Well it's over. Another Rachel Carson behind us. Never to be mention again. THAT IS UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!
As always the Rachel Carson left us tired, beat up, and saying the words "I'll never do this again" at the end of the Challenge.
This year I was able to sucker in 7 more victims for the Rachel Carson. We started training in March. Most of the hikes were around the Johnstown area starting off with the incline. From there we started training on the the Charles Lewis. Then when we really had to increase the mileage we started to venture onto the John P. Saylor Park, Laurel Highland, and Pine Ridge Park.
These hikes prepared us for what was about to come as far as our gear was concerned. The first and biggest concern being the shoes we were going to wear that day. The hunt began and I know all of us brought at least one pair of shoes during training. Some of us had to keep going to find that right pair of shoes to get the job done that day. Once that was settled the clothes came into play. That perfect set of clothes. The clothes were important so that you wouldn't chafe in certain place. There is nothing worst that your legs chaffing or chaffing near you bra area and having to walk 20 miles more. So you knew that if at 10 miles you were having problems with your clothes that you would have to go on the search for clothes that could endure a 35 mile hike. Last, to pole or not to pole, and if we did pole one or two poles. Another decision to camelbak or not to camelbak. All these decisions. But at the end we all chose what we felt would be the best for us that day. The question was: Will it be the best to help us get thru the Rachel Carson Challenge?
Then it was time to train on the Rachel Carson itself. We had done all this training around Johnstown and now it was time to head on down to Pittsburgh and kick some Rachel Carson ass. Everyone feeling confident from doing 10 to 13 mile long hikes. So on one Sunday morning we all took off to do the first of many training hikes. It is on that first training hike on the Rachel Carson that you ask yourself several questions. You start asking yourself those questions when you see the first hill that Rachel throws at you. Oh I'm sorry the first mountain that Rachel throws at you. Because until this time you have done your training on these other trails, and you are feeling great because you have mastered the hills and trails of which you have been doing. With each training hike you became stronger it got easier and all was well with the world. And then you see the first Rachel Carson hill and you realize you are so SCREWED. You couldn't even dream up these hills and it's fun to watch newbies look around for another way out, but we all know you are following the yellow blazes and guess what it's going right up that damn hill. Yet another reason I liked hiking on Sundays because you will talk to God more going up these hills then you would sitting in church.
So here we go every week training on the Rachel Carson and when you train on the Rachel Carson the training never gets better it just gets more tolerable. The last two or three mile of training usually ends up with dead silence. When I would look at the girls I brought I would see daggers coming my way out of their eyes. Yet take them to Primanti's brother's at the end and one hour later they are saying they are ready for next week's venture. So training hikes would come full circle. I have a bunch of little happy girls ready to go have themselves a great time laughing and enjoying the day, then it would get a little more serious, then it would turn into bitching, then silence and then shear joy and happiness again.
Ok months of training and now the time has come. The day we had all anticipated has arrived. It's starts out with us getting up at 3:00 am and heading for Harrison Hills dropping cars off and heading for North Park. We arrived at North Park at 5:00 am only to be greeted by a downpour of rain. The weather was suppose to storm the whole day and the race directors told everyone that no matter what the challenge will go on. Thunderstorms did not matter. So now the mind set was of climbing mountains in the mud, coming down mountains in the mud, dodging lightening bolts and being drench for 34 miles what else could a girl ask for? We waited our turn in the start line and it finally came. We got our start scan and off we went about twenty feet where we were greeted by a volunteer who had to help us over a muddy section of the trail. As I stood in line and watch the volunteer help people down this mud pit I realized again how screwed we were this day and at that moment the guy right in front of me fell right down the mud slide. This is only 20 ft away from the start and we have 34 miles to go. Crap!!!! Well from there on we had split up, all of us at different levels. Some of us veterans to the Rachel Carson others beginners. Everyone working hard to achieve their personal best. As the day progress the rain that was expected never come, however the rain that did fall that morning left the trail muddy and harder to maneuver. Also at this point it had also gotten very humid.
My own personal story was before checkpoint three I had experienced something I have never experience before- muscle cramps. As I and two other people that I was pacing with came in to the checkpoint I could feel my legs going and I was in some pain. Now you have to start to analyze what is causing the problem and start to fix it if it's even fixable at this point. I was going down mentally and so was the other girl that was with me. She had told me her hip was bothering her. So we were both glad to see the checkpoint but going down fast. Then there is that critical moment that you feel there has to be someone watching over you because the guy that was with us knew the guy manning the checkpoint station and told him" Don't worry you are still in the top 50" I raised my head up and the girl I was with looked at me and I looked at her and you could just feel us both come to life. That was the fuel that we needed to get the job done. I left checkpoint three still cramping but mentally in the game. The only other critical point came when I was climbing up Crawford hill and my muscles went into cramps again. Then again like God was watching from above a guy came behind me and stayed with me as I bitch I don't know what the hell is going on. I was drinking water , I was taking in electrolytes. He got into his backpack and pulled out the one thing that saved my ass that day and that was a sodium tablet. From that moment on I was able to finish the challenge. I wish I would have known this guy's name because it was him that made it possible for me to finish that day. Without that sodium tablet I really believe I would have had no choice but to have stop.
The rest of my girls were having their own trials and tribulations. Bernadette had the same problem I had. Vicki's good knee went bad, Tiffany with shoes, Annie with blisters, Debbie and Rose keeping each other going, and let's not forget Robin and the kidney stones.We all had to deal with the stupid mud and the hot humidity. All in all at the end everyone far exceeded their expectations. Even with all the extra baggage of the day, I couldn't have ask for any more out of these girls. This is a brutal challenge. You cannot even begin to explain it to people because it is unexplainable. At one point I was a mile and a half from the finish line just hanging out as people were making their way in and I know it always helps me when people cheer you on. So I was cheering them on telling them good job and one lady look at me and said "Well I only did the family challenge" which was I believe 7 or 8 miles. Listen if you did two miles of the Rachel Carson you have allot to be proud of, and anyone who has done it would tell you the same thing. When you talk to these people you will find that the physical range is from navy seals, ironman, marathoners, hikers, housewives. The thing about Rachel is no matter who you are you are going to be put thru a gruesome challenge. So with that said I know at the end of the day the emotions were overwhelming for us all. We were feeling each others pain, joy and sadness. But what was really special for me is how these girls grew to care and bond with one another during this whole process. At the end it was still a team of women who trained together ,conquered together, and made memories that will last a lifetime together.
Annie, Bernadette, Debbie, Rose, Vicki, Robin, and Tiffany, words cannot express how very proud I am of you for even stepping up to the plate to do such a challenge. You girls are awesome and of course you know that. Great, Great job.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
RACHEL CARSON CHALLENGE.....READ ALL ABOUT IT BY CLICKING HERE
WANTED -VICTIMS NEEDED FOR NEXT YEAR