DRC Feature: Emelie Forsberg

Hey DRCers!

In case you didn't know, the holiday season is well upon us! I don't know about you, but I feel knee-deep in indulgent foods made with love, but also potentially causing guilt. I say, be free of that guilt! We were definitely made to enjoy food: it nourishes the soul, brings people together, and is just plain delicious. Even over the holidays, we can achieve a balance between healthy eating and enjoying ourselves.

Check out what ultrarunner Emelie Forsberg has to say about our relationships with our bodies.

http://www.emelieforsberg.com/body-relationships/

MT Madness: Do ALL the Things!

By Stacy Allen

Going to the Mark Twain Endurance Race involved a lot of firsts for me: I earned my trail name, paced my running role model, helped aid tons of runners, and supported my best friend through his biggest run to date. It was a beautiful, memorable day, but it didn’t start off that way.

When Greg signed up for the 50-mile race, I wanted so much to be there for him. After I finally asked him if I could go, he agreed (DUH), but I sort of felt like I had just pushed myself into his race, and I changed my mind. I talked with Meghan about how I was feeling and she encouraged me to go to support Greg and be a part of the DRC AS. This made me feel better about it, and made me feel more like I was needed there, so I was again happy to go! A couple days after I had committed to the AS, Rae messaged me and asked me to pace her for nine miles of her second loop. Hell yes I will! I was so excited and honored to be a part of her big day! I’d get to be a part of her day, help all the other runners, and cheer on my guy!

Early morning, we arrived at MT, and I got to see Greg and the others off before heading to the DRC AS. During this time, I found out Rae wanted to use me for 20 miles so, yep, I agreed. Watching those first few people come through our AS with bloody hands and knees was such an inspiration of just how tough runners are. I was so impressed with Meghan, Stacey, and the other volunteers—they were so enthusiastic and happy to serve these people and care for them! Such a kickass group of people!

Me, Meghan, and Mark (Rae's husband) at the AS.

After a while at the AS, Rae was ready for me. We started out at a nice running pace and then slowed to more walking/hiking. Ugh... I was ready for 20 miles on fresh legs, I just wanted to run! But wait... I reminded myself, Rae has 25 miles on her legs and a pregnant belly. This is her race, I’m here for her! I turned from focusing on the run to focusing on Rae: her conversation, body language, hydration, and general spirits. She was amazing. Just like on pavement runs, she has a fluidity to her form, she looks like she is gliding whether she is running an 8-minute mile or hiking a 13-minute mile. It’s something to be admired.

We were faring well and I felt great. Rae mentioned having some pain in a tendon and it was starting to play head-games with her. From my point of view (booty all day), I couldn’t tell she was hurting, so I just focused on making sure she stopped for her many (many) pee breaks because that’s how I knew she was hydrating.

Around mile 40, Rae had a moment of insanity... WHT am I supposed to do?? She is crying/laughing hysterically, but this seems pretty normal for pushing your pregnant body 40 miles... So I let it happen, until she started to slide down a ravine! I wasn’t going to let that happen!! She regained her composure and we headed out with the DRC AS as our reward for getting through the next five emotional miles. As we got closer, we heard angels from above calling out to Rae (Stacey and Mark were banging drums and yelling!), and I knew that was exactly what she needed to get up that hill and into the arms of our awesome crew, who were happily waiting to care for her and feed her!

This is where I left Rae after 20 miles. Honestly, I wanted to finish that run with her, but I knew she needed to regain her composure and finish this with her hubs, and I needed to be at the finish to watch my love come across that finish line! I made it with about 10 minutes to spare before I saw him come out of the woods and cross that line. He looked so strong and incredible to me in that moment! I know it took so much for him to get through the final ten miles, but he isn’t one ever to give up- he has always been my encouragement and inspiration to be a better running. Running into his arms as he crossed that finish line was the best feeling! I was so, so proud of him!

All that was left to complete my day was to watch my girl come across that line. As darkness fell, I was a little worried, but I had zero doubts that she would run across that finish line, strong and confident. Seeing her come across was badass, no other way to put it! MT was an awesome experience, getting to aid, participate, and cheer; I can’t wait to run my own 50-miler soon!

MT Madness: The Moon

By Rae Hedlund

The moon isn’t much to see by in the woods at night. It’s hardly enough to keep you from falling on your face with every step, and that task is made more difficult when you’ve been on your feet for 45 miles. Add to this blindness an injured leg that won’t flex at the ankle, pregnancy hormones, and some exhaustion, and it sounds like an absolute recipe for disaster.

After I had Maverick, the first slow mile I ran was done without walking, because I didn’t want my younger sister to see me walk. That day, walking felt like quitting. On September 19^th, every step felt like a victory. Some invisible force (be it stubbornness, the hidden belief that I could finish, or the people who never doubted this) was pulling me, step by painful step, to the end of what felt like the Longest Day.

Feeling strong, silly, and hungry hitting the DRC AS at mile 20!

There is a similarity between that first-ever mile and this first-ever 50: support. My first 25-mile lap had gone off rather nicely: I had a groove, enjoyed my music, and loved getting to every AS. Heck, the start of my second loop was enjoyable, too! I had the incredible Stacy Allen with me and I was thankful for the constant company, easy conversation, and words of encouragement; those first miles with Stacy were easy and fun, just two friends running, no concerns in mind. That was the first nine miles. Everything after that, it was pretty obvious to me that her presence was helping keep me going, because getting to the AS following these first two was much more challenging. I had to turn on my music to really keep myself moving, didn’t talk as much, and cried. When we got to the AS, that feeling of relief washed over me and I cried more. I had met the people at this AS only once before race day, but I was so thankful to see them!

All the miles after that second aid station have a sort of fog surrounding them; the mental battles that were waged during these miles were done with the help of Stacy, more than she realizes. Everything is so muddled, but I know that her presence behind me kept me moving, and helped me to remember that I really was okay.What I can tell you is, I did a lot of crying—I sobbed, sniffled, and laughed at myself for crying so much. At one point, I stopped because the laugh-cry was so out of hand, and I nearly slid down a ravine, so it’s a really good thing Stacy was there to save my life!

Once I had finally pulled myself back together enough to keep moving, Stacy and I set off again. I was so determined to get to the DRC AS! Though I knew people at the AS prior to DRC’s masterpiece, they weren’t my DRC peeps, and I needed those truly familiar faces. I needed them to tell me I was okay, that I really could make it through this; I needed to soak up their belief that I could finish this, even with the injury to my leg.

Just as the previous miles had been, these were a struggle. Five miles seems small in the span of such a race, but so much goes into them. I felt like I had given everything, that I didn’t have much left; I was emotionally drained. Coming up to the DRC AS was another cry-fest. Andy had already finished and was there with comforting words,while Mark worked on getting me out of my pack. Meg and Stacey were ready with whatever food I needed while Frank snapped pics, and everyone said exactly the right thing. These people had heard me question my abilities over the past few months, had heard about my good/bad/ugly runs, and had assured me again and again that this was possible. Where my confidence had wavered, theirs had been solid. It’s amazing to be a part of a community so supportive.

Me and the World's Best Pacer <3

So many miles with Stacy and I didn’t know what to say to her besides a weak “Thank you.” Seriously, I had no words for the woman who had followed my crazy ass for 20 miles- laaaame! I was in a lot of pain, but was just so happy to see all my friends! Meghan had been planning on pacing my final five, but where I was emotionally/physically, I had this feeling I needed my husband with me. There were points throughout my training where I told Mark I would understand if he didn’t want to be there, that I’d have the support of enough friends to be okay, and I’ve never been so thankful that he ignored me and came to support me despite this.

After enough time at the AS to gather myself, Mark & I headed out. I was hobbling. When we set out, we thought we were good on lights. It didn’t seem too long after the sun had set that our flashlight went out. Our backup light didn’t have as much juice as we expected. The moon isn’t much to see by in the woods at night.

Runners passed, one guy was nice enough to stick with us for a bit, but I told him he should keep going because we were so slow. I begged, cried, and pleaded with Mark to let me be done; I have a feeling it reminded him of helping me get through labor. We paused frequently as I tried to conquer the pain. Everyone kept saying we had two more miles, two more miles... two more miles... It was during this time that Shari came up with another runner she was bringing in to the finish. After promising to return (and letting me cry), they headed off and we were in the dark once again. Soon, though, a runner for the hundo came along who was using two lights, and he willingly gave us his flashlight. He was truly our angel!

With a light in our hands again, we could surely finish, right?! Five miles drags on when you’re limping, but Shari was back with us after a while and had unintentionally brought another with her- the race sweeper had followed her, not sure why she had gone backwards on the course. These two people (angels) helped me find the strength to keep moving. Our little group of four moved at a pathetically slow pace, and I cried when I started seeing the glow sticks that signified we were nearing the end!

There is nothing quite like crossing a finish line. No matter the distance, I’ve always shed tears at the end of a race, and this one was certainly no exception. Having completely bonked at my marathon, I couldn’t help but think of the first word I’d said after that: “That was really fucking hard.” I think it’s fair to say the exact same thing about this race; Mark Twain did its best to chew me up and spit me out, but that made my finish all the more satisfying. The number of people who can’t believe I ran this race (or any race, for that matter!) pregnant doesn’t surprise me, but what does surprise me is that I never considered not running it. Even if I couldn’t acknowledge it all the time, there was a part of me that knew I could, at the very least, limp across that finish line. I finished, I won a hard-fought battle, and I’m so thankful for all the support I got along the way.

So many finish line hugs!

I'm pretty sure I said, "Give me that damn thing!"

Honestly, through all the struggles, I find I that I can’t say I won’t do it again. My body is capable of so much more than I ever knew!

MT Madness: Beating Burnout

By Randi Kreamer

When I had finished the Frisco Railroad 50k in April 2015, my second 50k, I felt up for a new challenge. Why not make that new challenge a new distance? So... I decided to take it to the next level and do a 50-miler. After researching a few, I settled on the Mark Twain 50 miler because the course looked so beautiful! Later, I found out that other DRCers were running the same race. I registered and instantly had mixed emotions: Was I prepared? Should I lose weight?  How will I find time to run enough?

As time went on, I found myself busier and busier and panic set in about the run. I was focusing only on long runs, anything else seemed pointless because short runs seemed insignificant with what I was aiming to do.  This led to a burnout.  I woke up one day and I didn't want to run; the next day, I didn't want to go either. This pattern became routine. 

Every run, I would cry. I wondered why a once-loved activity had turned into something that was physically and mentally exhausting.  I dealt with this alone, but decided to share my feelings with my running group. Frank, Meghan, and Stacey were great about providing nutritional advice and support; I was the only one who didn’t believe in me.

The feedback I received was overwhelming. I felt hopeful. I felt understood. I felt like I had to do it, and I wanted to do it. On September 19th, 2015, I arrived at Berryman trail ready to run.

Can't resist the DRC AS!

Reflecting back,  I think anxiety was my biggest obstacle. I was doing the comparison game instead of focusing on my own race. Rather than running my own race, I spent time comparing my speed, distances run, and physical fitness with others. In the end, I ran 41 of the 50 miles. I reached my limit, and that’s okay because I’m after longevity!

MT Madness: What I Learned at MT

By Meghan McCarrick

How much gear can I fit in this truck? What am I forgetting?  Ugh, I wish I had packed this in tubs.  Obviously, I will need to stop at Walmart.   Ok, pulling out of the driveway, what is that noise??  What is he yelling??  OMG, I forgot my duffle.  Hmm…he said he put it in the cab already, that means that all the bananas and apples are still in the house, too.  I am never going to get on the road.  Ok, on the road…with my clothes this time.  Shoot, I need to stop for ice…like now.  I hope I remember the directions to Berryman.   Of course I do.  …maybe I should check.

To me, aid stationing translated to bring ALL the things and then bring duplicates of all the things.  THEN, find your clearheadedness once the race begins.  So, with all of the things in the truck, I pulled onto 44 to head down to one of my favorite Missouri spots to spend the weekend watching some of my favorite DRC peeps running at the 4th Annual Mark Twain Endurance Races.  I knew how to encourage hydrating and fueling, I knew how to cheerlead, I am comfortable helping dress a wound, but there was an area for which I was unprepared: pushing runners into believing in themselves, especially when they have willingly fallen prey to their own excuses.  I even had warning that there was some concern over our inexperience in dealing with hundred mile runners, but I figured we could handle anything thrown at us, especially with the clearheadedness.

Plenty of people roll into a 20 (or 45 or 70 or 95) mile aid station looking like dog crap, that’s no surprise.  Racing, especially on trails, is really no joke.  It is typically easy enough to encourage a little eating, drinking, filling up packs and then giving a quick kick in the pants to get a runner back out there and moving.  Sometimes you meet someone like “Power Nap”, who literally passes out in the chair, then pops back up and heads right back to the trail.  Or someone like “Santa”, who drops in, tells you his running history, talks about family, has some tea, then strolls to the finish knowing he’ll miss cut off, but isn’t willing to throw in the towel.  Occasionally, a runner needs some company and trail angels like Shari willingly walk with them to the finish.  Lots of times, people want to stop, and that is understandable.  They hurt.  They are exhausted.  They have lost focus.  Every OTHER time, we got them warmed up and heading back toward their goal.  Except for one time.

It was my turn to grab a snooze.  It was probably around 1:30 in the morning and though I doubted I could sleep, I climbed in the tent and covered myself with 2 quilts, and I tried.  I heard a runner approach, had some major FOMO, but squeezed my eyes shut and ignored it.  About 20 minutes later, I heard conversation with the same runner.  I shot up in “bed” (we’re gonna use that term loosely), popped on my shoes, and jumped out to see why in the world he was still there.   I walked over to the fire and one of the top male contenders in the 100 was sitting comfortably with no clear intention of leaving anytime soon.  I asked what was going on, he lazily chewed on a piece of pizza and mentioned lots of muscles, all lower leg, achilles, soleus, some ankle stuff, but he was pretty calm. I brought over a roller and he made a excruciating moan as I ran it up the inside of that lower leg.  But, c’mon, this is at 70 miles, plus he’s been sitting!  I tried getting him to stretch, he wouldn’t budge, he said he would try to walk to the next aid station… eventually, still making no move to get up.  I texted the volunteers and RD there and told them quickly what was going on.  I had noticed this runner was dehydrated earlier in the day and he had already admitted that he traveled a little too quickly his first 25 mile lap.  So, I offered to hike it out with him, knowing the guys we’d meet weren’t going to let him quit when I got him to home base.  I said we’ll just walk and if you feel like running, I will try to keep up.  It’ll be fun!  And then I said it with a bit harder voice, get your ass up.  Well, sometimes that works.  In this case, he tried and nearly fell over.  He cramped up and had to hold onto the chair.  I can’t be sure, but I think he had probably been sitting for 30 minutes, taking all that time to decide he was dropping out.  And that is what he wanted…a lift back.  I texted the start again and said to expect us.  We drove up the little wooded passage to the road and I kept prying to see if I could just turn around and we’d at least try to walk there. Every time he put on an anguished face or groaned, or grabbed at his leg.  I let guilt get to me and stopped questioning his decision.  We pulled up, he got out—a little more agilely than I expected—and within 10 minutes was walking with only a slight limp in flip flops back to his car.  I had looked at this guy as vulnerable and needing help and really having an injury that wouldn’t let him complete this race.  I TOTALLY GOT PLAYED.   And my inexperience totally screwed this guy's chances.

                                                                                                 

When performing a difficult task, our brain gives us all the reasons we need to just stop.  Our brain is doing its job; this is self-preservation.  The purpose of these ultra distance races is to challenge those excuses by maintaining the belief that the task can be endured. Sometimes, even a seasoned athlete, when tired, disillusioned, and in pain, loses sight and needs the reminder that unless there is a real injury, the excuses are ignorable.  Instead of pushing perseverance, which we talk about all the time in DRC, I allowed a runner to give his excuses power.  I have spent a lot of time thinking about that DNF. What I learned at MT is that it isn’t only about the gear or food or morale at an aid station.  I learned that the responsibility of preserving or restoring belief might momentarily fall in volunteer hands.  In the future, if those hands are mine, I am confident that I will recognize and focus on what is necessary to convince every runner to continue.   So, because of what I learned at MT, don’t plan to cut out from an aid station that I’m manning unless you are missing limb…even then, you’ll have to find a whole new level of energy to convince me you can't keep going.

Congratulations to all of you DRCers that ran MT this year, it was such a huge honor to be there in support of you guys!

Meg McC is first and foremost an active DRC member.  She is an avid runner when she isn't injured and an enthusiastic volunteer when she is.  The Berryman Trail is near and dear to her heart and she loves an opportunity to spend a weekend there, especially during a weekend with a SLUG Ultra.

MT Madness: DFQ!

By Greg Wells

Just signing up for MT 50 miler was hard for me. Not because I didn't think I could do it, but because it was a hard trail run and trail running is still pretty new to me. After a few trial trail runs with some awesome people, I gained some confidence. If you can run 30 at Greenrock, you can do 50 at Mark Twain... You got this! Plus I've got Schupp to run with me.

A few weeks leading up to the race, I was seriously in my head big time with doubts and worries. What if I fail... What if my legs quit working ... What if I'm in the middle of the woods and I have a full blown anxiety attack ... How are you going to deal with that ... I began to feel regret for signing up because this wasn't feeling fun anymore. Luckily, I have amazing people in my life to help me believe in myself to push past the fear and own it.  You know who you are and I love you all! 

Race day came and we were off. My goal was just to finish. I wasn't going to push myself too hard. John and Randi talked much of the first 15 miles and I kinda just hung out in the back, trying to relax and focus on what I needed to do to make it. John must have felt really good because, after the 15-mile AS, he took off like a bullet! To be completely honest, I was pretty disappointed for a little bit because the plan was to run the whole thing together. He left the plan with not so much as a, “Hey I'm out,” so I felt a little abandoned. Thankfully, it didn't last. This is one of my best friends and he was high on a good feeling and was taking on 50 miles with confidence... and, after all, I had abandon him before in a Warrior Dash years earlier because I had felt the same confidence. So, instead of being mad, I built off his energy and used it as a motivator for myself. If Johnny’s got this then I got this too.

Grabbing awesome food at the DRC AS.

After the first 25, I got to the Start/Finish AS and was immediately met there by John Cash who was incredibly helpful and seemed to go out of his way to focus on me. That was the pick me up I needed; this guy is literally an ultrarunning/any kind of running superstar and he's helping me!! To me, that was huge. I had to believe in myself if he did. I took off on my second loop telling myself there was no fucking way I was quitting!!

No one said running was easy on the body!

Around 40 miles, it got really hard ... like really, really effing hard. I felt great, but my legs were quitting underneath me. So, rewind to 2010. That year, I accidentally put my leg through the glass window on my entertainment center and completely severed my Tibialis Anterior Tendon, the tendon that allows you to pick you foot up, and another tendon (can’t remember the name of this one), that allows you to move your big toe. It was bad and it was a big deal. The doctor literally told me I wouldn't ever be the same with my strength in running and jumping. That sucked. I’m an athlete. Sports are my life. So I worked my ass off to make sure that didn't happen. By 2011, I had completed a marathon. Suck it, doc!

Fast forward back to 40 miles into the race. My right ankle right where my surgically repaired tendons are was hurting a little, my thighs were completely trashed, and I was scared I wasn't going to make it. But once again, at the 40-mile AS there was Mr. Cash to greet me and help me out. I found my bearings and took off. And that’s around the time when I remembered Andy writing #DFQ on my right arm. I literally looked at my right arm 100 times from that point and said “Don't Fucking Quit”, then to my left arm where I had LSE (Lor'e, Shea, Ella -my daughters)  and said, “I love you girls, your dad’s not a quitter.”

The AS at mile 45 was my seal of victory. I hurt so bad-- my ankle was swelling up , my thighs wanted to seize into a cramp on every step-- but there at Mile 45 were Meghan and Stacey, two very big reasons I even had the confidence to attempt a 50. These two people went out of their way to run with me and to help me become a better runner. There was 0% chance I wasn't finishing - if my tendon ruptured, I was crawling! I went back to the right arm: Don't Fucking Quit!! To the left: I Love You Girls, Your Dad’s Not A Quitter! It might be corny, but it carried me to the end. I came out of the woods and there were my best friends. Schupp and my girlfriend Stacy, who had paced 20 miles with Rae, cheering me on. Two people I couldn't be more proud of, two people who have come so far in running and in life and they were right where I needed them to be, to celebrate this awesome moment of my life with me. I fought my back tears and high-fived Travis at the finish line and received my 50-mile finisher medal!

Today (a few days after), my body hurts pretty bad, but all I can think is, “Let's do that again because I wanna do better!”  I wanna give a HUGE shout-out to everyone for all your support, motivation, and friendship in this crazy-ass world! Thank you for being a part of my life and making it that much better! I love my DRC family!

MT Madness: This Run!

By Stephen Faron

"THIS run!" That is what I called the MT 100 over the last few years. I knew it could happen in 2015 if I stayed healthy for three months prior and if my work cooperated. Well, I had surgery on my left knee in April to clean up a frayed meniscus. After recover some recovery, I was feeling physically stronger. Unfortunately, then work didn't cooperate. May to August was pretty hot, as we all know. The building I was working in as a Union Drywall Taper was ten degrees hotter due to poor air circulation. It was miserable and I was having doubts.

I didn't really know I was going to train for this with a passion until DRC had a run this summer on Green Rock Trail, totaling about 13 miles. I ran 11 pretty steady, but had to hike the last two. We got a late start, around 8ish if I’m not mistaken, with the temperature in the mid-90s. Surprisingly, the next day, I felt good! I looked at a hundred-miler training schedule and the following week I put in 20 miles, plus added miles the day after. So I was able to do 20 on the Katy and bike 20 the next day on the Katy. I knew now "MY run," was on!

From there, I trained pretty hard. I ran and hiked big loops around Lost Valley and Lewis & Clark, eating and drinking at my truck in the lot; I cross-trained by biking at Lost Valley, Quail Ridge Park, and the Katy Trail. This continued until the Sunday the week before MT, then I worked Monday-Wednesday and took off Thursday and Friday to rest my legs. No workouts, just rest! This was “MY run”! I believed I could make it a long way; an exact mileage really made no difference. I was healthy for a change, and extremely happy and content with whatever result I got: a number didn’t make a difference.

As long as didn't fall down a ravine or get eaten by a cougar, I could run!  All day!  My running companions and the the volunteers at the aid stations made that day easier—they’re all Warriors to me.

At the DRC aid station.

Race day did go differently than I thought it would. I ran in three different pairs of old shoes because I thought they still had some life left in them. They had none. The terrain just shredded the bottom of my shoes, but I loved the course with its marginal ascents and descents. I took off and didn’t really stop running until mile 22 or so. Double hamstring cramps! It got a bit hotter than I thought it would. I kept going, though.

Start/Finish area, getting ready to head back out!

After my second 25-mile loop, the rolling hills buried me. I didn’t go out for the next loop as easily as I did the first two times. My lower half seized up on me and I couldn’t loosen back up. I stopped taking pain meds because I didn’t want to mask any injury to my knee: if it was going to shoot craps on me, I didn’t want to ruin it. Unbelievably to me, my right knee is the one that quit! I dropped out at the second aid station five miles away after starting my third loop.

I have no regrets. After a couple days off work to heal, I went back to ten-hour days. I was a bit sore and “creaky”, but I liked it!  That ache is my “buckle” for “MY run”! I’m so thankful to all my running groups and all the people who encouraged me to go for it. It really was the best experience! This run, to me, is a lesson. Things hardly ever fall into place the way we like; sometimes, the best thing to do is take the leap of faith and run with it. Happy trails!

MT Madness: Nature Is My Home

By John Schupp

That morning, I woke up at 2:45am. I didn’t sleep well. A lot of thoughts were still flowing through my head, my main concern being my IT band. Had I strengthened it enough? I felt confident about finishing, but how well, really? I was afraid that the day was going to be a complete struggle. Tiffany had heard my concerns in my outbursts of emotion all week (basically, I was being a little bitchy.) I’m sure she had enough of that.

Our caravan of DRCer’s made it to the Berryman campgrounds in plenty of time to be race-ready and let Frank take pictures before the start. When we were lining up, I headed for the front of the group—like any 5k or 10k I’ve run, I thought I needed to take an early lead, right? Luckily, Greg grabbed me and brought me back to earth; 50 miles is a long way. I took my place toward the rear with him and Randi. We took off and walked for the first mile, single file in the dark, occasionally trotting for a few seconds as the line loosened up. When the sun came up, my nervousness subsided. Not because there was light, but because it was beautiful. I felt like whatever was going to happen, it would be ok at that point.

This trail consisted of all types of terrain, from gentle pine needle to heavy rock, rolling landscape to straight up climbs. All of it was beautiful. Nature truly is my home. I think I’ve been a trail runner all my life, I just didn’t know it. I grew up playing in the woods: hunting, fishing, building forts, riding dirt bikes, and hiking was my playtime growing up. I can sit in the woods for hours, lost in thought. Trail running is one of the few times where I’ve found myself completely engulfed in the present. Everything else seems to be inconsequential. I am just able to be.

The time was passing quickly. Randi, Greg, and I were slowly gaining ground and passing people as the morning progressed. I enjoyed the good company and conversation. At the mile 15 AS, I felt like letting go, and off I went! Mile 15-20 was my favorite section: the pine needles and the gently rolling hills made it easy to open up my stride. At one point, I looked back and felt out of place—I’ve never led in a race against Greg before—but I pushed on. I felt amazing, and I was going to keep going while the going was good.

I was looking forward to seeing my friends at mile 20. The DRC AS rocked! I didn’t stay long because I was in the zone and wanted to keep moving. Around mile 23-24, I ran into a short lady from Colorado who everybody called M. She was using this race as a training race for an upcoming 100-miler. I can’t remember where. She was moving pretty fast, so I decided to follow her for a while. One thing I liked about her was she yelled on her way into aid stations, and I’m fond of yelling, haha! And, she talked, which was good because I didn’t have my iPod charged before the race like I thought. I finished my first loop under 5:30 hours. At the Start/Finish, John Cash was there to help me process things, change my shirt, and get back on my way.

I kept up with M until mile 35 when things really started getting tougher. This section is a big uphill, and the pain was starting to creep in my knees and feet. I found myself reflecting on my life a lot while I was by myself. My iPod would have been nice at this point. The next 5 miles were dark for me. I walked almost the whole time. When I ran, I kept tripping, like I couldn’t pick up my feet. This was the first time I had doubts. I kicked a rock so hard that I thought my big toenail might fall off. I thought that if the rest of the race was going to be this hard, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to finish. People I had passed earlier were very encouraging as they passed me back. One guy told me that there are highs and lows in ultras, that it all can change in the next mile. I thought he was crazy and just nodded as he passed. This is also the loneliest I’ve been in a long time. I didn’t foresee running ever being lonely, but ultras can be just that. I think it helped me see the beauty in the relationships I have today; I also understand why runners are such a caring bunch of people, always ready to help one another. 

I was relieved to see a familiar face when I finally made it to the mile 40 AS. I think John could see the way I felt. He made some fruit suggestions and I listened with all ears. The watermelon he suggested was a life saver- I’m keeping that one in my notes! With some reassurances, he sent me on my way, actually running again. A few minutes went by, and I was still running- I broke through that wall I had hit at mile 35!

I could again see myself conquering this tremendous feat I set out to do. All the training came down to this day. I knew it was mine. I began to cry. I ran and cried. I passed people, crying. I was happy. I was determined. I still hurt just as much, but I believe I overcame that. I walked some, but I was running again. I knew my favorite AS was coming up. On my way up the hill to the DRC AS, I let out a yell, and I think they knew it was me.

Every time I passed through an AS, I thanked them for their help, except DRC. It takes a lot more than I thought to put on a race like this. There were as many volunteers as there were racers. It wasn’t because I wasn’t grateful that I didn’t thank them; I’m grateful for them most of all. I was just so excited to see my friends that it slipped my mind! See, these guys told me I could do it when I wasn’t sure of myself; these are the people that lent me their gear when I forget something; these guys helped me find a diet that I could run and survive on for 12 hours without my body rejecting it; these friends went on long training runs with me; these are my people! They made me smile when my body hurt more that it has in a very long time. Thank you so much. I finally got to see Tiffany at mile 45, Frank got her there just in time. I told them I’d race them to the finish and I took off.

I ran probably 3 of the last 5 miles. The pain was actually disappearing with the thought of finishing. With about .75 miles to go, two runners caught up with me on the last climb to the finish, which gave me the motivation I needed to take off one more time. I started running up that hill because I really didn’t like the idea of getting passed in the last mile of a 50 mile race. So, I ran as hard as I could and I didn’t stop. I looked back and they weren’t there anymore. I kept running. I let out another yell when I could see the sign at the trailhead. I came out of the woods with everything I had in me. I finished in 11:48:29. I placed 11^th overall. Now I have a goal for Berryman 50 in 2016. 

MT Madness: Those Who Can’t, Volunteer

By Stacey Hagen

This was my second year volunteering at the MT ultramarathon. For me, this year would set a PR for volunteer hours for one event, with Meg and I pulling an all-nighter. Meg, in fact, arrived Friday afternoon and didn’t leave till Sunday afternoon! I was there from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon. We helped set up, break down, and man the last aid station on the course (before the Start/Finish area). 

Our AS was pretty loaded!

HAVE ALL THE FOOD!

Throughout our volunteer experience, Meg and I discussed what we were learning from our time out there. The biggest thing we learned was that running 100 miles is really, really hard. No. Like reeeeeeallly freakin’ hard! When you see your friends- people you know to be very strong runners- out there struggling through the lows, it speaks clearly to the difficulty of the 100-mile endeavor. It is definitely not for the weak. And it is definitely not something to attempt unless you really want it, because you’re going to need that drive, that desire, to pull you through the tough low points. And there WILL be tough low points.

I don’t want to leave out the 50-milers because there were so many rock stars in that line-up. I’m particularly proud of our DRCers. DRC hit the trails, many attempting their first big ultras. Some found a profound sense of accomplishment, a milestone in their running career. Some found a renewed love for this sport that can have its ups and downs. Some went out there with the sole purpose of supporting their DRC peeps by running miles, lots of them. All of them, rockstars.  <3

Making shit happen.

Everyone out there amazed us. It was so incredibly awesome to see people come through looking very strong and determined, especially when the last time we saw them they were doubting themselves and looking rough. Volunteering at an ultramarathon is definitely a unique experience, especially if you remain for the entire event. Something that stood out to us after being there loop after loop for the runners is that you could see their relief when they would approach the aid station and see a familiar face. This was another tidbit of info we tucked away for future volunteer experiences: for runners, seeing someone that helped them out tremendously or someone with a lot of positive energy could be the one thing that gets them through a tough leg or helps them keep going. I heard from more than one racer that they could not wait to get back to our aid station, that it helped them a great deal. That meant a lot because we care a lot and we hoped our efforts were efficacious. 

We also learned that sometimes it’s tough to provide support for people you don’t know, especially in an ultramarathon. Trying to figure out what this person in front of you needs to help them continue, to help them persevere, is difficult to know. How can you know? You can’t! But, we care and we want to do all that we can for each and every person, so we go with our gut and we push them and we hope they’ll love us for it later. This brings me to the next thing we learned: you can make a lot of new friends volunteering, whether it’s racers, fellow volunteers, pacers, crew, etc. It’s pretty awesome! You get to interact with some pretty inspiring people.

Night AS! 

Of course, there were lots of little things we learned like labeling drinks, calling out people’s names when they arrived to our AS, having hot water prepared ahead of time to make warm drinks, blah, blah, blah. But, overall, we learned that giving back to our running community is something we LOVE to do! It can be so gratifying and meaningful. It is appreciated by your fellow runners (you know this),  but it can also be an eye-opener. It can help you better understand what you’re up for if you’re interested in attempting a similar type of race. So, I encourage you to volunteer. Give back! It is so good for you and the running community in so many ways!! You won’t regret it! And you just might leave the experience inspired.

The Domino Effect

By Christine Michalski

Five years ago, I started attending a bootcamp-style fitness class because my daughter was getting married and I wanted to look my best for the wedding. The class required us to run a mile every session, and the rule was if you could run a mile in faster than ten minutes, you had to run two... so I always made sure I ran just about a 10-minute mile. 

After bootcamp ended, and the wedding was long over, I continued running because I realized it was wonderfully brainless. It’s the most brainless activity I've ever done. As a mom of five kids, I could be doing anything and always have about 50 other things going through my head: groceries, who has what practice, is there gas in the car?... the thoughts go on and on! Running, for me, is brainless. It’s just me and the road and the next mile, or the next step, and that’s all I focus on.

My first snow run! Slow, but SO fun!

 My first 5k race was the Hope for Haiti run in 2012. I had already run this distance a couple times before on my own, but I wanted to say that I had run an official 5k. It wasn’t too long after that, that I ran my first 10k on my own. It just felt like the natural next step, and the Katy Trail was there asking for it!

Also in 2012, my younger daughter started running on her high school’s cross-country and track teams. Maria’s gym teacher had said she would make a good runner, and she felt a little more confident already knowing someone who was a runner, who could share advice with her and encourage her. Around this time, my older sister participated in a three-day, 50-mile walking event. When I heard she could walk 50 miles over three days, I asked her why she wasn’t running at all! Her running journey started soon after, with some encouragement (and maybe some mocking) from me.

Even later in 2012, Rae had Maverick and, when he was six weeks old, she hit the pavement to run her first mile. I stayed home and snuggled Maverick while Rae & Maria ran, then headed out later that day for my own miles. We started tag-teaming our miles-- I would run, then Rae would, or vice-versa-- and it was helpful for her to be able to depend on me to take care of Maverick, not having to worry about her husband’s crazy schedule. (Editor’s note: if it weren’t for my mom being there, I wouldn’t be a runner!!)

My girls before they headed out for Rae's first run!

The last to join our little women’s tribe of runners was my niece. She had seen her own mom’s running journey, and mine… and Rae’s… and Maria’s… how could you not be inspired to run?! Even her daughter ran her first fun-run race recently, so the tribe keeps growing! I would never say that I inspired all these people to run, it just seemed like a domino effect: I started, then someone else joined in… and it all tumbled down from there. I shared my love with those that I love.

Running isn’t always easy for me, though. About a year and a half ago, I found out that I have arthritis in my neck; I’ve been dealing with it for much longer than that, but always just pushed through the pain. Even with the diagnosis, I continue to run. When I get back from a run, I roll out my legs, ice my neck, and go on with my day. My goal is to someday run a half-marathon. Whether I make a half-mary or not, whether I have to walk part (or crawl it), it’s still a goal I have, and it would be even better if it were a Disney race!

Color Run with my husband!

Even with the arthritis, I ran my longest run this year, and it just so happened to be during my first trail run! That’s right, I headed out to run a 5-mile trail, ended up missing my turn, and ran the 8-mile trail instead (thanks, Lewis & Clark trail)! Though I haven’t explored many trails in the area, it’s inspired me to keep going! I would trail run every day if I could; it’s harder for me to hit the pavement because trail running is so different and I love it so much!

Maria's birthday trail run celebration!

To me, it doesn’t matter how far, how often, or how fast I run; it’s just about getting out there and doing it, and if I inspire others to get out there and do it too, then I’m doing something right. I’m so proud of my daughters and brag about them all the time, even though their running seems to have progressed so much more than my own. I love that there are other women in my family who run, and that we can share this. My journey started five years ago, and there’s a whole lot more running be done!

Eating and Running

By Jillian Van Leer

My running journey started 5 ½ years ago. Growing up, I was an avid hater of running. I couldn’t run a full mile, let alone be one of the fast kids in gym. I hated it so much, I wouldn’t even run while playing tennis.

Life went on, and in January of 2010, my soon-to-be sister-in-law asked me if I would run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with her. I laughed and said, “I don’t run.” She said, “I don’t either.” Since the two of us don't live near each other, I trained for five months with a friend. My training started on the treadmill, but I hated it with a passion, so I started running at night in my subdivision and, boy, did I become addicted quickly! I trained with the Couch to 5K program.  My sister-in-law ended up walking the entire 5K because she still hated running. I still tease her because I fell in love with it and she despises it with a passion, but it was her prompting me that start got me addicted to running!

 

Not my first 5K, but my 5K PR to date!

I really was astonished to discover that I loved running! I loved the alone time, the openness of the road, and the freedom it entailed! I loved how I felt afterward, how I felt like I could do anything. I had more confidence, I was happier, more joyful, and I had more energy to play with (then) young boys! I couldn’t believe the new-found positivity that running gave to me. More than all of these things, though, running helped me in ways I never thought possible.

You see, I had been struggling with overeating/purging ever since my oldest son was born. I hated my new “MOM” body. I wasn’t good to it. I overate because I was depressed, and the things I ate were bad for me; I didn’t nourish myself at all. After eating those bad things, I would feel so sick that I would make myself purge it. It was not fun, and definitely not healthy.

When I began running, I had been dealing with the eating disorder for four years. Nothing seemed to help. I couldn’t get myself under control, I was trapped in a dark place no one else should have to experience. Counseling didn’t seem to help, and even telling family members only helped a little, but not enough to make me STOP. That is, until I started running.

Running gave me a new-found confidence I’d never felt. With running, I gained the confidence in myself not only to run farther and farther, but to actually take care of myself overall. It was quickly apparent that if I didn’t eat healthier, I couldn’t run like I wanted; I also learned that when I did overeat, running was difficult and not as enjoyable. Not all the credit goes to running: counseling with my then-pastor was tremendously helpful, but without running, I don’t think I could have overcome my disorder.

With my three kiddos after the Mother's Day 5K this year.

I still go through spurts of unhealthy eating, spurts of not running, but it’s all a process and I know that. I know I might struggle my whole life with this, but the older I get, the easier it gets to handle. The more confident I become in myself, the better it gets. I owe my life to running: it finally helped me love my body, appreciate my body, and want to take care of it. My goal for myself is always to appreciate what my body can do, and be thankful for what my body can do!

Me and my awesome kids after my first half-marathon.

My body has run many miles in the past 5 ½ years, including three half-marathons! I’m hoping next year to complete a full marathon, and run even farther than this year. Without running, I am terrified of where I would be today; I can’t imagine life without running! I am very passionate about getting girls (and boys) the help they need to overcome eating disorders, which is one of the reasons I love Girls on the Run so much. It gives girls so much confidence in themselves! I wish it had been around when I was younger, but am so happy to be a part of it now as a coach! 

 

Girls on the Run!

Girls on the Run!

I just wanted to let you all know that if you’re struggling with this, or know someone who is, you’re not alone! Eating disorders happen in all walks of life. I was 24 when mine started! I am so thankful to my family and my running community for helping me succeed and love myself. Keep running, everyone. Keep encouraging one another. You’re all the best!

Want to get to know Jillian better? Check out her "Runfie" questions!

What brought you to DRC? I saw that a high school friend of mine, Tony McDuffie, posted his run on The Daily Run Club via Facebook. I immediately joined!!

Favorite shoes? How many pairs of running shoes do you have? Well, for the first four years of my running, I wore New Balance running shoes. Nothing fancy, just the cheapest, good running shoes I could find. Last year, my husband suggested I try Asics, so I bought a pair and I love them! They are so cushiony! I only ever have two pair. I know, I know... Once I get a new pair, my older pair gets to be my "around the house/mud" pair. Then I donate my older older shoes. I don't like a lot of clutter.

Do you have a dream race? Hmmm... dream race. I would love to run in a Disney race just because I've loved Disney since I was teeny tiny.  I still love Disney & watch all the movies with my kiddos when I get the chance!

Dartfish: Gait Analysis

By Jill Berron

 I am admittedly a nerd—I love reading, numbers and data. When I can combine that with running…even better! That’s why I was so excited to take advantage of the opportunity to have a Dartfish Analysis done by our very own Elena and Emily at Athletico.

Emily started me off with a five minute warm up on a stationary bike before moving into a dynamic warm up, which was a mini workout in itself! It included skipping forward and backward (surprisingly, not as hard as it sounds), side shuffles, several lunge variations and leg swings, among other exercises. She then had me do a few static exercises, such as twists, squats and lunges to ensure that my feet pronate and supinate properly. 

My warm-up checklist!

After that, she did a variety of muscle tests in which she pushed and pulled on my legs (and had me resist her motions) in a variety of positions to check for strength on both the right and left sides, identify imbalances and check flexibility. These deficits and imbalances can cause a collapse in the kinetic chain, which stresses tissues and can lead to injury over time and mileage increases.

Next, it was onto the treadmill!  After establishing a comfortable pace, Elena recorded me running from behind and each side for a few minutes. She then pulled up the video in the Dartfish software to begin the analysis. The nerd in me was absolutely fascinated by this part. She was able to move through the video frame by frame to pause on certain points in my stride to evaluate.  She looked at my form at initial contact, midstance (the “bottom” of my stride) and pushoff from each angle. The first thing she looked at was the rear angle: she used the software to draw a straight line down my backbone and played the video to see if I bend my trunk to either side, if my feet cross midline or if my knees move medially or laterally while running. She also drew a horizontal line across my hips to see if my hips drop as my foot lands and looked at the angle of my ankles in midstance to check for pronation or supination.

After that, we moved to the side views.  From the three different positions in the gait cycle, she used the software to draw angles on my legs and joints. She measured a variety of different angles, such as footstrike, the angle of the knee as the foot contacts the ground (too straight and it can cause extra stress on the shin and knee) and at midstride (does it go past my toe), body alignment (do I lean forward at the hips or the ankles) and vertical excursion (how high do I bounce when I run).

When the analysis was concluded, Elena and Emily put their respective results together and were able to point out my deficiencies and suggest exercises to improve them. So here’s how my results came out.  On the positive side (i.e. I do not need to work to correct this stuff):  I do not twist or bend my trunk or cross centerline with my feet;  my knees move mildly medial; I have a rearfoot strike (less than a 10% angle when my feet contact the ground); the angle of my knees as I land is good and they do not move past my toe in midstride; I lean forward from the ankles and not the hips.

Here’s what I need to work on and their suggestions on how to correct it: my hips drop as my feet land so I need to do lateral planks and clam shells to work on hip strength. This weakness can cause IT band issues, among other problems. I have a mild overpronation on both feet, which I can help mediate with arch cupping exercises.  I have a moderate vertical excursion—the distance that I move up and down over the course of my stride. Basically, I have a little too much bounce when I run, which is a waste of energy and places unnecessary extra  stress on the joints. In order to reduce this, Elena recommended that I increase my cadence (step rate) by about 5%. She suggested using a metronome app or Rock My Run, which selects songs with a beat the same as your target cadence.

Emily’s muscle testing coincided with Elena’s video analysis results. I’ve had IT band pain in the past which correlates with my pelvis tilt. Emily also noted a weakness in my hip abductors, which goes along with that pelvis tilt. She said that I have great toe motion, which correlates with my ability to toe off correctly during my running gait and that assists in supination of the foot for a good push off.

I asked Emily and Elena if there was anything else that they wanted people to know about the analysis process. They said that their goal is to evaluate any strength deficits and muscular imbalances that might cause a collapse in the kinetic chain. They want to help make up more efficient runners and avoid injury. If a runner has a repetitive injury, they want to identify the cause and not treat the symptoms (i.e. shin pain is the “victim” but narrow running style could be the culprit). They can also evaluate your footwear and offer shoe prescriptions. I know several of the other runners brought in multiple pairs of shoes so Elena could evaluate them in different types of footwear.

Over the last few weeks, I've really been focusing on cadence and I can't say for sure if it's that our the change in the weather, but I've seen a definite improvement in my pace. I'm also working in the other exercises about 3x per week. I haven't noticed a great difference in my running from doing them,but I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger because they're getting easier for me.

Overall, the Dartfish analysis was awesome. Elena and Emily really understand what we go through as runners, unlike some doctors who just advise you to “stop running for a few weeks and take some ibuprofen.”  (Yes, I’ve actually paid money for that prescription a few times.) The evaluation offers practical advice and I would absolutely recommend it to any runner, whether or not you have pain.  It’s a great tool to help keep us healthy and doing what we love!

You can contact Athletico at 636-239-9979 (Washington) or 314-781-0679 (Brentwood). Emily’s email is emily.helton@athletico.com and Elena’s is elena.claus@athletico.com.

Want to get to know Jill better? Check out her Runfie Questions!

What brought you to DRC? I saw a friend posting to DRC on Facebook (before the group was public) and I needed some motivation and accountability. I was really just getting started and wanted a place to ask questions and learn a little bit.

How long have you been a runner? After a few failed attempts to start, I've been running consistently for about 2 1/2 years.

What is your favorite running quote? I have two favorite running quotes! "It's very hard to understand in the beginning that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit." -George Sheehan