Kettle Moraine 38 Mile Night Fun Run 6/2/12 DNF

I didn't run on National Running Day due to injury,
but I re-posted this on FB and here as a substitute :)

This will be a little out of order for race reports, but I guess that is how it goes. So, I am taking the week off of running to rehab a flare of achilles tendonitis that has been angry for a few weeks but got really angry on the uneven trails of the Ice Age Trail during the fun run. I first spent all day volunteering primarily at the Scuppernog Aid Station, mile 31-ish to get my service requirement in for VT100 and to learn what I could. I ended up having a great time, but really did not drink or eat much all day, too busy!

Ready for runners!

Some people looked great, while others were running the 100k and had never heard of electrolyte capsules before (!!!). I learned that there are more brands of water bladder backpacks, and that there is no easy to hand design of those other than just handheld running water bottles. People either WANTED ice or really really didn't want any despite our strong recommendations. It was a perfect temperature in the early hours but started to get a little warm mid-day, albeit not anywhere near what it sounded like the temps reached last year.

At the start in the pink, great shirt from the Delaware Marathon

7pm Fun Run wave begins

For the fun run, due to a large amount of runners, we got a last minute email that instead of starting at 8p, they were going to release a wave of runners every 20 minutes starting at 6p, to avoid overwhelming the aid stations. It was a chip starting line, with timing mats at many of the aid stations. Things started out well and it was still light for the first 90 minutes until about 8:45p in the trees. Lights were needed where there was tree cover initially but not in the open areas due to the almost full moon. The night running took a bit of getting used to, as did interacting with the 100 milers who were getting pretty tired at this point, as well as the co-mingling with the relay runners. It made it hard to gauze your pace and to "run into" people that may be going the same pace as you to run with. It felt lonely but not scary knowing that there were people not too far ahead and behind you on the trails, even if you couldn't see them.

Coming in to the 2nd aid station @ Bluff Road

Filling up and chatting with a
mardi gras bead wearing volunteer

Browsing the picnic, I mean aid station

From the start my achilles hurt and my hip hurt, both that have been nagging issues for the last month or so, but don't stop my running per se. In combination of being up and running after my bedtime with the constant pain, I wanted to stop. I was worried about creating further damage in my achilles making it harder to rehab for upcoming races in the next few months. Besides, I have learned that my motivation to complete a race is a little lower in a state that I have already completed a marathon, as I work on completing my 50 states marathon circuit.

Crew and volunteer cars at the bluff road aid station

I passed through the aid station at Highway 12, hoping that HH would be there. It was dark, there were tons of people hanging out and seemed like all the crews were partying with themselves. I pushed on and the trail immediately started to climb and get a little gnarly. This aggravated things further and after a mile I turned around to walk/run back to the aid station to drop and ask or call for a ride. At the aid station a volunteer offered to give me a ride back to the start and where my car was parked. He said he wasn't a long distance runner, but that him and his friend volunteered at that particular aid station each year because to him it was interesting to see what happens to people when they broke down after running so far, for so long, during the night. I found this very interesting. It was 11pm and they wouldn't break down the aid station until 8am the next day. I drove to HH's family's home nearby, showered, ate a salmon dinner, and headed to bed.

I emailed the RD for Vermont and dropped from the 100 miler to the 100k race the next day.