From: Bob Rayburn Subject: Arkansas Traveller from a Newbies View Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 08:55:53 -0600 This was my second attempt at a 100, my first resulting in a DNF at Leadville. Everyone whom I had talked to about the AT100 mentioned the great people and fantastic (real) food. Seemed a good advertisement - one can only eat so many bananas, potatos and cups of instant noodle soup. But I digress, we go to these things to run, not to eat. Weighed in on Friday and met Kevin Sharp form the list. Talked with Lou Peyton, with whom I would spend some miles the next night. Nice low keyed registration. Talk from Charley Peyton, RD, emphasising the expected heat the next day, remember your Karl King tablets and lots of fluids. Charley announced that this would be the last year that Lou Myers, 69, from England, would run. He awarded Lou a red Razorback pig's head hat. Lou said he would wear it for the full 100 miles next day. Next morning when I came back to the campground the same loudspeaker which Charley had used was now sprouting loud farm animal sounds. Lou was at the start, pig's head on his head. And following the pig's call, we were off like a herd of turtles. 3 miles of downhill pavement before dirt roads, and finally 6 or so miles of fantastic forested singletrack with great ankle turning downhills to sprint on. All too soon this finishes at Lake Sylvia, and there starts the 41.5 miles out to the turnaround of dirt road, from good to mildly miserable, but all of it with lots of short sharp rocks embedded in a hard dirt matrix. The aid stations were living up to their reputation. Even as early as Lake Sylvia there were ham and turkey sandwiches. Even ice cream sandwiches somewhere, can't remember exactly. Shortly after the start, I had been running with Donna Duerr from Little Rock, who filled me in the local colour. In Colorado we tend to take hard core lunacy as a standard, but I was impressed by this runner who had run every AT100, and had tried Hardrock this summer, preceeding it by Matt Mahoney's method of climbing as many 14ers as possible for acclimation. Also met Roberta Orr, who did not feel it was necessary to pussyfoot around with 50s but went straight to the 100. Donna warned me about the aid station at BM road (Big Mouth?). Earl Blewitt had told of bourbon at one aid station but she directed my attention not to the fluids but the solids: possibility of stewed squirrel. I settled for red beans and rice. (On the way back that night there was venison stew). At the Pelican Club (Dropoff) I was given a Pelican stamp on the arm for free entry to the club that night, "Now make sure you you come and see us tonight". Lei'ed, photographed, then the lei was recycled for the next runner. Donna picked up her pacer at Powerline on the way out. This was Lou Peyton. For having been up all day and starting out on a fifty mile run, she was incredibly alive and full of energy - rather interesting comparison to how I felt (although really, I did not feel too bad, slight hot spots on the heels, but OK). I picked up a small hand lamp at Powerline but left my headlamp for the return visit. I had five AA batteries at each drop bag and a spare small hand lamp in my bag. This seemed to work out well, so when I returned to Powerline I opted to continue without my headlamp. Continuing in the same culinary style, the Buffalo Gap was manned by a Mexican restaurant with reggae and burritos. Definitely a 5 star rating in AAA's guide. So far of the upteen GU packs I had stashed in drop bags I had used three. They just couldn't compete with real food. Began to feel really tired, and kept telling Donna and Lou to go ahead , not to let me hold them back (I tend to walk fast but am a lazy runner: Lou suggested I should enter Ulli Kamm's 200 mile Ultra Walk). However, I took Lou up on her offer of a couple of caffeine tablets,and found the tiredness falling away and feeling terribly alert. I began to pull away, and, although I regretted losing the fun company, this was supposed to be some kind of a race and there were cutoffs. A few hours on my own, glow stick to glow stick, panicking where the glowsticks were out. Never saw Eric Robinson's "mome raths" (maybe endemic to southern California), but kept seeing spiders with bloody( meaning extremely) long legs - with legs like those, even only two of them, I would have been finished by now. Tried to space out the time before using the second caffeine tablet. Fatigue crept in again. I wondered if I would fall asleep standing up. at each aid station I drank coffee laced with ice cubes so I could drink it quickly, but it did not work as well as the tablets. As the miles went by the whole course was tilted upwards so even the downhill occasionally felt uphill. Met and walked with Tom Grether from California for a while. Together we played the part of the monks in Escher's sketch where they continually go uphill even though they end up where they started. There was no downhill to the next aid station, just turns and hills.But at the Electric Tower the blisters on my feet spoke sweet nothings in my ear and I sat for a few minutes, and he went on. The sun came up and I began to wake up a bit. Finally Lake Sylvia came in sight and was passed, then I saw the finish gate. Though I should at least run over the finish line. Funny, when I started running again it didn't feel to bad. Then the endorphins kicked in and I built up to a crowd pleasing sprint to the end - at least that is how it looked from my side: the spectators probably saw a snail slithering over the line. The finish was one of the most significant personal experiences I have had. I hope to finish other 100s in the future, but the feeling of this one will always be special. Other people have commented on the heat: I cannot say I noticed anything extreme. Possibly because I drank lots, maybe because of Karl's tablets or may the pleasent company. My big problem was blisters, the type that are measured in acres as opposed to square inches. I think next year I shall invest in the 365 uses of Duct Tape calender. The people I work with give me strange looks (the polite ones) when I explain that it was a really fun run, it was fun. Yes, the people were great and the food was not bad either. Great job, Charley and Lou.