Ultra Tales
2006 Lean Horse Wrap-up
by Jim Newton

I had watched the weather for a week and the forecast for race day was 58-90 and sunshine. A little hot, but maybe not too bad if I take it easy. The first hint that this might not be the actual conditions came on Friday when it remained cool and cloudy with some afternoon rain showers. Ahhhh, the new forecast called for rain most of the weekend and temperatures in the 50’s to the low 70’s. The heat threat was gone, but now if we could hold off the rain. I like most of the runners didn’t bring much for cool and wet.

I am not sure if I am prepared or not. My longest run has been 5 hours and this has been three weeks ago. That may be taking the taper thing a little too seriously. At the last minute I put a couple of long sleeve shirts in my night drop bags along with one pair of cotton gloves. I also through in a jacket, just in case. After all, it is South Dakota.

I wake at 4, before the alarm goes off and my first action is to peek out of the window. Good, no rain. I then step outside, warm, maybe 60. So far so good.

Waiting for the bus to the start I actually get warm and have to take off my jacket. We must have picked up some elevation on the drive because it is cool at the start and I stay on the bus until the last minute. As we walk to the 0600 start it begins to rain a little. Not bad though and we are off. The run is on the George Mickelson Trail, which is an old railroad right of way. The trail is awesome and even though the rain is picking up, the trail drains well. The names of the aid stations and drop bag locations are still not familiar and the aid stations come and go. Very well stocked and peopled by happy smiling volunteers. Most of the first miles are uphill, but the grade is never noticeable and all goes well.

I am trying something new in this race. It is the run walk method that is taught by Jeff Galloway. I have experimented with this a few times in the past with mixed results but in this case I am dropping the ratio to where I will run 3 minutes and walk 1. I know several people who have had great success with this and I do it right from the start. The idea is that you rest your legs and this saves valuable energy for later in the race. I also have an MP3 player chocked with good music for later when the going gets a little rough.

The elevation has been both up and down, but at some point it seems we have been going up for quite some time. Up and up. This is not all bad as I am still fresh and this will be downhill coming back tonight. The grade is never bad though, always runnable. Up and Up until at about mile 35 we seem to top the hill and start down. This feels really good after the long uphill, but this soon becomes interesting. Down and down, on and on. It is not that I don’t like the downhill, but I am thinking about the uphill later. At some point I get to and aid station and between 40 and 45 miles and the trail levels out. Yeah.

I am still feeling good at this point and sticking with the 3 and 1 run walk ratio. The miles just tick by. I begin to toy with the idea of a sub 24-hour finish, but convince myself not to even think about that until mile 90. My goal is a finish under the 30-hour cut off with the hope of doing about 28 hours. At some point between 40 and 45 I feel like I need a lift and pull out the MP3 player. I turn it on and it cuts off. I turn it on again and look just in time to see it say LOW BATTERY, DISCONNECTING. Oh, this is good. It charges on the computer so I guess I will just have to hum.

The sun never comes out completely, but the rain stopped by mile 25 or so and the day is very nice. Cloudy and cool. I make it through Hill City and it is now close to the 50-mile turn around. It is a long uphill to that point, but I turn at 11:05, and the sub 24 thoughts flicker again. As I run down to Hill City I pass many of those I had run with earlier, on their to the turn around. What is on my mind now is the long uphill back to mile 65. It seems like soon after getting through Hill City I begin going up. The grade is still not bad, but I have now run a long way. I am alternating now in the length of my runs. Some are 3 and 1 and some are 2:30 and 1:30. Up up up. I go through that nameless aid station. Nameless in my mind anyway. Now it is continually up. I pass mile 60 and know it is only 5 miles to the top. It is dark now, but even at this stage of the race the grade is runnable. It is very strange to do a 100 miler where you can run the up hills and breathe.

Finally I top the hill and it is just at the underpass for the road to the Crazy Horse monument. Soon I could see the monument, which was quite spectacular with the vast array of lights shining on it. I had not been able to see it earlier in the day due to low clouds and fog. It is very dark now but with even with the darkness I am not using a light due to the quality of the trail. There are no rocks, stumps or any other potential problems; it is just like running on a cinder track, out in the middle of nowhere. It is now very overcast again and I keep feeling sprinkles. I also think I am seeing stars and I hope it clears up. After going through the Custer aid station though, it begins to rain in earnest. I have gotten my gloves out of a drop bag and this helps some. I am also losing my ability to eat. I am afraid to try anything solid at the aid stations as I don’t want to upset my stomach, but I am getting very tired of GU and AcelGel. Do I really need to consume 15,000 calories to keep even with what I am burning? Probably so, but I am falling short. No matter I think, just keep moving and eating the gels even if what you are craving is a steak and a big buttery baked potato and maybe some M&M’s and peanut butter and the list goes on and on.

I hit a five mile stretch where I was feeling very good and it just felt right to run so for the first time I quit the 3/1 ratio and just ran. In retrospect, I think this was a mistake. After about 5 miles, I get very tired and decide to walk for a while. Now it is not only wet, but also cold. I have these vivid thoughts that this is really crazy. Why would anyone do this? I firmly decide that not only am I never doing another 100, but I am not even doing any more marathons. I am going to stick to only 5K and 10K races. 17 more miles. Man, I am not sure I can do it or even want to do it. I begin to run some, but find that when I start walking I am actually moving faster than when I run. At mile 85 I am really going slowly. I see flashlights behind me and know someone is overtaking me. I try to fend them off as long as I can and finally just decide that the light is bothering me and let them catch me and move on. They stay in sight for at least a half hour, and then they are gone. Now there is another one. Bummer. But wait; there is also an aid station. I pop in and there are two runners they’re resting. I grab a couple of boiled potatoes dip them in salt, fill water bottles, grab some PowerAde and am off again. In about 10 minutes I see lights behind me again. First it is the two at the aid station and then one more. 5 people have passed me in the last 10 miles or is it just three, at this point I am not sure.

I have passed mile 90 now and it is a certainty that the sub 24 hours will not happen. I have some gravel in both shoes, but do not want to take them off. I just try and kick the ground and move it around when they hurt too much. I am also checking behind me for more flashlights. I don’t want to be passed again. I am finally cold, wet and exhausted, but I see an aid station ahead. As I move under the tent the volunteer wants to know what I need and reels off a long list. Nothing sounds good, but in the tent at least I am out of the rain. Finally she says, how about some soup. At that moment that sounds like that long list of food rolled into one. I say please. Noodles? Maybe a few, but mostly just broth will do.

This is the last aid station and it is 6.7 miles from the finish and it is the first time I have sat down since the start. It is still dark, maybe 0500 and it feels good to be resting. I am only there for maybe 5 minutes, but maybe the friendliness or the warmth of the soup revives me and I am off again. The miles tick off slowly, but surely. It begins to get light and I am beginning to feel better. I have started to run again. Not continual running, but enough to move me down the trail. I also notice my ankle. I have had some pain in that left foot and ankle for hours, but didn’t think much about it. Now in the light I can see that it is deep red and very swollen. No time to worry about that now though as I am beginning to feel the emotion of the finish. 100 miles is indeed a long way and it is indeed an accomplishment to finish, regardless if I have been passed 5 times (or maybe just 3) since the sun went down. It feels good, especially since it will be my last race longer than a 5K. I have since decided that even a 10K is too much. 96, 97, 98, 99. I am actually going to make it and even though it won’t be a sub 24 (save that for next year…oops, did I say that), it is still by far my fastest 100-mile time. A PR at 59 years old, that is not bad either. Soon after leaving mile 99 I can see the finish line. I settle into a very acceptable pace and run it home. 25:09:40

It is now three weeks later and I have digested the race for a while. The unnamed ankle problem is gone and I have done some running. I have started looking for a fall 100 miler so the 5K idea is gone. This was an extremely well run race by the race organizers. The trail was perfect, the aid stations were plentiful, well stocked and all of the volunteers were cheerful, happy and very helpful. Thanks to Jerry, Elaine, Waylen and all of the volunteers for a great event!

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