Beyond Limits Ultra April 3-4, 2025 Part 2

Race day 2

Well that was a weird night, people, lights, noise, who knows what.  Like being drunk without drinking.  I haven't done well in the past when taking a longer break so I'm doing everything I can to get my shit back together.  There seems to be water by the bed which is a lifesaver, then I shuffle off to the shower with all my worldly goods.  I feel less sick after that and head to the car (which still won't start the utter bastard) to tape my feet.  

We did an extra 2 hrs last night but then took a long break (5 hrs) so no breakfast break today.  I just want to start moving.  I actually hate eating in the morning, especially cooked stuff.  We get going at about 7:45am.  It's another cold start.  There's frost and the sky is extra blue today.

We get a lap in before the next set of races start.  All the new runners have way less layers on than us and are clearly full of energy.  Are those tank tops?  I wonder what they make of us.

I'm grabbing little treats from the lake aid station and drinking Go Juice in my pack all the time.  I haven't had any problems with either energy levels or my stomach, praise be.  I am still able to run intervals into day 2.  At least I think I am, it might be varying rates of shuffling.

This seems surreal, can I see a kitty?  She is gorgeous and so friendly, I am lucky enough to see her twice.  I later find out her name is Rainbow and she lives in the house with the fuzzy cows.  Kitty Road is named!

I reach a personal long of 66 miles at around 1:45pm.  Longest distance since 2018!

I see the coveted buckle for the first time at 2:30pm in a little packet and take a picture.  (I actually can't remember how I felt).  Meatball sandwich time!  I feel pretty good, the sun is beautiful and I don't have the strength to contemplate another dark night right now.  It's just the moment.  That's all there is, just the moment, it's marvelous.

This cupcake is wonderful and we sit down to eat it - also wonderful.  Kev has to call the car rental company about their piece of shit vehicle.  Usually I would lose my shit over a disaster but this isn't getting in the way of the thing we are trying to do here.  Fuck that.

Gary video 3 makes me laugh so hard we miss most of it and have to rewind.  Humour = perspective.

By dinner I am at 74 miles.  We join Jon again and have a break where I advise everyone I would pay cash money to be sitting on my sofa watching TV with the cats right about now.  I have a marathon left which seems good, then Jon mentions he'll do the same overnight and something about 10 hours. 10 hours for a marathon?  Shit.

We have a car break/regroup (nope, still won't start) then it's back out in the winter coats. The horses have moved out to the big field.  The entire time this is going on I keep waiting for the blisters or pain or just to feel really shitty mentally and it doesn't happen.  I'm tired AF but that's all.  Mentally I am doing all of the winning.

80 mile selfie!  It's about 9pm now.  We are both really tired and about to be blessed with Steph's lasagne.  It's so good I am still thinking about it.

I am horrified to find I just can't stay awake around 10pm even after coffee so we admit defeat and go and lie down.  After an hour I feel better, plus someone keeps shining a headlamp in my eyes so I drag us back out for a couple more laps.  I love how peaceful the night is.  Freezing, another break.  For the rest of the night I don't even take my shoes off.  

At 3am I’m warm so I go back out myself and find a snowman in the woods at the out and back (Memory Lane).  I also find Ken in a pickup truck with a bubble bath hot tub in the back asking runners if they want to get in.  Ken is magnificent.  Nobody believes this later.

Kev joins me again for the next lap.  At 4:15am and just over 90 miles I am finding a seat by the fire to be the best thing ever.  My shoes are filthy.  I'm not touching my feet tonight, it's a full on push to 100.  My Hokas are now part of my body.

At 5:04am Kev crosses under the magic arch for his third 100 mile finish.  I love this spot, it's so beautiful in the dark.  Sparkly lights for the win.  The frogs congratulate him.  I'm so glad it's not too cold for the frogs.

After you cross the line the machine thingy says your name and mileage which is comforting.  4 laps to 100!

There are 2 other ‘running couples’ in this race, both of which are lovely.  We have some brilliant chats with the Fosdal-Griffins in the dark of the night.  

Physically I'm doing quite well except for some twinges in my knees and a random shooting pain in one of my feet.  Mentally it gets weird, I start to believe none of this is real.  We head out for the final 4 laps just as it's getting light again.  Instead of having breakfast (we are 1 for 3 now) I want to get some distance in while it's quiet on the course and before the Saturday runners get going.  The early morning sunshine is so good.

My second to last lap feels endless but in the final lap I try to actually take some pics.  Kev persuades me out of my running trousers and winter coat for this.  I forget sunglasses.  This the 50th time I go around the turnaround on Memory Lane.  I still don't know which side to approach it from.

Since I have by chance timed this finish for right after the Saturday racers start, the photographer (thank you Kev LV Photography) is right there.  

We are rounding the final stretch into the final lake loop.  I decide to start crying so I can look less than spectacular in the photos.  Not once did I consider what I might be wearing/looking like at this point.    It feels like a lot, it is a lot.  Am I actually completing 100 miles?  Voulez Vous is playing on the music system, quite loudly.  I love a bit of ABBA.  It feels correct.  Je veux ma boucle!

ONE HUNDRED MILES!  Lee is giving me a buckle and medal after I decide 100 is quite enough, thank you very much.  He initially tells me they've run out. I had a nightmare about that as well.

Surreal.  Again.

I just don't have words for all the kindness.

We get amazing photos with Stephanie at the end, I love her so much.  Frog hat wins the day.

I finally take off my Hokas.  Kev does a few more laps to reach 112 miles while I lie in a heap in the hot sunny vehicle. It's pure bliss.  I am okay being done at 48 hours and change.  Then a miracle - the car starts in the afternoon sun and we instantly throw all our shit together to get it to the airport ASAP for a trade.  I frenziedly book a Best Western as we head up the Pathfinder road for the last time.  

I've never been happier.  The entire experience was magical.

Alberta Jon did 200 miles for 2nd male.  Kev was 7th overall, 5th male.  I was 14th behind Ed Ettinghausen and 5th female.  Ed then did another 100 in the 48 hr.  I was probably in Texas Roadhouse inhaling rolls at that point.

We were so blessed to see Tracy and Sally from Marvelous Mud after we finished, absolutely worth the slow hobble over.  I am obsessed with my pendants! 

*We had to buy comforters, pillows and towels for the race and I was delighted to be able to donate them to Goodwill in Palm Springs after.