April 5th-6th I spent my day participating in the Umstead 100 mile endurance run for the second consecutive year. Last year I was in last place female and overall for which I earned a walking stick called a "Norwoodie" and a "Perseverance Rock", respectively. My main goal this year was to not be last and since I knew what to expect, I figured assuming I finished this was reasonable.
Thursday afternoon I started my pilgrimage to Umstead North Carolina with my husband. We drove to my father-in-laws, who lives in Richmond. The drive was a bit tough because of significant rain. After arriving, we had a very nice dinner and caught up. At the restaurant my father-in-law would proudly state that I was getting ready for a 100 mile race, which I think the waiters and waitresses were a little shocked about. I find people are amazed by the distance and I actually feel the same way (I still can't wrap my head about 100 miles, but somehow I have done it twice and have one more chance at it this July in Vermont). After lots of food and beverage, and lots of catching up, it was time to go to bed.
Friday morning I awoke and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was relatively clear although a bit chilly. My mom was staying at pocohontas state park south of Richmond VA, so she was able to drive to my father in laws and we had a nice breakfast. Soon enough it was time to drive to Raleigh so I could do packet pick up and volunteer at the merchandise table. Volunteering is always a nice way to give back but also meet and chat with other runners. Having done the race before I could give a few helpful pointers about the course and about the experience (particularly, for runners who just want to finish). At 5 p.m. promptly, the pre-race briefing took place and Blake gave us some insight about the race and what to expect. Unfortunately rain was expected but it held off through dinner which enabled sitting outside to enjoy dinner and chat with other runners. We sat with 3 runners who were running their first Umstead, but two had run considerable tougher courses (Western States, Hardrock?). The other gentleman had only run 50 milers, but he was from West Point and thus quite tough.
After finishing our meal, Tristan and I headed to the hotel so I could set up my stuff and get ready for bed. Sadly I rearranged my stuff several times because I just had no idea how to prepare for and deal with the rain. I planned to have several drop bags. Two drop bags and a post-race bag were to be at the main aid station. At the second aid station, I planned to have one main bag and a smaller bag with plastic shoeboxes with towels and treats. It was difficult to split up some items that I have only one (for example seal skins waterproof socks and gloves). But other items I had double making it a bit easier a decision although if I ended up moving something from one side to the other, I could end up needing something at one aid station when I was at the other. This really made me a bit stressed, particularly for the rain gear. An item that was easy to think about was the headlamp because you run for about ? hour then can bring the flashlight or headlamp to the second aid station place it there. And the next time you have to think about it is in the evening and about 5 or 6 I can easily decide when I need to grab one. I keep the headlamp and flashlight on until sunrise Sunday and once I am done with it, I will not need it again, thus it is irrelevant if I have two at the second aid station and none at the main aid station.
As I was doing this, my sister Cindy and her friend Imelda arrived at the hotel. After a brief hello and some words of encouragement I went back to my packing tasks. After making a few executive decisions, it was time to take my last shower for nearly 48 hours and get ready for bed. To assist with sleep (and disturb my husband minimally), I typically wear an eyemask and earplugs. Then my husband can watch TV or do whatever he wants and I do not badger him to go to sleep. I later learned it was very good I had ear plugs in because there was a storm that came through about midnight that I was oblivious to. Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
Getting Ready
At 3:45 a.m., the start of my wake up calls and alarms started. I had the wake up call, my watch alarm as well as the room alarm. Between all these backups I figured I would be awakened. But I must admit it is sometimes a bit of a challenge to try to turn off all the extra alarms so they do not disturb my husband before he wants to get up. I really needed the full hour to get glided up (Vaseline like product I pretty much use on every surface to prevent blisters). My biggest challenge is getting enough glide on my feet, between my toes, on my heel, on the surface of my feet, etc. Essentially I scrape glide onto the lid getting massive fingerfuls. I then apply these to problem spots. It typically takes me almost a large stick of glide for each ultra event (50 miler or 100 miler). Marathons even take about one-half bottle. After I was satisfied with my handiwork it was time to get dressed and put on my clothing.
I looked out the window and noticed rain and opened the window a bit and felt a bit of a chill. Unfortunately because of this, on my first try I really over dressed. I had on several shirts from a tank top to a long sleeve thick teckwick shirt and several layers between. For pants, I had thermal pants and waterproof pants. When I went outside I was shocked to find it about 60 degrees and by the time the race started I was in a tank and my marathon girl skirt, just my first layer!
At 4:45 a.m. it was time to leave the hotel. Since I knew where I was going and Tristan knew where he was going, but no car could fit 4 people and all my stuff, we took two cars. I rode with Cindy and we chatted a bit about random topics. Pretty soon we were in the park and it was time to walk from the car to the main aid station. Luckily the rain had stopped and the weather was pretty warm (but very humid!). I set up my stuff in the main aid station and placed my aid station 2 goods on the porch for transport after the start. While setting up my drop bags, I met a very nice young lady, Belinda who had a Marathon Maniacs shirt. I learned she was running her first 50 miler and was from Virginia. She was in the Air Force and chatted with my sister and Imelda because all were in the Air Force (my sister was wearing her Air Force Jacket which made her stand out). As they chatted, I rearranged my clothing, taking off layers that were inappropriate. I just tossed my cloth in my bag, but Imelda nicely folded them and placed them in their logical compartments. When I was satisfied with my layers, I took a last minute break at the bathroom. At the bathroom I met last year's winner Jamie Donaldson. She is really nice and really fast. I wished her the best on her race and she also wished me luck. I then walked back to the main aid station. At this point I decided to change my wardrobe one last time. This means I had to work my way to the back of the room while all the runners were coming out for the start. I felt like a salmon. Ultimately I made it to my drop bag. I took off some layers and again Imelda kept my drop back tidy and organized. My final task was switching from my new, never been worn OR waterproof gaiters for my considerably cuter and more comfortable "dirty girl" gaiters. This was the right decision although I missed the start. I think my sister was more disturbed and alarmed by this. But ultimately she came over to my side and acknowledged 10, 20 or even 30 seconds do not make much difference in a hundred mile race.
The Start
After a final check to make sure I had everything and was all set, I started my race a few moments late. For the first 15 minutes I pretty much was walking a very leisurely pace with and behind many other runners. After we got on the bridle path, I was able to stretch out my legs a bit and jog. At this point the race is pretty much pitch black and other then lots of headlamps it is hard to see anything or anyone. But many of the runners were chatting. At some point I was talking to a runner who was doing his first 100 about how I had come in last place and did not want to repeat this. But I figured I would not do this as long as I did not try to wear flip flops at mile 98 (essentially last year I asked my husband to bring me sandals on my last lap because my feet were really painful, instead of Teva ankle support sandals he brought flip flops. At mile 98 I could no longer resist the lure of the sandals, put them on for about 50 feet learned I needed ankle support and had to get my sneakers back on. It was awful because my feet had swollen and I had to put my shoes on standing up. Around this time several guys passed me and I just did not have the heart to try to catch up and my spirit was broken). This may be one of the contributing factors for coming in last. The flip flop incident of '07 has gone down in our family history and gets brought up regularly as any good story should! As I was talking about coming in last a gentlemen asked, "are you Tammy Massie?" and I said "Yes". He said he was Larry and he was a friend of Kris Whorton. He said she wished me luck. Kris was the second place women last year who I had a very nice picture taken by my husband of her running towards the camera and me away. I had googled her and ultimately sent the picture. She was really nice and friendly during last years' race (we cheered each other on each lap and when she lapped me we talked briefly). Kris has been so encouraging this past year and I am looking forward to seeing her at Vermont 100 this July. Larry and I chatted briefly and many times during the race we would pass each other but sadly seemed to be at a slightly different pace. He was really sweet and encouraging.
As we were going the out portion of the out and back along the airport loop I caught up to Belinda. Because she was a Marathon Maniac, I knew she and I had at least one commonality. I asked her number (#598) and mentioned I was #495. We seemed to have nearly an identical pace and she was really good company. On an off for her 50 mile race we ran together and chatted about a variety of topics (anything to make the miles/hours go quicker!) We both expressed concern about the storms that might have been arriving and both really were fearful of lightening and thunder in particular, although rain sounded like no fun.
As Belinda and I jogged along we started seeing the first runners. Serge was considerably ahead of everyone and then after a few hundred feet it became a pretty steady stream of runners coming at us with their headlamps and flashlights glowing. I always find the glow to be inspirational (at least early in the race). It is neat to see all the lights moving along in the dark. Since it was hard to see numbers all we could cheer was, "go runners", "looking strong", "keep it up" etc. After a quick turnaround at the end of the airport loop, we continued on and cheered runners behind us. Everyone was nice and cheerful which really energized me. As we approached the gate to the start/finish, my sister Cindy, friend Imelda and husband Tristan were all there cheering and hooting and hollering. It was nice to see all of them (and by this time it was a bit brighter thus people were visible). I gave my headlamp to Imelda (who had repacked and learned my drop bag "system") and asked her to put it in the back internal pocket. She was really awesome at keeping my whole bag in order the entire race. After a final "wahoo" on all our parts, I was back in the race. Pretty quickly I caught up to Belinda and we jogged together keeping up a steady conversation.
There was a massive amount of humidity as we ran, but there was no rain. For those of you who do not know, the Umstead 100 mile course is 8 laps. The first half mile is a jeep trail (that is really not too technical as last year our hybrid civic easily drove most of it). The next 11.5 miles are on a very nice crushed rock/dirt bridle path. This path is wide, easy to navigate and easy on the knee's/legs. There are two aid stations. The main aid station is the start and finish of the race and this year was located in a fairly large cabin/building. The second aid station located approximately mile 7 is a very large enclosed tent with lots of food and beverages as well as our drop bags on some utility shelves. Along the course about mile 3.5 (and 10.5 on the way back) there is a self-help aid station with water, Gatorade and limited snacks. About mile 5.5 and 8.5 there are two self service water stops. Along the course the wisteria was blooming. About mile 2.5 and 11 you saw (and smelled) the same vast blanket of Wisteria along the course. Mile 4.5 and 9.5 there is another big cluster of Wisteria along the course that was beautiful and smelled really good. The course was rolling hills from the main aid station to the smaller aid station (mile 7). Going from the smaller aid station to the Start/Finish line, you traveled through the Sawtooths (named after the Sawtooth mountains or the topographic map which shows it is very hilly with steep ups and downs). Hopefully you now have a mental picture of the course (if not could always volunteer to pace someone in the future and see it yourself!)
The first half lap went very quickly particularly since Belinda and I were keeping up a steady conversation and soon enough we were arriving at the second aid station. After a quick bathroom break, checking in (number 164) and grabbing a bit of food and beverage, I walked to the back to check on my stuff. I didn't need anything, but just was able to confirm my bag of running stuff and secondary bag with towels and treats was there. It was there. I then continued to eat and drink at the aid station including my favorite treat banana's, M&M's, pretzels and Gatorade. A quick refill of the water bottle in my fanny pack and I was off (note: my fanny pack is named "sparkely" because several years ago I started applying silver sparkle fabric paint, this bag is my lucky bag and has traveled well over 1,000 miles of races with me!). Heading out of the aid station I rejoined Belinda.
The next half lap went pretty quickly, again because the conversation was flowing, so the miles just drifted by. We pretty much kept a steady pace and did not pass others nor really get passed. Pretty soon we were back on the portion of the bridle path which gave us a chance to see other runners who were ahead of us and well into their second lap. This section I find goes pretty quickly because you can cheer other runners who are along the course. This really gives me a lot of energy and inspires me. After a bit on the bridle path, it was time to get on the Jeep trail. This section does not pass as quickly as I find it is pretty stressful to ensure I did not slip, fall or get my feet wet. Finally you could hear the cheering crowd at the main aid station. After running up the hill, stating my number (164) I was in the aid station. Tristan was in the aid station which was a nice treat. He was there to give me some words of encouragement. Since my goal in the aid station, is to eat and drink, it was time to resupply. As usual my choice for food consisted of banana's, M&M's and pretzels. A few goldfish, some Gatorade and I was off. Since I had not used the bathroom on the way in, I hopped off the course and went to the real bathroom. It is a nice treat to have running water and a real bathroom at least every 12.5 miles. The only improvement would be to have hot running water.
Start of the Second Lap
It was time to get back to running, so off I went. At the T-intersection, Tristan was there cheering me on both as I headed to the airport loop and as I headed to aid station two. My second lap was relatively uneventful. For the most part I jogged and chatted with Belinda, with a few side conversations when we passed folks or they passed us. We kept a pretty consistent pace and were really excited about the fact that the weather was remaining relatively good. It was very sticky, but so far there was no rain and no thunderstorms nearby. Up and down a few gentle hills, by a few unmanned aid stations and soon enough we were at aid station two. Time for a quick bathroom break (there were four porta potties and I was working my way through to find one with a handle to grab, 2 down and 2 to go with no handle so far, which concerned me a bit-because as the miles get higher it sure gets harder for me to get up'luckily my 4th lap I stumbled on the "womens" only porta potty that had a handle and was in luck for the rest of the race).
After checking in at aid station two: "164 here" at the control point it was time to eat, drink and be merry! The volunteers were all really wonderful and helpful. Upon getting into an aid station, they would immediately swarm you and ask what you needed. They were so kind and encouraging. All I ever needed was my water bottle capped off. I'd grab some Gatorade and soda and then would walk aimlessly around the food portion foraging. Since banana's, pretzels, M&M's had always worked I stuck with it. I also helped myself so some other snacks liked hardboiled eggs and goldfish. It was an odd diet, but seemed to work for me. A quick "Thank you" and "See you in a few hours" and I was off. At this aid station I lost Belinda for a bit because she had loitered less in the aid station. I struggled to catch up to her but as I did I met many nice runners and reconnected with others I knew. Larry (who I had met early from Tennessee) was one of my friends who I was able to chat with a bit during this segment. Also at this time the elite runners were starting to pass. Serge Arbona who was in first, and Matt Kirk who were on their third lap both passed me during this lap. They both were running very quickly and not acting like they were in a 100 mile race. Approaching the main aid station, with the quick requisite bathroom break, I was happy that 25 miles was complete and so far no rain.
Start of the Third Lap
It was noon and I was happy to get to the main aid station. Calling out my number as I crested the hill "Number 164, Tammy Massie" I was ready for a quick break. I was pleasantly surprised to see Tristan, Cindy and Imelda near the aid station, my own personal cheering section. I headed into the aid station and as usual the kind and cheerful volunteers were ready to help out in any way the runners needed. They quickly refilled my water bottle, while I drank some Gatorade and soda and ate a bit of food and I was ready to continue running. A quick "Thank you" and I was off. In this aid station, I caught up to Belinda and ended up leaving faster then her. She sadly was suffering from some chaffing and blistering and had to attend to it. As I headed out, I figured she would catch up to me.
Running along the jeep trail and then along the airport loop, it was a nice treat to see runners ahead and behind. It was also nice to see my whole family/cheering section out offering me words of encouragement. It made me really happy and gave me lots of energy. During this section, everyone looked relatively healthy and happy. I think we all were excited about the fact that the rain was holding off for the time being and relatively speaking the weather was okay. Maybe a little muggy and sticky but at least it wasn't 40 degree's and raining. During this portion of my third lap, I ran into a very nice lady Abby Meadows. She was very nice and chatty. I learned she was a smoke jumper who had changed professions from an accountant to a fire fighter, which was awesome. She also had suffered through many health issues including several bouts with cancer but was planning to run the whole hundred if her body would let her. She was really tough and great fun to jog with. In addition to lots of stories about her current life, she also mentioned she had come in first place at the Army 10 miler several years ago and has hopes to come back and compete in some of the tougher 100 milers as she recovers from some surgeries. I think she'll be able to do it because she's got the toughness and the positive mental attitude. Running with Abby helped this half lap go very quickly and soon enough we were at the second aid station. After a quick bathroom break (porta-potty # 3, with no grab handle) and a quick check in at the aid station "Number 164, Tammy Massie", it was time to get down to the business of eating and drinking. The wonderful volunteers quickly filled up my water bottle and I ate and drank my usual fare. Unfortunately all of the runners luck with respect to no rain ran out while I was in the aid station. It was pretty heavy and intense rain and was tough to come out of the aid station. Luckily I had my Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist poncho, so I just put that on and continued running.
For this half lap I was unsure where I was with respect to my new and old friends. I knew I was behind Abby since she had stopped very briefly in the aid station and moved on. I had no idea who had passed me during my small potty break but was pretty sure Belinda was behind me. As I jogged out of the aid station somewhat unhappily because of the rain, I started chatting with a friend of Abby's who we had seen on the out and back section: Vinny. He was really nice and chatty and made this half lap go very quickly. He had run numerous 100 milers and had recently moved to North Carolina. Like many others in the race he had been military and now worked in industries that supported the military. We chatted about a variety of topics and I tried to pick his brain about 100 milers. He suggested the Cascade Crest 100 is really pretty and suggested heartland is really flat (and there are no "latree's" or even bushes that are at all private). This kind of eliminated it from my list of potential races since I really want my privacy if I am using the facilities. We kept up a lively conversation about races, our jobs (mine: statistician at the FDA working on vaccine products and his: as helping the military rebuild in Iraq) and how we dealt with various challenges of ultra-marathoning. During this section, Tristan popped up along the course. He jogged with us a bit which was a nice treat. But at some point he had to head back to the car. Although the rain was moderately heavy at times, my poncho really kept me dry and combined with good company, this lap went very quickly.
Start of the fourth Lap
Coming into the main aid station, I took my celebratory bathroom break. While I waited for it to be freed up I chatted briefly with Matt Kirk's friend who was there supporting and crewing for him. I then ran up the hill, announced my number and went into the aid station for some snacks and drinks. As usual the kindly aid station workers swarmed me ready to attend to all my needs. I still was feeling good. I only needed my waterbottle refilled, grabbed some food and beverages. As usual my choice for beverage was Gatorade and soda. For food, I munched on boiled eggs with the yolk area filled with salt, pretzels, M&M's, and bananas. At this aid station Belinda and I were lucky enough to join up again and headed out at the same time. We both were pretty happy that the rain had held off so long but were bummed that it had not held out for an extra 24 hours. Heading out the of aid station we both watched our footing on the jeep road, trying to avoid puddles and big mud-pits. Pretty soon we were back on the bridle path. It continued to rain off and on during this lap but very lightly during the first half. Belinda and I caught up on who we had met since last time running together. There seemed to be about 10-20 runners in the general area we were in. On the out and back both going into the aid station as well as on the airport loop, it is easy to see where others are ahead and behind. It is nice to see many other runners and to give words of encouragement.
Belinda was very excited to be nearly finished and I was happy that I was nearly half way through my run. The bridle path had pretty good drainage so our feet while getting a bit muddy remained relatively dry. Since the rain/mist was coming and going, I was happy I had my Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist Rain Poncho. It worked really well at keeping me dry but was thin enough so I never really overheated. I got a lot of comments about it because it was bright yellow and fairly loose. I found it amusing to be equated to big bird, have runners suggest I looked like a super hero and even the race director Blake suggested it looked like I was flying a kite. Every time the rain stopped I would take it off and try to dry it out a bit before I put it in my fanny pack. To do this, I would shake my poncho all around. The runners coming at me and from behind suggested that when I did this, it looked like I was signaling someone, which amused them. Pretty soon Belinda and I were arriving at the aid station. Of course before I checked in at the aid station, I used the porta potty. I finally stumbled on the porta-potty with the handle. I was so excited! Now I did not have to fear getting trapped in the bathroom at mile 94. After checking in "Number 164, Tammy Massie", I handed my water bottle to a nice volunteer to refill then walked over to the food/beverage area. I was having some chaffing issues on my heel so I went to the first aid table to address this. I saw the Vaseline but no way to apply it without getting my hands gooey. The only thing worse then dirty feet in my world is gooey hands, so needed to figure out how to keep my hands clean. I asked if there were any tongue depressors or popsicle sticks to apply it. Unfortunately they did not have any, but a nice volunteer suggested a spoon. I was fine with this; although as I was applying Vaseline to my heel some of the runners suggested they were a bit puzzled as to why I was "basting" myself. The Vaseline did the trick and my heel felt a bit better. After grabbing some food (the usual) as well as some cheese (which was the BEST cheese ever), and drinking a few cups of Gatorade, and soda, it was time to head out. Unfortunately the hard rain had resumed.
For our last half lap together, Belinda and I reminisced about our race. It was really nice to have such a nice and cheerful running partner for so many of the 50 miles. She was doing really well and other then some hot spots, blisters and feeling tired she was happy. I suggested she savor these last few miles because she was about to finish her first 50 miler. I was really excited and happy for her but a bit bummed because I would loose my running partner. This last bit of this lap went really fast and soon enough we were back on the jeep track heading into the main aid station. This time I skipped my bathroom break to finish with Belinda. We walked into the aid station and I was happy to congratulate her on a job well done. Since I still had 50 miles to go, I had to attend to my beverage and food needs. The wonderful aid station workers filled my bottle while I ate and drank. At this aid station, I was in for a real treat: Cindy and Imelda. They checking in on me and seeing how I was doing. I was pretty excited about being halfway done. Also I was happy because I had decided it was time for dinner, so I asked the volunteers if there were any chicken sandwiches? He quickly grabbed a chicken breast and asked what I wanted on it. I was really craving ketchup so he poured it on and wrapped up my sandwich to go. I also ate lots of other treats and drank a variety of beverages. The volunteers also provided me with a Ziploc bag of yummies for the road. I started to leave then realized I wanted more ketchup, so went back in to pour more on my sandwich. I tried to leave again and then realized I had not said good bye to Belinda, so I again returned and said goodbye. I walked out the door and realized I might need my headlamp, so I walked back in to go to my drop bag and grabbed my headlamp. I then tried to leave once more, but realized I wanted to get some Pepto-Bismo just in case my stomach turned sour. Finally I was really ready to leave. I think my three attempts to leave amused the workers because my final time I walked out the door, they suggested they would see me in a minute!
Start of the Fifth Lap: 50 miles down, 50 to go!
Heading out I was excited to be halfway through my race. So far I was in pretty good shape, my feet were dry and I was happy. Since I had skipped the bathroom on my way in, I took my potty break afterwards. As I headed out, I noticed Serge Arbona was heading to the aid station. This meant in just a bit he was going to be passing me for the second time. He is a running machine but really nice. As I leisurely jogged along I cheered on runners who were facing me as well as passing me. It is nice to see other runners and their kind words and encouragement gave me energy. At the T-intersection by the airport loop, I saw Cindy and Imelda, they were cheering me on. I would get to see them once more as I headed along the course towards aid station two. As I continued on I was happy to realize the rain had nearly stopped, so it was time to take off my poncho. I shook it dry, which as usual amused others around me. Pretty soon Serge was passing me. I offered a few words of encouragement and wished him luck. Serge asked if I could tell where he was with respect to other runners. Of course I was happy to provide my perspective that he was very far ahead of the next runner. In all the out and backs I had been on, there were no runners remotely close. I gave him this information but mentioned there was of course the chance I was passed by another runner while I was in the restroom. I then realized I should have tried to figure out what answer he wanted. I then asked, "But do you want me to lie to you and say there is someone right behind you?" He told me an amusing story about how many years ago he was 90 miles into a race and someone told him there was a guy 2 minutes behind him. For the next 10 miles he looked back frequently and ended up getting a crick in his neck that was painful for the next 2 weeks. Since he seemed in no hurry to leave I told him how much of an inspiration he had been to me in 2007 when we met briefly at an aid station. His kind words and encouragement really gave me energy during the night. As we continued jogging he mentioned how he hoped he could find a pacer to keep a 10 minute mile pace. I laughed at him and suggested if he was looking for a 15 minute mile pace, I could work out. He commented that while I was keeping up with him because he was such good company, I was probably doing close to a 10 minute mile pace. Perhaps he was right, but he made it easy to keep up because he was such a nice and friendly person. After about 10 minutes or so, I was starting to struggle. Luckily there was the self-service aid station with Gatorade, water and a few snacks, so I was able to gracefully slow down. Serge was really nice and such an inspiration. Every ultramarathon I have competed in I have always been so impressed by all the runners and find the elite runners as well as the regular runners are so friendly and supportive. Continuing on, I enjoyed the last bit of daylight on the course.
Soon enough, I was arriving at the second aid station. After a quick bathroom break it was time to check in: "Number 164, Tammy Massie" and then of course it was time for some food and beverages. The great aid workers quickly attended to my water bottle needs and while they refilled it, I drank some Gatorade, soda and ate pretzels, bananas, M&Ms and other snacks. As I was attending to my dining needs, Vinnie arrived. I was pretty excited because I knew he was good company and would make the next half lap go quickly if I could stay near him. Unfortunately as we were in the aid station, hard rain started again! I expressed my observation that every time I came to this aid station, the rain resumed.
As I left the aid station, I knew I was not too far behind Vinnie who had only stopped briefly at the aid station, so I picked up the pace a bit and ultimately caught up to him. We continued chatting about random topics. He was getting anxious about feeling sleepy during the race. I was a bit nervous because it is really hard to simulate being up for 20+ hours 70+ miles into a race. I had learned my lesson that napping is not for me, but think each ultra-marathoner has to learn what works for them (the same is true regarding eating, clothing, shoes and strategy for pace). We continued running and runners continued to pass us along the course. The faster runners were passing us more frequently in little waves. All of the runners were nice a friendly. The sun set during this section and both of us were a bit distressed about this. We had 12 hours of running in the dark to look forward to.
Start of the Sixth Lap
Soon enough we were back at the main aid station. I took a quick bathroom break on my way in to the aid station. As I ran up the hill my feet got wet the first time in the race as I inadvertently stepped in a puddle. This did not bother me as I had decided to change out my shoes at mile 62.5 before starting the race (last year I ran into trouble at mile 68 and by 75 when I switched my shoes I was in excruciating pain). I checked in: "Tammy Massie, 164". I then went into the aid station and immediately requested a pacer. I was immediately assigned Amy a really nice local runner. Amy was really sweet and helpful. She helped me as I changed my shoes including wiping down my feet with Cottonelle wipes, reapplying about ? bottle of glide and putting on a new pair of socks and sneakers. A new pair of dirty girl gaiters and I was all set. This whole process took nearly a half hour but it was time well spent since it kept my feet relatively happy through the rest of the race. Since the night was getting cooler, I put on my EMS Goretex pants and EMS light waterproof hydravent rainjacket. I was a bit bummed that I was all cleaned up and it was time to go back on the race course and get dirty. But before I did this, I grabbed a few more items to eat and drank a bit more for the trail and we were about to head off. But Serge had just finished, so I walked over and congratulated him on an excellent race, then we exited the building. Since I had spent so much time at the aid station, after getting back onto the course for just a few moments it was time for another bathroom break. Luckily my pacer was very understanding about the fits and starts I was having getting back on track. After this quick pit stop we were running along. Amy was very nice. She had run Umstead 100 several years ago, so knew exactly what I was going through and how to attend to any needs I might have. She also knew how useful pacers are. She kept up a steady stream of conversation and kept me really entertained and occupied. We talked about races, our family, our pets, our jobs and lots of other subjects. She was an excellent pacer, she had lots of energy and provided lots of positive encouragement as we jogged the course. A light rain continued on and off during this lap. One major issue that occurred during this lap was the fog. It was pretty thick at various points and made it difficult to use a headlamp. I wrapped my headlamp around my wrist at this point and jogged the majority of the lap like this. During this lap I found out why a child headlamp is not ideal even though it is very light. My main issue is that about every half hour or so the headlamp would turn off. I think it was so parents did not find the batteries dead as they were on a trip; however, I found it very irritating and was glad Amy was there to provide back up illumination. The first time this happened it stressed me out a bit since I had spent a lot of time the week before the race changing batteries on all my headlamps and flashlights. After turning it on a few times, I realized this feature while great for kids is not very good during a hundred mile race over night. As we jogged the course, I introduced Amy to my runner friends. We were near Vinnie now and again so we chatted with him a bit. I also pointed out when we were getting to features we could not see (the lake, the bridge over the cute stream, the Wisteria, etc.).
Pretty soon we were heading into the second aid station. A quick bathroom break (in the stall with the handles..Thank goodness!) and then it was time to check in: "Tammy Massie, number 164". I was really surprised as I approached this aid station to see Tristan. He was out at about midnight ready to cheer me on. After a quick hug, I headed into the aid station. The really nice and enthusiastic volunteers helped by filling my water bottle and I just grabbed a bit of food and some Gatorade and a variety of soda's (ginger ale and cola to help prevent/settle my stomach and keep me awake). I really liked the cheese my previous lap, so grabbed a handful and of course M&Ms, pretzels and bananas are always classic ultra food. After I had my fill, it was time to head out. As with the previous 3 laps, as I left the aid station it started raining. This aid station was bad luck with respect to rain! I was getting accustomed to this but did find it a bit depressing. It was time to put on my poncho to give a little protection to my rainjacket. I have had some negative experiences with rainjackets and did not want mine to leak (a marmot precip stopped being waterproof on its first wearing after about 8 miles!) Amy had gotten warm during the first half lap so was actually enjoying the refreshing rain.
Walking up the hills and trying to jog down some of the hills we moved forward. At this point I really started having difficulties moving forward with much speed and the downhills started to become a problem just because my legs were having trouble bending. During this section we caught up to Vinnie who had breezed through the aid station. He was really tired and talked of taking a nap in the woods. Amy and I encouraged him to keep moving forward and get to the aid station for a nap, which ultimately he did. Amy was really great company. During this lap I really became tired as well and she kept up a steady conversation. She was a considerably faster runner then I (she had qualified for the Boston Marathon), and her Umstead 100 mile time was quite a bit faster then mine, but she was really impressed that I was going for my second Umstead with hopes of getting a PR. After she finished pacing me, she was going to pace another runner because her husband wasn't going to pick her up until 9 or 10 on Sunday morning. I thought it was really great that she was willing to miss a night of sleep to help out fellow ultra-runners. All too soon, we were rounding the bend to get back to the aid station. This area was now quite muddy because of all the rain, but she was careful to guide me along the driest part of the trail. A quick bathroom break and it was time to run up the hill to check in at the main aid station. I was sorry to say goodbye to such a great pacer but had really enjoyed our 4 hours together. After a big hug, and a huge Thank you, it was time for me to continue my race.
Start of the Seventh Lap
Once inside the aid station the volunteers quickly took my waterbottle and filled it with water while I ate and drank my usual food and beverage. This lap I had my own personal pacers my sister and her friend: Cindy and Imelda. I saw Imelda in the aid station and was a bit puzzled about the status of Cindy. Imelda said she was in the car napping and she would get her while I ate and drank. A few minutes later, Cindy came in ready to run. I clarified that we would not exactly be running and that she needed to really be dressed more for a hike that had gone bad then for a run since my pace had decreased to mostly walking. Cindy said she was dressed appropriately and had on fairly waterproof clothing. At this point it was not raining again, so I decided she would be okay for 7 miles until she and Imelda switched pacing duties. As we headed out along the course, I showed Cindy how to minimize getting her feet wet. And then we headed to the bathroom since I was now having to go potty pretty frequently. I think this is because of two reasons: 1) it is taking longer and longer to get from real potty to real potty and 2) I am trying really hard to stay well hydrated but my bladder is only so big and may be in its small way protesting the work I am making it do. After my bathroom break, we continue on up the hill along the trail and onto the airport loop. Along this section a few folks pass us, but several have no headlamps on. This is shocking to me. I have my headlamp, and Cindy has a headlamp. Cindy decides we need only one headlamp, but I tell her of my headlamps refusal to work more then an hour. So I bust out my flashlight. I find it comforting to have multiple lights and on occasion Cindy does help carrying the flashlight. During our run she keeps up her end of the conversation (70% her, 30% me). She tells me about her day in excruciating detail as I demand (although later I learn that she missed some vital parts including making Belgium Waffles for breakfast'yum!) She tells me about the stores she and Imelda went to during the day, she tells me about the game and tells me about the numerous naps that she and Imelda had. She also provides me with descriptions of their dinner including an amusing story about a fortune cookie she got at PF Changs. Apparently her first fortune cookie had a Chinese translation/pronunciation of a word such as door and the phrase was not very inspirational. She requested and received a second fortune cookie and the translated word was "Beer" and commented to their server, this fortune is already better! We talked about other runners on the course, I introduced her to some of my friends and talked about my day (ran, got rained on, ate, ran more, got rained on, bathroom, ran, got rained on".). Cindy was a good pacer and kept me moving forward and occupied. I told her when we were approaching the Wisteria, which you could smell. She wanted to get close and I told her at one section we do get close to some on a bridge. I think she would have liked to see the course in daylight so perhaps in 2009, I will be back and the weather will be good enough for her to see it one of my laps. I tried to describe the course to her including the sights she would be seeing if it was light. As we continued running, I decided I had to pee. I spotted a nice fallen log that would work and Cindy watched my back as I walked a few steps into the woods to pee. One topic that came up during our half-lap together was whether she was getting the harder part of the course of if Imelda was. I had to break the news to her that the person who provided information about the course being easier on the second half was mistaken. Although she was running 7 miles with me, Imelda was going to be running the Sawtooth mountain section. Cindy swore me to secrecy about this fact during this jog. Sadly I squealed when I started grumping about the stupid hills as I was running mile 80 with Imelda.
Pretty soon we were approaching the second aid station. Cindy abandoned me briefly as she ran to the car to wake up Imelda. I continued on and used the porta potty then checked in. The very cheerful and helpful volunteers swarmed me as usual and attended to all my needs. Since Cindy and Imelda were not around yet, I sat down briefly and ate a bit and drank some soda and Gatorade. A few moments later Cindy and Imelda arrived and it was time to get moving. Unfortunately my luck with having rain start immediately as I left this aid station continued. For the entire 5 miles Imelda ran, there was pretty much a constant rain. Cindy really scored the easier portion of the lap and the nicer weather. Poor Imelda! As we headed out Cindy gave instructions to Imelda about me. I think I heard Cindy suggest: She is moving forward. She's walking a lot but she is walking fast. And occasionally she seems to jog. Try to get her to jog a bit, but if you can't just make sure she is walking fast." I was sitting right there listening my sister talk about me in third person. I guess I did not care because I don't think I said anything or objected to her observations. Imelda and I headed out into the darkness and rain. I asked her to describe her day. She included less details then Cindy but they both described their day pretty much identically. Guess they did not commit a crime or else they created a nearly perfect alibi. Imelda told me a few funny stories and we caught up on life. I think the rain was depressing both of us. For me it was nearly my 16th hour straight in rain or at least being slightly wet/damp and for Imelda I think it was just not necessarily how she wanted to spend a 4 a.m. on a random Sunday morning! We also talked about work and life in general. We even talked about my sisters boyfriend/suitor since Imelda was between boyfriends. I fessed up during this portion of the lap that Imelda was getting the harder part. Although it was only 5 miles we were going through the Saw Tooth range. I told her I was really starting to struggle on the up hills and actually the downhills were getting harder and harder as well. I actually had to turn around and walk backwards a few times because my legs just wouldn't bend right. I told her about the Wisteria and how she would get to smell two large patches of it. One was unique to her portion of the course and one Cindy had also seen/smelled. We kept up a pretty good conversation through most of this section, although on our last hill I think we both were pretty bummed. Right about this time, my friend Vinnie came up from behind us. He was moving a bit faster then I and suggested his nap at the main aid station had really helped, but was now wearing off a bit. Imelda and I trudged up the hill and then continued on to the aid station. Pretty soon we were on the jeep trail and it was time for a bathroom break in the real restroom.
Start of the Eighth Lap
After checking in at the main aid station, it was time to say thanks and goodbye to my great pacers Imelda and Cindy and time to pick up my final pacer: Tristan. By this time I was beyond exhausted. I sat down and apparently pitifully asked aid station volunteers to get me beverages, refill my water bottle and even asked to be brought food. Cindy I think got me some snacks but I think she might have gotten me something that was either stale or just did not make me happy. It was about 6 in the morning and I would have been a lot happier asleep! Also I had been fighting sour stomach for a bit and did not want to get sick. I asked for some pepto and after a few minutes it did work. Finally, I decided to get up and continue my race. Tristan was ready, I was ready so it was time to get going. After giving Imelda and Cindy a quick Thanks and hug, I was back to running. Tristan knew the course because he had run two laps in 2007 and had gone back and forth on the jeep road several times this year to cheer me at the airport loop. So we walked and jogged along the course. I introduced him to my friends. We were fairly well spread out but on the out and back we could see each other. I pointed out my friends from 2007 and 2008. My friend Kim who had run with me quite a bit in 2007 had just entered the airport loop as we were finishing. My husband commented that she always looks very nicely made up with lipstick. He tried to suggest she had permanent make up (as my sister does on her eyes) but I had to give my husband a lesson about lipstick, makeup and even threw in a bit of information about needing to alter makeup depending on season and type of event. Tristan is lucky he has me to keep him aware of fashion trends! During this section, everyone looked pretty tired. But I think we all knew as long as we kept moving forward at a steady pace we would finish. As with Cindy and Imelda, I asked Tristan what he had done during the day. It sounded like he did not do much because after about 2 minutes that conversation dwindled to nothing. I then asked more pointed and open ended questions which kept the conversation up for a little longer. After a while I had to use the potty again. I told Tristan I knew of a log that would work. Unfortunately while on the Airport loop, the sun rose, so now my log was a bit exposed to the runners. I did not care too much as there were runners not too far from me, but I really had to go. Tristan suggested no one could see anything, but I figure no one really had the energy to look up or care. We then continued jogging along the course. We talked about work, what he had done with my sister and Imelda, the other runners and lots of other random subjects. At some point we seemed to run out of conversation. I think we kind of got into a fight because he started to talk about my cat but he was saying negative things about her. This made me really sad so I said we had to change the subject (note to pacers: only positive subject matter is appropriate!). Since Tristan and I have a pretty good time on hikes when we use our old standbye who could beat whom in a fight, I suggested we create scenario's in which animals had a fight. We pitted Cindy's cat Mew Mew against all our cats and only Sagwa won (our most docile cat who we think beats up all the other cats when we are not looking). We then pitted our other family's cats against friends cats and determined the winner. We did the same with dogs. We even created faux fights between live and deceased animals. Snowball my Sammie we predict would win against Gilligan, our Berner who is nearly 2X his size! After we exhausted most of our pets we switched to people. We then debated who would win with respect to family, co-workers, and friends. Most likely if you know us by name we have talked about you and ranked you in the context of "Fight Club". This is a very entertaining game because there are unexpected skills and talents we suspect you have! This game kept us entertained until we arrived at the aid station.
Upon arriving at the aid station, I of course took my requisite bathroom break, then checked-in for the last time. At the aid station, the happy and enthusiastic volunteers refilled my waterbottle. I grabbed some beverages and a few bits of food and then sad down for a bit. I was in no hurry, it was obvious I was going to finish and I was savoring my "victory" lap. Also, Tristan was putting my flashlight in the bag so I did not want to abandon him. A few moments later, it was time to get up and continue jogging/walking. Tristan and I walked out of the aid station and of course it was raining. I had offered Tristan extra clothing from my drop bag but he did not need anything (although he had gladly taken my lucky poncho earlier). Because the sun had risen an hour or so earlier, the day was getting a bit warmer, which was nice. On the up hills I tried to walk fast but think one would be hard pressed to agree it looked like I was doing anything except leisurely strolling up the hill. On the downhills, I walked backwards holding Tristan's hand having him hold me up. This seemed to work well last year and again worked this year. We kept moving and I was getting excited. I was nearly complete my hundred mile race and I could almost smell the finish line (although perhaps the smell was the stench of me sans shower and toothbrushing for over 30 hours!) As we moved forward I was passed by a few runners. There was one pacer who I somehow had mistaken for a competitor. He looked really good and quickly alerted me to the fact he was just a pacer. He mentioned that if I could just run a little bit more I would be able to break 29 hours. And he commented that if you utilize the "Boson Qualifying standard" that you can use the lower number of your time as long as it was 59 seconds or less. Thus if I finished in 28 hours and 59 minutes it would still be considered 28 hours. This put a little pep in my step. I tried to jog the flats and even a few of the smaller hills. Pretty soon we were on the jeep trail. I was really excited, I knew it was a few minutes before 11 a.m., so I had over an hour to get to the finish. I knew I was not last and I was feeling good and strong. I decided I was a little warm and really like my lucky outfit. I took off my rain jacket and rain pants. I was in my lucky pink outfit. I jogged passed the bathroom. And all I had was the last little hill. I could see the finish, hear the crowds. Cindy and Imelda were there. And there were many of the volunteers outside cheering. I ran up the hill and crossed the finish line in 28 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds. I was so excited. I walked into the aid station and helped myself to some Gatorade and soda. The great volunteers offered up an Omelet and I took them up on it. It was the BEST omelet ever! After finishing my omelet, my sister went and ordered another omelet for me. All the volunteers and my little pack of pacers were attending to my every need. After rehydrating with some soda and Gatorade and a filling meal of omelet, I put on my technical pants and a thicker techwick shirt.
I went outside to cheer on runners coming in. I could relate to these later runners. Last year coming in last, it was really nice to have a bunch of runners and volunteers out cheering me on as I finished the race. Slowly the runners trickled in. As I was waiting for the runners, I would see friends from the race who I had met during the 100 miles. Standing next to me was Lisa Bliss, winner of Badwater. I was so excited. I asked if I could get a picture with her. She was really nice and such a classy lady. Just like all of the other runners who are so fast but kind, she is such an inspiration. We chatted briefly about the race. I was glad to hear that she thought the race officials had changed the mile markers during the race, spacing out the miles further and further apart. And of course they somehow inserted additional hills during the course of the race. I think there was some kind of geologic upheaval'maybe an earthquake that created a new mountain range. Standing next to such a luminary from the ultra-community was such an amazing way to finish off my Umstead race. The final female runner was my friend Kim. I had run with Kim in 2007. She easily beat the 30 hour cutoff and we were able to chat briefly after she finished. Umstead is a really great race. The volunteers are wonderful. The runners are really supportive and overall it is a great experience. I look forward to coming back for many years to come!