Friends and Fun at Rio... de Lago 100
November 5, 2022
Karen and Nattu, best hosts
Karen finishes what she starts, no matter what, congrats on two 100s in back to back weekends, for the fourth time (Javelina and RDL) and 12th Javelina. Wow!
Thanks Nattu for your support and for all the deets about other courses, I always get good intel from you.
I so appreciate time with friends, thank you for welcoming Jess and I into your home and grateful for everything.
RDL Trail, best mud And scary edge
Advertised at 13,800 gain, my watch showed 12,000 gain
Still difficult to run the vert 100s, I am getting much better at power hiking up, but the down is still a lot of work.
Why are rocks or steps on trails built for people with long legs, so unfair for short legged people.
Lots of slip sliding in the mud, no falls, phew, slid close to edge of trail, shear cliff, kinda scary two times when I lost my balance, l tell myself to slow down Hudson, live to run another day, to be able to run in the mud.
Didn’t help that I listened to Hilary Allen’s book about her recovery after falling 150 feet and breaking multiple bones, should listen to a book like that on a flat loopy course, looking forward to next three hundreds on loopy one mile courses.
Runners on the trail, best fun
Photographer comment after the race, I was the best runner to take a pic of bc I was always smiling, I do smile a lot while running.
When I pass people and they pass me back and this happens a few times during a race, I say to them, “Leapfrog, your it, I’m not it,” we giggle and then see if they want to play, meaning will they say it when we pass next, most don’t, but it does give us runners the giggles.
Remember this if you do this race again, best learning
Do your hill training, Carkeek hills is a must.
Meat grinder section with lots of rocks and steps, don’t even notice it on the way out, sure as hell cuss it out on the way back.
Steep little hills, demoralizing.
Pack cup o noodles in your drop bags, they have hot water at aid stations, nothing but broth, potatoes, and pb&j for real food, so pack your own good food.
Bring all the clothes and rain gear, so good to change all my shirts and put on new rain coat when it really started to rain.
Figure out a way to not have to carry so much in your backpack. Seems super heavy.
Do your Superman’s for a strong lower back Otherwise you pay for it during and after the race as your lower back makes you feel old.
Runners having fun, best awesomeness
Fun to run and see so many newbies get their first hundred, got to talk with several on the trail.
Positive self talk worked well for this race. Late in a hundred my mind will get a little whiney and start to talk negative, my feet hurt, I’m tired, I wanna be done, etc. and all I have to do is say to myself and sometimes out loud “Hudson get happy, put a smile on that face, we are going finish this race,” and I feel better.
Random comments
Great to chat with Michael Ortiz, you were doing well, running well, why stop, you missed all the mud. Too bad so sad.
Glad I didn’t run into Dean K, he still owes people an apology for ruining the race where he fell on his face and blamed a coyote.
100s are like child birth, you forget all the anguish and pain so easily after that you want to have another baby or run another hundred, silly how the body is like that.
Comment at overlook aid station from some random crew member waiting for their runner, “she looks stronger through every aid station,” I say “why thank you,
Seems like I get going after 20 miles,” silly hundreds.
My ninth hundred for the year caught up with me, more tired than usual, go figure, readjusting goals for the final three 100s.
Hand cramping, why, just why, this time it started at the end of the race instead of afterwards.
New age group this year And. Loving it!
Jess runs so fast that she only got to see one sun rise. Finishing in the dark, it’s her thang.
Deets
28:55 for first in my age division
54th hundred
9th this year