Mohican
Trail 100 Miler 2007
June 15
This
will be my fifth time attempting the Mohican 100. This year, Nathan’s and Amy’s last day of school was on Thursday,
so we decided to fly SkyBus on Friday morning.
SkyBus is a brand new airline and is the only one that offers a direct
flight from Richmond to Columbus. Our
flight was at 8:10am from Richmond, and my parents picked us up in Columbus.
On
the way to their house from the airport, we stopped and bought groceries at
Kroger for the race. We stocked up on
chocolate milk, bagels, ham, cheese, bread, oatmeal, Coke, and Ramen. Martha will be making me various meals
throughout the race. Grilled ham and
cheese sandwiches seem to work well with good calorie density and agreeability
with my stomach.
After
getting to my parents’ home, we had lunch, and then my dad and I headed up to
the race headquarters to check-in and pick-up my race packet. We got there about 1:30pm and were informed
that we couldn’t check-in until 3pm, and they didn’t have the t-shirts
yet. So, we drove around some and then
waited until 3pm, when they still didn’t have the t-shirts, but we could at
least check-in and get our race number.
Last year, the pasta dinner was served over an hour late, so this year,
I asked my mom to fix us spaghetti.
This would not only allow me to eat when I want, but will also allow me
to go to bed earlier. Mom didn’t
disappoint, and we enjoyed an excellent dinner. I then went to bed around 8:30pm.
June 16
The
alarm was set for 3:25am, but I got up around 3:15am. I slept pretty well. I
ate a bowl of corn flakes and drank a tall glass of orange juice. My dad will be crewing for me through the
early part of the day, and then Martha will take it from there. This allows Martha to get a full night’s
sleep so that she will be ready for the all-nighter. My dad and I get to the start around 4:30am, but there is not a
race official there yet to check runners in before the start. Around 4:42am, someone starts checking in
runners, but since there are 155 runners this year, it doesn’t get accomplished
in time and the start of the race is delayed seven minutes while all of that is
completed.
Mile 4.9 58:16 (11:53 avg./mile) Landoll’s Castle
With
the race not starting until 5:07, daylight soon follows. I start out since and easy, but not too easy
as I don’t want to get behind too many slower runners before we hit the
trails. At this first aid station, I
just grab some Conquest and nothing else yet.
I want to average about 12 minute miles while it is still cool, so this
is a very nice start so far.
Mile 10.0 55:11 (10:49 avg./mile) Rock Point
On
this section, I start talking with a guy from the south side of Columbus. He says he currently teaches and coaches middle
school track at Yorktown Middle. When I
mention that I graduated from Watkins, he says that he used to coach high
school track and therefore knows Marty Dahlman, who is the track coach at
Watkins. He has been the track coach
for a long time because he was my coach in high school. At this aid station, I grab a cup of water,
a quarter of pb&j sandwich, and a handful of fig newtons before heading on
down the trail. My pace is a little
quicker, but things feel good so far.
Mile 14.3
During
the early part of a 100-mile race, it is so easy to go too fast. I am trying to hold back, but my time
indicates that I am not holding much back.
Everyone else seems to be going so quick, but this feels okay so
far. There are many people ahead of me
who I would have expected to be behind me.
So, I figure I am doing okay.
Mile 18.6
My
time into the fire tower is a little quicker than this, but I stop to change
shoes, drink a pint of chocolate milk, and grab a half of a bagel before
continuing. I also trade out my
Camelbak for a full one. It holds 45
ounces of water, and I won’t see my crew again until mile 32.7. The time spent eating and changing shoes is
reflected in this split because I don’t push the split button on my watch until
I am leaving the aid station. I do this
so that I know exactly how long it has been since the last aid station when I
am out on the trail. During this early
part of the race, I am around Regis, Jr. and a group of runners that is hanging
pretty close to him. His dad is a
legend in the ultra running community and especially at this race that he
finished ten times. Sadly, he passed
away earlier this year to cancer.
Regis, Jr. sounds and talks just like him, and it really brings back the
memories as I met his dad running this race the first year I tried Mohican back
in 2002.
Mile 21.1
I
finally take my time on a section, as I just bide my time behind a group of
runners as we descend down to the covered bridge. This is the first of five times that we will visit this aid
station. It is the center of action at
Mohican, but the crews aren’t allowed here due to limited parking. So, I just grab some water and a few bites
to eat and head up the trail.
Mile 25.8
Starting
off from the river, the course climbs up out of the valley to the ridge. From there we meander up and down the ridge
until this aid station. It is one of
the prettiest sections of trail on the course as we are in the Mohican Memorial
Forest the whole time. My pace is
slightly slower, but this is mostly due to the climb in elevation from the last
aid station to this one. At this aid
station, I grab some Gatorade and eat two sandwich quarters. Now it is just 6.9 miles until I see my crew
again.
Mile 32.7
I
make good time over this section at this point in the race. At one point, I am just ahead of two other
guys, and it seems like we are taking turns kicking rocks. The last portion into this aid station is
much nicer than last year because it is on trails. I hand off my Camelbak and shirt to Martha and start the 0.7-mile
loop behind the Grist Mill.
Mile 33.4
With
the “purple loop” completed, I now sit down to eat a grilled ham and cheese
sandwich. I wash it down with a pint of
chocolate milk and then decide that I should use the jiffy john. With eating and everything, my time stopped
at the aid station isn’t too bad. I
grab a newly filled Camelbak from Martha and head back out towards the Covered
Bridge.
Mile 38.6
There
are two ladies that have been around me so far in this race. One is named Tracey and she is only doing 52
miles today. Her friend, I think, is
going the distance if she is able. I
lead them on a nice steady pace most all of the way back to the covered
bridge. The temperature isn’t too hot
yet, but it is starting to get warm.
However, this section ends with us crossing under the covered bridge
through the river. The river is a
little low this year, so the water is just above the knees. We take advantage of the cool water, though,
by sitting down or splashing water over ourselves. At this aid station, I eat several pieces of watermelon before
starting the Blue loop.
Mile 42.6
The
heat continues to build as we move into the middle of the afternoon. The course is also pretty difficult at this
point as well. We climb up Little Lyon
Falls. This is a hand over hand climb,
but fortunately it isn’t too far. Then
we reach the dam and climb up the road to the point where we will descend back
to the covered bridge. As I near the
descent down Big Lyon Falls, I realize that two guys ahead of me have missed
the turn and are on the other side of the falls. I yell at them to tell them that the way down is this way, and
they respond. This isn’t the
best-marked spot on the course, and it is obvious why someone would think this
isn’t part of the course. We have to
carefully descend, almost hand over hand down this falls. My time on this section is not spectacular, but
given the heat and the terrain, I will take it at this point. Back at the covered bridge, I eat some more
watermelon, but standing at this aid station is really hot, so I decide to head
back on the trail to try to get into the shade and stay cooler.
Mile 45.1
Staying cooler is most difficult as this is the steepest and longest climb on the course. The trail goes up 99% of time going up to the Bridle Staging Area. I stay focused and just hope that I am drinking enough fluids. I have been taking a Succeed capsule (which contains sodium and other electrolytes) every hour. My sweat rate has been fairly consistent, and I have been peeing regularly. I make it into this aid station, grab some sandwich quarters, and keep going. The hottest part of the day should almost be past, but it is still several hours before the sun starts to go down.
Mile 52.3
This section contains three stream crossings. My feet have been wet since for the last 14 miles, and I am ready for some dry shoes. Unfortunately, I hadn’t planned on changing them until the Fire Tower, and Martha had to hike up to this aid station. However, she offers to run back to the vehicle to get my shoes, and I spend the time eating and tending to my feet. I have a good blister off the back of my left foot, and it feels like a hot spot is developing on the ball of my left foot. I have recently read “Fixing Your Feet”. I bought some Elastikon Tape that is supposed to work very well on feet. I mail ordered it from ZombieRunner.com because I couldn’t find it in any drug stores. I patch my feet as well as I can and then Martha comes with my clean, dry shoes. I am putting on my Asics Eagle Vs, which I can hopefully keep dry until the red loop section again coming back to Rock Point. I drink plenty of Conquest and eat a bagel before heading out for the second time on the green loop.
Mile 56.6
I am clearly slowing down from the first lap through this part of the course. Although, I am hoping that I can maintain quicker than 15 minutes per mile. My feet are doing okay, and I think my tape job is helping the situation. The temperature is cooling some, but I have battled a lot through the heat earlier in the day, and I think it has taken something out of me.
Mile 60.9
My time on this section was quicker than 15 minutes per mile, but at this aid station, I stopped for at least 10 minutes to eat a bowl of Ramen and a couple of hash browns. My stomach and energy level seem to be doing very well, but I can’t quite pick up the pace at this point since there are still 40 miles to go. My shoes stayed dry as I went through one stream crossing because the water is very low, so I decide to stick with the Eagle Vs for now. Fortunately, Martha remembers to give me my headlamp since I will not see her again until mile 75—well after darkness has descended.
Mile 63.4
I am now back to the covered bridge for the next to the last time. I took it easy on this section, but I am still a little disappointed in my time. I guess the battle will begin to limit the decrease in speed as much as possible.
Mile 68.1
The climb up to the ridge takes me longer this time, but I am just biding my time, hoping that I can hang on for as long as possible. Actually, things are deteriorating about the same way they did last year when I struggled to the finish in 28:39. I am not thinking about time at this point. Rather I am just thinking about continuing to make forward progress.
Mile 75.0 2:07:57 (18:33 avg./mile) Grist Mill
Soon after starting this section, I realize that I left my Buff at the last aid station. The thought of climbing back up to the aid station is out of the question, and I will just have to buy a new one. I turn on my headlamp after the first mile on this section. At first I am able to maintain 15-16 minute miles, but then I really start slowing down as I clock miles around 20 minutes apiece. I am so tired that I keep running for sections so that I don’t fall asleep. The trail is just rocky enough to be tricky, and I don’t want to fall asleep and stumble. When I walk, I am having difficulty walking in a straight line.
Mile 75.7 32:27 (46:21 avg./mile) Grist Mill
When I came into the aid station, my parents, kids, and Martha are all there to greet me. I hand off my Camelbak and commence on the “purple loop” behind the Grist Mill. When I return, Martha doesn’t think I look so good, and she admits later that she was rather worried about me. Since it is almost 11:00pm, and I have been awake for almost 20 hours, I decide it is finally time to start ingesting some caffeine. I start off with just a cup of Coke, maybe about 8 ounces. I also eat a bowl of oatmeal. When Martha offers me her MP3 player to wear, I decide what the heck. I have never run with music in my ears before, but it is either that, or I will probably start taking catnaps along side the trail.
Mile 80.9 1:18:57 (15:11 avg./mile) Covered Bridge
The combination of the Coke, oatmeal, and music seems to have reversed the course of events. I find a little bit of motivation and pick up the pace significantly. On this 5.2-mile section, I actually pass 10 runners! In the darkness along the river, it feels like I am really moving. I start to do the math in my head, and I think I still might have a chance at 24 hours, if I can keep this pace up. At this aid station, I grab something to eat and drink another cup of Coke.
Mile 83.4 49:12 (19:41 avg./mile) Bridle Staging Area
I actually made it into this aid station in less than 45 minutes, which much faster than I did it the first time around earlier in the day! I managed to pass four more runners, and there were parts where the terrain wasn’t too steep that I was running uphill. When I passed runners, it seemed like they were standing still. It is awesome to come up behind someone at night with my headlamp blazing. They see the light from my headlamp and move to the side to let me fly by. As I was coming into the aid station, I pass the truck, but I can’t tell if Martha and Nathan are in there or not. However, when I go to the aid station area and they aren’t there, I go back to the truck and rouse them out of their slumber. In catching my latest wind, I have arrived over an hour quicker than they expected because the last time they saw me, I couldn’t even walk straight. It is truly amazing what the body is capable of when the mind is willing! I drink another cup of Coke, and grab a bagel. I tell Martha that I want to do the next section in 1:40 to give me a chance at 24 hours.
Mile 90.6 2:23:49 (19:58 avg./mile) Rock Point
The first hour out of the bridle staging area went very well, then my latest wind dissipated. It was all I could do to stagger into the Rock for this last time. This is still a really nice time, but I now know that my hope of a sub-24 hour finish is out of reach. It is almost 4am, and I still have 10 miles to go. I change shoes for the last time. This time I put on a pair of road training shoes since the last 10 miles is on roads, mostly gravel. The shoes are a pair of New Balance shoes, which I am wear testing.
Mile 95.6 1:50:13 (22:03 avg./mile) Landoll’s Castle
After the wind left my sails and daylight not helping my wakefulness, I stagger these five miles. At least once, I am sure that I was asleep on my feet, as the road didn’t look the same the last time my eyes were open. Well, I now have less than five miles to the finish, and if I hurry, I might be able to make it in less than 26 hours. Nathan is going to run this last section with me, and hopefully, that will keep me awake.
Mile 100.4 1:11:14 (14:50 avg./mile) FINISH
Running with Nathan does keep me awake. I also try to run as much as I can so that he doesn’t get too bored going so slow with his old man. The gravel on the road is truly painful to my battered feet. Each pebble seems to cause a new bruise. Finally, we begin to ascend infamous Big Hill. A guy, who passed us soon after we left Landoll’s Castle, is within our sights. We pass him coming down Big Hill, and then Nathan and I really start to pick it up, as we know we have less than a mile to go. My parents and Amy were planning on seeing me at Landoll’s Castle before they went to church, but barely get to the finish in time, as they drive past us with about a half mile to go. It is a beautiful morning, and Nathan and I bring it home with over eight minutes to spare on 26 hours.
Official
Finishing Time
39th out of 155
starters (94 finishers)
This is now my personal best
time for a 100-mile race. Three years
ago I finished my first 100-mile race (this one) in 27:09. This year everything didn’t come together
perfectly, but I had a great effort with no catnaps along the way. My crew is simply awesome. Having my family around me throughout the
day and night and day is really uplifting.
I couldn’t have done it without them.
Now, I am going to attempt
to finish two 100-milers in the same summer.
There are five weeks until the Vermont 100 on July 21-22. If the weather cooperates, I might even be able
to improve on my time. Here at Mohican,
the only serious blister is one off the back of my left heel. It is deep, but it never really caused me
too much pain during the race. I have
again severely bruised both of my big toe nails, and they will both be coming
off in a few days. They also didn’t
cause me too much pain during the race, but they definitely curtailed my water
skiing on Monday.
Never stop running,
Darin
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