Woodstock 100 Mile Thoughts

About to start, Ryan Case showing how relaxed he is

My thought process during the race.

First loop

"Wow my heart rate is too high, whatever, I'll just keep going"

"That guys going too fast, I'm going too fast, we're all going too fast!"

"This duct tape feels weird now that my feet are sweating"

"Eat solid food"

"Hugh has sweet vertical runner gear"


Second Loop

"Hoka, Hoka, Hoka"

"I'm hot, I think I'll take off my shirt"

"Just a light rain, no big deal"

"I'm cold, I think I'll grab a shirt"

"Stop thinking and run"

"Why are these roctaines so chunky (gag)"


Third Loop

"Crap I'm cold"

"Eat solid food"

"Woah, Hokas are like ice skates in mud"

"There's my Dad, smile like you're still having fun"

"This jacket will keep me warm"


 Fourth Loop

"This jacket is not keeping me warm"

"Holy crap it's raining so hard my headlamp is almost useless"

"Totally exposed to the storm on this rail trail"

"I think I stepped on a frog"

"These shoes aren't draining at all"

"I'm so cold"

"I'm so cold"

"My feet are melting"

"I don't care if I'm in first, I quit"

"I hope Ryan and Jenny understand, I just can't keep going"

"How the hell do I get this poncho on?"

"Why am I putting this poncho on?"

Time of day per lap.  We started at 4pm (Photo Don Lindley)

Fifth Loop

"How did I end up back out on the trail again?"

 "These speedcrosses are way better"

"Die mud"

"How did I end up on the trail again?"

"Run damnit, no walking"

"Case is coming"

"These saltine crackers are so dry"

"Just keep talking to Jenny (my pacer), time will move faster that way"


Sixth Loop

"Hey there's Mike"

"Hey there's Jason"

"I think Jason just hugged me"

"Run, Damnit"

"Where did my pacer go?"

"Run that hill"

"Vanilla gel taste good?!?!?!"

"Fuel all the way to the finish"

"Case is coming, no walking"

"Its almost over!"

"Its over."

"Chair!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chair!!!!!! (Photo Don Lindley)

Ok that was some fun "thought vomit" from the race.  Real stuff is down here.  It was a great experience.  Came into the race feeling more mentally and physically prepared than I have for any race.  Some of this excitement died off when I noticed the weather forecast becoming more and more foreboding. 

I decided I was going to fight my cautious nature and go out with the lead pack and just see if I could outlast those guys.  It was a  pleasure to spend the first couple loops in the company of several other tremendous runners, all of whom were on a mission to kick ass and push their own individual limits.  In retrospect, with such a long race, through running with/against one another, we aren't necesarily competing with each other so much as with ourselves, and using the community experience to allow us to reach our limits.

In the end, I think the weather got a lot of people, and it nearly got me.  The start was 80 degrees and humid and then it dropped down to 48 during the night and continued to rain from 8pm till 5-6am.  My crew saved me from a DNF by sitting me in front of a heater for 25 minutes at an aid station and getting dry socks/shoes and a poncho onto me, before literally shoving me back out into the rain and telling me they'd see me again in 8 miles.  While I didn't every fully recover from the butt kicking I took out in the storm, it was relatively smooth sailing from then on.  At some point I became aware that my buddy Ryan Case was giving chase, and I forced quite a bit more running out of my legs than I usually am capable of over the last 25 miles or so.  I guess this is "running scared".