What happened out there? The run up to Pinhoti 100 and what lead to a mid-packers failure on the course.
First just toeing the start line was a race in it's self. Then you manage to drag your self to the start line to end up running less than 100 miles. Most folks don't 'run' 100 miles, they run some of it, fast hike some of it and other parts they just walk. It is a great journey and one I will most likely do again and again and again and well you get the picture.
I was really hoping to get another 100 miler done this year. I had picked out a couple of potential races: Cloud Spliter 100 in Norton, VA - too much elevation, something of at least 18k plus I really didn't want another Massanutten this year. No Business, which I will do some time soon, but in having rolled an ankle about 6 weeks before the race, that wasn't going to happen. So Pinhoti was left, got on the wait list, got off the wait list, toed the line and got pulled.
So, what happened out there anyway?
I rolled my left ankle the first week in August, it was bad, I heard it pop. Head back to 'The Pop' to get the story of what happened. So I took the month off to heal up then hit training hard. The nice thing was that between Massanutten and my second SCAR attempt I was in fairly decent shape, the month off wasn't a major set back. Two weeks before the race I had managed to put down one 70 mile week and start on a second 70 mile week ending it at 50ish miles before vacation hit. Hilton Head was very nice, if you like sand; I'm a dirt guy myself. Time with my wife and my parents is/was priceless. I think physically I was as ready as I was going to be and I had the mind to get it done or so I thought.
The week before the race I would tell folks that I'm cautiously optimistic. Until a couple of days before the race I hadn't looked into cut off times, aid stations or basically anything about the course. It was definitely the least prepared knowledge wise I had been for such a long race. Cloud Spliter 100k, SCAR the first time and Massanutten where all researched fully outside of memorizing the course turns. No so for Pinhoti, I was truly winging it solo. I like solo. I had learned various friends where going to be there either running or crewing somebody. Going to a race where I know a lot of folks can be either a blessing or a curse. The curse comes from an internal pressure to perform up to expectations, aka finish. Kyle, Brad and their friend Justin all finish and Tim who was being crewed by a couple of friends of mine also finished. So, it can be done; just not by me this year.
So again, why? I really don't think my physical body was the issue; I was trained up and physically strong enough to go the distance at the right pace. Yup, reason number 1 identified. I have a habit in some races to go out too fast and I did it again on this one. I know better and I knew better then. Reason number 2, which actually is more important than reason number 1, was nutrition. Now we get into the race and you'll read why nutrition was the biggest reason for my DNF.
Get on the bus! It was nearly 4:20am and we had to get on a bus for a nearly 2 hour bus ride to the start. The night before I had run into some friends, David and Shannon, started talking and I thought 'cool I'll have some folks to run with tomorrow because one of them will be going my pace'. We get to the start, I wish I had a taken a picture. It was a small campground parking lot. Nearly 300 runners and a few of their friends lined up on a line drawn in the dirt. I had managed to find David and Shannon and so I was ready. They quickly told me it was going to be just less than a 100 yard sprint to the trail head at which point you stopped and waited for your place in line to truly start the race. David managed to get us our spot in the conga line and off we went. Within the first two miles I turned my ankle. I yelped because I was afraid it was going to be as bad as my last one in which I wouldn't be able to run the rest of the race. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near that bad. I would end up turning both ankles twice, each time shouting out in fear of something much worse. The first 6 miles or so where nice; an easy trial that rolled gently along. The three of us where moving well. The fall colors where amazing, I watched another runner take out their phone and take a picture and I thought, I can do that too. Yea, well issues with how I left my phone set up meant that I got a selfie and not one of the fall colors. Some sections of these first miles where so covered in pine needles it was like running in well cushioned shoes. This course would end up having a lot of that. Nothing too rocky or technical in this first section. The first aid station; a friend, Becca, had told me to eat a lot and not to linger at the aid stations because the first four had some fairly tight cut offs. I pull in with David and Shannon to find bananas, oranges, cookies and candy to eat at the aid station. I had water and wouldn't need it until mile 20, but the food was not expected. Yea that runners hand book had said that these things would be at the aid stations and more; I had been at some of the aid stations last year and there was some real food at those. Maybe half a banana and either a cookie or orange and we where off. I had been eating #myspringenergy every 30 minutes while I was on the course and had hoped to get a bulk of calories at the aid stations. Yea, that SO didn't happen.
The next three aid stations had the same stuff at them and I ended up eating my trail nutrition at the aid stations as well as on the trail; I was quickly getting behind on calories. My first drop bag was at mile 27, nearly 28, miles; by the time I got there I was out of food. The trail was really easy up to now and wasn't really gonna change and because of that I was moving too fast for me to finish a 100 miler well. Coupled with nutrition issues starting to manifest themselves I was in for a long day. I had managed to stay with David and Shannon up to somewhere around in here, a marathon with those two had made for a good day. By the time I hit the nearly 35 mile aid station we had gotten separated and they where long gone. I ended up having to sit a spell at this station just to pull myself together, eat and drink. It was here that I came across another friend, Phil, who was on his 3rd attempt at Pinhoti. He stopped long enough to get me some food and water before I told him to go on because he had a race to run. Not too much longer Tim came cruising by me as I sat at the aid station. I think I was there for at least 5 minutes. Most of these first 6 stations somebody was always asking if they could help me with something, but that ended up changing at the next stop. I had heard horror stories about this climb up to Bald Rock and thought it was a pretty good aid station based upon what I remembered from last year. The climb up Mt. Cheaha to the Bald Rock aid station was fairly tame compared to many of my earlier races, it got a bit boldery as you neared the top; but it wasn't too bad. The over look was awesome! Somebody offered to take my picture, so I've got a couple of shots. The aid station was something else, this was the first aid station where I felt truly on my own without the support of aid station helpers. I got my drop bag and started the process of transferring food, changing socks and packing my head lamp into my vest. I had put a pair of water proof socks in this drop bag having been told that some water crossings at this point could end up in wet feet. During my time at Bald Rock I asked, via kinda shouting out, if there was any food; ramen noodles and potatoes, etc. I got a bit of help at that point, but after a few minutes those who had been helping me got ushered off to do something else. I took my time here, I desperately need to regroup. I think I was here for maybe 10 minutes. At most of the aid stations I kinda felt like seconds where not an option; get one serving and off you go. Yet another reason my nutrition was in the tank. It was here at Bald Rock that Kyle and crew showed up. With my one portion consumed and vest reloaded I was off. Kyle, Brad and Justin ended up catching up with me and as we walked together and I was given some extra noodles. You never know what would end up turning a race around, for me on this race it was those noodles. I felt like I could move again, which was a good thing because I was coming up to a section of trail known as Blue Hell. This was the most technical section of the course, you end up descending around 1,000 feet in under a mile, climbing down boulders. There where several 'drops' that ended up being around 15 to 20 feet straight down, so you had to pick your way down the rocks. Yea it did end up slowing you down, but it only lasted for maybe 10 minutes if that. This section ended up being the last ankle turn of the run and it was the worst, thankfully nothing popped but man was I worried that something was going to go wrong. After a yelp and I'm okay I continued my way down. I missed a turn. I knew that there was somebody behind me so I shouted 'I've lost the trail.' As I turn around to look back up from where I had come the run stopped looked around and pointed off in the direction to go and said this way. So I made my way back to the course and continued on. By the time I got all the way down and to a road that I had to run on it was time for the headlamp to come out. This section between Bald Rock and Pinnacle must have had at least 10 miles of road, either black top or hard packed small crushed rock. This section killed me, I just can't move as fast as I do on the trail, maybe half of these 10 miles the grade was up hill at a decent pitch. It was at these aid stations that I began to see Bob Waters fairly regularly, which was a huge blessing; he is such a great encourager never wanting someone to have to quit. At the first or second aid station out of Bald Rock I had caught up to David and Shannon, we all had that glazed over glassy eyed long distance stare happening. We started hanging together again and it was wonderful to be back in the company of friends as I hadn't really spent any time with anyone else since they dropped me earlier. Once back on the trail we hit some wide creek crossings, some you could get across and still have dry feet, others that wasn't going to happen. At one such crossing I remember thinking, I've got waterproof socks on let's see what happens. I was behind some folks trying to pick their way across so as to not get their feet too wet, it was cold and nobody wanted soaking wet feet. So I decided to step out from behind them and just go. The water was cold, but my feet stayed dry! Yup on runs/races like this I could definitely get use to dry feet. These socks would not have helped at Massanutten or Music City Trail Ultra because the water was just too deep.
The last big climb. I think I came into this aid station a little after David and Shannon, got my noodles and maybe sat for a second; I can't really remember. Then off to cross the highway drop down a little bit and then climb up to Pinnacle. This was the second aid station where I heard it for at least 30 to 45 minutes if not an hour before I arrived at the aid station. Depending on where your head is at it can be a good thing or a bad thing; it was mostly a good thing for me. I remembered this climb from last year, lots of switch backs. I like switch backs because even though your climbing the grade isn't generally as hard as going straight up. The last creek crossing marked the start of the switch backs and the beginning of the climb. David and Shannon took off, both at different times but they definitely dropped me like a hot potato. I kept looking at my watch trying to figure out if I was going to make cut off or not, it was going to be close. In my finial approach someone from the aid station yells 'Run you've got 2 minutes 'til cut off.' I ignored him and kept going. Another volunteer not too much later yells out 'You've got one minute 'til cut off.' I shake my hands with the sign that I'm all done. I walk into to the aid station and the captain says 'You've got 2 minutes to get everything you need and get out. You came in right at cut off.' I ask him how far to the next aid station? '5 miles.' How much time do I have to get there? '1 hour' I laugh and said there's no way I'm doing 2.5 to 3 miles an hour right now. It ain't gonna happen and with that I sat down. My race was over. This had not been Massanutten, but I learned a lot about how this race is put together.
Nutrition wise I was doing much better since Bald Rock, but as the saying goes it was too little too late. My nutrition got real basic after Bald Rock because before Bald Rock I was doing good to eat anything. From Bald Rock to Pinnacle I survived off of ramen noodles at aid stations, sometimes I tried asking for seconds most times I didn't. Electro+ride from Spring Energy for electrolytes and oatmeal cookies from Great Harvest Bakery while on the trial. These three things are what got me to Pinnacle in reasonable shape especially considering the condition I had been in; between the broth of the ramen and the electro+ride my hydration came back quickly. It was amazing to me how fast my body recovered from a lack of hydration. If had started taking in more solid foods I might have dome better, but who knows. It's amazing to me how my body changes from one race to the next. Years ago, when Tailwind was new I tried it and it was great it did the job. The next race, nope not even close and my stomach was a wreck. Switched over to homemade stuff and my black re-fried beans and rice in a tortilla type thing did great, then it didn't as I started getting come acid re-flux type thing which needed ginger candies to calm down. Now I'm using Spring Energy, use 'JackS' for a nice discount on your purchase, and 90% of the time it does great for me; but when I get behind nothing is gonna taste good or go down easy. I've been using the Spring since getting back on my recovery runs and loving the energy boost.
As for the trail, nothing on this course is hard. Massanutten was harder with more climbs and boulders. The Firey Gizzard Trial Marathon and Half Marathon is incredibly more challenging with its huge rocks that you have to climb up and down. For the southeast this trail lulls you to sleep with its cushiony pine needle trails and soft single track. The only part you have to watch out for is Blue Hell, that's it! Everything else is so doable. What makes this race hard is the cut offs and the nutrition options at aid stations. I see why folks use a crew for this race. Next time I do this race it will be solo, but I'll come prepared with enough real food for an army.
The Monday after the race I'm watching Ginger Runner Live, it's the episode with Christof Teuscher number 235. As I'm listening a couple things strike me as I go 'Hey I'm like that.' First for some reason my body never seems to settle into just one set up for nutrition; for some reason it likes to mix it up a bit. There are things at my nutrition core: buffalo jerky, Spring Energy, bullet burritos (once I figure out what is giving me acid reflux, they'll be back in regular rotation) and oatmeal cookies, but trying to figure out what combinations are going to work on what day is still very much a roll of the dice. Second he talks about all the times he failed at something before he succeeded, I need to remember that. I need to remember my 3 DNFs and remind myself of why they happened. If you haven't watched that episode I highly recommend it.
Now what? Nothing on the books until Black Toe in January. I was going to try Lookout 50 miler again, but after talking with a mentor/friend he suggested doing nothing. So nothing it is. What does 2019 hold who knows maybe Double Top 100 M, SCAR again and then after that... well we'll see.
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