Rocky Raccoon Race Report 2007

Three days before the race I’d been lying on my bathroom floor trying to get my back to stop hurting. The injury that had felt fine several weeks ago was back with a vengeance. I was unsure I could go 20 miles. 100 seemed impossible. But I was determined not to quit. If I tried and failed, I could live with it. But I’m not a quitter.

It was the 75 mile point when I finally faced reality. I guess I had known for a few miles that finishing was becoming more unlikely. Thoughts of finishing had been replaced by concern about reaching the next aid station. Clothes that were warm earlier in the night were totally inadequate for moving so slowly. The mixture of running and walking that worked five miles ago was now impossible. And without the running helping me to keep loose, the only thing happening quickly was slowing of my walk. The four miles from the Dam Road station to site 174 took just over two hours. I had given it all I had. I didn’t feel like I had quit. I had just failed.

We started in the darkness at 6AM with temps in the mid 20’s. This was way too cold for me, but I was fine once we were moving. The course just seemed to fly by. I grabbed a little food off the first aid station, but was sticking mostly to my routine of Gatorade and Cliff Shot Blocks. The Dam Road was the same as I picked up something solid to snack on as I walked on through. I was running all the down hills. Walking anything going up. And mixing things up if it seemed flat. The pace felt too easy, and that was the plan. Hard could come later. And I didn’t want to put any stress at all on the back.

I had never been on the section of trail from Dam Road to Far Side. I had been warned of the mud. In some sections, it was closer to lake than mud. With the hills and roots added in, this was my least favorite stretch. And I would have to cover it out and back each loop. If there was any advantage, it was that I was running very well on the long down hill sections and walking smoothly on the up hills. Jim and Mike were working the aid station, and it is always nice to see familiar faces. I quickly grabbed a snack while my bottle was refilled and turned around for the trip back. The pace seems to be averaging about 12 minute miles. That’s a little fast, but it still felt easy. I popped two ibuprofen at 8AM along with some salt. I kept to the schedule for eating and drinking. So far.

I had to hit the drop bag on the way back through Dam Road. I slammed a Starbuck’s Double Shot, left the light to be picked up on a later loop, and grabbed another pack of Cliff Blocks. The stop seemed to take forever, but I was soon running the easy downhill of the Dam Road and back onto the trails. I knew this section from Sunmart and made the most of the down hills once again. By the time I reached the Site 174 aid station, the intestines were grumbling at me, and I was thinking reaching the porta-potties in a few miles when I reach the start/finish. My digestive tract had other plans.

I wasn’t even half a mile out of 174 when the need for a porta-potty went from soon to immediate. I was quickly scurrying off trail in search of cover. And so began my demise. I finished the first loop just under four hours. Too fast, but until the last three miles, it had all been too easy. I stuck to plan at the start/finish drinking my shake and switching to lighter gloves. I hit the porta-potty while there and moved on without wasting too much time. But I was soon searching for cover again. This pattern would continue. At the highway aid station, I took only coke hoping to settle my stomach. No luck. Same plan with a cracker and Coke at Dam Road. No Luck. Far Side had Tums. That doesn’t work. Another runner offered Peptol Bismol. I felt a little better, but I couldn’t really say if it was working. I did make it a few more miles this time, but not very far. I may have been a little slow mentally, but I finally figured it out. I couldn’t eat anything. I could drink little sips. And the jostling from running made things worse. By the time I finished the second loop, I had been fighting the desire to quit for quite a few miles. With no food for over 20 miles, hope was fading quickly. I decided to try one more loop just to see if I could hold something.

I received temporary salvation this time. The aid station has Imodium AD. Also, I was assisted by that angel and experienced ultra runner Diana Heynen. She gave me Papaya tables. Preached to me about eating. Had Joe preach to me about eating. And sent me on my way. I would follow their advice as I worked my way around again. I drank just the broth from the noodles at the first aid station. The stomach holds out but feels worse for the food. At least I was running again, but I was still scanning for places to get out of sight of the trail just in case. More broth at Dam Road plus a noodle or two. I was drinking more now. At Far Side I met my pacer. I explained what had happened and why I’d be late to meet him for the 4^th loop. More broth and a few more noodles, but again it felt like the stomach was teetering on the edge. I was mostly walking by this point but found I could run long sections if I need. I felt awful, but I had hope of finishing. I was actually passing people again. A mile before the start/finish, I was passed by a couple of blurs. Actually, it was the lead woman and her pacer. I’m amazed that someone can run that fast 99 miles into a 100 miler.

My pacer had to be patient with me as I had to clean my feet and change shoes before the next lap. There was a blister between my toes; I changed into Injinji socks and left it. The larger shoes were more protective, and this felt easier for a while. I stuck to broth and noodles; the stomach rebeled at too much of the latter. I started adding in some Cliff Blocks again. I can usually suck on them and let them dissolve. I still felt I was doing OK with the pace; although, I was clearly slowing down. The trip from Dam Road to Far Side took 55 minutes. Although I still ran the down hills in that section, every step seemed to pound the back. The trip back to Dam Road took an hour to cover the three miles. Each run downhill caused more pain and slowed me further. With the stomach problem, I didn’t dare take more ibuprofen. But without it, running was becoming impossible.

At Dam Road, I took hand warmers out of my drop bag and slid them into my gloves. I really didn’t think I could stand even one more cup of noodles so I passed this time and tried to get moving again. There were many times over the next two hours that I wished I had never left Dam Road. I think now that I’m glad I stumbled through those last 4 miles. They became the difference between thinking I may be finished and knowing I was finished. I reached Site 174 completely spent. And so ended my first attempt at running 100 miles.

Some things have become clear in the days after the race. I wasn’t dealing with a little stomach issue. I clearly had picked up some virus before the race that picked the worst possible time to show itself. Seems this has been making its way around my office while I was away. I had been concerned about my diet before or during the race due to changes I had made.

For lessons learned, I’m a little lacking. Most people learn more from their DNFs. I learned I can’t run 100 miles with a virus. But here are a few keys.

1. Always plan for the worst. Taking Imodium AD makes me feel awful, but I want to have some with me for times when awful is an improvement.
2. The rest plan worked; I got more sleep before a race than I have for any ultra.
3. When you think you have enough TP and wet wipes, you don’t.
4. Get some papaya tablets.
5. No clue on the shoe/sock combinations. The left foot has blisters. The right foot does not.
6. Train harder. Go longer. Be more ready for the tired miles at the end.