Finding My Lost Running Mojo.

Running was my life, but being a working mom set huge limits on my ability to train consistently. So, eventually I took up ultraunning for new challenges. As my kids grew and the demands decreased, I started to train a little more regularly and was getting stronger. Then in August 2009, I hurt my foot. Nothing I could control or change. I just have to learn to deal with the pain and with the help of Paul DeLucas (my acupuncturist) I am. But the worst side effect to that injury was that I lost my Mojo. Since 2009, I have participated in a number of events, but I couldn’t train through the pain, nor could I find the will or determination to cross train. The lack of activity along with the natural aging process caused me not only to gain weight but to feel bad both mentally and physically
Last week I visited Dr. Carlan of Eaton Orthopedics for trigger thumb. While in his office I asked if he could also look at my shoulder. He x rayed it and found a little arthritis, but nothing was structurally wrong. He prescribed physical therapy so I could learn some exercises that would help me get my mobility back. OMG. There is nothing wrong, but lack of mobility….I need to get mobile. So it was time to take action.
Although Paul DeLucas has gotten me feeling better with treatments and dietary changes, I just couldn’t seem to get physical. I couldn’t get out the door to run. As a matter of fact, I could barely get out of bed. That’s it. That’s the problem. I have to start with getting out of bed.
I used to be a morning person. That has to be my first step. So now I am committed to take that step. The alarm clock is set for 4:45 a.m. I have to get up. If I need to get more sleep, I can go back to bed at 7, after a run.
I once read that it takes 21 days to establish a habit. I am on day 5.

Burning Asphalt 35

BURNING ASPHALT 35
Friday, August 6th starting at high noon
Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg FL

In the spirit of the training runs that John Holmes used to do on the Pinellas Trail, please join Jon Wilson and Kathleen Wheeler for the Burning Asphalt 35.


August 6th, starting at noon. This is a fat ass style run......

Run, trek, crawl from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg .

At this point we plan to depart St. Petersburg leaving early in the day on a city bus to Tarpon Springs, Meet up with who ever might want to join us at TOULA ' s trail side café.
 We will probably have a mobile aid station. Then, run, walk or crawl the 35 miles back to St. Petersburg . Where we hope to indulge in some food and libations.

 Let me know if you are interested and I will put you on an e-mail list for updates and I will add updates here. 
Kathleen

Here is link to Toula’s website if you would like to grab a bite before the run.
http://toulastrailsidecafe.com/home

LOST 118 Finish

 I set myself up... saying that I would

 finish LOST, even if it took me until Monday morning.  So I had to finish.

I got a decent night’s sleep, which is unusual the night before a 100+ event. The early part of the race was cold. I wore my new scrap hat; almost left it in the car in exchange for a head band….good thing I kept the hat. I started out pushing myself. I wanted to stay with the Sullivans and others as long as I could. I didn’t really want to be dead last…. until the sun came up Sunday.
I wasn’t much company for anyone. Jim sensed it and let me go. Instead of running with anyone, I tried to stay in contact with the runners in front of me. That was a very good thing. It kept me moving forward with determination. If they got to far ahead I would try to push a little harder to try to make up the ground. 
At one point I looked down and saw the empty shell of a lake snail. I picked it up. If I finished that would truly symbolize my race; the “Lake Snail."

My dad started crewing me from Lakeport, around 22 miles. He was outstanding and met me at every stop thereafter. The rain began just as I was coming into Moore Haven (36 miles), where we get off the stones and onto the asphalt. I changed shoes, which felt very good! But the rain quickly became torrential and the wind was strong. It was cold. I had to move quick to stay warm.  After a while Mike, Sandy and Rebecca, came up behind me, they had been in front of me so it didn't make any sense. They had stopped for a hot coffee at a fish camp.  Boy that sounded good.
After about 4 hours the rain stopped, I put on dry shoes and continued pushing myself. As the sun went down, I put on my music and started felling real comfortable with my pace. That was the best I felt through the whole event.
I arrived at Pahokee (75 miles, where I dropped last time) about an hour ahead of my planned time to put the trail shoes and get through the next 12 miles of rock. I was relieved that it was more gravel and dirt then rock. But the wind really started to really pick up. I started to decline. The wind was relentless. I thought about just going off the levy just to get out of the wind, but I knew better.
It was well past bedtime and I felt fatigue. I could see lights ahead of me that really played with my mind.  I never seemed to get any closer to the lights. Once I did reach them; it was a construction zone; a surreal sight. Then I started seeing a wall in front of me (hallucination); literally a wall. I knew there wasn’t a wall, so I didn’t try to go around it. I figure if it was really a wall I would just walk right up to it and then find a way around it. At some point earlier in the evening , I started playing leap frog with Julie. She was also seemed to be having a bit of trouble with construction areas also. It was nice to know someone else was around. I think she felt the same.
At the 91 mile aid station, the boy scouts had set up tents, a shelter, warm food, and a fire. I fell apart. I told dad I couldn’t take any more wind. I thought I would try a nap. He suggested I get in the car, but I really wanted to lie flat. The boy scouts put me in a tent in a sleeping bag, I took a cat nap then just laid there. I did not want to go out in the wind. Finally, I to out of the tent explained that I could not deal with the wind anymore and announced that I was dropping. Suzi and the other volunteers encouraged me to think about it. Dad got me to sit in the warm car, out of the wind. That is when I realized that I was really cold. The heater was running, but I couldn’t feel it. My vision was blurred, so I tried rinsed them and putting in medicine. Eventually it helped.  I was also throwing up. Mostly just heaves, so I knew there wasn’t much in my stomach. I continued to sit in the car. Dad asked what I thought would help my stomach. I suggested potato chips. I ate a couple chips they stayed down well. Didn’t want to try too much. One of the volunteers had access to computer and told me that  the winds would die down a bit around 9 am, but that was 3 hours away. Could I take 3 more hours of the pounding wind? I came to my senses and realized I was just being a weenie. I had no real reason to stop. The chips had stopped the nausea, the vision  had cleared, my feet looked pretty good when I took of my shoes, only one blister and my neuroma area was bruised, hurt periodically, but not intolerably. My knee was sore, but I could try a wrap. So, I announced that I would go to the next aid station….7 more miles and decide there.  I loaded up with booste, heed and some other food, thanked the volunteers and I headed out. I still had more then a marathon

 in front of me. The additional hooded jacket helped block some of the wind.  But that next section was kind of a blur. I put on some music and just moved forward.

 

Julie caught up to me and we stayed together for a bit, she was seeing nonexistent alligators (hallucinations). I soon began having my own hallucinations,. For me, once a hallucinations starts, it does not stop. I saw alphabets carved into the asphalt, I realized that it wasn’t there, but once I saw it….the asphalt was marked with alphabet graffiti the rest of the way to the finish.

Suzi and dad both came out to meet me before the next station. I don’t think they  asked me if I planned to continue. As a result, I didn’t even think about it.  I sat on the ground and tried to stretch out a little, had my bottle refilled, got a 5 hour energy, and a little bit more food and headed out.

I was pretty close to the 100 mile mark, but was so stiff it was difficult to move, I took aleve and an S cap. That helped, but when I tried to run, my knee was so painful, I knew that I would not run another step.  But I kept pushing forward to

the next aid station and moved right through it. I was afraid to stop moving because I knew it would be difficult to start again.

I thought about just lying down on the asphalt and letting them come out and get me. I thought about crying. But I knew I didn’t have the energy. I just moved forward.

When I arrived at the next aid station, 9 more miles. Dad had a chair out for me. It was calling to me. I think that chair actually was possessed.  How could I possibly not sit in it. I don’t like chairs in a races. Why did I sit in it? I think I was hoping that I would be unable to get out of it. I swore not to do that again until the finish. Moving forward became difficult. I was so stiff, but my pace was consistent. I didn’t slowdown. I kept fearing I would start crawling along at a 20+ minute pace, but I never really did. Kept it between 18-19.

 I had two more stops before the finish. Dad kept pretty close tabs on me. He was concern when I had to get off the levee and out to the road to get around a canal. He bought a bag of ice at this late point so that my drink would be cold. That was awesome. 

I looked down at my feet and realized there was a bump on my right foot and blood appear to be leaking from a blood blister. I kept hoping that it wouldn’t open and start hurting. I looked down a little later and notice that I had the same blood seeping around my toes. Eventually, it appeared above all my toes. I kept wondering when I was going to actually feel the pain from those blood blisters. I hoped I would make it to the finish before they really start to hurt. The last 6 miles seemed like eternity.    I crossed the line in the dirt at 33:31:29.

Dad, Suzi, Scott, Mike and Stu were there to cheer me to the finish. It was over. 

 

I decided not take off my shoes off until I got home. I drove the 2:45 straight through.  Once home, I removed my bloody shoes. My socks weren’t bloody! How could that be! My feet weren’t bloody!  No blisters except the one I had at 91 miles and it was still in tact!  Hallucination! The bloody shoes were just a  hallucination.

 

Dad was incredible. He made sure I had everything I needed. He helped out others. Was positive even when I was down. He never pushing only encouraging.  Never complained about the cold, wind, rain or fatigue. I know that I would not have finished the race if he hadn’t been there for me.

 

Thanks to everyone!

The Lake Snail

Catching up on race reports

Race Report

MTC Ultradistance Classic 50K

Sarasota FL - 2/13/2010

I know this race is under the radar for most ultrarunners, but it is a must attend for me. The folks that put this on each year do such a spectacular job. Every year we get some sort of jacket, rather then a shirt. I had so much fun. Cameron and I drove down to Sarasota. He ran the 25K and I ran the 50K.

 The weather was about perfect. The course was in great shape. I got to run with ultrarunner turned long distance hiker Richard Smith, then Jerry and Jim Sullivan. Cameron won the 25K fun run in 1:41:35 and got to wait hours for me to finish in 6:13. That was a pretty decent time for me.  

 

Race Report 
Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50K 12/12/2009 

I love this race!. I have attended it for the better part of 12 years. This race is full of history. It is a certified course. Over the years quite a few records have been set there. Ann Burke and Gordy Hawking of Pinellas County were also there again this year, as they have been for many years. It was good to do some laps with each of them. Some of my fellow darkside runners were also there. The volunteers are so helpful and attentive. The race directors are wonderful people. Then there's the post race massage. 

I usually attempt the 50 miler. But I was unsure about my foot. So, I decided that the 50k would be sufficient. This year Cameron was going with me to attempt his second ultra. Being more of a mom then a runner, his race was more important to me than mine. In addition, Joe Burgasser was also attending. In my speedster days he was my coach and is now Cameron's coach. Last year at the TUDC, Joe set a national age record. Once we started looking at the world best for his age. I think he was trying to go for it. It was 7 minutes faster then he ran last year. It was to be an exciting day.

The race started at 7 am. The race conditions were low 40s and rain rain rain. It never stopped raining at any time during the race. 

I was running pretty strong. At half way, I was at 2:45. It was great to watch Cameron each loop running so strong. But when I was half way he was already at least 8 miles ahead and he was still running strong. Cameron lead for most of the race. But there was Jon who came up from Miami, I don't think he had ever run an ultra but had some really fast marathons. Apparently, Jon was keeping track of Cameron during the race. He had a separate watch on Cameron.

When Cameron came by me for the last time with about a mile to go, I knew he was really struggling. The Tallahassee folk have gotten to know him pretty well over the years and were really encouraging him. He was pushing hard to finish that last mile. But I saw Jon coming. He was strong, really strong. He caught Cameron less then a 100 yards from the finish. Cameron had nothing left to answer Jon's surge. So the win was not to be. Apparently, Cameron collapsed at the finish. He was spent, having run a 3:43:37 for his second 50K. By the time I finished up that lap to check on Cameron, he had already received his post race massage but was struggling with the pain, agony, and physical fatigue after the race. That's when the mom in me has to stop and take care of her kid. 15 minutes later, the race timer asked me if I was dropping or planning to continue. I told her I was planning to continue, but would let her know. But I really thought I was done. How could I leave Cameron. Well after another 10 minutes or so his smile returned and he said "MOM! Get out there and finish your race." Well at that point I was right next to the warm fireplace. It was very comfortable. The rain outside was coming down in buckets. What do you think I did? What would any sane person do? Well, I got back out and started running again! It was cold, it was wet, but I spent time in those next 5 loops with Ann Burke and with Gordy Hawkins so it was very pleasant and I finished the 50K with a smile on my face. 

Cameron was hoping to run an age record but missed it by a little over a minute. Joe Burgasser missed the world record, by a small margin. I missed the sub-6hr that I was hoping to run, but gosh I love this event! Next year I will be back to attempt the fifty miler once again….can't. wait.

 

Race Report

Oil Creek 100 Mile

Titusville PA - 10/10/2009 –DNF

I will be back to finish this race some day. However, I went into it barely able to walk. I now know what I had was a neuroma on my left foot which had a bursa attached. I ran for while, hiked for a while, then limped to the school at the 50K point and dropped out.   The course was beautiful but difficult. The weather was cool and rainy. The aid stations were extremely well stocked and attended. The race director was amazing. The volunteers were so helpful.

burning RIver 100 -2009

The third annual Burning River was held August 1-2. Dan Miller and I have been training to complete the course. It is a point to point 101.8 mile race though some of the most beautiful parks I have ever toured.

 

 My goal this year was to get Spiderman Dan to the finish…..I was unsuccessful.

 

I flew to Ohio a few days early to spend a some time with my parents at their tree farm. I picked berries and did a few hikes on their private trails. We drove their RV to Streetsboro KOA, near the course on Friday. The KOA is very close to the areas of the course that I would pass though at night. So my parents were able to make trips back to the RV between crew stops.

I have never been able to sleep the night before a 100 mile attempt. But this time I slept from 8:45 pm until my 3:30 am alarm went off.  WOW! Dad drove me to the start for the 4:30 check in. There I meet up with Spiderman Dan and his brother David.  I put some stuff in David’s truck. Dan & I split a boost, had some food and got to the starting line just in time to start.

I was feeling good.  The first 12+ miles were road. I knew that I would feel good on the road and that Dan hates the asphalt.  I was feeling better then I ever remember feeling in the first few miles of an event. Usually, I am filled with fearful anticipation, but not on this day.  I was just enjoying running. Since I would need a little extra time after this section to change out of my road shoes, I took off and told Dan I  

would meet him at the Pollo Field aid station. The timing worked out pretty well. Dan and I left Pollo Field Aid Station together. As we proceeded through the next couple of sections, I was really comfortable. Last year I struggling though these sections.  The weather this year was milder then last year. For me, all seemed right with the world. The hills seemed shorter and the stones seemed smaller and the creeks……well…I am still uncoordinated, missed the rocks and fell into the first creek that we crossed. From then on, I just kept trudging through each subsequent creek. 

 

We met up with our crews at Shadow Lake Aid Station, mile 21; the last crew point before the hottest part of the course. We knew to load up on ice to get through the exposed tow path section just before the Station Road Aid Station, mile #36.

I was concerned about Dan. Usually he is more comfortable then me at this point in any race.  I suggested he pull back a bit and relax. I was hoping that he was just having a bad patch. He did pull back and I pushed ahead. When I got to the tow path I still felt great. The tow path seemed much flatter then I remembered and I could feel a breeze.  Other runners were starting to complain about the heat, but I was prepared for much hotter conditions.

 

I met my parents at Station Road and got a fresh bottle, and mouth full of food and another boost.  When Dan came in a minute or so later, I suggested that he rest (I had included a rest break in our “race plan” for when we returned to Station Road at 43). Dan agreed and took a little extra time at 36 rather than waiting until 43.

I took off for the next 6 mile loop returning to Station Road. I was still feeling good!  I met some new friends, Jeff, Rick, and Neal and we chatted on the long climbs. Then I started pulling away on a down hill section with a pretty steep grade. I was letting the gravity pull me down the hill. Well actually the hill pulling me down. As a matter of fact the hill reached right up and grabbed me by the shirt and yanked me down into a full out body slam against the rocks and dirt. Knocking the wind out me.  I was sure I broke a rib or hip or something.  Lucky for me I have enough boob padding . I am sure that is what protected my ribs.  Once I got my breath, I shook it off and continued down the hill....walking.

 

I was still making good time. When I returned to Station Rd I took my rest stop to clean out my wounds, ice my feet, re-tape my heels and get some more food.  As I was heading out, Dan was finishing up that section. He told me he was going to rest some more. I thought that was a good idea. It was the hottest part of the day, best time to rest and we had time.   From that point on I was just keeping track of Dan, not running with him.

 

I completed the next two sections, and met up with my parents at Boston Store Aid Station, mile 56. I still felt good. Our pacers, Doug and Anita were already there.

I talked to them a bit, ate some potatoes, cheese, and watermelon and headed out on the 5.3 mile loop back to Boston Store with a boost in my hand.  This section had some very hilly roads and I tried to take advantage of the down hills. Once I returned to Boston Store, Dan and his pacer Doug were out on the 5.3 mile loop. I changed my clothes, got my lights, ate some food, and aheaded out with my pacer Anita.  I decided not to take the whole rest that I had scheduled. I was still feeling good.  Last 

year I lost a lot of time in the next two sections. So I was determined to keep moving good through these sections. Anita was good at getting me running though every flat or downhill section. There was a 2.5 mile asphalt section and we ran almost the whole thing and came into the Happy Days Aid Station, 70 mile.  We were still gaining a little time on my planned pace.

After Happy Days, there is an area referred to as the Ledges. It contained boulders to climb over, under and though.  I think it would have been fun in the daytime, but the trail was difficult to follow at night.  A few times we had trouble finding the markers, but we still made better time though this section then I did last year.  As we left the Pine Hollow Aid Station at 75 it was starting drizzle, it was about 1:10am. Soon the rains came. Both Anita and I have small feet so we got sucked into the mud really easily. Neither of us had done much running/hiking in this kind of mud. Early in the section we tried to go around the shoe sucking mud as much as possible, but as the rain increased so did the width and depth of the mud. We really started

 to loose time,  but we had enough in the bank.  When we got to the Covered Bridge Aid Station at 81. 6 miles, I asked Anita if she was willing to go another section and she was. So we refueled, changed batteries, and headed out into the mountain of mud. This 4.1 mile section contained a lot of steep hills, and returns to the Covered Bridge. Each hill was a mud slide. Each flat was a mud bath. If there was a tree to hold on to for balance, it was covered in hand mud from the folks in front of us who had already fallen in the mud.   That slip & slide 4.1 miles took us 1 hour and 54 minutes to complete! Lots of time lost, but we did it!  

 

On our return to Covered Bridge we saw Dan. He narrowly miss the 5:11am cut-off coming into the Covered Bridge.  Even if he had made that cut-off by a few minutes, making the return cut-off would have been impossible. I felt really bad that I had let him down, by not getting him to the finish. Dan had done so much for me. Always adjusting his schedule to come out to the woods whenever I could fit it in. I owed him the finish.  I failed. I pressed forward knowing that my finish would be the best that I could give him. Because without his support, I would never had made it to this point.

 

Dan’s pacer Doug was ready to take over Anita’s pacing duties and I think she was happy to oblige.  I know she would have attempted to go all the way to the finish with me if I had needed her, but it wasn’t necessary.  She had never gone beyond the marathon and was already pretty beat-up.

So, I sat down, took off my left sock and started working on my blisters. I turned into a real ‘girl’ at this point. I couldn’t take the pain. Once I finished my left foot and put the shoe back on, I refused to take off my right shoe.  My mom kept questioning whether I wanted a dry sock on that foot. I just couldn’t bear to take the sock off. So I stood up with one black sock and one grey sock and started hobbling out of the aid station.  Doug and I took off to complete the remaining 16 miles.  Most of the mud was now behind us and at some point it stopped raining. There were some road sections, I tried to run periodically whenever it was flat or downhill.  We started gaining back a little lost time.  Now that it was light and I wanted to forget about the blister pain, I started chatting with Doug. We continued to gain back time.

 

We hit the 96.4 mile aid station @ Memorial Parkway before 9am. I was ecstatic. Started thinking about going under 29 hours. Doug said that it could be done, but it would be very difficult. OK, I decided to push, but not to hard. Eventually I figured what’s the difference between 28:58 and 29:08, if they end up putting me in the ambulance for that ten minute gain.  

 

I knew not to consider the last 4.8 miles “the home stretch.”  The last 2 miles are a cruel brutal punishment for those of us unable to train on hills, rocks, and stairs.  I did the stair training and it paid off.   But the technical sections in the last mile seemed to go on forever.  My dad met us at the edge of the woods to see me through the last 1/4 mile road section. The finish was completely different for me. For the first time I was happy and elated to finish rather then just being relieved.  In the other two 100s that I finished, no sense of happiness, only a sense of relief. This was a very good thing. This was a very good day, which I dedicate to Dan.

 

Moffitt 12 hour track run- May 8-9, 2009

Race Report for Miles for Moffitt 12 hour run.

I have always wanted to try an ultra track run. So, when Pete Pfannerstill announced that this event was going to be run in conjunction with the other Moffitt Cancer Center charity runs, I signed up.

The run was held on the USF track, a beautiful facility. It is May in Florida which meant that the conditions were a bit warm and humid. Pete had a super ultrarunner buffet.

The question I was often asked before the event was what about the monotony of going around the track so many times. Throughout the night I got to run with folks both faster and slower then me. I was able to enjoy the camaraderie of folk who I normally only get to talk with before and after a run; never during.

After spending the night on the track, a group of us joined in the five mile road race. That was tough, but was an interesting way to finish up, after the track.

I got to see folks that I haven’t seen in a while. I got to meet new friends. I’ll be back.

My friend Maureen O’Sullivan was using this event as part of her preparation for the Wickham Park 200 miler later this month. It was great to do some laps with her. Maureen is very focused on her goal to complete the 200 at Wickham. If she does, she will be the first woman to do so. For that matter if she completes the 100 at Wickham, she will be the first woman to do so.
There has only been one man that has ever completed the 200 at Wickham. So maybe I will head over to Wickham after my 50k at Torreya in the Florida Panhandle.

Triple 50K - did not happen

No triple for me. I had intended to run 3 50Ks in 3 weeks, but mother nature did not cooperate. A tornado and flooding cancelled the Draggin Tail 50K at Torreya State Park. So I opted for a long run at Croom with Dan.