Here are just some of the massive volume of photos taken by family and friends during the Burning River 100. Each photo is captioned below it.
Nervous anticipation is visible in just about everyone’s body language as we wait in the pre-dawn near the starting line. Left to right: Uncle Ray, me, Uncle Dale, Aunt Pat, Chelle, and my Mom. Photo by Jane.
Chelle took this photo after I said good-bye to my family and made my way into the small mass of humanity that was the Burning River 100 runners.
At 5 am, a horn sounded and we all took off jogging through the grassy field in front of a castle that you couldn’t see in the dark. It was a cool morning, heavy with humidity. Photo by Chelle.
The first 9-ish miles of the race proceeded along the paved, rolling, and twisty Chagrin River Road. I hope there was no chagrin amongst this ambitious group of runners. Chelle took this photo as my crew drove the road towards the first crew point.
This is a photo at the first crew point, the Polo Fields Aid Station, about 9 miles into the race. My mom is about to attach a waist pack to me on the left while my Uncle Dale tells me a funny story and my Aunt Pat switches out my water bottles. My crew was like gorgeous clockwork! Photo by Chelle.
This and the next 3 photos are from the mile 18-ish crewing point, the Shadow Lake Aid Station. Jane snapped a photo of me eating a square of peanut butter and jelly. Get used to pictures of me eating because that’s all I remember doing out there, so much eating!
Gear switching at the mile 18-ish crew point. Photo by Jane.
Oh look, more eating and more gear switching! Photo by Chelle.
Here’s Chelle’s photo of me leaving the mile 18-ish crew point. I’ll next see my crew shortly after 33 mile marker.
This is the Station Road Bridge Aid Station, through which the course passes twice at mile 33-ish and mile 40-ish. Jane photographed my Mom and Uncle Ray awaiting my arrival to the aid station. 
I’m arriving over the bridge to the aid station. I ran with the man in the green shirt for quite a distance in the first 30 miles of the race, leapfrogging back and forth. I didn’t see him later in the day and don’t know if he disappeared in front or behind me, so I hope he had a great run! Photo by Jane.
Here is my brief stop at the Ottawa Point Aid Station, mile 46.5-ish. I had bonked a little bit prior to arriving at this aid station and was ravenous by the time I got there. My mom is spraying on some sunscreen. Photo by Jane.
Chelle took this photo of Laura running with me into the Boston Store Aid Station. The course visits this aid station at about mile 56 and 60-ish. Boston Store Aid Station was rowdy, costumed, and high energy. I loved it! Please note that Laura is pregnant and running faster than me.
Elizabeth and the other volunteers at the Boston Store Aid Station were a sight for sore eyes during the heat of the day. Photo by Chelle.
Chelle and my Mom wait at the Boston Store Aid Station as Chelle prepares to begin pacing me at mile 60-ish. Photo by Jane.
I changed into dry socks and did a little blister surgery at the mile 60-ish point. My mom is toweling me down with a cool towel and it felt so good in the heat! Photo by Jane.
Leave it to Chelle to take an up-close photo of my feet. They don’t look too bad, do they?
By now I was feeling all the pavement pounding in my quads, so my Uncle Ray and Jane iced them while I refueled here at mile 60-ish. I know I don’t exactly have the most attractive expression on my face, but I promised to show it all. After this, Chelle began pacing me and we dove back into the woods. Photo by Chelle.
Nighttime began to fall and the drama increased within the crew ranks. Somehow, the car keys got locked into the passenger compartment of the car while the trunk was still open. My tiny mom climbed into the trunk, then into the passenger compartment to claim the keys and save the day. Photo by Jane. 
My Uncle Ray (who is a spitting image here of my father, by the way) and Aunt Pat drink coffee while they waited, and waited, and waited for me at the finish line. There was a lot of waiting due to my ridiculously slowed pace over the last quarter of the course. Photo by Jane.
The painful walk to the finish line, where I’m flanked by my awesome pacers, Elizabeth on the left and Chelle on the right. I’m not sure whether I’m smiling or grimacing, or both. Photo by Jane.
Chelle photographed me making the world’s slowest trot down the red carpet to the finish line.
My quads are shot and this running is so very uncomfortable. Can you tell? Photo by Jane.
And then it was over. Photo by Jane.
My Uncle Ray was ready to ice my shot quads, and I am so grateful. Photo by Chelle.
Here is most of my crew and I at the finish line. Back row, left to right: Elizabeth, Aunt Pat, Jane, and Uncle Ray. Front row, left to right: my Mom, me, and Chelle. Photo by Jane.
I’m so proud of my buckle, which I had just received at the award ceremony. There is nothing like earning sweet, sweet revenge on the 100 mile distance. Photo by Chelle. 
Chelle snaps a shot of my Uncle Ray rubbing the coveted buckle while Jane looks on. Everyone in my crew rubbed the buckle because they had a big hand in me earning it!
What’s up with Chelle taking pictures of my feet? Here they are at the awards ceremony. They still don’t look too bad, do they?
The best crew chief ever, my Mom and I. I’m so elated that she was a part of this experience! Photo by Jane.
These are my two beloved pacers, Chelle on the left and Elizabeth on the right. I cannot thank these women enough, as they ran and mostly walked with me through the deep, dark, and painful night. Photo by Jane.
Chelle took a final picture of the family contingency of my crew. Left to right: Uncle Dale, Aunt Pat, me, Uncle Ray (kind of hidden in the back), my Mom, and Jane.
Tell yer' friends, friend!
14 Responses to “Burning River 100 Photos”
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Audrey says:
you look good cleaned up..AND running of course!!!!!! lord, i cannot believe you ran 100 miles. i’m glad you got the buckle!!1
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rick says:
I’m with Audrey you clean up well. Like the photos, such a support team you had. The feet don’t look too bad. That’s the feet of a 100-miler! That too will heal in time.
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great pictures, your feet looked good at the race.
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Even though I was there I just love going through everyone’s posts and photos and reliving it. So cool!
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Beth says:
I love the pictures!! Wow – WHAT A LONG DAY! And what a great crew you had. The picture of your mom crawling through the trunk is priceless!!
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A belated congratulations! Thanks for sharing your race report and pictures. You looked great even after 100 miles!
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I’m a little behind, but a big congrats is in order! Whoo-hoo! Looks like a great team and an awesome race. Good for you, you 100 miler!
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what a great photo story! Yay! Kudos to all the photographers. And of course to you, for finishing the race! Such fun to see the pics. My quads hurt just reading this post. 🙂
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Fantastic race report! All your photographers did great. YOU DID GREAT!
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Congrats on your first 100Meghan! I don’t know how you did the pavement.
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Awesome awesome awesome!!! You look fast 🙂
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Thanks y’all!
Audrey- Ha, thank you darling! Good lord, I can’t believe I did it either.
Rick- My feet were lookin’ good! I saw some nastier feet at awards most definitely! 🙂
Tom- Thanks!
E-speed- I know it’s going to take you a while to forget the world’s slowest walk through Cayahoga Falls (Is that where we were?). 😉
Beth- Such a long day, it’s hard to convey how fast yet how slow 24 hours can pass.
Iris- Thanks!
Michelle- You’re allowed to be behind, you’re on vacation. Congrats to your hubby!
Anne- Oh sympathy quad pain, thank you! They are -just- finally starting to feel like non-hamburgered muscles again.
JeffO- Thanks! Now it’s your turn!
Lori- There was a lot of pavement, it was tough! I didn’t handle it very well! Thanks!
Danni- Thanks! You and I should be having 100 miler virgin-no-more parties right now! Congrats, girl!
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Cheers to that Meghan!
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I love, absolutely love, the pics! If you weren’t eating a banana, which it looked you were always doing, then you were smiling. Very cool!
