Thank goodness I left early! Friday traffic was much worse than I expected. So instead of making it hours early, I made it just in time for the dinner.
Yes, that’s right, the dinner. This wasn’t just any normal race where you show up and do it. Since it was up in the San Jacinto mountains, a night in the cabins was included in our race fee! Not only that, but we had communal dinner and breakfast with everyone, which was sweet!
Everyone was so nice at dinner, and it was fun to get to know everyone a little beforehand.
Then I got my packet and room assignment.
In my cabin, I picked a top bunk (’cause I think bunkbeds are super cool, and I thought as someone not doing the hundred mile race, I should be one of the ones to climb to the top.
We all talked a bit and got to know each other until quiet hours started at 10pm. I’d gotten into the habit of going to bed early all week. I knew if I didn’t, I’d be in for some hurting when race morning came.
Once the morning came, I rolled out of bed and over to breakfast. I had a half of a banana while people around me were loading up on pancakes and syrup. I didn’t want to overdo it with the calories, but I started eating quickly into the race. Very soon I understood why everyone had been eating so much around me in the morning – 50 miles (and especially 100 miles!) is kind of a long way to go.
The course was a two-mile loop that we ran over and over. Part of it was through sand (even though we weren’t by a beach). There was a little small stretch of road. Every time I hit the road, I was so comfy and happy to be off the trail that I’d try to jog that part, even I was walking the parts around it.
At the end of each loop was a huge clock telling us how we were doing, and a huge stand full of so much food (oh so much food)! For the first number of loops, I’d mainly just grab water (though I did stop in my cabin pretty early for a small vegan cookie). That was one thing that was awesome – our cabins were right along the course. We could stop for Gatorade (or vegan cookies) or whatever our little hearts pleased, as often as we wanted.
And this is where I’ll pick up next time.