#RunWithJoy then fake it till you make it

Originally published November 29, 2018

My first close encounter with a 100-mile race was the 2016 Western States Endurance Run when I crewed for my friend, Josam. I was in awe of all the runners making their way from Squaw Valley to Auburn. That moment when he reached the Placer High School track and crossed the finish line with his family by his side was very powerful.

Then last year, I crewed and paced my friend Ken at Rio Del Lago (RDL), his first 100-miler. It was exhilarating and made me wonder, could I possibly do it too? That’s when the seed was planted. But it wasn’t until after I finished Quicksilver 100K in May 2018 that I decided I was ready to take on the Big Hairy Audacious Goal of running 100 miles.

Why 100 miles?

I wanted to challenge myself; to see what I am capable of, physically and mentally; to push my limits and go beyond them.

I started running 8 years ago, gradually moving up in distance — from 5Ks and 10Ks, to half marathons and marathons, to ultramarathons, which is any race longer than 42kms or 26.2 miles.

This is my third year of running ultras. The 100-mile distance called to me after I realized I could run 100 kilometers (Feb 2017), which was borne from having finished my first 50-mile race (Dec 2016), which I signed up for even before completing my first 50K race (Mar 2016).

It’s a slippery slope, I tell you — a steady progression, with each step up in distance becoming less improbable, because I’m surrounded by incredibly supportive and inspiring people who make me believe that I could; including my husband Paul who told me when I ceremoniously announced that I was going to run 100 miles, “I knew you were heading there.”

Another reason I wanted to run 100 miles is because I have a daughter who is transitioning to adulthood, and two young nieces who, according to my sister, look up to me like I were Pink. Yes, the singer.

I wanted to show them that it’s okay to dream big dreams and follow your passion, no matter how uncertain the outcome; that the joy is in the pursuit; and the reward for having done it is in knowing that you can, and you did.

And lastly, I wanted to run 100 miles because, simply put, I love running long distances— how it makes me feel, the adventures it has enabled me to experience, and the community I’ve gained from engaging in it.

Decision made. Now what?

Training

I knew I would have to train harder and more consistently than ever before. I followed a 24-week training plan (based on the 100-mile training plans in the book “Relentless Forward Progress” by Bryon Powell). Unlike previous training blocks, I tried to focus on consistency — targeting 4–5 runs per week, back-to-back long runs on the weekends (utilizing races for long runs), running on pavement and rollers, and familiarizing myself with the course. A highlight of my training was running the 2018 Folsom Lake Ulra Trail 110K (FLUT) in September.

#PeachPatrol

Right away, I knew who I wanted as pacers.

First was the chief instigator, Josam. He has run many 100-mile races, including Western States, Cascade Crest, and Angeles Crest. He has paced me twice before — at the 2016 LA Marathon (to my first sub-5:00 marathon finish) and 2017 Bay Ridge 100K (where I barely made the 17:00-hour cutoff). I knew his deep ultrarunning and pacing experience, plus his calm and positive disposition would get me through the last 30 miles.

Second was my son, Paolo. He started long-distance running 2 years ago. He paced me at the 2016 North Face Endurance Run CA — my first 50-miler, then ran his first road and trail marathon last year. He happened to be training for the North Face 50K in November, and I thought pacing me would be good experience for him. We always have a fun time running together, and I was thrilled to share this milestone with my boy. (Update: NFEC 50K was canceled due to unhealthy air quality from the Camp Fire in Butte County, so he ran his first 50K on the treadmill instead.)

I wasn’t sure if I was going to need/have crew. But at FLUT, my friend Paulo (not to be confused with my son/pacer Paolo) asked if I knew anyone who needed crew support. Impulsively, I said I did. BAM! Paulo is an accomplished ultrarunner with 100-mile buckles earned from Javelina Jundred, Angeles Crest, and San Diego. Since this was my first 100-miler, having someone experienced to crew me was a big plus!

Completing my dream team was one of my BFFs, Mike. He’s a 3-time Boston Marathon finisher who’s been beside me through many firsts — 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 50K, and 50M. He even paced me at Quicksilver. When his schedule opened up, I asked if he would crew for me. As a bonus, he’s an excellent “communications director” who could provide updates to friends and family throughout the race.

I was so blessed to have an experienced and caring group, giving up a big chunk of their time and energy, to help me run 100 miles. I am forever grateful to them.

Race week preparations

As my training tapered, the race preparations intensified:

• Pace chart. RDL has a 30-hour course cutoff with 6 intermediate cutoffs. My goal was to simply finish. But my strategy was to run it as if I only had 29 hours, so I wouldn’t have to fight cutoffs the entire race. Also, knowing that I would need longer breaks at key aid stations, I allotted time for aid station breaks in my pace chart. I carried a laminated copy (with packaging tape) with me during the race, and my crew and pacers used it to predict my estimated time of arrival at specific checkpoints.

• Drop bags. I decided to use drop bags despite having crew. If my crew arrived at the aid station first, they could pull my drop bag for me. And in case I beat them to the aid station, my supplies would be there. I packed coconut water, cold brew coffee, Tailwind packets, and fruit bars in my drop bags. For the most part, my plan was to rely on aid station food for my nutrition.

• Race “bible”. A few days before the race, I typed up a 10-page, single-spaced, 14-point-font race “bible” for me and my crew (with an additional 14 pages of maps and checklists in the Appendix). Besides race info, I included a detailed schedule for race day — where I would meet my crew, estimated time of arrival, and what I needed at each aid station (e.g., “pick up headlamp and waist light”, “empty pockets of trash”, etc.) It forced me to visualize the race from start to finish and plan what I might need at each checkpoint. I don’t know if my crew read it, but it certainly helped me mentally prepare for the race.
• Pre-race massage. I headed up to Folsom early on Friday to get a pre-race massage with Voloyce at Monsters of Massage in Newcastle. He came highly recommended by Jaime’s pacer, Kathy. And boy, was she right! It hurt so good!!! He did an excellent job getting my muscles loosened up, including my cranky ankle that I twisted a few weeks back. He also showered me with blessings for a succesful race and told me I could do it. Thank you so much, Voloyce!
• Runner check in. Mike, Jaime, and I went to Fleet Feet in Folsom to pick up our race bibs and bag of goodies, including a comfy tech shirt. It was a low-key event. We saw some friends then met up with Hailey and her crew for some pizza at Chicago Fire.

Race day

No sooner had I fallen asleep than the 3:00 am alarm on race day woke me up. I got dressed and had my usual pre-race breakfast of boiled egg, bagel and cream cheese, and decaf coffee (I switched to decaf two weeks prior to the race to wean off caffeine). Paulo and Mike drove Jaime and I to the start at Beal’s Point. Dropped off my drop bags, got in line for the bathrooms, then headed to the start where I saw many friends.I felt nervous and giddy, but mostly calm. After six months of training, I was glad it was finally here, grateful to be toeing the line healthy, and excited to embark on my big adventure!

Beal’s Point to Beal’s Point (Start — 18.5)

At 5:00 am, after a short pre-race briefing, we were off. It was dark the first couple of hours, so I had on my headlamp and waist light. The early miles were on a paved bike road heading south alongside Lake Natoma. I purposely took it slow, mixing in a healthy amount of walking breaks with each roller. A little past Mile 9, we had to make a sharp left to go over the Hazel Ave Bridge, except I kept running on the bike trail under the bridge. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I noticed there were no ribbons — I couldn’t believe I got lost in the first 10 miles of the race! I backtracked, found the ribbons again, saw where I missed the turn, and proceeded to run over the bridge to the north side of the lake. Thankfully, I only added about a half mile total. Whew!

Around Mile 10, we got off the pavement and hit our first decent hill. It was also at this time that I saw my first sunrise over the Nimbus Dam. It was beautiful! The next five miles were on rolling dirt trails through the Bluffs. I made quick stops at both Willow Creek (Mile 6.5) and Negro Bar (Mile 14) aid stations. My plan was to average 12:30/mile pace, but I underestimated the rollers. I was among the last to arrive at Beal’s Point, a few minutes behind my target, but over an hour ahead of cutoff. Overall, I felt good and relaxed. My crew helped me change out of road shoes into trail shoes. I traded the headlamp and waist light for the Iced Cap and cooling bandana. The sun was up now and the forecast showed warmer temps later in the day.

• Target: 9:07 am @13:22 min/mile
• Actual: 9:21 am @14:09 min/mile
• Cutoff: 10:35 am
• 340th place out of 354 starters

Beal’s Point to Horseshoe Bar (18.5 — 32.5)

From Beal’s Point, we hopped onto the Pioneer Express Trail all the way to Granite Beach aid station at Mile 23 —I was so happy to finally be running on dirt trail! Although it was crew accessible, I did not ask Paulo and Mike to meet me here since it was so close to the last one. However, Joyce who was crewing for Endorphin Dude Tony, asked if I needed help. Since the next aid station was 9.5 miles away, I asked her to help refill my Iced Cap with ice. I love my ultrarunning tribe!

After leaving Granite Beach, we got on the infamous Meat Grinder. It’s approximately a 5-mile single-track technical section littered with rocks and full of rollers, but with awesome views of the American River. It was long and mentally challenging, but as I approached Horseshoe Bar, I caught up to Jaime! Jaime is one of my trail sisters, and she’s a Mermacorn (part mermaid and part unicorn!) She’s one of the reasons I decided to run RDL. We ran together to the aid station. Hooray! What a great day! A little over 50K done — just 70 miles to go!

• Target: 12:47 pm @ 14:23 min/mile
• Actual: 12:42 pm@ 14:14 min/mile
• Cutoff: None
• 318th overall

Horseshoe Bar to Rattlesnake Bar (32.5 — 35.5)

Horseshoe Bar was not crew-accessible, but the wonderful volunteers helped us refill our soft flasks. As Jaime and I left the aid station, we saw Gordy Ainsleigh — father of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run — out on a training run and snapped a photo with him.

Jaime and I ran together for a bit at a nice comfortable pace. Her IT band was bothering her though. I ran ahead to the aid station to let her crew know that she needed the roller. I was happy to see Mike and Paulo at Rattlesnake Bar! Drank my coconut water and ate some snacks at the aid station — beet sushi and pumpkin fudge — yummy! Between aid stations, I ate Honey Stinger chews, but at the aid stations, I filled up on real food — fruits, PB&J sandwiches, potato chips, potatoes dipped in salt. Paulo asked if I had any requests for Overlook, our next meet up point. I said maybe chicken nuggets and fries.

• Target: 1:45 pm @ 14:48 min/mile
• Actual: 1:31 pm @ 14:25 min/mile
• Cutoff: 3:40 pm
• 311th place

Rattlesnake Bar to Overlook (35.5 — 44.5)

The next 5.5 miles to the base of Cardiac Hill were scenic and runnable. I passed Avery’s Pond at Mile 36.5 — it was lush and the sky was a bright blue — such a beautiful day for a run.

It’s a steep climb initially out of Cardiac that becomes more gradual. I did a slow version of fartleks, alternating between walking and shuffling up the paved road to Overlook. Surprisingly, I arrived at the aid station a few minutes ahead of schedule. Despite having just climbed 800 ft (the first big climb of the race), I was overjoyed because the solo part of my race was over. Paolo would start pacing me here and keep me company for the next 26 hilly miles. He originally agreed to 22 miles, but Mike convinced him to tack on an extra 4. Yay!!!

My crew wasn’t expecting me for another 35 minutes, so they were pleasantly shocked to see me sitting on Joyce and Dana’s crew set-up when they arrived. (Thank you, ladies!) To my delight, Mike and Paulo brought me a box of salty french fries that I wolfed down! Nom nom nom!!! There wasn’t a McDonald’s nearby, so no chicken nuggets, but I fueled up with the grilled cheese sandwich from the aid station.

Knowing that we were heading into the night, and that it would be roughly 10 hours before I saw my crew again, I changed out of my wet sports bra and tank top into dry clothes (thanks to Jaime’s crew for the privacy curtain!), and geared up for the evening — headlamp, waist light, and extra layers for warmth. I also packed my charger for my phone and Garmin.

With a grateful heart, my son and I set off towards No Hands Bridge and the Auburn Lake Trails loop.

• Target: 4:38 pm @ 15:41 min/mile
• Actual: 4:14 pm @ 15:10 min/mile
• Cutoff: 6:25 pm
• 299th place

Overlook to No Hands Bridge (44.5 — 48.5)

Paolo and I chatted happily as we headed down the Western States Trail. Then we saw Christopher Denucci on his way back — he eventually won the race in 16:36:29!!! We cheered for him and the lead pack as we made our way to NHB.

At NHB, we greeted Ken who was waiting to pace Jaime (he paced me at FLUT), and Annemiek who was volunteering. She hugged me, refilled my soft flasks, assured me I had plenty of time, and told me she hoped not to see me again that night (because she was sweeping after the 7:35pm cutoff).

For the first time in two weeks, I drank a cup of Coke. So refreshing! I waited as long as I could to start drinking caffeine, but with nightfall and 10.5 miles to the next aid station, I knew I would need it.

• Target: 5:43 pm @ 15:44 min/mile
• Actual: 5:42 pm @ 15:44 min/mile
• Cutoff: 7:35 pm
• 292nd place

No Hands Bridge to No Hands Bridge (48.5 — 70.5)

Dusk fell as we left NHB. This next section was the longest distance between aid stations — 10.5 miles from NHB to the Auburn Lake Trails aid station at Mile 59 (although by the time we arrived at ALT, my Garmin showed we had gone 60 miles). Paolo and I chatted intermittently. I asked him to run in front of me so I could focus on following his calves. We shuffled our feet on the flats and downhills and walked the inclines. I felt pretty good powering up the hills. Somewhere in this section, my stomach started to complain. I had to go in the bushes in the dark! When you run an ultra, poop happens, literally and figuratively. You just have to deal with it.

Shortly before reaching ALT, I started charging my Garmin Fenix 5. Unfortunately, while I was refueling at the aid station, it stopped (because I was sitting too long!) so I had to restart it when we got going again. This was a mental setback as it required me to do mental math from there on out.

While we were at the aid station, my friends and their pacers started arriving — Jaime and Ken, Pen and Patty, Grace and her pacer. I knew I had stayed way longer than I was supposed to. Ugh! It was time to get moving again. Fortunately, the weather remained mild. I had packed warm layers in my ALT drop bag, but we decided we didn’t need them.

Paolo and I started moving well again, alternating between shuffling and walking. We passed a few runners. We ran with Jaime and Ken for a little while as if we were just out on a nice training run. I started getting drowsy and asked if Paolo had any caffeine. Luckily, he had a Starbucks double shot espresso and he shared it with me. That woke me up!

At Mile 63, we arrived at Goat Hill — it’s a quarter-mile climb with an average 20% grade. Hella steep! That’s when we saw Larry. Both of his knees were wrapped in bandage. He was hurting! (Despite his knees giving out at Mile 30, Larry continued on and was the last official finisher of this year’s RDL.)

Before we reached the Highway 49 aid station, Paolo stopped in his tracks and said, “Mom! I see eyes!” About 50 meters in front of us was a pair of eyes. Was it a mountain lion? A deer? A coyote? We just waited there and faced the creature, then it started moving off the trail. We saw a second pair of eyes, and they both moved away from the trail. When we could no longer see them, we started walking slowly, then eventually shuffled again down the trail. I asked Paolo to keep playing music on his phone to warn other animals that we were present. That was scary!

The adrenaline helped us get over the next climb at Mile 65 (more gradual compared to Goat Hill); and then we were at the Highway 49 aid station at Mile 67.5. They had bright lights and were serving cheese quesadillas. That was delicious!

The last 3 miles back to NHB were mostly downhill. Paolo and I continued to shuffle-walk and finally, after 8.5 hours of running together, we arrived at the aid station. I’m so grateful for my son (and daughter-in-law) for giving up his weekend to help me get through those 26–27 miles. I’m such a lucky mom!

At NHB, Josam and Mike were waiting. Josam would pace me the last 30 miles. After quickly refueling, we said goodbye to Paolo and Mike, and we were off!

• Target: 12:30 am @ 16:36 min/mile
• Actual: 12:47 am @ 16:51 min/mile
• Cutoff: None
• 243rd place

No Hands Bridge to Overlook (70.5 — 74.5)

Josam was so cheerful and his positive attitude energizing. As we started the last big climb back to Overlook, I realized I had now run longer than I’ve ever run before (68.5 miles being my previous distance PR), and I was so relieved that I was still feeling good! I hoped it would last the next 30 miles. He said we could average 3 miles an hour and still make cutoff, and it was up to me what we do. I said let’s take it one aid station at a time, shuffle when we can, and walk when we can’t.

While my legs felt fine, my tummy continued to be unhappy. I took a Pepto Bismol, but as soon as we got to Overlook, I hit the bathroom again (thankfully, there are real toilets with running water!)

On the plus side, I got to drink a cup of deliciously hot Dutch Bros. double shot peppermint mocha (more caffeine!) and brush my teeth with a Colgate wisp (one-time use toothbrush). When you’ve been up almost 24 hours, it’s little things like these that give you a boost.

Overlook had a great party atmosphere, with so many friends and crews hanging out in the wee hours of the morning. After overstaying at the aid station once again!, Josam firmly reminded me that we needed to leave. In all the excitement, I think I forgot to eat.

• Target: 2:00 am @ 16:55 min/mile
• Actual: 2:20 am @ 17:12 min/mile
• Cutoff: 3:25 am
• 229th place

Overlook to Rattlesnake Bar (74.5 — 83.5)

From Overlook, we had the last bit of climbing followed by 3.5 miles of descent on paved road down to Cardiac aid station at Mile 78. I was pleased to find that I still had my running legs because we were able to cruise going down and made up some of the time we lost at Overlook. We saw Darlene and Hailey as we ran downhill, and were greeted by Noe who was volunteering at Cardiac. After a brief stay, we continued on down to Rattlesnake Bar.

We were moving reasonably well, but for some unknown reason, I started burping — loudly and frequently. Josam said I didn’t have to keep saying “excuse me”, but I did anyway. Every time I ate or took a drink, it would set off the burps. To compound things, I developed a hot spot on my left foot. When we arrived at Rattlesnake Bar, Paulo took care of my feet by cleaning it and lathering it with lubricant — thankfully, there was no blister!

• Target: 4:48 am @ 17:06 min/mile
• Actual: 4:52 am @ 17:10 min/mile
• Cutoff: 6:10am
• 206th place

Rattlesnake Bar to Horseshoe Bar (83.5 — 86.5)

Rattlesnake Bar was where I started pacing Ken last year. I remember feeling great then. Well, it feels a lot different when you have 83 miles under your legs and are sleep-deprived. The rollers, which didn’t bother me earlier in the race, now seemed endless. The burping got worse, and my stomach continued to grumble. I had to go potty again at Horseshoe Bar. Fortunately, despite my stomach issues, I was able to continue taking in calories and eat a cup of chicken broth and rice (I declined the breakfast burrito). One of the volunteers suggested I take some ginger chews to help settle my stomach.

• Target: 5:45 am @17:11 min/mile
• Actual: 6:15 am @17:32 min/mile
• Cutoff: None
• 203rd place

Horseshoe Bar to Finish (86.5 — 100.5)

When we got to the Meat Grinder, our pace slowed down significantly. We walked so much, sometimes clocking 22:00-min/mile. I expected to slow down in the last 14 miles, but not to this degree. I started to worry if we could even make the 30-hour cutoff, especially when I realized that we actually had one less hour than my phone indicated (Daylight Savings Time happens during the race, in which you gain an hour, but the race clock does not adjust).

Barkley Marathons competitor Gary Robbins once said, “don’t give voice to your suffering.” So I kept my concerns from Josam because I didn’t want him to worry. To his credit, he kept encouraging me to shuffle my feet periodically and remind me to eat and drink. The ginger chews helped but every time I drank, the burping woud start back up. I just took small sips of water, and fell behind on my calories. Fatigue had set in. My energy dipped. I bonked. But I was determined to get to the finish line, so I powered through it. Left, right, left, right…just keep moving forward.

Gradually, the sky began to brighten. I experienced my second sunrise since starting the race. It lifted my spirits. I’m so grateful to Josam for keeping up a cheerful banter through this ordeal. He would say things like, “you’ve mastered the art of the ultra shuffle”, and “Peach, maybe 100 miles is your distance.” Gotta love him for planting seeds in my mind all the time!

When we finally got past the Meat Grinder, Josam asked if I wanted to go for a sub-29 or if I just wanted to finish. I struggled to find another gear, so I said I just wanted to finish. Some runners began to pass us as we neared the Granite Beach aid station. I don’t know where they were getting the strength, but I wished I could summon the same.

At Granite Beach, they had a roasted pig! Josam ate some. I wanted to but couldn’t. Four-and-a-half miles separated us from the finish. More rollers and lots of walking ensued. I was barely shuffling on the dowhills. I really wished I could have run more of these final miles.

In the last mile — when you’re single-mindedly focused on just finishing this darn thing — they decided to throw in a couple more small hills! At last, we crested the final hill, and I saw the levee below us. I felt a rush of relief and excitement.

Josam and I shuffled our way down to the levee. Jaime’s crew was waiting for her arrival, and Ronilyn came up to give me a hug. My eyes brimmed. We started walking down the levee, then I saw Eileen enthusiastically cheering for me. Her joy was contagious! I was crying and laughing at the same time. Josam and I kept making our way to the end of the levee, then I saw Carmela, Patti, and Liz. There was a lot of screaming, smiling, and hugging!

Then Paulo said, “This is where you let it all out…all your energy!” So I ran as fast as my sleep-deprived brain and fatigued body could muster. I rounded the final bend, ran on the grass towards the finish line arch, and was enveloped by the overwhelming cheers and positive energy from friends and family who had been waiting for me. Thank you all so much for your support!

I had reached the end of 100.5 miles, and the flood of emotions finally burst.

• Finish: 29:09:53
• Target: 9:55 am @ 17:16 min/mile
• Actual: 10:09 am @ 17:25 min/mile
• Cutoff: 11:00 am
• 207th out of 252 finishers

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Post Script: Rio Del Lago is a Western States qualifying race. Twenty-four hours after finishing, I entered the lottery for the 2019 Western States Endurance Run. Lottery will be held on December 1st, 2018.

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