BIG BUTTS 100K RELAY

So, about 5 weeks ago a few of my running buddies and I made the rash decision to register for the Big Butts 100K and Relay. I've known about this race for a few years, but never thought I'd actually run it... I mean, come on, it's held at the end of JULY in the Deep South. It's freakin' HOT. And humid. And the minimum distance a person can run is 50K (that's 31.2 miles for us Americans). But it's on trails (theoretically) and my friend Amy (spin instructor Amy, not Amy G), who moved to Ocean Springs 6 months ago, was willing to come up here and race it. I wanted to see her and catch up, and what better way than while running for 6-7 hours together?...

How do you train for a hot ultramarathon in 5 weeks? Well, you don't really. Not like I normally would for a marathon anyway (bumping up both my long run and total weekly mileage slowly and safely over 16 weeks, with cutback weeks every 2-3 weeks, plus lots of cross training and stretching/yoga and foam rolling/massage). 

Instead, I bumped up my total weekly mileage to 30-35 (from 20-25, which is my base/non-training average), included 1-2 double days each week (running at 5am with the group, then with Jay and Gaurav at lunch or solo after work), aimed to run at various times of day (to simulate the hours I'd likely need to run during the race... 8:00am-10:00am, 12:00pm-2:30pm, and 5:00pm-7:30pm), hit the trail at work as often as I could (to get my ankles and stabilizing muscles used to running off road), ran as far as 13.1 miles for my long run (to simulate 2.5 hours of time-on-feet, as we expected to need for our final lap/s - the course was separated into six 10.4-ish mile laps), and hoped for the best! This ultra was different than the other two I've run in that as a member of a 2-person relay team, I could complete my 50K either all at once (which I was not trained to do, like I was for those other ultras) or by switching out with my partner every other lap (giving me a 2-2.5 hour break between laps to rest and refuel and rehydrate). Sounds so much easier that way, right?

Well, the best made plans... 

Turned out we had a LOT of rain during the week leading up to the race, with thunderstorms expected on race day as well, so the race director had to make a decision: cancel the race, postpone the race, or move the race. He elected to move the race from Buddy Butts Park in Clinton (where we'd have run our 10.4 mile loops on a combination of the single track mountain bike trail and the Choctaw cross country 5K course) to his home in the middle of Jackson. Runners (and cyclists) are not allowed on the trails when they are muddy/swamped because they ruin them (two years ago the race director had to go out with a rake after the race and literally scrape flat the entire 7 mile mountain bike trail, and he was not keen to do that ever again) and limiting our miles to the Choctaw course would have meant 20 loops on a completely shadeless route (and because it is a sanctioned cross country course, we'd have had to follow the rules to shut down the race, either temporarily or completely, in the event of lightening). So our 31.2 miles on trails (which are softer/easier on the joints) got moved to the streets of Jackson...

 There was no hesitation when the ruling was announced though - our teams were still in!

And so I gathered All The Things the night before the race. This pile below isn't even all of it...

There was a shade tent, two camp chairs, the soccer bench, a camp cot, and another giant cooler in the car already. I thought I might need 3 complete changes of race gear, in case of chafing or sore feet or shoes totally soaked in sweat. Plus dry clothes for between loops. And towels. And snacks. And a battery powered fan. And medical/preventative items (foam rollers, moleskin, Advil, etc.). You know me, I had a spreadsheet packing list, and I had far more than I needed. But I eliminated any worry on my part that I wouldn't have what I needed on race day!

We carpooled to the RDs house, set up our personal aid station in his backyard, and checked in. In order for Amy and I to be able to run together, my relay partner was Gaurav and her partner was Tank. Gaurav and I named our team Booty and the Beast (a throwback to one of my high school cross country nicknames - I was The Beast), and Amy and Tank were the Two Lost Marbles. Our race "swag bags" included a green trucker hat with the Big Butts sun logo, a Big Butts tech muscle tank, a sun logo sticker, a Big Butts 100K stamped pair of sunglasses, and a CD (everyone got a different Mississippi musician).

Oh, and these lovely XXXL Big Butts tighty-whities...

Rather than save us time in the sun, because ultramarathoners are gluttons for punishment, the race didn't start until 8:00am. As the time finally neared, the RD gathered us in his front yard for a few instructions, handed out the turn-by-turn route directions, then sent us on our way.

(Right BEFORE we started our first loop, and already sweating buckets...)

(At the halfway point aid station. We could have used at least 2 more of these...)

When we returned from our first loop, the guys set out, anxious after waiting around for almost 2 hours to start their portion of the race. Amy and I drank water and Gatorade, snacked on some bananas and boiled eggs, changed into dry clothes, rolled out our muscles, and tried to rest in the shade. In retrospect, I should have eaten more, drank a LOT more, and laid down for a while rather than intermittently sitting in a camp chair and wandering around the RD's yard visiting with other runners and volunteers.

(Tired and hot, but still feeling pretty good and happy at this point!)

Right before we expected the boys back and we geared up to start our second loop, Jay and the kids showed up. And we were very happy to see them!

 They followed us around the course a bit in the car to cheer us on, ran some errands, ate some lunch, and blessedly brought us some Deep South Pops as we hit mile 9.5 (well, mile 20 for the day). Seeing them running down that last big hill we had to climb with ice cold treats was the highlight of my day!

 That second loop sucked SO BAD. The first 3 miles were in the full sun and it was high noon. It was so hot that I felt like I was barely moving (stopping to walk often and just not making quick enough progress off the busy streets and into the first shaded neighborhood). I wasn't even 2 miles in when I started feeling nauseous, getting cold chills, and cramping up in my calfs and quads. I was still sweating profusely, but I was definitely heat stressed and started to really worry whether I could (or should) continue the race. After a mile in the shaded neighborhood, I still felt terrible and stopped to stretch and have a tete-a-tete with Amy under a tree. I was texting Jay and our teammates, trying to figure out what to do, when our running friend Lee pulled up, looked us over, and said "Y'all, this is STUPID". But rather than yank me into her car, she handed me an ice water soaked towel, draped another across my neck, and forced me to drink an entire bottle of water and one of Gatorade. Then we stood there a few more minutes and weighed my options. Amy was feeling fine, but would have jumped in the car without complaint if I'd decided I was done. Once I cooled off a little and stretched, I decided to give it about one more mile (to the aid station) and reassess. On our way there, we found a yard with sprinklers going, so we stood in those for a while and cooled off further. Once we arrived at mile 5, I was feeling much better (not good, but much better). Jay and the kids and Lee were there, just in case I wanted to call it quits and needed a ride, but I decided to push on. The volunteers told us that they'd set up another small aid station with ice and water at mile 7.5, and Lee promised to be there in case I was done at that point. By mile 6 though, the clouds arrived and made running much more bearable, and by the time we hit the next aid station, it started pouring rain. The shade and rain energized me enough that I KNEW I could finish the loop, and if nothing else, end my day with a solid 21 miles (far more than I've run in a single day in over a year). We'd heard reports from Jay and Lee that the guys were DONE and did not want to go back for their second loop, which meant we were most likely done (unless we wanted to go straight back out for another loop, which we didn't, obviously), but we were OK with that, since even though I was feeling better by the end of my second loop, I didn't know if I had it in me to start the third...

(Jay found us running in the rain after the mini aid station. Look - SMILES!)

 As we turned the final corner and arrived back at the RD's house, we found the guys geared up and ready to run. So off they went, much to our surprise. Amy and I retreated to our shade tent, drank LOTS of water and gatorade (and a Coke and a beer), ate some pizza and chips, and laid down for an hour.

(Ultramarathoners double fist caffeine and beer. And it works.)

 As we neared the 2-hour mark of our break, I started debating the merits of attempting a third loop. Amy was fine and wanted to get her 50K (she did drive 4 hours up here for it, after all), and while all I could think of was that 3 mile sunny stretch that I'd have to start with, I tried to also remember that feeling of pride while running in the rain and eating my popsicle, knowing that I was challenging myself (but not truly hurting myself - I promise I would have stopped if I'd vomited or stopped sweating or could only walk). I had to know whether I could complete the full challenge that I'd signed up for. So, I told Amy that I'd gear up and go out, and do as much as I could, whether that was 2 miles or 10. It was still hot at 5:00pm when we headed out. The guys told us in no uncertain terms that they would NOT be running their third lap, no matter how well we did or how quickly we got back, so knowing that we no longer had a time constraint (or any chance of an official relay team finish) took a lot of the pressure off. We ended up stopping at a gas station halfway through that first 3 miles for a potty break and snagged some ice from a beer bin to shove in our bras (side note: this is a very good technique to survive running in the heat, and we did it all day, at every aid station - however, ice down the running shorts is not nearly as comfortable...) By the time we hit the shaded neighborhood, I was feeling confident that I'd finish the final loop, though Amy was starting to struggle (running all day long and eating/drinking randomly between runs can wreak some havoc on your digestive system, and the calf/quad cramps started to hit her by the halfway point). Since she encouraged me through loop 2, I knew I needed to be optimistic and encourage her through loop 3. Unfortunately, at one point, my autopilot fell asleep and we missed a turn, adding about 3/4 of a mile to our route... The aid station volunteers made us feel like celebrities when we arrived, telling us they just KNEW they were going to see us again, even after our dogged entrance to their station during loop 2. We continued on, and by the time we passed the mini aid station (which was at mile 8.2 for us this time around - oops), Amy was on the mend and we topped a hill to find Lee and her boyfriend, and Tank (who was showered and had packed up all our gear for us back at the RD's house already) with beers in hand. They walked with us for a quarter mile while we sipped, then they sent us on our way to reel in the final miles.

 Other than the RD and volunteers cheering us in, it was a rather anti-climactic finish. Jay and the kids were at the Kennedys (they had already planned for a fun day with them, and when I didn't know whether I'd even start the third loop, let alone finish it, I told them to stay there and not worry about trying to follow me around Jackson again), our relay partners were gone (Tank was still with Lee, and Gaurav had gone home), and while we may have finished our 50K, our team did not complete the 100K, thus there were no awards to be had. Only ONE relay team (out of 6) completed the full 100K. One of them quit during the first loop. One had stopped after completing loop 4. And the team that had been behind us all day (but caught up to us at the aid station when we accidentally added that 3/4 mile to our route) ended up not going back out for their final loop either. It was a tough day on a tough course (urban ultras are no good for the feet or joints, the lack of shade over half the course was rather painful, and we ran 1600ft of elevation change on each loop, as it was a very hilly course), and these results were expected (by the RD, anyway). Only TWO out the 15 total 100K runners who started the day stuck it out to finish the course (well, actually 3 did, but the girl who came in third place didn't make it back before the 10:00pm cutoff, so her finish doesn't count - I imagine she was not pleased about that... not to mention the huge storm that rolled into town right around the time she was finishing her 62nd mile of the day...) We found out later that Ed won (he's a semi famous local ultrarunner that participates in nearly all of the Forge Racing events, including many 100-milers), as we passed him on our way out to dinner...

 As soon as our tummies settled from the heat and the miles, we booked it over to Pig-n-Pint for BBQ (and beers for those who were not driving). It was SO GOOD to be done. I'm very proud of Amy and I for sticking it out. It feels good to accomplish something that I set out to do, and I really did enjoy a lot of my time with her out there on the roads. So, now I can check this off my list. When I thanked the RD for the opportunity to run today, but that I wouldn't be back next year to push for the relay finish, he said "Yeah, that's ok. This is a once and done race for pretty much everybody." On average, they have just 2-4 100K finishers (when it's on the trails), no matter how many sign up, so it's just a VERY hard race. And I did my share.

(That's Lee and her boyfriend on the right - we really owe her for helping us get through the race today!)

(The 50K finishers in our Big Butts tanks)

(Attempting active recovery the next day... compression sleeves, beer, and a walk around the block with the family. EVERYTHING hurts: shoulders, back, lower back, ribs, abs, and everything from the waist down. It will get worse before it gets better, but the legs should be on the upswing in a few days! Until then, I'll crawl up the stairs and walk down them backwards.)

POKEMON

 We aren't playing Pokemon GO, but James has learned about it at Daycamp (from friends who play and friends who bring Pokemon books to show). I had to laugh when I saw this free-form Qixels creation of his last night. He told me what kind of monster it is, but I honestly don't remember. Not that I'd know how to spell it anyway. He wanted his picture taken with it so that I could send it to Coltin's mama to show him.

A LITTLE OFF THE ENDS

CLINTON KENNEDYS

We got to head over to Clinton to see the Kennedy's new house this afternoon/evening! (We'd have totally crashed their place before they were even settled last weekend, but they were spared by Cora and I being at camp.) 

Their new neighborhood is pretty and kid-friendly (and very close to the schools - bonus!) and their house backs up to some really great green space between neighborhoods. We love their new place (and especially their giant deck surrounding a gorgeous old oak tree - we foresee plenty of gatherings there, we hope!) and are happy for them to have made the move they craved/needed. BUT OH HOW WE'RE GOING TO MISS THEM being practically around the corner from us! Cora threw quite the embarrassing fit when it was time to leave (luckily, the Kennedys are like family to us, so we weren't actually embarrassed - they know exactly what to expect from our kids, most of the time...), Lauren said she didn't want Cora to go, and Will offered to carry her to the car for us (ha!) 

This is all still very new to the kids (and us adults!) and it will just take some time to adjust. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? (And now I can lament that ALL my best friends live in different towns/states than me - wah!)

The girls spent their time playing dress-up, and Elsa & Anna, and mama & babies, and dancing, while the boys played with swords and Legos and Minecraft (it's an obsession!)

MAKESHIFT FORT

When mama vetoes your request to build yet another couch cushion fort...

(In my defense, we were all exhausted after being in the heat for hours and hours and hours this morning, and I just wanted to lay with my feet up. Don't feel sorry for her - she makes forts All The Time, and she was quite proud of her little tunnel under daddy's legs!)

SOUTHPARK WORK DAY

I went straight from my run over to SouthPark to assist with the PTO's Work Day. Jay and the kids were already there, and they were proud to show me the flower bed that they weeded and mulched and added new plants to. There were quite a few new paw print stepping stones added around the various flower beds too.

 I helped pick up trash, weed the other flower beds, and move the heavy concrete benches. Philip pointed out a couple that were against a wall behind some bushes, unused, so we realigned the seven total benches to maximize sitting space along the front walkway (where the car riders wait for their parents after being called out of the cafeteria one-by-one after school). And now that corner flower bed will be slightly more protected from foot traffic too. Win-win.

SEEN ON THE RUN...

We did a "neighborhood run" this morning, where we ran past the homes of Terry, Francine, and Mack (and a bunch of other people in town I know, because, small town, and Mack seems to know where EVERYONE in town lives!) I loved the plant surrounding the oaks in front of the house in the bottom photo (they had two sentinels, and they were gorgeous). It was a good run filled with very easy miles - which was perfect to kick off my taper week in prep for Big Butts this weekend!

DIRT, SWEAT, AND SMILES

Daycamp is exhausting for the kids, but they really do have a great time. This afternoon when we picked them up James was out on the track playing kickball. He was unbelievably sweaty (Thursday and Friday had crazy heat indexes and we were shocked the kids played outside at all, let alone at 5pm) and dirty from sliding into base, but that smile... 

 When he spotted us, he came strutting over looking all tough and I couldn't resist a photo. He may look like a 10-year-old lately, but don't be fooled - even under the gaze of all the boys (many of them older than him) at drop-off and pick-up, he happily jumps up into my arms for hugs and kisses. Someday he'll outgrow that, but I'm sure glad it wasn't this summer!!

FREELOADERS

 No eggs yet, but the chickens are happy. And spoiled. 

CAMP WAHI

Cora and I attended our first ever Girl Scout campout weekend at Camp Wahi (about an hour east of Vicksburg, just south of Brandon) and really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know some of our Troop girls and their moms better, meet new friends from around the state, and go "Around the World in 48 Hours" (our weekend's theme).

 All packed up and ready to go!

(I picked her up early from Daycamp on Friday afternoon.)

 We found it! Of course mama wanted a photo to document our arrival!

 Cora and I shared a tent with Cara Beth and her mama Sarah. Our Troop was housed in the Tanglewood area along with 3 other troops, and our tent was named Honeysuckle.

 We don't have many twin sheets in the house, so I had to borrow Skylanders for my cot...

 After checking in and getting settled (not much to unpack in a tent!), our next order of business was swim tests. These girls trailed to the back of the pack no matter when or where we walked/hiked all weekend long (and we put in a lot of miles... 15 over the three days!) because they were busy stopping every 2ft to pick up rocks or sticks or pine cones...

Swim instructor and lifeguard "Candy Cane".

 A little nervous about her swim test, but she didn't need to be. All she had to do to gain access to the deep end was swim across the shallow end without touching the bottom, jump off the side of the deep end, tread water for 1 minute, then jump in again and swim across the deep end while keeping her head above water.

 She was SO PROUD to earn that green wristband! Only 3 girls (out of 8) from her Troop passed their swim test, so she was feeling extra special. I loved that she was one of few because it caused her to spend all her pool time with me, swimming laps and doing handstands, and learning to dive.

After swim lessons, we went up to the Front Lawn and Great Hall for the evening flag ceremony and dinner (apparently not many of us know the words to Taps...)

 This was called "The Bridge of Silence". The girls took the rule of hushing as they walked across very seriously (the CAs and older girls more so than our little ones though...) and it made me think that Jay and I should build one for the threshold at home...

 After dinner the camp leaders did a head lice check (all our girls passed) and then we played games and sang songs in a circle for almost two hours. Yes. TWO HOURS.

 This CA (in yellow) was named FiFi (that was her "camp name", not her real name, which Cora later told me was Sophia) and she ended up being Cora's buddy over the weekend.

 When 6-year-olds are up an hour past their bedtime and in a new environment (especially a sleepover with a friend!), it results in a whole lot of bedtime stalling (and outright ignoring their mama's pleas to just go to sleep...) Pretty sure they were up and bouncing around, then singing and giggling in the dark until nearly 11:00pm! I was exhausted, so I resorted to ignoring them and pretending to sleep, while Sarah gave in and provided back rubs.

 (Yes, those are little battery powered fans. It was HOT this weekend and we were so thankful to have them! The tents also had electricity though, so in addition to our hanging lightbulb, we had access to a power cord to plug in multiple large fans. I can't blame the heat for my poor nights of sleep because I was actually cool enough overnight that I needed the blanket I threw in the car last minute "just in case".)

 Cara Beth, Addison, and Cora heading up the hill to breakfast.

 Waiting on the CAs to start the morning flag ceremony. And waiting and waiting and waiting. While camp was lots of fun, the food was pretty terrible and the staff was consistently running 20-30 minutes behind schedule, which was extremely frustrating for my timely nature (and my ultra training appetite...) We learned at the end of lunch on our last day that the staff was wrapping up their summer and heading home that day (they'd been there since the end of May), so my guess is that they were all tired and burned out (and the food menu was clearly on it's last legs, since items were "recycled" between multiple meals - egg rolls for breakfast, anyone?!)

 Exactly. That's how mama felt about all the waiting too...

 The CAs sang us into the dining hall for each meal. Cora thought the clapping and singing was too loud, but I was entertained. At least the first couple of times...  (They used the same song, repeated ad nauseum, for each of the 6 meals we had there.) Breakfast this day was "France", but rather than French toast or crepes, we had a pastry. I was very thankful I'd thought to bring iced frappuccinos in a well-iced cooler in the van...

 After breakfast we went to the Camp Store, where the girls spent the $25 credit that our Troop Leader gave them. They were all so happy to have their own money, and us moms just let them get whatever they wanted. Cora chose a Girl Scout stuffed doll, a doodle kit, a water flask with a carrying strap, and some Camp patches for her Scout bag.

 After dropping their goods back at the tents, I convinced the other moms to take the long route down to the lake and get off the gravel road for a bit of a hike. As you can see, Cora and Cara Beth hung back with Sarah, but these girls were happy to run and jump and explore with me. From front to back there is Abby, McKinley, Celebryte, Mia Grace, and Maggie Bell.

 All the girls lined up and ready to try out some water sports! First, Cora and I went out in a canoe, then I tried paddle boarding (Cora declined), then I took Cora out with some girls from another troop in a paddle boat, then Cora went back out in the paddle boat with Sarah, Cara Beth, and Abby. The paddle boarding was fun, but harder than I expected. Of course, I am not the most graceful or balanced person, and my quads were toast from completing 6 runs in 4 days prior to leaving for camp...

 Ms. Mysti (our Troop Leader) with her daughters (McKinley and Mia Grace) and Abby.

 Addison told me paddle boarding was "SO easy". She sure made it look that way...

 Cora got a little scared when I attempted to turn the corner and visit the back side of the lake. She thought the water was too deep and forced me to go back to shore. Of course, the CAs fussed at me for going too far out anyway (they had a LOT of rules at camp...)

 Sally and her daughter Magnolia (AKA Maggie Bell) on a paddle board (Sally kept it balanced, while Maggie Bell stood up and paddled - it seemed to work really well!)

 There goes Sarah, doing all the work while those little bitties play in the water...

This photo shows me standing up on the paddle board for the first time. I look like such a confident natural, eh?

 The lake was actually "Canada" (eh). The girls received passports when we arrived the night before, and each country we visited gave them little stickers that looked like passport stamps. From Canada, we hiked over to Australia (AKA the Archery Range).

 Cora's first bow was too hard for her to work properly (and she was very disappointed that her arrows barely went 5ft in front of her), but once they found her a lighter bow, she was able to spear a couple arrows just in front of the target. I thought her form looked pretty good (not that I know anything about archery).

 While the girls waited their turn, they burned off energy by climbing the ropes course.

 I may not know anything about archery, but I managed to spear the target a few times. I paid for it though... my form was bad enough that the bow string snapped my inner arm twice (which went from bright red and burning to black and blue by the next day...)

 After lunch, the girls had "Turtle Time" back at camp. I had originally thought that I'd use the hour and a half to take the girls on another hike, but it was so hot that I quickly took a cold shower and then laid in front of my fan while the girls colored and crafted at the picnic tables outside the tents.

 After Turtle Time, we went swimming (at "The Bahamas"), then grabbed a snack before going on a group hike. This bag of M&Ms and peanuts and marshmallows was honestly the best thing we ate all weekend (not counting the frappuccinos I brought for myself and snacks that I snuck in for Cora).

 The waterfall we hiked to!

(It was about 2ft tall and was barely a quarter mile from the Great Hall. I ended up getting my exercise afterward by playing tag with the girls and having them do "animal races" with me on the Front Lawn.)

 Waiting on the flag ceremony and dinner...

 ...and then there was campfire! And s'mores! And the girls were happy.

After campfire, Cora and I rushed back to Tanglewood to grab showers before the crowd. It turned out that two of the moms in our troop (our leader and Celebryte's mom) were feeling sick, so they decided to leave camp (at 9:30pm). We ended up gaining a little camper on the floor of our tent (since she'd been bunking with Mysti and we couldn't have her solo in a tent), which amped up Cora and Cara Beth just like the previous night, no matter how tired they were. Addison attempted to read them to sleep, but by 10:30pm she'd given up and started reading silently to herself while the little girls sang themselves to sleep. 

The next day, we revisited France (croissants and sausage and eggs!) and the Bahamas.

(Addison gave Cora and Cara Beth friendship bracelets. They were smitten.)

 Finally it was organized craft time (Cora and Cara Beth had been asking and asking and asking), so we visited Japan and Spain and Mexico and Hawaii (with origami, tissue flowers, a pinata, and leis).

 Coco (also not her real name) was my favorite CA (CIT? she always wore blue, not yellow) because she always got everyone's attention, visibly tried to stick to schedule, and was really upbeat.

 Showing off her tissue flower and lei at the mantle.

 The pink shirt was one she received upon check-in the day we got to camp.

 The last girls standing... barely... they were all SO TIRED by the time we neared lunch.

 Hanging around and playing more games while we waited on lunch.

 In addition to the CAs singing us into the dining hall, most meals had a "Cook's Parade" near the end, where the cooks walked a circle around the hall banging pots and pans.

 She fell asleep right after we got onto the highway and stayed that way for the entire hour home. I snapped a photo once we got to our neighborhood. Wish I could have napped with her! It really was a fun and special weekend for us (and totally worth the heat and exhaustion) and we can't wait to go again next year (though Ms. Mysti says our troop will be returning to other Camp in the state, earlier in the summer, where the food is better, they're more organized, and hopefully it will be a little cooler).