Thanks to Juli Aistars for allowing us to post her race report of the Hawthorn Half Day Relay & Ultra that took place on June 11, 2011.

 

 

The party was a blast!

 

Tents, food, beverages, beautiful trails in Hawthorn Park, Terre Haute, Indiana. Happy people who love to run or who love to support those who love to run – what more do you need?

 

By the dawn’s early light Dianna sings the national anthem with passion and a clear voice – so beautiful it makes me cry… The good, bad and the ugly – this is our country and we are free to make choices, free to run, free...

 

All you can run for 12 hours, all you can eat and drink, greet old friends, meet new ones.

 

A flash of rain, just enough to get some good mud churning on the trails, roots all painted orange, gravel, some road sections, greeting the campers, long grassy section exposed to the sun, temps in the mid 80s but some cool breezes, hills up with the help of some railroad ties, hills down, slippin’ and slidin’.

 

Mark and Paul, the RDs don’t miss a beat. The timer doesn’t miss a pass across the timing mat every 3.1 miles. The volunteers don’t miss a chance to be helpful and shout encouragement. Families, friends, dogs – this party has it all!

 

Angela Ivory who ran 40 miles at Black Mountain last week is here for another crack at it. She ends up logging about 37 miles in 12 hours. Her beautiful smile, her nice warm hug, her warm heart, her courage are unrivaled.

 

Jennifer Aradi, champion runner and course record holder, suffering from peritoneal tendinitis, but who would know? She finishes a 50K in pain, then hunkers down for the long-haul to encourage every runner with her enthusiasm and kind words. “Keep pounding out the loops Juli!” she says, and I take her seriously J.

 

Many men running strong in the solo – Chris, Bruce, David, Mark, Kevin all running their heart out with 60 plus miles completed in 12. Jeff, last year’s winner, down with an injury. Jay wins overall.

 

Karen P, last year’s women's winner who ran 50 miles in 7:40 two weeks ago. She is injured and then has the runner’s lean, but she pushes through the pain and tops 50 miles – perseverance with a capital “P”.

 

Steve Richey and Mungai share their tent space with us. Mungai is from Kenya and I ran 3 or 4 loops with him. I can say I ran with a Kenyan, and a very good man! At the awards ceremony, he is called to be in the photo for the relay team calling themselves “Kenyan Express” J.

 

Young, pretty Beatrice who never ran more than a marathon runs 40 plus miles. She wanted to see what this ultra thing is about. I hope it won’t be her last.

 

Laura, 56 years old and I hope to look that happy and young in a few years… Laura and I talk and we have things in common. She gives me permission to use her code word for a minor disability that we share – spyware. I used it today and it made this disability seem fun, like a good thing!

 

Marcia who I talk to briefly, Victoria who walks her way victorious, young Jessie on a relay team introduces himself. What a nice young man! Liz, running strong, also goes down with an injury, stays to smile and cheer everyone on… This is who we are… Liz and Jennifer together spur me on for the half mile repeats that start at 6:30PM. They inspire me and I feel no pain as I watch them clap and smile and say the darndest things as I go by…

 

Last but not least, the relay teams, young and strong, older and strong, working hard, running fast, long hair flying in the wind, but always a second to say, “Good job, keep it up, lookin’ good” as they pass. My spirits lift and my legs are renewed every time they pass on by as I return the words and the meaning behind them…