My Secret Race Report

I secretly have been working towards taking on the Viaduct Trail Ultramarathon 100 Mile race. This is the story and I'll warn you that it's very long because I don't want to forget a thing and I want new ultra runners to be able to learn from my mistakes!

Trip
I didn’t tell anyone I was doing this race except my husband. As far as my mom and in-laws knew we just wanted a weekend of camping and roughing it without kids. I really felt I needed to only listen to myself on this. There were too many voices giving their input on all of my training and races these past months and I was ready to trust myself and do what I thought was best. My husband and I left home around 2PM on Friday afternoon. We dropped the kids off with my mother and then headed out for the six or so hour drive. After stopping for dinner, bathroom breaks, and some last minute supplies we arrived at Luciana Park in Lanesboro, PA around 11PM. When we pulled into the park we found the two RD’s, Carl and David, camping under the Viaduct. They directed us where to park and we quickly took a spot in the line of cars already there. Thankfully we had already done a trial run with our tent so we were able to get it erected pretty quickly in the dark and roll out our sleeping bags. I didn’t sleep well at all. I was nervous, uncomfortable, too hot, too cold, too many bugs, crazy dreams, etc. At 4AM I finally gave up and decided my nervous energy would be better suited to pre-race preparations.
Pre-race
I went out to my Jeep to grab the rest of our bags and found the morning was already pleasantly warm. I dressed in shorts, a singlet, and gaiters over my Asics Trabuco trail shoes. I ate a Clif bar and drank an Ensure while I double checked my drop bags which were actually two totes. I’d labeled them start/finish and turn around and my name. Inside each was extra clothes, food, drink mixes (Nuun and amino), S!caps, arm warmers, a jacket, and a smaller box with medical and night supplies (extra batteries, head lamp, flashlights, moleskin, duct tape, etc). Being a self-supported race, I was probably over-prepared but I also wanted to be prepared to help other runners if necessary. I took my totes to the start/finish area as well as some Gatorade and other foodstuff I had brought to donate to the community pot. People that hadn’t spent the night in the park were starting to trickle in and I spent the rest of my free time chatting with David and some of the volunteers and pacers that were hanging around. I learned that there were 3 runners attempting 200 miles already out on the course with the leader at around 125 already. There were also 2 returning 100 milers that had taken the early 4AM start and were out on the course.
Course
The course was described as ‘stony, unimproved rail trail’ with a 900 foot gradual incline on the 12.5 mile out and then obviously 900 foot decline on the 12.5 mile return trip. One tenth of a mile from the start there was a wooden bridge with six inch gaps between the rotting railroad ties making up the span and no sides to prevent you from going into the shallow, rocky river if you tripped. This bridge was by far one of the scariest things I’ve ever encountered on a race course. About a mile later was another wooden bridge but there were no gaps aside from a few rotted out missing planks. At the 6 mile mark an ultra runner that couldn’t run this year decided to participate by setting up an aid station instead. It was the best aid station I’ve ever seen but I’ll get to that later. There were two ‘minor’ dips where railroad trestles had been removed. Only once I was out there did I learn that minor is a relative term. The first ‘dip’ was 7 miles in and about a half mile in length, so around a quarter mile going down and then a quarter mile back up the other side. It was rather grassy and soft so I didn’t mind it so much. The second ‘dip’ was much, much larger and came around 9.5 miles in. It was all loose stone and dirt and it wound first left and then right on the downhill leaving you scrambling for traction if you went faster than snail pace. At the bottom you crossed a dirt road and then a wooden bridge over a river. As you proceeded up the other side there are two stone pillars that used to support the trestle. The incline was steep and seemed to take forever to climb. There was no time to catch your breath on the other side because it instantly went into my least favorite part of the course. Apparently the trail council that owns the trail decided, since it is primarily used by ATV’s and snowmobiles, that heavy coarse rocks were the best substrate and laid a thick layer this spring. They didn’t think to leave an un-graveled area for walkers/runners so for 2.5 miles there was no way of avoiding tripping, stumbling, and twisting your ankles and knees. If I had known about this ‘un-improvement’ before I arrived I might have found another hundred for my first instead.
First Lap – Out
David gave all the runners, 13 total for the 6AM start, a quick pre-race talk about what turns to watch out for and potential issues, including bears that had been frequenting the area, and we started promptly at 6AM. My first lap out I wanted to take it pretty easy and just get the lay of the land. I tried to get to the back of the pack but everyone seemed to have the same idea so I just went out at a comfortable pace (I didn’t wear my Garmin for the first lap) and let people pass as they felt like it. I soon found myself at the back of the pack save for three people behind me. I was running comfortably with a man named Bob. We chatted and discussed which areas looked good to run and which were too rocky and were therefore better to walk. I saw a deer crossing the trail in the early morning light as I approached the middle aid station. It turned out that the aid station volunteer at mile 6 was Bob’s wife and she had the best spread ever set up. There were homemade cookies, melon, grapes, cherries, bread, potatoes, chips, pretzels, chocolate, etc. Somehow that aid station just kept growing throughout the race with more volunteers and more food meeting your every need. It was wonderful! I had reached this aid station precisely on track at 7:27AM. I grabbed pretzels and then Bob and I continued on until just after the first dip. At that point he seemed to be speeding up so I dropped back to the run with the couple just behind us. The woman’s name was Louise and her partner was a man that I didn’t catch his name. We saw the leader coming back from the turn around when we were at the second dip. He was really moving and my first reaction was “that’s way too fast for a hundred”. He advised me of an easy to miss turn and I thanked him and continued on. I reached the turnaround at 9:15AM and dropped my singlet in favor of running with just a sports bra. I also drank an Ensure and grabbed a baggie of pretzel sticks to eat on the way back. I tried to wait for Louise and her friend but they lingered and I didn’t want to waste time.
First Lap – Back
It didn’t take them long to catch me on the rocky section as I walked and munched my pretzels. I could see where my Trabuco’s were too poorly cushioned in the forefoot for running on fist-sized gravel. I made up my mind to only walk, carefully, on the heavily graveled areas. I started seeing bright red lizards on the trail warming themselves in the sun. I asked a passing runner what they were and he said newts. I started seeing more frogs and bugs too. I was very grateful for having applied insect repellant (and sunscreen)in the morning. Once I passed the deeper dip I picked up a little momentum to try to reach my goal of 6 – 6:30 for the first 25 mile lap. Just after the 6 mile aid station I found another newt so I put him in an empty baggie to take back and show my husband. Louise named him Newton. The remainder of this lap was uneventful except that Louise turned out to be absolutely petrified of the bridge with the gaps. She didn’t say anything until she was on the bridge and then I couldn’t pass her without getting dangerously close to the open edges. It took a long and tense 10 or 15 minutes to get across the bridge but we made it and I hustled into the start/finish at 12:40PM. My husband griped that I was late but quickly mixed me up a new batch of Nuun and shoved some S!caps my way while I downed another Ensure. He had me back out on the trail in around 2-3 minutes. I meant to have him take a picture of Newton the newt before he released him but I forgot and he didn’t think to do it.
Second Lap – Out
I went back out with Louise again and I tried to get in front of her before the bridge but it didn’t happen. Another long, tense battle with Louise’s terror ensued. It wasn’t long after that that I decided to strike out on my own. I put on my iPod and started moving faster hoping to make up some of the time I had lost on the first lap and at the bridge. I saw the leader again looking pretty rough about 3 miles out. It turned out that he had no idea of pacing and ended up dropping after finishing 50 miles in something like 8 hours. At the 6 mile aid station I had some melon, cookies, and more pretzels. I also dumped my last couple sips of nuun in favor of plain water in my UD handheld. I was taking 2 S!caps every hour now because it was getting very hot quickly. I knew the forecast was calling for high 80’s and little cloud cover. My small handheld had been more than enough to get me between aid stations up to this point but from the 6 mile aid station to the turn around it wasn’t enough in the heat and direct sun. It was empty while I was still almost 4 miles from the turn around. I started to feel horrible after about a mile with no liquid and get what I called the ‘jumpies’ where I would see movement out of the corner of my eye and whip my head around only to find nothing there. Things continued to deteriorate until I thought there were frogs all over the trail but it was just rocks and they weren’t really moving. I was in dire straits and I knew I probably would have to drop at the turn around if I didn’t figure something out and soon. That’s when my savior appeared. Bob was on his way back from the turn around and saw me looking like death warmed over. He was wearing a camelback and offered to half fill my bottle to get me the last 2 miles to the turn around. I will owe him forever! I took 2 S!caps with what he’d given me and then chugged the rest. The last little bit to the turn around was still rough but I was feeling improved and I knew a small rest would do me good. I sat down on the ground and changed my socks and switched to my Nathan HPL 020 hydration vest, ditching my handheld. I ate a brownie and grabbed a bag of dill pickle chips and some more pretzel sticks.
Second Lap – Back
As I walked the rocky section I ate my chips and I could feel everything returning to normal. I took 2 more S!caps and continued to keep things slow until after the deeper dip. On the other side of the dip I caught up to a 200 mile runner named Tom. He was having foot problems thanks to the rocks but he only had one more lap to go after this one before he was done so he was going very slowly in hopes he would feel good for the last lap. I saw 2 snakes warming themselves during this lap but they moved away quickly as we approached. We continued on together chatting and discussing strategies until the midway aid station. Once I reached the 6 mile aid station I grabbed some cookies, melon, and more water and then decided it was time to move. I started to feel really, REALLY good so I went with it. I watched my miles times drop into the 12’s, and then the 11’s, and finally the 10’s as I neared the start/finish. I saw Bob about 3 miles out and he asked how I was doing. I thanked him profusely for the race-saving water and he said he was glad to help and very happy to see me moving so well again. I continued on and crossed the bridge grateful to be able to tackle it alone this time without anyone else’s fear tainting the atmosphere. I cruised into the start/finish at a sub-9 pace around 8PM and skidded to a stop in front of a very startled Louise and friend shouting, “Hola amigos!” They had apparently just finished telling my husband of my imminent demise and how I had probably dropped at the turn around and if I hadn’t I probably would when I finally made it back. HAHA! My husband had beefaroni and goodies waiting for me. He had everything packed and ready for pacing me through the night and I couldn’t wait to get back out there. David wished us well and we walked off into the twilight.
Third Lap – Out
It got dark very quickly on the third lap out. It took both my husband and I by surprise just how dark it was out there considering how bright the moon was. At first we were jumpy and scared but it wasn’t long before we kind of got into the swing of it and began to enjoy ourselves. As my dinner digested and the blood returned to my legs our pace quickened and we discussed how fast we should complete this lap to get me back out on the fourth lap before the 4:30AM cut off. I wanted to go for 6.5 -7 hours so that we would be back before 3AM giving me time to get off my feet for a couple minutes and recharge for the final trek. Looking back now I was so confident and I was feeling really good. It’s still kind of surreal that things went from that point to DNF so quickly. By the 6 mile aid station my legs were finally starting to protest a little and I told my husband I wanted 5 minutes for this stop instead of 2-3. I sat for the first time since setting out and drank some chicken noodle soup. I took some Endurolytes and massaged my legs. I looked at my watch and realized we’d been there for 7 minutes. I boosted myself to my feet and we continued on. After the first dip I started to notice the balls of my feet were getting really tender. I became even more careful of avoiding the rocks where possible but I was tripping and stumbling a lot in the dark. By the time we reached the second dip I knew things weren’t good but I still figured I could piece myself together at the turn around. I was mentally and physically capable of continuing in all regards except for the balls of my feet. Right around this point David came by pacing the new leader, Eli. He could tell I wasn’t the same chipper girl who had blazed into the start/finish just a couple hours before. He asked me a few questions and I told him I would talk to him more on his way back after he got Eli to the turn around and after I had more time to evaluate my condition. My feet went from tender to feeling like someone was shoving red hot razor blades into the balls of my feet after the second dip. Our pace dropped to the point where time meant nothing anymore. I was quickly realizing today would not be my day. A runner and his pacer on their final lap caught us and offered me some Ibuprofen. I gratefully accepted but I knew in my heart it was futile. I still had a vague hope of being able to death march back to the start to at least get 75 miles for the day. My husband continued to support me as I hobbled and cursed and grew angrier and angrier at the rocks causing my pain. I have to say that my husband was the most amazing support ever. He even gave me his own jacket when I got chills despite my own jacket and arm warmers. He froze his rear off for 7 hours to get me to that turnaround. We tried to make the best of it, turning out our lights when I needed to pause so we could enjoy the display of stars, and listening intently as a pack of coyotes started howling and yipping somewhere near our left side. It seemed like a long time before David and Eli came back but in reality I know it wasn’t. I told him the Ibuprofen hadn’t touched the pain but that I still had hopes of righting myself at the turn around. He encouraged me to listen to my body and not injure myself unnecessarily. He had already warned the turn around volunteers that I would need assistance and that I would be needing a ride back to the start if I did decide to drop. He also told me that I was about a mile from the turn around. I thanked him and told him and Eli to keep up the good work before shuffling off into the dark again. When I finally reached the last road crossing before the turn around I only felt relief. My utter lack of hope and increasing pain was another signal that I was ready to be done. I hobbled into the aid station and they got me into a chair and packed a sleeping bag around me. Food and drink was shoved at me and my husband removed my right shoe to evaluate the damage. There was absolutely no visible signs of trouble with my feet, not a single blister, red spot, or discolored nail. This was the final nail in the coffin. I knew that whatever was wrong with my feet wouldn’t be fixed with duct tape and moleskin and I had trouble even getting my shoe back on as my foot puffed up quickly once freed. I still waited it out for about 20 minutes before I made the final DNF decision. It was already 3AM so I knew there was no chance of making the cutoff for the final lap start and I learned that most of the field of 15 had already dropped (only 6 people actually finished this year). One of the volunteers tried to encourage me to change shoes and socks and hobble back so I could at least get 75 miles but I reminded myself of David’s advice and decided to just hitch a ride. We thanked everyone and jumped into a car with one of the founding fathers of the race, Rylan. He got us back to the start quickly, almost hitting a very scared deer on the way. I wonder if it was those coyotes we heard earlier? As soon as he dropped us off at our tent I felt all the events of the day hit me like a ton of bricks.
After
I stumbled into our tent and changed into pajamas as quickly as my body would allow. I slipped into my sleeping bag and was snoring before my husband was even done stowing away our gear. I slept fitfully for the next 5 hours as I could hear the volunteers clapping and cheering for the finishers. I would half wake and think, “that should have been me”, and then drift back to sleep. I woke up feeling disappointed but no regret so I know I made the right decision. My husband and I packed up and thanked everyone. David asked if I would come back again next year and I tried to be nice about declining but I don’t see how I would ever want to subject myself to that again (the rocks, not the hundred). Driving home I slept more peacefully for a few hours before awaking to my hunger. My husband told me I couldn’t go into a restaurant wearing fuzzy slippers and smelling like I’d been running for the last 21 hours. I told him that I would gladly eat him instead. We compromised and he let me enter a restaurant but I had to abandon my fuzzy slippers in favor of flip flops. Now that we’re home and showered and unpacked I feel good about the experience. I’m much less nervous about my upcoming 50M and 100k because I know I can cover the distance and I know more about my body and what it needs. I also feel surprisingly good physically. I don’t have a single blister, chafe, or hot spot. A few sore and stiff muscles that are loosening up quickly are the worst of my problems. Even my feet feel pretty good even though the balls are still fairly swollen. I don’t think I’ll be cramming them into running shoes in the next couple days but other than that they’re okay. I’m already looking forward to finding another 100M to tackle. Next time I’ll do more investigating to make sure I’m not going to be running on rocks all day! Other than that I don’t think I would change a single thing about this experience (except for not taking any pictures).