Alarms went off at about 4:45 and I got out of bed and headed to the shower. Tala was up as well and milling around in the room.
I got dressed, in my black LuLuLemon Pacesetter skirt and Swiftly Tech t-shirt. My camelback bladder was in the fridge filled and ready to go as well as my Pedyalite drinks. We muched on a bagel with peanut butter and had coffee from the hotel breakfast area. The morning was very quiet and uneventful. We got up, got ready and gathered our things for taking out to the car. We stepped out side into the 39 degree weather....yikes...much cooler than I expected but I guess that's a good thing. As we were leaving I filled up one last time on coffee and grabbed a banana.
Just for grins, I tossed the new shoes I had purchased the day before into the car, thinking, it would have to be a really really bad situation with my current shoes before I decided to change them, but I'll take them just in case. I'm glad I did.
We made the 15 minute drive out to Eagle Bluff resort and parked in the ever growing lines of cars parking in the lots near the cabins at the start/finish area. We got a good spot, right at the end of the sidewalk that led away from the congregation area, we could watch what was going on without even getting out of the car. It was perfect. We got there in plenty of time, got out of the car to wander up to the tables an tents where the registration/packet pickup/ chip pick up was. We got our chips and ankle straps, put our drop bags in the appropriate places for transport out to the 13.4 mile mark and headed back to the car. .
After that we just waited and watched people come and go, looked for our other Arkansas friends, chatted with them. Got back in the car....it was cold outside!
When 7:50 rolled around we got our camelbacks on and headed up to the start finish area. Took some photos and then at 8 am we were off!
So this was the plan....Run no faster than a 10:00 minute pace...ever. When I walked, try to stay as close to a 15 minute pace as possible. Eat and Drink....Have Fun! That was it.
Tala and I positioned ourselves toward the back of the pack. Avoid the adrenalin of the front runners. We began at a comfortable pace out of the park and across the iron bridge that went over the beautiful Illinois river.
I have to stress how beautiful this course was. The leaves were changing, the sky was clear and blue, there was a warm breeze cutting into the chill. We ran through vast pastureland with marshmallow shaped bales of hay dotting the hills. Cows munched grass and stared at us in amusement as we ran past. Broken down barns and old horse trailers slept along the roadside, and the grass was still green and lush. Every turn held a beautiful picture. I was completely in awe of this course.
There were hills , rolling hills, and one very steep hill that was added as an option. The Great Gourd Challenge. This would bring your race to 63 miles instead of the mediocre 62 you may have settled on. After the slow climb up the hill you signed your name on a large poster board with a sharpie...as PROOF that you completed the challenge. Back down again, you got your Challenge Completion button. I pinned mine on my skirt with pride! :)
There were Aid Stations! Great Aid stations, and since it was a two loop course, I got to visit them twice. The Mad Dog had ginger snap dog biscuits that were the most delicious cookie I have ever eaten on the run! I had two. They also had peanut butter and jelly sandwich which I enjoyed. At 6 mile aid station before the out n back they were frying up pancakes. I passed on them and chose to munch my mixed nuts and candy corn instead. I had another peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had cheese nips at mile 18 and a pickle. All the while munching on my nuts and candy corn.
Between miles 13 and 18 Tala and I chatted with a lady named Susanne. That's the fun of these long runs, you meet the most interesting people, and make new friends.
At mile 18 I ended up getting separated from Tala. I listened to my Ipod most of that time. When the afternoon rolled around, in rolled the heat. It reached 81 degrees on Saturday...completely not what I was expecting. I kept working at staying hydrated as I crossed the most horrible part of the course. Two miles of pavement. It was terrible, hot, lonely and ....terrible. I did my best to run the downhills and flat parts, but the heat was killing me. Seeing the end of that pavement and the next aid station at mile 20 was a welcome site.
I got to the aid station and talked to the volunteers a bit. I probably stayed there the longest recovering from section in the heat. I had an entire orange. It was wonderful and cold and drank cold water ...then moved on. Over the bathtub rocks, an interesting phenomenon where the river carves out bathtub shaped bowls in the rocks over time. It was a little scary to cross. with deep drops between the raised sections you had to hop over. I stopped for a minute in the middle and looked down into the pools. It was like nothing I had ever seen. But I had to move on....there was one last aid station before I was back at the start/finish area. I felt terrible from the heat. I wanted to quit when I got to the start area. I got my bag and drank my pedyalite, restocked my gels and candy corn. Then went on. I went passed my car on the way out and at the last minute I took stock of how I was feeling. The worst of my pain was in my feet. My feet were rubbing, painful and hot. I decided to take a risk...a calculated risk...
I changed into my new trail shoes, purchased from the day before....
It was and Asics, lightweight trail-shoe with more cushion in the sole. They were clean and dry and felt great on my feet. It was a quick decision, but one I would appreciate. As I was leaving the park I saw Tala, she was carrying on...and so was I.
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