Jen is our wordsmith; she seamlessly manages all of our social media pages (over 20 of them) for Aravaipa and Run Steep Get High + she’s also the voice behind Squirrel’s Nut Butter. It is not uncommon to hear someone in the office say “just send the idea to Jen, she’ll make it sound 10x better.” Read on to hear about Jen’s experience at the 2015 Hypnosis Night Runs. This is also a race I will never forget…
It was the spring of 2015, and I was preparing to turn the big 4-0. I knew I wanted to go big for my birthday, but wasn’t quite sure what I had in mind just yet. While scrolling through ultra signup one morning though, I saw just the thing. Wouldn’t you know it, Hypnosis 54k fell on my birthday. It was meant to be! I immediately registered to attempt my 4th ultra marathon on my 40th birthday.
As the days crept closer to the race I did what most people do, I went shopping for my fuel, got my outfit ready, and checked to see who else was signed up for the race. To my disbelief, when I checked the list, I was the only female registered. I assumed people were just waiting until packet pickup or race day to sign up so I didn’t think much of it and shrugged it off.
Back when Pearl Izumi made running shoes… (Marisa Jenkins left, Jen right)
June 27th arrived faster than I expected. I woke up that morning ready for a mellow day of birthday celebrations with my family while gearing up for my big night. I focused on staying off my feet, hydrating and eating bland of food to try and prevent tummy troubles from arising during the race since, unfortunately for me, G.I. distress happens more often than not during ultra marathons.
I left home for the park with plenty of time to get situated before race start. While parking my car I instinctively looked at my temperature gauge and I let out a nervous cackle, it read 114F. The heat, along with foreboding thunderheads to the East meant two things: humidity and monsoon. I grabbed my drop bag out of my Jeep, picked up my bib from the registration tent and started getting ready, nervously chatting with friends while pinning on my number with shaky hands. I lined up with my fellow 54k runners and the count down began. It was then I looked around to see all the other women who had surely signed up at packet pickup. With a stunned expression I realized that it was only me. I was the only female! “What a hilarious birthday gift” I thought to myself, all I had to do was finish this race and I will win! I can take all the time I need, I just need to cross the finish line.. “This is going to be SO much fun!!” I could not have been more wrong.
Hypnosis 54k is comprised of 4 loops. One 8k loop on the technical track, and 3 loops on the longer, 15k portion. The race started and I immediately made my first big mistake. Since I was running with the boys, I didn’t want to be the last runner to come through on that first loop. I ran the 8k way too fast to insure that didn’t happen. It was also during this loop where that looming storm decided to work its way west and hit us with a haboob. That was a first for me and made the loop even more exciting. I was thankful too that I ALWAYS run with a headwrap. I was able to use it as a dust mask and it worked really well.
Jen mid-race in dust-protection mode
Unfortunately, there was very little precipitation with the storm, so all it did was make everything dusty and super muggy, making the air feel like a moist hair dryer on high blowing into your face. This is where I made my second mistake. I focused too much on drinking and staying hydrated, and neglected to keep my body wet. The lack of having my extremities as soaked as possible resulted in my body temperature spiking, and the early arrival of a very angry gut. I went out on the second loop still feeling ok. I slowed down, knowing I had a long night ahead. I was still my chatty self when I hit the RWB Aid Station, but shortly after things started turning sour. I was already feeling gut discomfort when I left for my third loop, and the vomiting started soon after, around mile 20.
Here begins my pattern: vomit, run, walk, vomit, run, walk repeat. When I got to the RWB Aid Station again on the third loop, the team could tell I wasn’t feeling great and were doing their best to accommodate me, but nothing was going to help and I was not going to tell them how bad off I was. I still had another, 12 ish miles to go and I was terrified if race officials knew I was THAT sick, in those temperatures, they may want me to stop for safety reasons. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled from my birthday race!
As I came into the main aid station before my final loop, it took everything in my power to mask how sick I was (This is not an Aravaipa sanctioned or suggested strategy….). There were only a handful of volunteers and the Race Directors left, and it was pretty obvious to everyone that I had gone to the dark side and there was no returning. It was at that point that one of the volunteers showed me the beautiful, hand painted butterfly award that was for the 54k first place female. It was for me! All I had to do was get myself back out on course for one more loop, one foot in front of the other. I thought to myself, “I can do this”. The cheering began to fade as I stumbled off down the trail, farther and farther into the darkness. I felt the sincere encouragement and support from that small group of people and knew that somehow I was going to finish that race.
I have no idea how long that last loop took me, or how many times I threw up, or stopped because I was doubled over in stomach pain, but somehow I made it. I learned some priceless lessons that night, and as ugly as it was, I was so proud of myself for gutting it out (Literally…).
I finished dead last, last on course, and 1st female at Hypnosis 54k on my 40th birthday.
My race did not go smoothly, and it was quite possibly one of the most grueling and longest nights of my life, but it was an experience that I will never forget, and I would not have wanted it any other way!
Hard-earned 1st place award