It was difficult to believe, but the big weekend was finally here. Within a month of my DNF at Umstead 2011, I had decided I was going for a redemption run in 2012. I had been waiting ever since for another shot at Umstead 100 and it had been a loooong year! I made sure to get a deep tissue massage 8 days beforehand to help work out some tightness in my calves and IT bands. I also got a pedicure 7 days before race day to try to prevent blisters by smoothing out the rough edges from old blisters and callouses. While waiting for my pedicure, I spontaneously decided to see if I could get some custom artwork.
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| I know I have funny-looking toes, don't laugh. |
With the Umstead race logo triangle and a sparkly "100" on my big toes for an extra boost of motivation and confidence, I was ready to go.
The Umstead 100 course is a 12.5 mile lap that is shaped like a lolly pop with an out and back spur. There is quite the buffet of an aid station adjacent to the Head Quarters building and a second manned fully stocked aid station buffet, AS2, at about mile 6.5 of each lap. There are also 3 other water points along the course, one of which had gels, snacks, and Gatorade.
My plan was to run the first 50 miles in about 12 hours, with each of the four laps in 3 hours plus or minus a few minutes. The second 50 miles would be run in 16 hours with an average of 4 hours each lap. Total goal race time was 28 hours, leaving me a 2 hour cushion to finish under the 30 hour time limit in case of unforeseen issues. I was not going to make the same mistake as I did last year when I foolishly thought I could make it in under 24. Going too hard on the first 50 was not the sole issue last year, but it certainly did contribute to my DNF.
I volunteered at registration on Friday which was a lot of fun because I got to see and meet so many of the other runners. I also got to hang out with my friends Jimbo Plant, Gene Meade and Tammy Massie and met Jimbo's friend Franckie from Tahoe. I attended the race briefing and enjoyed dinner outside at one of the picnic tables with friends. I scarfed down a plate of delicious spaghetti and meatballs and two helpings of race cake and vanilla ice cream. I am a girl who knows how to eat, so ultra running fits me perfectly.
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| Start/Finish of each lap. I took this photo before the race started. |
Race morning was warm with temps in the 60s. As my husband Chad and I drove to the park, the rain started falling true to the forecast and it was apparent it was going to be at least a partially wet weekend. We arrived and Chad helped me get set up in Head Quarters. I then milled about taking photos with friends, greeting fellow runners, and getting a little breakfast in me. At 6am, there was a gun shot signaling the start of our adventure and us runners started up the camp road in the dark. Some carried lights or wore headlamps, but I had decided to take Jimbo's advice and not bother and just use the light from another runner to see my way down the road. This worked fine and we made it to the camp gate and turned right on the bridle path. All the lights from the other runners bobbing up and down and coming towards me from those who had already made the turn around were just beautiful. I placed my camera on a rock on the straightaway after the airport and turned it on video to record the lights. It wasn't high enough to record what I wanted, but I did get about 15 minutes of invisible people going by and talking in the dark and the occasional light. :) I didn't mind that it was raining since, thankfully, it was warm. Early in the lap, I found myself running with my friend Linda Banks and we had a great first lap which we ran mostly together, completing it on schedule in 2:52.
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| Linda Banks and I on lap 1 |
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| Random Super Dave Cockman and me on lap 2 |
During lap 2, it continued to rain, but I met a great guy named Dave. Also from Raleigh, he had pulled a muscle in his lower leg the Wednesday before the race during a taper run and had even considered not starting but in the end he decided to give it a go. He was doing really well considering the pain he was in and we had a grand time chatting and swapping stories as we covered the miles. My mom called me at one point and heard me talking to him and when she asked who I was running with, I told her "This random guy named Dave". Mom thought that was pretty funny and when we came through to HQ where she and my sister, Dallas, and my niece and nephew were waiting, mom cheered for me and "Random Dave". For the rest of the day I called him "Random Dave" and then in the later laps it turned into "Super Dave" as the run became more of a struggle and he carried on despite his injury. His actual last name is Cockman and he told me a hilarious story involving his name, but you will need to join him for a run and ask him to tell you the travel agency story if you want to hear it. Lap 2 was done in 2:56; still on schedule.
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| Chad, Amelia, and Bogart on Turkey Creek |
Between lap 2 and lap 3, I changed into my Sam Rizk Umstead 100 shirt. Sam was a friend and inspiration and was the first to mention to me a few years ago that I should run the 50 miler at Umstead. Sam was registered for the race, but sadly passed away in December. I kept thinking that Sam should be out there running with us, but I know his spirit was alive that day. There was a group of friends and family running a lap in his honor starting at 11:00 am so I planned to wear my Sam shirt during lap 3 which was my lap that would begin closest to 11:00. During lap 3, the rain stopped and it became very humid. I was already hot in the rain, but without it's cooling effect, I really started cooking. Random Dave and I continued on together for lap 3 and we were still enjoying ourselves despite the less than ideal weather conditions. Chad met me a couple times on the backside of Turkey Creek and he brought our fur kids, Amelia and Bogart, to see me. They got really excited when they recognized me coming down the trail and each time, Chad let Bogart go running to me. Amelia couldn't be let go because she can't be trusted at all off leash. Every time I met another runner in this section I said to them "Did you see my doggies?" "Those are my babies!" It was a real bright spot to see Chad and the fur kids on this lap. I completed lap 3 in 3:10.
37.5 miles down, 62.5 (100K) to go and still on track time wise.
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| Coming in to HQ at the end of lap 3 with my Sam shirt on |
I decided to check my feet between laps 3 and 4 as I felt hot spots on the big toes during lap 3. Removal of my shoes revealed not just hot spots, but decent sized blisters on both my big toes and both my heels on the inside. My feet were damp and starting to prune - good potential for problems. I had tried pre-taping Friday night for the first time because these are my "traditional" blisters that I seem to lately get without fail and I figured the tape wouldn't make it worse and hoped it would help prevent them. Well, the tape didn't prevent the blisters, but I also don't think it made them worse than they would have been anyway. I asked my crew and surrounding friends to see if Jonathan Savage, Blister Guru, could be found to help fix my feet. Jim Wei found Jonathan as he was about to shower after having completed his own fast 50 mile race, but he willingly postponed his shower to take a look. I still don't know if he got ever to shower as he ended up working continuously on runners with bad blisters that weekend. While he worked on my feet, I was brought a cup of Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream (thanks Erika!). It was delicious and so cold and really hit the spot! Yum! Jonathan agreed it was a good thing I had stopped to address my blisters rather than waiting until later. He expertly bandaged my feet, I changed into dry socks and shoes, and went on my way. I spent about 30 minutes or so at that stop, but I believe it was worth it as blisters can be extremely debilitating and I still had 100K to go. Plus, I got to sit with my feet up, rest and cool down a bit, and enjoy my ice cream!
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| Enjoying ice cream while Jonathan and Charles West check out my blisters |
For lap 4, I meant to take my mp3 player, but I forgot to grab it. Chad was going to meet me at the other side of the course near Aid Station 2, so I called him and asked if he could bring it to me there. I continued on, still feeling good, still walking the uphills and running all the downhills and flats. The sun came out and it really warmed up on this lap and got steamy. When I neared AS2 just after the Butt Tree, Chad was there with Amelia and Bogart. Seeing the doggies and Chad out on the course so many times was a treat. I got the mp3 player and I was able to listen to music for the rest of the lap. The music lifted my mood (not that it was bad) and got me moving more energetically. It also helped pass the time as I ended up running the whole lap by myself. I had lost Random Dave when I stopped so long at HQ before. I think I was going down Power Line Hill singing out loud to Steve Miller's "The Joker" when I ran by a group of 3 girls who didn't look like they were having nearly as much fun as I was having - maybe they were grimacing at my singing. I'm not sure I was in tune since I couldn't really hear myself with the earphones, but I didn't care. I finished lap 4 in 3:38 which included the half hour stop, so still not too shabby all things considered. My total for the first 50 miles was 12:36, 36 minutes slower than my plan thanks to my blisters, but it was all good.
I changed all my clothes including under layers before lap 5. I just wanted to get the sweaty crusty clothes off and feel a little "fresher" and hopefully, prevent serious chaffing. I swear my shorts could have stood up on their own from the salt! My friend Renee, who was also managing the kitchen, was my pacer for this lap. When we started down the camp road, I was amused by her immediately springing forward with pent up energy. She said it felt great to get out and move after many hours volunteering. I reined her back in just a bit to my ultra shuffle pace and we settled in together nicely, chatting and having a lovely time. It was at the turn around check point on the airport spur when I asked the guy checking numbers at the cone whether he got my number and he said "No" that I realized I had left my bib at HQ. I looked down at my shorts and - no number! I was worried because I didn't want to do anything against race rules and I wanted to be sure my splits were recorded at the aid stations. So...Renee and Elizabeth to the Rescue: Renee called our friend Elizabeth at HQ who drove towards the camp gate while Renee ran back up the camp road to meet her and get my bib. I kept moving forwards towards my goal, looking back every so often to check for Renee and then I saw her, blazing up the trail towards me, bib in hand, and on a mission. She arrived happily out of breath with the chance to get some real running in and I was relieved to get my number back on and focus back on the task at hand. Renee is always so cheerful and lap 5 was no exception - she was a great pacer. I can't remember if I pointed out all my "landmarks" to her on our lap or not, but there was the usual Cork Screw Hill and then my additions of Mossy Mountain out of a Mole Hill and Dead Tree Hollow, followed by Jimbo's Toe-break Ridge, my Turkey Creek Turn Pike, the Butt Tree (a favorite of us locals), and then we were at AS2. The sun had set by this time and when we entered the woods again, I showed Renee my favorite sign which I could really relate to.
I have found from experience that periodically walking backwards
uphill during a very long run uses different muscles and gives the
"forward motion" muscles a break from the continuous use and abuse. I got some funny looks from other runners on
the course, but it really seems to help me when the legs are weary of
moving forward. If you haven't before, give it a try on your next
really long training run or race and see if your legs don't
experience some relief when you use different muscles walking backwards.
Just don't fall off the trail, crash into obstacles, or other runners
while you are doing it! You'll need to peak over your shoulder once in a
while to confirm the way is clear. It also helps to have a pacer like Renee who
will look out for you and lets you know when you are wandering too far to
the side!
One of the hills I used this method on throughout the race
was the steepest hill of the course, aptly dubbed Effing Hill. It is the
first significant hill after entering the Sawtooth 79 section just past
AS2.When we got to Effing Hill, I told Renee about my pile of rocks at the top of the hill. It was Jimbo's genius idea that he shared with me during one of our training runs. A couple of days before the race, he collected 8 rocks for himself and 8 rocks for me from the MTC "dog pen" and he placed them in two piles at a tree at the top of Effing hill. My pile was on the left (L for Lauren) and his was on the right. I had already thrown 4 of my rocks into the woods with glee - one for each time I conquered Effing Hill. The rocks were different sizes and I decided to throw my smallest one on my first lap, next smallest on the second lap, and so on, thus
leaving the largest rock for my 8th lap. I threw rock #5 and Renee and I continued down the trail.
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| My Dog Pen rocks just before I threw my 4th one. Jimbo's are on the right. |
Renee and I continued through the Sawtooth 79 section until we eventually reached
another landmark of mine, One Tree Hill. After that, we followed the gentle winding gradual climb back up to Graylyn.
In just a few miles, we were back at HQ and Lap 5 was completed in 3:41.
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| Me and Renee after Lap 5 |
Next up was my friend Elizabeth as pacer for lap 6. E is an optimistic, energetic, and enthusiastic person, just the kind you want for a pacer when attempting 100 miles. This would be the lap of "to go where Lauren has never gone before" as I would be achieving a distance PR on this lap. My previous record was about 65 miles if you count the last couple of sickly miles on my pacer's arm last year and since that I had done only one other 100K at Weymouth Woods two and a half months prior. It was after 10:00 PM and still fairly warm but the temperature was dropping and I made sure to wear a long sleeve shirt with my shorts and Elizabeth tied a jacket for me around her waist (muling is allowed at the U100) We saw lots and lots of runners still wearing their singlets or short sleeve shirts and shorts. There was even one guy next me in HQ getting ready to go back out in a singlet and shorts. Between the two of us, we convinced him to take an extra shirt with him just in case. He told me later that he was thankful he had it. Well, about 2 miles into lap 6, we heard a rumble. I thought maybe it was a plane or at least I was hoping that's what it was, but when we heard another rumble and saw a flash of lightning and the wind picked up a bit, that confirmed it was a storm. Luckily, I had a disposable poncho in my pack thanks to Ron Wahula (he gave it to me at the Friday dinner) and Elizabeth helped me get it on before I got wet. I certainly needed help because it was really stuck together in its little plastic baggie and I was tired, but we finally got it on and with only one tear on the left sleeve! E didn't have any rain gear with her, but she seemed actually thrilled to be out in the elements. She told me it was her first time running at night with a headlamp and first time running in a storm. And it would be my first time going past 65 miles - it was a lap for firsts! Running down Corkscrew Hill just past the junction of Reedy Creek with Graylyn, there were a couple of flashes that lit up the entire trail for just a moment and the rain started coming down pretty hard. I felt a bit of dread at the prospect of a long storm, but by the time we reached AS2, it was much calmer and the rain had almost stopped. I was grateful it was so short lived and that I was still warm and mostly dry. I heard later that lots of runners got caught out in the weather without warm clothes and got chilled or they huddled in the AS2 tent or even under the tables at the water points. I also heard after the race that some of the area actually had hail. Luckily, we did not see any of that out on the course.
One funny thing that happened on the back side of Sawtooth 79 section was that two male runners called out to us and asked if we had seen the "glowing eyes in the woods". They were pretty freaked out thinking they were coyotes or something. Having done many night/early morning runs at Umstead, my home turf, I asked if there was a group of them and about this high (making motion of expected height) and they said yes. I was like "those are deer, we see them all the time at night". We had a good chuckle over the men who were afraid of the does. We made it back to HQ in a steady 4:24. Slow, but still chugging along.
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| E and I after lap 6 - less than a marathon left! |
I was behind my schedule but still feeling pretty good mentally with 25 miles to go. I was determined to finish the whole thing this time and I didn't doubt that I would. Another good friend and training partner, Mo, was ready and waiting to pace me on lap 7. I had mentioned to E during lap 6 that I needed to check my blisters when we got back because they were talking to me again, but I almost forgot. I spent a good amount of time at HQ changing from my shorts into Capri's, donning a fresh long sleeve shirt, and consuming
5 delicious pancakes (no syrup needed) made by "Pancake Man" Ben Dillon. I was finally all set to go when I realized I had not checked my feet. I hesitated and considered continuing on without doing so, but then decided it was better to lose a few more minutes than to be out on the course with major blister issues. Once again, Jonathan Savage generously took care of my feet and rebandaged the blisters on my heels and big toes. I didn't have any new blisters, but the ones I had at mile 37.5 had definitely gotten bigger and they were quite tender. Jimbo Plant also kindly rubbed my cramping right calf while I had my feet up. Unfortunately, Jimbo had to drop from the 100 due to Achilles pain. Achilles issues are nothing to mess with. After I was fixed up as best as possible, I donned dry shoes and socks and headed back out with Mo for lap 7.
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| Getting my feet worked on again before lap 7 while enjoying a frappucinno |
I had been in HQ for approximately 45 minutes, it was around 3:30 in the morning and my muscles had locked up on me due to the long break. I had gotten really stiff and I gingerly eased back into things by first walking and then doing an extremely short "baby step" ultra shuffle that was so slow Mo could easily walk next to me. After a few minutes, I was able to move better again and we jogged on down the airport spur. On the camp road, we saw a runner heading the wrong way down towards Camp Crabtree and called out for him to turn around. I was glad to help another hundred miler avoid extra miles. In some ways, this lap was similar to our normal twice weekly 5AM training runs. Same headlamps, same darkness, same trail. If I didn't think about how many miles I had already covered in the last 20+ hours, I could
almost forget that I was in the heart of my journey to 100 miles and it
almost felt like one of our routine pre-dawn runs.
I don't remember what we talked about during our lap or how I made it through yet
another 12.5 miles. One thing that I do remember is that we were just past AS2 next to Ebenezer Ch. Rd. when I heard the birds beginning to chirp. It was about 5:30 in the morning and they were waking up and bringing in the new day. It was then it "dawned" on me - pun intended - that I had made it through the long night, the darkest and hardest hours of a hundred miler and I had not fallen asleep on my feet or laid down in the middle of the trail as sometimes happens to weary runners. That in itself was a success. Soon the sun would be up and my quest would be coming to an end. By the time we were jogging down Powerline Hill on Graylyn trail, the sun was up and the birds were in full swing. We made it the 3 miles back to HQ in 4:30, my slowest lap, but it included about 45 minutes of stopping.
Our trail buddy and training partner, Gene, was waiting to join us for the last lap. He had pace another friend, Amy Surrette, on her 6th lap and then worked in a nap before getting ready to pace me. I was now on a mission - so close to finishing yet so far - and I quickly grabbed a short sleeve shirt from my supplies in HQ and headed back out to start my 8th and final lap. Mo and Gene were not ready for me to be so fast as they were now used to my customary lolly gagging between laps. Gene had promised he would wear his kilt to amuse me on the last lap and I barked at him "where's your kilt, get your kilt on" or something like that but being a good natured fellow, he took it all in stride. Mo had planned to change into something cooler and was getting ready to do so when I took off down the hill, past the start/finish flags and tape one last time, leaving my pacers behind in my rush. I wasn't worried because I knew they would catch up to me quickly seeing as they were still relatively fresh compared to me, despite earlier pacing and volunteering. They soon joined up with me a little ways down the camp road. We were now a "last-lap-ass-kicking posse" and we were laughing and joking despite me being both weary and whiny. When we reached the cone for the airport spur turn around, I went around one way and Gene ran around the other. Mo caught our silliness with her camera.
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| All fun and games at the turn around |
There were a few times when the weariness overtook me and I started weeping. I asked them if they thought I was okay and just tired or if they thought something was wrong. In my experience, I get emotional when something is out of balance with my hydration, electrolytes, nutrition, etc. They assured me I was probably just tired. One of the times I started crying Gene told me to just let it all out, go ahead and cry and get it out and I had a good sobbing session. Though I had two wonderful pacers, I put my ear buds back in and listened to music on low to help keep my mind off the pain and discomfort and the lack of sleep and the music seemed to help me shake off the tears. I would relay to Gene and Mo each song that came up. Fittingly enough, "Crazy Train" and "Zombie" were two of the tracks.
When we reached AS2 for the last time, I hit the porta john (I was staying hydrated for sure) and Mo snapped this great shot of me as I emerged. :-)
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| Exhausted, I gingerly push the germy door away from myself. |
It was getting warm and I finally was able to get rid of my long sleeve and put on the fresh short sleeved shirt I had picked up back at HQ at the start of the lap. I grabbed a piece of grilled cheese and someone filled my water bottle for me. We asked one of the kind volunteers to take our photo by the bridge at the aid station.
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| The last-lap-ass-kicking posse |
When we reached Effing Hill for the final time, I gratefully threw my 8th and heaviest rock. It actually hit another tree and bounced back towards us!
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| Heaving my last rock! |
We saw another friend, Angela White, at Water Stop #2. She had finished the 50 and was waiting to cheer for Linda Banks as she came by. I got a little whiny again to Angela and she told me I looked awesome and then let me chug about half of her very own lemon iced tea which was the best thing she could have done for me. That tea was so delicious and cold! We then continued on Turkey Creek trail, passing an older gentleman who was accompanied by his loyal wife and trying unsuccessfully to balance out "the leans" by carrying a huge rock in the opposite hand.
When we reached the top of the Powerline Hill, we saw another friend, Amy Surrette, also on her way to her first 100 finish. She was with her husband Andy and was walking due to very bad, painful blisters. I teared up a little seeing the pain on her face. I knew partly what she was feeling and was compelled to give her a hug. She is a strong, strong runner and I knew I would see her at HQ shortly.
We picked it up a little down the hill and ran the whole way to the bridge at the bottom then walked until we turned right onto Reedy Creek trail again. We saw Rhonda's husband Mike in the truck at the water stop, but I'm not sure he saw us. At this point, I just had a couple of miles left until I finished my first 100 and I was focused on that. Compelled by this knowledge, I kept on moving and tried to pick up the pace as much as possible. Every step hurt my feet, but I was also getting excited. We walked with a purpose up Cemetery Hill and when we crested it, I started right back to running again. In a few minutes, we were turning right onto the camp road, past the gate and my puking rock where my race had ended prematurely the year before. The camp road is fairly rocky and with every footfall, my sore aching feet protested the punishment, but I knew I was so close to my goal and I was not about to stop running now. I remember saying to Mo and Gene that I was really going to finish, that I couldn't believe it and asking if it was real or if it was a dream. We turned left at the fork in the road, then past the old cabin on the right, through the clearing, and then all of a sudden the finish was in sight. I could hear the cheering of all the wonderful supporters and volunteers. They were cheering for me! I sprinted forward, striding over each timber across the trail so as not to catch my toes. Those last yards were just as I had planned and imagined and I
flew up that hill and under the banner in 28 hours, 29 minutes, and 57 seconds.
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| Finishing! |
Chad was there waiting for me and so was my sister, Dallas, with my young niece and nephew. There were also many friends there, including Elizabeth and Renee who had waited for me to finish! I happily received my silver Umstead 100 finisher pendant. It was such an awesome feeling, a once in a lifetime experience, and I felt immense relief that I did not have to run anymore and I could rest. I had completed lap 8 in 3:19, my fourth fastest lap of the race.
After my head cleared a bit, I sat down with the best bacon and cheese omelet I have ever had. I think I had two more pancakes by Ben. I also enjoyed a lovely massage courtesy of Denise. It is all really a blur now as I am writing this 7 weeks afterwards, but I had Chad and many friends there congratulating me and taking care of me. My parents arrived and my mom gave me a banner she had made me. Mom was really disappointed that they had not arrived in time to see me cross the finish line. Mo gave me two congrats balloons that she had bought ahead of time - I guess she knew I would finish all along. I talked with Jimbo and Alanna and I think Jennifer Frahm and Jenn Ennis. I gave Amy a hug after she came into HQ after her finish. My mentor and friend, Rhonda, told me how proud she was and that I ran a great race. So many friends had impressive first performances. Bill finished his first 50 in under 10 hours. Bob, Charles A., Shannon, and Jeff finished their first 100 in under 24 hours. Linda, Alanna, and Amy all finished their first 100. Jade and Bryant had big distance PRs. As Jimbo would say, there was a whole lot of awesomeness going on at Umstead this year.
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| With Mo and Gene at the finish |
After a bit, I made my way to the showers with Elizabeth helping me there and had absolutely the best hot shower of my life.
The Umstead 100 is a special race put on by amazing people who truly care about the success of their runners. It really feels like you are with family when you are there amidst all the enthusiastic, dedicated people involved in this event. I am especially lucky in that I am local and have had the joy of meeting and getting to know so many of those who were out on the course and involved in the race. Some additional perks of the Umstead is that finishers receive a certificate of completion for the 100 miles, prints of the photos taken by race staff of them on the course, detailed splits, and a nice letter from the RD, Blake, welcoming finishers into the ranks of hundred milers.
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| My finisher's pendant! |
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| Freshly showered and resting on Chad's shoulder |
