Wildcat 100 Race Report
But I needed a race and as I laid on the couch last month, I browsed races. I wanted something 50M - 100K. Relatively flat and close. Long time limit. No technical trails. These are hard to find, but as I scrolled, a choir of angels started singing and this race appeared. The Wildcat 100. Pensacola. 100K. 40 hour time limit! I WAS IN!
The race was September 1, basically 1 month after my surgery. I ramped up my distance a bit for the 2 weeks I had to prepare, but I felt like my training had me in good shape for this race. However, I almost skipped it. The forecast for the week leading up to it remained consistent: rain rain rain. I knew that running for that long with wet feet was not going to be good. I was SO FRUSTRATED. I just want to run far and see how far my limits are. I don't want these other challenges. I almost decided to wait for something else, but my husband and ultra friends encouraged me to do it, so I did.
This race was at the end of the first week of the semester. I have a very heavy teaching load so I was so stressed. I did not take the time to plan and prep like I usually did. I had to take a late flight on Friday night so I had almost no time to shop or prep when I was in Pensacola either. The result is that I forgot peanut butter. I forgot my head lamp. I didn't bring enough gatorade or gu. I did remember to bring 25 pairs of socks, though. This shows you what I really worried about.
When I woke up, it was pouring rain, but it stopped by the time I arrived at the equestrian grounds where the race was held. The course was a very nice 2.5 mile loop on horse trails - grass or dirt. The first few hours were dry and sunny. After like 15 miles I was like "Huh - I feel kind of weird. I am never this tired after 15 miles". I checked my phone and the heat index was 114! Time for the secret weapon of fighting heat: ice in the sports bra. I cannot emphasize how effective this is for cooling yourself!
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| Beautiful, shady course |
Then, it started to rain. I had put myself in the state of mind that this was going to suck, but honestly, it was going to start to hurt anyway eventually, so just go with it. That helped and once it stopped pouring, I started to change my socks every lap. I was a little embarrassed that I had brought 25 pairs of socks, but I was thrilled every time I put on a dry pair! And by mile 60, when other runners were telling me how their feet had split open, I was proud of my decision.
A friend's advice to bring a change of clothes was also so smart. I felt incredibly refreshed to put on something dry after 15 hours of being wet.
When it started to get dark, I confirmed my earlier fear that I'd forgotten my head lamp. I usually bring two because I'm so worried about one having a problem. Thanks to my new bff Amy who was crewing her husband's 100 miler. She was parked next to my car on the course and was super encouraging. When I broke down after 1 dark lap and asked if she had a spare, she told me she did! YOU SAVED ME AMY THANK YOU!
As for the actual running, it was great. I was hoping I could run the first 35 miles, maybe 40 at the outside. I ended up running the first 52.5! I have never run that far without needing to walk. I told Pops, one of my new pals running the aid station, that I was so surprised at how I had grown my limits. I'm still astonished that I could do this. Even though I trained hard for it, I'm always surprised when it works!
However, by that point, I was also in a lot of pain. My feet were very sore and I could tell I had lots of blisters. I couldn't really see them all when I changed socks, but I knew there would be problems. I could also tell I was going to lose a lot of toenails. With only 10 miles to go, though, I knew it would be ok. This was my first taste of ultramarathons as an event of enduring suffering. It's totally different than the suffering you have from being undertrained or being tired during a long run. I have many thoughts about this, which I'll share later in another post.
In any case -no fantasies in my life have been as intense as the ones I had about taking off my shoes at the end of the race. It was just as good as imagined, but the result was not pretty. Only 4 toe nails were still attached at this point, and they all came off by Tuesday morning.
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| zoom for blisters! also, what is that weird rash on my legs? mysteries. |
Other than the feet problems, I didn't have any major issues. My stomach was fine. I felt a little nauseated for a few hours, but nothing more than that. Any mechanical soreness in my legs worked itself out. I didn't have any chafing.
I finished in 19:45, which got me 2nd woman, 3rd overall, out of 6 official finishers and 4th out of 18 total finishers (100 milers who dropped down to the 100K make up those bonus runners). Normally, I come in second-to-last, so this was pretty awesome. I felt very good.
I am deeply grateful to the organizers who put on a great race with a very nice course and to the incredible aid station volunteers. They were just the right about of enthusiastic when needed, quiet when I was suffering, and they kept things well stocked. I love them all.
After I got home and handled those blisters and toenails, I couldn't really walk for 3 days. Like I had to cancel class and meetings. But that pain has passed and now I'm on the hunt for a 100 miler. It may end up being this race next year because of the generous time limit. If I find something in my wheelhouse of looped, pretty flat, non-technical, and with a long time limit (>36 hours so I'm not worried about the cutoff) before then, I will mash that register button so fast!
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