Kettle Moraine 100 Mile - Run

OMG!!! what a difference the year makes!!! Last year i dropped at mile 70.3. in thinking back i saw tons of things done wrong!

shortly after last years DNF both Pete Anderson (talltridad on BT) and Deb both said that they saw some things that could be done different that would probably help. first i had to decide if i wanted to attemp the 100 again. eventually i came around and decided i would give it another shot and started talking to them about it. WOW!! what a game plan these two came up with and to be honest, based on the results of last year, there was no way i was going to dispute it!!!
So that takes us to this year and again, if being honest, i didn't feel like the run mileage was there this year. Yes i have been training but not nearly as much running as a year ago, but to the good side was doing LOTS more biking and other activities. hoped that this along with the new found game plan would take me through the line.

So "race" morning comes and strangely i am calm, not nervous, but just calm. ready to go yes, but calm. totally embraced the whole, "what happens happens" but also knowing that there was no way in all get out that i was not finishing this event!!

Met up with the Crew for the morning into the afternoon (CoCaptain Deb, freezerpop, Gina, and Ruth) and got everything situated. This would include items such as when i might want a change of shirt, which side of the fuel belt i wanted gatorade and which side was water, what foods i might want coming up......just the little things.

Soon it was time to go. Gave hugs around and got my good lucks and went over to the starting line. Met up with Arun who was doing his first attempt at 100 miles (we have a few mutual friends but have never met) and decided that we would run together for awhile. This helped me out tremendously as it took my mind off of going out to hard (like i did last year) and also kept me focusing on a schedule for drinking and gels as i was describing my plan to Arun.

Soon we came to the first Crew accessible aid station and was very happy to see my crew. came in a tick ahead of pace but feeling very comfy and more important (as this became my mantra for the day) consistent! Stopped at the portapooper, came out, switched out my fuel bottles (had two sets going. the extra set stayed with the crew and they would refill prior to me getting to the aid station. that way i just handed out the emptys and they put the fulls back in the belt), got my required two gels (plan was a gel every 45-50 minutes so that meant that i needed to have two gels with me at all times. i would exchange my empty gel packs for full ones as proof i was taking them!), got my nutrition that i wanted and off i went. only problem was somewhere i lost Arun, ended up he went up the trail ahead of me.

This next stretch was a mix of single track and then through the open fields. single track was nice but the open fields were brutal! not hilly or anything but we had rain the previous two days and the path was wet and sloppy! through in the humidity rising and temps rising and this stretch took its tool on lots of the runners. However, i just tried to stay consistent, which worked, stay on top of the hydration schedule, which worked and then just work my way to the next aid station. Only problem was that with all the wet and sloppy my shoes became undrainable tanks!! I could feel hot spots forming all over my feet and toes at this point and knew that if i stayed in those shoes it would be a very very VERY long day!! Well longer since anytime you run a 100 miler its a long day anyway!

Next aid station is there and i let them know that i will be needing a shoe change and tell them which ones. only problem was that the shoes were back at the starting point about 24 miles away. no problem as we have time and the next section due to being in the forest would probably be ok in terms of sloppy. so got my refills, gels, and ate some grub and off i went, still being consistent and still feeling great!

next aid station was just a bit up the road, like 2 miles. got there and didn't see my crew and didn't know if they missed or if it was planned out that this one was skipped. i waited a bit but then moved on down the path as it didn't matter too much at all not having the crew at that one.

during this next stretch, its probably the second toughest part of the course. runners are pretty much stretched out meaning you could be in a group of lots or totally by yourself. also the relay leaders, the 100k leaders and some of the 100 mile leaders are starting to come back the other way. In addition its single track with some good climbs on switchbacks. great and i have tanks on my feet! Stayed consistent and only tripped on two rocks, one of which turned me totally sideways and had me wondering if i strained something.....but nope, felt fine and continued on! came out of the single track and onto the wider ski trail about 2 miles away from the 50k mark (which is also the turnaround for the first out and back loop) and ended up running with a fellow runner from Michigan named Alisha. Godsend! she was running alone with no crew surviving on dropbags. needless to say my crew adopted her with open arms! She told me shortly after we started running that her goal was to be in the top ten female (she was doing the 100K), so being me, i said...............um, ok. lets do it then. got to the 50k turn around, got news on my shoes (they would be there in two aid stations), got my refills, my gels, and ate. off we went!

Stayed consistent and stayed chatty from the 50k all the way back to the hwy 67 aid station. during this stretch i think the only memorable thing was the conversation about bloody nipples. I'll leave it at that.

Got to 67 and needed that shoe change! switch from my trail shoes to my training/racing saucony fastwitches and changed socks too. also got the idea to put on my compression socks. but first had to sit down and clean all the dirt and mud from my lower legs. this proved to be quite the task as everytime i would reach down my hips would cramp up. found it to be quite funny actually! Pete (CoCaptain of the late afternoon/evening shift. Second shift included Deb still, Pete, Colleen {aka katrina}, Scott {sbsmann}, and Sue) had come now and actually offered to was my legs and feet. Yes, i have pics to prove that he did this!

As soon as i got my refills, gels, and food into me, off we went and man, the difference was felt right away with the shoes!!! did stop once to adjust the laces but otherwise was terrific! kept consistent back thru the sloppy, wet, humid open fields and soon found ourselves back at emma carlin aid station. Still felt great and the aches and pains i felt in my feet and hip flexors were the same as the last aid station. Same routine, refilled, gels, food and off we go!!! (though Alisha did put some tape on blister that had ruptured).

Again, next stretch was uneventful, lots of chatter, and just more consistency.....until we saw it. while coming up a hill (a particular hill that i have been saying was just around the next turn for about 3 miles, yep, i think Alisha might have wanted to punch my face at that time!!), i noticed something of to the side of the trail on my left.............as i passed it i realized it was a furry little critter kind of huddled over and shivering. Alisha had to stop to check it out! ended up being a small baby racoon! cute yes, but first thing i thought of was "where's mommy" and started looking around for her. Alisha's first thought was "we gotta get him off the path!" um, ok badazz, go ahead and do it!!! so she did. she picked up that cute little guy and i swear there was a connection as they looked into each others eyes....................then that little coon hissed, loudly, causing Alisha to jump and scream a bit (ok so maybe it was me that screamed!) So a quick short little toss of the coon and she goes running past me and me behind her having fun yelling "RUN RUN RUN HE'S CHASING US!!!".........fun times on the trail, fun times indeed!
one downhill, one uphill, then one more downhill and were would be at the next aid station, the infamous Bluff Rd aid station.

Came in and saw my lovely wife there with fire in her eyes!!! She came out to see some of the event but somehow didn't get the event guide that had all the information about pace and contacts to call (ok, so she didn't have that because i forgot to print one out and bring it home, but hey, can't hold that against me can you????) On top of that she couldn't get a signal out there and couldn't call anyone, so she went to Bluff Rd based on last years pacing that she could remember, only problem was that my great and awesome consistent pacing happening, i was about 3 hours behind last years pace!!! but hey, positive angle is that she got to see some of the front runners come thru the 55 mile mark!!!

anyway, said hi, posed for pics, refills, gels, food and off we go. kind of sad because after this stretch my new found running buddy would be done, but also happy because i would be with my pacers the rest of the event!!!

off we go and what happens??? rain. some of it hard but all of it very very refreshing!!!! cooled us off and soon we were down to 3 miles to go, 2 miles to go (for her that is, i still had another 37ish to go after the 100k!). shortly after the 2 mile to go mark for her she got out in front as she was feeling the thrill of almost done and was actually running quite strong. i chose to stay consistent and would speak with her at the 100k mark. crossed that point, sat down and found out that rockstar Alisha finished 1st in the female open and 4th overall for the 100K, Awesome Job Alisha and great meeting you!

So now onto the pacers!!! To be honest this next stretch is agruably the hardest part of the course, lots of rolling ups and downs and still close enough to the main area to drop! (those in the 100 mile would still get credit for a 100K finish if dropping out after the 100k mark) this was also the part of the course that was my downfall last year.

but not this year!!! oh no, mr. consistent was still going strong and feeling very good! aches in my feet and hips still present but like before, not any worse at all. Phil (1sttimetri) was my pacer for this one and he proved to be everything i thought he would be and more!!! tho to be honest he was "mildly" annoying!!! :) For instance, he was cheering and clapping for EVERYONE coming into the 100k point. Now the cheering was fine, words of encouragement are always good, BUT DUDE!! YOU WERE CLAPPING IN MY EAR FOR LIKE A MILE STRAIGHT!!!! but like i said, mr. high energy Phil was EXACTLY what i need during this stretch! you see, at no time did i even think about how i was feeling or anything about last year! I mean how could i with all that clapping, cheering, chatter, pace checking, questions, and farting the guy was doing!!! And because of all that it was no time at all that we were back at the infamous Bluff Rd Aid Station......(we hit this aid station and one other one a total of four times during the event. just after this station was the split off where the first time you went to your right and the second to your left). it was at this point last year i tapped out and curled up next to a warm fire and then Ben stepped on my toe. This year i went over to that fire, flipped it off, mock buried it and gave it the sign of the cross as true to the entire day so far, feeling great and ready to keep going!!!

Pacer 2 with me now, Jim (jmwebs). Love running with this guy as he just lets me talk and talk and talk and talk. Oh trust me though, this guy gets his words in and is quite sarcastic to! he is just classic at picking his moments and ZING!!! YOU'VE BEEN WEBBIED!!! single track, hilly with low hanging branches from Bluff to hwy 12, because of this, was slow going but still consistent and still feeling great. at one point had to stop and turn off the lamps and check out the stars...........and then i heard his zipper go down., UM, TIME TO GET RUNNING AGAIN!!!! that guy will try anything to keep his runner running i guess! came into hwy 12 feeling great, cracking jokes, and having a great time! Pete was now joined by Kim as well and was great having her out there with her knowledge of things. came in handy for sure! Next phase was still single track, dark, and rocky, but for some reason i felt a surge, probably from knowing that i was approaching the final turn around and would be heading back "home". ran most of this section and pushed the pace as best i could in the dark on unfamiliar trails (also some good climbs, not hills mind you but actual steps. WTF???? thats just mean!!). Soon i was wondering where Rice Lake was and then looked to my left and said, hey, there's a lake! and boom, path started having lights on it and soon was there at the turn around!! Refills, gels, food, shirt change, arm warmers on, baton passed from Jim to Joe (Jszat, sensei!) and off we go!

Well the return trip on this portion proved to be worse heading back than heading in. great conversation tho and it seemed like joe was calling out every root and rock on the way, which was extremely helpful. made for difficult sentences tho as it went something like...."so last night rock i went out to d root inner and then the rock root rock ........" seriously, single track thru the woods and him calling out everything. priceless! at some point on this portion i had to walk because it felt like my second toe on my left foot felt like it was burning up!!! soon went away tho and soon was back at hwy 12 with only two manned aid stations to go!! half way back to Bluff i started feeling the toll of the event. knew i would finish but was taking its toll. but, just then, Bluff Aid station which meant, one more aid station to go (7 actual miles), last pacer (Blaise), and daylight!!!

so off blaise and I go and tightness all around and trying to run but more walking at this point. soon got to the last aid station, had some sprite and some chicken soup and off we go with 5 to finish! got a bit emotion up the trail as all day long i said i was not celebrating anything until i was past that last aid station, well now i was so i was starting to celebrate, but first, had to get through those brutal rollers from about 4 miles out down to about 2 miles out. handled those alright by being, yep, consistent, and soon had 2 to go!!! blaise agreed to take my jacket i was wearing and my fuel belt and run up ahead with about a mile left and i had some alone time for the first time since about the 31 mile mark! needless to say the emotion got the best of me and teared up a bit. A long day was about to end and for that i was grateful.

Soon saw the finish line and soon was crossing, saw my crew and a whole bunch of others that were just finishing or waiting for their runners to come in and they were all cheering. in the middle of it was Pete with his arms raised high in the air cheering like mad (for those that don't know already, Pete was the one that took my chip last year to the tent and had to tell them i was dropping out). Couldnt have had a much better finishing moment than that.

To everyone: thank you for the support while i was running this event and the days leading up.

To my crew: Wow, simply amazing. no issues at any of the aid stations and at each one was greeted with a warm welcoming smile

To my pacers: What a great group of four, each unique and each just as awesome as the others!

To my Captains: Pete and Deb. The plan in place was perfect and perfectly executed. You two were the glue to everything, THANK YOU for everything.

This wasn't just my finish, it was a finish shared by lots and lots of people. Thank you all.

some final thoughts. Feet had some pretty huge and ugly blisters and pretty swollen, hip flexors were trashed for a few days, but honestly, other than that i had ZERO issues, including stomach issues. hard to believe i went 25+ hours and no stomach issues!

Total Calories in: ~5800 (plan was to hit about 300-400 per hour)
Total Gels: 21 (Powerbar, Strawberry Banana)

Absolutely nothing

shivered.


100 miles thru the woods and other stuff, each turn CLEARLY marked! enough said!