SC100 DNF

So much of the trail was like this. This is Warrior Mountain.

Thanks so much to everyone who sent me encouraging emails, texts and positive thoughts. I appreciate it so much. Thanks also to my husband who supports my crazy running habit even though he thinks I should aim for shorter distances!

Get ready for a slew of posts over the next week. Here's my Swan Crest 100 race report. Sorry this is so long! Here's a link to all of the pictures if you're interested in seeing the gorgeousness of northern Montana.

A woman named Elise offered to pace me. I met Elise through a mutual friend and we'd corresponded through email. She not only offered to pace me but also put me up and show me around. I liked her immediately! She was the best pacer that never got a chance to pace EVER! She showed me where I would meet the shuttle at 5:30 am the next day, attended the pre-race meeting and drove us there, she made sure I was up at 4:30 am the morning of the race, came to the start and took pictures and was at the aid station as I came in at mile 43.5. As I was dry heaving, she whipped her hand under my forehead to hold my head. She sat in the tent with me as I warmed up and hydrated me and made me eat. I think Elise and I have a long future ahead of us, she's awesome.

Me, Elise and part of my dehydration problem, a huckleberry martini

The race started with 9 miles of gravel road and then went to stunning, over grown single track ("brush tunnel"), through avalanche debris and then up to clear, gorgeous single track. The views were stunning!!! I did not take extra florinef the morning of or the morning before the race. As a result of the lower florinef dosing, my hand and foot swelling was very slight, probably well within the normal range. Yet again, the nausea got me around mile 15. HOWEVER, it was greatly reduced in severity. By mile 40, I threw up. I quit at mile 43.5 and had to hike out 3 miles to get to a car to get to Elise's house.

9 miles of gravel road with beautiful views

There was a trail through here!

A mile of this and worse.

Quitting was a good decision. I am sure my problem was dehydration. In retrospect, I had some water through Thursday afternoon and evening. Probably a quart. Then I had coffee Friday morning. No water from 9 pm to probably 8 am. I had some water issues (not enough available to back of the packers) during the race. I used to drink a quart of gatorade between when I got up and when the race started but somehow that part of my routine has slipped away and needs to be corrected.

I was hardly sore at all after 46.5 miles and felt OK the day after the race. The day I drove home, I felt fine. So it seems my training is solid but my prerace hydration is poor. Eliminating extra florinef helped relieve the nausea incredibly.

I'm glad I did this even if I was a quitter again. Meeting Elise, being a part of the first Montana hundred miler and getting to spend a day on amazing trails was all worth it!

An obstacle in the trail

Colorful creek crossing

Bear grass

The mountains went on forever!