Subject: Late MMT100 report (long)
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 09:36:10 EDT
From: JPROHIRA@aol.com

I was convinced to post an account of my MMT experience after readinf recent
notes on postings by Rich S. and Jeff Washburn.

                                                        The snail’s cherries

Once there was a squirrel who lived in a cherry tree. One early winter’s day
he looked out from his home in one of the tree’s crevices and was surprised
to see a snail crawling ever so slowly up the tree. The squirrel asked the
snail what he thought he was doing, where he was going. The reply given was
that the little snail was on his way to eat cherries. "There are no cherries
on this tree this time of year, the branches are bare!" said the squirrel.
"Yes I know" replied the snail, "but there will be by the time I arrive."

Yes I know, quite the simple and somewhat innocent story, one told us at the
pre-race briefing by the race director of the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100
Mile Run last Friday. He was trying to tell us something important,
persevere, and if you are tenacious, mentally tough (or maybe just mental)
and determined to finish this course you will, but don’t expect a fast time.
But you will be rewarded for your effort and we will be here when you
finish.

I found myself in Front Royal, Virginia the beginning of the weekend of May
8-9th listening to this man describe what 101 runners were planning on doing
over the next day(s). I hadn’t really "talked" this race up much prior to the
event. I’d confided in a few people but was very apprehensive about what I
was getting myself into. I’d finished the Vermont 100 Mile Trail Run last
July, one deemed to be the gentlest of the east coast trail ultras and
wanted
to "taste" something different. My recent long races had gone well and
thought "why not"? The MMT 100 is called a challenging trail ultra over a
slow, rocky course. The race information received by the entrant describes
short but rugged mountain climbs and descents from start to finish. Rain can
and did complicate the course making some trails muddy and at other times
they became temporary streams. There were numerous fordable water crossings
which believe it or not can feel quite nice on the feet after 90 miles and
30+ hours. 82 miles of this course are on trails, with the rest comprised of
stretches of country road, 14 dirt and 4 asphalt. The MMT 100 starts just
below the Massanutten Mountain’s northeastern ridge, which overlooks the
south fork of the Shenandoah River.  Massanutten is an Indian word but
there’s debate as to it’s meaning. Some say it means "Indian basket" and was
first applied to the basket shaped Shenandoah Valley. Another opinion is that
it means "old field" or "potato ground", and referred to the field between
the mountain and river. George Washington surveyed the region for Lord
Fairfax in 1748 and the national forest in which we ran is named for our
first president.  The forest covers more than a million acres and contains
more than 900 miles of hiking trails. Over 40 tree species grow there as well
as over 2,000 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants. The Shenandoah could
be seen from the ridge line off and on throughout the race.

The run begins and ends at race headquarters positioned at the Skyline Ranch
Resort, sort of a "dude ranch" where vacationers can camp or rent cabins,
hike or ride horses. My friend Dave Bailey from Irondequoit NY, who acted as
my crew and without whose help would have made the run in the mountains near
impossible, and I stayed at the Ranch the day before and after the race. I’d
been warned about these mountains but the descriptions I’d received did not
do justice, I doubt that I can adequately describe the terrain. Totally
foreign to me this landscape appeared, I’d might as well been running on
Mars. The rocks, ledges and boulders were an ever constant presence. The
footing is really what’s challenging here. Describing the course in
UltraRunning a previous participant wrote that "a little of it is good, some
is OK, but most of it is lousy - rocky and uneven - with the majority of the
rocky and uneven footing coming in the later parts of the race". I’d
appreciate hearing from anyone more familiar with this region of the country.
I’d like to know more about its history and geography. The MMT 100 is rocky.
From start to finish. The members of the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club
who put on this challenge admit that.  They say that the Massanutten Mountain
is an old mountain, not an upstart. The ascents are short. They are tough.
They were promised to take their toll and did. I came home with my first
blackened toenails and many blisters on the bottoms of my feet, the end
result I think of the rocky descents. The elevation gain is about 16,700 feet
with an equal amount of loss. Seven of the ascents and descents range between
1,000 and 1,500 feet. I’m certain of this because I wore an altimeter watch
for the fun of it and for the information it provided. And it helped knowing
that on some of the difficult climbs when I was stressed that the top of the
mountain was somewhere close even if I couldn’t yet see it. Here’s another
description given by the race’s directors, "while we say the MMT 100 is
tough, a better description is s-l-o-w, r-o-c-k-y and r-u-g-g-e-d, but not
impossible to finish." Indeed, 59% of those starting did finish in the 36
hours allowed.  And I kept this piece of sage advice in mind, "the toughest
part of a 100 mile race is its length."

Pacers were permitted anytime after 6PM but I ran alone. I carried two
bottles of liquid and depended on the 16 aid stations and my crew to provide
the needed assistance. There weren’t many rules or requirements for entry
into this event. The biggest were prohibitions on littering (on the 82 miles
of trail I did not see a single piece of litter) and entrants were expected
to behave responsibly. There was no medical pre-race check-in, no medical
checks nor weight checks during the race, runners were trusted to be the best
judge of their capabilities. This bit of pre-race information "charmed" me -
"we expect runners to be prepared for situations that could be hazardous to
your health"- OK thought I, seems reasonable. "Dehydration, bonking, falls,
heat, hypothermia, foot problems and insects are among the problems you may
encounter. You may come across bears, rattlesnakes (one four footer was
reported to have been removed from the trail on Saturday afternoon), turkeys,
grouse, deer and other forest residents. Fascinating.

The race started at 5AM in an open field after a blessing was read by the
race director. We then ambled to an adjoining asphalt road for 2.4 miles to
the Massanutten Mountain East Trailhead and for me a total of 34 hours and 58
minutes of adventure. I ran into that first dawn wearing shorts and a polypro
long sleeved top, a hat and carrying little "mag" flashlight, more serious
lighting would be required that night. At dawn we were on our first ascent
and treated to spectacular views of the valley from 2000 foot up. By 7AM the
world turned almost black, with thunderheads sweeping in so fast.  The storm,
with thunder and lightning sounded like a freight train as it roared towards
us and the skies opened up. We ran in a downpour for about 15 minutes and
trails became temporary quagmires. At this point there was no sense in
worrying about keeping one’s feet dry and the water crossings we came to
proved less intimating because we just didn’t care anymore. The storm moved
off as quickly as it came and the rest of the day was sunny and quite
pleasant. The company was good, most people were relaxed and I think resigned
to the fact that they were going to be out there a long time. The course was
never boring. The aid stations were well stocked with sandwiches, potatoes,
fruit, liquids, soups and candies and very cheerful people. At 30 miles and
the top of Kennedy Peak and at 2500 feet we were required to climb an
observation tower where we would find a quote written somewhere. The message
was promised to provide us with what was needed to continue and the race
director told us he might quiz each runner about that message as proof of
their being there. I won’t relate what the quote was, I will tell you
individually if asked but suffice it to say that it reminded me to have a
sense of humor and that mere words will not get you through this race no
matter what they were and this quote, well . . . . . The day went well with
temperatures reaching into the 70’s with cool breezes at the top of the
ridge, the forest abounded with wildflowers, one that I could identify were
the azaleas, pink and white, delicate and very pretty. As night fell I
treated myself to a change in socks and shoes and a toothbrush, put my
headlamp on and shuffled off into the night serenaded by the calls of
whippoorwills. It was 50 degrees or so under clear skies. The waning moon did
not rise until 3 AM and was appreciated more for it’s ambiance than the light
it provided. Long stretches were spent alone, then another runner would come
up on me or me on them and we’d run together perhaps chatting, or perhaps
just sharing the silent experience. As I’d previously found when the second
dawn comes my body wakens and less effort is required to continue forward. I
believe it when told that this is the best marked trail run in the east,
yellow ribbons marked the trail as did glow-sticks in the trees every ¼ mile
or so. There was only one instance when I became convinced that I was off
trail, that was at 5AM the second morning and I back tracked a few minutes
before meeting a couple of runners who knew the course and took me back with
them. As it turned out I was never off the trail, just thought that I was.

I can’t say enough about the impact my crew had on my success. Dave is not a
runner but an experienced hiker and understands the importance of fueling and
planning for the unexpected. As I came into the stations he was allowed at
I’d give him my empty bottles and he’d give me two others full of iced cold
drink. He’d ask what else I needed, most times that was nothing, but I did
change socks twice and shoes once. I’d eat at the station, drink some, carry
what food I could out of the station with me, then move down the trail. He
would come with me while I finished eating, encouraging me and taking my
litter back with him to the trash. We plan for what I’d want the next time I
saw him, project what time that would be and part ways. There were times when
he made sure I didn’t do something stupid, convince me to take more food or
drink. At 11 AM on Sunday, 30 hours into this thing I realized that I’d left
my hat ¼ of a mile up the trail at the last aid station. I was not prepared
to go back for it but it was much hotter the second day than first and Dave
knew (me too) that I needed it. He ran back for it as I continued to walk
towards the finish 17 miles away. He caught up with me with my hat and may
have saved the day. The sun was intense and I don’t have the natural
protection atop my head that I used too. I think it was an interesting
experience for him also, but a difficult job. He stayed awake for most of the
time I was on my feet. After 95.5 miles I found the last aid station and knew
that the finish line awaited over the hill, after the last 1000 foot ascent
and descent. Dave met me at about the 100 mile mark describing the finish and
telling me that I could break 35 hours if I picked it up a bit. A true friend
indeed! I finished with over an hour to spare, the 54th finisher out of 60.

All runners reaching the Visitor Center Aid Station at 48 miles but not
completing the full course received a special award recognizing their
commendable perseverance. This is somewhat of a "tongue in cheek"
acknowledgment. Those getting to this point took home a mounted piece of the
mountain and had their names listed as Visitors to the MMT 100. The only way
to have your name removed from this list is to return and complete the entire
course another year. With such an award the non-finisher is motivated to
return. This "snail" continued until the end where he was rewarded as
promised days before with the acclamation and  warm embrace of the crowd and
a finely detailed, machined pewter belt buckle that will be engraved for him.
That and a shirt with the course map drawn on it’s back and the legend "MMT
100 - the toughest 100 mile trail run east of the Rockies."

Why? I really don’t know and there in "lies the rub". All you runners I think
realize that the difficult part of this running thing we do is that we can
stop the discomfort when it arises anytime we want but refuse to do so, just
stop the race, quit, but we don’t. I am continually in awe of these distances
and the people who cover them on foot. Whether it’s running 6.2 miles on the
anaerobic edge or 26.2 miles nearing exhaustion or distances longer with
different altered states, I’m always amazed and humbled. 100.5 miles on the
MMT will do that. Here’s another thing I heard this  weekend that I liked a
lot, "Think that you can, or think that you can’t and you will be right both
times." Quite the philospher that Ed Demoney is. Many, many thanks to all who
worked the race in support of the MMT runners. A class act from start to
finish!

I'll close with this appropriate quote.

"He knew that he felt an odd, joyous, light-hearted self confidence. He knew
that these were the right steps down the trail he had glimpsed." - - from
Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

peace,
John Prohira