As my first 100 Miler, I was excited and uneasy at the same time. The weather was forecasted to be in the upper 70s for a high and with increasing winds throughout the night. The line of 60+ ultrarunners headed up Badger Mountain in the early morning on a beautiful day. Aid stations were frequent and the volunteers were very helpful. The ratio of volunteers to runners was awesome, ensuring the runner had plenty of assistance at the stops. Never did I feel like I was just another runner like at larger Ultras.
Running in Asics Gel Fuji Renegade shoes the whole way was the right choice for several reasons. First the excellent tread enabled traction on the frequent rocks and sand. Second, the material around the top of the shoe at the ankle kept all sand and rocks out of the shoes. Third, the 6 mm drop was just about right for the frequent hills for a total of 14,000 elevation gain. Finally the wide toebox and cushion enabled a comfortable run with no significant blisters.
Using 2 handhelds the whole way worked well also, as during the heat of the day, it reminded me to hydrate.
The mix of roads, double track and single track was nice and kept the run interesting and runnable.
During the first 50 miles, the challenges were staying hydrated with the heat, keeping sunscreen on to prevent sunburn, and taking in enough calories as a setup for the second 50.
It took 10 hours 50 minutes to reach mile 50, and then took a 40 minute break to eat, hydrate, and change socks.
As I left mile 50, the evening promised cooler temperatures, but didn't reveal as of yet, the challenges to come. Having on only a long sleeve shirt and shorts, along with a beanie and headlamp, I made my way back over Badger Mt and over Candy Mt. At the base of Red Mt. the rain begain, and with it strong wind. At the top of Red Mt. the wind was so strong, I had to hike with strong sidewind and kept searching for flags for the trail down to Sunset aid station. Getting cold, I trudged down to the aid station, and met nice helpful volunteers offering all kinds of delicious food and hot drinks. After warming up in a blanket for 10 minutes and eating, I took off running in the dark along Sunset Rd. heading towards McBee Parking AS. Reaching McBee Parking, the real downpour began and I hurried into the trailer with the food/drinks and drop bag. I stayed there for a good 45 minutes, eating all kinds of really good food, soups, etc. I wavered back and forth whether to quit or go on, and someone encouraged me, otherwise I may have quit. I put on tights, down jacket, rain jacket, gloves, and headed up McBee Ridge at 1 am in the morning. Upon summiting McBee Ridge, I crossed paths with many running friends and at that point, I knew the end was in site, even though it was still 30 miles away. All of the next aid station stops were short for me as I knew I could finish at this point. Yes the wind was fierce and cold on Mts., but I knew that 100M would soon be finished.
Although my pace was slower the second half, I was having a great time, and no one passed me during the last 38 miles. One of the unique and inspiring factors of this race is the visibility. At night you can see the lights of the Tri-Cities and the lights on Badger, Candy, Red, etc. On many other tree-covered ultras, you can't see where you are going as well.
On the approach to the finish on Badger Mt. at mile 97 and 98, the wind was so strong, but since it was from the west, it was really fun to run in the tailwind. That last 2 miles to the finish were probably the fastest miles of the day. My first 100 Miler was finished between 27 and 28 hours, well before the 32 hour cut-off.
So what made the difference in a finish vs. DNF?
1. Training--getting many long runs in varying from 20-50 miles
2. Encouragement from other runners and volunteers along the course
3. Eating and hydrating enough
4. Planning for drop bags with approprate clothing
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