Licensed to teach English and History in the state of Virginia. Full time #housespouse. I'm just trying to live a happy life. I read, I run, I write, and I do other goofy stuff.
Things are rapidly changing in the Richard household as 1977 comes to a close. And 1978 won't be any calmer. We know my parents moved into their house on Foxglove Place back in the early 1970s and they probably knew by December 1977 that they would be moving out soon. It would be a few short months into the new year when they sell the house and move across the country.
The end of 1977, and into 1978, was not only the end of the young couple's time in California, but would also begin to be the end of their marriage. And this is where I need to set expectations and boundaries.
Historical Perspective
As a child of divorced parents, it was all I ever knew. My parents were divorced but they still remained friends with each other. It was never a "big deal" for me to have parents living in two different houses, two different states, or even two different time zones. It was just life. It wasn't until I got older that I realized I was one of the few kids lucky enough to have parents strong enough to survive a divorce but to also remain friends over the years. Even now, nearly 40 years later, they talk. It really is amazing how they put aside their issues, their problems with each other, and focused on me and doing what they felt was the best thing they could to give me the best life they could. It really is a huge sacrifice and I can't thank them enough for making it.
Boundaries
Because both of my parents are alive and because they are both active in my life and because I want to respect their privacy, I will be heavily redacting anything involving the divorce. I am often warned against over-sharing personal parts of my life but I find personal stories, especially my own history, amazingly educational and entertaining. As I've said before, everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. But by telling my story, especially at this stage of my life, I get into the stories of others. Personal stories. Emotional stories. Heartbreaking stories. I've read stuff that's made me cry. I've seen stuff that's made me laugh. But in the end, even though it's part of history, there needs to be some privacy involved. So I'll be keeping a lot of the divorce-related stories private. Not to prevent my readers from reading about it, not to hide history, not to show a facade of happiness, but to ensure my parents and I have a personal life that remains personal.
Expectations
As a reader, I expect you to understand that you may not be reading the whole story. I've redacted certain parts of my posts already but nothing major has been kept from the audience. But as we get into more difficult times ahead, more and more will be hidden or just not shared. Expect more happier posts and material but also realize this isn't because I am trying to force positivity into the narrative but rather because I am purposefully hiding the rest of the story from you. And as you've read already, I have my reasons. So when things feel all happy, realize that there's more emotion that's unseen in the background.
Conclusion
I'm putting this out there now because December 1977 is a slow month as far as my research material is concerned. It's also a good point in the story to bring up the upcoming changes that are happening. I know I've talked about my parent's divorce before on this blog and in other places, but I felt the need to bring it up again in this storyline for those new to my story.
As a fresh-faced house spouse that's a 41 year old man, I'm a bit of a contradiction. And I'm okay with that. People don't understand my role in my family and in society and usually give a look of confusion when I answer the "what do you do" question. But to be honest, sometimes I don't understand my role either.
You see, as a house spouse, or housespouse if you prefer, I am fighting decades, centuries, and maybe even millennia of tradition where the "man" is the provider and the "woman" is the house keeper. So giving me a confused look is totally okay. But I challenge your preconceived notion about me because I still feel as though I "provide" for my family, just in other ways.
One of the ways I provide is by cooking. And I have a long and checkered past with cooking. Once upon a time, back in the olden days when television was on low-definition and cassingles were easily found, my ability to cook was limited to the simple things. A bowl of cereal. A sandwich with cheese and mayo. A box of macaroni was about as complex as I got.
As I grew older, I expanded my cooking abilities by learning how to make hot cereal, adding ham to my sandwiches, and, when I wanted to live on the edge, put tuna in my mac and cheese. But now that I'm a house spouse and YouTube creator, I'm delving deep into cooking. Deeper than I ever expected to go. And I have the women in my life to thank for it.
My wife was, and probably still is, extremely cautious about my cooking. While she seems happy to teach me how to cook certain things, she doesn't like it when I don't follow the recipe. Or when I DON'T. FOLLOW. THE. RECIPE.
I have my reasons for changing things, namely that when I cook, I try to put things in that I like but also know that the kids might like. And sometimes I just want a change on that recipe that's been used and reused so many times we're all a little tired of it. But another big reason is food allergies. My kids and myself are allergic to a few things and adding or removing or otherwise modifying a recipe is pretty normal. Prime example is most cookie and cake recipes from my grandmothers include nuts of some type. That's a big no-go in our house.
But back to the recipes. According to the Washington Post, they might be "dead." And I can sort of see their point. With Generations Y and Z, apps are the shiznit. Apps are so hip, that my daily crossword will use "APP" as the answer to clues talking about computer programs. Meanwhile, I still try to make "SOFTWARE" fit into three squares. Apps are so commonplace, they can do just about everything for you. And as the article suggests, cooking is one of those things.
Despite all of these things swirling around in the vortex of today and the future of cooking, I'm not sure I agree with the idea that recipes are dead. And as I sit here and think of ways to convince you that I'm right, the only thing I can do is prove that recipes will become more of an "artisan" thing. Like blacksmithing and glassblowing, using recipes will not die, only become more of a niche market for artists.
That makes me sad. As much as I want to preserve history, especially my family's history, I can see how cooking will become an art (I mean, it already is but you know what I mean) reserved for special meals and everyday cooking will be relegated to bots, apps, and maybe even food replicators.
So where does that leave me as a housespouse trying to learn how to cook? It leaves me in debt to those women who came before me and who are with me now. My grandmothers, their mothers, my parents, my wife, all of them have worked so hard at the hearth, the oven, the cooktop, to ensure I was fed and wouldn't go hungry. I can only hope my children can do the same for their kids.
Because December 1977 is a bit slow, I'm sharing some random photos from the year. These were photos that are in my collection but one is a mystery. So if you know who it is, please send me an email at tk42one@gmail.com.
First up, we have the Kalinowski family. From left to right: Mary Kalinowski, Claudia Kalinowski, Joann Kalinowski, Sig Kalinowski, and Ted Kalinowski.
And then we have the mystery photo. I have no idea who she is or what is written on the back.
While it's no surprise by now that I saw the doctor frequently as a baby, this particular visit is a bit of a mystery. Apparently I had a head injury and needed x-rays.
A recent Instagram post by my local camera shop (shout out to Richmond Camera!) showed some new Polaroid film hitting the shelves. As in, old film that's not so old any more. As in, I can use my old camera now!
Some History
As I was doing some research for my 40 Years Ago Today project, I had many Polaroids that needed dates on them. I could guess based on what was in the image but if it wasn't labeled, I couldn't tell for sure. The research was further complicated by the fact that I had Polaroids from several different people in my collection.
As I began to research the film itself, I quickly learned there was a way to identify when the film was manufactured. Once I found the production codes on the back of the film, I was able to better guess as to the range of years the Polaroid came from. I could also get a clear picture on which photos were from the same production batch. This helped in some cases where I may have had two different pictures from one single film batch but only one picture had a date on it.
Another interesting tidbit I never knew about Polaroid film until I did this research was that the batteries to power the camera were inside the film cartridge. This means that when the film is used and the cartridge is ejected, there are no batteries left to corrode in the camera. And for me, this meant that the camera was left is nearly pristine condition when I started using it again. Granted, I probably should have cleaned the rollers inside like the directions said and should have made sure everything looked good, but hey, it worked right away after decades of sitting around.
If you look at this Polaroid, it was manufactured in October of 1976. But the photo was taken in May of 1977.
The Film
There are eight (8) photos per cartridge. And at roughly $20 per cartridge, you're talking an average of $2.50 per photo. So think about your photos wisely. Below are some photos of the film as it's sold today. Note that the box has a stamped date on the bottom for when it was produced.
I can't really show you the cartridge until I finish this particular pack of film. But from the looks of things, it hasn't changed much. Although the battery does look a little more modern.
Included with the film is of course an instruction page. I really enjoy the part about shaking it.
The Camera
The camera is old. As in, I'm not even sure how old it is but I'd guess early 1980s. This is based on a photo taken in June of 1981 and a family photo in 1982. It's also the first camera I ever remember using as a kid. I specifically remember visiting my mom in Salinas, California in the trailer park that she lived in. We went up to the pool house and she gave me the camera and I took a picture of her. It was pretty crooked but I remember the awe of being allowed to use this fancy camera. I also learned that I needed to hold the camera steady and straight.
Since then, the camera has been a staple of most of the 1980s. It wasn't the best camera and my dad would eventually use a 35mm Canon for most of the important stuff but that meant the camera became mine. And while I didn't always take pictures of everything, I did use it. Once I got older and began using 35mm and then digital camera, I eventually left the Polaroid in a drawer or box never to be used again. At least that's what I thought.
Below are some photos of the camera. I can't show the serial numbers inside the flap until I finish this pack of film. But I'll try to come back and update the post later.* Note the light/dark dial on the front, the photo counter on the back, and the shutter button. The flash shown is a disposable flash bar that is powered by the battery in the film pack. I do have another flash that snaps onto the top of the camera and is powered by four AA batteries.
***UPDATE***
I found a used Polaroid exactly like mine at a local Goodwill store on November 28, 2017. I purchased it, along with the external battery-powered flash bar, for a whopping five dollars. After a light dusting, I put a new cartridge of film inside and pushed the shutter button. And it worked! Sadly, the flash bar was too compromised by corroded batteries to work. Below are photos from the inside of this new Polaroid camera.
The Results
The first photo I took, I used the flash, stood under a single lightbulb, and totally overexposed the film.
The second photo was a little worse. I assumed the overhead lights would be enough to light the subjects, but it wasn't. Should have used the flash. I also had some issues with the shutter button. I'm not sure if it's because I have fat fingers or if the button was recessed too much or if the button is old and not working right or if I was just being stupid. What ever the source of the problem, it didn't quite work as expected. Which I assume is why the image is blurry.
My third photo went much better. I stepped further back, had more lights (including the flashbar), and took extra care to press the shutter button carefully. As you can see, much better! But you'll also notice the image looks a little washed out some with the colors. They don't exactly "pop" but then again, it's an old camera using new film.
This excerpt is from Dr. Cheatham who wrote some notes about my time as his patient for the doctor I was seeing at the time. What I really enjoy is the time he put into visiting with a former patient (me) and their family (my mom) and the care he put into a simple social visit. This much detail is wonderful to see.
Today's entry is a little different than normal. Over on my YouTube channel, I've slowly been picking out recipes from my grandmother's and making them. It fits right into my new full-time job of being a house spouse. Well, one recipe stood out as an ideal candidate for my 40 Years Ago Today entries.
Recipe:
From the November 15, 1977 issue of Capper's Weekly:
Oatmeal Bars
If you love oatmeal cookies and hate the time it takes to cook them, try these. Delicious!
3/4 cup shortening 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring (optional) [I skipped this since I didn't have any] 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda [baking soda] 3 cups uncooked oats 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
In
a large bowl combine shortening, brown sugar, sugar, water, vanilla,
and run flavoring. Stir until fluffy. Add flour, salt, and soda, mixing
well. Stir in oats and chips. Bake on well-greased pans at 350 degrees F
for about 20 minutes. Use one 9-by 13-inch pan and one 8-by 8-inch pan
for thin crispy type bar; for a chewy bar, bake in one 9-by 12-inch pan
[this probably should be a 9"x13" pan]. You will have to use your
fingers to press dough out onto pans. They are very good served with
gelatin.
Well folks, it looks like the LOST With Elizabeth idea dried up sooner than expected. I had hoped to continue watching, writing, and discussing the show with my daughter but two big challenges arose. The biggest one was that the Season 3 discs no longer have questions at the end of them. So even though we made great progress into Season 3, we no longer had any discussion prompts. The second hurdle, and one that was expected, was school finally caught up to us. We started this project over the summer when bedtimes were much more flexible. As school began, our free time declined and so did our discussions.
So because school is more important than these blog entries and because I don't have the free time to create discussion questions, we've decided to table the project for now. There are two or three other shows I'd like to watch with her to see what she has to say but have yet to come up with a way to do it. So LOST With Elizabeth will be like The Knight Rider and Magnum PI posts in that they will only occur as time allows.
Meanwhile, I'd like to thank you for reading her thoughts and I hope you stick around for more!
I'm getting the sense that maybe my parents were sick of me being sick. At least I know I'm sick of it. It's the end of the month, I'm a year old now, and, just in time for Halloween, I have bronchitis.
Disc 6 Questions Just like Season 1, there were no questions at the end of this disc. But we went back and re-visited the previous questions to see if there where any changes in her answers.
Disc 5 Questions What else will Michael do in his pursuit of Walt? [he just killed Ana Lucia and Libby] He took four people with him but Hurley was allowed to leave so technically he made three people go as prisoner. But I really feel like that boat is suspicious. Like they're not going to just let him go and be free [see note below about Season 3]. What will we find out about Henry Gale? [insert chuckling] He is the "king" of the Others for lack of a better term. And if you don't listen to him, then I don't know what happens to you but not something good [see note below about Season 3]. What is Dharma and why do they have their own food products?
Dharma
is an experiment to see how people do with this problem their faced
with. And they have their own food products because the people on the
island need some source of food besides papayas, mangoes, and fish. They didn't want any other companies influencing the experiment people. And I feel like the question mark place was an experiment too. Is Hurley really crazy?
I don't think Hurley is crazy. I think it's his conscience that is crazy. Another pre-island coincidence? [Libby in the mental hospital]
Yes.
? [the black light painting on the blast door that shows a map]
I
think it's meant so that you can find all of the other Dharma buildings
and what the center of the island is. It will lead you to an
underground passage back to the real world. Well, they're in the real
world so like back to civilization. In contact with real people. But
it's like a mystery and they have to solve it. Except it didn't take them anywhere. It took them to a place where they were monitoring the other Dharmas. You know, really when you think about it, why would they have people on the island doing that when they could just as easily have people on land doing that.
Disc 4 Questions Who kidnapped Sun? Charlie. [said in a really bad Australian accent like Claire] Should we believe Henry Gale's story? No. Or listen to what Rousseau says about him? [Henry Gale] I don't know if she [Rousseau] went extreme now. What it seems like is he's the leader. When he was prisoner he made it seem like he was a lower class but what we're seeing now [see note below about Season 3] he seems more like the person in charge. How is Sun pregnant? I don't know. Will they find Henry Gale's balloon? They
found his balloon but it wasn't his balloon. It was the real Henry
Gale's balloon, not the other Henry Gale's balloon [the one in the
Hatch]. Disc 3 Questions Where is Walt writing from? The
boat people are the same as The Others. He asked for Alex and Alex was
with the Others. Walt was writing from where the other Tailies were. Walt
and the other Tailies don't know that they're on the same flight but
they're both against The Others. So Walt is teamed up with them [the
other Tailies]. Is it a coincidence that Eko and his brother ended up on the same island? Yes. Will Claire and Charlie's relationship ever be the same? It won't be the same but it will be similar. Or will Charlie give into temptation? [heroin] No. Will Michael find Walt on his own? He will think he knows where Walt is and come back and get help. I was right except he knew [see note below about Season 3]. Will Jack and Ana Lucia lead a war against the Others? I don't really think so anymore. I don't think there will be a war against the Others. I think the people on the beach will try to be nice to the Others but the Others will be mean to them. So then the Others will be like we have some of your people. Then the people on the beach will try to go to war against them but it won't work out so well for the people on the beach. Disc 2 Questions Where did "The Others" take the other 9 Tailies? That one is a little more complicated. To the zoo place with the aquarium [she means the Hydra station or the one with the polar bear cages that is seen in Season 3, Disc 1 - we kind of goofed and forgot to do these questions before starting Season 3]. Was that really Walt? [standing in the jungle] No. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? [Sun and Jin and Bernard and Rose] Yes. Will Sawyer make a full recovery? Yes but his left arm will be weaker than it was. Are they more connected than they think? [Jack and Ana Lucia] Yes. But they still both have big trust issues. So does Locke. Really, everyone on the island. Not anymore but at the time, yes. Disc 1 Questions What have the Tailies been through the last 48 days? There was an entire episode about this. What happens if they don't push the button before the time runs out? [in the Hatch] The electromagnetic thing doesn't turn off, it becomes more powerful and starts attracting things like airplanes out of the sky. Is a reunion in store for Bernard and Rose? Yes. Was Jack and Desmond's previous meeting a mere coincidence...? No. ... or is it fate? [the meeting of Jack and Desmond] I wouldn't say fate but it wasn't a coincidence. It was half in-between.
Another year at Oil Creek is in the books. And another 100k finish!
**Note**
Many of my race reports get a little graphic so if you don't want to read about bodily fluids, you may want to read something else.
Pre-Race:
This year's race started several months ago when registration for the Oil Creek (OC100) races opened. Due to massive popularity, the race director, Tom Jennings, has tried to make it as fair as possible by having registration open at random times for random durations for random races. In other words, instead of everyone logging in at the same time when registration opens and crashing the site and having the race sell out in minutes, he tries to spread out the load. But that means you don't know when registration for your race will be open. Or how long it will be open. Which means you could register for a race a week later just because that's when it opened and when you snagged a spot. It's confusing, it's quirky, it's nerve-wracking. But it's about as fair as you can make it.
All of this leads up to my adventure in registering. I was watching the site, waiting for that magic button to appear that says I can register. I had 100% planned on signing up for the 50k. I had no desire to swim in the hell that is the 100k because I knew I wasn't (and wouldn't be) trained to that level. And with a focus on shorter races (like under 10k) and faster times in 2017, a 50k was about all I could stand.
But then, magically, I saw the registration button for the 100k appear. And in a moment of panic, I signed up. Yes, panic. I know how popular this race is. I know it takes a lot of effort and a lot of luck to get signed up. This was the first registration button I had seen and I pulled the trigger. It took a few minutes, but then the real panic set in that I was registered for the 100k. I was in, but in the longer distance that I didn't want. And I wasn't about to give up my spot in the hopes of getting into the 50k so I just grunted a little and rolled with the punches.
Fast forward several months and my training was okay. But it was focused on the shorter races. I was trying to methodically make my way through all the distances to get new PRs. In other words, I was going short and fast. And I was fairly successful with new records in the 5k (30:28), 4 mile (40:42), and 8k (53:28). But I wasn't trained to go 62 miles. Not even if I hiked it all.
Somehow I managed to not panic until the last minute when I hurriedly tossed clothes and gear around trying to plan for various scenarios. I forgot stuff, didn't pack right, messed up my drop bags, but still, somehow, managed to make it to the finish line.
Race Days:
Yes, race days. As in plural. As in it took more than 24 hours to finish. But that's okay, I planned on it taking that long. I got up at 0326, just a few minutes before my 0330 alarm went off. Guess my body knew what was coming. I took a quick shower and was on the road by 0400. I made it to Titusville Middle School before 0500 only seeing a few deer and one fox along the way.
Once on site, the parking lot was crazy full, so I parked on the football field next to the main lot. It was a short walk into the school and I managed to film the start of the 100 mile race. I snagged my timing chip, then started to prep my pack. I don't know why, but it seemed to take me longer than normal to get my gear in order. I had only a few minutes to sit down before it was our turn to head out into the woods.
And once again, I was the last 100k runner (ha! more like walker) to start. And I totally planned to stay in last place. Just like last year, I didn't plan on moving up and was just fine with getting the Wildcatter award (last place). Wouldn't be the first time I was the caboose in a race.
Loop 1:
Anyway, I moved along nice and slow with the large group of hikers slowing moving away from me. At first, I was a little nervous that I wasn't keeping pace and that they knew what they were doing but then I settled down and went at my own pace in my own race.
Once onto the trail, things were a bit of a blur so I'll try to keep my memories sequential. The first section had a massive tree down and it looked too hard to go around either way so I squeezed under it. I barely made it. Not too far down the trail I got warm and took off my wool long sleeve under shirt.
The runners in front of me were far enough ahead that I could hear them but not see them. I caught up to them a little bit by the time we came to the first water stop but then they totally dropped me going up the hill. The road crossing just before the aid station had a little Snoopy house. At least that's what I thought it was. Until I saw the sign on the other side of the road for the Wizard of Oz. So I knew what the theme would be but it was clear, even this early, that Aid Station #1 (Wolfkiel) put some effort into their decorations. I knew the hill going down into AS1 was killer and I almost lost it in the past so I stayed low and slow and made it safely to the creek bed. Once I crossed the creek, they had wonderful Oz decorations up. My favorite, and what I would guess most people missed, was the corn kernels on the trail.
One of the volunteers at AS1 asked about my GoPro gimbal so we chatted a bit about that as I got some food and water and reorganized my gear. Then it was up the giant mountain. Okay, really it's a hill but it feels like a mountain. Once things leveled out up top, it was back to hiking. Before AS1, I had passed two ladies, Tab (or Tap or ??) and Sally? I'm horrible with names and I had no coffee in my system so I didn't quite catch them. Anyway, I passed them before AS1, they caught at AS1, then I think they left me behind after AS1. Or maybe I left them? Either way, we separated again.
I made it to the next water table then passed by the oil derricks and crossed the road that lead to Aid Station #2 (Petroleum Centre). I knew the derricks were a false alarm as they always make me think I'm close to AS2 but I'm not really. People had been passing me all morning long and it wouldn't be until I was into the next section when that would slow down some. Oh, and the giant rocks in this section always creep me out. Like it always feels like somebody (or something) is watching me.
Once at AS2, I swapped some gear, reloaded fluids and fuel, and headed back out on my way into the next section of trail. As I was cruising along section 3, I suddenly realized this was my favorite section of the course. It's actually flatter than I remembered it and the trail was smoother than I expected. Yes, it's long and hard to traverse but it was like a switch was flipped and it was now my best buddy. Anyway, the Boy Scouts had their signs out again, but this year there was some new reading material which made things a little more fun. Passing through their camp and topping off with water, I cruised along feeling pretty good.
It was in here that I hit a really low point mentally. I don't know why I was struggling but my mind was just deep in the funk cave. It couldn't have been a half mile later and suddenly I saw a sparkly rock on the side of the trail. Then another. And another. The whole trail had painted rocks on both sides with words of motivation and inspiration and it couldn't have come at a better time. I loved it. After reading a few, it suddenly dawned on me that these were clues that I was close to the next aud station.
And sure enough, it wasn't much longer and I was at Aid Station #3 (Miller Farm). Again, I topped off with what I needed and slogged up Cemetery Hill. The hill no longer scared me because I knew it would only take a few minutes to get to the top. Sure enough, I was at the top before I knew it and moving on my way. I was still feeling decent at this point with only some soreness creeping in, mostly in the soles of my feet.
Section 4 is both the best and worst section of the route. It's great because it's only about six miles of trail. But it's the worst because it seems like it takes forever to go those six miles and then you have another two or more to get back to the school. But I toughed it out and made it to the water table, which helped me realize I was getting close. Once out of the woods, I slowly made my way around Drake Well Museum and back towards Aid Station #4 (Titusville Middle School).
Once I was at AS4, I took my time. Changed, swapped, topped off, ate, even laid down and put my feet up for a bit. I knew I was there longer than I needed or even wanted to be but I knew I needed a break. I was getting tired and I was feeling it. Mostly physical at this point but also the lack of sleep and caffeine was hitting me hard. I had half a cup of flat Coke at AS3 and it helped a bit but the coffee at AS4 really helped perk me up. And it killed the headache I had been fighting all morning.
So even though I knew I was taking a huge risk in dropping at AS4 because I spent so much time there, I was still motivated to head back out into the woods.
Loop 2:
I headed back out into the woods just as the sun was going down. I didn't really factor in how much it would slow my pace but it dawned on me pretty quick once I hit the trail. But I had lights and my phone now so I was good to go. I started a podcast, kept hiking, and tried not to think about what creature might be alongside the trail.
In the past I've seen a porcupine, bears, and deer but this year I only heard a porcupine. The chipmunks are pretty insane, both in how many there are and how vocal they can be. There were also a ton of fuzzy caterpillars out but thankfully not many other critters to freak out over. People were still passing me but not as many now. It was just the 100 milers now and their pacers. They all asked how I was doing which I greatly appreciated but by the end of the night I just wanted to be done and didn't want to waste time talking. I also didn't want to acknowledge how much pain I was in and their asking made me think about it. But I still love that there are so many runners out there that care about their fellow runners.
Which brings me to my biggest gripe about the race this year. One guy, a 50k runner, muttered to somebody he was running with how "ridiculous" it was that some of us were walking the whole 100k. Well sir, you pissed me off. I almost called you out on it but was so shocked I couldn't think of anything to say. The further I made my way down the trail though, the more I realized I wasn't the one that had a problem. I realized that if you were having such a bad day or such a bad life that you had to complain about me working harder than you, then I didn't need to give you any more attention in my life.
This is about when I realized that the voices of hate in our world are so few but so loud that they can drown out the voices of love. Even though there are more nice people in the world, more people speaking in positive terms, they don't speak loud enough to be heard sometimes. Maybe they don't yell because they're being polite?
Anyway, as I started my second loop, I suddenly realized the massive tree was gone. Or was it? I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating already (it happens but never this early in a race). Turns out I wasn't. The trail volunteers had the tree removed in no time so it really was all gone by the time I went through again.
And the second loop would follow along those lines. Constant self-doubt about where I was, when I was, would I make it, how I felt, and just overall confusion. I'd have moments of clarity and strength but sometimes things would swing wildly. I'd be able to do math on the fly figuring out pace and distance and then suddenly not be able to add two small numbers or remember what section of the trail I was in.
This all got worse and worse until I hit my second major low point of the race. At least this time I saw it coming. When I came into AS2 the second time, I knew I was homeward bound but also knew I needed a nap bad. So I ate, organized, then laid down for a nap. It wasn't a good one but it felt good to lay down and close my eyes. The low point I thought I had turned out to be nothing as I hit an even lower point just before AS3. I knew from past races that this was the worst part of the race. Deep into the night. Deep into the woods. Deep into the pain cave. The trail was deceivingly longer than you think. Those train tracks next to the trail don't mean you're a mile away, they mean you're hours away. It was also somewhere in here that it dawned on me my headlamp batteries were slowly dying. Things improved a little when I switched headlamps just because I could see better but I was still way, way, way in the back of that sleep deprived pain cave.
Once I made it to AS3, I ate a little food, then curled up in a chair and passed out for a solid 15 minutes. My body woke itself up and there was a lady in pink in the 100k race in another chair. She must have caught me either while I napped or was there before me but I never noticed. She left while I crammed in more food and fluids. Around this time the sun was coming back up and some of the 100 milers coming through on their third loop were talking about trying to beat their cutoff time.
And that's when I started wondering about my own cutoff time. Even though I read the sign at AS3, five minutes down the trail I couldn't remember the time it listed for the 100k cutoff. Every time I could think of just felt wrong. I continued down the trail, waiting for the sun to come up and warm me up a little, and just kept plodding along. Shortly after cresting the last major hill, I realized that the Finish line would close at noon and if I did my math right, I'd have 30 minutes to spare if I kept moving at my current pace.
So somewhere, deep down, I found the strength to speed up. Not much, but enough that I caught up to and passed that lady in pink. Around the same time, a 100 mile runner passed us with a pacer. Except he said he wasn't a pacer, he was a sweep. And another one was coming. And I really began to panic that I'd miss my Finish line cut-off. The lady in pink said we had plenty of time and that the Finish line wouldn't close until 1300 (1pm). I couldn't believe her. Every time I thought about it, I thought it was noon. So I kept pushing. Hard. Moving.
My legs hurt. My back hurt. My feet hurt. I just wanted to sit but everytime I stopped moving, things hurt more.
And then, right there in the middle of the trail, just a few miles from where we come out of the woods, I gave birth to a blister. The birth was so sudden, I stopped for a heartbeat or two. And when I started moving again, I was suddenly at half my speed. Not that I was moving fast to begin with but I was much slower now. That noon deadline was looming even larger now and this bouncing baby blister just wouldn't quit crying every time I put my left foot down. Cry. Right. Cry. Right. Cry. Right. And I had hours to go.
Getting out of the woods was all I could focus on. And once I was out of the woods, all I could do was ignore the cries from my growing baby blister and shuffle to the Finish. And shuffle I did. The crying didn't stop. Didn't lessen. It was just there. Constant. Along the paved section going back to the school and my Finish line, I saw a handful of 100 mile runners headed back out for their last short loop. They had made the cutoff. Maybe I would too? Maybe the lady in pink was right and it really wasn't noon?
As I moved along, I checked behind me just to see if the way was clear to walk the tangents on the paved path. Most of the time it was but when it wasn't, I'd shuffle out of the way so the faster runners had plenty of room. When I made it to the street, just a block or so from the Finish, I looked back and saw the lady in pink. Crap. She had caught me. But wait, if she passed me, would I win the Wildcatter Award for last place? In half a second I thought about stopping to pretend to tie my shoes and just as quickly dismissed it. It would have been cheating in my eyes to go slow just to take an award. Plus I had no idea if there was another 100k runner behind her. So waiting might have wasted time just for nothing.
After half a second of thinking about doing the wrong thing, I kept moving forward. I didn't go faster or slower, I just kept going. I was sleepy, sore, and really sick of hearing that damn blister cry. I wanted this adventure to be over.
With maybe twenty feet left to the Finish line, I found the strength to amble slightly faster across line. I was done. I sat down. Chatted a few minutes with the Race Director Tom (and fellow Edinboro alumni) and watched the lady in pink finish just two minutes behind me. If the course were half a mile longer, she would have caught me. She ended up taking home the Wildcatter Award and I'm totally okay with that. She earned it. I may have wanted it but this is my second time coming in one place before last and I'm okay with not being the caboose. It's a lot of hard work. Harder than you would think. I would even argue that it's harder than coming in first.
Post Race:
Once the race was over, I almost forgot my drop bags. Once I picked them up, I thought about taking a shower (I had paid for one already) but decided that it would be better to get back to my mom's house, clean up there, then take care of that bitchy baby blister. I didn't have my blister care stuff with me and I didn't want it to barf all over things between the school and my mom's house so I just grabbed a burger, fries, and iced tea and headed home.
Once home, I showered, lanced my blister, then napped. Here's an extra TMI warning about my blister. It was a snow globe. As in, when I went to lance it the first time, I could see stuff moving around inside of it. Like floating snowflakes. Gross.
After napping, I napped some more. And put my feet up. And napped more. And used the foam roller a little. And tried not to fall over when I stood up. And napped. And finally I had dinner. After that, I felt a little more human. I lanced my blister again and it looked much better. Other than being stiff and sore, nothing really hurt too bad to worry about.
The next day I felt much better but was still moving with care. And with a limp. My mother has MS and recently had it flair up. She's doing better but is going to physical therapy three times a week. So I joined her on Monday, less than a day after finishing. It was kind of fun to compare myself to her in the various exercises. Some things I could do better than her while other things she was miles ahead of me.
And that was it. Tuesday I drove home and was hobbling even less when I took breaks along the way. After my first 100k finish, I could barely walk a week later. Now I'm walking better than that after just a day or two. Maybe going slow has it's benefits?
Photos:
My buckle and my crybaby blister.
Video:
Weather:
Temps at the start of the race were probably about 65F but they felt cooler. It didn't take long to warm up and by midday Saturday, it was in the mid to upper 70s. It wasn't until around 0200 Sunday morning that I felt the need to put my wool shirt back on with temps dropping into the 50s. By Sunday morning after sunrise, temps were back into the 60s and warm. Monday was cold and Tuesday even colder with frost. The sky was clear Saturday with some clouds coming in Sunday. Humidity was moderate after a few days of rain before the race. Going down into the creek beds, especially at night, brought higher humidity and some fog. Winds were warm and light to moderate, mostly coming out of the south and south-west.
Fluids and Fuel:
On the way to the race, I drank a GenUCAN (cranberry-raspberry) and had an oatmeal cookie. I was worried about drinking coffee too early so I skipped it (big mistake). During the race I drank GenUCAN Hydrate (lemon and berry) about every 3 to 4 miles. I would add some pickle juice when I felt like I needed some due to the heat and humidity. I would also drink plain water but it wasn't my first choice of fluids. I had one half cup of flat Coke at AS3 in the first loop, then coffee at each aid station after that. I should have had caffeine sooner. For food during the race, I had a hard boiled egg and a boiled potato at AS1 in the first loop. At AS2 I had grilled cheese. AS3 I had pizza I think and bacon. At AS4 I had pierogies. After that I think I had more hardboiled eggs, grilled cheese, bacon, and pizza. I know at AS3 on the last loop I had pizza and it was great. I also know that two hard boiled eggs is okay but three made me gassy so I stopped after that. The grilled cheese is always my go-to food at Oil Creek but I just wasn't in the mood this year. The pickle juice at every aid station was a pleasant surprise, especially considering the heat. For recovery, it was Burger King (cringe).
Aches and Pains:
Ha! Everything? Seriously though, the worst was my left foot. The blister is on the ball of the foot and had begun to creep up between my big toe and the toe next to it. Other than that, everything from the waist down, except my glutes, hurt. The day after, my arms (like my biceps and triceps) and my lower back hurt a little. Nothing was really over a 5 on the pain scale except the blister and maybe my right calf which was cramping up a little here and there. After the race both calves were so tight I couldn't do calf raises at PT. After a few days, the only major pain left that's lingering is the left hamstring.
Gear:
From head to toe I wore a BUFF, KR Endurance team shirt (by Under Armour), Smartwool long sleeve top, KR Endurance team shorts (by Zoot), Smartwool socks, and Altra Zero Drop Lone Peaks. I also wore my Nathan HPL 020 Hydration pack that carried my GoPro cameras, Amphipod bottle, and my GenUCAN. Shortly after starting my first loop, I took off the long sleeve shirt. When I started my second loop, I took my Oil Creek jacket to stay warm but ended up not needing it. Once I got into AS2 on the second loop, I swapped it out with my Smartwool long sleeve shirt and would eventually wear that through to the Finish. I did change socks once, at AS4, when I reapplied AD Ointment to my feet (and other areas). After the first loop I also ditched my GoPro Grip gimbal for my smaller Hero 5 Session. I'd also pick up my cell phone here and use that to listen to podcasts instead of wearing an annoying bear bell through the middle of the night.
Naughty Neil:
I know I should have skipped the Burger King but I also know I needed something in me to make it home.
Splits:
Splits are going to be broken down by Loops (there were two), Aid Stations (AS1 through AS3), and water tables (WT). For water tables, there was one in Section 2, two in Section 3, and one in Section 4. These were all unmanned tables with just water, a trash can, and a toilet. All times are listed as HH:MM:SS (hours, minutes, and seconds).
Loop 1:
Start to WT - 01:05:48
WT to AS1 - 01:27:30
AS1 - 00:06:13
AS1 to WT - 01:20:15
WT to AS2 - 01:18:31
AS2 - 00:10:34
AS2 to WT - 01:11:04
WT to WT - 00:38:41
WT to AS3 - 01:34:41
AS3 - 00:08:09
AS3 to WT - 01:20:21
WT to AS4 - 02:12:33
AS4 - 00:27:25
Loop 2:
AS4 to WT - 01:20:28
WT to AS1 - 01:41:58
AS1 - 00:10:19
AS1 to WT - 01:39:52
WT to AS2 - 01:47:42
AS2 - 00:34:17 (20 minute nap)
AS2 to WT - 01:36:49
WT to WT - 00:55:07
WT to AS3 - 02:07:51
AS3 - 00:29:57 (15 minute nap)
AS3 to WT - 01:16:44
WT to Finish - 02:40:09
Changes to previous answers are highlighted. Disc 5 Questions What else will Michael do in his pursuit of Walt? [he just killed Ana Lucia and Libby]
I don't know. What will we find out about Henry Gale?
He is of the lower class of the Others. He's not really trusted. What is Dharma and why do they have their own food products?
Dharma is an experiment to see how people do with this problem their faced with. And they have their own food products because the people on the island need some source of food besides papayas, mangoes, and fish. Is Hurley really crazy?
I don't think Hurley is crazy. I think it's his conscience that is crazy. Another pre-island coincidence? [Libby in the mental hospital]
Yes.
? [the black light painting on the blast door that shows a map]
I think it's meant so that you can find all of the other Dharma buildings and what the center of the island is. It will lead you to an underground passage back to the real world. Well, they're in the real world so like back to civilization. In contact with real people. But it's like a mystery and they have to solve it.
Disc 4 Questions Who kidnapped Sun? Charlie. [said in a really bad Australian accent like Claire] Should we believe Henry Gale's story? No. Or listen to what Rousseau says about him? [Henry Gale] Not quite. I think she went a little bit extreme but I'm more on her side than his side. How is Sun pregnant? I don't know. Will they find Henry Gale's balloon? They found his balloon but it wasn't his balloon. It was the real Henry Gale's balloon, not the other Henry Gale's balloon [the one in the Hatch]. Disc 3 Questions Where is Walt writing from? The
boat people are the same as The Others. He asked for Alex and Alex was
with the Others. Walt was writing from where the other Tailies were. Walt
and the other Tailies don't know that they're on the same flight but
they're both against The Others. So Walt is teamed up with them [the
other Tailies]. Is it a coincidence that Eko and his brother ended up on the same island? Yes. Will Claire and Charlie's relationship ever be the same? It won't be the same but it will be similar. Or will Charlie give into temptation? [heroin] No. Will Michael find Walt on his own? He will think he knows where Walt is and come back and get help. Will Jack and Ana Lucia lead a war against the Others? Sort of. Disc 2 Questions Where did "The Others" take the other 9 Tailies? To
one of the other places. One of the other six things. But it wasn't
where Claire was. Unless there was some sort of secret locked room. Was that really Walt? [standing in the jungle] No. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? [Sun and Jin and Bernard and Rose] Yes. Will Sawyer make a full recovery? Yes but his left arm will be weaker than it was. Are they more connected than they think? [Jack and Ana Lucia] Yes. But they still both have big trust issues. So does Locke. Really, everyone on the island. Disc 1 Questions What have the Tailies been through the last 48 days? Well they were on the beach then they went in the jungle. What happens if they don't push the button before the time runs out? [in the Hatch] In some cases it malfunctions and accidentally tells the story before, well not a story but the map or a clue. Is a reunion in store for Bernard and Rose? Yes. Was Jack and Desmond's previous meeting a mere coincidence...? No. ... or is it fate? [the meeting of Jack and Desmond] I wouldn't say fate but it wasn't a coincidence. It was half in-between.
Disc 4 Questions Who kidnapped Sun?
Charlie. [said in a really bad Australian accent like Claire] Should we believe Henry Gale's story?
No. Or listen to what Rousseau says about him? [Henry Gale]
Not quite. I think she went a little bit extreme but I'm more on her side than his side. How is Sun pregnant?
I don't know. Will they find Henry Gale's balloon?
No.
Disc 3 Questions Where is Walt writing from? The boat people are the same as The Others. He asked for Alex and Alex was with the Others. Walt was writing from where the other Tailies were. Walt and the other Tailies don't know that they're on the same flight but they're both against The Others. So Walt is teamed up with them [the other Tailies]. Is it a coincidence that Eko and his brother ended up on the same island?
Yes. Will Claire and Charlie's relationship ever be the same?
It won't be the same but it will be similar. Or will Charlie give into temptation? [heroin]
No. Will Michael find Walt on his own? Yes. But it will be more like The Others will find Michael. Will Jack and Ana Lucia lead a war against the Others?
Sort of.
Disc 2 Questions Where did "The Others" take the other 9 Tailies? To one of the other places. One of the other six things. But it wasn't where Claire was. Unless there was some sort of secret locked room. Was that really Walt? [standing in the jungle]
No. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? [Sun and Jin and Bernard and Rose]
Yes. Will Sawyer make a full recovery?
Yes but his left arm will be weaker than it was. Are they more connected than they think? [Jack and Ana Lucia]
Yes. But they still both have big trust issues. So does Locke. Really, everyone on the island.
Disc 1 Questions What have the Tailies been through the last 48 days? Well they were on the beach then they went in the jungle. What happens if they don't push the button before the time runs out? [in the Hatch] In this one [this disc - disc 4] it started going into black and red with white symbols and I thought if they matched, or didn't match, then it would blow up but if that wasn't true, then it sort of told a story of some sort. Is a reunion in store for Bernard and Rose?
Yes. Was Jack and Desmond's previous meeting a mere coincidence...?
No. ... or is it fate? [the meeting of Jack and Desmond]
I wouldn't say fate but it wasn't a coincidence. It was half in-between.
Disc 3 Questions Where is Walt writing from?
He's writing from where ever the boat people get power. But I think the boat people are different than The Others [the ones that took the Tailies]. Is it a coincidence that Eko and his brother ended up on the same island?
Yes. Will Claire and Charlie's relationship ever be the same?
It won't be the same but it will be similar. Or will Charlie give into temptation? [heroin]
No. Will Michael find Walt on his own? No. Will Jack and Ana Lucia lead a war against the Others?
Sort of.
Disc 2 Questions Where did "The Others" take the other 9 Tailies?
Where
ever Ethan took Claire. And I think Claire met some of them before she
lost her memory. There's nothing to remind her of that so she can't get
her memory back. Was that really Walt? [standing in the jungle]
No. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? [Sun and Jin and Bernard and Rose]
Yes. Will Sawyer make a full recovery?
Yes but his left arm will be weaker than it was. Are they more connected than they think? [Jack and Ana Lucia]
Yes.
Disc 1 Questions What have the Tailies been through the last 48 days? Well they were on the beach then they went in the jungle. What happens if they don't push the button before the time runs out? [in the Hatch]
The electromagnetic thing turns off. But nothing other than that. Is a reunion in store for Bernard and Rose?
Yes. Was Jack and Desmond's previous meeting a mere coincidence...?
No. ... or is it fate? [the meeting of Jack and Desmond]
I wouldn't say fate but it wasn't a coincidence. It was half in-between.
