Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

From Valerie Bentley ( vbentley at snet dot net )
My adventure started early Sat morning, 3am to be exact. I had  
everything laid out the night before. My gear, Fyrstic's gear and the  
crew gear all packed and ready to go. I'm not an early bird as my  
family and friends will tell you. They don't even call me until after  
8am! If I had to get up at this hour for any other reason I would not  
be a happy camper but this is the Vermont 100 and I am pumped!!!!! So  
I get myself dressed and fed (choked down a yogurt drink and some  
monavie) and tend to Fyrstic AKA Fyri. He is my 9 year old arabian  
that I have had for almost 3 years. It has rained all night, it is  
raining now. But he is quietly eating his hay and looks rested. My  
wonderful husband Bill ( more about him later) is up and we want to  
watch the runners start at 4am. We head down to the large tents and  
there is all kinds of activity, people everywhere, laughter, nervous  
energy and excitement. You can feel it in the air. Sometime earlier  
the Chariots of Fire song started playing and is being broadcast all  
through camp.
There is a huge crowd of family and friends to see the runners off.  
There is lots of shouting, hooting and hollering at the start, and  
their off! I think it is going to be a great day.
Back to the trailor to get Fyri tacked and ready for our 5am start. I  
am riding with my good friend Bill Rice and his trusty steed Potaca.  
We want to be in the saddle by 4:45 for warm-up. There are 34 riders  
in the 100 distance. It has rained most of the night but thankfully  
by the start it has cleared up. The start is foggy and damp and still  
a little dark out. Fyri is sure that this early start can mean only  
one thing, a longer trail ride than usual! I think the desitin gave  
it away too. We never use that stinky stuff at home!
My hubby Bill and dear friend Stephanie Rice are crewing for us. We  
dubbed them the "crew dawgs" with very stylish matching t-shirts.
So off we go at a pretty good clip, made good time to the first 10  
min hold. The horses were feeling strong and moving nicely. Got off  
my horse for a moment and he clocked me in the nose with his head.  
Good thing I took some motrin with my yogurt! Applied ice to the  
face, I'm ok. Off we go again, we are seeing runners on the trail. I  
have never seen so many perfect legs in my life! I am fascinated by  
these people, they seem so strong, focused, determined, and all are  
friendly and cheerful. We shout back and forth to each other, "good  
job" "looking good". We seem united in some way. A crazy way!
The scenery here is picture postcard perfect, not kidding. This is  
the prettiest ride I have ever ridden. At 19 miles we hit Galaxy Hill  
Hold #1 and the dawgs are waiting. The horses pulse down right away  
and vet through no problems. The dawgs take over. love them. We have  
a 1/2 hour rest. Horse eat and drink well. Apply desitin and away we  
go. Our crew meets us at every pitstop in between holds. I try to  
thank them every chance I get. We hit Highbrook Hold #2 at mile42 and  
the boys are still going strong. Here I have to change my saddle  
because of stirrup leather rubs on my inner calf. Glad I brought the  
old faithful saddle. 45 minutes here. Boys still EDPP well. more  
desitin.
Somewhere along the way earlier in the ride I passed my friend  
Joann's daughter Suzy. She is attemping the run for the second time  
this year. She didn't make it last year. We wave and shout good luck  
to each other. Suzy went on to finish the run with a time of 28 1/2  
hours! The trails here are tough, up-up-up did I say up? we go. Then  
at the top, stop take a few minutes, look and thank god for letting  
me be here in this moment. We let the boys "grab and go" some green  
grass and drink whenever and wherever they can. It seems they are  
almost always thirsty. Bill and I can't believe how surefooted and  
strong they are going down hill. They pace well together. As we ride  
along se pass by many runner aid stations. There is one called  
Tenbear? where it is jamming with people cheering their runners on,  
and us too! Many of the stations offer us water and wateremelon and  
good wishes. I am realizing how special this ride is as a continue on  
my journey. There is a station called Margueritville and it is like  
one big party. Fyri handles all the activity like a seasoned pro. Now  
I have to add my riding buddy Bill has not only ridden and completed  
this 100 in the past he has also run it too. Only a handful of people  
have done that. I am so lucky to be riding with him, he knows these  
trail well.
Mitchell Hold #3 50 mile mark~ Fyri has a loose shoe, Kathy Broaddus  
comes to my rescue and pulls if for me so I can put on his easy boot.  
Thankyou Kathy! Kathy and Lani have been riding within a few minutes  
of us all day. We have enjoyed a lovely game of leapfrog with them!
Tuackenback Hold #4 70 mile mark~ couple things happened here. Bill  
decided to pull Potaca because of his horse had a sore back. I was  
sad to know they wouldn't be going back out with us but he did the  
right thing. Fyri had to get two new front shoes, can't remember the  
farriers name but he was very nice. On with the reflective gear,  
headlamp and flashlight. more desitin and off we go.
18 miles to the final hold. Fyri is strong and not sulky at all  
leaving Potaca behing, he is my little braveheart. We followed the  
glowsticks, I felt like he was hunting them at one point. Green  
glowsticks, how many did we pass, hundreds? This is where the ride  
got magical, I know it sounds cliche and my husband laughs but it's  
true. For those that were there that night you may remember the sky  
full of stars. It was very dark and I would see the occasional  
shooting star. Yes magical honey. It was cooling off and we were  
still passing runners so I never felt lonely. I think they were happy  
to see us too. Somewhere toward the end of this stretch I hooked up  
with a gal named Lynn from ?N.J. At this point I was feeling a little  
queasy maybe from our flashlights bobbing but I sure was glad to come  
into the final hold at O&H farm at mile 88.
1/2 hour here Fyri still going strong! My wonderful crew are waiting  
for me. They take over, it was good to get off and stretch. I also  
think I was now experiencing DIMR because when it was time to go I  
wanted to change helmuts and my hubby said no way. You don't have a  
head light on it. Oh yeah I guess I might need it it my flashlight  
failed. It was pitchblack on those woods trails. I am tired but only  
have 12 little miles to go. off I go but wait what is that voice I  
hear? My husband calling me, I forgot my glasses. He ran 1/4 mile  
down the trail to give them to me. I thought I had taken a wrong  
turn! Thankyou honey! Still passing runners, I feel bonded to them. I  
can tell Fyri likes having them out there too. He is hunting the  
glowsticks and the runners. The last ?1/4 mile the glow sticks are in  
milkjugs, it is surreal. I am starting to get excited, happy,  
emotional, exhiliarted, nervous. I want to cross the finish line. I  
want to hug my husband and my friends. I want to get Fyri through the  
final vet check. I can hear the sound of the finish line before I see  
it. Fyri knows. We have made it. We come out of the dark to the light  
of the finish line and we are home.
Yes honey it was magical!!!!

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