Umstead 100 - continued

Umstead 100 part 1
Umstead 100 part 2
Umstead 100 part 3
Umstead 100 part 4


All the nerves disappear the moment it is time to start. I was in no hurry, so for the first half mile or so, I was just power walking, loosening up and getting to grips with the task ahead.

At the one mile marker, I just knew that someone would say "99 to go". Even though I was expecting it, and heard it last year and at Boulder I still had to laugh at it - kind of an insane laugh though. It was still dark, but I didn't bother with my headlamp, I carried my Advance Auto $2.50 flashlight - and it did a great job.

A year ago, I knew nothing and knew nobody in this sport. This year it was almost a reunion of the many people I have met, Tammy, Jonathan, Susan and Fred, Marie, Ray, Shannon, Meredith, Tom, Tony, Steve and probably others that I can't think of right now.

"If you wanna run with the kool kidz, you're gonna have to take the ear buds out". So I ran a few miles with Susan Dummar, and I think it was the last time I listened to music the whole race. All that worry about how I am going to give my MP3 player a booster charge came to nothing. It was great to have company, and it really does make time go fast. Into the first aidstation - yay, FOOD!! I was ravenous. These days to avoid stomach upsets, I tend to avoid solid food the 24 hours preceding a race. I get my calories from Boost/Ensure etc. It works well, unless I do something stupid. Like eat an egg. (Remember this when I start talking about lap 6).

I have a wonderful knack of being photographed at just the right time:

Time was flying. About 16-17 miles in, I found myself passing and being passed by the same woman, About half-way up a hill we figure out that we are pretty much running and walking at the same pace, so we decided to hang out for a while. This was Julie, who was running her first 50 miler. ("I'm just doing the 50", she said. "No no", says I, "It's never JUST 50, 50 is still long way."). Julie and I ran together for the next 36 miles, she was great company, and I was thrilled to be a part of her first 50 mile race. It was all very reminiscent of last year when I ran with Frankie for a good length of time, except that then  I was the one doing my first 50. Julie ran very strong on her last lap, and we came into the halfway point for me at about 11:32. I'm hoping I have talked her into doing a 100 in the near future! That was a very solid time for me, (16 minutes quicker than last year, just 6 minutes slower than at Boulder), and a very solid time for Julie's first 50.

Holy crap I look like a moron in this one - but this is Julie and I at 50 miles

It's pacer time........... and time to head out into the night.

There is more to come......................

Umstead 100 part 1
Umstead 100 part 2
Umstead 100 part 3
Umstead 100 part 4