Superior Sawtooth 100 mile 2010

Only a little over a month after the race – but here it is… Pictures are over there--->

As always, I will give you the cliff notes version first - I severely sprained my ankle at mile 6, almost had to drop out at mile 34, but was able to come back to finish 4th overall in 27 hrs 5 min. It rained from 10 PM through 6 AM straight. Very cold rain, heavy fog (Couldn't see much farther than my hands) and wind all night. As miserable as it sounds - It was a fantastic experience that I will never forget.

Have you ever struggled with something so bad that when the deadline came for a decision to be made, you still didn’t know? That’s what happened in the weeks leading up to this race. Ever since I paced for my uncle Dale Humphrey here is 2008, I have wanted to come back and run the entire race myself. From that day it has been my favorite course all time. I have never run on a more challenging and scenic course. To top it off, the people running, volunteering, and crewing for their runners were all top notch as well. I wasn’t able to make it to the race last year because of work, but this year I decided to give it a shot.

My training leading up to the race was very much all over the place. I actually tried something new this time. I tried to work around my family’s schedules, as opposed to the other way around. Therefore, I focused on getting more quality workouts in, as opposed to just more workouts or more mileage. I would say I did more mileage on Harris Hill (Local sledding hill that’s about 85’ high) than anywhere else. I knew the terrain was tough, and wanted my training to mirror that as much as possible. I didn’t want to be wasting my time getting a bunch of junk miles in on the roads. I was out in Salt Lake City 2 weeks before the race, and was able to run in the Wasatch Mountains 2 times out there. I felt prepared training-wise.

However, there’s so much happening in our lives right now. From the kids heading back to school and all that goes along with that, to considering accepting a job out in Los Angeles and moving the entire family out there from innocent little Yorkville, IL, to trying to get my own personal training and USANA business off the ground, to my wife training for her first marathon (Chicago Marathon), to just being here and being available and supportive as a husband and father when my family needs that – Life seemed to take precedence over a race at the time. So as the race approached I started really struggling with the decision to run this race or not. I decided about 1.5 weeks out that I should not run the race. I emailed the race director Larry Pederson and asked what the refund policy was. He said he understood and I could get a full refund if I decided to drop out. Being my stubborn self and not having made my mind up 100% - I said “I’ll get back to you ASAP and let you know for sure”.

In the meantime I discussed the pros and cons with my wife, my oldest daughter, my mom, Uncle Dale, Peter Defty, a pastor friend of mine, God, and just about anyone else who would listen. They were all very supportive. On the Friday before Labor Day I told Uncle Dale, who was driving back from Lean Horse 100 where he finished 4^th overall, that I had decided not to run the race and was just waiting until the last few days before the race to let Larry know, just in case. He said ok, but then called back the next day and said “We’re making a detour. We’re heading back down to Yorkville for the weekend, and then heading home (Ely, MN) after Labor Day.” He wanted to know if I could run with him on Sunday and/or Monday. I said sure. As we were running we started discussing the fact that he was heading up to MN, and the race was only 1.5 hrs from his house. It would be very easy for me to just ride up there with them.

I talked to my wife again, and actually struggled with the decision more than any decision I’ve had to make in recent years. I told them on Monday night that I’d go, but was still undecided for sure until they got to our house to pick me up the next day. I had my stuff packed, but could still decide to stay home. I prayed and God’s answer was for me to run the race, but to come back refreshed and dive back into my family’s life with all of the passion and enthusiasm that I put into my racing and training for this race.

So with that I jumped into their car and we were off to Ely for a few days before the race (Where I spent hours looking for the right raincoat because I knew it was going to rain Friday night – foreshadowing here..), then Dale and I would drive his 1972 VW bus over to the pre-race meeting, then drive to the race finish at Caribou Highlands Lodge in Lutsen, MN and sleep in the VW bus the night before the race. Then we’d get on the school bus that takes the runners from the lodge to the starting line in Gooseberry Falls State Park.

The pre-race dinner was cool. Everyone introduced himself or herself after Larry gave the final details of the race. We talked to a few familiar faces and headed out to eat our pre-race dinner. We stopped at a small restaurant along Hwy 61 where we each had a huge bloody steak, baked potato w/tons of sour cream and butter, and some awesome dark chocolate for desert.

We headed back to the lodge, made a few race preparations, and were both asleep in the VW bus by 11:00 PM.

Woke up bright and early (5:00 AM) Friday. Ate our pre-race meal of heavy cream and berries, grabbed our stuff and jumped on the bus for the hour long ride to Gooseberry Falls. We chatted with Susan Donnelly on the bus. She talked about her experience at UMTR this year. Sounds like it wasn’t a good one…

Oddly enough - I felt very relaxed. This is not normal for me. I’m usually a ball of nerves for the entire week before a race, right up to the last minute before the start. This time I felt a sense of calm and confidence. I think a major part of that was knowing that I had a solid plan for this race as far as fueling goes. I tested it at Kettle Moraine earlier this year and it worked great. I would take Vespa every 2.5 hours, Anti-fatigue and Race Caps Supreme every hour, hydrate with NUUN (One tablet per bottle when I refilled), and grab Hammer Gels and food from the aid stations as needed. It’s VERY simple and VERY effective. Taking that doubt about nutrition away was a HUGE advantage for me at Kettle, and I knew it would work here too. I also planned to use REV3 for an energy boost if needed.

8:00 AM and we were off. From the very start I wanted to stay towards the front of the pack. I knew that if I could stay there through the daylight, that as soon as night fell I could start to make some progress on the people ahead of me. Since I wasn’t wearing an Ipod for this race I decided to sing to myself in my head. However, the first song that came to my head was “Blaze of Glory” by Bon Jovi. WHAT!? I hadn’t heard that song in years! Why Bon Jovi?? I am NOT going down in a blaze of glory…. I immediately turned off my Ihead for the remainder of the race…

As we made our way along the first few miles I chatted with Adam Casseday, whom I had met before at Three Days of Syllamo, Andy Holak, and a few others. As we chatted and ran along a very rare smooth section of the course, at about mile 6, I turned my ankle REALLY hard. So hard that my lower leg actually touched the ground, and I heard a crack.

This is actually a normal thing for me to do. In fact I usually do this in every race, and I’m able to just keep running and the pain goes away after a few miles. This felt different. I never stopped running, and just fully assumed that the pain would go away as it had in the past. However, it started to get worse and worse. By the time I got to Beaver Bay (Mile 19.4) it was hurting pretty bad. I grabbed some oranges and other fruit and made my way out of Beaver Bay in some serious pain.

I suffered through the next 5 miles. With the steep inclines and rocky/rooty terrain it became harder and harder to maneuver without feeling some intense pain. I had to slow down to a walk for most of this 5-mile section. Up hills were not bad, but downhills were horrible. The temperature began to rise along with my pain level, and I was starting to become discouraged. Here I am at mile 21 or 22, and I can barely walk. I wasn’t angry because it wasn’t like this was something that I could control. I was actually very accepting of the fact that I might not be able to finish. Just discouraged because I felt like my training was pretty much right on for this race, and I felt the best I have ever felt mentally and physically coming into it.

I started to do math in my head, wondering if I could limp all the way to mile 50, and at least get a 50-mile finishers medal and call it a day. As a few runners passed me, they offered their support. Adam Schwartz-Lowe offered encouragement as he seemingly skated by in his Hokaoneones. Funny, I had just heard about those shoes a day before this race, and there they were. Chris Hanson seemed genuinely concerned, and said “My dad’s up here at the next aid station. I’m going to tell him to make sure to have the walking poles out for you. I brought them with just in case someone was injured and needed them.” He asked my name and race number, and disappeared on down the trail. Wasn’t too much longer and I finally made it into Silver Bay (Mile 24.3).

I asked if anyone had ice. No ice. Helen Lavin (Women’s winner in 2008) was very helpful, offering many suggestions, and reminding Chris Hanson’s dad to grab those poles. He took off for his car, which was a ways away. In the meantime I suggested I take off my shoe and sock to see what things looked like. An aid-station worker quickly said “Don’t do it. Do not do that.” I agreed. Helen offered me some Ibuprofen. Hmmmm. I had packed some in my drop bags, but not until mile 62.2. I wondered if it was too early to start taking Ibuprofen. After thinking about it, and some reassurance from Helen and Scott Meyers’ wife, I took it.

I ate some food (Forget what), and then Helen told me to head out and she’d catch up with me when Chris’ dad got back with the poles. I hobbled quickly out of the aid station and in about 10 minutes Helen came running up behind me with the poles. After fiddling with them for a few minutes I decided that they might actually be more trouble than they were worth, because I had never used them before. It was kind of like trying to use crutches, but while holding two water bottles at the same time, and going up and down some serious terrain with big roots and rocks. Not a good combo…

That being said, the willingness of everyone at that aid station to help me out completely lifted my spirits. I was in a rut heading into that aid station, but heading out I felt a renewed confidence. They were there to support the other runners I was running against, and they seemingly dropped everything they were doing to help me out without thinking about it twice. I can’t say enough about the quality of people I have met at these races, and especially the folks up there in Minnesota. TOP NOTCH.

Still hobbling I moved along slowly for the next few miles. More runners passed me. Maybe 3 total. Then it happened. The Ibuprofen had kicked in and all of the sudden the edge was off and I could move a bit faster and faster with each step. That’s when I knew I was going to finish. I think my eyes turned green like the transformation of Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk. Holy crap. I was a new man! Let’s do this!

I passed a few of the runners that had passed me while I was hobbling along and caught back up with Scott Meyers, an ultra veteran. Scott has been at most of the races that I have been at, and I have seen him many times. I just never had a chance to talk to him. We ended up sticking together for the next 5-6 miles and got to know each other. Talking with him helped pass the time, and I got a lesson on politics after I confessed that I know nothing about politics. He had some great stories about some of the races he has done, and I just really enjoyed his company. He kept telling me to go ahead and pass, but I was enjoying our conversation too much.

Before I knew it we were to the aid station at Country Road 6 (Mile 42). I ate quite a bit here, including but not limited to about 75 grapes, a cup of tomato soup, a full grilled cheese sandwich, some coffee, and some cookies. Feeling like a new man, I quickly headed out.

I remember uncle Dale telling me that these next two sections (about 15.5 miles) were quite runnable. So I decided to try to push it. I ended up catching up to Scott again, who had headed out ahead of me. This time I accepted his invitation to scoot by him. I kept pushing, almost falling off of the boardwalks that crossed the beaver dams a few times, and ended up passing two or three more runners through this section. I came into Finland (Mile 50) full of energy and ready to rock. Some of the people who had seen me at the previous aid stations were amazed that I had come back so strong after looking so bad not so long ago. I ate as much as I could here, including more soup, grapes, and an avocado, and headed out.

At this point it started to get really dark. I switched my headlight on as I maneuvered the single track into the vast darkness of the forest. This was it. It’s a whole new ballgame when the sun goes down. The forest sucked me in as the winds started whipping and whirling the trees, and the huge pines hissed. What a beautiful experience, to be there in that vast expanse of the Superior National Forest, one with nature. I felt ALIVE. I imagined I was an Indian 200 years ago chasing down his prey. I floated down the trail, seemingly flying over the rocks, roots, and hills.

Through this next section I passed a few more runners who had passed me while my ankle was hurting and couldn’t run. As I came into Sonju Lake Road (Mile 58) a few crew members for other runners assumed it was them and called out their name as I came in. At first I was like “No, I’m Nolan, why??” Then I caught on… I ate a few things real quick here, downed another Vespa and hit the trail.

I really don’t remember too much here because I was very focused on pushing my pace as hard as I could. I knew the toughest section of the race was coming up and I needed to make up time here and now, while the terrain was still very runnable. After a while I emerged from the forest onto a gravel road. Whoa, a flat surface! I followed the trail markers along the road for seemingly 2 miles. I was so excited to see a smooth surface I must have been doing 7-minute miles and I worked up a sweat doing so. I finally made it into Crosby Manitou (Mile 62.2).

I knew that once I got here, it was going to be TOUGH. I paced for my uncle Dale in 2008 from here to the finish, so I sort of remember what it was like. I grabbed some stuff from my drop bag, and asked the aid station workers what the weather was looking like. Rain?? I knew it was supposed to rain, but was looking for an update to see if I needed my raincoat here or if I could make it to the next spot where I had a drop bag with another raincoat. They said it wasn’t supposed to rain for another 2 hours. Not enough time for me to get to the next drop bag, but I was sweating pretty good and figured a little rain would actually feel pretty good. I asked how far it was to the next aid station. They all looked at me sympathetically and said it was along ways, and that it was a very tough section, 9.4 miles total.

I knew this was one of the most dreaded sections of the race for everyone. Dale said that people talk about how hard this section is all the time, and many people actually skip it if they are doing training on the course through the year. The night before the race, as we studied the map, he said “They say the devil lives down there…..” in his spookiest, creepiest voice with his head cocked sideways and one eye squinted shut. That conversation stuck in my head through the whole section. The way things started to go, “they” might be right….

As soon as you leave the Crosby Manitou aid station you can hear a river flowing far off through the forest. The terrain in this section IS pretty tough. There are many spots where you’re hopping from huge bolder to huge bolder, while going down a 70-degree drop off. You start to wonder – “Is this really the trail??”, and as you get closer to the river it continues to drop seemingly endlessly as the river gets louder and louder. Once you get close to it the power of the raging water is obvious, but only by the sound since it’s completely dark. With a glance in the right direction with my headlight I see the water raging over the boulders. Kind of like shining a light on a monster in the closet.

As I made my way back up the mountain that was on the other side of the river, I ran as much as could, which was not much. Many sections consisted of almost climbing hand over fist up piles of boulders, then out to an opening on top of a mountain, then to the edge of a cliff which was luckily marked with four reflective Xs (XXXX) to make sure people didn’t run off the edge of the trail into oblivion in the dark of the night.

About a half hour into this section it started to rain. About an hour and half early according to the last aid station people. Dale had warned me that if it did rain, it would probably be cold. He was right. At first I couldn’t tell if it was more wind, but then as the drops made their way through the trees and down onto me on the trail, I shuddered. It was freezing cold. It wasn’t just sprinkling either. It started pouring. It would pour for a half an hour, stop for 10 minutes, then start again. I seriously prayed for the rain to stop many times. Soon the breaks between the rain disappeared and it was a constant cold, heavy, unforgiving rain.

Soon I started having trouble seeing because a light fog had developed along with the rain. Then the light fog became thick within an hour or so, and the rain became a deluge. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see much further than my hand in front of me. How I stayed on the trail and didn’t get lost is a mystery to me, but I would have to say it had much to do with Larry’s excellent trail marking. To not get lost in that heavy fog and rain – at night – was a miracle. At one point I tried to dim my headlight, like you do in a vehicle when it’s too foggy with the brights on, but that didn’t help at all. Then I tried to turn my light off, just to see if that would help. I had to stop because it was darker than dark. I closed my eyes, then opened them and it was just so dark there was no difference. That freaked me out a little bit. I quickly switched my headlight back on. Given the terrain in this section (Basically the water from the rain created a mess of mud up to my ankles, with hidden roots and rocks at every step.) There was no way I could run. I was relegated to walking.

As I walked through the darkness of the night, once in a while I would hear laughing, or voices. Most likely campers out there somewhere, but of course I thought of what Dale had said “The devil’s down there!” I knew it was a joke but it made me think, and more than a few times I snapped my head back to make sure he wasn’t right behind me. I started to shiver from being soaked to the bone for so long, and not being able to run at all to keep my body temperature up. I started to wonder if I should try to find a good tree to sit under and wait out the rain. I never did. My hands were so cold that I couldn’t even feel them to be able to open my Vespa. I had to resort to caveman tactics and find a sharp rock, then try to smash the Vespa open between the two rocks, and try not to spill any. In the process I got some dirt and gravel with the Vespa, but I didn’t care at all. It was in this section too where my backup watch for my Garmin 405 (Which only lasts about 7 hrs) shorted out from the heavy rain.

As I trudged into the next few aid stations, it was raining so hard the aid station workers said “There’s no need to even stand under the tarps.” They were right. I just grabbed whatever I could – Mainly hot soup, and ate a cup, then walked out of the aid stations with another cup.

It was between Sugarloaf (Mile 72) and Cramer Road (Mile 77) that something weird started to happen to me. I think it was the hypnotizing effect of the fog and rain swirling in the light of my headlight for so long, I started to get sleepy. I soon found myself having to stop so I could close my eyes for a break and not fall on the nasty terrain (Couldn’t even take your eye off the trail for a brief second to rest your eyes). I started fishing through all of pockets to see if there was something that I could eat or maybe a piece of candy to keep me awake. I ended up finding a packet of REV 3 that thought would come in handy at some point. I added that to my water and started drinking that. It started to help, but the urge to just fall asleep while walking was still very strong.

I just kept having a feeling as if the people behind me were catching up as I walked. Sure I was walking fast, but I was still walking and I’m not used to walking for that long. Nobody ever caught me.

Pretty soon I could hear the mad rush from the Temperance River. I started to think I was coming up to the Temperance River, but I was soon making my way away from the sound of raging water. I started wondering if I was going the wrong way, but I kept going… Soon I saw something I thought would never come. I could see the outline of the majestic pine trees that had been engulfing me the entire night. What a welcome sight. With the light came increased visibility, and therefore, the ability to finally run after walking for the last 20 miles. I happily picked up the pace and started running as hard as I could through the slosh of mud, rocks, and roots. I hoped that the sound of the raging Temperance River would return, meaning that I hadn’t made a wrong turn. Luckily for me it did, and as it did I started running even harder. I could smell the campfire from the aid station, and finally came into Temperance River (Mile 84) ready to rock it into the finish after walking for so long.

I think it was roughly 6am. This was the first aid station I had come to since about 10 PM the night before that I had a drop bag at. I had been soaked to the bone in pouring rain and mud for that entire time. I was looking forward to getting into my drop bag here and getting a long sleeve technical shirt on, as well as a raincoat, because it was still lightly raining, and I had no idea what the next few hours would bring. I immediately asked them if they could find my bag. They all looked at each other and finally one of the aid station workers said “Well, we don’t have them yet. We didn’t expect to see anyone yet according to our calculations, so we left all of the drop bags in the vehicle that just left to go get more firewood.” I absolutely couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After going that long freezing my tail off, my bag wasn’t there.

I stood there in the rain in disbelief, resisted the urge to become a complete jerk, and calmly asked what they had to eat. They brought me over to one side of the aid station and showed me some of the soups and grilled cheeses that they had made. I wolfed down a grilled cheese, a bowl of soup, and some other stuff as the workers scrambled to find some clothing that they could lend to me. I also petted a dog that was there. I was antsy and ready to hit the trail hard after walking all night. I finally got all dressed with the outer shell being a women’s Chicago Marathon technical shirt (Hey – you gotta do what you gotta do right??). Of course I had my bottles refilled as well. I added more REV3 to one of them, and took another Vespa.

Just as I was getting ready to head out the aid station worker came back with the drop bags and more firewood. I laughed and started taking off my cute top so I could put on the shirts that I had in my bags. After doing so, I had another grilled cheese, and one of the workers asked if I wanted more soup too. Of course! She said “It might be hot”. I let that go through one ear and out the other and took a big drink, promptly burning my tongue really bad. As I looked at the soup, there was also a fly in it. Once again, I said nothing other than thank you, because I knew they were having a rough time in this weather as well. Then I was finally on my way. Helen Lavin walked me out of the aid station and explained to me as we both walked very fast, what I could expect over the next section. That was very nice of her to do, and I really appreciated that.

As soon as Helen gave me the last bit of detail, I started running as hard as I could along the Temperance River. I did so all the way to the bridge that crosses the river, and to the trail that takes you up the other side of the river the opposite way. I was running uphill as hard as I could. When I couldn’t take it anymore I slowed to a power walk. I was bound and determined to finish as strong as I could, and to get this race over with ASAP. I threw off the extra shirts I had just put on because now I was sweating. My legs were still very fresh, and the REV3 was starting to flow through my veins as I sipped on it when I could. I was feeling possessed. I was able to run just about every section of the last 18 or so miles, and some of the most difficult climbs on the course were in that last 18 miles. Right about now I was thinking that all of those Harris Hill repeats had really paid off.

I was also thinking that this might be my last race for a while, if not forever, and I was going to push harder than I ever have so late in a 100-mile race. I wanted to see how hard I could push the pace on this muddy, rocky, rooty terrain. I blasted my way through Sawbill aid station (Mile 90), then ran as hard as I could up Oberg Mountain, and into the Oberg Mountain aid station (Mile 95.5), then it felt like I sprinted up Moose Mountain, but had to power walk up the INSANE initial climb up. That was a killer so late in the race. But again, I ran 98% of that last section, including most up hills. I could feel drool dripping down my chin as continued to push the pace, even though my body was trying to tell me no. I was at a point on the trail where I wasn’t aware that I was so close to the finish. As I turned a corner I saw a sign for the ski lifts or gondolas or something like that. I knew I was close, and soon I saw the road that leads to the hotel/finish line, and also my Aunt Peggy was sitting right there in her car waiting for me. I could barely see her because it was so foggy. She jumped out of her car and yelled “NOLAN! You’re in 4^th place!” I knew I was only a few hundred yards away from the finish so I threw her my water bottles, and extra crap and sprinted down the road towards the hotel/finish line. I couldn’t see much further than 50 yards in front or behind me. As I sprinted I kept looking back to see if anyone was close. However, I couldn’t see far enough to comfortably slow down and take it easy. I also wondered if maybe I could pass whoever might be in front of me. So I kept running as fast as I could into the finish. I didn’t pass anyone or get passed, and so I crossed the line in 27 hrs, 5 min in 4^th place overall. Turns out I was close to passing the 3^rd place runner Adam Schwartz-Lowe. He finished 5 minutes ahead of me. We chatted in the locker room of the indoor pool area after we gathered ourselves. Great guy…

I called my wife and immediately upon hearing her voice, I lost it. All of the emotion from the injury early on, to some warm temps during the day, then the heavy rain and fog through the night, to my reawakening at the end of the race overflowed. It was like the dam finally broke. Throughout the race I prayed, I thought about my wife and kids at home…. just lots of emotion went into this one. I just thank God that I was able to glorify Him by overcoming so much before and during this race.

My ankle was pretty swollen as I pulled my socks and shoes off, but not too bad. It would balloon up over the next 2 days, but after taking high doses of USANA’s Biomega fish oil, getting it adjusted by Dr. Schutt, and icing it, it got better within 2 weeks. I was actually able to run on it after about 3-4 days as I helped my daughter’s soccer team shag soccer balls for the Yorkville varsity soccer team.

The post-race party at the finish line/hotel was awesome. This is one of my favorite parts of the event. As runners from the 100-miler, 50-miler, and marathon come in all together the finishers, volunteers, and crews are all gathered there eating, drinking, and being merry around a campfire and cheer the runners as they come in. I got a chance to talk to Brian Peterson, the winner, who is a class act. Very humble guy, and a great runner for sure. I also talked with many other people who I have seen at other races, or talked to through email etc… Just a great time. Then of course they give the awards out at about 9 PM, when a good portion of the runners have made their way into the finish/

Since the race I have had lots of things going on, and therefore was not able to make this report a priority. I took a job with a construction company based out of North Carolina, and due to extensive travel, and working 12 hours/day, I haven’t been able to run at all. I have mixed emotions. Running has had to take the back seat to work, and spending time with family when I get any free time now. However, I am extremely thankful to have found a job in the extremely saturated construction job market, and am confident that God’s plan for my family is a good one.

I don’t think that was my last race though. I’ll throw my name in the hat for Western States again this year, and see what happens.

Once again, thanks to Larry, his family (Real and running families both…), and all of the volunteers who made this event another successful one. We all had to deal with some crazy weather, and I think everyone overcame that challenge very well. I would recommend this race, as well as any and all other races that Larry heads up.

Look forward to seeing you on the trail someday…..

Kettle Moraine 100 Miler/Monsoon

The Cliff Notes version – I finished in 20 hours 51 min. 3rd overall, and 2nd in Open Division. Full results are HERE.

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Pictures are over there ------------------------------>>>>>>>>

Two weeks before this race I was feeling great. One week I got 20 miles in every day. The next week I got some good hill workouts in along with some good cross training sessions focusing on core, leg, and upper body strength. I also got a few really good runs in at midday while the temps were in the low 90’s, humidity was stifling, and the sun was blazing. I was sticking with a very balanced low-glycemic/Paleo diet, which provided me with a steady stream of energy for all of my training sessions.

All of the sudden on the Sunday before Memorial Day I noticed some tightness in my chest. I woke up that night finding it hard to breathe. The next day I was coughing up dark mucus and felt like I had no energy. My wife suggested that I go to the doctor the next day. So on Tuesday I did go to the doctor and she said that she thought I might have pneumonia. So I had X-rays taken, and in the meantime she prescribed a round of anti-biotics and an inhaler.

I didn’t hear back from the doctor until the Thursday before the race. I didn’t have pneumonia, and was clear to run as long as I was feeling ok. I was still coughing up the mucus, but the tightness was gone and I was feeling better in general. Seems like there’s always something to make it interesting just before a big race. It’s never smooth. Before I got sick I had a goal of sub-20 hours. After I got sick, I revised my goal in my head to just wanting to go out and have fun and finish as strong as I could. Sometimes I get stressed out thinking about how it might go. But I know that all of my training has been done, and there’s nothing else that I can do at this point. I just have to go out and run now. Only God knows what the outcome will be.

A last minute change of plans with the babysitter meant that we would need to bring all three of the kids with to the race. At ages 11, 9, and 2, it’s not like we can just throw them in the van and be on our way. So it took us longer than expected to get up to Cheeseheadland. As soon as we got to the hotel I fired up the mini-Weber and started grilling my pre-race meal of a Steak (barely cooked, pretty much still bleeding), and a baked potato w/tons of sour cream and butter. I ate that while listening to the Blackhawks on the radio. After that I headed up to the room and whipped up my pre-race desert – Heavy Whipping Cream with Blueberries and Raspberries. I brought our portable electric hand mixer and mixed up the whipping cream to make it nice and thick.

After watching the Blackhawks lose I tried to get to sleep. This was going to be tricky with all of our kids not cooperating. I think I ended up getting to sleep at midnight. I woke up at 4 am and took my vitamins for the day and my last anti-biotic, and drank my pre-race breakfast of Hot Lemon Ginger Tea mixed with Heavy Whipping Cream, honey, and a fish oil capsule. At 5am I drank my first Vespa of the day and we all jumped into the van and headed to the race start.

On the way my stomach started rumbling and I felt like I was going to soil my shorts before the race even started. Nothing to worry about I figured. Just needed to get to the nearest bathroom asap. As soon as we got there I got in line for the bathroom and took care of business.

At the start area I met up with a childhood friend, Aaron White, who was going to take some pictures during the race. I also met up with my parents and brother’s family. I also saw lots of familiar faces from previous races. It seemed like the clock was in fast forward as 6am quickly approached. In my mind I was thinking “Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down just a second…. I don’t know if I’m ready…. “ but I am outwardly trying to be friendly to everyone and act like I’m not nervous.

At 5:57 I take my 2nd Vespa of the day and tell all of my friends and family thanks for being there and make my way to the starting line.

Off we go.

It must have been about 70 degrees, overcast, and about 90% humidity at the start. As we made our way through the first section I chatted with Brad Bishop, a Kansas City Trail Nerd, who I met at the Ozark Trail 100 miler and have kept in touch with since. I also chatted with Paul Schoenlaub, a Kansas City area guy as well, who is the Race Director of the Ozark Trail 100 miler, and who I have run with at many races before. Great guy. We joked that since Paul has finished about 5 minutes ahead of me here the last two years, that this year was my turn.

I blew through the first aid station at mile 5 and made my way to mile 7. By the time I made it there I was ready to soil my shorts again. I started to worry a bit about whether or not this was going to be an issue throughout this race.

I got out of Bluff (Mile 7 aid station) as quick as I could and met back up with Brad Bishop. We ran together for quite a ways and chatted along the way. As I pulled into Emma Carlin (Mile 15.5 aid station) I had to make my way to the bathroom again and unload.

It was starting to get really warm out, and we were coming up to the infamous “prairie section” that’s always really hot and has very little shade at all. So I also threw on my ice bandana. It’s a bandana that holds ice. I put it around my neck and let the ice melt down my back. That thing is AWESOME. It’s like running with air conditioning.

That was all good, but just as soon as I left I had to find a spot in the bushes to unload again. Now I was really worried. If this kept happening much longer I was going to be in trouble. But I kept pumping in the fluid (Mainly water and NUUN) and kept focused on making my way across the prairie section.

It was HOT as usual. It seemed to last forever, but I just chose to just embrace the heat and slow down a little bit so I didn’t waste all of my energy for later. My plan for nutrition throughout the race was to take Vespa every 1.5 – 3 hours, eat fruit and meat at the aid stations, and maybe a few gels and drinks of Perpetuem as needed. So far I was sticking with that and other than the diarrhea, I was feeling great physically.
This part of the race is where my usual mental breakdown happens. I start to think about why I’m doing this. I start to think of excuses of why I might not make it this time.
To give you a little background – I was in a really bad place in my life 4 years ago. I worked hard, I played harder, and if I had time for my family it was only for a few hours on the weekends between waking up hung over, and starting again the next afternoon. I remember one particularly rough morning as I lay on the floor next to our bed writhing in pain – I said to my wife “I have to do something. Maybe I’ll train for a marathon and that will help me quit drinking so much.” I still remember that point in my life as the turning point. God had planted a seed for me, and now it was up to me to help that seed grow.
It didn’t happen right away, but I gradually started running a few miles over the next few months. Nothing serious, and I never had a plan in place. However, that Christmas I was talking to my uncle Dale, who was talking about his running experiences and talking about running a crazy 100 mile race called The Traveller. He asked me that night if I would consider being his pacer. The race was the next October, so I’d have some time to get trained up.
He put a plan in place for me, and had me pick some races to train up to. This is what I ended up doing that first year –

- Hall of Fame to Notre Dame Half Marathon (My first race ever) – South Bend, IN (June 2007)
- University of Okoboji Marathon – Okoboji, IA
- Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon
- North Face Endurance Challenge 50k in Des Moines, IA
- Arkansas Traveller 100 mile (Ouachita National Forest)
- Paced for 20 miles
- Chicago Lakefront 50 mile
- Three Days of Syllamo 100 mile Ultra Stage Race – Mountain View, AR
- Quit drinking
- Kettle Moraine 100 mile – Kettle Moraine State Forest, WI (June 2008)

In the process of quitting drinking, I found God. So while God put the will to run on my heart, that eventually led to me quitting drinking, and starting a new life with Him at the center. This was all part of His greater plan in life for me.

While I have become known as a runner, I cannot let that become who I am. What happens if I get injured and can longer run? What happens if running starts to go south for whatever reason for me? What do I do, and who do I become if all I live for and all I am is running? This is why I know I have to keep God at the center of my life every day. Pleasing God has to be the center of who I am, and where my view of self worth is based. In everything I do, from maintaining a healthy marriage, to raising our children, to being a positive influence within our community, to running. I do it all to please God. I am a child of God first and foremost. My identity cannot be based on how my walk on this world is going at this time.

I run to praise God. He’s taken me through some very dark times in order to get to this point, where I can go out and be an example of what God can do, and how He can work in our lives if we just let Him. We just have to invite Him in.

Proverbs 24:16 says - for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

So I have to keep all of that in mind when doubt arises in my mind. I feel it’s important to share my story because we can all learn from each other’s mistakes. If I can help someone with their problem by being open and honest about who I am and where I have come from by sharing my story, then that’s great.

There’s a great song by Matthew West called “The Motions” It talks about not wanting to go through life just going through “The Motions” and wanting to really living life to it’s fullest. That’s part of my drive as well. I don’t feel satisfied settling for a sedentary lifestyle. I’m going to live life to the fullest while I’m here, and praise God with every step.

Sorry….. flash back to the race -

As I made my way through the hot prairie and into Hwy 67 (Mile 24) I was happy to see the UPS for DownS group with their kids there to cheer me on. I stopped for a photo with the group, said hello real quick, and made my way back onto the trail. Luckily this section from Hwy 67 to Scuppernong (Mile 31 and leg 1 turnaround) was much cooler and tree covered than the prairie section I had just come through. However, it’s a bit more technical in spots. I actually prefer the more rollercoaster type of single track that much of this section offers to the open prairie.

I started to get a little excited because I new that after I got to Scuppernong I just had to hit it hard back to the start (only 31 miles), and then a quick out and back of 19 miles each way, and I’d be done! That’s the way I break this race down in my mind to make it seem more manageable.

As I pull into Scuppernong, once again I’m glad to see the UPS for Downs group there as well as my family. I say hello, grab a few things including a Vespa and my iPod and hit the road back to where I came from. As I got going and turned on my iPod, it was immediately apparent that I really needed that at that time.

Within 5 minutes of leaving Scuppernong, I got a rush of adrenaline that gave me chills as a few hard hitting songs came up very timely on my playlist. I actually smiled, started singing along, and feeling great. I pushed it pretty hard back to ZZ (Mile 36.4) and eventually back to Hwy 67 (Mile 39).

I threw my ice bandana back on for the hot prairie section, said hello to my peeps, and headed out cringing a little bit because this trip across the prairie is usually the worst.

The song “God’s gonna cut you down” by Johnny Cash started playing in my iPod just as I was making my way back into the Prairie section. It seemed like something out of a movie, but it wasn’t. It was real. The heat simmered off of the prairie grass as the hills rolled for what seemed like miles, and Johnny Cash was providing the soundtrack. I was heading into an oven, but I felt unstoppable as I played out the rest of the race in my head complete with a strong finish.

I saw my friend Aaron a few times between Scuppernong and here and was joking with him about rain. I kept saying “So when’s the rain coming? I could really use some rain to get cooled off” etc…. He kept saying there was no rain in sight, and for some reason I stayed persistent. I just had a feeling it was going to rain.

As I pushed my way back through the prairie and back to Emma Carlin, I kept thinking about how great it was going to be to finish strong, get home Sunday afternoon and just kick back with some ice cream and watch the Blackhawks game. That was the recurring thought in my head for most of this section. One good thing was that the sky had become overcast and it seemed like it actually might rain soon.

As I pulled into Emma Carlin (Mile 47) I saw a familiar friendly face – Tom Gladfelter! He’s friends with my uncle and we have run together many times in the past, but I hadn’t seen him in a long time. He was there with his girlfriend and they were just there to hang out and say hello. I grabbed a Vespa, said hello real quick then said farewell to my crew. Just then it had started to rain a little bit. If we only knew what was soon to come…..

This next section was back into more single track trail and forest. I scooted along a bit slowly now as I was getting a bit tired and the rain became steadier. It’s normally around mile 50 where I start to feel some leg soreness and have to start actively changing my stride to put pressure on different bones, joints, and muscles. But as I thought of it, I realized that I had fallen into a slow stride out of habit. I actually felt great, I had almost no stiffness in my legs, and as soon as I realized this I started moving a bit faster since I could. I was thanking God for granting my wish for rain, and for helping to still be strong. I passed a few guys through this section and just before I came into Bluff (Mile 55) it was pouring. I thought to myself “Better be careful what you ask for”.

I quickly got out of Bluff and made my way back to the start/Nordic (Mile 62). This 7 mile section is killer to me. You go over it once on the way out, once on the way back, once on the way out for the third leg out to Rice Lake, and once on the way back for the finish. It’s relentless twists and turns combined with a few open sections where you can actually run, seemingly endless rollercoaster hills that are just big enough to slow you down if you’re moving along at any kind of good pace, and then from mile 4 on in they have mile markers. It becomes demoralizing when those mile markers seem to come way too slowly as you push your way through and wait what seems like forever for the next one to pop up around the corner.

Just as I got through Bluff I came around the corner and a wild turkey with it’s turketts was on the trail ahead of me. As soon as it caught a glance of me it started running after me. I backed up and as soon as it was walking the other way I’d start walking towards it again, and it would come back after me. We did this a few times until another runner (Matt Hosking) came along and together we were too much for the turkey. As Matt and I talked we figured out that we live near each other, have an acquaintance in common, and we actually stayed at the same hotel on the same floor. Small world.

I moved on as fast as I could so as to get through this section as quickly as possible. It was still pouring and as it did, every step was into puddles of mud and rain half way up my calf deep. I was shocked as I didn’t see many 100 milers at all heading back out for the final leg until I got within a mile of the turn around. As I pushed through the now cold mud and rain back to the turn around I started getting excited because I was feeling better than I ever have at this point, and was about to pick up Scott McTurner, my pacer for the final 38 miles.

I got back to the turn around (Mile 62.9) in about 12 hours 15 min. I was now pretty cold and put my singlet back on that I had taken off earlier in the day as the temps rose into the low 80’s. I threw my headlight on, drank some Perpetuem, drank some chicken noodle soup, downed a Vespa, and Scott and I then headed back out for the final 38 miles. This last section consists of 19 miles out and back. As I said earlier the first 7 and last 7 miles of that final section is the dreaded roller coaster section that’s covered 4 times throughout the race. So I break it down in my head to exclude that section, so it’s just another 12 out and 12 back from Bluff. This helps me really stay focused on covering each section as fast as possible and keep a positive outlook at a critical time in the race.

Scott was very helpful as we made our way through the now ridiculously persistent pouring rain. The temperature had also dropped to about 60 degrees now and the wind was whipping pretty good. I made no attempt at any point to avoid any puddles or mud. It was a lost cause now. My hands were pruned and I had been completely soaked to the bone for about 4 hours at this point. I was starting to get cold as the storm completely blanked out any sunlight that may have normally been available at that time of the day, and the wind blew relentlessly.

As we pulled back into Bluff (Mile 70.3), I stood under the aid station tent for a brief moment shivering. I told my crew, who were all standing out in the rain with raincoats or ponchos – “I need something to keep the rain off of me.” They all looked around as if to say “Hmmm. Not sure what to say… Did you bring anything?” I said “Give me one of your raincoats! A poncho! Anything! You guys can get dry back in the car right?” My daughter then gave me her poncho and tucked in under my wife’s umbrella, which at that point had become almost useless because it was seriously raining THAT hard for THAT long. My mom and I made eye contact and she gave me the “I don’t know about this” look. With that I said “Thank you so much!” and Scott and I were off.

This next section is the kind of running that I normally really thrive on. Rolling single track with some tight trails with some overgrown vegetation making for a tight trail in spots, and lots of rocks, and roots. However, it had become dark due to the storm and heavy rain and wind, and it was hard to see the trails because the water was rushing through them at such a high rate. I must have seen 30 toads, and stepped on maybe 5 of them. It was kind of funny, Scott and I were trying to talk, but I had the hood up on the poncho and all I could hear was the “whish zip whish zip whish zip” of that poncho rubbing my body with every step I took. I eventually told him I couldn't hear him in case he was saying something important and my response was just "Cool!" or even worse, nothing....

We obviously really slowed down in this section, only because we couldn’t see very well. There was also a light fog that was now developing and that was reflecting back into our faces because of our headlights. This was my slowest section according to the Race Splits. You can see those HERE. You can also see that the last portion of the race I really started kicking it into gear.

As the rain slowed down and we made our way into the Hwy 12 aid station (Mile 77) I started to feel a second (or third or fourth) wind. I felt like I had saved up some energy through that last section and was now ready to rock and roll, and really kick some tail from here to the end. It was now only 4.4 miles out to Rice Lake (turnaround).

One thing I forgot to do when I put my shirt back on at Nordic was put my nip bandaids back on. By this point they were definitely rubbed raw, and my shirt was bloody in those spots. As I took off the poncho which was now making me sweat because the rain had slowed up and the temps were rising again, my daughter was quick to point out the red spots. I lifted my shirt up and asked my wife to please reapply the nip bandaids. In one of the most painful moments ever of my ultrarunning career, she took a rough desert shirt and scrubbed my chest as hard as she could to get it dried off to ensure tight adhesion. I winced and jokingly said “Well, you could have just used a cheese grater and that would have felt about the same!”

We all laughed and I grabbed a ton of blueberries, other random food including chicken noodle soup, and a Vespa and Scott and I took off. I was feeling like a million bucks at this point, and was happy to learn that I was in 5th place overall, and was closing in on a few runners. This motivated me even more to kick it into high gear.

We did so over the next 4.4 miles. It wasn’t easy going, as this is one of the more technical sections of the course, with lots of random rocks, quick turns, steep uphills with steps, and other random topography. As we made our way closer to Rice Lake, we came across the top of a ridge where we could see quite a ways off into the distance. I saw some of the coolest lightning ever at that spot. I really wished I had a camera. Just awesome. We made our way purposefully into Rice Lake, passed one runner on the way, and saw that there were 3 other in front of me as they passed us heading back from Rice Lake. Coming into Rice Lake reminds me of Survivor a little because as you come in you cross a torch lit dock to get to and island where there’s a big fire with party lights etc. Very awesome.

This motivated me to get in and out of Rice Lake (Mile 81.5) quickly. I said thanks to my crew again, hugged my oldest daughter (who was determined to stay up for the whole thing after crashing 10 minutes before my finish 3 years ago here), and Scott and I headed back towards the finish.

Scott was starting to feel a bit nauseous. He’s had some issues with nausea in the past, and I could tell he was starting to battle that again. As we moved back to Hwy 12 (Mile 85.9) we started seeing the runners that were behind me. I saw some familiar faces, and eventually saw my uncle Dale Humphrey. He was feeling good as well. We said a quick hello and moved on. The tight trails started to get crowded as the fun runners made their way out to Rice Lake heading the opposite way, and also the 100 milers that were still heading out that way. Often times we would have to step aside for each other to get through. Tight quarters….

We got into Hwy 12 and I was starting to feel awesome, like I had just woken up, raring to go. However, Scott was feeling the opposite. We quickly got out of Hwy 12 and as soon as we got about 100 yards out of the aid station, he had to stop to puke. He told me to keep going and he’d catch up. So I did. As I did I could hear him repeatedly launching. Must have been 6-7 times. He eventually caught back up with me, reassured me that he was going to hang with me until Bluff, and we pushed really hard back through this section to Bluff. I was starting to do some of my hardest running since early on in the race now. I was running hard on the flats and downhills, and some of the uphills as well. It was in this section that I passed up the 3rd place runner and I moved up to 3rd place. I felt bad that Scott was not feeling well, but I was thinking that if I’m feeling good, I need to be pushing it as hard as I can while I am.

I took a Vespa just before we got back to Bluff (Mile 92.8). Scott confirmed that he would need to drop off here at Bluff. My wife and I had talked about her possibly running the last 7 miles with me if the circumstances were right. With Scott not feeling well, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for her to jump in. However, as I came in they could all tell that I was a man on a mission. She had all of her running gear on but took one look at me and said “Well, I’m ready to go but I don’t think there’s any way I’m going to be able to keep up with you the way you’re looking right now, so just go ahead and we’ll see you at the finish”. I was a bummed that she wan’t going to be able to run this with me, as I really wanted her to get a chance to see some of the course, but it just wasn’t in the cards tonight.

With that I said thanks again to my crew, and hit it hard out of Bluff towards the finish. I hate to harp on it, but again, this section was tough, and especially mentally at the end of the race. But I was on such a high from being in 3rd place, and was still trying my hardest to catch Brad Bishop, who was ahead of me by about 30 minutes, and stay ahead of anyone who might be chasing me. As such, I ran as hard as I possibly could. I ran up almost all of the hills and rarely walked. I was still charging down the downhills as hard as I could as well.

As soon as I saw the 4 mile to go sign I had a different feeling than I had previously. This time I actually smiled and laughed out loud. It was a little bit of lack of sleep mixed with exhilaration. It was a crazy day, a great race, and I had a great time. Now I was just 4 miles away from a strong finish. But I did start to feel like kicking the rest of those signs as I saw them. But when I saw the 1 mile sign I kicked it in as hard as I could and was probably moving at about a 9 min pace. I started to see the glow of the finish line, the red numbers of the clock, and the sound of a few people cheering who had noticed my lights coming through the forest in the dark night. As I moved into the finish my crew was all there cheering for me, and my daughter let out a big “GO DAD!!” It was great.

I finished in 20 hours 51 minutes. You can see the full results HERE. My goal going into the race was to finish in under 20 hours, but given the early issues with my stomach and the weather issues, I was very happy with the results, and to have placed 3rd overall.

Vespa played a key role in making my race successful. I stayed on a strict regimin of a Vespa Junior every 1.5 hours, or a CV 25 every 3 hours. I basically switched between the two for the whole time. I used maybe 7 Hammer Gels the entire race, and drank Hammer Perpetuem whenever I saw my crew at an aid station. I took Race Caps Supreme and Anti-Fatigue throughout the race, and switched between NUUN and Salt Stick Caps for my electrolyte needs. Otherwise I ate the fruit, sandwiches, and chicken noodle soup from the aid stations for the whole race.

I never felt nauseous, I never bonked, I never got really sore like I normally do around mid-race, I never lost my mental focus and that actually increased as night fell. I had a very constant stream of energy for the entire race.

I was sore for 2 days after the race, and on the third day I was running again with minimal soreness. So I think the major keys to my success were Vespa, a well balanced Paleo/Low-glycemic diet as well as a Hammer Race Day Boost regimen and USANA nutritionals leading up to the race, and all of those small things I listed above. They all played such a huge role.

I am so thankful to everyone who came out to support me. My wife, my brother and his family, my parents, the UPS for DownS group, my pacer Scott McTurner, and my friend Aaron White. They were all so supportive throughout the entire weekend, and I am forever grateful for their generosity. They all mean more to me than they know.

Kettle Moraine 100 miler

Well it's just over a week until the Kettle Moraine 100 miler. My training has been going well. I did a week of 20 milers each day 2 weeks ago, took last week easy to get some cross training in including some hill repeats, and so far this week on Monday I ran 30 miles in 92 degree heat with high humidity, and ran 20 today in 85 degree heat. I am excited to get those runs in because the prairie section of KM100 can be very tough if it's hot out. That section alone has ended many runner's races. So if it is hot, I feel like I will be well trained with these runs this week. I am anxious for this run, because it has been a while since my last race. Hopefully I am well prepared, and things go well.

My normal pacer at this race - uncle Dale Humphrey - will be running the race himself this year. It's one of the races in the Gnarly Bandit Series that he is looking to complete this year. So I will have a new pacer this year - Scott McTurner - A friend from the Naperville Running Company. Should be a great time as there will be quite a few people there that all know each other.


As far as my daughter's track team that I helped coach this year, the girl's team won the state meet and my daughter (6th grade) placed 6th in the mile, 11th in the 800m, 7th in the 4 x 800m, and 6th in the 4 x 400m out of all 5th-8th graders from throughout the state.


The following weekend (last weekend) she won the 5k race that I helped to organize at our church. She placed 4th overall and first female out of 132 runners of all ages.

I'm very happy for her success, as well as the school's success. Last year the boys and girls both won the state meet, so it was a repeat year for the girls this year. I think they will win it for the next 2-3 years as well. Great group of kids. Most are in 7th grade or under.....

Perpetual forward motion....

Well, it’s been a long time since I have posted anything on here. Many things have been happening in my life since my last post that have taken precedence over spending any time on here. I lost my job on Feb. 1. Ever since that day I have been focusing most of my time and energy on figuring out what the next steps in my life will be.

One of the immediate things I jumped into was coaching my daughter’s 5-8th grade track team at school. They are a perennial power in the Illinois Lutheran School Association. Just last year they won the state meet for both the boys and the girls. So we take it pretty seriously, and therefore, I have focused TONS of time and effort on helping to try to make that happen again this year. The state meet is this weekend, and the boys and girls both are in good position to repeat as state champs. My daughter, who is in 6th grade, will be making her second appearance at the meet, and will be competing in the 1600m, 800m, 4 x 400m, and the 4 x 800m. They only allow the kids to compete in 4 events. She had also qualified in the 400m individually, but will not be able to compete in that race.

Another thing that I have been focused on is trying to find a job. I have been looking for and applying for whatever jobs are available in the construction field, but there’s just not much available right now.

Between my last post and today, my training has been sporadic, but adequate. I have done 2-3 self supported 30-mile runs among an average of about 50 miles/week, some 100 mile weeks, some hill repeats, some speed work, and lots of P90X and other targeted work on form and technique. I also paced for my uncle Dale Humphrey for 60 miles of the Zumbro 100 miler.

This week I'm ramping up for my first race of the year – Kettle Moraine 100 miler which is June 5-6. I will be running 20 miles every day this week, and next week will do some long runs with P90X and hill repeats mixed in. That will be my last week of hard training before Kettle. It will be my third time running this race. My goal is to break the 20-hour mark this year. Last year I finished in 20 hrs 28 min (14th overall) and that was with some stomach issues towards the end. I think I have solved that issue and feel pretty strong overall. Two years ago I finished in 23 hrs 23 min (10th overall).

I am also running the Kettle 100 for UPS for DownS. It's a charity that's near a dear to us, as we have a 9 year old daughter, and 1 year old niece with Down syndrome. If you would like to contribute, please click HERE and just say it's for Nolan Ming's Kettle 100.

So I am looking forward to this race, but I’m also looking forward to getting it done so I can start to focus more on time with the family, and also devote some time to getting my training done so I can get my new career going.

Art Art

Western States 100..... maybe 2011

Had a pretty good week this week as far as running goes. I was able to run back to back to back 10 milers along the lake (Michigan) during my lunch break at work Wed-Fri. Friday was very cold, and of course – I forgot my gloves – so my hands were numb. But I did get a chance to meet the ‘Hi Guy’ during my run on Friday. He’s a fixture along the lake year round, and at most of the area races as well. He was riding his bike along the lake as he normally does year round. It was quite windy so he was moving a bit slowly (With so much stuff strapped to that bike it certainly isn’t very aerodynamic.) and I caught up to him around North Ave beach.

He introduced himself and he basically paced me for the next 20 minutes as we chatted until his face was so frozen he could barely talk anymore and decided to turn his jalopy back to the north and ride with the wind instead of against it. Very interesting fellow to say the least. Said he has run over 160 marathons, and runs most of his races in sandals…

Saturday I decided to run as much as I could at my home training course – Silver Springs State Park - with a goal of 35 miles in mind. No particular reason, just wanted to get back out there and get a good long run in before the end of the year, and also wanted to get my confidence back and get back on track after my screw up at the Ozark Trail 100 miler a month ago. After that race I decided to relax a little bit and try to focus on my family. I have been able to do that, and my wife was willing to let me be gone for the majority of the morning to allow me to get it out of my system.

When I woke up at 4 AM and the temperature was about 15 degrees. I started my run at around 5 AM and by about 7 AM the temperature had dropped to about 10 I think. It was COLD, that’s all I know. My bottles were freezing up, but I stayed pretty warm other than my face. By the end of my run it was hard to get my eyes to focus on anything because I guess maybe they were frozen. But I finished 32 miles in about 5 hours. Not too bad considering I made plenty of “aid station” stops at my vehicle after each loop.

Although it was very boring doing about 12.5 loops by myself, it felt great to get back out there and get some good mileage in after a brief respite.

So the drawing for Western States 100 was last Sunday and I didn’t get drawn. So… My race schedule for 2010 is looking like this right now. This is pretty much a wish list, so changes will happen –

*Illinois Fat Ass 50k (Pacer for my wife?)

*Three Days of Syllamo Ultra Stage Race

*Kettle Moraine 100 mile

*Superior Sawtooth 100 mile

*Chicago Marathon (For UPS for DownS charity group)

*Ozark Trail 100 mile

Ozark Trail 100 2009

I will chalk this one up to “You live and you learn”.

The Cliff Notes version –
I was 10th place out of 140 runners at mile 70 when the paramedics strongly suggested that since I couldn't eat because I was so nauseous (Because I made a crucial drop bag mistake), and because my chest was hurting, I shouldn't run anymore. I bonked. Only 44% of the runners finished due to heat and difficult trails with lots of hidden rocks under leaf cover. I believe that my training and race plan was spot on. If I wouldn’t have missed a crucial drop bag I believe I would have finished in the top 10.
The long version –

Our trip down to Steelville, MO started out stressful. Trying to get the kids off to school, getting things organized for my parents at our house where they would be watching the kids, and getting my last minute stuff together for the race was just overwhelming. We ended up leaving about an hour and half late.
As Cortney drove I organized my drop bags. Putting the things in each one that I figured I’d need at each point throughout the race. I didn’t know it at the time of course, but I made a mistake here that would come back to cost me the race.
We arrived about 30 minutes late and missed the pre-race announcements, but I think we ended up getting everything we needed. After we were done checking in we headed to the nearest restaurant that served steak and I ate a salad, a very rare steak, and a baked potato with lots of sour cream. For desert I chugged some heavy whipping cream and ate some raspberries and blackberries with it as directed by Peter Defty at Vespa. I could get used to this pre-race meal for sure!
We ended up getting to sleep around 10:00. NOT GOOD. So I ended up getting 4 hours of sleep the night before the race.
Race day started out VERY early. We had to get up at 2:00 AM to get to the Race headquarters/finish area so we could get on school buses that took all of the runners to the race start.
That was supposed to be a 2-hour drive. After a 6-hour drive from home to the race the day before, this was not going to be easy. I got on the bus a little late and got a seat over the bus tire. Dang! It didn’t take long before my feet fell asleep. I had to untie my shoes in order to get the feeling back. Too bad I couldn’t fall asleep… But the bus did end up making a pit stop along the road so we could all get out and relieve ourselves if we needed to. I was glad, because I needed to for sure. If someone drove up on the caravan of buses and other vehicles with 100 runners standing along the road taking a leak, they might think they were in some surreal B movie scene. It was very amusing to say the least.
As we continued to the start I drank the rest of my heavy whipping cream and ate the rest of my berries. Luckily when we arrived at the start area, there were port potties. The berries and cream had worked through my system very quickly. If you ever need Ex-Lax and can’t find it, get some berries and heavy whipping cream.
At 6:00 AM we were off! The temp at the race start was very comfortable (53 deg), and the sun had just started to come up. I brought along a light, even though I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need it after about 10-15 minutes into the race.
I settled into a pace within the front 10-15 runners and felt very comfortable there. As the sun came up the humidity gradually increased along with the temp. I was sweating pretty heavily almost immediately. I did take a few wrong turns along with some of the other runners in the first 10-15 miles, but I was always near another runner so we always corrected each other. If it weren’t for the other runners I might still be lost out there.
I ended up running with Po Dog Vogler (Winner of the 2009 Arkansas Traveller 100 whom I’ve run with a few times before) for an hour or so between miles 8 and 18. We talked more than we ever had before. It was great to get to know him more. The first 20 or so miles was tough. It was technical and there were also many many trees down from the ice storm that passed through almost a year ago. It almost looked like a tornado had gone through the area. The sawyers had cleared the majority of the trees that blocked the trail, but there were still plenty of obstructions. I ended up turning my ankle really hard 2 times through this section. One time it rolled so hard I felt my leg just above my anklebone touch the ground. That hurt for an hour or so but then faded away.
After I left the Sutton Bluff campground (Mile 18) is when things started to get tough. The sun was shining very brightly and the temperatures were creeping up into the 70’s. Although there was a breeze every now and then, I was often in and out of the mountains so if I was in a spot with no breeze it was quite warm.
This is also where we moved into a section with more leaves covering the trail and hiding the large ankle busting rocks and tree roots underneath. I was constantly scanning the footing ahead of each step to try to make sure that I didn’t step on one of them. Throughout the day I did ok, and only fell once (As night fell it was a different story.)

But between the aid stations at mile 23 and 35, the heat became intense and was starting to take a toll on me. Pretty sure it was at least 80 degrees with full sun (The trees had all lost their leaves so there was not much shade at all). I slowed down and tried to make sure to take in enough electrolytes and calories to make sure I didn’t bonk. I took a minute at each river crossing to wash my face and arms off. They were caked with salt from sweat. There seemed to be at least 20 creek or river crossings. They were very refreshing each time. That was one of my favorite parts of the race. Even though my feet would get soaked they usually dried out very quickly. Being alone for most of the time I assumed in my own head that it was just me having trouble with the heat. But at Gunstock Hollow (Mile 35) I found out it wasn’t just me. I should have known since I only got passed once, but they said people were starting to drop like flies. I knew that nightfall was coming soon, and as soon as the sun goes down, I usually get my second wind and kick it back into high gear.

As I made my way from there to Brooks Creek (Mile 43.5), the sun was slowly but surely dropping behind the mountains and it was cooling off a bit. I was going to see my crew (wife Cortney and Aunt Peggy) for the first time all day and was pretty excited about that. But I still wasn’t feeling great. My stomach was still queasy and taking in any fluids at all had become difficult. Even though I had been drinking all day I hadn't peed all day. I ate some ginger a few miles before Brooks Creek and that did help a bit.

As I got close I could see a HUGE line of cars parked along this road in the forest. I had my headphones on but as I got closer and made my way down the side of the mountain I could hear the crews cheering and clanging cowbells, then I heard my wife scream out “woo hoo!!” I was happy to see them for sure. They explained to me that they had been lost for the last 2 hours trying to find the aid station and had just walked up when I came in. What perfect timing!


I grabbed my headlight and handheld lights, more Vespa, more water, more maltodextrin (Liquid calories), more electrolytes, and more fig newtons and was on my way. As I left Cortney said “We’ll see you in about 6 hours.” I thought to myself “Holy crap. That stinks, but ok. I think I’ll be good.” So off I went.

It was over the next 7.5 miles that I really started to kick it back into gear. I was able to eat, drink, and run very comfortably for the first time since late morning. The sun went down so it was very dark, I turned my iPod on and just started to get into a real good groove. Soon all I could see was a 20 foot radius in front of me from the light of my headlamp, making those rocks hiding under the leaves even more devious. My legs felt very fresh and I was starting to envision a great finish. Everything seemed right with the world. My attitude had turned the corner and it was all downhill from here on in (Mentally). I pulled into Highway DD and felt great. I grabbed a few things from the aid station to eat including more fig newtons and chicken noodle soup. I was out of there pretty quick and headed to the next stop where I thought I was going to see my crew or get more maltodextrin (for some reason).

So I take off and hit it pretty hard over this next 8 miles to the next aid station. Along this stretch I passed a few more people and one of them I stopped to ask if he was ok. He looked like he was pretty down. He said he was fine. I double checked. He confirmed and so I took off. Then, after I put my headphones back on I was startled to see him right there next to me. I moved aside thinking he was going to pass me. I took off my headphones and he said “No, if you don’t mind I’m going to stick with you until I get to Hazel Creek where I will meet up with my pacer. I’m just feeling down and would love some company.”

I said “Of course you can hang with me!” his name was Brad. Very nice young kid – about 25 – running his first 100 miler. We chatted and got to know each other. He told me that he was very thankful to me for sticking with him. I just said “No worries. I just happened to be here and if I can help in any way, then that’s great.”

We made our way into the Martin Road aid station at mile 59 and I was surprised to see no drop bags and no crew. This is where the entire race was lost for me. From around this point things get blurry. I had been pushing really hard and feeling great up until this point, but that’s because I was able to keep taking in fluids and calories. But now I saw that I had 9 more miles to go with no maltodextrin (other than gels at the aid station) because I didn’t know that I needed to have a drop bag back at Highway DD. I had missed an update to the drop bag/aid station list and didn’t put a drop bag with my much much needed maltodextrin because I didn’t know we could put a drop bag there. So then I compounded the mistake in my confusion by not grabbing about 5 more gels than I thought I would need too as I left.

You might think – 9 miles? You can’t just tough it out for nine more miles without that maltodextrin? Usually yes, but not on this course on this day. I was right on the edge all day with my nutrition, and one little deviation the wrong way (defecit) could really cost me. Covering the next nine miles was very difficult. Brad and I stuck together. He fell a few times, I fell a few times (Once really hard), and we got lost a few times. I was getting dizzy, feeling the cold sweats coming on, losing focus, and tripping more often now. It was about 10:00 PM and I was losing the upswing that I had started feeling a few hours before. But I kept pushing and thinking that it was just a little further. Just a little further. Then just a little further kept turning into another steep uphill, then a switchback, and then another long slow uphill. As I ate the few gels that I had I was feeling weaker and weaker as we inched towards Hazel Creek aid station at 69 miles. I told Brad that I was really hurting. He said he was having a hard time staying with me, and he was hurting too. It was just demoralizing to me. But we kept reassuring each other that we were almost there. I was happy for him to be able to meet up with his crew and pacer and hopefully finish strong. I was also looking forward to seeing my wife and aunt and getting a refill so I could get back in the groove. I was still focused on finishing strong at this point. I was still on pace for a 22 hour finish.

But when we finally made it to Hazel Creek I walked up to the aid station and wasn’t able to talk straight or focus on anything. I saw PoDog and said hey, then saw my wife and then things get really bad. She informed me that I was doing great and was in about 10th place at the time. As soon as I stopped running I hit a wall. I sat down and couldn’t stop shaking. She kept asking me what I needed and I couldn’t even talk because I felt so sick. Every time she asked if I wanted something it made me cringe and feel even worse. I think she was starting to get mad at me and feel offended, but I was seriously in bad shape. I don’t think she quite understood, because I do have a good poker face. My chest was hurting and I would cough with every deep breath I tried to take in too. The paramedics came over and started asking me questions and eventually told me to lie down on the ground where they would cover me up with blankets, fix up my scrapes, and run some tests on me.

As I lay there, one of the highlights of the race for me happened. An aid station worker came over and showed me his "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" shirt at Cortney's request because she knows I love that song, and then to my shock and awe, lifted his shirt up and shook his belly right in my face while singing it. Hello!

They ended up hooking me up to oxygen and putting me in the ambulance for a while. This is where they strongly suggested that I was done. There was no coming back from this bonk. Hearing this from paramedics - I just accepted my fate as such. When it gets to that point, it’s certainly not worth it to “Push the limit”. This was very difficult for me to accept, but at the same time, I was also able to accept it much easier than I had thought I would. This is where the life lesson part comes in.

It was difficult for me to accept because I had put lots of time in training, and my family has allowed me to be gone on Saturday mornings for long runs for the past few months, and has patiently listened to me strategize and fret over all of the details etc…. Although my mileage was not as much as I have put in for previous 100 milers, I found out during the race that it was actually spot on perfect. My legs were actually still very fresh and I wasn’t one bit sore. As a matter of fact my legs weren’t one bit sore the day after the race either. I think this is partly my training, and partly can attributed to the Vespa that I used for the first time in this race. I am believer in that stuff for sure. I will use it in all of my races in the future. The fact that I was not sore at all really made me second guess accepting my fate during the race. Maybe I should have asked Brad if he had something to eat. After reading his blog I bet he did! He was very well prepared. Maybe if I would have just argued with the paramedics a little harder, I could have convinced them that I actually wasn’t an idiot, and that I could keep going. So physically – I was happy with my performance and my training. It couldn’t have been better.

On the other hand, it was easy for me to accept because I have learned quite a bit about myself, my faith, and my family over the past few years. I was able to put this run into perspective and understand that it wasn’t as important as some other things in my life. Specifically, God and my family. I am ashamed to say that I have not made them a priority and put them ahead of my training and running over the past few years. How does this happen?? How do I lose that focus?? The answer quite simply is pride and selfishness. I have allowed the burden of raising our girls (including one with special needs) to fall on my wife’s shoulders. Many times I was there, but not there. I was always thinking about my next training run, and hearing my girls, but not truly listening and interacting with them, and not being an influence in their lives. I have realized that this has to change. It has to be the other way around. I have to be there and listen to them and provide the support and guidance that they so desperately need right now as they move through their adolescent years. I also have to be there for my wife, to support her in everything that she does. From making key decisions about what sports our kids will play, to providing encouragement and helping her train successfully for her first marathon, to providing input and guidance on how inclusion is going for our 8 year old with Down Syndrome, to potty training our 2 year old and trying to tame her terrible 2ness…. Kidding about that. It’s not tameable. I just want to be there more for them all. If I can focus on my training enough to be able to run 100 miles, I should also be able to be more of a presence in my kid’s lives. That and God should come first, and not my training.

As I got my things prepared for this race, I cleared my old music off my iPod and loaded it up with tons of Christian music. This is new for me, but my wife and oldest daughter listen to it and it has grown on me as my faith has grown as well. I went from Gangta Rap as inspiration to Christian Alternative Music. The night before the race my wife suggested we download a certain song. It’s called “Heaven is the Face” by Steven Curtis Chapman. It really really struck a cord with me.

On May 21, 2008, Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman lost his five-year-old daughter Maria Sue Chunxi in a tragic accident. Her brother's Toyota Land Cruiser accidentally hit Maria when he was pulling into the driveway of their home, and she was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital. Beauty Will Rise was Chapman's first album since the tragedy and this first single released from the set eloquently addresses the topic of loss. In the face of all his grief, Chapman paints a picture of what Heaven must look like with Maria in it.

Chapman spoke about this song via his video blog. He commented that "obviously heaven has become a much more real place and something I long for more now than ever before. I can't wait to see the face of my little girl that I long to see again. I'm saying to God, 'you know my heart, and I know that heaven is so much more than that, but right now Lord, this where my heart is.' So I'm just crying out to God with this song, and it's as honest and personal as I've ever been, I just poured out my heart."

This song really puts my new view on life into perspective, and if you too have kids, you will understand how it was easier for me to accept not finishing this race, and accepting a greater challenge of becoming closer with my kids and wife. Here’s a link to the song, and here’s the lyrics. I will never take another maple syrup kiss for granted as long as I live….

Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smiles
Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “daddy please come play with me for awhile”
God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more
But God, You know, that this is what I’m aching for God,
You know, I just can’t see beyond the door
So right now Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep
Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing
And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms
Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams
And God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more
But God, You know, that this is what I’m longing for God,
You know, I just can’t see beyond the door
But in my mind’s eye I can see a place
Where Your glory fills every empty space
All the cancer is gone
Every mouth is fed
And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed
Every lonely heart finds their one true love
And there’s no more goodbye
And no more not enough
And there’s no more enemy (no more)
Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss
And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone
Heaven is the place where she takes my hand
And leads me to You
And we both run into Your arms
Oh God, I know, it’s so much more than I can dream
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see Heaven in the face of my little girl

If there’s anything that you get from this, please let it be to keep your priorities in order as you move through life. Keep things in perspective, and keep things in focus. It’s easy to get sidetracked.

This certainly will not be my last attempt at 100 miles. Especially because I believe that my training and race plan was spot on. If I wouldn’t have missed that drop bag I believe I would have finished in the top 10. So even though I told my wife I wouldn’t even think about running until after the holidays, yesterday I was already looking at the Ultra Running Event Calendar looking for the next 100 miler where I could try to avenge this race. I believe I will be stronger and will have more of a life balance than I ever have, thanks to this mistake/failure. I have to view this as a life lesson. I'm going to move forward and go out there next time with a renewed confidence. I will be back for OT100 next year, if there is a next year for OT100.

As for now, I’m going to enjoy my family through the holidays and keep them #1. I’m looking forward to helping our oldest daughter inprove her basketball skills, hanging out with the two little girls, finishing up my wife’s hair salon in the basement, finally getting some decorating done that we never have had time to do at the new house, and getting the Christmas decorations up. The urge for getting that done seems to be much earlier this year than ever before.