Well here it is 4 + weeks after the Hallucination 100 and I’m
now just writing this race report. Not really sure why it took me this long but
I think it’s because the race really has not sunk in until now. It almost seems
like yesterday when I first heard about Ultramarathons and people running 100
mile races. I remember my response, “there is no way in hell I would ever run
100 miles, whoever does need to get their heads checked!” hahaha! Well I
guess I better schedule my cat scan! Being my first finish, I don’t think it
could have ended better!
Now obviously I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous
about another DNF but I was. I was pretty good at masking that feeling weeks
leading up to the race but a few days before it definitely showed. Ask Jess,
she called me out a few times. But who wouldn’t be? I started training for this
race the week after last year’s debacle! No one wants to fail at the same race
2 years in a row. So I did what I know how to do best, I had fun! I didn’t
overly worry about mileage per week or how long my “long” runs were. I ran with
my friends as much as I could and if I couldn’t get a friend, I took an ipod. I
figured this approached would be my best bet not to over train and kill myself.
I just wanted to get to the start line healthy.
Heading into the race I felt really good and confident that
I would finish. I knew the course, it hadn’t changed. It was still a 6 loops of
16.7 miles with aid stations every 4 miles. Start/finish served as an station,
Graces aid was at mile 4 and 12, then Richie’s Haven was at mile 8. Now, I have done a few 50 milers in the past
and I always know something always pops up. And I was right, 2 weeks out my
pacer had to drop due to a foot injury. I panicked a little and made a few
calls but to no avail. So what would I do? Obviously I’m not gonna drop, I’m
way too stubborn for that. Do I keep asking for someone to pace? Or do I say “SCREW
IT” and just run? I’m just there to finish right? You guessed right, I said
SCREW IT! Just go out and have fun and run the way you know how to!
Fast forward to race day…… I couldn’t have asked for a better
day! Low 70’s for the high and in the 40’s for the night. Starting line seemed
to have a great field and a lot of fun people to run with. As the race started
I just relaxed as much as I could and try to run slower than I did last year
for the first lap. I started off with Court Lilly, one of my good friends and
training partners, but that was for about 2 miles because he planned on running
at slower pace than I did. As I made my way thru the field I made sure I talked
to a lot of people and also made sure I showed my appreciation to the
volunteers at the aid stations. At the end of the lap you could hear the music
from the live band and also see horse shit on the trails. That’s how you would
know when you were close to the start/finish. I came thru my first lap in 2:40
which was around 5 min slower than last year and I was in 7th. At the time was
pretty comical, because I figured I would be around 15 min slower with the effort
I was at. But I guess that was a good sign of what was ahead for me!
Heading into the 2nd lap I grabbed my headlamp
and ipod. I knew I was gonna need the headlamp due to the time but I didn’t plan
on using my ipod till the 3rd lap at the earliest. I figured if I
took it I would have it if I really needed it. As it panned out I didn’t need
it at all. I still made conversation with the runners I was around and made
friends with the aid station peeps. I was also sticking to my plan of taking Gu’s
every 45 min and refilling with Nuun every aid station. So far so good! About ¾
of the way thru the 16.7 mile loop it got dark enough to start using the head
lamp. Guess I should have practice more with it cause I ate dirt quickly. Yes,
I went down and hard! But I shook it off and laughed a bit and continued
onward! End of 2nd loop was 2:45 and in 2nd, which I had
no idea of.
3rd loop was nothing special except heading into the
Grace aid station the first time I accidently put Gatorade in my bottle instead
of water for Nuun but I just went with it. So I also made the decision to go
ahead to stop using Gu’s and consume regular food. And the big shocker was when
I headed into Graces that second time I saw Courts mom (she was awesome and
practically at every aidstation) and she said I was in first!!!! She the first
guy had to drop due to some unknown reason. I honestly could have gone without
knowing that but now I was forced to race! Crap crap crap crap! I just wanted
to relax and run but every runner know if they are in first, whatever race it
is, the need to stay there at all costs! 3rd lap time was 3:00hrs.
Changed socks from swiftwick to feetures wool elite. (not my
best idea)
4th and 5th lap were not so great to
talk about except that I was getting slower, HA! 3:21 and 3:34 were the lap
times. Could have used a pacer but I had
my tunes to get my by I guess. I was pretty impressed that I was able to stay
away from the coke until lap 4. My focus
at this time was to stay running as long as I could, walk the hills but just
keep moving forward!!!! Just before halfway of my 4th loop I started
to feel a hot spot on my left big toe. So at Richie’s Haven aid I stopped and
pulled my shoe and sock off and DANG what a freaking humongous blister!!!
Doctored her up with some Vaseline and went along my way!
6th lap!!! I was almost there, just one more lap.
It’s amazing after 83 miles and you find some way to pick your pace up! At this
time I knew Jess would be out there doing her 50k and all the other races took
off. So I was pumped not to be ALONE anymore! Just after headin out on my last
loop I came upon the marathon runners which made me seem as slow as a turtle
but it was so great to see them, plus I saw someone I knew which gave me a
boost of energy! Saw Jess right before the first Graces aid, she could tell you
I wasn’t very talkative at that point. Also saw her again right before Graces
again for the second time and still I wasn’t very delightful! Eye of the tiger,
I wanted to get to the end as soon as I could! I sooo ready to finish I barely
even stopped to fill my bottle. The last 4 miles seemed brutal, but I ran all
the hills I walked the previous laps. I took my headphones off and was
listening for the band at the finish. When I could hear them I knew I was
close, but it seemed forever! Up down Up down where is this music, when will I
be able to smell the campfires from all the people camping?? BOOM!!! There the
faint music was, I am ALMOST there! And all of sudden out of nowhere, the
campsite appeared! I tried to put on the best smile I could and I ran until the
end! I was DONE! 18:42 was the final time, which meant I ran the last loop in
3:19, faster than the my 4th and 5th loop! Not only did I
finish but I finished first. Honestly I really don’t care about the first
place, yes it’s nice, but I was more impressed that I came back from a horrible
showing the year before and ran way beyond what I thought I could!
Not that I really expect a lot of people to read this but if
you do this should show you anything is possible. Yes we fail and probably fail
more than we succeed but when we do succeed its SOOOO WORTH IT!!!! Don’t give
up, don’t ever give up!
PS... this was also Jess's first 50K and she rocked it!
