2014 Javelina Jundred Race Report

I have participated in the Javelina Jundred for the last few years. Not as a runner but as a spectator, a volunteer, and a pacer. This was the year I would go the distance myself. As Western States upped the ante on their lottery race qualifiers, I would no longer be able to run a 50M to get into the lottery. Fortunately, JJ100 is a qualifier- it’s in my neck of the woods, I know the course well, and I can represent Team Aravaipa! (Aravaipa Running puts on the race)

This has not been my best year as far as running and racing is concerned. December of last year had me sidelined with plantar fasciitis and a bone spur was discovered in Feb. I dialed back my running to a few miles a week and put a heavy emphasis on cross training- specifically spinning. My Boston Marathon was another ‘fun run’ this year and I watched my speed slip away with every run I went on. Rather than wallow in sadness, I put my energy into spinning. I was having so much fun teaching and taking classes that I started to prefer it over running. (Especially in the hot summer months!) As the JJ100 approached, I was teaching 8-10 classes a week and running long(ish) runs on the weekends.  My longest training run was a 50k about 4 weeks from race day.

(Cuyamaca- my last long run before JJ100)

I joked to Andrew Varela, the owner of The Madison (spin studio) that if I can complete this race without any major issues, it will be a true testament to indoor cycling!

(Teaching spin in costume at The Madison two days before the race.)

I have read copious blogs, stacks of books, listened to numerous podcasts on ultrarunning and the one thing that stands out most is that you should be prepared for anything. Expect shit to go wrong, expect to really hurt, expect the weather to not cooperate. So this is what I did. I visualized my race. I imagined how I would survive GI distress, blister pain, intense heat, exhaustion, back pain, joint aches, and on and on….

My last hundred almost had me sidelined for the pain resulting from numerous blisters on my feet. That was my top priority for this race. I taped my feet the morning of, I brought a larger pair of Newtons to change into later in the race, I brought a selection of socks to change into, and I wore gaiters this time. All of these things kept my feet in relatively good shape. There was still foot trauma and a lot of pain, but nothing that I couldn’t overcome.

The race start was incredible! 500 runners, the largest Javelina yet! Additionally, I had so many friends running both the 100M and 100k, I knew I would be smiling throughout the day!

Once the gun went off, we were slowly trotting until the mass of runners thinned out on the trail ahead. I was chatting with friends and found myself completely at ease. The weather was comfortable- not as cool as Id like, but it felt good as we watched the sun rise from behind the mountains.

I was deliberately slow on this lap as my coach, James Bonnet, warned me that this is one of the loops that will make or break a runner. Going out too fast will really hurt later in the day- one of my mistakes at my first hundred.

On my second loop, I ran with my friend Angela Gohlke. She is also a multiple IM finisher, she loves the Boston Marathon as much as I do, and I think she said this would be her sixth (!!!) hundred mile race! She was so delightful to run with! Laughing and speaking fondly of previous races, the time flew by and before I knew it, we had 50k completed!

I prepared myself for the third loop. I knew it would be the hottest loop of the day and intended on going as slow as necessary to keep my body from overheating.  I listened to music, chatted with other runners, and just focused on moving forward in spite of the heat.

Towards the end of this loop, there was an awesome dude handing out POPSICLES! Definitely one of the day’s highlights! It was the most refreshing and tasty lime popsicle you could ever imagine!

About 45 miles in now, one more loop before I could run with my pacers, I wanted to get it done swiftly. It was cooling off now and I felt comfortable cruising up the slight grade in the counter-clockwise direction of the 4th loop. Once I hit the midpoint, I texted my first pacer, Brianna ‘Breezy’ Dawson – I was going to be 90 minutes to 2 hours ahead of schedule. She was on her way! I completed the more technical side of the loop and headed back to Jeadquarters. I was so happy to see Breezy! She was amped, and ready to help me get the next loop done! I had to run over the timing mats before heading out again and when I did, my aunt was there waiting for me! I was so shocked and surprised- I was so happy to see her and get a hug from her before heading out into the darkness.

Breezy kept a good pace. I asked her to hike the uphill, run the downhill, and encourage me to run the flats. She did exactly that. I was starting to fade a bit and really just wanted to walk but she kept motivating me to run. She was so sweet, playing music on her phone, telling me stories, and doing whatever she could to distract me from the aches I was starting to feel. She was even motivating and encouraging the other runners! It made me smile to see her energy- she was running so light when most of us on the course were starting to drag. (Aside from Kaci Lickteig – I loved watching the pixie ninja run! What an inspiration! I don’t think her feet touched the ground!)

It was finally time to start my last full loop with my brother as my pacer. I was really looking forward to having the time to spend with him, and I knew this lap would be slow. We jogged a bit on the first half of the loop while we talked about work and family. I joked with him and called him ‘Usher’ because he used a handheld flashlight to illuminate any rough surfaces or dips in the trail for me. I told him I really appreciated it but I thought my headlamp would keep me safe, he said he liked doing it anyway and that it gave him something to do. It was really sweet. The second half of the loop felt really slow. I felt like we were going at a decent pace but I could see the lights to the aid station ahead but we never seemed to get any closer. It got progressively more frustrating. I tried not to focus on it but we were both quiet at this point so I kept looking at the beacon in the distance.

We finally made it to the aid station which meant just 2 miles back to Jeadquarters. I think we were both relieved! We jogged a bit and walked a bit and in the last mile back, we had runners pass us as they were rushing in on their last loop to get their sub 24 hour buckle. I was emotional seeing them- feeling a mix of excitement for them to be awarded the special buckle and feeling a bit envious that they were almost done and I still had ten miles ahead of me.

My emotions really took over when we got back to my tent. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my brother, and I certainly didn’t want to go out for another loop! When I envisioned this race in my head weeks and months prior, I always called the last lap ‘the victory lap’ and imagined there would be a lot of happiness and celebrating. That wasn’t really even close to how I was feeling with only the final lap to go. I had a lump in my throat and I was trying to fight back some tears. Looking back, it really wasn’t as dramatic as it sounds. I was just feeling overly emotional at the time and once I picked up Vanessa and headed out, things quickly got better.

I was so happy to have some time with Vanessa and catch up with her. She stayed with me during the last miles in my first hundred and I am embarrassed to admit I was in a pretty dark place then. I was feeling really grouchy and negative and I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t stop complaining. I hated that she saw me acting like that. This race was going so much better for me and I wanted to be as positive and cheery as I could to sort of make up for the last time. Let me also add that I have paced Vanessa before and she was pleasant and chatty and sweet without a hint of negativity or complaints- you would have never guessed that she was in the later stages of a hundred mile race. I wanted to be like her this time- to prove to myself that I could overcome the discomfort and fatigue and smile, and not be someone you would dread spending time on the trail with.

The first portion of this loop was very familiar and I was anxious to turn onto the new trail saved especially for the last loop, for the runners with the glowing necklace to symbolize the last ten miles to go! We finally got there! I was thrilled! The trail was lovely, the sunrise was beautiful, the weather was perfect! It was a gradual downhill back to the finish line and I was elated to be running a good portion of it! As we approached the finish, my energy increased and I was pushing my pace a bit in spite of tired legs. We made it back to camp and I ran to the finish feeling that wave of emotion coming over me again. I could feel my throat tighten again as I thought about the last 26 hours spent on the trail with my friends. I felt so lucky and thankful to not have any major mishaps to derail my finish. Here I was crossing the finish line and getting my Western States qualifier. This was really happening!

I gave Vanessa a sweaty stinky hug and she went back to her RV. I headed to my tent and blissfully removed my shoes and elevated my feet. I happily stared at my finisher’s buckle and waited for my ride home.

I am so grateful to all the people in my life that believed in me and supported me. With their help I was able to accomplish my goal. My coach James Bonnet helped me so much in spite of me not being the ideal person to coach. He was patient and he is wise beyond his years. The education and product I received from CarboPro kept my nutrition on point and I never had any GI distress during the race, nor did I ever bonk. I loved using the Orange Mud Handhelds for the race. I was always on top of my hydration and never felt any discomfort. The team at lululemon Scottsdale Quarter gave me the sweetest card and the amazing reflective Speed Shorts I wore during the race that a lot of runners commented on- it was really cool to see them glow in the reflection of the headlamps!

The Newton BOCO ATs were so comfortable, I switched to a pair of Newton Terra Momentum in a size larger when I could feel my feet beginning to swell and this combination kept my feet happy during the entire race. Finally, Id like to thank the Coury family for another fantastic race. I love being a part of Team Aravaipa and the Aravaipa races have spoiled me, they are always well marked, the aid stations and volunteers are terrific, and even at check in I felt so special with all the cool swag at the expo. The obviously have a great reputation when you get to run with the legends in the sport: Gordy Ainsleigh, Catra Corbett, Ed ‘The Jester’ Ettinghausen, and the most magical moments were running with the Tarahumara – something I had only dreamed of doing since reading Born to Run.

(Buying shoes from the Tarahumara & getting a lesson in tying them at race check in)

So all in all a race I am very pleased with considering a general lack of (traditional) training for this distance. I really appreciate all of my friends and family for their support and I hope that I can pay it forward in the future!