Kettle Moraine 100

Kettle Moraine 100 Mile Run - Saturday, June 4th, 2016

The Kettle Moraine 100 is a trail ultramarathon located near the "town" of LaGrange, WI.  It starts at the Nordic Ski Area which is basically out in the middle of nowhere.  The race is entirely on trails except some road crossings.  The course is 2 out-n-back sections, the first out-n-back is 31 miles one way then 31 miles back to the Start/Finish area.  You are then sent out on a 38 mile out-n-back in a different direction.  I chose this race because it is somewhat close to Michigan and it is also a Western States 100 qualifier.

The race starts at 6 am which is actually later than most other 100 mile races.  The later start time and the time zone change from Eastern to Central was extremely beneficial to me because I was able to go to bed earlier.  My wife and I have two beautiful girls.  Having a 3 year old and a 3 month old this was the first night in the past three months where I slept entirely through the night without waking up!  With that being said, I arrived to the start line refreshed and ready to go.

My "A" goal was to finish under 24 hours and if not then at least just finish so that I can qualify for my 4th consecutive year for the Western States 100 race.  I wanted to run with Peter and Lewis, two fellow Michigan ultra runners, for a little while just to have some company and I knew they would be close to my pace.  I had run with Peter on two previous occasions and felt comfortable sticking with him.  In these 100 mile races, you have to be conservative at the start and keep your heart rate at a reasonable level otherwise you will pay dearly for it in the last 20-30 miles.

Lewis and I cruising along

The most challenging part of this course are two sections of 6 miles each where there is no shade cover and the runners are completely exposed to the sun.  This section is from miles 18-24 and then 39-45.  The exposed conditions started to take a toll on Lewis especially and I also found myself getting light headed and dizzy.  We were following a "run 25 min and walk 5 min" schedule which worked out well but it seemed that our walk breaks were timing up very badly with the conditions of the course.  We would run for 25 minutes in the hot, exposed sun and then our walk break would be in the shade or on an uphill which we would be walking anyway...not ideal.  We were still able to make it to mile 50 in exactly 10 hours.  

Sometime after mile 50 Lewis was struggling and Peter decided to stay back with him.  They are attempting to complete the Midwest Grand Slam this year, which consists of five 100 mile races all within about 2 or 3 months.  Kudos to them!  After I took off I felt a little bit of loneliness because for the first time in 10+ hours, I was actually all by myself.  I was quickly able to focus on positive thoughts and put things into perspective.  I was only going to be running by myself for another hour or two before meeting up with my first pacer, Mark, at mile 62.  I started a follow a run 12 and walk 3 plan which was working out nicely.  I continued this plan when I picked up my first pacer for about the first hour or two until it started to get dark out.  Once it became dark around 8:30 it was difficult to anticipate the hills so we just started running everything we could besides the uphills.  I couldn't help but laugh to myself as our conversation was somewhat one-sided.  He was doing all of the talking and here and there I would mutter a couple words back.  He did a great job of keeping my mind off of the pain and negative thoughts during our time together.  Soon enough we made it to mile 81 where my other pacer/crew member Matt would switch duties with Mark.  I was so thankful to have these two buddies at my side crewing and pacing me...it makes an enormous difference being able to have support in these endeavors.

Matt and I took off wasting no time.  Matt was my pacer during the Burning River 100 (race report here) last summer, needless to say we were both on the struggle bus and literally walked the last 10 miles.  This year was redemption and time to turn things around in a positive way!  We were still running most of the time except the uphills which was very encouraging this late in the race.  There are two specific moments I remember from my time with Matt.  I have always wanted to see/hear an owl in the wild.  It may not seem like a big deal to others but for some reason it is interesting to me.  We were able to hear an owl calling out which was awesome.  It was very close but I looked around and could not see it.  As we continued running I could still hear it after 10+ minutes.

The other moment came after we passed somebody and a couple minutes later we came to what was called "confusion point".  This point of the course splits off in multiple directions and we followed what the sign said but after a couple minutes after the turn I was paranoid so I had Matt run back and check to see if the person we passed made the same turn we did.  He shut off his headlamp so the runner wouldn't be able to see him and booked it!  As I was waiting for him to return back I turned off my headlamp and just stood there.  It was a surreal moment in which I will never forget.  There I was in the middle of the woods in Wisconsin, running 100 miles, staring at the star-filled sky in the pitch dark.  I took that time to soak in the moment and simply just be.  So often times in the day to day life, we become so occupied that we lose track of ourselves and our surroundings.  These 100 mile races strip me down to the absolute core, like peeling an onion layer after layer until there is nothing left.  My concerns, worries, and existence becomes so simplified that it is difficult to put into words.  By experiencing this I am better able to appreciate the smaller things in life, the comforts, and my family.  It simply makes me a better person.

Matt and I continued to run and push ourselves to the finish line.  I started to do the math in my head and I was definitely going to be under 24 hours unless I somehow injured myself.  We made it to the last aid station and it was 4.8 miles to the finish.  I had an hour and a half to make it under 23 hours!  We did our best to run everything except the big hills and continued forward towards the finish.  It was still dark our so we had no idea where we were.  Suddenly we saw someone with a headlamp looking at us, not running so we knew the finish was close.  The clock and finish line came into view and I darted towards the finish for a personal best time of 22 hours and 26 mins!  Good for 19th overall out of 133 finishers.  My race was finally done and I had accomplished a personal best by 3 hours and I now have my Western States qualifier.

Overall this race went extremely well.  I was able to squash any negative thoughts that were trying to enter my mind.  My physical body was sore but nothing out of the ordinary for this distance.  I didn't experience very many low points which is rare.  The weather cooperated as it was mid 70s most of the day and only rained a couple of times but not very much.

Pumped up at the finish line

What did I eat/drink?

I used a product called Tailwind for the majority of my calories, which was absolutely amazing!  It is powder that you mix into water for liquid goodness.  Each Ziploc baggie that I carried had 400 calories.  So each bag was good for 2 hours as I tried to consume at least 200 calories an hour which included 75 g of carbohydrate (the body can process anywhere between 60-90 g of carbohydrate per hour).  I carried one handheld water bottle and one I tucked into my waistband.    

Other than Tailwind, I ate a couple slices of watermelon, 6-8 pieces of boiled potatoes, 5-6 pretzels, and 2 Powerbar gels.

I didn't have any caffeine the entire race.

What I did differently this time around...

• rolled using a tool called "the stick" after every run
• ran in race specific conditions - lots of trail miles
• incorporated higher intensity runs 1-2 times a week
• ran as many hills as possible during training
• longer runs on the weekends
• no alcohol entire month before race day
• started tapering 2-3 weeks out
• used Tailwind as my nutrition source

Gear list

• Nike Terra Kiger 3 shoes
• Buff Headwear
• SPI belt
• Under Armour shorts and shirt
• Body Glide
• North Face Hat - Flight Series
• Garmin Forerunner 220
• Nathan Handheld water bottle
• Amphipod water bottle
• Injinji toe socks
• Diamond headlamp 
• Oakley Split Jacket Sunglasses

Peter, Lewis, and I around mile 31

Copper Kettle Finisher's award

Matt and Mark - my professional crew and pacers
       

Run Woodstock Freak 50K

Run Woodstock is an extraordinary event in the beginning of September in Pinckney State Park.  This was my 4th year attending the event.  My memories from this place cover the entire spectrum of my emotional being.  The worst was when I attempted to run 100 miles in 2011, it was a total disaster.  I was completely unprepared and it rained the entire night non-stop.  The best emotion here was when I eventually completed my first 100 mile race last year in 2013.  

In July I completed the Burning River 100 mile endurance run so I decided to run the Freak 50K this year.  My buddy, Matt Shaver, who paced me at BR was also signed up to run in the 50K.  We decided to camp out the night before instead of having to wake up at 3 AM to drive to the race.  We camped out in style in his newly acquired pop up RV.      

This was not a competitive race, rather a race to complete and have some fun with.  The only interesting thing that happened was about 5 miles in it felt as if my nose was running so I wiped it with my shirt and I just so happened to have a bloody nose!  For the next 15 miles it was bleeding, not the best situation for an ultra marathon!  Matt and I ran together for the first 20 miles and then parted ways.  It was so nice to run a race with someone for the first half in a controlled and somewhat organized pace.  I felt absolutely amazing the last 11 miles of the race simply because I had left enough in the tank for the finish.  My goal was around 5 hours and I finished in 5 hours and 39 seconds for a 5th place finish overall and 2nd in age group.  

My Mom had been one of my biggest supporters throughout this entire running adventure, even though sometimes she rather I'd not run 100 miles!  

Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run

Leading up to the Race

The biggest reason I selected this race is because it is a Western States 100 qualifying race.  I have already qualified for the WS lottery the last 2 years and no luck so far.  The Burning River 100 will be my 3rd time entering the lottery which gives me a better chance of being selected.  Last year I ran in the Run Woodstock hundred mile race called the Hallucination 100 (race report here)....so I wanted to mix it up and see what Ohio had to offer!

My training going into the race was a little bit above average, my highest week in terms of mileage was just above 70.  I put in a ton of high quality miles but not necessarily a high quantity (Strava data here).  My main goal was literally just to finish this race.  

Friday afternoon I picked up my Bib #180 and headed to the hotel about 10 minutes away.  Shortly after I was able to see my wife, mother-in-law, and daughter Kinley before heading off to bed.  I felt pretty ridiculous calling the front desk and asking for a wake-up call for 1:30 am....hahah.  Time to try and get some sleep.

Race Day

1:30 am came fast as all three alarms went off....race day is finally here!  I grab my stuff, head downstairs and take some coffee to go (who knows how fresh of coffee that was?!) and drive to the finish line to take the provided shuttle bus up to the starting line.  There is quiet conversation and an ever growing buzz in the anticipation for the journey ahead.  My local running friend named, Scott VanLoo, just so happened to be on the same bus....we said hi and engaged in some small talk, little did we know we'd be running the first 20 plus miles together.

The bus comes to a halt and we all meander off the bus and walk up to the starting area at Squires Castle.  It's super dark and everyone is slowly walking around and sitting down with their headlamps on doing last minute thinking and gear adjustments.  With 5 minutes to go before the start of the race, the national anthem was performed by a solo lady singer...it was spectacular.  Imagine hundreds of people standing in an open grass area in the pitch dark next to a castle in the middle of Ohio listening in dead silence to the National Anthem.  I will never forget that moment just before the race where everything was calm yet electrifying with emotion and anticipation.

The race started at 4 am and I soon found myself running right behind my friend Scott.  I knew the race started out with a large stretch of road, so I wanted to get into a comfortable pace.  Scott and I were running at the same pace and it was nice being with someone who I was familiar with.  The first 20+ miles were actually very easy and refreshing.

Photo Credit: Pat Dooley's Race Photography
Oak Grove Aid Station early on in the race.

My crew consisted of my wife, mother-in-law, and 2 year old daughter.  Since Scott and I were running a little faster than expected, we actually missed them at the first aid station around mile 20.  Thank goodness I was able to use Scott's phone and give her a call to let them know where we were at.  I actually didn't end up seeing them until about mile 30 which was totally fine.  In these large races you have to break the race up into smaller sections in your head.  The first 31 miles were with Scott, the next 30ish I would be seeing my crew/family, and the last 35 miles would be with my pacer, Matt Shaver.

The trails and scenery of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park did not disappoint.  It was an extremely beautiful area of Ohio that I did not know existed.  Runner's World listed the park in a recent article of best national parks for running (link here --> Runner's World Article).  Fast forward to around mile 53, wow, the heat was really starting to take a toll on my overall well-being.  Running in low to mid 90s is absolutely ridiculous with humidity...but I tried to be smart about taking in lots of water and walking when necessary especially when in direct sunlight.       

Photo Credit: Jess Polnasek
Around mile 53

Miles 53-65 were the toughest and most grueling of the race.  There were a couple stretches of road where I was completely alone and it seemed like time was standing still.  It was endless and torturous and my will was being smashed into a million pieces.  Negative thoughts entered my mind like "I still have 35-40 miles left...that is at least another 10-14 hours...my body hates me...I haven't been able to eat anything in like 4 hours"...etc.  I was having a giant pity party and I knew better but just could not help it.  I finally rolled into the aid station at 65 miles in a very emotional state.  It took everything I had to not completely lose it and start crying.  It was a huge boost having my pacer, Matt, join me at this point of the race.  This was the last time I would see my crew/family until the finish so I made sure to express my gratitude for their unbelievable help.

The next and last 35 miles were just plain hard.  The terrain had become more technical and difficult and the sun was starting to set.  Mission Get to the Finish Line, was in effect by any means necessary.  I was no longer thriving in this situation but more like surviving.  At night time, things get freaky especially when you have been running all day.  I highly suggest running during the night at some point if you haven't done so already.  It is unbelievably refreshing and allows you to be put in a totally different atmosphere.  Matt and I were cracking up at the fact that we were just 2 dudes pulling an all nighter by running through the woods.  Around mile 80 we couldn't help but laugh about the fact that we were running alongside a giant cornfield....why are we doing this again?!  

The miles were blending together and our objective was to make it to the next aid station.  I was having a lot of difficulty eating and drinking, if I did eat my stomach felt nauseous and if I didn't eat then I became light headed and dizzy and drinking anything was unbearable.  The last 3 hours of the race I ate absolutely nothing and took tiny sips of water....I was literally using my body fat as energy.  Fast forward to mile 90, somewhere in between 3 and 4 am.  We would pick out a light post or the end of a fence or a tree and try to "run" to it.  It was so painful and excruciating to run but we tried to fit it in as much as possible.  The sleep deprivation was having an effect as we were hallucinating pretty bad all the way up until the last quarter mile or so.  Interesting how the mind perceives things when you're not in a normal state.  The last 2 or 3 miles were almost all uphill but no worries because I was about to finish my second 100 mile race!  We were in the downtown area and took a final turn and there was the last stretch to the finish.  I had no desire to run at all across the finish line so I held my daughter and we finished together.  It was a huge relief and I took great comfort in knowing that I had finished, SUCCESS!

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for my next race in early September at the Run Woodstock races in Pinckney, MI.   
 

Exhausted and thrilled to be done
Photo Credit: Jess Polnasek 

Matt and I....what an amazing friend
Photo Credit: Jess Polnasek

My sleepy daughter and I at the finish.
Photo Credit: Jess Polnasek

Equipment used during the Race

-Injinji Socks
-Hoka One One Clifton Shoes 
-Under Armour Shorts
-North Face Flight Series Hat
-SPI belt
-Amphipod 12 oz bottle
-Nathan handheld 16 oz bottle
-Original Buff
-Body Glide

Nutrition

-GU, Powerbar, and Huma gels
-Clif Bars
-Nuun Hyrdation Tablets

Yankee Springs Double Marathon

The Yankee Springs Trail Weekend is organized by Switchback Endurance.  The race directors, Kim and Phil do an amazing job.  The race series consists of 3 days worth of races.  Running the 52.4 miler was enough for me, maybe next year I'll try for all 3 days of racing!  The  morning of the race my Dad met me at my house in Battle Creek around 4:15am and we drove up to Yankee Springs recreation area near Middleville, MI which is only about 45 mins away.  We pulled in, walked over to the main cabin and checked in to get the race bib.  I quickly suited up and headed over to the infamous starting area, a volleyball pit.

In a nonchalant manner, Kim counted down "3, 2, 1", and we were off.  About 40 people started the race with only 20 finishers.  I immediately centered myself about 6 or 7 back from the front.  The start of a race is always challenging to get into the "correct" pace.  My basic rule for the day was to try and stay below anaerobic threshold, a.k.a. no super heavy breathing or elevated heart rate.  I only recall 3 times where I had to really tone it down and walk.  Other than that the effort was steady and consistent.  The course requires 4 loops of 13.1 miles each.  The trails at Yankee Springs are spectacular...with lots of varying scenery.  As I came around a corner, a giant turtle was literally taking up the entire trail.  Interesting how seeing an animal on the trail sort of wakes you up and energizes you...not sure why.  For about 50% of the race I was able to run with a couple of different people which I'm always grateful for.

The entire morning and day was SUPER humid.  Bugs were literally flying into me and sticking.  The only issues I had during the race was a couple minutes here and there of dizziness, which I have never experienced.  I think it had something to do with the humidity and that I was somewhat dehydrated.  Fast forward to the last loop, "the farewell tour"!  I was in 3rd place but knew another person wasn't too far behind.  I started having a pity party and walking a lot more than I had the previous 39 miles....I needed a jolt to get me going.  I stopped to try and pee and I saw the guy who was behind me on one of the switchbacks.  That was exactly what I needed, I immediately focused and got on track.  Sometimes it's motivating to have someone chasing you down.

All in all, I ended up finishing in 3rd place with a time of 9 hours 39 mins 57 seconds.  A 40 minute improvement from 2 years ago!  There were literally a small handful of people and my Dad with the video camera at the finish.  No stadium full of fans or people lined up to cheer, which is fine by me.  I run these races to challenge myself both physically and mentally.  My mantra during this race was put on the "HARD HAT" and "GO TO WORK", that blue collar mentality.  It is as simple as that, to pin your ears back and just get it done.  Negative thoughts and feelings have to be set aside.  Stay positive and focus on what really matters.  Get outside and run!

Gear List
Power Bar Gels
Clif Bars
Injinji Socks
SPI belt
Amphipod 12 oz bottle
UA hat
Nike shorts
Nuun electrolyte tablets

Kal-Haven Trail Race

Kal-Haven Trail Race 4/11/15

Race basics 

The race is point to point from the city of Kalamazoo to South Haven on the Kal-Haven Trail.  The past 2 years I have participated in this race as a 2-person relay team.  This year my friend and I both decided to run the whole thing because he wanted to do his first ultra.  The course consists of 33.5 flat and straight trail miles with nicely groomed limestone as the surface.



Leading up to the event

Over the long winter months in Michigan, this race was used as my motivation to run in the snow and incorporate cross training activities like yoga and cross country skiing.  These activities helped develop a strong fitness base which directly improved my running.  During the last month or so of training I was consistently running under 8 minutes per mile on purpose.  I focused more directly towards high quality and faster miles.

Start of a beautiful day

The Race Itself

I was a little worried about the trail being muddy and icy like it had been in years past, but since they moved the date a couple weeks later the trail was perfect.  My most important goal for this race was to run it under 4 hrs and 30 mins...which is essentially 8 minute miles.  I felt like it was attainable but I would have to work pretty hard to get it.

The race started off and I positioned myself about 15 people back from the very front.  In the start of a race, it is soooo important to contain your adrenaline and calm yourself down.  I've seen so many people go out way too hard and pay dearly for it in the second half of a race.  Within the first 3 minutes I was running at the exact same pace as another runner....we got to talking and had the same exact goal in place.  In my mind I thought there was no way we would stay together, but for now we were running a little bit below 8 min/m pace.  The miles clicked off and we stayed together.  This race has tons of water stops and I'm always amazed at the LURE of the aid station....people love wasting time at them!  If I absolutely have to stop, I try and get exactly what I need and get in and out in a matter of seconds.  Throughout the race, I only stopped twice for a water refill, totaling in less than 20 seconds lost at aid stations.

Photo Credit Mike Peterson

The entire rest of the time was spent running, no walking breaks.  Around mile 20 we were right on target for a time of 4:26....we were even impressed at the 26.2 mark that we were sub 3:30.  During the last 7 miles, we were pretty committed to staying with each other and both of us knew if we were to fall behind, there would be no catching up.  We helped each other break up the monotony of the straight and flat nature of this course by engaging in conversation.

At around mile 30 we were still at 4:26 pace for the 33.5 miles.  My Dad greeted us on the trail and I thought to myself "yes, we must be getting close now".  Little did we know, we had another half mile to go.  Charles and I didn't even look at each other as we picked up the pace simultaneously.  Time to really put in the best effort and get after it.  The 4 minutes of cushion from our goal was shrinking by the second.  The time kept clicking by and I felt my goal slipping away with no sight of the finish line....then finally the short uphill by the finish line appeared and we sprinted uphill past the finish line.  We had no idea if we made it under 4:30...we knew it was really really close.  I was happy to be finished and happy to see my wife, daughter, dad, and mother in-law at the end of the race.  About 5 minutes later the scoresheet was posted, and I about fell to the ground laughing.

The official time read....4:29:59.9.  HA, what a way to reach my goal!

Photo Credit Mike Peterson

Equipment used and worn

Photo Credit Mike Peterson

Oakley Split Jacket Glasses
Under Armour hat, shirt, and shorts
Nike Terra Kiger Trail shoes
Nuun electrolyte tablets
Power Bar gels
SPIbelt
Injinji socks

My Dad and I after the finish

Bad Apple Ultra 6 Hour Event

Photo Credit : Endless Expressions Photography

The last race of 2014 was at the Klackle Orchards called the Bad Apple Ultra.  For this event you have the option of a 3, 6, or 12 hour running time.  With this being my first timed event and considering I was a groomsmen in a wedding the night before, I decided to go for the 6 hour especially since it didn't begin until noon.

The course is a 4 mile loop through the apple orchard and some single track trail.  Aid stations were every 2 miles.  Having the option of water/food every 2 miles = awesome.  I decided to carry a 12 oz bottle that I was able to tuck into my waistband of shorts.  It isn't ideal to have a hydration vest or even a 20 oz handheld in my opinion with aid stations so close by.  I like to be as minimal and efficient as possible.

It was a beautiful day, upper 50s and sunny is ideal for running!  It was windy at times depending on which direction you were facing, but better than rain/mud.  When the race began, 2 guys went out pretty fast, there's no way I was going to run sub 8 minute miles.  I stayed with a group of 3 people for the first 2 loops.  I was running at exactly 9 minute mile average at the 20 mile mark.  In order for me to get to the finish in 5:59:59 I had to run what's called a negative split for the last 20 miles in order to finish 44 miles.  As long as you reach the start/finish before the 6 hr cutoff, you are allowed to run a "bonus lap".  I knew I was in 2nd place so I didn't want to jeopardize the race trying to get to 44 miles. My new goal was 40 miles and 2nd place.  I had done some research and the guy in 1st had finished 2nd at the Hallucination 100 miler so it would have been foolish to push harder.

Ended up running 40 miles in 6 hrs and 23 mins.  It was a nice, low key race that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I would hopefully like to do this one again.

Bad Apple Ultra

Hallucination 100 Mile Race

Hallucination 100 - Run Woodstock 9/5/14

Intro

This race takes place at Hell Creek Ranch near Hell, MI.  With a start time of 4 PM on September 5th.  This is the only 100 mile race in the state and is the only race in MI that is a Western States Qualifier.  You have 6 loops of 16.6 miles each to complete before the 30 hour time limit.  There is an aid-station at the start finish and 3 others throughout the loop.

All geared up and ready to rock n roll

Jess and I before the Race

Loop 1

From my experience of going out too hard the last time I tried this race....my goal was to go real slow the first loop and walk literally every uphill.  With the weather being around 90 degrees, I knew I had to go as slow as possible.  I started near the back of the racers on purpose to slow me down.  The first 30 minutes people were really close to each other, it was like rush hour traffic- stop and go.  I thought it was interesting how people were going so fast and being impatient for the first mile or 2.  The first 2 hours I was around people and feeling pretty good.  I used Nuun tablets mainly for sodium replacement.  I usually don't sweat a whole lot, but that first loop I was constantly sweating and I knew if I didn't control my electrolytes I would be in trouble later on.  At the end of this loop, an absolutely ridiculous storm rolled in from nowhere.  A siren sounded...it was so windy I covered my head because I thought a tree branch was going to fall on me.  It gave me the chills and my adrenaline started pumping.

Time: 3 hours 29 minutes
Feeling: Good

Loop 2

This was my worst loop in terms of feeling like absolute crap.  It was starting to get dark outside and starting to rain.  As I took off I tried eating a cliff bar, but just couldn't do it.  My stomach was so queasy from running the previous loop in such hot conditions.  The thought of any food was repulsing.  For 5 hours of running I ate a cliff bar and a gel....that's it.  Definitely not good, I know from experience that not eating = bad.  A combination of not being able to eat, getting dark outside, rain, and loneliness was causing me to have some negative thoughts.  I was looking forward to seeing my wife and friends at the 2nd aid-station so I kept moving.  When I arrived they weren't there...bummer.  I quickly left and started walking up towards the road.  I looked up and saw them standing by the road/trail entrance and was relieved.  As happy as I was to see them, I was honest and said I felt like absolute crap...they were positive and moved me on my way.  I continued to last half of the loop alone and in the dark.  As bad as I felt I had to keep moving and find ways to entertain myself.  One of the best things about running is having time to think about anything or nothing.  Finally I made it to the start/finish...seeing my crew was so uplifting and exciting.  I was still in a low place but glad that I made it 2 loops so far.

Time: 4 hours 3 minutes
Feeling: Decent

Loop 3

My favorite loop!  To my surprise....my wife decided to accompany me on this loop.  She knows me really well (better than I know myself) and had sensed that I was struggling.  It was incredibly unselfish of her to run with me in the complete darkness for 4 hours...what a wife!  She talked a lot the first couple of hours and it really did get my mind off of how crappy I was feeling earlier.  It is amazing how being around another human being can affect your mood.  We ran through the night as I started to get my stomach back I slowly kept eating more, being careful not to over do it.  Just as we were approaching the 3rd aid station I noticed my battery was getting weaker so luckily I asked a volunteer and they had extras.  About 20 minutes later my wife and I came up upon a guy whose light was all but out.  Not thinking twice about it, I stayed behind him so he could see.  This was a precarious situation now because my wife's light was getting real dim.  Looking back on it, this situation is actually pretty comical: it's 3:15 in the morning, I'm sandwiched in between 2 people who have no light, and its muddy and rainy.  We did our best helping each other out with rocks, roots, and stumps as we tip-toed our way to the start/finish area.

Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Feeling: Great

Quick kiss from my daughter

Loop 4

I ran with my good friend Jonathan Bartkus on this loop.  I felt really good going into the loop.  I knew that I was past the halfway mark and I would be seeing the sun in about 3 hours.  We didn't come across a whole lot of people early on.  We had a really good conversation on lots of different topics.  I was power walking and mixing in runs for a couple minutes at a time.  He kept me focused and on track.  2 years ago when I attempted this race, I limped through the entire 4th loop just to finish the 100K which was the drop down distance.  I was so happy just to be moving, I think that really lifted my spirits and gave me great confidence.

Time: 4 hours 29 minutes
Feeling: Great

Loop 5

The sun was up, and I had a new hope and renewed motivation.  I ran with my brother-in-law, Pat.  I took this loop from aid station to aid station.  I was starting to feel a lot of pain, but nothing that I couldn't push through.  The main goal is to keep moving!!!  I walked a good majority of this loop to save a little for the last loop and because I was in a lot of pain.  We had a conversation that brought me to the realization that I was going to finish this thing!!  I also knew there was a chance I would be seeing my 16 month old daughter at the start finish which was great motivation.

Time: 4 hours 24 minutes
Feeling: Tired, but good

Loop 6

After seeing my daughter and mom at the start/finish area I had a renewed determination and purpose.  Since my wife had ran 16 miles with me earlier in the night, my sister decided to jump in and run the first 8 miles of the last loop with me then my wife would finish it off.  It was great catching up with my sister as she had been in Montana for most of the summer.  We made it to the halfway point where my wife took over.  I knew I was going to finish this race...there was nothing that was going to stop me now.  I knew under 24 hours was out of the question which took a little pressure off.  After doing some quick calculations I wanted to get under 26 and a half so we went to work.  I tried running for as long as I could but my legs and body were screaming at me.  Each time I thought about the finish, I started to tear up.  I was at such an emotionally delicate stage those last miles it took everything I had to hold it in.  The last mile or two, paranoia took hold and I started to worry about my time and others around me....so I simply gave Jess a thumbs up and said "let's do this" and took off.  The last mile I felt like I was flying...there were so many thoughts and emotions going on, I just ran the best I could.  I didn't care how sore I was or how many miles I had already ran....I was in the elusive "runner's high" and everything in that last mile felt PERFECT, like I was at the exact place and time I was destined to be at.  This was meant to happen and I had worked so hard to get there...it was ultimate bliss.  As we turned the corner and ran down the straightaway to the finish line, I saw my daughter and took her with me as I crossed the finish line alongside my wife.  

Time: 4 hours 28 minutes

Feeling: AAMMAAZZIINNNGGG!!!

Official Race Time 25 Hours 20 minutes and 56 seconds
1st in my age category
33rd overall

Kinley and Sarah giving high fives

Gear List

Brooks Pure Grit Shoes

Nuun Tablets

Gu Gels

Powerbar Gels

Cliff Bars

Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS

Oakley Sunglasses

Ultimate Direction Handheld

New Balance Handheld

Injinji Socks----> Amazing!

North Face Dry Wick shirt

UA shorts