Ideal Conditions for a fast time
11 December 2010
The weather forecast over the last week or two has fluctuated from very cold (single digits temperatures) to freezing rain and some snow. In the end, the low temperature tonight is supposed to be 20 degrees, and the high is predicted to be close to 40 degrees with no precipitation—nearly ideal conditions for a Hellgate race. At the race check-in, I meet many old friends, some of whom I haven’t seen since last year. I talk with Jeff Garstecki (another survivor of all seven races), and he says his back is hurting him. He isn’t sure how it will feel or whether it will let him finish this thing. For dinner, I sit next to Jerry Turk (another survivor), and we spend most of dinner trying to get the server to give us second helpings. He looks good, and I am sure he will have no problem finishing this year.
The race briefing is uneventful, except for the story from Karl Meltzer. He is the most prolific 100-mile runner in the country. He has run 46 100-milers and has won 29 of them—an outstanding winning percentage in any sport. He tells a story of being at Big Horn a couple of years ago and having to avoid and survive a charging moose. The moose kept charging him, and he had to keep ducking around trees to keep from getting mulled. This all happened around mile 49 of a 100-mile race in which he ended up winning. This will be Karl’s first Hellgate experience.
After the race briefing, I quickly change and my entourage and I are off to the starting area. It is about a 35 minute drive to the Hellgate Creek parking lot. We get there around 10pm, and settle into trying to get a little sleep before the start. I think I managed about 45 minutes of interrupted sleep as other vehicles come into the lot every 10-15 minutes. At 11:35pm, the caravan arrives with everyone, and I start to get myself mentally ready to start running in the dark on a cold winter night. There are a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but nothing that will cause us much trouble with traction. Five minutes before the 12:01am start, Horton says a prayer, and then we all join together and sing the National Anthem. It is about 20 degrees; I am shivering; and I can’t wait to get started on this adventure.
Mile 3.5 43:00 (12:17 avg./mile) FSR 35
Finally getting started feels like Christmas morning. I have been anticipating this race for several weeks, and I am very excited to get started. My training has gone very well this fall, and I have managed to push it to the edge without getting injured. Now, with good conditions forecasted, I get to see if I can better my personal best at this race, which is 15:53. It takes me most of the first mile to warm up. I know I have the right amount of clothing on, but it still is nice when everything finally warms up and the amount of clothing feels right. The field this year is the largest ever with 126 people starting. It is almost crowded for the first couple of miles as we all settle into our own paces. A key for me is always running my race, not someone else’s. The stream crossing this year is rather easy. The water is fairly low, and there isn’t any ice on the rocks. However, I still get my shoes wet, but not my ankles or legs. At the aid station, I drink a couple of cups of water. The water has a thin layer of ice as it really is cold out here in case anyone was wondering.
Mile 7.5 55:41 (13:55 avg./mile) Petites Gap
Leaving the first aid station, I find myself right beside Andrew Thompson. He is the Appalachian Trail speed record holder. At my last race, I ran beside Jen Davis the fastest female on the AT. It is really neat to be able to run with these famous speedsters. Since Andrew is right beside me, I take the opportunity to pick his brain about through hiking the AT. I don’t have any plans yet to do it, but I think I have now put it on my bucket list. After I run/walk with Andrew for awhile, I let him go as I don’t want to go too fast in the early going. Soon Dan Lehman comes up beside me, and the two of us stay together for about a mile going up the mountain. Dan is another one of the six survivors. At one of the switchbacks, we hear Rick Gray up ahead of us. It is a beautiful and clear night. There is a small sliver of a moon, and the stars are just spectacular! With all of the conversation and company, the aid station almost surprises me. This year (for the first time) crews are not allowed to come to this aid station because the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed due to snow and ice. So, I won’t be changing out of my wet shoes until Jennings Creek. I eat two PB&J sandwich quarters and drink a cup of soup, which is very hot. My time on this section this year is a new personal best and my fastest time this far into the race. The good news is that I don’t feel like I have pushed things much yet.
Mile 13.1 1:29:58 (16:04 avg./mile) Camping Gap
Leaving Petites Gap, I am feeling frisky as I cross over the parkway and start down a nice technical section. I pass Kerry Owens, among many others as I fly downhill over a rocky single-track trail. When the trail starts a hilly up and down section, I am still moving very well. Just before we come out on the dirt road that will lead up to Camping Gap, I hear Snipes up ahead. However, I never am able to catch up with him as he climbs the three miles or so up to Camping Gap faster than me. Still, my time for this section is another personal best by over three minutes. On the climb up to Camping Gap, I talk with a lady named Zsuzsanna for a bit. She is from New Jersey, but originally from Hungary. At the aid station, I fuel up on two more sandwich quarters, a few cookies, and more water. I don’t care to try the Nuun or other drinks at the aid stations, and I want to drink plenty at the aid stations so I can conserve the water in my Camelbak as I still have over 14 miles until I see my crew. It would be nice if I don’t have to refill it before then. This aid station is not close to anything, and it is cold out here. However, this aid station is extremely well run with a bunch of very helpful Liberty University students.
Mile 21.9 2:23:24 (16:18 avg./mile) Headforemost Mountain
The long grassy road leading out of Camping Gap is still long, but I can’t say much about the grassy part as it is covered by a few inches of snow—just enough to fill in the holes. I pass a few people, and a few people pass me. The grassy road section is up and down so it involves a little running and then a little walking and then a little running. The running part is hurting my IT band on my left leg. As long as the running portion doesn’t last too long it is okay, but it is hurting me. I suspect it may be taking a little off my time. Other than that, I feel wonderful. Just before we get to leave the grassy road, Kerry Owens passes me, but then decides to let me lead onto the single track. She says this is your kind of trail. So, I take the lead and begin bounding down the trail. In the snow, this is my favorite part of the course. The snow makes it really fun as the rocks are not as severe with a little padding and slick around them. There is an art to running in a little snow as you anticipate sliding around and you just want to keep yourself upright. The key is using the sliding to your advantage. I think I end up passing about 3 or 4 people during this single track adventure, and then we pop out onto a dirt road at Overstreet Falls. The climb up to the top of Headforemost Mountain goes quickly and then a short (Horton says) 0.4 miles to the aid station. During the climb, I start talking with Beth Minnick, who I actually met at the post-race breakfast after Masochist. Those 0.4 miles might be one of the few accurate measurements on the course. I don’t spend long at the aid station as I want to get down to Jennings Creek to my crew. I drink a little water, eat a sandwich quarter, and grab a couple of cookies for the trail. For the record, this is not my fastest time on this section, but it is my fastest time to this aid station from the start by over 8 minutes.
Mile 27.6 1:36:04 (16:51 avg./mile) Jennings Creek
The trip down to Jennings Creek starts out okay. I am starting to feel the need to take a squatting restroom break in the woods, but for now things are all right. Then I start getting a little sleepy. Fortunately, Beth catches back up to me and talking with her keeps me from falling asleep on my feet. Usually I don’t get sleepy until later, but hopefully this is the last of the sleepiness. This section involves a lot of downhill, and my IT band is still hurting me. The technical, rocky section isn’t too bad as there is still some snow and the leaves were packed down by the snow. On the final stretch into the aid station, Doug Blackford passes me, and he says he was getting sleepy on this section as well. Maybe it is something in the air this year on this section. It is still pretty much dark until we get to the aid station. My time on this section is rather slow compared to past years. So, the 8 minute advantage I had on my personal best has now turned into a 3 minutes deficit. The good news is that there is breakfast here and my crew. I eat pancakes and sausages, and then another cup of pancakes and sausages. In between, I change out my wet shoes and socks and switch models of shoes from Powerlines to Wasatch Crests. I am hoping the different model of shoe will be easier on my IT band. I wash the food down with nearly 20 ounces of chocolate milk. I have gone away from drinking Nestle chocolate milk because they now make it with 1% milk; so it only contains 340 calories per pint. Instead I am drinking some boutique chocolate milk that is made of whole milk. I had to call them up to find out that a pint of their chocolate milk contains 410 calories. I think this might be a slightly low estimate as it tastes like I am drinking a chocolate milkshake.
Mile 34.5 1:46:32 (15:26 avg./mile) Little Cove Mountain
Beth and I find ourselves leaving Jennings Creek together, and the course starts with a climb up a gravel road. This is good as I need a little time for my breakfast to digest at least somewhat. I am in a rather talkative mood and share stories about some of my hikes on the AT. The different people we have met on the AT that were probably not playing with a full deck as they seem to have lost a few cards over the years. Like the lady who said she finds she never manages to achieve goals, so she no longer sets goals anymore. I digress. At the top of hill, I am ready to run and leave Beth to manage her slow jog down as the back of one of her knees is really giving her trouble. I pass the duo of a man and woman who I think I saw a couple of times during the night. They seem to have taken a break as I go by them. After flying through the downhill, ending with a neat single track portion, it is time to climb again on a gravel road. I catch up to Kerry Owens, and she says she is working through a tough stretch, but she is already planning her rebound. Up ahead of us are three guys who I think I can catch. I end up chasing them all the way into the aid station, never quite pulling even with them. On this section, I have rebounded myself, and I feel like it is time to “put up, or shut up”. At least that is the mantra I am repeating to myself. At this aid station, my crew has two cups of Ramen cooked for me, but I only eat one of them as I wash it down with the majority of a pint of chocolate milk. I take a bagel for the road and head out just behind the three guys. My time on this last section is only 26 seconds off of my best for this section, so I am still 3 minutes behind my best pace.
Mile 42.5 2:15:04 (16:53 avg./mile) Bearwallow Gap
Leaving the last aid station, I have the three guys dead in my sights. I pull even with them and strike up a conversation with Mosi, who is a Marine. I find out that he is a young Captain (at least he looks young to me) stationed at the Naval Academy. I pass them on this rolling section of a grassy road as I run nearly all of it. The switch of shoes not only got me feet dry, but it also seems to have helped my IT band. Once the course goes back to a single track trail, it climbs up a hill. At this point, I am feeling a little light headed, and it doesn’t seem like I have any power in my climb. I am also getting sleepy again, but hopefully this will just be temporary and pass quickly. It isn’t long before the three guys led by Mosi blow by me. I wish I could hang with them, but my body won’t allow it at this point. Hopefully, I will see them again on my next rebound. I start thinking that maybe I started the race too fast or something. Eventually, since my need to go squat in the woods hasn’t abated, I decide that is the next thing for me to do, and it just might help wake me up. Just as I am staggering out of the woods back to the trail, the duo passes me. And then Kerry Owens passes me. And now Beth is here again, although I find a shred of motivation left to start running downhill, and Beth’s knee doesn’t allow her to keep that pace. As I make the turn up the hill and towards the trail to hell (littered with rock piles that you swear the devil himself put there and Horton found for this race), I have the duo still in view. However, that is a temporary condition, and while I am making a very small rebound and making decent time, Dr. Mike passes me as well. He is a freak of nature at 6’7” and something like 240 pounds. I have seen him a lot at Masochist, but I think this is his first Hellgate. Anyway, the rocks are okay as the leaves are matted down some from the snow. There isn’t any snow on this part of the course, but it did what it needed to before it melted. I make my way through the rocks without killing myself or even injuring myself. Then it is across a creek, across a road, and into the aid station. My time isn’t bad, but it is off of my personal best time. My hopes of setting a personal best this year are slipping away. Still my time is nothing to be alarmed by, and I am only 7 minutes off my best pace. At this aid station, I eat a grilled ham and cheese, perfectly prepared by my wonderful crew. I also drink almost a pint of Conquest—yes, I still have a stash of Conquest (it is no longer made and the owner won’t sell me the recipe). Sophie Speidel is at this aid station. She asks me how things are going, and I say okay. She says I am so cas, as in casual. Before I get ready to leave the aid station, Jay Finkle comes into the AS. It is the first time I have seen him all race, and usually we see each other often in this race.
Mile 49.5 1:59:27 (17:04 avg./mile) Bobblets Gap
There is a decent climb at the start of this section. This section is one in which I truly have to let the course come to me as opposed to me attacking it. There is an initial climb, but then the trail continues to go up. The duo comes back by me as I finish the initial climb. I must have gotten ahead of them at the aid station. I am unable to even think about staying with them as the initial climb has again made me light headed. I am also feeling weak on the climbing. When the slightly downhill section comes, I start running because that is what one has to do on this race. There really isn’t time to take a break when it comes to any downhill portion. I have many thoughts going through my head at this point. Did I go out too fast early? Why do I feel this bad? Ah, maybe my asthma is actually limiting me. My breathing feels fine, but I am obviously not getting enough oxygen into my system. Harder breathing with pursing the lips for added back pressure doesn’t seem to help at all. Jay Finkle finally catches me, and we chat a bit before he pulls away. He says his climbing hasn’t been great today, but he is hammering the down hills. Unfortunately, at this point his climbing seems to be better than mine. He says he is going to try once again to get in less than 16 hours for the first time. I finish this section, but feel terrible. Nathan and Amy are on the road about a quarter of a mile from the AS. We finish walking into the AS, and I plunk down into the chair. Martha tells me later that she thought I might drop out. Of course, that thought isn’t in my mind. It is just past 1:00pm, so that gives me almost 5 hours to get to the finish. The next section takes me two hours on a good day, so if it takes me three hours this year that is okay. I eat a ham and cheese sandwich, drink more chocolate milk, and take my Advair medicine, which hopefully will help. I then say goodbye to my crew and go over to the AS table where I eat a couple of corn dog bites, a pizza pocket, a cup of Coke, and a Little Debbie oatmeal/cream sandwich. If nothing else, I should have enough calories in me to get to the next AS. My time on this section is my second slowest ever. It is only slower than the snow and ice year.
Mile 56.1 2:13:19 (20:12 avg./mile) Day Creek
This section begins with a long (2.5 miles) downhill portion on a dirt road, which turns into a gravel road. The 2.5 miles take be 32.5 minutes, so I was doing about 13 minute miles running downhill instead of my usual 12 minute miles or less. Still that is okay as I only need to get this section done in less than three hours. Then the climbing resumes. I am dying as I try to make something resembling decent time going up the first climb. I feel like I might not make it to the top. But, by continuing to place one foot in front of the other, I finally crest the top of the first climb. Then I slowly begin to trot down the other side. At some point in here, I roll my right ankle for the first time today. That hurts pretty well, but it isn’t anything to worry about as I do this on almost every race. When the next climb begins, Michael Stratton pulls even with me, but doesn’t pass me. He strikes up a conversation, and we climb up the hill. At some point, my rebound started because when we crest the hill, I start down the other side and pull away from Michael a little. I am feeling good again. My legs are responding as it seems they are getting a little more oxygen than before. It is amazing what a little more oxygen in the system will do for performance and morale. It has been almost an hour since the aid station, and I am enjoying myself once again and feel like I have a lot left in the tank. This section has 13 creek crossings, but about half of them are dry this year. I still count every one of them and as I cross the last one, I know I am close to the AS. I give a few hoots and hollers as I come into the AS. Amy and Martha are waiting for me as Nathan is pacing Snipes in this year and has already left. I can’t wait to start the last section with my daughter, Amy. I drink two cups of Coke and eat as many Fritos as I can while drinking the Coke. My time on this section, since I rebounded is decent. It is definitely not my fastest, but is actually faster than last year. Sophie is here waiting to pace Stephanie Wilson into the finish, and she says I can still make it in less than 17 hours. I take a glance at my watch and say I will finish in less than 16:30. I have 1:07 to meet my just established goal. Let’s roll!
Mile 62.4 1:04:52 (10:18 avg./mile) FINISH
And roll we do. I am not only motivating to get in less than my very arbitrary goal, but I also won’t to make sure I give Amy a good workout. I climb up to the Parkway like a crazy man. Picking off a few other competitors as I am just going as fast as my legs will turn over. My asthma issues seem to be long gone, and Amy and I make the 2.8 mile uphill climb in 35:10, which is 3 minutes faster than I have ever made that climb! Talk about laying it down. We cross the Parkway and start running down the other side. Initially, I have ideas of really pushing Amy hard on this downhill. On the climb up, I was able to at least make her breathe hard. There is no such luck coming down this side as Amy very comfortably strides along side of me, seemingly effortlessly. I throttle back just enough to carefully pick my way through some of the rocky portions before hitting the gravel road for the final stretch. Just before the one mile to go line, I pass Robert Gryfe. He was running slowly, but after I pass him, he gets motivated and passes me back. Oh well, I guess the number will be five other runners that I pass and finish ahead of on this last section. There is one more runner that I pass—Dr. Mike before I make the last turn into Camp Bethel and the celebratory final sprint can begin. Horton starts his “Darin Dunham, 8 for 8 at Hellgate” routine, and I spin a 360 in the chute for special effect. It is awesome to be back at Camp Bethel for the 8th time!
Official Finishing Time 16:27:22
77th out of 126 starters (110 finishers under 18 hours)
At the end of the day, this is my fourth fastest time out of eight. Not bad, but definitely not as fast as I wanted when I started. However, I have learned more about myself, and I found yet another way to persevere through the pain and weakness. My time on the last section is a new personal best for the section. At 1:04:52, it is over 3 minutes faster than my previous best on this section. That means that while I definitely had a few low sections, I ended up running personal best times on three of the ten sections. At the finish, Dan Lehman is the first to congratulate me after Horton, of course. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Dan ended up being just 3 minutes ahead of me. That means all six of the survivors have finished again this year.
How many more Hellgates will I be able to survive? Horton predicts I will be the next survivor to fall. However, I know what it takes to finish, and Lord willing I will be able to do a few more of these.
NSR,
Darin
