Finally a 100M (and finally a race report)

I know this race report's pretty late, but I've had lots of other stuff happening lately.  Now that we're moved in to our new place and the puppy and toddler are asleep I'll steal a few minutes from my thesis writing to finish up this race report.

I'd been carrying a vendetta for the 100-mile distance, and specifically for KM100, since my attempt at KM100 last year ended at mile 77 with knee problems.  Over the past year I analyzed my mistakes, attempted another 100M (Ozark), gained another DNF, analyzed more mistakes, and returned with tail between legs to KM100 this year.  I was optimistic but scared, knowing both that I'd learned from mistakes and that it was still going to be really hard.

This year we had some crazy weather in the southern Kettle Moraine of Wisconsin.  This time it was crazy more like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining" than like your favorite hippie aunt (cf. post on Ice Age 50M).  Of the 155 starters in the 100 miler, only 51 finished.  A look through past results shows that the winning time this year (19:54:48) was the slowest ever by a large margin.  That's said not to downplay any other year's conditions.  I'm glad I didn't run it during the tornadoes of 2008.



At the 6am start the weather was decent: dry and cool, tho not really cool enough, especially for 6am.  It quickly warmed up and by the time I reached my first drop bin 15 miles in at Emma Carlin sweat was already starting to drip from the visor of my hat.  Here I saw friends Geoff and Paige, who gave me some encouraging words as I passed through.  It always helps to see friends at the aid stations.

My drop bins all had gels and thermoses with a drink that I'd made to serve as a liquid meal.  My fueling plan was to take a gel about every 30 minutes and to drink about a pint of the drink at each drop.  The drink had been tested at Ice Age to settle pretty well.  I'll post the recipe, but it's just oat milk, Jarrow brand fermented soy, and coconut milk.  It settled pretty well at KM.

Past Emma C. is a series of prairies where runners are completely exposed to the elements.  Whatever the weather is, here you feel it the most.  I was just thinking about getting this part behind me, at least so I'd only have to do it one more time (on the return trip).  The return trip was the most brutal, tho.  The prairies are positioned (between miles 36 and 47) so that everybody has to run them in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day.  I hit them in mid-afternoon, and I was lucky to not get roasted by the sun as it hid behind haze and clouds.  Instead I got steamed in the warm, humid air.

Another difficulty about this section is that it presents the longest distance between manned aid stations.  Hwy 67 sits at mile 39 as an oasis in the middle of the prairie.  Otherwise there are only a couple of tables with water jugs for 11 miles.  As I came into Hwy 67 on the return trip it was especially uplifting for me as I heard the familiar "bufalooo," and I realized that my crew and pacer had arrived.  For the next 23 miles Jen and Brian would be meeting me at aid stations to help me refuel and move along (when temptation is to sit).  At the Nordic aid station (mile 62) Brian would join me for the remainder of the distance and Jen would continue crewing.

I left Hwy 67 with a refreshed attitude, which is what I needed to endure the 8 miles of prairie ahead.  As I traversed the prairies the haze gradually turned to rain and the temps started to feel cooler.  At Emma C. I stopped to refuel and was actually shivering by the time I was ready to head out again.  Crazy.  I'll take rain over heat, tho (or so I thought...)

One of my favorite sections is between Emma C. and Bluff Rd. (mi. 55) and with the now cooler temps I felt like the rain had given me my legs back.  I picked up the pace a bit, enough to miss my crew at Bluff Rd. since they were expecting me about a half-hour later than I was.  I knew I'd see them at Nordic, tho.

Bluff Rd. marks the junction of the Ice Age and Nordic trails.  Outbound runners leave the Nordic and enter the Ice Age and inbound do the reverse.  By the time I reached Bluff Rd. the rain had really picked up.  The Nordic trail is actually a XC skiing trail, so it's wider and rolling.  Trees catch less of the rain and the low spots turn to small lakes.  There's about 7.5 miles of this between Bluff and the Nordic aid station (also the start/finish).

I've heard that the thought occurs to every runner in a 100-miler, and you just have to tell yourself that quitting is not an option.  The first time the thought of quitting occurred to me was a couple miles before reaching Nordic.  At the Nordic aid station runners have a choice: stop and take a 100K finish or go back out and run another 38 miles.  The temptation is always great to stop, and this year it was really hard to go back out.  By this time it was really pouring and it was getting cold.  As the rain soaks you and the trail gets soggy it's hard to move fast enough to generate much heat.  Many runners dropped here.  Of the 155 starters, 121 made it to Nordic, and 61 decided to go back out.  I was one of those 61, but I certainly had thoughts of joining the other 60.  One thing that made this low point much easier was having a pacer waiting for me.  He'd driven 4 hours to run 38 miles with me; I knew I couldn't just tell him "sorry, I don't want to."  I had to go back out.  There was no other option.

At the aid station I took my drop bin into the clubhouse, sat down, and changed shoes.  It was dry and warm and I lingered too long, but it felt good.  Jen lent me a poncho and extra shirt and I headed back out with Brian.  We walked a lot, but at least we were moving.  At around 10 or 11 the rain finally stopped and the night became really nice!  We left our ponchos and extra shirts with Jen at Bluff.

The second out & back course is pretty varied, with both the easiest and the hardest sections of the course, and pretty much everything in between.  We basically ran the flat non-technical sections and walked the rest.  This added up to lots of walking.  I had been conservative all day since I knew that rocks and downhills had previously been my undoing.  I was extra cautious at night when I couldn't see the obstacles as well.  Brian was very patient, but I gave him a chance to run at the end. :)


Hwy 67 is the only drop location on the second out & back, but runners see it twice.  I probably lingered too long there both times, but it felt good to sit and chat with volunteers and other runners.  A friend Kobby was there volunteering, and Jen was there to encourage us each time  We would also see her at the Rice Lake turnaround.

Not too long after we passed Hwy 67 the second time we started noticing it getting lighter.  By the time we reached Duffin Rd. (mi 90) the headlamps were unnecessary.  This is also where we run through pine groves and some of the nicest trails of the course.  My conservative pace had left me with energy to spare and with only 10 miles left and improved visibility, who needs to be conservative?  I looked at my watch and wondered whether I could make sub-25.  I started picking up the pace through the pine groves and noticed that Brian was gradually getting further behind.  Oh well; he knows the way home.

My momentum served me well as I came out of the pines and was able to keep moving, feeling strong.  I surprised even myself to find that I could run uphill.  I ran by the Bluff aid station, waving and thanking Jennifer and the other volunteers.  I passed a few bewildered people who had by now been reduced to a walk.  I felt good.  One guy asked "how are you still running?"

As the Nordic hills kept coming, I started realizing that sub-25 wasn't gonna happen.  Sub-25:30?  Finally I crossed the finish line in 25:22:52.