Chattajack Recap 2016

This took me longer to write than my own race recaps! I just wanted to do it justice; this was truly the hardest race Matt's ever completed. He is a BEAST.

I've said it before and those of you who have run a marathon know it's true: 26.2 miles is a long way and a lot can go wrong over the course of that mileage.

So when you're talking 32 miles on the water, you know that holds true...tenfold.

For those of you who weren't reading here last year, Chattajack is a 31-mile standup paddle board race in Chattanooga, TN. (Because of the currents etc, the race is really 31-33 miles. This year Matt's GPS clocked in at 32.) Matt completed it for the first time last year and totally loved it; last year they didn't have much current but they did have mild, beautiful weather. He finished well ahead of his goal.

An aerial photo of the racers on the river this year.

This year, not so much. As we drove into Chattanooga on Thursday night, we were greeted with gentle rainfall that welcomed in the weekend's cold front and gusty wind. By race morning, it was 48 degrees and the wind was gusting at 20+ mph.

This Floridian was NOT READY.

Still, Matt was ready to go. We were staying at our friend Quack's house this year, and we had my car so I was able to plan to meet Matt along the course much more easily. Friday evening, we went to the sign-in at Ross's Landing, where the race would start Saturday morning.

I noticed quite a few bibs still hadn't been picked up when we arrived and commented that there may have been a few racers who had chosen to drop out due to weather. Matt prepped his board before checking it in.

This year, alongside the course map, he taped a photo of himself and Nana for extra inspiration. Then we drove around to the places I'd plan to meet him along the route.

In line for packet pickup.

We had sushi for dinner and then turned in for the night. Saturday morning was upon us before we knew it! The safety meeting was scheduled for 7:30am, so we left the house around 6:30 to arrive at 7. It was freezing. What would have been a brisk, clear morning was made brutal by the gusting wind.

Matt opted to race in the 12'6" division this year; there were fewer men in that division and that meant fewer people to draft off of. Matt had used social media pre-race to find people to draft, and spent some time race morning frantically looking for the one guy he thought he'd want to draft with. No luck.

Matt prepping his board (in the foreground) under the spotlights before sunrise.

Cold, but humoring me with a photo.

(Spoiler alert: he did eventually find Jeremy Whitted on the water and drafted him for the first three miles before making a slight mistake; he couldn't get back into his draft and then before he knew it, Jeremy was gone! He went on to win first place in the division.)

Like last year, a band (including the race director on guitar) playing Led Zeppelin's Kashmir urged the racers out to the starting line. Without much ado, the race began!

This is like playing Where's Waldo! Below is a better picture of Matt's pre-race-face.

This year, I was very prepared for my job as Sherpa! I hopped into my car and made my way toward mile 10.7, the Suck Creek Boat Ramp. I stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break, to grab a coffee, and to fill my tires. Prepped and ready, I made it to the first viewing point well ahead of schedule.

This draft train was cool - there was 8 guys or so in it! Matt wasn't one of them though because they're on 14' boards.

Last year I missed Matt at this point, so I was really glad when he finally rounded the bend and I was able to scream at him from my spot on the ramp. (I was concerned he wouldn't hear me from the more distant viewing points but he told me afterward that he heard me each time!)

Matt is that tiny speck!

At this first point, Matt was on his own. The wind hadn't quite picked up to the point of whitecaps, but the river was choppy. I was really nervous to see that he wasn't drafting anyone.

Mile 10.7: Suck Creek. He's still smiling at this point!

Off I drove to the second spot, mile 19: Raccoon Mountain. This was a great spot because I was able to go down onto a pier and be very close. There were a few different places to park and see the racers, and I wanted to get as close as possible.

The view at Raccoon Mountain.

RIGHT on the water! I don't know why more spectators didn't climb down to the pier.

At this point in the day the wind was really strong. The racers passing me looked to be standing still at some points, and they were struggling. Spray was coming up off the water and the chop was erratic. The sun felt good but the wind was slicing through me.

Finally, Matt appeared, and he had a friend in tow! A fellow 12'6"er, Karl, had caught up to him around mile 16 and they had formed a little draft train. I was able to call out to him and get photos; then I ran up the embankment, jumped in my car, sped down the road a few hundred meters, and hopped back out to cheer him on again just as he passed by the second viewing spot.

I was so tempted to yell, "I love you!" but felt silly doing it. I told him instead, "See you at Sullivan's Landing!"

The next place along the route was mile 24. At this point Quack joined me. This spot was again very far from the racers, but I borrowed some binoculars when I thought Matt was close based on the Find-My-Friends app and was able to see that he and Karl were still trucking along. I screamed across the water: "GO MATT GO! SEE YOU AT THE FINISH!" (I asked, "Do you think he heard me?" and Quack responded, "I think the entire valley heard you!" A couple older ladies waiting for their husbands seemed jealous of my lung capacity.)

You can just barely see Matt and Karl across the water.

A paddler who had been out for a leisurely paddle that morning told us that the conditions were very hard. She knew a few racers who had DNS'd and said she was sure there were going to be a few DNFs, too.

Matt's cousin Nikki texted that she was at the finish, and I gave her a rough estimate of Matt's finishing time. Then Quack and I went to meet her at mile 31 (32): Hale's Bar.

This was when things got hairy. The wind, which had been bad the entire morning, was whipping around us and the finish line sprint, which goes alongside the pier, was full of choppy waves and currents going in all different directions. As racers began to come in, we noticed how hard it was for them to stay upright. Matt's estimated finish time came and went, and he was nowhere in sight. I had no service at the pier, so I couldn't check on where he was.

All I knew was that he was really late, and I was getting scared.

When he finally came around the last corner and into the final sprint, he fell off his board. Matt never falls. I was so worried; I knew if he felt fine but had fallen he'd be pissed, but I was sure something was wrong. Matt doesn't fall.

Post-fall, soaking wet and just ready to be done.

He tried to get on his board and fell again.

I ran down the pier and encouraged him. He was back up and just single-mindedly paddling to the finish - not fast, not sprinting, but steadily.

The race organizers wouldn't let me run all the way down because they said the end of the pier was in bad shape for spectators, so I stood and watched him as he finished, sat down, and immediately went to eat something. I thought I was going to cry; I just wanted to be near him and see how he was.

Finally, he looked up. I waved at him. He waved back.

He made his way over to us and I could see he was shaking uncontrollably. He was soaking wet and the wind hadn't died down at all. His fingers weren't quite working as he tried to remove his bib, open his chocolate milk, etc.

Slowly recovering.

I went into caretaker mode. Get him out of the water. Get a sweater on him. Get socks and shoes on him. Get him to the car and blast him with hot air.

Quack and Nikki's husband Robert carried his board back to the car and I put an arm around his waist and literally held him upright and pushed him forward as we made our way back to the car. We wrapped him in his towel and as many dry shirts as we could.

We managed a cheer-team picture before we loaded him into the car.

During the drive back to Quack's, I blasted the heat and felt like I was in a hot-yoga class.

He fell asleep on the short drive back. He wouldn't stop shivering.

Luckily, once he had a hot shower and we got some food in him, he seemed to recover. But this was honestly the scariest moment of my married life. I really thought he was hypothermic. (We learned later than at least one racer had been rescued from a bank after he had rolled his surf-ski and was too cold and weak to continue - he was pre-hypothermic.)

Warm, dry clothes and a burrito...this is post-race heaven.

So. This was all a crazy adventure, but it wasn't over. We left for the award ceremony and celebration. Matt got a complimentary massage while I sought out his results.

He finished in 6:26 (compared to last year's 5:40 - he realistically thought he'd come in around 5:15 this year) and 3rd in his division. So at least all the pain and struggle paid off! In his division, 9 racers either DNS or DNF. As it turned out, only 356 started the race even though 500+ signed up (remember this unclaimed bibs way back at the beginning of this post?); 310 finished. Quite a few didn't make the 8.5 hour cutoff time. (We saw on the race's Facebook page that one racer took 10 hours to finish, but they were determined to get it done despite the conditions.)

Waiting for awards to be announced.

At the ceremony, the race director talked about how it's important to do what's safe for you, and if that means you DNF, that's okay. Because of how the river curves, the wind was rarely at the racers' backs; it was basically a wind tunnel of headwind.

Here's the beginning of the post-race newsletter. The Facebook page is fully of hilarious "I-survived-Chattajack-2016" stories.

The course is a WPA certified course and as such, racers can only go to their knees for 5 strokes or else they're DQ'd; they can also only draft racers in the same board division, which is why Matt wasn't in a draft train for some of the race. (Matt and Karl stuck together until Matt's legs started to give out from constantly trying to balance and fight the waves and wind, around mile 28. He told me he fell just before I saw him turn into the finish, about half a mile out, and at that point he knew he was just cooked. He legs were "mush.")

Jeremy, Karl, and Matt!

Anyway, the director made it clear that those who weren't in contention to podium and "did what they had to do" to finish were a-okay; it was the hardest year they've ever had and those that finished are going to be Chattajack legends. Some racers stayed on their knees for the last five miles or more.

One telling response on the "Is everyone okay?" post on the race's FB page. Those finishing after the time limit legit don't get medals.

The wind was brutal throughout the entire race, and the complications for paddle-boarders certainly didn't go unnoticed.

With my winner!

A close up of the award.

Matt met his goal of reaching that podium, and despite how hard the race was he said he felt really strong until the end; it took a lot out of him, but he's ready to do it again next year. Sounds familiar.

The day after the race we went to Rock City to take some photos...but I'll write about that later.

All in all, it was an intense weekend. I'm so grateful to Quack for his hospitality, and I'm really proud of Matt's fellow racers, including the other CGT race-team members Murray, Mark, and Meg (who took 2nd place in her division). I know we'll be back next year; I liken this race to BDR, and I know Matt is ready to totally own that river and get his redemption without all that wind!

ABK

Spectating Disney

There is, honestly, nothing better than being there to watch a friend accomplish something totally amazing. To watch them overcome obstacles, stretch their limits, and realize their true abilities.

Okay, maybe there is something better...feeling like you had a hand in helping them to get to that life-changing moment is pretty freaking great.

Kristin's first marathon left me feeling awed and inspired. I was moved to tears throughout the day and was so humbled and grateful to be a part of it. In a way I feel guilty that being there for Kristin's big day gave me so much joy because really, it's about her success and victory, but I couldn't help basking in the exhilaration of the day. Being there was simply one of the best experiences and memories of my running life!

Kristin pre-race, courtesy of Stephen. She looks excited and ready!

Sunday morning, I kept waking up before my alarm. I was just so excited and ready to get to ESPN's Wide World of Sports (miles 17.5 and 19.3); I had been warned that traffic would be ridiculous and that GPS directions wouldn't work because of all the road closures. My hotel was only 10 minutes from WWS, but I gave myself two hours just in case.

At WWS extremely early, sitting in my car, way over-excited.

Luckily, I had planned ahead. I had all my notes printed and marked so I knew exactly where to see Kristin. I got to WWS around 8am and listened to the DJ go through his spiel a few times. He had figured out how to recycle his material so he could be on the course for seven hours and never run out of things to talk about.

My favorite was: "How many first time marathoners do we have out here? How many last time marathoners?" (chuckle chuckle) "You say that now, but this time next year you'll be frantically hitting refresh on the Run Disney website, waiting to sign up."

Well, he's not wrong.

Runners in the stadium.

While I waited, I got to see some really inspirational things. There were cancer survivors and people running in honor of others; I saw a blind runner and his guide (both at mile 17 and at the finish line, which reduced me to tears); I saw people well into their 60s conquering the course. It's truly awesome to spectate a marathon of this size. You really do get an idea of how unique each and every story is; what brought those runners out to the start line, and what will bring them to the finish. Each story is inspiring, and I loved being there to witness it.

The weather was weird. Overcast and cool (around 70), but very humid (92%). When the sun peeked out, it was hot, but it actually felt really cold when it drifted behind the clouds. Basically, it was all the best of Florida weather wrapped up into a single day, and the overall effect was a kind of clammy, sweaty feeling.

Around 9am I made my way to our first meeting spot. I was terrified I would miss her and texted Kristin's husband a million times ("What if I'm late? What if I miss her here and at 19? I just saw the 5:30 pacer, am I too late?") like a lunatic. I honestly was so, so afraid to let her down. I knew she was counting on me.

Finally, I spotted her! I handed her a cup of ice and ran alongside her for a bit. At 17.5 miles in, she looked great! She was keeping a steady pace, but seemed to be tiring out a little bit. I reminded her that she was into single-digits - only 9 miles to go! - and that seemed to lift her spirits a little.

Runners entering WWS. You can see how gray the weather was.

I left her and darted across the park, grinning like an idiot. I got to mile 19.3 (where I had parked) and waited at what I thought would be a good place to get some pictures. There were banners for the various weekend challenges, and a few runners stopped and I took photos for them. Not long after, I saw Kristin again. I wasn't able to get pictures after all because she didn't see me in time, so I just hopped back into the race and handed off her Glukos and gum.

At this point, she was struggling. She told me she understood what I had meant by the "dark" part of the race. I did my best to shake her out of it and encourage her. Tell your brain to shut up. Your body knows what to do and is ready for this. You can do seven more miles. At that point I had to leave her, but I knew she'd see Stephen again and then the finish line would be there!

Kristin leaving me for her final 10k!

Buses were going between WWS and Epcot (the finish line) every five minutes. I found the bus parking lot and got in line; ten minutes later I was on my way to the finish.

I speed-walked through Epcot, basically pushing people aside, because the buses were pretty far from the finish and I was on a mission. I refused to miss Kristin crossing that finish line.

The most crowded finish line I've ever seen.

I went through security check to see the finish line, then decided I was too far and wanted to be on the other side. The barricades were set up so people couldn't get near the actual finish chute, and the crowd was eight people deep. But I wasn't going to let my lack of height keep me down. I wove through the crowds and found a spot on the bleachers. I stood on them so I'd have a clear view of the finish line...and immediately knew why I'm unlikely to run a Disney race.

People were crossing the line in huge groups, walking, blocking each other, stopping to take photos...It was just a cluster.

Unamused by all the people between me and my runner.

I knew Kristin's approximate finishing time because I was tracking her on my phone, so I watched the  chute like a hawk. Ironically, it was those notifications that made me miss her actually crossing the line. The alert came and I looked down to check my phone, then looked up and immediately and blindly began snapping photos, hoping I'd catch her.

Luckily, I did. Kind of.

Official time: 5:55!

(She clarified later that the last timing mat was before the arch, which explains why so many people walked through the arch and didn't seem in a rush to get out of each other's way.)

I wound my way back out of the stands and found Kristin sitting on the ground surrounded by family, and I immediately dropped down for the best hug ever. I was grinning wildly, and I kept saying, "You did it!" and she kept saying, "I get it now, I get it."

And that's it, isn't it? You really can't get it until you do it.

We took some pictures and made our way to the resort buses. Kristin and I sat together on the incredibly smelly bus and rehashed the race a bit. Listening to her talk about her experience was so rewarding.

Pure joy! 

Kristin and her support team. Check out Stephen's awesome shirt.

I hung out while Kristin cleaned up and then we had a huge, amazing lunch at the Wilderness Lodge (where she was staying) and Stephen dropped me back at my car so I could head home.

Gluten-free everything, including cornbread and dessert. Best post-race meal ever!

The highlight of the day may have been the conversation we had before lunch. Kristin, still reflecting on what she'd accomplished, said, "When you're around runners, you start to feel like everyone has run a marathon. And knowing that you had done it made me feel like it was the next logical step after running halves. So if you hadn't run a marathon, I never would have even thought about it."

To which I replied, "So you're blaming me?" and we laughed.

Then she said, "Not blaming. Crediting." And I can take that compliment and enjoy it, because it really did remind me that you don't have to be a particularly gifted runner to inspire others and help them reach for new goals - goals they may never have even considered otherwise.

And really, it felt so good to feel included in such a huge moment. I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. Kristin deserved to have a million people out on that course supporting her, and I feel so lucky that I was able to be there for her like she's always been there for me.

And now, she's enjoying a few days on a cruise with her family and hopefully basking in the glorious afterglow of finishing her first marathon. I'd say she deserves it!

ABK

Two Hours

I haven't done a long run since BDR. There's nothing psychological about this...I just wasn't feeling motivated and I was really enjoying sleeping in and taking advantage of not having to run long (i.e., train). Plus, it was still really hot here in December and early January, and I wasn't really feeling a long run in 80 degrees.

This weekend, I knew I was at a crossroads. If I didn't run long, my possible full in February would become pretty impossible. Skipping a chance to do a long run would mean 1) I don't actually care enough to train, 2) I won't be in marathon shape when A1A rolls around. (And I needed to remind myself that even if I "only" do the half, I still need to train for it.)

Friday, Elizabeth surprised me. For someone who still claims she doesn't like running, she's certainly doing a whole lot of it! Her current goal is to run 10 miles, and Saturday morning was my chance to help her make some progress.

I was seriously shocked when she said she wanted to run farther than 6.5!

(As a side note, I'd like to get her to a 5k race so she can experience the atmosphere - I think she'd be in for a half marathon if she could just see what a race is like! I'm still working on her.)

I was a little nervous about this run, but I knew skipping it wouldn't make the nerves go away; it would only make me more nervous when it was time to run long next weekend.

Kristin texted to make sure I was up, and as usual set my mind at ease when I was faced with pointless anxiety.

My plan was to run for two hours; I was hoping to hit 10 miles. I ended up surprising myself because we literally got back to the car at exactly two hours and exactly 10.5 miles.

I ran my first 3.25 miles alone, then met up with Elizabeth. We ran about 7.25 together, then I drove her back to her car. It was fun to hear her reflect on how different a long, easy run feels compared to a faster, harder run. I was really proud of how well she did, and I felt so amazing running long again! Double digits! And it felt great!

I'm not sure what happened at miles 4-6, but I think we slowed down so Elizabeth could warm up (those were her first three miles).

(Regarding my decision for A1A, the race organizers told me I can wait to upgrade at the expo the day before the race, and it will cost $15. So I won't be making a decision about whether or not I'm running the full until the very last minute.)

Dripping with accomplishment!

After my run, I showered and ate a quick breakfast and then hopped in the car. I was Disney-bound! Kristin's first marathon is Sunday and I'm going to finally repay her for being such an amazing running buddy and cheerleader! I am seriously ecstatic to be spectating for her, and I can't wait to see her conquer her first marathon. We all know it's a huge accomplishment and truly life-changing, and I can't wait for her to join the .5% of Americans who have run a marathon.

Finally, I got to meet up with some of my Sub30 buddies, which is always a perk of any destination race. So all in all, I'd call this a good Saturday!

Kim and I finally got to meet in person, which is nice seeing as we've been texting each other for about a year now!

The Disney Sub30 runners & their Sherpas.

Wish Kristin luck as she takes on the Disney marathon Sunday!

ABK