Jackpot 2022
February 18-20, 2022
Emotions, which ones? All the feels, happy, sad, angry, afraid
Data
February 18, USATF 100, 26:48, 3rd in age group
February 19-20, 48 Hour Race, 104.5 miles, 10th overall, surprised to do so well
If I had just entered 72 hour race I would have earned third place woman
Two hundreds, in a weekend, number 46 and 47, YES!
Got a sun burn in February
Watched some incredible runners break records
All the emotions …
Scared, challenged, frustrated with myself for setting this goal, two hundreds in three days, nervous for a couple of days prior to the event, couldn’t sleep well, unusual for me. Suck it up buttercup, too late to change now, put down too much money, time to get it done.
Fun with friends, old and new, I’m going to get it, excited, happy, I’m on track, I’m not goin* get it, sad, it’s going well, happy, I’m not going fast enough, angry, will I make it, gotta get going, damn
So many decisions …
What socks to wear, toe socks or feetures with lots of run goo?
To pre tape or not?
Too many clothes, too little clothes?
What to eat, should I grab something this loop or next loop?
Caffeine or not?
Nap or not yet?
Music or podcast or book?
USATF, no headphones allowed…WHAT!
(Right before the start of the Friday race the USATF people remind us that you cannot use head phones. What? I have never run a hundred without something to listen to. Is it possible? I know others do this but I like to escape with a book, podcast or music. Well we are going find out if I can do it.)
Run by myself, catch up and walk with others ?
Need sugar snack or savory treat?
Call someone on the phone or focus into your running?
Decisions, decisions, decisions
Between emotions and decisions, maybe that is what is going on for me right now. This race affected me in a new and different way. Not just that it was excessive but that something else was going on, I had some new and unique feelings at the end. I felt stunned like I was standing there with my mouth agape. Maybe that is why I write these race reports, to figure out the new learning.
Emotion - Instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge
A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others
Happiness, sadness, anger, fear are the basic emotions.
So I guess I went through lots of happiness and sadness, flipping back and forth which is unnerving. Sometimes I would be angry at myself for choosing this goal and then be afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it. Then a calculation about miles left and time left and happiness sets in again. I guess I’m tired not just from the physical effort but also from the emotional drain.
Jackpot is an ultra running festival just outside of Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada. There are two courses now. The USATF short loop course (1.17 miles) and the longer horseshoe loop (2.177 miles) for all other events. The short course is mostly pavement and the longer course is about half dirt, sand, and gravel, and the rest pavement. I have been to Jackpot now four times and wanted to try the short loop so I signed up for the Friday race planning to do a hundred, hopefully fast as I just entered a new age group, 60-64 years. When I tried to get my flights they were expensive and so I ended up staying till Tuesday. What to do with myself with all that time after my Friday race…well naturally sign up for another event. I percolated on this idea since before ATY. This two hundreds in a weekend was a very strong challenge for me and it would be difficult to get 200 plus miles in 72 hours. The challenge scared me. I had only done this twice before when I was younger and remember how difficult it was. At ATY I was trying to remind myself not to sign up for this as I did not reach 200 in three days during my six day. Of course I didn’t listen to myself. I said what the hell, go for it, you aren’t getting any younger. YOLO.
I felt comfortable traveling to Vegas on my own as I had done it before. I only got a hotel room for before and after the three days. This would help me stay on the course for the full 72 hours. Lots of friends would be there so I looked forward to catching up with everyone. Glad Van and Mikey were there as it was fun to have some giggles. Thank you for sharing your antigravity chair as it did the trick. Loved our after race salad with the funny Mikey nap. Teehee hee.
There are picnic tables in a covered area right next to the start finish areas of the race. I have used these before as my mini home away from home. I didn’t sleep well for two nights before the event. Since I was up early I got a choice spot at the picnic tables. You can see on my Strava all the trips I made to the area but for the most part I managed staying on the course the whole time. I think I went to my rental car only twice to try to sleep. The other two times I laid down I used the warming tent and Van’s antigravity chair. So as usual I slept very little. But I did learn a new strategy to get some sleep. No caffeine until you stagger during a loop and go sleep or try to sleep. Then after the nap you can have all the caffeine you want until the next stagger lap. It is obvious when I did this in my mile times. You can see the miles slow and then after a rest the mile times go faster again during my second hundred.
Yes I reached my goal but the emotions I went through were challenging. I had a great first five hours, hit all my split times
Half, 2:28
Marathon, 5:18
Then the heat slowed me
50miles, 11:11
then my stomach went south due to trying to go fast during the heat or just eating and running. Janice saved the day and gave me the tiniest pill and my stomach was back
100k 14:20
After that the miles in the sixties and seventies seemed to take forever. Finally got to the eighties and nineties but was disappointed as I had wanted to be closer to finishing the first hundred in 25 hours or so.
Doing bad math I thought I wouldn’t finish the first hundred until 28 hours, but was actually pleased to finish under 27 hours.
100 miles in 26:46
So now I needed to be efficient. Change clothes and wet wipe shower, fix feet and get going in the next event, the 48 hour. My my my, I almost quit. Due to a blister on my right pinky toe I couldn’t get my right foot into the toe sock and I could not get my foot into my shoes. I was cussing and almost just quit. Then reminded myself I would be disappointed and pissed off even more. So out come the scissors, cut off the toe of the toe sock, cut open the hole in the shoe more. Get that gosh darn foot in the shoe. It took me an hour to do all of these readiness activities and I thought what a waste of time. But out I went a bit before noon to start my second hundred. This meant I had 44 hours for my next hundred. I had just made my challenging goal a bit harder. Again emotions hit me, angry, damn.
During the first 100, having to run 100 miles without music, books, or podcasts probably allowed me to connect more with others and to experience more of the emotions you go through during these ultra events. I’m not sure I like it but it was instructional. Without the distraction you definitely connect more with what is going on. In a way this was a whole new experience being in my head and with others on the course. I feel more mentally drained by it and also feel like I experienced more. So maybe I will do it again… nah, maybe not. For the second hundred my headphones were allowed on the course and I was very happy to listen to some podcasts and especially some music including the soundtrack to Hamilton.
Lots of first time buckle people at Jackpot. Great to see lots of familiar faces doing what they do, lots of miles, smiles and buckles. Congrats to Lisa, easily peer pressured into her first buckle, Ha! Great job Jane, so impressive and Ray was even talking about getting back into the action. Janice, congrats and thank you so much for saving my race by helping me get my stomach back. I wouldn’t have gone very far without your intervention. Thanks. Great job Elizabeth on your first 100 miler, a bit different than a 100K. Great job Jameelah on getting it done even though your body didn’t want to cooperate. You were moving fast when you needed to. Stay on the course Billy Boy, no swimming allowed, seriously stay on the course and not in the lake. Excellent work Amy and Rachel, winners winners, chicken dinners. And of course congrats to Mikey and Van for being the cutest couple out there and and kicking ass.
My husband asked if i was going to write two reports for two hundreds. I said no, one would be enough. And indeed it is plenty. Here’s looking forward to another one soon. Pistol 100 in March with Sandy. Thanks for reading.
