We continued to Washington DC and visited more breweries! In between drinking, we saw the president, a few museums, plants, rocks, and animals. All in all, a fantastic week. I hoped that getting away from 50+ hour work weeks would allow me to make up for the short-comings in preparation for the Old Dominion 100-Miler.
Coming into the Old Dominion 100-Miler, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect out of my body. I had been battling with anemia for the better part of the Winter and Spring. Just one month before OD 100-Miler, it was suggested that I have a blood transfusion so I could bring my hemoglobin up to at least "low" levels. However, despite this, I had managed to run some decent races, including a win at the Power to the Tower 50k and second place at the Strolling Jim 40-Miler. On the flip-side, my bad days were really bad. I never knew what my body would allow on any day. Maybe I'd have a great workout or maybe my fingertips would turn blue and I would struggle to slog through 4-5 miles. I was going into the Old Dominion 100-Miler averaging the lowest number of miles per week since I started running again 3 years ago.
I was well rested and felt pretty good coming into race day. Unfortunately, I had stopped taking iron supplementation two days before the race in order to hopefully halt the GI problems that had plagued me over the past 2 months. One could question the decision of discontinuing the one medication keeping my hemoglobin at functional levels.
I awoke at 2:30 am for the 4 am start. I went through my normal pre-race rituals and felt good at the start of the race. I had a race plan and was confident I could execute it perfectly. The first 10 miles went perfectly. I went out a comfortable pace, took my time and walked the majority of the first two climbs, and felt fantastic. The first hints of trouble came at mile 10. The GI problems that are associated with iron supplementation still managed to show up. By mile 17, I had already stopped once.
Still confident, I pressed on and met Natalie at mile 20. Between mile 20 and mile 32.5, I stopped an additional 5 times due to GI distress. The day was unravelling. I was doing a good job of staying hydrating and continuing to eat regardless. My hope was that everything would hold together. Miles 32.5 through 43.3 were some rough miles. The trails, the heat, and the continued GI problems started to take their toll. At the first weigh-in, I had lost 9 pounds. I was given the "you have only one more pound to lose" warning.
I took a few minutes when i reached mile 47.7 and regrouped with Natalie. I sincerely still felt good at this point and took off with full confidence I was going to finish. I made it to mile 50 in 9:07:55 which was just a little under my goal of 9:30:00. Since I had run a 5:15:00 41.2-mile race earlier, I didn't feel this was overreaching. At mile 56.67, I was running as well as I had all day...
And then it happened, the ATV trails. My GI problems came back in full-force with 4 stops. At mile 64.25, I felt it. It was not fun. My fingernail beds were blue, but doing the math, it was easy. 17 minute miles, sub-24 hours. Easy. I could simply walk fast. I pushed on hard, but my hard simply wasn't that good. I was falling apart. By mile 70, I was forced to a walk. I pushed with some light running, but my day was done. I just didn't know it yet.
When I finally reached mile 75, I had lost so much time. Sub-24 seemed so far away. I had lost 10 pounds (7% of my body weight) but was being allowed to continue. It took 20 minutes for me to leave the aid station. Natalie practically pushed me out. I wanted to quit, and she absolutely wouldn't let me. Leaving that aid station, I wanted to finish. I wanted to finish for her and for myself. I wanted to prove that I could do it. I pushed hard coming out of the aid station, but pushing hard was now a 15 minute mile. That was it. Once I hit Sherman's Pass, I was struggling. However, I kept making relentless, slow forward progress. I was no longer running. It was impossible. By time time I got to the next aid station at 80.9 miles, there was no water. Nothing. I was dehydrated and I had just taken 4 hours to cover 5.9 miles. 4 hours, 1.5 liters of water. Nothing for the next 1.8 miles. The next 1.8 miles would take me 1.5 hours.
Somehow, I managed to pull myself into Veach East. I was stumbling, having difficulty being coherent, and done. The aid station worker wouldn't let me continue. One of the aid station volunteers was nice enough to drive me to Veach West to meet Natalie instead of making me wait for the race director.
I can't begin to voice the pain of dropping out of my second straight 100-miler. I can offer excuses. As I read through my blog, that is all it is. One big excuse. However, it was a failure. I would love to give excuses about the heat and lack of heat acclimation. However, everyone was in the same boat. It was cool for everyone in the southeast leading to the race. Everyone had to run in the 90 degree heat without heat acclimation. Yet others finished. Other people stress out over 50+ hours of work and juggle training. They finished. Others battled health issues, GI problems, and dehydration. They finished.
I usually walk away from a DNF with a resolve to train harder, smarter, and do better next time. I can't claim OD 100 did that for me. I don't think I have much more to give and keep any sanity. The next few months I will focus on finding the joy in running, getting my health issues under control, and get ready for the Pinhoti 100-Miler in November. I DNF'd there last year and will draw on my experience of the course to hopefully cross the finish line. No excuses. No expectations other than to cross the finish line.
Safe running.
-b
I was well rested and felt pretty good coming into race day. Unfortunately, I had stopped taking iron supplementation two days before the race in order to hopefully halt the GI problems that had plagued me over the past 2 months. One could question the decision of discontinuing the one medication keeping my hemoglobin at functional levels.
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| Worst outfit ever? |
Still confident, I pressed on and met Natalie at mile 20. Between mile 20 and mile 32.5, I stopped an additional 5 times due to GI distress. The day was unravelling. I was doing a good job of staying hydrating and continuing to eat regardless. My hope was that everything would hold together. Miles 32.5 through 43.3 were some rough miles. The trails, the heat, and the continued GI problems started to take their toll. At the first weigh-in, I had lost 9 pounds. I was given the "you have only one more pound to lose" warning.
I took a few minutes when i reached mile 47.7 and regrouped with Natalie. I sincerely still felt good at this point and took off with full confidence I was going to finish. I made it to mile 50 in 9:07:55 which was just a little under my goal of 9:30:00. Since I had run a 5:15:00 41.2-mile race earlier, I didn't feel this was overreaching. At mile 56.67, I was running as well as I had all day...
And then it happened, the ATV trails. My GI problems came back in full-force with 4 stops. At mile 64.25, I felt it. It was not fun. My fingernail beds were blue, but doing the math, it was easy. 17 minute miles, sub-24 hours. Easy. I could simply walk fast. I pushed on hard, but my hard simply wasn't that good. I was falling apart. By mile 70, I was forced to a walk. I pushed with some light running, but my day was done. I just didn't know it yet.
When I finally reached mile 75, I had lost so much time. Sub-24 seemed so far away. I had lost 10 pounds (7% of my body weight) but was being allowed to continue. It took 20 minutes for me to leave the aid station. Natalie practically pushed me out. I wanted to quit, and she absolutely wouldn't let me. Leaving that aid station, I wanted to finish. I wanted to finish for her and for myself. I wanted to prove that I could do it. I pushed hard coming out of the aid station, but pushing hard was now a 15 minute mile. That was it. Once I hit Sherman's Pass, I was struggling. However, I kept making relentless, slow forward progress. I was no longer running. It was impossible. By time time I got to the next aid station at 80.9 miles, there was no water. Nothing. I was dehydrated and I had just taken 4 hours to cover 5.9 miles. 4 hours, 1.5 liters of water. Nothing for the next 1.8 miles. The next 1.8 miles would take me 1.5 hours.
Somehow, I managed to pull myself into Veach East. I was stumbling, having difficulty being coherent, and done. The aid station worker wouldn't let me continue. One of the aid station volunteers was nice enough to drive me to Veach West to meet Natalie instead of making me wait for the race director.
I can't begin to voice the pain of dropping out of my second straight 100-miler. I can offer excuses. As I read through my blog, that is all it is. One big excuse. However, it was a failure. I would love to give excuses about the heat and lack of heat acclimation. However, everyone was in the same boat. It was cool for everyone in the southeast leading to the race. Everyone had to run in the 90 degree heat without heat acclimation. Yet others finished. Other people stress out over 50+ hours of work and juggle training. They finished. Others battled health issues, GI problems, and dehydration. They finished.
I usually walk away from a DNF with a resolve to train harder, smarter, and do better next time. I can't claim OD 100 did that for me. I don't think I have much more to give and keep any sanity. The next few months I will focus on finding the joy in running, getting my health issues under control, and get ready for the Pinhoti 100-Miler in November. I DNF'd there last year and will draw on my experience of the course to hopefully cross the finish line. No excuses. No expectations other than to cross the finish line.
Safe running.
-b
You're still a true warrior when it comes to distance running. I remember the 1999 Virginia Creeper Marathon when I ran a few miles at the start with you. You finished 1st in 2:55.10, while I went on to grab a 4th place finish in 3:18.46.There's always next time, if you don't succeed the first time, try, try again. I will keep your running, and health problems in my prayers, Brian. Have a great week, and maybe I'll see you around sometime. God Bless You and Your Wife..+ Karen/Jimmy, Jacobs. ( =
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