Conquering 100 Miles – A Journey of Grit and Gratitude

Claire Gladstone(MM12421)– Hell Yeah!!! 100 miles run🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️

Let’s back up…and I’ll tell you WHY this 100 is different than the ones that have come before AND how I truly pushed to earn this finish.

I flew into Phoenix ON Tuesday morning. My 48 hr race option started that day at 9am. I almost missed registration completely!!! So thankful for my friend Lisa Schamus! She quickly took my info over the phone and got me registered before they closed at noon.

So I started in a dither @12:30pm- (already 3.5hr behind.)

The temps were climbing already

And I could soon feel the beginning of a hot spot/blister. I stopped and applied a special bandaid, and hoped for the best.

The race was held at a new venue this year. There were a lot of great perks at this new place(showers, more bathrooms,warming/charging room, etc) especially important if you are there for multiple days. This race is designed for everyone. Offering smaller distances up to 6 consecutive days- and everything in between! But it also has WAY more concrete, which is not a perk. So dear reader, the combination of late start, heat, blister, concrete oh and did I mention, I barely slept the night before I flew and had to get up @3am for the early flight-all of this combined did not leave me feeling great

As is tradition, we had a midnight toast, which was now just under 12hrs of running. Goodbye 2024- Hello 2025! I had been waiting and anticipating this champagne all day! This year, it was sparkling ciderBummer.

So I decided ok, I’ll run another lap or two then uber to my hotel- less than a mile, but I’m not adding any additional steps! 36 measly miles for the day

I told myself, that’s ok, you had fun, caught up with friends and made new ones!

I stripped off my dusty, dirty sneakers and took a nice long, hot shower. I was asleep by 2 AM. I desperately needed some sleep. I woke up at eight and seriously considered blowing off the rest of the race… I was tired, my feet were already so sore, I had the start of a blister on my heel and I just wasn’t feeling it…. but then… My friend Lisa texted me that she was almost done with her race. I couldn’t come all the way out here without saying goodbye to her! So I got myself together and Ubered back over to the venue. 

Back at the venue for the 9 AM start, and we had a whole new cast of characters in addition to the ones who were already there! Several Marathon Maniacs & Mainly Marathon runners. And so it began. I could feel the blister and hotspot starting to get aggravated. As I was running with Sivabalan(who flew in from India to run a marathon a day for all 6 days!)he said I should go straight into the medical tent and have my wound dressed, so I did.

As the day went on, different people peeled away either because their distance was done or they were resting during the midday heat…..the course thinned out. I put some music on & I kept running! 40,50,60… the miles were piling up!! Another great new perk-massage for $1 per minute! Deciding a motivation/reward would help, I stopped for 15 minutes of leg massage every 10 miles. 

74miles…. This was great. I only had a marathon left to run!!

Then, out of nowhere, I was exhausted. Another loop… very slowly. Now I was getting cold. Let’s try one more loop.

(The loop by the way is 1.42miles.)

It’s now 3:18am and I’m exhausted and cold. I have under 6 hours left to run and 20+miles still to cover.

The battle had already been raging for a while. Do I NEED to run 100 miles? 50 is fine? 75 is respectable! How will I feel Friday, knowing how close I was??? I should just go all night- I can do this.

This is silly, what’s the point? This is for no one except me, it doesn’t matter if I run 50 or100…. 71 loops =100.82

There are 26miles left. Can I sleep?

I have to sleep. Will there be enough time? It doesn’t matter, I have to rest.

So I went to the “warming & charging” room. Found a spot on the polished concrete floor, and layed down. Asleep instantly! I woke up at 4:45… could I still make it??? May as well try!

I hit the course, slowly with a cup of coffee. Stiff from sleeping on the floor and already covering 75 some miles…. Coffee helped. Another loop, another!

80 miles. Another loop. Intervals- running & walking. I’m feeling ok!!

Ouch, sort of. That blister must be awful. Don’t think about it. Stay on the balls of your feet Claire, you got this!

90! I have 10 miles left,7 loops, let’s move! At 7:20 I was at 94.4miles

I’m not sure I’ll make it….

What if I’m at 98 at the 9am cutoff?

Should I have skipped the sleep? No, needed that. Can I run faster? Not easily….. more intervals!

Ugh, I have to pee… that could be 2 minutes…..keep pushing.

2 more loops….. I think I’ve got this!

Last loop….. 30 minutes left- I’VE GOT THIS!!!!

I’m doing it!! I’m smiling!! I’m running!!!

Despite the terribly slow start, despite the now huge blister on my heel, despite the long lonely nighttime miles, I’ve done it!!!!!!!

I crossed the finish with 10 minutes to spare

A huge thank you to Jim Simpson who told me years ago, I can do anything I want to. To Lisa for getting my registration. To all the runners who kept me company& told me stories. To the volunteers who fed us and kept us safe. The young medic who dressed my foot. To the massage team that kept me going.

And the biggest thanks- to my husband David who encouraged me to go and run and supports me in all my endeavors