[682] Vermont 100, 2nd time

I am happy that I finished this race the Vermont 100 a second time.  A few of my friends have done it multiple times.  This was my 2nd 100 this year, first finish of the year. It was not any harder than other 100s, but difficult enough.  I had expected a faster finish, but had to struggle to almost to the final hour. 

It was not easy.  15,000-17,000 ft of climbing is a lot.  Imagine like running a marathon with 4000+ ft of elevation.  Marine Corps Marathon has 699 ft gain, and people said that is a hard and hilly marathon.  Richmond Marathon has 683 ft is a a hilly course.  I was so happy when one volunteer told me she did that marathon last year when she recognize the shirt I was wearing.  America toughest marathon, the Roanoke Blue Ridge Footleveler Marathon has 3564 ft of gain.

Those who run 100s don’t usually choose a flat course.  I think 17,000 ft is a typical elevation gain.  There are some 100s with more extreme climbing.  And some with a flatter course.  Grinstone 100, the one I will be doing in September has 21,000 ft of gain.

Vermont is a good beginner 100.  It is challenging but doable for many first time attempt.  During the prerace meeting, there were about 50% from a show of hands that this was their first 100 mile/100k run.  100k too is a good stepping stone before trying the 100 miler.  100k is 62 miles, just a bit over 50 mile.  50 milers are what people (or least I used) before attempting a 100 mile run.

A few friends from my area also were in the race and at time they were good motivators.  We all started together.  I was the second slowest in the group. I had a goal to catch up to them.  I guess it was a friendly competition.  

I knew I had to run my own race.  As this was my second time doing it, I had last year result to aim for.  This year body was different from last year.  I felt being less trained.  Result showed I was slower.  I finished about 2 and half hour slower at 28:56.  And very early on, I had to give up at running the last year’s pace.

Since I started from the back of the pack, I ran with people around me. There were at various time, I was joined by Tek, Roy, Dave to about Stage Road (mile 31).  Later I passed them and was joined by Anuj and Carita to mile 62, they kept me going at time I was about to flame out.  Later still Brian and Pete.  Brian was pretty much kept with me to mile 90 before taking off.  Roy passed me at Cowshed and at the time I was doubting if I could finish even though I was an hour ahead of the cutoff.  Roy thought my math was way off. 

I finished the race with Carita, Justin and Charlie.  I met Carita earlier on in the race but forgot who she was after she ran off.  She later told me she went the wrong way and was 3 miles off course.  Similarily, Justin has gone off course for maybe a mile and caught back up to me around 3-4 am.  We pretty much then powerhiked together the rest of the way.  I was glad to finish together with them.  I too gone off course, maybe a quarter mile.  It was not due to markings though, I somehow assumed the turn was to the left when it was to the right because I saw people’s headlamps going left.  It could all have been my imagination at the time.

I did not have a crew or pacer, but people around were like pacers to me. The best was Anuj, he and I chattered for a long time on the course, maybe 8 hours or more.  I amost thought he could not make it but he did finish, just 10 minutes behind me.  And he took a 45 minutes break at a aid station (Camp Ten Bear before midnight), meaning, he must have run to catch up in the morning. I said he passed a lot of people.

My report is pretty much echoing a fellow runner Eric’s report.  It was a redemption run.  I did not finish an earlier race this year, this race I did almost everything needed to get it done. 

Nutrition, I watched my calorie intake, that is to Eat early and often.  By afternoon, I did not want to eat.  I switched to fluid, mixing Skratch with my water.  A side effect was it made me super thirsty for 8 plus hours.  There was nothing to cure the thirst, drinking water didn’t help, nor sodas nor more Skratch.  So I stopped drinking Skratch and switched back to water and sodas.  By 1-2 AM, Spirit 76 (mile 76), I was extremely hungry, the people at the aid station fed me and I was well.

Shoes:  They say the course can be done with road shoes.  I ran with my trusted trail Altra Lone Peak.  I don’t know which series, probably 9.  I did not have switched them out.  I ran with just one pair all the way through.  I did have a backup pair at Spirit 76 (mile 76), but I did not have to switch.  The road was sandy and dusty, so from time to time, I did have to empty out the grits.  Feet were healthy, no hot spots or blisters.

Simplified.  So many races I worried about various things, like dropbags and equipment.  I went light this time.  I prepared two drop bags.  Brought no extra food.  First drop bag had my balms and lotions and sprays for curing various ailments. I placed that at mile 62.  My second drop bag was my extra pair of shoes, I left it mile 76.  I did not need to use either of them.  It was good to know I would have them if needed.

I wore a hydration vest with a 1.5 L bladder.  I carried a 20 oz bottle for filling with soda drink along the way (I like Ice, the sparking soda). I carried a zip lock bag to take extra food out the station.

I knew Aid stations are time killer if not careful.  I wanted to minimize time needed to stop.  There were 25 aid stations.  Each of them, I stopped for about 5 minutes.  People might think that is too long.  Yes, indeed, but by the time of grabbing something to eat, filling up water, fixing shoes or what not, thanking volunteers, that 5 minutes were up.  I did a race before (Old Dominion) where we only stopped only for 10 seconds at each station, because that time, I was running with pros good at time keeping (one was a former NFL level coach) who know every second count.  Not stopping for too long at an aid station contributed toward a successful run. 

The rest was just being “Chill.” My understanding was to enjoy the race and sight.  Indeed, I had a peaceful run. 

My personal entertainment during the race was trying to figure out the minimum pace I needed to maintain and still finish it.  It is a harder problem than it seems especially in a race when your brain refuses to work.  I had a spreadsheet setup on my phone, so at various point of the race, I could update it and it spits out my target time for the next aid station and so forth.  I knew I was ahead of race pace for finishing under 30 hours at least by an hour. 

It was an interesting “math” problem I did not solve it until the next evening after driving home.  The problem goes like this.  Like any runner, typically, our pace would start slowing down.  At what point would our pace be too slow to finish?  For Vermont 100, I knew I need to maintain above 17:50 pace (overall average pace, 18 min is needed for a 30 hour finish, but the last runner came in with 17:50 pace, so to be safe,we  target 17:50 pace).

For example, if I arrive at mile 50 an hour ahead of the cutoff (and say the cutoff is set at 18:00 min pace, meaning closing at 15th hour).  I arrive in 14 hours.  What the slowest pace I could maintain if I am slowly slowing down.  I’m an hour ahead.  Solution, If I am halfway and I am an hour ahead, I only have 30 minutes leadway not an hour is the answer.  If used up more than, 30 minutes, I would have to run at a faster pace to catch back up for remaining half. How I came up with 30 minutes?  It is the ratio of mile already ran (50 miles) over total miles multiply by the total time I am ahead of the cutoff (60 minites).  I was proud of myself to figure out using ratio instead of a traditional way.

Another way to solve it is more straight forward, You take the total amount time left divided by the total distance left to get the minimum pace to run.   To find what time you need to be at the next aid station, you multiple the pace with the distance to the next aid station.  To see how much lead time, You do the same with the current pace and multiple by the mileage to the next aid station.  Then subtract both times.  Sorry it is a lot of math and I lost all my readers.  Anyway, those were the math I did repeatedly during my run.  In the end it was just garble garble in the middle of the night.  I relied heavily on my spreadsheet and a lot precaculated figures. 

Running 100s is hard, especially with the math.  I appreciated friends who came out and supported me.  I am thankful for all the volunteers and neighbors.  Other than the race, I had memorable experiences on the way up, the food I ate and the conversations I had. 

Some notable places: Molly’s at Hanover – I had tacos. The Cappadocia Cafe in White River Junction – I had Pogaca.  The Vermont Welcome Center in Guilford.  Lombardi Rest Area on the Jersey Turnpike.  Biden Rest Area in Delaware.  Labanese food stop in Danbury.  Korean BBQ afterward.