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Not my kind of after party...
Obviously not something you want to see on a MRI, especially when you went there for a different injury... but in true Yates fashion, yup, they found something else wrong with me! Naturally, I was a bit stressed until I learned the results and that this is just a benign tumor hanging out in my leg. My damage from this fall around mile 30 at RRR 100, would have nothing to do with this I'm told.
As you can see, after the race, I had some crazy right leg swelling. This was to the point I was losing feeling in my foot! I did what I could to flush it out (compression boots, elevation, etc)..but every time I stood back up, it would blow up! So after the tumor scare, MRI and now two weeks later the final conclusion is that I fell precisely on my IT Band attachment causing massive swelling, which then filled the whole knee and about 70 miles later :) caused a bit of damage. Good news is..it's nothing terrible and only "possible" conclusions. Maybe a small tear in the lateral meniscus, LCL strain at the time, some fat pad pinching.. and just pesky fluid stuck in the knee. So some extra care and I should be good to go!
REWIND!!!.. The morning of Run Rabbit Run 100 was filled with excitement. I really didn't know what to expect coming off the hardest training season I have ever done and doing so with a bunch of other stupid GI issues I'm dealing with (Crohn's maybe..after the results are back I will learn of what is going on but also whether or not Wyatt and I can try for one more baby).
1.I got to swallow a camera that takes pictures of my digestive tract!
2. Power oats are my choice for breakfast (gluten free oats, health warrior chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, berries, with protein nut milk).
3. Rugged Runners having an epic year at the boat!
4. I like to remind myself of others on course with me and Stan is truly an exception! The oldest guy out there! :) Still a young buck at 70+!
5. Race time!
6. Stan the Man!
It's always inspirational to have my clients and my friends out there with me! Major congrats to all the Rugged Runners! Every one of them made it to the finish line with Stan making the wise decision to stop and see a specialist out of Boulder for his back issues.
RESUME-> So the morning of was filled with excitement and some nerves. This would be one of the first times racing with no thryoid and my life depending on medication. The tricky part, how much medication to get me through an overnight 100 mile race? Croatia turned out in a disaster with my medication being WAY WAY too low.. RRR would be a different story though. I sought out a new doctor that would help me nail the perfect training dosage (or close to it) and with some estimated guesses that happened to be a bit off as well.. we were able to execute. When the gun went off, my legs were sluggish and my mind was foggy. I thought, shoot, we over shot the dosage.. and that may have been so with all the extra rest and taper, however.. after dancing with the rocks down fish creek falls and back up again, I took that fall of fate. One that I'm actually kind of grateful for so I now know that I have a tumor in my leg we need to monitor. But then again, one that the rest of my race would pay for.
Apparently the fall would wake me up! The sluggishness wore off soon after, and I didn't actually think I damaged anything. This year I was better prepared though. I knew what I was in for, based off the new course last year. The only downfall this year was that the fall colors had not begun to change yet. And that is a minor downfall when you are looking at views like this anyways!
I had easy access to my headlamps while shooting down Flash of Gold trail (the top zipper pouch on this vintage Ulitmate Direction vest works great for a no stop, reach behind). Cruising into Dry lake aid station for an even quicker stop then expected, I got what I needed and was determined to keep my lead (I was told 40 minutes or an hour ahead of the other elite ladies) into Olympian hall. This loop is super fun with the way it flows but it was clear to me at this point that something was wrong with my knee. It did feel like ITBS but not in the hip. Throughout the rest of the race I would stop and take the time I needed to dig rocks and my graston tool into the area and surrounding to help release it some in order to keep going. The fall itself resulted in me having to hike way more of the course than I ever would have, or wanted too. It still worked out in the end...
Me: "My knee hurts damn it, I have to hike.."
Wyatt: "Just shut up and keep going." :)
hahhaa or something like that
My goal was to get through Dry Lake aid station 2, hike like hell up Grouse trail (a wicked downhill mountain bike course typically, and we were to go up it!), and give it all I had left back over Mt. Werner and down to the finish. It wouldn't be much, after pushing my lead to 2 hours, but having to settle for an hour and 30 minutes or so...
Some would say that the elite women's field wasn't that fierce this year. I'd say it certainly was. Given I ran almost 30 minutes faster than I did last year, but more so that the women behind me worked their butts off and the top 4 this year actually beat the top 3 times of last year.. so watch out, there are new faces in town! Congrats to them and their success as well. I'd also like to give a shout out the elite men. I've never been so supported by the men's elite field in a race before. Words of encouragement without the negative stabs from some typical jealous, struggling elite men :) was a great change of pace. Ladies, the men know we are coming for them!!!
PHOTOS BY: @TRAILJUNKIESPHOTOS
The race would not end in all smiles, with my blood pressure dropping every time I tried to stand up.. so a wagon ride was in store.. .super crew again, Wyatt Yates :) Not to mention nurse, sister, crew.. Angela Soltysiak and mini crew, Maya (cute bunny)Yates.
FINALLY.. major thanks to Brady, Fred, and Harvey, for putting on yet another STELLAR race and all they do in between. As well as Paul Nelson and his wife for the great media coverage @trailjunkiesphotos!!! And ALL THE VOLUNTEERS out there are on the course who really did an exceptional job getting me my drop bag quickly, water, and anything else I needed.
Again thanks to Fred, pictured right!
GU Energy, Health Warrior, Salt Stick for keeping me fueled on the course, Ultimate Direction and Eldorado Springs Water for the hydration, Icespike for the traction (of course my clumsy fault for tripping over nothing!)
AND ALL MY RUGGED RUNNERS who are not only clients, but friends and family to me!!!
Next up-> healing with a side of roadie marathon maybe :)