2013 Race Schedule (Updated 2-28-2013)

The first step to putting together a training schedule is to decide what your big races for the year will be.  I have decided to spend the first part of the year focusing on re-developing my speed.  I hope to spend a lot of time on the roads and flats developing leg turnover and spending time at a lower mileage.  After May, my time is dedicated to the Pinhoti 100-Miler.  I hate having unfinished business.  This last half will be dedicated to time on the trail and time on the hills.  My important races for the year, which will get taper time, are the Virginia Beach Marathon, Old Dominion 100-Miler, and Pinhoti 100-Miler.

2013 Racing Schedule:
January 26, 2013 - War Party 10k
February 23, 2013 - Surgoinsville 10-Miler
March 17, 2013 - VA Beach Marathon
March 23, 2013 - Phipps Bend River Run
April 20, 2013 - Laurel Run Ascent 11-Miler
April 27, 2013 - Run the Tunnel 3.8-Miler
May 4, 2013 - Strolling Jim 40-Miler
June 1, 2013 - Old Dominion 100-Miler
July 16 - Wolf Run 7-Miler
August 31, 2013 - Iron Mountain 50-Miler
September 14, 2013 - Bays Mountain 15-Miler
September 28, 2013 - Big South Fork 17.5 Miler
November 2-3 - Pinhoti 100-Miler

DNF at Pinhoti 100-Miler

Last weekend marked my first attempt at the 100 mile distance.  An entire year of training and the my ultimate goal when I started training again in January 2011 had been dedicated to the Pinhoti 100-Miler.  In the months leading up to the race, I felt as if my training was on track.  My weekly mileage was around 100-120 miles, and I was running fairly strong.  I lowered my 50-mile PR during the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness by 31 minutes during a week when I ran 120 miles.  At the end of August, I felt like I was well on my way to a fantastic 100 miler.

However, my training took an unexpected turn Labor Day weekend at the Iron Mountain 50-Miler when I took a poorly placed step and broke my 5th metatarsal and came away with the dreaded Jones Fracture.  Like any stubborn ultrarunner, I paid little attention to it, took no real time off, and ran through a fair amount of pain.  I am proud to say I now have a rather large hump at the fracture site but no pain!  

To complicate matters a little more, the day of my last long run and start of my taper coincided with a bout of food poisoning.  Just in case food poisoning was not enough, I also managed to acquire clostridium difficile while in the hospital.  The following two weeks was a bit of a struggle and led me up to one week before Pinhoti.  I spoke to my doctor to see if running the race was still a good idea.  As any doctor would say, running 100 miles is never a good idea but to give it a go and adjust my goals by 10-20%.  He also noted that the microvilli in the intestines are damaged secondary to C. Difficile leading to a decreased ability to absorb water and nutrients.  So, there you have it.  I was slightly injured, just recovered from an infection in the intestines, was likely going to have difficulty absorbing nutrients, and about to run the longest race of my life.  What could go wrong?

On Thursday, my wife and I made our way to Oxford, AL for the race and were going to be joined by my friends Nic, Kellie, and Emily on Friday.  I can not begin to thank my wife and friends enough for taking their time to crew for me during the race.  Without them, the race report would be much shorter!

Race day started with an early alarm set for 3:15am.  As always, one wants to ensure you have plenty of time to eat and perform the pre-race rituals prior to the start of any ultramarathon.  We made our way to the start line and prepared for the 6am start.

The first 45 minutes of the course is run in the dark which actually made for a fun start.  I proceeded to go out at the pace that I had originally pre-determined for myself and felt incredibly good through the first 30 miles of the race.  At mile 30, the first signs of trouble emerged.  I started to have a hard time taking in fluids and Cliff Blocks were giving me some trouble.  I slowed my pace and prepared to drop my race plan down to plan B.  

The first big climb of the day came at mile 35.  I ran a little but primarily walked the climb to the highest point in Alabama at mile 41 where I met my crew for the first time in 23 miles.  A quick hand-off ensued, and it was time for tackling the next section known as "blue hell."  It was truly hell.  It was all down-hill but was a rocky straight down mess which required sitting on your ass and slowly working your way down a rock jumble so you didn't fall a few 20-50 feet straight down.  While going down, I couldn't decide if it would be easier to go up or down the section.  After blue hell, it was 3-ish miles of fairly easy running to mile 45.25. Another quick hand-off with the crew ensued and it was back to some technical single track running.

Unfortunately, the technical single track marked the start of real problems.  I had my first round of vomiting at this point.  I was passed by another runner where we traded the typical pleasantries and traded tales of hardships.  Little did either of us realize that over the next 5 miles we would pass each other back and forth between moments of vomiting.  We ended up joking with each other several times, laughing, and even taking the time to have some moments of nausea together.  After the aid station at mile 52, I never saw him and his pacer again.  By the time I reached mile 52, I was in fairly bad shape.  I decided the next 3 miles was going to be a best effort.  Unfortunately, I ended up walking the next 3 miles and was all but ready to drop.

My crew was at mile 55 and noted that my lips were solid blue along with both of my hands were blue from hypoxia and dehydration.  I was toast, finished, and done.  My crew, other crews, and other racers were encouraging and urged me to continue on.  I sat, ate, drank, and Natalie told me to get up and go the next 5 miles to see how I felt.  We walked everything that remotely resembled a hill and ran the flats and downhills.  By the time I reached mile 60 I was feeling pretty good.  Nic joined me to pace at this point and we made fantastic time over the next 8 miles.  Nic ran more miles with me than he had ever run and even did so while running on the trails at night with a headlamp.  I can't thank him enough for joining me over those miles.  They will be the miles I remember the most and am the most proud of when I think about my attempt at Pinhoti.

At mile 68, Natalie joined me for the climb to Pinnacle.  This climb was harder than expected.  We ran we could, walked we couldn't run, and made forward progress when walking seemed impossible.  By the time we reached the Pinnacle I was spent.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally spent.  We sat and ate an egg sandwich prepared for us at the aid station.  This was quite literally the best thing I had ever had to eat in my entire life.  We left the aid station at mile 74 and took off.  I attempted to run but it wasn't happening.  I went between a fast walk to something that resembled a death slog.  By the time I reached mile 79 aid station there was nothing left.  I was no longer eating.  I was barely drinking.  My lips and hands had turned blue again.  To top it off, I was urinating constantly without any corresponding fluid intake.  I walked and staggered on.  At this point, I was saying things I don't recall saying, tripping constantly, and having difficulty on any incline.  When we had been walking for two hours, I told Natalie I couldn't believe we hadn't made the 6 miles to the 85 mile aid station.  Surely we weren't going that slow.  Natalie quickly replied that we WERE going that slow.  Finally, the 85 mile aid station appeared.  

I sat down and told my crew I was done.  Nic offered to run with me but honestly there was nothing left.  I sat for a few minutes and was offered encouragement from everyone.  I could walk the next 15 miles at 40 minute mile pace and still reach the finish in under the cut-off time.  To top it off, the next 15 miles was all downhill or flat on forest service roads or paved roads.  I had managed to fight through the tough part of the course only to drop at the easy section.  No regrets.  I turned in my number and accepted help getting back to the car.  Two days later, I still have no regrets.  Plenty of disappointment but no regrets.  I am so thankful for my friends Kellie, Emily, and Nic along with my wife, Natalie for taking time off work and coming out to support and crew me.  I am grateful for Nic and Natalie for joining me for those tough miles on the trail when I honestly couldn't have continued without their support.  

So, lessons learned:

• A crew is critical to your success on a 100-miler.  If it is your first 100-mile attempt, they will likely be the difference between you finishing or dropping.
• Pacers are equally critical.  Those tough miles in the dark will be tough with no one else around.  Someone out there to talk to or just simply have there presence is fantastic motivation.
• I am sure some people can get through a 100-miler on gels, blocks, and energy drinks alone.  However, I can't.  Real food is something that can lift you up at those low points.  I did not have enough of it.  Think of things that might work for you and give it a try during training runs.  Reserve the blocks and gels to get you through the sections where you don't have a crew.
• Running isn't enough.  I was had 11 weeks of 100+ mile training weeks leading up to Pinhoti.  However, I think strength training is equally important.  I didn't do any strength training this year.  I think it hurt.  The mistake won't be made again.
• A 100 miler is like 3 50-mile races.  Nothing you do will prepare you for the distance.  If it is your first 100-miler and you are not 100% going in, re-evaluate your goals.  Think about simply making it to the finish line.  Think of calling it quits before the day of the race.  If you have done a 100 before, I think past experience can get you through when you have less than your best going in.  Unfortunately, race day wasn't my best day at all.

I am looking forward to next year.  The Pinhoti 100-Miler will be my goal race for next year.  I hate having unfinished business and will hopefully get my finish then.  I look forward to working on my training schedule and race schedule for next year over the next couple of weeks.  For now, I am taking a week or two off from running and simply enjoying some time on the river.  

Again, thanks to my friends and wife for their support during this 100-mile attempt.  I really couldn't have done it without you!  Thanks to all the volunteers and the race director for putting on a fantastic race.  I look forward to doing it again and getting to the finish next year!