Last year I ran this race as my #67th 100 miler, my good friends Paul, Kevin and Adam were out for the run, Adam was going to pace me. We ended up with 32 something hours of rain over the course of the weekend, running through what I imagined was an alligator infested swamp. This year I came all alone, and was ready to run in dry conditions! My car need to go into the shop for some stupidly expensive repairs, so I had to rent a car to drive to Florida. Unfortunately my car rental place had no cars, so I spent spent the day anxiously waiting to get on the road. Around 4:00 p.m Enterprise finally got me an SUV. Kevin gave me a ride to pick it up and I got on the road for a 9 & a half hour drive. I was due to arrive & have the beach destination at 3:00 a.m, avoiding all the traffic. The best laid plans and all that... After a break at a rest stop I noticed the check engine light stupidly on in my rental car & when I stopped at a gas station. my engine was blowing smoke and spewing fluid. It was 1:00 a.m on the GA-FL border. I called the rental car company and they said I could swap out my car at 7:30 a.m. at a nearby Enterprise, which meant sleeping in my car in the parking lot of the rental car agency. I thought that was terrible they left a female customer sleeping in their parking lot. I was able to get minivan but missed sunrise at the beach. It was next to a Walmart so I at least could grab some breakfast and a few race items I needed, but the sunrise was one of the main reasons I come to Florida
When I finally arrived in New Smyrna, I got out for a walk on the beach to beach comb and write the names of my heroes in the sand. I felt heavily fatigued and depressed. Walking all alone watching families play together felt so melancholy, and the start of February marking the 7th anniversary of Dexters death was hanging heavy on my heart. I quit the beach after a mile walk and went to my car. Id found tolerable shade and a breezy place to park, so I napped and snacked the entire day Friday. The seats in the backup rental didn't match up so it was crappy sleeping.
About sunset I picked up some race supplies and went to packet pickup.
Last year was so fun, but, life changes things and It was disheartening being all by myself. Steeled my heart to accept the weekend challenge, and slept in the SUV at the start line.
The whole experience to that point reminded of when Dexter. His car blew up when he was running away you Florida years ago. He'd tried to take his life, and when he wasn't successful, he took our car and disappeared. We tried for 2 weeks to locate him, frantic, afraid he might be dead by the side of the road someplace. Eventually he was located had a beach in Florida and brought back to Virginia. He had decided become a beach hobo and spend a few days hanging out with a homeless guy smoking marijuana, one day they decided to dine and- - d a s h and he was arrested for stealing a hamburger. It's Kind of a funny story looking back, but my heart aches thinking of him abandoning that car and hitchhiking alone down to Florida. Thoughts in my heart as I prepared to run.
Caught the pre race shuttle at 5am and we had a chilly start in the rain. I was feeling good and ready to run. Early on I met a woman who works at the VA and talked to her about mental health, & veteran suicide. We were really fortunate to have a cloud cover most of the day and cooler temps, but the thick humidity kept things on the slower side and very sweaty. A cute lady who bakes at work always sends me off with treats from the store so I enjoyed a fat brownie right off and ate lots of sweets during the day.
This is a beautiful course through tropical forest, grassland and a bit of swampy trail. The trees are outrageously gorgeous, old, crooked and weathered, covered in moss. There were small flowers growing along the trail which were fun to see, having just been through a frigid Virginia winter.
The highlight of my day was meeting some ladies & friends who were so kind and gracious and encouraging to me about accomplishments and cause, and meeting a couple runners coming to participate in my first official race, warrior 100, for the anniversary of Dexters death, Feb 22 in Galax at Fisher Peak. They were so awesome and talked to me about how much they supported my cause, it was so great making new running friends and I'm looking forward to running with them again!
The Florida trail is stunning and challenging with sand, pockets of deep sticky mud, roots, and Florida humidity, but overall its runnable and a really unique experience. At one point in Devils swamp I sunk up to my thigh in a pit and scraped up my arm but otherwise the course was nothing like the muddy disaster of last year.
It was isolating running alone at night. Very dark, though the moon and Venus were shining brilliantly, at least the trail was dry and easy to follow as opposed to the water we sloshed through last year. No going in circles. We have a large important aid station under a road underpass that we hit for multiple out and backs where we had a drop bag. The volunteers were so helpful there, helping me gear up and getting me warm soup and bottle refills. I was so thirsty I felt like I drank a gallon of water that first stop. I had backup coats and clothes, but the night stayed a comfortable temperature. The most difficult portion was a 7 mile out and back on a deserted, flat, straight sandy road. My knee started hurting and worse, I got a sharp pain in my right foot and I was concerned I might have a slight fracture. The miles dragged by. There were no aid stations on that stretch, but a water drop and snacks and Gus helped a ton. I needed some solid calories but couldn't eat. I found if I sucked a gel really quick and swallowed it down with water, I was able to get it down without gagging. At one aid station in the middle of the night I ran into my friend Brandon when had crewed me the prior year at space pirate 100. lt was a great morale boost.
I really wanted to finish this course in under 30 hrs, totally doable in the dry conditions. My favorite part overnight on the out and backs was the chance to see the other runners also struggling but continuing to fight through the night to keep knocking out the miles. It's a strange depth of personal conviction to continue to move forward through exhaustion and immense discomfort to achieve a goal like finishing 100 miles, but I believe the depth of character and strength that it takes to meet that goal, makes us resilient and unstoppable in our normal daily circumstances. Even when we are just wearily moving forward, wiping away tears and trying to just survive until sunrise, there is growth in the doing.
Met Brandon again at sunrise, with only 2 aid stations left to go I felt confident in a good finish. Hes a champion and one of the best crew I've ever had, I hope we get to partner on a race again in the future!
Temps climbed higher on Sunday and I spent the solitary miles looking for answers in the Florida jungle to my personal non -running challenges. I was happy I'd packed a neck fan because it kept me cool in the warm, stagnant air.
Hitting the final 7 mile stretch I didn't carry enough water and was parched, and running to the finish was almost an act of thirsty desperation. I was thrilled to finish in 29:15. Great people who I call friends Direct Run Bm races and volunteer, Sean, Deanna, Mike, and others. They were there to cheer me on at the finish and it made my heart happy!
This gorgeous buckle!
Really excited that I came in 6th female overall and 2nd in my age group. Met some awesome people at the finish, veterans, and had a chance to network and chat about my personal mission.
I had a long 10 hr drive home and no immediate shower back home in the cold, been spending the winter showering at the gym like a hobo, so I grabbed a gallon of water and took a little ' jungle shower '....there was no cleaning to toes of the devil swamp mud though, that stuff takes a week to finally clean out of all the crooks and crannies in the toenails lol.
I took a few car naps on the way home. I didn't stick around for another walk on the beach ... found I'm not emotionally strong enough for that yet. Made it safely until I dozed off as soon as I pulled in to park at Froggy Mountain and landed my rental car in our ditch. Luckily no damage but a good lesson about making sure I'm not driving fatigued. Kevin was a great sport and teased me about trying to kill him, I literally almost plowed through our winter camp kitchen right into his tiny house!!! Yikes! Grateful this race went really well with few stomach or fatigue issues, and the foot pain disappeared within a few days.
Tomorrow I'll be running my 87th, a race I created myself, a 10 mile loop near Galax Virginia. This year I didn't have the heart to run all alone for the 7th anniversary of Dexters death, so I'm attempting to do something I've dreamt of and this is, create an official memorial race and fundraiser. The Warrior 100.
February is an emotional struggle and getting to the gym or the trail for less than stellar workouts has been a mental battle, but every day I show up, and I hope to give it my best on Saturday. I plan to finish up these 100 100s by autumn and I think I can redo all my solo runs to get into the record books before the 10th anniversary of losing Dexter. That's my next step.
Along with that I will be doing something truly meaningful in 2025 as I move towards the 100 finish line and that will be helping to develop a Veterans legacy house, a safe place for peer support, in Galax Virginia.
Forgotten Florida, run for Dillon, Army Ranger killed in action, and Dexter, Taylor, Morgan, Jacob, and Jake, who died by suicide. Also carrying Nate who died from depression and addiction, and Jenn, LCpl Crewsons mother, who died by suicide a year after her sons death. We can't do enough to bring these issues to light or honor each hero.
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