Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

JenHS, how was your race?
Quote | Reply
Just wondering how your 100k went! Would love a rr :)

Hope it went well!
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [Teags] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
We were texting back and forth about 9 PCT last night. She had about 8 miles to go and was hurting. Her Facebook has a picture of the sweet finisher's belt buckle!

Congratulations Jen!!!
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [Teags] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"jenhs is tired hungry and sore. Pizza and french fries on the way, coffee being made but not much I can do about the sore."I think that about sums it up :)


______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [QRgirl] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Yay! Congratulations JenHS!

I think the soreness is kind of an automatic at that distance :)
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [Teags] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Gosh! Thanks for thinking about me.

This was the hardest race I've ever done. I was out there for 19+ hours. I never thought it would take that long but the course was crazy. My feet are destroyed and I can barely move around the hotel room. I woke up at noon, ate, watched some TV and took a nap for 3 hours.

I will write a full report in a couple days. Right now I have to figure out how to pack my luggage without walking. Hrrmmm......

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
just leave your stuff there. Buy new when you get home.

Congrats on your race.
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Congrats! Excited to hear the report.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Well I knew you were doing it....

Congratulations! Sounds like it was a tough course, so a huge congrats on the finish!
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Congrats! I was tracking you all day via the Javelina updates. Glad you enjoyed your day and maybe got to meet a few of my fellow CHUGS (Chicago Ultrarunners).
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [Teags] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
the Javelina 100 is 100 miles, not Km right? my friends that did it ran 100 miles, and I did not see a 100km option
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [triLA] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
There isn't an official 100k registration but it is an option and they do give a buckle for the 100k finishers. They call it the 100k Wimp Out.



----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Nice buckle!
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [Teags] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It is a pretty swanky buckle.

Here is the race report with pictures: http://jenhsracereports.blogspot.com/

Ouch.

That pretty much sums it up. Here it is a week later and I am still sore. Finally did a short treadmill run tonight and mentally I was ready but my legs were NOT happy about it. WTF did I do to myself??

I signed up for the Javelina Jundred 100k back in August after having a good run at Ultraman Canada.The JJ100 is a full 100 mile race with a 100k "wimp out" option. This was only 10 more miles, how hard could it be? I love Arizona, love the desert and Halloween was great timing with regards to weather. It would also give me a chance to finally meet Coach Brian face to face. The flight was cheap and I got a great deal on the hotel. Everything was booked so all I needed to do was run. Oh, and listen to Brian.

I flew down on Phoenix Thursday before the race, rented a Mustang convertable and drove to the hotel out in Fountain Hills, about 8 miles to the park where the race was taking place, McDowell Mountail Regional Park. I found a nice little Mexican food place for dinner then hunkered down in the hotel room.

Friday I got up and took a trip into Scottsdale to check out the Microsoft Store. The mall there is HUGE. I wadered around for a bit then headed back to Fountain Hills for the pre-race meeting.

When I got to the park I couldn't believe the carnival atmosphere. Tents, RVs, lights, food, it was great. The awards were the most unique I'd ever seen. The race organizaers had done a great job working with local artists to create something really impressive for the winners of the divisions and a few unique awards like best costume and best butt. This was Halloween, after all.

I got home around 7 after a quick stop at Target and Safeway. I did more errands than I'd wanted to but since I was travelling by myself I didn't have much choice. Next time I'll go down another day earlier.

I got to bed pretty early and set my alarm for 4am. I had a terrible night's sleep, waking up every hour wondering if I'd missed the alarm clock. I hate that! Since it was just me I had no one to count on to wake me up. As soon as the alarm went off I was up, drinking coffee and munching on a waffle. I got to the race start at 5:30, was too late for parking right at the start line so had to park at an overflow lot. Damn. A bit of a rush to catch a shuttle and get to the start but I ended up with plenty of time to get settled.

For some reason I wasn't really into this race like I usually am. I think travelling alone really threw me for a loop. I was super excited when I signed up, while training and was looking forward to meeting Brian. Up until about 2 weeks before I was totally on track mentally then somewhere I lost it. I think it went to hell when the light shifted too much and I couldn't run in the daylight anymore. That just really kills me. I'd lost my training rhythm and was spending too much time on the treadmill. I did a fantastic 23 mile run and was really excited about how I felt but the days were getting too short for me to get in a full run after work during daylight hours. Fall had arrived. Thankfully we had 2 weeks of beautiful weather with fantastic foliage but when that goes, it gets really depressing.

This is where my head was leading into the race.

Everyone was nervously watching the start clock. It was the typical pre-race nervousness and since it was still dark at 6am an extra level of tension was present. Headlamps were on, everyone had their water bottles or packs and we were ready to go.

The race started with everyone walking but the people in the very front. We all knew it was going to be a long day. Most people were there for the full 100 miles so they weren't in a big hurry to cover the first few miles. It was great. The sky got light fairly quickly and the sun was up by 7:00.

I'd finally gotten nervous when I'd arrived at the start and was still wound up. I was anxious to find a good rhythm and get moving. I ran whever there was flat or downhill and walked the uphills. It seemed there was a LOT of uphills. The course was basically a long uphill for the first half of the 15.4 mile loop then a long downhill for the second half. The course was a washing machine multiple loop course so we reversed direction on each lap.

The first lap took longer than I'd planned and I'd realized pretty soon into it that it was going to be a long day. Thankfully Brian would be there between loops and that kept me moving and motivated.

Loop 1 took 3:20 and I'd been hoping for 2:45 - 3:00. Hmmm....not a great start. My legs were hurting already and I could feel my mood starting to slip. Brian was there when I finished the loop and kept me company while I started the second one. This is when things started to get ugly for me.

I don't know what happened but I'd gotten myself into a funk and couldn't shake it. My legs hurt, it was starting to get warm and I had 45 miles in front of me. Each lap was successivly slower and every step was harder to push through.

I got through loops 2 and 3 because I had someone waiting for me between loops. My feet were getting mangled by the sand, I was hot and my legs hurt. I just wasn't having fun. I love the desert. I love the heat but I just wasn't loving this. I met some great people out there and for that I am thankful. They helped me keep going.

After the 3rd loop Brian had to leave to get back to Tucson. The sun had set and I was in for a long final loop. Honestly I don't think I would have started it if he hadn't walked with me for the first 45 minutes. Once out there I started to see how beautiful it was. I was in a lot of pain, I wasn't enjoying myself but I did finally see why I'd come: the stars, the desert and to see if I could do it. Once I got through the first aid station and kept moving forward I knew I'd finish. Up until then I was pretty sure I wouldn't. I was trembling uncontrollably whenever I stopped moving. The aid station folks would sit me down to warm me up then I'd get u and get moving again. It took me forever to get through that last lap.

I finished in 19 hours. Well past what we'd thought. I'd lost quite a bit of time getting my feet worked on between laps and on the last lap I lost at least 30 minutes just at the aid stations. After I finished, I immediately changed into my sweats and sat down at the fire to warm up. I stayed there for an hour, snacking and coming back online. It took a while to get another ride back to my car and I'd picked up two other people staying at the hotel. I finally got back to my room at 3:30 am after almost splatting a coyote and a real, live javelina on the drive back. I worked on my feet then fell asleep at 4:00 am, 24 hours after I'd woken up.

I slept until noon, got up to eat and sent people notes letting them know I'd survived. I chatted with Brian then went back to sleep at 2:00. Woke up at 5:00, ate a lot of food, then slept for another 9 hours. I was in so much pain I never left the room. My feel hurt, my legs hurt, even my shoulders hurt from the hydration pack. I'd gotten too much sun on my face and especially my lips. No other sunburn though so I got lucky. I got out of the room for breakfast on Monday, took another nap then headed to the airport to come home. I decided to be a nerd and wear my compression tights for the flight and I'm glad I did. I was much more comfortable.

Analysis

I went into this in the completely wrong place mentally. I'll never travel to a race alone again. There has to be someone there for me the entire trip, even if I meet friends there who I spend the weekend with. Having Brian there saved my race but I really need someone before, during and after.

I was a little over confident too. I should have been more worried about it but I just wasn't. Ultraman was so different with regards to the race itself and somehow that didn't click in for me. At Ultraman, I had Vince and Maria crewing me every half mile or so. Out at JJ, an aid station every 5.5 miles with nothing in between. For most ultras that is a lot of aid stations but I not what I'd had at Ultraman. I'd prepared for it from a logistical point of view but not mentally. I didn't realize what a toll it would take to be without company for that long. I met people along the way but few of us were going it solo. When covering that distance you can't go with someone else's pace. If you don't find someone at your pace, you are on your own.

I didn't eat enough. My stomach wasn't bothering me per se but I was taking in so much water I just wasn't hungry. I never got dizzy or spacey but I know I could have done better. That likely would have made a huge difference in my mood.

I think I did really well with my water and salts. I was super careful of both because I knew it was very dry and no shade on that course. Things could go to hell in a handbasket quickly.

My feet were a mess. I still have to figure out the best way to prevent that with the style of course JJ is; sandy and rocky where my feet slide around in my shoes quite a bit. Changing socks is the knee jerk response but I don't think that is the full answer because I did. I haven't had feet problems that bad in years. I gotta solve the puzzle for my next race.

I should have done more course specific training. Hills, rocky and find sandy areas.

As painful of a race it was, I learned a lot from it. The race itself wasn't fun for me but everything around it was. I want to go back next year for the full because everyone there is so great. The race organization is fantastic, the people are a hoot and the desert is beautiful.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
yay!!!! exciting to read. Thanks for posting it!

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
thanks for posting the RR, great to read. good job toughing it out! :)
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thanks for the race report. I've wanted to do that race for a while. I hope to do my first 100-miler later this year- STORMY in Squamish, BC.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~

I have just finished my first tri- IMC '09!
Quote Reply
Re: JenHS, how was your race? [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Inspiring to read -- really highlights the "mental toughness" needed to go that distance. (I can hardly imagine!)

Congratulations on hanging tough to finish a hard race.
Quote Reply