Mountain Lakes 100

Mountain Lakes 100 - First 100 miler attempt - Dropped out at mile 55

"There will be low points, there will be high points, there will be low points, more low points and in the end, it is going to suck"
--Race Director

Strategy: The first 26.1 miles of the race are the hardest so I decide to start off with a handheld bottle and hip belt bottle. About 1 liter of water. At mile 26.1, first drop bags awaits where I would switch to a race vest. The race vest contains 1 liter of water, 1 liter of Gatorade, ultra jacket and headlamp. At my second drop bag in mile 55 I would take out another layer and one more headlamp and a handheld lamp.
Nutrition: I do my usual start off with salt tablets an hour, then slowly start using gu, then Gatorade, then caffeine gu and real food.

0-5 The race starts off on jeep road and two miles in breaks into trail. My motivation increased a lot going into the trails. The beauty of the area was stunning. 

5-11 "If you think you are going slow, slow down" --Someone's Coach. Back onto jeep road leads to easy fast miles. I met a woman from Baltimore and talked with her for a bit. I found out that she did her first 100 miler last year, 4 years after she started running and knew someone that was planning his first 100 miler the following year which would also make it his 4 year. I guess my attempt at 100 miler in 4 years fits into a certain category of runners.

11-20 The trail gets technical and there are lots of uphills. My pace gets slow but the easy miles before made up for them.

20-26 An hour and back lets fast runners (coming back) to offer words of encouragement which was great after 9 hard miles. I run with Patricia, a woman from Portland. She seems to know a lot of the volunteers.

26-30 I drop the bottles and switch to the race vest. These miles are mostly downhill and I feel pretty strong.

30-37 At the aid station at mile 30, I eat soup with rice and salty mashed potatoes for lunch. Best feeling ever. My quads start bugging at mile 34

37-44 At mile 37 I start losing the group I been going back and forth with since mile 5. My pace slows but still doing good time wise.

44-50 My quads burn out at mile 46 and I can no longer run uphill. It's night and the weather is in the low 40s. I can't run so I move slower and can't warm up. Motivation is dead and I want to quit by mile 50.


50-55 I went into the aid station at mile 50 wanting to quit but there are only two volunteers and it doesn't look like they could help. I eat real food and sit down for two minutes. Then I move on the next aid station mile 55 which I know is a major one. I limp walk till I met two sweepers catch up. Their presence helps me get back into a speed walk. The miles feel like forever. 


Finally at the aid station, I debate going on for another 16 miles. It's hard to quit even though I want to. I know I can't make the hard cutoff at mile 71. I check in with the medic hoping he would advise me to drop out but he doesn't. Finally I drop out. I change my clothes and spend the next two hours with a sleeping blanket and in front of a heater trying to warm up. I never get warm in the heat tent. I talk with pacers and learn how they are pretty much do the thinking of their partners at the later parts of the race.


Looking forward, I need to train with my quads dead and I need to train a lot more in the night.

Erie Marathon

Marathon #12 in the books!
Mile 1-2 easy run
Mile 3 - got to put some work in
Mile 6 - Hi Lanson! Meet Hally who is also in her 12th marathon. We talk till Mille 11 when she fell slightly behind and then soon passed me.
Mile 11 - Met Harrison? and Nathan and we talk till mile 15
Mile 15 - Low point. Quads feel sore and pace drops
Mile 16 - Yay, 16 miles. Only an hour more to go. I could do an hour. Few minutes later I realize that I made the same math error as my first marathon.
Mile 17 - Notice my steps are more towards heel than toe. Start focusing on the elastic return part of form.
Mile 20 - High Point - I get into my happy place. Pace returns and I try encourage other runners as I pass.
Mile 22 - I start using jelly beans. Pretend they are senzu beans. Pass Harrison and Nathan yelling golden corral.
Mile 23 - I slow down to get water and I find my left calf has a slight cramp. Run or cramp it is!
Mile 24 - As happy place wears off I try to phase out but doesn't work. Focus on form till I'm ready to kick. I practice sprint breathing.
Mile 25 - Start to pick up the pace.
Mile 25.5 - A woman named Cathy gets someone to run the last bit with her. I pretend the encourages are towards me.
26 - All out sprint.
26.21 - Medic staff watches me but I'm fine, whew!
26.3 - Meet Michael and Lanson!
26.4 - Find the barrels of cholocate milk and in a few minutes, 6 cartons are done.