Track and field events have begun this week at the Olympics.
Like many ultrarunners I watch and wonder: "Why aren't ultramarathons part of the Olympics?"
Ultramarathons have long been international events, particularly the 100k and the 24 hour. Although the 100 mile trail mountain ultramarathon originally became popular in the US in the 1970s, it has since spread to many countries.
Ultramarathons have a long history. In the 1800s six day races were extremely popular. The participants were called pedestrians. They ran, jogged and walked as they pleased to cover the maximal distance possible from midnight Sunday to midnight the following Saturday. The tradition of multi-day events continued with the transcontinental races of the 1920s before fading into obscurity.
Evidence suggests that the Greeks were running ultra distances long before the marathon distance was added to the Olympics in 1896. Many believe that the mythical original marathon runner, Pheidippides may in truth have been more accurately described as an ultrarunner than marathoner. One of the world's greatest ultra events, the 152.8 mile Spartathon, is run in Greece. The world's greatest ultramarathoner, the true "ultramarathon man" if there ever was one, is Yiannis Kouros of Greece.
Part of the problem is that ultras have little or no commercial support. You could say that because of this ultramarathons should be considered the ultimate amateur non-professional sport. No one makes a living from ultramarathoning (unless you write a book about it). Of course, that is a reason why ultras are not likely to ever be added to the Olymipcs: they would be unlikely to make money for sponsors. Only a handful of dedicated invdividuals participate and compete in them.
The other issue is that quite honestly watching an ultra is less exciting than watching paint dry. Unless you are or have ever been a participant, ultras can be pretty boring to watch. Only rarely are there dramatic photo finishes as in other events. Often the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes are minutes or even hours apart. In our short-attention-span and media driven world, that is also big problem.
Thus, it is pretty unlikely that ultras will be ever made into a regular Olympic event. However, that's probably OK.
Part of the attraction of ultrarunning is its obscurity and lack of overcommercialization. Many do not know that such events even exist. Because of this, ultramarathon races are much more down to earth and friendly affairs.
Despite some ultrarunners complaining about the lack of attention we get compared to other more well-known running events, most of us, including myself, prefer it that way. We have had our share of controversies but in my opinion, this has been lessened by the fact that there are no high dollar incentives or media coverage. Ultrarunning is quite simply, just about the running as well as the community and the comraderie. It is not about fame, money or one's ego.
Many say that ultramarathons are where marathons used to be in the 1960s and 1970s before marathons were "discovered" and since become mainstream events. Being on the fringe and even a bit misunderstood is not necessarily a bad place to be. Indeed, many of us kind of like it that way.
If you dream of becoming an ultrarunner, we welcome you to our small and somewhat eccentric tribe with open arms. But please leave your big ego, search for media fame, and greed for money at home. Just come and run with us. This is the essence of ultrarunning.
This is amazing. Ultrarunners really do come in all ages, skill levels and sizes.
For a 13 year old to accomplish something like this is unbelievable. The average age of most ultrarunners is around the age of 55. At almost 40, I am considered to be towards the younger end of the spectrum. It is rare to see twenty-somethings at ultrathons. Ultrarunning takes a level of maturity, self-discipline and willingness to endure that is often lacking at the more youthful ages.
As a parent, I would not encourage or allow my son to tackle one of these when he is at a similar age. I worry about potential long term damage to bone and other structures in someone who has not yet physically matured.
Nevertheless, this story is amazing. When I am in a bad spot at mile 35 or 40 and feeling sorry for myself, I will keep this story in mind.
"Try nothing new on race day."
I have always tried to follow this advice religiously, whether it be the shoes/socks I wear, the fluid I rehydrate with, or my chosen ratio of running to walking.
If something goes wrong in a short event, such as a 26.2 mile marathon, at worst you might have a few miles of misery to suffer. However, in longer events, you might have to endure for hours or even an entire day. A miscalculation of race tactics or an error in gear during an ultra could easily result in a DNF.
It has been very hot here for the last several weeks. Up to the 90 to 100 range almost every afternoon. I am expecting the weather in three weeks to be similar.
But hey, at least it is a dry heat, right?
I decided to get myself some new gear from REI to assist me with overcoming the heat.
Despite using high SPF sunscreen, the sun has been hard on the back of my ears and neck these last few weeks. My skin has been constantly peeling. So I purchased a Headsweats Pro-tech hat. They are on sale at REI right now for $19.83 (from $26.00).
Wearing one of these, I feel almost ready to tackle Badwater or the Marathon Des Sables!
OK... not quite.
I also got a Kafka-Kool Tie. I have seen other ultrarunners with them and was intrigued. It contains little crystals that soak up water and remain hydrated for long periods of time. I got the Navy instead of the Red that is pictured.
Evaporative cooling won't work in humid places such as Wisconsin. However, here in the arid west, it can be very effective. I remember living in the sagebrush desert outside of Reno, Nevada some years ago. We used an evaporative "swamp cooler" intead of a regular air conditioner to cool our house. It worked great and humidified the dry desert air at the same time.
Finally, I also got a Power Monkey charger with Solar Slave to keep my Garmin GPS charged. The GPS battery only lasts 13 hours but I might need it out to 30 hours. The Power Monkey has a battery that can be charged beforehand along with a solar panel to provide extra charge if needed during the day. I will strap it to the back of my backpack.
You know you definitely have a running problem when you routinely outrun the 13 hour battery charge on your GPS!
On my feet, I will wear my trusty INOV-8 Roclite 315s. I will also use Running Funky gaiters. The gaiters come in many vibrant colors and patterns but I chose boring basic black.
Both of these have been tested and well broken in over the past few weeks. There is nothing more annoying than a pebble in your shoe at mile 40.
To see my way at night, I will use my recently acquired Black Diamond Icon Headlamp. I like how they have a rechargeable NRG battery. I already tested them at the 24 hours at Laramie. They worked great and lit up the trail like a floodlight. However, the brightness did seem to attract moths.
They are on-sale right now at Zombierunner for $53.95.
I put together my pace and time chart with the cut off times for the race in red. To do 100 miles within the 30 hour final cut off, I will only have to do an 18:00 min/mile. That sounds like nothing but believe me, after those miles and miles, I will be fortunate to be able to do just that. Of course, this pace includes all time spent at aid stations, sock changes, rest breaks etc.
The "early" column will tell me if I am starting out too fast and the "latest" will let me know if I am falling off my pace too much and am at risk of being pulled. I hope to run somewhere between these two.
In ultrarunning, taking planned walk breaks are a race tactic, not a failure as it might be in a short race. My plan is to run 10 minutes and walk 4 minutes. I can walk at an under 15 minute pace without pushing it too hard if I focus on my technique and form. I have read that it takes at least four minutes to recover from aerobic activity which is why I chose that time for walking. Thus far, it has seemed to work pretty well for me.
Others use different ratios and I have tested out all the various recommended combinations in the past. A 20-25 minute run with 5 minute walks works acceptably well but after 30 or so miles, my heart rate seems to go up too much if I run for that long. On the other hand, I have also tried running 5 minutes and walking 2 minutes ratio which was OK in the 50 mile races I tried it in. However, I just don't think that 2 minutes will be a long enough walk break in a longer race.
Of course, the run/walk ratio will be subject to change based on how I am feeling, my heart rate, the weather, hills, etc. Most ultrarunners walk up all hills, even the smallest ones, and run the downhills. This race will be on an old railroad bed. Even though it will go up and down hills, the grade will be relatively flat so I will set a timer to remind me of when to run/walk. From 70 miles on, I hear that many runners spend a great deal of their time walking. I expect to be no different.
Yesterday, I assembled my gear and went for my last long run before Lean Horse. I purposely ran during the hottest part of the day. After my negative experience with heat and dehydration last weekend, I wanted to make sure I would be able to overcome such conditions during the 100 mile race. Finding out that I cannot during the actual race could be disastrous.
I ran on a section of the George Mickelson Trail where I did not have to go more than 5 or 6 miles without coming across a water spigot or pump. At each water spigot, I washed the salt off my face, soaked my hair, wet my hat and kool-tie and refilled my Camelback.
It was a much hotter run than I have done all year, the high temperature was 96 degrees (36 degrees C). Nevertheless, I did fine and maintained my pace. I went a total of 32 miles.
Today, I have just a trace amount of soreness. Indeed, if this was a back-to-back long run weekend, I could do another 15 or 20 miles today no problem. But I won't. The last thing I need to do is get overconfident this close to the race and injure myself.
My taper starts today. The longer a race, the longer the taper. Now I will do only short quick runs of less than 5 miles as well as swimming for cross training. The week of the race, I will do almost no running at all.
In the last two months, I have done a 40+ mile, a 50+ mile and finally yesterday in the afternoon heat, a 30+ mile run. I feel ready to attempt 100 miles. But feeling ready and being ready are two completely different things. Much can go wrong at these ultra-long distances, even for people who are prepared.
I have no idea how it will go on race day, but I feel as prepared and as trained as I could be.
Wish me luck!!!
The Lean Horse Hundred is only 26 days away!
I admit that I have been having second thoughts.
- Am I fit enough to do this?
- Will I be too slow and miss a cut-off?
- Will my stomach give out?
- Am I completely crazy for attempting to run one hundred miles?
Well, of course, "yes" is the answer for that last question but then all of us ultramarathoner are.
After running the 52 miles a few weeks ago at 24 hours at Laramie...The Run, my legs seem to have lost their "spring." I have not felt tired or apathetic. My muscles have not been sore. I still look forward to my daily runs so I doubt that I am overtrained. It's just that my legs simply have not wanted to move as quickly as normal. They've lost their bounce. Coming down rocky trails, instead of my usual fast footwork, I have had to step slowly and cautiously to avoid stumbling. Now this sluggishness is normal for a week or two after a long race but my legs just have not wanted to come back for longer than usual.
All of this has worried me greatly.
SATURDAY JULY 26th
This weekend was to be my last back-to-back long run weekend before the race. I had hoped to do 20 or 30 miles on Saturday and 10 or 15 miles on Sunday. However, as I would discover, the weather had other plans for me
I started on the George Mickelson Trail at the Harback Park Trailhead in Custer, South Dakota. The Lean Horse Hundred Ultramarathon would pass through here. I wanted to familiarize myself with this section of the trail before race day.
People were gathering and many of the side streets were closed off. I asked a bystander what was going on. Apparently, Custer was celebrating their Gold Rush Days this weekend. They were getting ready for a parade, car show, bands and other entertainment. I was glad that I would be out of town and on the trail by the time all of the loud festivities had commenced.
It was going to be a hot day. Instead of running 15 miles out and 15 miles back, I decided to play it safe and run 10 miles out and back. At mile 20, I would be back at my car and could eat my lunch packed in my cooler. If I felt good, I could run an extra 5 or 10 miles. Going out only part way turned out to be a very wise decision, I would later realize.
I had a gallon of frozen-solid Gatorade in the car which would be melted by the time I got back. I wore my Camelback on my back. From past experience I have learned that the 100 oz bladder gets me anywhere from 18 to 24 miles before it runs out, depending on the weather. There is a faucet at Harbach Park from which I could refill my bladder on my return.
As I passed the concrete factory pictured above, I spotted a skunk peering at me from the tall grass. He was gone before I could get my camera focused. It would have been a great photo but I was not about to follow him to see if I could get another chance. I may be insane for being an ultrarunner but I am not stupid. I don't follow skunks into tall grass.
As I headed south, the temperatures steadily climbed. There was a slight breeze which was refreshing but it was still hot.. up to 90 degrees by that afternoon.
There were only a few places with shade, otherwise the entire trail was sun exposed.
Then, I saw what at first thought was a stem of grass laying on the trail.
It was a tiny little green grass snake!
He was so frightened that he froze completely. I had to touch him before he would move.
What an adorable lil' guy!
I don't blame him for not moving. I am sure that any bird that spotted him would snatch him up like any other worm... not realizing... or caring... that he was a snake and not a worm.
A few miles down the trail, suddenly I heard a loud SNORT!
It was a mother bison snorting a warning.
I thought: "Don't worry momma bison, I'm not about to climb that fence and mess with your calf!"
As I approached the ten mile turnaround, I was in trouble. My Camelback was very light, much lighter than it should have been by this distance. I realized would not be able to make it back to the car without running empty. There were no faucets or water pumps along this part of the trail.
I started limiting my sips of water to make it last as long as possible. I began to feel thirsty and my mouth became dry. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already far behind hydration-wise.
At mile 16.2, I took the last sip. "Now," I thought to myself, "just under 4 miles to go. That's not far. Just pace yourself and you'll make it."
My thirst grew every hundred yards. I noticed that the volume of my sweat had decreased considerably. A very ominous sign.
My pulse was over 170 and I started feeling very dizzy. I found some shade under a pine tree and sat down. Ants crawled over me but I didn't care. We don't have the stinging kind of ants here. Within five minutes, I was still extremely thirsty but my heart rate was under 100.
I started a slow jog but within a half mile felt worse than before. I started looking at the muddy water where the cattle had been bathing and pooping and thought it looked very good. At least it looked wet. I didn't care what it would have tasted like. If my dogs had been with me, they would have immersed themselves belly-deep and drank heartily from each of those wallows.
At that moment, I sincerely wished that I was a dog and could have done exactly that.
I stopped and rested in the shade a few more times. Each time it took longer to recover and my dizziness returned more quickly when I started again. Only a mile from town, I was slowed to a walk. As I passed some houses, I looked desperately for a faucet, hose or outdoor spigot. At that point, I would not have cared what the homeowner would have said to me if they had seen me helping myself. Heck, I would have paid them $20 just to take one clear cold deep gulp.
As I walked the last few hundred yards, I heard the band playing and weaved through the crowds of people at the festival. I wondered what they would think if I passed out now. "Just another drunk," probably.
I opened my car, pulled out that gallon of Gatorade and started drinking. It was almost completely melted but still ice cold.
Aaaah!
That tastes GOOD!
I found some shade under a tree and laid down with my feet up hill. I took a SUCCEED! electrolyte cap and drank half of the gallon.
After 15 minutes, I felt much better but was not about to cover anymore miles that day. On the way home, I finished the rest of that gallon and still did not have to pee until I had gotten home and drank even more water.
You know, before I ran out of fluids, I was doing OK. I felt hot but was still moving along. It was nothing intolerable. Then, after I ran out everything changed and within only a couple of miles. It is amazing how rapidly a body will shut down in the heat without fluids. Scary.
I learned a valuable lesson: Drink!
And don't ever run out of fluids!
Besides not going too slow to avoid getting pulled at a cut-off, I realized that my other challenge during Lean Horse will be maintaining adequate fluid intake and not getting dehydrated.
SUNDAY JULY 27th
The following morning, I was a little bit stiff but not bad. After my experience the day before, I admit to not looking forward to getting out today. So I stayed inside during the morning, ate the last two slices of pizza from the previous night (I ate an almost entire large pizza for dinner last night) and caught up on work.
By the afternoon, I felt well so I decided to go for another run, this time just north of Custer and south of Hill City. I parked near the Oreville shelter and headed south.
Today was even hotter than yesterday, it was a high of 93 degrees. The dry breeze was a little more than yesterday. Even though it felt good, it also meant that I would dehydrate more easily.
Within a few hundred yards I looked down and narrowly missed stepping on a "stem" of grass. Another grass snake! The impact of my foot only two inches from his head made him quickly slither to the cover of the weeds. Only a fraction of a stride shorter and he would have been squished!
My plan was to make it to the Mountain Trailhead six miles away. There was supposed to be a water pump there. Gosh, I hoped that it was working.
Despite feeling a bit stiff, I moved along fairly well. The "spring" in my step seemed to have come back. Now, if only the heat didn't get to me, and I didn't run out of water, I should have a good run today.
The wildflowers were blooming. I noticed several that were not blooming even two weeks ago. One of the aspects of trail running that I love, is how in touch it puts you with nature and the cycle of the seasons.
These flowers announced that mid-summer was here, as if I didn't already know that by the heat.
Bergamot, or Oswego Tea, is an aromatic member of the mint family. It can be made into a tea like all mints but I much prefer the flavor of mountain mint, peppermint or spearmint.
As I approached the 6 mile turnaround, I looked back to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. It was begun in 1947 by Korzak Ziolkowski (1908-1982) self-taught sculptor to honor Crazy Horse, hero and war chief of the Lakota. After his death by heart attack while working on the memorial, the work on the monument has been continued by Korzak's wife Ruth and their family. All construction has been without federal and other government funding.
I understand and appreciate the effort and hard work that has gone into this. I also understand the reasoning that if a mountain can be carved with the faces of American Presidents, why should there not be monument to the hero of the Lakota?
Still, I find carving up a mountian to honor a Native American warrior to be ironic. Are these mountains not the Paha Sapa, sacred to the Lakota and others?
Korzak was originally invited to construct this memorial by Chief Henry Standing Bear and several other chiefs. Nevertheless, I would have preferred to see this and other mountains left alone in their natural state and not blown to pieces.
Not all Native Americans support this monument. Lakota medicine man, Lame Deer in his autobiography in 1972 said: "The whole idea of making a beautiful wild mountain into a statue of him is a pollution of the landscape. It is against the spirit of Crazy Horse."
I arrived at the Mountain Trailhead and was very relieved to find the pump in working order. The water felt good over my head and tasted even better. In six miles, I had almost completely emptied the 100 oz bladder. I filled it completely and continued to drink heavily on the return trip.
As I headed back to my car, I felt very good. I felt much better than yesterday, even though it was hotter be a few degrees. It was a slight downhill so I pushed it.
My legs were back!!!
I ended up running the last few miles 2 minute per mile faster than any of my miles yesterday (specifically any of those miles before I bonked).
When I finally got back to the car, I enjoyed the cool ice-cold water waiting for me. Today was a good day, the opposite of yesterday. Even though I was tired and slightly stiff from the day before, I ran faster and felt much better. This only difference is that in 12 miles I drank two full 100 oz bladders of water where yesterday I had only one for 20 miles.
Yes, I learned a valuble lesson that I will apply to Lean Horse in a few weeks: Drink much and drink often.
And don't get dehydrated!
Once any soreness from this weekend goes away, this week I will do a short fast runs. Yes, my legs are back. But I do need to do some faster running to optimize my cruising speed. I will need all I can get to keep from missing a cut-off.
After next weekend, it will be taper time!
Below is a preview for the film Indulgence: 1000 Miles Under the Colorado Sky featuring ultramarathon runner Anton Krupicka in a running film inspired by mountain ski and bike films.
For those of you who do not know who he is, in 2006, Anton (Tony) Krupicka won at the Leadville 100 miler and Leadville, Estes Park, and American Discovery Trail Marathons. In 2007 he won the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler, Collegiate Peaks 50 miler, and Leadville 100 miler.
This film looks at Tony as he trains in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California during the summer of 2007. It reveals his approach to life and running and his pursuit of a primitive minimalist ideal which is so uncommon in modern society.
So why do we run ultramarathons? If you must ask, then we cannot explain.
But Tony's explanation in this video applies to many of us, elite and "back of the packer" alike.
"Do not run the entire 24 hours... DO NOT run 24 hours...Remember, this is JUST A TRAINING RUN....Save yourself for Lean Horse!"
I repeated this to myself over and over during the five hour drive down to Laramie and later during the run.
After running 41 miles at Kettle-Moraine 100k before being forced to stop due to severe storms a few weeks ago, I've been considering my options. I decided to register for the Lean Horse Hundred on August 23/24 here in the Black Hills.
Since Kettle-Moraine, I've done some moderate trail runs. However, if I am to succeed in completing the Lean Hose Hundred, I will need some more extra-long training runs. Logistically, running more than 20 or 30 miles is challenging. I can only carry about 18 to 24 miles worth of fluids and food in my Camelback, depending on the weather and other conditions. Hiding drop bags in the bushes is an option, which I have done many times before, but it is a pain to have to pick them up later.
Plus, I wonder what I would say to a bystander who observed me making a drop:
"No, I'm not making a drug deal if that's what you're thinking."
I looked into upcoming races and decided to try the 24 hours Laramie... The Run. This event is organized by Gemini Adventures. They also do other trail running events including 24hrs at Moab and 24 hrs at Boulder. In addition, they put on the six day Desert R.A.T.S. (Race Across the Sand) as well as the 4 day Mountain R.A.T.S. (Race Across the Summits) multi-day adventure runs.
I had never run a 24 hour race before and was not intending to do the entire 24 hours. Rather than doing a self-supported training run, I could make use of the aid stations as well as the support of the volunteers and the other runners. I had no specific expections for how far or how long I would go, my only intent was to have a good training run.
And what might that be?
At the minimum, I wanted to run enough to make it worthwhile for me to spend the time and fuel to drive down here. Anything less than that, and I might as well have stayed in South Dakota and run by myself in the Black Hills.
I tenatively thought that going either 40 or 50 miles or running until at least 1AM would be reasonable goals, subject to change of course depending on how my body responded. I purchased a new Black Diamond Headlight and wanted to test it out and get some experience this year running a night on trails. I hadn't done any recent overnight long training runs since I did the 38 mile all-night fun run in 2007.
The absolute last thing I wanted to do was injure myself or overtrain resulting in a DNS or DNF at Lean Horse.
Success for me today would be feeling "used but not used up" after the run.
The race was to begin at 9AM. I unpacked my gear including clothing, running shoes and foot care box. I had already taped my feet earlier that morning.
The 24 hours at Laramie is done on a 5.8 mile course on the hiking trails of the Medicine Bow National Forest in south east Wyoming at between 8,300 to 8,800 feet. The format is "go as you please." There are no cut-offs, other than 9AM the following morning. You can stop and eat (or simply BS with the aid station volunteers) for as long as you wish. There is no pressure to keep moving forward, you go as however feels best for you.
One nice thing is about a loop course is that with the completion of every loop, you will come back to your car so there is no need for drop bags.
Of course, the greatest challenge is to not drop every time I pass by my vehicle.
Another gentleman parked in front of me with Colorado plates. It turns out he is an acupuncturist/chiropractor who works in New Jersey who lives in Colorado (or visits often? W. if you read this please correct me) . Of course, we had much in common so we talked at length about the health care crisis and other topics during the day.
We agreed that a more accurate term than "health care"crisis would be "health" crisis. So many of the health problems in our society stem directly from humans having a stone-age physiology in a modern sedentary and high caloric intake world. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, certain forms of cancer and many other diseases common to Western civilized world simply do not exist or are extremely rare in hunter-gatherer societies.
The sad and ironic thing is that most "normal" people nowadays consider runners, and most particularly ultrarunners, to be eccentrics on the fringe. Yet, if you look at just about any hunter-gatherer society, the average person is ambulating an average of 5 to 10+ miles a day, at times much much more.
No, we are not the insane people... the sedentary couch potatoes are,.... at least when considering the last 250,000+ years of human evolution.
For more info, see article about humans as long distance runners: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=256348&page=1
Link to original article in the journal "Nature": http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/pdf/nature03052.pdf
We were so engrossed in our conversation that we missed getting to the starting line in time. Suddenly, we heard the air horn. The race had begun and everyone was off!
No big deal... we had 24 hours to run, starting a minute or two late did not matter.
One concern I had was about the potential boredom from doing a loop course. After the first loop, the scenery would be repetitive and all would be familiar to us. Would we get bored? I absolutely despised high school track precisely because of this reason.
We ended up missing one of the first turns and took a side track. Before we discovered our mistake, many of us ran around an extra 5 miles total. That was also no concern for me; my purpose today was time on my feet. I wasn't racing so it mattered not where exactly those miles were run.
We missed our turn because some individual had purposely removed the trail markers before the race began and a few times afterwards. He or she was never caught but we agreed that a reasonable punishment would have been making he or she run with us.
Afterwards, I joked with the other runners and the race organizers about us getting turned around.
I told them: "Come to think of it, if I do get bored later from the doing the loop over and over, I think I will purposely go off course and do an extra few miles!"
Once we were back on track, we passed by some beaver ponds and then up a rocky hill. We would walk and eventually trudge up this hill many times during the day and through the night.
I met at least one runner who was in his own words, "a Western States refugee." This year the WS100 was cancelled because of wildfires. It is one of the few times that this race, the original of the 100 mile trail ultramarathons, has been cancelled. That must really suck for entrants, not only because of the months of training, but also because of how difficult WS100 is to get in to. Upon meeting the entry requirements, one must apply by a lottery. Only about 16% get in each year.
The cancellation of WS100 has created a stir of controversy in the ultramarathon world because the organizers have declined to refund the entry fee. This possibility is expressly stated in the contract so it should not be a surprise. I understand the expense of organizing an event, even if it doesn't get run.
But I also understand the frustration and anger expressed by many of the entrants.
There is talk about having all of the 2008 accepted entrants being offered a spot in 2009 without having to go through the lottery. That would be good but the situation still sucks for everyone this year, organizers and runners alike.
Like all other trail ultramarathoners, I would love to some day be able to run and complete the WS100. It is really is the "Boston marathon" of trail ultras. It has an almost mythical reputation. But I have other ultras to run before I could ever think of being prepared for this. With all of the current controversy as well as the low probability of getting in based on the lottery, there are many other races better for me to try first.
The wildflowers were in full bloom. On loops 2 and 3, I took some time to appreciate the scenery and take a few photos.
I was told that even last week, most of these were not flowering.
I took quite a few photos. I needed to pace myself slowly for this run. Rather than only walking, why not spend some time quite literally stopping to "smell the flowers?"
Ultrarunning is about the journey, not the finish line nor how quickly you get there.
I met a gal with a perfect British accent. She had a dark complexion and I was curious as to where she was from. She said that she currently lives in Kuwait.
Knowing how difficult it is for a female to participate in any form of athletics an Islamic country, I asked "How do you train for this?"
She said she does most of her training inside on a treadmill. Although she could go outside,as long as all of her skin is covered, it is obviously too hot to do that and she would still be frowned upon anyway. Plus, there are the daily sandstorms to contend with.
I thought she was absolutely incredible and told her so. To train inside on a treadmill and at sea level for a race in the mountains of Wyoming is amazing. I was impressed, no matter how well she did or how far she went.
Running on rocky trails is a technical skill that can only be mastered by running on trails. She was here to attempt to run 100 miles. Besides the 24 hour run, the organizers had also offered a 100 mile option with a standard 30 hour cut-off for those who were interested.
Amazing!
At around 4.5 miles on the loop, I was surprised to see a wickiup. This shelter was traditionally built out of branches by the Native American tribes of the Great Basin and south-western US. Apparently, someone had been doing some survival training or they simply preferred to experience the outdoors in a more primitive way. I've built and slept in primitive lean-tos and brush shelters in my youth and was intrigued.
I wondered who the builders of this shelter were and what other primitive skills they might practice?
Even though we passed the same scenery every few hours, as the sun past through the sky, each lap was unique. I noticed things that I had not seen before, new flowers opening up, different rock formations and other things.
On a high point, I finally had some cell phone reception so I called Jeanne who is still in Wisconsin.
She asked me: "How far are you going?"
I replied that I had no expectations, I am going to go as far as my legs are willing to carry me but without pushing it too hard.
At that moment, I was feeling very good, though I was pacing myself slowly, especially going up the hills. Even though I felt much better than I did at the Greenland Trail 50 k this spring, the effects of altitude were still present. My heart rate increased much higher than it should have, given how long I was hoping to run.
Not wanting to "bonk," I took it easy going up the hills and spent extra time at the aid stations.
As I said, today was only a training run, not a race.
The temperatures heated up later in the day. Many of the runners who had gone out ahead of me were now walking and I was able to pass several people. I slowed and walked with them for a while to offer support as they would later offer me.
They asked,"Isn't this heat getting to you?"
I said, "Sure, but at least it isn't as bad as it was at Kettle Moraine three weeks ago. At least it isn't so humid. Hey its a 'dry' heat, right?"
Everything depends on your perspective.
By 5 PM, the heat and altitude had finally gotten to me.
My head throbbed in pain. I was almost but not quite nauseated. Not wanting to bonk as I did at Greenland 50k, I walked almost an entire 5.8 mile loop. Coming down off those hills, I really wanted to run and make up some lost time. My legs were willing but my head was not. Whenever I stepped downhill, my brain felt as if it were painfully bouncing back and forth in my skull. It was hard to walk with legs feeling strong but I had no choice. I lost my taste for fluids or food. The idea of consuming any gel made me think of vomiting.
I stopped at the second aid station (at 2.8 miles on the 5.8 mile loop) for about 15 minutes. I forced myself to take a few sips of water as well as an extra SUCCEED! electrolyte cap.
Fortunately, my pee was not too dark or scant, so I was hydrating properly, even despite how awful I felt.
Having been in this predicament before, I knew what I must do. I must slow down, get back to the main aid station and my car, then eat some real food and rest for a bit.
When I got back to the main aid station, instead of the bananas and potato chips they had been serving all day, they finally had something more substantial. They had hot dogs and chili with beans. These weren't exactly my first choices for ulramarathon food. However, I knew I needed to get something in my stomach no matter what. So I violated one of my rules of ultrarunning: never eat anything that would taste worse coming up than it would going down. Beggars cannot be choosers.
I ate two hot dogs with relish and a large bowl of chili. My stomach was still unsettled so I went back to my car and laid down. I took two Naproxen and drank a Red Bull.
I set the alarm timer to go off in 30 minutes.
After a half hour I felt better. I changed my socks and put on a new long sleeve tech shirt. I got out my headlamp and put it on. I would be needing it by the end of the next loop.
The cooler temperatures and food in my belly did wonders. I felt like a new person and took off at a jog with a renewed sense of purpose. About a mile from the aid station, I burped and tasted chili. I swallowed quickly and drank some water. If my gag reflex started now, I might not be able to turn it off. I slowed down for a half hour to make sure my stomach would tolerate running again. When I was sure that it would, I increased my pace.
One thing that I have realized is that I am beginning to develop an aversion for sports drinks and energy gels. I don't know if it is physiological or psychological; the reason probably does not matter. They seem to be OK for moderate runs, such as those out to 30 miles, but anything longer than that and my stomach rebels.
For extra-long runs, I do better by simply consuming water and real food (OK, I admit that hot dogs are definitely NOT real food). I'd rather control my electolytes by taking in electrolyte caps as needed based on the conditions instead of relying on the highly marketed sports beverages with little science behind them. The less-flavored beverages including SUCCEED! Ultra and Hammer HEED are much better than many of the alternatives, but still, there is something to be said for drinking good-old ice-cold water.
From my conversations with others, I am not alone. There are other ultrarunners who prefer to stick with solid food and water instead of the various popular gels and sports drinks. Humans have been involved in extreme endurance activities for generations before these products were available; and they did just fine.
At least one ultrarunner has come up with a creative solution for the aversion towards sugar-filled sweet gel products that so many of us develop over the miles: Endurance Meat Gel: T-bone Flavor...check it out.
Mmmm....my mouth is watering!
Slowly the sun began to set and the light fade away. Finally, we were able to turn on our head lamps.
The crescent moon had not yet risen, the trail was lit only by our headlamps and starlight. On top of one hill, I stopped and asked another runner to put out his headlamp as I shut off mine.
"Is everything OK? What's wrong?"
He obliged and I told him to look up. For a few moments we both stared at the stars and constellations in awe. We were here not only to run. We felt blessed to be one of the privileged few experiencing this specific place and moment in time.
What is the point of working so hard to be here if we ignored our surroundings?
After a few inspiring moments, we ran on.
Soon, I was alone again in the darkness. The forest was quiet and without a sound. All I heard was my footsteps, my deep breathing and my heart beating.
I looked ahead and saw something small spiraling in the air towards me. As it approached, it spiraled faster and faster.
"What in the hell is that?!" I wondered, "It's much too early for me to begin hallucinating! That shouldn't happen for another few hours!"
Then, as I gawked in wonder....WHAP!.....It smacked me hard on the forehead!
It was a large sphinx moth, about three inches across. It's bottom wings were a pastel-purple swirled with delicate black lines. I know this because I had a brief but excellent view the instant before it hit. The impact felt like a small bird.
He tried to fly into me at least two more times but I ducked each time. Several other moths were attracted to my light throughout the night. I soon learned to swerve to the side at the last second to avoid them. This headlamp is much brighter than anything I've used before. It's awesome for lighting up the trail but one consequence seems to be that moths are attracted to it.
Oh well, at least their intermittent dive bombing kept me alert and awake.
Around mile 40, I came upon Steve. I had met him briefly much earlier in the run when we had missed the turn and had gotten sidetracked. He had originally been hoping to do the full 100 miles but now his thighs were cramping and his feet were in pain, presumably from his plantar fascia. He had dropped at the 24 hour Moab Run at 69 miles earlier this year (S. Let me know if this is not correct and I'll fix it) and now was going to drop at this race. I was feeling good but slowed and walked with him. We ultrarunners always watch out for each other.
I told him that there is no shame in DNF'ing... we've all been there. Every run is training for the next run. Sometimes the best training comes from our tougest run experiences. I reminded him of the 5 miles extra that we had done earlier. Even though that might not be listed on the final race results, if he stuck it out to the end of the next loop, he will have gone 46 miles... which is something to be proud of rather than ashamed. His body wouldn't care if those extra miles were published on the race results or not, he had truly run them. They would still count for training.
I started getting chilled and had to pick up the pace. I wished him well and went on my way.
By 2AM, I was alone and started feeling very very sleepy. I looked at a bowl shaped rock and started dreaming of how comfortable it might be to stop for a minute and take a nap. I felt OK, I wasn't pain or discomfort. I just wanted to go to sleep.
And that was the precise moment that I decided that it was time to stop. I had exceeded all of my tenative goals: I had run over 40 miles and past 1AM.
If this was an actual race, I would have simply eaten something, taken some caffiene and pushed on. From previous experience, I know that this sleepiness was only temporary and what I call the middle-of-the-night doldrums that every ultrarunner experiences. In another hour or two, as dawn approached, there would be a positive change in attitude and increase in energy.
There always is.
However, I knew that for tonight I had run far enough. Because I had driven myself down here, I thought it would be wise to go back to my hotel and sleep for a few hours before heading back to Rapid City. I did not want to fall asleep or have an accident on the drive home.
I was slightly sore for two days but nothing like I felt after the Chicago Lakefront 50m or even all-night 38 mile fun run last year. "Used but not used up," that was how I felt. I had been out there for 17 hours 22 minutes and had gone almost 52 miles. That's about two regular marathons back to back- all on the rocky hiking trails of the mountains of Wyoming. An excellent training run.
This week, I forced myself to do no running at all. That was difficult, as I feel great. I am eager to get out on those trails again. Thought I feel good right now, the possibility of overtraining is in the back of my mind. A week off would do wonders at allowing micro-injuries that I am unaware of to heal. When I start running again, I will have a renewed sense of purpose during the final weeks of hard training before Lean Horse.
Regarding 24 hour runs... this will not be the last time I do one. The low key "go as you please" attitude without stringent cutoffs make for a great training experience. Also, for those who must run without a crew, it is nice being able to pass your gear every few miles.
I am now confident that I have the endurance to potentially go 100 miles. The challenge will be to pace myself properly and not bonk during the race. I must also be cautious to avoid injury these next few weeks. A poorly timed overuse injury could ruin everything.
I also realize that I must now focus on increasing my leg turnover and cruising speed. Though I believe 100 miles within the realm of possibility for me, I could still DNF if I go too slow and miss a cut-off, even though I might be able to go the entire 100 mile distance from an endurance perspective.
Between the 41 miles at the Kettle-Moraine 100k three weeks ago and this 52 mile run, I've neglected my "speed training" and need to fix that. I probably only need to do a couple of more 20 or 30 miles long runs between now and race day on August 23/24. Thus, my training plan in the near future will be modified to include tempo runs as well as long intervals of 1 or 2 miles over a total of 10 to 15 miles.
One great thing about endurance... although it may take a long time to develop, it also takes a while to disappear.
Training for and running one hundred miles is new and completely unknown territory for me. I know that this will be a grand adventure and a wonderful learning experience, no matter what happens. I'll be sure to keep y'all posted on how this all goes.
Be safe and enjoy yourselves out there on the trails!