It was Saturday, August 27th, 2011 and I was about to run the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run. "Yesterday I thought this was a good idea...Dakota Jones, Hardrock 2011" This was not really a thought I was having at 10:00AM on Saturday morning as the race started but in the 85 degree heat and with the climb to Goat Peak before us I imagined this was going through more than a few minds.
My preparations for this race had included many long runs in the 28-30 mile range with next day runs around 12-16 miles. Average weekly distance was 60-80 miles and I tried to get in as much elevation as possible. I studied all the maps, course elevations, previous runners blogs and splits and every other bit of information I could find on the Cascade Crest 100M race. I even went to the extent of creating detailed pace cards for each section of the course and made sure that my drop bags were optimized for what I could expect to need. I promised my son Ben that he could have two birthdays since the 27th, the day the race starts, was his 9th birthday. In hindsight there are some other aspects of training that I could have improved but I will get to that later...
Joni, David, Ben, Vickie. Nothing
better than family support..!
I showed up at the start line on Saturday with my family and Shawn (one of my pacers) and his family. It was great to have family and friends at the start to keep me focused and to add to the excitement. Joni, Ben and Vickie had been so supportive over the last few months with all of my training. My family is amazing and I am very fortunate that I not only have their support but also their understanding of my crazy enjoyment of running ultras. Joni in particular is a partner that is beyond compare and one that I am thankful for every day. She has also said she is going to pace me for a section in my next adventure, what more could I ask for! She is just awesome!
Resting before the start
There was a lot to get done before starting this adventure. One of the most important logistics was getting pacers for the race. Shawn, my best friend from college, and John, my training partner and great friend, both volunteered to pace me and I cannot stress how much I value their contribution to my success in completing this endurance challenge. After getting to the Easton Fire Station which is both the start and finish for the race I settled in and made sure my four drop bags were in the right piles. I had all my supplies like food, headlamps and other necessities in those bags so I wanted to make sure they would be at the aid stations waiting for me. After this and listening to the pre-race briefing there was not much to do but relax and wait for the start. Both Joni and Shawn made sure that I ate at least one pancake before the start. Five minutes before the start the national anthems for Canada and The United States were played, then there was the ten second count down and we were off.
Reaching Goat Peak
Heading out of the start was great, I was getting pretty anxious to just get moving and once we were running I was feeling a lot better. The climb up to Goat Peak was hot and slow. The trail was very rocky with loose 3-4 inch diameter cinders that made for some tough climbing. We crossed a few wood bridges and some of them had seen better days, including the one where the guy in front of me stepped on the edge of one of the slats and the opposite side flew up and off the bridge. He recovered quickly and did not fall and we yelled back to the runners behind us to be careful. I met several interesting people on this climb like a runner with a group of 12 who were from Virginia and had just lived through the quake and were now worried about the hurricane and their families. I also met an amazing woman, Betsy Nye, who was just recovering from her 11th Hardrock finish. The Hardrock is a goal of mine some day http://hardrock100.com/ I made it up to Goat Peak and was greeted by a Pacific Northwest Trail Race icon Glenn Tachiyama. He takes photos at most races and is just a really good person and supporter of the trail running community.
Tacoma Pass
After Goat Peak I was feeling great and moving well. So well in fact that my best friend and business partner Rick called my wife Joni who then called me and said "Your going to fast, slow down!" So I did and I settled down into a nice 14 min/mile pace and took in the sights. Hydration was going well, nutrition was great, feet felt fine, and my perceived exertion told me I could do this for two days. The aid stations went well, I spent 3-5 minutes in getting resupplied and grabbing some boiled potatoes rolled in salt along with watermelon, banana, and a quarter of a PB&J as I took off again. It was really getting hot out on the trail and several people including myself were running out of water between aid stations. I was carrying 1.5L of water for the 8 mile sections between aid stations and it turned out not to be enough for the 85+ degree heat, exposure and climbing. I know I was dehydrated using the trail test that I will not go into here :-) and took special care to drink several extra cups of whatever the aid stations had plus to overfill my bladder pack as much as possible. A few aid stations later I was back to being hydrated. I did see a few runners succumbing to the dehydration and I know several DNFs (did not finish) started here. Turns out this was a tough year for DNFs at a few races. This race ended up having a 30% DNF rate while UTMB had close to 50% and Hardrock had over 50%...
Eat & Supply on the go, Whew!
At Stampede Pass, aid station #6 and mile 33, my family and Shawn's family were waiting for me. Unfortunately I was using a new tracking software package (note to self, stay with Runkeeper Pro) and it was giving off some erroneous tracks. After waiting for about two hours I rolled in and was met with cheers, awesome crew support, and a daughter with a cold towel thanks to Shawn's cooler.
The sun soon set and I was running under the bright stars without a moon as it was a new moon weekend. Thanks Dean for getting me excited about that! I started smelling camp fires and realized I was climbing up towards Mirror Lake and found about 30 campers also enjoying the stars. Not sure what they though about 150 ultrarunners coming through in the middle of the night but I was silent for my part and thought about making sure to bring my family up here to go camping soon.
Just coming in.
Not too long afterward I was climbing down a ridiculous 500 foot trail (I use that term loosely) while holding onto a climbing rope with both hands. It was more of a glissade in dirt than run but I made it to the bottom and the beginning of the 2.5 mile Iron Horse Trail train tunnel. It was actually amazing to run through this tunnel at 10:30 PM with my headlight. I was by myself except for one runner behind me a ways and the sensory deprivation was meditative. It was very misty/foggy inside and cold so I was happy to emerge after 30 minutes and run into Hyak aid station at mile 53 and to find my two pacers Shawn & John waiting for me.
Yeah, new shirt.
They both got me resupplied, fueled, hydrated, shirt changed, and ready to start the long climb up and over Keechelus Ridge. I told them both in the aid station that my stomach started hurting in the train tunnel but that I did not think anything was too serious. I also was have a little trouble with my right IT band and opted to put on my fabric knee brace. In hindsight I wish I would have just put on a knee strap but that will go down as a lesson learned that sometimes overkill is not good. I also mentioned that I had taken two ibuprofen (small dose) to reduce inflammation of the IT band to get to Hyak and that maybe I had strayed off my eating plan by being tempted with a pirogi at an earlier aid station. Maybe this was why my stomach was a little off.
Starting with Shawn
So Shawn got me moving along again and we were both off towards the pass. Shawn was the perfect person to have by my side at this point in the race. See, other than being a great runner and programmer extraordinaire, he is an amazing astrophysicist. Who else better to guide you through the night and under the stars than a true friend who is gifted at distracting you with astronomy facts? According to plan for the second 50 miles of this race Shawn and I ran anything that was flat or downhill and power hiked uphills. I was just needing to keep a 14min pace for sub 24hrs or a 16min pace for my middle goal of 28hrs. We were doing well until we started really hitting the long seven mile uphill climb to Keechelus Ridge. It was the first of two long uphill forest road climbs in the race and looking back it was these roads that were some of the toughest times. I think not having the trail to focus on is part of it for me. This also is where I realized that even though everything was going great muscle and mental wise that my stomach was increasingly becoming an issue. I was not nauseous so even though we all had our doubts about those pirogi causing the issue for me I was not sure. It was more of a burning epigastric pain similar to gastritis or a mild ulcer like feeling. It was more pain than feeling sick. In any event it became the one thing that slowed down the pace and was the focus for Shawn during our climb up the forest road. I should say at this point that I am convinced the stomach issue was caused by something else (later in the story) and that I loved the pirogi and will eagerly eat them next time I run the CC100. Both Shawn and John became my eating task masters. They commanded that I eat something every five minutes or so even though every bite was uncomfortable and did not sit well. I was eating every 20 minutes prior to this just fine but now that small portions were all I could stomach frequency was increased and became very important. I know that Shawn did not want me to get undernourished and then not have to energy to keep moving forward. See, when you are trail running you burn about 100 calories per mile but you can only absorb 300 calories per hour before your body stores anything else as fat. So, if you run more than 3 miles per hour then you are in caloric deficit which is pretty much the definition of most of these races. It is an amazing science to keeping as many calories available to your body as possible while not going over what it can process without shunting blood from your muscles. It gets even more complicated when you look at the types of fuel you are consuming and things like how fat burning is a a last resort because the byproduct is that Thanksgiving favorite called tryptophan (makes us all sleepy after turkey) and not very helpful at 2:00AM in the mountains and after 60+ miles of running...okay, enough science...
Shawn was awesome! He kept me going uphill and distracted as much as possible from the growing concern of my stomach issue. He also kept me eating and drinking and moving right along on pace. We had some amazing views of Saturn and other stars and I loved every moment of our time together. Honestly, even though my stomach was an issue for the second half of this adventure I was so excited to be running the CC100 the whole time and loved every minute. I never felt like I was not enjoying every step and Shawn is a big reason that I stayed in this mindset. See, I think you could run a 100 mile endurance race without a pacer but why, and it certainly would not be without its risk and hazards. I feel that having such a good friend with you to share such an experience with makes it just that more memorable. I hope on my next event that Shawn and John are ready to set off again! I am not saying that at times when I was being told to eat this small nibble of food or gel that I was not having some deviation for my fondness for them both but I knew their intentions were good and extremely important if I was going to finish this race in a respectable time. Anyway, we made it to the top of the ridge and rather than blowing through the aid station in three minutes I sat down for about five minutes and this became the norm for the rest of the aid stations I went through. I would stop while my pacers resupplied my pack with water/food and collect my thoughts, eat something (I was still eating watermelon, potato and tums just fine). Shawn and I then headed downhill for another seven miles and picked up the pace as we could and made it into Lake Kachees aid station where John was waiting and the start of "The Trail From Hell"...
The Trail From Hell is a 5.5 mile section along Lake Kachees that is notoriously difficult because of all the blowdown (fallen trees) and technical trail. It is also because much of the trail is 1-2 feet wide and several hundred feet above the lake, sketchy at best in some places. John started what can only be described as an incredible feat of pacing and testament to true friendship. John is the most talented trail runner that I know and he wins most anything he puts his mind to. He is an aerobic monster on the climb and can really turn up the heat on the flats. I was incredibly fortunate to have him with me. Both Shawn and John are my heroes and I promise not to blather on too much more about it but I hope they know how thankful I am for the support they provided! John and I moved really well over most of this infamous portion of the race, we climbed over fallen trees, went under a few, slipped here and there, but overall kept moving forward at a good pace. Once we started to climb out of the lake trail though my stomach started burning/hurting again and I finally got some relief. A small group of three runners had come up from behind while I had stopped to loose the little contents of my stomach which felt much better. This was the only time during the race that I did this and it was a big help. I still had no interest in eating anything but at least I felt better. John had a somewhat clean slate to work with nutrition wise and between the two of us we decided that my detailed plans of eating only gels (other than aid station supplements of watermelon, potato, etc...) were now out. The stars were again amazing and John and I marveled at our fortune to be out experiencing all this beauty. We made it to Mineral Creek aid station and devised a new strategy. While I sat and ate the most wondrous chicken soup ever (at least at the time it seemed that way, nothing like chicken soup, noodles, and bits of chicken for ill stomachs) John got us more water and other supplies. He checked our pace cards and had us moving up the trail in great time. The sun was coming up so we dropped our jackets, lights into my drop bag and headed out. The soup and rising sun were rejuvenating and we picked up some time until we hit the 7 mile forest road uphill climb to No Name Ridge aid station. It was the only other road section of the race and again it just zapped my energy. John was now mixing gels in his water bottle and giving me those for nutrition and it worked. Not as many calories as I needed but it was better than nothing and kept me going now on pace for my middle goal of 28 hrs.
Me
John
Heading down Thorp
Leaving No Name Ridge aid station we started the toughest and most scenic portion of the race. John and I started a 10 mile trek over what is called The Cardiac Needles. This is a series of two steep climbs over peaks (called needles because they are steep and narrow in profile), then climb up to the top of Thorp Mountain, and then climb three additional needles. The first two needles were tough, it is here where you really need to have practiced climbing up and developed your quads, calves and gluteus muscles. John was outstanding keeping me going uphill and even passing other runners. He also had his work cut out keeping me eating something and having the fuel to proceed. We had a few lows in energy but chicken soup or pancakes in these later aid stations was a great boost and John is so positive it was hard to not just enjoy the whole experience and focus on moving. We continued to meet some interesting people along the way and got to Thorp. We ran into Glenn again and he took some great pictures of both John and I coming up and going down Thorp Mountain. John ran up to the actual lookout and took some great video which you can see on the links at the end of this post. Thorp is a beautiful climb by the way and I highly recommend this trail. The needles are demanding and very challenging but the views from the top are so worth the effort! John broke out some Gu Chomps and they were amazing in how well that sat in my stomach and in how much energy I derived from them. They are definitely in my arsenal for my next race.
John was proving to not only be an amazing pacer but also a talented documentary videographer of our adventure. John took some great videos that really show the challenge and beauty of the last 15 miles of this race. They also show me doing my best to keep the pace moving and to reach the finish in 28 hours. We left Thorp Mtn. and moved on along the remaining three needles well. The climbing was slow but there were some good runnable sections and we finally reached the French Cabin aid station and some more pancakes. The runner in the chair next to me swore that I needed to try a pancake rolled up with bacon in the middle and if my stomach was feeling better I would have but it was plain pancake for me. After a short rest we hit the trail and started the steep drop downhill towards the last aid station at Silver Creek. I knew that Joni, Ben, Vickie and Shawn and his family and John's family would be waiting for us so the motivation was high to get there soon!
The run down to Silver Creek was steep. We crossed several streams and even stopped in one to take a quick dip and cool off our legs. The bugs were not too bad as long as we kept moving and with every step my thoughts were turning more towards finishing. I was lightheaded at times at this point because caloric intake was tough and John was reduced to having me eat nibbles of a Cliff Bar for food along with gels diluted in water. We were coming down the final steep trails when I could hear the cheers from everyone and I could see Joni and Vickie cheering me in. Ben was waiting at my chair with ice, a cold towel, and my handheld water bottle with iced vitamin water. I sat down for the last time and toweled off, rehydrated and left my pack with Joni. John was greeted by Henry and Michelle and looked very happy to see them and get some cold supplies also.
Vickie and Ryan
Shawn picked my up here in Silver Creek to run the final 4 miles into Easton, back to the fire station, and into The Finish! Shawn made sure I was drinking frequently because it had become very hot again and we were out on open trail and road exposed to the sun. We ran when we could and as we got into Easton Shawn made sure we were running the whole way. Just before the finish line we saw the kids and spouses and had some new running partners to help us pick up the pace. It was emotional coming into the finish and seeing everyone and the finish line. I crossed the train tracks and Shawn cut me loose to sprint into the finish. I was met by race director Charlie Crissman who congratulated me and handed me my Cascade Crest 100M brass belt buckle. I know, your might be thinking that I ran 100 miles for a belt buckle? Trust me, it is a treasure in my eyes and what all the 100 mile races award rather than medals. I do have a great technical shirt and coffee mug also :-) My finish time was 28:10:02, that's 28 hours and only ten minutes off my middle goal set before the race. Next time I'll try to get the sub-24hr..:-)
Yeah, The Finish..!
It was time to sit down, rest, and just enjoy the moment. Shawn gave me his hat filled with ice for my knee and reminded me that the hat was from an adventure in Pariah Canyon many many years ago, Wow! Sheri and Ryan made sure to congratulate me and Joni and the kids were waiting on me and made sure I was okay and John and his family were there to support me as well. I eventually said goodbye to Shawn and John as they headed home and Joni, Ben and Vickie and I sat awhile longer to rest and maybe try some food. I did eat two burritos and after getting into the car and heading home found that that was not the best idea. I got pretty uncomfortable (burning stomach again ugh!) and Joni decided that we would spend another night in the hotel in Cle Elum to rest, let the kids swim, and for me to recover before heading home to Seattle. I was in great spirits, already talking about my next race and just a little lightheaded. Turns out I got a little dizzy and really did need the rest. Join filled me up with lots more chicken noodle soup and just spoiled me along with the kids. I will say it again, I have an amazing family!
The Best Support Team Ever..!
I would not trade the experience of running The Cascade Crest 100 for anything but there are some lessons learned for next time. The biggest one of course is to find some alternative or complimentary forms of nutrition for during the race and to incorporate them into some of my longer 30 mile runs during training and into some 50 mile races. I have no complaints regarding my equipment. I loved my Salomon Advanced Skin running pack and bladder, my Salomon mini-gaitors worked great and I not once got anything inside my shoes (even though a small hole did wear into each gaitor but after 100 miles I guess this is okay). I had a great watch for keeping pace and to remind me to eat/drink thanks to my best friend and business partner Rick, thanks!
Sore but looking good!
My Mom and Dad bought me a new pair of La Sportivia Wildcats shoes for the race and along with some Hydropel and Drymax socks I remained blister, hotspot and injury free regarding my feet. In fact, I am a convert now when it comes to Hydropel and Drymax socks, I ran 100 miles and my feet looked as good as they did before I started. Suceed S!Caps were the perfect electrolyte pill and I did not experience any cramps or electrolyte problems. Gu gels are great but not perfect for the only fuel source. I think Chomps and some other more solid fuel sources are the way to compliment them. My Petzel Myo XP headlight was more than enough light and clothing was spot on. I should have used my Runkeeper Pro tracking software instead of the untested package I used and this was the only real equipment issue I had. As for the stomach, I continued to deal with it for a few days after the race and I now believe that the ibuprofen I took to manage the IT band on an empty stomach was the real issue. I think the ibuprofen irritated my stomach lining and inflamed it to the point were anything put in caused discomfort. So, I really just need to continue to stretch the IT, put even more miles on it, and mix up fuel sources for next time. I started walking our dog Echo around the blocks with Joni two days later and went on a longer walk on day three and was going up and down stairs. This Friday I am back out running in the park and training for The Next Adventure..!
