Tina's KM 100 mile Top-Ten...

A little something from LPTRunner Tina Heil...

 It’s interesting being back at work after a weekend of running 100 miles. There are a few like-minded individuals who dish out the high-fives, but mostly people just shake their head and ask “why?”  These are the same people checking out the size of my legs (not as swollen as post-Sawtooth), blisters on my feet (only a couple pre-existing that were made a bit worse) and my walk (in my opinion, nearly normal). They ask if I had any problems during the race to which I answer to my closer friends, “only a case of the trots for 90-ish miles…. It could’ve been worse!” I try my best to describe why I love doing this, but swollen legs, blood blisters, limps and trots don’t really sound like a fun time to most people. So, in an attempt to convince others that I really did enjoy running 100 miles last weekend, here is my top 10 of KM100:

1.  Seeing my family and friends at different checkpoints and (better yet) hearing their cheers before I even saw them;

2. Familiar faces and laughs of fellow runners and volunteers;

3. Running through the night with one of my besties;

4. Renewed energy after the first Red Bull at Hwy 12;

5. Seeing the moon change throughout the night;

6. Hearing the birds begin to chatter at daybreak;

7. Running the last 14 miles with my husband who constantly told me I looked amazing… even when I had a case of the heaves;

8. The feeling of accomplishment reaching Tamarack Aid Station for the last time;

9. Knowing how blessed I am to be able to do this and strongly believing there was something “bigger” helping me through the race;

10. Realizing that I’m stronger than I thought I was.

Perhaps the endorphin/endocannabinoid levels are still elevated and I will feel differently after a while? Regardless, I will always happily remember my first KM100 and will be forever grateful for the experience.