More pictures and a link to my race experience article

Cindy, my crew and Helen the crew organizer from Reston Runners prior to the JFK 50 miler start. It is bitterly cold at this time (as per the bank clock it was below 19 degree's in the valley)

Here I am above Weverton cliffs on the Appalachian Trail. You can see runners passing me while I take my self portrait. I just really did not want to run down the 18 switchbacks...the bane of my existance!

I am about to get on the C&O Canal but for some reason I decide I should choke myself (notice my hand is around my neck). It is pretty amusing what I am doing to myself in some of my self portraits. Sadly I do not always take a glance to see if my pictures are okay and sometimes I cannot see the details. Once they are on my computer well after the fact I realize my errors!

Here I am along the Towpath on my way to Harpers Ferry. The rapids behind me are class I/II rapids that Tristan and I have going tubing down (which is lots of fun in the summer...in the winter I imagine it would not be quite as fun!)

I am so excited about not getting reflective wear. I have to take a picture of me taunting the volunteers! Just kidding, I just mentioned to them my excitement about not being stuck wearing the "vest of shame" which I have worn the last 3 years! I think the one young lady is a bit puzzled by my antics.

I have written an article about my JFK 50 miler experience. It took me longer to write my experience than to run the race (but what else was I going to do Sunday afternoon...it's not like my legs were ready for more than a few steps!). Uou can read my 11 page disertation here. Seriously it is long. In fact my friends at the Reston Runners entitled it "JFK 50 mile: The race is not long and neither is my article". They crack me up!

I love this race and hope my article gives you all a glimpse into my experience. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was sad, but in the end I finished. It was good times!

I truly am indebted to so many people who helped me in this ultra as well as previous ultra's. Most of all my sister was a great crew. I will miss her next year when she runs the race. She always attended to my needs, offered positive words of encouragement, kept my spirits up and even ran with me for a bit on occasion (even with a hurt paw).

Cindy hates cold weather as much as I do, yet she was out there at every aid station I asked her to be (all I requested was Gathland, Weverton and 38 special). She even showed up at Antietam where she crewed for both Tristan and I. I will miss her as my crew for JFK. Hopefully she doesn't bail on crewing for me at Umstead or Vermont 100. I really will have to make sure I look very ill, unhappy and pained at my next ultra's to stop all my crew from joinining me on the course:-)

Alas, I love ultra's. I think they allow us to test ourselves, push our boundaries past any thing we think is possible and give us an amazing sense of satisfaction at the end. There is no other experience that is quite as fulfilling. I am already to sign up for another one (although considering I am already in Umstead and Vermont 100 there is little more that I could possible impulsively sign up for isn't there??)