June 3
I
have four finishes at this race, but I have not been back here since 2009. The course change after 2009 combined with
the fact that this is not the best directed race discouraged me from coming
back. However, last year the race was
moved up two weeks so I was intrigued to come back and give it another
try. The course is now four loops with
the first two loops approximately 27 miles and the last two loops being about
23 miles. My initial plan was to run
this race unsupported. However, last
weekend, my mom said she wanted to drive up and crew for me. Then on Friday, my brother said he would come
up and help crew for the majority of Saturday.
The
major factor this year will be the weather.
The forecast for the past week has predicted high temperatures on
Saturday between 85-90 degrees. Since my
supply of Conquest ran out, I haven’t tolerated the heat as well as I used
to. My stomach usually goes south
sometime after 50 miles. That being
said, I have given up sports drinks, and I have a careful plan to take in the
right amount of salt supplementation.
My
plan hit its first obstacle when I had to travel to Colorado Springs for a
meeting on Thursday. This meant that I
had to take the 5:30pm flight back to Huntsville from Denver on Thursday
evening. When I got to the airport, I
learned that my flight was delayed by two hours which meant that I wouldn’t be
getting back to Huntsville until after 11pm.
Fortunately, my flight wasn’t delayed any further arriving at
11:15pm. I was home and in bed a few
minutes past midnight. I slept until
5:30am and then got up to mow the grass and pack. I had to pack for a full week as I will be
going to Virginia after my weekend in Ohio.
I finally got packed, loaded the plane, and got airborne by
11:30am. My mom, Brian, and I all
arrived at the Mohican State Park Lodge by 4:20pm. We checked in, went over to Loudonville to
pick up my race packet, bought a few groceries, and returned to the lodge for
dinner. While we turned off the lights
around 8pm, I didn’t fall asleep until after 9pm as the three of us settled in
and got all of our devices silenced.
I
got up at 3am—less than six hours of sleep for the second night in a row. I ate my granola and drove to the start at 4am. I relaxed at the start for about 20 minutes
until I stretched and peed before the race started at 5. The race director in his final comments said
more than once that the weather was going to be perfect. If hot and dry is someone’s definition of perfect
for a 100 miler, then I guess it will be perfect.
Mile
5.9* 56:24 (9:34 avg./mile) Gorge
Overlook
I
start the race following a legend—Connie Garner. She has won this race eight times and was
recognized by the race director before the start. She seems focused and not very chatty. Furthermore, I don’t think she is trying to
win today. Rather I think she is focused
on trying to finish her 10th Mohican. She is moving slowly, so when I get a chance
I pass her and won’t see her again during this race. I have a headlamp on for this first section,
but within 30 minutes the morning twilight begins to take over the
darkness. On the first real climb of the
race I start up a conversation with Ryan Floyd.
He is from Gahanna and when I mention that I grew up in Pataskala and
graduated from Watkins, he asks me what year—1987. He then asks if I know Randy Foor. Heck yes I know Randy. He was a year ahead of me and thus classmates
with my brother. I played football with
him, and we went to the same church. I then
mention that I was good friends with one of Randy’s cousins—Dale. To which he replies, oh Dale lives on my
street—no way! When we get to this first
aid station, my tandem crew is nowhere to be found. Now granted I was at least 15 minutes faster
than I expected. However, I don’t need
anything except I was planning on handing off my headlamp. As I am walking out of the aid station, they
drive up so I hand my headlamp to Brian through the car window and press
on. *I will learn later that this first section
of trail wasn’t marked correctly so it is over a mile shorter than it is
supposed to be.
Mile
10.2 59:49 (13:55 avg./mile) Fire Tower
I stick with Ryan and a couple of his friends for a couple of miles, but then I get ahead of them a bit. It is still nice and cool, and I am feeling great. I am still running conservatively, but the pace is effortless so far. The climbs are manageable and the downhills just flow for me. The fire tower aid station isn’t actually at the fire tower for this version of the course. Rather it is about a quarter of a mile away from the fire tower. Crews have a choice to either park at the fire tower and walk to the aid station, or there is a mountain bike trail parking lot about a half mile after the aid station that the 100 miler runners pass through on the first two laps. Brian and my mom have elected to meet me there. Thus, I roll through this aid station without even stopping.
Mile
16.6 1:33:03 (14:32 avg./mile) Covered
Bridge
A
half mile after the fire tower aid station, I see my crew. They are waiting and ready for me this
time. I drink some chocolate milk and
take half of a bagel to eat on the run.
With the cool weather, I still have plenty of water left in my
Camelbak. This section is the longest of
the sections in the race, and it is longer on the first lap then it will be on
the subsequent laps. We have the
privilege of going down Big Lyons Falls canyon and then climbing up Little
Lyons Falls canyon. This climb is the
signature climb for the race. It is hand-over-hand
climbing with tree roots for hand and foot holds for the last bit. After that excitement, it is a short run
across the ridge and down to the Pleasant Hill Dam where there is not an aid
station, but crews are allowed to meet their runners. So, Brian and my mom are again waiting and
ready for me. I trade out my Camelbak
for a full one, drink some more chocolate milk, and place my Subway order for
the next time I see them back at the start/finish aid station at Mohican
Adventures.
Mile
22.2 1:25:53 (15:20 avg./mile) Hickory
Ridge
I
leave the covered bridge and start a tough climb out of the river valley. It is no longer cool, but is not yet hot—at
least initially. Before this section
ends, I feel true heat. I am making
steady progress, and I feel good so far.
I am willing to accept the fact that I need to slow down as the
temperature rises. This race has
multiple distances in addition to the 100-miler. There is a 50-mile race and a marathon. The 50-mile runners are mixed in with us as
they started only an hour after the 100-milers.
The one plus is that each race has a different bib color so it is easy
to quickly tell which race a runner is in.
As I approach the aid station, I am being followed by a few runners from
Middleton, Ohio. Mostly, I am
entertained by their conversation. At
the aid station, I grab a cup of ginger ale and eat two PB&J sandwich
quarters.
Mile
27.2 1:18:58 (15:48 avg./mile) Mohican
Adventures
 |
| A little chocolate milk after the first lap |
good, and I think any time I save now can be used later when it is warmer. Interestingly, there is another runner in my area that is running with sandals or barefoot. He runs at times with sandals, but then takes them off and runs barefoot. When I arrive at the aid station, Brian and my mom are ready for me. I sit down on the grass and initially think that I won’t change shoes, but then I change my mind and go ahead and change them. I figure it is better to change them now while I am not cramping. My crew hands me a Subway sandwich, and I open it and begin to eat it. After a few bites, I realize that there are ripe olives on it. I start picking them off, mostly. My mom says they must have mixed up my sandwich with hers. They offer me the other one, but I have eaten most of it already and am ready to get going.
Mile
33.0* 1:12:25 (12:29 avg./mile) Gorge
Overlook
Starting
my second lap, I follow Mike Patton out of the aid station. He tells me that he is the course
designer. Roy Heger was the person in
charge of marking the course. Mike
confirms that the first section is marked incorrectly, and thus it is over a
mile short. My time at the end of the
first lap was 6:14, and I was targeting around 6:55. The short first section helps some, but so
did the cool weather. The weather is no
longer cool as the temperature has climbed to 84 degrees, and it isn’t even
Noon yet. I let Mike leave me behind as
I focus on running my own race. The
climbs on this section are really driving my sweat rate high. When I get to the aid station, one of the
volunteers is dowsing runners with cold water on their heads. I line up and get dowsed, and it takes a
little off of the body temperature for sure.
Since it has been less than five miles since I got a full Camelbak, I
don’t trade it out at this aid station.
I pass on anymore food at this point and head towards the fire tower.
Mile
37.3 1:12:00 (16:45 avg./mile) Fire
Tower
While
the temperature has climbed well into the 80s, there is still a nice breeze
most of the time. I continue my slow and
steady pace trying to keep my body temperature at a reasonable level. When I get to the aid station, I pass right
through as I am expecting to see my crew in a half mile. I walk most of the level half mile to the
parking lot where I don’t see my crew. I
look around carefully, asking where my crew is.
Now I have a problem. My Camelbak
is mostly empty, and I have a tough six miles ahead of me in high 80-degree
temperatures. Fortunately, another crew
asks me if I need water, and I answer in the affirmative. The kind gentleman empties two bottles of
water into my Camelbak, and I couldn’t be more thankful! I hope that Brian and my mom are okay.
Mile
43.3 2:10:40 (21:47 avg./mile) Covered
Bridge
My
stomach no longer feels wonderful. I
took a salt tablet at the 3, 6, and now 8 hour mark. I have managed to digest the sub sandwich I
ate at the turn, but I can still taste those ripe olives. I am walking more and walking more slowly
when I do. I walk everything that
doesn’t look downhill. I am running the
downhills for two reasons. One is that I
would like to make some decent time, and two I figure I provide more air
cooling while I am running easily downhill.
As I pass by Big Lyons Falls, I go over and allow the water to hit my
head. It is cooling and has the desired
benefit. I still run easily down the
rest of the valley where at the bottom I find Brian! He is alive and well. He explains that they were waiting at the aid
station as they saw runners passing through, but after a while they realized
that there were only 50-mile runners passing right be the fire tower and that
the actual aid station is a few hundred yards away in the trees. By this point, I had already passed through
the aid station. We walk up river
towards the Pleasant Hill Dam. Right
before we get to the dam, there is a steep, tough climb on which I have to take
a break about two-thirds the way up.
When I finally crest the climb, I am rewarded with a gentle breeze that
feels really nice after the hot and humid climb with no breeze. At the dam, I trade my Camelbak with a full
one, and say goodbye to Brian. He is
heading home as he has to preach in the morning. My mom will handle the crew duties from
here. I run down the steps on the dam,
and then walk most of the flat trail to the aid station. At the aid station, I use the bathroom and
have success. Now, I feel like eating
again. Unfortunately, there is not much
of a selection. I eat two PB&J
sandwich quarters along with orange and watermelon slices.
Mile
48.9 2:12:20 (23:38 avg./mile) Hickory
Ridge
On
the climb out of the valley after the aid station, I take another salt tablet
at the 11-hour mark. My stomach doesn’t
feel great, but it isn’t horrible at this point. And, about 30 minutes after taking the salt
tablet, I feel actually hungry. I am
sure I am still over an hour from the aid station, so I eat my first Access bar
of the race. It is melted and not great,
but it gives me a little pep in my stride.
I talk with a 50-mile runner who is struggling telling him that we have
about an hour to get to Hickory Ridge and then he can take a couple of hour to
go the last five miles to his finish. He
says that sounds really good. About the
time that I am feeling decent again, the trail has an open section that is
blazing hot. I walk all of this part
until the trail gets back into the shade.
Then I resume my running the downhill portions. As I approach the aid station, I figure I can
sit down, rest a bit, and allow my body to cool with a breeze at this higher
point on the course. I sit down in chair
in the aid station, and a volunteer helps me refill my Camelbak. I then eat a PB&J sandwich quarter but nothing
else as the only other real food available was boiled potatoes and bacon. I had some bacon last lap at this aid
station, but I don’t think that would be wise with my stomach on edge. After 10 or 15 minutes of sitting in the aid
station, I do not feel one bit cooler.
Even though it is now 6:00pm, I am sure we are still in the mid to high
80s.
Mile
53.9 1:50:10 (22:02 avg./mile) Mohican
Adventures
I
walk all of the uphill and flat sections, and run the downhills smooth and
easy. There a many 50-mile runners
around a few of us 100-mile runners. The
50-milers might look as hot and tired as we are, but their outlook is
completely different. My stomach feels
terrible, and the temperature has not really cooled off yet. A thought enters my mind: this will be a good 100k training run if I
can go to the Fire Tower. My mileage
will be right at 64, and I can know that I should be able to survive Twisted
Branch in August. One view is that this
sounds like a reasonable, common sense approach. I have finished this race four times; do I
really have to finish it again? On the
other hand, this will be another DNF in a 100-mile race. My finishing rate in 100-milers currently
stands at 13 finishes and 11 DNFs. If I
drop out of this one, I will have 12 DNFs.
Perhaps it will cool off before I get there, and my stomach will turn
around. When I get to this aid station,
my mom is ready and waiting for me. She
even has my stuff at a picnic table, so I have someplace to sit down. Actually, I lay down on one of the benches,
as my mom puts a sub in front of me. I
don’t think I can eat much of it, but I take a bite or two. She then goes over to the aid station and
gets me a cup of Coke with ice in it. It
is not yet dark, and I am not tired, but I figure it should help my sour
stomach. Unfortunately, for the first
time in my life, the first few sips of Coke actually make my stomach worse, if
that is possible. I trade out my
Camelbak for a full one and put my headlamp battery pack in it. I strap on my headlamp and then head out to
start my third lap.
Mile
59.7 1:25:24 (14:43 avg./mile) Gorge Overlook
Almost
as soon as I leave the aid station, I regret my decision to press on. I am walking slowly, leading runners are
lapping me at regular intervals, and other runners on the same lap as me are
getting past me as well. Some of them
have pacers at this point. My mom said
it was cooler out as the temperature has fallen all the way down to 82
degrees. I will learn later than it
actually topped out at 89. I slowly make
forward progress, but am decided that I will drop when I get to the aid
station. As darkness descends I turn on
my headlamp and continue now through the evening twilight. When I spot a place to cut off an out and
back portion I take it, making this section even shorter than it already
is. It is a very strategic decision
because after a short climb and left turn, the aid station is right in front of
me. I walk into the aid station, pull
off my ticket and hand it to the aid station captain. She asks if I want to sit before making my
decision final, but I have already cut the course. At first I don’t think my mom is here, but
then see that she is sitting in her car.
I am a little early, so that is reasonable. I tell her I am throwing in the towel, and I
climb into her car.
143 finishers
out of 194 starters
I am one of
51 people that course beat on this hot day.
After climbing into the car, we have to drive down to the covered bridge
to get my drop bag that is there that I never used. The road to the covered bridge is curvy and
slow. We make it there, and I manage not
to throw up. Then we have to go back to
Mohican Adventures to get the truck I drove to the start. After that, it is only 15 more minutes back
to our room at the lodge.
This
performance and race is rather disappointing.
While I would have preferred cooler weather, I thought I was ready to
manage it. Instead it got the better of
me. A day or two later, I realize that
Conquest might be a greater factor than I previously thought. Before I discovered Conquest the first
Hellgate 100k in 2003, I had failed to finish three 100-mile races (one at
Vermont and two at Mohican). For the
next 15 years while I had Conquest, I finished 10 and DNFs five 100-mile
races. I also finished Hellgate 17
times, and only dropped out of one 50k and one 50-miler. Since then my 100-mile finishing rate is
three finishes and four drops. I have
tried Infinit, Tailwind, Long Haul, and Heed.
None of these seem to work for me.
Unless someone finds an old canister of Conquest, my next trial will be
with LMNT.
My next race
is the Catoctin 50k on July 8. That
should be a nice hot, humid race to test an electrolyte mix. Then in August I am going back to the Twisted
Branch 100k where I dropped at mile 50 last year.
Never stop
running,
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