Blame it on the Belt Buckle (or 52.4 reasons why I love Wyoming)

(This post is written by my little sister. I invited her to share the experience of her first ultramarathon. She is my inspiration and I hope you enjoy her report! Thanks, Sis, for sharing! You rock!)

Blame it on the Belt Buckle (or 52.4 reasons why I love Wyoming): Dedicated to Mike, Chrissy, Brad, and Sarah... hard to the core and tough S.O.B.s

It all started last summer on a normal training run with my running buddy Mike. Our friend and fellow crazy Chrissy had just sent us a link to a Wyoming Marathon (a state I didn't have yet) and we were discussing when we were all going to sign up and if there's anyone else we could sucker into going with us. Mike "innocently" (I use quotes because he knew better :-) asks, "Did you see they had a double?" I honestly had not, so I responded, "no, that's crazy." Then he said something that changed my perspective on crazy, "you know the marathon and half finishers get medals, but the Double finishers get a belt buckle." *BAM* Done. Mind set on earning that Buckle. No turning back. There was just something so enticing about the Buckle.... I could start to see why one would willfully sit on the back of an angry, P-O'd bull to get one.

The months flew by after I signed up... thank goodness I had a handful of races already planned in between that I could direct my focus. I did the Monumental, Rock -n- Roll Vegas, Rocket City, and Boston Marathons. Once Boston was over, reality started slipping in little by little. The Double had been this mythical creature just out there... somewhere... in Wyoming. The closer it got to May 30th, the more my three-headed unicorn resembled a pronghorn.

In order to truly appreciate the rest of my tale, check out the website (http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon/). Seriously... go ahead and check it out, I'll wait... OK, so did you see that course profile/ elevation chart? Now for those of you who live relatively close to sea level (aka Iowa) and lack access to hills with a grade greater than 1% (aka Iowa)... you may be wondering 'what the F*#% was she thinking?' Since you are reading this, however, I'm assuming you know my big sis and realize that insanity with a heaping pile of stubbornness/ determination runs in the family.

Without further ado, here are my highlights... sit back, relax, and get ready to sign up for the Rocky Mountain Double 2011...

It was 5:30 when we arrived at the Lincoln Monument Rest Area off of I-80, famous for being a) the highest point along I-80 and b) the location of a 13.5 foot sculpture of Abe's head and c) the start/ finish line of mass insanity... aka the Wyoming Marathon series (Medicine Bow Half, Wyoming Marathon, and Rocky Mountain Double). It was 32 degrees at the start. There was no music playin, no Bengal tigers or showgirls to wish us luck, no port-a-johns with lines a mile long. No frills. Just a line drawn in flour across the road and a man standing on the steps of a camper pulled off to the side with a bullhorn telling us "30 minutes to start".... "15 minutes to start"... "2 minutes to start"... "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"

Things I learned while running the Rocky Mountain Double Marathon:
1) What goes down, must come up.
2) Whoever first coined the "walked uphill both ways" phrase was a Wyomian (Wyomingite, Wyominian, Cowboy/ cowgirl) who raced this course.
3) Sunscreen will harden on your skin at 32 degrees.
4) Guinness at the mile 42 aid station tastes great, but does not ward off an emotional breakdown at mile 43 (yes, I cried for about a half mile, but since that appeared to do me no good... I ceased and bucked up).
5) When it is really windy out, there's nothing you can do to prevent peeing on your own shoe.
6) When #5 happens and you're running 52.4 miles, you just don't care.
7) Friends really are priceless... especially when they hand you an Arby's Roast Beef at mile 47.
8) The following songs are awesome for motivation: Hurt- Johnny Cash, Thunderstruck- AC/DC, and Your Eyes- Peter Gabriel.
9) The phrase "I'll never do another f#*&ing race like this again" uttered while inching up the last hill gets forgotten in less than 24 hours... right about the time you start to think "hmm... I wonder when next year's sign up will be ready..."
10) Belt Buckles are sweet accessories!!!

Happy Running!