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| Keeping Warm before the Start |
It
is the second Saturday in December, so that means that I am in Virginia getting
ready to start this race for the 22nd year in a row. Not even the
pandemic could stop this
race. And so far, nothing has been able
to stop the Fearsome Five—Aaron Schwartzbard, Jerry Turk, Jeff Garstecki, Ryan
Henry, and yours truly. All five of us
have toed the line 21 times and finished the race under the 18-hour
cutoff. Will this trend remain for at
least one more time? Keep reading to see
if there are less than five still standing at the end of the day.
My
training has been decent this fall, but not great. I tweaked my right hamstring on the 1st
of October. I spent the next three weeks
babying it. Then at a 5k Turkey Trot, I
tweaked it again, but not as badly. So,
it is still talking to me, but so far, it has not limited me in the last two
weeks.
My
son, Nathan, is here crewing for me again.
This is the 10th time that he has been part of my crew at
this race. The first five times he was
helping my wife. He was a mere eight
years old when I ran this race the first time.
The
weather forecast is clear and cold with a full moon. The low tonight is projected to approach 20
degrees. It is in the high 20s for the
start. I am wearing a short-sleeve
shirt, two long-sleeve shirts, medium weight tights, hat, and gloves. We sing the National Anthem together, and
then we are off at about 12:01am.
Mile
3.5 46:23 (13:15 avg./mile) FSR 35
I
am determined to start out quickly as I have run this section in 46 minutes the
last three years. The early pace feels
very fast as I adjust to running on uneven ground in the middle of the night. The crowd of runners thins out quickly, and I
run most of this section with Dan Broom, who I know from past Hellgate races. I feel a little warm, but I know it will get
colder as the night proceeds and we climb to higher elevations. The stream crossing at mile 3 isn’t quite as
deep as advertised, but it is still deep enough that we all get our feet
wet. Despite my efforts, I still get to
this first aid station in 46 minutes. Well,
at least I know how to proceed from here, and this was the time I projected for
my splits. This first aid station is
non-crewed, and there is only water, so I drink a cup of water and head up the gravel
road.
140 Runners Start
Mile
7.5 1:03:19 (15:50 avg./mile) Petites
Gap
I
run most of the road until the tight right turn. Lanier catches up to me early in this section,
and we chat a little bit before I let him go ahead. The moon is nearly full and with no clouds it
is a beautiful night. As we climb higher
and higher, the wind picks up a little bit, and I am thankful that I have as
many layers on as I do. About five
minutes before reaching the aid station, Jeff Garstecki catches up to me. True to his word, he is taking it slowly this
year as he didn’t get in much training this fall. It is almost 60 minutes before I see Nathan
at the aid station. I sit down and quickly
change my shoes and socks, taking care to get the socks on cleanly. Then I take a few swigs of chocolate milk and
then take half of a bagel to eat on the run.
It has been six years since I was slower than an hour on this section,
and I am now over seven minutes behind my goal pace.
Mile
13.1 1:37:01 (17:19 avg./mile) Camping
Gap
I
start this section with the motivation of being behind pace. I push the pace as much as I dare as I make
my way down a rocky, technical single-track trail. After making the right tricky turn after
about a mile, I am right behind two other runners that I pass on the next
climb. I am feeling good so far despite
the slow pace on the last section. The
wind on this section is perfectly calm, and the view off to the south is
beautiful on this cold, clear night. I manage
to keep my feet dry on both stream crossings and then pass two other runners on
leafy trails before getting down to the jeep trail that climbs three miles to
the aid station. The last two runners I pass
are Emily and Dan. Emily joins me on the
hike up to the aid station. She is
running this race for her seventh time.
The climb goes quickly with conversation, and we are soon at the aid
station. I check my watch and am
pleasantly surprised that I have gained back a minute on my goal pace. This is a non-crew aid station. I grab a cup of broth, a cheese quesadilla,
and two cookies.
Mile
21.9 2:30:18 (17:05 avg./mile)
Headforemost Mountain
I
stay with Emily the whole way on the 5-6 miles on the grassy road. One of the things we talked about was that
she had a root canal Friday afternoon, that is, a mere 12 hours ago! She and her husband drove down from Baltimore
Friday evening in time to start the race at midnight. She says her only concern is eating something
that will break her temporary. I think
we are making good, but not great time. The
air is completely calm, which is very unusual.
The only other time I can remember it being this calm was in 2013 when
it was lightly snowing and 2021 when we had very thick fog. When we exit the grassy road onto the
single-track trail that takes us through Apple Orchard and down to Overstreet
Falls, I feel an urge to squat in the woods.
However, I just stop for a pee break, and the need to squat
dissipates. Emily gaps me on this
section, but I am moving well nonetheless as I catch and pass two other
runners. I make it down to Overstreet
Falls unscathed, and quickly make the hike up to the top of the mountain. As I near the top, Dan Broom catches back up
to me. At the original location of the
aid station, I stop to get a piece of debris out of my left shoe and click my
watch. The time is 5:57, which is okay,
but probably not good enough to get me a sub-17-hour finish. I am 12 minutes behind my goal pace at this point.
Mile
27.6 1:34:24 (16:34 avg./mile) Jennings
Creek
The
new aid station location is at Floyd’s Field which is about a half mile further
than where it originally was. I have
learned to not have my crew stop at this aid station because it is the coldest
part of the course, and it is mostly all downhill to Jennings Creek. I drink a small cup of pickle juice and grab
two PB&J sandwich quarters before crossing the Parkway. I am now following Helen MacDermott and her
pacer. Helen has been here often, but
hasn’t finished since 2013. When the
course starts going downhill, I pass them and leave them behind. I also pass Dan Broom and Lanier again. I start to stretch out my stride, when the
other Dan passes me. I stay with Dan the
rest of the way on the grassy road before passing him when he takes a pee break. I navigate another stream crossing while
keeping my feet dry, and press the pace.
It seems there is a solid group of runners not far behind me, and when I
drop back out on a grassy road for the last mile to the aid station, Dan Broom
catches back up to me. The sunrise this
morning was beautiful, and I make it into the aid station in good shape. Nathan has a grilled egg, bacon, and cheese
sandwich ready for me. I eat almost
three-quarters of it and wash it down with CR02 and chocolate milk. I change out all three shirts for just two
dry ones (one short-sleeve and one long-sleeve) as well as my hat and gloves
for thinner versions. It is still in the
low 20s, but I know it will warm up some, and I won’t see Nathan again for 15
miles. It is 7:31 when I leave the aid
station at the same time as Lanier. I gained
a minute back on my goal pace and now am only 11 minutes behind.
Mile
34.5 1:53:46 (16:29 avg./mile) Little
Cove Mountain
Lanier
and I leave Jennings Creek together and spend the next couple of miles talking
about cholesterol and statins and such things that most 50-somethings are
dealing with. After we crest the climb
and drop back down to the dirt road, I stop to take a pee and let him get
ahead. Then about a mile later, I catch
back up to him as he is taking a pee break.
Lanier and I stay together to the aid station where crews are not
allowed. However, Rosie is here manning
this aid station, and there is some solid food.
I grab two wrapped little doggies and a small stack of Pringles. The time is now 9:25, and I have gained back
another minute towards my goal pace. If
I am going to have a realistic chance at sub-17, I need to finish the next
section by 11:45.
Mile
42.5 2:33:20 (19:10 avg./mile)
Bearwallow Gap
I
leave the aid station a little before Lanier and run the first couple of miles
with Dan
Nathan with Signs from his Sons
Broom. I am running fairly
well, but my legs are tight and hurting in a few places. My right hamstring, actually the whole backside
of my right leg is talking to me. My
right quad is also not happy either.
Regardless, I know I have to keep pushing the pace. After the grassy road turns back into a
single-track trail, my energy fades. The
leaves are deep on the trail, and there is a tree down that I have to navigate
around and through. Along this stretch,
Helen MacDermott and her pacer catch back up to me. I decide to take my first electrolyte capsule
of the race, and that seems to help things a little. I have found that I just don’t need to take
as much sodium in as I used to when I was younger. Then Lanier and Dan are back with me. I keep them behind me though as I push a
little running downhill before we make the left turn onto the devil trail. On the devil trail, Lanier and I just try to
keep from busting anything. We catch up
to Jess as we near a stream crossing that is about a mile from the aid
station. We all rock hop across without getting
our feet wet, and then shuffle on into the aid station. Nathan has a perfectly cooked grilled ham and
cheese ready for me. He tells me the
word is that the parkway is now closed so he won’t see me again until the last
aid station. At first, I think I have to
take a light with me, but then I realize I don’t as he will definitely see me
at Day Creek. I switch out my Camelback
for a full one and keep everything else the same.
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| Heading out for the last 20 Miles |
Mile
49.5 1:56:25 (16:38 avg./mile) Bobblets
Gap
I
have held off taking any caffeine for as long as I could, but I had already
decided to take a caffeine pill at Noon.
Since it was 11:58 when I left Bearwallow, I pop one as Lanier and I are
making the climb back up to the ridge line.
The effect is not extreme, but is effective nonetheless. Near the top of the climb, I gap Lanier and
catch back up to Jess and Dan. I had
seen them in front of me for quite a distance and didn’t realize it was
them. Jess has her hat off, and I
thought Dan was her pacer. I pass them
on the low steady downhill, but Dan stays with me. I gap him on the next climb, but both of them
pass me about a mile later. I am moving
steady and smooth, and I know exactly what is in front of me. I carefully navigate the descent down to the
dirt road that is the last mile into this aid station. I hike the last mile as it is all
uphill. At the aid station, there is
just a pickup truck with some stuff in the back. They had to take down all of the hot food
when the parkway was closing, and then they had to drive all the way around and
come back up the dirt road we are now on.
Chelsea is working this aid station and starts running down the list of
food items they have—brownies-no thanks, gummies-no thanks, pretzels-yes, and
finally, little ham and cheese rolls-yes!
I eat one of them after a handful of pretzels and wash it down with two
cups of broth. The time is now 13:54, so
my chances for a sub-17 are slim to none with slim running away from me. Right as I am finishing eating, Lanier is
coming into the aid station. Chelsea
tells me that Aaron Schwartzbard has “just” left, and is injured and
walking. Wow, I hope he is able to finish,
but it would be nice to pass one of the other fearsome five.
Mile
56.1 2:26:37 (22:13 avg./mile) Day
Creek
I
start running down the hill, and I quickly pass Dan and then Jess. As I near the 2.5 mile make on the gravel
road, there are a few crews waiting on runners where we make the turn back onto
the trail. And, there is Nathan! It is great to see him, but I tell him I am
fine since they found the ham and cheese rolls.
He then wishes me good luck and says that his sister, Amy, and her son,
Charlie, should be at the aid station.
This is great. I might not be able
to finish under 17 hours, but I am in good shape and feeling pretty good. I power hike the next hill with Helen and her
pacer, but they leave me near the top of the climb. Then I am by myself for most of the rest of
the section. This is the forever section
for a good reason. I have taken antacid
tablets twice so far in the race, and an electrolyte capsule once. As the clock rolls past 15:00, I take my
second caffeine pill of the race. And
then about 45 minutes later, I decide to take my second electrolyte capsule of
the race. I decided on the electrolyte
because I only have two more antacid tablets, so if the salt doesn’t work, then
I will have the antacid to take.
Unfortunately, as I am juggling everything, dropped the little bag with
the antacid tablets in it, and I didn’t realize it until it had been a couple
of hundred yards. Well, I am not turning
back to get that. As I make it down to
the evergreen bush section, I know I am less than a mile from the aid station.
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| Charlie and Amy |
Okay
I warned you. Now, the problem is that
my bowels are wanting to move. Okay, I pull
off the trail, find the right tree to lean against, drop the pants, and do what
bears do in the woods. I am prepared
with TP and after dropping a couple of logs, wipe and pull back up the
pants. However, I no more than get the
pants pulled up when I realize that there is more that needs to come out. So, I drop the pants again, squeeze out another
log and then wipe with the one remaining square of TP I have left. Then I pull up the pants, put back on my
Camelbak and start to head back to the trail.
But before I can get to the trail, I realize that my bowels aren’t ready
to stop moving yet, so I find another tree, and repeat except this time I wipe
with just leaves as I am out of TP.
Finally, I think I can continue.
During all of this I guess about half a dozen runners, including Lanier pass
me. I shuffle into the aid station where
Nathan, Amy, and Charlie are waiting for me with slightly worried looks on
their faces. This is my slowest time
ever on this section, and I now only have 1:38 to get to the finish before 18
hours, which is the cut-off for official finishers. Nathan asks if I want company up to the
parkway, and I accept his offer. As my GI
tract is not exactly happy, I pass on eating any food, and only take a few
small sips of Coke.
Mile
62.4 1:37:51 (15:32 avg./mile) FINISH
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| Almost to the Parkway! |
Unofficial
Finishing Time 17:58:35 (see below
for the official time)
117th
out of 140 starters (117 finishers under 18 hours)
It is
determined later that an error was made when the finish line clock was set. It was set with an extra minute. Before the results are posted, this is
realized, and my official time is 17:57:35.
As people are offering their congratulations, I am trying to decide
where to sit. I see an opening on one of
the couches and I plop down. I do not
move to get off that couch for an hour and a half. My stomach is on edge, and I am not sure I
can do anything without some bad outcome.
So, I just sit there. Amy and
Charlie say goodbye and leave to drive back to Ashland, and Nathan patiently waits
for me to feel well enough to stagger to the car. Meanwhile, there are many stories to tell and
listen to from several other runners.
The best is Martha Nelson, who tells of seeing her husband, Aaron
Schwartzbard at aid station 4, injured and moving slowly. She throws up sympathetically for him before leaving
him behind and finishing Hellgate for her third time. In the end, all five of the fearsome five finish,
although, Jeff, Aaron, and I all finish in the last hour this year. How many more times can we finish? I don’t know, but I plan to be here next year
to find out if I can do it at least one more time. Until next time…
Never stop
running,
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