This year I have different goals for my running – one is to beat my 100-mile age-group world record time. I had a total hip replacement at the end of October in 2022 and ever since, I have been working hard at getting my endurance and speed back. But I decided to run a few new races for the joy of ultrarunning including the Space Pirate100-miler, a point-to-point course in Florida that runs from Space Coast (Cape Canaveral) to Treasure Coast (Jensen Beach), following the beautiful Florida coastline through historic sites and beach towns.
The race started at 6 a.m., and the weather forecast was for a high in the 80s and lows in the 60s. There was some talk of rain on Sunday, so my intent was to enjoy the race, stay alert on the new course and not worry about a downpour. Being from Texas, we have winter days that are warm but also some that are cooler with rain. I came up to Port Canaveral at mile 10 and was feeling strong. My crew person was ahead of me all the way and would stop about every 30 minutes to change out my electrolyte drink and offer me nutrition. The next 10 miles was on Satellite Beach that ended at mile 20, just as the sun started to come up. I could start to feel the warmth on my body. From Melbourne Beach to Indian River Lagoon, I had managed to cover 50 miles and was enjoying the salt air, but decided to take a 15-minute break to change my clothes since I had become soaked with sweat. Next came Treasure Shores at mile 60, and then at 69 miles I arrived at Fort Pierce where there was a confusing detour for about 9 miles through the city. I was running alone in the dark and received a call from my crew telling me he was lost. I could see a runner way ahead of me, and I caught up to see if he was familiar with the detour. Thankfully, he had run the race last year and knew the detour route, so we stayed together and made it through. The next 10 miles took us through Hutchinson Island which had puddles of water on the streets and sidewalks from sprinklers that had been pointed out toward the road.
During the last 10 miles, we came upon co-race directors, Luis and Juan, with directions and encouragement for the last portion of the course to the finish at Jensen Beach. I was so excited because it was still dark out and I was feeling strong. I finally felt like my endurance was back and I was enjoying every step. Coming upon Jensen Beach, Luis directed me to the where Juan was taking pictures and I received my 100-mile buckle from the treasure chest. I was the third overall female and fourth overall finisher, with a time of 21:33 (30 minutes faster than the 100-miler I had finished 7 weeks prior) – an achievement I had taken 3.5 years to complete: getting my speed back.
Full results here.