June
8
The day before at packet pickup
Over
the course of my ultrarunning “career”, I have toed the starting line of 25 100-mile
races. Today, I am toeing the starting
line of a 100-mile race for the 26th time. My finishing record in 100-mile races stands
at 13 finishes and 12 DNFs. So, today’s
race will determine whether I fall back to a 50% finishing rate, or whether I
stay over 50%. That fact aside, today’s
race is all about getting a qualifier for the Western States 100 lottery. Yes, there is a lottery as there are only 369
slots, and more than 7,000 runners qualify and want to run that race.
I
was last at this race two years ago, and I finished in 29:23. Brandon was crewing for me that year. This year, James is going to crew and pace
me. The plan is for him to begin pacing
me at mile 63. The forecast is mostly
good. It is supposed to stay cool,
topping out in the high 60s, but it is likely there will be rain. For now, the skies are mostly cloudy with a temperature
around 55 degrees.
Mile
5.1 56:11 (11:01 avg./mile) Tamarack
Ready for the start
At
the start, there is a moderate backup, but we mostly move forward at the
gun. Then we all settle in with the
large pack of runners. I strike up a conversation
with another runner, who is Scott from Seattle.
He met the race director when he ran Western last year and decided to
come out to Wisconsin for this one. He
got selected in the lottery with only two tickets, and he had never run a 100-miler
before Western. He qualified with only
100k races, one of which was Leona Divide.
The aid station comes up quickly, and I grab a PB&J wrap and a
blueberry donut hole. Crews aren’t
allowed here so I don’t get to see James.
Mile
7.4 31:57 (13:53 avg./mile) Bluff
After
the opening section, I make a concerted effort to keep my pace in a comfortable
place. Scott is around me, but I meet
another runner that looks like he has a good pace. Drew is from Indianapolis, and this is his
first 100-mile attempt. At least that is
what I remember, but now I cannot find any record of Drew in the results. There is a Drew from Milwaukee, but his
splits don’t line up with mine. Anyway,
I run with him for a couple of sections.
His stride is smooth and relaxed and easy to follow. I also chat with Jeff, who has some fans out
here. A couple of guys are running around
meeting him at several locations. Of
course, they can’t provide any aid outside of the stations, but they are there
to cheer for him. Jeff is from right
here in Whitewater, so it makes sense that he might have some local fans. He is wearing a Blue Angels hat, and we talk
about that for a mile or so. This aid
station doesn’t allow crews until after 6:30pm, so James is not at this stop. I grab a PB&J sandwich quarter, a little
pickle, and a small cup of pickle juice.
Mile
11.2 52:04 (13:42 avg./mile) North Tam
I
remain smooth, mostly following Drew for this section. There is a lady that I will leap frog for
most of the race around me as well. Her name
is Raquel, and we never have a conversation, but I picked up her name from her
race bib. There are times on this
section when the sun is peeking through the clouds, and this makes it feel like
it is warming up quickly. I wonder if
the forecast is going to be true or false.
I need the clouds for shade on the open prairie sections, but no rain
would be nice. This aid station sneaks
up on me as it is a new location. Previously,
the aid station was at Horse Riders, but now it is about a mile sooner.
Mile
15.5 56:05 (13:03 avg./mile) Natalie’s
This
section begins some of the open prairie portions of the course. The clouds have returned, and the sun is not
warming things up. I imagine the temperature
has climbed into the mid-60s, and while it is very humid, overall, the
conditions are pretty good. Since Alabama
has been in the 80s most of the month of May, this feels good to me. This aid station is another that doesn’t
allow crews, so I quickly scan the table and grab a bag of Smart Food
popcorn. I eat about half of it before
tossing it, and proceed forward.
Mile
19.5 59:09 (14:47 avg./mile) McMiller
There
is a husband and wife that have been around me most of the race so far. Her name is Mary, and his name is Brook. They are working together and mostly running
together. He has run one 100-mile race, and
this is her first 100-mile attempt. On
this section before we make the climb up to the aid station, there are a couple
of muddy places on the trail. As it hasn’t
started raining yet, I am surprised since the trail has been pretty dry. However, the ground across the prairie is
soft and moist in places. When I arrive
at the aid station, I get to see my crew for the first time since the start. James is ready for me with a grilled ham and
cheese. I eat most of it and wash it
down with some chocolate milk followed by CR02.
CR02 is my own concoction that doesn’t have any magnesium in it. I am not sure if magnesium causes me
problems, but a drink that I loved (but is no longer made) didn’t have any in
it.
Mile
23.8 58:22 (13:34 avg./mile) Wilton
Road
Coming
down from McMiller, I get a little boost in my pace. I haven’t seen Drew anymore, but I continue
to leap frog with Brook/Mary and Raquel.
I feel good so far, but I am running conservatively to keep everything
in check for the latter portions of the race.
My goal is to finish, and it would be nice to do so with a couple of
hours to spare. Approaching this aid
station, there is a volunteer with a bullhorn welcoming us runners. I grab another pickle, and small cup of
pickle juice, and eat a PB&J sandwich quarter.
Mile
27.1 49:02 (14:52 avg./mile) Highway 67
 |
| Coming into Highway 67 aid station |
I
settle back into my 14-minute per mile pace as I make my way across the
prairie. The clouds are hanging around,
and it looks like it could start raining soon.
The prairie does not have any steep climbs, so I adopt a run walk strategy
for these portions. I will run for up to
10 minutes and then take a walking break of a few minutes. I get into this aid station with damp feet
from the moist ground, but I don’t want to change shoes yet with the impending
rain. So, I opt to just change
socks. It is a good call as my shoes are
just damp, and the dry socks feel really good.
I have a minor hot spot off the outside back of my left heel. I drink some CR02 and take half of a cheese
bagel to eat as I walk out of the aid station.
Mile
29.4 33:10 (14:25 avg./mile) County
Road ZZ
This
short section is uneventful with the last of the prairies before we get to the loop
at the north end of the course. I am
rocking the fresh socks, and I continue with my smooth pace. I haven’t seen Drew or Scott since before McMiller
so I am not pacing off of anyone else now.
James sees me again at this aid station, and I drink some more chocolate
milk and eat another half of a cheese bagel.
I hadn’t tried a cheese bagel before for an ultra, but they looked good
when we were shopping yesterday, so I grabbed them. So far, they were a good call.
Mile
34.5 1:22:10 (16:07 avg./mile) County
Road ZZ
This
is the Scuppernong loop, which has plenty of pointless ups and downs. Of course, that is true for most of this
race, but it is doubly true in this section.
I stay ahead of Brook/Mary, but see Raquel a couple of times. During this section at 1:00pm, the 50k
runners start at Scuppernong. They do a
small loop before heading south. I meet
many of them, and then several of them come back by me. The 100k runners started an hour behind the
100-mile runners, and several of them have passed me. So, this is the point where this race becomes
a three-ring circus with the different distances all running at the same time. As I finish up this section, the rain finally
arrives. Now the question is how hard
and long is it going to rain. When I get
to the aid station, James has the umbrella out, and I sit and eat a hash brown
and some Ramen.
Mile 36.8 28:50 (12:32 avg./mile) Highway 67
With only 2.3 miles on this section, it is always a question as to whether my crew can make it before I do. No worry this year as James is waiting on me. With the rain and the psychological plus of running back to the start, I pick up the pace a little. I quickly grab another cheese bagel half after drinking a little CR02.
Mile 40.1 45:27 (13:46 avg./mile) Wilton Road
Leaving Highway 67, I keep pace with Andrea, who is from San Diego. She is a nurse and has some family (including a nephew) out here cheering for her. She is wearing a turtle shell on her back as her nephew is a big Teenage Ninja Turtle fan. I ask her if she has ever run the San Diego 100, and she has not. I mentioned it because Scott Mills is the race director. With the rain, the mud on the prairie is starting to get slick. I make decent time on this section. I grab a bag of Doritos as I press forward to get to the next aid station where I will see James again.
Mile 44.4 1:18:11 (18:11 avg./mile) McMiller
The mud on the prairie is now officially slick. The rain plus all of the other runners has really turned the course into a mess. I stay upright, but slow my pace as the rain continues to fall. As I begin the climb up to the aid station, I mention to another runner that it would be great if the rain ended soon—like before I get to the aid station. The rain was forecast to end by late afternoon, but forecasts seem to only be correct half of the time. However, right on cue, the rain tapers off and ends about 10 minutes before I get to the aid station. My shoes are completely muddy with mud throughout my socks. I change my shoes and socks and wipe the mud from my feet as best as I can. I also change out my wet shirt and buff. I consume most of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that James has expertly cooked for me. Brook and Mary are in the aid station at the same time as me, and they are helping each other get their shoes and gear as they don’t have a crew. I leave the aid station before them, hoping that the rain is indeed finished.
Mile 48.4 1:05:00 (16:15 avg./mile) Natalie’s
The rain has ended, but the prairie is still slick and muddy. I keep my feet mostly dry, but the mud begins to ooze into the shoes. I trade spots with Andrea once more on this section as she is feeling good. I like this pace for now, but I don’t want to slow down more. At this aid station, I grab another bag of Smart Food popcorn and eat about half of it.
Mile
52.7 1:12:33 (16:22 avg./mile) North
Tam
At this point, the prairie is all behind me, so the damage from the mud is done. Brook and Mary come by me on this section looking like they are on a mission. I hadn’t seen them since McMiller, but it is good to see they are doing well. I catch up to a 50k runner, Shane on this section as well, and we chat for a bit. She says she should have run the 100k, so the 50k is within her range. After she finishes her 50k race, she plans to work the aid station through the night at Duffin Road. I pass through horse riders where the aid station used to be thinking that the new aid station location wasn’t too much past it. However, it is a full mile further, and I get into this aid station looking for some real food. Fortunately, there are some meatballs that are lukewarm. They are okay, and I eat a few of them.
Mile
56.5 1:22:21 (21:40 avg./mile) Bluff
Before leaving McMiller, James joked with me about
taking a light with me
Consuming calories
because in 2021 when it was very hot, I didn’t take one
with me, and I had to run the last 30 minutes in the dark without a light. This year, without any high heat, I am a
couple of hours ahead of that pace. Even
so, the sun is getting low in the sky as I make my way up to the bluff and
start my way down the other side to the aid station. The trail is fairly technical coming down the
bluff so it is good to do it in the daylight.
At the aid station, they have real food, hot and ready. James has a bowl of Ramen for me, but when I
hear there are barbeque sliders, I indulge in one. I eat about half of the bowl of Ramen, and
then I change my shoes again, just 12 miles since the last time. I have this pair I am putting on and one more
pair in my drop bag at Hwy 12. Given
that I am done with the prairie sections, I think I can keep my feet clean and
dry the rest of the way.
Mile 58.8 48:53 (21:15 avg./mile) Tamarack
I take my small headlamp with me leaving the Bluff aid station. At first, it will not turn on, and I have to fiddle with the batteries and tap it several times before it will come on. I have had this problem before, but it is almost always reliable when I run with it in the predawn mornings. As the sun sets, I am definitely fading. I wanted to wait until Nordic before I started taking any caffeine, but I need to turn around this slowdown. As I approach the aid station, I take my first caffeine pill. At the aid station, I eat a grilled cheese sandwich quarter from the aid station.
Mile 63.9 1:38:38 (19:20 avg./mile) Nordic
The caffeine kicks in, and I pick up my pace quite a bit actually. This section has the steepest of the pointless ups and downs of the entire race, and I press up and down them. When I get to the start/finish, I head straight for the outhouse. I am mildly successful, and then I sit down to eat my last grilled ham and cheese. I trade out my Camelbak for a full one and put a long-sleeve shirt on as it is cooling down and after 10pm. James is going to load everything into the car and then catch up to me. As I start to step away, I reach up to turn on my headlamp and realize that I didn’t get it from James. So, I call him back and get my good headlamp with the remote battery connection. Now, I am ready to get through the night.
Mile 69.0 1:26:23 (16:56 avg./mile) Tamarack
It is key to leave Nordic motivated in order to displace any thoughts of stopping and settling for a 100k. I also make a little game of it to see how far I can go before James catches up to me; I don’t think I made it a mile. I have paced James at several races, most recently at the Southern States 200. And, I have not used a pacer at a 100-miler since 2009. However, since James and I know each other really well, I figured it would be beneficial to have him pace me. The only issue is whether we still have stories to tell each other that we haven’t heard before. We roll into Tamarack in great shape. I grab another grilled cheese sandwich quarter.
Mile 71.3 1:02:07 (27:00 avg./mile) Bluff
I am not sure what all went wrong on this section, but I began to be tired and somewhat nauseous. I am struggling, but still moving forward. James is very patient with me. I don’t remember what I got to eat here, but I had James find a couple of Tums for me. I take these, and they seemed to help some.
Mile 73.8 1:01:53 (24:45 avg./mile) Duffin Road
James is leading the way and is telling me stories from high school. They are interesting, but I am struggling just to walk with purpose in a straight line. At some point on this section, I take another caffeine pill, but it doesn’t have much of an effect. At this aid station, I drink a small cup of Coke and eat some crackers.
Mile 77.9 1:54:33 (27:56 avg./mile) Highway 12
The struggle continues on this section. At some point, James realizes that he needs me to tell some stories as I move better when I am talking. Raquel passes me on this section, and I know I am moving slowly. We get into the aid station, and I visit the porta john with good success. I put on a hat and gloves from my drop bag. Since I am not moving quickly and the temperature is dipping into the lower 50s, I am getting quite chilly. I drink another Coke in the hopes that it will help my stomach.
Mile 82.2 1:46:19 (24:43 avg./mile) Rice Lake
At some point on this section, James and I switch places so that I am leading. And, I continue to tell my stories from high school. It seems that my high school football stories are the best for me. As first light begins to appear in the sky, I begin to rally. I start running some of the downhills, and we roll into the southern turnaround point in full daylight, but I am starting to feel much better. One more trip to the porta john, and we begin the trek back north to the finish. The clock says I have 6 hours and 10 minutes to finish the last 18+ miles. Three miles per hour will get it done.
Mile 86.5 1:23:00 (19:18 avg./mile) Highway 12
This section is more uphill than down, and the trail is moderately technical. It doesn’t matter as I have my eye on the goal—3 mph. I stay in front and keep my feet moving. At the aid station, I drop off the shirt, hat, and gloves. I had taken the hat and gloves off on the way to Rice Lake. I drink another Coke and get another PB&J sandwich quarter.
Mile 90.6 1:22:23 (20:06 avg./mile) Duffin Road
Maintaining a 20-minute per mile pace is all that matters at this point. We pass one runner on this section, and another runner passes us. The runner that passed us was running with another guy, but his friend dropped out at Rice Lake. So, he is making better time without his friend. At the aid station, Shane is here as she said she would be. I was too far out of it to notice her when I came through in the middle of the night. There are pancakes available, and I am asked if I want syrup on them. No thank you, just slather them with butter. And, then the volunteers brag that they are vegan pancakes. Give it to me dry, and I will choke one down. I drink another Coke and then spy some Doritos on the table. I eat a bag of them before we press forward.
Mile 93.1 46:43 (18:41 avg./mile) Bluff
I am rolling along at a good clip. We pass a couple of runners on this section, and that is always motivating in my thinking. It means I can’t be moving too slowly. Unfortunately, it also means that the people we pass are not likely to finish. We hustle down the hill into the aid station, and it is starting to get warm. My first request is for a chair in the shade. The very nice lady volunteering at the aid station moves a chair into the shade for me. Then she starts asking me what I want to eat. Unfortunately, they don’t have the barbeque sliders that they had last night. Instead, she brings over a pig in a blanket (a little wiener wrapped in a pastry of some sort). James grabs a bottle of mustard, and I wolf down two of these things. I decline the nice lady’s offer for one more, finish off my cup of Coke, and we are off for the last 7.4 miles.
Mile 95.4 47:10 (20:30 avg./mile) Tamarack
On this section, we play leap frog with another
runner twice. He is trotting both up and
down hills, and I am only running the downhills. So, he passes me going up a hill, and I pass
him back on the way down the other side.
As we near the aid station, James first asks for a chair to be put in
the shade. The temperature isn’t too
warm, but the sky is clear, and mid-70s feels pretty warm after running for 28
hours. I eat one grilled cheese sandwich
quarter and wash it down with a cup of Coke.
One of the pointless ups
Mile
100.5 1:24:52 (16:38 avg./mile)
FINISH—Nordic
James’ GPS shows that the previous section is slightly long, and this section is slightly shorter than advertised. Either way, I am powering up the hills and still running quickly down the other side. It is getting nicely warm, and I am looking for the finish. It cannot come soon enough. Eventually, it comes into view, and I manage to look good running across the finish line.
Official
Finishing Time 29:33:26
145th
out of 209 starters (151 finishers under 30 hours)
I was seriously
hoping to run this race faster than this, but in the end, I am glad that I
persevered. A few runners finish after
me, and it is a great atmosphere at the finish line. The race director puts on a high-quality race
that is extremely well organized. I sit
at the finish line watching a few other runners finish and try to eat a
hamburger. I was eating it nice and
slowly, and then the wind flipped my plate over and the hamburger met the
ground. I guess I didn’t need to eat it
all.
My next race is
not until the end of August at the Twisted Branch 100k. What will the weather deliver for that race
in upstate New York? Time will tell;
stay tuned. Until then…
Never stop
running,
