Turbo Turtle Dree attacks the Dirty Girl 48 Hour Race (and it bites back)
Flashback to summer 2012 and the first Dirty Girls 48 hour race…
Diane (Dirty Girl’s race director) sends word out that volunteers are needed for the newly introduced 48 hour division…brilliant, I think I can volunteer, meet some new people, pick the brains of some of the best runners that Ontario have to offer and get to see first hand how to approach such a race.
Since the first time I had heard that Diane was going to be adding this distance to the Dirty Girl race weekend, I was intrigued, the race would pop into my head on my longer training runs so off to the 2012 race I go and loved it!
I learnt so much, met so many gracious and fun people who gave me the insight I needed for 2013.
May 2013
I receive the email that I am indeed to be apart of the Dirty Girls 48 Hour run…hmm I wonder if I have truly kept my eye on the ball and trained well enough.
As the race date approaches, I start to organize all my gear, my newly bought tent and camping bed (and I really mean the night before we leave for the race).
The drive up to Mansfield was short and sweet, we were one of the first runners to arrive to the site. This is very good since putting up the tent may end up being rather entertaining for everyone but us.
In short order we have everything set up with a glass of vino in hand, I can relax, put the feet up and enjoy a bit of laziness.
After sleeping quite well (hence the glass of vino to help ease into slumber), I start to get ready for the race, eat some sarnies and drink a couple of coffees and it’s time to get weighed in
… And we are off for a 48 hour fun run amok in the woods.
My first couple of loops go really well, my time is great a bit faster than the “average” I had used to plot out my race plan but its comfortable, allows me plenty of time to chat with other runners and to get some food in me at the aid stations and my camp. It was a pleasure chatting with Rhonda and her guide, Jennifer; you girls forgot to get your wine at my tent, next year maybe?
My clothes and my shoes are working well (a miracle, I have been having issues with chaffing this past year and nothing I was doing would correct it, it makes me a rather testy runner and I wanted to enjoy this race, not suffer through it).
As the day wore on, the runners were getting spread out, for the most part I am running alone, with glimpses of other runners spotted through the trees.
One loop rolls into another and I am still going, it helps that Kevin is there to get whatever I ask for when I get back to the camp, its amazing how much a hug can keep you going during a race like this.
As night falls, so does the temperature and as anyone who has ever seen me at a race, I am always cold (yes, Bill, I actually ran the entire race in long sleeves, most of it in a lined winter running shirt…I know you are all jealous of my built in a/c).
The first loop in the dark went ok, I am not a good night runner at the best of times, I truly have a way too active imagination for effective running in the woods when the sun goes down.
I decide to use my iPod for the rest of the night loops, something I normally do not do as I wear a hearing aid in my right ear and do not like having what hearing I have cut off with music as I run but as I got slower and slower I knew I would have to distract the overactive imagination somehow.
The volunteers at the aids stations were great at keeping you motivated, fuelled and happy but that was for a few minutes every 4k (they made sure you didn’t stay too long and get too comfortable, thanks guys, I think).
At 1 a.m. I hit my camp and decided I would get some pasta from the aid station, eat and sleep for a couple of hours, I was still going slow so I might as well get some sleep, attack the trails with fresh legs and fresh light in a few hours.
3:20, up and at ‘em.
Off I go, loop 12 goes great, legs are getting warmed up and the brain is starting to wake up again, or so I thought.
Loop 13, it seems I am not as awake as I thought and my brain thinks I should be doing my impression of a bird taking flight. At long last the forest has gotten its own on me as I get my right foot caught under a deceptively skinny root, I take flight and feel a popping sensation in my foot.
Bloody hell, something has gone terribly wrong. I take the shoe off and try to figure out what has gone wrong. My big toe has decided to try to go a different route than the rest of my foot, before I can even think about it, I hit the side of my toe and it looks so much better, doesn’t feel so much better but I hope this will come…
It feels like I have slowed down to a crawl, when does the numbing effect kick in!?!?!
Advil time arrives as I hit the camp and head back out, it seems my back up goal of 100 miles is now my target goal.
The next few loops go slowly and painfully, this is were having family with you really, really helps, having someone to give you hugs, get your food and Advil ready takes on epic portions as you sit in your chair, feeling sorry for yourself and trying to muster the will to get back out there.
Happy Days, as I return to camp I find out my pacer Joan has arrived and will be going me after this loop. I still can’t believe that she has driven up from Barrie to pace me for what turns out to be to the finish.
I am cleaning my foot up (where the hell did all this sand come from and why is it only in the one shoe?), Tim arrives with his son. It’s great to see him and for Tim, it’s payback time for Sulphur. I paced him in for his last loop during his first 100 miler, pain, well I kept telling him to suck it up and get moving (he finished, painfully but he finished!)
Joan and I head out for our first loop together, about 15 min in we hear a voice behind, Tim has joined us to do the loop as recon for his 12 hour race (oh yeah, there is 24 hour and a 12 hour race that goes on during the week end). I am starting to understand just how pathetic I must look as Tim and Joan are being pretty easy on me during this loop; maybe the Lamaze like breathing had something to do with it. Joan has gotten me back on track, with a 1:45 loop.
At the 17th loop, Diane and Kevin have decided that I need to see the St. John’s volunteers…poor guy.
I had no idea that he could not pull me and as he starts to talk, I try not to cry (mantra in my head, you will not be that girl who cries at the race, you will not be…). He tells me that I have set my toe at an angle and I need to get an x-ray taken, have the toe reset and rest BUT he cannot pull me from the race.
What?
Really?
Ok, I say as I clutch my socks and shoes, I will think about it. Around the corner I put on my gear and say to Joan, let’s get going, I will stop at 100 miles, only 3 loops to go.
She takes pity on me and does not allow me to run the down hills or the flat portions of the course but keeps a pretty good pace going.
We average 2 hours a loop.
Kevin tells me after the race that the medic came up to him after I headed back out and (this is the PG version) stated that I was nuts.
7:57 p.m. LAST LOOP!!!
As we hit the hill leading up to the 4k aid station, Kinga spots me and yells out that she has just what I need for the last leg of the my race, a cup of Creemore and chips. Its manna from heaven!
After 38:24:17 hours of running (plus 3.5 hours of naptime) I am finished!
Kevin, me & pacer queen Joan (who even battled a wasp attack to get me to the finish)
Bubbly in hand, I set off to the tent to rest
To my surprise when I get up to watch the other runners as they continue their quest for the 200 km buckle, Diane comes over to tell me that I have placed 3rd female. Joan and Kevin it is all because of your help and support that I finished much less placed 3rd. I cannot express my gratitude for your help and support. Hugs and thanks can only cover so much.
Me and Diane (Dirty Girls Race Director) as she give me my plaque for 3rd place female
Now I am off to plot my training plan for next year…200 km buckle here I come.
Thank you to everyone at Dirty Girls, all the volunteers, the family the runners, you guys made the race into an adventure filled with laughter.
See you all next year.
runtohearandbackagain 