I choose my races based of of 2 factors; location (is this going to be convenient for my family) and is this race going to challenge me/change me? I have had a fear of running in the heat ever since I was in High School cross country and passed out mid-race from dehydration twice. But I have never been one to let fear make my decisions for me. If I wanted to overcome my discomfort with running in hot weather, I was going to have to face it head on. That made Burning River an obvious choice! Nothing like a late July 100 in Ohio!

I did a lot of my training in the middle of the day when I could and started taking hot yoga to acclimate my body to the heat. I told myself that I enjoy running in the heat because if you tell yourself something enough times, it will become your reality. Eventually, towards the end of the training block, I started to actually enjoy these warm workouts. I came up with a solid hydration plan for the race and decided that the heat would not be a factor in my overall race result. In fact, I decided that I was going to run a PR, no matter what the weather.

Race Week

During just about every taper, something happens that makes me struggle to get through the week before he race. I have fallen and hurt my knee, accidentally kicked a table and stubbed my toe and gotten what felt like bronchitis. Every time though, I start the race and feel 100% healthy. The week before Burning River 100 was no different. I came down with a cold 7 days before the race. I knew deep down that I would still run 100 miles, but I still went into panic mode and drove myself and my family crazy over the next few days. But as I suspected, 2 days before the race, it started to clear up and the morning of the race, I felt normal!

The Start

After only about 2 hours of sleep, I got in line with the other 200 or so runners at the starting line right at 3:58am. I always love the start of an ultra because it is very low key. They yell start and everyone sets off in a slow jog, knowing that it will be a long day and night ahead. The first 4 miles of the race was on the road with plenty of rolling hills. I started the race in my road shoes with the plan to change in my Altra Outroads as soon as I needed them. My plan for the day was to get uncomfortable. Run the sections that were runnable and push hard on the trails.

I kept this up through mile 11 when we hit the first of many climbs. I was getting in and out of the aid stations quickly, eating my homemade rice bars and Maurten Solid bars and moving really well. The race felt pretty uneventful as I entered into another trail and decided to push my pace on this more technical section of trail. The next thing I knew, my toe hit a root and I went flying. This would be the first of several falls. I assessed the damage, hopped up quickly with the help of some passing runners and kept moving. I saw Dave again at the end of this trail as we moved out onto another section of road.

Mile 22.5- Oak Hill Aid Station

At the Oak Hill Aid Station, I quickly found Dave and refilled on water and snacks and he pushed me out of there in about 1 minute. Our strategy is always to get in and get out and to keep moving no matter what. About a half mile into this section of trail, I started chatting with another runner which helped the next several miles to go more quickly. This is when it started to get pretty hot out. I continued through the course, alternating sections of towpath, where I could keep a steady pace, and the more technical sections of climbing on the trails.

The hardest part of the morning came when we reached “the Sound of Music” hill, which is exactly what you’re picturing! Wide open field and a huge hill right in the center. There was zero shade on this section of the course and it felt brutal! I had caught back up to the runner that I was running with earlier towards the bottom of this hill. We were both struggling. We decided to team up and keep each other moving. When one of us started to slow down, the other one would suggest we start running. This went on for several miles. Sometimes suffering with someone else is easier than suffering alone. We kept this up almost to the halfway point, picking up another runner along the way.

Mile 50.9- Silver Springs

At Silver Springs, each runner’s name is announce as it’s the halfway point. Dave met me there with my requested McDonald’s fries and Dr. Pepper (they were out of Coke!). The Dr. Pepper didn’t sit well after one sip so I took my fries and kept moving. On the exposed section of the towpath back towards the finish, it was very hot. I began to run the shaded sections and hike the exposed sections to get through this part of the course more quickly.

I recognized another runner from the Vernal Equinox 48 hour and ran with him and another runner for the last mile of his section. We came into the aid station at the end of this hot stretch and found Dave there waiting for me. I filled up my bandana with ice, refilled my water. Dave knew that I was hot and tired and pushed me to get moving again quickly. This is generally where I lose some time in most races. We were focused getting me through these miles at a more consistent pace.

As expected, this section was rough. I started to feel very bad. A lot of runner’s had picked up pacers and I was running alone. I started to feel nauseous and stopped eating. I’ve run enough hundreds though to know that if I didn’t eat soon, this feeling would not get better. So I took a deep breath and started to problem solve. What does my body need right now? I found some hard candy in my pack and ate that. It made me feel a tiny bit better. I counted down the miles until I would see Dave again and he would start pacing me.

Back at the Sound of Music Hill again, it started to cool down and I was able to run more comfortably. 3 miles until I see Dave. A runner passed me looking strong and I decided that I should pick it up as well since it was starting to get dark on the trail. Just as I was gaining momentum, I hit another root. Before I knew it, I was flat on my chest, covered in dirt. It was one of those falls that happened before I could even react. I gave myself a second, brushed off my hands and knees, and started moving again.

Pine Hollow Aid Station- Mile 67.4

Finally, I was at mile 67 and Dave was there ready to pace me. But first, we took inventory of how I felt and what I needed. We switched out my headlamp for my brighter Kogalla light. I added a long sleeve shirt to my pack. Then we made a quick stop at the aid station to see if there was any food that I might be able to stomach. At the last minute, I grabbed a pierogie. I don’t eat gluten normally, but I knew I wouldn’t make it 35 more miles if I didn’t start eating. Surprisingly, the perogie tasted amazing and gave me the energy that I needed! The miles started flying by again as we caught up on the day.

It wasn’t until we were back on the towpath again around mile 73 that I hit another low. I was starting to feel the exhaustion of the day and I wanted sleep. I asked Dave if I could please just lay down on the ground for 1 minute. Of course, he said no! I also started to get very cold and we realized that i needed to start eating again. We reached the next aid station and I grabbed a handful of m&m’s. This was apparently what my body needed. From race to race, you just never know what foods are going to bring you back to life! For Burning River, apparently, it was pierogies and M&M”s.

Oak Hill Aid Station- Mile 78.7

Heading back into Oak Hill for the second time of the race, I noticed that my feet were starting to swell. I didn’t dare take off my socks because I knew I had some bad blisters. But I did need another pair of shoes. I grabbed my Topo Ultraventure’s (the shoes that have gotten me through my previous 5 hundred milers), more pierogies and m&m’s and we headed out again.

Dave started mentioning that he was having some pain in his bad leg. He had knee surgery almost 2 years ago and recovery has been an uphill battle for him. He’s not one to complain so we started to formulate a new game plan. He was supposed to pace me through mile 97 and we both knew he wouldn’t last that long because he was feeling worse by the mile.

The key to finishing 100 miles is to stay adaptable. Nothing will ever go according to plan, so you have to make a new plan if you want to make it to the finish. I changed my mindset from only focusing on myself to making sure that he was ok. I think that this really helped me at the end of the day. It distracted me from my own pain and forced me to look at the bigger picture. We made it through the next few technical sections and finally back to Botzum aid station.

Botzum Aid Station- Mile 87

I left Dave at the aid station, assuring him that I would be just fine running on my own. I was feeling pretty good and my mind was now alert. The next section was back on the towpath and it was pitch dark. I felt very paranoid out there all alone. So even with exhausted quad muscles, I push myself as hard as I could for the next mile and half until I caught up with 2 other runners. I ran behind them for the next technical section until one of them sped up and the other slowed down and I was alone again.

There were a few moments where I stopped. Questioning if I was going the right way. A tired brain will do that to you in the early morning when you’re exhausted! I pulled out my phone to see if Dave had texted. My phone was down to 5% battery. He told me that my Dad was coming to pick him up and that would meet me at the next aid station at 5:30am. My Dad would start to pace me from there. I pushed myself hard uphill towards the next aid station.

North Hawkins- 92.5 miles

I arrived at North Hawkins just before Dave and my Dad. I filled up on water and food and grabbed a pacer bib. Normally at this point in a hundred, I’m doing the death march. So feeling mentally alert was new for me. My quads were shot and I could feel blisters burning in my shoes, but it didn’t feel overwhelming. I think this is where my experience started to play a part in the race.

My Dad and I set off at a fast hiking pace. He is a good pacer for the end off a race because he will not slow down his pace, no matter how I am feeling. When you are exhausted and in pain, the mind can be impressionable. If your pacer is too sympathetic, you will give into the pain and slow down. At this point in the race, you cannot give in. When it hurts the most, that’s when you have to push the hardest. So we chatted about books we were reading, talked with a few other runners and just kept relentlessly moving forward.

A few miles from the finish line, I really started feeling bad. I was ready to be done. I was tired of forcing myself to eat and tired of being awake. But still I held on because after running six 100 mile races, I know that time is relative and pain doesn’t last forever. I crossed the finish line in 28 hours and 23 minutes, a new 100 mile PR.

Post Race

Post race was difficult this time around. I tried to eat on the way home but couldn’t keep anything down because my stomach was completely shut down. I stepped out of the car and fainted in my parent’s driveway. It all felt fairly dramatic. But it reminded me that I had just ran 100 miles, and even now, I still need to let myself recover. So for the the first time in a long time, I’m going to take 10 days off of running to recover and reset and come back even stronger.

The next race will be Rim to River 100 in West Virginia. The reason for this race; to run the out and back course completely on my own. No pacer and only crew for half of the race. The next 10 weeks will be spent putting in the work to become the kind of person who can take on this task. Already looking forward to getting to that starting line!

The fears we don’t face become our limits

-Jim Kwik