Three Days at the Fair 2021

 

Three Days at the Fair 

May 13-16, 2021

My breath came out as smoke, and Steve and I giggled as we pretended, we were smoking cigarettes like we did when we were 5. May mornings were not supposed to be 34 degrees, and this race should not require hot hands chemical warmers tucked in my gloves, but today, both were true. I took one final look around the tent to make sure I had everything (even though I would pass by here every mile for the next three days) and felt secure enough to head to the start. This was the beginning of 3 Days at the Fair, a race I impulsively signed up for as soon as I got my ticket for Vol State. I needed a race to assure myself that I could run endlessly for days, and 3 Day at the Fair could do that.

We arrived at the Sussex Fairgrounds in New Jersey late afternoon on Wednesday. Our plan was to set up camp and then spend the night in a hotel, but after getting a great tent sight where our car could be parked right behind, we changed plans and decided to start our camping adventure a day early. After speaking with the race directors and getting my chip, swag, and instructions, we started unloading the car and setting up. This was all pretty uneventful, but I am sure glad we brought that propane heater. I knew, with the forecast for the next few days, we were going to need it. Steve slipped off to the store, after doing the famous Baltimore trick of saving the parking space with a folding chair. I snuggled under the covers in the tent and just lied there and listened to the 144-hour runners going past again and again until I drifted off to sleep.

Thursday morning, the 72-hour race didn’t start until 9 am! This was 5 hours after I normally wake up, so I was just about twitching when it came time to head down the hill to the start. Rules were simple – a one-mile loop – do it as many times as you can. Never take your timing strap off and make sure you cross the mat each time. Perfect for me! I can’t get lost, can’t forget anything, just put one foot in front of the other for 3 days. There was a small incline at the beginning that led to a short out and back. This is where our tent was set up, so I would always do the out, and then pass the tent on the ‘back” side. I knew I had to have a good plan to NOT go in every time (I am hearing Alan say, “It’s not camp for Christ’s sake” – but this time, it actually was…). I had read somewhere that stopping every 20 miles was the absolute earliest you should stop, so I went with that. Steve had put a chair right outside, so if I had to drop of a jacket, or grab a new bottle, I could do that without breaking stride. And really, that first day was smooth as silk. I ran, I took off layers, I drank, I ate, and I made good, consistent times each split.

 I think I changed my shoes once, but more because I felt like I was slipping rather than a hot spot developing. As day progressed into night though, I felt my rhythm was off – I was getting tired and felt like I had not made it far enough. I am so used to starting races/runs at 6 or 7 am, this 9 am start really threw me. I wanted to get to 60-70 miles, and then take a little rest, so I continued until it was just so cold, I had to stop and make some decisions. Either power on or take a little rest and come back fully prepared for the 38-degree night. I decided to stop, change clothes, and close my eyes for a little while, and I am so glad I did. After 2 hours and going through one whole sleep cycle, I felt amazing. I got up, had a cup of coffee, and put on all my warm gear to go out and let me tell you the night was magical. Where just two hours earlier I felt like each step took forever, I now felt like I was gliding over the course and before I knew it, and before Steve even was awake, I had completed another 20 miles. I was anxious to get that 101-mile monkey off my back, because I was not leaving without a buckle. For as cold as it was during the night, it sure became warm on the second day. The course was in full sun, and the air was so dry and warm. Sunblock was a major necessity, as well as a visor or hat. You could tell people who were veterans of this race because they had the full-on desert-style hats that kept them well protected!

It is typically my habit to get really cranky towards the end of a 100-miler but knowing exactly how far I had to go and what the course was like was really helpful to carry me over that number. Poor Steve usually takes the brunt of my temper tantrum, but he was pleasantly surprised! After hitting 101, I decided to rest again, just the second of the race. This time, I gave myself the luxury of taking a camp bathhouse shower, and as I came out of the dressing area, all the women were commenting on how good I smelled! (Some of these runners were on their 4^th day running, with or without showers!) I laughed and said that it was time well spent (it took me less than 10 minutes) and gave me time to doctor my feet. Plus, since my goal was 50 more miles, the hot water felt like a nice treat for my muscles! I crawled into my sleeping bag and tried to sleep. To my surprise, there was a concert venue across from the fairgrounds, and they had just cranked up their feature: Disco Biscuit. The band was just as loud and metallic as the name sounds, but I was so tired, the heavy bass lulled me to sleep.

I woke at 2 a.m. and Steve made me a cup of coffee while I brushed my teeth and bundled up. I told him I would walk the first lap with my coffee so he could go back to sleep and ended up walking two miles with it because I refilled at the aid station. It was so cold, and that hot coffee felt so good, but I couldn’t run with it, so I left it on the chair outside my tent.

Around and around again, running, walking, talking. I met some incredible people and heard incredible stories. At one point, animals appeared on the course, and every lap they had been moved to another place. It was almost comical to imagine someone picking up a dog or pig and carrying it with them, but at that moment, it seemed perfectly right. As morning came, I stopped for some French toast which was sweet and delicious. So keep track…two cups of coffee, French toast (I generally never eat bread, and not sweet bread). At around 1, I stopped at the tent for lunch, more suntan lotion, and to pop a very big blister that I had gotten on my heal. The rest of my feet were fine, but this had to be taken care of – that was clear to see. While I was doing all that, Steve made me a turkey and cheese sandwich and gave me a Dr. Pepper because he was doing his best to make sure I stayed hydrated. This was on top of bottle after bottle of Scratch, an electrolyte drink. When I was ready to go again, I stood up and started down the road, but my watch alerted me that my pulse was extremely high. I felt so jittery, and really weird, so I made my way back to the tent and sat down. Steve listened to my heart and said he wasn’t worried, but my pulse was over 100 (after resting) and I normally am in the 50’s. It occurred to me that in the last few hours I had drank 3 cups of caffeinated coffee, a bunch of bread, full sugar soda, and probably 4 bottles of Scratch, and my body was in full WTF with the sugar mode!!! I never take in that much sugar and it was pretty obvious that there was a war going on inside of me. I practiced deep breathing and then decided to lay down for a half hour to see if it subsided. And sure enough, after about 15 minutes, pulse was back down to a reasonable number and I felt totally better. But that was crazy, and the reason I don’t take much caffeine or sugar!

By this time, I had done over 130 miles and was feeling good. I knew there were two girls ahead of me who were both aiming for 202 miles, but there was no way I could catch them. However, since you could run the race any days you wanted during the week, the current first place girl had 159 miles from Monday to Wednesday (and she was done running), and I was pretty sure I could get there. My original goal was just to get to 150, since I have never done more than a 100-miler and had no idea how this would turn out. But around 3 pm, I decided I had plenty of time to just keep going, and that is what I did. (Thanks, Sisou!)

Lucky for me there was another concert Saturday night, not sure of this group’s name, and that meant no sleep anyway. So I powered through to 150, 155, and 160 by about 11:30 pm. Steve walked with me from 159-160, so he could capture the lap counter change me from 4^th place to 3^rd. At one time I was back in 13^th, so I was pretty happy with this.

On that last loop, we ran into Trishul, a former monk, and finisher of The Sri Chinmoy 3100-mile race 3 times. He was somewhere near 378 miles and was pretty out of it. When we went to pass him, he literally “woke up” and then began to give us all this wisdom about marriage and staying in the moment. When Steve ran ahead to get a picture of the lap timer, he told me “Men want control, but it is really women who have control. Never forget that!" It definitely was a “grasshopper/master” moment. Mad respect for him though, and he literally was sound asleep in his chair at the awards ceremony!

After hitting 160, I decided to shower again. My legs and feet were kind of achy– figured the warm water would help. I was so clean and cozy, and tried to take a little nap, knowing that I had taken 3^rd place and it was unlikely anyone would catch me. But laying there listening to everyone on the course, I wanted to be back out there, so I got another cup of coffee (just one this time) and took off again. I went pretty slow, because 1) I was tired, and 2) I was really enjoying being out here in the middle of the night with all these people. This race had multiple “classes” of races that went off at varying times, and the last class started at 9:00 pm for a 12-hour race. All races had to be completed by 9:00 am Sunday morning. I was starting to hallucinate, and as two very fast 12-hour runners went by me, I thought they were streaking with just black tape on their boobs. It turns out that they had uniforms on with black stripes, but I was entertained for a few minutes. There was also a man who was just talking to the stars (probably a 144-hour runner) and chanting to himself. I remember helping a friend finish the Ring on the Massanutten Mountain, and she said she would also chant to keep herself awake. I thought it must be funny for the 12-hour runners to be zooming along while the 144-hour and 72-hour runners are like zombies chasing them.

I didn’t feel tired at all until I hit that 165 and decided to pop in the very warm tent and sit for a minute. It was about 5:30 am, so I had plenty of time to go back out, but I actually fell asleep in the zero-gravity chair and since Steve was also sleeping, there was no one to kick me out!! I wish I would have woken and got to 170 or beyond, since I probably had another 90 minutes, but my feet had enough and I have other races coming up, so I was satisfied. And now I have a goal for next year!!

The awards were awesome – I have won age groups before, but someone congratulated me for a “podium” win, and it felt oddly strange and amazing at the same time. Besides the 101-belt buckle, I got a hand-made suncatcher with a rooster (race logo) for third place female, and a 100-mile coin. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I saw the pictures and it looks like I am doing everything in my power to keep my eyes open at the awards! So funny!

The aftermath: One heel blister, tons of laundry, falling asleep at 7:00 pm, and the thought that I can’t wait for next year!!

What Got Me Back to Blogging: Long Haul 100 Miler

I started this blog to document my attempt at my first 100 miler more than a few years ago. I was finally successful in 2016, and for some reason (and regrettably), have not been back to add the multitude of races I have done since then. The idea that only 100 milers are worthy of a blog post is unfortunate for me, since some of the races I have done since have been pretty epic, including my DNFs  of this past year, when I went WAY outside of  my comfort zone to try hard things!

Now its 2019, and I am determined to capture at least some of my runs, since my memory is not all that great, and I really enjoy sharing these runs!

 Long  Haul 100 was an impulsive registration, as are many of  my races.  Pay the  money before I have too much time to think about it! A few of  my friends were doing it, and encouraged me to join. That FOMO is a powerful thing! In addition, since the RDs were hoping to get 100 finishers to make this a WS qualifier, the price was only $75! Can't beat that for a 100 miler!

So, that is how I found myself sitting in my family room with half of what I own spread on the floor wondering how to get it on an airplane from Dulles to Tampa.

Lucky for me, my husband is a McGyver type guy who can figure out a  solution to pretty much anything, so we were locked and loaded in no time.
Once we arrived in Tampa, we immediately went to packet pickup, which was at the race site, Cypress Creek Preserve in Land-o-Lakes, Florida. It was a beautiful day - 76 degrees, sunny...and with the website saying that this is pretty typical January weather, I was so excited to finally get a break after an entire year of snow, mud, and record rainfall. HA! The first hint of trouble came when the weather forecast dramatically changed about 12 hours before the race start. True, Saturday would be fairly pleasant, even a little warm, at 75-77, but then thunderstorms were predicted overnight with strong winds and an approaching cold front. Considering my luck with long races, I should have expected that the "average 3 days of rain per month" would all occur during THIS weekend!



I had prepared for rain, because, well, I was running, so no issues with clothing. However, since we would be camping during the race, and since we had traveled by air, we were somewhat limited in our supplies. No fear though, McGyver (and Walmart) to the rescue, with a mini pop-up, tarps, bags, and even a  collapsible wagon to hold everything. Our campsite looked pretty sweet.

This race was a one  mile run from the parking area to the "hub" and then eight 12.5 mile loops through the preserve. I have had luck on loop courses before (well, except Umstead), so I took great comfort in knowing that all the things were available multiple times. Since we were camping at the hub, we actually ran past our site 3 times during each loop. I even stopped carrying anything besides a bottle of water after about 25 miles. Getting rid of  my pack really helped cool me off in the heat of the day Saturday.

There were three "trails" within the 12.5 mile loop. The first was a pretty exposed out and back that ran along swampy areas, grasses, and short wooded areas. This was by far the longest trail, and would prove the most challenging after the rain. There was an aid station along this trail, where one of the  volunteers was giving runners hugs - which to me, felt like an instant charge of energy late in the race. The second trail began with a jog up a paved road, then turned into a beautiful pine forest. It was pretty cool running along the pines, and then into a white sandy area. Aid Station 3 was here, and the volunteers were outstanding. By the 3rd or 4th time through, they had my electrolyte capsule and food ready for me! (gotta love small races). The third trail was short, but included a lot of sand and tricky footing, with many mounds and holes that necessitated walking a lot if you valued your ankles. Then back the hub, and Aid Station 1, which had a pretty extensive set up with everything imaginable to eat.

I was running with Jackie, a fellow ultra runner from D.C. We have very similar paces, and I really enjoy her company. In fact, the early miles really went by quickly, alternating conversation and quiet, just enjoying the day. At some point, we became separated, as she got ahead of me on one of my stops, but we were soon together again, and ran together until about 60 miles in. At that point, many in the race were developing blisters, and in the end, this is  what ended many of their races, including Jackie.While we stopped a few times to tape feet and change shoes, this course was not really foot friendly. I was so sad to lose Jackie, and panicked a bit thinking of continuing through the night without her. She is so bad ass, with all her finishes, I was looking to her for guidance to make it to the end.



But, I carried on. Round one of the rain started, and it poured. I was wearing a poncho, which did a good job keeping me dry. It was still so hot and humid, even with the rain. Then the wind started, so I used my waist light as a belt to keep my poncho semi-still, but it still blew everywhere, especially the hood. The next time through camp, I grabbed my hat, so I could use that to keep the rain out of my face. Trail one was becoming pretty messy, and in the dark, with the mud and swamps, it was pretty creepy out there. Luckily there were other runners, and seeing lights in the distance coming the other way felt comforting (not like being on the Massanuttens in the dark all alone!) The sand actually got better with the rain - in fact, in some areas, it felt like concrete!

Funny, I was never tired - not once. I did see things though - at one point I swore  a pick-up truck was parked near the trail, and it wasn't until I did the last loop in the daylight that I realized it was just a fallen tree! Even though this was a preserve with armadillos and wild boars roaming, I did not see the eerie eyes in the night. But then again, my eyes were pretty focused on the little beam of light in front of me. Each time I came back to the campsite, I would just let my husband know I was coming through, but let him get some rest. I did envy him sleeping in the tent with the pouring rain and thunder, as that is one of my favorite things! He earned his sleep though, and I am glad he was rested so he could do the final 5 miles with me.


As the sun came up, I was definitely on a  mission. While a lot of folks were walking pretty slowly, I was picking up time. Once I get to know I will finish, that is just what I want to do - as  quickly as possible! I ran/walked with John from Vermont, and he commented on how fast I walked and how that was definitely a strength for these distances. I was trying to  keep a 14-15 minute per mile pace from 85 miles on, which was tough, since that first trail had turned into a boggy, swampy mess with thick, thick mud. More than once, I thought I would lose a shoe!

I think my 7th loop was pretty quick, and then I took my time on the 8th, mentally saying "goodbye" to all I had passed and experienced. I also used this loop (since it was light and no longer raining) to take some pictures of the  course. It really was a pretty course.

As I came through our camp for the last time before the finish, Steve joined me for the last 5 miles. I am so glad he got to see the the Pines and Armadillo Ally, but more importantly, he kept my mind off the now very strong and cold wind that was blowing and the sideways rain, which had started again. I was also just starting to feel a very deep and painful blister and on the bottom of my foot. We were moving, and so close to the end! As I started the very last short trail, Steve took a short cut to the end so  he could be at the finish line. Past Aid Station 1, up the hill, and over the mat! I finished in 29:33:04.

After getting a great hug from Steve and my  buckle from the race director, I got a very sweet ride back to our campsite complete with a blanket (even though I  insisted I could walk). I am not a crier, but that almost did it, as the driver made me feel like a rock star!

This race was an amazing experience. Up until 2 weeks before, I was thinking of canceling. A good 50 K two weeks before, followed by a 12 mile run the next day helped my confidence, but it was a strange sense of calm that really helped me. I remember reading "If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you are right." This is exactly what happened here. I knew I could do it, and I did!

Other than blisters, I felt pretty good after. After sleeping from 4 pm Sunday to about 4 am Monday, and a VERY hot shower, I was able to do a lot of walking on the Tampa River Walk and through the Tampa Aquarium (very cool btw). That was followed by the best chicken salad wrap and fries I have ever eaten in my life, and then a drive to Clearwater to watch the sunset (and eat more food). It was cold and windy but beautiful.  Packed up Tuesday (Steve again using his Mcgyver skills to get all the stuff he bought home) and headed to the airport. Overall , an amazingly great experience. Worth resurrecting the blog for...LOL.

What worked:

Road Shoes until mile 50, then Altras
Lots of Sunblock
Cheap Poncho
Waist Light
Oatmeal Cookies
Oranges
Electrolytes every 12 miles
Protein Shakes and Coffee
Body Glide
Compression socks for the night
Charging Garmin on the run
Diluted Sweet Tea
Lots and Lots of Ice in my bottle

What didn't:

Gatorade (electrolytes instead)
Pack (really didn't need it with on a loop)
Running the Armadillo circle (up and down was fine)
Music (never used it)
PortaPot (so much easier to go in the woods)

(Walking all over the next day was key. Once I taped my blister, I had minimal soreness and recovered quickly!)

A Race for The Ages

Pulling into the parking lot at Fred Deadman park, the familiar doubt and hesitation started to bubble up. This was my third attempt at the 100 mile distance, and my confidence was shaky. It had been an 11 hour drive to Manchester, Tennessee, broken up by an overnight stay in Roanoke, but we still arrived at A Race For The Ages 12 hours before my 5 am start time.  I thought that meant an eternity of second guessing and worry about my decision to  impulsively enter a 100  mile race just weeks before the event.  It didn't get any better when I went to the timing table to "sign in" and was told by the race director (in a very slow, unconcerned, yet knowing manner with a classic southern drawl) "well, the beauty of having starts every hour is that you just have to come back an hour before your start to check in."  Um, that would be 4 am??  "Yup", Laz nodded,  then went back to smoking his cigarette.  Ok.  That exchange, and another approving head nod as I finished my 80th lap were the only interactions I had with the infamous race director of the Barkley Marathons. Definitely lives up to his somewhat mysterious reputation. This was going to be interesting.

The next few hours were busy - setting up camp along the river, making sure what I needed was somewhat organized.  I would pass this spot 99 times throughout my 100 mile attempt so that provided at least a glimmer of relief.  Even as we set up, runners were already on the one mile loop, plugging away.  The sun was  hot - very hot, and that only added to my list of things to obsessively worry about. After eating and dressing in my clothes for  my run, I settled into my tent to try and sleep - time: about 8 pm and just dark.

Surprisingly, I was able to sleep pretty well, although runners continued to pass the tents set up along the  path all night.  In fact, many runners had used the heat of the day to rest, so there were probably more on the course during the night than when we first arrived.  I didn't need the alarm to wake me, and for the first time  ever, I only woke one hour before my race start!  Put me outside to sleep and I am out cold.  Happy to feel well rested, I made  my way to the race start.  No Laz now  - he was probably taking one of his power naps in a chair somewhere.  The race timer, Mike, signed me in, gave me a bib with chip and another ankle chip and had me sit in the "staging area" while the other 55 year olds assembled. There were just 6 of us, all men and me, until another  women joined who got a late start.  At 5 am we made the very short walk up the hill to the starting mats, and "GO".

And so it began.  I was strangely calm and used Coach's mantra from the start.  "Stay in the  moment."  I don't even know how many times I repeated that to myself over the course of the next 33 hours.  I tried very hard to never think of how far I had to go, or even how far I had gone.  With a one mile loop on paved concrete and blacktop, I thought this course would be my worse nightmare, but it really wasn't.  I ran at a very even 11 minute mile for the first several miles while it was cool and dark and then into the dawn of a beautiful day.  I kept running and running and felt so good.  The stars were out, the conversation was great.

I had no real "race strategy" other than to run when I could, walk when I wanted.  As the hours ticked by, and the sun heated up, I walked more and ran less.  But I never took a break.   Meals were served at intervals in the air-conditioned hall, but it took me a while to figure this out, so when I would pop in to grab  something, there wasn't a lot left.  I sent Steve on a food run at  some point, since what I did see was not really appealing - a lot of meat and rice, and cheese ball and crackers?  Not sure if this is running fare in the south but not for me. Steve took excellent care of me and made sure I had whatever sounded good to eat.

Around and around I  went, and the time passed so quickly.  A lot of runners again  came off the course during the heat of the day, but I just couldn't do it.  First, I knew we couldn't stay for the whole race, since we had to be at JMU by dinnertime on Monday,  and second, stopping really scared me!  Not sure how folks get started again after a several hour break.  I would sit in my camp chair to grab a bite to eat, or reapply sun block, but I was so itchy to get back out there.

 Around and around.  Again and again. I listened to all the stories, mostly told by men who had some great stories to tell. I  ran briefly with  the eventual women's winner(she ran 173 miles!!!!) and asked for advice or strategy and she wisely told me to run my own race - find my own rhythm that would surely be different from everyone else's.  It took her over 3 hours last year to develop a strategy.  I was told I had a nice "gait" and that "I made it look easy" which boosted my resolve, as it took me a long time to feel like I should be here with all these "real" runners!  Funny how sharing the laps broke all that down.  We were all just doing the best we could to get in the miles.  Some of the nicest, kindest people who helped at every turn.

Into the night I ran and walked, ate and body glided my feet.  I felt awesome.  At 1:30 or 2:00 am Sunday morning I decided to change out of my wet clothes into fresh running gear.  Peeling off wet clothes in a tent in the middle of the night after running for 20+ hours while trying not to make too much noise was hysterical.  I was so exhausted after that feat, I fell on the air mattress.  Steve suggested setting the alarm for 2 hours and just trying to rest so I  could go out fresh.  And I tried.  I laid there listening to the sounds of the night and breathing the air, and did doze off for about 15 minutes, but the sounds of the runners passing the tent pulled me back out.  I felt good still, so I pulled my shoes and light jacket on and took off again.  After a couple laps I left my jacket as the night air was refreshing and helped me run faster.  Each time I came around I tried to stay  quiet so  Steve could get some sleep - he had been crewing all day and I knew I would need him later in the race.  These night hours were as magical as I knew they would be.  The sounds of footfalls and quiet talking and laughing as we made our way  around and around the loop.  It wasn't long before light began to appear and the course became a  ghost town as many runners went in for breakfast.  I grabbed a granola bar and refilled my sweet tea and kept going.  By  now, I was sure I would finish and was getting anxious.  I ran for a while with the second place woman, who asked me about my marathon time and was surprised I wasn't a sub 4 hour runner!  Ha!  She told me I could be if I concentrated and trained, but I said "life" and she understood.  I enjoyed listening to her accomplishments, like how she made the 20  year old qualifying time for Boston when she was 60.  Wow.  There was some talent here.

I finally had to wake Steve around 7:30 am because my brain was getting fuzzy and I couldn't remember where anything was.  My feet had a few hot spots and I wanted to take care of that in short order.  I tried to go fast as the sun came up and it was already hot.  This part seemed to go much slower.  I only had 15 miles or so to get to 100, but each mile felt long. I ran (walked) with James for a bit and and enjoyed his conversation and pleasant nature.  He also was feeling the heat and  the miles.

I had to stop more often now to cool off, as I was cooking.  Steve took me into the icy hall once and  had me sit to just get my core temp down as my skin was hot and I was moving slowly. That felt good, as did the ice in my running bra and an icy cold towel on my head.  The loop had very minimal shade so every mile after 10 am  was  just so hot at close to 90 degrees.  The miles between 85 and 95 were the hardest for me.  I was hot, and suddenly didn't want to  eat anything.  This is when most of the folks staying for the next day went into their tents or even back to their hotels to sleep.  Not me.  I was "on a mission" and so close to the end. 

Miles 95-99 I ran/walked without stopping and mile 100 I pretty much ran again at a 12 mile pace. I knew I wouldn't go on, as my feet were just on the point of needing attention and it was the absolutely hottest part of the day.  But Steve and I did one victory lap so I wouldn't just have the 100 but 101 miles for my buckle.

 And then I was done.  And I felt amazing.  All I could think was "this really wasn't that bad!!"  And then I tried to get out of my chair and had a whole new respect for those folks who would be out there for the 22 hours left until  the race ended.    33 hours, 3rd woman to reach 100 miles, I couldn't have been happier with my race, but I still wished I was staying, if just to prolong the experience and spend more time with the amazing people I met.

 I have been trying to earn a buckle now for 4 years.  I've had training, support, coaching and family and friends who sacrificed right along with me to try and get me there.  But maybe I wasn't ready.  Maybe I needed this time to really have a reason for being out there and doing this. Maybe being in the moment is advice that I needed to actually believe.  If nothing else, the last four years have taught me this:

What worked:
s-caps every two hours
ice...lots and lots of ice
eating whatever tasted good - freezing cold especially grapes and watermelon
granola bars, english muffins, pretzels, trail mix
sweet tea - a big diluted ice cold drink every 5 miles or so and a bottle for breakfast
body glided my feet 5 times and changed shoes 4 times
aquafor...enough said
ice cold washcloth under my visor
bug spray
listening and remembering everything Coach said (and using most of it!)

What didn't work: 
music - I took it but would have hated to miss the conversation!
Hokas
sleeping
meat - so much meat there
getting in the river - I planned to do this but then snakes
changing more than once
food the last few hours
any planned run/walk ratio - just too hot to stick with it well