Montour 24-Hour Trail Ultra - July 26 - 27, 2014 - Danville, PA
My left humerus fracture was completely healed by April with the help of physical therapy and, I'm convinced, my walking miles. I logged 66 walking miles. I began training for a brand new trail ultra - the 2014 Montour 24 Hour Trail Ultra in July. The course is a 1.5 mile loop dirt trail and a small hill. We set up tent the night before. And before lacing up my running shoes before the 7 am, Jon lathered my feet with Tiger Balm, and Vaseline and Desitin to help prevent blisters.
At the end of 20 laps and 30 miles, an old callous resurfaced accompanied by a blister. Jon drained the blistered and adorned the area with duct tape.
Approaching mile 39, I was feeling strong. I changed clothes at about 4 pm. Fourteen hours after the start, I had no idea how many miles I had logged but I enjoyed the ice-cold Pepsi.
At about 1 am in the morning, I changed sweat drenched clothes again. My beaten feet earned a few minutes in a well-deserved epsom salt ice bath. It felt so cold and so good. Not only were my feet recharged but my mental exhaustion diminished just a bit.
Considering my training miles were shortened due to my broken arm, I was pleased with my 4th place finish in the women's division and 14/32 overall with 68.54 miles. It was the morning of July 27 and our 29th wedding anniversary. Jon and I cozied up in the tent and took a nap before our long drive home.
I am also the author of Come What May, I Want to Run: A Memoir of the Saving Grace of Ultrarunning in Overwhelming Times. Read excerpts, praise, and reviews, and order the book here from the publisher, Amazon, Bookshop, or Barnes & Noble. My Montour 24-hr ultra journey is one of many ultramarathon experiences that weaves through my memoir.
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