by Lisa Zucker Glick
ATY (Aravaipa
Running Co.) is a 6 day staged race with a 1.4 mile repeating loop. Previously the loop was one mile but had to
be rerouted because of construction. The route is 80% dirt path (around a lake)
some pavement and some concrete. There
is a staging area with a food tent, med tent, warming tent, timing, music and
spectators. In the middle of the field there is a tent city. The event folks set up tents
and cots for the participants, along with tables. As you pass by your spot you can grab your food and nutrition, change of clothes etc. It’s a simple way to get the
running done without lugging lots of supplies.
71 laps
around the course will get you 100 miles.
Our plan was
to run as much as we could each day and sleep in a warm bed at a hotel we booked just down the road. We
decided this because the first year we did this event we tried to sleep in our
tent at night but the temps were down to 30 degrees. It was not fun, and not
restful. We decided that taking the time for good sleep would help us have a productive race. More on this later.
The first
day went well. We both got 45 miles in
about 12 hours. Jim took a few breaks to
rest his feet. I kept moving every
second , grabbing food while walking, changing clothes etc. We went back to our
hotel about 11 PM.
The second
was ok but more difficult. We were
tired and cranky. Jim was having a foot
issue and had to lay down on the cot in the tent. I kept moving on relentlessly. We had made an agreement that we would each
do our own thing. Sometimes I ran,
sometimes I walked. I just did what I
felt like. Occasionally I got in stride
with another runner and I’d move with them but if they were too fast or too
slow for me I’d disengage and do
my own pace.
The weather was made to order. Cool in the morning, warmer midday, and cooler at night. I especially enjoyed running at night. The moon and stars were fantastic.
I did not
listen to music the first two days until 4 hours into that days run. I wanted to focus on moving and being
present. I also did not listen to music
once the sun set.
The second day
I got about 36 miles. Jim got a bit
less. We went back to the hotel about 7
PM.
The third
day, as expected, was very good. I only
needed 18 miles to get to my hundred and I could taste the finish.
Lots of fresh runners starting each day for their 24, 48 or 72 hours. Also
many folks signed up for all 6 days!!
I did LOTS of running the third day because I was excited. I put my music on earlier and kept my
momentum.
As I kept getting closer and closer to mile
100 I was feeling very empowered.
Mountain races are very hard but
running in circles for hours on end is a different kind of hard. Beside the physical training I had done a LOT
of mindset work. I manifested that I
would feel good and complete my goal. I
envisioned myself running and having
fun. I actually did have lots of
fun (mostly 😊).
The runner’s bibs had their names on them. I made it a point to try and meet as many runners as possible and chat with people. Me
being social? Shocking I know! 😊
As you complete each lap you cross a timing matt and your name is displayed on an electronic board showing how many laps and miles you have completed. When I knew I only had a few laps to go I got into a great groove and knocked them off. Before my last lap I visited the race director in the timing tent and let her know I was almost at 100 and I was going to ring the bell and do a dance.
Pretty sure I sprinted the last mile. I felt very emotional thinking I was completing 100 miles at age 63 after overcoming so many obstacle in my past. As I came upon the timing matt for my 100 miles I started yelling to everyone,” I’m completing my hundred miles!!”
I rang the
bell and the DJ played “ You can ring my bell” ( by request- disco is my
favorite). The race director came out
and gave me my buckle and pictures were taken. I was overwhelmed with
gratitude!!
Jim still needed a bunch of laps to get his
hundo so I figured I’d use my time.
I did go back to my tent and sit
for a few minutes, but then I jumped up and kept going.
I added a few more laps until I
found Jim and paced him for his last 2.
He got 103 and I got 110. Not too shabby for two people
collecting social security checks!
Stats: On the official clock I had 108.5 miles in
56.59.10 hours. We chose to stop at the
end of the third day. We could have kept going for another 15 hours
but we were cooked.
Total Moving
time from my Strava ( minus the sleeping) was 33:42:59 and 110.18 miles. For
the 72 hour event I was 3rd
in my AG, 15th Female, and 30th overall. My average pace throughout was 18.22 a
mile.
Relentless forward motion!
Training: I decided early on that there was no
negotiating. I was going to finish no
matter what- barring
a catastrophic injury or illness of course. My training had been stellar. I had a 300 mile month in November,
including a self supported 50K at Catalina State Park In Tucson, AZ . I had
a plan that I bought on Training Peaks
from Jeff Browning. The plan had lots of
cross training, strength training, rest days and specific workouts.
Since I’m semi-retired I could train hard and get REST. Quality sleep is crucial. So is nutrition. I’m follow a low carb keto/carnivore food plan.
No alcohol , sugar or processed foods.
During the event I started with
beef jerky and beef sticks but
after the first day I branched out to
potato chips and even a bowl of
rice. I kept ahead of my water
and electrolytes and had no cramping or
stomach issues. I wore a
skort the whole time but
bundled up on top when it got
cold. LOTS of coffee and hot
tea throughout. The food tent
was fantastic.
Mindset: I
was in a great headspace before during and after this event. I knew
that I could finish 100 miles in 72 hours by
crawling and I didn’t care about my overall time. I had a unique experience
during this race. I was completely in
the moment as each moment was happening.
I wasn’t thinking about politics,
what other people thought, mistakes I made, should, coulda would…. None of that.
I was just locomoting along at my own pace. I kept telling myself that I was strong and
I was going to spend 3 days running. My
mantras were “Yes I can, I am strong, I
am running, I am me and I’m amazing”. I felt completely confident the entire time. Repetition is my forte. This is
the kind of event that works for me. No anxiety about getting lost, no anxiety about missing a
cut off, no anxiety about not
finishing. I felt like I was in a bubble
in my mind doing my own event even though I was surrounded by tons of
people. It was very empowering.
There was a
lot of inspiration all around. This is a
Pedestrian Friendly Event. There was man
, age 91 in the 6 day event, people with
special needs, people of all ages ,
shapes and sizes, many walkers and many super
fast runners.
On day two I
thought” never again” but you know how
that goes. For next year I think we
will NOT go back to the hotel the first night.
We’ll run for 100K and then sleep in the warming tent or our car for 2 hours, get up and
continue. The first night we hardly
slept in the hotel because we were so
jazzed up from tunning 12 hours. We
figure the time would be better spent by continuing the running.
My shoes,
New Balance Xmore V4 worked great, with gaitors. I had 3 pairs of them and used a different pair each day. I did start to get a hot
spot on day two behind my heel but mole skin saved me. I will never again do a race or long training run without having a supply of mole skin!
In the
training leading up to the race I had a slight issue with my IT band/ knee
cap clicking and moving. I went to PT and did some exercises. It improved but was still there
occasionally. The first day of the race
the clicking started after about 2 hours and then VANISHED for the rest of the event. In the ultra community the saying “If you
have a minor niggle issue just go for a long run to fix it” proved true for me!
Everyone has a different why for participating
in crazy long distance endurance events.
My why is because it makes me
feel alive. 30 plus years ago I had a long difficult
battle with clinical depression.
Completing 100 miles reminds me that I am strong and I can do hard
things. There are so many people that
are not well enough to even walk to the bathroom. I run for those that can not. We GET to do this.
