Once again we planned to spend the first weekend of November at Silver Falls State Park camping and running in the woods.
Usually my birthday falls on the weekend or super close to the Silver Falls Trail Events so we always celebrate at the same time. This year my birthday fell on the Friday of our adventure weekend. I spent the day getting lots of love from my students and a beautiful boquet of flowers from my hubby.
Hanging out with some of my favorite people at one of my favorite parks? That’s a BIG win! Joe, Wendie and I had signed up for the 7 miler. Josh was signed up for the Half Marathon.
But coming off my epic 50k the week before I caught a cold. I didn’t stay at South Beach and camp with Joe. I went home and slept most of Monday. Good thing I had taken the day off! Although being actually sick was not how I had envisioned my “day to relax and recover”.
I spent most of the week using DayQuil and NyQuil to make it through the day and sleep through the night. I didn’t have a fever and I tested negative for COVID. So I just had a yucky cold.
I also had a really sore toe. I did really well avoiding blisters this year at Dia de los Muertos Endurance Run but I got a blister under the toenail of my second toe on my left foot. It hurt quite a lot and then I caught the edge of the lifted toenail on a blanket and OUCH!
I ended up cutting off a bunch of the toenail and then spent the week with Neosporin and a bandaid on my toe. Shoes and socks were not my favorite. 🤣
We got to the campground and got all set up before 5:00 pm and then hung out until Josh and Wendie arrived. We had originally planned to have a "fend for yourself" evening. Joe and I were going to have leftovers from home. But Joe thought it would be fun to head into Silverton and try out a pub instead. Josh and Wendie were on board with that so we headed to Silverton when they got to the park.
Dinner was at the Silver Falls Brewery. We sat outside because even though it was raining it was quite warm out. And they had a covered area and the table had a table top fire container. The food was amazing and we had a great time! Good idea Joe!!
Birthday dinner! Fifty-Four is off to a great start!
Sign on the door of the bathroom at the brewery. Accurate!! lol
We headed back to the park to get settled in for the night.
I was thinking about my race Saturday and how I was going to make it happen.
Then suddenly I realized I didn’t need to.
I had nothing to prove.
I had nothing to prove to anyone. Especially myself!
You have to understand that in the past I have done this race (and others) even when I wasn’t healthy or had injuries.
I was so worried that people would think I was a quitter or a pansy that I pushed through migraines, massive blisters, aching knees, etc. I didn’t want anyone to think I was making excuses.
This week was different.
I didn’t care.
Want to know why I didn’t care? (Because I am going to tell you.) 😂
I already know I’m a badass!
I don’t have to prove it to anyone!
Especially myself!!!
That is such an amazing and freeing realization.
I didn’t give a shit what anyone thought.
My toe hurt, I had a cold all week, I was tired, and it was supposed to rain all day.
And I didn’t want to suck it up and do it anyway.
So I didn’t.
And I had a fabulous time!!
Josh was going to take my race instead of doing the Half Marathon. But he caught the same yuck I did the weekend before and decided he was also badass enough that he didn’t need to race. (He got 100 miles at DDLM!)
I got to see all my various friends that were there off on their run. I went over to where they had a big fire going in the park shelter. The lovely ladies volunteering let me have a piece of Marionberry Pie. Always fun to chat with people at events and find out about where they are from and what they do. Then I wandered to my truck and watched a live stream of my volleyball girls playing in the state playoffs. After that I went back to the finish line to I watch my people cross the finish line.
We talked and laughed and cheered for people and it was so much fun.
Joe and Chad before the race!
At the start, only 7 miles to go!
South Falls never disappoints, but in the fall it is spectacular!
Love all the fall color!
Coming to the finish after conquering Nutcracker Hill! (If you know, you know)
Nice work Joe!
Wendie kicking ass at the finish, with Josh holding out a beer for her!
Beth finishing strong!
Didn't get pictures of Suzanne, Breck or Holly but they all did great too. Suzanne beat Breck and anytime you can beat your teenager, its a good day!
Then we went back to the trailer and got a solid nap in. I love naps! Especially all cozy in our travel trailer!
For dinner we had chicken enchiladas that I had made at home and all we had to do was heat them up. Joe got me firewood so we could have a fire in the fire pit. It was awesome!
Always fun to sit around the fire and just talk and laugh!!!
We got up the next morning and had a leisurely morning since we weren't volunteering until 8:30 am. We had breakfast and then did somethings to get the trailer ready to leave. Then we headed out to the start line so we could volunteer for the Half Marathon. We usually help out at the aide station that is about 3.3 miles into the race. Always fun to cheer for people! I especially enjoy cheering for the people at the very back of the pack since I can completely relate to where they are.
Even got to cheer for some of the people I met the day before when I was hanging around at the start and chatting with people! So fun!
It wasn't long before the race sweepers came through and we were packing up the aid station.
Back to the trailer to finish closing it down and then we were heading for home.
It was nice to get home and not feel like we had to rush to get things put away and then go to bed. We had the entire afternoon to take care of things and just be chill.
So I don't have a medal for this race.
And I am okay with that.
I know I do need to get moving and have a regular routine with being active.
I also know I need to decide on my next adventure, because it's part of what helps me keep moving.
But for this race weekend I was totally okay with not having to prove my badassery.
Giving myself more credit then I have in the past.
Last year I did a marathon and was pretty damn excited about it. Even though it hurt on so many levels.
But I wished I had been able to do two more laps and get a 50k done. It was most definitely not in the cards at that point. Too many blisters. Too sore and tired.
So close.
You know what that means?
New goals and challenges.
I signed up again and the goal this year was to get a 50k, which is 31.07 miles.
Unfortunatley this fall was a lot like last fall. No work outs, no training and tired all the time. So once again, I was heading into a challenging event without the preperation I probably should have to be successful.
I did have a couple things going for me.
I have lost almost 35 pounds since February. It's amazing how much easier it is to do things without the extra weight. Still not where I want to be but I'm happy to be heading in the right direction. (Slowly but surely.)
I also learned a lot about treating blisters and being able to keep moving with hurting feet while we were doing the Camino last summer.
Both of those things would definitely help.
The week at work was SUPER busy, as in no prep periods at school since Monday and things were busy every day. Trying to get all the work things done, food prep for the weekend and try and get good sleep was a little difficult.
Joe left for the beach on Thursday afternoon to get our trailer set up in the Day Use area at South Beach State Park. Ardor Adventures, the organizers of the event, had added a 48 hour to the event so Josh was going to be doing that. Joe and Wendie were both going to crew Josh and then me when I got there to do my 24 hour event.
I left after work on Friday and headed to the beach to meet up with everyone. The weather was gorgeous! Beautiful blue skys and sunshine. Quite warm during the day for the end of October but it got cold once it got dark.
View from the camper in the South Beach Day Use area.
Wendie made us dinner and all I had to do when I got there was sit in a chair and hang out. It was fun to be cheering on the runners as they went by. We have the perfect spot in the parking lot to be able to see everyone as they go by to finish up their lap.
I went to bed early because I was TIRED! And I had a busy day ahead of me the next day.
Busy walking in circles.
Because the start time for my 24 hour segment wasn't until 10:00 am I was able to slow roll my morning. I slept in, then ate some breakfast and read a book for awhile. Then I got dressed and wandered over to the start line to get my race bib. Came back and finished getting ready.
It had gotten very cold overnight and all the puddles were frozen so I had a few layers on. It's hard for me to judge how many layers to go with right now. I'm in the time of life (menopause) where I get a wee bit overheated pretty quickly. So while I was cold at the start I knew it wouldn't take me long to get warmued up once I was moving. So then it becomes a question of how many layers do I need to stay warm but not become completely overheated. I went with one extra layer and left it at that. I figured I could add more or take a layer off after the first lap.
It was absolutely beautiful out. I love cold, crisp, blue sky days in Oregon in the fall. The sky just looks extra blue this time of year. There wasn't much of a breeze which helped the cold feel more manageable.
Been awhile since I brought out the sparkly headband.
Josh walked with me the first couple of laps. He was a long ways into his event since he had started Friday morning and was doing the 48 hour event. We had a great time walking and talking. I love our friendship and how we just chat it up when we are out on the trail or hanging out. He's definitely top of the list of most favorite people in my life.
Josh and I showing Joe some love for taking such good care of us!
Towards the end of my second lap I decided to run and so I took off in a slow trot. Pretty sure Josh went into Sasquatch mode when walking behind me with his long legs and stride because he wasn't far behind me.
I made a pit stop to take off a layer and Josh kept going. Once I knew I wasn't going to get overheated I took off again. I took a soda and grabbed a quesadilla in the official aide station. Once the soda and food were gone I began to run again. It was so fun to feel good about running. I wasn't setting an speed records but it was still fun to just be moving!
I caught up to Josh just as the trail pops out by the jetty in Newport.
Sunshine at the beach!
Did I mention that it was a beautiful day? As the morning went on it got warmer and warmer. I eventually took off my jacket and wrapped it around my waist. I spent most of the day running in long pants and a tank top. Crazy for the end of October! And so much different than last years rainy slog.
Love this stretch of the trail! Go Josh and Kyle!!
I cruised right a long most of the day. I would do a lap and then stop at the trailer. Sometimes I would take a short rest and get food. A couple of times I took off my shoes and checked my feet. I was about 10 miles in when I decided to switch my shoes to a pair I have that are a little bigger. I had a couple of tender spots but no blisters yet. I had put the Compheed bandages that I discovered in Portugal on the areas of my feet that are prone to blisters. Some preventative care hoping to avoid issues altogether. Seemed to be working well up to this point.
Joe and Wendie had taken a break from crew support to go for a walk and enjoy the sunshine themselves. They ended up hanging at the start/finish line waiting for my to come through. It was so much fun to see them there.
Love my cheer squad!
Getting my quesadilla almost every lap. Hits the spot!
I still had a long way to go but those little celebrations are so helpful in keeping the spirits up.
I was keeping a pretty consistent pace with my walking and feeling good overall. About 15 miles in my hip started complaining. The same hip that derailed my Camino for a couple of days. Joe had some Icy/Hot in the trailer so I made sure to use some of that each lap for a few laps until the hip stopped complaining so much.
Suddenly it was evening and the sun was going down. I decided to get one more lap in and get some sunset pictures and then I would take a break.
The water in the jetty was lit up by the sun. Spectacular!!
Opposite direction, the full moon was coming up.
The bridge and all the boats getting lit up.
When I got back to the trailer, Joe and Wendie made me mashed potatoes. Warm, salty mashed potatoes are the best when you are tired, hungry and a little cold.
I put back on my warm layer and then sat in the chair and just hung out for about an hour. One of the best things about this type of event is how you are able to take breaks if that works for you and your goals.
At this point I was WAY ahead of where I was last year at the same time. I wasn't too far from reaching the marathon mark.
I took off again knowing I was more than half way to my goal of a 50k!
I got to the marathon mark at about 9:30 pm. Which was so much faster than last year!! Last year I finished completely at 12:28 am. That's 14 and a half hours after the start time of 10:00 am. This year I was at the marathon mark after about 11 hours total time.
Nothing like getting a huge PR on a distance while you are working towards a longer distrance.
I got to the point where I didn't want to take any more long breaks and just wanted to keep pushing through till I was finished.
Joe decided to walk with me the last five laps. It was fun having him along. We would walk along and not talk and other times we would talk about all the things. Both were great. I mostly just love having the time with him. I love how we are comfortable with silence but yet always have things to talk about. He is, quite literally, my favorite person to be with.
Joe had told me that it would take 14 laps to reach a 50k. Mostly because I would have to go past the start/finish line to get to the mileage I need and once you start another lap you need to finish it to get those miles to count.
I was starting to think maybe I didn't need that many laps and could finish with 13 laps and just make it. So when we finished lap 12 I asked Ed, the race director, if I needed one or two laps to get to my 50k (30.07 miles) and he said one more lap would do it.
This girl was a happy walker!
Overall I was doing really well all things considered. But I was getting tired and sore. I was going to be happy to be done.
Joe let Wendie know that we were on my last lap so she was waiting for us when we went by the trailer. Joe took a video of me finishing that last lap.
I finished at 11:15 pm. It took me 13 hours and 15 minutes to do a 50k.
I finished a 50k in One hour and 15 minutes faster than I did a marathon the year before.
I was stoked! Not gonna lie!
I felt solid most of the day.
I kept an overall steady pace from start to finish, never really getting super slow.
Badass with sparkle!
Celebratory drink back at the trailer.
I didn't officially finish until morning. Just in case I woke up and got a crazy idea to do more laps.
lol That didn't happen.
We went back to the trailer and I changed into cozy clothes and crawled into bed.
You would think that falling asleep after all that would be easy.
But it's not.
You never realize how cold you really are until you stop.
I had a couple of small blisters on my toes and one toenail that I was pretty sure was going to be coming off soon.
All my muscles are achy and twitchy so it's hard to relax and get comfortable.
When you are doing long distance crazy stuff like this, your body will hold on to the water you are drinking. Just in case.
When you are done and your body finally decides you aren't going to continue being a crazy person it decides you should expell some of that water. So there are many trips to the bathroom to take care of that.
It takes awhile for everything to settle enough so that sleep can actually happen.
But once I was asleep it was awesome.
One of the many reasons I love my trailer. Basically I've got my own bed and blankets and cozies. The bathroom is right there and anything I might need is probably in a cupboard somewhere. Makes it really easy during and after an event.
I got up in the morning and Joe was still sleeping. He had walked 10 miles with me and had already been crewing since Friday morning for Josh and Kyle so he deserved to sleep as long as he wanted!
I felt reasonably good overall. I was sore but not feeling trashed. The feet hurt a little but compared to the blisters I got last year or the ones I endured while I did the Camino last summer I was sitting pretty in that area too.
Josh and Kyle had both gotten their 100 miles a few laps after I got done! So proud of them for sticking to it. I can't even imagine that distance!
Congratulations on another 100 miles Mr. Gum!!!
Josh, Kyle (Congrats on first 100 miles!) and Ed (Race Director)
It was another beautiful day but a little cooler since there was a bit of a breeze. We wandered back to the finish so I could get my medal. I love these medals! They are so gorgeous. They are Dia de los Muertos medals but when you really start looking closely you can see all the things they used that represent Oregon to create the shapes.
Joe and I got the trailer somewhat packed up and moved to our campsite at the campground. Then we went and took showers! That was amazing as well.
It was quite the adventure and I'm super proud of myself.
Wendie Gum: Thank you for taking such good care of everybody! You are amazing and your heart is so huge! I love you!
Josh Gum: I don't know how you talk me into these crazy things but thank you for always encouraging, supporting and believing in me. You help me believe I can do these things. I love you!
Joe: As always, you are my rock. Thanks for always being my support crew in all things, not just on race day. Thanks for walking with me and taking care of me from start to finish. I 100% know I couldn't do these crazy things if you weren't there helping me all along the way. I love you most of all!!
Ardor Adventures: Thank you for putting on such an extraordinary event that makes every person, no matter their ability, feel welcome and successful. From the amazing dancing and Dia de los Muertos shrine, the aide station with my favorite quesadillas and all the love and support you and your volunteers shower on everyone from start to finish, it is amazing! So much hard work before and during to make it go well for the participants.
