Todd Yerkes’ Rio Del Lago 100 Mile Race Report

November 4-5^th, 2017

In 2002 a change of jobs and business travel turned me from a three times a week, basketball junkie to reluctant runner. I was drawn into running because of the sport’s inherent objectivity, the fitness benefits, and discipline. Over the years running has become a bigger and bigger part of how I define myself. I evolved from a fitness runner to a marathoner to an ultra-marathoner. I was not a natural. My entire athletic training was geared towards explosive, fast twitched movements which are critical to basketball. This did not translate into distance running. For years, I struggled to finish the 26.2 distance in under 4 hours. In 2005, I finally accomplished my sub 4 hour goal. I was getting hooked. In 2006, my dad inspired me to try the 50 mile distance and I ran the JFK50 in Maryland with him. In 2012, I finally qualified for the Boston Marathon. What was my next running fix? I decided to attempt the 100 mile distance. In 2015 and 2016, I completed the challenging Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile ultra-marathon, but in a disappointing time of roughly 34 hours both years. My next challenge was a running 100 miles in one day. I signed up my local race, the Rio Del Lago 100. This race has over 16K feet of vertical change and is 85% on single track, dirt trail. This race starts and end 15 minutes from my doorstep. My goal was sub 24!

Beal’s Point 0.0 miles, roughly 400 runners.

                                                                                                    

For two weeks leading up to the race, weather.com had been predicting severe rains during two days of the race. The forecasters said that we should expect many hours of steady rainfall and up to an inch of rain. All runners were optimistic on Saturday morning because the rain had not yet started. Since Thursday night our local forecasts were flat out wrong and this trend was continuing to our good fortune. At 5 AM, roughly 400 runners were off on the paved biking trails from Beal’s Point towards and around Lake Natoma. At around 6 AM the rains started. My first portion of the race on the paved bike trails was fairly uneventful other than meeting up with my friend, Ray Mullenax. I paced Ray at Western States two years ago. Ray was feeling good so I let him run ahead of me after a couple of easy miles with him. I was feeling good but I was committed to getting out too fast and to staying on my disciplined pace. I enjoyed the moment and listened to both some music and a Mitch Rapp novel.

At mile 14, I met Rebecca and made an equipment change. I gave her my old running vest and she handed me two handheld bottles. She was ready to help me make other wardrobe changes but there was no need given how good I was feeling. I was soaked but dry clothing would not stop the rain. The important thing was that I was warm in spite of being wet. The temps were in the high 50s. I was wearing a light weight, long sleeved, Smartwool branded, merino wool running shirt. During this first leg of my run I was borderline obsessed with my heart rate. I wanted to keep it under 140 bpm. This meant that I was walking when I didn’t feel tired at all but to lower my HR. I wanted to preserve energy for later.

Beal’s Point 18.5 miles, 180^th place, 3:37 time, 11:46 OA pace, 11:46 section pace.

At mile 18.5 I met Janet and Todd Zimmerman and Doug Kelley. They were excitedly waiting for me at the Beal’s Point aid station. Support from family and friends is a nice benefit of a local race. This aid station was about a mile from the Zimmerman’s and five miles from the Kelley’s. Their enthusiasm really lifted my spirits. I took a quick bathroom break and continued on towards Auburn. Shortly after Beal’s, I tried to listen/watch the Penn State football game. Yes, I actually tried to hold my phone up and watch the game as I ran technical trails. It didn’t work so I just listened instead. Given the rainy weather and less than reliable internet connection, it was mostly frustrating even just listening. I fell into a pattern of running during commercials and power walking during the game action. Then, my diversion went away because there was a 3 1/2 hour delay during the second quarter because of lightning in Michigan. (Short aside: Penn State lost to Michigan State on a field goal as time expired. It was another weird game because of the lengthy delay.)

Horseshoe Bar 32.5 miles, 130^th place, 6:16 time, 11:34 OA pace, 11:19 section pace.

Horseshoe Bar snuck up on me. I knew an aid station was coming up kind-of soon but I had confused Horseshoe with Rattlesnake. It was a pleasant surprise in that I was almost out of water. There was a 9 mile gap from Granite Bay Beach to Horseshoe Bar. 

The next section is known as the “meat grinder”. It is a series of short but steep up-and-downs. It is particularly tough because of all the rocks and deep step-ups that make it hard to run with any rhythm or pace. Although I still felt good I was concerned about my HR as it was more and more challenging to keep low. I fell slightly behind the pacing chart for my aggressive “A” goal of a 23 hour finish. I sent a text to Doug and Clint, my pacers, and Rebecca letting them know I was off my “A” goal. Not to worry because my “B” goal was still within reach. I want to clarify that my “B” goal was my BIG goal! I had been training hard all year to break the magically 24 hour barrier.

Running the short but steep downhill hill at mile 36 to Rattlesnake aid station, I saw Ray leaving. He was about five minutes ahead of me. Then I saw my friend Deirdre Greenholtz. She is extremely positive and a great ambassador to our sport. We first met at The Canyons 100K in 2014. Our mutual suffering at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 miler in 2015 made us buds. (She beat me at TRT.) Bubbly and bouncy Deirdre lifted my spirits and refueled my body with a Boost nutrition shake. Around mile 39, I caught up with Ray again. I enjoyed his company for the next five miles.

Overlook Park 44.5 miles, 108^th place, 9:03 time, 12:12 OA pace, 13:56 section pace.

Ray and I entered the biggest aid station of the race, Overlook Park, mile 44.5. Clint led me to our little camp. Ray headed in a different direction with his support team. My team smartly set up close to the bathroom which I was able to use. For the non-runners reading this, let me explain that this is not an insignificant detail and a small but important detail. Clint, Rebecca and Lauren did a fantastic job giving me a great rest but in an extremely efficient manner. It really felt like a NASCAR pit stop. Rebecca had all the gear laid out. She had set up the chair with a couple towels on it. On other beach towels she laid out my gear. This lay out enabled me to see everything instead of fumbling through my duffle bags to see what I had and then I what wanted. As I requested, she had a subway Italian BMT sandwich as well as boost protein shake. I ate a hearty lunch.

                                                 

During this rest I became aware of the health scare of my second pacer, Doug Kelley. Doug was in the emergency room with a severe infection. He obviously was not going to be able to pace me later in the evening as planned from the Overlook Park to the finish line in Granite Bay. He felt awful. I felt awful that Doug was even considering my situation when he was the one in the emergency room and I was “recreating”. I was not sure at this point of the race if I would have someone to run those super tough final 25 miles with me.

My pit stop crew got me into a dry, short-sleeved, merino wool, T-shirt. I was most grateful for the help they gave in cleaning my feet and changing my shoes and socks. I grabbed my new running vest, left my handheld bottles behind and headed down the trail to “No Hands” bridge. All said, I estimate that I was at the Overlook Park for 15 minutes.

I headed out exactly at the same time as Ray. We spent a few more easy downhill miles together. I took this section particularly easy because I wanted to give my food a chance to digest.

No Hands Bridge 48.5 miles, 120^th place, 10:14 time, 12:39 OA pace, 17:36 section pace.

At No Hands Bridge, mile 48, Clint Cramer started pacing me. This stuff was old hat for us. We had run parts of this section of trail probably 40 times together.

Clint and I started up the trail in towards the Highway 49 crossing at Quarry Road. It took me a long time to chew the food that I grabbed at the aid station. The half of grilled cheese sandwich was tough. We ended up walking for about five minutes as I felt like I was masticating rubber. Then, after I had finished eating, it was game on! I felt really good. It was a nice emotional boost having a pacer but my conservative race plan was paying dividends. I felt really strong. I had mostly given up on my heart rate at this point. I was now running by feel. Sub 23 hours was out of the picture, my Big “B” goal of a sub 24 hour finish was still very achievable.

For the next 15 miles we ran on mostly smooth and relatively flat trails. Even though the trails were smooth they were not in a good condition because of all the rain. The rain made them a bit slippery but the big factor was that my feet were wet for so many hours. I was nursing a nice blister on my right heel.

During this time with Clint I tried to make arrangements for a replacement pacer for Doug who was in the hospital. My first text was to James Player. He had a church commitment and was not available.  I don’t blame him for not wanting to run with me overnight, listen to me complain and moan rather than sleep in his own bed. My next choice was Deirdre. Leading up to the race she told me she was going to be at the Overlook when I passed through. She would be cheering and then pacing her friend for the last 25 miles. When I saw her at the aid station at mile 36. She told me that her runner had dropped out of the race. I texted her to see if she would be willing to pace me to the finish. She was not able to but she was able to work the phones on my behalf. She found a friend (complete stranger to me) to help me with the most demanding, overnight portion to the finish. Deirdre arranged for her friend Wayne Dowd, a super tough retired Navy Seal, to meet me at the Overlook Park. What a huge blessing this would turn out to be!

At roughly mile 60, we started some real difficult terrain. It was now dark which meant a couple of things. First, it’s harder to navigate the technical terrain. We put on our headlamps. I used my Petzl Nao at a dimmer setting to ensure that I would have enough light with my three batteries. The dark also meant that I could start using caffeine. I had weaned my body of the stimulant for ten days in hope that it would have a more powerful energy lift. It worked! Clint and I climbed a couple of long and steep trails. The worst climb was at the beginning of Goat Hill. We were literally on all fours slipping on the mud trying to find a way up a ridiculously steep and slippery trail. It was only a short portion that required this “Tough Mudder” or “Spartan” obstacle type of scrambling but the slick conditions in this section easily added 15 minutes to my finish time.

Clint and I worked our way over the Highway 49 crossing at Cool and climbed up to meadow section of Cool. The beautiful thing about this race is that I have run every single inch of the course. Clint and I were now at one of our favorite downhill, fast running spots. We typically run this section at a 7-8 minute per mile pace. Fortunately with roughly 68 miles on my legs I was still able to run fast but about 10 minute mile fast. The dirt trail was slower and somewhat slippery but not horrible. The rain had taken a toll but not a huge one. The slick conditions certainly slowed down our pace. Also, I was having some chafing issues down there.

No Hands Bridge 70.5 miles, 85^th place, 15:45 time, 13:24 OA pace, 15:04 section pace.

Clint was a great pacer! He successfully accomplished his mission. He let me go at the bottom of the no hands bridge. I lightly jogged and walked up from the bridge to the station at the Overlook. I enjoyed the company of a couple of former Harvard roommates who were a couple of years older than me. David, the other one, was an emergency room doctor in San Francisco and the other was cardiologist in Eugene, OR. We had nice conversations. David happed to know one of my tire customers in Salem, OR. I also chatted with Joey Tajan from Lincoln. Joey was having a great day! I had passed ahead of him at the ALT aid station. He was chugging up this long climb. Joey went on to a PR and a 22 hour finish.

Overlook Park 74.5 miles, 78^th place, 16:58 time, 13:40 OA pace, 18:11 section pace.

This is where I met Wayne and Deirdre. They were phenomenal cheerleaders as I summited the last climb up to the park. I ate a few grilled cheese squares, refilled my bottles and grabbed some nasty energy gels and was off and running with Wayne.

Wayne was not just a tough as nails retired Navy seal, he also holds the world record for the fastest team relay across the US on bicycle. He is an interested man. Wayne was wonderful! He was very positive, he occupied my brain with his chatter, and was also compassionate to the situation that I was in.

The Overlook Park is roughly 75 miles into the race. The next 3 1/2 miles were mostly on paved roads and runable. What this means is under normal circumstances one would expect to run this section at a fast pace or in my case about seven minute miles. However with so many miles on my legs my quads were toast. I had to force myself to hit even a 12 minute mile.

The next few hours were unbelievably painful, mentally torturous and spiritually draining. I so badly wanted to hit my sub 24 hour goal but I was in excruciating pain. I had these internal conversations with myself about how tough I was or was not. I was in these stupid mind battles. I knew that if I pushed it hard enough I could get 24 but not without killing myself during these final sections. Wayne was cognizant of my predicament. So for the next five hours we danced the death march with light jogging mangled in. He kept saying, “We will trot the trottable and power walk the rest”. And that’s what we did.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I was in a dark place during the section. It helped that I was not overly comfortable on a personal level with Wayne. He pushed all the right buttons but during the heat of the battle I wanted to push back and challenge him on a few of his comments. Again, he did all the right things and it was a huge blessing but it was a grind physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually.

We saw Deirdre at the aid station at mile 83.8 I reluctantly changed into a dry pair of lightweight Adidas road shoes. I drank four cups of chicken broth. I drank a bottle of boost and refilled my stocks. Because of sitting and stopping longer than I usually do at aid stations, my body temp cooled significantly. Thirty seconds after leaving the chair, I started shaking uncontrollably with the chills. The temps were in the low 50s. Wayne and Deirdre got my hat gloves and my light weight Patagonia running jacket. I was good to go again. It was crazy just how fast my core temperature dropped when I was sitting.

Horseshoe Bar 86.5 miles, 68^th place, 20:08 time, 13:58 OA pace, 15:49 section pace.

The next 15 miles were somewhat of a blur. My energy level was decent given the time of day and how many miles I had run. I just wanted it to end. I really focused on Wayne’s mantra of “We trot the trottable and we power walk the rest”.

We now entered the toughest portion of the race. We were doing our return trip through the “meat grinder”. Under normal circumstances this is tricky technical terrain. Given where I was at in the race with so many miles, it was torturous. I am very surprised that I did not have one fall because there were so many obstacles that I was dancing around. I fought so hard to not be negative and to fight off all my stinking thinking. I cursed Julie Fingar’s (RD) name a few times.

We finally finished this section and hit the last aid station at the Granite Bay Beach at 96 miles. The aid stations volunteers informed us that 24 hour finish was a lock if we could just fast walk the remaining easy portion of the course. I tried to run as much as possible because I did not want to miss it by a few measly minutes or, even worse, seconds. I grinded to the very end. Wayne would not let me walk even the last easy third of a mile on the dyke. I left it all on the course. I cruised in and hit my goal. Wayne, Deirdre and I celebrated the moment!

Beal’s Point 100.5 miles, 70^th place, 23:39 time, 14:07 OA pace, 15:05 section pace.

I have such a grateful heart for all the people who made my goal their goal. I’m sure I’ll leave many people off the list but the list needs to start with Rebecca. She sacrifices a lot for this silly hobby of mine. She was also excellent at the two aid stations where I needed her. Clint and Doug for all the miles in training and the pacing although it didn’t pan out for Doug. James Player for his motivation, mentoring and training miles. Deirdre and Wayne for getting me a sub 24 instead of a 25 hour finish.

 

Parting Thoughts

·         Gear was spot on! I supported Continental and rode on our rubber which comes on many adidas running shoes. I started with my pretty white adidas Energy Cloud and used them for 45 miles. I then used my adidas Super Nova ST which is a plush cushioned ride. I finished using my lightweight adidas, adizero adios 3.

·         I love merino wool. I used injinji wool toes socks. I also used Smartwool brand zipper long sleeved running top that kept me comfortable especially when wet. I also used REI merino wool T shirt for the second half of the race.

·         I liked switching from my vest, to handheld and back to my other vest.

·         I messed up a tendon or muscle in my right hand. I think that was from carrying, using, or texting on my phone.

·         After using the bathroom at mile 45 I should have completely cleaned off the old body glide and reapplied. I believe my chafing came after this bathroom break.

·         I like the longer length Nike running shorts. No changes needed.

·         The real food at mile 45 was big. The subway sandwich had no negative. I would try to add more real food next time. I probably downed 25 Gu packs which I hate but they are easy and effective.

·         My soreness was the worse ever.

·         I either did serious soft tissues damage to my right shin or possibly a stress fracture. It is CRAZY what you can accomplish on guts and adrenaline.

Race Report CIM 2012 - MY FIRST BQ

Friday, November 30

I woke up and did a vegetable juice.  There was some older, rubbery, browned celery which I juiced up – about 400 stalks.  Bad, bad decision.  This wrecked me for the next 24+ hours.  I believe I had some form of food poisoning.  I should have thrown up earlier on Friday.  I tried in the evening but I was only able to return an insignificant small quantity.  I was either in the bathtub or in the fetal position most of the day on Friday and early AM Saturday because of body aches and chills.

Saturday, December 1

I woke up feeling significantly better but still about 75% of normal.  I took a restless nap in the late morning but rested most of the day.  I took an easy 1.5 mile to continue my running streak.  I spent 5 hours at Craig’s freshman basketball tournament mostly working the scoreboard.  I watched his game but he didn’t play.  (He is physically behind the other boys.  He has the body of a 7th grader competing against boys who in many cases are already in men’s bodies.) Dinner was one half of a hotdog, half of salty soft pretzel and an apple.

After Rebbie and I finished the last basketball game we went to the Mike and Jena Oehler’s Christmas party.  Desserts were served and we played a few games.  Both Reb and I liked the crowd.  I was anxious that I was staying up too late and worried about how to approach my big race given my stomach sickness and the forecasted heavy rains and heavy winds.  I got to sleep about 11:15 PM.

Sunday, December 2

My big day started at 3:30 AM.  When I went to bed Saturday night I held out hope that that the storm, which was forecasted to bring 25 mph headwinds promptly at the 7:00 a.m. start time and then seize around noon, would finish early and become gentler.  I woke up, checked the weather, and found that 7:00 a.m. was now scheduled to have 35 mph winds.  I heard the wind howling like it seldom does here in Rocklin.  I did not want to be outside.  I found out later the winds blew down both branches and even a roof tile at our house.   

Although, I didn’t want to start my day so early, my nerves would not allow any more sleep.  I juiced beets, spinach and carrots.  I also ate a small bowl of cereal.  I worked on my iTunes playlist.  I packed my two bags and left for the Zimmerman’s house.  On the way, I downed a Zip fizz energy drink which has lots of caffeine and b-12 vitamins.  I arrived there with tons of nervous energy at 5:30.  We small talked and strategized our approaches with Abby and Todd.  We were dropped off at the start by our awesome support team of Janet Zimmerman and Todd Farmer in Folsom at 6:40.   The start of the race was very subdued this year.  I may have missed the party by focusing at the goal and listening to my tunes, but I didn’t hear any music other than the national anthem.  No balloon arch and not a lot of that silly, giddy atmosphere you generally get before a marathon.  It was a grimly determined, “Let’s do this thing,” feeling in the area where I started.  I ran with the 3:25 pace group led by Lee McKinley, a very accomplished ultra marathoner.  The lasting visual was looking at the streetlights’ glow and seeing the rain coming into our faces at a 45 degree angle.

The gun sounded and it was actually kind of scary because of the harsh conditions.  I spread my elbows out wide and power walked until I hit the starting gate.  I was determined to stick to my goal of getting my Boston Qualifier time of sub 3:25!  Get to work!  Stay on plan!  Don’t fall.

The first mile was fast and downhill, but everyone was running in tight little steps to be careful of wet manhole covers, deep puddles, and because of, yeah, the wind.  We were running into 30 mph wind.  It was even more challenging because of the bozos that start way close to the starting line even though they have no chance of breaking 4 hours.  It causes unnecessary congestion and it’s a safety issue in conditions like today.  I was slalom running as I passed 40 or so in the opening mile.

My strategy was not to run ahead of my Boston Qualifier time of 3:25.  I knew I would feel very good at times but I wanted to run a smart disciplined race.  I was executing and I was committed to stay on pace.  The biggest challenge of the first 5 miles was to keep from falling down or knocking somebody down.  It was very crowded and slippery.  Only after 5 miles did it start to spread out a bit.  I followed my plan on pace and nutrition.  I took a gu pack every 45 minutes.  I also took one electrolyte pill before the race.  I took another 2 at 1:30.  This seems to work well for my sweat rate.  I have used it my training runs as well.  I only drank 4-8 ounces at the aide stations and I only used about 60% of the stations.  However, I still walked when I drank and ate the GU.  This caused me to fall behind the pace group.  It would take about 2-3 minutes to catch back up.  I preferred running tightly clustered to my group because I felt it was easier to battle the winds. We ran in this rigid formation and in reality it was more likely a mental advantage rather than a significant draft.

Everything was going well.  I was focused on my plan and my music.  I was in my zone.  My first mental sticky note hit me at mile 15, I remember thinking that I could run forever at this effort level and pace of 7:48 per mile.  I wanted to make a note because history taught me that the feeling would not last.  Because I felt so good I wanted see just how long the feeling would last.  Only one mile later I was in the “endure to the end” frame of mind.  I wasn’t hurting per say, but it was now work and it was no longer effortless or even fun.

I plugged along until mile 20.  When it hit 20 I threw away my Under Armor t shirt and went after it.  Macho Man Time!  I wanted to pull a little ahead of the 3:25 pace group to see how things would go from there.  For the next 6.2 miles things progressively became tougher and tougher.  From miles 20-24 I would pull ahead of the 3:25 pace group and they would reel me back in.  I never trailed behind them but I wasn’t able to put them out of sight in my rear view mirror.  I took off the music about mile 22 to use every ounce of mental energy to focus on finishing strong.  Pain is weakness leaving the body!  During the last 10K of the marathon I played mental games with myself.  I wanted my goal so, so badly.  I kept the expectation in check but just focusing on the task of staying ahead or even with the pace group.  I knew that my goal just might not be in the cards today.  I just kept telling myself to not get behind the pace group and to keep my expectations in check.  There were 3-4 very tough painful surges to get me back on the heels of the group.  By mile 24 I was fighting with everything I had.  The pain was about an 8.5 out of 10 but I knew that I only had another 15 minutes to endure.  The reward was reaching a 10 year old goal.  The pace group was now down from 20ish during the majority of the first 20 miles to about 5 at 24 miles.  Every part of my body was in pain:  leg muscles, chest, trap muscles, foot blisters, chaffing, etc.  Pain is temporary.  Pride is forever.  I ignored it.  At mile 26 I was started to tail a few yards from the pacer when I saw Todd Farmer and Janet cheering.  What a huge mental lift.  I found another gear and awkwardly increased my pace turning it into a funny looking half sprint as approached the u turn to the finish shoot.  With .25 left I knew I would hit my time.  However, I also wanted to a gun time of under 3:25.  As I approached the finish line the last number I saw was 3:24:50.  I figured I easily finished within my BQ time.  My official times were: chip 3:24:15 and gun 3:25:00.  I hit my goal after 10 years of long distance running!

I met up with Todd Farmer and Janet.  We cheered Abby.  I then went to the car with Janet to address my hands and feet which had lost feeling, had turned white and were killing me.  After 30 minutes of running the heater, the blood returned.

We returned to the Zimmerman’s for a nice post race party.  I texted my running group to share my success.  Doug Kelley, after congratulating me, informed for that the CIM website had my time wrong.  My chip apparently didn’t register at the start.  It officially had my gun and chip time at 3:25:01.  No biggie except that time if not corrected would have kept me from Boston by one second.  

Overall, WOW, what a great day and great experience!  I had put the time and work in and I didn’t let the circumstances dictate my destiny.  VEGGIES!

Race Report for Overlook 100K – September 6, 2014

Race Report for Overlook 100K – September 6, 2014

I signed up for this challenging 100K back in June when life was significantly different.  I was still working for Hankook Tire, my travel was demanding but completely predictable, and no married kids yet.  The couple of months have been wonderful but hectic.  As things played out, I started my new awesome job at Continental Tire the week before this run.  I had to get special permission just to fly back for the race from Continental Tire’s headquarters.  I returned home from the east coast at 11:00 PM, then prepped my gear for the race, and finally got to bed around 12:20 AM.  I enjoyed about 3:30 hours of surprisingly restful sleep and then it was on!

I drank my veggie, beet and apple juice to start me off.  Gathered my things and left the house about 4:20 towards Foresthill where the race started.  I was able to get checked in, chatted with Dan (new friend), and used the bathroom successfully.

We started and I ran with great discipline.  I enjoyed everything from the scenery to the small talk to reflecting upon my life in general.  Life in general meaning my new job, Mikaela’s marriage, and Allie’s new chapter starting BYU.  I had a nice taste of joy and satisfaction that the world was good.  However good I felt, I knew that in the game of ultramarathoning that those positive feelings would not be permanent.  I held to my plan and kept my effort at easy to moderate.  I walked all the inclines.  I also did something that was new for me, I took it super easy on the descents.  I tried very hard to keep from destroying my quadriceps muscles. Within the first 2 miles we ran down Bath Road which was a long, steep, paved section.  I ran about 10% backwards to preserve my quads.

At the bottom of Bath Road we entered the Western States trail.  I don’t know how much we stayed on the famous trail.  This section took us from Foresthill to Michigan Bluff.  At Michigan Bluff #1 I was 6.3 miles into the race.  We headed back unto the dirt trails and we did about a 7 mile loop.  These Foresthill and Michigan Bluff sections were the most challenging of the day in terms of technical terrain and steepness.  However, the adrenaline was pumping, the body was well rested from tapering and the biggest physical challenge was to go at a very sustainable pace.  I executed well but still got out faster than the plan.  I came to Michigan Bluff for the second time.  I was now 13.2 miles in. It was great seeing my support team: Clint Cramer, Doug and Debbie Kelley.  Their presence and support energized me and efficiently moved me out of the aid station.  They had brought a lawn chair.  I enjoyed getting off my feet for about 60 seconds as I tightened my laces on my Hokas.  I developed a small blister on the bottom edge of my right heel.  It was a small inconvenience not a problem.  I exchanged my race vest for two handheld bottles and I was off towards Foresthill again.  This section was mostly non-eventful as I accomplished my goal of keeping the heart rate moderate and staying on plan.  My Garmin was a tad bit off but I knew that I was slightly ahead of pace.  My overall pace over the first third was roughly 12:45 which was super easy.

I exited the WS trail and started to climb Bath Road.  I walked but still passed 2-3 others given my strong pace.  I felt in charge and smooth as I glided into the Foresthill aid station, 19.5 mile mark.  I tried to use the port-a-potty but fortunately I didn’t need TP to do my business because there was no TP there!  At the Foresthill aid station I made my first mistake. There was no way of knowing this then, but with 20/20 hindsight now, I should have sat down and completely rehydrated.  I was still feeling great but the temps were climbing and I had been out for 3 plus hours.   My team was great.  I loved the cheering and all the logistical support of handing me what I requested.  I barely ate a few things, drank not nearly enough and left with my rest vest and 40 ounces of tailwind.

I started the Cal Street section.  This is a fast, very runable downhill stretch.  I felt good and ran steady and easy.  I was running about a 9 minute per mile pace for about 25 minutes.  Then, I started to slowly decrease my pace but the effort was disproportionately hard. I was hot and starting to dehyrdate.  This area was mostly exposed and the temps were in the 90s.  What’s more, given the exposure to the sun the rocks and dirt retained and radiated heat.  My guess was that the canyons high temps were in the triple digits.   Over the next half an hour, I went from running in the 9s to a 14 minute pace.  I felt both a racing heart and kidney pain when I ran so I played it safe and walked.  A mile before my next aid station, Peachstone, I ran out of water.

I ran into Peachstone, 28.2 miles, feeling thirsty but not feeling effects dehydration although I was, at least to some degree.  I noticed how many runners were lingering but I failed to see this as a signal to recover myself.  I slammed down sports drink, water and Coke.  I ate and I even sat down.  A gracious aid station volunteer helped my fill my race vest with ice.  I spent about 4 minutes here but it was woefully inadequate.  I should have spent 10 minutes and completely rehydrated.  I cannot beat myself up too badly because at least I was alert enough to copy Pam Smith’s cooling tactic of using ice to lower my core temperature by filling The backpack pounce of my vest with a couple pounds of ice. This relieved my back/kidney pain to a small degree. However, I needed much more liquid in my system than the 40 ounces that I was able to carry.  Halfway between aid stations I ran out of drink, again. I was now in the pain cave. To make matters worse as I trotted and walked along I had a great view of the American River.  Not only was the refreshing water an enormous temptation to either delay my race or abandon it altogether and frolic in the cold mountain water, but also there was a white water rafting group in sight.  Given the crazy acoustics I was able to eavesdrop on the conversations in their rafts. I could hear them like they were just 10 feet away from me. These guys were having a great time enjoying all things that I was lacking such as abundant water, and cooler body temperatures from the water splashes.  It was a stark juxtaposition.  Back to the long death march…  About 1 mile from the aid station a generous runner offered me a few swigs off his bottle and a nice support person gave me water as well.  I survived.

I struggled into the Rucky Chucky aid station, mile marker 35.5.  Clint gave me an enthusiastic cheer.  His cheery welcome rained down and washed away my negativity.  I plopped my butt down on a boulder in the shade.  I explained to Clint my dehydration and kidney issues.  I told him all time goals were off the table and I only wanted to finish.  Clint was great!  He and another female supporter nurtured me back with Coke, water, and sugary and salty junk food.  I rinsed the salt off with cold sponges which also helped to cool my core.  Clint filled the vest with ice again.  I was in bad shape but Clint and I moved out of the Rucky Chucky aid station after about 15 minutes.

The next section with Clint from Rucky Chucky to the river crossing was my lowest point.  I wanted to run because my leg muscles felt strong and ready. However, I couldn’t.  The back and kidney issues both scared me and shut me down.  My rate heart raced when I upped the effort level and the pain was too much.  Pain is okay in this crazy sport.  However, I was confident that this pain I was experiencing was not the type to ignore but rather listen to.  Clint and I enjoyed the company and scenery as we mostly walked three 3 miles to the river crossing.

We finally made the river, 38.7 Poverty Bar. The father of the sport of ultrrunning running and legend, Gordy Angsleigh, helped guide us across the waist high water.  We used carabineers on tight guide rope to get across. The current was very swift and the water was up to our waists. The crossing took about 8 minutes including set up.  Once across, I laid in the calm part of the river for about 5 minutes.  This cooling of my core was a tremendous help.  Clint and I left soaking wet but invigorated.  I was feeling the best that I had felt in the previous few hours (since the beginning of Cal street section).  We climbed at a steady pace towards the Green Gate aid station.  There was a good amount of vertical but it was fairly short.  Energy was returning.

We arrived at mile marker, 41.3, the Green Gate aid station and I collapsed into the chair that Doug and Debbie set out for me.  We were informed of the carnage from the toughness of the course and more importantly the brutality of the heat.  I was in 11th place.  Let me thank my support team for everything during this long day but this was such a well laid out rest station for me!  I took about 10 minutes.  A small thing that made a huge difference was the short foot massage that Doug gave me while changing shoes from the Hoka to my women’s Nike free shoes.  We repacked my UD vest with core cooling ice.  Then, it was Debbie’s turn.

We were off.  I was fatigued but feeling relatively good.  In others words, the pain was within the normal range and not the kind that I experienced when I felt I was destroying my kidneys.  We headed towards Auburn Trail’s aid station.  Debbie and I journeyed for the next 14 miles.  She did a great job of being supportive.  She listened to me and didn’t push me only enabled and supported.  We also had some “trail only” talk about bodily functions.  It was weird but very important as it made me realize that even though I was feeling better I still needed more liquid.  I only had 3 pee breaks 10 hours in to the race and the color was not good.  This portion of the trail was largely tree covered and the terrain was runable.  We ran a good amount of our time together.

Prior to entering Auburn Trail aid station at mile 46.7, Debbie and I discussed our plan to get in and out quickly.  She sped up and executed perfectly.  I only had to spend about 1 minute taking in some food and salt tabs.

We ran well from Auburn Trails down to Brown Bar (52.3) and from Brown Bar we headed up the hill towards the 49 Hwy station.  This was a very steep, long uphill. This was mentally challenging but as they say about ultra running, "it's 90% mental and the rest is in your head." It was getting dark but I knew the end was close.  Clint met us a half mile from the aid station with headlamps and we ran.

Finally, we crossed Hwy 49, mile marker 55 and met a very encouraging and vocal aid station.  My support team was fantastic.  I felt my spirits lifted.  I left my race vest and went macho man style (shirtless).  Clint carried my water.  My headlamp was weak and I had many mini stumbles.  Clint offered me his light which was huge.  Mine was dying.  It was tough walking this downhill section because we usually bomb this at a seven minute per mile pace during training runs here.  It was a huge contrast.

We finally made it to the last aid station at No Hands Bridge, mile 58.3.  Doug and Debbie and the whole aid station cheered us on.  I made a 30 second stop and Clint replenished.  I jogged over the bridge and then resigned myself to walking the last 3.5 to the end.  That changed when Stacy (first place female) and her pacer Jason passed us.  I had a surge of energy partly because of the competitor in me and more so because I wanted to borrow their gift of sight from their headlights.  Our lighting was awful.  My lamp, the one Clint was using, was dead. The group of us 4 ran and walked the last 3.5 miles into the finish where Rebbie was there to celebrate our accomplishment. I finished in15:58:50 which was good for 11th overall.  Only 50 registered for this race and, this speaks to difficulty, only 16 finished. This was a killer course.  62.3 miles, 16,500 feet go vertical gain, 17,500 vertical loss (net downhill), but most daunting we're the temps that hovered in the 90s and low hundreds in the sun exposed canyons.

I can’t thank my friends enough.  I doubt I would have finished without them today.

Key Take-A-Ways for Western States 100 mile.

• Bring a reservoir in addition to the 2 20 ounce bottles.

• Bring a light just in case.

• Use ice in UD race vest.

• Don’t be afraid to slosh when the temps get this high.

• I should have stayed a bit longer in the few of the earlier aid stations.

• Hokas are not the shoes for me.  Both 100k I had blisters on my heels.