This is my year of 100's. My 2010 goals are to complete 100 pushups, 100 consecutive days of running, a 100k race and a 100 mile race. I completed the 100 pushups, I'm 3/4 of the way through the 100 days of running, so now.....
I entered the Pacific Rim 1 Day with a goal of running 100k. The nice thing about fixed time races is that you can run however far you want, then call it a day. Last year I chose to run 50 miles and discovered the footing of the course and the frequent transitions from walk to run caused some hip and ITB problems. This year I trained to handle the transitions better. I also decided to implement a “walk-the-short-ends, run-the-long-sides” strategy from the very first loop. Essentially, this was just a training run and I wanted steady pacing, good foot management and frequent refueling to be my focus.
I arrived an hour before start time on Saturday to ensure a close parking spot. The forecast called for sun turning to rain in the late evening. If I parked close, I could use my car as my aid station if the rain came in before I was done. My preference, though, was to have my stuff along side the course for easy access. Everything was packed into plastic tubs. One contained food and beverage. The other had my foot care kit, sun screen, tummy settlers, chafing supplies, my cell phone, a head lamp and rain poncho. It did not contain any pain killers. If pain developed I wanted to feel it and figure out a fix….not mask it. I also had a duffle bag of clothing: tights, long sleeve shirts, shorts, singlet, jacket, gloves, hats, socks and 3 pairs of shoes. I hauled my load over to the village of aid tables and tents and carefully arranged things near a lamp post. I thought the light from the lamp post would come in handy as night approached. This year I did not bring a chair and I avoided setting up near anything I could sit on. I have discovered on really long runs, once you sit down, you’re in trouble. As they say “beware the chair!”, so I eliminated the temptation. I had just settled in when two women approached me.
“Where’s your crew?” they inquired.
“I don’t have a crew. My family is coming later, but they’ll just stop by the course once or twice to say hi. The rest of the time they’ll be at the hotel.” I have a problem asking people to crew for me. I can’t imagine a more boring task than to sit around and cater to a runner for 15 or so hours.
“We’ll crew for you!’ offered the ladies, as they picked up my tubs and arranged them under their tent. For the next hour I watched as they gathered up a few other lone runners… and suddenly we were all family. 4 runners with 2 wonderful angels bustling around making sure we had what we needed before the race started.
The race started promptly at 9. I originally planned on walking the first loop (exactly 1 mile), but automatically started off at a run once the race commenced. I ran that first mile, then reeled myself in as we started the second loop. The remainder of the race I would proceed as planned: walk the short ends, run the long ends. Committing myself to this strategy would pay big dividends later in the race: when the body was content to walk the mind would push to run as soon as we crossed a bridge, signaling the start of “the Long End”.
The race runs primarily on gravel, with a few short sections of concrete, one concrete bridge and one metal bridge. At first glance you would call it flat, but by mid-day you discover there is a hill called Mount Sacajawea several hundred yards past the timing tent. By evening a second summit appears… Son of Mount Sacajawea. Round and round we went, passing through the timing tent every mile, then past the official aid station and finally past the personal aid stations. Every mile I tried to get something into my system. Water during 1 loop, Gatorade the next loop, a few grapes, ¼ of banana or a bite of donut the next mile. My crew opened an Ensure and a bottled Starbucks Mocha and set them along the course for me. Every few miles I would take a good swig out of one of the bottles. Lunch time brought turkey sandwiches and change into shorts and singlet.
I hit the 50k split in 6 hours, 15 minutes – a nice, even, effortless 12+ minutes per mile. I changed shoes when I started to notice a little ache in the inside of my ankle. I decided to switch from guidance shoes (Brooks Infinity) to neutral shoes (Brooks Glycerin). The ankle pain disappeared almost immediately. I kept with my fueling plan of something every mile, but now anything sweet seemed completely unappealing so I stuck to grapes and boiled potatoes dipped in rock salt. During one loop the girl running next to me was craving sugar and fat… the solution? A Snickers bar wrapped in cheese! I could barely look as she gobbled down her snack, but for her it was like rocket fuel and once finished she charged down the trail like it was her first mile. I hit my 50 mile split in 10:25, a 10 minute PR and still a nice, even 12+ minute per mile pace.
We were now almost half way into the race and runners were starting to crumble. Two of my friends, regular 100 mile trail runners, had come to Pac Rim to get in an “easy” 100 miler. Neither had run a fixed time race before and assumed it would be much easier than a trail race – flat, lots of support, easy access to your stuff, the ability to call it a day whenever you please – but that’s just the kind of thing that makes short-loop courses so hard. Both dropped out at the 50 mile mark claiming it was much more difficult than trail ultras. Other runners were having foot problems. The slip of the gravel was causing gardens of blisters to appear. I trudged on, repeating my mantra of “be the ball”. I’m not sure why, but that always works for me…. It’s a zen-like thing. At mile 51 my brother, son, and nephew came out to walk a loop with me. I was more than happy to continue with my walk/run strategy, but since they had driven over an hour just to walk with me, I decided it would be selfish to do anything else. We started to walk the first loop and I was surprised at my brothers strong pace. He kept me at 14 minutes per mile for a full 4 miles before gathering the kids and heading home Once they departed I grabbed a piece of pepperoni pizza and a cup of flat Coke before picking up the run again. The transition after such a long walk break was easy and that, in itself, was a major victory. I completed my 100k after they left in 13:45. My over all pace had slipped to 13 minutes per mile due to the long walk, clothing and shoe changes but I was still feeling incredibly fresh.
I had met my goal of completing 100k, but I had another goal I was working on: running 100 consecutive days of at least 3 miles per day. It was 10:45 p.m. I could stop and call it a day then run 3 miles at home tomorrow, or I could amble on at an easy walk and run 3 miles after midnight. I chose the latter. When the clock struck 12, I started running again putting in 4 miles. At 1 a.m. I had completed 70 miles. I briefly toyed with the idea of continuing on and hitting the magical 100 miles. I still had 8 hours, and at my steady pace I had a good shot. I wasn’t ready for it, though. I wanted my first 100 miles to be special. I wanted my family there. I want some bling for the effort. This race only offered a t-shirt and a hearty pat on the back. I wanted a buckle.
70 miles…. steady, even pacing….. no injuries….. no blisters….some energy still left in the legs and feeling no more fatigue than I felt after my first marathon. My body is adapting. I am hungry for more.
And I so I stopped.
