Prologue: Kettle
100-mile, 2012: Some things are hard to
explain. For example, it’s only
recently that engineers and scientist were able to explain why a bumble-bee can
fly despite puzzling aerodynamics.
Another natural phenomena is equally troubling: Matt Patten’s 100 mile PR at Kettle is
a good 20 minutes faster than mine!?!? Huh?!!? J
This would be my 5th 100-mile finish in eight
attempts if all went well. In the
previous 4 years, I have managed to complete Kettle 100 twice, Superior
Sawtooth 100 once, and Pinhoti 100 once.
My last two 100 attempts
ended in DNF (Kettle 2010 & Sawtooth 2011), and I was definitely anxious to
avoid three-in-a-row in the DNF department. Somehow it becomes easier and easier to indulge that
voice that invites you to sit down or to go home… So, any time goals aside, my
first goal was to finish.
That being said, I am always hoping for a personal best for
time. This is a tricky goal with
100’s because the many variables that contribute to success or failure in any
ultra are magnified in a century run.
Handling and managing the weather, hydration, electrolyte balance, fuel,
pace and fitness are all tougher and more complicated as the distance gets
longer. Focusing too much on
a time goal instead of paying attention to the details that will ultimately get
you across the line with a finish can cause problems. This was largely my undoing in my two previous 100
attempts. Once my time goals
seemed out of reach, I got the “ I-don’t-wannas”. Once this happens, my dedication to manage other
problems as they arise diminishes quickly.
My limited experience at 100 milers has also shown me that it is not
how fast you go, but how slow you don’t go. Any gains made early by a slightly faster pace are hugely
un-done by extended “death-marching” later in the race. Sounds like sage advice from a semi-experienced
ultra-runner, right? Somehow,
these are things I forget when the race begins…
At least for 2012, I had a distinct advantage over years
past in that my wife, Allison, had agreed to crew for me! It was sooooo much easier not to have
to obsess about drop bags and how much of what I might need when. All I had to do is put it all in one
portable pile and it would be available at each crew accessible point. Awesome!! Thank you Allison!!!!!
I had a new fuel source I would be trying out during the
race (I know, you are supposed to test stuff out before a race, but it’s a 100
– what could go wrong!?!). I would
be relying on Naked: Blue Machine.
This is a fruit based smoothie like drink that contains only fruit
purees. Each 16 oz. bottle
contained 27 blue-berries, 3 black-berries, 3 ½ apples and 1 banana. I was hopeful that the fiber in the
drink would help slow the release of the carbs, giving me more steady energy
throughout. I had tried it in on
some long-ish runs with success, so I figured it would work great.
Another good sign was that the weather was really excellent;
sunny skies and temps below 80 with a slightly cool breeze across the
prairies.
Only one variable could trip me up now: the space between my
ears… Off we go!
The Report: Of course, I ran too fast at the
beginning. Easy to do when the
100k and 100-mile relay runners take off and we are left to our plodding
100-mile pace. The weather was
just so nice. The pace seemed
soooo easy…
The Blue-Machine was tasting excellent, but trouble was
building right away. Just after
Horseman’s aid-station (12 miles?) I had to duck into the woods for a few
minutes. By the time I got to Emma
Carlin where Allison was waiting, all I wanted was some Desitin and an actual
bathroom. The Blue-Machine was
making me “shoot” smurfs (you can thank Paul Heil for this visual). Somehow, I convinced myself this was a
temporary set-back and took off in
20th place with a new supply of Blue-Machine.
I adjusted my pace and pulled back a little. Not enough, but a little anyway. At the 50k mark I was in 12th
place and definitely ahead of where I expected to be time-wise, so I pulled
back a little more. Two more smurf-shooting
adventures later and I was running low on TP. Apparently eating bushels of fruit during an ultra is a bad
idea. Who would’a thunk?!
By the time I made it back to Emma again (50 miles), I no
longer had to worry about slowing down.
I was beginning to lag and my colon was no help. At this point I abandoned the
Blue-Machine and switched to another un-tried fuel source – Kefir. This is a thick drinkable yogurt with
active cultures that almost instantly settled my stomach.
Unfortunately, from Emma to the Tamarack aid-station
continued to be a real low spot.
My stomach still didn’t feel sick, it just felt full. I had kept drinking water and Kefir
despite the fullness, but I wasn’t paying attention to how many s-caps I was
taking. By the time I got to the
Gorski’s oaisis, I was in real trouble.
Fortunately this aid-station was packed with veteran help. Christine Hinrichs, Mary and Dave
Gorski, Cathy Diamond and Jim Blanchard (just name a few!) – they all accounted
for a lot of years of experience.
I was craving salt and tried a few potatoes with salt on them before just
dumping the salt in my hand and licking it off (Ug… we know where those hands have been in an ultra…)
Jim Blanchard claims this wasn’t his advice and won’t take
credit for it, but I swear it was him that encouraged me to stop fueling with
kefir & switch (temporarily) to Mountain Dew and take an s-cap every 10
minutes until my stomach felt better. This was my new plan and I stumbled out of this 55-mile
post making slow time and feeling pessimistic. I ended up taking nearly 10 s-caps over the next 3-miles as
well as 10oz of Mountain Dew. The
fullness in my stomach subsided and I started to feel great again! I was able to run the last two miles into the 100k point at a
reasonable pace.
Once there, Allison, Robert, Marty, Joel and Sandee all kept
me company while I got set to head back out, locked into 10th place. I was feeling excellent. The next 16-17 miles were my favorite
of the whole race - Not because of the terrain, just because I was feeling so
good this late in the race. I was
passing people and having to tell myself to hold back. Heading into Hwy 12, I
had moved into 6th place and was absolutely chomping at the
bit. Allison (who we all know to
be far smarter than me) kept encouraging me to eat something other than
Mountain Dew. I refused - the
water, Mountain Dew and S-caps thing was working and I wasn’t about to mess
with it.
This lasted a grand total of about two more miles. It had just started to get dark enough
to turn on my headlamp halfway to Rice Lake when my energy started
slipping. The trail turns
technical here as well which didn’t help my rhythm and by the time I got to
Rice Lake I was feeling low again.
I still was convinced that Mountain Dew would save me (Why?!?!) and made
the turn to head back to Hwy 12.
During this section I really started struggling. I was walking any incline. If water could flow down it, I was
walking it. Mentally I was okay and
still believed that this would pass. I was starting to see other runners on the out and back and
it hurt to be staggering along. I
made to Hwy 12 in 7th
place, but things were not good.
Leaving Hwy 12 I tried to sustain a run for a bit. I just felt exhausted. My legs actually felt okay, but I had
this deep-in-the-core tired that I just couldn’t shake. It felt good to walk and I started
noticing logs that were on the side of the trail here and there. I looked at my watch while I sat on one
and just shook my head. Any time
ahead I had been just a few miles ago was hemorrhaging away quickly. I felt pretty powerless to stop it and started walking again,
hoping to catch fire again…
I didn’t run again for 15 miles. I’m pretty sure I sat on every available log between Hwy 12
and Nordic. I spent 10 minutes
talking and snacking at both Bluff and Tamarack aid-stations. Once the time goal was gone, I was in
no hurry. It was a beautiful night
and I was going to finish.
With about 3 miles left, Jeff and Jeff (two LPTRs’) pulled
up. They looked pretty happy to
walk a bit this late in their 38 mile run and I was really happy to have the
company. We laughed and talked for
another few miles before they began their run into the finish with a ½ mile to
go. By now I felt much better, but
I figured if I had walked this far, there was no reason to run it in.
That changed with a couple of hundred yards to go. I looked back and saw a head-lamp
closing fast. I figured it was
probably a relay runner but I didn’t like the idea of giving away a potential
place in the 100-mile just in case I was wrong, so I started to jog. I looked back again and he was coming
even harder?!? Huh!??!
CRAP!!! I started to run
faster. One more check back – He
wasn’t letting up! DAMN!!! I had
to actually sprint it in to stay ahead of him.
The “him” turned out to be Matthew Condron and staying ahead
kept me in the top ten. Somehow,
after charging out of Nordic in 10th place hours ago, passing people
and then blowing apart and walking the last 15 miles, I still ended up in 10th? - Strange but true.
So… I would like to say I learned something – (and under
more reflection I’m sure I will find I did) - but I see most of my mistakes out
there as obvious and avoidable ones that I should know enough to handle by
now. But that is part of the lure
of the 100 – they are a puzzle to figure out and take some will to finish. I look forward to running more smartly
the next time, which at this writing will be the Superior Sawtooth 100 mile in
September.
In the end, I was just happy to have a story to tell… hope
it was worth the read...
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