Aravaipa Running Adrenaline Dawn Breaker 106K

Of course Sulphur 100K got postponed, I have kept up training for the race because I was planning on doing the distance no matter what, because I feel it necessary to gain more experience doing 100K+ before attempting 100 miles in 2021. Then as things usually happen, I saw the perfect virtual race. Adrenaline Dawn Breaker 106K. What's 6K more?!

I chose Wildwood Conservation Area because a) it was open and b) I enjoyed running there during Rugged Raccoon. I did the first 6K solo, out and back in the other direction than the main loop. It was not difficult to convince people to come out to keep me company.

 Socially distanced hello to Bogdan. 📷Lori 

Lori, Bogdan and Dan came out for loop 1. We took the Field of Burrs loop, which made the loop a bit too long, so I didn't do it again.

📷 Lori Me, Bogdan and Dan

Refueled with a lemon-lavender donut from Lady Glaze.

Lori stuck around for a second loop, and Agnes and Delano joined us. I had had a poor sleep the night before, and I started feeling very tired. Salty snacks helped a bit to revive me. 

Tired enough for a trail nap. 📷 Lori

Towards the end of loop 2, we passed a man, who teaches Lori's son, we had passed him at the beginning of loop 1 and he seemed fairly impressed by my goal, but this time, he asked Lori why I was so slow - big talk for a guy who didn't finish 23K in 8 hours and without the balls to say it to my face!

A GVRAT1000k new tradition: pose with yellow gates.

A changing of the guard for the evening. Steve had paced me from 60-80K at Sulphur 2017 and offered to bring it home this year. We made sure to bring headlamps, warm clothes and headed out into the night. The night was filled with critters: bounding deer, worms sneaking back into the ground at our footsteps, a weasel fighting with a mouse, carp, turkeys, June beetles (gross!), mysterious eyes staring into the headlamp glow, and flappy things (birds or bats?) unseen but flapping very closely overhead.

Before loop 3. 📷 Lori

It would have been so easy for me to call it quits after 3 loops, I told Steve not to let me quit. Slowly the darkness began to lift.

My first time seeing a second sunrise.

My watch showed low battery for the 2nd time and immediately died before I could attach the charger, so I had to start a 2nd run. I was sure the watch had read 98 something when it died, so Steve and I had a disagreement with how much there was left to run.

When I got home, it was an ISH run, according to my watch.

During this run, I achieved new PBs in 50 mile, 100K, longest distance run, and highest weekly mileage. I ran 106K in less time than it took me to run 100K in 2017. I am feeling confident in running 24 hours at Tally in the Valley, whether the race happens officially or not. I am proud at having organized such an epic event on my own. I am immensely grateful for all the people who came out to support me. ❤💕💖❤💕💖