Last year on my birthday, I remember thinking it would be really cool to run 29 miles for my 29th birthday. But, at the time, I knew I wasn't ready for that distance, so I rode my bike 29 miles, instead! I took the day off work on Friday, April 13 last year. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day, so I was in a good mood. I rode from my house up the bike path at the beach, and then up the Santa Ana River bike trail. I was so proud of myself, but, I knew running that distance would be even better! But that was the longest distance I had ever rode on a bike up to that date, so I was really excited--especially since getting older isn't fun anymore! I decided that day that every year for my birthday for the rest of my life, I have to do something big that makes me feel really good about myself!
Well, this year, for my 30th birthday, I was up for running the distance--31.2 miles to be exact! After joining the SoCal Trail Headz (formerly known as the OC Trail Runners), I fell in love with trail running. Because I love trail running so much, my training has become much more consistent. I've become more consistent in my cross training, weight lifting, and eating healthier--all so I can run more miles and run them strong!
On Saturday, April 12, the day before my 30th birthday, I ran the Old Goats 50K. So this would be my 2nd ultramarathon, less than a month after my first! I recovered very quickly from the Unknown, and had been running strong, so I was ready. But, two days before the race, I got sick! But I knew no matter how sick I was, I was still going to do the race. So I did my best to get lots of sleep and keep it from getting worse. I woke up the morning of the race and felt okay, though not my best. I just took some Dayquil and drove down to the Bluejay Campground in the Cleveland National Forest.
By the time I got to the starting line, I was actually feeling pretty good! I quickly found my friends from the SCTHz. Baz, the race director, ran up to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. We've actually never met! I don't know if he thought I was someone else, but I'm starting to think he's like that with everyone--I mean, with all the girls! I picked up my race gear. In addition to a long-sleeve race T shirt, they were giving out these really cute canvass tote bags that say "Old Goats 50K" on the side! I always like to see what kind of swag I can score at these races! (Even though I'm actually paying for them!)
So the race got started a little after 6 am. Baz announced that because the temperatures were going to get into the 90's that day that he would lift the original 7 hour time limit for the 50K. I started out feeling pretty good! I was happily chatting with people around me, telling them that the next day was my birthday! Yay me! I ran the first 9 miles feeling really good and strong, but then I suddenly felt like I hit that "wall" people talk about. I can only remember one other time I actually "bonked." I just had no more energy! And I had 22 miles to go! I immediately started to worry. I was thinking about how I'd been sick and had little appetite the past few days. I was thinking about how I did another 50K less than a month earlier and still kept training strong. Maybe I was overtrained. My body just felt like it didn't want to do this race! And then I started thinking about the heat we would have later in the day. . . and the climbs up the Main Divide and Horsetheif during the last part of the race! When I got to the first aid station at mile 10, I had no appetite. My good friend and fellow Trail Head, Alexa was there and without knowing my situation, she told me she was dropping! Hmmm, it started to sound like a good idea to me too! But I didn't want to DNF on my 2nd ultra and especially since I was already annoyed that I was turning 30 the next day, I knew I owed it to myself to at least try to keep going! I left the aid station without eating anything (BIG MISTAKE!) and figured the next 10 miles would take me back to the starting/finish line and to where my car was parked. I could then see how I was feeling and make a decision at that point whether to keep going.
Well, I pretty much moseyed along. I felt so weak I had a hard time running even the flat sections! Whenever the trail flattened out, I would start running, only to take a few steps and then back to walking. Other runners would catch up to me, or I would catch up to another runner who was also having a difficult race. Those of us who were struggling that day probably
just brought each other down even more. I just said, "I guess everyone has their 'off' days." I finally made myself eat some of a bar I was carrying. Then around mile 12, Kirk Fortini showed up! I had the pleasure of meeting Kirk and running with him for a little bit of the Unknown the month before. I told him how I was feeling and he said, "If you stick with me, you'll finish the race." After talking to all these people who were also having a tough race, that was just what I needed to hear! I started feeling hopeful! I did not want to DNF!My energy levels continued to drop. You HAVE to eat on these races. But looking back, I really wasn't thinking about food. Kirk kept talking to me about races and running and life. I wasn't really much of a conversationalist at that point. Talking seemed to take too much effort. All I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. Then he told me that at his truck at the start/finish line (also mile 18 of the course) he had some peanut butter and spun honey sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and Diet Coke Plus that he would share with me. The Diet Coke sounded really good! As I kept pushing forward, Kirk still got ahead of me. Then about a
mile from the cars, I started to worry that he might be already headed up the Main Divide before I could get to his truck with the Diet Coke Plus. So I started saying, "Diet Coke Plus, Diet Coke Plus, Diet Coke Plus. . . " over and over. It was oddly motivating to say that, and I actually started running again! I made it to Kirk's truck and he was still there. He must have said something to me, but all I could manage to say was something like, "Diet Coke Plus. . . please?" I hope I didn't sound too rude!At the truck I had to fix my contact lens, while Kirk gave me a sandwich and a cookie. But I STILL WOULDN'T EAT! Then it was time to go. I shoved the sandwich in my camelback and tried to eat the cookie, but I think half of it crumbled onto the ground. We were back at the start/finish line, but the next 13 miles of the course started from there. There was an aid station there. A bunch of people were cheering us on. As we started down the trail to the Main Divide, I remember thinking, this is crazy! I shouldn't be doing this! Oh well, if I pass out on the trail, someone might find me!
Going up the Main Divide, Kirk kept on talking to me. My responses were things like, "oh" and "yeah" and "uh huh." All my energy went into walking. The Main Divide is a fire road, entirely exposed to the sun, and covered in rocks, all uphill. It's about 1,000 feet of climbing in 2.5 miles. Kirk was about 30 feet ahead of me the whole time, also walking. At one point, he put one of his unused bottles of Cytomax on the ground and told me to pick it up and drink it. I couldn't think for myself at this point, so I just did it. Then he got farther ahead of me, and eventually out of sight. It felt like an eternity climbing up that! (But I still had Horsetheif to climb!)
A little bit later, the aid station came into view. I don't know if the Cytomax kicked in, but the ground leveled out and I started running again! Kirk was there and he was pointing at food and cups of Coke and was saying, "here, eat this, drink that. . . " And then, I FINALLY STARTED TO EAT! Suddenly I was hungry and began to eat at mile 22.6. A little late, but better late than never!
Next we started running--and I mean RUNNING--down Trabuco, which was all downhill and mostly shady. I actually started to feel good again! So I started the race feeling strong, had a 13 mile "lull" and then got my second wind at 22.6 miles! Kirk still got ahead of me, but I knew at this point I would be finishing the race. (He probably figured the same thing, since I didn't see him until the finish line, which was fine with me. I already held him back long enough!)So I wound up by myself on the trail, only seeing a couple other runners for the next few miles. I had never been up Horsethief before, but I had heard all about it! It is nearly 2,000 feet of climbing over 1.7 miles. So, it's another very steep climb, all rocks, entirely exposed, and, as if it couldn't get any worse--SWITCHBACKS! I hate switchbacks! Just when you think you are at the top, you turn another corner to find the trail just keeps going up. Switchbacks are always carved into the side of a steep hill, going back and forth, back and forth. . . They are so annoying! I hate them! In fact, the climb was so steep and I was moving so slowly that almost every time I looked down at my Garmin, it said, "auto pause."
So Horsethief was another seemingly endless climb, all by myself. Near the top, I saw another runner ahead of me. I tried to call out to him, but he was too far to hear me. I just wanted some company! As the trail started to flatten out--finally--I began running to catch up with my new soon-to-be friend. I can't remember his name, but he was from out-of-state. He came to California to do the Old Goats 50K! At that point, I couldn't fathom why anyone would take time out of their lives to travel to a race like this! He seemed to be thinking the same thing! We soon arrived at the aid station where I began to devour a lot more food and Coke. I was in a much better mood and probably stayed there too long happily chatting with the volunteers. Then I remembered I was doing a race, so I took off. My out-of-state friend was reduced to walking at this point, so I told him I'd see him at the finish line. I actually started running, going uphill, and then back down the Main Divide. I pretty much ran to the finish line from the aid station at the top of Horsethief! I was also enjoying the views. Lake Elsinore was just down below. You could also see the snow-capped peaks of Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto. Beautiful!
When the finish line came into view, everyone started cheering for me! I broke into a sprint, which is how I always like to finish a race. I crossed the line with a time of 8:37:44 and quickly saw some of my friends from the Trail Headz, like Eric Kosters, and, of course, Kirk. Eric Lumba crossed the finish line just after me, even though he started the race an hour late! Another reason I love the Trail Headz is now when I do races, I have a lot of friends there! There were a few more people from our group, but some of the faster 50K runners had gone home, while other people from our group were still on the course running the 50 miler.
Eric Lumba, Me, and Eric Kosters at the finish line
Then something unexpected happened--I guess you could call it an early birthday present. Baz decided it was time to start giving out awards. He announced the winners for 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall in males and females. Then came the age group awards. Now, the majority of trail runners are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. Very few people in their 20's run trail races, though I don't know why. So he announced the 20-29 age group, but then said, "I don't think we had any females in the 20-29 group. Okay, 30-39 females winner is. . . " And I thought, but I'm still 29 today! And I
wanted a prize, since I never win anything! So I went up to Baz afterwards and told him that I was 29 and that the very next day was my 30th birthday. He got all excited and went to double-check the list, and then said, "I have an announcement! We DO have a winner in the female 20-29 age group! This is Michelle Mecham! Now, if the race was tomorrow, she would not be getting this prize because tomorrow is her 30th birthday! But because the race is today, and she is 29, she has won first place for her age group!" So I got a glass cup with the race logo on the side and it says 1st place. Woo hoo! It turns out there were two other girls in my age group that ran. One of those girls won second overall, but Baz only gives out one prize per person. The other girl finished after I did. So first place went to me!I learned a few good lessons that day. First of all, you have to eat on these races, no matter how little of an appetite you have. I started feeling better almost immediately after I began eating at the aid station at the top of Trabuco. I might have had a very different race if I started eating sooner.
Second: I was reminded to NEVER GIVE UP! You can do anything you put your mind to. Sometimes the biggest barriers are all in our silly minds. I'm sure this is an important lesson that will get me through future ultras.
And last, I was able to see how in these races, we all look out for each other. Kirk was my hero that day! I'll forever be grateful for his encouragement from the moment we met up. He kept talking to me which distracted me from my tired legs. He shared his food with me, when there was a full aid station just a little farther ahead. I know I was probably not the most uplifting person to be around that day, but his unselfishness meant so much to me! What a great example and an outstanding human being he is! I'm sure that someday I'll be doing some race when I come across a struggling runner. And if that does happen, I hope I could be at least half the inspiration that Kirk was that day! Thanks Kirk!
Me and Kirk
I love this sport!
Next race: 6/8/08 Holcomb Valley 33M
