Pine to mile 60

So, I'm still working through the race in my head and have come to some good conclusions of what I didn't do when I should've done it.

The overview is:

We got started at 6am.  It was dark but the first few miles are on road and I felt comfortable that it would be light enough by the time I needed it.  We got into the first climb on trail and it was the eventual winner (Gerad), me, and another guy.  A small group of 5 had run past the trail head turnoff for about 100 meters, so they were busy trying to catch back up.

I guess around mile 7 into the climb Gerad pulled away and I felt no need to push my pace since I was drenched from sweat and it wasn't even 7:30am.  I've never started salt tabs so early in any race and decided I might as well take one.  The effort felt easy on the 5,000 ft climb but I was sweating so much and drinking so much that I knew it would be miserable later.  The descent was fast and fun and then there's a long road stretch of about 7-8 miles.  Hal drove up next to me around mile 20 and asked if I had just two guys in front of me, which was the case.  We chatted for a minute and he told me Karl had won RRR100 (Right on!).

I rolled into Seattle Bar aid station at mile 28 ish in 4:40 and 4th place, switched out my small handhelds (12 oz) for my race vest, drank a v8, chatted with Craig Thornley a bit (nice to see you, Craig!), and was on my way to the next shitty climb.

From here my race went awry.  I started getting cramps in my quads and calves and lower shins, so upped my intake of salt to 900 mg/hour and lost track of how much water I was taking in.  By the time I got to Squaw Lake (mile 40), I was having trouble keeping a running motion with my legs locking up.  I switched out shoes and put on some compression socks, drank and ate and sat.  I dropped from 4th to 8th in just that short 15 mins.  I felt a little better and hustled around the lake section of 2.5 miles.

Squaw Lake. Photo: Peter Beck

Leaving Squaw Lake (around mile 42).  Photo: Peter Beck

The next section the wheels came off.  I ran hard around the lake and the couple of miles down the road to the next trail section and climb up to mile 50 aid station.  I don't remember much of this section other than it was exposed and hot.  I remember sitting a lot and wondering why no one was passing me.  I was still in 8th at this point.  Once I reached 50 there's an out and back climb where you have to grab a flag at the top and make your way back down to the same aid station.  I dropped my race vest, took a hand held bottle from Kara (my good friend and crew) and set off for the flag.  The aid folks said it was taking about 25 mins for the guys in front of me.  It took me over 42 mins.  My quads were locking up in contracted balls of muscle.  It looked like I had softballs under my skin and I was basically screaming the entire descent.  When I arrived back to the aid station I sat in a chair and drank 40oz of electrolytes, two v8 cans, more water, and ate some turkey and avocado along with 600 mg of salt tabs.  I had tried every trick I knew and felt I was beyond the point of return.  Too much damage to the quads and calves.  In a last hope I took my trekking poles and hobbled out of the station.  It was still hot and the section was all road and all in the face of the hot late afternoon sun.  I had never had (or seen) as much salt as I had on my clothes and skin.

By mile 58 I confirmed that I was only making about 1.5 miles per hour and slowing down every half mile.  I was barely making forward progress when a car came up behind me on the dusty road climb.  I waved it down, got in, got a ride to Dutchman Pass at mile 65 and it was over.

In 25 years of endurance sports I have never experienced as much pain as I've been in yesterday and today.  It'll take a few days to flush out my muscles.  The thought of wanting to run is strong but I can't step off a curb without my legs buckling.

Congratulations to the finishers and others who had to drop.  Thanks to Hal Koerner for organizing such a terrific event.  He's a tremendous runner and person.  Thanks to Kara for her patience and effective crewing.  Thanks to La Sportiva.  I wore the C-Lites for the first 40 miles and switched to my Hokas in the hopes of mitigating the shock to my destroyed legs, which didn't help a bit.  Thanks to Vi Fuel.  I took a Vi gel every 20 mins and had solid, even energy and calm stomach the entire 12 hours I was out there.

Looking forward to some faster, shorter stuff with the Bear Chase 50k in 12 days and then Firetrails 50 miler in the Bay Area on the 13th.

Check out the amount of caked on salt.  Misery is obvious.

After trying every strategy I could think of, this is what it came down to.