Kettle Moraine 100 Miler - Dry Track, Warm Weather

 June 14

For the sixth time, I am in Wisconsin to run the Kettle Moraine 100 miler.  I dropped in 2010, 2018, and 2021.  I have finished in 2022 and 2024.  So, this year’s race will determine if I get my finishing rate to 50%.  Overall, my 100-mile race finishing stats are 14 finishes and 12 drops.

James is with me again this year to crew and pace me.  The plan is for him to start pacing me at mile 64.  The weather forecast has now settled on decent weather with no rain and a high temperature in the mid to high 70s.  A week ago it looked like it was going to be a rain event, but now it looks like the trails will be dry.

I start with a short-sleeve shirt and a buff for my head.  I have slathered sunscreen on my upper torso for when I decide to take off the shirt.  I feel good, and my training has gone well the past two months.

Ready for the Start

Mile 5.1      53:18 (10:27 avg./mile) Tamarack

I have decided to try to gently push the pace.  My legs feel fresh and springy like they should be well tapered for a 100-mile race.  I don’t have any extended conversations with anyone during this section.  The weather so far is overcast with temperatures in the high 50s.  I feel like it could be a fast day for me.  I drink a cup of water at the aid station.  Note, this is not a cup-less race so I don’t need to carry my own cup.

Mile 7.4      30:27 (13:14 avg./mile) Bluff

I settle into my pace nicely after the first quick section.  On this section I talk with Katherine from NC who is also 56 years old.  On the outbound leg, crews cannot come to this aid station as parking is rather limited.  Later this evening, crews will be allowed, but not this first time.  I grab a PB&J sandwich quarter and move on up the trail.

Mile 11.2    48:44 (12:49 avg./mile) North Tam

I pass through the last aid station much quicker than Katherine so I find myself around other runners.  One of them lives in central Ohio, so we have plenty to chat about.  After a couple of miles, I let her press on ahead as the sun has now burnt off the clouds, and the temperature is rising.  At this aid station, I grab a couple of cookies to eat.  

Mile 15.5    54:25 (12:39 avg./mile) Natalie’s

Katherine catches back up to me early in this section.  We run together for a mile or so before I let her go on ahead.  I am still running pretty quickly, and I don’t need to run any faster.  This aid station is run by a lady named Natalie, and her family helps her run it.  It is interesting to see how her kids are growing up.  I grab a handful of potato chips at this aid station and douse my head with cold water from an ice bucket with a sponge.

Mile 19.5    59:07 (14:47 avg./mile) McMiller

I think McMiller is at the highest point on the course and the climb up to the aid station slows my pace somewhat.  All of the morning clouds are gone, and the sun is really warming up the temperature.  So far, there is a light breeze, so I don’t feel too warm yet.  On this section I talk with Shane who is from Indiana and attempting to run his first 100 miler.  Last year, he said he ran the 50-mile race at Mohican and said that was hard.  I hope he is better prepared for this race and distance.  At the aid station, I get to see my crew for the first time since the start.  James is ready and waiting for me with a grilled egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich.  I eat the whole thing, which is unusual for me these days, and wash it down with a cup of chocolate milk and a few swigs of CR02.  CR02 is my homemade electrolyte drink that I have been using for the past two years.  With the rising temperatures, I decide to remove my shirt, but I stay with the buff for now and don’t go to the Iced Cap.

Mile 23.8    58:00 (13:29 avg./mile) Wilton Road

Initially taking my sweating shirt off feels really good.  The light breeze feels very nice on my exposed back and chest.  As I start across the prairie section, though, the sun is heating up the atmosphere and all of the ground water.  It doesn’t feel too warm yet, so I continue to maintain my nice and quick pace.  I just drink a cup of water as it feels like the sandwich I ate an hour ago is still in my stomach.

Mile 27.1    46:12 (14:00 avg./mile) Highway 67

I maintain my steady effort, but I am running conservatively in order to keep my core temperature from rising too much.  I am sweating quite a bit and drinking water every time I take a walk break.  I estimate the temperature is now in the 70s so it is going to be warm for many hours as it is not yet Noon.  I still feel good, and I like my pace at this point.  I just need to continue to run 15 minutes a mile or better until the sun goes down.  I take off the buff and put on the Iced Cap.  The aid station has plenty of ice, and James and an aid station volunteer pack my hat full.

Mile 29.4    34:54 (15:10 avg./mile) County Road ZZ

The immediate feeling with a head packed with ice is brain freeze!  Then I usually feel cool.  I guess I felt a little cooler, but not too much.  On this section, I banged my sore left toe not once but twice.  This hurt of course, but not as bad as it did last year when I would bang that toe.  I originally hurt my big left toe over two years ago, and it is still letting me know about it.  When I get to this aid station, James is just hanging out expecting that he missed seeing me.  I eat some potato chips and get my Iced Cap refilled before starting the Scuppernong loop.

Mile 34.5    1:31:52 (18:01 avg./mile) County Road ZZ

This loop comes right back to the same point so the elevation change is zero.  However, it feels like 70% of this section is uphill.  Now before you think that it is all in my head, it could be.  It is just a matter of the downhill sections being steeper and shorter than the gradual uphill portions.  I don’t know if this is true or not, but I mentioned it to a few other runners, and none of them disputed my view.  The good part is that starting in 2021 when the McMiller section was added, we only have to run this loop once.  Previously, it was run counter-clockwise and then back the other direction clockwise.  It is officially very warm—I won’t say hot because it is still in the 70s, but given the cool, wet spring that most of the eastern half of the US has experienced this year, this is quite warm.  I think I only got one good day of heat acclimation and that was only a week ago.  Thus, my pace is definitely slowing.  It is usually slower on this tough loop anyway so hopefully I can pick things back up heading back south.  At this aid station, James has some Ramen and a hash brown for me.  I eat the hash brown and about three spoonsful of the Ramen.  Then I get my Iced Cap refilled before heading out of the aid station.

Mile 36.8    34:14 (14:53 avg./mile) Highway 67

This section is more downhill than up going this direction, and I am able to run it 40 seconds faster.  This gets me back under 15-minute miles so perhaps I can hang on through the afternoon heat.  I get half of a bagel at this aid station and of course get the Iced Cap repacked.  Everyone has never seen an Iced Cap before, and they marvel at the design.  I saw these on the Western States livestream last year and ordered one.

Mile 40.1    57:07 (17:18 avg./mile) Wilton Road

Across the heart of the prairie, I am content to let the pace slow some.  I don’t feel overly hot, but I have lost a ton of fluids.  I have been drinking water liberally from my Camelbak and have refilled it several times.  I have also been taking an S-Cap every few hours.  In between S-Caps, I take a couple of antacid tablets.  At this aid station, I get four or five club crackers to eat as my stomach is not great.  The Iced Cap is again refilled, and I press on to the next aid station where I can see James again.

Mile 44.4    1:23:41 (19:28 avg./mile) McMiller

The climb back up to McMiller is tough, but I am happy to keep my pace under 20-minute miles.  Now I just need to wait to make back a little time once the sun starts going down.  I make a point of drinking a lot of water on this section, draining my Camelbak just as I am getting to the aid station.  I sit down and eat about half of the grilled ham and cheese sandwich that James has made.  It is good, but I don’t want to push my stomach.  Even though it is almost 5pm, I leave the shirt off and get the Iced Cap refilled once more.

Mile 48.4    1:19:30 (19:52 avg./mile) Natalie’s

I make slow and steady progress across the last prairie sections.  Coming down from McMiller I was hoping to make better time, but the culmination of the heat is taking its toll on me.  I grab a few more club crackers at this aid station after getting my Iced Cap refilled.

Mile 52.7    1:29:02 (20:42 avg./mile) North Tam

My slow and steady progress continues, albeit at an even slower pace.  I am leapfrogging with a couple of other runners who are struggling as well.  They start quickly from an aid station thus passing me, but then I have been repassing them later in the section.  As I near the horseriders parking lot, two volunteers are coming towards me on the trail.  They ask if I just left the aid station, and I tell them no it is the other side of the parking lot.  Actually, it is about a mile on the other side of the parking lot.  They hang with me for a few minutes before we get to the parking area where their car is.  They are supposed to go to North Tam to pick up a few runners that have dropped out of the race.  When I finally get to the aid station myself, I sit down and eat a bag of Doritos.  My thinking is that I need to keep eating, and I am ready to pick up the pace a little as it is starting to cool down slightly.

Mile 56.5    1:21:45 (21:31 avg./mile) Bluff

When I leave North Tam, I am moving slow and I know I need to pick back up the pace a little.  My original goal was to get back to Nordic and mile 64 before 10pm.  Now, my goal is to get there before 11pm, which will give me about an hour buffer on the cut-offs.  Given this, I decide to go to the whip—a caffeine pill to give me a little boost.  The caffeine does the trick (or at least it felt like it did) as I pass a few other runners.  I make it into Bluff just as dusk is falling.  James is ready for me with another bowl of Ramen and a hash brown.  I sit down and eat about half of the hash brown, and I don’t think I even touched the Ramen.  There is other good food at this aid station, but I can’t stomach any of it.  I trade out my Camelbak for a full one, put a shirt back on, and strap on a headlamp.  I also trade out the Iced Cap for a buff.  The time is now 9pm, and I need to make great time to cover the 7.4 miles back to Nordic if I am to get there around 11pm.  James reminds me that the cut-off isn’t until 12:30am, but that cut-off is very generous.  I need to be at or really close to 11pm if I have any chance to finish under 30 hours.

Mile 58.8    59:32 (25:53 avg./mile) Tamarack

I feel like a dead man walking at this point.  I can still shuffle the down hills, but obviously I am moving rather slowly.  There are dozens of runners coming towards me heading outbound for the last 36+ miles.  When I finally get to this aid station, I grab a cup of Coke and a few more club crackers.  While I haven’t thrown up, I know I cannot push the pace hard.  The time on this section basically seals my fate, but I cannot drop here as this is a non-crewed aid station.  So, onward I trudge.

Mile 63.9    1:53:56 (22:20 avg./mile) Nordic

The last five miles are a slog, but as the clock nears midnight, I know that I will be dropping out.  A few of the slow 50k runners that I passed earlier are now passing me back, and they are walking as well!  My overall time reads 17:55 when I get to Nordic.  I tell James and the race officials that I am dropping, but first they give me a 100k finisher belt buckle since I made it this far.

While I didn’t get any real heat training in for this race, I thought with the temperatures remaining below 80 that I could get it done.  Obviously, on this day, I could not.  The two times I have finished this race were both over 29 hours, so there really was not any time to spare.  Also, the forecast for tomorrow is a high of 82 degrees.  Last year, when it was in the mid 70s on Sunday morning, it felt extremely hot to both me and James as we made our way over the last couple of miles.  So, I will chalk this race up to needing more heat training and begin working on that as my next race is the Twisted Branch 100k in upstate New York in August.  I will need to finish that one for my qualifier for the Western States lottery in December.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Bull Run Run 50 Miler - A Father and Son Event, part 2

April 5

Last year, my son, Nathan, and I ran a majority of the race together.  He finished his first 50-mile race, and I was able to come in ahead of him.  Last year the temperature was very nice in the mid-50s.  This year, the forecast says it will be warm and humid with the temperature climbing into the high-70s, but the chance of rain is low so the trail should be mostly mud free.

Mile 7.2      1:24:15 (11:42 avg./mile) Centreville Road

The race starts, and I set out on a brisk pace.  The temperature is close to 60 degrees with near 100 percent humidity.  Before the clouds thin out and the temperature rises, I plan to run quickly to make hay while the sun isn’t shining.  Nathan hangs back a little, and I wonder if he will catch back up to me.  My legs feel very good so far, and I begin thinking if this is going to be a great day.  It probably won’t because of the warm temperatures, but so far, I feel great.  No worries about Nathan as he catches up to me as we approach the first aid station.  We are about six minutes slower on this section.  I guess it isn’t going to be a personal record setting day!  I grab a PB&J sandwich quarter and hurry through the aid station with Nathan right behind me.

Mile 9.7      26:34 (10:38 avg./mile) Bluebell Loop

Nathan and I run this section together with me in the lead.  The bluebells are in full bloom!  The fields of bluebells are extraordinary.  The field of runners this year seems very quiet compared to some previous years.  The overcast skies may be contributing to this, but I am not sure.  We get to the aid station, and I click my watch as we say hi to the volunteers as we don’t even break stride.

Mile 12.5    29:53 (10:40 avg./mile) Centreville Road

I let Nathan take the lead for this section, and we continue to roll along at a nice comfortable pace.  Unlike last year, we didn’t have to get our feet wet at the one stream crossing.  There were some strategically placed rocks that allowed a runner to keep their feet mostly dry.  However, there was one muddy section where my left toe got a little damp.  Kevin Sayers is still here at the foot of the steps welcoming us back to Centreville Road.  So many things change, but one thing remains constant—Kevin at this aid station.  I grab a few Pringles this time as Nathan stops to use the facilities.

Mile 17.6    1:03:59 (12:33 avg./mile) Hemlock Overlook

Once again, I have a little bit of a gap on Nathan.  I try to run quickly with a mind towards saving myself for the length of this race.  At some point, I twist my left (good) ankle.  It doesn’t hurt at all and I thank my good fortunes that I avoided doing any damage (or so I think).  Nathan catches back up to me near the end of this section.  I managed to keep my feet dry in the muddy section where I got a toe damp on the way out, but at another point, I got the left foot wet again.  All is good, but I can feel the ball of my left foot warming up as my left sock is damp.  Martha is here at this aid station, but she doesn’t have my shoe bag.  Instead, I drink some chocolate milk and CR02 and take a croissant to eat on the run.

Mile 21.9    1:05:32 (15:14 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

I get out of the aid station before Nathan, but he quickly catches up to me before I even get back down to the river.  He passes me, and I decide to run conservatively to see how things shake out.  I don’t want to overheat the ball of my left foot.  I meet and chat with a few runners along the way, helping one of them from making a wrong turn.  I come into this aid station and everyone is here—Martha, Amy, Gabby, Seb, Charlie, and Oliver.  Amy says that Nathan is less than five minutes ahead of me.  I sit down and change my shoes.  The fresh socks and shoes feel great, and I am hopeful that I can run smoothly with the rising temperatures.

Charlie, Oliver, and Sebastian

Mile 26.1    1:27:44 (20:53 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

Leaving the Marina, I find myself running with two other runners.  One of them ran the Western States 100 last year.  So, we spend a mile or two talking about that.  He had 64 tickets when he got in.  I ask where they stayed, and he said Tahoe City as it is only about 15 minutes from the start and an hour and a half from the finish.  I ask him about heat and altitude training, and he said he didn’t focus on those too much.  He said it didn’t cool off much at night although he was prepared with long-sleeve shirts in his drop bags.  After my Western conversation diversion, I let these two guys go as they are running up the hills and I prefer to power hike.  Then on the down hills, I am passing them.  So, we play leapfrog a couple of times before my ankle starts complaining.  By complaining, I mean the pain started at 4-5, and then all of a sudden, the pain pegs at 10.  Okay, maybe I should walk more.  Well walking is all I am able to do, and I am now in extreme pain.  Sometimes things hurt because nothing else hurts worse.  In this case, the ankle hurts bad, and I don’t feel any pain anywhere else, not because nothing else hurts, but because the left ankle REALLY HURTS!  Well, I guess I will take a caffeine pill to see if that reduces the pain level.  (I don’t carry any pain killers with me.)  In 10-15 minutes, I feel the caffeine kick in and the left ankle pain reduces to 9.5, for several minutes.  But that lasts for about 10 minutes, and the left ankle pain goes through the roof.  I can’t walk; I am hobbling just to move forward and get to the aid station.  At the aid station, which is not accessible by the crews, Quattro, Alex, and several other old friends are there.  I sit down, and the pain doesn’t get any better.  After about 10 minutes, I switch to a more comfortable chair and the pain stays pegged at 10.  At some point, I get some elastic tape and tape the ankle with the thought that compression on it will help.  Nope, the pain stays pegged.  I try to stand and think about hobbling the 2.8 miles to the next aid station.  No, that isn’t going to happen.  The pain is too intense.  So, after close to an hour, I decide to pull the plug on my race.  I borrow someone phone and call Martha.  Of course, she has never been to this aid station, so the guy with the phone has to email her the directions as this aid station is literally in the middle of nowhere and the road it is off of there are actually three versions of it.

Official Finishing Time DNF

214 starters (149 official finishers)

My ankle pain remains pegged at 10 for the next several hours.  Even after showering, eating lunch, and going to the Marina aid station to see Nathan, I am unable to walk without limping.  Fortunately, after 5-6 hours the pain lessens enough to allow me to walk, almost normally with significant pain.  We cheer Nathan through the last aid station, and then drive to see his finish.  He ends up crossing the line in 12:02, which is good enough for 93^rd place.

Before the ankle injury, I was planning on pacing James for one night on his FKT attempt of the Pinhoti Trail.  Now, my plans for that are scrapped, but he should have plenty of support.  So, my next race will be the Kettle Moraine 100 miler in June in Wisconsin.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Mountain Mist 50k - Fast Times on a Cool Day

January 25

The temperature this morning when I left my house in Meridianville was 17 degrees.  The challenge in today’s race will be about the temperature swing.  The forecast is for a high temperature of 49 degrees.  I am dressed a little on the cool side, but I hope it will be warmer up on the mountain, and that it will warm up quickly.  When I get into Huntsville, the temperature is 20 degrees, and as I drive up the mountain, the temperature continues to climb.  It is 26 degrees at the top, so I think I am dressed correctly for the start—thin tights, two long-sleeve technical shirts, thick hat and gloves.

When we line up for the start, I talk with Olly and James, who are both dressed much lighter than I am.  They both have shorts on, and James is wearing a short-sleeve shirt.  He thinks I am over dressed, but I think I am fine, and I have another friend, Caleb, meeting me at mile 14 with lighter clothing.

Mile 4.3      45:45 (10:38 avg./mile) O’Shaughnessy Point

I start quickly, and my hands are a little chilly, but not too cold.  Thus, I am dressed well for the early chill in the air.  In the first mile, I see Sally Brookings, and chat with her for a minute.  This is her 25^th time at this race, and she says it will probably be her last.  When we join the single-tracked trail, she follows me most of the way to this first aid station.  I don’t get anything at this aid station, and thus I manage to sneak by a handful of runners who pause at the aid station.

Coming through The Cuts

Mile 11.4    1:23:17 (11:44 avg./mile) Bankhead

On the technical downhill leaving O’Shaughnessy Point, I am following a couple of ladies.  Listening to their conversation, I hear one of them mention Sophie, and ask if they are referring to Sophie Speidel.  They are and then we figure out that I know one of the ladies.  It is Michelle Gray.  Her husband, Rick, and I have run many ultras together as I have run Hellgate 22 times, and he has run it 14 times.  Michelle says he is slower due to aging health issues, so he is quite a bit back.  I stick with Michelle and Liane for this whole section, which is good for my time.  They are running a quick pace, and I am almost comfortably keeping up with them.  When we get to this aid station, I grab half of a PB&J sandwich and eat it on the road down to the trailhead.  It tastes really good!  Just the right amount of jelly and PB on nicely soft bread.

Mile 14.0    30:27 (11:43 avg./mile) Oak Park

At the Bankhead aid station, I got out before Michelle and Liane.  I am running quickly down the hill trying to get to Oak Park before 9:45am, which was my time last year.  I hang most of the way with a man and women who are making good time, and we pass several runners on the way down the hill.  As I approach the aid station, I spot Caleb with my bag.  I change out both shirts for a lighter long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts.  I also change my hat and gloves out for lighter ones.  Next, I swap my Camelbak.  The Camelbak I started the race had the thermal sleeve on the drinking tube and cover on the bite valve.  This fresh Camelbak doesn’t have that, but it is now definitely above freezing.  Finally, I drink most of a pint of chocolate milk that Caleb has for me.  I thank Caleb, and press on.  What I didn’t know at the time was the Michelle and Liane passed me while I was changing clothes.  My time is now 2:39, which is a full six minutes faster than I was last year, when the trail was in significantly worse shape with water and mud.  So far, the trail is dry with only minimal ice in places.

Mile 20.0    1:27:18 (14:33 avg./mile) Old Railroad Bed

The climb up the hill from Oak Park is much easier this year than last year due to the better trail conditions.  I have lost my pacers, but I am still moving well.  There are plenty of other runners moving quickly, and I try to latch onto those that are making good time.  The second half of this race is much harder than the first half.  The trail is much more technical, and the three big climbs are on this back half.  I manage to keep moving nicely, but I have obviously slowed down some.  As I finally approach this aid station, I see Michelle and Liane coming out of it.  Maybe I can catch back up to them.  At the aid station, I eat a handful of potato chips, an orange slice, and drink a cup of water.

Rolling down Bluff Line

Mile 25.0    1:19:40 (15:56 avg./mile) Trough Springs

Leaving the aid station, I meet Lanier Greenhaw heading into the aid station.  As I make my way onto the Old Railroad Bed trail, a guy passes me, and then he slows down.  When an opportunity on the trail presents itself to pass him back, he speeds back up.  It takes me about a quarter of a mile to get back by him, and I never see him again, thankfully!  When the course finishes the Old Railroad Bed trail and turns onto the Alms House trail, a lady comes up behind me.  I tell her to let me know when she wants to pass, and she says she is fine for now.  So, we start chatting, and this is her first 50k.  She says she just wants to finish, and I tell her she better slow down then if all she wants to do is finish, as our current pace is about 2.5 hours ahead of the cut-off finishing time.  Karen stays with me all the way up the Waterline trail.  At the top, she asks me if I am going to start running (it is still somewhat uphill).  When I say I am going to walk a little more, she passes me and leaves me in the dust—I won’t see her again until after the finish.  I manage to run most of the way to the aid station once I started running.  The last mile on this section is gently uphill, and after the brutal waterline trail, running anything uphill is not pleasant.  At the aid station, I eat half of a PB&J and drink two cups of Coke.

A Smoother Section on Old Railroad Bed

Mile 29.5    1:12:24 (16:05 avg./mile) Rest Shelter

I start this section trying to stay motivated to finish under seven hours.  I walk and run a little until the course goes down the natural well trail.  This part is very tricky and technical, and thus there are runners taking it rather slowly.  I pick my spots and work my way around most of them.  Then I power hike up a short climb before dropping into McKay Hollow.  It is time to put up or accept a slower finish.  I push the pace, passing a few runners.  I know I have to make it to the last climb with at least 35 minutes to spare.  The climb last year took me 17 minutes, and then the last section usually takes me about 16 minutes.  My watch reads 6:21 as I make the turn to start the last climb.  I have enough time; now I just need to stay focused on this climb.  I am breathing as hard as I can while I power hike with purpose up and up and up some more.  Finally, I hear the music at the aid station.  I grab another cup of Coke at the aid station and thank the volunteers before heading to the finish.

Mile 31.1    18:55 (11:49 avg./mile) FINISH – Lodge

In my younger days (like last year), I would be able to get into a good rhythm and run hard this last mile and half.  This year, my legs don’t feel like they have it, but I push forward anyway.  A couple of runners pass me, but I am still running decently.  When I finally make the final turn and cross over the last foot bridge, a younger runner sprints up behind me.  Now, with the finish line in sight, I am ready to race this young whipper snapper.  As I raise my knees to shift into a higher gear, my right hamstring says, Not So Fast!  So, I kick it back into the lower gear, let the guy pass me, and settle for a finish under seven hours.

Official Finishing Time  6:57:46

Another Finish on the Mountain

155^th out of 426 finishers under the 9.5-hour cut-off (517 starters)

It was a good day on the trails.  The weather was cold and warmed up gradually.  The trails were as dry as they can be for January.  I had fun, met some old friends, and met some new ones.  When I finished, Rick Gray comes running over to congratulate me.  He had to drop just after halfway.  My primary goal of finishing under seven hours was achieved.

The next race I have planned is the Bull Run Run 50 Miler on April 5.  Before then I plan to pace James at the Southern States 200, where he will be defending his win from last year.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin