Bull Run Run 2022 - Welcome back from COVID

April 9

This race hasn’t been run since 2019, so it is great to be back to run this April tradition.  This is my 13^th running of this race.  When I lived in Virginia, I ran it 2004-2014 only missing 2012 when I was recovering from my ACL reconstruction.  Then in 2018 and 2019 I came back to run this race as I find it a wonderful spring 50 miler to prepare myself for my 100 miler that I usually run in May or June.  I am blessed this year to have a veteran crew with my daughter Amy and her partner Edward.  Amy has crewed for me multiple times, and Edward joined her crewing for me last year at the Burning River 100 miler.  It is also convenient that Amy and Edward live in Virginia, and only had an hour and a half drive to Manassas.  Of course, I flew up from Huntsville in my airplane, landing at the Manassas airport.

The weather today is near perfect.  The temperature at the start is 42 degrees, and the high is forecasted to be 53 degrees.  I will start with a short-sleeve shirt and a long-sleeve shirt and hope to drop the long-sleeve shirt at some point.  There are 187 starters this year, which is significantly less than previous years.  As we gather at the start, I see Gary Knipling, who is not running this year, but it is awesome to see him, embrace, and chat for a minute.  I also see Jack Kurisky, Rande and Kari Brown, and several other old running friends.  Quatro as race director gives us the typical last minute instructions, which includes the course change due to high water, and then we are off at 6:30am.

Mile 7.2      1:26:59 (12:05 avg./mile) Centreville Road

Right from the start, I find myself running beside Kari Brown and Gaynor Bourgeois.  They seem to have a smooth, easy pace, so I follow along for these early miles.  The heavy rains earlier this week caused the high water and the course re-route.  However, there wasn’t much rain late in the week, and it only rained lightly last night.  Therefore, the trails are moderately muddy, but not too bad considering everything.  The first stream crossing has the tops of the cement pylons above the water line, and the second stream crossing has the water level above the pylons.  Thus, my feet are now wet (and muddy) as I get to the first aid station.  But, before I get to the aid station, I pass Mike Campbell, who is 72 and is running his 18^th BRR.  At the aid station, Kevin Sayers is in his usual position welcoming us into the aid station.  I climb the steps to the aid station where Amy and Edward are waiting and ready with chocolate milk and a croissant.

Mile 9.2      22:58 (11:29 avg./mile) Centreville Road

Leaving the aid station, Kari and I run together leaving Gaynor behind.  It seems like we are picking up the pace slightly.  As this is the high water course, we are told to turn around at the unicorn.  Sure enough, there is a dancing unicorn on the trail.  I stop long enough to join in a selfie with another runner before we head back to the aid station.  Along the way, I slip once, but catch myself on my hands so the only thing that got muddy were my hands.  Back at the aid station, I drop off the long-sleeve shirt an drink a few gulps of Tailwind.

Mile 14.3    1:03:53 (12:32 avg./mile) Hemlock Overlook

Kari and I continue to run together.  At times, I think she is falling back, but then she is right behind me.  The trail is in really good shape, and the temperature is near perfect!  With my shoes wet and muddy, I decide that I will change them.  Kari doesn’t have a crew, but she does have a drop bag at this aid station and is talking about changing socks.  I sit down and quickly change my shoes while drinking some chocolate milk.  I take a croissant with me, and there is Kari again as I leave the aid station.

Mile 18.6    51:50 (12:03 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

It feels like we are running well and making good time.  The blue bells are in peak bloom, and it is starting to cloud over just as forecasted.  I was starting to wonder if it was going to cloud over or whether the temperature would climb higher than forecasted.  After we pass through the soccer fields there is typically a bog-like, muddy section, but reports are that this has been addressed with some trail build-up and boardwalks.  It turns out the reports were accurate, and we sail through this section in quick fashion with minimal effort.  As we are chatting with other runners, the aid station sneaks up on us, and here we are.  Amy took Edward back to the hotel so he could get some work done, and she just barely makes it to see me.  I drink some Tailwind and grab a PB&J sandwich quarter.

Mile 22.8    55:36 (13:14 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

Wolf Run Shoals Aid Station Volunteers

For this section, I find myself leading again, but when I stop to take my first pee break, Kari presses on.  For a while I wonder if that is the last I will see of her, but she was also talking about a pee break, so maybe I will catch back up to her.  I am feeling good and continue to lay down a good pace and with about a mile to go to the aid station, I see Kari up ahead.  She arrives at the aid station before me, but then takes her break.  This aid station always has a theme, and this year it is a Chippendale’s theme so all of the aid station workers are in chipmunk costumes.  Alex is here as always running a fantastic aid station.  I grab several fresh strawberries along with a few cookies before I leave the aid station, again finding Kari and I running together.

Mile 25.6    36:18 (12:58 avg./mile) Fountainhead

Coming into Fountainhead

This section used to be only 2.0 miles, but when significant trail work was done a few years ago, it added some length to this section.  It is now 2.8 miles, and it definitely feels at least that long.  Kari continues a smooth and steady pace, and most of the way, she is in the lead—not like we are racing or anything.  But, during the last stretch into the aid station, I apparently was back in the lead as the picture shows.  I drink some chocolate milk and eat another croissant before resuming my run.

Mile 29.6    52:18 (13:04 avg./mile) Do Loop

The first part of this section is the white loop.  It is a 1.6-mile stretch that takes you nowhere except back where we started near Fountainhead aid station.  That takes us about 23 minutes.  Then we can start making progress towards the next aid station.  As Kari and I begin this stretch, we catch up to a string of about five runners.  Kari quickly moves to the front of the line, and I hang near the back of the line content to wait for the best time to move up.  When it looks like Kari is gapping the line of runners, I decide I need to move up and pass the other guys in the line to get back up behind Kari.  Three of the guys are from Vienna, Virginia, and we will see them several more times during the rest of the race.  About a half mile from the aid station, we meet Kari’s husband, Rande, heading the other way.  He is running very well, and looks like he is going to get a nice time.  I lead the group into the Do Loop aid station where I eat a quesadilla.

Mile 32.6    38:56 (12:59 avg./mile) Do Loop

Starting the Do Loop, I lead Kari and Jeff Jordan down to the water where there are crew-teams practicing their rowing.  It is a nice day running on the trails, but I am not sure it is quite as nice on the water.  As forecasted the sky has clouded up, and there is usually a good breeze.  The temperature is in the low 50s, which is quite nice for our running.  As we begin the up and down climbs for the second half of the Do Loop, there is a drop or two of rain, but that is all.  After completing the loop, we only have the lollipop portion left to go back to the aid station.  On this part, we meet several runners heading out for their Do Loop.  One of the runners is Gaynor.  She looks good, but of course is 30+ minutes behind us.  At the aid station, I grab a PB&J sandwich quarter along with some chips.  I am in and out of the aid station a little quicker than my fellow runners, but they will catch up soon.

Mile 36.6    57:44 (14:26 avg./mile) Fountainhead

After leading out of the Do Loop aid station, Jeff and Kari catch me quickly.  Then Jeff decides he is still feeling good so he presses on ahead of us.  I wonder if we will see him again, but for now, I have to focus my effort on keeping up with Kari.  My return trip is definitely slower than going out.  On this section, we meet several runners still heading out towards the Do Loop.  Jeff Reed is one of these runners, and he looks great for being 62 years old.  Another runner is Sean Andrish, who appears to be running with a new friend.  Somewhere on the white trail, I get a rock in my shoe, and it causes quite the discomfort before I arrive at the aid station, sit down, and remove it.  I drink some chocolate milk and eat another croissant.  It is great to see Amy again, and I will only get to see her one more time before the finish.

Mile 39.4    38:00 (13:34 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

I manage to stay close to enough to Kari on the way to Wolf Run Shoals despite the fact that I am slowing down a little.  She opens up the gap a quite a bit, but I keep her in sight.  This section is relatively new trail, and it is more rolling with little ups and downs, but it is smoother than many other parts of the course.  Along this section, the three guys from Vienna, Virginia catch me and get ahead of me.  However, when they stop for a pee break, I move on past them.  I arrive at the aid station with Kari still there, and I manage to leave just before her.  I grab a cup of Coke and a handful of potato chips as I quickly pass through the aid station.

Mile 43.6    1:00:02 (14:18 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

Shortly after leaving Wolf Run Shoals, Kari catches and passes me.  At first I have hopes of keeping up with her, but these hopes fade quickly.  Before long, the three guys from Vienna are back behind me.  As we near the crest of a climb, I am about ready to let them by me, when the lead guy says, “I know better than to pass you before a downhill.”  This is somewhat motivating for me, and I push my pace down the hill.  From there, I manage to keep the guys behind me all the way to the aid station.  About a mile from the aid station, I decide to take a caffeine tablet to see if going to “the whip” will allow me to catch Kari.  I walk right through the aid station, grabbing a piece of pound cake and taking a couple of gulps of Tailwind.  Amy says that Kari just left and was fussing with her phone.  Let’s see if I can catch her!

Coming into the Finish

Mile 49.0    1:12:39 (13:27 avg./mile) FINISH

I leave the Bull Run Marina on a mission to push the pace to the finish and hopefully catch a few runners in the process.  My efforts are not very fruitful as I only catch a couple of runners near the end.  And, neither of them is Kari!  Even when I cross the soccer field complex, I have no glimpse of her.  Regardless, I was able to turn my slowing pace around some, and I push it hard to the finish.  It is always nice to make it back to Hemlock Overlook.

Official Finishing Time          10:37:13

53^rd out of 187 starters (149 official finishers)

After I finish, I chat with several old friends.  Quatro gives me my finisher sweatshirt, and I put it on my quickly cooling body.  Amy and Edward are here, of course, at the finish.  I get a brat and eat it while watching Aaron Schwartzbard’s kid run around.  However, I don’t stay long as the day isn’t getting any warmer, my hands are going numb, and I am ready for a shower.

Enjoying my Brat

My run today was very solid.  I was able to maintain a nice smooth pace, and my place shows that I am not too slow yet.  This was my fastest time at this event since 2014.  The weather was close to perfect with the temperature never getting past 53 degrees, no rain with mostly cloudy skies, and a nice breeze most of the day.  Last year, every race I ran had above average temperatures.  So far this year with two races, the temperature has been below average.  Will this continue for my next race, which will be the Kettle Moraine 100 miler in Wisconsin in June?  Time will tell.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Frozen Falls 50k 2022 - Come Back Race from Omicron

February 5

After Hellgate in December, I planned to run the Mountain Mist 50k in January and then probably the Mount Cheaha 50k in February.  However, the Omicron variant had other plans for me.  Starting around January 8^th, I started feeling a sore throat.  When I woke up on January 10^th, it was clear that I had a serious upper respiratory issue going on.  I tested positive two days later and made the decision that I wasn’t going to race Mountain Mist on January 22^nd.  Instead I volunteered for almost eight hours at the finish line to fulfill my volunteering at a race requirement for the Kettle Moraine 100 miler that I am running in June.

After that James Ebert, a co-worker of mine, told me he was running the Frozen Falls 50 miler on February 5^th.  I was not excited about a 50 miler coming back from Covid, so instead, James talked me into the 50k option.  So, here I am waiting in my truck for the 7:30am start of the 50k.  James started the 50 miler at 6am.  The temperature is currently about 18 degrees—just a little nippy.  I have decided to start my race with a regular pair of tights, a short-sleeve shirt, two long-sleeve shirts, hat, and gloves.  I have the thermal sleeve on my Camelbak hose, but will have to sip water often to keep it from freezing.

Just getting started in the race

Mile 6.0      1:18:05 (13:01 avg./mile) End of 10k Loop

I don’t know what the starting field for the 50k is, but it isn’t large.  There are about 40
of us shivering with a stiff breeze cutting across the lake.  The race begins, and it takes about 20 minutes before I get feeling back in my hands.  It will take 40 minutes before my toes thaw out.  As it has only been about three weeks since I had the worst of the Covid symptoms, I am starting conservatively.  This first section is a lollipop loop that crosses a suspension bridge coming and going.  The course has a dusting of snow on it, so the bridge crossings are going to be fun.  The aid stations are all unmanned except for the main one at the finish.  I pass this one without stopping.  I like my pace so far, although I was hoping to be closer to 12 minutes per mile.

Mile 11.1    1:02:12 (12:12 avg./mile) Split for Half Marathon Shortcut

In addition to the 50 miler and 50k options, there are also 10k and half marathon options.  This section is flatter than the first section, but there are many blow-downs that have to be maneuvered around, under, and over.  After the blow-downs there is a road section that is a couple of miles.  I make good time on this section, and when I get to the aid station, I look for a small bite to eat.  Lying on the aid station table is an open and half full bag of potato chips—perfect!  I grab the bag and quickly munch down the chips.

Mile 16.5    1:06:08 (12:15 avg./mile) End of First Lap

The mostly flat terrain continues for this section even though the majority of it is beside the lake.  There are several damp spots, but overall the trail is in pretty good shape.  I am around a handful of other runners at this point.  Conversations range from general partnerships and the economy to the current politics in the House and Senate.  Someone thinks that Manchin should be knighted for his recent activities of blocking certain legislation.  I don’t engage in this conversation, but later I ask one of the runners what he does and learn that he is a lawyer.  The distractions that the conversations provide allow the finish line to sneak up on me.  My time through a little over halfway is 3:26, so I hope that I can keep it less than seven hours for the race.  At the aid station, I eat a jumbo hot dog and wash it down with some Tailwind, which I am trying in a race for the first time.  As it seems to have warmed up quite a bit, I shed one of the long-sleeve shirts and change out my hat and gloves for dry ones that are thinner.

Mile 22.5    1:32:12 (15:22 avg./mile) End of 10k Loop

Starting this section, I immediately think that I probably should have stayed with the thicker gloves as my hands are cold.  I hope they warm up like they did after the start of the race.  Going down the steps before the suspension bridge, I roll my right ankle as I was getting off the steps and onto a short dirt section before the bridge.  I grab a railing to keep myself upright as I let out a moderate yelp of pain.  Another runner coming back towards me stops and asks me a couple of times if I am okay.  I assure her that I am fine and that it will feel better as soon as it stops hurting.  Since I roll my right ankle often, it takes less than a mile or so before it stops hurting.  I navigate the rest of this lollipop loop without any more issues.  When I get to this aid station, it is time to refill my Camelbak for the first and (hopefully) only time of this race.  Obviously, this section was slower for me this time, but I am still feeling good about where I am.  I have left all of the runners behind that I was running with before the end of the first lap.  I expected one or two of them to catch up to me, but none have yet.

Suspension Bridge

Mile 27.6    1:07:58 (13:20 avg./mile) Split for Half Marathon Shortcut

Getting through the technical lollipop loop, I now have two goals for this section.  Goal number one is not to roll my right ankle again.  Goal number two is to get to the split before James catches me.  He is on his third lap, while I am on my second.  He got the 1.5 hour head start, and I saw him on the 10k loop.  I figure I had a little less than 30 minutes on him at that point.  No other runners catch me, and I don’t catch any runners either on this section.  As I get to the unmanned aid station, I am thinking it is time for a cup of Coke.  Sitting on the table is a half full can of Coke—perfect once again.  As I grab the Coke and start drinking it, I hear a shout behind me—it is James coming into the aid station.  We trade greetings, and then I say that I will see him at the finish.

Mile 30.5    30:46 (10:37 avg./mile) FINISH

Leaving the last aid station, the split in the course is right there.  The second lap for the 50k is the half marathon course, so I only have about three miles to the finish, whereas James has to run the full 16.5-mile lap each time.  Therefore, I have 2.5 miles less to get to the finish than James does, so I like my chances of getting to the finish line before him.  I push the pace hard on this last section taking the “short-cut” over to the lake in about eight minutes.  Then it is a smooth trail to the finish.  Along the way, I pass a couple of 50-mile runners trying to finish their second laps and then I pass one 50k runner before I get to the finish line.  (The course is a little bit short as it had to be re-routed due to high water.)

Official Finishing Time          6:37:21

20^th out of 55 starters (43 finishers)

The finish line is lightly populated as there are not many crews out here today.  I get my medal from the race director and then head over to the food table.  I eat a nice cheeseburger, chocolate chip cookie, and a bag of potato chips while I sit on a rock beside the lake waiting for James to finish.  I don’t have to wait long as he finishes the 50-miler in 8:25:14 in second place.  It is a Huntsville sweep of the top two spots in the 50 miler as Michael Wall takes the win.

After James gets a bite to eat, we walk across the dam and up the hill to where my truck is parked.  We quickly change and head for home. The thermometer in my truck says it is 31 degrees, so it never did get warm today.  This race was an easier 50k than most and was a great race for my comeback from the Omicron variant.  I am really pleased with my time and effort, and it is actually my 9^th fastest 50k out of 35 finishes.  The plan for my next race is the Bull Run Run 50-miler on April 9^th.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Hellgate 100k 2021 – Warm Weather

December 11

It is the second Saturday in December so for the 19^th year in a row, I find myself at the start line of the Hellgate 100k in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia alongside of 141 other runners on this seasonably warm night.  My crew for this year’s race is Andrew, who is a fellow co-worker.  He has not crewed for me before, but he says he can make a good grilled cheese sandwich, so he qualifies.  We flew up yesterday morning from Huntsville, Alabama to Roanoke, Virginia.  It was a great flight with 30+ knot tailwinds, although we were in the clouds most of the time.

Like most years, the focus is on the weather.  Usually, the question is how cold is it going to be and will there be any frozen precipitation.  This year, it is warm with a couple of chances of rain during the race.  So, the questions are:  how warm will it get? (It is forecasted to rise up to 70 degrees.)  And, how much rain will we have to deal with?

The temperature at the start is in the mid-40s, and I am wearing shorts, a long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts, and a buff.  I feel good and ready and hope I have enough fitness to finish under 17 hours, which would be a Western States qualifier.

Mile 3.5      46:50 (13:23 avg./mile) FSR 35

It feels like I ran this section well, but my time is my slowest ever.  That being said, I am only a minute behind my targeted pace for this section.  The course is pretty dry as I guess it is true that Virginia is behind on rain.  For only the second time ever, I manage to rock hop across the stream around mile 3.  Two things have to be true to even attempt this—the water level must be low, and it cannot be below freezing as that would make the rocks ice covered.

Mile 7.5      58:05 (14:31 avg./mile) Petites Gap

Since I have a couple of minutes to make up, I run about a third of this section.  It is all uphill, but the gravel road is smooth.  I talk with Sheryl Mawn on this section about our goal times for this year.  She isn’t sure she is ready to run the downhill sections with the abandon it would take to go below 16.5 hours.  I disagree, but I don’t know if I can run downhill fast enough anymore to qualify as “running downhill with abandon.”  At some point, Scott Lee passes me.  He and I ran together for several miles at Burning River in July.  Scott completed the Grand Slam of 100-milers this year and even ran Wasatch Crest and Grindstone on back-to-back weekends!  At the aid station, I drink some chocolate milk and take a bagel with me to eat on the run.  I am now right on my targeted pace for a 17-hour finish.

Mile 13.1    1:39:17 (17:44 avg./mile) Camping Gap

Starting down the first part of this section, I roll my chronic right ankle.  I rolled it three weeks ago, so the pain isn’t as intense as it was then given the proximity to the last event.  I survive the rest of the rocky downhill trail, traverse nicely through the rolling trail with a couple of small stream crossing, which have virtually no water in them this year, and then begin the 3-mile climb up the jeep trail to the aid station.  There were a few sprinkles of rain on this section, but right now on this climb, the temperature is the most interesting aspect.  It has been in the mid-40s so far, now it is alternating between warm and cool.  I estimate it is a 15-degree swing with each pocket of air that gets blown to us.  After several minutes of this, the temperature settles on the warm side around 60 degrees.  It is much warmer than I would like, and I stay conservative for the rest of the climb to ensure I don’t get too hot.  However, when we round the corner to the aid station, the wind is howling, and I take a small cup of broth when it is offered to me.  I grab a couple of sandwich quarters and some potato chips.  This section was slower than I wanted so I am now four minutes behind my targeted pace.

Mile 21.9    2:31:22 (17:12 avg./mile) Headforemost Mountain

The first two-thirds of this section brought on another weather phenomenon that I had not experienced to this extreme—unbelievably dense fog!  It is a struggle just to see my feet; there is no hope of seeing a few feet in front of them.  This part of the trail is a rolling old grassy road.  The downhill parts are usually when I can open up a good stride.  That is not the case this year.  I am just trying to stay on the mountain by not wandering off the side of the trail.  Sheryl Mawn is again around me on this section along with Chelsie Viar (going for her 11^th finish) and Amy Gordon from Arizona.  Very fortunately for us, the fog clears just before we enter the Apple Orchard section that leads down to Overstreet Falls.  I run this section really hard with Sheryl close behind.  I tweak my right ankle at one point, but otherwise do really well getting down to Overstreet Falls and begin the short final climb up to Headforemost.  I lose another minute, and I am disappointed as I thought I could really gain some ground on this section.  The fog had other plans for me, though, and I will have to be content with getting to this point at 5:55am.  Despite the fact that Sheryl has run this race seven times already, she asks me how I think we are doing.  My reply is that given the fog, I think we are in great shape, and I am ready to run hard downhill for the next several miles, if the fog stays away.

Mile 27.6    1:38:59 (17:22 avg./mile) Jennings Creek

Leaving Jennings Creek

I rarely feel like running hard on this section at first.  The last section is the longest on the course, and I need some time to relax.  But, I need to make up a little time, so down the hill I run.  As I pound down the hill, my left shin starts to talk to me.  What is this?  It takes me a minute, but then I recall that this was hurting me after the Indiana Trail 100 in October.  Hopefully, it doesn’t get to really hurting!  I make good time and manage to successfully negotiate the one part of rocky technical trail on this section.  During the last mile, I pass Bruce Tweedie and Lanier Greenhaw.  I stride into the aid station in great shape having made up a couple minutes towards my targeted pace.  Andrew has also survived the night driving around in the dense fog.  At one point, he says he had to just pull over for a couple of hours as he couldn’t see the road in front of him.  Regardless, he is ready for me with a perfectly made grilled egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich.  I munch on that while I change my shoes and socks.  I drink some chocolate milk and CR01 before heading up the next climb.

Mile 34.5    1:49:19 (15:51 avg./mile) Little Cove Mountain

Leaving Jennings Creek, I pass Kim Weatherford and Alissa Keith on the climb.  On the downhill section, I catch up to Lanier and Sheryl again—I think both of them passed me in the aid station when I was changing my shoes.  We stay mostly together as we make our way to this aid station where crews are no longer allowed to go.  Just as I arrive at the aid station, Martha Wright sneaks past me.  Martha is 60 this year and is trying to break the female record for 60+ set by Janice Heltibridle in 2018 at 17:06.  I grab a few French toast sticks made by Rossie at this aid station and top off my Camelbak to ensure I have enough water to get to the next aid station.  The temperature has climbed into the mid to high 60s, but it is nice and breezy.  I gained almost six minutes on my targeted pace and am now a little over a minute ahead of my 17-hour pace!

Mile 42.5    2:20:00 (17:30 avg./mile) Bearwallow Gap

Coming into Bearwallow Gap

I run with Martha briefly on this section (long enough to find out she has three grandchildren) before she runs away from me.  Sheryl runs away with her as well, but I keep both of them in sight for a couple of miles.  Although it feels like I am giving back time, in the end, I do decently well on this section.  Bruce Tweedie catches up to me, and we run the last few miles together into the aid station.  The leaves on the course are not too deep this year, and I manage the devil trail without any falls or ankle twists.  At the aid station, Andrew has out done himself in fixing as good of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich as I have ever had at Hellgate.  I eat the majority of the sandwich washing it down with plenty of CR01 and a little chocolate milk.  I was spot on my targeted pace of this section and thus am still over a minute ahead of pace.

Mile 49.5    2:01:38 (17:23 avg./mile) Bobblets Gap

Coming into Bobblets Gap just behind Lanier

I leave Bearwallow Gap with Bruce just ahead of me.  I plan to catch back up to him, but it seems like my legs aren’t up to climbing as fast as he is.  He pulls away from me, and I am left with trying to stay focused, hoping that I can stay on pace.  My stomach is plumb full; did I possibly eat too much of the scrumptious grilled ham and cheese sandwich?  After the climbing, I start trying to run the flat and downhill sections.  At one point, I catch my toe and hit the dirt and rocks.  I scrape up my right thigh quite nicely, but not so good as to win best blood or anything.  Soon thereafter, Lanier catches back up to me.  He said he went through quite a low on the last section, but is now rebounding.  At one point, we are passed by Kim Weatherford again.  She mentions that she has improved by five minutes each year she has run this race and will run a Western States qualifier in six more years.  When I tell her she still can go under 17 hours, she picks up the pace and leaves me and Lanier behind.  Lanier and I make it into the aid station where Andrew has fixed my Ramen very nicely, but I don’t eat much before drinking a small cup of Coke and leaving the aid station.  I was 11 minutes behind goal pace on this last section, so I am now 10 minutes behind my targeted pace.  It seems like I didn’t quite have the closing speed I needed, but we will see how this next section goes.

Mile 56.1    2:08:21 (19:27 avg./mile) Day Creek

Lanier tells me to press on without him on this section, so I try to run the downhill road as fast as I can.  It is about 2.5 miles, and I make it in 28:34 as we enter the single-tracked trail again.  Maybe I still have a chance at 17 hours?  I attack the climb with gusto and have two ladies ahead of me to try and catch.  I fail to catch up to them.  About halfway through this section, Jeff Aultice catches up to me and runs with me the rest of the section.  He is from Lynchburg and is doing this race for the first time.  Surprisingly, my right ankle is doing really well the latter half of this race and actually feels strong.  About a mile before the aid station, Lanier on yet another rebound, catches up to us, and the three of us make our way into the aid station.  Andrew is here with some potato chips and another Coke.  I leave the aid station at 15:53.  If I match my fastest time ever on this last section, I can still get in less than 17 hours.  The problem is that my fastest time on this last section was 11 years ago.

Coming into Day Creek leading a train of runners

Mile 62.4    1:35:35 (15:10 avg./mile) FINISH

I press the climb with purpose, but not all out recklessness.  The odds of me going under 17 hours are very slim, and it is more important to get the finish.  I get passed by one other runner on the way up to the Parkway.  I make the climb in 48:49, which is rather pedestrian.  I start slowly running down the other side and manage to re-pass the runner that passed me on the climb.  I don’t catch any other runners, and one more passes me.  In the last mile, I can see and hear a few runners approaching from behind me.  I pick up the pace, covering the last mile in 11:22, which is just enough to keep Tyler Upham from catching me.

Finish Line Congrats!

Official Finishing Time          17:29:26

109^th out of 142 starters (118 finishers under 18 hours)

At the finish, Horton gives me a hug and says I am slowing down.  I am actually over 10 minutes faster than last year.  Regardless, he enjoys announcing to the finish line crowd that I am 19 of 19 at Hellgate and that all five of the Fearsome Five are now finished.  I chat with Ryan Henry and his wife while I try to eat some chili.  I also talk with Charlie and Doc Wortley.  I ask the good doctor about my left shin, and he says I have tendonitis of the tendon that lifts the toes up.  He says it is quite common for ultra-runners.

Andrew and I pick up a pizza on our way to the hotel room in Roanoke.  Overall, I am happy with my effort and results this year given the conditions, but I am still disappointed that I didn’t finish in less than 17 hours.  I thought my three 100-mile attempts this year would give me the base endurance I needed, but it wasn’t meant to be this year.

I have already started planning my race calendar for 2022.  I will run the Mountain Mist 50k in January and probably Mount Cheaha 50k in February.  I am also going to go back to Virginia and the Bull Run Run 50-miler in April.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Indiana Trail 100 2021 - Warm Fall Weather

October 9

In the course of my ultra-running career, I have never attempted to run three 100 mile races in the same calendar year.  I started this year only intending to run the Kettle Moraine 100 miler.  However, the weather decided to bring 94 degrees of heat on race day.  I dropped at mile 63 along with almost half the field.  So, I put my name on the waiting list for the Indiana Trail 100 for October, and since I was 89^th on the waiting list, I also decided to enter the Burning River 100 miler in Ohio in late July.  Unfortunately, the weather on race day in Ohio was nice and warm with thick humidity.  The temperature only rose to 86 degrees, but after 73 miles, I was cooked.  Amazingly and fortunately, I moved up the waiting list for Indiana and was entered by the end of August.  However, I was still planning to run rim-to-rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon as part of our vacation in September.  So, two and a half weeks ago, I ran R2R2R in 98 degree weather.  Granted it is only 42 miles, but the steep, long climbs trashed my legs.

So, here I am trying for the third time this year to finish a 100 mile race.  I know I am ready, but so many things can go wrong along the way to a 100 mile finish. Let’s start with today’s forecast.  It rained yesterday, and the high temperature today is supposed to be around 76 degrees with the low tonight dropping near 60 degrees.  The temperature at the start is 57 degrees with partly cloudy skies.  I have a short-sleeve shirt on with a buff on my head.  The key today will be to remain patient.  238 runners begin the 100 mile race in the dark at 6am.

Stu and Darin early in the race

Mile 3.1      36:42 (11:50 avg./mile) South Park

I settle in nicely on this first section.  Along the way I meet two runners—Stu and KT—who are from North Carolina.  Most of us don’t stop at this first aid station.  I punch the lap button on my watch and keep moving right on through the aid station.

Mile 7.6      56:07 (12:28 avg./mile) Hilltop

I continue to run very conservatively by walking all of the uphill sections and cruising easily on the downhills.  I reach the aid station just as the new day is dawning.  I turn off my headlamp and grab two PB&J sandwich quarters—one of which has been grilled and tastes fabulous!

Running through the early morning

Mile 12.0    55:16 (12:34 avg./mile) Weber Lake

Previous editions of this race had a 20-mile loop.  This year the loop has been expanded to 25 miles.  This section has most of the extra five miles.  It is nice and smooth trail that is similar to the rest of the course, but there is one short section that has water on the course.  This first time through, we all get our feet wet.  On this section, I am running with Laura, who is a former triathlete.  She has finished the Ironman in Hawaii seven or eight times.  With a mile to go, there are signs with quotes from the Princess Bride.  It starts with, “You mock my pain—an ultra-race is pain your highness,” and proceeds with “A Christmas tree in the middle of the race course—Inconceivable!”  Lo and behold there is an evergreen tree beside the race course that has been decorated.  I grab a couple of PB&J sandwich quarters before proceeding.

Mile 16.4    55:27 (12:36 avg./mile) Rally

A little downhill

It is cool so far and overcast.  It looks like it may rain, but the chance today is less than 10%.  This is the one aid station in the loop where crews are allowed, and there are many crews and spectators at this aid station.  I eat a quesadilla and quickly proceed.  I am moving well with minimal effort so far.

Mile 21.9    1:14:35 (13:34 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

The weatherman was wrong!  During this section a light rain begins to fall.  I just hope it doesn’t rain too much and make the course really sloppy.  There is one part of the trail next to one of the lakes that is flooded, so I get my feet wet for a second time on this loop.  I intentionally slowed a bit on this section to ensure I wasn’t going out too fast.  With the early cool temperatures, I don’t think that is a problem at this point.  I grab two more PB&J sandwich quarters and proceed to the last section of this first loop.

Flooded trail section going towards Schoolhouse

Mile 25.0    50:06 (16:10 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

My time on this section includes my time at the car at the start/finish area.  I continued to run comfortably making good time.  Just before the aid station, I see KT again as he stopped at his car for a bit.  My cousin, Andrea, said she was planning on coming out and seeing me so I told her that I would be at mile 25 between 11:00 and 11:30.  The time is around 11:20am when I get to the car.  I change my shoes and socks, eat a ham and cheese sandwich, refill my Camelbak, and drink some chocolate.  I say hello and goodbye to Andrea before beginning my second loop—one down, three to go.

Mile 28.1    42:17 (13:38 avg./mile) South Park

Having eaten a whole sandwich, I move a little slower on this first section.  I run a little with Stu on this section.  The rain has stopped, which is good, and it is clearing off some.  At the aid station, I don’t take anything as my stomach is still mostly full.

Slow and Steady wins the race

Mile 32.6    1:03:28 (14:06 avg./mile) Hilltop

The skies quickly cleared, and the temperature is now rising.  There is a breeze, so it is actually pretty nice right now.  I leave Stu behind for now, but I will see him later.  At this aid station, I eat two more PB&J sandwich quarters as my stomach is no longer full and press on to the next section.

Mile 37.0    1:11:30 (16:15 avg./mile) Weber Lake

Leaving the Hilltop aid station, I am looking for the water place that was on this section during the first loop.  When I get to it, I figure out a way around the water that keeps my feet dry.  This is a very good thing as keeping the feet dry for long periods of time is important.  The temperature continues to rise on this beautiful fall afternoon.  It will reach 79 degrees.  At this aid station, I take my first restroom break in the porta john.  It is a little early, but not a bad thing.  After that, I grab another quesadilla to eat, and I refill my Camelbak as I am consuming more water with the higher temperatures.

Mile 41.4    1:03:06 (14:20 avg./mile) Rally

This section has some open prairie, which would be nice if the weather was cooler, but now with the temperatures in the high 70s and the sun shining brightly, it is quite warm.  Fortunately, there is a breeze, so it isn’t too bad at this point.  As I approach the aid station, the crowd of crew and friends has grown significantly.  It is a great atmosphere!  I grab some more PB&J sandwich quarters along with a few potato chips to keep the calories coming into my body.  I like my time and pace at this point.

Mile 46.9    1:24:31 (15:22 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

It is such a beautiful afternoon that many people are out enjoying the plentiful lakes in this state park.  They look so relaxed and comfortable gently paddling their canoe or kayak.  The state park is named appropriately, Chain ‘O Lakes as there are many lakes, and they are all linked together by canals or streams.  Meanwhile, we runners are just nearing the halfway point of our journey and most of us will be out here all night.  I meet a runner on this section named, Allma, I believe this is her first 100-mile attempt.  Stu and Sarah are also around me as I approach the flooded trail section.  At this point, I again figure out a way around the water area by bushwhacking a bit.  I am not sure that Stu and Sarah agreed with my approach, but they did follow me this time.  At the aid station, I grab some more potato chips and even throw back a little Dixie cup of pickle juice.

Continuous forward progress

Mile 50.0    58:39 (18:55 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

I make decent time from the Schoolhouse and get back to my car.  It is just before 6pm and darkness will descend on us around 7:30pm.  So, I need to take my headlamp with me.  As I am sitting behind my car, eating my ham and cheese sandwich, Allma arrives, and starts to change her socks.  Her feet are completely water saturated—very white and wrinkled skin.  I have four pairs of shoes with me at the car and another pair of road shoes in my drop bag that is a Weber Lake.  After seeing Alma’s feet, I decide to change my shoes and socks again even though I have managed to keep my feet dry.  I am thinking that it is better to change them now, and then I probably won’t need to change them after the third loop.  I also change my shirt and rig up my headlamp.  With the warm weather, I drink quite a bit of my CR02 beverage and a little bit of chocolate milk.

Mile 53.1    57:55 (18:41 avg./mile) South Park

I am nearly completely stuffed as I start this section, so I walk quite a bit of it.  At this point, I am not going to set any personal records (my 100-mile best time is 24:38) and am content to just get this done.  Survival is the name of the game, and that requires me to keep my stomach happy.  Stuffing it with as much food as I did at 50 miles was probably not the best thing, but a salt tablet and a little time usually take care of things.  I again don’t grab anything at this aid station and keep pressing forward.

Mile 57.6    1:15:33 (16:47 avg./mile) Hilltop

Darkness comes slowly, and I am almost to the aid station before I turn on my headlamp.  About the time I am turning on my headlamp, Stu and Sarah catch up to me.  It is great to have the company, and I am hoping it will keep me moving at a good pace.  At the aid station, I ask if there are any Tums, and the aid station worker has a roll.  I take two and decide to not eat anything.  I leave the aid station slightly ahead of Stu and Sarah.

Mile 62.0    1:20:39 (18:20 avg./mile) Weber Lake

I avoid the water on this section for the second time and soon thereafter Stu and Sarah catch up to me.  Stu is from the western parts of North Carolina.  He drove up with KT, whom we haven’t seen in miles and must be doing very well.  Sarah is from Washington State.  It is pleasant running with them, but I think I want to move a little faster.  As I approach the part of this section where the Christmas tree is, I wonder if it has lights on it.  When I round the corner and see the lights, it brightens my mood.  It is really cool to see the neat themes that some aid stations adopt!  At the aid station with my stomach feeling a little better, I eat a hamburger quesadilla that is really good.

Mile 66.4    1:18:54 (17:56 avg./mile) Rally

We leave the Weber Lake aid station walking in the dark, and then here comes Jake and his pacer.  They are running some, so I decide to proceed with them.  I say goodbye for now to Stu and Sarah.  Jake’s pacer is a guy named Chuck, and they are making good time.  Jake is a lawyer from the north side of Indianapolis.  I stay with them for most of this section, but when they run across the prairie section, I walk a bit, letting them go ahead.  At the aid station, I eat a hamburger patty that is rather dry, but I hope is the right thing I need at this point.  The crew crowd is still mostly here, but definitely smaller than it was when I came through on the last loop.

Mile 71.9    1:46:07 (19:18 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

This section is mostly on the high ground right through the middle of the park.  It is the straightest section of the loop and goes almost from one side to the other.  There is a point near halfway in this section where a glimpse of the finish area can be seen on the other side of a lake.  Then the course turns to the left to go out to the Schoolhouse.  As I have run this race twice before, and this is my third time through here today, I determine that it is about 2.5 miles from the point where the finish can be seen and the aid station at the Schoolhouse.  Landmarks are good things to have for motivation.  At the aid station, I get some noodles and broth to try something different for my stomach.  At some point on this section Stu and Sarah caught up to me again.

Mile 75.0    1:19:47 (25:44 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

I leave the aid station with Stu and Sarah, planning to stay with them for a while.  But, about a mile or so into this section, I stop at an outhouse, and they continue on.  This will be the last time that I see them.  The bathroom break is successful, and I am hoping that alleviate that issue until after I finish the race.  Back at the car, I only drink Coke as my stomach is still not great.  I pick up my iPod and ear buds for this last loop.  I have a little over 10 hours to go 25 miles.  That seems simple enough, but that means I need to average 24-minute miles.

Mile 78.1    1:24:54 (27:23 avg./mile) South Park

I am tired and nauseated, and it is warm and humid.  Any drop in the temperature was replaced with more humidity, and the air is not moving at all!  I stop and sit at every bench I see along the trail.  I don’t sit long, just a few minutes to help my body cool down and rest a bit.  When I arrive at the aid station, I go directly to the porta john once again.  Obviously, I am not done using the bathroom. After another successful bathroom break, I grab a slice of pizza and walk out of the aid station.

Mile 82.6    2:06:26 (28:06 avg./mile) Hilltop

I struggle on through the night.  I know I am not moving fast enough at this point, but I am still in the race.  I need to just wait things out and hope for a rebound.  I know that hope is not a plan, but it is all I have at this point.  At the aid station I again use the porta john.  I only eat a few potato chips and proceed to trudge forward.  Forward progress is all I can do right now.

Mile 87.0    2:10:26 (29:39 avg./mile) Weber Lake

I avoid the water over the trail successfully for the third time.  Now, I am stopping at more than just the benches.  Any place I can sit down works, and I am dozing off for a few minutes at each stop.  The last place I stop on this section finds me sitting on the ground leaning up against a tree.  I am enjoying a nice catnap when I feel someone shaking my leg.  It is another runner’s pacer, waking me up to ask if I am okay.  Irritated, I say I am fine, and when she asks if I want to walk with them, I answer with a terse no.  After a minute or so after that rude awakening, I get up to walk to the aid station.  I pass the Princess Bride signs, along with Christmas tree and then meet an aid station worker walking towards me.  He says they got a report about a struggling runner and so he walked to find me.  He tells me that I need to make good time (yes, I know) if I am going to make it under the 30-hour cutoff.  I use the porta john (again!) and am putting my headlamp away in my drop bag, when the helpful aid station worker starts encouraging me to get going.  It is morning twilight as I leave without a headlamp, and I now have 4.5 hours to cover the last 13 miles.  That means I need to pick it up and average 20-minute miles.  Not a hard thing except that I have been averaging closer to 30 minutes per mile lately.

Mile 91.4    1:26:59 (19:46 avg./mile) Rally

With dawn comes a renewed focus.  I am not scared yet, but am power hiking quickly and running the downhill sections again.  With a clear goal, I come into the Rally aid station having averaged less than 20-minutes per mile.  I now know I have the finish made.  I just need to remain focused and finish this thing!  I ask if they have any quesadillas, and a guy brings me two very large ones.  I eat most of one of them, before throwing them away.  At this point there is no crew crowd left to cheer us tail end runners.

Mile 96.9    1:40:35 (18:17 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

I have 5.5 miles to the Schoolhouse.  This is my last tough section as the last one will be easier with the smell of the finish line.  I am power hiking along one of the ridges on this section when a small lady catches up to me.  Her first question is whether I think we can make the cutoff.  I respond very confidently that I will make it.  She then continues to talk about her doubts of making it.  I assure her that I have done this many times, and I know how to get in under the cutoffs.  Then when I catch the glimpse across a lake of the finish area, I tell her we have 2.5 miles to the next aid station adding that we will be there in 50 minutes or less.  Connie is still skeptical right up to the point where we arrive in 49 minutes from when I made my statement.  Her confidence grows considerably at the aid station.  We leave the aid station together, and I have a handful of potato chips in my hand.

Mile 100.0 57:35 (18:35 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

Connie and I pass a runner and his pacer early in this last section.  Then about halfway through we get passed by a different runner and her pacer.  I keep them in sight, and when there is less than a half mile to go, I throw in my last surge.  I leave Connie a little behind, but I repass the runner and her pacer as I power hike up the last hill.  It is then just a short downhill to the finish.

Finish!

Finishing Time    29:37:32

100^th out of 238 starters (105 under 30-hour cut-off)

On the third and last chance this year to get my Western States 100 qualifier, I succeeded!  I didn’t leave much margin of error.  And, I battled through stomach issues in this race persevering to the end.  My speed and fitness was never a question.  The only question was how my stomach would hold up.  While it didn’t hold up very well, I was able to battle through it all.

Now I have nine weeks until Hellgate in December.  I don’t have any races planned between now and then, so I will have several weeks of solid training.  This will be the 19^th year for Hellgate.  All five of us fearsome five are entered again this year so we will see if all five of us finish.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin