The Ultra-experience...

It's done. 60km/37.5 miles done.  Yes, we did think it was going to 70km/43.75 miles, but when we took the exact mileage from where we wanted to start and end we were pleasantly surprised it was 10k shorter!  I have been trying to think how to put into words about the whole experience...but I am at a little bit of a loss for some reason.  

 Our first sign left by our crew...

So, I will give you some facts to get us started along with plenty of photos along the way.  Hopefully, this will help me capture some of the emotions, highlights and low points of the very, very, long day...

Facts about my first Ultra-marathon:

• 5 months of training = approx. 500 training miles

• RUN DAY:
• 3 pairs of socks and shorts and 3 shirts, oh and 2 pairs of shoes.
• 21 Gatorade's topped with the electrolyte powder of one electrolyte capsule.
• 18 large frozen water bottles
• 5 power bars, 12 GU's and 4 packages of Cliff blocks, salty crackers and homemade peanut butter balls of goodness!
• 1 scale and 1 portable blood pressure gizmo...(medical term)

  

Early morning BP check

• 1 MPH/nurse to run the BP gizmo and keep track of our weight...

Checking in at mile 10 with Keren our stellar nurse

• 6.5 pounds lost 

Weighing in at mile 20

• 1 med kit with ibuprofen...administered by the above person

BP time...

• 8 or more support crew 

This is just what I remember...I am sure there was a lot more because the trucks were full and stuff was scattered everywhere. 

Here are some of the highlights of the day:

• A great dinner and night friends place in Voinjama.

 

 Night before sunset before the rains came!

Relaxing the night before with Audrey...

• Answered prayer for RAIN!  It is dry season-it rarely rains this time of year-but we needed some rain to help with the terrible dust.  When the thunder clapped just before bed-we were overjoyed of the miracle that was taking place.
• 5:22am weather was perfect and cool-sky was overcast-again, answered prayer!
• No stomach issues...trust me this is a blessing there are no porta-potties on the road!
• Meeting our crew at mile 19 great to see the boys and everyone else.

 Support crew getting signs ready

 

 Crew taking a break...Isaac and Steve are getting hot!

 

Kendell ran his 12 marathon training miles with us-great support

• The signs that the crew made and left on the side of the road.

 

One of the many signs left by our crew!

• Sasa and drum playing by our crew whenever we got to the truck for food/fluids.

 

 Taya and her Sasa/drum band...

 Heading out for another 5km before our next pit stop

Soon to be Marathoners...

• Seeing Kou on the four wheeler in Kolohun along with missionary friends cheering us on.

• The moment we realized we had run a marathon and had entered the ultra-zone.

 

Joni joined us for her 12 miles

 

Still smiling! 

• Realizing we were 5km away from Foya

 Our last crew stop..

 Kendell telling us we were 2.4km away from Foya..

 All we wanted to do was sleep...

 

Getting ready to head out

• Seeing staff on the road as we entered Foya

 Let's go!!!

 Alisa found some sort of 2nd wind!

One foot in front of the other...

• CROSSING THE FINISH!

Of course there were some low points...not many but still, come on-you are going to have some over a 10 hour period of time right?!

• PAIN-feet pain, left IT knee pain.

Ice on the knee...

How much farther...

• HILLS-Ironically, going up hill didn't hurt my knee, downhill was a different story.  I got up to a 8/10 for pain-not a fun place to be.

 

Up the hill in the company of a chicken.

Actually, that's it.  Just two, and two that we knew were going to happen-there wasn't any surprises.  Running this far you are going to have pain I don't care who you are.  After training on the road for the past 5 months we knew the hills would be tough-and they were!   

 

Our final stats...and no my heart rate was not 10beats per min. at the end! 110..

Overall, it was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.  I am so grateful to God for a perfect day, the rain the night before, no serious injuries, no dust, hardly any traffic and our AMAZING crew that took care of us every single step of the way.   I am sure I will write more about this experience, but for now I hope the facts, pictures and some of the emotions of the day give you an idea of the journey.  When I think about running a marathon now, it seems like it's not that far anymore! HA!

Joni put all the video clips into a mini-documentary and at the end she interviewed Alisa and I and asked: "Would you do it again?"  There is a slight pause and then and the exact same time without any pre-planning our answer we both reply "YES!" and burst into laughter.  That's what it is all about-looking back at the journey, God's faithfulness through the ups and downs and still wanting to do it all over again...