I really hope the weather is better next Saturday.  It should be - according to the weather websites.  Maybe I could sacrifice something to make sure (Twilight just went into hiding).

I am going to pack my drop bags today.  I have written up lists of items to remember for next Saturday and blogged about my plans and lists on my other running blog.

Leslie - there is a great article in the latest Runner's World on pacing for the Wasatch 100. You can read it here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13080-0,00.html

PM - I just wrote the following email to my sister - she will be in the last aid station I have to pass through:

You saw how at the end of a marathon some people need help. Well, in an ultramarathon - we are all mental, so need help in different ways.  You are going to have to decide at times when to be a nurse and when to not be.

Lie  - tell us we are looking good, we can finish strong, we are moving well - anything like that.

Don't ask how we are doing - there are high points and low points - but at the time you will see us - we will all be hurting.  If we are tired, sore, our legs hurt, we want to puke, etc - encourage us to keep moving. 

Get people in and out of the station as quickly as you can.  Encourage them to eat and drink.  Fill their water bottles for them to help speed them out. If  one thing sounds horrible to us, try another.    Be concerned if someone is looking dazed and like they need real medical attention - but you will have the advantage of being near the end and people will be trying their best to finish. 

If someone is near a time limit - encourage them to push on as fast as they can.  DNF (Did not finish) and getting 'cut off' are two of the things ultra runners fear the most.

At that point in time - unless a blister is just starting, people are living with blisters and will probably just move on and cope with the pain.  I don't know what supplies Jim will have - he says he will have a first aid kit - but I've heard duct tape is great.  You might also want to have some towels and buckets of water handy if you want to bandage feet.  Bandages don't stick to dirty sweaty feet.

Things not to say: 

• You are almost there or you are almost finished.  Instead - say something like - "this is the last aid station - you are going to finish this puppy!" 
  
• It's all downhill from here.  No - it's not - and we hate hearing it.
• C'mon - you can go faster than that.  Nope - or we would be doing it.
  

I will be running 5 miles on the treadmill tonight in between sessions of work.  Went in at 5:30 this morning to get caught up - but when I left at 4 I had even more work to bring home.

Can I tell you that I am not happy about snow?  It will make the course soggier.

I am making the best spaghetti sauce in the world tonight.  I can eat this by the spoonful - it is so delicious (forget about pasta).  I will probably eat this (with pasta) every night this week for carbo loading.

- In a deep pot, pour 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree, 1 28 can tomato sauce and 1 12 oz can tomato paste

-For each of the following, sprinkle on top of sauce to evenly cover across pot:  fennel seed, basil, black pepper, oregano, salt; also, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 bay leaf

- in 3 Tbsp olive oil, saute 15 min finely chopped: 2 lb gound beef and 1 lb Italian sausage. Remove greas. Add above meat and sauteed mixture to sauce in pot.

- Add 1 C water and stir. Cover and simmer for 4 hours.  Sample often to make sure it still tastes good.

Just ran/walked the dog at night.

At a delicious pasta and salad dinner at Leslie's.

My sister was over for a while.  She has lost a lot of weight this past year and is looking really awesome.  I am so proud of her.  She even mentioned that she alternated walking/running for the first time on Monday and (gasp!) was a little freaked that she actually liked the running part. Maybe I will be able to get her to join the blog soon.  She is training for some triathlons this year and is getting very motivated to be healthy and active.

I have a tickle in my throat today and some congestion that is making me cough.  I will try some cold medication later to see if that helps.  

My running plans this afternoon include running the puppy to Hollywood Video and back to return some movies.  If I am feeling good - I may do another 2-3 miles on top of that.  After today - it will just be puppy walking until Saturday.

My goal for the week - break 50 miles. :-)  Think I can do it?

PM - Think  I will just go home and watch a movie and not run tonight.  Another 12 hour day and I am not feeling the best and need to rest up for the weekend.  I am planning on running 3-4 easy miles in the morning.

PM 2 - Wasn't at all sleepy after my movie.  About 9:15, I put on a running bra under my pj's and put on a coat and running shoes and headed out.  I ran and walked to the movie store, ran a round about course to Smith's, then over to Walmart, then home. I figure it was at least 5 miles.

Resting the rest of the week.  

The cold that started coming on yesterday is slamming me full force today.  The snow is driving me crazy.  I guess God thought that 50 miles wasn't enough of a challenge and he wanted to spice things up for me.

My daughter and son-in-law in Italy sent me these flowers today to wish me well in the race.  Isn't that sweet of them?

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening in bed - just resting and talking to my kids on the phone.

I am feeling better this morning (knock on wood). I still have a cold - but don't feel like death warmed over today.  I have worked too hard to get ready for Saturday and have been under a lot of pressure at work, so have decided to call in and take a vacation day today. I want to relax, pack my car, nap, and keep my feet up and not feel stressed.

You should go check out Crockett's blog.  He is doing the Moab 100 tomorrow.  Makes me really look like a slacker!

I will be mentally cheering on all of you running the Riverton Half tomorrow!  What time does it start in the morning?  That way I can be calculating where you are at while I am running.

DNF

My first DNF.  Pretty sad for me - but the right thing to do.

This was supposed to be my first 50 miler.  I chose to DNF in order to be able to run the rest of the year.

It was beautiful weather for the run.  I was a bit concerned with all the rain and snow this week, but it was supposed to be relatively mild today.  I was also concerned because I was sick again on Thursday, but felt fine today.

Woke up at 4 a.m. Got ready for the race including sun screen and all my efforts to prevent chafing.  I tried a new product today by Glide (a liquid powder) on all my usual spots and am happy to announce that I had no chafing or blisters or even hot spots.

My sister drove me to the island and we arrived about 5:15.  Dropped off all my drop bags and then we sat around a campfire to get warm.  It was mild enough I decided to start the race with a knit cap, light weight gloves, running bra, long sleeved running shirt, vest, sleeves, compression shorts, socks, shoes and gaiters.  As the weather warmed up I could drop layers easily enough.

The race started fairly promptly.  It was my first early morning (in the dark) start of a trail race and it was pretty cool seeing all the bobbing lights ahead and behind me as we headed up the switchbacks.  I was glad to have both a headlamp and handheld flashlight because my headlamp decided it wasn't going to stay on - guess it didn't like me washing it after my 35 miler.

The sky was light enough as we headed across the saddle in White Rock Bay that I turned off my lights.  I ran the entire saddle and down White Rock Bay because I knew the killer hill (I think we should call it puke hill) by Lone Tree was up ahead and I would have to walk that.

Ran through the first aid station and onto the out and back of Elephant Head.  My conditioning was definitely better this year and I could run most of this 3.6 mile out and back.  Half way out there were about 7-8 bison wheeling around and around - not too happy about the runners.  I started yelling to get them to move on and they finally darted across the trail.  I yelled at a runner coming around a rocky outcrop to stop and he did. A few more feet and he would have been in there path.  Of course, one of the Japanese runners was happily standing there filming it all. Dropped my cap and vest and switched to a running hat.

Next was the Split Rock Bay loop. I chose to run the 2 mile downhill and walk the switchbacks - knowing I could run about half of them. I did talk to another runner that kept switching places with me off and on for another mile.

Grabbed some gatorade and food as I passed the aid station and ate as I ran.  I was making good time and getting ahead of my planned schedule.  After dropping off the saddle onto the new switchback trail - I started to experience some pain in my left IT Band.  It was very unexpected because I have not had any problems with it at all this year. The first twinges started around mile 16 and it started slowing me down on downhills around mile 18.  I planned to wrap the knee and take ibuprofen when I passed the White Rock Aid Station.

After mile 19 - headed across the island to the East side of the island.  My sister passed me in her van about mile 20 and I mentioned that I was in pain and coping with it. Around mile 22 I found that I could no longer run any steep downhills without significant pain and had to walk them.  This got me worried because I counted on downhills to make up time.

Some boggy, wet and muddy sections of the trail for about 2 miles. During this time I was trying to run 100 steps, walk 50 steps - but found the knee pain was starting earlier each repetition.  About mile 24 I could no longer run at all because the pain was so sharp next to the knee.  I was trying to decide if I could walk the rest of the race and still finish in time, but had to slow down my walking because even walking started hurting and by trying not to limp - I was starting to have the right knee hurt.  By 25.5 I knew that I was going to have to DNF - or else choose to be injured most of the summer.  I was walking pretty slowly and trying to figure out how I would get hold of Leslie and my sister, Marcia.

At almost mile 27, Les and Marcia came out to meet me from the Lower Frary Aid Station.  They were cheering me on and it started me bawling as I announced I had to DNF. I just felt like I was letting myself, my family, Leslie, and my online running pals down. 

Splits:

1st 10 miles: 14:12 (uphill)/15:42 (uphill)/13:20/11:40/11:12/14:49 (uphill)/14:12/13:48/13:15/11:11

2nd 10 miles: 16:57 (uphill)/16:25 (uphill)/13:47/13:40/13:21/13:42/13:42/12:55/15:06 (downhill :( )/15:47 (downhill)

Last 7 miles: 14:40/14:49/15:16/14:11/14:59/16:35/17:53

Les was asking what lessons I learned.  My nutrition as right on until I got hurt (then I started focusing). My clothing was good (one notable exception). My drop bags were a good learning experience.

My training was pretty good. At the time I quit I was not tired. My lungs were fine. My muscles were not even tired.  I just couldn't take the pain and knew it would be serious injury time if I kept on.

What I did wrong - it is just a guess, but the only thing I changed was the compression shorts I used to keep my hernia from hurting.  I think they adjusted the muscles and tendons in the legs and caused the IT issues.