Sunday, November 4, 2012

Pinhoti...sufferfest

Full report to come.  Just a quick update because I am too miserable to sleep anyway.

1. Thank you to my wife for allowing me to come down here and pursue this craziness.  I love you and hope I have brought honor to our family with the effort I delivered.

2.  I am going to the big dance.  June 29, Squaw to Auburn.  17:41.  A PR.  My goal was to run under 15 hours.  Sounds ridiculous. Maybe not.  My splits were negative...just not the good kind of negative.   First 50, low 7 hour range.  Second 50, 10+ hours.

3. I got second after leading for the first 90 miles.  Neal Gorman finally reeled me in and passed looking great.  I was walking downhill at the time.  I have no idea how I held on to second.  I was suffering desperately since mile 20.  I can't believe I even finished.  I could barely walk, yet I found the guts to run again and again.  I ran nothing beyond flat in the second half of the race.  If I stopped,, I staggered.  I was dizzy and had no energy.  I am sure the only thing keeping me from laying down and sleeping on the side of the trail was a steady supply of Vespa.  Any slight uphill running locked my entire body down with convulsive cramping and everything spun.    Temps surged into the mid-80s with high humidity.  To hold this together and finish is EASILY the hardest thing I have ever done.  No human should ever suffer that badly.  Hardcore.

4.  After finishing, I waited a while and watched Yassine come in to claim his ticket to the dance.  Psyched to see him in Squaw...great dude.

5.  I staggered into the hotel and knew something was bad wrong...I got the stomach flu or food poisoning and I pretty much can't hold down a sip of water right now...both ends.  I seriously need to re-hydrate, but I can't get anything in.  I believe the dizziness and sick belly I experienced out there was this foulness setting in.  Again, I can't believe I finished.

6.  Flying home tomorrow...that should be fun.  Looking forward to a long break from running.  The damage done to my muscles from the massive cramping should demand a few weeks at least.  I am wrecked!

4 comments:

  1. Nice work Jer. Inspirational, to say the least... Way to earn your spot for the big dance :) That's amazing that you were able to finish and perform so amazingly under such poor body conditions. The force is strong with you. I think honor is yours to have and to hold on to, just from your way of life and attitude, let alone what you just accomplished here :) Recover well my friend.
    -Brendan

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  2. My respect level for you has shot up by a million percent. You proved during this race that you are nothing short of a finisher. I am just very, very honored to say I know you and Brandi. What an amzaing legacy you are creating! Just amazing, simply amazing.

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  3. I'll have a phenomenally good 100, and the next one will bend me over backwards and take me to the cleaners. But for a massive blowup, 2nd place is extraordinary. With my years of experience, I'd say you can really only race a 100 twice a year, and give yourself sufficient rest for the next one. Any more than that, and you are bordering injury and catastrophe. That's probably why it is good that I haven't done a 100 since Badwater (my good performance cost me pretty bad). I hope you rest up , and get back in it soon. It's wintertime anyway, which almost forces you to slow down. Unless your name is Jeremy Humphrey, then you'll just throw on your skis and those things you can use to go uphill with, which is what I expect. You also owe me miles down here in Boise :-)

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  4. Wow! Impressive. I am gonna have to go and catch up on the Gorman report. Hope you have recovered. Impressive with the time and placing. Well done.

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