By Charlie Nelson,
As I sit to write this report I don't
even really know where to begin but let's get started.
First and foremost I really never
thought of seriously tackling this distance until earlier this year. As a 58
year old runner my running career began in 1976 during a poker game while
drinking beer. As a then 25 year old male a bunch of poker players knew of
a 15.5 mile race in a local area in one week. As invincible young bucks act we
all began bragging that we could run the race. I enjoyed success in all sports
although I was just your average player in each sport but enjoyed them all
except running. I vividly remember being on the soccer field or playing golf or
baseball or challenging the ocean waves with my surfboard but seeing runners
just putting one foot in front of the other never made a lot of sense to me. In
any case with one week to try a couple of practice runs I ran the 15.5 miles in
tennis shoes and completed that run in 2 hours 7 minutes and my feet were black
and blue at the conclusion. Basically that was the extent of my running career
until 8 years later. After watching the Hawaii Iron
Man Triathlon on T.V. I decided to buy a bike and trained a total of 3
months and went to
After checking out 100 mile races I
found this small
Over the last 7 weeks my mileage worked
up to as much as a 75 mile week and I tapered down to a 32 miler and
finally 9 miles 5 days before the run with total rest the last 4
days. As a first time 100 attempt and never running more then a 54 mile
run I figured more rest would be better than any more runs as my body was
somewhat tired.
After a difficult DNF in early
June at a 53 mile mountain trail run in
Up front I will list what I ate before
and during this 100 miler beginning Thursday evening.
Thursday dinner-medium rare rib-eye steak, broccoli and half of a baked
potato loaded with butter and sour cream. Friday
breakfast-3 hard boiled eggs, ham, watermellon, broccoli and
black coffee. Lunch atkins protein
bar and 1 hard boiled egg. Friday dinner same as Thursday but
a whole baked potato for some carbs. Also at the pasta dinner
at Carl's home some celery and carrot sticks. Saturday
2:30 a.m. a black coffee. 3 a.m. 2 hard boiled eggs
some watermellon, grapes and heavy whipping cream. At 4:45 a.m. 1
vespa packet which concludes the pre race diet. During my 27 hours 8 minutes on
the 100 mile trail and road course I consumed approximately the following.
8 vespas(18 calories per packet), 1 small slice pizza(200cals), 3 vanilla
gu's(300 cals), 10 double expresso gu's(1100 cals), 5 cookies(400 cals), 1
protein bar(300 cals), 8 ounces chicken soup(100cals), 5 hard butterscotch
discs(100cals) and 10 small boiled red potatos with salt(500cals). I am
not sure what the normal 100 miler consumes but my total seems to be
aprroximately 3144 calories. Despite my concoctions of food intake my stomach
held up fine with only one necessary bathroom break.
The race begins at 5:30 a.m. after
Carl gives us last minute instructions in his living room plus a group photo.
We all head up the hill in the dark and all I can think is how many running and
walking steps will it take until this race is complete. It doesn't take long
before I am running with Steve Wilkinson who is pacing today as he will be
running the Grindstone 100 in 2 weeks. Steve ran this race last year and will
run with me the first 8 miles to the trails in the woods so as I don't get
lost. Also Keith Straw runs a few miles with us before he moves ahead. The
weather is cool but clear and a perfect day to run. I am surprised by the long
rolling hills along the first 8 miles. Steve and I reach the woods where the
volunteers and drop bags with our foods, drinks and extra clothing are stored.
I refill my water and take a salt tablet plus a vespa and some nourishment and
before you know it Steve and I begin the 1st of the 4 11 mile loops in the
woods. Steve has made this run so relaxing for me just knowing he knows the
trail and the fact I won't get lost. About 3 miles into the loop Carl is at the
self serve water station to take some photos. After crossing the highway Steve
and I are back in the woods for a 4 mile little loop and back to the water
where I refill and have some more salt. Finally another 4 miles and back at the
drop bag for another vespa and nourishment. Jeff opens my vespa for me and Mary
marks my time and gives me water. I tell Mary just about 8 oz of water is fine
as I don't want to carry full bottles since I will reach the self serve
station in 3 miles and can refill there. Thank you Steve for
pacing and showing me the loop and good luck at your 100 in 2 weeks.
Also thanks to Mary and Jeff for helping me at the aid station plus all the
help you give to me before this race is complete.
Now I'm on my own as I head out on loop
2 of 4 in this wonderful forest on a single track trail. One mile into the loop
I am face to face with a small deer. I stop and slowly go by as this neat
animal wonders whether to run or remain doing its thing. I get by and the
little deer watches me leave. This would be 1 of 5 deer I will encounter
during the run. I finish my water but will refill at the self serve next water
station. I reach the water but it is gone. I always heard in a 100 mile race to
expect something to go wrong because it will. I also remember it said to relax
and deal with it because panicking does absolutely no good. It's about 10:30
a.m. and I will be without hydration for another 8 miles. I relax and cross
into the woods and slow my slow pace down some more. Apparently someone saw the
big tupperware bin marked Delaware 100 Ultra and stopped their vehicle and
took all the water cookies and tupperware. Finally I get back to the aid
station and have some salted potatos, water and load my small water bottle with
a salt tablet and fill the 20 oz bottle full for this loop. On this loop I
hit the cornfield with the cornstocks 8-10 foot high and it is like you are in
a maze. The breeze makes the corn sound as though they are alive. Wow, they are
alive as 2 more small deer are running right next to me just inside the
cornstocks. This run is becoming awesome. When I reach the aid station both
Mary and Jeff tell me the runner in front of me needs a pacer as he is having
lung problems and took a 45 minute nap. I head out on loop 3 and catch Phil
Rosenstein who looks at me and says welcome to 4th place. Phil is thin as a
rail and asks if I don't mind company. Hell I'd love some company. Phil tells
me this is his 35th 100 miler since 2005. Also last year at this time he was
somewhere in
Yea I reach the aid station and Jeff
opens my vespa and Mary fills my bottles when a runner comes out of the
woods and catches me. Hell no he didn't catch me, it
is Dave Bursler the leader and 2 time winner of this race. I suck down vespa
and he has a bottle of pickles but leaves the pickles alone and drinks down the
pickle juice. I've never seen that before. Dave is 50 miles in while I have 40
miles. I will see Dave again tonight as the runners will work the roads during
the night time hours and the trails will be complete. My last loop is
uneventful and it was good to know I reach 50 miles in 11 hours 55 minutes over
many hills and rooted trails. I also am quite aware that I have many more hills
and miles in front of me so lets keep an even keel and
head back to the home of the race director for some dry socks and new pair of
sneakers. I read my directions and make it the 8 miles back to the
house. I sit down in a chair and wonder how do you
manage 42 more miles when you feel like I was feeling. My calves
cramp and I can't even take my shoes off. A volunteer helps me out with new
shoes and socks and in fact I think the volunteer was Rick Palmer who was in
today's run but dropped after 29 miles. Rick, if in fact that was you thank you for the help. If it wasn't Rick I thank
whoever you were who put my shoes on. More vespa and a tad of
soup and back on the road. I must admit I can't really run as the legs
are in a bad way with each landing. However I could kind of glide along with a
pretty good power walk which helped avoid the pounding. Whatever you do just
keep moving ahead. I always wondered what it might be
like to complete a 100 mile race. I am now being educated and I
realize how intertwined the physical and mental are now waging war in my mind
and body. In a weird sort of way it is like I am an outside spectator knowing
the body says no while the mind says I understand why you want to quit but I
can't let you quit because I've trained too hard to quit now and you will be
kicking yourself in the ass for the rest of your life if you quit. If I quit
tonight it is because I am soft. There is nothing seriously wrong with me so
quit is not an option. Whenever I felt like cashing it in over the next 10
hours or so the mind seemed to always veto the bodies
desire and I would keep moving forward.
The evening was peacefull with bright
stars but much colder air. The miners light on my head made seeing easy but
sometime spooky. Along the edge of the road I would hear animals at
times in the woods. I'd aim the miners light toward the sounds and on at least
3 occasions I would see 2 little bright eyes staring at me. Please just be a
cat or something and not some rabid fox that wants a bite of my skinny leg.
As the night wore on and I left the 79
mile headquarters with only two out and backs left. The field was getting
smaller. About a half mile out on my next to last loop I see Dave Bursler
coming home for his 3rd victory. I shake his hand and let him know the crew is
ready for him at the finish. I'm suffering but Dave tells me I am doing
FANTASTIC so I yell back to him this will be my 1st 100 and he yells back again
FANTASTIC MAN FANTASTIC!!! Thank you Dave. That meant
tons hearing you support me. It was one of the memorable moments at a memorable
event for me. Also I would criss cross paths with Randy Dietz who would
ask me in the dark who are you and he would encourage me with way to go
BROTHER. Also on this next to last loop Phil catches me again a few miles from
his finish. To think earlier in the day I had caught and passed Phil
and as he regrouped and is now more then 10 miles ahead of me. I can
only power walk and as I check my watch I tell Phil if he runs he has a crack
at a sub 24 hour run. He thanks me and we shake hands and like a champion he
pounds the pavement and cracks the 24 hour barrier.
At 89 miles I drop all my gear and only
take 8 oz of water for my last out and back. The sun is rising by the horsefarm
and 2 large deer see me and ever so gracefully shoot over the hills. With 4
miles to go and heading home Randy is coming toward me as he has about 6 miles
left. We stop and talk for a minute. I ask Randy,
haven't you done a bunch of these.He responds that he has been known to have
done a number of these. I tell him this is my 1st and last. He shakes my hand
and tells me congrats! As we began to depart he grabs my arm and looks at me
and says "YOU'LL BE BACK". At that moment I knew he was wrong but as
I write this report I notice I am missing the effort and comradarie that happen
during a 100 miler. Like everything only time will unfold today's future.
One mile to go and the last runner is heading out on his last out and back. It is Fred Davis
who has run 100 miles in each state as well as a 50 miler in each state. Fred
and I had a good talk the day before the race and he is one of the most
pleasant people I have ever met. Fred is such a veteran he was able to throw in
some hard running on his last lap. Also Fred has another 100 miler this weekend
in
It's all over now except the last
100 yards. Carl has his camera and snaps a photo as I reach the garage for
the finish. Wow, 4th place in 27 hours and 8 minutes. I am humbled and
elated. Last year's winner Jessica Kennedy is still there along with
Angela Ivory a fellow 50 stater who I just met out on the trail. Jeff and Mary
have volunteered all weekend and are still working. Carl's wife Mary cooked,
shopped and put more effort into making the entire weekend a huge success.
I just want to thank everyone for making my proudest moment in running
such a joyous occasion here in
A special thanks to Carl for helping me
as I panicked about getting lost out on the course all day. Also, thanks Carl
for the extra time you gave me when I came over Monday morning when it was time
for you to head to work as you printed me more directions on how to get back to
NH.
P.S. Love all the pictures on the web
site.
P.S. A special thanks to Carl's wife
Mary who told me I looked to be the least sleepiest
person in the race. I told Mary it is very difficult for me to sleep.
Apparently not needing sleep might be my one strength when racing in a 100 mile
run.
Finally one big THANK
YOU AGAIN to every fellow runner in this race and to all the volunteers
and anyone else I may have missed it was an honor and a privelege to have been
a small part of this event. Best to all!!!!!!!!!!
Charlie-New Hampshire