#132- The Jackpot Running Festival!

Jason Green of the Yeti Trail Runners decided to create the Yeti Distance Challenge in which you have one calendar year to run a 50K, 50 Miler, 100K, and 100 Miler. If you do so, you will receive a bad ass jacket. When I saw that it had a cat holding a knife on the back of it, I was all in!

The back of the coveted Yeti Distance Challenge Jacket!

I had to rethink my whole year of racing. I had a 50 Miler and a 100 miler already on the calendar, but to find a 100K close to home would be tough unless I wanted to do it in the summer heat. No thanks! That's when I looked at the Jackpot Running Festival in Las Vegas, NV.

This race was perfect. It had everything! It had a 6, 12, 24 and 48 hour race as well as a marathon, 50 miler and a 100 miler all around a 2.5 mile loop. It did not have a 100K, but according to the rules of the challenge, I could do a 24 hour race as long as I stopped at 100K, so I signed up to run!

I really could not afford to fly to Las Vegas, and rent a car for the whole weekend, I got on the Jackpot Running Festival Facebook page and asked if anyone was driving to Las Vegas from Salt Lake City that I could potentially catch a ride with. Now, I could have driven my car, but I was going alone and I didn't think it would be safe to drive home 7 hours after running 100K.

Beiyi, a friend that I met and ran with during the Capitol Reef 50 Miler replied that she and her husband Dan were running and if I took the St. George Shuttle to St. George, they could pick me up and I could stay with them Friday night. So I gratefully accepted their invitation and Friday morning, I grabbed the shuttle and was on my way.

When we got to Las Vegas, we got to the apartment, dropped off our bags, hit the grocery store for some food and headed to the race to pick up our race numbers. After we got our packets we headed back to the room, ate some food and got ready for race day!

Our race started at 8:00AM, so we made sure we left the condo by 6:30AM as to have time for me to set up my tent area. I knew I was going to have to stop at 100K, but Dan was running the 100 miler and Beiyi was doing the 24 hour. I wanted to have a place to change into warm clothes and sleep while they finished their races.

Beiyi, Dan and I at the start.

My dear friends Elizabeth and Andrew at the start.

This is Las Vegas!! No race is complete without Elvis and some showgirls at the start!

Group pic of the Saturday runners!

The wonderful Gabicas moved to Idaho, so it was so great to see their sweet family!! Jill was running the 12 hour!

The race got started and ran with my friend Elizabeth Gray (the founder of Marathons Against Domestic Violence) for the first couple of loops. It is never a dull moment when she and I got together! We ALWAYS have a blast and this was no exception. We talked, ran, walked and laughed. I love this lady!

This pretty much sums up mine and Elizabeth's friendship! LOL! (Photo Credit Run Aficionado Santos)

The best thing about running a 2.5 mile loop course, is that you get to see people all the time. It was so great to see so many friends I haven't seen in ages!

So happy to see Yolanda Holder "The Walking Diva" out there!

 (Photo Credit Run Aficionado Santos)

I haven't seen Tony in ages!! So happy to see him get his buckle he had been working to get after injuries took him out for a while! Congratulations Tony!

Kit is seriously the sweetest person EVER!! Love her!

 Running on the grass felt so good as after 20 miles, my legs were toast on the concrete and asphalt. (Photo Credit Run Aficionado Santos)

Because I wasn't chasing any cutoffs, I took my time. The course is 45% groomed crushed gravel, 50% wide asphalt paths, and 5% bridge and concrete. I loved running on the trail parts, but the asphalt and concrete started hurting  my legs fast. I was wearing my Altra Lone Peak trail shoes and I probably should have just worn my road shoes. They have more cushion for those hard surfaces, but nevertheless I persisted!

Susan out there going for her buckle!

Jill was doing great!

Hey! It Robert Manon and Kit!! (Photo by Robert Manon)

I was probably about 30 miles in when I got close to my tent (which was pitched along the grassy part of the course) and saw Marc Gabica. He reached into a bag and pulled out an In-N-Out burger and handed it to me! This was just what I needed! The burger was big so I ate a few bites, stuck it in my tent and for the next 2 loops I ate that burger.

I was losing energy until Mark brought me this beauty! Later he brought me a Diet Coke! Thanks Mark!!

I was running with Ryan Launder (another friend I haven't seen in ages) and stopped at my tent to do some foot maintenance. The 1st rule of ultra running is: Take care of your feet! 

These guys were in the tent next to mine. They cheered for me every time I ran by! Nice dudes!!

As the sun went down, it got colder. My feet were really sore too. Every time I hit the pavement, it was like the energy was sucked out of me. I came up with a solution. I changed into an old pair of Hokas I had and instead of pounding the pavement, I would power walk all the asphalt and concrete and run all the trail and grass. This seemed to be the perfect thing as I started feeling better and was running faster on the run parts and was giving my feet an legs a break.

When I got to the last 10 miles, I called my BFF Rob and told him to give me a pep talk. In total Rob form he told me to just get to it. When I told him that I had 24 hours to finish and that I might sit by the fire for a bit to get warm, he said no and told me to dig deep, get it done and sit by the fire later. I thanked him and continued on.

With 3 loops to go, I passed the aid station and saw one of the volunteers making a big cup of hot chocolate! I asked him if I could get one and he handed me this steaming warm cup of chocolaty goodness. I walked while I enjoyed the warmth of it and by the time I got done with that loop and was back at the aid station, I wanted another one. 

I never listen to music when I run, but I had my wireless headphones with me (for the shuttle ride to SLC) and remembered that Jason Green of the Yeti Trail Runners  had been interviewed for the podcast Ten Junk Miles. This was so much fun to listen to and really took my mind off of the pain. I crossed the finish line around 1:00AM. 

Could I have gone faster, of course, but there was no reason too. I got my 100K (62.5 miles to be exact) and I still had legs for my marathon in Arizona the following weekend and still finished 2nd in my age group and 10th overall. 

100K Finished!

After I finished I was going back to the tent to change my clothes and sleep, but it was cold and without a shower there was no way I could warm up. So I changed into dry warm clothes and took my sleeping bag to the aid station where I stepped into it and sat in a chair next to the fire with a few other runners, like the hilarious Ann Trason (14 time winner of the Western States 100)! I ate grilled cheese sandwiches, drank some hot tea and fell asleep in the chair next to the fire. 

 When the sun came up, Dan and Beiyi finished their races, we packed up our camp and headed to Mesquite where we went to Dan's sister's condo for showers and a nap (but not before stuffing our faces at Del Taco) and they drove me to St. George to catch the shuttle home.

This is a really fun event and if you are new to ultra running and want to dip your toe in, this is a great first time ultra of any distance. It's flat, it's well organized and most important, it's fun!

I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Beiyi and Dan for their hospitality. Without their generosity, I would not have been able to run this one this year. It's people like them that remind me how AWESOME the running community is!! 

A Tribute to Robert Merriman.

This morning I got word that my friend Robert Merriman died. Robert was not only a fixture in our running community, he was a good friend to all who knew him. Robert was not an elite athlete, but where he stood head and shoulders above any athlete, was his ability to make everyone feel included and special. He was a true friend in every sense of the word.

I haven't seen Robert in a while. Six months ago he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer . When he got sick and stopped running, I didn't get to see him as much. The times I did see him he looked good, so this this is surprising news.  It's my fault for not keeping up with him as much as I should have, but he has been on mind a lot over the past couple of weeks. 

We used to go run/hike Corner Canyon a lot as he lived about a mile from my apartment. In fact, Robert was the one who introduced me to my favorite loop starting at the Coyote Hollow Trail Head. I never knew that part of the trail existed and without Robert, I may have missed out on some of the most beautiful runs of my life

Robert, Terri and I in Corner Canyon.

Zoe following Robert in Corner Canyon.

Robert was the first one to get a group run going. People loved him and when he organized something, people showed up!

This run a Liberty Park, Robert came over on his break from work just to be there. 

One of our many runs down Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Robert and I were about the same pace for a while so it was really fun to run races with him too. 

At the finish of the Thankful 13!

I remember this race as Robert and I were both trying to run a sub 2:00. We pushed each other for the last 2 miles and we both got our sub 2:00! 💗

The day I saw Robert at Costco. It was one of the few times I saw him out of running clothes!

I couldn't believe when I saw Robert in the Dallas Airport on my way to a race!

Another Big Cottonwood Run

Kandi, Robert and I on one of our Big Cottonwood runs.

Robert was also one to never leave anyone behind regardless of pace. As I said before,  he made everyone feel included.

I had taken my first DNF the weekend before at the Ogden Marathon, due to some freak dizziness. I wasn't quite ready to jump into a 50 miler so soon, but during the 2016 Squaw Peak 50, Robert was so great. I was still struggling with dizzy spells and he stayed with me the whole time, even when (as pictured) I would have to stop and put my head between my legs, like four times). I dropped at 20, partly because I was ill and partly out of guilt that I was slowing him down. I knew he would have stayed with me that whole race. That is just the kind of guy he was. 

Robert took this photo of me during the Squaw Peak 50 in 2016. 

Robert was also very generous. One day he posted that he had an almost brand new tread mill (30 miles on it) for sale. When I saw the price was $50, I immediately thought it was a typo and he meant to say $500. I responded that I would take it off his hands for $50 LOL! When he asked me when I could pick it up, I was shocked!

When I got to his house, I asked him why he was selling a practically new treadmill for $50, when he could easily get more for it? He said that he had a treadmill and he wanted some one in our group to enjoy it. I could not believe how nice that was.

The day Robert practically gave me this treadmill! I will run on it with a new sense of gratitude now. In fact, I think I will name it Robert. 😊  

Robert and I at the Run 4 Fun Picnic.

Robert was Canadian. When he got sick, our community showed our support by wearing Canadian flags at races!

I busted out the Maniac Canadian shirt for Deseret last year! 

We had signs!

We had flags!!

I love this pic of Joshua, Robert and I!

Robert, I pray that you are up there running trails where you don't get hurt when you fall. We love you so much. THANK YOU for being a part of and enriching the lives of all who knew you.

To his sweet family, I hope you find comfort that he was so loved by everyone and thus so are you. THANK YOU for sharing your husband and father with all of us. WE are blessed to have known him.

RIP Robert. 💖