Are you nuts!!??  That is what I was thinking as I started down the hill toward the Lake nearing the end of the first loop.  I had always thought these Ultra-marathon runners were a little bit nuts to run the extremely long distances they run.  Now I was doubting my own sanity.  My hips were beginning to ache, I could tell I was almost at my "wall".  With only 2 Marathons under my feet and probably not quite enough training to have the confidence that I could actually finish 34 miles to my own satisfaction, I was starting to have some negative thoughts.  After all, what do I have to prove?  I'm well past my physical prime...too old to be doing this.  I kept pushing the negative thoughts out and tried to think positive thoughts like...think of the personal satisfaction I'll have when I can say I finished my first Ultra-marathon. 

     The faster guys were coming up the hill so giving them the right of way on the trail occupied me for awhile.  Listening to the people around me cheering them on and the faster runners likewise encouraging us was more positive input.  I had managed to pace with Wilbert Hooper and Leslie McPhatter and Terri Ripley for most of the first loop but Terri had slowed down some and I could tell I was going to slow down some myself.  We decided to shed some gear at the turnaround since we were dressed for the 15 degree 6:30 am start and it was starting to warm up some.  The hydration systems were froze up and we didn't need our top layer anymore so after completing the first loop in 3hrs. 2min. we dropped some gear and started back out on the second loop.

     Jeff Fedorko had given me a little advice about making it out of the 4H camp and back to aid station 4 so that I was away from the easy comfort and temptation to stay there at the camp.  That was good advice.  He also had a great deal on some mittens that he was selling at a table he had set up to sell things from Riverside Runners (riversiderunners.com), that I bought and used ( thanks to Dave Horton’s sales pitch on the mittens and thanks Jeff).  I was slowing some so I told Leslie and Wilbert to go on, I’d be going at my own pace.  Oh – my – hips – hurt!  Just get to the aid station.  Get something to drink, you’ll be ok, I kept thinking over and over.  What a welcome sight aid station 4 was, and such great people volunteering their time…a valuable Saturday…and they were here cheering us on and providing fluids and food.  All the volunteers deserve a big thank you from all of us.  Some I recognized, the Crabtrees, Josh Yeoman, Charlie Hesse, and others I hope to get to know someday.  They all were great with the encouragement and the nourishment.  Above and beyond superb.

     I had determined that I would just concentrate on getting to the next aid station rather than think about the whole distance remaining.  That seemed to be something I could handle, just running from aid station to aid station.  It worked.  Around the first water crossing on the second loop I had noticed the pain in my hips seemed to be decreasing but now my hamstrings were cramping…worse than I had experienced before, this was not good.  I kept plodding along sort of playing tag with some of the other runners, Darrel Wargo among them, it seemed like we  passed each other back and forth 5 or 6 times among a group of 5 or 6 runners in the middle stages of the second loop.  At one of the middle aid stations I came across a bottle of Ibuprofen and swallowed two caplets with some Conquest and Mountain Dew.  I usually don’t take things like that as it is hard on the digestive system but I needed some pain relief.  I grabbed a PBJ sandwich and trundled on.

     Wow! Aid Station one, the last one before finishing back at the 4H camp.  I am pretty sure I will finish now, confidence getting higher with each step.  With about three miles to go I came upon J.P. from Virginia Beach, ironically in almost the same spot I met him on the training run we had two weeks earlier.  He was running with his girlfriend and his brother and asked if I was ready to finish this run.  I said “let’s do it” and we ran together till we got down to the single track trail going around the Lake toward the dam.  I began to pick up my pace some as I felt better (probably the Ibuprofen) and started catching some of the runners that were ahead of me.  This buoyed my spirits even more and I picked up more speed as I got closer to the finish.  I passed 9 or 10 people coming around the Lake to the finish and really felt good about finishing strong after dealing with the pain and doubts.

    My first Ultra-marathon at age 50…finished in 6hrs. 38min….personal satisfaction…finished strong…passing others…got to get a shower…thanks Saturday long run group (Nancy,Donna, Drew, Wilbert, Leslie, Craig, Kelvin, Greg, Eric, Jim, Horace and lots of others).  Thanks Dave for a great 1^st Ultra!  Got to do this again.