I try not to put too much emphasis on a single race, just
in case it doesn’t go down quite right, but The Leadville Race Across the Sky
definitely stood out on my 2014 calendar.
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| the Big One! |
Much was in flux up to the last minute. Cole had volunteered to pace me for the whole 50 mile return months earlier but his work schedule got in the way and he had to bow out. Then, 10 days before the race, he was back on board. My boss, Larry, had offered to crew for me well in advance, but I thought that was going to fall through when his mom passed away shortly before the race. He used the race as an opportunity to have some quality time with his son Jackson, who was also a big help. And I didn't think my family would be there, but days before the race, Brenda got the use of a house form the family of a former student.
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| view towards the course |
In the weeks before the race, I had laid out a detailed
spreadsheet with a range of times for all the aid stations, as well as the
supplies that I would need. I then
poured over dozens of race reports, adjusting my times by precious minutes.
I took Thursday afternoon off so I could start enjoying
the Leadville race atmosphere. I checked
in, weighed in (before dinner), and volunteered to have my blood and urine
tested as part of a CSU study on how ultra-running affects the human body. I normally hate needles, but figured it would
be interesting. I then went to the pasta
dinner at the school and chatted with a bunch of other first-time runners but
with a couple hours of remaining daylight, I decided to drive portions of the
course. I had not been on a single part
of the race course before and I wanted to get a feel for it in addition to
noting some of the turns.
Just before dark, I got down to the house that my wife
had borrowed for us for the weekend. I
had assumed I would be on my own and camping out in the back of my Subaru, but
Brenda snagged this house and now I was going to have my whole family there for
moral support, not to mention a warm bed and hot shower. Given my lack of altitude training, I briefly
considered sleeping at the top of Fremont Pass, but figured I would be better
served by getting a longer, better night of sleep in a real bed. This would turn out to be a smart move.
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| the infamous Powerline |
 |
| Sugarloaf Pass |
We got the girls to bed and after going over my race plans
again with Brenda, I hit the sack, expecting to get a good 3 to 4 hours of
sleep. After counting sheep, bunnies,
and lots of other cuddly creatures, forwards and backwards, I finally rolled
out of bed at 2:00 AM, after having gotten a total of zero minutes of
sleep. I was going to race through all,
or most, of the following night, after getting absolutely no sleep the previous
night – yikes! At least I got a good
night’s sleep on Thursday.
I rolled into Leadville about 3:30 and found a parking
space just 2 blocks from the start, then spent the next 20 minutes fretting
about whether this was a 2-hour maximum parking street or not. After sending off some last minute texts to
Larry, I grabbed my bottles and headed for the start, making a quick stop by
the port-a-potties. Finally in the
starting chorale, I looked about for all the people that I knew. 700 runners and I didn’t spot a single
familiar face.
The Leadville 100 is the largest 100 miler in the country
and while only 50% of the field finishes in an average year, the top end of the
field is extremely competitive. Looking
around at all the other runners was quite intimidating. It brought back memories of my very first
race, five years ago – standing at the start line of the Colfax Marathon,
thinking that everyone knew what they were doing, except me. 8,000 miles and 175 races later, I still felt
like I didn’t quite belong there.
With a starting temperature of 39 degrees, I debated what
to wear until 90 seconds before the gun, when I threw off my shirt and shivered
in anticipation. Had it been 89 degrees,
I would have still been shivering with nervous excitement.
Bang! We were off.
Having read numerous stories about getting caught up in
the “conga line” around Turquoise Lake, I started not too far off the
front. Every once in a while I would
take my eyes off the road and turn back to see the endless stream of headlamps
bouncing down the boulevard. It’s a
pretty amazing site. Even though the
race starts in the freezing cold darkness at 4:00 AM, hundreds of spectators
lined the road to cheer us on.
After less than a mile on the 6th Street pavement, the
course takes a quick dogleg to the left, onto the Boulevard, which is a nice,
long gravel road, with a gentle downhill (feels less gentle on the way
back). This isn’t an exciting element of
the course, but it gives time for everyone in the large field to settle into a
pace/position. The crowds dissipated in
this section, but there were still some brave souls out along the road. I was concerned about balancing a quick pace
(to avoid traffic at the lake) as opposed to starting out easy, but was able to
relax into an 8 to 9 minute pace which seemed to be just about right.
There’s a steeper, rockier section at the end of the Boulevard
before turning right and following the railroad tracks for about a mile. On this section, I finally found Sean
Wetstine and a couple of other familiar runners. I also made my first, though definitely not
last, pee break.
After turning onto a short section of pavement, we
crossed the river and started a gentle climb to the west. At the transition back to dirt is the Sugar
Loafin’ Campground, on the right, where it seemed that everyone was up and
awake to cheer us on. Another mile on
the road and we made a right turn up “mini-powerline”. This section is steep and covered in river
rock, but luckily is only a few hundred yards and provides a welcomed walking
break. At the top, we crossed the road and hit the single-track along Turquoise
Lake. The trail was well marked with
glow-sticks and in many places, lined with spectators from adjacent
campsites. I only took small sips of the Shaklee Performance in my Amphipod hand-helds, but was apparently over-hydrated, as I took 5 pee breaks on this
section. It was rather annoying having
so many runners pass me by, even though the few lost minutes weren’t all that
important this early in the race. I don’t know if I timed it right, or if it
was the reduced number of runners, but there were no back-ups going around
Turquoise Lake and the coil of lights around the edge of the lake was pretty
cool – to think, I was racing against all those little dots of light.
About 2/3 of the way around Turquoise, I had a very rare
negative ultra-runner experience. I
could hear him from more than a hundred yards back – “ON YOUR LEFT”, “ON YOUR
RIGHT”. The jerk was screaming like a
drill sergeant. I told him how obnoxious
he was as he passed me, but he either chose to ignore me, or had headphones in
his ears and couldn’t hear me. I
honestly felt like giving him an elbow to the windpipe as he passed. I couldn’t care less about being passed this
early in a race, but he certainly didn’t need to ruin the beauty and tranquility
by screaming at everyone.
I finally pulled into May Queen (mile 12.5, not 13.5 as
advertised) in about 2:12, only a couple of minutes behind schedule (damn the
pee breaks) and in 168th place.
The aid station was incredibly well organized. I had my drop bag handed to me within seconds
and even had a table to open it up on. I
quickly re-stocked, filled my bottle, and dropped off my flashlight. Crews did not have access to the drop bags so
heading out of the aid station, the route was lined with crews and supporters with just
a narrow path for the runners to pass.
This was quite energizing and it’s been compared to Tour de France
cyclists riding the mountainous sections through fronds of cheering fans. I doubt there was a single person in that
crowd that knew me, but they all cheered like they did - what a way to welcome
the morning!
After a short bit up the paved road, we turned off to a
trailhead and hit another section of single-track trail that would dump us out
on Hagerman Road. Part way up to
Sugarloaf Pass, the sun fell upon us, giving a preview of the day’s heat.
Coming down the top of Powerline, I caught up to Enrique
and we were able to chat for a couple of minutes before I passed him. I was
glad to have hiked and jogged Powerline the previous day, as it was not at all
intimidating. I was able to run most of
it at just over an 8 minute pace without hurting my quads. I think I might have been passed by a couple
of runners, but I was doing most of the passing on this section. At the bottom, a guy on the side of the trail
told us our standings – I was now in 118th place.
The section to the Fish Hatchery/Outward Bound aid
station was long by almost a mile, making up for the shortness of the previous
section. The aid station was visible as
soon as we turned the curve by the Fish Hatchery. It looked like a giant festival in the field,
and it pretty much was. There was a huge area for parking and partying, along
with a very well organized aid station.
I came in around 4:20, having made up a couple of minutes (based on
overly optimistic goals) and now in 110th place.
Again, there was no crew access directly at the aid
station, but all the crews were lined up right past it. I was quickly handed my drop bag and just as
I opened it up, Cole appeared standing above me. We exchanged a few words as I refilled and
resupplied again, but I didn’t take very long.
I picked up my sunglasses (to keep my eyes from getting too fatigued
before the night), and dropped off one of my two hand-helds since the next
few aid stations would be close enough together. I could have actually started off with just a
single hand-held, given how many pee breaks I had to take and it would have
made holding the flashlight and eating much easier in the first segment.
They had informed us at the pre-race meeting that the 1.5
miles from the aid station was being re-routed through the Outward Bound
property and off the pavement. Most
people were happy, as the softer surface would mean less impact than the road,
but I knew that it would also mean slower times. What we didn’t anticipate was that the route
was basically a mowed swath through fields of native grasses, with many
ankle-breaking holes hidden along the way.
I was lucky to only catch the edge of a couple of holes, but was quite
worried about coming back later, in the dark and fatigued.
We eventually made it back onto the road for a bit, then
cut across on a double-track section towards a collection of dirt roads and
Treeline. I don’t know why they call it
that, since it’s nowhere near treeline, but this is an area for crew access
without an official aid station. You run
along this gravel road, lined with vehicles.
It’s like a linear tailgate party at a major football
game. Again, there was no one here that
I knew, but you couldn’t tell by the volume of the cheering.
The next aid station was Half Pipe, and I arrived there
much faster than anticipated, in 5:21, and climbed further up to 93rd
place. There is no crew access to Half
Pipe at all, but again the volunteers were amazing, got my drop bag immediately,
and even a chair for me to sit on. After
the quick break, I was off again along the gravel roads. Unfortunately, soon after leaving, I started
having some stomach issues - nothing too serious, but enough to warrant a pit
stop in the woods. Normally this is no
big deal, but I had to wait until there was enough tree cover, and after 30+
miles, squatting in the woods is pretty rough on the knees and quads.
The climb up to the Mount Elbert mini aid station was not
nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Most of it was runnable and after the first
couple of miles, we got onto some pretty nice single-track, surrounded by giant
mushrooms from the wet summer. The aid
station was water only, but there were vehicles and volunteers there - more
than I was expecting. The water itself
was in a gigantic plastic barrel with about a dozen spigots all around. I
filled up quickly, dumped off some trash and was back on the trail in less than
a minute. Twin Lakes was soon visible
down below, but it was still another 3 miles away. Most was on a nice, runnable, downhill trail
with only the last mile or so on a gravel road.
You arrive at Twin Lakes via a short, very steep drop, as
the crowds cheer on. I've heard of
people falling here, much to the amusement of the spectators, but it didn't seem that difficult. I made it through the
arch, had my drop bag handed to me and then was able to go into the open
medical/aid station building to sit in the shade. Due to my pit stop, I arrived in about 7:09, but had only inched up
a single place to 92nd. I
took a couple of minutes to down a can of ginger ale, along with a club soda,
as I refilled my bottle and supplies. I
also had a volunteer help me spray on a fresh coat of sunscreen. On my way out,
I bumped into Corky - nice to see a friendly face. He was very encouraging, as always, and
offered to help in any way. I thanked
him but didn't need anything so I took off, and luckily only made it 10 feet before realizing that I
had forgotten my sunglasses. After retrieving them, I was finally off through
the little town, thoroughly lined with cheering families and fans. I actually saw a couple of people that I
knew, but for the most part, they were all strangers screaming their lungs off
for me and all the other runners - way cool!
Across the highway, through the parking lot, and off
through some grassy meadows we went. The
trail turns much more to the west than I had anticipated, but after about a
mile we got to the water. I was
expecting a deep river crossing, but well before that, we had numerous water
crossings ranging from shin deep to crotch deep. Some were clear and clean, some were muddy
with hidden bottoms, but at least they didn't suck my shoes off. The real stream crossing was nice, cool, and
refreshing. The water was flowing pretty
well, and we could have probably done just fine without the guide rope. I was thinking it would be more useful on the
way back when many runners would be feeling the effects of altitude and
distance.
Now on the other side, the water quickly drained out of my shoes, and
within a half mile or so, we were climbing towards the infamous Hope Pass. Despite having downed 2 full cans at Twin
Lakes, I was surprisingly thirsty and had to start sipping from my bottles much
earlier than anticipated. I was a little
worried, as I had gambled in only taking a single bottle on this section.
Once the climb started, there were very few opportunities
for running, but the hiking wasn't too bad.
I kept an eye on the trees, knowing that the aspens should dwindle about
a thousand feet below tree line. And as
much as I love aspens, I was quite happy to see them gone, signaling good vertical
progress. Soon after, I came upon Sean again, who let me know we were getting
close to the aid station. It was another
mile before I finally heard it and then broke through the trees to see the
famous Hope Pass (Hopeless) aid station.
I was out of water by then and thrilled at the sight.
You simply can't get the feel for this remote aid station
from words or pictures. Nestled up at
about 11,500 feet above sea level, it's a small city of bustling activity full
of volunteers, runners and the lamas who carried everything up. That's right, volunteers pack everything up
here on their lamas for the benefit and safety of us runners. I had a volunteer run up ahead to take my
bottle and fill it. I drank about half,
refilled, dumped some trash, and was quickly off again to the pass looming in
the distance.
The pass itself, the high point at 12,600 feet, looked
much closer than it actually was.
Climbing, at this elevation, I certainly wasn’t setting any speed
records. Nearing the pass, the two lead runners came down, only a few minutes
apart. Stepping out of the way, I
congratulated them as they ran by. I passed a number of runners who were
starting to feel the effects of the altitude and going out too fast, but the
beauty of the surrounding mountains made the effort seem easier and eventually,
I crossed the timing mat at the very top.
I made really good time on the climb, getting up in just over two hours,
9:11 into the race, and had moved up rapidly to 62nd place.
The top part of the other side was nice and runnable, but
soon it got so steep that the pace slowed down and the effort increased, just
to stay on my feet. Part way down this
section, I caught back up to Max and we ran together for a while. I counted the
oncoming runners, but gave up after the first dozen. Once we hit the trail
junction that parallels the road, I was able to run well again and dropped Max.
It was really getting hot and my water was running low. I asked oncoming runners how far it was but
none knew. As I downed the last bit from
my bottle, a guy told me it was less than 1.5 miles. This section was climbing
again and went by rather slowly until the final descent towards Winfield. Just before the road, I was greeted by
Katrin's husband, David, who was sitting by the side of the trail, taking
pictures.
I popped out onto the road, ran down another half mile or
so and finally arrived at the aid station in 10:19, and now in 50th
place. I saw Cole just as I came in, so
he was able to get himself ready and help me out too. I weighed in with a loss of only 2.2 pounds -
not bad. I was pleased not to be too
light and dehydrated. I again drank a can of ginger ale followed by a can of
club soda and gathered my stuff for the return trip.
The climb back up Hope Pass is shorter, but much steeper
and the hot afternoon sun was going to be at our backs, so I knew one bottle
wasn't going to cut it. In addition to my hand-held, I took a disposable bottle
of water that I had in the drop bag.
This was definitely a smart move as I would drain both bottles by the
time we got back to Hopeless.
We took off and saw David again as we got back on the
trail. This early part was nicely
runnable until we hit the trail junction and started the climb. Cole stayed
right behind me on the climb back up. It was slow, hot and lots of runners were
coming down, but most were very good in stepping out of our way - lead runners
(those going back already) had the right-of-way, though our pacers did not.
We came across Sean soon after we got on the trail, then
Katrin, Enrique, Junko, and Rachael, before we hit the top. There was only time for a few quick
encouraging words, but it was really nice to see all the familiar faces. I wasn't setting any speed records on this
climb, but neither was anyone else around me and I was slowly passing more
runners. Cole was keeping track of his Runners Roost teammates and encouraged
me to pass them all, which I think we did.
We finally crested the pass and I had Cole send a text to
Brenda, telling her and Larry that we expected to be back in Twin Lakes around
5:15 PM. I had left them pretty large windows of time depending on my progress,
but this text update would be accurate to within a few minutes. Coming back
down towards Hopeless, the runners still heading up were looking more and more
worn. They were all still very polite in
stepping out of the way and we exchanged encouraging words, but many were
clearly suffering. It's tough seeing fellow competitors like this. Many had
spent all of the previous year training, some had traveled from afar, yet most
of them would not get to cross the finish line.
Hopeless was no less of a morale boost the second time
around. In addition to filling up on water, I also grabbed some saltines and a
handful of chocolate chip cookies (all of which had been carried up on the
backs of lamas). I ditched the
disposable bottle at this time as I figured it would only be another 45 minutes
or so to Twin Lakes.
The run down was fun.
The trail was steep, but easily runnable. I had to keep Cole back, as he would have run
even faster, but I had 50 more miles on my legs than him and we still had 45 to
go. We passed a few more runners, but
soon, there were no more heading back up.
Cole enjoyed the river crossing at the bottom, but I
think he was unpleasantly surprised by all the additional water
afterwards. We eventually made it to the
parking lot on the south end of Twin Lakes when I saw my daughters waving at
me. Brenda was right behind them, but it
took me a few seconds to recognize Larry. He literally had to pull me off to
the side and almost shove me down into the chair he had set up. He told me he
was going to do all this, but for some reason it had all slipped my mind and
caught me totally off guard.
Amy was holding an umbrella to shield me from the sun as
Kirstyn helped to hand me stuff. It was
nice to sit down for a quick couple of minutes.
I pulled off my socks and shoes, dried and re-lubed my feet, put on new
socks, and my moist shoes. All the
while, Larry kept stuffing Cheetos and drinks in my face in between every
breath. His son Jackson was there too, filling my bottle and taking care of
other supplies. I dropped off my sunglasses here as I knew we would be in the
shade until sunset. I had left a note
for myself to tell my fatigued brain if I would need a light yet. We were still on a very fast pace and I knew
we would make it to the next drop bag at Pipe Line well before dark, so that
was one less thing to carry for now
I would have loved to stay longer, enjoying my family and
friends, but the clock was ticking, I was feeling good, and there were still 40
miles to go. I gave thanks and kisses,
and soon took off through town. We
crossed under the arch at the official aid station, where we didn't need stop
since Larry had already pulled all my gear, and headed off up the steep little
climb. With the stop, I passed through
in 13:25, and moved up some more to 39th.
We settled into a decent fast-hiking pace up the hill but
were quite glad when things leveled off enough to do some running. A bit further and we got back to the
Camelbak water station at Mount Elbert.
Water fill, trash dump, and off we went in less than a minute.
The next couple of miles were nice rolling single-track
that were fun to run on, unfortunately, my stomach started to act up again,
necessitating another quad-burning pit stop in the woods and then a few minutes
of slow running to loosen back up. By
the time we got back onto the gravel roads, Cole had taken the lead and we were
moving at a pretty good clip (good for 65 miles into a hundred, that is). This would be the start of my biggest mistake
of the day.
We eventually rolled into Half Pipe in 15:20 and still in
39th Place. I was surprised to see Larry and Jackson again, as there
was no crew access to this aid station, but they had ridden their mountain
bikes in for a few miles to be there. I downed 2 cans of coke and some ramen,
resupplied from my drop bags and took my flashlight, as I didn't think we'd
make it to Outward Bound before dark. I gave Larry an estimate of 9:00 for him
and Brenda to meet us there.
We continued to push the pace, with Cole leading, on the
gravel roads out from Pipeline. But soon
enough, my stomach was back at it and I was off into the woods with my knees
and quads cursing my digestive system for putting them through this. Had my intestines timed it right, I could
have at least sat on a comfy seat in one of the many port-o-potties at the aid
stations.
I'm sure it was frustrating for Cole to stand by on the
trail as runners that we had worked so hard to pass, were now re-passing us
again. We ran through the Treeline crew
area and although we didn't have a crew here, were cheered on by everyone
else's. It's amazing how many people
were camped out there, just for the opportunity to see their runner for a few
brief minutes, and encouraging strangers in the meantime.
We turned off the gravel roads, onto some double-track,
and soon we were on the asphalt, keeping a pretty good pace, though only
passing a few other runners. I warned
Cole about the upcoming section through the Outward Bound fields with the
ankle-breaking holes, and soon we were right there. Cole was still leading and about half way
through, it got dark enough to turn on the flashlight.
We made it safely through the fields, came into the Outward Bound aid station and looked
around for Larry, Brenda and the others, but could not locate them. We had
somehow made it there more than 20 minutes ahead of our prediction (a clear
sign of the trouble to come). We ran the
section in about 1:15, coming in at 16:36, and having moved up only 2 more
places to 37th, despite all the hard work. My drop bag was still
there so we knew that Larry had not made it yet. I drank another coke, refilled
bottles and supplies, took a pair of gloves, and almost headed out when I
decided to throw a long-sleeved shirt around my waist (I had been running
shirtless till then). We took off, got about 100 feet to the asphalt road and I
started to shiver uncontrollably. A
quick stop for me to put the shirt on, and we were off towards the Fish Hatchery.
It took a good half mile for my body to warm up and stop shivering, though we were
still moving at a great pace.
We got to the turn-off for the Powerline and the were a
number of cars on the edge of the road with more cheering supporters. We ran for a bit on the gravel road but as
soon as we got to the bottom of the climb, my body just shut down. I was
starting to shiver again, though not as severely as earlier, and I just had no
fuel left in the tank. Here was the second crux of the race, an ideal section
to reel some people in, and I could barely walk. The steepness of Powerline had
nothing to do with my breakdown, it only magnified the time lost. I was simply
out of juice and would have been slowed to a walk even on a downhill. I
was finally paying the price for the fast pace we set on the previous 20 miles.
Had we held back by just a bit, I would have been able to easily power-hike up
and leave more runners behind.
For those that haven't gone through a serious bonk, it's
really difficult to comprehend. Red-lining by just a hair will hit you like a
brick wall, and by the time it does, recovery is a slow and difficult process,
eating up significantly more time than you gained with the previous speed. So
why would one do this, you would ask. Unfortunately, there is no clearly
visible "red-line"' or needle, so you can't adjust the throttle just
under it. You don't know you've red-lined, until you hit the wall, and by that
time, it's already too late.
I warned Cole that I was going to need some time to
recuperate. I'm sure he couldn't have been thrilled, but he stayed supportive
and encouraging throughout. I ate a bag of chips, two Honey Stinger wafers and
a gel, drank water, and walked ever so slowly up the hill. A few sets of
runners and pacer passed us, but I couldn't do anything about it. When we hit the dip, about hallway up, there
was a pocket of chilled air and I started to shiver again. I was concerned
about the temperature dropping towards the top and potential wind that could
spell serious trouble. I wished I had a hat and a jacket. Cole had a
long-sleeve shirt in his pack and I almost had to ask for it, but I pushed
slowly on hoping to further recover before hitting the top.
I had read accounts of the many false summits on the
Powerline climb, but they didn't make sense when I had scouted it out the day
before and had run down earlier that morning. Now I understood. In the
darkness, and especially if you're struggling, the top seems to be ever
elusive. I was running out of water and praying for the climb to end but it
just kept going on and on. At one point we started hearing some kind of a horn,
and then music. What the ...? As we got closer, we realized it was an aid
station, but wait, there wasn't supposed to be an aid station at the top of
Powerline. Like a mirage that turns into life-saving reality, this group of
stoners had driven up to the top of Sugarloaf Pass and set up an impromptu aid
station/party. I could have kissed them!
I filled up my bottle with water, but they also had coke! They had poured out lots of cups to de-fizz,
as most runners like it that way. When I told them that I didn't, they handed
me a 2 liter bottle. "Just chug.
That's the way we roll up here man". I did. And it was like a magic
elixir. I didn't recover completely, but it certainly brought me back to
life. I'm glad these guys decided to party at the top of the pass as they truly
saved my race. I thanked them repeatedly before Cole and I took off into the
darkness and down towards May Queen.
I wasn't fast on the way down, but at least I was now
able to run and start passing some of those that had gone by during the climb.
One guy, with a female pacer was loudly grunting every breath. It was almost as
annoying as the obnoxious guy in the morning (maybe it was even the same guy?). He claimed he was
power-breathing, like tennis players do, but I could not stand to
be around him. I'm sure my less-than-cheerful disposition didn't help, but I
was encouraged to run faster just to get out of earshot of him.
Hagerman Road seemed to go on much longer than I had
expected but then we dropped off onto the single-track that would lead us to
the last aid station. This section was also endless and due to our slow
progress, my flashlight was fading. I had a spare battery and wanted to stop and
replace it, knowing the fresh light would make it easier (and safer) to run,
but I kept thinking that we almost there.
Just as my light got totally useless, we finally crossed
the small bridge and came out into the trailhead. Just a short road section, and
we would be at May Queen.
 |
| Jackson & Larry |
As we made our way through the crowd (yes, there was
still a crowd at well past midnight) this guy came running alongside of me. At
first I thought he was another runner wanting to pass, but he was running right
by my side, staring me in the face. What the ...? What was this guy's problem? I was getting
ready to use my elbow to regain some personal space, then Larry appeared on my
other side.
I guess I must have been a bit out of it. It was Jackson
who was running by my side. He was staring because he didn't quite recognize me
now that I was wearing a shirt. With some quick pats on the back and words of
encouragement, they sent us on into the aid station, where crews were not
allowed.
I came through in 19:29, miraculously not having lost a
placement. I got my drop bag and headed
into the medical tent where they had a heater going. Cole tried to spur me on
to get this last section done, but I needed to warm up and fuel up. I only took
a few minutes, but it was necessary. I took warmer gloves and a hat and
considered taking an additional shirt, but I didn't. Knowing that the cold
night air would hit me like a brick wall, I readied myself and sprinted right
out of the tent, trying to maintain my body temperature. It didn't work. As
soon as I stepped out, I was once again shivering uncontrollably. It was so bad, I thought
about going back and putting on a pair of pants and another shirt, but I
pressed forward and after a few hundred yards, the shivering started to
subside. Eventually, I was even able to take off the hat.
Cole led the whole way around Turquoise Lake and I had to
drop back a few times so that I could eat. I didn't want to burn out again like
I had done earlier. At our pace and with my state of mind, the lake trail
seemed to take forever. I was so glad when we were finally done with it. We
crossed the road and started down the mini-Powerline. It was slow going, but
luckily not too long. Down to the bottom and we were on a gravel road. Though
slightly downhill, running was definitely an effort at this point. I was spurred on by Cole running up ahead, as
well as lights closing in from behind.
We made it through the intersection by the Sugarloafin'
campground, across the river and railroad tracks, and then on the road along
the tracks. We eventually made it back to the bottom of the Boulevard. This initial
section was steep enough to necessitate walking, but once up, it was back to a
run. Cole stayed well in front for the rest of the way. It was somewhat
frustrating because I couldn't even see his dim light at times, but I know he
was trying to pull me forward (and he did). I wouldn't have been good company at this point
anyway. I was definitely struggling and I wanted to be done, but I was also
pleased that I was running the whole way. We came up on a runner/pacer combo
just as we got to the edge of town, passed them, and ran on up the final hill
by the school. There were still a few people out to cheer at this crazy hour of
the morning. I could see Cole running well up ahead in the streetlights as we
had planned early on. He was going to let me finish on my own and hopefully
snap a few pictures.
The finish line was visible from the top of the hill, but
there was still a ways to go. I got closer and closer, and with less than a
quarter mile, I glanced back to see a runner closing in. This race hadn't
worked out quite like I had dreamed, but there was no way I was going to be
passed before the finish line. I dug deep, pushed hard, and sprinted (at least
what seems like a sprint after 100 miles) all the way to the finish without
being passed. 22:38:20. A bit slower than I had hoped, but a very respectable
time and more than 2:20 ahead of the big buckle time. |
| getting poked and prodded |
We walked off towards the food/warming tent and I sat for a few minutes while sipping a ginger ale. I recapped parts of the race with Larry and Jackson before they walked me to my car. Have I mentioned how much I love heated seats? We parted ways and I drove back towards the house and my sleeping family. I snuck in around 3:30, took a quick shower and hopped into bed for a 3 hour nap.
On Sunday, I was tired and sleepy, but otherwise
fine. I drove back into town to watch
the last couple of finishers squeaking in under the 30 hour cut-off. This is a pretty amazing site and next time,
I would go down earlier to enjoy this even more. While I had re-fueled,
showered, and slept, these people were still out there, working their way
towards the finish. While it's fun to
watch the leaders, it's these end-of-the-pack runners that are truly
inspirational. They work harder and longer, are out there through more weather,
and push themselves to new limits for the sheer joy of the accomplishment. | |
| with Larry at the office |
While I wasn't completely satisfied with my performance, I posted a very respectable time and learned some important lessons. If I can work the kinks out and run a smarter race, I feel like I can drop an hour, or even two. 2015, here I come!
Garmin file
I guess I'll see you in 2015! Great job! Thanks for sharing your story
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