Ryan was feeling hopeful but also realistic. Training has not bee ideal for him in the past months and an ankle-turn last weekend left 50 miles seriously up in the air. Still, I, and all the Trail Monsters, were pulling for him, as he really does have the ability to suffer. Several other Trail Monsters were running too - Colin, Ian, Bob and Brenda in the marathon, with Kate, Linda and Ryan going for the 50 - and we had a big group coming out to cheer, crew and hang out for the day. It's the first ultra I've actually really crewed for Ryan, so this was new. Crewing has typically been Ryan's arena the past few years, so it was a bit funny for us to be on the opposite sides of the coin :)
The sky was just lightening as the 50 milers went off at 6:15; the marathoners started 15 minutes later. After getting our area set up, Amy and I retreated to the gym to hang out with Emma and Iona. It was warm in there, and not so much outside :) Crewing means a whole lot of hanging around with bursts of high-energy activity interspersed, but with a big group of friends, there was lots of laughing, talking and cooking in between cheering and helping.
At the end of lap one, Ryan was in great spirits, smiling and running steadily and smoothly.
In between Ryan's second appearance, Colin, Ian and Bob all finished the marathon. When Ryan came through at mile 25, he still seemed pretty good but was complaining a bit of a tight right side, even stopping to stretch a bit. Still, as he headed out after a relatively quick crew stop, I was hopeful that he'd be able to keep up the pace and hold things together for the remaining miles. This thought was soon shattered by a text, "I'm done. Walking back." I took off running up the trail to see if I could find him and figure out what was up. I must have looked pretty funny running along in my purple Bogs :) I found Ryan a fair ways up the trail, walking back with John, who had been out to run a loop as his training run for the day. Ryan seemed to be having a real bit of trouble walking; his hip had simply seized up and was not letting go. It was a real bummer, but perhaps indicative of the training he's put in and the issues he's been having. He was not upset and in fact, said he had really enjoyed the miles he had put in. He simply was not willing to do potentially more damage and continue for 25 more miles. So, it was back to the finish area for some food and brew, and to hang out with the rest of us for the afternoon.
Brenda came in all smiles for her marathon finish, and Linda and Kate both looked good as they headed out for lap #3. Unfortunately, Kate ended up not finishing the loop in time, so timed out at 37.5 miles. Despite being disappointed, she still had had a great run, and I know she'll get 50 next time!
This left Linda as the last Trail Monster standing in the 50, and it certainly was fitting. She had been training hard and putting a lot of heart into this race. She came back through to pick up Emma for her final lap looking good, still smiling, and with plenty of time to spare before the cutoff.
Although the crowd at the school had dwindled, the Trail Monsters stayed as the sky got dark, the air turned colder and the headlamps came out. We waited, watching, as headlamps appeared at the end of the field as runners hit the final stretch before the finish. And then, we saw them. Linda was going to be a 50-miler! There were tears from many of us at the end. We were all so proud; her run really represented that awesome ultra spirit. Way to go Linda!!! And congrats to all the Trail Monsters. There were some great races, and attempts, out there today. It was fun to be a part of the team from the sidelines and get to watch it all unfold!
After Linda's finish, we quickly sped off to pick up some dinner and get home to put Sam to bed. Sam had had a great day with Grammie and Grampie while we ran and hung out in a field all day long. We are incredibly thankful to Irene and Dana for watching Sam, and putting up with our crazy ultra days and ways :)
Crewing is hard work and I was exhausted! But I wanted to get in my own long run this weekend, so I set the alarm for 5:00 am this morning and was headed to Bradley Palmer by 6:00 am as the sky lightened. Mine was the first car in the lot as I set off to run the GAC Fat Ass loop. I saw 11 deer in the first loop, and enjoyed the quiet of the woods. I was feeling good and probably going a bit faster than might have been wise for a long run, but a few miles in I figured I'd just stay the course and try to stick with the pace as long as I could. I know there are many more trails at Bradley Palmer than the ones used on the FA course, but I do really enjoy the loop they've put together. There's a nice mix of wide open carriage roads and single track to keep things interesting and it's all runnable. I only saw one deer after loop #1, but the birds came out - a Downy Woodpecker, many noisy bluejays, juncoes, chickadees, a white-breasted nuthatch and a few mallards in the swampy area near the parking lot. There had also recently been beaver activity in the same area. Two trees were newly sawn down by the beavers and had been dragged across the pavement to their lodge area. I could see the drag marks through the reeds and across the road. Pretty neat.
Loop #2 felt good, with similar pace. By loop #3, I had to focus to keep up the pace but things still felt good. I added a few random out-and-backs on the last lap to get in 20 miles by the time I got back to the parking lot, finishing up in 3:13. A lovely morning out in the woods, and even better, I got home in time for brunch! :)
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