Galena Sky Trail Race {May 19, 2018} - My First Ultramarathon!

Galena Sky Trail Race

Galena, IL//8:00am

8 hour timed event/trail loop ultra

Total distance: 37.86 miles in exactly 8:00:00 

-24th overall of 86 total finishers (93 registered/7 DNS)

-5th out of 32 female finishers (37 registered/5 DNS)

-1st in the F30-39 Age Group

(My 8th race of the 2018 season)

This race was initially informally on my "radar" thanks to the beauty of Facebook advertising. It was popping up in my feed at what felt like a daily frequency. Galena is a beautiful place to visit and the pictures on their Facebook page were pretty enticing. The race director is Michele Hartwig of Ornery Mule Racing - they also put on the Hennepin Hundred in October.  We love the Hennepin event in the Wells household - Clint ran the 100 in 2016 as his first-ever 100-miler and then we went back in 2017 for him to run the 50-miler. As a spectator, I was SO impressed with the event - it was basically like a giant party at which everyone had a great time and became instant comrades because of the shared experiences. Earlier this spring I (pretty much jokingly!) said to Clint that the Galena Sky race was on my radar and that it looked pretty awesome...not really intending to actually DO it, but just stating the fact that it did look awesome and that IF I was even able to run an ultra-distance event I would be tempted to do this one.  

The event was advertised as an 8-hour and 4-hour timed looped ultra. The course was a 2.75-mile loop on trails at the Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort (read: FLAT land....HAHAHA!) that participants were to run as many times as they could in the time allotted. Originally it was advertised as 3 miles (and then the night before the race the race directors measured the course and it ended up being 2.75 miles). I told Clint that maybe, just maybe, I could shoot for 11 loops/33 total miles as my goal...I wasn't planning on running for the entire 8 hours (because I didn't think I would be able to do so), but thought it would be pretty amazing if I could somehow muscle my way through an ultra-distance.

We had planned to spend Mother's Day (the weekend prior to this race) with Clint's mom and dad. I wanted to plan to see my own mom and sister sometime around Mother's Day and reached out to them to see if they were free the following weekend - they were. The wheels in the Wells house started turning a bit. We knew that my parents' home was closer to the Galena area than our home was - and that they are great babysitters for Gabe. What if...we were to drive up to their home Friday after work, celebrate Mother's Day together as a family with dinner that night, sleep at my parents', and then drive up to Galena early the next morning while leaving Gabe with my parents all day?

My sister (who lives not far from my parents) added to the weekend-plan-fun by planning to have her daughter/our niece Charlee's birthday party on Sunday that weekend instead of the following weekend (which would've been closer to her actual birthday) - meaning we could pack a ton of fun into one weekend instead of driving up to their area two weekends in a row. 

Truth be told, as we considered registering, I kept coming back to the SWEET TRUCKER HAT that had been advertised as race swag. They had advertised that once the race shirts were gone, "late registrants" (after April 6) were not guaranteed a shirt but would instead receive a hat. I e-mailed the race director (seriously...ha!) to ensure that I WOULD get a hat IF I were to register (as opposed to a shirt). She assured me that they had PLENTY of hats and I would certainly get one. My second question was regarding packet pickup - IF packet pickup was available race morning and not just the night before, it would be ideal (because of our dinner plans to celebrate Mother's Day and because of the still-somewhat-long drive to Galena from my parents' we weren't planning to go up the night before the race). Once I got confirmation that, in addition to being able to obtain the hat I was lusting after, we could indeed get our race packets the morning of the race - we signed up. Please note - my decision to sign up had absolutely nothing to do with putting in the "appropriate" training for such an event.

OK, as many of you know, I did run a marathon in April...so, I did get in a few "long runs" (most notably a 20-miler a few weeks before my marathon and then the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon itself.  So, it wasn't like I was completely UNtrained...rather, I was just "minimally" trained for something of "ultra"-distance. Maybe, though, given my kind of anxiety-intense spring semester at school and in life in general...just maybe this was THE way for me to do my first ultramarathon - kind of "unplanned." See, there's no way to stress about something if it's a spur-of-the-moment thing, right?!  We actually bit the bullet and registered on Wednesday, May 2 - 16 days before the race.

I don't think it really hit me that I had actually registered for an "ultramarathon" until a few days prior to the race. It all seemed kind of "funny" and surreal until that point. We were planning to keep it a secret (#secretrace ha!!) until the morning of the race. I didn't want to put any pressure on myself to actually complete the "entire" race - my loose plan was to complete the 50k distance (or slightly over; whatever number of laps got me the closest to a minimum of 50k) and then I would just drop after that and wait for Clint to finish (Clint is perpetually ALWAYS trained for an ultramarathon so this somewhat-random decision to do an 8-hour event wasn't nearly as "crazy" for him as it was for me).

The week of the race, Clint and I went out to COMLARA for a 10k trail run (I posted a pic of this on Instagram with the hashtag "#crammingforthetest"). This, along with a 5k-ish portion of the recent Lake Run Half Marathon, was really the extent of my trail running this spring. As I was running along with Clint that morning I knew I would have to be very cognizant of LIFTING my feet higher when I ran so as not to trip over roots or holes or other trail items. I tend to be a bit of a "shuffler" - NOT a good recipe for successful trail running!

Tuesday of race week we ran our 6.2 miles on trails, Wednesday I ran 5 on roads, and Thursday I ran 4 miles. Friday I took a rest day as we traveled to my parents' after work.

Friday after both Clint and I got off of work, we loaded up our vehicle and set out for my parents' house. We had a great dinner at my parents' house (Hawaiian burgers - ham and pineapple! - were my choice for my pre-race meal) and spent time with Gabe's Gram and Pa and Uncle Danny, Aunt Megan and cousins Macy and Charlee. We tried to head to bed early-ish, knowing we had to leave super early in the morning to head to the race in Galena. For some reason we had it in our heads that it was about an hour away. In reality it was more like an hour and forty five minutes away. Ooops!

The race start was 8am, so we left my parents' house (with a still-sleeping Gabe in bed there!) around 5:15am. Our drive was pretty smooth - who else is out on the roads at that time on a Saturday morning?!  The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle was being live streamed that morning...so guess what I had fired up on my iPhone as Clint drove?! Yup - not ashamed to admit I am a sucker for that crap. I will say - the sermon that was preached and the music that was performed during the ceremony was all pretty amazing. I am glad I had the opportunity to watch!

We arrived to the race site just before 7:00. It was very foggy and kind of ethereal-looking. The surreal appearance of the setting was quite appropriate for my mental state - was I REALLY about to embark on my first ultramarathon?!

I commented to Clint - "Change the M to a P and this hill is named for me!" HA!

We found the registration area inside a hotel at the resort and gathered our numbers, Clint's shirt, my (!!!!!) hat, and a bunch of samples of Squirrel's Nut Butter anti-chafe and Kramp Krusher electrolyte chews (these were kinda tasty!). We also ended up buying Clint a hat - couldn't say "no" to the amazing trucker hat for less than $20!

Our personal "aid corner"

We then headed back to our vehicle and gathered up our boxes and bags of gear. We hauled it all over to the aid station that was set up at the beginning of the trail loop. A large blue tarp had been set out for runners to lay out belongings (clothing items, extra shoes, nutrition items, etc.) that we would be able to visit as we passed by on each loop.  As it turned out, we actually would pass by the aid station area twice on each loop - once right at the beginning and then once around the halfway point of each loop. Convenient! Clint and I loved the fact that we didn't really need to carry anything with us since we would have access to nutrition items every few miles.

We were one of the first to arrive, so we were able to score a corner of the tarp - prime real estate! This meant, we were able to access our items at the edge of the tarp very easily after each loop and we didn't need to climb over other items into the center of the tarp or anything like that. Sweet!

"Rookies Ridge" - seemed appropriate for me!

As we busied ourselves setting out our items, visiting the bathroom, and taking pictures, the area began to fill with runners.  I've always been impressed with the generally laid-back demeanor of most ultra-runners. Additionally, I was reminded that I really don't have nearly enough tattoos to REALLY fit in with this crowd - yet. HA!

A girl who had set up her gear on the tarp near us noticed our Often Running/Normal IL jerseys and told us she was from Heyworth. Hooray for Central IL!

I had asked Clint to run the first loop with me - and had clearly stated that after that point I was completely fine with him doing "whatever." He is obviously much more skilled at this ultramarathon business than I am and is capable of running really WELL and placing high. Spoiler alert - he went on to run EIGHT loops (22 miles!) with me!

As we went out on our first loop, I noted that I was the first female. I kind of laughed about this to Clint, stating that I was fully aware that I had NO business being out there in that position and that I was sure it would change before long. I rationalized with myself that I wasn't really going out planning on running the full 8 hours and, therefore, didn't really need to "pace myself" for that expectation. My only goal was to complete a 50k-ish.  With the 2.75-mile looped course, this meant I needed to shoot for 12 loops for 33 total miles. I estimated that this would take me 6 or just over 6 hours (but, obviously, I didn't really know).

We had a great time running that first loop - as anyone who has run both knows, trail mile pace doesn't really compare to road pace. Our first mile was run at a 9:39 pace and our second mile (always the slowest mile for me of every loop, because of the terrain!) was at a 10:07 pace.  The weather was gorgeous at this point - slightly cool, overcast, PERFECT for long-distance running.  Our first two loops were very comfortable, with mile paces ranging from 9:39-11:43 (this includes aid station stops in there every 2.75 miles of course). We joked to each other about the fact that "normal" couples go out for dinner and/or a movie as a get-away from kiddos. We, on the other hand, left our child with a set of grandparents in order to "enjoy" (or suffer during!) a date day on the trails. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. This was a really great way for us to (re)connect.

Our first loop seemed to fly by. It was clear to me that, as I got tired, the terrain would be quite difficult but not impossible. The loop boasted a very steep grassy climb about a quarter mile in (dubbed "Cuss Hill" by the race directors). During our first loop I wondered out loud to Clint if I would be climbing up the darn thing on my hands and knees by the end (I did get close, but I didn't ever need to actually climb up with the aid of my hands).  Following this climb, there was a short chunk of road running (another quarter mile or so), followed by a majority of the course being contained inside wooded areas on trails. The trails were never really flat - mostly rolling hills with a couple of steep portions.

Toward the end of the loop, the trail takes you to a clearing and this clearing is the harbinger of arguably the WORST part of the loop - Crazy Horse Climb. Basically, the course runs UP a grassy ski hill. Not only was it a huge ascent, but it the grass was long and itchy, there were tons of bugs, and there was no shade cover. UGH!!! After you crest this hill, though, you are greeted by the timing mats that mark the end of the loop - you simply run down a bit and celebrate A COMPLETED LOOP as you cross the mats and then run up a bit to the aid station.

From the very first loop, we walked up the ascents. This is a weird paradigm shift for me - prior to engaging in this ultrarunning business, "running" means "running." When I run a race, even a marathon, I really don't ever walk unless I feel like there is no other option (read: I am physically unable to continue running). However, Clint (and others) had advised me that this "running means running" notion really only applies to road races or shorter trail races. Saving your quads by walking up the ascents (or power hiking, really) is really a great strategy, according to many, and this proved to be prudent for me as well.

We crossed the timing mat after our first loop together, with smiles from both of us and a smack on the race banner hanging over the timing mat by Clint.  We powered up the little hill toward the aid station and stopped for a few seconds to grab a drink and continued on, down a slope and then UP-UP-UP stupid old Cuss Hill. The second loop went smoothly - it was kind of fun to have things be predictable after the first loop. Honestly, I really get a kick out of looped courses. Some people may find them boring - but I really do enjoy them. This was my second experience with a looped course - the first being the 8-loop Last Chance BQ Marathon in Geneva that I ran in 2015.

After our second loop together, we visited the aid station and I snapped a quick pic - time stamped 8:56am. I remember feeling pretty elated that I was actually DOING this thing! Things felt genuinely easy and comfortable at this point. I made sure to drink a full cup of water with Tailwind after each loop and I also used my (favorite) Huma gels regularly.

Two loops down! At this point I was still in disbelief that I was REALLY "doing it!"

As I tend to do to get me through "things," I started making deals with myself. I decided that I would post quick race updates to Instagram after every two loops I completed (distraction tactic...ha!). I made my first "in race" update using the picture above. I would also like to take this time to point out the fact that I had decided to sport my brand new race swag (THE lusted-after HAT!) during the race. As anyone who has run numerous races knows - this is kind of a "newbie" move. You aren't really "supposed to" wear the item (which is typically a race shirt) until after you successfully complete the event and "earn" it. Well - I didn't care. I was WEARING the HAT! Ha! I just had to be EXTRA sure that I would force myself to finish a respectable distance to really earn that hat!

Things went relatively smoothly for the next few loops...we power hiked the hills, ran most of the rest, enjoyed the fresh air and each others' company (and I continued to feel like I was doing something "wrong" because we were pretty sure I was one of the first, if not the first, women still at this point in the race." The temps stayed relatively cool and comfortable (and the sky was overcast) until mile 16 or so. Then...things started to get real. Real HOT. As you can imagine, this also added to the overall challenge of the situation.

Four loops done! (9:55AM)

Five loops done! (10:25AM)

Six loops done! (10:55AM)

Eight loops done! (12:01PM)

After eight loops (22 miles!) together, I told Clint to go ahead without me. I was definitely FEELING every bit of those twenty-two miles and HILLS! I pointed out to him that this was the LONGEST run we had been on together since I-don't-know-when! I was really surprised (and happy!) that he had chosen to run so far with me - talk about a self-sacrificing man!

I went on to run the next three loops by myself. Guys, it started to get EVEN HOTTER!!!  While I slightly lamented the fact that I wasn't strong enough to hang longer with Clint, I was also proud of what I was doing. This was HARD WORK and, let's face it, I was't exactly well-trained.  It was fun chatting a bit with random people on the trail - ultrarunners for the most part, are so friendly and fun to talk to. Camaraderie during any kind of race is pretty fabulous!

After ten loops...officially in "ultra" territory!!

At some point, I don't really remember when, I tripped over a root and my body got thrown forward into the air pretty hard. I ended up being able to right myself without biting it, but I was totally jarred. I made a crazy loud noise as my feet came stomping down onto the ground dramatically and I yelled, and then laughed at myself. A few runners directly in front of and behind me yelled to check in on me but I assured everyone I was "fine!" It was borderline embarrassing - but I was so thankful I didn't actually fall! I am actually pretty surprised that was my only near miss of a fall!

At some point on either my 10th or 11th loop (I won't lie, some parts of my loops are kind of a mental blur), as I neared the first crossing of the aid station area on that respective loop, I heard a child crying off in the distance. A male voice behind me said, "Not mine!" I echoed back, "not mine either!" I then looked behind me to see that the voice belonged to a familiar face - Eric Swanson, a runner I know from the LeRoy area. We ended up running and chatting together for the next mile or so which was AWESOME. It was a totally welcome distraction for a while! He let me know that he was running the 4-hour option and was a few loops in at that point. He told me that he had run into Clint a while prior to that and that he seemed to be doing well. Eric seemed very chipper and like he was running strong - great work, Eric! And - thanks for the company!

After I wrapped up my 11th loop, I entered the aid station area very excitedly knowing I had only ONE LOOP REMAINING between me and my big goal of 50k! I was VERY surprised to see Clint there waiting for me! After he finished his 11th loop, he ended up just chilling in the aid station area to wait for me so that he could run my final loop with me and be with me when I completed my first 50k. Pretty cool!

I fueled up and readied my brain and my body to get started on that 12th (and maybe final) loop. While I was confident that I could've finished it on my own, I was so grateful that I didn't have to and that I would have Clint with me to get through those final miles as I worked my way through to 50k+!

That last loop (understandably!) was absolutely the hardest. I was tired. And hot. And just kind of "over" running at that point! I definitely walked more than I would've liked on that loop...but I was determined to do whatever I needed to do to get to my goal of completing 12 loops and covering that 50k distance.  My watch read 31 miles at 6:05:39. I felt a big sense of pride when I saw the mile reading click over to 31 miles! If we are getting really technical, it's actually possible that my "real" 50k time was a bit faster than that because my Garmin readings were almost a mile off at the end (the official distance I covered at the end of the race, according to the final race standings was 0.78 mile longer than what my Garmin read). Doesn't really matter, of course, just interesting for me to think about.

This is my Garmin display after 12 loops...after I officially was able to call myself a 50k-er!

After Clint and I crossed that 12th loop together, we took a quick pic (of course!) and I sent him off on his 13th loop.  

Ultramarathoners! (2:28pm/ 6:28 on the race clock)

I allowed myself to take my first real break of the day...first order of business was removing my shoes. I could tell that I was developing some blisters on both feet. Once my shoes were removed I found two blisters - one large one on the outside of my left big toe and one smaller one on one of the small toes on my right foot. I put some sandals on, drank some more Tailwind, and ate some boiled potatoes and let myself breathe. 

I assessed my body - sure, I was tired but I also wasn't "dead." I thought to myself that perhaps I should try to walk one more loop.  At this point there were still about 90 minutes left on the race clock. I was fairly certain I would be able to cover the 2.75 mile loop, walking in my sandals, in 90 minutes or less.

So, I grabbed my cell phone and set out. My plan was to snap a few pictures of the course for posterity - and I also made a few phone calls (HA!). I called my sister and chatted for a bit, which was kinda fun. 

Pics from the course....

Somewhere in the woods...

Some portions of the course had scenic overlooks boasting great views of the Mississippi River, naturally my iPhone pics don't come close to doing the views "justice"

This is a view of the course about halfway through the loop - the first time you approach the aid station on the loop

I asked another runner (our sorta-friend from Heyworth!) to snap this nerdy pic of me
toward the end of the loop that I walked

This sign said "Sorry (not sorry" in the middle of "Crazy Horse Climb"

This was my watch display after 13 loops (actual mileage was more like 35.75 at this point) at 3:27pm

When I finished my 13th loop (successfully completed in sandals, might I add!), I decided I still wasn't "done." There was still just over 30 minutes left on the race clock...plenty of time to get in a bit more mileage! So, at 3:15 the race directors stopped allowing runners to go out on the looped course and instead runners were directed out to a shorter out and back portion where they were allowed to complete as many passes as they could before the clock clicked over to 4pm, thus racking up more mileage to count toward their final totals.

Since I was still upright and really doing "fine," I decided to keep on keepin' on! I set out and power walked two out-and-back loops. As I did so, I was able to look out and watch Clint near the timing mat as he wrapped up his 14th loop.

Clint under the ski lifts, nearing the end of his 14th loop

Once he wrapped up his 14th loop, he came out to the out-and-back portion and we passed one another a few times.

As I turned around on my final out-and-back, I had to stop for a silly selfie with this guy - he was actually in a full viking costume earlier on in the day when he served as the starter for the race

After I completed 2 walked loops, there wasn't quite enough time on the clock to walk one more loop - but there WAS enough time to run. I decided to give it a go...and ran that ~0.68 mile out-and-back portion, tired body, sandals and all and crossed the timing mat right as my watch read 8:00:00.

My watch was a little off, because I was able to turn around and wait about a minute to watch Clint finish up his final out-and-back - they pulled the cord on the timing mat the second after he crossed! I was happy for him that his last out-and-back mileage was able to therefore count toward his total!

Go, Clint, Go!

WOOOOOT!

Dang, that's a lotta miles! (The official race results actually had me at 37.86 miles - we all know Garmins can get wonky out there in the woods, so who knows)

These sandals served these feet well for 5+ crazy miles of mostly walking and some (like 1.2 miles of) running!

EARNED!

After we collected our (awesome!) medals, we cleaned up our aid station belongings and headed inside the hotel to the post-race dinner. We hung around for a while waiting for the awards ceremony...but they ended up having a debacle with the results that wasn't able to be remedied that night....so, we (and everyone else) ended up heading out after about an hour and a half or so. The results were e-mailed out after a day or so....and we were excited to see that Clint earned second in his age group and I earned first in mine! Clint was also 10th overall out of 86 - just imagine how well he would've done if he didn't hang out with me for 25 of those miles!!

My neat age group award (a magnet) - they mailed them out about a week after the race. 

One big perk of Ornery Mule races is the great race photographs that are taken and made available to participants! Here are a few of my favorites from the professional photos taken:

Race Start!

Walking the final out-and-backs...

HA! Finish line feels (this was after 13 loops before I started the final short out and backs)

I can't lie - I still really can't believe I actually completed an ultra! What a crazy-fun "club" to now be a part of. I mean...maybe I am not REALLY part of it until I run a 50- or 100-miler, though. Hmmmm....

My first shout out, as always, goes to Mitch. THANK YOU for letting me be a part of the Often Running Racing Team. This is one of the best parts of my life - and I am grateful for the friendship and support! Thanks to my teammates for the fun and love and camaraderie. Thanks to Clint for the endless advice and "coaching"...and for running 25 miles with me and sacrificing what could have been an even BETTER race performance for you on this day! Thanks to my parents for "babysitting" Gabe so his mama and dada could experience a running-date-day! Thanks to Saucony for the always-dependable gear (my new Peregrine trail shoes were amazing on race day!).

What's next?!

I am hoping to recover decently from this little "endeavor" and get some speed back - I am looking forward to getting back at some track workouts and re-focusing on my short game this summer (unless I get myself stressed out and hurt again).

I am planning to be at the following events this summer (as usual, our summer revolves around running :)):
-Toluca Double Diamond Dash (Clint and I were top male and female at this event last summer! While it would certainly be fun to re-live that, I don't think we will have a repeat of that this year :))

-Steamboat 15k

-Downs Freedom 5k

-Park2Park 5-miler

-Dog Days 5k

-The Bix 7 (it will be my fifteenth consecutive Bix!!)

-Evergreen Lake 5k

This summer I will be helping out as a leader at Heat Wave for my 4th summer (can NOT even wait for this! I love Heat Wave!!) and the Wells Family will be helping out at as many Kids Run for Fun events as we can.

Moving into the fall, I hope to be able to hit up another "longer" event. I am not sure yet what that will look like...BUT my sister let me know a few days ago that a new event was just announced the weekend of my birthday (the race is the day before my birthday - Saturday, October 27) -the  Hawkeye Fallout 50k. Apparently it is on the same course as the Hawkeye 50k that she ran in April, however the October event runs in the opposite direction on the 2-loop 25K course. Might be a fun birthday adventure...we'll see. (Here, I could ask myself What Would Carol Do?! I think the answer would be "Say yes to adventure!" HAHA!). I have also considered doing the 50-miler at the Hennepin Hundred event earlier in October...or training for another "fast" marathon and running Indy Monumental again in November. Who knows. We'll see what the summer brings...

I have some decisions to make, yes.  But, until then...bring on the summer! Here's to running for FUN and spending time with great people while doing so!

Hennepin Hundred {tales from a crew member}

This is not a personal account of the running of the Hennepin Hundred, a one-hundred-mile ultramarathon - I really don't think I will accomplish such a feat in my lifetime! Rather, it is my report of the experiences I had as a member of the crew that spectated, provided support to, and helped pace my husband through his first one hundred mile ultramarathon. Also, I should warn you - this will NOT be short. I was awake for 29 hours over the race weekend - there are many, many details to record! I have a feeling, for us (Clint and me... and maybe someday our little guy Gabe!), it will be fun to go back and read this again someday to remember this crazy-fun-amazing-unreal weekend.

What the heck IS an ultramarathon, you might be thinking. Well, technically, anything longer than a marathon (a marathon is 26.2 miles if you were curious) is an ultramarathon (this is even how Wikipedia defines it). Typically, though, runs of 30miles/50k(31.1 mile) or more are generally considered to be ultramarathons.

Before the Race:

My husband, Clint, has had his sights set on completing a 100-mile ultramarathon for longer than I have known him. He'd run a number of ~30 mile/50k races and one 50 mile race prior but always felt like he could do more. As long as I've known him, as well as prior to that, he has had a thirst for seeing just how far he could push his body. It's one of the {many} things I love about him! He's not content to sit back and let life happen to him; he seeks out big personal challenges and grand adventures.

While I was pregnant, Clint asked me how I felt about him training for a 100-mile race and completing one in 2016. Anyone who has completed an endurance event or has had someone close to them do so knows that the training is like a part-time job that can consume an extreme amount of time and energy. For someone in a committed relationship/marriage, this really requires support of the other party. I mean, I guess you could do it without the support of your partner - but I wouldn't recommend it. Even WITH my full support, there were times when I couldn't help but get tinges of bitterness over things related to the 100-miler (I'll get to that later).  This stuff could really be detrimental to relationships if you don't have a good level of mutual understanding and fair expectations of one another.

I told him that he should go for it and gave him my full blessing to register, knowing this met that there would be days that I would be left alone for long hours with our newborn so that he could get his training in. In return, the expectation I had of him was that he would be fully present in our lives when he wasn't running and that he would help out - and allow me to have some breaks to get in runs (or sleep!) of my own. I mean why not throw an extra element of "crazy" in while learning how to parent a newborn for the first time?!

So...on January 29 this past winter, after researching some different options, Clint signed up for the Hennepin Hundred. This race, though not exactly in an "exotic locale" like some other ultramarathons, made sense for us for a number of reasons. It's basically in our backyard at only about two hours away from our home. Additionally, my family lives not far from the finish of the race. This means that finding dependable childcare was a non-issue (I think most new moms will agree that their own mother is one of the few people they can leave their child with without worry). It also meant we would have a free place to stay AND we would have easy access to a slew of support in the shape of other family members and friends from our home here in Central IL who would be able to drive up without much difficulty or extreme expense. As much as we felt like it was all planned out, at the time that he registered I don't think either of us fully understood what the next eight months would entail.

February and March brought Clint's usual training and the occasional race for both of us. I was nearing the end of pregnancy and doing my best to hold onto at least a glimmer of fitness. Clint was focused on training one of his first athletes (he is in the process of getting a coaching business up and running this year too!) for a big marathon PR. In early April he missed a big/favorite race due to some pregnancy woes I was experiencing and I still feel badly about it. And then...on Wednesday, April 20 my water broke at home 9 days before our due date, catching us both completely by surprise. A long drive to our hospital followed, with the contractions and waiting game after that, and our sweet son Gabriel was born on Friday morning, just over 39 hours after my water broke (seriously). Clint went home on Saturday morning to tend to a few items - including going for a run. Yes, I "let" my husband go home to get a run in while I was in the hospital with our day-old infant and no, I wasn't a bit angry or bitter about it :). My good friend Jen came to visit while he was gone and the run restored a bit of his sanity - worth it, all around!

We weren't able to leave the hospital until Sunday morning, which meant we were in the hospital for four long nights. Our little guy had to be monitored due to jaundice and the fact that my water was broken more than 24 hours prior to his delivery. Everything went just fine, though, and we settled in to our "new normal" at home in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. We started the crazy sleeping-eating-crying-eating-crying dance that new parents know so well. We did our best to at least START the "sleeping" process each night at a reasonable hour so that Clint could get a somewhat decent amount of sleep in to function for work and running the next day (this clearly wasn't always the case, but we tried!).

Clint is constantly running and training for "something," so he had a great fitness base already in place prior to registering and training for the race. However, his formal training for the race started in mid-June - about 16 weeks out from the event. We have the privilege of living in a town with a great running community. Most early weekend mornings when Clint would be out on the trail getting a long run in, he would run into someone he knew even if he wasn't formally meeting someone or a group for some miles. There were many mornings when he would come back home and would have a report of 4 or more people who he would run into and then would run with for a few miles each. I often had text messages from friends telling me, "I just saw Clint out running!" and many days had coworkers telling me, "I saw Clint running by my house this morning!" or even, "Was Clint out running in this RAIN this morning?! I thought I saw him!" Rain or shine, hot or cold, tired or well-rested...Clint was out there getting in his miles.

Some of his most notable (from my perspective) long runs include the following -

1) When Gabe was just a few weeks old, the three of us drove out on old Route 66 20-some miles from home and dropped Clint off...he then ran home (I remember this day as being very cold and icky).

Beautiful solo miles...Clint saw many, many of these during his training this past year!

2) In August, we planned to go on vacation to Michigan with some of my family. This vacation happened to fall over a weekend that Clint had a 30-mile training run planned. Before we left, he researched the area and found a trail system, the Kal-Haven Trail, that was not far from where we would be staying. While Gabe slept (supervised by my mother), I drove Clint out to the train and ran the first 2 miles of it with him (and then 2 miles back to the car)...in the rain. He carried on to finish 34 total miles that day while I went back to spend time with my family.  Later that day, Gabe and I picked him up and we got lunch at a cute restaurant not far from the trail.

Family shot at the end of the Kal-Haven Trail!

3) In September, Clint ran an ultra at the local Evergreen Lake Ultras event. This event boasts a 17-mile trail loop that can be completed 1 ("half ultra"), 2 ("ultra"), or 3 ("ultra and a half") times.  Clint ran the 2-loop option and Gabe and I played support staff. Clint got 3rd overall in his event, earning him another walking stick to add to his growing collection - woot!

Family shot with Clint after the race.

This brings us to...the big show and moment(s) of truth!

I worked a few hours on the Friday morning of the Hennepin Hundred race weekend, whereas Clint took the day off. He was on Gabe and packing duty for the first few hours of that day while I worked and then we tag-teamed to get out the door around noon. Our first stop was to our favorite Chipotle location in town where we got lunch ... and completed our Chiptopia quest (11 visits in each of three consecutive months this summer to earn free catering for 20 people!). After that, we were off to pick up Clint's race gear in Colona!

We had to stop about halfway for a potty break (daddy!) and milk break (Gabe!) but other than that, our trip was uneventful. We arrived at the packet pickup in Colona, IL a bit after 3pm. Clint picked up his timing chip, race shirt (they were really cute 3/4 length soft shirts!), number, and purchased a hat and hoodie. He also had a pre-race photo taken and dropped off one drop bag (participants had the opportunity to drop six or so bags, but Clint knew he would have crew/supporters at all of the aid stations with crew access so he chose to only drop one bag for a station that would be visited twice around the halfway point - aid station 10/11 which was at miles 47.1 and 52.3 of the race). We took a few pictures (and Gabe hung out with a friendly guy who asked if he could hold him for a few minutes) and then hopped back in the car to head to my parents' home.

Clint's race pic - I love it! That beard really makes him look the part of "ultra runner." HA!

100-mile Family!

Ready to do this thing!

We got to Geneseo/my parents' home around 4:30. We left G with his Gram and then headed to the local grocery store in search of dinner. Clint had brought some groceries but wanted to pick up a few more things for the evening/weekend. We very rarely have a few baby-free moments (really mostly by choice - leaving G during evenings/weekends is not something we are super eager to do since we are away from him most of the week due to work), so we relished our quick "date" to the grocery store before heading back to prep dinner. Clint whipped up some tasty gluten free banana pancakes for the three of us (himself, me and my mom) and also prepped a baked sweet potato for himself - yummy carbs!

We laid low for the remainder of the evening and Clint made final preparations to his race gear. We set our alarms for 4:15am with intentions of leaving around 5 the next morning. The race start was slated for 7am and Clint wanted to arrive about an hour prior to start time. The race started at Sinnissippi Park in Sterling, IL which is just under an hour from Geneseo, IL.

I remember I didn't sleep the greatest (and Gabe was up a few times in the night, which is typical for him right now)...but I did my best to sleep as much as possible because I knew that the next time my head would meet the pillow would be a VERY long time!

Race Day:

Morning came QUICKLY as it typically does on big race days. We did our best to get ready quietly in our guest quarters, but G did end up waking up. I felt kinda bad leaving an awake baby with a tired Gram at 5 in the morning, but (as usual) she smiled and expressed that she was just happy to be with him. That gracious Gram, I tell you. She's somethin'.  Before heading out, I strategically fed the baby and pumped a fresh bottle. With the two bottles in the refrigerator that I had brought from home, Gram had three bottles from which to feed our little guy that morning which I hoped would be enough until I could make it back! {An aside - have I mentioned that the milk/pumping/baby feeding cycle is a bit anxiety-inducing for me?!}

We ended up leaving around 5:15am. Clint drove us to Sterling, stating that since I would have driving responsibilities for the rest of the weekend when he was "incapacitated" after the race, he should take a turn that morning (we usually try to split driving responsibilities for long-ish distances).  Before long, we pulled in to Sinnissippi Park. A kind woman directing cars into a parking lot at the race informed us that a bus of participants (there were busses that were scheduled to drive runners to the start from a few different locations; this race is a point to point race and not an out and back so runners would not be returning to the starting area which means planning where to leave a car can be complicated without some sort of driving assistance) had gotten lost and would be late. Therefore, the start time was being delayed from 7am to between 7:15 and 7:30. No biggie.

We parked the car around 6:15 and sat inside for a bit since we weren't really in any kind of hurry. We watched around us as some participants and spectators hung out on lawn chairs or in the back of SUVs/truck beds. After a few minutes Clint said, "Is that AP?" as he motioned toward a car that was pulling in to our left. Our good friend AP drives an old black and white cop car - there aren't many cars that look like his! It was indeed him so we got out and greeted him excitedly. It was a great surprise - we knew he was coming to the race at some point that day, but we didn't expect to see him right away at the start! THANKS AP! He got up at o'dark thirty back in Blo-No just to make it up in time for the race start.

We took some pre-race pictures and Clint visited the porta-potties a few times (an aside - I also made a visit to a porta-potty that was marked by getting SPLASHED in the rear by the nasty porta-potty water. This had never happened to me before and was quite traumatic, as you might imagine. EEEEK!!!) and soon it was time to meander over to the starting line!  The race officials had passed around the word that the race would be starting at 7:20am (which gave the late-arrivers ample time to prep/visit the bathrooms, etc.).

Porta-Potty visit, baby!

AP, spectator and friend extraordinaire!

Almost go-time!

I think AP and I were just as nervous/excited as Clint!

Clint was literally the fifth person to register for the race (he asked). Awesome!

Almost time....

With a quick kiss and a good-luck wish, I left Clint at the starting line and AP and I stationed ourselves to the right of the starting line a few paces up. We waited for the start and shouted words of encouragement as the runners ran by on their first steps of their 50- or 100-mile journeys (the race features 50, 100, and 100-mile relay divisions). After all of the runners were off, we hopped in our cars and went in search of sweet, sweet coffee. I grabbed a decaf mocha with almond milk (standard procedure for me as of late) and some GF oatmeal. After getting sufficiently fueled up, we returned to our cars and set off for Aid Station Two.

One of the many great things about this super well-organized race is that there are TWENTY well-planned aid stations that are each manned by different volunteer groups. Many of these aid stations have access for the crews/support teams for the runners (13 to be exact - the other 7 are not accessible to crew members). The race website includes GPS coordinates for each aid station as well as driving directions to and from each aid station with crew access. Amazing!! While the aid stations were plentiful and well-stocked, Clint had carefully put together bags of his own that he wanted us to bring to the aid stations we visited. His "goods" included - changes of clothes/socks, Honey Stinger waffles, peanut butter RX bars, Justin's almond butter packets, Monster Energy Drink (surprising if you know Clint ;)...but this was intended for the mentally and physically dark hours later in the race), Tailwind powder, naproxen, and some basic first aid supplies.

Aid Station One was not able to be accessed by crew, so we headed to Aid Station Two first. On our way there, we were pleasantly surprised to get a glimpse of the runners crossing the road we were driving on! AND...we caught our first Clint-sighting! We honked and he actually saw us as well. He was around mile 4 at this point - I snapped a picture that is time-stamped 7:58am.

First Clint-sighting!

Waiting at mile 10.8/Aid Station Two with my compadre!

We continued along our way to Aid Station Two (mile 10.8) where we parked and joined the crowd waiting to see our runners! First, I had to spend a few minutes in my car with my pump - gotta keep that baby fed! Let me tell you, the pumping-in-the-car game added yet another "interesting" element to this crazy-busy day! The volunteer group manning this aid station included some really enthusiastic individuals, some of whom were dressed up like superheroes. This aid station also boasted shots...and we may or may not have been invited to take some shots with the volunteers (we politely declined ;)).

At 9:03am we caught our first glimpse of Clint approaching the aid station! He looked great and was smiling enthusiastically. We snapped some pictures as he approached and he grabbed some Tailwind refills (sports drink) at the table, pausing only for a bit before heading back out. Then...we were off for Aid Station Four (mile 19).

Here comes our guy! This was the first time we spotted him while we were waiting at an aid station...
it was such a thrill each and every time!

Always smiling :)

See ya soon, Clint!

It took 14 minutes drive time to get to Aid Station Four. We parked and then decided to both head to a gas station in AP's car to grab some water and salty potato chips (for me ;)). Once we made it back and re-parked, we headed down to the course to watch and wait.  

Never too cool for selfies

At 10:25, Clint approached us at Mile 19. We snapped pictures and cheered as he passed us excitedly.  At this point, he stopped for a few minutes and changed from his short-sleeved shirt into a sleeveless jersey (re-applying Body Glide to his fragile nipples...ha!). By 10:29, he was on his way!

This guy must've been spectating since last year...

There he is!

Powering past AP to the aid station for some fuel...

He's doing it, he's really doing it!

Shirt change...

Filling up the bottles in his vest...

The aid station volunteers were always eager to help the runners!

See you soon, sir!

AP and I hopped into our respective cars. Since there was a big chunk of time before we would be able to see him again (the next aid station with crew access was #7 at mile 32.1), I had made plans to head back to my parents' house to drop off my pumped milk and feed G. So, I set off for Geneseo and AP headed to Aid Station 7.

When I got to my parents' home, Gabe was chillin' on my mom's lap with a bottle - happy as could be. Since he was clearly in no need of me at the moment, I pumped another bottle to stash for my mom to give him later. While I was there, my sister Megan showed up with our sweet nieces Macy and Charlee. Naturally, they were all too excited to see Gram and Baby Gabriel. Megan had planned to hang out with me, catching Clint at as many aid stations as we could manage.

Gram holding down the fort at one of the most important "aid stations"!

Aid Station 7 was the first "big" stop for Clint - it was the 50k+ point and it was where he was planning to make his first shoe change. Therefore, it was important that he had one of his crew members waiting for him with his shoes, on time! Just in case I was running late after hurrying back to my parents' house to feed Gabe, I had left his shoe bag and other gear bags with AP.  Megan and I headed over to Aid Station 7 around 11:45 which ended up being perfect timing (it took us about 40 minutes to get there). We did end up having a bit of a Google maps debacle here but did end up making it to the right place on time...I was sweating for a while as I drove, though! We parked and headed over to where AP had already set out all of Clint's needs (shoes + nutrition) in his own little mini aid-station area. Love that AP!

New shoes and socks...body glide...sunscreen...bug spray...and an assortment of fuel options including Honey Stinger waffles, honey stinger chews, Justin's almond butter, and RX bars

At 12:46 we saw him approaching! He looked strong and had his typical smile on his face. He stopped for a bit to change his shoes for the first time, refill his Tailwind bottles and to chat with us before heading back on the trail at 12:54pm. This ~8 minute pause was his longest yet, but since it included a shoe change it wasn't a big deal.

Aid station refueling!

Selfie with our runner!

Feelin' gooood ;)

After he set out to conquer his next miles, we hopped into our cars to head for Aid Station 8 at mile 38.7. AP, Megan and I chatted while we hung out and waited for a while here. I remember complaining about the heat and the bugs - ha, as if we had any room to complain about discomforts ;). But seriously...it really was starting to get hot and the bugs were SO gross and bite-y.  We saw many runners approaching this aid station in various states of discomfort. One lady stopped and stretched for quite some time. Judging from the look on her face, she was NOT feeling good.

We saw Clint approaching us, running on a bridge over the canal, at 2:03pm. He actually started dancing across the bridge when he saw us - what a goon! 

Here he comes! Waiting and watching runners cross this picturesque bridge was awesome!

:)

Look at that beard! Clint is still smiling more than 50k in!

He let us know that he was definitely feeling it but overall was doing well. Once he was back on the trail at 2:09, we headed back to our cars to head to Aid Station 9/Mile 43.9.

You can't tell in this dark picture, but Clint was throwing up a heart with his index fingers and thumbs <3 td="">

When we got to Aid Station 9, I hung out in the car for a while and had my lovely second car-pumping session of the day. I tell you what (any fellow pumping mamas, I know you can relate!)...plotting how to fit pumping into the day (as well as bottle transport back to my mom/Gabe!) was not easy! {Easy or not, it was all more than worth it :)}

The trail as a whole was beautiful (see pics!!) and the sunny weather really highlighted that beauty. This next aid station was particularly scenic, in my opinion. The aid station was run by a group of MILFs (HAHAHA!) that actually offered FREE MILF HUGS as advertised by a large colorful poster. In all seriousness, though, they were great...ALL of the volunteers we encountered were awesome, really!

Our friends Amber, Holly-Rae and Tim arrived with a car-load o' fun while we were waiting - they also brought along their kiddos Sophia (Amber's) and Gracie and Jack (Holly-Rae and Tim's)! It was awesome to see them - and the girls had crafted some really cute signs that they were all too excited to wave in Clint's honor. They all headed down the canal a bit to run in with him.  Clint mentioned later how excited he was to see their sweet faces as he exited a tunnel on the canal!

Here he comes! {Big thanks to Holly-Rae for this and the next seven or so awesome pics!} 

"Hi guys!"

I love this pic...Clint was excited to see these cuties, proudly holding their signs to cheer him on!

The sweet girlies running after "Clinty" with their signs

Clint started running toward us from the right at 3:13pm. The guy was smiling so much you really would've never guessed that he was almost 50 miles into a 100-mile race! Clint, you're ridiculous - and of course I mean that in the most loving way possible ;). 

Clint started downing some Coke at the aid stations - he doesn't usually drink Coke, but
it is not uncommon for ultra runners to rely on things like Coke for some much-needed caffeine and sugar!

Love this pic - thanks Holly-Rae :)

Sure, he'd never run 100 miles before...but he sure looks the part of a seasoned ultra-runner in my opinion!

He was back on the trail at 3:17 after a quick kiss (and no, sadly, he didn't take them up on their FREE MILF HUG offer;)).

Back in the car we went...off to Aid Station 10! 

Heading back to the cars...Jack is a little rockstar, eh?!

This next aid station was just a few miles up the road AND we would actually get to camp out here a bit as it was a shared Aid Station with 11 (runners finished 47.1 miles and then ran back out about two and a half miles and then back to the aid station for a little over 5 more total miles). It was nice to have a little "break" from navigating and running around - I know, I know...the job of a spectator is just so rough compared to that of the runners! HA. We were also very excited to have our friends Joe and Karen and Tanya join us here!

Aid Station 10 was the first place where 100-mile runners were allowed to pick up pacers. Prior to race weekend, Clint had come up with a plan that included pacers that would be with him from Aid Station 10 (mile 47.1) until the end - first AP, then Joe, next Tanya, and last me. So, AP was first up and was rarin' to go when Clint came in to Aid Station 10!  

AP is pumped and ready to run!

What a crew! Megan (my sis), myself, AP, Holly-Rae, Amber, Gracie, Sophia, Jack and Tim!

We saw Clint running up to us at 3:59pm-

He was ready for some refueling -

Megan helping Clint get some goods from his gear bag to refuel while Sophia and Gracie looked on.

One of Clint's "staples" at aid stations became "sandwiches" with Justin's almond butter between two Honey Stinger waffles

...and for a shoe change...This shoe change was a bit unique. Clint has a pair of Hokas that he likes, however his feet are a bit wider than the shoes are made for. He read on some running blog somewhere about cutting out the sides of the shoes to make more room for your feet. Sounds kinda crazy to me...but then, again, running 100 miles sounds crazy too ;). So...whatever! Bring on the doctored shoes! Whatever it takes!

Check out those kicks!
{The white spots on either side of each shoe are his socks peeking out of the holes he cut into the shoes ahead of time)

After some high-fives from his fan club....

Karen...

Jack...

Get after it!!

...he and AP were off! The next time we would see them, Clint would officially be over halfway done!

Megan and I headed back to our vehicle for a bit so I could charge my phone and so we could check in with my mom regarding our kiddos that were in her car. Naturally, she was holding down the fort just fine ;)...but we still wanted to check in! We let her know that as soon as we saw Clint again (at mile 52.3), we would be heading back to Geneseo for a bit. My mom told us they would order pizza for dinner for us when we returned. WOOT! I realized at that point just how hungry I really was!

At 4:59 (exactly one hour since he had approached us previously!) we saw Clint and AP heading our way. And, what's that? It's time for some trail-dance-moves? Oh boy....

Thanks to Holly-Rae for capturing these dancing queens as they ran in to Aid Station 11!

Love those blue skies and green leaves...I bet this canal looks even more beautiful deeper into fall!

Some of my favorite pictures of the day were taken by Scott Laudick Photography, the professional photographer on the course, as I ran out to greet AP and Clint as they ran in to mile 52.3/Aid Station 11 -

Now, Aid Station(s) 10/11 also featured the 50-mile finish line. Clint mentioned later how slightly disheartening it was to see a finish line and to know that he had TWICE what he had already run left ahead of him... From a spectator's point of view, it was neat to get to watch some happy runners run through their finish line!  Also while we waited here Megan and I chatted a bit with a guy who had just gotten finished pacing his wife for the five miles between Aid Stations 10 and 11. He was SO excited - it was really cute. We saw this same guy numerous times throughout the day. His wife was just ahead of Clint (I don't know where she ended up finishing, though, I lost track of her as the day went on and it became dark) and so we saw him at each aid station cheering for her right before we would see Clint. He clearly adored her and it was truly so, so cute to watch. It was fun, in addition to seeing Clint, to see pretty much the same runners and spectators over and over throughout the day and to informally keep tabs on them as well.

As he re-fueled and got ready to soldier on, I informed Clint that Megan and I would be heading back to Geneseo for a bit and that we would reconvene with everyone at Aid Station 14 later. This meant that we would miss seeing him twice (Aid Stations 12 and 13 were crew-accessible), but I felt "ok" about this knowing that our trusty friends would be at both of those aid stations and could help get him the things he needed. Truth be told, I felt guilty leaving (I even expressed this to my sister as we drove back)...but I really needed to deliver the bottle to my mom and feed Gabe. Plus, we wanted to bring the kiddos out to an aid station to see their Daddy and Uncle!

Me and my man before I headed out...the next time I would get to see him,
he would be about fifteen miles further into the race and it would be DARK!

?!

We got back to my parents' right at 6pm. I totally horked back a pizza from Happy Joe's (gluten free crust, no cheese....sounds downright tasty right!? Actually, it really did hit the spot) and fed Gabe. 

THIS. WAS. HEAVENLY. Thanks, Mom!

Pa with Macy and Gabe at the family aid station :)

We decided, after some chatting/planning to ALL head out to Aid Station 14 (about 40 minutes away) - my parents, Megan, her two girls and Gabe. Hooray!! I was pumped to share the excitement of this event with my family, up close and personally.

As I mentioned, I missed seeing Clint at Aid Station 12 (mile 55.5) and Aid Station 13 (mile 60.7) while I was at my parents' house to tend to Gabe and grab dinner, but I received texts from our good friends/reporters Holly-Rae/Amber/Joe/Karen to know that he was alive and well and even received some pictures as well. BIG BIG THANKS to our army of supporters!! Thanks to Karen (and others) for hauling the big gear bags from Aid Station 11 where we left to 12 and 13!

At Aid Station 12 (mile 55.5), AP and Clint were out at 5:51pm per Holly-Rae's report.  Also of note, at Aid Station 13 (mile 60.7) there was a pacer swap - AP wrapped up his leg and Joe started his!  I heard that they rolled out of this aid station at mile 60.7 at 7:01pm.

Holly-Rae texted me this pic - AP and Clint approaching mile 55.5/Aid Station 12!
I just love Clint's enthusiastic arm in the air. This demeanor was consistent through
most of the race - Clint really did enjoy the race and it was evident by his smiles and occasional goofiness :).

Joe and Clint getting ready to head out at mile 60.7.

When we arrived at Aid Station 14 (mile 67.3) around 7:35pm, it was DARK! Also, around the time of our arrival, I received a text message from Holly-Rae letting me know that their party had headed back home to Blo-No...they sure did last a long time at the race with 3 small kiddos! I was VERY impressed (and thankful for their friendship and big efforts put forth to be there to support Clint!).

My parents, sister and I stationed ourselves with the girlies and Gabe at a picnic table next to the trail. I was SUPER paranoid because there was a LARGE drop-off straight down to the dark water in the canal basically a few feet from the trail - I just kept imagining one of the girls running off into the dark and falling into the canal! Thankfully we had lots of adults to entertain the girls (and keep them away from the edge of the canal!) while we waited.

Hanging out with my boy at Aid Station 14! Thankfully he loves being worn so he was totally content
to hang out with me like this as we waited to see Daddy in the dark!

This is about all we could see as runners came up to the aid station area - shining head lamps!

My sis, mom, dad, Macy, and Charlee hanging out in the dark watching for runners!

After we had been there for about ten minutes, the rest of our group showed up - AP, Tanya and Karen arrived from Aid Station 13, Clint's big bags of gear (nutrition, etc.) in tow. We chatted in the dark for a while and cheered as runners made their way to the aid station. By this point in the race, runners had gotten very spaced out so there was typically a sizable wait between runners. Our niece Macy loved helping to spot the headlamps as they approached us in the dark. She and Charlee clapped and cheered as the runners came by...pretty darn adorable.

I'm not sure what is going on here....

Around 8:15, we saw two headlamps that were were certain just had to be Clint and Joe - one light was considerably higher than the other (Joe is a TALL MAN! ;)). Indeed, it was our guys! They were doing well and feeling good, all things considered. They stopped at our table to fuel up and Clint downed a Monster Energy Drink (one of the "kaos" juice ones - grosses me out, but he really needed the caffeine hit at this point! He had anticipated needing caffeine at some points during the race and so we had packed two of these, in spite of Clint never drinking such things in "real life"). If you were wondering, Clint was still rocking the cut-up Hokas at this point! He expressed that he was really loving them - hey, whatever works!

Clint's feet were definitely feeling it at this point - he took his shoes off for a bit to get some more body glide on them

Family shot

Macy wanted a picture with Clint...and then she didn't want a picture with Clint
...and so we convinced her to have a picture with all of us with Clint ;)

After they were fueled up, Clint and Joe headed back out on the trail with 32.7 miles left to go before the finish! My parents and sister headed back to Geneseo with the girls (it was far past their bedtime!) and Gabe and I drove to Aid Station 15 at mile 73. We met AP, Karen and Tanya there where we waited in the dark with a light-up palm tree and camel (seriously...the theme of this aid station was "The Oasis"). This was where Tanya would be taking her turn as Clint's pacer!

This little guy was quite the trooper, hanging out with Mama and our friends/family at two different aid stations!

Tanya, Karen, and AP hanging out under a palm tree...

Karen helped me wrangle G a bit :).

At 8:41pm (while we were waiting at Aid Station 15/mile 73)  I received a text message from our friend Andy Wheatcroft, aka Marathon Man. Long story short, Andy and I met back in 2013 when we were members of "Team Believe" and ran the New York City Marathon to raise money and awareness for Easter Seals.  Andy lives in Central IL and we occasionally see one another at events (for example, he came out to Run the Woods a few years ago!) and keep in touch via Facebook. Anyway, in his text message he asked if he could join Clint at Aid Station 16! In his words, "was thinking of doing my Sunday run a few hours early....by a canal...5 out and back....or 10 if I can get a lift back to my car.....possible do you think?"

I was totally taken aback by his message - what a hilarious and amazing surprise! I knew that Clint would love to see him, if we could figure out a way to make it happen.  Next thing I know, Marathon Man tells me he is getting on the road to head up to the race and will try to "figure out" how to meet him around aid station 16 (I hadn't planned on going to this one because the website indicated that this was not an aid station with crew access...but I figured if anyone could make things just "happen," Andy could).

Soon, in the midst of my text convo with Andy, we saw Joe and Clint arriving at The Oasis/Aid Station 15!

What a welcome sight!

Thanks for companioning our guy, Joe!

Tanya and Clint...ready to take on the next 13+ miles!

I really wanted to tell Clint about my conversation with Andy/Marathon Man, but I was able to refrain - I knew the surprise of him just "showing up" would be far better than me ruining the surprise. After seeing Tanya and Clint off at Aid Station 15, I hopped in the car with a sleepy G to head back to Geneseo (also of note, as I left the aid station I saw another mama with a little one about Gabe's age, rocking him in her arms as they waited to see their runner. I commented to her that it made me feel better to not be the only mother dragging her child out in the dark to spectate. Ha!). Aid Stations 16 and 17 were not listed as "crew access" stations on the race's website, so I intended to use the next two-ish hours to get Gabriel ready for bed and make sure things were in order back at home base.  The plan was for me to join Clint as his pacer at Aid Station 18/Mile 86.7 until the end! So, I knew I needed to be strategic - this was to be Gabe's first night (or at least part of a night!) away from us as he slept. Also in my mind was the fact that I had eaten an entire pizza (gluten free pizzas are on the smaller side, but STILL)...and I was really hoping that it would sit well with me so that I could get through my pacer duties without any issues!

Andy/Marathon Man called me as I drove and informed me that, based on timing of driving and everything else, he had decided to try to catch Clint at Aid Station 17. I was still in disbelief that he was going through with his crazy plan...and was pretty excited to think about Clint's surprise. I had a feeling that this would be a great distraction for him, especially this late in the race.

I got back to my parents' house around 10:20 (after a scream-fest from Gabe for part of the trip). I hurried into the house and fed him and got him ready for bed. Naturally, he was wide awake and ready to play (he started laughing so hard at one point - at really not much at all! - that he snorted. HA!). So, it took a good amount of rocking to get him to fall asleep. Once he was asleep, I pumped a bottle and left it next to him on the bed so that IF he woke up and needed a bottle, my mom or sister would just have to grab it and give it to him (saving the step of warming it up). I also had a bottle in the fridge as a back-up.

Once I was sure (HA!) he was asleep, I went out to chat with my sister who was sleeping on the couch in my parents' living room. She had offered to drive me to Aid Station 18 (where I was meeting Clint to run with him those final miles), but I told her it was silly and that she should try to get some sleep and that I would drive myself and leave our vehicle there and we could retrieve it the next day. Thankfully, I was able to convince her to stay (as it turned out, Gabe did wake up and was less than pleased so she had to take care of him :(...THANKS, Megan).

I pulled in to Aid Station 18 and easily spotted AP's car in spite of the dark and parked next to him.  As I pulled in, I realized I had forgotten my head lamp on the floor in the room I was staying in at my parents' house - ARGH!!! I hopped out of the car and asked AP if he thought I should go back. He replied that he had one I could borrow - but then it appeared to be missing. After the poor tired AP tore apart his car looking for it, I ended up finding it in the back of our SUV in one of the many gear bags (Joe had worn it and somehow it ended up in one of our bags instead of AP's. No biggie...it was found, and now I had a headlamp and didn't need to go back to retrieve mine!). At this point the time was about 11:30 and we were anticipating that Clint could arrive around midnight.

Andy/Marathon Man sent me a text shortly after I arrived at Aid Station 18 (11:32pm) from where he was waiting at Aid Station 17, "What time do u think he should be at 17?" I replied, "Hmmmm that's mile 82. I would've hoped he would be there by now. It's been 1:58 since he left mile 73. Keep me posted. I just got to 18." Andy: "Will do...been asking if folks have seen a dude with a beard...not specific enough??!!" A bit after this he lets me know that a runner who had just come through the aid station let him know that Clint and Tanya were about a mile back. WHEW! It felt so good to know that he had been sighted and was still upright...not that I was ever worrying about him or anything. Nope, not at all!

At 12:05am, good Andy sent a selfie with our tired runner-man and said, "Actually not dribbling and jibbeting!" Uhhhh. I guess that is British-speak for, "he's not losing his mind yet?" Oh Andy!

Getting this selfie was both hilarious (because - come on! Look at that subject matter!) and relieving (it was hard not to worry about "something" happening to the runners out there!)

They left Aid Station 17 around 12:10 according to Andy. AP and I took mini-naps in our respective cars (mine didn't involve any real sleeping and I am sure AP's didn't either, but we at least "chilled" for a bit) before heading over to the aid station that had been set up under a shelter next to the trail. While we waited (in the COLD!), we were entertained by some girls sitting around in a circle on the ground singing Disney songs. Oh boy ;). We did our best not to think about/talk about how EXHAUSTED and cold we were...knowing that everything Clint was enduring was far, far worse.

Marathon Man sent a text at 1:05am "1.5 out from u mostly walking." We knew, then, that Clint was really hurting and prepared ourselves for what he might be like. I came to terms then with the fact that I would be out on the dark, cold trail with Clint for the 13-14 final miles for MUCH longer than the 2 to 2 1/2 hours I had blindly estimated! (What was I thinking?!) I started to stress out internally a bit about the "pumping situation," knowing that things would get pretty uncomfortable since I would be without my baby or my pump for a lot longer than anticipated. (Sorry for the frankness if that weirds you out...just being honest about one of the challenges of the day!)

At 1:15am...there they were - Tanya, MM and Clint! AP and I were all too happy to see them. Clint was definitely looking exhausted. I could tell by the look on Tanya's face and the few things that she said that he was not doing the best. We tried not to comment/dwell on that fact, though, and talk about positive things (ha, like what?!). Clint changed out of his Hokas into some Saucony zealots, ate a waffle/almond butter sandwich, refilled his vest with some nutrition items, we took some pictures...and we were off. At that point, MM ran back to his car (parked somewhere near Aid Station 17) and AP drove Tanya back to get her car where it was parked at Aid Station 15 where she had left it when she started her pacing duties. AP and Tanya then planned to head to the finish line to wait for us after getting her car.

Fighters! Thanks, TG and MM, for taking care of Clint through these very difficult miles!

A tired, yet still enthusiastic, thumbs up from Clint - ready to take on the last 13-14 miles!
And no, I am not pregnant again ;)...I had stuffed my pockets with Honey Stinger gels (intended for me)
 and ginger chews (anticipating that Clint might want some to calm his stomach)!

That Marathon Man...WHAT a GUY!

We started off walking a bit and Clint told me that he was going to try to do some run/walk intervals of 5 minutes running, 1 minute walking. It soon became apparent that this plan needed to be scrapped and we were instead operating purely in survival mode. He was hurting, and hurting badly. Frankly, it was really hard for me to see him in this state so I had to go to a "mind over matter" mental state. We did run for some chunks of time, but we were largely walking.  I told Clint that I was proud of him because his goal (after the primary goal of simply FINISHING) of completing the race in sub-24 hours was well within reach (at this point he had just over six hours before 24 hours - 7:20am). Six hours to finish a bit under 14 miles...totally do-able, even in his current state! He, somewhat dejectedly, told me he wasn't so sure if he would make it.

The next ~6.5 miles were mentally excruciating. The dark night and creepy trees on either side of the canal path, in addition to the fact that I had been awake for nearly 24 consecutive hours, made my imagination conjure up some scary things. At one point a walnut fell from a tree to the ground and I about jumped out of my skin. At another point, we heard a train in the distance. As it got closer and closer, we realized that there were train tracks a mere 6-8 feel to our left in the trees. As the freight train crashed by us, deafeningly, I felt like we were in some sort of dream land. Shortly after this, we saw three guys riding bikes down the trail in the opposite direction that we were moving. It was 3am at this point - what the heck were they doing?!

At one point, sometime in the night (I really don't remember when - some of the memories I have of our 4+ hours in the dark are just snapshots that don't necessarily make sense or have an "order"), Clint grabbed my hand. He was standing on my left side at that point and I looked up at him. He was staring straight ahead and said, "I am just going to close my eyes for a few minutes, ok?" I replied, "NO, that's NOT ok! You keep your eyes open!!" He responded, somewhat indignantly, "Well I've already been doing it!" Oh dear me... Somehow, we pressed onward.

 Aid Station 19 literally could not come soon enough. Finally, there it was -

A cup of hot (and really salty) broth in one hand and coffee in the other...ready to take on the final miles!

As we had approached this aid station, Clint kept talking about wanting to sit down for a little while at the aid station. When we got there, though, he didn't end up sitting down (probably for the best). Clint drank a cup of coke and brought a cup of broth and a cup of coffee with him as we began our travels to the next aid station. Back on the trail...I held Clint's cup of broth and took a few sips myself. The warmth felt great but the saltiness was a bit much, even for me (I crave salt hard-core when I am exerting myself). Once he was finished with what he wanted of his coffee, he left the partially full cup by the side of the trail. After he decided the broth was way too salty for him too, that was left as well.

Soon, we approached the last aid station at mile 96.5 (it felt mentally SO much better to have just over 3 miles between Aid Stations 19 and 20 than the almost 6 miles between 17 and 18!). Once again, being able to chat with some other humans for a few minutes was much appreciated. At this aid station, one of the guys offered us some cold boiled potatoes. These are commonly offered at ultramarathon aid stations, but I had never partaken in them during any sort of race. They sounded oddly good, though, and both of us took a chunk and dipped it in the salt the volunteer offered up. As soon as it hit my lips, I knew this is exactly what my body craved. As soon as I finished my first chunk, I went back for a second.

After our potato-love-fest, we headed out for our final 3.5.  Clint had it in his head that he still had 4 miles so when they told us it was just 3.5 miles to the finish line, he was basically high on life for a few minutes at the thought of having a whole half mile LESS than what he was thinking. His Garmin hadn't been tracking the miles accurately and said something like 106 miles at this point, so it hadn't been a reliable measure of "how much further" he had to go.

Around mile 97.5, he finally sat down on the edge of the trail, utterly exhausted and in amounts of pain I probably can't relate to (or can I?! Labor?! HA! Who knows). I snapped a picture of him sitting on the trail. At the time I felt kind of bad taking the picture, but I am glad we have this reminder of just how HARD things got.

This sums up a lot of the last leg of Clint's journey...

This picture was taken at 4:08 am. We still had 3 hours and 12 minutes before the 24-hour mark. I felt confident that, in spite of his exhaustion and pain, he was going to do it! I told him this, though I am not sure he believed me.  Finally, Clint was able to get up and we soldiered on. Every half mile that we completed felt like a huge accomplishment - he asked me to let him know every time we completed another half mile. It felt like an eternity before I saw some red lights peeking out of the trees off in the distance to our right. I said, "Clint! That might be the finish line!" He pointed out that we couldn't hear people cheering or anything like that so he was concerned that it wasn't really the finish line and was instead some sort of mirage or just street lights. True, we couldn't hear anything coming from the area, but I think it was just because we were still decently far out, in spite of being able to see the lights.

We trudged closer to the lights and two runners (probably one participant and who I would presume was his pacer) approached us from behind. We chatted casually a bit (I really don't remember what we talked about; nothing of consequence at that point!) and I asked Clint if he wanted to try to run across the finish. He didn't really answer (I don't think he had any idea of what he could realistically force his body to do at that point). As we got closer though, he decided to kick it into gear.

He started running, and so I followed suit. Someone, that man was able to force those exhausted and beat-up feet and legs to run toward that beckoning finish line. As we approached I could see AP, Tanya and my sister waiting for us there. I couldn't look at them, or especially at Clint, because I knew I would lose it and start to cry.

Suddenly, that finish line was right in front of us...and, somehow, we were crossing it. All of the crazy feelings of the past almost-14 miles and almost-5 hours melted away in that moment and it was just me watching Clint in the moment that his dream was realized. I was, and am, incredibly thankful that I had the privilege of being with my husband in that moment. And, if you were wondering, his finishing time was 22 hours, 51 minutes, and 39 seconds. He was the 26th finisher out of 76 finishers. Approximately 18 people started and dropped. He was 8th out of 18 in his age group. {All just amazing to me!}

What an amazing moment this was...crossing that finish line with Clint! 

Exhausted...sore...and so, so very proud and happy.

Clint EARNED that special belt buckle for his sub-24-hour run! WAY TO GO!!!

Clint, me, AP, Megan, and Tanya with the race director.

Oh Hennepin Hundred finish line - you beautiful thing, you!

Clint ate two big bowls of hot vegetable soup at the finish line and then we headed to our cars. Tanya and AP drove back to their respective homes in Bloomington-Normal (AP had been up since 3am on Saturday!) and Megan drove us back to my parents' house. Clint took a shower (he actually had the energy left to do so!) and immediately crashed on the couch while I made him some scrambled eggs and a pancake. The rest of his day was a cycle of sleeping-eating-sleeping-eating.

It's been a week and I still can't believe it happened. Clint is a 100-miler! He ran one hundred miles and is now a member of the exclusive 100-miler "club". He set a crazy-huge goal, made a plan, and carried it out to completion.

I am so very proud of this man and his tenacity. Though, let me be clear, I would be just as proud of him had he not been able to finish this race. The determination and focus with which he sets and accomplishes athletic goals carry over into the other facets of his life and help shape him into the wonderful man, husband and father that he is. Gabe and I are so proud to say he is "ours!"

WE are so grateful for the support of SO, so many. This couldn't have happened in the way that it did without our people. Thank you to our friends and family, both those present in person and those who offered up support from afar. Thank you to my parents for taking care of Gabe throughout that long and crazy day. Thank you to Clint's fearless pacers (AP, Tanya, and Joe) for guiding him through the last half of the race and for providing support during the challenges these miles presented. Thank you to AP for being there with us from start to finish. Thank you to all of the spectators who drove up from Bloomington-Normal. Thank you to MM for the big surprise and for always reminding me (and all of us!) to keep my head up and my heart strong. Thank you to my sister for the companionship throughout the day and for helping to take care of Gabe while I ran Clint in (and for retrieving our car with Dad on Sunday while Clint and I slept..THAT was a perfect surprise gesture!). Thank you for the countless prayers and words of support leading up to the event, during the race, and afterward. Thank you to EVERYONE who posted words of encouragement on Facebook and Instagram - I read many of these to Clint during those final dark hours and he maintains that this support really helped get him though to the end. THANK YOU all! We are so very blessed to have such a fabulous support system that is far more vast than I think either of us can truly comprehend. Much love to you all and thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts.

On to the next adventure!

~Rachel