Subject: Rocky Racoon 100 report (long) Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 12:32:20 -0600 (CST) From: RYERSEJS I haven't seen much on the RR100 held last weekend in Huntsville State Park. Here's my report, reading time about 5 minutes. Rocky Racoon 100 Mile Trail Run Report, Feb 6-7, 1999 Warm and humid at the 99 Coon, but I jump ahead. I took a couple of days to drive from St. Louis to Huntsville and camped in Huntsville State Park where the race is held. HSP is a beautiful park with great campsites along a lake and lots of wildlife, especially a good variety of birds. This was to be my third 100 M trail race (having done Kettle Morraine and Arkansas Traveller in 27+ hours in 98). I ran the Sunmart 50K in Dec. 97 and the Sunmart 50 M in Dec. 98 so I knew the course well. Also since I had a good base and had trained hard I felt I had an honest shot at breaking 24 hours. My daughter, Tashya, drove over from San Antonio on the Friday to crew and pace me. The RR 100 is a 5 x 20 mile loop course. It is about 33% single track trail which is rooty and gently undulating with a testy little 2 mile out and 2 mile back hilly section. The other 66% is mainly soft forest service roads, a friendly course if the weather co-operates. The weather was humid, with 60's for the start and going up to mid 70's during the day. It stayed warm (and humid) all night and I was able to run without a shirt. About 100 runners gathered in the darkness for the 6am start and we were off with flashlights bobbing, up the bike-path and across the road into the woods. The aid stations (great volunteers and great food at the Coon) came and went. I was pushing the down-hills too hard and my left knee began to hurt. I made it back to the start/finish turnaround in 3:30, a 10:30 pace for the first 20 miles. I wrapped the knee with an ace bandage which I knew from training runs would stabilize the knee and lose the pain. It worked and the knee didn't bother me again. We were weighed at the S/F every 20 miles and my weight had dropped a couple of pounds. They said I'd better start drinking more. As I got into the second loop, it began to warm up and with the humidity it wasn't pleasant, but thank goodness it was mostly cloudy and there was a breeze. Nevertheless, I was beginning to feel crappy and my fingers were swelling up. Started taking an E cap every 45 - 60 minutes and ate salted potatoes in addition to bananas, turkey sandwiches, cookies, candies at the aid stations. I also tried to drink two full bottles of fluid between every aid station. Did the second loop in 4 hours, about a 12:00 pace. The third loop was my toughest one. It was mid afternoon and very humid. I had picked up my tape player to have some music on this loop and it was good hearing some of my favorite Fleetwood Mac, Phil Collins, Neil Young and Celtic music. My neck and left shoulder were beginning to hurt. I went through 50M in a little under 10 hours however which was a boost for my 24 hour goal, but then I've gone through 50 in good times previously and watched the cushion evaporate. The big puddle on the backstretch of the Sunmart 50 which we had to wade through was still there but you could at least ease your way around it in the mud. Also the muddy sections along the lake which got worked up so bad by the almost 1000 runners at Sunmart was still very muddy and the thorn bushes were waiting to scratch your legs and arms if you tried to go around the mud. I finished the third 20M in 4:45, a 14:12 pace. I had been looking forward to having my daughter Tashya pace me on the fourth loop. She had been meeting (and videotaping) me coming into the S/F each loop but this time she was geared up and ready to run. It was about 6:30 pm and dark when we headed out on the 4th lap. She had never run on trails at night so we started easy and walked more than I had been walking but soon she got the hang of it and we were running more than walking. As we were coming back on the sandy jeep road from the first aid station a runner on the out leg shouted "snake, snake". I looked down and there just in front of me was a copperhead snake. I might have stepped on it had I not been warned! Later that loop Tashya and I heard some major rustling off in the woods and when we got our lights over there, we saw a great big armadillo ambling off into the darkness. Neat to see animals on the trails. Tashya did real well, the 20 miles being the furthest she has ever run/walked at one time, and during the night to boot! With the onset of darkness and a slight drop in temperatures I was starting to feel better than I had since the 1st lap and we were able to do some reasonably strong running from time to time. We finished lap 4 just before midnight, in 5 hours and 35 minutes about a 16:45 pace. I had been drinking a lot of coke and water and my weight had stabilized at 155, same as at the end of the first lap. Six hours left for a sub-24. I knew if I could hold together it was a sure thing, but then is there ever a sure thing with 20 to go in a 100? Last lap, middle of the night, shirtless and pushing hard. Passing runners and their pacers, lots of "looking goods", "how ya doin", "keep it up", "almost there" etc. Did the first 8 miles of the last lap in about 90 minutes, close to an 11 minute/mile pace. Keep on pushing over the toughest part, out, out, out on the out and back, then I was at the end of it and was heading back, soon at the third aid station, didn't linger, got to keep moving, about 7 miles to go. Through the woods, almost took a bad fall when I tried to run on the rooty trail, slow down. Ran the board walks and struggled through the mud for the last time. Into the last aid station. Tashya was there to cheer me on. Said see you at the finish. Less than 4 miles to go, still feeling decent and running strong periodically. The final out and back up the powerline and I was real close. At this point I knew I would not only break 24 hours but also break 23 hours which energized me. Ran in the last mile on the bike path, still feeling reasonably good. Finally there was the finish, Tashya taping, people clapping, across the line, 22:44:30, 18th among the men, 21st overall, joy and elation at a 4 + hour PR for 100 miles !! I was actually able to walk around without much difficulty afterwards, no major problems, bad blister on outside of a small toe and a big toe toenail is history but otherwise no other foot problems. I didn't change socks or shoes once, I think it's best to leave well enough alone unless you're having problems. Lower back was fine, I intentionally walked more upright rather than leaning forward in a power walk profile and this made a big difference in preventing lower back strain and pain. I thought a 5 loop course would be mentally devastating but it turned out to be not bad at all. You get to know the course so well you can turn it to your advantage because you can push harder in certain spots than you normally would, knowing a walking break or aid station is coming. The big difference in this 100 vs my first two 27+ hour 100s which allowed me to break 24 hours was that I was able to do considerable more running in the last 40 miles. This comes from several factors. In looking back over my training (and I would be happy to send my training runs leading up to this 100 to anyone who is interested off-list), I think the big difference was in doing more back to back long runs and in doing 2-a-day and a few 3-a-day workouts, ie getting used to running (and walking) on tired legs. Because of the weather here in St. Louis over Christmas etc, I did a lot of my workouts on my treadmill, including a 30 miler. I did the 30M while watching football games and it wasn't boring at all. If your're a 26-30 hour 100 miler like I was and want to try and break 24 hours, you need to choose your course carefully. I wouldn't have run this time in the mountains. And finally the weather must co-operate, nothing you can do about that except be prepared with a proper range of clothing, supplies etc. I talked with listers Rod Hammons, who placed 7th in 19:14 and Earl Blewett. Also met Rolly Portelance from Canada, Bill Dotson from Albequerque (a strong 63 year old runner who probably would have passed me in the last lap had he not made a wrong turn and lost 30 minutes on lap 4), Liz the Russian linguist who back-packed in and then ran the 100, Joe West and Bob Callibrae ? from North Carolina. Joe Hildebrand won in 14:47, Gabriele Flores came second in 17:41, John Geesler was 4th in 18:06. Edith Bogenhuber (?sp) came second among the women in 19:14 and was closing in fast on the lead woman in the last lap to only miss winning by 3 minutes. The Rocky Racoon 100 is a great race, well-organized and well-supported, on a friendly but still challenging course. A good choice for a first 100 mile ultra, or for a sub- 24, or a sub-20 depending on what level of running you're at. Kudos to Mickey Rollins and company for putting on a great ultra. I'd definitely go back and do this one again. Jan Ryerse St.Louis