Rio Del Lago 100 Endurance Run
Sept 27-28, 2008
Friday
Driving to Sacramento from the Bay Area I kept the A/C off and tried to get in some last minute heat training. It was going to be hot for the race and I was not really prepared for it. I pulled into the Cavitt Jr High School parking lot and wandered over to the gym for the pre-race check-in and medical check. It was only about 3:30 and there were quite a few runners already hanging out. The line for the weigh in was a whole 10 people deep. I overheard the race had 116 entrants -- largest field ever. With the cancellation of Western States this year it seems like any 100 mile race after June was either full or had a record number of entrants. All good in my book.
The pre-race meeting was held outside the gym in the shade. Race director Norm Klein was entertaining as usual and told us about the last minute course change after mile 67 (after exiting the school). The start of the race was to be on the levy instead of the school to make up for the extra mileage due to the detour. He also dropped a bomb on us: this was going to be his last RDL. I was happy to be a part of his last 100 mile race. The amount of effort his puts into the races is amazing and it shows. He will be missed.
Almost No Blanket Required
I dozed off in my Westfalia with my clothes on and a light blanket over me. It was so warm on Friday night that a sleeping bag was out of the question. The cough and sinus infection I had been battling for the last 2 weeks decided to kick in again. I had to sleep propped up to help alleviate the coughing. Somehow I managed to sleep a couple of hours before waking around 4AM. The hacking and coughing that ensued was enough to wake the dead. I sucked on a cough drop and decided to get ready.
Headlamp Required
I have run the Sierra Nevada 52 miles race twice (it is held on the same course as RDL on the same day) and never used a light in the morning. I was glad I had it this time. We started off at 6am and immediately the lead runners dissappeared ahead of us. About 20 minutes later they were passing us. Due to the mountain bike race course markings the lead group had gone on some other trail about a mile into the course. Jokes of taking the scenic route were heard up and down the pace line I was in. The leaders were not pleased. I had my light on for a good 30 minutes before shutting it off. I dropped the light at Rattlesnake (mile 16) in my small drop bag. I just had to make it back to Rattlesnake before dark -- 13 hours.
Warming Up and Cardiac Hill
The section from the power plant to the base of Cardiac always seems long for me. In the American River race it is usually where you are suffering and with 40 miles in your legs it just hurts. The sun was teasing us and was just about the crest the hills to the east. The temperature was still comfortable but I just knew it would be a scorcher as soon as the sun hit us. I had to dip my hat in the stream just before the Cardiac climb to cool off. The sun was now on us and it was quickly getting warmer. My plan was to walk the entire climb -- way too early in the race to run up such a hill. I had nothing to prove and I had to keep some energy in my legs for later. I still had over 80 miles to run.
The Ascent of K2
Reaching the Maidu aid station (mile 21) was a welcome relief and very soon after we were at Auburn Dam Overlook and the dreaded first weigh in. I had started at 187 and now was the first test of truth on my hydration. I stepped on the scale and tenatively looked down. 184. Not too bad. At Western States in '06 I was 7 pounds down by Robinson Flat and 10 pounds down by the time I finished. Drink and eat and all will be well. I picked up my hydration pack and stuffed some gels in it hoping for the best that I would be able to use them later. I now had two hand bottles and 2 liters of water on my back.
It was downhill to No Hands and plenty of time to hydrate, eat and prepare for K2. As I was running across No Hands Bridge I felt the heat close in on me. It was time to slow down and cool off or it was going to be a short race for me. I topped everything off with liquid and plenty of ice and planned on walking every step up the K2 grade. It has several false summits (seven seems to be the favorite number everyone quotes) as it takes the direct route out of the canyon to open fields around Cool. Several of us kept together as we made our way slowly up the hill trying to stay cool and hydrated. We mostly stayed hydrated but definitely felt the heat as it only became hotter as we approached the Cool Fire Station. The irony of the name was lost on us.
Knackered on Knickerbocker
In the few flat easy miles after the climb but before the aid station we started to pass several runners. All of them seemed to be hurting from the early fast pace and the heat. The trail to the aid station is the same as the finish for the Cool 50K (which I have run several times.) I had nearly the same number of miles in my legs but still a long way to go. I headed to the water hose as soon as we arrived and held my head under the stream of water to cool off as much as possible. I took off my shirt and made sure it was soaking wet before heading off on the trail. Twenty minutes later down the trail I was completely dry again due to the heat. Just ahead we could see a runner (without a shirt) sitting in the shade having a "picnic". Not a good day to be working on a tan and he looked as if he was done for the day. A group of five of us kept mostly together until we got to the Knickerbocker hill aid station. We were very happy to see it. We were hot, out of water, and hungry. I sat down and put a wet towel on my head to cool off. It was only 1.5 miles back to the Cool Fire Station but I knew it was would be wise to walk this section to conserve my energy and keep as cool as possible. It was past noon and the hottest part of the day.
Return to No Hands Bridge
Back at the Cool Fire Station, I again took another cooling shower, soaked my shirt and hat, and headed out to return to No Hands Bridge and ultimately back to the start/finish area of Cavitt School a short 30 miles down the trail. I was still moving along pretty well at this point and it didn't take much time to make the very dusty descent to No Hands. From No Hands Bridge, the trail climbs to Robie Point (the last aid station in the Western States race) descends and then climbs to Auburn Dam Overlook again. The last mile for me was tough. It was hot and dusty and I was worried about the 22 mile return to the school. My confidence was waning as I was not dealing with the heat well and my throat and cough were seemingly worse at this point.
Nightfall
My original plan was to return to the school by 7:30 pm, just as it was getting dark. I figured 13.5 hours to cover 67 miles was a reasonable pace given my level of conditioning. What I had not factored into the equation was the heat and my cough/throat condition.
The distance from the Maidu aid station to the Power Plant (water only, no people) is 7 miles, and then another 2.2 miles to the Rattlesnake aid station where I had dropped off my light in the morning. It is a long 9 miles no matter what condition you are in. Just before the Power Plant aid station is a creek. I knew the landmarks before I reached the point and I was more than ready to dip my head in the water once I arrived at the bridge crossing the creek. I was not the only one with this plan. Several runners were either in the water or just leaving as I made my way to river bank. I took off my shirt, soaked it with water, and then put it on my head. The cooling water had the immediate effect I hoped for. I instantly started to feel better. In fact, good enough to down a gel which I knew I needed at this point. I had not consumed nearly enough calories in the afternoon and my tank was nearly empty. When you are hot and hungry, you are not sure if the pit in your stomach is due to nausea or hunger. I was hoping for the latter.
I passed the water containers that made up the aid station and walked along the service road. My throat was pretty sore at this point and I was coughing a lot. The next thing I know, a wave of nausea hit me. The only thing in my stomach was a gel, but even after dry heaving a couple of times, nothing came up. I must have already absorbed it five minutes ago. Unfortunately, several runners got to witness and hear my display on the side of the trail. The amazing thing is I felt like a new person just a minute later. It was short lived however.
I arrived at the Horseshoe Bar aid station with little left physically. I felt my condition spirally downward and I had to turn it around or this was going to be my last aid station of the race. I had to sit down. I found a chair and took inventory. I felt horrible, I had no energy and I was mentally tired. And I still had 43 more miles to cover in the race to finish. Could I do it? Was I willing to do a death march for 43 miles? It was 6:15 pm now and I had 10 miles to go before reaching the school and meet up with my pacer and crew. It would be dark in just over an hour. It was hard to find anything positive about the situation. The aid station personnel offered me soup and drinks. Nothing sounded good but I knew I had to eat something. I took some chicken soup and sipped at it. I had a small piece of fruit. I put my head back and felt like I was at a turning point. Dropping was not an option. I wasn't injured and I had plenty of time before the cutoff. I had made a promise with myself in my first 100 mile race that the only way I will be pulled from a race is by missing a time cutoff. I was not about to break the promise. Either the little bit of food I ate gave me some energy or my determination kicked in, but in the next few minutes I was out of the aid station with the goal of reaching the school. I would determine my next step after that. Amazing what 15 minutes at an aid station can do.
I walked along with a cup of chicken noodle soup and I would take a few noodles and sip of broth and then chase it with some ice water. After a mile of this I was running again much to my surprise. I passed a couple of runners and turned on my headlamp at 7:15 pm. Just before 8pm I reached the Twin Rocks aid station. Only 4 easy miles to the school from here. I came in too fast to the aid station and sat down immediately to try to eat something. Bad move. About 3 minutes later I was off in the bushes throwing up everything I had just consumed. Fortunately, I felt like a new person again and after a cup of coke I was running down the trail. I passed a 50 mile runner and I just kept plodding along until I saw the turnoff for the school. It was just before 9pm.
Crew and Pacer
I had run the first 55 miles with a group of runners and as I had deteriorated along the trail I thought I had lost hours of time to them. They were just leaving as I arrived at the school. That was a huge mental boost. Next, I arrived at the school with its bright lights and frenzy of activity. My wife Amy and pacer Michael were waiting for me. Another huge mental boost. I had made it. Hours before I was seriously doubting I would make it to the school at all and here I was, and I was only 1.5 hours behind my proposed schedule. The thought of finishing the race was now a strong possibility rather than a faint hope.
Having an experienced crew and pacer are extremely helpful in a long race. As I sat and drank a cold ginger beer (one of my favorite drinks during a hot race) they changed my socks and lubed up my feet. My bottles were filled with water and a cup of soup appeared in front of me. I felt like I was in aid station heaven. I couldn't ask for more. But I still had that little annoying fact to deal with: 33 miles remained in the race. I had to get moving if I ever wanted to finish this race.
I gave Amy a big kiss, told her I loved her, and Michael and I headed back out to deal with last third of the race. Mentally I was ready for it now that I had a pacer and crew. Phsycially my legs felt great: only a little tired from 67 miles. My feet had a few small blisters but nothing to worry about. But I had my cough and throat and stomach still to deal with. If I could just get my stomach to turn around then I could deal with the rest.
The next aid station is along the side of the bike trail and we arrived rather quickly with some walking. Next up was the Negro Bar aid station and on the way we met the leader and eventual winner of the race Greg Bomhoff. I was able to run some sections and walk the rest. I had another vomitting episode on the side of the bike path (#3 for the race, luckily the last one too). Michael was my only witness this time. I wasn't getting any worse, but not much better either.
The Lost Boys
We arrived at the Negro Bar aid station just as Jean Pommier was leaving (he finished 2nd). On the grass lawn I laid down and regrouped again. Amy came over and put her cold hands on my forehead and neck. Shivers ran through my body but it felt great. It was nearly 11pm at night and the air still felt hot. Was it ever going to cool down? We shuffled out of the aid station and continued on.
The trail goes up on the bluffs above American River parkway path. We were on a main path when we saw white chalk marks and arrows pointing to a small side trail. Not unusual as we had been taking small side trails all evening. About 10 minutes later we were in a park area and saw two other runners. They immediately announced they were lost and had been around this trail twice already. We had not seen a ribbon in a while but this could be the infamous part of the course where a certain misdirected local removes the course ribbons each year. We headed down a small trail which looked promising, made a right hand turn and suddenly out of the darkness appeared a half buried blue car in the river bed. This was definitely no the right trail. We backtracked and found a pink ribbon and more chalk marks. Then we intersected with a trail and the other pacer looked right to see the trail we had entered the maze on. We had just gone in a full circle and didn't even know it. We headed back out on the trail and arrived back at the intersection where we had originally turned right. We decided to head down the main road/trail and sure enough in about 5 minutes we encounted a glow stick and pink ribbon. We lost 30 minutes and 2 miles while the others lost nearly an hour. How did we do that? All hopes and thoughts of a sub 24 hour finish were gone now. But there was one positive thing out of this whole episode: my stomach had decided to come back. I was starving and ready to eat. Hazel Bluff aid station was only about a mile away too. We could see it in the distance by the lights of the damn and the cars parked on the bluff. We found out later that several other runners had been confused at the same area and we were not the only ones to take a wrong turn.
GRD
I have now finished three 100 mile races and there is a point in each of the races where I knew I would finish. Usually around the 80 mile mark I "know". I had plenty of time to walk the whole distance if needed and my body didn't have anything major wrong with it. After this point, I go into GRD mode: Git 'R Done. I spend less time in the aid stations, I try to run a little more, and I become focussed on the finish. After reaching the Mountain Lion Knoll aid station and with only 17 miles remaining, I was in my GRD zone. We strolled through the Willow Creek aid station and arrived back at Hazel Bluff (mile 89) at 4 am. We fueled up and headed out of the station in pretty good time. The warm soup hit the spot. Only two mre aid stations to go until the finish.
About a mile after leaving the aid station we ran into the "29 hour" crew. The race officially ends at noon (30 hours) and we would most likely see all these runners come in at the 29th hour. I was happy to be on the flip side and returning to the finish with only single digit miles remaining.
Between 4 and 6am is a tough time to run. Especially after being on your feet for 22+ hours. I was getting extremely sleepy and tired. I just wanted to lay down and take a little nap. On the way to Negro Bar we found the turn we missed several hours earlier and both agreed it was poorly marked. We arrived at Negro Bar, refueled, and headed out. No more sitting down and relaxing and Amy was keeping me honest now. She honked at us as she left the parking lot and we headed down the bike path towards the finish.
The 24th hour of the race passed us just before we reached the final aid station. We switched off our lights about a quarter mile before the station and then passed them to Amy as we kept on moving. Only 3 miles remaining and there was no reason to stop now.
No Pain
With about 2 miles remaining the morning's light turned on a switch in me and I became energized. I started running again and we nearly ran the entire way back to the school. I was feeling no pain and the ordeal of the night seemed like a distant memory. We ran across the levy, turned left on the trail to the school and cruised the last .4 miles. I could see the finish line. I was so happy. I felt an immense satisfaction in working through my earlier problems and finishing strong. Only half of the runners who started this race finished and I was very proud to be one of them.
I crossed the line at 25:04:01 to a single person cheering me on: my wife Amy. There was no one else around. But it didn't matter to me. I had a grin on my face from ear to ear. I was done.
Post Finish
I did my medical check and I was 2.5 kg down on my weight (about 6 lbs) and 2 liters down on my fluids. I took a shower and we headed to our Westfalia to take a well deserved nap. We had breakfast at Toast at 9:30 and then we returned to the school to cheer on the remaining finishers. The sun was already hot at 10 am and I could not even imagine being out on the course and still running. The runners finishing in the 28th and 29th hour have my respect for being out there so long.
The highlight of the race for me came with less than a minute to go before the clock struck 30 hours. At 29:55 Rajeev Patel finished the race to cheers from the crowd. He immediately turns around and said "John is still out there." We see him run off back towards the levy to pace in John Painting (remember he just ran 100 miles himself). The countdown starts: less than one minute remaining. Then we hear the cheers and the screams and John appears. He is running strong and finishes in 29:59:20. He was the last finisher and had the biggest cheers of the day.
I learned a lot from this race and I hope I can apply it to the next 100 mile race I enter. A special thanks my wife Amy for spending all of Saturday night crewing and allowing me the time to train. Thanks to Michael for running with me during the night and keeping me going. A guy couldn't ask for a better friend and pacer. And to my mother who was watching my two kids. And too all my friends watching my progress on the web page during the race.
A special thanks to Norm Klein and all the volunteers. The race would not be possible without them.
