The First Half
There is a common saying in the running world that, “You
know you’ve done your taper well when you’re itching to run on race day.”
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| Start of 2012 LH100 |
Is that really such a bad thing?!
All I can say is that “the itch” took over for the first 25
miles. It was soooo hard to ignore this beautifully-groomed trail and the
incredible weather that had managed to swoop in just for race day – low 80’s
rather than high 90’s. Otherwise, there might have been carnage.
In the back of my mind I kept telling myself to slow down
but oh, how I’d been longing to run for the last two weeks. It was by no means
a blistering pace, but it was clearly too fast for what I expected to be at least
a 24-hour run-fest. As I was leaving the Carroll Creek aid station, I was chatting
with another runner who recognized me (and knew that this was my first 100). He
seemed surprised to see me and reminded me just to run within myself. Sage
advice, it turns out.
Through this point of the course, the new out-and-back in
between the Pringle and Carroll Creek aid stations was the only deviation from
the Mickelson Trail (in the first half). It’s a Forest Service road with some
nice rollers and chunky rocks (compared to the Mickelson). This kept things
interesting but out-and-backs generally just suck.
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| Mile 50 - Hill City |
Approaching the Harbach Park aid station (mile 32) I was
already having signs of GI problems. I had already gone through one bottle of
EFS and was munching on traditional aid station food – potatoes/salt, some
watermelon and grapes were the only things that seemed to sound good.
Everything else made my stomach turn. Erik, my crew chief, was doing his best
to force things down me at each aid station. Unfortunately applesauce, Snickers
or Rice Krispy Treats were just not on my menu that afternoon.
I was still in good spirits approaching the half-way point of
the race. My disposition was good and mentally I was focused on just running. I
wasn’t paying much attention to the scenery or the other runners. I was also
trying to ignore the hot spots on my feet but then again, this is why it’s good to have a crew. Erik forced me to tend to my feet at the Hill City
aid station. I was trying to negotiate and rationalize with him but clearly,
after 10 hours on my feet, I couldn’t have rationalized myself out of a
cardboard box. Blister pads, new socks and new shoes…oh yeah, that felt good. (Looking
back, this was clutch.)
The Second Half
Erik made me eat some turkey, cola and potatoes again before
leaving Hill City…again, clutch. The salt and protein helped me keep things
together as I headed out for the second half of the course.
Mentally, Hill City is tough because you know there is a
13-mile uphill run back to the Harbach Park aid station (Custer). Again, I put
my head down and just ran within myself to knock these miles out. Since leaving
Hill City however, I had been gradually been feeling a pain in my right ankle –
dull and annoying more than anything. I’m just glad it didn’t become anything
worse.
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| Running with Dad |
As I pulled into the Harbach Park aid station, my father
started yelling my name. I knew they were driving down from North Dakota but I
had no idea when or where they might show up. They had signs of encouragement and
pictures (heads) of my wife, kids and siblings attached to sticks posted along
the trail…if I only had a picture of that! It a very special moment to have my
dad run with me for a few hundred yards. We took some pictures, chatted a bit
as I tried to eat some food but I could feel my mood getting a little grumpy
even though they tried to lift my spirits. Seeing them however was just enough
to send me on my way as the sun began to set behind the Black Hills. I wrapped
my jacket around my waist, clipped on the headlamp and went along my way.
From Harbach Park, I knew it was only a couple more aid
stations before I picked up my pacer (Todd) in Pringle. This is about the time
the distance (and time) between aid stations seemed to pass extremely slowly. Night
time had closed in enough to turn on the head lamp and while I heard all the creatures
of the night begin to come out of hiding, I continued to concentrate on keeping
my form tight and my pace at or about 13 minutes per mile. I had thrown a
jacket on and was counting down the miles before I picked up Todd at
the Pringle aid station.
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| The Mickelson Trail |
Surprise! Todd was at the Carroll Creek aid station with
Erik just hanging out. I tried to convince Todd to join me 5 miles earlier than
he planned…he had no desire to join the ranks of ultra-running that night!
(though after the race, he seemingly regretted not joining me early…oh well). It
was quite chilly by this time in the evening and the only thing that sounded
good was hot chocolate – so I drank it. And it was good. Erik also discovered
that he could cut up thin slices of banana and hand-feed me like a mother bird
feeds its chicks. I think someone joked that at least they weren’t
regurgitated. Not cool man, not cool.
So that’s how it was for the next couple aid stations – thinly
hand-sliced banana and hot chocolate. Todd had since picked me up in Pringle
and had taken over some of the slicing and nourishment responsibilities while
Erik tended to head-lamps and videography…both doing a great job on keeping the
mood light, me warm and my legs moving.
It was really until we reached the Argyle Road aid station
that I seriously began to think about breaking the 24-hour barrier. Tired, but
still mentally acute to do basic addition, I knew it was within my reach. That
fueled me on despite the fatigue and pain in my quads and right ankle. It hurt
more to walk than run, so I just kept running.
Todd did a great job pacing – both of us rookies in our
respective roles, he let me determine the pace between Argyle Road and the
Coldbrook aid station. Still motivated by a sub-24 race and the family videos he had collected to show me along the way, I was really trying to
run more than walk. But that damn Argyle Road just sucked with all its ups and down, inclined roads and
sharp rocks. My feet were screaming at me. There was cursing. Yes, I was
cursing a road.
Argyle Road seemed to go on for a very long time but again,
walking the hills and running the rest was my plan for that stretch of 16 miles
until we finally made it to the Coldbrook aid station.
Holy crap – 4 miles to go.
The conversation picked up during the last couple miles as
we made our way through Hot Springs. I think the realization that (a) this was
going to happen and (b) this was going to happen under 24-hours was almost too
much to stand. Winding our way through the empty streets of this sleepy town
was almost surreal…yet, those final 4 miles drug on just like the previous 21.
I found myself never wanting to see a Dairy Queen so badly in my life (DQ is
the landmark right before the finish line).
As I came upon the Mueller Center, the realization of what I
had done overcame me. As I crossed the finish line with my good friends and my
mom and dad there to cheer me on, I broke down with tears of joy, relief and
pride.
"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." - Christopher Reeve
Who runs a 100 miles?
This guy does - In 22 hours and 27 minutes. My journey is complete.
Race Wrap Up
Following the race, Erik, Todd, my parents and I found a
place to relax in the Mueller center. You would think that at 4:30 am, there
wouldn’t be much going on but to the contrary, the place was buzzing with
volunteers, other runners and their families. We retold several stories from
the run and talked about what I was feeling at various points in the race.
Stories that were not funny at the time but certainly in the right context,
were quite humorous to those who didn’t experience the race like I did.
I have to say, there was no point in the race where I felt
out of control. I was lucid and mentally sharp the entire time (as evidenced by
me cutting my own banana at the Morph aid station while Todd dealt with rocks
in his shoe). At times, my vision was a little blurry in the tunnel of the
headlamp but other than that, I didn’t experience any issues that impeded my
running or brought me down mentally.
After taking an ice bath and catching about 30 minutes of
sleep, I went and had breakfast with my mom and dad – allowing Erik to crash in
the room. We went back to the Mueller Center about 9:30 for the awards and I
was able to catch up with many of the friends I had made on that trail that
day.
Cheryl. Raul. Robert. Steve. Just to name a few.
As it turns out, my time was good enough for 18th
place overall (73 finishers)and 6th in my age group (men & women). I’m not one
for tooting my own horn but I’m pretty damn proud of this seeing it’s my first
100-mile race.
Many thanks to Erik for crewing and Todd for pacing - couldn't have done it without you.
Leanhorse 100
Comments
I had a fantastic experience at this race and would highly
recommend it to anyone looking for a straight-forward 50k, 50-mile or 100-mile
ultra. Here are just a couple thoughts, comments and suggestions for anyone
considering it in the future.
- Aid stations are the bomb – good food, great people and plenty of them. The longest between aid was 10.1 miles (between Pringle and Carroll Creek aid stations – outbound only).
- Be prepared for heat. It’s August after all. We were lucky to have cool daytime temps and even cooler nighttime temps (low of 47).
- Be prepared for dusty conditions on Argyle Road. As the crews leap-frogged their runners, they kicked up a ton of dust. It made
for poor visibility and extra cursing.
As 100-mile races go (knowing there is no such thing as an 'easy' 100-mile race), I have to believe this course is on the mellower side of things. Minimal elevation and grades, nice groomed trail and still
small enough to really appreciate the hospitality of the Black Hills. If
nothing else a destination race that is really well done.
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| RD Jerry Dunn and I |
Thanks to Jerry Dunn and his team for another great race by
Lean Horse Productions.
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