Update on Steve Shultis, the Downed Runner, and More Reflections

The race directors had sent an email to all the Ohlone participants and volunteers about Steve Shultis, as well as the female runner who had been airlifted. The female runner was released quickly, and Steve was expected to be out of ICU yesterday. Yaaaaay!!!

Rick Gaston also left this comment on my previous blog entry... sometimes when all you can do is pray, it works. :)

"Speaking of prayer. Monday I had coffee with a friend from church. He told me about a prayer group that was hastily put together the evening before for the brother in-law of our friend Karen. The guys name was Steve and he was airlifted out of a 50k. What are the odds of two Steve's collapsing in a hot 50k and being airlifted? As you probably heard by now he's ok. The prayer group was ecstatic, they had been praying since Sunday night. I got a hold of Karen and she filled me in. The family is so thankful to the folks who came to his aid."

Some more reflections:
I talked to Danny yesterday and he's recovering very well and was planning on running yesterday. Just like Victoria (flirtyndirty), and Catra. What did I say about Ultra Runners? Tough? They go back for more just days later? Yup! Anyway, Danny asked me what my favorite part of the course was. I can tell you that several times I looked at the view of the Bay and the surrounding hills and mountains and was blown away. At times I would look out there and say, "I can't believe I am this HIGH up on this mountain!" But after some careful thought and consideration, my favorite part of the course was between Schlieper Rock and Stromer Spring.

I felt LOVE for the course as soon as I got to the bottom of the steep downhil single track and came to the stream where the runner plopped himself down in the cold water. The love came when I looked across the stream and saw the steep uphill because I knew that meant relief on my feet and legs, and therefore relief on my tired brain. I could just trudge uphill for a while and my lungs would suffer, but not like my feet had been.

The TRUE LOVE came when I was high up on the last ridge and 'straight-a-way' before I hit the Stromer Spring aid station and headed downhill for the last 2 miles. On that straight-a-way, I felt peace and comfort, and fear and agony all at once. I have to say that those feelings combined to give me the biggest rush. It was up there that I looked around and told God, "Thank you!" It was the calm before the storm for me. I knew I'd feel lots of pain again as I made my way downhill to the finish, and that area before the downhill was like my husband's arms, loving, comforting, forgiving, sweet. I remember it clearly now as I write about it. I can't wait to get back there next year!

While I pondered how I got through to the end, this came to mind: I first chopped up the race into mini races from aid station to aid station (thanks Bob Gentile for that idea), and as things got really tough, I'd break it down into distances (you know, just a mile to go, or just a half mile, then a quarter mile, etc). But when things got to the point of "I JUST WANT TO STOP NOW," I'd focus on trees, rocks or shrubs that were no more than 5, 10, 20 or so yards apart. I'd say, "Make it to that bush, okay, now get to that rock, okay, now haul ass to that tree." Hahaha, I must've been feeling desperate out there in those last 8-10 miles.

Okay, time to finish my coffee. Did 30 minutes of pool running yesterday and although the water drag made my toe nails hurt, it felt good to loosen my legs. I'll probably pool run some more today.