The Inaugural Devil Dog 100 Miler

Redemption ain't easy. I was having a tough time forgiving myself for an unfortunate DNF ("did not finish") at Pine to Palm in September and knew that nothing short of a 100 mile finish before the end of 2016 would fill that void. As I searched for a viable option, the Devil Dog 100 miler in Virginia presented itself as the perfect opportunity.  Despite being in its inaugural year, I knew many of the volunteers and race direction staff. In addition, the course's loops of rolling hills provided easy logistics that should surely facilitate a high finishing rate, perhaps even a new 100 mile PR (personal record). As long as the weather cooperated—December in Virginia is typically mild—I knew I’d be in good shape.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

A cold and icy start prior to sunrise.  Photo credit: David Potts.

Of the 105 runners who started the 100 miler, only 39% would cross the finish line.  Freezing temperatures overnight combined with rain in the morning hours of the race resulted in icy conditions everywhere.  The second night saw welcomed yet bizarre weather, with temperatures rising into the 50s.

Loop 1 done, and already tired.  Photo Credit: David Potts

The Devil Dog 100 mile course was 5 loops with about 80% singletrack and 20% gravel roads; there was also a 3 loop 100 km option.  There were three full service aid stations per loop, with three more water only self-serve stops.  Drop bags and crew opportunities were plentiful, though I opted to just leave a large bag at the start/finish.  While I didn't have a crew, the volunteers gladly handled every one of my needs and always had warm food ready. There were no major climbs, however with consistently rolling terrain the elevation added up. The gain/loss was listed at 10,000 feet, though some runners claimed over 12,000.

The venue, Prince William Forest, provides a natural respite from sprawling D.C. suburbia featuring 16,000 acres and over 40 miles of running trails.  Beyond its natural appeal, runners traversed some interesting history as well. The Devil Dog course weaves its way past a defunct pyrite mine, which earned workers a handsome $4.00 per day in the early 1900s.  Three small towns once existed within the park boundaries, now all extinct.  Finally, the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the modern day Central Intelligence Agency, once trained agents in the art of espionage here.
Having never run a looped race before, I wasn't sure what to expect and each loop had its own unique set of challenges.  The freezing rain on loop 1 turned the course into a skating rink, forcing runners to tip-toe or crawl at times.  I used a technique mimicking cross country skiing to cross the roads and walkways, holding 11th place after loop 1.

About halfway through loop 2, the ice was beginning to melt but I was faced with a new problem.  All that slipping and sliding had worn my stabilizer muscles out beyond belief.  I found that fresh legs are not helpful when the attached hip, glute, and lower back muscles are exhausted beyond repair. The 3rd loop was my most enjoyable and I moved into 9th place. During full daylight, and no ice to contend with, I was able to run more consistently, listening to music as I crossed the halfway point.

Proudly finished, alongside my pacer Jake Kruse.  Still feeling a bit dazed.

Darkness set in by the time I picked up my pacer at the start of loop 4.  This was a harsh reminder that with 14 hours of darkness, December nights are long.  Not far into loop 4 something broke inside of me and I was reduced to a hobble.  Rallying to a speed walk I trudged on, relying only on constant forward progress.  Dizziness and nausea added to my stresses.  Leaving the last aid station and with 6.5 miles left in the loop I was faced with the possibility of walking all of loop 5. The thought of spending the next 10 hours walking felt mentally defeating.  I still had plenty of time before any cutoffs and I was committed to finishing, either by running, walking, or crawling.  A few miles into loop 5 I experienced some ultra magic: I became less tired, the nausea dissipated, and a welcomed dose of pep returned to my legs.  Now back to a mostly-running strategy, I patiently moved along.  The mile 87 AS told me I was in 7th place.  The final half-marathon just consisted of some steady walk-running, a quick stop at the final AS, and then a few last trying miles leading up to the finish area. Finally, I crossed the finish line at 7:25 a.m. in 25:25:10 total, good enough for 6th place, as I had unknowingly passed the aforementioned runner in front of me.

My friend and training partner Samantha Pitts-Kiefer finishing strong.

My 4th 100 mile finish gave me some key takeaways.  Support matters: the volunteers here were incredible.  I had only arranged for a pacer a couple weeks prior as a luxury, but he proved to be an invaluable necessity.  Next was that music works, and can get you through long solo lulls given the proper playlist.  My nutrition strategy is starting to solidify; I never got particularly hungry and didn't linger too long as ASs.  Most importantly, the more difficult the experience is, both mentally and physically, the more satisfying the finish. I had redeemed myself, righting my wrong from earlier this year, taking me into winter feeling accomplished and ready for the next challenge.

Race swag, and the coveted belt buckle.

Full results available via Ultra-signup.

Pine to Pain

That's my nickname for the Pine to Palm 100 miler, Hal Koerner's race showcasing the arid Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon with over 20,000 feet of gain/loss.  Pine to Palm did not go as planned and I was disappointed to pull the plug at mile 59. It was a day of long, exposed climbs with record high temps in an area I was unfamiliar with.  I joined a few other VHTRC members for what would prove a daunting task to all.

 

VHTRC members at the race briefing.

When we started at 6:00 am from the staging area near Williams, the weather was cool and dry with some runners even wearing jackets; this made it all too easy to start out fast heading up Grayback Mountain.  Bee stings only a couple hours in added unnecessary stress and discomfort. After the first major Aid Station at mile 28 came the hottest climb of the day where things started to deteriorate. Mentally I dropped at mile 42, but continued to death march to aid stations at miles 50 and 52 trying to rally.  The only warm food available at this point was ramen noodles and hash browns. After trying somewhat successfully to resolve stomach, dehydration, and nausea issues (which included jumping in a lake), I was left with unrepairable muscle soreness from cramping throughout my body.  After over an hour at the Hanley Gap AS where I debated dropping I decided to hobble forward in a true act of self-loathing.  7 Miles later at Squaw Gap I had nothing left to give, physically or emotionally, and the choice was clear to drop.

The view off Grayback Mountain.

Excuses aside, I am already realizing some mistakes I made in the race that provide valuable lessons learned.  While the pace seemed comfortable at the time, in hindsight I disobeyed some of the tried and true strategies for 100 milers, namely to start slow and then slow down even more. I got caught up in a pack of fast guys, some attempting their first 100.  I should have been running my own race and remembered that the race doesn't start until the 100 km mark.  I would have been wise to pack more "real" food in my drop bags; orange slices and gels can only carry you so far.  Eating extra early on here would be extremely valuable, since trying to get food down in the heat of the day can be daunting.  Also important to remember is that muscle cramping is mostly the result of over exertion, not necessarily dehydration like was once thought.  This helps remind me that while it would be easier to blame the hot weather entirely, a more conservative start may have helped me maintain my composure.  Running point to point in an entirely new area presented a huge unknown.  Bottom line is that I went out too hard and couldn't get it done.

Pine to Palm is a challenging race on a tough course run point to point with a 58% finish rate according to the live tracking site.  The winner was Ryan Ghelfi of Ashland, in an unfathomable time of 18:28, 90 minutes ahead of 2nd place.  These mountains reminded me more of the rugged landscape of Northern California than the lush forests typically associated with the Pacific Northwest.  This amounted to long steep climbs, exposed ridge running, and eventual descents.  While the ASs were adequate, they are of no comparison to the mobile buffets that VHTRC has a habit of featuring back east.  The trails themselves were not very technical and I recall about half of it being on gravel roads (similar to MMTR).  Perhaps the last third features more singletrack.  All the turns were well marked, though a lack of confidence ribbons often had me questioning if I was headed in the correct direction.

Dry, arid conditions that reminded me of California.

I met plenty of other runners, some who finished strong and others that I commiserated with during our defeats.  The majority were from out west but there were plenty of east coasters and, in particular, a strong contingent of Tennesseans.  While the volunteers here were great, the biggest human element highlights of this race were the incredible generosity I experienced from spectators and other runners' crew members. At one point, a woman there to support her son jogged with me around Squaw Lake to try and help me clear my head.  After, her son's friend helped facilitate me jumping into said lake to try and cool off.  I met a gal from Nashville running who said her crew would be more than happy to feed me pizza, to which I stupidly declined.  Much later, after I dropped I was transported to a remote crew parking lot by Dutchman Peak to wait outside in windy, 40 degree weather.  A couple here who had been crewing for a friend that had already dropped were hanging out enjoying the party and offered me a spare sleeping bag to warm up in.  Then 20 minutes later proceeded to drive me the 90 minutes required back to my hotel in Medford, which they said was on their way home.

The race could work as a weekend trip, or be built into a longer vacation with potential side trips to the Oregon Coast, Portland, or northern California.  I opted to build in one extra day to side trip to the spectacular Crater Lake, about 2 very remote hours east from Ashland.

Wizard Island in Crater Lake from the Watchman lookout tower.

Pine to Palm was a humbling experience to say the least.  My first DNF in a goal race really hurt, but I'm trying to remind myself that by staying conservative I should have a lifetime of finishes to look forward to.  Knowing these lessons and the logistics of the area will do me well when I eventually return to finish what I started.

​Full race information and maps are on the Pine to Palm website.

The Old Dominion Endurance Run

All things considered, my running of the 38th annual Old Dominion 100 mile endurance run went splendidly.  After a winter sabbatical, spring training went great with several shorter races leading up to June.  Even after an extremely abbreviated night of sleep I felt like I had fresh legs at the start line.  The weather was typical of Virginia in early June; humid with highs in the 80s and the potential for showers.  Thats what you sign up for so there is no reason to complain.

Race: Old Dominion
Date: June 3rd, 2016
Finish Time: 22 hours, 19 minutes
Distance: 100 miles
Gain/loss: 14,000 ft

The course kept me in touch with my surroundings.  The combinations of gravel roads, hiking trails, and paved portions made me feel as though I was traversing all the human activity in Fort Valley and the Massanutten Mountains.  While some locals aren't sure what to think of Ultra-Runners at other races I've participated in, at Old Dominion I received plenty of words of encouragement from on-lookers.  One fellow cruising by in a truck even offered me a ride up the climb to Woodstock Tower.  I replied that it was a tempting offer but one I would have to pass up!  Plenty of wildlife was out as well.  I heard reports of a bear spotting; deer and bunny rabbits criss-crossed the trails and turtles came out in the late afternoon hours.  Snakes were the main topic of conversation among runners though.  I saw 3 huge rattlesnakes, one of which was coiled with its tail rattling away, a clear message to keep your distance.  This was also interesting to me since that while I realized there are Rattlers on the east coast, Copperheads and Cottonmouths tend to be more common in Virginia when it comes to poisonous snakes.

The whole race was tough; at no point did I feel great, however I never felt remotely close to quitting either.  Instead I just buzzed along at a steady pace, picking away at the course as the day waned.  I hit my lowest point around the middle of the race before the mountain top aid station.  I was hungry and tired, and having difficulty drinking enough fluids to off-set my sweat rate while at the same time not being able to stomach much food.  Somehow at the Edinburgh Gap and Little Fort aid stations I was able choke down enough calories which, combined with some cloud cover and decreasing temperatures, gave me a 2nd wind to push into the last 1/3 of the course.

One last test came almost 94 miles into the race.  Coming down off the last climb from Woodstock tower, during the dark and rainy night, I somehow strayed left on the road instead of veering to the right.  This looked like the course but as the road turned to gravel I realized something wasn't right.  Staying calm is truly key in this instances.  After a brief freak-out I stopped, consulted my map, and determined I needed to back track.  A local was driving home and stopped to direct me back to the last junction if I wanted to reach the finish in Woodstock.  It seemed like an eternity but in hindsight I only burned about a mile or 12 minutes.  The adrenaline rush of missing a turn gave me some fresh legs to make some of that time up on the way back.  I was just happy to be back and going the right direction!

"Flying" into the finish at 2:19 am Sunday.

Old Dominion presents a unique challenge, to cover 100 miles in one day.  Basically, you need to run, a lot.  While this may sound natural to Ultra-Runners, more mountainous courses give you plenty of chances to walk or hike up the hills.  Anytime the terrain is fairly flat or downhill you need to be running, anything less is just wasting time.  When the goal is to cover 100 miles in 24 hours you don't have time to waste.  There is a 28 hour cut-off for official finishers which is already challenging, and add to that the pressure of sub-24 for a belt buckle.  While there are plenty of runable sections, the course is anything but flat.  14 significant climbs, each with a quad busting downhill.

This race is classic Ultra-Running.  Paper mail-in applications, no sponsors, no live-tracking, no mercy, and certainly no bullshit.  The finish proved equally underwhelming; 1 person recording finish times, and 3 or 4 other supporters hanging out.  That was it.  Its low key and everyone involved knows what they are doing.  The race directors have admirably kept it this way for almost 40 years and I hope it continues.

Race HQ at the Shenandoah fairgrounds.

This is the oldest 100 miler on the east coast and the 2nd oldest in the country.  Like its western counterpart, this originated from a long distance horse ride.  Six years after the iconic Western States run began, the OD100 race directors wanted to give east coasters a chance to run 100 miles through rugged Virginia trails.

The Old Dominion endurance run, still a reason to get strong since 1979.

My Favorite IPAs

India Pale Ales.  A finer class of beers that demands a developed palette.  Of British origin, legend has it these pale ales were brewed specifically to survive the long journey to the new world, once thought to be India, and thus the name was born.  The use of hops in beer is almost as complex as the manipulation of pinot noir grapes for red wines. Too hoppy and it may leave a bitter taste, not enough can result in a bland, "chug-worthy" beer.  I haven't always loved IPAs.  I used to prefer porters, lagers, and pale ales.  But those ever intoxicating hops grew on me.  Now many of my old favorites just seem to be lacking something.  IPAs are all the craze now in American craft brewing, and with good reason.

I decided to give a run down of my absolute favorites in this diverse category.

I had a few caveats for my list: they needed to be IPAs, plain and simple.  There are some great Pale Ales with a hoppy flavor, but they aren't IPAs.  Same goes for tasty Belgian quads or triples.  I excluded double or triple IPAs, often called "imperial" IPAs.  I was however fine to include sub-categories like Rye, Red, or Black IPAs, but none of them made it into my list since I've just never really tasted one that was overly delicious.  I wanted to make sure these are readily available, so I excluded brews in limited distribution or that may not even be bottled.  I know we've all heard a pretentious story about the "best beer ever", only to hear it doesn't leave the 10 mile radius where its brewed.

These are some of my tastiest go-tos along with a few others that barely missed the list.

Sierra Nevada Tropical IPA - The slight bitterness is soon overtaken but fruit notes of mango, orange and pineapple.  Fresh and drinkable with a dry finish.  Sierra Nevada's "Beer Camp" series represents a collaboration between their brewery and several smaller gigs.  While this may be a limited release they would be crazy not to make it a regular.

Stone IPA - Stone knows what they are doing with IPAs.  Their Delicious and Go-to IPAs are great options as well, but I still prefer the original.  This is what a West Coast IPA should taste like.  Some floral and piney notes compliment this crisp IPA.

Firestone Easy Jack IPA - A wonderfully easy to drink IPA.  I'm impressed with how much taste comes out of only a 4.5% alcohol by volume brew.  This also makes it a great option to drink multiples of throughout the day.  Not overwhelmingly hoppy and features some tropical notes.

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA - a citrusey, hopped out brew with hints of spices throughout.  Its still an IPA so it isn't overly sweet on the fruit and its on the less bitter end of the spectrum.  Drink it ice cold at a hot summer tailgate!

Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA - a full bodied, classical American IPA.  This one isn't light on the hops so if you are still growing accustomed to hop-laden IPAs you may want to steer clear until you develop a pallet.  Once you do, pull up a chair, sit back and relax while sipping on this one.

Honorable Mentions: Stone Delicious IPA, Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA,  Flying Dog Easy IPA