Sunday, September 8, 2013

Hallucination 100 DNF

I went to  "Run Woodstock" in Pickney Michigan this weekend to run the "Hallucination"100 miler.   Running the DG race I had decided that I wasn't going to do this one in-spite of being registered.   The recovery from DG was so good it was only a couple of days later that I had decided to go ahead with the race.

Left home a little after 8am arriving in Pickney 6 hours later.   Grabbed a bit of food before heading to the Hell Creek Ranch.  Got a bit turned around in Pickney and burned 30 minutes looking for the race.  Arrived and parked 100m from the start finish right on the course.    Attended the 3pm meeting  with a beer and a burger and the company of Chris B, Chris and Christa Baker and a friend "Lim" from NYC that they had picked up in Detroit the day before.

So I was off at 4pm with what seemd like two to three hundred folks doing the 100 K and 100 Mile races.
The 26.8 K loop was to be run 6 times and  there were 4 aide stations equally spaced it would be every 6.7 K ... a little further between then I am use to.    The first loop was fantastic.  There were always others around and lots of chatter going on making it easy to forget about what I was doing.    The course is very flat ,  only a few small hilly sections.  The trail was a combo of single track ,  mountain bike ,  rail trail and gravel roads.   Finished the first loop in around 3.5 hours somewhere around a 7:30 avg pace feeling really good.  It was 7:30 pm so I had to stop at the car and suit up for the night run... this is where things started to change for me.   It seemed to take forever getting ready I was a little perturbed for not being more organized ...should have been quick grab.  I even took my shoes off and dumped the sand and dirt that had already accumulated.  So heading out just before 8pm I grabbed a Coke and a PB and Jam Sandwich walking the first little bit of the course while I ate.    Just as I was finishing the PB and J I just about threw it all up.  The tummy wasn't upset I was just having trouble swallowing it.   So it was disaster averted and I started running.  A few K in we hit a Rail Trail for 2-3 K.   Dead flat with Zero hazards a gift I would say.   It was twilight and getting dark fast.  The Sky was beautiful and I had my lights off just enjoying the ride watching the sky feeling good and taking it all in.    I had passed a few on the trail ,  most with their lights on.  As I was lost in my thoughts one came up.... maybe you should have your lights on so you don't miss the trail markers.   Looking down there were Blue Flags .... I should be following Pink.  Looking back down the dead straight and flat track there were no lights to be seen.  Then a K or 2 back I saw a light ,  then it went out.  Then another and another.  Strange I thought to myself that folks kept turning their lights off.  Then I dawned on me that they were turning off the trail.  So back I went probably close to 2K.  I tried to shake it off bu the next 15K were not so fun.  Started walking allot and it was way way way to early for that.  I found that the walk was as fast as my shuffled run and it seemed to take allot less effort.  I figured I was coming in somewhere around a 10-11 min pace which I was OK with.      I was a little dehydrated after the first loop but made it up in the second.   I had been doing a GU Roctane at every aide station and was eating Granola Bars and bringing in lots of fluids and the occasional S Cap.   At the third and last aide station I had a slice of Pepperoni Pizza ... it was so good.  Cranked the tunes and suddenly I was running again .... the last part of the loop was hilly but really wide sandy trails.   Finished loop 2 around 1am feeling great ,  awesome actually and was really optimistic that I had turned things around and was going to be able to run loop 3.    I was around 1:30 am when I hit the rail trail again .   This time determined not to miss the turn.   I couldn't believe how well marked it was a was amazed that I had run by the spot a half dozen hours previous!   I didn't know it at the time but the rail trail was the last running I would do that night.   I could not  muster up a run at all.   I was good with the Nutrition ,  Hydration and I was getting enough Calories,  I just couldn't run.   The weather couldn't have been better ,  clear and around 15C.    I was frustrated because I knew that it was darn near perfect conditions and that I was looking after everything but I just couldn't get running.    Half way through the loop my walk was starting to slow to what I guessed was a 14:00 pace.   There were an awful lot of very talented runners flying through the night.   I only came across the odd person that was going slower then I was.  There was an option at the end of your 4th loop of drooping down to the 100K race.  You would get a medal and an official time.  I  had entertained the idea of doing just that...perhaps taking a break after loop 3.    My feet were sore as is usual.  I had blisters on toes that normally don't bother me.   Figured it was from all the walking.    During the last 5K of the loop it was becoming light out.  I was going to finish it around 7am after taking nearly 6 hours to cover the 26.8k.     The idea of a 1-2 hour break heading back out around 9am for up to another 6 hours just to get he consolation prize didn't appeal to me at all so I decided I would DNF and it didn't bother me in the least!  

 It only took about 10 minutes to pack up the car and get dressed.   After grabbing a Red Bull,  Coke and PB and J I headed out and was home around 1pm.     The highlight of the weekend came at the border thanks to a friendly Canada Customs Agent.  It went something like this....

Agent :"Where are you going Sir"
Me:"Durham "

Agent:"Anything to declare" 
Me:"Well I got this Duty free case of Blue 21 hours ago and expected to be away until Sunday but plans changed and I left early." 

Agent:"What were you doing in the U.S."
Me:"I was running a 100 mile Ultra Marathon and things didn't work out so i bailed at 80K."

Agent :"You ran 80K...good for you! Have you every done that before?"
Me: "Yes I completed a 100 miler a month ago."

Agent :"A month ago ...don't you think you should have waited a bit longer to do it again?"
Me:" Well today's result certainly suggest that "

Agent " Well Sir enjoy your Beer ...you certainly earned it!"

I drove off without paying any duty...how cool is that!


   All and all a great experience.   I would like to go back next year not for redemption but to participate in a truly great race.     

 I shot a ton of video through the night capturing all my highs and lows.  When I post it to YouTube in a week or two I will also add it to a Blog Entry.   Its going to be interesting viewing!

2 comments:

chris mcpeake said...

Sounds like it was a tough one for you Ron. DG must have still been in your legs big time. The 100 is just such a hard distance. Sounds like a great race tho.

cya out on the trails sometime soon.
cheers

ngcaper Ron said...

Such a strange result for you, but I concur going out for 6hrs for consolation is too much. Somedays it's just not meant to be. I'm disappointed we didn't get to bump into each other, perhaps at DG some year.