Cactus Rose 100 Mile – 2007

tried. I really tried. I wanted to resist this one, but it was the inaugural running of Cactus Rose 100 miler and was being directed by my good friends Joe and Joyce Prusaitis, my husband and many of my friends were giving it a go, and it was close to home. So I could not resist.

So I find myself at 5 am at the starting line. We are off promptly at 5 am in short sleeves and shorts, about 53 degrees I heard later. We quickly reach the split for the 1st clockwise loop and I find myself breaking a sweat on the 1st climb over lucky peak. I reach Equestrian aid station in about an hour, which is quicker than I anticipated. The race was set up as a semi-self supported event. We supplied our own food at the aid stations that were set up with tents, water, ice, lights for night-time, and a sign-in book. We would pass through this AS 8 times And Gabe and Janice Ayson made it their home and served as crew to all. It was still dark, so instead of getting my 2nd bottle with Spiz, I decided just to have a big drink. Here I had a brain fart early in the game. My small cooler was there, but not my bag with all my nutrition in it. I gave Janice the code to our truck to go check to see if I had left it there, and headed out. Not far down the trail, I remembered that mine and Robert's bags were in the big cooler, bungeed to keep out raccoons overnight. So I went back and told Janice, seeing Robert who remembered at about the same time. So all was well, but a bit early in the game for such a mental pause.

Onward through the flattest area of the course to Nachos AS, then begin the series of climbs. Ice Cream Hill. Back through Equestrian. Dropped flashlight and picked up spia bottle. The next section seemed to me the toughest with the 3 sisters and island in the sky. Then the Boyles AS followed by Boyles bump (the tallest climb), Not far into Boyles Bump, I start seeing the leaders. At this point it is Allen running with Matt Harrington. It is fun to see Bill Patience doing his 1st hundred, Henry Hobbs and Mellissa Hegan are way up there. Then Cairns climb, and into the lodge to complete Loop 1. About 6 1/2 hours which was on the good side of my hopes. I can't remember iff my buddy was already heading out or if I saw her in the Lodge AS, but she is ahead and having a very good run.

I fuel up and grab my camera. Heading out, I quickly come upon Jim Balthazar. His stomach demons arrived early, and he says he is done. Hubby Robert is right up there and feeling great. I thought Mike Riggs was looking good, but turns out his Achilles was giving him grief, and 25 was enough. I enjoy the reverse loops so I can see how all are doing. Axel, Brenda, Steve. The second time through Boyles AS, Joyce and Josie were there with big smiles on their beautiful faces. Just as I was leaving the ASha group came in, so we had to have a photo. They were pretty much right behind me the whole time, till the last loop. Continued loop 2 as the temperatures rose. Plenty of folks volunteered to to offer assistance at the "unmanned" aid stations. I was enough ahead of where I thought I would be at Equestrian that I decided to leave my fanny pack there (10 miles to return) and use the small flashlight I had at lodge to get me back. I make it back to the lodge (50 miles) well before dark and ahead of where I thought I would be. Chris is still ahead of me and changing clothes to go back out!! Her original intent was 50 miles, but she is having a good day, and is going out for more. Too Cool. I am treated to a piece of pizza, get supplies, change to a dry shirt, tie a long sleeve shirt around my waist and head out for #3. Somewhere around Lucky's I need to turn on the flashlight. I have a small white LED. It is adequate, but not the 10 green LED I am used to. I have mostly run with green, and decide I do like it better than the white.

Back to equestrian and pizza again. Though I am stocked with turkey cheese tortilla roll-ups, nuts, jerky, candy bars, cliff bars, Spiz, Hammer - these extra foods are real treats. Donna and Janice push me for 2 long sleeve shirt for the night, ok. The one in my fanny pack and the one around my waist are no hassle. I do not think it is gonna get really cold, but you never really know.

On to Nachos, in the Bar O area, I see Joe and friend putting out glow sticks. I give him a hug, look at him over the tops of my glasses, and say "F--- you" He laughs his Joe laugh, and I keep going. He says I told him this twice, and I do not doubt it. A bit further down the trail as I near the park road, a truck stops just as I am about to cross the road. I hesitate. It is the opening day of hunting season and I am concerned about an encounter with some tanked up good ol' boys. Someone hops out of the truck and says "hey, girlfriend" and I recognize Joe's voice. And danged it the same thing did not happen at the next road crossing!! On to Nachos and it was the 1st AS I encountered that there were no people. It was very peaceful, I topped off my bottles, signed the book, and was on my way to... That string of all of the big hills (except Lucky Peak) as an out and back in the dark. These hills are not like mountain climbs, but steep ups and downs over loose rock and eroded horse trails. If you are not going up or down over loose rock, you are traversing ankle twisting limestone potholes. The Sotol cactus nipping your legs is really only a minor irritant.

I make my way over the hills and back into the lodge to begin the final loop. Joyce (and Donna? Spoon) is there to help me along. A can of chicken noodle soup I had I my bags tastes really good. The balls of my feet are developing hot spots/ blisters but I decide it is not painful enough to address at this point.

It's about 4 am regular time, daylight saving time figured into this thing, but that is way to complicated to think about. I am off to tackle those hills one more time in the dark. I am looking for Robert along the way. I get through Cairns, and am thinking I need to see him soon. Finally, I see the green light that I know must be his. I was 1 1/2 hours out from the lodge, and he had 1 hour 45 minutes to make that cut off. I told him that and he hauled ass. (He later told me he had already been hauling ass because he knew he was getting close to cut-off.)

I push on. Between fatigue and fear of falling, I walk nearly all of these hills.

Continue writing report 4-16-08:

So what I still remember is arriving at equestrian and Mike Riggs is cooking breakfast tacos. Blister on ball of foot is quite painful, so Mike tapes is up for me. By the time I arrive at nachos, Mike is there as well. As I am leaving the AS, one of the tent poles seems to be moving, so I reach over to steady it. Mike laughs at my concern. He walks out with me for a bit as I leave.

Through equestrian the last time, I was not in a big hurry as I had plenty of time and was pretty sure I was going to finish. One more time over Lucky's, then home.

Finished in 32:37:35 by my watch.

Drank a beer, took a quick shower and hitched a ride with Donna and Linda to Equestrian to watch for Robert. He came in with about 15 minutes to spare and Linda went out with him for the last leg. Luckily I had grabbed a bottle of water and had enough sense left to give it to Linda as she left with him.