Pinhoti 100!
Pinhoti 100: Beyond All Expectations
From Left to Right (Brandon, David, Me, and Ben)
Introduction: There’s just over a mile to go… Brandon
and I have been running together for around 4.5 hours now and we’re finishing
in under 21:30, which is superb. With just over a mile left, we see a light
heading out of this valley about a ¼ mile or so ahead of us. It takes us 2-3
minutes to reach that same spot. Brandon has been leading and pushing the pace to
the finish. He looks back at me and says, “Did you see that? That’s 5th
place, let’s get after him!” I respond, “It’s going to take a miracle to catch
him!” Brandon responds, “I’ve been witnessing one tonight.” (This is how I
remember it. Most of this is a blur.) Time to go back to the beginning.
Chapter 1:
Anxiety/Fear Leading up to the Race
I had a lot of nerves and anxiety leading up to the race.
Even little bits of fear started spreading into my psyche after having dreams
and reliving some of my past failures and rough experiences I’ve had this year.
I'm determined to earn that buckle and gave everything I have into
accomplishing the goal of sub 24 hours, but I want to finish regardless. The
Badger 100 DNF on flat rail trails replays in my head. I made mistakes that day,
but that was supposed to be a Mickey Mouse race. Pacing and crewing my friend
at No Business a couple weeks earlier reminded me to stay humble and be aware
of hydration, nutrition, aches, pains, etc. The bonk and mental fatigue are
real in these ultramarathon events.
Planning out this race proved to be difficult. I initially had a team together and arrangements were decided early on, but those plans fell
through with a month to go before the race. I didn’t have the full pace/crew
ready to go that I wanted. Hotels were all sold out near the start and finish.
I was scrambling to make proper arrangements. I considered ditching everything
and attempting an unsupported finish. With about 3 weeks to go, hotel reservations
opened, and I booked one near the start which make things easy for my crew at
the start. I was relieved when I confirmed that I had 3 people ready to go. 2
at the start (David and Ben) with Brandon joining us late for the finish at
night. This is going to work out.
Chapter 2: Heading
Down to Pinhoti
I initially packed everything with about a week to go before
the race. Weather was a bit questionable, with rain imminent in the forecast
and temperatures cooling off during the night hours significantly. That left me
packing an abundance of clothes and additional gear to prepare for everything.
I look at my initial load and realize this is overkill. I have a habit of
doing this.
I was stressed out dealing with a difficult week at work.
This made it harder to focus during the week. I’m able to get a lot of
personal errands done which is nice. The stress of lack of running is
depressing. Thursday night is here, and I need to sort and pack my gear. The
weather outlook is a little more stable. It will be a warm day. Highs in the
low-mid 80s with high humidity. There’s a chance of rain, but the temperatures should
hold decently overnight. It’s late, but I feel confident and pack up everything.
I get done with work and run back home last second to grab
the foot massager that I forgot. My crewmate gets back to me and is willing to
carpool. I’m more than willing to wait a few minutes so I don’t have to drive 3
hours back after running 100 miles. We fumbled to figure out which car to use
and decide to drive mine down. Traffic is a nightmare; it takes us over 4 hours
to arrive. We get there just in time to hear the end of the race directions. I
get my official race gear, including my bib. The sales tent and food serving are
closed already and we’re starving. We head back towards the hotel, check in,
clean up a bit, and eat some good Mexican nearby before preparing gear for the
morning.
Chapter 3: Early
Stages (Miles 1-18)
The alarm goes off, and it’s 4:30 AM. 90 minutes before
the start. I get my race garb on and have everything ready to go. We leave at
5:00 AM and park at 5:35AM. 25 minutes to the start and realize we have a mile
walk down to the start line based on how they parked us. We get to the start as
they announce 7 minutes to go! Perfect timing. Not enough time to freak out,
and just enough time to not feel rushed. I see a couple of familiar faces at
the start and say hi and small talk. Before I know it, there was 1 minute to go
and it was time to get serious.
There’s a 0.1-mile gravel road we run before hitting the
single track. It’s easy to get bottlenecked, so the top runners are all
fighting to be ahead. The count starts at 5 and runners are going at 2. It’s a
shit show to start but I somehow manage to end up about 10th going
in. The top 2 are gone. The rest of us are stuck behind a dude who ran all out and
may have gassed himself because we are going 13:30 on the single track. I’m 8th
in line and all of us are struggling to find a rhythm. I step on the heels of
the guy in front of me and nearly fall. Thankfully, after a ¼ mile there’s an
extra half lane that opens, and 3 of us, including myself, pass the pack. From
there it’s a lot more relaxed going around 11:30-12:00 on my watch with a lot
more space. I started chatting with Matt for a couple miles before he drops me off before a series of creek crossings. Most of them are shallow due to the lack of
rain, but our feet are getting somewhat wet. I planned for this by wearing shoes
I plan to change at the 1st or 2nd aid station.
I get into a groove, reaching mile 5 and sunlight after 55
minutes holding 5th position. I reach the 1st aid station
in 5th, see a couple friends, quick refill, and I’m off. I maintain
the same rhythm getting passed by a couple people that got stuck in the single
file. I expected this to happen and nothing exciting happens. I’m enjoying the
beautiful colors and temperature on this nice morning. The breeze peaks out at
the top of ridges and the humidity keeps us warm in the valleys. I know this
will change as the day progresses, but I’m excited when I reach my crew for the
1st time at Mile 13 in 8th place. Everything was
unorganized, so I decide to just refill liquids and I head right back out.
Chapter 4: Out
Here on My Own (Miles 18-45)
I give them instructions for the next aid station in 5
miles. The next stop will be crucial since I won’t see them again until mile
45. That’s 27 miles without major aid. The next 5 miles go quickly and
smoothly. I arrive at the aid station in 8th again, holding
position. My crew is set up with all food and drink ready. I have a new shirt
ready to go, along with socks and shoes. My right foot was slightly irritated,
and it turned out my sock turned 45 degrees inside my shoe!! I take about 10-12
minutes to make all these changes, load up on food and hydration, and head back
out. I lose 5 spots at the aid station, but I’m playing the long game. I have a
drop bag 9 miles away with more stuff I want, but this section is solely on me.
The huge change is refreshing since I make up all 5 spots in the 1st
2 miles. The aid station at mile 23 had an awesome Average Joe's cosplay and
they were throwing dodgeballs at each other away from the trail was AMAZING!
The heat starts setting in as the course gets tricky and the technical single track is that wide. There are areas with half a track uneven,
having to navigate rocks and trees. The sun starts to come out and the
temperatures are rising with the humidity staying very high. I get into the
Morgan Lake aid station and am happily ready to refill my liquids and takeoff. I’m
glad I packed 2 Gatorade bottles and extra socks. I head back out and run into
Erno as I left, and he approached the aid stations. I ran with him during the
Chattanooga Stage Race Day 2. He looks strong and we wish each other good luck.
The next 2 sections are 8 miles each approximately in the
heat. We cross several creeks and I refill the Gatorade bottle with water
across small bodies of water with current. The water tastes ok, but I hope it
doesn’t make me sick. I see a couple runners ahead of me get in these creeks to
cool off. I carefully navigate dipping my hat into the water for relief. The
sights are breathtaking. I am living in the moment. I start to struggle a
little bit with 2-3 miles to go before the aid station. My fluids are low, so I
don’t want to eat anything even though I should. I make it to the aid station
at Mile 35 and it feels great. They are awesome with warm towels with a peppermint scent. I wipe down my head and face with them…. I instantly feel
relief.
I refill all my bottles, load up on food, and ready to keep
going. After almost a mile I realized I forgot my Gatorade bottle with water at
the aid station!!! Oh no! The next aid station is 7 miles away and we have the
Cheaha Mountain climb to do. I decide to slow down and conserve my energy for
this because I do the climbs and descents are challenging and technical. I
hold steady until the last climb and OH BOY! I am so tired and done with this.
It was so worth it though as we saw Cheaha Mountain. We get directed across the
pathway set and I follow the markings which turn me around at the end back onto
a trail. About halfway back along the pathway we just did, 2 people told me I
was going the wrong way. I head over to them, and they confirmed I was supposed
to go straight instead of turning around. This costs me a total of 5 minutes
and I confirmed that some kid thought it would be funny to move flags and I was
the unlucky victim.
I head downhill for about a mile and reach this treacherous downhill and rocky trail this is nearly impossible to steady yourself at. I carefully navigate and take a sigh of relief when I reach the bottom of the aid station. I had a choice of having my crew at this Aid Station or the next one. We decided to have them set up 2.5 miles down the road where there was only water setup. This was a smart move since this Aid Station was packed with all the goodies! I grab and go knowing my crew is waiting for me and I have paved and logging roads to get to them. It takes me less than 25 minutes to reach them and I am so happy to see them!!
Chapter 5: Running
with Ben (Miles 45-57)
When I reach my crew, the weather is starting to change. I
can feel the barometric pressure change, and sense rain is coming. Ben is ready
to pace me for the next 10 miles of the course which is a welcomed change. I
have been running solo this entire time. As I change socks, the rain is starting
up. I keep the same shirt and shorts on and get everything reconfigured. I am
exhausted, slightly light-headed, and dizzy so I take a couple extra minutes to
refuel with fluids and food.
I grab my trekking poles because my quads feel destroyed
after the last 5 weeks of running, I’ve done which includes Laz’s Little Dog
and Chattanooga Stage Race. We head off as the rain becomes harder. It feels
good after the warm and humid section I did on my own. There are lots of climbs
in this section, more than I was expecting. We are moving steadily as I learn
how to use the poles. With this terrain, it’s easier to keep them compressed
and just use them on the technical uphill sections. We carefully navigate through
a large group of hikers that do not give the runners the right of way.
We reach the 1st aid station after 7 miles, which
is just beyond the halfway mark. I see my friend Peter doing photography at the
aid station. We chat quickly, but I am still fighting dizziness. Ben and I take
a couple minutes drinking extra fluids and he puts together a small plate of
food covered in salt. I instantly feel better and I’m ready to head out the
next short section is very navigable. We continue steadily, sticking to the
plan of reaching the next aid station before dark. I feel a little lightheaded
again and head straight for the bathroom when I arrive. We are 11 hours in at this
point and slightly ahead of schedule.
Even though this section was short, I’m happy Ben paced me through. He did a great job helping me manage hydration and nutrition, especially at the aid station. I felt a lot better at mile 57 than I did at mile 45 when we started. I easily could have fallen off and not taken care of myself, but he did a tremendous job. I enjoyed getting to talk to him to break up the monotony of these long ultras.
Chapter 6: Running
with David (Miles 57-76)
David has the vehicle ready next to the bathroom which is
perfect. I let my crew know this will be a long stop and want to leave in 15-20
minutes. We have about 30 minutes of daylight remaining, so I am quite relieved
to reach this during the day. I do a full clothing change, massage gun, roller,
and foot massager to stay loose. I am eating and drinking a lot to replenish
everything that I’ve burned through so far. We get everything done and David is
ready, and we head out after 20 minutes at the aid station down the logging road.
We head out and the 1st stretch is uphill but
very negotiable. This is his 1st time crewing, but I am very
comfortable running with him since we train together. We are talking and
chitchat and reach the 1st aid station comfortably. We saw this
awesome Loot Llama from Fortnite and a festive aid station. We grabbed tacos
and kept going. We start passing people out of the aid station that got ahead
during the long stop I took before picking up David. Things continue to go
smoothly through the water stop and The Porters Gap aid station. Odd-numbered
bibs had crews there, but since my bib # was 194, I did not have that luxury.
We start the final 5 miles up to Pinnacle Mountain. The last
2 miles are a gnarly climb with switchbacks and false hope. The aid station can
be heard at the beginning of the climb, so the distance to the top seems closer
than it is. As we’re approaching the beginning of the climb, I hear my pacer go
down and I know it’s not good. I stop quick to make sure David is okay. He says
he is ok but needs a minute or so I slowly continue along and wait for him to
catch up. It takes him a couple minutes to catch back up to me as we begin the
massive climb. I’m happy I grabbed my trekking poles for this stretch as
certain areas are filled with roots, rocks, and steep grades. There are 2 miles
and 800 feet of elevation separating us from our crew. We begin hearing music
and we start laughing knowing the climb has just begun.
It was a bit stressful and boring, but I was so happy to
reach Pinnacle in just over 16 hours. I remained in 8th position and
was happy to see my crew and head straight to the vehicle. Brandon is there and
ready to go. I make my final clothing change. I roll out and massage my muscles,
get fueled up and after another 20 minutes, we’re ready to go for the last 24
miles. I must thank David for keeping me loose and relaxed for 20 miles. It
felt like another training run with him, just slower than usual (at least for
him). We did a great job working together, running at an optimal pace for my
body while moving as much as the conditions will allow. This is a perfect night
outside and the air remains fresh. The temperature is around 60 degrees, and
the humidity is lower than it’s been all day. He put me in a great position to
finish strong and accomplish my goal of a sub-24-hour 100-mile race and my 1st
buckle.
Chapter 7: Running
with Brandon (Miles 76-100)
Brandon and I head out of Pinnacle at 16:28, which is ahead
of schedule. I’m feeling strong at this point, having overcome the struggles at
the midway mark and working steadily with David. I’ve let go of my trekking
poles feeling strong knowing there are some access roads ahead that aren’t
technical and very runnable. We find our rhythm quickly in the 1st 5-mile
stretch, passing a couple of people and reaching the 1st aid station
in just under an hour. I find out I’m in 8th or 9th
place, with the next runner 18 minutes ahead and everyone else an hour out. I’m
very optimistic that I can at least pass the next runner at some point.
From Wormy to Bulls Gap, I get into a zone where I’m running
strong and solid. We reach some technical terrain, but I am still able to click
off 12-13 minutes mile pace and feel stronger every minute. Brandon is amazed by
my effort and we’re feeding off each other. We’re sharing advice and tips about
how we prepare and manage ourselves during the race, but the views out here are
breathtaking, even pitch black at night. This 6.5-mile stretch is testing us,
so I am trying to manage my effort and not bonk by going too hard. We passed 1
runner in this section, and it took us an hour and 40 minutes to reach Bulls
Gap. It is a party out there and I am jacked up! We get there in just over 19
hours and I know sub 24 is a lock. I tell my crew I’m going sub-22 hours, and
without even noticing there’s another runner at the aid station about to head
out. I am energized and fully confident about finishing and looking to work on
placement. We head out after switching out headlamps and batteries.
There’s one aid station left in 8 miles, but the terrain is
logging roads and very runnable. There are 4.5 miles left after that to the
finish, so this stretch is crucial. I head out with Brandon after seeing my
crew for the last time quickly since my stomach is starting to turn and I
cannot handle any more food. We head out and start chasing down the runner that
left the aid station right before us. We essentially made up 18 minutes in the
last section, so it’s a matter of time before we catch back up to them. We are
running steadily at a 10-minute pace and I’m slowly reeling in the runner ahead
of me. After 2.5 miles, we catch them going uphill and make a pass going into a
turn. Slowly afterward, we pass another runner that is struggling to maintain the pace to the finish. That person we gained over an hour from in less than 10
miles.
I am energetic and full of adrenaline after passing those 2
runners in quick succession. We continue steadily running at a 9:30 pace. About
5 miles in, I ask Brandon how far to the aid station. He tells me 3 more miles,
and I begin to freak out. I thought the aid station was only 6 miles away and
not 8. I have 3 miles to make it to the final aid station out of fluid. I am
really starting to struggle mightily, so I slow down just a tick to manage how
I feel. As we approach the aid station, we see a sign that says ½ mile away. I
tell Brandon to run ahead and fill his bottles ahead and grab whatever he
needs. My plan is to refill bottle 1 and drink it while bottle 2 is being
refilled and refill bottle 1.
We’re out and ready to finish the dang thing. My stomach is
starting to feel sour. I just want to finish this as quickly as possible. After
another mile or so, we enter back into mountain bike tracks to the finish.
There’s only 5k to go and I look at my watch and realize that sub-21:30 is
possible. I honestly thought the best possible time for me was 22:30, so I am
ecstatic! We continue to stay in rhythm pushing the pace where it makes sense
and staying steady in some more difficult sections. I keep looking at my watch every
minute or 2 watching my pace, heart rate, and fractions of a mile ticking off.
I am putting all my energy into finishing before my stomach blows up. The
weather, scenery, and trails are perfect. We had down into a valley, and we see
the 5th-place runner exiting.
We take off as hard as we can. The two of us are running
hard and we’re going as fast as I can for 3 minutes and taking 10-second
breathers in between. My legs are sore, my chest is burning, and I am out of
energy. We’re flying around this windy single-track mountain bike trail. My
watch says we’re running at a 9:30 pace, but realistically it’s probably closer
to 8:30. My heart rate is climbing, and my breaths are running short. With a
quarter mile to go, I catch the 1st glimpse of the finish line downhill. There’s
still no sign of the runner we saw in front of us, but I’m still excited to
officially finish my 1st 100-mile race and do so well in under 24
hours. Brandon pushes me harder, saying this is it. One final downhill stretch.
With a tenth of a mile to go, I still don’t see 5th
place. A few moments later, Brandon takes a step to the side and 5th place is
right in front of us. I speed up for one final push in an all-out sprint. I
pass him just as we’re exiting the woods and have 100 feet left to the finish.
Brandon is running side-by-side with me, recording this moment. My crew/pacers
Ben and David were waiting at the finish. I am shouting at the top of my lungs
as I come across in 5th place. I carry so much momentum that I must
leap across a 10ft gap just past the finish line. I do so safely, and my legs
are gassed. I just sprawl out on the grass. Brandon is there with a camera
capturing the moment, asking how I feel.
Looking back at that moment, I don’t remember what I said, did, or even felt in those moments. I was in a trance,
hyperfocused, and totally committed to the goal. I am suspended in disbelief at
what we accomplished as a team. I could not have done anything close to this
without their help and support throughout the entire race. Achieving a goal
together is so much more fulfilling than on your own. I have so much gratitude towards
Ben, David, and Brandon for what they did for me.
Chapter 8:
Post-Finish, Summary, Wrap-Up
Here are the splits I had arriving from Pinnacle to the
finish line. This was the fastest finishing split by approximately 30 minutes
at Pinhoti, and even over an hour over the other top finishers. I took 20
minutes at this aid station, which is a bit long, but put me in a fantastic
position to finish as strong as everybody else out on the course. The live times
are unofficial, but I ran from Pinnacle to the Finish in 4:58, which was
unfathomable to me before the race. I felt strong enough to continue going
further if I had to but glad it was over. I arrived at Pinnacle in 8th,
left 12th, and finished 5th overall.
I matched the style and energy of the Pacers with how I anticipated I would be at each stage along with the terrain and it worked out perfectly. Ben picked me up when I was at my lowest and did a terrific job helping me recover and slowly build me up over 12 miles. David stepped up and got me through the 3rd quarter, keeping things as fun and relaxing as things can be. He kept me fresh and energized for a strong finish. Brandon did an amazing job taking me to the finish. As soon as got synced up and realized I had energy, he did a perfect job tapping into the energy reserves I had left and allowed us to clutch up a 5th-place finish. Without everything falling into place like this day did, my time would have suffered greatly. This was the absolute best-case scenario.
-
Lessons Learned:
o
Peppermint scents are amazing
o
Run inside your comfort zone
o
Experienced Crews/Pacers help tremendously
o
Be efficient at aid stations
§
Every action and second must have a purpose.
§
Don’t rush for the sake of getting out on the
course if you need time.
Chapter 9: What’s
Next?
I am mentally exhausted after a 5 week stretch of Little, No
Business 100 Crew, Chattanooga Stage Race, and concluding with the Pinhoti 100.
I decided to forego Upchuck 50k, despite desperately wanting to do it. I ended
up returning to a fun event Run For Rangers in Dahlonega, GA. They had a Ranger
challenge of a 10k Saturday and a half marathon Sunday at Camp Merrill. I won
both events on challenging courses and enjoyed supporting their charity
efforts.
Moving forward, I am looking forward to focusing my training
efforts on Speed and Strength. I want to develop mobility, agility, and
strength. All of this will incorporate nutrition as well, so this should be challenging with Winter looming. I really want to get a Boston Qualifying time
by the end of this block. In addition, I have 2x 50-mile events in December;
Cloudland Canyon 50 on 12/3 and Lookout 50 on 12/17.
2023 is shaping up to be a great year as well for me
running. I will share more as the picture becomes clearer. Stay safe and healthy
everyone!
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