06/28/09 Ellisen, Palmer Earn Buckels at WS100
Eric Ellisen's Splits
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| CheckPoint | Mileage | Time In | Time Out | Elapsed | Pace | Pace for Section | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squaw Valley (Start) | 0 | --:-- | 5:00:00am | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Escarpment | 3.5 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Lyon Ridge | 10.5 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Red Star Ridge | 16 | 08:20am | --:-- | 03:20:00 | 12:30 | 12:30 | 124 |
| Duncan Canyon | 23.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Robinson Flat | 29.7 | 11:56am | --:-- | 06:56:00 | 14:00 | 15:45 | 201 |
| Miller's Defeat | 34.4 | 01:57pm | --:-- | 08:57:00 | 15:36 | 25:44 | 251 |
| Dusty Corners | 38 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Last Chance | 43.8 | 03:33pm | --:-- | 10:33:00 | 14:27 | 10:12 | 228 |
| Devils Thumb | 47.8 | 05:00pm | --:-- | 12:00:00 | 15:03 | 21:45 | 209 |
| El Dorado Creek | 52.9 | 06:07pm | --:-- | 13:07:00 | 14:52 | 13:08 | 184 |
| Michigan Bluff | 55.7 | 07:09pm | 07:18pm | 14:09:01 | 15:14 | 22:08 | 173 |
| Bath Road | 60.6 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Foresthill School | 62 | 08:47pm | --:-- | 15:47:00 | 15:16 | 15:33 | 152 |
| Dardanelles (Cal 1) | 65.7 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Peachstone (Cal 2) | 70.7 | 11:27pm | --:-- | 18:27:00 | 15:39 | 18:23 | 149 |
| Ford's Bar (Cal 3) | 73 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Rucky Chucky (near) | 78 | 01:45am | 01:50am | 20:45:00 | 15:57 | 18:54 | 146 |
| Rucky Chucky (far) | 78.1 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Green Gate | 79.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Auburn Lake Trails | 85.2 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Brown's Bar | 89.9 | 06:19am | --:-- | 25:19:00 | 16:53 | 23:01 | 160 |
| Highway 49 | 93.5 | 07:50am | 07:53am | 26:50:00 | 17:13 | 25:16 | 174 |
| No Hands Bridge | 96.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Robie Point | 98.9 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Auburn Finish Line | 100.2 | 10:19am | --:-- | 29:19:37 | 17:33 | 22:19 | 196 |
Mike Palmer's Splits
| CheckPoint | Mileage | Time In | Time Out | Elapsed | Pace | Pace for Section | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squaw Valley (Start) | 0 | --:-- | 5:00:00am | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Escarpment | 3.5 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Lyon Ridge | 10.5 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Red Star Ridge | 16 | 09:20am | --:-- | 04:20:00 | 16:15 | 16:15 | 368 |
| Duncan Canyon | 23.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Robinson Flat | 29.7 | 12:43pm | --:-- | 07:43:00 | 15:35 | 14:49 | 309 |
| Miller's Defeat | 34.4 | 02:25pm | --:-- | 09:25:00 | 16:25 | 21:42 | 299 |
| Dusty Corners | 38 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Last Chance | 43.8 | 04:14pm | --:-- | 11:14:00 | 15:23 | 11:35 | 293 |
| Devils Thumb | 47.8 | 06:03pm | --:-- | 13:03:00 | 16:22 | 27:15 | 308 |
| El Dorado Creek | 52.9 | 07:39pm | --:-- | 14:39:00 | 16:36 | 18:49 | 292 |
| Michigan Bluff | 55.7 | 08:48pm | 08:56pm | 15:48:59 | 17:02 | 24:59 | 273 |
| Bath Road | 60.6 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Foresthill School | 62 | 10:53pm | --:-- | 17:53:00 | 17:18 | 19:41 | 251 |
| Dardanelles (Cal 1) | 65.7 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Peachstone (Cal 2) | 70.7 | 01:55am | --:-- | 20:55:00 | 17:45 | 20:55 | 253 |
| Ford's Bar (Cal 3) | 73 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Rucky Chucky (near) | 78 | 04:08am | 04:12am | 23:08:00 | 17:47 | 18:13 | 244 |
| Rucky Chucky (far) | 78.1 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Green Gate | 79.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Auburn Lake Trails | 85.2 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Brown's Bar | 89.9 | 07:49am | --:-- | 26:49:00 | 17:53 | 18:34 | 231 |
| Highway 49 | 93.5 | 08:51am | --:-- | 27:51:00 | 17:52 | 17:13 | 227 |
| No Hands Bridge | 96.8 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | -- |
| Robie Point | 98.9 | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --:-- | --- |
| Auburn Finish Line | 100.2 | 10:35am | --:-- | 29:35:45 | 17:43 | 15:38 | 214 |
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Not only did I not know if that was Wolf, I had no idea who my shave-headed, slightly lunatic running partner was either, except that a) two minutes ago he was barfing, and b) his pecs were way too big for the pace he was keeping. The question itself and the enthusiasm behind it were telling: this was no PA road race. Road guys are named “Jeff” and “Tim.” And you never talk to the guy next to you because you’re trying to grind him into the pavement because you’re a Type A jerk. Also your heart is about to explode. I don’t need to mention pecs. No, this was my first tentative foray to the threshold of the friendlier, crunchier world of ultrarunning: the 2008 Golden Hills Trail Marathon, heading south from Tilden to Chabot along the East Bay Skyline National Trail. While technically a marathon at 26.2 miles, the course rollercoasters 5800’ over the singletrack and switchbacks of the parks of the East Bay hills, and so in spirit achieves ultra status, and thus in practice attracts mostly ultrarunners like my new bald friend (yes, he died). |
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It was a baptism for me both in distance and in culture: I had never raced or even trained over three hours, never gone 26.2, flat or otherwise, and I had only a vague and stereotyped notion of the ultra scene. I’ll get to the distance in a second, but the stereotype refreshingly turned out to be exactly right. The ultra is basically the new-millennium descendant of the Renaissance Faire. Quirky, colorfully costumed eccentrics gather to swap shaggy tales of heroic feats (training runs) and gorge themselves under the trees. There’s a Jester, a Champion, an old warrior King. The correspondence, at least in garb, with their 70’s-era forefathers is almost perfect: the harlequin leggings become trail gaiters; the goatskin flask a hydration pack; the feathered cap—well, pretty much anything, but you need something on your head. I think I saw a guy in a cowboy hat. Take notes, people. I felt almost naked and very uncool in my singlet and XC flats. Fortunately I had brought a little Camelbak waist pack for some trail cred—I was pretty sure no one was on to me. In retrospect it was kind of like Dick Cheney icing out and sneaking into a Lil Wayne show. And the race? For me it was a little anticlimactic. After the roughly 1,200 first-marathon articles I've skimmed over the years, I was ready for chafing thighs, bleeding nipples, loss of bowel control, delirium, self-discovery, self-amputation, apostasy and reconciliation with my Maker. SOMEthing. Well... nothing really happened. The weather at the start was ideal: chilly and calm. Four guys went out faster than me, including my cueball buddy what's-his-name. By mile 8 I was alone in 2nd and fairly sure I was staying there. The terrain was very familiar after years of training on the hellishly steep and treacherous fire roads and singletrack of Las Trampas Wilderness (my backyard). I got some looks with my skimpy ballerina slippers but damn, was I glad not to be lugging glorified hiking boots up those grades. I stopped at miles 16 and 20 for a refill of my waist pack. Hit a tough patch on the final climb at mile 17, which a little Gu and sports drink cleared up, although some queasiness limited me to about a gram of Gu per hit. That stuff is like frosting, which normally I prefer to eat by the pint. I couldn't believe how the marathon had messed up my priorities. The small toes on my left foot kept cramping up in the final miles, which for me is a hydration issue, so I took pulls on the Camelbak and crossed my fingers. The course mercifully ends down and flat, and by mile 20 I had reclaimed my mojo, and even managed to pick it up in the last mile and finish strong. Hung onto 2nd at 3:30:50, a 20-minute masters course record! (Note to self: race outside the PA more.) The winner, in a new CR of 3:16:53, was Leor Pantilat, a 24-year-old mountain runner with a shoe contract and holder of several CA and WA mountain records. If you Zinsli him you'll see he's been fairly successful. Third place was 3:47:11. I had thought the course would be only 30 or 40 minutes slow, but Leor said my time was worth a 2:40 on a flat course. I giggled and complimented him on his pecs. At the post-race feast, well into my third plate of pasta salad and 12th can of Hansen’s, I found myself reflecting on the relative pathologies of ultra vs. distance runners. Sure, ultrarunners are wackjobs, but roadies? Thin-skinned, introverted, hypercompetitive, data-obsessed… and those tight little split shorts. Maybe there’s more to running than just age-grading factors and lactate threshold velocity… The Firetrails 50 was being run simultaneously on the same course that day, and as we passed those poor souls on their way back in, they would, without exception, smile and encourage us on. "Looking good!" "Nice job!" And they had to do our race TWICE. These are generous people, transcending competition, participating just for the challenge and the camaraderie. It gave me a new perspective on my own race, and, just maybe, on my life. Maybe it’s less about heart rate, and more about heart… Of course, all their chattering made it difficult to ask exactly how far up Leor was, and if it looked like he was struggling, but I had found the peace to forgive them. Am I doing another one? Funny you should ask—I just got these sick waterproof tie-dye gaiters that I want to try out. Oh, and I shaved my head. Dude… hold on, I think that’s Wolf calling… |
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STRIDERS SCORE HARDWARE AT HEADLANDS 50K
by Eric Ellisen
August 26th, 2006, Marin County, CA. Striders Joe Schieffer, Eric Ellisen, and Christine Chapon all won age group awards in this year's USATF national 50K trail championship. The Headlands 50K, sponsored by the Tamalpa Runners, is quite probably one of the most scenic trail ultras anywhere. On the other hand, it's also one of the most brutal and unforgiving, with nearly 8,000' of climbing and descent along the course's run from Rodeo Beach at Fort Cronkhite, to Stinson Beach, and back. As if that' s not enough, nearly 1/3 of the total climbing comes in the last 5 miles, starting as the runners grind up the hill out of Muir Beach.
Foggy and cool (~55 degrees) weather provided nearly ideal conditions for this year’s race. Nearly 200 hearty souls toed the starting line on the beach at
I had good run (hike?) on the steep climb from
My solitude didn’t last long on this descent. One characteristic of the best ultra runners is that they take the measure of the hills, but then absolutely bomb the downhills; I fall somewhere in middle range of these skills. I was actually happy to see another runner, who stuck with me on the downhill, and we ended up doing this down section pretty hard. In retrospect, this hard downhill may have been at least partially responsible for my calf problems later on.
After crossing Muir Woods road, the course heads up the
The climb out of Stinson as those of you who run the Double or Quad Dipseas know, is just brutal. Even after the break at the start of the Steep Ravine trail, there are many steep stairs, and of course the ‘fish’ ladder to negotiate. As usual (this was my third try at Headlands), my body, if not my spirit, began to flag here. It seemed like people were going by me in droves on this section, but I ended up doing okay, even if I was slightly off my pace by the time we got back to Cardiac. Linda was a welcome sight here again. When we did another bottle transfer, she asked me how I was doing, and I said I was pretty tired, but that I still had some life left.
After Cardiac comes a long, loping downhill to the interesting Heather Cutoff, which is a one-mile corkscrew of switchbacks that take you back down to Muir Woods Road near Muir Beach. The ever strong Beth Vitalis passed me here, and she was streaming blood from a cut on her head, caused by an unfortunate encounter with a tree branch some miles back. Beth would end up 28th overall in a quality time of
I hobbled into Tennessee Valley, knowing that there was only three miles to go, but another impossible climb to get up to Wolf Ridge. More people went by me here, but there was nothing I could do to respond. When I hit the top, I was able to run a little bit until the Coastal heads down to the final descent back to Rodeo. I was happily surprised at this point that I still had a possibility of getting a PR. This hope was dashed, however, in the last half mile, when my calves cramped so hard that I couldn’t move my feet and had to sit down and crank on them to get them to respond.
I thankfully crossed the finish line in a very respectable time of
As a co-ed team, the Strider cadre finished 2nd to, you guessed it, the Tamalpa Runners. All in all a great day for a nice scenic jaunt along the
The trio of Adam Ray, Joe Schieffer and Eric Ellisen were nearly 2 hours ahead of runner-up Tamalpa and 3 hours up on BAUR. The Mixed Team of Tim Quinn, and Jennifer Ray however had a down-to-the-wire victory over the Buffalo Chips by a mere 75 seconds. Thats a good lean at the tape in ultra running!
Adam Ray took 4th overall with an excellent time of 4:25:24, good for 2nd in the 30-39 and less than 4 minutes out of 2nd place. The overall winner w
as 22-year-old Chikara Omine. Joe Schieffer was right behind Adam in 5th place, winning the 50-59 division with a time of 4:26:25. Eric Ellisen was 17th overall in 5:03:02.
The Strider Mixed team was led by Tim Quinn in 5:10:10 with fellow senior Don James on his tail in 5:11:24. Jennifer Ray placed 9th in the womens and 60th overall with a time of 5:59:09. Team captain Mike Palmer was just in front of Jennifer with a time of 5:53:34. 151 runners completed the race.
photos coming soon
Zach Grossman
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03/20/05 Striders Win Two 50Ks on Same Weekend.
The Pacific Striders ultra runnerswere victorious at notone, but TWOultra races on the same weekend. At the Saturday (3/19) RuckyChuck Turnabout in Foresthill, Lon Freeman bested a field of 118 runners with a time of 4 hours 38 minutes to win the hilly trail race by a full 30 minutes. Clem Choy also completed the event placing as 7th 50-59 runner in a time of 6:44. The following day, Strider Zach Grossman won the Steven's Creek 50K by a narrower, but still sizable margin, of 9 minutes. Zach's time was 4:51. Also finishing for the Striders was senior runner Tim Quinn who placed 19th overall in a time of 6:01. Jennifer Ray placed 4th in the women's division with a 6:14, while Clem Choy did an encore 50K in 7:03! Zach took the lead early and held a 30 second lead at 10 miles over Keith Blom of San Jose, with the first female, Sarah Slaymeyer only another 10 seconds back. By 20 miles Zach had widened his lead to nearly 3 minutes over second place Slaymeyer. Over the next 5 miles however, Zach would pull away to nearly 6 minutes on the next runner - this time it was Brian Robinson (43) of Mt View. Zach would add another 3 minutes to that margin over the last 10K to win handily.
From Clem on his back-to-back 50Ks ...
I have done Steven's Creek since its inargural run so I didn't want tomiss this year's run, which was run number 4. The Rucky Chucky was appealing since I have never gone from the River Crossing back to Foresthill. Also I have not been racing as much these days. So the back toback 50K gave me an opportunity to kind of test myself. I tried to recruit Jennifer Ray, who is preparing for her first Western States. When I arrived at Rucky Chucky, I found that there werefour other people doing the same back-to-back run. I guess that is the culture of the ultra community.
I felt fine for both runs, the legs were a little more tired on the second day. No surprise there.It was rainy and muddy for both days. Footings were poor and we had strong wind on the ridges. It was a fun experience. I would recommend this to anyone who is preparing for their 100 miles journey |
12/7/04 - Five Striders to run Western States 100
These are the member of the Pacific Striders who were selected at the 12/4/04 lottery for entry into the 2005 version of Western States.
Lon Freeman
Lisa Henson
Mike Palmer
Jennifer Ray
Miles Welze
10/13/04 - Firetrails 50 Mile - By A First-timer
Jennifer Ray
The Dick Collins Firetrails 50 (http://home.earthlink.net/~anncarl/) was my first 50-mile race, and it was the focus of my training all this year. I had wanted to run Firetrails last year, after I ran my first ultra (the Skyline 50K), but I knew I wasn "!t ready, and other commitments (to running on a team in the Providian Relay, and to a busy new job) forced me to postpone the dream for a year.
I think I trained well for Firetrails, and the key to future improvement will be essentially Smore of the same. I ran a tough 50K race 7 weeks before Firetrails as a training effort, and 4 weeks before Firetrails I ran a self-supported 33-miler on the toughest sections of the course. I also gained some speed and confidence (not to mention new friends) from joining a speedy group of road runners in my neighborhood for a weekly tempo/hill run and weekly track workout. I tapered well, but the Thursday afternoon before the race began suffering the telltale signs of an oncoming cold (fever, sore throat).
On Friday, I felt pretty congested, and by Friday evening I had a terrible sinus headache. That, plus all the hubbub of the second presidential debate, plus an unusually sleepless night for my 2-year-old, resulted in sleep of an amount and quality that was certainly less than ideal! On race morning, I had my usual coffee and two slices of honey-buttered toast while driving to the race.
My fueling/hydration plan was actually pretty simple: I would start the race with a 20-ounce bottle filled with 1.5 servings of Perpetuem (good for 1.5 hours of calories I could absorb while running). Every 1.5 hours during the race, I would either grab a new 1.5 serving bottle from my crew (a role filled by my husband Adam and his brother Jon), or else mix a new 1.5 serving batch in the bottle with powder I was carrying. At aid stations in between, I would simply dilute the fuel mix with plain water. (Sorry for the boring details, but I want to remember what I did, since it worked very well for me. I had pretty constant energy, with no spikes and no bonks.) I supplemented this regimen with only 1 Hammer Gel packet and a little food from one of the aid stations.
My racing strategy was also pretty simple. For once, I would NOT start too fast. I would jog as slowly as I could make myself in the beginning and walk ALL of the hills until I was at least past the marathon point. If at all possible, I would pick up the pace and race as much as I could of the last 13 miles, from Skyline Gate to the finish. Since this would be my first time past 33 miles, my main goal was to finish.
Although I tried not to get my hopes up or tell too many people, I also really wanted to break 10 hours, since 10 hours in a trail 50-mile is the qualifying time a person under 40 needs to be considered in the lottery for the Western States 100 Endurance Run. Not that I want to run that scary thing, mind you, but it just seems symbolic like wanting to break 4 hours in your first marathon.
After a short bit of milling about, the race started at 6:30 a.m. It was quite dark, there being only a crescent moon and no artificial lights along the way. Luckily, the first 2 miles are paved, but the darkness gave me additional reason to be cautious in my pacing. I started out running with an acquaintance who was also running her first 50-miler. I knew this friend had finished some 50Ks quite a bit slower than I had, so I was happy to stick with her pace until we reached the first hill (Live Oak).
The weather felt surprisingly humid as I walked this big hill (which is known to many people because it "!s on the Lake Chabot half marathon course), but I felt good and came into the first aid station 4 minutes ahead of schedule. I ran an easy but relatively brisk pace during the next section with a guy who was also trying to break 10 hours for Western States.
This guy, who "!d recently moved up here from Orange County, turned out to be quite a talker. When he started recounting his various DNFs ( Sdid not finish ) from other races, I decided I "!d have to find a way to leave him. Luckily, my fueling strategy meant I didn "!t have to spend much time at aid stations, so after we climbed up and over MacDonald grade, I left him behind and ran on into Redwood Regional Park.
Around this time, I began to feel my stomach acting up. I needed a potty stop, and not the kind that could be easily accomplished on the side of the trail. I knew there are several bathrooms along the Stream Trail, so I kept going along with another talkative runner a race director from El Paso, Texas, who said I was going awfully fast for someone running her first 50. This made me worry a bit, but the pace really didn "!t feel too hard.
Finally, I came to the first set of port-a-potty sheds along the trail. My decision to stop here instead of going another half-mile to some real bathrooms turned out to be a mistake. I went in, closed the door, and was immediately in complete darkness. I tried to set my bottle down to open the door, when I heard Ssplash. Oh no! I had dropped my bottle into the latrine! For a second, I thought about leaving it there, but I still had almost 4 miles to cover before the next aid station, and getting dehydrated this early on could have disastrous consequences. So, I fished it out and tried my best to clean it off with toilet paper. Unfortunately, even though I could see no visible traces of, well, you-know-what, the smell was indelibly embedded in the neoprene cozy around my bottle and the mesh holder. So that meant every time I raised the bottle to squirt a drink into my mouth (no way was that spout going to touch my lips!), I got a nauseating whiff of doo-doo. Yuck!
Anyway, I got back on the trail and was happy to see Adam and Jon and the fresh bottle they had for me at the Skyline Gate aid station. I felt pretty good after my stop and ran comfortably on the single-track through Huckleberry Preserve and Sibley Park, and finally up to the Steam Trains. I was walking the uphills and running all the flats and downhills as gently as possible. Unfortunately, on the long grinding uphill to the Steam Trains aid station, my stomach was cramping again. I knew there were port-a-potties at the entrance to the trains, so I soldiered on.
When I finally got there, though, I saw the aid station was set up several yards away from the potties, so I had to run off-course to use them. It was worth it, though, because I felt SO much better after. Adam and Jon quickly ushered me back onto the trail with what "!s this? oh no! the same stinky bottle I had happily handed off to them at Skyline. Since I hadn "!t told them what happened, and they didn "!t notice the smell, they had just refilled the bottle instead of preparing a new one. Oh well.
The run down Seaview Trail was absolutely stunning. All the fog we "!d had recently had cleared the air, so runners enjoyed crystal-clear views of the Contra Costa valley and Mt. Diablo on one side, and San Francisco, Marin, the Bay, and both bridges on the other side. Gorgeous!
I soon ran into Clement Choy, a very friendly local ultrarunner who seems to know everybody. We ran together for the next 15 miles or so. It was fun because we began to see all the 50-mile runners who were ahead of us on their way back up the trail, and nearly all of them knew Clem.
At the turn-around, I was happily surprised to see my friend Morgan waiting. We talked a little bit as I gathered food and drank some Coke and water at this stop, then I hurried to start up the huge climb (over 1400 feet) back to the Steam Trains. I wanted to run as much as possible before the steep uphill section of Seaview started, and I was happy to have Morgan "!s company for a short while until he took off like a rabbit and left me! I couldn "!t feel too bad about my pace, though, since I "!d already covered over a marathon.
Adam wanted to run more than 13 miles, so, after several race volunteers assured him it was OK, he decided to run with me from the Steam Trains to the finish (about 19.5 miles). I enjoyed having his company, but I struggled on the next section, which was very sunny and hot. We were running along the ridge on the Contra Costa side of the hills, so all the heat from the valley radiated up, and we were shielded from the cool breezes that were blowing on the Bay side of the ridge.
I came into Sibley aid station a bit glassy-eyed, but was happy to see my friend Keith cheering me on with a big smile. I felt better in the shade after Sibley, but my stomach soon started cramping again. I was almost desperate (and, if I "!d had TP with me, would "!ve ducked into the trees for relief), but finally I made it to Skyline Gate and oh happy sight! its blessed port-o-potty. Again, I felt so much better after this stop. I cranked up the music on my MP3 player and reminded myself now it was time to race.
Adam and I flew down the hill from the aid station and continued running a fast pace through Redwood Canyon. I passed Clem and another runner in here, feeling good, running hard, and even singing snippets of Smashing Pumpkins songs aloud sometimes. Although Adam does not remember my singing as a highlight of the day, I do, because I was on such a mental high.
It felt great to be able to run fast after 37 miles! It must be a thermodynamic law of ultrarunning that following every high a low is sure to follow, and my lowest point came on the climb back up MacDonald grade. This section packs about 500 feet of elevation gain into just over a mile, and it was exposed and hot. My mind started to wander on the long hot climb up this hill, and my energy was quite low.
Then finally we reached the top of the hill, but my plan to scamper quickly down the other side was thwarted by a terrible cramp in my side. It was a side stitch like none I "!d ever had! Adam coached me well: just jog slowly and breathe easily. Finally, the cramp subsided as I breathed slowly and drank lots of fluid, and I was able to run into Bort Meadow, where I was pleasantly surprised to see friends Joe and Dave waiting for me. I hadn "!t even told them about this part of the course, but they managed to track me down. I was especially happy when Joe told me I just had Sless than a 10K left, so I decided to push as hard as I could from there to the finish.
I repeated to myself some wise advice Adam had given me: Take what the course gives you. The course had lots of flat and downhill left to give, and I was determined to take advantage. Adam and I kept a very brisk pace down Brandon and Cascade trails. I was enjoying another mental high, and at one point I remember blabbering on about the real meaning of a Led Zeppelin song I was listening to. Adam was so great: he just smiled and nodded and let me enjoy myself.
I know the splits for this section and the section in Redwood Canyon say I was Sonly running 10-minute miles, but the numbers don "!t tell the whole story because these sections also had some steep hills that had to be walked. I became fixated on the 10-hour goal. I could make the time if I just stayed focused.
Somewhere along Cascade Trail I felt one of the blisters I had noticed earlier pop and begin to ooze, and Adam asked if this was going to stop me from making my time. No way, I said, it "!ll just make getting the time hurt a little more. Anyway, as we cruised through the final aid station (no thanks to aid, I had a clock to beat), we were joined by a friendly off-leash Labrador. Very sweet dog. At first I thought she was a distraction, but then I got the notion she was guiding me to the finish. She ended up running between us and the runner ahead of me for the entire three miles to the finish! It felt wonderful to finish and shake Carl Anderson "!s hand. (I really appreciated the race director "!s personal welcome nice touch!)
My final time was 9:51:42. Not good enough for an age-group award this time, but I cared much more about the time than any placing, which for me is totally dependent on who shows up. I am tickled pink that I was able to pick up my pace and run fast in the end, and I met my goal of qualifying for Western States (even if I don "!t end up running it).
Because I know I "!ll want them in the future, here "!s a list of my splits from the race (inspired by a similar chart I found in a race report from ultrarunner Steve Patt):
Aid Station Distance (interval) Distance (total) Elev + Elev - My Time Marciel
Road 3.2 3.2 620 150 36:17
Bort Meadow 4.7 7.9 460 660 46:34
MacDonald Gate 2.6 10.5 470 530 29:24
Skyline Gate 4.5 15.0 900 230 51:54
Sibley Park 3.4 18.4 610 495 37:10
Steam Trains 3.3 21.7 730 465 45:37
Lone Oak 4.3 26.0 320 1420 48:06
Steam Trains 4.3 30.3 1420 320 1:03:01
Sibley Park 3.3 33.6 465 730 45:27
Skyline Gate 3.4 37.0 495 610 43:00
MacDonald Gate 4.5 41.5 230 900 45:00
Bort Meadows 2.6 44.1 530 470 39:31
Bass Cove 2.9 47.0 230 590 30:11
Lake Chabot (Finish) 3.0 50.0 210 290 29:56
I want to say thank you so much to Morgan, Keith, Hannah, Dave and Joe, for taking time out of your busy Saturday to come and cheer for me. It helped me a lot in the race, and it means a lot to me now. I want to especially thank my brother-in-law Jon for driving all the way up here from Orange County and spending a whole day helping me. And while I was a little worried Adam wouldn "!t be able to run slow enough to pace me, he turned out to be the best pacer I could have ever hoped for. I am grateful for not only his good advice, but also his patience and understanding as I do these crazy things (and take loads of time training for them).
Thanks also to the friends who sent their good wishes my way. I feel lucky to know all of you. Jennifer Footnotes: My feet held up pretty well, with just two blisters (both under calluses). I took care before the race to rub down calluses, and in the week before the race I lubricated my feet every night with Desitin ointment. On race day, I used lots of Gold Bond foot powder but did not pre-tape. I had a huge amount of dirt and grit inside my socks by the finish, concentrated in the areas where I blistered. This tells me in the future I should avoid the dirt accumulation by using gaiters and changing socks every 25 miles or so.
09/11/04- Zack Grossman Wins Plain 100 Mile
I'd never been to Plain before and assumed that it would kill me. I'd finished 100 miles twice before (at VT), but in 19hrs. Here I knew it would take way more time and energy and I was definitely voyaging into the unknown territory of >20hrs. I figured that the first loop would be slightly more difficult than the Diablo 50, and estimated that to complete it and still have energy left I would have to do it in 14-15 hours. Then loop two looked easier, but I know that night running "! is slower so I figured 12-13 hours. Thus, I couldn "!t see how I could be out there more than 30 hours if I was still moving. However, not being completely naïve, I knew that things can happen that mess you up, slow you, or stop you so there was a great chance that I would not finish. I didn "!t think that I was tough enough to last >30 hours so it was sub-30 or bust. So I expected to DNF or set a course record and have it be tough either way. Now I see that if the weather had been hotter or dustier the day would have been much more miserable and I can see how the course gets its reputation. We were all really lucky this year.
Without any opportunity to train on the course, I relied on the expert advice of Ray Gruenewald and Tom and Chris, the RDs. A few very long and hard training runs, with heat and tons of climbing, but run at an easy pace prepared me physically and gave me an idea of how much food and water I would go through. The day before the race, I drove up with Ray, who showed me around some to the tricky parts of the course at Maverick Saddle and Goose Creek. Also, Ray pointed out to me every place on the map where I could expect to find water and where I would need to stock up. His advice proved invaluable.
For the four weeks before the race I ran no more than twice a week because I was getting lazy, tapering, and trying to go easy on a sore hamstring. The week before the race the nerves took hold, I lost my appetite and felt like I was getting sick. Thursday and Friday my heartrate felt high and I just wanted to get on with the ordeal. The rain at the start caused me to worry that we d have a soggy, miserable and cold day.
We started in the dark at 5am and luckily the rain died out soon thereafter. John Stamstad headed out the fastest and in the first mile John Hallsten and Tim Stroh went on ahead of me as well. I was still feeling crappy and semi-sick and knew I should just take it easy and conserve. I ended up going most of the way up to Maverick Saddle with James Varner and made an effort to get to know him some, figuring that we might run most of the day together. Mike Cartwright and someone else yo-yo-ed with us on the way up to the saddle and before the top James took off. At the top of the saddle in 100 minutes, I mentally thanked Ray for his preview. I was in fifth position (I thought) and pulling significantly ahead of the remaining runners. What I did not know was that the two Johns had missed the non-turn to the road up to Maverick Saddle, right after Deep Creek and had done a 20 minute detour off course. As they returned to the course they passed the very back of the pack runners just heading up the beginning of the climb. In reality, Tim Stroh was leading, James was second and I was third.
James and I exchanged positions coming down the Saddle and along the Mad River as he stopped to fiddle with his bag and caught back up. I knew that there was water available here, but didn t stop because I had not been consuming too much. The cool weather provided us this benefit all day and night. The fact that it was so easy to hydrate, we had to stop so little, and could get away carrying so little significantly aided us over previous years. On the way up the Mad River and the Hi-Yu trail I tried to eat lots of trail mix partially to fill my stomach after a light breakfast and give me energy for the early day, but also to keep my pace down so I didn t burn too much too soon. James took off up the switchbacks and that was the last I saw of him for the next 24 hours!!
He apparently was cruising because Tim said that James passed him going up Hi-Yu as well and he put at least 15 minutes on us by the time we got to Klone Peak. I took it easy on the Hi-Yu uphills. I wanted to be conservative on the downs, but there were some good rugged downs that demanded some speed. Ray advised me that this was the most rugged stretch of trail on the course and, while it certainly wasn t trivial, this knowledge gave me much comfort later in the day knowing how the trails would all have pretty nice footing. There were some nice views along the ridge here or there. I was kind of having fun, kind of lonely, looking around getting my bearings and feeling somewhat despondent about the fact that my heart felt tired, weak or sick. I thought to myself, this is going to be a long day I might be sick, in which case I ll never make it past loop 1. I just kept going slowly and easily. Up high it was quite cold and I began to worry that I was underdressed. I began to lose mobility in my hands-- which happens quickly and easily when they get cold and put on the glove liners that I brought. These helped, but I had trouble getting things from my pack until my hands had fully warmed down by the river.
Past the lake I skipped water and eventually came to the meadows at around 3 hours. Here I caught Tim Stroh and when I realized that it was him the only Plain finisher out there on the course I decided I should stick around and be in no hurry to lose this guy. We crossed the meadow and I finally ran out of water on the way up to Klone. Tim knew where to get water and we filled up w/ enough to last us to Fox Creek. Tim surprised me with the fact that only James was up ahead and he had been looking stellar. Soon after I learned of the two Johns mishap, John Hallsten came trotting by looking fresh, wiry and strong. I knew he had done well at Hardrock and the Bear and didn t try to stay with him. He said that John Stamstad was right behind. John and Tim and I were strung out on our way up to Klone, but still arrived at pretty much the same time, 4:45 into the race. No sign of James on the out and back meant that he was really cruising.
Up top it was cold and quite windy. This was true of most of the high country Saturday. John Stamstad caught up to us at the top as well and we all left together. We passed Mike Burke heading up to the peak as we were on our way down. I knew that because of their detour, the two Johns already had 20 minutes on us and realized that they were going to be running down much faster than I should be, even though as a strong downhiller I could easily keep up. I figured they would easily catch James and run most of the race if not finish together and way ahead of everyone else. I figured James was going out too fast and I d eventually see him again and run with him and I figured that Tim would be slower on the down hill and I d lose him.
These beliefs were partially right and partially wrong. John and John were too fast, but they lost me on the intermediate uphills, not the initial downs. Tim stayed with me on the downs and I soon realized that I should stick with him for strategic and pacing reasons. Also, it was fun having someone to run with and talk to. I started getting to know him on that long long long long descent from Klone. This descent is supposedly 10 miles to the Entiat River, but it has to be more. The terrain is easy and runnable, we were doing a nice jog of maybe 10-11 minute miles (at least) and it still took us over 2 hours to get to the river. When we hit the road, we were informed that James was 20 minutes ahead and that the Johns had put 10 minutes on us. I figured that they would soon overtake him. I was wrong about this. The road section was long and I still felt a little weak, but improving. I alternated between feeling tired and falling behind Tim and feeling good and sprightly. I always feel groggy in the early morning stages of races and now that we were nearing noon, this was wearing off.
We were surprised to see Tom and Chris at the Entiat River Junction, and they said that Stamstad was only 10 minutes ahead. At Fox Creek, we came across him finishing his restocking by the bridge and he took off as we began our water stop. I filled up all the way, got cytomax and ate an egg. Also I convince Tim to ditch his tights and stretched as he did so. We started up the climb at 12:21 after exactly 10 minutes at the Creek. I figured Tim would go on ahead as I really needed to climb at my slow restful pace. I climb slowly and steadily and when I m feeling weak (as I did then) I go extra slow and it helps me build strength. Well this strategy paid off. Tim stayed with me he said he liked my pace and we just climbed steadily and talked here or there. He said the climb took him 2:15hrs each of the last three years so I broke that up into three 45minutes sections mentally. The false summit was supposed to be at 4 miles, so I estimated that we would get there in two thirds of the time, or 90 minutes. We relished the lack of heat. The climb did seem to take forever and I kept looking at the watch, but we hit the false summit right on time. This must have been more than 2/3 of the way because we reached the final crest in two hours, at 2:20pm! I said to Tim, We beat Tim Stroh! We each felt ok, but not great. We were happy the climb was over, but aches and pains were beginning to set in. I had pain in my left knee that showed up in the first few hours and kept bothering me, especially on the downhills. We popped some advil and a sandwich and headed down stiffly. Ah, I thought to myself, this is when it gets tough. My body was starting to get sore and injuries were creeping up. We got cold and stiffened up in the few minutes we dwelled on top.
We began the Signal Peak traverse at 2:36 and were told to expect and hour to an hour and a half to the Billy Creek trail intersection. We took exactly 59 minutes and here is where I started feeling good (strangely)-- pulling away from Tim slightly on some of the ups and downs, but taking it easy enough to that we stayed together overall. We saw John Stamstad across a hillside and I timed him at 5 minutes ahead of us. It was still quite windy and the burned hillsides were stark looking, but pretty purple and pink flowers grew among the stumps and snags. I kept mistaking the burnt logs for people in the distance and one even looked like a black panther.
We began the descent and my heart, I realized, now felt spectacular as if I had not yet started running. Somehow my easy pace throughout the day allowed me to recover and grow strong. Or maybe I was finally warmed up. As we lost elevation I only felt better and better. With the long descend I expected my legs to get burnt, but we went easily enough so that they lasted as well. When we passed the S&R at a Forest Service road crossing on the way down, they said that James was 40 minutes ahead of us, John Hallsten 20 minutes ahead and John Stamstad 10 minutes ahead. We were all running about the same pace, maintaining the same gaps. The descent to Cougar Creek was fun and wild at the bottom. I can see how on a hot day it could kill you, especially if you had run out of water. The last, steep bits of the descent were heavily switchbacked, so the trail was not particularly steep, just endless. A fire had swept through a few years back and the wind howled and screamed through the snags and dead branches like a banshee. Eerie. We were told that there were no blowdowns as of the week before the race. However, the previous night s storm must have taken out a 30-40 trees along this part of the trail, all the way to Maverick Saddle, and I hate to think of how many more blowdowns the back-of-the-pack runners had to negotiate!
When we finally arrived at Cougar Creek and filled up, it was clear that I was moving faster than Tim. He was still in good spirits and giving useful advice and knowing how the hard part of the race was still coming I decided that I still needed to conserve and stay with him. In fact, the more I ran with Tim, the more I realized that I should stick with him. The four miles along the Mad River took us 59 minutes, from 5:10 to 6:09pm. Shortly after hopping across the Mad River, we realized that we had forgotten to fill up and we would be dry until Deep Creek. Oh, well no turning back. I ran out at the beginning of the descent and we got a small bit of water at a trickle right before the bottom of the descent. At the top of the Saddle, we saw S&R and they gave us the exact same times for the leaders-- 40, 20, and 10 minute leads on us for James, John and John. As I changed into new socks they told me how great James looked. We were all going the same speed at this point but I knew that things would get mixed up in the night.
The descent to deep creek took just under 50 minutes and we arrived at 14:08 (7:08pm) on the early side of my best estimate!! We heard that James looked good and took off in a hurry when John Hallsten arrived. John Stamstad showed his usual intensity and determination when he heard that James had taken 11 minutes at the aid station, he announced that he would be out in less than 10 and sure enough he was. Deep Creek ended up being much more of a real aid station than I had expected. Tony C(???) showed up with a stove and chairs and soups and Gu and all sorts of goodies. I changed my shirt, switched to a warmer hat, grabbed my jacket and lights and changed shoes. I switched feed bag and downed some food including soup, yogurt drink, and triscuits. Very excited, I finished in less than 10 minutes and wanted to get out of there. Tim took a little bit more time and perhaps I acted a little too eager and excited in goading him to finish up.
We left after 17 minutes or so, just before 7:30. I was so excited to be on the 2nd loop, feeling so good, having just seen people and still with Tim. We were still in great shape, running the same pace as the leaders, but having lost some time in the aid station. I wanted to take advantage of as much light as we had and not lose more ground. I figured that Stamstad, having shown his toughness two weeks earlier at the Tour de Mont Blanc, would have the eye of the tiger and pass everyone. I was still moving faster than Tim, but I really did not want to be out there alone at night partly for strategic reasons and partly out of plain fear. Plus, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I felt so good, but I knew that sometime in a few hours, perhaps in the wee hours of the night I would crash and need all the support I could muster. Best stick with someone.
In half an hour we reached the Goose Creek campground parking lot and it had gotten dark. Thanks to Ray, I knew exactly where to go. For the next few hours we plodded along running some, walking plenty, and peeing copiously as we (I) had all day. Hydration was never a problem and my stomach never turned. I just kept drinking and eating eagerly. I saved the Gu with its caffeine for later on in the night so I was just eating normal food and some energy bars. I carried a Princeton Tec handheld flashlight with lithium batteries and regular batteries as backup. Also, I still had my Petzl Tikka in the pack from the morning as backup. Tim had the same handheld and a 2-strenght LED headlamp supplemental light.
I treated loop 2 as an all night hike and just whiled away the hours, waiting for it to hit midnight and then for dawn to come. As we passed the Alder Ridge Trailhead and began the Alder Creek loop I thought to myself, I ll see you in the morning. Around 10 pm we were safely ensconced in our quiet dark dream-like reality when we saw a light up ahead! It was John Stamstad having stomach problems. We asked if we could help, but he said he had all he needed he just couldn t stomach any of it. We continued on with a mix of sympathy and (for me, at least) excitement. Surely the other two up ahead, who must have been working hard all day would come back to us as well. We began the climb up the Chickamin trail around 10:19pm and it never got steep. It was just the same kind of steady, moderate, switchbacked climb that we had encountered all day. It was fun talking to Tim and he really knew the course. On occasion he would remember something worse then it really was, so that when we experienced it, it felt like we got off easy. I liked the giant trees we encountered climbing the ridge and the traverse was not too bad, though long.
It was around midnight when we reached the base of the 2 mile Chickamin Tie climb. Here is where it got a little difficult mentally. It was after midnight and as of 12:13 I was venturing into unknown territory, my longest race having taken 19:13 hours to finish (VT100 2000). As the minutes ticked away on my watch I kept waiting to see the lights of the S&R we expected to find at the road crossing. Tim and I were moving separately, but still staying together overall. At 20 minute miles (slow!) this section should have taken 40 minutes, and we should have arrived before 12:50, but it kept going and going and going and either we were making about 22-23 minute miles or it was longer than 2 miles because it took over 45 minutes. We arrived and talked to Tom and Chris who said that James came through at 11:30!! Spurred on by the sight of John Hallsten coming into Deep Creek, James flew over that last stretch and was now an hour and a half ahead of us. Furthermore, we weren t moving too quickly, though I was still feeling fine and the crashing wave of fatigue and misery still had not hit me. We were also taking up a lot of time at each stop and I was perhaps a little too impatient and excited waiting for Tim. The good news was that John Hallsten had been there only 10 minutes before us.
We left at 1:10am and got some water on the way out. Tim had hiked most of this 4.1 mile stretch with his family the day before the race. I was kind of surprised to hear that he had gone on a 6-8 mile hike the day before the race, but he said that it doesn t do anything to you. We didn t fill all the way up because Tim knew the location of every stream and drip this side of Mad Lake. Tim knew every switchback and Talus slope crossing as well. Before reaching the final switchbacks he changed batteries in his light as we filled up with enough water to last us through the high country. My light was fading as well my lithium batteries lasted about six hours but I suggested that I ride off of his light and not change my batteries for a little while longer so that if his ran out before dawn, I would be able to provide light for us for a little longer. In hindsight, this was a very good idea. I ended up changing batteries before the talus crossing so as to not run the risk of cracking my head open. Tim said the junction was just up ahead and at one point he said that his wife had gone ahead from there on Friday and told him that the intersection was just 50 yards ahead. It still took us a while to get there and Tim muttered that that was the longest 50 yards he had ever seen.
We got to the intersection around 2:30 and I think we left at 2:36 by my watch. This means that we averaged 20 minutes miles on the climb, and the climb was almost over. Our true pace was a bit faster, but we had been making lots of little stops that ate up time. Leaving Chickamin Tie at 1am, we had 30 miles left. That s 10 hours at 3mph and 7.5 at 4mph. At exactly 20 hours into the race, that meant 27.5 to 30 hours, depending on what we did to the finish. The fact that we had basically finished the climbing meant that our average speed would go up, but I was concerned that Tim would slow down on the descent his quads and feet were hurting pretty badly. At this point the race was as interesting as it had been all day. We had passed John S., but I expected him to get better and come tearing by at any minute. John Hallsten was somewhere up ahead and I hope we would run into him soon. Also, at this point the prospect of dawn s imminent arrival loomed in my mind like a burst of energy waiting to happen.
We climbed steadily up and over the nasty ridge (Pond Camp Tie?) that I dubbed The Final Insult. Up high is was nice and cool, but the crazy winds never materialized and it didn t seem like it got down to freezing. I was quite comfortable with my jacket and glove liners and never put on my fleece hat. This ridge is not flat and you still have lots of little ups and down, which are not steep, but seem to never end. I recalled that when we turned back north we would come down off the ridge, but I didn t realize just how long that descent was. On this descent we saw some major light up ahead like it was some sort of structure with lightposts. I thought it might be the guard house we had passed earlier in the day, knowing that we were in the same vicinity, but looking at the map now that seems too far away. Also, on this descent in a few instances I thought I saw a light through the trees, but soon discarded the idea. However, after we reached the next intersection, having covered the 4.1 miles in about an hour, we proceeded for a few more minutes and then saw a light! It was stationary. A campground-- we wondered? No it was John Hallsten standing at the next intersection looking at the map to make sure he was going in the right direction. It must have been his light that I had seen earlier if I had really seen anything. He was somewhat confused and we told him to go right to Mad Lake. Apparently he never even saw the intersection before the Pond Camp Tie and was confused about which one he was at now. At least he had the map out and was checking it!!
This is where the story gets really interesting. We continued along with John. He seemed to be going slightly slower than us, but would catch up as soon as any lead opened up. I now felt like I wanted to go faster, to make sure we lost him. I felt like we probably would eventually, but Tim was getting tired. I considered suggesting that I go on ahead, once we got to the descent, but decided against it. It had been so great being with Tim thus far, and I really wanted to stick it out and finish together. Ever since we had begun loop 2, I knew that we could finish. This was all that I had hoped for coming into the race. On top of that I knew that we would beat the old course record by quite a bit. The irony was that all day long I had been thinking that this would be good for fourth of fifth place, maybe third. At this point I was very happy because a tie for second seemed possible. I entertained no thoughts of winning because last we had heard James was an hour and a half ahead. Even if he slows down significantly, I thought, we can t make up that much time on him.
The race got bizarre and exciting from here. Tim, John and I passed Mad Lake together and on the short .3 mile stretch after the lake spur intersection Tim announced that he had to stop for a bathroom break. I said ok and readied myself to wait. However, he said that it would take a while and insisted that I go on. I later found out that he felt like he was slowing me down and this was his ploy to send me on ahead. I guess I kind of realized it, but I still was happy and honored to be going with him and would have happily waited. However, once I was loose I wanted to see what I could do. I knew I could pull ahead of John if I sped up. I sped up and reached the next intersection before him. Not wanting to miss a turn and finally alone, I checked the map which gave him time to catch up. We started the climb on the Alder Ridge Trail at 4:10 am with a short climb and then an 8 mile descent.
On the climb I ate an energy bar and was able to quickly pull ahead of John. This is what I did not know: James apparently had left the intersection seconds before us (4:10am by his watch) though none of us had seen each other. During his training runs he confused which way the real course goes. In training, he had taken the 1.7 mile trail to Pond Meadow instead of the 4.1 mile Final Insult ridge. During the race, he missed the intersection like John Hallsten did and ended up on the ridge the correct trail but when he reached the intersection at Pond Meadow he mistakenly thought that he had come from the wrong trail. An honest fellow, he thought that since the true course goes on the 1.7 mile trail, he would have to go back on that trail and repeat it forwards to get the course right. Thus, James ended up doing an extra 3.4 miles. He had done the right course, but did the extra as a correction thinking that he had made a mistake. He even put arrows at the intersection that he had missed, trying to prevent people from repeating his mistake . It might have been his light that I had seen coming down from the ridge. He could have been coming down to Pond Meadow on the way back from his detour. All of this confusion must have cost him at least an hour as well as mental momentum and energy. He continued onward aware that he still had the lead (no footprints) but that his pursuer could be right behind him. We were, but we didn t know it.
So I left the intersection with a vengeance, determined to ditch John Hallsten. I figured James was hours ahead, almost at the finish and I had no hope of catching him. Since I felt so good, though, and since I had been holding back for so long, I decided to see how much of the 1.5 hour gap I could eat up between here and the finish, 18-20 miles away. Amazingly, my legs felt fresh, my body felt strong and my mind felt alert. There were less than two hours of darkness left and while our recent pace pointed toward a 28ish hour finish, I knew that I could speed up a lot, especially on the downhills where I can tear it up if I have to. So I went for it.
After having forgotten to fill up at Mad River at the end of loop 1, this is where I made my second mistake of the race and this is why sticking with Tim had been so valuable. Despite Ray s advice the day before, I forgot that the descent was dry. I neglected to fill up ahead of time and ran out of water at the top of the descent. This didn t worry me at first because I mistakenly believed that the trail would cross several streams like on the chickamin climb. I figured I could easily fill up on the way down. I was wrong about this and while I did pass a trickle or two in the switchbacks, I only got a little bit there because I (incorrectly) assumed that there would be a big, easy stream to get water from right around the corner. This is how I ended up doing almost the entire descent dry. Fortunately, while I ended up running thirsty for a while, I was still so well hydrated that it did not affect my performance. Nevertheless, I had visions of my body finally shutting down, my legs seizing up, and the hurt turning on.
I passed the overlook which seems to mark the beginning of the descent at 4:42am. In a few minutes I ran out of water and stopped to take a quick dump. All day long my left knee had been hurting and here it continued but no worse than before. On top of this, I developed some pain in the flexor of my right ankle so that every step hurt. Muscularly, I was fine and could go just as fast, but it began to hurt more. I tried to make as much time as I could, but it was tricky in the dark and the trail was rutted and rocky. It took a lot of concentration and motivation and I had to ignore the growing pain in my feet. I was aware of the danger of re-twisting my right ankle, which I had injured on I hike in Switzerland in July. Sure enough, just before dawn when I was almost safe, I twisted it badly and painfully. Oh, well I thought a little more pain to deal with. I knew that it would swell up and I could still run on it for a while. This was the most painful part of the race. The rest of the descent involved very rutted trails that forced my ankles to turn inwards and also aggravated an abrasion from the rim of my shoe caused by having to turn my foot inward with every step.
Somewhere in the middle of the long, winding switchbacks, I caught a glimpse of a light down below. Holy Shit! I thought to myself. That must be James! I didn t understand how I could have seen him so close, but knew that there could be no one else out there. Unaware of his detour, I surmised that he had slowed down significantly which meant that I had a chance to pass him. However, the switchbacks meandered over great distances while barely losing elevation and when I didn t catch any more glimpses of the light, I rationalized this by convincing myself that James must have still been way ahead of me just visible because of the extreme doubling back. I didn t know if he had seen me, but apparently he did at some point and this spurred him to get a move on. I gave chase as well and came out on the road in the pre-dawn. My light was fading and it cut out not a moment before or after it was light enough to see on my own. I still had about four miles of descent according to the map and I felt duress from the pursuit without water on the long dirt road part of the descent. Still, I had the speed and the energy reserves I just had to keep up the motivation to use it. On the last bit of trail down to Alder Creek, I tried to make the most of the descent. I think the 8 mile descent took me about 75 minutes.
I got some water from the stream and as I trekked on down the trail I ate a final energy bar and hydrated. Since I saw no more of James I figured that he was long gone and I kind of resigned myself to trudge the last 8+ miles to the finish. I knew that I still had energy though and using the mental momentum from the descent, I latched on to the concept of getting a fast time, 27:30 as my motivation. Really, I was still very excited and amazed by the fact that I still felt so good. With renewed motivation and energy from the sunlight, I continued on running a good bit more than I had at night with Tim.
This section went on and on and I got impatient for it to end. After 3.5 miles the trail crosses a dirt road and I kept hoping it would appear. I checked the map and did the math. Once I got to that road, there would be 4.8 miles left and I d need an hour to do that in 12 minute miles which is faster than I had been averaging all day. Sure I was running faster now, but Goose Creek to Deep Creek has some significant rolling hills. Thus, if I were to make it in by 27:30, I would have to reach the road crossing a minute or two after 7:30am. If I got there by 7:25 I would only need to do 13 minute miles. I still had a few more minutes until then so told myself to be patient. Where was James? I wondered. Has he finished already? Is he finishing now? Will he be in the 26 hour range?
Suddenly I came out at the road crossing, which served as the Alder Creek checkpoint. It was just before 7:30 so I could afford 12 mile pace which meant I really had to hustle. Fortunately, I knew I could make good time on the final 1.5 miles of dirt road from Deep Creek to the finish. However, before this I faced 3.3 miles including some hills. It would be close, I thought. As I passed the S&R guy, Clay, I greeted him and almost as an afterthought asked him how long ago James who I presumed was almost finished had come through. Two minutes, he said. Two minutes!! At that point I realized that I was going to win. I immediately went into race mode I downed a Gu and sucked down several gulps of water. I took off down the trail with a vengeance and a gush of adrenaline. I crossed another road and shortly thereafter saw James running up ahead. By his gait I judged that something was hurting him.
When he saw me he had a look of disappointment on his face. This was completely understandable for it really had been his day. We talked for a few minutes and I felt even more sympathy when I heard about what happened to him in the middle of the night. Having caught him, my competitiveness subsided and I really felt torn about what to do. I felt like it would be wrong to go on ahead. I felt a comraderie with him and felt like maybe we should just take it in to the finish together and tie. We talked for a few minutes, passing the Goose Creek campground and I think we both kind of beat around the bush over whether or not I should go ahead. What finally did it for me was when I checked my watch as we were climbing a hill just past the campground parking lot and it read 7:49. This meant that in walking and talking to James, my time goal of 27:30 hours had slipped away. Goose Creek to Deep Creek had taken half an hour the night before and I had run almost 50 miles since then. Even though we were past Goose Creek, this goal seemed out of reach.
Then I second guessed myself. I realized that I felt great and amazingly my legs weren t tired at all. I had been holding back for almost the entire time (not the last few hours) and now it was time to see what I was really made of. I m going for it, I decided and told James that I was going for the time. We wished each other well and I took off. I ran much harder and faster than I have in training for many months. I ran up and down the hills of Goose Creek like I was in an interval session. Soon I could see the hillside that I recognized as being on the far side of Deep Creek. After some final meanderings and switchbacks I left the trails of Plain for the last time at 8:03am, having covered the stretch from Goose Creek at about twice the speed of the night before. I cruised down the ramp-like trail and onto the road at Deep Creek like a man on a mission. Heck I realized if I can cover these last 1.5 miles in 12 minutes I ll finish in 27:15. I ran and ran and ran this stretch and didn t get tired. My feet and ankle hurt, but as I crested the final hill and began the gradual descent to the finish, I just focused on running fast and putting on a good show for the finish. Finally the cabin and the cars were in sight and I crossed the line in just under 27:15, at 8:15 am.
Shortly after stopping my body stiffened up and I got the chills. Mark Swanson was there and he kindly let me borrow his phone to call home. Janice (Miller?) offered to massage my quads and at first I crazily declined, but then submitted. I greatly enjoyed seeing James come in shortly after I did and then John Hallsten and Tim Stroh. I felt a great bond with these people who had been out there all day and night experiencing the same things I did. It was especially rewarding cheering Tim as he finished and I only hope I was able to express the gratitude and kinship that I felt toward him. We had run together for 20 hours and I truly owe my race to him.
I had fun hanging out with the race people all day on Sunday, particularly James and John Pearch and it was amazing watching so many people finish. Bruce Grant came in at 31:55, making him the fifth finisher to beat the course record. Mike Burke came in looking happy, still cracking jokes and sporting his McQueeney button. Eventually everyone left but Tom and Chris who were out on the course waiting for Ray, and James who insisted on staying and watching every last finisher quite admirable. James is a great guy and I truly enjoyed getting to know him. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon. Maybe Hardrock next year? Will we ever return to Plain? We may never be so lucky as we were this year.
I don t know what exactly happened to make my race experience go from potentially miserable to downright remarkable, but basically every factor whether it was within my control or not went my way. It was the perfect combination of my lucky day and good preparation/strategy. The weather helped all of us. I was well prepared physically and logistically. I stayed hydrated and fed and most of all stayed with Tim Stroh, which kept me on the course and at a conservative pace. James bad break was my lucky break. Finally, I m definitely an endurance guy because the longer the race, the better my relative performance. Even more strange is the fact that by the next day I was almost entirely recovered physically and muscularly. I had some fatigue, particularly from being up all night, but my legs and muscles were fine and I didn t feel shattered. By Tuesday, I was hyper again and all I could feel was my ankle and knee. I still don t understand my I wasn t destroyed after running a significantly longer time and distance than I ever had before. My guess is that it was the combination of training, good hydration all day, and the comfortable pace all day. Also, I thrive in the cold and wilt in the heat.
I am truly grateful to many people for making the race so wonderful. Tom and Chris, the RDs of course put in the hours and the volunteer S&R people were truly dedicated. They were up all night, in the middle of nowhere, so a handful of fools could indulge themselves in relative safety. Tony C. at Deep Creek was wonderful and so were all of the crews, especially John Pearch, Janice Miller, and all of the Canadians. Ray Gruenewald, who initially answered my email asking for a ride to the race was really wonderful and inspiring to get to know. He has a true love of adventure and his endurance feats and experiences put him in a class by himself. It was a true joy and honor to see his dedication and effort pay off and to watch him cross the finish line in 41 hours and 50 minutes.
12/15/03 - Seven Striders Selected to Run Western States 100 Mile
Mike Palmer at States '02 |
Catra Corbett-McNeely
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The WS100 Lottery and How It Works (from www.ws100.com)
Everything starts with this: Our permit with the U.S. Forest Service limits us to 369 runners. Why this odd number? In 1984, Congress enacted the California Wilderness Act, which created the Granite Chief Wilderness. The Western States Trail crosses the Granite Chief Wilderness, at about miles 6-10. Normally, organized events are not permitted in wilderness areas but, as Western States pre-existed the wilderness designation, we were able to get the race "grandfathered" into the legislation, with the proviso that we have no more runners than we had prior to the passage of the act. In 1984, it happened that there were 369 starters and that has been the magic number ever since.
The Forest Service allows us to use a five-year running average of 369. Historically, we have found that about 15% of those chosen in the lottery will not make it to the starting line due to injury, illness, or other "real life" interventions. So, we will typically choose about 425 runners. This number will vary slightly from year to year, depending on where we are on the five-year average.
In an effort to provide for the fairest means possible of choosing the starting field, a lottery was instituted. Runners must qualify and submit their applications prior to the lottery. It is important to fill out the application accurately and on time. Each year a few applications are rejected for failure to include payment, verification of qualifying, or because they are received after the deadline. (Note: checks are not cashed until the lottery date, so there is really no reason to wait until the very last minute to apply.)
The Western States Board of Trustees has instituted a set of rules around the lottery process. There are several ways by which a runner may be automatically selected, and not be subject to the lottery. In each instance, the runner must have qualified and applied prior to the lottery. Here is a complete list of ways in which a runner may be automatically selected:
1. top 10 male finishers from the previous year "! race
2. top 10 female finishers from the previous year "!s race
3. "two-time losers" - all runners who qualify and apply for two consecutive years and are not chosen in either of those years, and who qualify and apply for the third consecutive year, will be automatically selected
4. male and female winners from the previous year "!s Leadville Trail 100, Wasatch Front 100, Vermont 100, and Angeles Crest 100
5. foreign runners (excluding Canada) up to a limit of 25
6. each running club that sponsors and staffs an aid station at Western States is allowed to designate one runner
7. certain sponsor agreements specify a designated runner for the sponsor
8. members of the Board of Trustees
9. winners from the previous year "!s Memorial weekend and race weekend raffles
10. pioneers: Gordy Ainsleigh, who ran solo in 1974 and Cowman A-Moo-Ha, who duplicated the feat in 1976
11. nine-time finishers going for their first attempt at a tenth finish
In addition, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to grant admission to runners who would "greatly enhance the competitive aspect of the race" or "whose contributions to the organization of the event have been unusual and substantial". While these "special consideration" definitions are broadly drafted, they are narrowly applied. In 2002, only 9 runners were admitted via special consideration; the previous year it was 6, and the year before that 8.
All other runners "! names are put into a hat (actually a large orange Gatorade bucket) and drawn at random by members of the audience at a public lottery held at Placer High School in Auburn each fall.
If all of that fails to get you into the race, there is still one remaining option: the male and female winners of the American River 50 will be granted automatic entry into that year "!s race.
The number of applicants to the lottery has been as high as 1,000 in the past. In recent years it has typically been between 600-700. Odds of getting selected are a function of the number of applicants, the number of automatic entrants, and the number of total runners accepted. For the 2004 race, the odds of getting drawn in the lottery are approximately 47%.
Results of the December 6 Lottery drawing are posted HERE
Lion Caldwell - not just another Senior Strider........!
12 September 2003
BACKGROUND HISTORY OF THE USA 100 MILE CHAMPIONSHIP |
by Dan Brannen, Executive Director, American Ultrarunning Association
The first USA Championship longer than 50 miles was the 1983 100 Mile Championship. The event was hosted by the New York Road Runners Club and was conducted on a 1-mile loop in and around Shea Stadium in Queens, New York. The inaugural USA 100 Mile Champion was Ray Scannell, with a winning time of 13:16:02. The USA 100 Mile Championship continued to be held annually at the same venue through 1987.
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The subsequent USA champions were:
1984 - Lion Caldwell, 13:56:26
During this era the USA Track & Field rulebook made
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The years 1987 and 1988 were transition years for the USA Ultramarathon Championship program. In 1987 the USA 100km (62.127 miles) Championship was instituted, and in 1988 the inaugural USA 24-Hour Run Championship was held. In 1988 there was no USA 100 Mile Championship.
In 1989 the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team hosted the USA 100 Mile Championship on a 1-mile road loop in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, New York. The inaugural (and so far only) USA Women's Champion was Christine Gibbons, who ran the distance in 16:41:26. Ahead of Gibbons, 1988 USA 100km Champion Rae Clark extended his talents and won the Men's 100 Mile national title with one of the landmark performances in U.S. ultra history, a sterling American and World Road Record 12:12:19, averaging under 7:20 per mile and beating runnerup Roy Pirrung by over an hour.
The following year Clark ran through 100 miles in 13:05 en route to winning the 1990 USA 24-Hour Run Track Championship in Portland, Oregon with a still-standing, absolute American Record 165.24 miles. That same year the USA hosted, for the first and only time, the World 100km Championship in Duluth, Minnesota. The national championship emaphasis turned away from the 100 mile distance and focused on the emerging international standard events of 100km and 24 Hours.
During these transition years of the late 80's the 100 mile trail run grew dramatically in popularity and quickly became the signature event of American ultrarunning. In the early 80's there were four such events. By the late 90's the count was up to two dozen and still growing. Ironically, the 100 mile road venue fell out of favor and became an orphan child of American ultrarunning.
The 2003 USA 100 Mile Championship will be co-hosted by the Toledo Road Runners and the American Ultrarunning Association on a 1.09 mile loop in Olander Park, Sylvania, Ohio. The venue has hosted the last 10 consecutive USA 24-Hour Run championships. It is now offering the 100 mile title event as a change of pace, and as an opportunity for American ultrarunners to resurrect a great, but almost forgotten, chapter of championship history.
Rae Clark's 12:12:19 remains the American 100 mile Road Record (the American Track mark is 12:27:01, held by Bernd Heinrich). Ann Trason holds both the Road (13:47:42) and Track (14:29:44) American Records. Trason's Road 100 mile mark is also the World Record. The Men's World 100 Mile Road Record is now held by Canadian Andy Jones (12:05:43, which he ran a few years ago at Olander Park during the 24-hour race.)
August 23. 2003: The Headlands 50K, the trail national championship at the 50K distance was held in Marin County on 8/23. The course began and ended at Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands and traversed the MiWok and Dipsea trails over to Mt. Tamalpais State Park, down to Stinson Beach and back over to Tennessee Valley for a final climb up Wolf Ridge where you go by the remains of World War II bunkers before descending back to the beach. The weather was unusually warm. A fog bank in the lower elevations reminded you that you were in Marin. The views of the Pacific Ocean were spectacular. Overall winner Scott Creel, a 41 year old man from Montana running his first ultra, had an outstanding debut as he set a course record of 3:49:54. Mary Fagan of Larkspur repeated as the womens' winner with a 4:33:40. These were the finishers for the Pacific Striders: 22 Ken Gregorich 4:40:26, 34 Joe Schieffer 4:58:41, 98 Mike Palmer 6:08:06, 117 Clement Choy 6:30:14.
August 16: The 2003 edition of the Psychedelic Climacteric, also known as the trail version of a flash mob, continued its tradition of demonstrating that intellectual ability and athletic prowess are not necessarily separate qualities as Dr. Suet-Fei Li was the overall winner and set a new women's course record for the 29.5 mile distance with a 5:58.
The field this year was small but of high quality. The temperaturewas unusually hot for early August in the Bay Area. But the heat did not deter runners from taking time out to pick the blackberries from a large bush near the remains of the Belgum Sanitarium in Wildcat Canyon. This natural aid station, encountered a little more than halfway through the course, was much appreciated.
As in years past, the views of the Bay Area from Chaparral and Wildcat Peaks and Strawberry Canyon were spectacular. The gracious Carol La Plant continued her dominance of the sorority and fraternity row finish where you turn left at the Memorial Football Stadium in the final mile. After all, this is Berkeley. I'm grateful for the help of Catra Corbett and Julia Bramer who flagged the course on the Thursday before the race. Catra also helped to take down the ribbons the day after the race; this was a way to get in three runs of about 30 miles each in preparation for the 100's she's running later this Fall.
Half Version--15 miles: Ellen Holbrook 3:40, Mike Frankfurt 3:40, Eric Robinson 3:41
28.5 mile version--finishing through sorority and fraternity row: (The woman who owns the course) Carol La Plant 6:35,
29.5 mile version--finishing through Telegraph Avenue: Dr. Suet-Fei Li 5:58!!, Philip Ramsey 6:05, Catra Corbett 7:10, Mike Palmer 7:10.
4/6 to 4/12/03 - Catra's report from the Marathon Des Sables
4/12 Update - Catra Corbett-McNeely finished the final stage of the Marathon Des
Sables. She was 321st overall out of 632 competitors.
Catra (center) |
This is my 100th ultra and it's the hardest and the slowest I've ever done : I took 15 hours. My backpack is too heavy, too many gels and powders that weigh a lot. I really felt beat up last night, so fatigued with the pack and everything. I walked the last 27 miles or so and at the last CP a French guy saw me and said « just follow me ». He led the way and that really helped. Then a British guy did the same. Everyone helps each other. The other thing I like about this event is the low drop out rate. The organisation helps everyone finish by giving pretty generous cut-off times. It's a really challenging race but that means ordinary people can come and do it. It's a big accomplishment for everyone that crosses the finish line.
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An expedition classic - the Marathon des Sables ("Marathon of the Sands") - is known as the Toughest Footrace on Earth. Six-hundred competitors from about 30 countries on six continents take part in this annual event now in its 18th year. Men and women will traverse nearly 150 miles across the Sahara Desert of Morocco over seven days while carrying all their food and gear. Only a ration of nine liters of water and an open-sided Berber tent are provided daily to competitors.
The 18th Marathon des Sables will take place from April 6 to April 12, 2003 in the vicinity of Ouarzazate, Morocco. ........More Race Details
1/19/03 - H.U.R.T. 100 Race Report
10/12/02 - FIRETRAILS 50 by Mike Palmer On October 12 the 20th running of the Dick Collins Firetrails Fifty was held. The course begins and ends at Lake Chabot. It goes along the Skyline National Trail to a turnaround point at Lone Oak campground in Tilden Park. Along the way you pass through a variety of terrain; wide exposed fire trails, a shaded single track through a botanical preserve, and an extinct volcano. Not to mention the miniature steam train. For many years this race was known as Firetrails Fifty, or simply, "Firetrails" and was directed by the legendary Oakland ultrarunner Dick Collins--a kindly mentor to many runners who wanted to enter the ultra realm (one of whom was the former RD of Western States, Norm Klein). Dick's style of race directing was to put on a race without fanfare but instead focus on providing the runners with first class aid stations, a well marked course, and an overall memorable racing experience. Dick was a well respected runner whose accomplishments would make your jaw drop and leave you wondering about your own capabilities; he completed 900 races before dnfing. At his races he never talked about himself or gave long-winded speeches. You went up to the start and ran. By not drawing attention to himself, or boasting, he gained other runners' respect and admiration; rightfully earning the title of "The Legend". His manner was unpretentious, unassuming, gracious and soft spoken. If Dick couldn't finish a race--and his beloved Western States became an increasingly difficult race for him in his later years--he wouldn't complain. He'd chalk it up as a dnf and move one to the next event. He once said "You're not a real ultrarunner until you DNF." He was right. After Dick died Firetrails Fifty was re-named the "Dick Collin's Firetrails Fifty" in his honor. The current race directors are Ann Trason and Carl Andersen; world class runners whose race directing style is a continuation of the Dick Collin's method. Ann and Carl don't draw attention to themselves or give speeches. They are primarily concerned about the well being of the participants---not just the elite runners but also the ones who finish after dark. Ann and Carl make certain that the aid stations are well stocked and staffed and the course is marked well enough so that the runners have no doubts. And the food available at the finish line that Saturday made it one of the better places to eat in the Bay Area. The one change that Ann and Carl introduced was giving each runner dri-release T shirt and a bag of assorted goods and flyers for upcoming races. This year we also received a Firetrails Fifty 20th anniversary wine glass. I think Dick is happy that his race is in good hands.
