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Story: The HURT
100
Images from:
40 hour, 117 mile
birthday run
I can't believe HURT is over... I'm now suffering from post
100 mile depression disorder.
The race was the
most challenging race I have ever run.
I really don't
know what exactly happened.
Even though it
was hard, I still smiled and had fun.
The HURT club
puts on the finest 100 mile trail race in the world, I think.
I love that HURT
is my first 100 of the year. It really boost my confidence for the
year by finishing. It fills me with confidence to attempt some
pretty major projects, projects I don't think I would of ever
attempted had I not finished HURT each year. Last year, I did
a YO YO on the John Muir Trail 424 miles in 12 days 4 hours 57 min.
I hold the overall record. I have run over 8 solo 100
mile runs. I don't think I would have run that many, if I not
been a HURT finisher.
It has boosted my
confidence, by getting a 500 mile finish this year that I will
attempt the speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail 2,650+ miles.
The trail starts at the Mexican border and finishes in Canada.
I hope to finish in under 80 days.
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During the past 5
HURTs, I have suffered some pretty major loses. In 2001, my friend
Suzanne past away. 2002 in April, I lost my MOM ,and in November my
little dog Oskar. 2003, I showed up
to HURT a happily married woman. That was a good year!
2004, in the
summer became a single woman again. Dec. 2004, I lost a sister to a
heroin overdose.
So I showed up to
HURT, feeling like a lost little girl. Unsure, of what the
trail had planned for me.
I did know, I was
there, and ready to kick some ass, so I thought. I figured on a 32
hour finish... The trails had other plans for me.
The first loop
was good, nice and mellow. I could tell from the slimy,
mucky mud it was not going to be a walk in the park.
This year
channel 2 news was there to cover the race. they interviewed
a few of us at the start that was pretty cool.
The reason I love
this course, is that you can see your fellow runners on the out and
backs. You get to encourage each other along.
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I couldn't
believe how fast the front runners were going. I knew most of
them were newbies to the HURT 100. THE HURT doesn't
care what records you hold ,or how bad ass of an ultra runner you
are in the 100 mile scene. You need to respect the HURT.
If not, she will chew you and spit you out. And guess what,
thats just what she did!!!
They did come to
concur, but in the end she beat them down, and they surrendered to
the abuse.
My second loop
was fun, still on a good pace, I focused on getting in by 6pm. I
also, really had to focus on staying up right. I stopped
counting after falling 15 times. I ran this loop with many old
friends and lots of new friends. One of my new friends that
impressed me was JB. He broke a few ribs at mile 6 and was
still moving pretty good. He ended up finishing the 100k.
There was Billy
and Jenn 21 years old. I watched them trying to stay with Monica.
I thought to myself, I wonder if they know who she is???
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I caught up to
Billy at mile 55, he was hurting pretty good. He was just
walking along. We talked a bit and I took off. He ended
up finishing the 100k.
I picked up my
pacer Bill Sankey at 2pm. My feet were trashed. I had three
pretty bad blisters. I did a quick tape job and we were on our
way.
This is really
where my race began. I started getting super sleepy. I
took a no- doze and it didn't work at ALL. In fact I got more
tired. In my head I thought there was some kind of conspiracy
at the no- doze plant, I thought they mixed up the sleeping pills
with no- doze and thats what I got in my package. I even told
Bill that. I think he thought I was crazy. (Well I am)
hee hee...
At this point, I
thought I'm screwed ,I was losing time and I was ready to lay down
in the mud, on the trail, and go to sleep.
Lucky for me
another runner came along whipped out a no- doze and some other
pill, that sounded like blah blah, blah.. CELL rejuvenater.
That was the only part I understood. Hell my cells needed some
rejuvenating right then. Shit, it could of been a hit of acid
and I would of taken it at that point.
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I felt sorry for
Bill.. Pretty much the only time we hung out was on El Cap hanging
1,000ft off the deck on a route called the Zodiac. It was
quite the epic up there. We were having epic #2 together on
the HURT trail.
We finally made
it to, Paradise park aid station, and the cell
rejuvenater was working. I was in, and out of the aid station.
I had NO time to screw up. I had no time for chit chat. I had
to shift gear,s and I needed to get with the program. And the
program was to finish.
I was pushing
hard on the climbs, and moving as fast and as careful as I could, on
the descents. I needed to be careful, I had no time to get
injured now.
I finally made it
to the Natures center at 10:10. I remained calm, this was my
slowest time ever coming through that aid station.
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I, of
course, paused long enough to be interviewed by the news guy.
He ask will you finish in 32 hours. I said NO. He said
will you finish. I snapped back with "I ALWAYS
FINISH." And off I went, 20 miles left and I needed to
push.
I played
mind games; like if I didn't finish I was going to die, or the world
was going to come to an end.
I felt like I
hadn't ate, or drank enough throughout the race, I was puffy,
and bloated. I was mentally shot. I felt like
there was someone sending me negative energy. In fact, I know
someone was.
During the first
part of the race. It was like a black cloud floating over me.
it made me feel very depressed during my run. I was fighting
this energy almost the entire race. The person sending me the
bad energy, new I was running my 5th HURT 100. I know they
wanted me to fall apart, to fail they wanted me to give up.
It sucked, the
effect this person was having on me. He tried to take my 5th
HURT 100 from me. Guess what I win. ok, back to the
story..
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All of a sudden
out of nowhere, I felt positive energy flowing through my veins.
I was positive!!! I was alive, and I was going to finish no matter
what.
As I was gliding
along ,I thought of my sister who pasted away.
During my first
loop I released some of her ashes at the top of the ridge, before
heading down to the Jackass ginger aid station.
Each time I
made it to that point on the course I thought of her. She will
always be part of the HURT course.
I thought
of all the happy times we shared growing up. I was trying to
find answers to what went wrong. Why she couldn't get off drugs,
like I did. Why was I able to. I was living for her
now. Carrying her memory with me, running with her spirit
on the trail.
I had to kick
some butt to get to Jackass ginger aid station. I needed to be
there by 3pm. I just made, I got there at 2:54. On the
out and backs, I could tell all the guys didn't think I would make
it in time. They kept telling me to hang in there.
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Oh, I knew I
would finish and I knew I had to work my ass off. I started
worrying that RD Big John was freaking out. So as I got closer
I had Bill run in ahead and let them know I was 5 min. away. I
did it!!!
35:39 Last place
finisher of the HURT 100 #5, and PROUD OF IT!!!!!
It was by far my
hardest finish. I just proved to myself how tough I really
am...
Monica & I
are the first, 5 time finishers of the HURT 100.
It just proves
GIRLS RULE!!!!
Catra Corbett
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