Unicorns, Rainbows, and Yetis

Race Report-The Yeti 100 Abingdon, VA

§  Where: The race was held on the 33mi portion of the Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon, VA

  §   How long: The race began at 7am, just after the sun came up.  This eliminated the need for headlamps at the start.  There was a 30 hr time limit to the 100mi event. There were cutoffs as appropriate for some of the checkpoints.

  §  When: September 29, 2017 

  §  Weather: 54-75 degrees

  §  Course description and evaluation of event logistics: The path was 33mi of crushed gravel, limestone, leftover cinders from the rails to trails conversion, and smooth, hard-packed dirt.  There were softball sized rocks that hid within the fallen leaves.  I managed to stumble upon and kick these rocks many times.  The path itself was very runnable and mostly flat.  To me, there was no real discernable grade change except for the final 1mi approach back to Whitetop.  There were several stretches of exposed path where you could get a really good dose of sunlight. For the majority of the path, there was tree coverage and shade.  The course comprised of a wide path for the duration.  There was no single-track, however, there were a couple of areas where we ran on paths made from tire tracks from a vehicle.  We crossed 44 trestles with each pass of the 33mi path.  The leaves were beginning to turn colors, which provided a peaceful scenery throughout. The path also took us along a river/stream, and alongside some mountains along the Appalachian Trail.  The crew checkpoints and aid stations were easily accessible and easy to find.  The packet pickup was held on the night before the race.  We dropped off our drop bags at the very brief pre-race meeting.  Everything was well-thought out and planned for the race.  The venue for the meeting became a little crowded.  I think that for a first run (the first two years were invite-only) everything went very smoothly. 
§  How you trained for the event: I used the ultraladies.com 100mi training plan to prepare for this event.  I’ll admit that I slacked off in the last month, skipping the last long back to back weekend.  I had some difficulty in the beginning when trying to get used to running during the week.  I was able to stay on track for maybe a month with the mid-week runs, then began to slack off again.  I honestly feel that I can do so much better in my next race if I use the same plan and actually do a better job of doing the workouts.

§  Nutrition: I made some great choices for how to handle my nutrition.  I planned to use one packet of Tailwind per every two hours of running.  The packets contain 200cal each.  I planned to supplement my Tailwind with food from the aid station.  I labeled each Tailwind packet for the timeframe in which I intended to use it.  This was particularly helpful as I have learned with past experiences.  In the past I had trouble remembering which packet I was on, and if I was indeed keeping up with the intake.  I will change a couple of things in the future: eliminate the naked, caffeine-free Tailwind, find an easier way to open the stick packets (maybe open and tape shut again), remind my pacers that you have to pour the Tailwind in first, then water, not drink Coke or ginger ale as a substitute for Tailwind.  Coke or ginger ale can supplement, but not be a substitute for Tailwind.  I ate bananas, potatoes, cookies, and oranges while at the aid stations.  I had a cup of broth once, and it seemed fine.  I didn’t have any G.I. issues for the duration of the race.  There was only one portion where I felt a little hungry.   I slowed down a bit and ate at the next aide station and recovered quickly.

§  Gear: I grouped my Tailwind packets into the time frames in which I would need them.  The put them in larger bags with a label on the outside to indicate when I would need them.  I ended up using two Garmins for this race.  I missed one change in my own instructions which called for me to carry the second Garmin from the beginning. My battery ultimately died, and I lost about 30-40 min of data tracking.  I used the Petzl headlamp that Alicja gave me.  This lasted many hours, and kept me on path and well-illuminated throughout the night. I think if I get a second headlamp, I’ll buy the same kind, as this worked well for me. I used my Milestone Pod to track my metrics.  I was really happy to see that my rate of impact was still very low! It also recorded 80 of my last miles.  It was my fault that it didn’t capture everything.  I only had my backup phone on my, and I couldn’t sync it to this phone. Luckily, I still had 80 miles captured.

This is where I stashed my chocolate chip cookies!!

I can stay here and party, right?

§  Planning: I took the time to map out the A, B, and C plan for pacing.  I had a really good idea of how fast I wanted to run and when I wanted to finish.  I made up pace and timing charts to keep me on track, and to prevent me from doing race math.  I wrote up instructions for my pacers/crew on what would work best for me.  I made some index cards to keep in my pocket.  On the cards, I had details on what I needed to grab from my drop bag, and what gear I needed to exchange, if any.  I prepared the cards ahead of time, put them in a Ziploc, and this really gave me peace of mind that I wouldn’t forget something due to a foggy brain. 

§  Specific experiences (this might include)

§  Thoughts while running:

I had a really positive mindset while running.  I kept myself on pace, and made a good effort to reign in from the very beginning.  I didn’t experience the crash around miles 75-90 that others warned me of.  I felt even and relaxed throughout.  My energy waned late at night, but that was just from being awake for 24s while running.  I didn’t feel the classic “hitting the wall” sensation either.  I never let the thought of “what if I can’t make sub24” enter my mind.  It just wasn’t an option or a part of my plan.  I was

§  Mantras you may have used: my new running mantra that I love: no whining, no complaining, no excuses.  It’s a powerful thing to have a mantra like this.  It truly kept me on track and prevented me from feeling sorry for myself and from getting stuck in a negativity rut.

§  Falls: I fell only once, and this was very close to the end of the race.  It was a flat section, and I was sleepy.  I stumbled many, many times during the race, but this time I tripped on nothing that I know of.  I somehow ended up doing a baseball-like slide.  I ended up with vey mild abrasions on my left hip.  The scars will likely fade away in a couple of weeks.  No bruising, just superficial scratches.

§  Conversations you’ve had with others: I specifically did not want to run at the pace of others to where I would get stuck in conversation.  I think I maybe mentioned the weather once and talked about my hat with a few people.  Other than that, I only talked to my pacers.

§  Conversations you’ve had with yourself: I repeated my mantra, called cadence, and tried not to let my mind wander.

  §  Crew: Hector crewed for me until it was time to pace at mile 42.  He did a great job of getting me out of the aid stations and refilling my Tailwind bottles.  He met me at nearly every station, and when he wouldn’t be there, I knew ahead of time.  It was nice to have help filling up the bottles and to have someone check on you who already knows you. 

  § Pacers: Hector began pacing me at mi 42.  He mostly ran in front of me while pacing.  The difficulty of this, for me, is that I felt like I should be keeping his pace, which was probably around 12-13.  I would speed up, and slow down to a walk as a result.  I switched pacers after around 38mi.  Alicja did a fantastic job pacing.  It was a better method for me.  She ran next to me the whole time. I informed her of the pace that I wanted, and that it would be very helpful to have updates if I was running too fast or too slow.  She did this perfectly!

§  Your finish and associated emotions: Once I began my training plan, I realized that I could seriously achieve a sub 24 on a good course.  It was in my mind that I would have a sub 24.  I was gliding through the race, feeling great, and performing to my expectations.  With the help of my crew and pacers, I achieved my sub 24 goal for my first 100mi. Official time: 23:36:07. When I finished, I received my big bear hug from Jason Green.  He truly is a remarkable guy-a top notch race director.  He had a huge surprise for everyone who finished with a sub 24: a full-color buckle in addition to the regular one.  I was so shocked that I couldn’t think of what to say.  I managed to mumble “but I didn’t call my shot”. You can tell that he really enjoys what he does.  He makes the people in his group a priority.

After the jump-hug, I went over to my crew and boyfriend and just let it all soak in.  I still felt in shock, a weird, empty feeling that you only experience every once in a while.  We took a couple pictures and that’s when I realized that I was crying.  It’s a really bizarre thing to have tears of happiness, shock, amazement, and just being overwhelmed.

§  Your overall evaluation of the event: This was such an incredible event.  My writing definitely doesn’t do it justice.  I know that I was able to accomplish my goals due to the training plan that I used.  I skipped many days of mileage during the week, and especially on the last month. For my next 100, I want to be more disciplined in order to see what is possible for me.  I am truly thankful to have the people in my life that I do. They push me to try harder, do better, and reach for big goals. 

Oh Yeah, I'm Pretty Competitive, BTW.

An interesting force has awoken inside of me. While running my last three races, I felt compelled to compete with others out on the course. In part, it was due to the small size of each race, and also due to ultrasignup.com predicting that I would place within the top five or ten finishers. The odds that I could actually place while having adequate competition thrilled me. The only other times I had placed in a marathon were: 1. I was the only female in my age group 2. I was 2/2 females in my age group. Not encouraging at all. A little fun, but not an indication that I accomplished something.

I've realized that being fast is something that makes me feel alive. It makes me feel strong, happy, and healthy. It boosts my self-esteem to place in an event. For me, it confirms that I have been training at a pace to make improvements in my running capabilities. That I haven't wasted my time by doing training runs. It's a great feeling when random people tell you that you look strong. That's probably my favorite compliment.

Since placing in the Run Under the Stars (RUtS), I have felt an excitement around running to place. For RUtS, I was extremely nervous and excited to run the race. I felt like it was an unknown for me sonce it would be my first timed race. I was nervous because I hadn't had the chance to test my ability purely on time. I wanted to perform well, and I wanted to learn proper fueling. I ran quite evenly, and I came in 5th place. This was huge for me!! I think ultrasignup.com predicted that I would finish 9th or 7th. When I finished, and was notified that I placed, I was elated!

For my next timed race, Loopy Bunny, I was a little less nervous, but still quite stressed. It would be my second timed race, this time on a trail. I performed well, and came in 5th place again. It was thrilling to beat out other seasoned runners who seemed to fade in the heat.

For my third timed race, HREC, I wasn't nervous or stressed at all. I just started running and knocked out loop after loop. I wanted to focus on maintaining an even pace, and simply attaining my mileage for the weekend. Once I saw that I was in 4th place, my competitive streak kicked in again. I wanted more than that. 4th is close to top 3!!! That's podium!! From then on, I felt like I was running much faster throughout the night. I wanted to keep up with the lead lady. She pushed me to kick my own butt and run faster. I wound up with 2nd place female and 4th overall. Again, it felt pretty nice to place ahead of so many other runners.

I didn't actually think that I would like trail running. I thought that ultra running would be too hard for me. I thought that I would dislike trail and ultra running together. I thought that road races were my thing. It's funny how so many things can change in such a short course of time. I've learned that I'm pretty darn good at timed races on a looped course. I like the solitude and scenery of the trails. I like the moments when I find myself running alone in the woods. I like how gentle the trail feels on my ankles when I run. These recent revelations are my new truth. You truly never know what you're capable of doing until you try. Super cheesy, but damn, it's true.

My concern now is that need to remember the ultimate goal: completing my first 100mi race. I don't want to become injured because I pushed myself unnecessarily while chasing the podium. The process has its own rewards, mostly making me stronger. I need to respect the training schedule, and not push my body too hard, too soon. This act of holding myself back now seems to be a difficult task. One thing my running history has taught me is that injuries are no fun. This is what I'll keep in mind the next time I start to stray from my goal. 

Race Report: Loopy Bunny 12hr FA

This weekend I ran the Loopy Bunny 12hr fat ass event. It was billed as a fat ass, only it wasn't. We were given a race shirt, water bottle, and a buff. They had one fully stocked aide station, timing, and awards for top finishers. It was so much more than a fat ass. This was an overall very positive experience for me.

The race description was 100% accurate:
"It is also ideal for those who are starting out on their path to running longer distances as they can choose among three different timed race events, experience running on an easy trail course but is not completely flat, and train other aspects of your ultrarunning skillset -- heat training, fueling schedule, pacing strategy, etc. Each loop has 413 ft of elevation gain, so do not expect to get your mountain running training out of this event, but do not expect to run your PR times here either."

The course: A 4.5mi loop in a state park in PA. It included crushed gravel, single and double tracks, paths along a stream, a few bridges, and was 95% shaded. There were three to four climbs that slowed me down to a walk. The course was very runable, with nice views throughout.

Weather: the temperature stayed pretty constant at around 85°. It was cloudy, hot and humid throughout. At the 11th hour into the race a storm rolled in.

Fuel/hydration: I brought my own food and refreshments for the race. I figured that I could supplement my food with whatever was at the aide station. I ate a cliff bar and two Hydroxycut an hour before the race began. I carried ice water with me, and noshed on food at the one turnaround point. I had some Tailwind after my first loop and some strawberries. After the second loop I ate more fruits and noticed that my hands were shaking. I made myself drink a serving of Tailwind before getting back at it. I felt much better after completing the third lap. I refueled with Tailwind, water, and fruits. I tried to eat some pb&j, but could only manage one bite. I downed ice water each time, and took a half bottle of ice water to go. I kept this pattern up and ate a couple potato chunks near the end. On my 9th loop I felt like I was starting to tank. I was running with someone else, and asked him what he used to fuel. He mentioned Carbo pro. I think on the prior loop I drank Gatorade in lieu of Tailwind. I could feel that difference in my stamina. I traded Gatorade because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough Tailwind to get me to the finish.
 I didn't feel nauseated, nor did I have any gut bombs. I urinated regularly and sweated normally. Afterwards, I noted that my sports bra reeked of ammonia. I read that this is due to your body using protein for fuel in lieu of carbs.

Gear/clothes: I used a handheld water bottle after having a good experience with it at WS. I think the key is to talk only what you need at the time. Filling it halfway was sufficient. The ice melted pretty quickly, and the bottle caused a sore neck/should muscle following the race.
I wanted to use my iPod, but the battery was less than 50% at the time. I ran without music for the duration of the race. My Garmin died after 9 hours or so. I charged it between laps, and it recharged to about 52% in an hour.
I used Brooks ghost 7, and they worked well. The drawback was that they produced a blister on top of an old blister. I put Vaseline on my feet, and wore Injinjis. I cursed myself for not wearing my new gaiters. I had to stop to dump out my shoes 3x.
I wore the half buff as a sweatband. This worked well. Initially, I wore a trucker cap. One I realized that direct sunlight would not be an issue, I lost the hat. The hat retained heat, so it had to go. I wore another buff on my wrist to collect sweat. I ended up wetting it in the stream several times and this felt great. I used my microfiber wash cloth as an ice towel. I wet it and kept it cold in the cooler. When I stopped by my aide station, I used it wipe my face and cool my neck. This was heavenly.

Lessons Learned:
1. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. I used to think that trails were for other runners, not my thing. This was runnable and enjoyable.
2. Don't worry if your tech gear fails. Just let it be. Run.
3. Keep up with Tailwind consumption. Use it even if you feel great.
4. I can tolerate strawberries, watermelon, and potatoes. The potatoes especially seemed like a good idea for carbs. Watermelon is so refreshing, and strawberries are a sweet pick me up.
5. Don't complain. Negative thoughts make for a bad race. No whining or feeling sorry for yourself.
6. It's okay to change your goal as the situation changes.
7. Lube!! Body Glide, Vaseline, Aquaphor, all of it!! Reapply when you are sweating. Reapply when you are running and you've had to drench yourself with ice water. Lube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grand Slam of Ultrarunning

So, I'm attempting the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning this year.  It's not something I was planning to do until just a few months ago, but sometimes you don't choose the adventure, the adventure chooses you...

In the summer of 2016 I hit a really rough patch.  I felt burnt out and except for a couple of races I DNF'd all my races in the summer and the fall.  Not because of injuries or health issues, not even stomach issues, it was all psychological, I just gave up. Additionally, I had spent a few days running and camping in the Grand Canyon and Zion Canyon in the fall and I fell in love with it. So by winter I was ready to move on from races and do my own thing in longer trails and national parks.... But ultras aren't done with me!

To my surprise, a friend called me in early December to congratulate me because I got selected to start at the Western States 100 Miles Endurance Run through their lottery.  This is the oldest and most prestigious 100 Mile race in the country.  Thankfully, the one ultramarathon I did finish in the summer was the Vermont 100, which granted me a spot in the Western States 100 lottery.  I entered the lottery not expecting to get in because it was only my second year qualifying for it, so I didn't even pay attention to it after I threw my name in the hat.  Needless to say I was ecstatic, even of the previous few months had been that bad.  I immediately realized that I was incredibly lucky and that it may take years, I maybe decades, for me get this opportunity again, so I made the decision to attempt the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning.

The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning is a challenge to complete 4 of the oldest 100 milers in the country in a calendar year.  It consisted of completing:

1. Western States
2. Vermont 100
3. Leadville Trail 100
4. Wasatch Front

It was customary that if runners got in to Western States, and they stated intentions to run the Grand Slam, the other races would give them preference to register or just let them in.  However, Leadville is changing that next year.  Starting in 2018 Leadville will no longer give preferential treatment to The Grand slammers.  The solution that the Grand Slam came up with was to add the Old Dominion 100 as an option. Old Dominion used to be part of the original Grand Slam, but it got replaced by Vermont in the 90's.  Starting this year, the Grand slam consists of:

1. Completing Wasatch Front 100
2. Completing any three of the remaining races:
   • Old Dominion
   • Western States
   • Vermont
   • Leadville

Since I had already gained entry to all the races in the previous version of the Grand Slam, and since most of them draw their starters through lotteries, I naturally decided to attempt all five of them because I don't know when I will have this opportunity again.  Most likely, never.

The first race is Old Dominion in just three days, June 3rd, 2017.  I will be posting my experiences and thoughts about it here.

About me

My name is Hector Reyes and I like to run from time to time.  I used to run track and cross country in high school and I recently started running again a couple of years ago. I ran my first marathon, the Colfax Marathon in Denver, CO in May of 2015.  I ran my first ultras in the fall of 2015, the Northface Endurance Challenge 50 miler in Park City, Utah was my first and Javelina Jundred in Arizona was my first hundred.  All in all, I ran 25 marathons and ultras in 2015 and 20 in 2016.  

I was not very fast in high school and I am not fast now, but being fast is not one of my priorities right now.  Sure, I dream of some day, by some miracle, winning races like the Hardrock 100 or Western States, but the level of effort required to reach that level of competitiveness is not something I believe I can achieve with the time I have after my job as a software engineer and life in general. So I do the best I can with the time I have and I focus on having fun and staying healthy, physically and mentally.

Yeti 100 Training Begins!

Today was my first day of training for my 1^st 100mi.  Well, actually, it’s not.  The first day is a week from today.  I wanted to get started as close to the beginning of April that I could manage.  Let me back up a bit.

This month marks the beginning of my training to run my first 100mi event, The Yeti 100.  The race is at the end of September.  I am following a training plan by ultraladies.com.  Alicja told me about this plan and said that it’s recommended by others.  Halbert is using the same plan (no, it’s not intentionally gender-specific (although I can’t imagine what that would entail).  Our goal is to be able to run the entire race together.  As of right now, my average pace is anywhere between 10:30-12:00 if I run a marathon or more.  Halbert’s pace is a little bit slower, which is why we are training with the same plan.  I’m excited that we are aiming to complete this plan and race together.  I really hope that we can find a way to arrive at the same pace during our training period. 

I started my training one week earlier, and with a modified mileage.  The first week of training starts with 4/6/4/16/10mi on Tue/Wed/Thur/Sat/Sun.  For my first unofficial week, I planned for 3/5/3/7 and then run the Athens Marathon on Sunday.  I chose to start early because I haven’t been running at all.  It takes a real toll on your body when you only run races on the weekend.  I thought that with the Athens Marathon coming up that I would need a few days to get back into some sort of shape. 

Today was tough.  I feel fat and lazy and heavy.  It reminds me of the feeling you have when you first step out of the swimming pool after swimming all day.  You feel sooo heavy and exhausted. I really want and need to lose some weight so that I can feel better when I’m running.  I think that with weight loss I’ll also have the chance to run faster.

Overall, I’m excited for this event and the training.  It’s not too intimidating since I’ve already conquered a 100k.  I think the main challenge will be avoiding injury, and staying motivated.  When I’m hurting, I’m not motivated.  Ultimately, with this race, my goal is to finish sub 24, and not feel like a train ran me over.  I want to feel great and energized, like I did with Pistol.  I do have the goal of finishing with Halbert, but we also have an understanding when we run.  We don’t hold each other back since our paces differ.  If, for some reason, we can’t match paces throughout the race, I will still plan to finish sub 24.

I Lost my Mojo. Now What?

            Everyone has a reason why they run.  When you stray away from or forget what that reason is, you might feel a bit lost.  I think runners experience burnout for a variety of reasons. I’m certainly not the expert in runner motivation, but I can share what happened to me.

When I decided to run a marathon in every state, I didn’t intend to do it all within just a few years.  I wanted to spend a good amount of time visiting the state I was in and exploring places that I had previously only seen on TV.  What happened was that I ended up wanting to complete the goal without truly appreciating the process.  Instead of looking at completion of each state as a separate part of the goal, I took on the whole goal as one item. 

              Early in the journey, I planned for specific places to visit in each state and looked for the best places to eat. I tried to find something unique about each state and took my time with the planning.  So many aspects of my journey changed once I met more people who were on a similar schedule.  I then changed my goals to meet up with others who were achieving great things.  I strayed from my own plans and drifted into the realm of doing what others were doing. I think this is the first step that led me astray.  I used to enjoy traveling alone, making unique plans that simply catered to what I wanted to do.  Once I began to involve others in my plans, and tried to mimic their goals, it took away from what I was doing for myself.

              I realized that I felt the most happiness when I took time to explore unique places, and when I finished with a fast time.  I loved taking pictures of wildlife, checking out the roadside attractions, monuments, or museums. Taking the time to do all those things is nearly impossible if your goal is to get in and out of as many states as possible within a short amount of time.  Your plans change so that you spend less money on hotels and flights.  If you’re anything like me, you hate spending time in limbo, so you are willing to spend more to have less travel time.  This was especially tricky for me since I am frugal, but also impatient.                

              Don’t get me wrong, I love and truly cherish the new friendships that I’ve made in the process.  I now have a solid group of friends who support my crazy ideas, and keep me on track.  We have shared many hotel rooms, rental cars, meals and flights.  There’s nothing I regret about creating those bonds.  Looking back, the races in which I had the least amount of fun (after I met friends) were the ones in which I traveled alone.  I think the purpose of the trip changed so dramatically from my original goal that there wasn’t anything left for me to enjoy.  I had a very short trip, didn’t take time to sight-see, and ran a slow race, all by myself. 

From this 50 states journey, I learned that to keep enjoying the sport that you love, you must:

-determine why you started in the first place

-stay true to yourself throughout the process

-If your goals change, be sure to include the reason why you started as a central element