Twisted Branch 100k 2023 - Near Perfect Weather

August 19

Last year I attempted this race for the first time.  The weather was warm, and I wasn’t prepared, mentally or physically, for the steep climbs and descents.  My buddy, James, ran the race as well and finished in 13 hours and change.  Unfortunately, I dropped

Ready to go

out at 50 miles.  My stomach had gone south after mile 29, and I was truly struggling on the climbs.

This year, I am considerably more prepared.  Peter is back with me to crew again, and I have done extensive climbing in the heat to prepare for this event.  Three weeks ago, I ran the Priest and Three Ridges in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with the temperature topping out at 95 degrees.  The other change for this race is that I am trying out a new electrolyte drink.  After trying most of the products on the market since I ran out of my supply of Conquest, I am now mixing my own.  This will be the first race I am trying this, but I have been using it for the past couple of months.

Today’s weather starts with temperatures in the mid-50s with strong winds.  It is rather chilly with the wind-chill probably in the 40s.  I bear the coolness, starting the race with just a short-sleeve shirt, shorts, and a buff on my head.  After a scare with my headlamp not turning on, I roll the batteries and get the thing to turn on.  It is just after 4am when the race director gives the start command, and 191 of us are off and running!

Mile 6.2      1:29:26 (14:25 avg./mile) Cutler, 141^st place

I run this first section in the dark following along with many other runners, who are just settling in for this long day.  The cut-off is 20 hours so we have to finish before midnight.  About four miles into the race, I stop to take a leak.  When I resume running, I am by myself, and it is very dark without any other runners and their lights.  I quickly catch back up to the tail of a line of runners and then we are to this first aid station.  There is only water and drinks so I pass right through after ensuring my number is recorded.

Sunrise!

Mile 12.6    1:27:51 (13:44 avg./mile) Naples Creek, 139^th place

Coming into Naples Creek

After the aid station, the course follows a road for a mile or two.  As I am running down the road, I hear another runner in the morning twilight talking about finishing last year in 19 hours and change with his daughter pacing him the last 20+ miles.  At this point, this sounds a lot like the guy I ran with quite a bit.  Sure enough it is John Rynders, a guy that I ran with most of the race last year.  He says his daughter will not be out to pace him this year, but he is aiming to finish about an hour faster this year.  We make our way back onto the single track, up and down a few small hills, and then begin the drop into Naples.  So far, so good, and I am within three minutes of my time from last year.  I find Peter waiting and ready for me, drink some chocolate milk, trade out my Camelbak for a full one, and take a croissant to eat on the trail.

Mile 16.7    1:19:49 (19:28 avg./mile) The Sneaker, 149^h place

Leaving Naples Creek begins the steepest, toughest, and longest climb of the course.  It starts with some reasonable switchbacks before the switchbacks end and the trail proceeds straight up the mountain beside a gulch.  It seems like the makers of this trail don’t really believe in switchbacks.  A climb will start with a few, but then toss the idea of switchbacks to the side like an old t-shirt.  On this section, I meet a lady running her first ultra.  Her name is Jackie, and she is from Pittsburgh, but now lives in Colorado Springs.  She is a good climber, but I usually get ahead of her on the descents, but we stick together for most of this section.  Meanwhile, John leaves us behind on the climb to the no-crew aid station.  My time was slow on this section, and I lost some places, but I am satisfied with how I feel so far.

Mile 21.1    1:00:20 (13:43 avg./mile) Italy Valley, 150^th place

Jackie and I make our way along the trail, and she learns about my ultra-history.  I introduce her to each runner we encounter along the way making sure that I mention that she decided to pick a nice, smooth, easy race for her first ultra (not!).  There is a fair bit of road on this section, and I am able to make very good time.  I lose Jackie on the last descent to the aid station.  I grab some potato chips at the aid station as they don’t have any PB&J sandwich quarters.

Mile 27.8    1:46:29 (15:54 avg./mile) The Lab, 147^th place

This section starts with a long climb, but fortunately it isn’t too steep.  Jackie catches back up to me before the climb ends, and we stick together for the rest of the section.  At some point on a road portion, there is a person in a blow-up dinosaur suit.  They were here last year, and I guess a little humor doesn’t hurt even though I am not sure why they come out in that outfit to cheer us on.  The weather is just perfect.  There isn’t a cloud in the sky and the breeze is steady and cool.  It feels like I am missing a college football game somewhere.  I get into the aid station, and Peter is waiting for me with a grilled egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich.  I eat about 80% of it and wash it down with my new drink that I am calling CR02.  I am slightly ahead of last year’s pace to this aid station, but the course is apparently a little shorter to this point.  The course changes slightly each year based on the availability of the private lands that some of the course uses.  Last year at this point, it was getting quite warm, and I took off my shirt at this aid station.  This year, I think it is still in the 60s so the shirt stays on for now.

Coming into The Lab

Mile 34.2    1:47:30 (16:48 avg./mile) Patch, 143^rd place

I find myself alone for the start of this section.  I am not sure if Jackie is ahead or behind me.  I am still running conservatively as I know there are plenty of tough climbs and sections come.  Also, I am not quite yet to halfway, although I am approaching it quickly.  About halfway through this section, I catch up to Jackie.  She stays with me for a little bit, but then I gap her on a downhill.  This is the last time I will see her in this race.  I am still feeling good as I get into this no-crew aid station.  I am looking for something to eat and grab some more potato chips.  They had some candy and such, but nothing more than that.  I have picked up a few places, and I am now nine minutes ahead of my pace from last year.  At this point last year, my stomach was heading south quickly at this point.

Mile 38.8    1:17:12 (16:47 avg./mile) Bud Valley, 136^th place

I leave the Patch feeling good even if I am a little hungry.  My pace is remaining smooth and steady while I start to catch and pass other runners.  There is another paved road section that is gently downhill for the better part of a mile.  I catch up to a couple that lives in New York City, but are originally from Poland.  Their names are Marcin and Joanna.  I talk with them a little bit as we are working hard up another steep climb.  After besting that climb, we descend quite a bit to the aid station.  Last year, I walked down the hill, but this year I am rolling along nicely.  Peter is again ready for me, this time with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  Well, actually it is more toasted as he made the sandwich three hours ago in the house we are renting for the weekend.  In order to keep it from getting soggy, he didn’t grill it with butter and didn’t wrap it.  It is still edible, and I eat about three-quarters of it while washing it down with chocolate milk.  I trade out my Camelbak, change my shoes and socks, and forget to drink some CR02.

Mile 45.9    1:58:59 (16:45 avg./mile) Glenbrook, ? place

This section is the first place that runners can pick up a pacer.  So, many runners with their fresh pacer pass me initially.  After a couple of miles, I pass all of them back as their excitement of running with their pacer fades.  This section starts with a stupid climb up a dried up creek bed.  There is a jeep trail offset from the trail by about 20-30 yards, but I guess we need to struggle with the rocks and uneven footing in the creek bed.  When Peter gave me my fresh Camelbak, he comments that it is damp, but he thinks it is just from condensation as he says he checked to ensure the lid on the bladder isn’t leaking.  Unfortunately, I think there is a slow leak as it is dripping continually down onto my shorts, which are now drenched.  This section would be quicker, but there is a long portion in a low area that makes its way across several creek crossings with uneven footing.  About a mile and a half from the aid station I catch up to John for the first time in hours.  He has a pacer with them, and they are making good time power hiking.  But, I am making better time as I am running the flats and downhills.  There will be plenty of time to run hard later I am sure.  I have been taking a salt tablet every four hours as the weather is relatively cool.  Thus, I am just taking my third salt tablet about 30 minutes before I get to this aid station.  I also drain my Camelbak just before I get to the aid station, confirming that it was leaking.  Peter is ready for me with a full, dry Camelbak, and I take a croissant washing it down with several ounces of CR02.  As I am leaving Peter asks me twice if I want my headlamp, but I am confident I will see him again before darkness.

Mile 50.7    1:42:16 (21:18 avg./mile) Lake David, 120^th place

My thinking on not taking the headlamp was that it was only 10 miles to when I will see Peter again.  However, upon further review, it is actually 12.5 miles.  I still feel reasonably sure that I will make it to Urbana before darkness sets in as it is 4:07pm.  That gives me over four hours to traverse the distance.  Soon after departing Glenbrook, I catch up to Dave Sayers.  He is having a rough time, and I slow down to chat with him a bit.  He said he started out running with one of the top three women for the first 19 miles.  Then he slowed down and began throwing up, which he says has continued until now.  Dave is trying to qualify for the Western State 100 lottery, but he doesn’t know much about the lottery, so I fill him in on the details.  I still run the downhills, but keep a steady pace and walk the flats (and uphill sections, of course).  Dave and I stay together most of this section until the course makes the final downhill portion before a stupid steep uphill trek that figuratively killed me last year.  I gap Dave on the downhill, leaving him with a few other runners that had caught up to the back of our train.  When I get the road crossing, there are two runners coming back towards me on the road as they missed picking up the trail on the other side of the road.  I power into the stupid steep climb, topping it in about 10 minutes.  Then it is a nice loop around the lake to the aid station.  I eat a dried out cheese quesadilla at this no-crew aid station and top off my Camelbak.

Mile 55.9    1:51:03 (21:21 avg./mile) Mitchellsville, 124^th place

Leaving the aid station, there are a handful of runners in my vicinity.  Before too long, Dave catches back up to me.  I wasn’t expecting any more tough climbs until the last section, but there are two more stupid steep climbs on this section.  Neither is very long, but these things are getting rather old.  Dave is ahead of me when we begin a stupid steep descent leading to the aid station.  About two-thirds the way down the hill, there is a runner walking down backwards using a stick as a hiking pole.  Three or four of the runners in front of me, including Dave, stop to ask the guy if he needs help.  I pass right on by as I hear him say his IT band has flared up.  There isn’t anything we can do for him, and he is less than a quarter of a mile from the aid station.  I get into this no-crew aid station and sit down.  I decide to start with a cup of Coke and a couple of small potatoes.  I eat the first one, but then one of the aid station workers offers me a chocolate chip muffin.  I toss the second potato, gobble down the muffin, and then rise from the chair to go finish this race.

Mile 58.4    0:51:00 (20:24 avg./mile) Urbana, 125^th place

Sitting for a few minutes gives me a slight chill, but the chill fades quickly as I start moving.  The sun is setting and I have to make these next 2.5 miles quickly before darkness descends completely.  This section is mostly downhill on mostly smooth trail, although there are some roots on the trail, and most of the way there is a deep canyon to the left.  One good trip on a root could send a runner careening in the wrong direction!  After exiting from the trees, the course traverses a vineyard and then enters the town of Urbana.  It is mostly dark as I make my way into town, but I find Peter waiting on me at the aid station.  It is 8:30pm, and it is pretty dark.  I guess New York is nearer the east side of the Eastern Time zone than the west.  I drink plenty of CR02 and eat another croissant, while I get a full Camelbak and get my headlamp rigged up.

The last mountain to climb in the background

Mile 64.0    2:16:33 (24:23 avg./mile) FINISH

Beginning the climb, I catch up with Kim who is from Wisconsin.  She has her whole family out here crewing for her—husband, son, and daughter.  We had seen each other at various times today, but had never had a chance to talk.  As she is comfortable following my lead in the dark, we stay together for the majority of the climb.  When we get on top and begin a series of PUDs (Pointless Ups and Downs), Marcin and Joanna catch up to us.  They are content to stay behind us for a while, but then ask to pass.  When they pass, Kim decides to tag along with them, and I am left to stumble through the darkness by myself.  I don’t mind being by myself in the dark, but I do consider taking a caffeine pill that would give me more pep to probably keep up with the three in front of me.  However, I decide not to as my stomach isn’t feeling great, and I don’t see much purpose.  I am going to finish under 19 hours, and it doesn’t really matter to me if it is 10 minutes quicker.  Finally, I reach a dirt road that goes downhill that I think is going to lead me to the finish, but after less than a mile the course turns back onto a single-track trail.  And, this section is the most technical part of the race.  It is rocky and muddy, and there are more than one mostly dry creek beds that have to be traversed.  All of this time, we can see the finish area down below us!  Finally, I get to the last couple of switchbacks that then lead to the road crossing.  On the other side of the road is the finish after we run a wide loop through a grass field.

131^st out of 191 starters (158 finishers under 20 hours)

In case anyone reading this is wondering, this race is hard.  With near perfect weather this year, it was still a hard race that wore me out with the plethora of stupid steep climbs.  I was well prepared for the race this year after dropping out at mile 50 last year, but there were still some surprise stupid steep climbs that I wasn’t expecting.  I am nicely satisfied with my time.  Finishing this race in under 20 hours is a Western States qualifier.  I already had a qualifier from Hellgate last year, but I still feel good about finishing this one with over an hour to spare.  My next race is The Stump Jump 50k in Chattanooga on October 7.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin