Jill finished the Bear 100 this past weekend. There was no doubt in my mind that she would finish and finish strong, but this was something of a test for her. She timed out last year at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 and while she has only been running for a few years, her immediate ambition was to run 100 miles. She is just like that. Her only other "summer" attempt was at TRT, and I think she was left feeling like she had something to prove to herself. So, this was a pretty big deal but it was obvious to everyone (except for her) that it would be a slam dunk. This was also the romantic scene of her and her boyfriend Beat's first date, which made it an even more emotionally charged place for her. I suspect that her lovey-dovey feelings waned as the exhaustion set in. I didn't ask though.
One reason I knew Jill would be fine is because she comes from a long line of Mormon pioneers and, as we all know, Mormons have endured some pretty substantial hardship (not to mention persecution) throughout their journey. In fact, Jill is a direct descendant of the founder of Hyrum, Utah, which is in the Cache Valley where Bear 100 is held. Said founder was one of Bringham Young's right-hand men. Or something like that. Perseverance and an ability to endure hardship and suffering is in Jill's blood (though she'd probably want me to note that she's not a practicing LDS peep or even a religious person). So, it comes as no surprise that she uneventfully made her way 100 miles through the mountains from Logan, UT to Bear Lake, ID.
I paced Jill for 48 miles and it was actually quite enjoyable. There were multiple moments where I wished I was asleep instead (as a half-Jew my capacity for suffering is less than a Mormon I think, so half the race was about right), but on balance it was a fun and high-quality night/day I wouldn't trade ever for beer and a good night's sleep. I am incredibly proud of Jill in every way and am glad to have a friend I can point to as far nuttier when people give me a hard time for my strange hobbies.
This weekend Allison and I run in the Grand Canyon and go to Vegas. After that my training starts for
White Mountains 100 in March. Yee-haw!
5 comments:
You are SO FUNNY. "I'm so out of shape..." Then you go and run 48 miles. Not sure who you are measuring yourself against! It looks pretty..to run. But not all at once!
Looks like beautiful conditions
Have fun this weekend, and have at least a few beers for me.
I keep saying what beautiful colors this place have in September! I remember it from my run, but with everyone's photos it seems it gets better - or I wasn't looking around after some point:) Ladies, nice work!
Gorgeous colors!! I also liked this line: " I am incredibly proud of Jill in every way and am glad to have a friend I can point to as far nuttier when people give me a hard time for my strange hobbies."
I think it is also helpful to have nuttier friends that keep us humble and always reaching for more.
Have fun on your upcoming adventures! I loved the Grand Canyon :)
Aw, Danni, I love you. I owe you big after this one. Too bad I can't tag along at the WM100.
Hope you're having fun in the Grand Canyon. Sorry we missed you but our trip was a day earlier than I thought. Hope to see you soon, crazy event or not!
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