WausaUltra Recap - Eluding a DNF Part 2
Here’s Part 2 of my first Backyard Ultra experience at the WausaUltra. There’s simply too much to cover for the 39 hour race in a single post. Read Part 1 here.
“No finish line” mentality
I had a blast on the race course, putt-putting along even during day 2.
Past Backyard Ultra winners advised to maintain the mentality that they have a singular goal of being the last runner standing, rather than hitting a target mileage. Once runners hit their goal mileage they lose the drive to keep going. In past races I had multiple goals, and although my penultimate goal was exactly that, I had several more to ensure a good experience
1) Be consistent – lap times, fueling, hydration, stretching
I enjoyed the all-you-can-eat (open all day and all night) buffet from the very first lap.
2) Experience the community – all my other races require me to be in race mode from the gun and constantly monitor my position, here all that is out the window and I can get to know the other runners. It was inspiring to talk to runners still on the course after doubling their lifetime longest run.
Thank goodness my ankle felt better than it looked! It was even bruised on the other side.
3) Enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet – in prior ultras, I kept hoping to enjoy the aid station spreads as I moved up in distance but have yet to linger long enough to even see all my options; plus with the loop I scoped out my options before the race! I took advantage and enjoyed four scrumptious Becca’s wraps while racing!
Technicality
Unlike the original Big’s Backyard Ultra, the WausaUltra course was challenging. The first hint of the challenge is that it takes place at Sylvan Hill, the area’s winter tubing hill. With over 500 feet of elevation gain per lap, this totaled 20,000 feet of elevation gain over 39 hours. But that wasn’t the hard part. The tricky footing causing an ankle roll at mile 60 nearly ended my day. Then I had to run with fear of every footfall after that. I told my crew that if I didn’t come in for a lap, they would need to find me to haul me off the trail. I wonder if running for a full day on the ankle maintained blood flow to actually enhance the healing process. At the end of the race, my ankle looked terrible, but felt fine. (Maybe the endorphins were blocking the pain!)
I nicknamed one singletrack the “non-rhythm” section since the mix of curves, terrain, camber, rocks, and roots made it impossible to have any sort of rhythm. I later found out one of the top women walked that downhill every time! I ran so I could use gravity to my advantage and was thankful every time I survived that section. Ironically, I named part of this downhill section “rock-and-roll” since I could let gravity carry me over all the rocks, and rolled my ankle there a few laps later.
At the end of each lap, a series of five bridges that seemed to get progressively sketchier kept me on my toes. The second to last one had a loose board and wiggly rock I had calibrate my stride so I did not take a digger. Then the final bridge had several missing boards on each end that I made sure I had a little extra push off so I didn’t fall short.
Torture
Ironically (or divinely) my pastor gave a sermon where he framed Hebrews 12:1-2. He said more than once that no one runs a race without a finish line because that’s just torture. He did come to the WausaUltra (twice) to watch the race.
I thoroughly enjoyed every lap up until it ended. I looked at this race without a finish line as the opportunity for infinite finishes and to savor each time I crossed. Then as the countdown began for the next loop, savoring the opportunity to continue what I love to do.
Curveball
The Backyard Ultra has several rules. One rule is runners can only get aid between laps. So it’s important not to forget anything at the start. The low point was realizing the instant the lap started that I forgot my water bottle. So the only nutrition I had that lap was a handful of trail mix, which I’m glad I was able to choke down. I forgot it because I was getting cold so I put on gloves at the start and didn’t grab my water bottle. I had planned to cover this lap slower so I would not get cold between laps, since I was shivering. To ensure I didn’t dig too deep a hole I wanted to pound out the lap so I could drink and eat extra to make up for my mistake before heading out for the next lap. It was painful to run by my tent 21 minutes into the lap, and not being allowed to grab my water bottle until I completed the lap. Thankfully, I was able to refuel and hydrate after the lap and it didn’t seem to effect my result.
First-class
I was thrilled to have the race directors buy me cantaloupe to fuel me during day 2. Travis’s crew and race directors went bananas too.
The WausaUltra team put together a first-class event from start to end. Their pre-race communications provided racers all the information they needed. Training runs allowed racers to preview the course. Their passion for the sport bubbles up. The level of race day support and encouragement blows any other event I have ever done out of the water. I’ve never had the race director meet me at multiple locations on the course AND the finish line!
The small army that crewed me did a fantastic job and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to have a singular focus of putting one foot in front of the other:
Tim Buchholz, IRONBULL president, who arrived at 6 am to set up a prime crew location for me (so I could roll in minutes before the start), then crewed, drove to, raced and won the Chasin’ The Bone 9-Hour Adventure Race, and returned bright-eyed and bushy tailed to crew me until the bitter end to relieve my husband.
My husband, Simon, who crewed me for over a full day, perhaps staying up for the first time all night in a decade to support me!
My mom, who stayed overnight the first time in over a year, to watch our three children while Simon crewed.
Bill Bertram, IRONBULL vice-president, who filled in and was johnny-on-the-spot with special requests.
I was overwhelmed before the start, when multiple people offered to unload my vehicle!
Travis is ready for a fist-bump as my husband cheers me on at from the starting corral at about 30 hours in.
Sudden end
Like most Backyard Ultras, this race came to an abrupt end, at least in my eyes. Only Travis, a local and fellow adventure racer, and I entered the starting corral every hour for ten hours. We gave each other a fist bump each time, as we knew we needed the other to continue on. He looked strong every lap, like he could go into a third day, until he couldn’t. After racing through near record-high temperatures, the heat had taken its toll on him, especially when temperatures remained in the mid-70s through the night. It was eerie leading the entire lap through the darkness. Although he often was far enough ahead of me I couldn’t see his headlamp, this lap felt so different knowing there was no light ahead of me. The lap was bittersweet as I hoped he’d be able to dig out and continue. But as I waited in the starting corral and the top of the next hour came, he remained in the darkness. And just like that the race was over.
Seconds after what I thought would be the start of another lap, I was suddenly crowned the winner.
Travis arrived a few minutes later, completely exhausted. Travis has to be credited equally for his assist. Without him, neither of us would have been able to cover 162 miles over a day, night, another day, and into a second night.
Ironically my last ultra, the Bandera 100k, required me to drive solo 22 hours home. This time I was chauffeured the 20 minute drive home. When I arrived home, I slid into bed at 2 am ensuring not to wake my husband you had crewed me for more than a full day, since I knew he was exhausted.
I was shocked to find out in a recently released database, that outside of the world championship, only one woman has run farther in a Backyard Ultra! Good thing I didn’t learn that before the race or I would have psyched myself out as 162 miles is pretty crazy!
All photos courtesy of WausaUltra unless otherwise noted.
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