Meeting My Match

The idea of a Massanutten Revenge attempt was born out of my DNF at the MMT 100 in May 2023. I had felt ready to conquer the hundred miler on trails that feel like home to me, while supported by the Happy Trails friends that are like family to me; but sadly I dropped out around mile 78 after deciding I simply did not want to continue suffering. I felt weak and disappointed.

A couple of days later entry for Massanutten Revenge, a 107 mile reverse loop of MMT with roughly 23,000 feet of gain, was open. The timing of this was no coincidence, for Mike Bur, the creator of this event, was hoping the MMT wannabes would take his bait. I sure did!

Still upset over my MMT “did not finish” result, I put my name on the Revenge list. It really makes no sense to try and attempt something much harder than MMT 100 itself, I thought, but the opportunity to try made me feel better about my DNF. I wanted revenge!!

I still had a few challenging events on schedule, including Barkley Fall Classic that would serve as great training for Revenge. Going into preparations for this beast of a challenge, I knew 5 people attempted it in 2022 and none finished. That I could possibly be one of the first finishers was highly motivating.

I continued with my race schedule, summer went by quickly, now it was time to take my annual trip to visit Laz at Frozen Head. As I am packing my gear for Barkley Fall Classic, a pre-race e-mail from Bur arrives, asking Revenge participants to taper well as we are only 2 weeks away from the Big Dance. I reply, promising only one more “workout” at Frozen Head and that I, too, will taper hard! Bur responds with “very well then” and sends his regards to Laz and Keith Dunn.

Mike Bur is no stranger to Big Barkley with 7 attempts at the event. The creation of Revenge or “The Burkley” (haha), definitely has some of the vibe.

After another successful year at BFC, I now feel ready to find out how challenging Revenge really is. I study the course, the climbs, elevation profile. It all seems right up my alley and I make a guesstimate of completing the route in 36 to 38 hours if no navigational or other unplanned “errors” present themselves, which of course they will, it is the nature of this sport.

This course is completely unmarked. Bur took out all forest road sections and used only trails, added additional climbs, even adding 4 orienteering locations we need to find and use to punch our passports to prove we were there. The only location point without a punching tool would be Duncan Knob, where we would take a photo as a proof. No punches or photos means no official finish.

I contacted a few friends previously to take part in this madness as my crew and they immediately said ” when and where and I will be there for you.” I am that lucky in life. Barry Hauptmann was assigned the crew chief job, Steph Hill, Paul Tiley, Amy Stulman and Heather Dougherty would share crewing and pacing duties along the very long route that could last as long as 48 hours.

Race week came and I felt completely unprepared. This school year agenda is insanely packed for my two teens, a freshman boy and senior girl. I felt overwhelmed with the priorities of a parent, attending concert previews and fundraiser meetings, parent orientations - good I was tapering, great even! I am so bad at tapering, so looking at the bright side, this is all to my advantage.

Finally, Friday race day is here. Start of Revenge is 10 a.m. Friday, which I love. I got to sleep at home, make kids breakfast and see them off to schools. I assure them I will not die, although this time it may be a close call. They roll their eyes. Lauren wishes me a Top Ten placement knowing only 10 people are participating in the event … I roll my eyes and force these teens to give me hugs.

I am ready! Camp Roosevelt awaits! Bur is already there of course, and soon the rest of the Mighty 10 arrive! I see Stella Kipps, sister of my dear friend Walt, who paced me at MMT. He often shared stories of Stella with me during training runs and chats. I know of her grit and strengths. I know she through-hiked the Appalachian Trail northbound in its entirety on her own in her traditional Mennonite attire. It was me who encouraged her to apply for Revenge. I know she is nervous. She stresses she is not a runner but I assure her this is where she belongs and now feel excited to see how this all turns out. We joke, take photos, eat and its time to GO!

Bur told me my biggest disadvantage here is that I am unable to slow down and go slow. So, I try and go slow. I run with Luc Claessens for a short while, but let him pass as I feel he is running a bit too hot too soon. The weather is perfect! The first stretch is only 9 miles and easy, a great warm up.

I have my turn sheets printed and I have my Gaia GPS map of the course. I feel confident this will be great time! Somewhere after aid #1 I feel in my element, which often times leads to me not paying attention and paying the price, in the form of missing turns and not following directions. And I miss a turn. I just don’t know it yet. I am happily cruising down a white-blazed trail forest road, having the time of my life. And then realizing Bur specifically said: “you won’t see a road in this race,” and I feel I made the classic Jana move. I stop at the end of the road to retrace my steps, and check my GPS. I am pleased to see my phone has signal! I call my crew chief Barry to let him know I am lost, and to please tell Bur and Q I will be back on track eventually so call off the search party, lol.

I am back on track eventually, but also I am about 7 miles and hour and a half off my original race plan. That means we will need to adjust timing on pacers and everything else. I feel frustrated, but also glad this happened on fresh legs and early into the race. No big deal! I am back and catching up! I get to see all my 9 fellow Revengers!!

I execute what my friends and training partners know as “Classic Janageddon” and catch all my Revenge Friends from back to front. I am known for this now, so why change? Hahaha!! The only friend I haven’t caught up with is Stella. I wonder how she is doing.

I arrive at the Buzzard Rock trailhead (aid station #3), which is 31.4 miles into the race. My watch lets me know I now have 39 miles on my legs. I see Walt, Stella’s brother and crew, at the aid station and we laugh that it would not be a race without me getting off course. I have recently spent time with an orienteering coach, specializing in reading landscape and understanding maps. I think I want my money back then!!

Bur lets me know I am getting nothing for the bonus miles, but that he feels inspired by this detour and it gave him an idea for a future iteration of the race course! I eat soup and cookies. I eat and eat all I can handle. One of major mistakes I made at MMT 100 was when things got hard I refused to eat. Once I fell behind in nutrition things fell apart quickly. NOT TODAY! I was determined to be the human eating machine, and I asked my crew to put food in my mouth and hands every chance we get! The key part to get through an effort such this is fueling and hydration, tons of good calories. I felt great here, happy and upbeat.

Next stop was Elizabeth Furnace, a place I know from running here many times. Knowing a familiar place is ahead was a mental boost, as it was dark now, and I was heading into my first night on the trails. Even though the stretch between Buzzard and EF is only 6-ish miles, night time on these technical trails is very slow. 3 miles an hour slow, and that is considered moving!

I came here knowing I will be alone on the trails until I see my pacer Steph Hill at Woodstock, and I realize my unplanned detour is making everything longer. But I try not to let that get to me! Staying positive and upbeat is one of the very important tools in making it through these long, hard races. In fact, this event would become the longest run (with the most elevation) I have ever done - and this before the bonus miles!

I arrive at Elizabeth Furnace at 10:20 p.m. (12:20 into the race). I plan to take my time here, refuel, and use my drop bags to refill on energy gels. The next stretch is a bear, a long half marathon, BUT then I get to meet up with Steph my pacer!! I eat as I cross over to the trailhead and I hear Stella and Walt talking. I soon catch up with them. We talk and laugh; everyone is in great spirits, but we are certainly starting to show some fatigue.

The real challenge of this course is it’s extremely technical in nature, rocks on rocks on rocks, where you must constantly keep your eyes on the ground to guide your next step. It is mentally very draining and over time it will take its toll on both mind and feet. But we knew this! We are plugging along.

We reach the Tuscarora trail section, and we are nearing the half point of the challenge; though for me 62 miles rather then 52, but oh, well! We need to start looking for our first orienteering point. I go ahead and take the lead, feeling comfortable on this unbelievably rugged and overgrown section. I feel like we are in Tennessee!! Orienteering flag #1 is easy to spot at night, and I punch my passport and feel encouraged. I am making it happen!

I arrive at Woodstock (aid station #5, 50.1 miles into the race), now ahead of Stella and Walt. I see Steph, excited and ready to roll! Words cannot explain how huge of a help it is to see friends during these challenges. It means the world! This truly takes a village, and my village is incredibly supportive and giving. I take my time eating all the things, socializing and laughing, Barry is now taking charge of crewing all my needs out of his van and we are ready to slay the second half of this monster.

Steph and I get going towards Edinburg, an 8-ish mile stretch. I have fresh socks on and a fresh t-shirt, and I feel fantastic. We chat away; Steph and I know of one another from trail running, but only recently connected and became friends. Steph was immediately in as a pacer and encourager of my insane running mom goals. It is really fun to be paced by a new friend, because there is so much to discover about each other and so many stories come up. We are having a blast! Steph is surprised I can carry on full blown conversations about everything and anything 17 hours into the race. I laugh, adding I don’t think I have been quiet for that long ever in my life, and I need to catch up with all the talking. I am a talker!

The miles keep adding on, I feel so grateful for the company! Every once in a while we pause to check the turn sheet and map to make sure we are on the right track. We make a few silly orienteering mistakes but nothing major, we easily retrace steps and get back on track.

We arrive at Edinburg (aid station #6, 58.3 miles) at almost 6:30 a.m. I am looking forward to daylight - that is a huge aid in these races, as day time usually brings a much needed energy boost. I feel a few blisters on the heels of my feet and my toes are starting to get sensitive from the rocks. I am pleased because we are now into the second and easier half of the course, and I feel this will be well-manageable once we get to my fresh shoes and socks at the next aid! Always having something positive to look forward to is so important. I know daylight is near and I plan on getting as much as I can out of the new day.

I also know my next pacer, Paul Tiley, is meeting us at Gap Creek I, mile 68.9! I saved Paul for this late part of the race for many reasons. He knows the competitor in me, he is tough, he has done insane things and most of all, he doesn’t sugarcoat things and he will push me when I need it most.

I am starting to slow down but still feel happy and wanting to be where I am at. That doesn’t last long! I let Steph talk and in my mind I go to a dark place, realizing we have sooo long to go still and I am slowing down and feeling the distance. But I won’t let Steph know. I listen to her share with me how she met her husband, and it is sweet. Suddenly, we see a person and it is Amy Stulman!!!! I am overjoyed! We were hoping she would run into us on her long run. That was the plan and here she is!! New energy washes over me, and the low dark place is gone. We hug and continue on, talking and laughing.

Pace is slow, but that is to be expected. We wonder about Stella and start shouting her name “Stelllaaaaaa! Keep going Stella”!!! I share with Amy who is a nurse which is most useful that my feet are starting to be a mess and we make plan to troubleshoot the feet when we get to Gap Creek and Paul.

We get there at 11 a.m. so almost 5 hours spent fast hiking the last stretch but we are moving and we have so much time, we are fine! We see Paul, I immediately sit in a chair, all my things already laid out for me by my crew chief Barry, Amy starts working on my feet, Paul passes me potatoes, bacon and pumpkin cream rolls, THIS is crewing at its finest. I feel blessed and encouraged.

I feel we can do this! We learn Stella is also slowing down, but moving well. Her sister Catherine will be joining her to pace. We get lucky enough to see Heather here. It is bittersweet because Daisy Weill arrives here at Gap Creek I in a DNF vehicle, so Heather’s pacing duties with her have end here. We all hug and take photos. I am proud of Daisy for giving this a try, and she seems fine with her run and encourages me. I enjoy seeing Heather always anywhere, as her energy is amazing.

I try not to linger at aid stations at this point. It is getting hard and the more I sit and talk the harder it gets to leave. Steph is leaving us here, as well. I am forever grateful for her company! We connected so well and bonded instantly; she has become part of our super women pack!

We carry on, Amy going a little further with me and Paul; the plan is to navigate to the next orienteering flag. I haven’t seen Paul in a while; although we text a bit to keep in touch, we have lots to catch up on. We have done several challenging events together where one or the other was struggling and we pull each other from those places and see one another through. We both know now I am hurting, and it is going to get hard. Paul never doubts my abilities and my determination. But right now, I do.

After Amy leaves us the highs and lows are now very much taking over me. I am so tired. Paul tells to me how close we are getting. I refuse to believe him. My energy is low. This means I need to eat. I eat a sandwich and have a 5 Hour energy shot. That does the trick. But I am now less talkative and only begin to focus on efficiently moving forward. We arrive at the Picnic I Aid Station (81.4 miles) a little after 5 p.m. on Saturday. Barry is joining us for the next loop segment of 10 miles that will bring us back to Picnic II A.S.

I also see Heather and Anthony Wolosik here. That makes me happy! They help crew and offer encouragement. I am forcing myself to eat. I have a barbeque pork rib, chips, sweet potatoes, you name it - I take all I am offered.

We are so slow now. I wish we could move faster, but my body isn’t capable of anything faster. Barry tells me I am making history and I have so much time left - finishing this is a no-brainer. He and Paul become friends fast. They chat away while I listen. I try to laugh at some of it, but my energy is focused on moving.

Amy had definitely saved my feet at an earlier aid station. The change to a wider shoe fit was also a winner, and I feel OK now. Barry studied the course, and after a some back and forth up some side trail, we find the next orienteering flag. Another step closer. Or not? I am starting to doubt myself. I know we are going into another long night, I don’t know if I can do another night and oh … it includes the Kerns Mountain section, a brutal technical segment we dislike in the daytime, let alone at night!

Second night! I am going to need another 5 Hour energy. I get it at Picnic 2 (now mile 91.3), along with some more food and drink. I don’t want to sit anymore; I just want to keep moving, and I feel exhausted and sore. We have 16 miles to go. It gets to me. It is still so far at this pace we are moving. There are sections we stumble across rocks at 25 minute pace or slower. Stella’s crew at Picnic II says she is moving slowly, but she’s moving. Knowing that she is out there fighting still gives me courage to continue.

We saw Luc at Picnic I (his Picnic II); he has been leading the race the whole time, and now he’s drastically slowed down. He is hours ahead of me and sure to become the first male finisher ever. Everyone is hurting bad now but at least the 3 of us have a realistic chance to finish.

It is 10 p.m. on night 2, and we are heading towards the last aid at Gap Creek II. Normally, this would be an encouraging place to be, but now I know what is ahead. Still more climbing, still more rocks; it will be hours and hours still. At one point I tell Paul I don’t know if I can handle anymore and I start to cry. He says I knew how much this will hurt and he says he has no doubt I can do this. I don’t believe him anymore. I picture how much further we have to go still, and I want to drop at Gap Creek. My feet are screaming. This Kerns section is cruel, I cannot go on like this. Paul says it is 100 percent up to me what will happen next, but its either going to be me quitting with 6 miles to go or me becoming the first EVER female to complete the Revenge. I semi-argue with Paul, convincing him quitting is ok. I am unpleasant. I dislike myself this way and I am upset, so I fall back and cry to myself. I am in a horrible mental place.

I now realize this is what broke me at MMT 100 the most. This point. There is no way I can let this break me again. I cry and keep going, forcing my body over the boulders. We pause at an overlook and look at the night lights. It helps me and my mindset. Paul is so patient and tolerant. I know Barry will know what to do! It brings me comfort.

We reach Gap Creek II, the final aid before the finish. I am now have covered well over 110 miles and 25,000 feet of gain. I see Barry and start to cry again. I need my toes taped. They are crazy sensitive and swollen. Jill at the aid is an OBGYN doctor and starts saving my feet. I laugh while I cry, telling her this ordeal is way harder than giving birth to my two kids. I miss them. I cry and eat. I eat some more. Barry says the only option is to finish. I agree. The calories are kicking in.

We start on our last 6 miles. I am now a complete fury, a driven sore exhausted mess. I pick up the pace. Paul is laughing. We are back and crushing the last section. No turning back now!! I can smell the victory. Just one more orienteering flag! Last technical up and down, and it will ease up. I actually produce a sort of jogging movement that probably looks ridiculous, but we are moving so well. I keep watching the miles add up. We speed walk the last few and see light. We are nearing Camp Roo. I am an emotional wreck but happy.

We come out onto the road (Route 675) and I hear Barry and Heather calling my name. Paul lets me go ahead and run up the drive to the horse parking lot at Camp Roosevelt, and my finish! I run. 119 miles later, I RUN! Bur is by the fire, and quietly makes an entry with my finish time and gives me a hug. Luc has been at the finish for a while, and Stella is next! We are certain there will be THREE REVENGE FINISHERS!!

Stella arrives some 45 minutes later with a smile. I am in awe, knowing what this took to finish, I am blown away by her grace and grit. That’s it. GRACE and GRIT. That is who we are, the Women of Revenge! There will never be another “First Ever”. Barry was right. Paul was right. And what I didn’t know about myself I was meant to learn on that second night at Kerns and that is a very powerful lesson.

I would love to come back to Revenge next year and do this without that early missed turn at Milford Gap, and a few other “mistakes,” to improve my 44 hour 22 minute finish time. So, until then I will continue to practice GRACE & GRIT.

Happy Trails and thank you to all who took part in the long weekend challenge so we could have this incredible experience. Thank you, Bur!

Photos