Hellgate 100k 2022 - Nice Weather?

December 10

James and Darin before the Start

Twenty years is a long time; it is a generation.  When I started running this race in 2003, Martha didn’t crew for me the first two years because our kids were a little young to be out all night in a cold car helping to crew.  Then they were old enough to help crew, and then run the last 6.3 miles with dad.  Finally, they were old enough to crew me at Hellgate by themselves, which both have done multiple times.  Now, they can’t crew because they live too far away and they have little ones of their own.   Twenty years is a long time no matter how it is viewed.  It actually hasn’t been 20 years, but this is the 20^th running of the Hellgate 100k that was run for the first time 19 years ago on December 13, 2003.  Equally impressive is that the race has had the same race director for all 20 races.  That would be David Horton.  And, Charlie Hesse has been here every year as well serving as the head of operations.  Five runners (including yours truly) have also been here every year, have run the race, and finished under the 18-hour cutoff.  I didn’t know any of the other four guys when we first ran this race in 2003.  Now I know them all well.  We see each other at least once a year.

Darin waiting for the Start

This year is special as it is the 20^th running, and this race is always special.  The weather
is usually a topic except for the few years it has been nice.  This year had the potential to be nice, and it might be.  However, there is a 50% chance of a passing shower during the night.  The temperature is supposed to be between 38 and 44.  So, if we don’t get any rain, this will be a “nice” weather year, something Horton calls sissy-gate weather.  At the prerace briefing, Horton invites me up to talk about the history of the weather.  The first 10 years, we only had nice weather twice.  So far in the second 10 years, we have had warm weather three times, and hot weather once.  My notes say we had nice weather once.  So, Horton’s take away is that the race is getting easier.  I think not as there is a sweet spot for the temperature.  For me that would be above 20 degrees and less than 55 degrees.  The years when it got above 60 degrees (twice) it was less than ideal.  With the temperature about 40 degrees, I am wearing shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, a thin beanie cap, and glove shells.  It doesn’t feel very cold, and the wind isn’t currently blowing and isn’t forecast to blow very hard during the night.

Mile 3.5      46:38 (13:19 avg./mile) FSR 35

After singing the National Anthem and O Holy Night, we are off!  138 runners have started this year.  I know many of them.  One of the rookies is my friend James, who rode up with me from Huntsville.  James is much faster than me, but then he is also 18 years younger.  The problem is that James ran a 50 mile race (and won it) last weekend in Alabama.  Regardless, I see him briefly after the race starts as he goes out with the lead pack of 20 or so runners.  Meanwhile, I am back in the middle of the pack when Bethany Patterson comes by me.  We chat briefly about the Ohio State football team before I lose contact with her as well.  Then it starts to rain only a mere 30 minutes into the race.  Ideas of this being a passing shower are dashed quickly as it rains the rest of this section.  Meanwhile, my goal today is to finish in 16.5 hours.  I definitely want to finish in less than 17 hours as this would get me a Western States 100 miler qualifier for next year’s lottery.  And, if all doesn’t go well, I will drag myself in before the cutoff time of 18 hours.  At the prerace briefing, Horton asked me (in front of everyone) what time I would finish, and I said sub-17.  I make the stream crossing at mile 3, getting my feet wet, and then get into the aid station a little slower than planned.  I wanted to cover this section in 45 minutes to get me to my 16.5-hour goal, but now I am a little behind that.  I grab a cup of water and start shuffling up the road.

Mile 7.5      55:57 (13:59 avg./mile) Petites Gap

The rain continues for most of this section as well, but it does end about 10 minutes before I get to the aid station.  My goal on this section is to run it efficiently, which means walking quite a bit as it is all uphill.  I could run the whole section, but that would likely cost me later.  As it is, my left calf is already talking to me.  The discomfort is low in the calf muscle near where it attaches to the Achilles tendon.  I am not sure why it is hurting, but it is.  About two-thirds the way up the hill, Chelsea Viar and Wade Stout join me, and I manage to stay with them into the aid station.  At the aid station, my crew this year (Tim) is ready and waiting for me.  Usually, I change my shoes, but since it has rained and everything is wet, I decide not to change them at this point.  I drink a cup of chocolate milk and take half of a bagel with me to eat on the run.

Mile 13.1    1:35:21 (17:02 avg./mile) Camping Gap

After crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway for the first time in this race, the course goes down a technical, rocky trail for about a mile or so.  The rocks are wet and slippery, and the leaves around the rocks are slick as well.  It is fun and challenging to try to keep a good pace while going downhill, but yet stay under control so that I don’t crash and injure myself.  I maintain this critical balance as I make good time and don’t fall or twist anything.  Now it is time to run the rolling section of technical trail that crosses a couple of streams.  Since the course is very wet, the streams are full of water, but I don’t worry too much about getting a foot wet again, although I manage pretty well.  There is also portion of this section where there are no leaves and the trail is all mud and very slippery.  It is a challenge to keep from sliding off the side of the hill.  Finally, the trail dumps me out onto the jeep trail and the climb to the aid station.  It is only about three miles with a climb that is steeper than the previous big climb.  Along the way, I maintain my position with the other runners, and Zach Mortensen joins me for the last mile or so into the aid station.  He is from Greensboro, NC.  At some point during the climb, the rain begins again, but fortunately lasts only about 10 minutes or so.  At the aid station, I stay far away from the nice fire, and eat two quesadillas, which are very tasty.

Mile 21.9    2:32:48 (17:22 avg./mile) Headforemost Mountain

I eat my second quesadilla while walking out of Camping Gap.  I want to make good time on this section and try to finish this section around 5:40am.  My pace seems fine, but about halfway through the sleepy monster climbs on my back.  I am managing to press through when Tony Taylor joins up with me.  He is from Stafford, Virginia.  Talking to Tony helps me stay focused and soon we are leaving the grassy road portion for the single track over Apple Orchard.  All is going well, but then we enter a fog bank.  I take the lead and take us up and over Apple Orchard.  Tony remarks that I obviously know when to press and (more importantly) where to go.  The course is well marked, but the fog makes it challenging.  We make it down the trail beside Overstreet Falls in the fog without any falls.  As we start the final climb up the mountain, Mike Hannon joins us.  It is 5:50am when we pass the location of the original aid station.  This is a little disappointing, but somewhat expected given the fog.  I haven’t run this section this slowly since 2016.  In hindsight, I probably didn’t push it hard enough on the grassy road section.  I enter the aid station with several runners sitting around the heaters.  I announce that it is time to get down the hill—let’s go!  I grab a couple of PB&J sandwich quarters, a pickle, and a few potato chips before leaving.

Mile 27.6    1:30:10 (15:49 avg./mile) Jennings Creek

I run out of the aid station, cross the Parkway for the second time, and begin a quick, little climb before the downhill starts in earnest.  I feel great, and I am ready to push the pace.  I make quick work of the double track section before the muddy and wet rolling terrain.  Since I haven’t changed my shoes yet, I really don’t care about the mud and wet conditions.  I pass a couple of runners, and then set my sights on the next two runners in front of me.  Soon I catch and pass them as well.  But then, Mike Hannon catches and passes me.  Where did he come from?  I don’t know, but clearly he is moving great!  I make it unscathed to the last mile plus of grassy road, and I pick up the pace once again.  I pass a few runners, including Mike.  Before I get to the aid station, I also pass Lanier Greenhaw.  I roll into the aid station around 7:10am.  My time is faster on this section than I have done since 2009!  And, my race time matches my 2017 time when I went sub 17 hours.  I catch my crew just starting to cook my eggs so I sit down and change my shoes.  With the shoes changed and an egg and bacon sandwich in my hand, I leave the aid station at 7:20am.

Mile 34.5    1:49:05 (15:49 avg./mile) Little Cove Mountain

I pass Lindsay Leigh initially leaving Jennings Creek.  I make the first climb in good
shape, and Lindsay catches back up to me.  Lanier got ahead of me again as he left the aid station before me.  There are two other runners in front of me, but I don’t catch them until after the climb.  For the initial descent, a runner passes me, but I am able to stay in front of two other runners.  I manage to pass Chrystal Molnar, and Lindsay and I play leap frog before staying together on the last climb into the aid station.  Crews are not allowed at this aid station, but Rosy cooks the food for the aid station, and it is always very good.  I eat a small egg and sausage sandwich and a grilled cheese quarter.  My time on this section is the quickest for me since 2017.  I am only five minutes behind my goal pace for finishing in 16.5 hours.

Mile 42.5    2:23:29 (17:56 avg./mile) Bearwallow Gap

Changing shoes at Bearwallow Gap

Lindsay leaves the aid station just before me.  I walk a little bit while I finish eating the food I got from the aid station.  As I start running, Sophie Speidel catches up to me.  I am surprised she was behind me.  She says I am running very well.  She initially passes me, but then I quickly pass her back.  I catch up to Marc Griffin and another runner.  We have a discussion about what pace we are maintaining.  I say that we are real close to 16.5 hours, and Marc says he was thinking/hoping we were sub-16 pace.  After a little bit, the other runner presses Marc to push on ahead.  I pass Lanier again on this part while I am chatting with Marc.  Chrystal, Lindsay, and I are close together as we exit the grassy road portion.  Then Justin Blessing passes us, moving at a smooth and steady pace.  I let Chrystal and Lindsay go as we enter some climbs in the middle of this section.  I am not entirely sure why I cannot keep pace with them, but it is what it is.  When I make the left turn onto the devil trail, I can still see Lindsay and Chrystal up ahead of me, and Sophie is within sight behind me.  She catches me in the rocks, while I am hurting my ankles on the rocks covered with leaves.  Sophie says this year should be called the wet and slippery year.  I have to agree.  After the devil trail, I attempt to cross the creek by rock hopping, but then decide to just step in the water.  This is only the second time in 20 years that I have gotten my feet wet on this stream crossing.  Sophie and I make it into the aid station together.  Tim is ready and waiting for me.  He has two grilled ham and cheese half sandwiches ready for me.  I drink some chocolate milk and eat the first ham and cheese while I get my shoes and socks changed.  Tim says this is a three shoe day with all of the mud and water.  Fortunately, it hasn’t rained anymore since early this morning.  My time is slower than I wanted, and it is 11:33 when I leave the aid station.  I am now 13 minutes behind my goal pace for 16.5 hours, but still in a good position for getting in before 17 hours.  I drink a cup of Coke before leaving the aid station to give me a little boost starting the next section.

Mile 49.5    1:54:50 (16:24 avg./mile) Bobblets Gap

The climb out of Bearwallow Gap is one of the toughest in the race.  It isn’t as large of a climb as many others, but it is steep and somewhat technical.  In the last few years, I have really struggled on this climb.  This year with two Priest and Three Ridges training runs this fall, I do much better on the climb.  As I am navigating the ins and outs along the ridge line, Sheryl Mawn and her daughter catch up to me.  Sheryl says hi to me straightaway, but I don’t catch her name, and initially don’t realize it is her.  Jennifer is pacing Sheryl, and we have a good chat.  When we make the left turn, which lets me know that there is about 30 minutes until we descend off this ridge, Sheryl lets me go by, and then Justin passes me again.  I try to stay with him, but I am also ensuring that I don’t burn myself out.  After I make the small descent to the last mile to the aid station on a jeep trail, Lanier catches back up to me.  We power hike into the aid station together.  This is my quickest time on this section since 2018.  I have given up another five minutes to my goal pace and am now 18 minutes behind, which means I am still ahead of a sub-17 pace.  Crews cannot come to this aid station this year because of a rock slide on the parkway.  This aid station sits in the underpass of the parkway. I drink a cup of ginger ale and consume two more PB&J sandwich quarters.

Mile 56.1    2:05:36 (19:02 avg./mile) Day Creek

Coming into Day Creek Aid Station

Leaving Bobblets Gap, I take a caffeine pill.  It is time to press the pace and get this race done.  I run the 2.5 mile downhill on a dirt and then gravel road.  I pass a
couple of people in the process, but I am still glad when we get back onto the trail.  My time for the road section is 28 minutes, which is not bad as my goal was to complete it in less than 30 minutes.  I am hoping to complete this section in two hours or less, but I haven’t done that since 2008. I am power hiking the hills hard, and I am trying to reel some people in.  Unfortunately, the best I seem to be able to do is keep pace with the people around me, and a couple of people are catching and passing me.  About two miles from the aid station, Sophie catches back up to me.  I manage to keep the pace going fast enough that Sophie follows me the rest of the way into the aid station.  While my time isn’t quite as fast as I wanted, it is fast enough to keep sub-17 as a possibility for me.  I meet Tim at the aid station, drink some more Coke and stuff some potato chips in my mouth.  Meanwhile, Sophie walks right through the aid station without stopping.  Additionally, Mike Hannon is into this aid station ahead of me.  It is 15:33, so I need to run this last section in less than 1:27 to finish under 17 hours.

Mile 62.4    1:23:15 (13:13 avg./mile) FINISH

My fastest time on this section was 1:04 back in 2010.  I haven’t gone sub-1:30 since 2018.  The uphill section to the Parkway is 2.8 miles.  I start my power hiking and quickly catch and pass Mike.  Then I have Dan Broom and Sophie ahead of me in my sights.  I make it to the first gate in 15.5 minutes.  This is about one-third of the way to the Parkway.  I really need to get to the Parkway in less than 48 minutes if I am going to have a chance on the backside to the finish.  I am not able to catch either Dan or Sophie on our trek to the Parkway, but I make it in about 46 minutes.  Now I have about 40 minutes to make it the last 3.5 miles downhill to the finish.  I try my hardest to push the pace on the rocky road for the first couple of miles.  I catch and pass Dan about a mile down the hill.  As I am looking for the gate that will indicate 1.5 miles to go, I see Sophie up ahead.  I pass Sophie just as we are getting to the gate.  When I hit the gate, my watch says I have 15.5 minutes to make it in less than 17 hours.  I run around the gate onto the smoother gravel road and kick my pace in high gear.  When I reach the mile to go line, I click my watch, and see that I just ran a half mile in 3:59!  Now, I have 11.5 minutes to make it, but I do not back off the pace.  My right hamstring is talking loudly to me, but I cannot slow down at this point.  Finally the turn into Camp Bethel comes into view.  I make the left turn and sprint to the finish!  My last mile time is 8:58—not bad for a 53 year old who just ran 65 miles.

Crossing the Finish Line

Official Finishing Time          16:57:09

93^rd out of 138 starters (116 finishers under 18 hours)

At the finish, Tim and James are cheering loudly, and when David Horton realizes it is me, he gets excited as well.  I cross the line, and Horton and I embrace.  It is great to be back at Camp Bethel once again!  All five of the fearsome five have once again finished this special race.  I am completely spent as I didn’t leave hardly anything on the course.  While I didn’t achieve my primary goal of 16:30, I did get another finish under 17 hours.  Not only does this provide over an hour cushion on the race’s 18 hour cutoff, but it also gives me a qualifier for the Western States 100 lottery next December.  I am very satisfied with my training and effort this year.  The weather and course put up a good challenge with the rain and mud, but once again I have conquered the challenge.

We pick up a pizza at Lentini’s on our way to our hotel room in Roanoke.  James, Tim, and I will fly back to Huntsville on Sunday morning.  My next race is unknown at this point, but I will write about it when I do it.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Stump Jump 50k - Tumble and Roll

October 1

Darin & James before the Start

My feet begin to slide down the scree, and I start to fall downhill.  My foot catches on something, and I find myself hurtling downhill head first.  Ah, there is a small tree that I can grab in order to stop my decent.  Instead of catching the tree, I plow right through it with no measurable decrease in my momentum.  I make contact length-wise on a log with my hands and forearms taking the
brunt of the impact.  Sliding down the log, I finally come to rest in rocks and dirt.  Did I break anything?  Where do I hurt?  Can I continue this race as it is only mile 12?

This day started very promising.  The course is dry with temperatures beginning in the low 50s.  James and I drove over to Chattanooga yesterday afternoon.  I plan to try to finish in 7 hours flat.  It is going to take a push, but I think I am ready to push this race as this is my third time running this event.  My training has been solid this summer, and the only catch is my stomach issues that I hope are behind me.

Mile 4.9      55:42 (11:22 avg./mile) Edwards Point

This first section is nicely rolling terrain, and I run most of it in order to keep my place in the conga line of runners.  After the first few miles, the pack thins out, and I am able to set my own pace.  I wanted to get a quick start, and my time on this first section is faster than my two previous times at this race.  At the aid station, I don’t need anything so I pass right through passing a few runners in the process.

Mile 8.2      44:59 (13:38 avg./mile) Mushroom Rock #1

Katie, Christina
followed by Darin

Leaving Edwards Point aid station, I settle in behind two ladies that are setting a
very nice pace.  The lady in the lead for now is Katie, and Christina is following.  As we catch up to a runner, Christina will mention to Katie when it is time to pass them.  My effort on this section remains about the same as the first section, but the trail is more technical with rocks and roots and thus is slower.  At the aid station, I grab a PB&J sandwich quarter and a small handful of potato chips.  When I look up, Christina and Katie are gone.

Mile 14.2    1:31:50 (15:18 avg./mile) Indian Rock House

The trail is sharply downhill leaving Mushroom Rock.  I pass several runners going down the hill to the bridge across a creek.  I continue to run smoothly, only occasionally catching my toe on a rock.  I have fallen once with no damage, catching myself with my hands.  I cross Suck Creek and the road beside it.  After crossing the road, I catch up to Katie on the ensuing climb.  I ask her about Christina, and she says that she is a strong runner and always leaves her behind.  I chat with Katie a little bit, and then pass her near the top of the climb.  The trail on the ridge is mostly flat, but fairly technical.  It is difficult to get into a rhythm, but in attempt to try to stay in a rhythm, I am taking chances on the rocks and roots.  As was written in the opening, around 12 miles, I take one chance too many.  The fall was probably the second worst fall I have taken while running trail ultra-races.  The only one that was probably worse was my bloody chin and cracked fillings fall at Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 miler in 2005 in Virginia.  It takes me a few minutes of walking before I feel like I can run again.  When I arrive at the aid station, the workers are anxious to clean up my wounds, but none of the wounds are dripping blood so I decline their offers.  Speaking of wounds, here they are:  right forearm is scraped the worst from elbow to wrist, left forearm is lightly scraped, right cheek has a scrape that I don’t even feel and the scrape continues across the front of my chin, a gash in between the index and middle finger on my right hand, and the back of my left hip has a scrape and a bruise that is not visible as my shorts cover it.  Amazingly, my legs, ankles, and feet feel okay, so I press on after taking two PB&J sandwich quarters.

Approaching Indian Rock House aid station

Mile 16.7    35:35 (14:14 avg./mile) Snoopers Rock

After the sandwich quarters, I have a bit more energy and the pain in various places is starting to numb out a bit.  I gently push the pace and am rewarded with a decent time getting to this aid station.  There were a couple of guys that I chatted with during this section.  One is running his first 50k and didn’t hang with me for very long.  The other one is running this race for his third time and is trying to run nice and easy.  The past two times he has gone out too fast and blown up.  I grab a pickle and a handful of potato chips at the aid station.

Mile 19.4    57:07 (21:09 avg./mile) Haley Road

The guy trying to run a conservative race stays with me for this whole section.  At
some point he remarks that this is the farthest in a race he has gone without throwing up.  I guess everyone has goals!  I am in cruise mode and probably didn’t push my pace enough on this section, but my plan is to push after Mullins Cove.  As I am wondering when we will get to the aid station, we come out onto a dirt road that I remembered takes us to the aid station.  We hike up the dirt road for a few hundred yards and arrive at the aid station.  I grab another PB&J sandwich quarter and head out for the final section on this loop.

Mile 22.8    50:23 (14:49 avg./mile) Mullins Cove Parking

Navigating the rock garden

My goal on this section is to make it to the next aid station with something left in the tank for the last push to the finish.  I run most of this section with a lady who hasn’t done this race before.  I follow her through the rock garden that doesn’t seem as long as I remember.  I glide into the aid station and grab some potato chips and look to drink some Coke.  Unfortunately, this is a cup-less race so there is no cup to pour some Coke in for me.  So, I pour the Coke into my open mouth, fountain style.  I get two mouthfuls with this approach.

Mile 29.3    1:55:38 (17:47 avg./mile) Mushroom Rock #2

I press my pace leaving Mullins Cove, running the half mile to the steps leading down to the Indian Rock House.  I cover that half mile in six and a half minutes.  I am by myself at this point and feeling pretty good.  Two miles later, I mark the spot where I took my fall several hours earlier.  It doesn’t look that imposing if you navigate the trail carefully.  I catch and pass two other runners, but then I am passed by a runner as well.  When I think I am less than an hour from the finish, I take a caffeine pill to keep my energy up.  After this, I am still feeling good, but various muscles in my legs start to talk to me.  First it is my hamstrings that threaten to cramp.  Then as I near the downhill to the road crossing, my calves start to complain.  Just then Christina catches up to me and remarks that this is the last downhill.  I want to take it easy, but that isn’t going to help (much) my cramping legs.  We make our way down and cross the creek as I manage to keep Christina behind me.  As we are making the steep climb up to Mushroom Rock, my left calf seizes up.  She asks if she can help at all, and I answer in the negative.  It takes me about 10 seconds to resume my trek up the hill, and I make it to the aid station.  I grab a couple of potato chips as Christina pushes on through the aid station ahead of me.

Mile 31.2    21:06 (11:06 avg./mile) FINISH

As I watch Christina trot away from the aid station, I know I cannot run any uphill sections.  I would like to push this last mile or two, but I have to be careful to not cause my leg muscles to completely seize up.  So, I hike the slightly uphill sections, and try to run the flat and downhill sections.  About halfway to the finish, my right calf locks up.  It takes me the better part of a minute before I can do anything.  After that, I walk the majority of the section until I get to the final section of road to the finish line.  (Note, this section is not 1.9 miles!)  As I near the finish, I show the battle damage on my arms.

At the Finish

Battle Damage

Official Finishing Time          7:52:20

71^st out of 220 starters (2^nd of M50-59)

My time this year ends up being 10 seconds faster than when I ran this in 2019.  I pushed the pace and paid the price for it.  However, I am glad that I was able to test myself to that limit.  Falling as I did was never in the plan.  I am surprised to see that I was 2^nd male in the grand masters category.

My next event is to pace James at the Pinhoti 100 miler on November 5^th.  After that I have the 20^th running of the Hellgate 100k in December.  Despite the fact that my races recently haven’t gone as I planned, I feel confident right now for Hellgate.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Twisted Branch 100k 2022 - Warm and Dry

Flying up to New York

This is a new race for me, but one that has been running since 2015.  James, Peter, and I fly up to Penn Yan, New York on Friday morning at the aid stations.  We made it a non-stop flight as we had a nice 10-knot tailwind.  When we arrive at Penn Yan airport, they have our Hertz rental car waiting for us, but the nice lady wants to confirm my license.  After looking at my license, she says, “sir, your license expires tomorrow, and I can’t rent you this car.”  So, James pulls out his license, but he looks at it, laughs a little, and says that his license expired four days ago.  So, now I cross my fingers as Peter pulls out his license.  It is still valid and unexpired, so we are able to get our rental car!  We grab lunch at a local grill, and then check in to our VRBO before heading to the start area to pick up our numbers.  Dinner is at one of only two pizza joints in Naples. 

August 20

Before the start

I fall asleep around 8:30pm and sleep soundly until 1:05am when I have to get up to use the
bathroom.  I then lay in bed, mostly awake until 1:50am when my alarm goes off.  My first bathroom visit is successful, and then I eat a bowl of granola and heavy cream.  James is not successful on his first bathroom attempt and begins to pace around the house.  After eating breakfast, I finish my race preparation, and then use the bathroom one last time before we head to the start.  At the start, James is still trying to get his internal body moving and is unsuccessful.  The temperature at the start is 64 degrees, which is a few degrees warmer than forecasted.  I have a thin short-sleeve shirt on along with my buff, shorts, shoes, and Camelbak.  There are 169 official starters in the race.  The race starts promptly at 4am.

Mile 6.0      1:26:36 (14:26 avg./mile) Cutler, 116^th place

James and I start the race together and actually run together for about a quarter of a mile.  At that point, some eager runner paces me and gets in between us.  I am trying to start conservatively so I let a few other runners pass me as James pulls ahead.  The trail is a single-track trail for most of this first section.  It is not warm yet, but it isn’t as cool as I would have hoped.  There are brief pockets of cool air, but they are few.  I settle into a good rhythm and make it to this first aid station with only one trip and fall.  Crew is not allowed at this first aid station so I pass right on through without taking any food.

Here comes the sun!

Mile 12.5    1:27:41 (13:29 avg./mile) Naples Creek, 121^st place

This section starts with a bit of road.  I try to set a good pace on while I am on the road since the trail section is a little slow in the dark.  The horizon is starting to glow, but it will be most of this section before I turn my headlamp off.  The wooded sections are still quite dim in the twilight.  Two issues occur on this section.  First, I trip and fall again.  And then I miss a turn.  Before my missed turn, I was chatting with a couple of runners that were right behind me.  When I missed the turn, I realize that there are about 20 runners stacked up behind me.  I get shuffled back to the middle of this pack where I stay until we emerge from the woods and run through the town of Naples to a nice park on the other side of town.  Peter is eagerly waiting for me when I arrive.  I drink about a cup of chocolate milk and trade out my Camelbak for a full one.  Then I take half of a bagel with me for the trail.  Peter tells me that James is about 40 minutes ahead of me, so it seems like he is feeling good and off to a great start.

Taking off the headlamp

Mile 18.2    1:17:1 (13:33 avg./mile) The Sneaker, 119^th place

Leaving the nice park, we are greeted by one of the toughest climbs of the race.  It starts out with a few switchbacks, but then it just ascends directly up the side of the hill for about a mile.  The grade is so steep that taking a full stride is out of the question.  In fact, I think my “stride” is about a foot at best during the steepest portions of the climb.  After surviving the climb, there is then a steep little downhill section followed by a short, steep uphill section, which is then followed by a steep downhill section for about a mile.  Needless to say, I can now feel my quads complaining!  Somewhere in here, I take my first salt tablet of the day.  I have been totally soaked in sweat almost from the beginning of the race, so I need to keep the electrolytes in check.  Finally, the section comes to an end with a “gradual” (read normal) uphill climb to the aid station.  During the climb, I meet John Rynders and Marie Davis.  They are both in their 50s and are native to NY.  While they have not finished this race before, they are well familiar with the course.  At the aid station, I eat a handful of potato chips.

Mile 22.6    1:02:31 (14:12 avg./mile) Italy Valley, 123^rd place

After the Sneaker aid station, there is a fairly long stretch of dirt road to start this section.  John, Marie, and I chat while we jog and hike the road.  After a while, Marie drops back, and John and I press forward.  Both John and Marie state that their goal is just to finish.  I, conservatively, say that I am hoping to finish in less than 19 hours.  However, my original goal, which I quickly am revising was to finish in 17 hours.  After the first three sections, I realized this is not realistic for me on this day, but I am still thinking that I might be able to hit 18 hours.  This aid station has an Italy theme, but I don’t find any pasta.  Instead, I eat more potato chips as it is another aid station where crews are not allowed.

Fed and ready for more

Mile 29.3    1:55:11 (17:11 avg./mile) The Lab, 122^nd place

This section doesn’t have any long, steep portions, but it is mostly in the woods with many small up and downs.  Some are rather steep, but overall, it is kind of nice in the woods.  However, since it is past mid-morning, the temperature is definitely climbing.  The relative coolness of the early morning is long gone, and now the only time I feel cool is when we get the occasional nice breeze through the trees.  I take my second salt tablet of the day and am trying to drink as much water as I possibly can.  This section ends with a downhill road section followed by a short wooded, trail section to the aid station.  Peter is ready for me and has a grilled bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich that he says is about 30 minutes old.  He is busy making a fresh one, but I opt for the nicely lukewarm sandwich.  I eat about three-quarters of the sandwich while drinking over a cup of water.  I then decide that I will drink a little Long Haul beverage to see what effect that has on my stomach.  One of my objectives today is to determine the best stuff for my belly, so here we go.  After eating my “breakfast,” I visit the port-a-john where there is no toilet paper.  Fortunately, I have some in my Camelbak pack, so all is well.  While I was doing all of this John left me behind.  I leave the aid station feeling good, but wondering how warm it is going to get today.

Mile 35.6    1:51:43 (17:44 avg./mile) Patch, 119^th place

It takes about 10 minutes after drinking the Long Haul to determine that it was not for me.  The drink feels like a slug in my stomach—hopefully, it will pass through within the hour and won’t cause any long-term issues for me on this day.  This section is mostly all wooded, single-track trail. Initially, I was hoping to catch up to John, but I don’t see him at all on this section.  That being said, I don’t see much of anyone on this section.  Obviously, I passed a couple of runners, but otherwise, I am just making my way at my own pace.  I consume my third salt tablet on this section in my attempt to keep my stomach from getting any worse.  This aid station at Patch is another non-crewed aid station.  I grab a handful of potato chips and a pickle, and then wash it down with a couple swallows of Coke.  I am hoping that the little bit of Coke will turn my stomach around.

Mile 39.8    1:31:10 (21:42 avg./mile) Bud Valley, 117^th place

Initially, the Coke gives me a little pep in my step, and somehow I manage to pass a few runners on this section according to the website.  However, my stomach continues to go in the wrong direction.  At some point on this section Marie catches back up to me.  I tell her that I haven’t seen John since mile 29, and she says he is a very strong runner that under estimates his ability.  Marie leaves me behind before too long.  I walk most of the half mile road section leading into this aid station, even though I should have been running the majority of it.  About 30 minutes before the aid station, I consume my fourth salt tablet.  In my younger running career I would consume these things every hour in hot weather, but now I only take one every couple of hours as more often than that will give me heartburn.  My pace has definitely slowed down, but I guess I am slowing down with everyone else.  At the aid station, Peter is ready for me with a chair, bagel, and bottle of water.  I sit down and choke down half of the bagel while drinking over a pint of water.  Meanwhile, a guy about 10 yards to my right is puking his guts out into the weeds.  He has several full-throated heaves with all of the sound effects while I sit here with a queasy stomach trying to consume a few calories.  I trade out my Camelbak and decide to continue down the course, hoping my stomach will get better at some point.

Mile 46.2    2:13:24 (20:51 avg./mile) Glenbrook, 117^th place

I keep pressing forward while trying not to push my pace much at all because of my upset stomach.  I haven’t thrown up myself, but I know the edge is just in front of me if I push the pace at this point.  Somehow, Marie ends up behind me again.  I think she took longer at the last aid station than I did.  This section has a decent early climb that several people catch up to me.  There are about half a dozen of us struggling along, but then here comes Bill Sergison from Virginia.  He has a VHTRC hat on so I strike up a conversation.  He knows some of the older runners in the club that I know very well.  Of course, he leaves me behind as we finish the climb.  When I make it into the aid station, John is sitting there with his shoes off.  I ask him how he is doing, and he says he is struggling.  Well, I guess I am struggling too, but I might be better off than John?  I am still surprised to see him as I didn’t expect to again.  Peter is all prepared with a nice grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  I choke about half of it down while drinking more water.  I yell over at John that it is about time to go.  He doesn’t look like he is getting ready, but his pacer (his daughter) is tending to his feet.  I trade out my Camelbak and tell Peter to stuff my good headlamp into the main pocket.  It will be a couple more hours until I need it, and I will dig it out at that time.  When I leave the aid station, John is still sitting there with his shoes off.

Mile 50.6    1:57:00 (26:35 avg./mile) Lake David, 118^th place

I passed six runners while I was in the Glenbrook aid station as I was 111^th place when I left.  I make my way through a half mile of a wooded section, and as the course emerges from the woods onto a dirt road, John and his daughter catch up to me.  It is good to see him, but I am trying to figure out how he got his shoes on so quickly and then caught up to me.  I stay with John and his daughter Lindsey for the road section, and even some of the next wooded trail section.  Eventually, I can no longer stay with them as they walk away from me.  As they are pulling away from me, I take my fifth salt tablet of the race.  I feel like I am still doing okay, and when two other runners come by me, I ask if they think we are close to the next aid station.  Their response is yes, we just have to continue down this current downhill and then up a hill.  All goes well until I reach the hill.  It is steep and long enough to just about kill me.  I stop about two-thirds the way up to sit down on a log and try not to die.  Then when I get to the top of the hill it is still another quarter of a mile around Lake David to the aid station.  Somewhere up the climb, I make the decision that it is best that I DNF (i.e., do nothing fatal or a.k.a., do not finish).

119 out of the 169 starters finish under the 20-hour cut-off.

James finishes in 12th place!

Basically, only two runners that arrived at Lake David after me end up finishing.  I sit at the aid station sipping some ginger ale for about 20 minutes before I decide to make it official.  The aid station worker has to send a message to the next aid station so they can tell Peter to come get me.  I enjoy the evening sitting in the chair and chatting with other runners coming and going.  There is another runner dropping at the same time I am.  His name is JT, and he says he has no balance left.  He fell and broke one of his hiking poles on the last
section.

When Peter arrives at the aid station, I am thrilled to see that he has James with him.  After I left mile 46, Peter drove to the finish line and was able to see James finish and get his picture.  We drive back to the house, and I manage to take a shower before lying down for the night.  I sleep decently and in the morning, I am able to eat some.  My next race (which is also James’ next race) is The Stump Jump 50k in Chattanooga on October 1.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Last at the Lake - Last Man (or Woman) Standing 2022

July 23

It is the latter half of July, and I am in LaGrange, Georgia to run an ultra.  Unsurprisingly, the temperature is warm and the air is thick with humidity.  For weather aficionados, the temperature at the start is 75 degrees, and the dew point is 73 degrees.  It is supposed to warm up to 90 or so, but for the first couple of hours, it is supposed to stay overcast thus limiting the temperatures for the morning.  What am I thinking?  Well, this is a little different race.  This race is a race with no definitive ending; the race continues until all but one runner has called it quits.  The rules are simple:  we run a 5k loop each hour.  The loop must be completed within the hour so that at the top of the next hour, all remaining runners start the next 5k loop.  Under ideal conditions, I can run a 5k in a little over 20 minutes or so.  But, for this event, speed is not the goal; avoiding attrition is the goal.  My goal is to walk as much of the first few loops as I can stand.  There are 13 of us in the Last Man Standing event, but we start with the 17 runners attempting the 50k.

Lap 1:        54:06

The race director says go, and all of the 50k runners and about half of us last runners start running.  James and I and a few other last runners start walking.  The first couple hundred yards is a flat, wide grassy road and could be easily run.  However, we want to find out how slow we can go.  After the grassy road, there is about a mile of single-track trail before a road crossing and then another section of single-track trail to the halfway point.  Then we loop around on a road section before rejoining the first mile section of single-track trail.  James and I jog the road section, but walked all of the trail section on this first lap.  Before getting all the way back to the grassy road section, the course makes a hard left turn that takes us up a hill, through a parking lot, around the corner on a road and back to the start/finish pavilion.  This time might be a little slower than I wanted, but we definitely didn’t go out too fast.  I sit down in my bag chair, pour myself a cup of water, and fill up my handheld bottle.  I decide not to eat anything this first lap.  Before getting up to walk down the steps to the starting line for the second loop, I take my shirt off.  It feels almost cool when I do as it is still overcast.

Lap 2:        52:21

The start of lap number two has still 13 of us ready to go.  The race director says go, and we start off.  For this lap there are more walkers with me and James.  There is the guy in the yellow shirt and the older guy in a gray shirt.  There is also the lady in the jean tights that is in the vicinity.  We continue to walk the first half under the paved road that marks the halfway point of the loop.  We learn along the way that the guy in the yellow shirt is a scout in the Army.  He mentions that he will have to call his unit if he is still in the race when we get to Sunday evening.  He doesn’t look like he is quite that fit, but I have learned not to judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to ultramarathon runners.  We made a little better time on this loop by running sooner over the last quarter of a mile on pavement.  I sit down, refill my water bottle, pour a cup of water, and eat a couple of small blueberry muffins.  I also drink a little bit of chocolate milk.

Lap 3:        51:58

We start lap number three with 13 runners again.  The number of walkers with us stays about the same at five or so.  The other half of the runners look like they are running easy, but they are definitely running more than us.  A few of our fellow walkers have already talked so much that James and I look forward to the paved road portion when we will run a little and get ahead of the rest of the walkers.  I have my split times marked in my mind already.  It is 25 minutes to the halfway point.  Enter back on the single-track trail at 30 minutes.  Emerge from the woods after the sharp left-hand turn at 45 minutes.  We stroll into the finish feeling good, but the clouds are leaving us, and it is warming up quickly now.  I stick with my routine of refilling my water bottle, pouring a cup of water, and putting an ice towel around the back of my neck.  I have decided I will try to only eat every other lap so that I don’t eat too much.

Lap 4:        48:56

Thirteen runners begin the fourth lap.  James is calling that the start of lap five will see the first runner drop.  I think it will be lap six before we see our first runner drop.  We are starting to trot a little on the downhill portions of the single-track trail.  And, when James and I enter the trail again after the road portion, he is in the lead and is walking and shuffling quickly.  I note this to James at one point, but he doesn’t slow down until we emerge from the trail after the hard left-hand turn.  We reach this point in less than 42 minutes, so James says, “well we can just walk through the parking lot.”  So we do, managing to coast into the finish area not as quickly as we would have otherwise.  Halfway through this loop, I consume my first salt tablet.  It stirs my hunger so I am ready to eat when we get to the finish.  I refill my bottle, pour a cup of water, and then make a PB&J sandwich.  I thought I would just eat half of a sandwich, but without thinking about it, I made a whole sandwich.  So, then I think, I will just eat half of it.  As I am about three-quarters of the way through the sandwich, I realize this and decide to eat the whole thing because it tastes pretty good.

Lap 5:        50:31

Surprisingly to James, all 13 runners line up for the start of the fifth lap—well sort of.  One runner is hurrying down the steps as the race director is counting down the last few seconds before the top of the hour.  For this lap, James concedes that it might be better for me to lead and set the pace.  When we hit halfway right at 25 minutes, he says that I am the pace master.  We emerge from the woods at 44 minutes and then shuffle into the finish line six minutes later.  I refill my bottle, pour a cup of water, and relax with an ice towel around my neck. 

Lap 6:        49:25

All 13 runners are lined up and ready to go this time.  James and I continue our very conservative pace by walking most of the trail sections.  On this lap, we notice that one of the older runners is looking rather haggard.  James and I both figure that he can’t last too many more laps.  We pass him, along with a few other runners, after the halfway point as we are running the road.  The heat of the day is now upon us, and it is critical that we maintain an even pace so that we don’t get too hot.  At the aid station, I drink another cup of water, refill my water bottle, and then grab a hot dog from the aid station.  They had them out last lap, but I decided to stick to my plan and only eat substantial food after the even laps.

Lap 7:        50:09

The older gentlemen that looked poor last lap is right with us for the first half of this lap.  James is wearing a blue and yellow cap, and the guy asks if that is for Ukraine.  Apparently, the guy is Ukrainian, but he lives in Marietta, Georgia.  He seems to be doing well despite the fact that he is bent over quite a bit.  I continue to set a steady pace so James is mostly content to let me lead the way.

Lap 8:        49:07

This lap finally finds the first drop.  The rest of us line up and head out for our 8^th lap.  The interesting thing is that James and I were both off by several laps on our prediction for the first drop.  It seems like everyone is ready for the challenge, but there are definitely signs that some runners are starting to hurt a little.  One Army guy, who has been running out of the gate, decides to walk with us for the start of this lap.  We learn that he ran a 50k about 10 years ago and decided to train for this race to lose some weight and get back into shape.  His patience doesn’t last long as about 10 minutes into the lap he starts running on the trail and leaves us behind.  We continue our consistent pace with me leading most of the way.  I follow my usual routine of drinking water and refilling my water bottle.  I probably should have made myself another PB&J, but instead, I eat a small blueberry muffin and four chocolate chip cookies.

Lap 9:        48:24

Another runner drops out, so we are down to 11 now.  The rest is rather monotonous at this point.  I lead a pack of walkers that includes me and James and only one or two others.  The Army guy that annoyed us early on has dropped out and the rest of the runners are not annoying.  I am a little quicker on this lap, but still about where we want to be.  I pour myself a cup of water, refill my water bottle, and proceed with eating potato chips.

Lap 10:      50:54

Two more runners drop out, and the field is now down to nine.  I am able to scale back the pace a little to keep us from going too fast at this point.  I continue to set the pace for me and James, and I think we have it dialed in pretty well.  The decrease in the field of runners is interesting.  We waited all that time for the first runner to drop and now they are dropping steadily.  It seems weird to me as this lap feels the same as the last few.  I am on autopilot, and I think James is as well.  The one difference this lap is that I consume my second salt tablet.  This only my second of the race, and I probably should have taken my second one sooner.  We stroll into the aid station, sit down, pour a cup of water, refill the water bottle, and then I go to the aid station to see if they have any more hot dogs.  They do, so I fix one with some mustard and suck it down before I get back to sit down for a few minutes before it is time to get up, walk down the steps, and start the next lap.

Lap 11:      49:55

Another runner bites the dust, I mean drops out, and we are only eight runners left.  About this time, we learn that the winner of the 50k finished in 6:23.  Both James and I have the same thought:  we could have run the 50k that quickly!  Actually, James could have run it a lot faster than that, and I probably could have gone a little faster.  The pace is dialed in and on autopilot, so the routine continues.  Jog into the aid station, sit down, pour a cup of water, refill the water bottle, drape the ice towel over the back of my neck (I did this every lap, even if I didn’t mention it every time), and then decide what (if anything) I want to eat.  For this lap, I take in another blueberry muffin and some potato chips.

Lap 12:      50:45

The runners are falling steady now as two more toss in the towel to put us at six.  One of the six stays with me the whole lap.  This is his first ultra-event, and he is well pleased with his effort.  However, he tells me this will be his last lap.  James is pushing ahead a little, but is running with the lady in the orange shorts.  It is nice relating to this new ultra-runner some of my experiences.  I hope he finds them interesting and maybe even motivating.  I stay on my set pace, but James is getting a little quick.  As I approach the halfway mark for this loop, I see James on the road heading back, several minutes ahead of me.  I yell at him to tell him that he is going too fast.  I stay with the other runner on my set pace assuming that I won’t see James until the aid station, but then just before the hard left turn there is James.  He says he didn’t realize he was going so fast until I yelled at him, so then he slowed way down.

Lap 13:      51:28

We are down to just five runners—me, James, Andrew, the lady in orange shorts, and John.  It is now twilight, but not dark yet, so we press on without headlamps.  I consume another salt tablet to make it three so far in the race.  Too many salt tablets will give me heartburn, but so far that is not a problem.  With the longer shadows, I think my perfect pace slowed slightly.  Regardless, the pace is still solid, and we jog into the aid station having hit our marks within a minute on each one.  I pour another cup of water, refill my water bottle, and then contemplate what I should eat.  At this point, I should probably eat something, but I am not sure what.  So, I grab some chips and eat a couple of cookies.

Lap 14:      52:08

Night is now upon us, and all of us have our headlamps ready for this 14^th lap.  There are still five of us for this lap, but John is indicating that this might be his last lap.  The lady with the orange shorts apparently didn’t hear this, but I will talk about this more next lap.  With the darkness, I let James take the lead on the trail portion.  He is walking very quickly, but I am figuring that we need to pick up the effort in order to maintain the same pace in the darkness.  We hit halfway in 26 minutes, which tells me we aren’t going too fast and need to maintain our effort.  I stick with James through this lap, and we make it into the aid station in good shape, albeit a minute or two slower than we have been averaging.  James’ dad is now keeping the generator running all of the time to keep the lights on for the pop-up tent.  I pour a cup of water, refill my water bottle, and eat another muffin and some potato chips.

Lap 15:      52:38

John decides to call it quits after 14 laps, so there are only four of us that start lap 15.  The lady in the orange shorts is very disappointed that John is quitting.  She says something about him running one more with her and then they can both drop out tied for 4^th place.  Well, that isn’t going to happen, and I tell her that she can have 4^th place all to herself.  At the same time I am telling her this, I am thinking that tied for 3^rd with her wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.  I mean how many more of these laps do I care to do given it has been a long, hot day?  James and the lady press on ahead of me at the start of the trail section.  It isn’t that they are running; it is just that I am not walking as fast as they are.  After a few minutes of deciding how motivated I really want to be, I decide that I want to definitely finish this last lap in less than 60 minutes, so I start running.  I quickly pass the lady, but never catch up with James.  When I get to the parking lot, I run hard enough while trying to see if the lady is going to put any push in to try to catch me.  She doesn’t, so I am able to finish this 15^th lap jogging comfortably into the aid station.

3^rd out of 13 starters

This was an interesting race format, and one that I had not done before.  Now that I have done it, I am not sure I need to do it again.  I wasn’t trying to see how far I could go, and I wasn’t really out to win it.  And, I think this would be true if I did a race like this in the future.

I am slightly nauseous when I am done running.  James’ dad helps me pack up my stuff in my car, and then I drive back to my hotel room for a quick shower and a long night’s sleep.  I now have four weeks until the Twisted Branch 100k on August 20^th.  James ended up running 18 laps, and he will be joining me for the Twisted Branch race.  This will be another new race for me, and it is in the finger lake area of New York.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin