Some runners can barley speak.  Just a grunt or two.  One man was kneeling by the side of the trail dry heaving.  One couple had been walking so slowly that I told Morgan that I thought she was sleeping.  And she was.  It turned out to be Rock Star Michelle.  She was holding on to her friend Andy who was guiding her as she slept.  Giving up his time for a friend-that is what ultra runners do.  That last aid station was a welcome sight!  Just 3 miles to go.  For some reason I had a goal of 28 hours.  Morgan told me that if I could just keep up our current pace of 15-minute miles, I would make it.  I could smell the barn and I was getting hungry for it.  With the darkness behind me I was able to run again.  With just two miles to go, Susan and John were there waiting for me.  What a welcome sight.  I gave Susan a hug and choked back a tear.  I was almost done.  As we ran most of the way in, I could see my friend Fred just up ahead.  I would gain on him and them he would pull away.  He knew that I was behind him.  When we hit the pavement and made the last left into the lodge I could hear Fred yell, "come on Leigh, hurry  up!"  He was waiting for me.  We ran that last bit together and finished with the time of 26:24.  How ironic that I would start the race with Fred and that we would end up finishing it together also.  What a pleasure that was!  As I took note of the time on the clock, I turned to find my pacer and yelled "lie-a!"  He had known all along that I would come in well within my goal.  Thank you Morgan!

What was started the day before, February 4, I finished on February 5-eight years to the day after being released from a 5-week stay in the hospital due to an almost fatal car accident.  With my friend Susan by my side (then and now),  we had shared many personal moments 8 years earlier when she was my friend living in Murrieta.  Susan, I will never forget the morning you rolled my hospital bed to the window and we watched the sun rise together.  And here again as we ran in the early morning hours of my first 100 mile trail run.  I am thankful for the new friends that I have made along the way.  For XY and her way of forcing me to see the positive within myself and making me feel like a real true "dirty girl" and accepting me.  You have been a true inspiration to me as I have watched you time and time again give of yourself to help another!   Rock Star Michelle for making me feel like a diva! Your energy is infectious!  And  Anita, Goddess of the Bad Water and Wasatch!  You rock girlfriend!  I learn so much form you!  All three of you have taught me a new phrase.  "YES I CAN!"  Fred, how would we look together in leopard?  Since we run so well together, maybe Chrissy could come up with something matching for us.  It has been such a pleasure to share the trails with you, young man!  And a great big hug to the best pacer ever, Morgan!  I will never forget the night that I spent with Morgan!  He kept me safe and kept me going!  You have a most incredible gift of giving and I feel blessed to have been able to have the opportunity to share my last 40 miles with you!  I can never again eat pancakes without thinking about you!

I have to say thank you to Joe Pursaitis.  I did not get a chance to introduce myself, but I want you to know how very much I appreciated all that you did.  Your race, in my not so very expert opinion, seemed to be executed perfectly.  The aid stations and volunteers were top notch and really made it all about the runner.  It was nearly impossible to get lost, unless of course your name is Anita! (my ultra-princess runs 105 miles!)   Mariela, it was nice to meet you.  Thank you for hooking me up with the most perfect pacer for me. 

I arrived home scraped up, sore and bruised.  I told Dave Bursler that I didn't think that I ever wanted to run 100 again.  He said give it a day and that will change.  He was right.  How can I pass up  a chance to be around so many wonderful and positive people?  There is something very fun about the first 60 miles and there is something very, very special about the last 40. You just have to be there and experience it for yourself.  I plan to be back!  Thank you!