Kathy Yeager didn’t run the full 100 miles she set out to run at the beginning, but still managed to complete 60 miles earlier this month.
The 58-year-old Brown County resident, who works in Columbus, ran almost 100K on Oct. 12 in the Indiana Trail 100 in Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Noble County, just northwest of Fort Wayne. The event featured 100-mile, 100K and 50-mile races.
"That was definitely a (personal record) for me," Yeager said. "About 50K (31 miles) was the most I had ever done. It was very exciting for me, especially after I hit the 50-mile mark."
The race began at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Yeager had done the 20-mile loop three times when she called it a night.
"My feet were hurting, my hips were hurting, my legs were hurting," Yeager said. "It was about 11 o’clock at night, and I had been running for 17 hours. I thought, ‘Well, this is probably enough for today.’ I wasn’t out to win anything."
Yeager’s son Zane, who has competed in ultramarathons, trained his mother for the event.
"Of course, I consult with Zane a lot and what he has to tell me about listening to my body and the nutrition part of it and hydration and stuff like that," Kathy said. "He helped me with my plan. He would give me advice on whether I should eat this. He told me I should be drinking liquids every 45 minutes. It was good advice."
Kathy Yeager hasn’t ruled out trying for 100 miles again at next year’s Indiana Trail 100.
"I really do still think I can do it," she said. "I just need a little bit more training. It was a good experience for me. I know if I ever do it again, I know what to look for now."
