The Day I was a coach/pacer/runner/proud Mom all at once

I wasn't originally going to run the Razorback (RB) 100. It was tempting, but I had already signed up for the Beyond Limits Ultra (BLU) for the next week. It seemed crazy to think about back to back 100 mile races. Then, as it often happens, I shared several miles with a particular Jester at Colby's Birthday Marathon, and my mind was changed. You see, people insane enough to run both the RB 100 and BLU 100 would earn an additional "Jester 200" buckle.

Like any buckle junkie, I was sold. The thought wouldn't leave my mind, so I had to figure out a way to get to and successfully run RB100.

Brady quickly told me he was not interested. He wanted no part of the 7 hour drive or the race. He thought I was crazy and tried to talk me out of it. Strong willed as I am, I pushed forward with my plans without him. All the while, in the back of my mind, I wondered if I would be capable of running 200 miles in 8 days. Only time would tell.

Somewhere along the way I decided Colby should go with me. We would go up, just the two of us, and spend the weekend running. Tracy of Tracy's Racing and the RD for RB let me know there would be a 100k buckle. Brady and I decided that after Colby's 56 miles at Across the Years, he was probably ready for the 100k.

Before I knew it the weekend had arrived. We left SoCal at 2:30 am on Friday, March 8th. The timing was perfect in that Colby had the day off from school. I left that early to avoid the quickly falling snow and to get above LA before traffic was bad. The trip was rather uneventful, beautiful, and fun. Colby was entertained by Grumpy Cat pictures on Instagram and it was fun to listen to him giggling.

We lounged around Friday afternoon/evening and tried to avoid worrying about the race. Before long, it was 4:30 Saturday morning and time to go. Colby was pretty nervous about his 100k. We spent a lot of time going over our strategy of slow and steady and smart fueling/hydrating throughout the day.

The first few miles went by really well. We spent them with the Jester and before we knew it, 12 miles were behind us. We were keeping a nice 10:50 - 11 minute pace. It was funny because Colby worried it was too fast. Later, he would give me a hard time about going too slow.

With Ed early on

We clicked off the miles rather well throughout the morning. Ed moved on and we spent time with other runners along the way. It was fun to catch up with Steve and John and other friends we hadn't seen in a long time.

About mile 30 or so Colby started to lose steam. He was hungry and tired. I spent a lot of energy talking him through it. I focused on his food intake and mental state. I knew if he got negative he would be miserable.

Terri was talking to Brady throughout the day as she was running the aid station. She tried to get Colby to talk to Brady, but he said, "I can't talk to my Dad or I will cry." It was a sweet moment. The kid was digging deep to push through a rough patch all runners can relate to. He knew talking to his dad would be too emotional for him.

The low point did not last too long. Before long we were into a nice pace again with scheduled walk breaks on the slight inclines on the course. At one point, when we were running well I heard Colby praying out loud. He was praying for the strength to finish and do well. I was bursting with pride to watch my son, my baby, push himself responsibly and effectively while seeking God in the process. Without him catching me, I cried several times because I was just so proud of him!

I had started having foot pain at mile 32 and put some tape on my toes. Around mile 58 we were running with John Wog and getting very excited Colby was almost finished. Without warning I had horrible pain in my feet. It seemed very sudden and terrible. I streak of fear ran through me, but I pushed it aside to focus on Colby. There wasn't anything that would keep him from getting that buckle!

At mile 60 we grabbed Ed in the aid station and headed out for his last loop. Colby picked up the pace with each step and before I knew it, he was in a full sprint. He ran the hardest he had all day in the last half mile. He got so fast that I couldn't keep up with him. He did it! 62 miles in 14:47. The buckle was his.

He did it!

After we took pictures and talked to Brady about his finish, I had to get going again. I really wanted to celebrate with him, but turns out I still had 38 miles to run. Terri and I helped him put dry clothes on and get settled. I sat down and put more tape on my toes and clean socks. I knew my toes were shot under the tape, but refused to give it too much thought. I still felt good and wanted to get the miles behind me before that changed.

My friend Alva arrived at that time and went out for a few miles with me. It was nice to have company that was not dependent upon me. You see, it was hard to pace Colby all day. I loved every step of it, but I was always worried, concerned, and focused on him. Once he finished, I was pretty exhausted, but still had a lot of race left. It was a stress relief to know he was finished and had met his goals.

mile 70 with Alva

Alva left the course and I was on my own. By this time it was getting cold and I was tired. I did my best to keep a good pace. By my math, I still had time to PR, but that didn't last. I got slower with each lap. The cold was too much and it was lonely out there. The runners seemed to be so spread out I went a lap without seeing another person out there. I felt sorry for myself and just drug myself through several loops.

The night finally relented and Alva and Louie came out with me some more. It was great to get closer to the finish and have company again. We enjoyed the sunrise and the amazing experience it is to run through the point most people don't understand.

Sunrise is always a welcomed sight!

Besides some minor tummy upset, overall, I was doing well. The sunrise helped my spirits and my frozen limbs. I finished the 100.5 miles in 26:09:12. Not a PR, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

The last few feet with my cheerleaders. Brady is on the phone in Terri's hand.

On the phone with Brady - I did it!

I sat down and my friends were so awesome to get me breakfast, a blanket, and anything else I needed. I took my shoes and socks off to discover I had a disaster where my toes used to me. You can see the grotesque details here.

Colby and I had a lot of fun hanging out at the course, watching others finish,  and enjoying being together. The atmosphere at RB was so supportive and fun.

I have to say thank you to Alva, Terri, and Louie for being my crew. It was so helpful to have you there, supporting and pushing me along!

The next day I drove home, stiff and sore. I didn't have long to focus on that though, because BLU was just days away. Was it possible to run back to back 100s?

Gnarly Feet and How I Got Them

I know you have seen them. The pictures of my disgusting feet after the Razorback 100. I have heard things like "Shawna's feet looked like they were giving birth to aliens!" I was also lovingly referred to as "Gnarly Foot Shawna" by our favorite Jester. I even had random strangers asking me about them. My swollen, ugly feet have taken on a life of their own.

You may think that my shoes or some other issue (like running 100 miles) caused them to look like that. Honestly, the blisters were my fault. I made some mistakes that caused my feet to look like this:

At Across The Years I had some blisters. I went to the medical tent and the EMT did a fantastic job taping my toes. She was very careful and thorough and I watched every move she made. Fast forward to the Razorback 100 and I tried my best to replicate what she did. I cut every seam down and covered my entire big toes the way the EMT did. Throughout the race I knew something was wrong, but refused to give it any real thought. As soon as I stopped and took off my shoes, it was apparent what had happened. My methods may have been appropriate, but my tape was not. The tape did not breathe and my toes exploded beneath it.

The funny thing was that all my friends thought they were amazing in a gross way. I got a lot of attention as people stopped running or volunteering to gawk at the disgusting appendages that used to look like feet.

Monday after Razorback I realized my right toenail needed to come off. I'll save you the details, but it was awful. I cried, started shaking, and almost fainted as I took it off.

They look a lot more like feet now, right?

My biggest issue was that in just 5 days I would run 100 miles again on these feet. I wrapped them at night with Neosporin (with pain relief) and let them dry out during the day.

By Friday they were looking a little better:

For the Beyond Limits Ultra, I needed to protect that wound where the nail had come off. I did that by finding breathable tape, non stick wound pads, and more Neosporin. I taped the pad over the wound and thankfully it lasted the entire race.

I didn't get pictures before the race, but this is right after. Sometime during the race I also added a blister pad where one was forming on that right foot. This tape worked wonderfully and my feet came out a lot better off after BLU than RB.

The point of all this is that we can be our own worst enemy in these crazy events. I know now what not to do, but I also know that it is a constant learning process. Be careful what you put on your feet, because you may pay dearly for it down the road (or trail!).

My daughter said to me today, "Mommy, your toes look SO MUCH better today!" So... maybe I can out live the gnarly foot name!?