Random Pictures and Memories from Umstead 100 weekend (not race)

With a baby goat at Maymont Park in Richmond VA. This is the park that Tristan and I got married in back in 2000. Everytime we go back to Richmond, we try to go to this park. It is very beautiful. .

With a gazebo and blooming flowers at Maymont. The 140 acres at Maymont Park has some wildlife exhibits, a nature center, a children's zoo, a Japanese Garden, an Italian Garden, a Mansion as well as many trails and other sights

At the Italian Gardens with many blooming tulips. Although the day was quite overcast, the garden was very beautiful.

Tristan at the Italian Garden. The dome at the end is where we got married essentially 9 years ago.

Another view of the Italian Gardens. The gardens get new flowers throughout the year. Currently there are tulips, later there are pansies, roses and many other beautiful and fragrant flowers. On the top of the white aisle, there are Wisteria vines which are beautiful in May.

I am on the road to recovery from Umstead this past weekend. I had an amazing time and am so excited that I clearly PR'd by a significant amount. I anxiously await the final results because I am curious what my last laps pace was. It may have been close to 25 minute miles for the first 7 miles then abruptly switched to 15 or 16 minute miles when I decided I wanted so badly to break 28 hours. Even now I write this I am so proud and happy about the fact that I could dig deep and accomplish my goal.

Sunday after the race, Tristan drove Gilligan and I back to Richmond where we spent a bit of time with his dad. Then we drove a little further into Richmond so Tristan could participate in a poker game with some elementary-high school friends. Initially I was stuck in the car because his friend would not let a girl in the "man cave" (suprise, suprise this guy is not married!). While deciding where I would stay while still at Tristan's dads house (the poker game was on the way home), I was pretty adamant I would prefer a bit of discomfort to get home earlier.

But I tried to get Tristan to get me into his friends house so I could just sleep (I would have been agreeable to being blindfolded). But alas this rule was not to be broken. Tristan's dad said I was a saint for allowing this nonsense (thanks Dad!). But I suggested that if I was not allowed in the house, but then had to go to the restroom, I would just knock on the door and ask to be let in. If refused, I would just whiz on a bush on the front yard...and I was serious. I had just spend 28 hours running in the woods of which the last 10+ hours I was having to use "la-tree's". And even worse as the race progressed my definition of "approrpriately far from the race course" was inversely proportional to the time I spent on the course!

But ultimately Tristan was able to get a different friend (Alex) who lived close by to let me stay in their house during the game. Sonia, Alex's wife was a very gracious hostess and made me feel very welcome even though the only time I met her previously was at their wedding just about a year ago. We chatted about random stuff until I fell asleep (I hope not mid-sentence). Tristan came by to pick me up about 9:30 or so and I think my first words awake were "I am so sorry, I just drooled on your blanket"...my ultra-running inappropriateness strikes again!

We got back to our house late Sunday night (or it might have been very early Monday Morning). But even though I did not set an alarm and had alerted my supervisor I might be very late or take the day off, I woke up naturally by about 6:45 and was at work a bit before 8 a.m.

Other than a bit tired, my recovery is going very well. My ankles are swollen and my knees a bit tender, but I was even able to give Gilligan a small walk this afternoon (Tuesday). This week Tristan and I are dog sitting Billy (an old english sheep-dog with massive amounts of energy), but I am not advanced enough to walk Billy. Nor do I expect to take him on one of our massive runs/hikes in Shenandoah this weekend...but perhaps I will be up for it considering I feel I am a day ahead of my previous 100 mile recoveries!

I am starting my post race report...I will write more later in a different post