The G Running Diary

JJ 100, Part 3: All Through the Night: 11/12/03

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On to loop three. I was at 7 hours. But then I was slowing down. It felt better to walk sometimes. My feet hurt. They didn't feel that great even on the first loop, but by now they were pretty bad. I probably had a blister on my right second toe, but it wasn't bad enough to need attention. My pretaping was Elastikon over my big toes and balls of my feet, with micropore over the big toes so that the tape wouldn't rub the second toes. I suppose that didn't work. But I was immune to blisters. That went away. This was a warm loop. The aid stations were prepared though. They seemed to have plenty of ice and offered ice cold sponges. I didn't feel that hot, but the sponge on the back of my neck felt good. I dragged along a little, thinking that thought that you should never think in a hundred miler: I'm tired and hurting and I've only gone 40 miles. So I banished those thoughts. I was still doing bad math and saying to myself that I didn't want to be out in the morning heat again the next day.

When I reached the start/finish I picked up my flashlight and a long sleeve top. I think it was around 11 hours maybe--5 pm or so. So on this fourth loop I saw the eclipse. All day long I'd noticed the sky getting a little cloudy and worried that we'd get no moon. But the sky was pretty clear. When the eclipse was total, the moon was big and orange. Then, slowly, a bright corner appeared, changing to a sliver, then a half moon, and then full. People said it was so bright they didn't need their flashlights. Maybe so, but I kept mine on anyway. Brighter was better. I told myself I would ask for vaseline at the next aid station (mile 55). I was experiencing bad butt chafing. The aid stations were so well stocked, I thought they would have it. But they didn't. Instead, an aid station volunteer offered me something better. This was a highlight. Who would have thought of Desitin? But it makes perfect sense. I went along with a gob of it in my hand, and in the darkness away from the aid station, applied plenty of it.

Another loop down. I was at 60 miles and it was very dark. It seemed so late. I set off from the start/finish with a great sandwich. Someone had just delivered turkey sandwiches with all the fixins'. I was happy. It wasn't long before I started feeling sleepy though. I wanted to lie down on the trail, but remembered seeing so many ants during the day. I hoped I could find a rock to sit on, but that seemed hopeless from what I remembered. But then I found one that worked. I sat down and did all the things you are supposed to do when you get tired. I took an electrolyte pill. I took caffeine. I took vitamin B. I probably took ibuprofen too. Why not. The improvement was almost immediate. I was so pleased with myself, since I have had sleepiness troubles in past races. I thought I'd solved it all.

Even though the course was straightforward in the day, at night there were some areas that were a little confusing and made me pause for a bit. In the dark I was starting to see some hallucinations. They were only average ones though--small animals by the side of the trail. Better than nothing. I reached 75 miles. I had been cold and tired, but felt better at the start/finish aid station. I ate food and took off my shoes to get a bunch of crap out of them. It wasn't just dirt. It was rocks. I didn't really feel like going back out there again, but stopping wasn't an option I considered. It didn't even cross my mind. Maybe if I had more of a mind, it would have. I didn't think I needed more clothes because the morning would come soon. So I went off with just that same long sleeve top and shorts. As runners crossed paths, the "good job" that everyone had said earlier had now changed into, "uuuh ah." And my "you too" was "tuuuhhh..."