09/24/12 - Run Rabbit Run 100 Race Report
Well I purposely waited just over a week to write this up. One, because I have been sick as a dog all week long and just now am having the mental capacity to put words down. And two, I needed a few days to go by so raw emotions, frustrations and expectations did not dictate my thoughts on the race as a whole.
Well, long story short --- I DNF'd....I didnt want to, it was the last thing on my agenda for the day, and at just 22 miles in ---- really hurt.
The start of the race went off fine. I felt pretty good for the first 2-3 hours. I briefly chatted with Pete S and ended up hiking along-side Arnulfo Quimare, one of the Tarahumara barefoot dudes, during the early stages of the run. That was pretty cool.
Power hiked up a ridiculous steep climb to the Gondola in about 40 minutes even, hopped on the short dirt road traverse (in which a few of us had to ask local hikers if they had seen any runners come by...as the course markings were pathetic in places --- and thats putting it nicely) over to a handful of uphill switchbacks and climbed my way to the top of Mt.Werner in 1:20 even..(at one of the high points of the course, 10,500 ft) 5 miles in. I filled up one my bottles and was on my way over to Long Lake, about 6.8 miles down the trail. This section of trail was beautiful, fall colors were in full bloom and parts of the trail reminded me of the Mill Creek trail in Horsetooth Park. Still feeling pretty good, I kept reminding myself that 100 miles is a really long way to go...so I backed off the pace, stopped behind a bush for a quick pee break...and continued on my way to the Long Lake aid station at about 11.8 miles in. During this section of the course I ran with the top 2-4 women overall.
I got to the Long Lake aid station in 20th place, at 2:33. Still feeling good, taking it easy. Basically just relaxing and preparing myself for a really long day...and night of running.
Filled up my bottles, downed some calories...and was on my way.
It was on this stretch of beautiful (and rugged...) section of trail that I noticed two things:
One, there was a handful of the top runners in the field running
towards me, heading back up to the Long Lake aid station...as I was heading down the trail. This would soon be a common place occurrence throughout the remaining miles I had ahead. Runners --- from the front of the pack, all the way to the back of the pack --- taking wrong turns, going off course, getting lost, having to drop out...etc Apparently that would be the theme of the day...for most.
Secondly, after running for 3 hours I noticed that I had not broke a sweat yet even though I was consuming water (and electrolytes) by the bottle full at each aid station, and consuming plenty of calories as well. I thought this was a little odd. I still felt fine but the lack of having one drop of sweat on my brow this far into the race had me slighlty confused.
Once I made my way back down off the mountain and onto pavement I started to feel ---- off. And by off, I mean nauseous, weak, dizzy ....basically having no desire to be standing up....let alone running.
One thing I remember about this section, besides the poorly marked road leading us to the high school, was how long it felt. For some reason I thought we would be getting off the mountain and then boom, the high school was right there. But running on this poorly marked road, I couldnt help but check every intersection that I crossed to make sure I didnt miss a turn off. Thankfully I didnt miss a turn off, but this section felt more like 3 miles of running, than the "right around the corner" thought I had going on in my head. Plus, at this point in the race I was feeling pretty awful all of a sudden. I stopped to walk a few times...not out of exhaustion or cramping...but because I just felt sick to my stomach. A few runners in the tortoise heat were running towards me and I asked how much further to the high school. They yelled back "just over a mile". Ugh! One more mile before I can try to collect myself and figure out what the heck is going on here. Just not feeling well at all.
The next aid station was just over 20 miles into the race, and I should NOT be feeling this bad...this early in the race. I could cover this distance easily in training with minimal fluids and a couple of GU's and feel fine, thirsty and hungry...but fine. But here I was, hobbling into the High School aid station feeling like my body want nothing to do with this running thing.
Got to the aid station and drank some water, had a piece of watermelon...which I had to force into my mouth, the thought of eating or even drinking water made me sick to my stomach. It was at this point, after trying to collect myself for about 5 minutes, that I could feel all the liquid and calories I had consumed up to this point just sloshing around my stomach. My stomach was not absorbing a single thing --- still had not broke a sweat yet.
I knew my crew was waiting a mile away (why they have two aid stations within a mile of each other is beside me..) and so I picked myself off the ground and shuffled and walked through town. I used this time to do a head to toe check on myself so I could not only try to figure out what was going on, but so I could relay any useful intel to my crew when I got there. I also noticed that my lungs felt heavy and getting in a deep breathe took effort. I felt like my lung capacity was cut in half and had to resort to a semi deep-huffing for each breathe...even when at rest. What the heck was going on?!
Rolled into the Olympian Hall aid station and was glad to see my crew. I plopped down onto the chair and just sat there for a few minutes. My breathing was labored and felt like I only had one good lung in my chest. Still nauseous, and could feel all the food and water sloshing around my gut. I had a hard time trying to focus on something and any effort to take in calories by way of food, or soda was minimal.
I knew I had to eat and drink, but lets just say that it sounds a whole lot easier than it did in the moment.
After a solid 15 minutes of walking around the food table trying to get a grip on my condition, I started to feel ever so slightly better. I threw on a long sleeve, grabbed my headlamp and headed out of the aid station and up the steep, knee high grassy climb up to the dirt road at the top. I had to stop a few times, when even a power hike...more like a pathetic drunken hike, had my gasping for air. Now I had run a handful of times WAY higher in elevation than this, over the summer, and I never had these issues, nothing remotely close to this....so I didnt think the elevation in this race had much to do with how I was feeling.
I finally crawled my way up to the top of this thing, looked back down into town and knew that it would be about 19 miles before I would see my crew again. Ugh.
The thought of moving in a forward direction was more than I could stomach. I walked the first 1/4 mile (which was mostly rolling dirt road).... not good this early in the race. With my fingers holding my water bottles through the loop with my arms at my side. Walking in a drunken stupor ----- this was nearing the end for me. Both hand and feet were now tingling, the trail was spinning before me. I made my way to the edge of the trail and tried throwing up. But just dry heaving and feeling worse. After fighting with myself for about 15 minutes I decided to commit to dropping out. The sky was beginning to get dark, and there was no way I could make it 19 more miles like this.
I turned around and headed back to the aid station and on the steep downhill that I just climbed up my feet came out from under me twice, and fell on my back. First time hurt, second time I just sat there for a minute (as I already committed to dropping out) before getting up and sliding back down the hill...into the aid station.
My crew had left to grab some dinner for themselves and check out where they were planning on meeting me later in the night. And so I had some time to myself, hands between my knees, trying to focus on people talking to me and just holding a basic conversation. My ribs on the right side hurt, and they hurt bad. A few volunteers thought I might have cracked a rib when I fell. Anything more than a mouthful puff of air when I inhaled hurt like the most painful stabbing feeling I have ever felt under my right rib cage. This pain forced me to take short shallow breathes......for the rest of my night. I managed, after about 20 minutes of sitting down and throwing on some warm clothes from my bag, to make my way to the bathroom. The toilet bowl was spinning in front of me and I knew at this point that I was gonna puke -- and puke big time!
It didnt take long before all the food and water I drank up to this point in the race was splattered all over the place -- projectile vomit! The first time ever during a race.
Not much else to say about the race. After getting back to our condo and seeing my family (who were all happy to see I was alive and ok), I wanted to crawl in a hole for having so many issues and complications through a distance I cover just about each and every weekend in training....all without any issues.
Spent 2 hours hovering over my best friend for the night....Mr Toilet bowl, could not keep down crackers, soup, soda...or anything. Threw up 2 more times that night. Dehydrated and hungry....and exhausted. Tired more so from dealing with all the vomiting and painful stabbing in my rib cage with every breathe, then from the running itself.
Ended up falling asleep on the couch, wheezing and wincing in pain.
Woke up the next morning and felt fine again. Gone was the rib pain (for the most part), I was able to eat and drink and keep things down -- thank God, as I was beyond hungry at this point!
And my legs felt fresh and ready to go for another run...no signs of running for 22 miles the previous day.
Confused and frustrated I sat there trying to figure out why a 22 mile trail run felt more like I got my arse handed to me in a back alley bar fight, then a trail run in the mountains.
Looking back on it, and after waiting a week to write this up so that I could get a better perspective on things a few things make more sense now...then they did that day.
The following Monday after the race I got sick...and sick for a good 6 days in a row (still recovering as I write this...9 days post race). Fatigue, muscle aches, a bad cough, chest congestion, nasal drip.
I drank more tea and honey, along with more bottles of Nyquil and Dayquiil, and took more anti-histamine pills this past week than I have in a really long time. I was not feeling well for about 2 weeks before the race and after making every attempt to try and get better before race day, I believe I was still dealing with some of that during the race, and my body basically shut down to try and get me better. I felt fine on race day, but I am positive something under the hood was working against me from the get-go....and judging by how I felt just 20 miles into the race along with the illness that overcame me in the days afterwards is enough to convince me.
9 days later and still taking cough syrup to help with a nasty cough and some chest congestion and still feeling slightly "under water". Not planning to take another step of running until I am 100% positive I am healthy again.
Outside of how I was feeling, there were a few other issues I (and many others) had with the race itself:
1- It was unmarked, or poorly marked at every intersection. I eluded to this earlier when just 4 miles into the race myself and the runners around me were asking hikers which way the runners ahead went. This should never happen or be an issue. I mean, with taxes...paying $290 for a race entry fee, and to see a 5 inch dangling yellow string attached to a yellow tree (against the autumn colors) seemed ridiculous and value on course markings appeared to not be on the top of the priority list for the RD. There are enough of things to look out for on the trail...having to look at every branch at an intersection, hoping to see a flag, is a complete waste of time and energy. If anything, marking the course with a handful of LONG flags waving in the breeze along with flour arrows should be the bare minimum when it comes to running 100 miles (or more!) in the mountains. One tiny flag absorbed by the background colors is not gonna cut it. Getting lost because someone didnt put the time and effort into marking a course properly is ashame and extremely frustrating.
2- It was long! My goodness, 100 miles is long enough, but when the race says it is 101.9 miles, well ok its a little long. But I heard that Karl Melzer, the overall winner, clocked it at 110 miles! Thats 8 miles too long! I understand it might not be that easy...but cmon, 8 miles long --- sloppy. But then again this is coming from me, and I get upset when a 5k is 100m too long, or short...throwing off everyone's time. This either needs to be fixed to display an accurate distance too and from aid station so the runners can better plan food and water with their crew, OR keep it at 110 miles or whatever it is, and just come out and say..its secretly a 110 mile race, labeled as a 100 miler. I will keep that second option noted the next time I register for and race a 3.5 mile 5k.
3 - This one didnt affect me any, but it affected someone else for sure and kinda bugs me so I will add it to the list. Nick P took a wrong turn fairly early in race and decided to drop out at mile 19 or so. After contacting the RD about his mishap and essentially asking for a re-do, he was allowed into the 50 miler (which has been filled for a few months now I believe). Even though there is a no transfer option, according to the website. He ran well enough the next day in the 50 miler to nab a spot for an auto entry into Western States. However, if I was the guy who missed out by one spot for the auto entry because someone took a wrong turn, complained about it, was offered a re-do into a different race that has been filled up for while ---- I would be pretty ticked. If this was the case, everyone who took a wrong turn in the race could have done this. Heck I should have complained that I wasn't feeling good and asked the RD if I can get my re-do attempt the next morning in the 50 miler. He probably would have laughed and said, " Sorry no transfers, hope you feel better." --- No one brought this up, so I am probably in the minority here, but that decision cost someone else their western states auto spot. Just saying.
Hopefully next year the race committee decides to invest our $290 into a few more arrows or flags for course markings. And chop off 10 miles of the course to make it a 100 miles...or advertise it for what it is, 110 miles. At least one things for sure, next time if I take a wrong turn in the 100, I can have the 50 miler the next morning as my re-do race!
