Kettle Moraine 100 Miler 100km

2010

June 4

It is a day before my one and only 100 mile attempt this year. My summer schedule is crammed full this year, and this is just about the only weekend I could have fit in a 100 miler. For the first time in a long time, Martha won’t be crewing for me. However, I have a good friend of mine who volunteered to shoulder the crew duties this time. Rick and I flew up to Janesville, Wisconsin this morning, stopping in Lima, Ohio to refuel. We came across Lake Michigan, which is pretty neat in a small plane. Everything has gone as planned, and I get my race packet around 4pm. We then descend upon Rosa’s pizza parlor in downtown Whitewater and proceed to devour a large pepperoni pizza between the two of us. Stuff full, I go to sleep around 9:30pm.

June 5

Unlike most 100 milers, this one has a late starting time of 6:00am. I still don’t quite understand why they don’t start at 5:00am since it is daylight by then, but I am not complaining as I enjoy the extra hour of sleep. I get up just after 4:00am, and Rick and I head to the starting line around 5:15am. I check in and get my timing chip (another first for me in a 100-miler) and make sure my Camelbak is ready and Rick has all the instructions he needs.

Mile 5.0 52:43 (10:33 avg./mile) Tamarack

This race is a combination of three events—the 100-miler, a 100-km, and a 100-mile relay. We all start together. There are 167 people in the 100-miler, and about 66 in the 100-km. I don’t know how many relay teams there are, but there can’t be that many. This first section is a rolling, grass trail on which we can run double wide. As I only know a few people in this race, I spend the early part of the race meeting other runners. Jenny Chow is one of the runners that I met last year at Mohican. She mentions that it seems like I am setting a nice conservative pace, and I feel like I am letting everyone pass me. However, this is exactly the feeling that most people should have in a 100 miler during the early part of the race. Despite this, my pace is still rather quick, although these are some easy early miles.

Mile 7.5 32:11 (12:52 avg./mile) Bluff

A few more easy miles, and I get to see Rick at this aid station. I drink most of a pint of chocolate milk and take half of a bagel for the trail. The temperature is mostly cool so far as it was about 62 degrees at the start. However, the humidity is evident as I learn later that the dew point is around 60 degrees—not too bad, but higher than was predicted.

Mile 12.7 1:00:47 (11:41 avg./mile) Horseriders

This is an unmanned aid station, and one that I just keep going without stopping. I catch up to Chris, who is running his first 100-miler as well as Jenny. The three of us, plus a couple of other guys from a train heading out of this aid station.

Mile 15.8 39:09 (12:38 avg./mile) Emma Carlin

The group us, led by Jenny lay down a nice and smooth, but quick pace up and down a few rolling hills on single track trail. So far, I am really happy with my pace and how well I feel. It is too early to start thinking about this being a personal best day, but I do have a goal of finishing within 24 hours. I drink quite a bit of Conquest and grab another half of a bagel for the trail. It is starting to get a little warm, and the Conquest is awesome in that I can drink a lot of it with the proper balance of electrolytes.

Mile 18.9 37:16 (12:01 avg./mile) Antique Lane

Another unmanned aid station, and I continue to roll at a smooth, consistent pace. I only need to average about 14 minutes per mile to finish within 24 hours. So, I may be a little quick, but those minutes are given back in bunches at times. I feel good about my pace and race at this point. I run a little with Robert Wehner on this section. We talk a little about Hellgate, which he has also run several times, and then he decides to run on ahead of me, or maybe I decided to walk when he wasn’t ready for a walk break. Either way, especially early in a race, I think each person needs to run their own pace.

Mile 21.6 25:18 (9:22 avg./mile) Wilton Road

I am not sure exactly why this section was this quick. I guess it was an easy downhill on a smooth surface. Also, I am starting to feel like this could be a good year. It isn’t too hot out here, the legs feel great, and I have gotten off to a good start. I catch up to Jenny and a few other runners at this aid station. I don’t stop as it is unmanned, and we all leave together.

Mile 24.1 50:26 (20:10 avg./mile) Highway 67

Leaving the last aid station, there is a group of about six or seven of us, and Jenny is in the lead. We roll through these miles, and it feels like I pushed it harder than the last section. When I get to the aid station, Rick is there ready with a wonderful grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I also take the time to change my shoes for the first time. The last few sections had some mushy places on the open prairie and my shoes are pretty damp. I wash the grilled cheese sandwich down with quite a bit of Conquest. It is starting to warm up out here, and I want to make sure I keep the electrolytes in me.

Mile 26.6 30:36 (12:14 avg./mile) County ZZ

Jenny and I run together for a little bit after the Highway 67 aid station. She tells me that Nathan (her husband) has dropped as he wasn’t feeling well before the race even started. She says now she only has to run the 100k, and she leaves me behind, which I am fine with since it sounds like she is not going the full 100 miles. After filling my stomach, I am still able to run smoothly and comfortably. I cruise into this aid station and Rick is nowhere to be seen. So, I take inventory of my Camelbak, decide I have enough water to go five more miles, and head on out towards the next aid station.

Mile 31.6 1:14:17 (14:51 avg./mile) Scuppernong

This section starts with some fairly steep up and downs in deep woods. After about 15 minutes, though, the course exits onto a wide dirt trail that skirts a campground. There are several runners heading towards me as the turnaround on the north end of the course is a Scuppernong. It is warming up, and when the wind isn’t blowing on me, it is quite warm. The humidity feels higher, but the reported dew point is 61 degrees—not high for Virginia standards, but still getting up there for early June. At this aid station, Rick is waiting for me. He apologizes for not realizing sooner that he was supposed to park here and walk a quarter mile through the woods to the County ZZ aid station. I sit down and eat a bagel and drink some Conquest. Due to the heat, I will hold off on additional chocolate milk at this time.

Mile 36.6 1:12:42 (14:32 avg./mile) County ZZ

Leaving Scuppernong and heading back south is great. Now, I get to see all of the runners that are behind me. I decide that I better start pushing the pace slightly if I want to finish this 100 miler within 24 hours. I gain a little time on my outbound time, and hopefully I will be able to continue this. The steep up and downs in the deep woods don’t seem as long this time. At this aid station, Rick is waiting with a bagel and some Conquest.

Mile 39.1 37:00 (14:48 avg./mile) Highway 67

My time on this section is slower than I expected. This means either one of two things. Either it is harder going south than north, or I am slowing down. The latter can’t be true so I will tell myself it is the former. As I come into this aid station, it is starting to threaten to rain. This would be a nice relief from the heat. Just a light rain for about an hour would be wonderful about now. I drink some chocolate milk and head out onto the prairie section.

Mile 41.6 46:55 (18:46 avg./mile) Wilton Road

Wow, maybe I am slowing down, or maybe this is another section that is more difficult going south. Either way, it has now started to rain a little. The wind has picked up as well, and I am starting to cool down, which is a good thing. On this section, I run awhile with a lady (Susan) from Virginia. Of course, we both know all of the ultrarunning characters from Virginia. It is nice to chat for a spell, but then I decide to walk a little more than she seems to and she pulls away from me. This aid station is unmanned, and I don’t need anything, so I continue without stopping.

Mile 44.3 31:12 (11:33 avg./mile) Antique Lane

Now, this time split is more like it! I was beginning to seriously wonder about my slowing times. The interesting thing is that although my times seem like they may be slowing, I am not getting passed by people. In fact, I am passing a person every now and then, but mostly I am by myself. At this aid station, I pass a guy who is known as the rocket. His crew told Rick that he goes out too fast all of the time and then fizzles. Well it appears as though he is in the fizzle stage, but he says he just needs to work some kinks out. This is another unmanned aid station, and so I don’t stop here either.

Mile 47.4 48:56 (15:47 avg./mile) Emma Carlin

Leaving Antique Lane, it starts raining quite hard. I hope it doesn’t keep it up long because if it does the trail will turn to mud. My shoes are of course soaked, but it appears like the rain won’t last too much longer. It is raining steadily when I come into the aid station, and my wonderful crew (Rick) has everything ready, including a trash bag for me to sit on in the vehicle. I sit down in the vehicle and inhale the Ramen and Conquest. It is nice to be out of the rain, and I have definitely cooled off all of the way. If the rain keeps up, I may start to get chilly, but for now I am fine.

Mile 50.5 51:03 (16:28 avg./mile) Horseriders

Another unmanned aid station. The rain has let up slightly as I enter the aid station, but there are horses here, and they don’t seem to like the storm one bit. My times are definitely starting to slow because of the rain. The trails aren’t quite a quagmire yet, but they are heading that direction. Maybe the rain is almost done.

Mile 55.7 1:24:50 (16:19 avg./mile) Bluff

Any thoughts about the rain almost being done are completely washed out of my mind during this section. It seems like every time I turn another corner, the rain comes down harder. Despite what my time says here, I am starting to push hard. I want to stay warm, and I am growing weary of this rain. I pass Robert Wehner on this section as well as a few others. The trail is an absolute mess with water standing or flowing in most places. At this aid station, the rain is just pouring down. Rick has a grilled ham and cheese sandwich ready for me. I huddle under a corner of the aid station tent and eat my sandwich. It is amazing that Rick was able to cook the thing in this rain. The small SUV that we rented is a Rav4 and doesn’t have a hatch back. Rather the back door swings open. Furthermore, we didn’t bring an umbrella, so he said the first sandwich he tried to cook got flooded out in the frying pan. Somehow though, he managed to get one cooked. It is starting to get dark at this point, and the rain is not giving any signs of letting up. It is approaching 7pm at this point, but I figure I can make it to Nordic where I will see Rick next before it gets mostly dark.

Mile 58.2 42:49 (17:08 avg./mile) Tamarack

The rain continues to come down in buckets, but up until now there hasn’t been any thunder and lightning. The trail is now a pool of water in most places. The other places it is a flowing stream. I put on a long sleeve technical shirt at the last aid station, and although it is drenched, it is keeping me a little warmer. I figure the temperature is probably around 60 degrees now, and the memory of being hot earlier today is far from my mind. Just as I am arriving at this aid station, which crews aren’t allowed at, the skies open up with thunder and lightning, and of course harder rain. I think this is the hardest rain so far. This aid station is well stocked with sandwich quarters and other good foods. I eat a couple of sandwich quarters, hoping that the rain will lessen a bit before I leave the comfort of standing under the aid station tent. The aid station workers are tired of the rain as well as they have to work hard to keep most things dry even under the tent.

Mile 63.2 1:17:09 (15:26 avg./mile) Nordic

The rain isn’t letting up at all, and it now appears like it is set in for the night. I begin to question my resolve to go the full 100 mile distance. Two things begin to enter my mind. First my feet have been wet for over six hours, and they won’t be dry until I finish even if the rain ever decides to stop. I dealt with this on the last 22 hours at Massanutten last year. Second, which I confirm with another runner, the finishing award is a miniature tea kettle, and a person receives this as long as they complete at least the 100k. So, now I am faced with two options, both will get me a kettle. Stop and call it a day at this aid station or continue on (likely in the rain) all night long and probably keep my feet soaking wet for the next 12-14 hours. I choose option one.

Official 100k Finishing Time 14:55:19

As I come into the aid station, I immediately give Rick the “I am stopping” signal. There are many runners who are making the same decision. The weather has worn us down. That combined with the onset of nightfall have convinced most of us to call it a day. We congratulate each other on the wisdom of our decision as if to try and convince ourselves that we won’t feel bad for dropping out later once we are dry and rested. Everybody phrases this decision as not dropping out of the race, but rather just opting for the 100k option. So, we are official finishers of a race shorter than what we entered, but in my book this is a failed 100 mile attempt, and leaves my 100 mile record standing at 7-6.

The rain did eventually stop, although it stayed cloudy and cool all the way through the next day. On Sunday evening, Rick and I have dinner with General Feigley and his wife, Peg, at their home. I was aid-de-camp for the General for a year when I was stationed at Quantico. He is now comfortably retired, but still is involved with numerous things. As I haven’t seen him for a few years, it is great to catch up.

On Monday, we fly back to Virginia with a 25-knot tailwind that allows us not to have to stop for fuel. It has been a good weekend, and if only the weather would have cooperated, it would have been even better. Now, I am fully rested, and wishing I had continued, but that is easy to think now.

Never stop running,

Darin

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