Punishment in VT

All I can say is Holy Shit!  The ten mile loop  course through the Green Mountains showed me who the boss was in the end.  Stating from 825' at base camp then climbing steady for 41/2 miles to the summit at 2400' usually would be the most painful part of the course.  But in reality the second half of the course was relentless.  We had 4 1/2 decents over a 4 mile stretch on the mountain.  The hills had anywhere from 10 to 17 %grades going down.  If that was not enough all the deep mud, rain, standing water, and sticker briars sticking you in the left eye lid and staying there until you pull it out really proved to be a test on top of trying to run 500 miles in 198 hours.  Regardless of all the obstacles,  I had an amazing time with the solitude of being alone and even all the other racers that showed up on day 5.  I ended up pulling or tearing part of my left soleus (in which I rapped on day three and kept pushing it) and at about 332 miles I had a stress fracture develop in my lateral metatarsel in my right foot.  I knew if I stopped that would be it so I started to push harder thinking by some miracle the pain would go away.  When I finished 340 miles it was about 7 oclock so I knew it needed to be wrapped and my feet retaped before I headed into the night.  As I stood up and went to take off I put all my weight on my right foot and immediatly fell to the ground.  The fracture had set in badly and my march to 500 was over.  It was very hard to accept in my own mind but I turned that anger into motivation for next May and toward my training after I heal.  Next year can not get here soon enough my training regimine is going to be HARD and very demanding but it will pay off next year when I accomplish the crazy journey I have began!

500 miles in Vermont

With only 6 days before the first ever 500 mile one stage race in the green mountains of Vermont,  My adrenaline and nerves are going crazy.  This year in Pittsfield, there are 4 racers from Kansas, Arizona, Washington State, and me from Virginia.  Only two of us know the teraine from previous races we have done in the past.  The race begins at noon on the 30th.  It consists of 50 ten mile loops on 100% trail with 2400 feet of elevation change per loop.  The time limit for the race is 198 hours (8 days 6 hours) in which the first 5 days is almost completely self supported.  The RD will supply us with some fluid and one meal around 4 oclock to 6 for those first five days.  The weather should be comfy around 30 to 35  at night and about mid 50s during the day.  It looks like there is rain about every other day and there is still snow at the tops of the mountains.  Being able to stick by my plan, I hope to complete the race in 6 1/2 days or less.  All I have to do is run a solid 18 hours at about a 15 min. mile pace then regroup for the next 3 to 6 hours by eating a good meal and resting a little then get back up and repeat the same thing.  It sounds like a simple plan but I think it will prove to be anything but easy.  Wish me luck and I will try to make posts throughout the race.