Race Report: Leadville Trail 100 Run, August 17, 2024

 “Being brave means knowing that when you fail, you don’t fail forever.” 

This race report was put off for 3 months, and then it took another 2 months to complete. It took that long for me to critically review this event, and my personal experience with it, as a whole. We'll get to the story in my race recap. But for this moment, let's talk about the marquee event that is the Leadville Trail 100!

The "race across the sky" was established in in 1983 as a way to stimulate the local economy of the small mining town of Leadville, after the local mine closed and took 95% of the town's jobs to the grave with it. The couse isn't technical, but starts at 10,200 ft elevation and climbs up to 12,600 on Hope Pass, the crux of the course. It became a staple in the ultrasmarathon circuit with the big names of the 90's and early 2000's competing, and has been part of the Grand Slam of Ultramarathons since 1987. Although the race remains popular, especially in the circle of "fitfluencers," the pro field depth has decreased in the past 10 years. That doesn't make it any less of an incredible challenge for those of us in the amateur fields as we fight to be in the historic 44-48% of starters to finish the race. In fact, the popularity of Leadville in the influencer scene makes this even more appealing to the masses. Athletes of almost every sport have at least heard of the Leadville 100, making this race one that crosses into legend status. 

Race website: https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/run/leadvilletrail100run-2/

Location: ★★★★★

I mean... this is Leadville. Leadville is legendary in the endurance sport world. People flock there to train, race, and even live. The town is very well equipped for this population, boasting a main street filled with outdoor stores and cafes. There is significantly more to cater to the ultrarunner than you would expect from a mountain town. Still, it is a small mountain town so plan to do your major shopping 40 minutes away in Silverton. 

There's not a ton of hotels, but they exist. There's also a growing number of AirBnBs, although they tend to be a bit pricier (plan for $250-$500/night in August). If you're looking for cheaper amentities, consider Silverton (a larger volume of hotels) or if you're really wild, you can camp in Twin Lakes. 

I was worried about cell tower overload with the population growing exponentially in the week leading up to the race. In reality, the town kept up quite well with demand.  

Leadville is a short 2 hours from the Denver airport, making it easy to get into from almost any major city in the US. Denver rental cars are a bit of a disaster, but Turo serves the area as well and I have found them to be reliable.

Organization: ★★★☆☆

The Lifetime race organization series has come under scrutiny again and again not only in the running community, but the cycling community as well. I felt that Lifetime did an amazing job with camp and the athletes were well cared-for. I cannot say the same thing for The Leadville Trail 100.

First of all, crews were banned from Mayqueen outbound. This aid station sits 12.9 miles into the race. It may be easy to to say "hey, people don't need crew support that early!" which... could be true, but if this is the case, then that aid station needs to be well stocked an organized. When I came through with the 25-hour-hopefuls (a large continengent of the race early on), we found one jug of water, 2 volunteers, and a literal pile of drop bags with no organization whatsoever. This lead to a ton of stress as people had to wait in line to fill water bottles, couldn't find their drop bags, and attempted to stash night gear as drop bags were too hidden to get to. 

This year, there was a crew limit at Twin Lakes to reduce congestion, and there was a shuttle system. However, this lead to quite a lot of stress for quite a lot of crews waiting prolonged periods in shuttle lines. It was very frusrating that the fitfluencer contingent still got to have their 8-10 person videography teams, whereas normal athletes had to barter and trade tickets with each other to get an extra crew member into Twin Lakes. 

While we are on the topic of fitfluencers (how many times can I use that word?), it was disappointing to see videography crews completely disregard the safety and experience of other runners. I was actually run into by a videographer, and saw many other people have their paths cut across by folks aiming for that perfect shot for youtube. 

Lifetime uses a LOT of volunteers and I am 1000% grateful for those volunteers. But there comes a point where you do need to have paid staff and not just volunteers overseeing aid stations. The very last person to come through an aid station needs that food/resupply MORE than the faster people who have been on course for less time. Having the rear guard arrive to nearly empty aid stations is a big shortcoming.

The course did feel like it would have a smaller footprint with fewer athletes. I'm not one for gatekeeping, but I do think this may be an event best maximized out at 500 runners instead of 900. 

Still, despite the shortcomings, overall this is a professionally-run event. The course is marked excellently, the pre-race communication is dialed, and the expo is fantastic. There are dinners and events the week leading up to the race if you're the social type. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't spotlight the incredible work by the Leadville Trail 100 Legacy Foundation and the Dream Chasers! https://www.leadvilletrail100legacy.org/about-6-1

Course: ★★★★☆

People run Leadville Trail 100 because it is an incredible event steeped in history, not because it's the coolest course out there. The course is a mix of gravel roads, two track, single track and even a few miles of pavement. It's an out-and-back, with the turnaround on the crux of the course (Hope Pass) so you are doing most of the passing on the section of trail that lends itself the most poorly to it. The course spotlights sections of the Colorado Trail, along with experiencing old growth forests, mountain meadows, rocky wind-swept ridges, and everything in between. The majority of the course is very runnable if you dial back the efforts on the mountain sections. 

There are 12 aid stations on the route, 7 of which your crew can be at (although Pipeline is only 3 miles from Outward Bound, so most people will have their crews skip that one for a total of 5 crew check-points). The longest stretch between aid is 12.9 miles, and the shortest is 3.

The course starts in downtown Leadville at an elevation of 10,200 ft. You dip just below 9,000 ft in Twin Lakes, then climb to 12,600 ft at Hope Pass. Then, you flip it around and do the whole thing in reverse on an out and back.

Food: ★★★☆☆

Standard ultra-fare: Gu products, water, broth, ramen, mashed potatos, sweet and salty crunchy snacks. There was a great variety when I came through the aid stations, and I was very impressed with how much was available at Hopeless, where it had to be packed up by humans and llamas! 

My race: 

I was fortunate enough to have the most stacked crew I've ever had for this event! My husband, sister-in-law, coach, her boyfriend, and our college friend Kyle all showed up in a huge way. Our friends David and Emily even drove in the day of the race from Denver to cheer me on at Outward Bound. With such a stacked crew, I was able to have a support team at Twin Lakes as well as at Outward Bound while allowing both teams to have a bit of a break. 

I flew into Denver early -- Monday morning! I wanted to set myself up for success and give me a bit of extra time to acclimate. I spent the week working on my master's progam dissertation and hanging out at the AirBnB in Leadville. Thursday night, Bobby and Summer arrived and we spent some time together on Friday around the expo. Friday night, Kyle arrived. 

Saturday morning, race morning: I was up EARLY. And by early, I mean up at 1:50 am. I was eating and getting in fluids/caffeine by 2am. I got down a sugar free monster energy drink (12 oz), liquid IV (16 oz), bagel with peanut butter and jelly. I checked my phone for the encouraging texts and messages from friends and family the night before, but stayed off the socials. I was feeling calm and ready.

Bobby and Kyle walked me down to the start. Summer met us there. Adam and Dan were there too, but I missed them! The start was a little chilly, around 44 degrees, so I wore sweatpants and fleece on the walk down. We talked about my mantras for race day. I lined up near some of my camp friends. I had no real nerves at the start. I had visualized this so many times. Now I was just ready to do the thing. I took some deep breaths. There was a guy eating peanut butter nearby, and the smell penetrated my conciousness. I focused on the dark morning with a thousand headlamps from runners and spectators and the lights set up along the road in downtown Leadville. There was a countdown, and BAM. The rifle shot split the air and we were off.

The first two miles of this race are paved and downhill. The lugs of my speedgoats stick a bit on pavement, and I focused on that sound and sensation. I was trying to stay conservative through the first few miles. The first bit is very runnable, with no walking until the steep little powerline section going into turquoise lake trail. Turquoise lake was so fun. This is the terrain that I live for -- fun flowy single track, not that congested. I was breathing easy. Chatted with a girl named Hannah for a while but she was more aggressive than I was with passing other runners so I lost her after about 4 miles.

Mayqueen a bit wild. There were only 2 volunteers there, and only one Igloo jug of water. Drop bags were scattered on a tarp in no particular organizational scheme, and there weren't yet volunteers to help sift through them. As a whole bunch of hopped-up runners 12 miles into a 100-mile race crashed into the aid station, it was mayhem. There were runners everywhere, snapping at each other, the race organizers, and even the volunteers. My hands were very cold and I couldn't get my bottles out of my pack. I asked one of the volunteers to help me, which she gladly did. I couldn't get my gloves back on after this. My hands were swollen, dark and sore with the cold. I focused my breath into my hands and told myself in 10 hours I'd be wishing for the cold again. 

I kept a controlled walk/jog up the road and into the Colorado Trail section. Had some great conversations with cool people here. My heart was bursting with love as I knew I'd be seeing my friends at Outward Bound in no time! My knee that had been injured at Speedgoat was a bit sore coming down power line, so I tried to really be overly conservative here. The last 1.5 paved miles into Outward Bound I was so happy, stoked to see my people. I wanted to hear all about their day and kept telling myself I needed to to stay focused. I swapped out my arm warmers for sun sleeves and got my sunglasses. My next crewed stop would be well into the heat of the day.

The portapotty at Pipeline was a godsend as the day warmed up. I was crushing the walk/jog game through this section. Patient on the downhills, powerhiking those uphills. The woodsy smell of running through a pine stand was overwhelming and I found myself just smiling as I surveyed the forest. All wasn't quite right, though. There was an inkling of what was to come. I noticed that I really stopped taking in my infinite here. I drank my regular water but only about a third of the infinite, belly just felt off and I was progressively slightly nauseous coming into twin lakes.

I was stoked to see my people at Twin Lakes! I refilled/refueled, grabbed a Tylenol and my trekking poles. I changed shoes and socks, and sipped a bit of a coca-cola. My spirits could not have been higher as I said: "I'll see you in 7 hours!"

Hiking up Hope, I felt really nauseous and my spirits dipped a little. There was a rippling creek and we were walking through a beautiful green forest, but I wasn't reveling in the sights anymore. I stopped and took an ondansetron 1 mile into the climb. I was able to keep moving, but was feeling ill. Suddenly, I wasn't in the woods anymore -- I was in a pasture with wildflowers that looked like it was straight out of a storybook. I was at the Hopeless aid station, and there was a literal herd of pack llamas grazing as I passed. The llamas are an important part of the day, as they haul up the aid station supplies. I didn't spend much time here -- I wanted to get to lower elevation as soon as possible. The descent was rocky and barren, for a few miles, then we were back in the woods. I felt a bit better coming into Winfield, but realized I had only taken in 1 hours worth of nutrition in the past 3.5 hours. I tried to get in some salt with a bit of broth, and then headed back out.

It was very challenging going back out with so many coming down as I went up. This was rough climbing and the path was rocky and narrow, making two-way traffic a dance. About 1 mile from the top, I finally threw up everything and felt a little better. I continued to sit for 20-30 second breathers every few minutes, and would dry heave every time I stood up or climbed for more than a few minutes, but I finally made it to the Hopeless aid. I drank some more broth and sat for a few minutes to make sure the fluids stayed in. Then I started jogging down and I felt better and better as I got lower. 

My spirits were high, but my body was shutting down. As I approached Twin Lakes, I knew I was running ahead of target time. My knees were a bit swollen and sore at this point, but I had expected that. Overall I was still moving soundly. Calorically, I knew I was approaching the point of no return. What I didn't realize is that I had already passed it. My plan was to sit at twin lakes for 20 min and get down 400 calories. I plopped into the camp chair and told my crew what I was feeling. I got in some caffeine and a Tylenol. Unfortunately, I had no more ondansetron because I’d already taken it. I instead took three amino capsules and a pepto bismol. I got on my night layers and felt so sick as I stood up. I threw up the meds and all the fluid I had gotten down walking to the official aid. Again, I sat for another 20 minutes and got in some mashed potatoes and broth. Erin was here to pace me, and together we started walking up and out of twin lakes. I made it about 0.2 miles up the first climb before the entire contents of my stomach splattered onto the rocks. I sat for a minute (or five, time wasn't real to me anymore). Then I started walking again. I was so dizzy and so weak and nauseous. Eventually, I realized that we had gone about 1 mile in 40 minutes and I was growing weaker by the minute. I started to feel like I couldn’t go up or down the mountain and started to panic. I was 7 miles away from the next aid station, and 2 miles from the previous one. That was the end of my day. As I sat on the side of the trail and cried, Erin called Bobby. She began to physically pull and eventually even carried me for sections off the mountain until I regained enough strength to walk. Bobby and Kyle ran up to meet us and ultimately got me into the Leadville emergency room, where I spent the night with a bunch of other very sad runners.

This was the most heartbreaking DNF. I was more committed to this race than I have ever committed. I had visualized the last mile and the red carpet and the tears and the hugs for 8 months, and because its unfinished theres a part of me that feels incomplete. Leadville still holds a strong power over me, and I know that I'll go back to re-write the ending of this story.  

The miles I ran with joy, I couldn't have done without the love of my life, my greatest supporter, Bobby. The best sister I could every ask for, Summer. My friend Kyle, who has once again gone above and beyond. My coach and friend Erin, who walked through the darkest moments with me. Adam, who was a vital part of the support team but who ultimately helped me re-define what is possible and heal from Leadville. And to those of you still reading, thank you! 

Nutrition: 

I had my first bad time with Infinit. After having some palate fatigue on the Women's Go-Far (grape flavor) at Speedgoat, I brought a second option: Go-Far pink lemonade. I switched between these two flavors for the duration of the race. I also took advantage of the broth available at the aid stations (not great for calories, but good salty fluid) and a few solids (pringles and fig newtons). Some mashed potatoes at Twin Lakes were a real joy while they lasted. Nutrition for these longer events is something that I need to figure out.  

Gear: 

I ran with front-loading double 20oz Nathan (pinnacle) pack, then swapped to the 2L back loaded Nathan (Vapor) hydration pack,

Trekking poles: I used my Leki Micro Vario Carbon Pole -- Women's. I didn't pickup poles under Twin Lakes outbound, as I knew I wouldn't use them much in the earlier stages. They were an absolutel necessity for me in trekking up and over Hope Pass twice. They saved me from many falls coming back down into Hope Pass when I was suffering from altitude and fatigued.  

I utilized my Hoka Speedgoats for footwear. I changed shoes at Twin Lakes both times, just trying to make sure I kept dry feet coming out ot that swampy section at the base of the pass. 

Sun wear was my Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves and Hoka ice bandana. I loved having the extra protection from the high altiutude sun. 

Night layering choice was the Patagonia Houdini jacket. Lighting was the Petzl Swift RL headlamp. I switched from shorts to tights (just some classic underarmor tights that are about 12 years old). 

Alternative use for a buff turned out to be great for wiping puke off my face -- note for future, bring a buff to wrap around my wrist! That was a pro tip for sure. 

Worlds End 100K Race Report: June 3, 2023

Last year, while running with my coach at the Ode to the Hoff, we started talking about 100k's and 100 mile races on the bucket list. She mentioned a 100K in eastern Pennsylvania that had a strict cutoff and was reportedly as hard as a 100 miler. I couldn't remember the name of the race, so I started googling 100K races that were Western States qualifiers. Worlds End popped up. The pictures showed gorgeous trails, complete with rocks, peat moss and waterfalls. I had already missed registration so I hopped onto the wait list. I got called off the wait list in early February. 

There was weirdly little in the way of 100K race reports to sift through. The race site featured some links. There were several videos/vlogs on youtube, but only a handful of blog posts. The ones that existed mostly focused on the experience of the athlete/author and didn't give the nitty gritty of the course. I now know it's because this course turns your brain into mashed potatoes. I'm going to do my best to unpack it. Buckle in for the details!

Rolling into the 10.3 mile aid station
photo credit: Jeff Kascsak

Race website: https://worldsendultra.com/

Registration: RunSignup

Location:  ★★★★☆

Four stars if you love silence. Utter, remote silence. I think I'd bump down to three stars if I stayed more than 2 nights. I cannot emphasize enough how remote Worlds End State Park is. It is a gorgeous park surrounded by the Loyalsock State Forest in Forksville, PA. Loyalsock creek cuts through the park, offering swimming, sunning, and a perfect environment for bugs.

Sidebar: I spent all day wondering what a Loyalsock is. Apparently the forest is named after Loyalsock creek? But what is a Loyalsock? Please comment if you can enlighten me. This bothered me for 14 hours.  

The venue of Worlds End was really nice. Despite being a really remote area, the park is well-equipped. There is cabin and tent camping at the venue, and plenty of RV/car camping nearby. There were a couple of pavilions rented by the race organizer and set up for race day, along with plenty of picnic tables and fire pits (not that we needed fire that day!)

There is not cell service for a solid 10-25 mile radius of the park. So, take that into consideration and print a map. I didn't. Really wish I had!

Desi enjoying Loyalsock Creek

I was a little behind on my adventure planning, so we did not get a campsite in the park. We van-camped at the Bridle Trailhead of Loyalsock State Forest, about 3 miles from the start finish. This was a pretty rustic site. There was a water pump and pit toilet, but that was it. Worlds End had bathrooms with running water, but no showers in the day-use area. The race organizers set up several portapotties by the start/finish line as well. 

Organization: ★★★☆☆

 You all know by now that I'm a stickler for organization. I ranked organization as average here for a few reasons. This was the 9th edition of this race. As an established race, I like to see a fleshed-out website with all the details. Not everyone is going to join the facebook group to be up to date on race specifics. The website was a bit sparse on details. Even now, it only has a link to the 2022 participants guide, and not the 2023. This wouldn't be an issue if the guide was provided at packet pickup, but it isn't (not complaining, I'm all for saving trees). It is the athletes responsibility to download or print it ahead of time. Not a big deal if you were in the facebook group since the link was shared there. However, I do think that if the website isn't going to have the most up-to-date information, then it should clearly state that the facebook group is the go-to site for details. I think this will change in the upcoming years as more and more athletes don't have facebook. There were only two pre-race emails, which is great for the seasoned racer, but newbies may appreciate a bit more communication.

Since I've mentioned the facebook group a few times, I should give you the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/627879393987380

However, there were a lot of good things about organization! The pre-race meeting was excellent. Most of the time, I find those meetings to be pretty unhelpful. There were a lot of details regarding marking, distance between markings, and wildlife to watch out for. Apparently black bears inhabit the Loyalsock State Forest. While I didn't see one while running, we almost hit one with the van as it plundered across the road! 

Additionally, the athlete's guide was excellent. The timeline and rules were extremely clear. Maps and driving directions to aid stations were very easy to follow.

The race director was very up-front regarding what policies were enacted by the DCNR (no alcohol, no donations in place of trail service requirement, etc) that affected the race. 

Race Packet Pickup

Finally, the race website could not be more clear regarding who should and should not sign up for the race. An excerpt: "The Worlds End 100k is a 63.8 mile single loop trail ultramarathon on 95% single-track/double-track. The course has an elevation gain of 12,395 ft with a net elevation change of 24,790 ft. We support you with 12 aid stations and challenge you with a strict 19 hour cutoff. We have a reputation as one of the toughest, most scenic trail 100k’s in the country... The difficulty of the terrain means this is NOT an entry-level race. Each potential participant will be reviewed by the race directors after we receive the completed registration."

Course:★★★★☆

Oh this course. I wish I wasn't running so I could have just stared for hours and cemeted the scenery into my brain. Absolutely incredible sights. There were loose dry sections, muddy sections, so many rocks, insane climbs, scary descents, at least 20 creek crossings, fern groves, pete moss, second-growth forests, waterfalls... literally everything my heart could desire. The trails were very tough to follow at times. There was quite a bit in the way of markings, but several areas with sharp turns either up or down ridges where the trail could have gone straight. This made it tricky to follow in many areas. You definitely could not ever "zone out". The course was absolutely savage. There was no real reprieve in the constant climbs or descents until mile 52. But, that was the point. I'll chat more about course specifics in the section on my experience below. 

Cruising past those waterfalls!
Photo credit: Pfeffer Nusse

 Food: ★★★★★

There were 12 aid stations (3 were water-only) and each was a little different based on what the volunteer team brought. The facebook group (here we go again!) was key! The volunteers posted what they planned to have at the aid stations. Honestly, these were some of the best-equipped aid stations I've seen. They had the traditional stuff: watermelon, potato chips, cookies, candy, water, and tailwind. There were a lot of fun items too, though! Pierogis, roasted potatos, vegan and veggie soups, pickles, dried mango (what a frickin winner that was at mile 35!), sandwiches... too many things to remember! The volunteers were top-notch and so much fun. Pre-race, there were plently of pancakes and coffee. I didn't partake since my stomach can be a bit fickle, but I heard some rave reviews. Post-race, there was quite the feast of pulled pork, mac and cheese, soups, chili (one of which was vegan), and some other stuff that my mashed potato brain can't recall. Five stars for food! 

Loyalsock creek

My race:

What. A. Day! 

Race started at 5 am, so it was a dark start. It was probably a pleasent 60 degrees at the start, heating up to the mid 80's during the day. I'm not totally sure on specifics since I didn't have cell service for 2 days. 

I do love a nice dark start!

I lined up at the front and went out quick. The first 0.6 mile is paved and then it’s a hard climb and I didn’t want to get stuck in the conga line. I was sitting between 12-15th position when we hit the climb and that was a really nice position for me. The 100K is capped at 175 runners, for reference.

First 4 miles were mostly climbing. The trails were incredibly rocky! The image below was part of the course (I didn't run with my phone but took pictures the day before). I definitely am not super confident running on the rocks since it’s so different from home. A few guys passed me and I tried to follow their lines. At this point I was the first female. 

Photo Credit: Matt Dayak @412matt 

After the first 4 miles, you turn and run back down the lollipop and then start going back up again. It's rock and the trail is a bit slanted. At this point, around mile 7-8, I started to realize just how different the trails are from Michigan. In Michigan, our trails are mostly man-made and it is very obvious where the trail is. Here, the trail seemed arbitrary -- no real difference from the surrounding forest. It was flagged every 0.1 mile, but you constantly had to be looking for the flags to know where to go because it was so easy to go off course. And, the "flat, runnable" sections were full of ankle turners. That's precisely what I did at mile 8 -- turn my left ankle so hard I heard some nasty pops, and I went down hard. Whoops. That would come back to bite me. My left ankle has already had a lateral stabilization surgery, and because I destabilized it so early in the race, I was rolling my ankle every half mile to mile for the rest of the day. Sometimes it hurt severely, sometimes I would fall, and sometimes it would just throw my gait off and I would swear under my breath. That gets realllllly old after 12 hours.  

Refueling: most of the aid stations were on road crossings

I held onto my leading lady position until mile 11 or 12. At that point second place female caught me. We ran together until mile 28, then split up when I took a pee break. I thought I'd catch her again but she was gone! It was fun to have a lady to run with! She was from eastern PA and much more confident than I was on the rocks and technical descents. It was very dry and loose and the lack of traction really scared me, so I tried my best to follow her lines and not fall. 

Miles 15-35 had some wicked climbs, then wicked descents. It could not have been any more beautiful though. There are a ton of birds in the Loyalsock forest and I enjoyed hearing the bird calls change throughout the day. Apparently there are rattle snakes, but I did not see any. 

I could not. Stop. Falling. I fell HARD three times between miles 15 and 35. Like, full body on the ground, knock the wind out of you falling. Every time I rolled into an aid station there was more fresh blood. Both elbows, knees, and palms were bleeding. There were deep bruises on both quads, hips and upper arms. And, my poor left ankle was already so swollen I had to loosen my shoe laces. I picked up my trekking poles at mile 35 to try to help keep me upright. Another runner's crew member gave me some ice to stuff in my sports bra, which was a lifesaver in the heat and humidity.

Rolling into the 41.6 mile aid station solo

Miles 35-50 were the worst part of the race. I was beaten down by the relentless hills, technical descents, and the “runnable” segments that weren’t actually runnable for me. Remember, you really have to watch the markers. Problem is that when I would look up at the markers, I’d trip on a rock or root and fall. By the time I hit mile 50, I had suffered around 15 big falls. I was bleeding from so many abrasions!  The heat was really ratcheting up and it was very humid with no breeze. I starting dipping my hands and splashing my face in all the creek crossings.

I was straight up just wobbling my way through those 15 miles. I was moving slower than anticipated, and I started to panic that I wasn't going to finish in the daylight. If I couldn't stay upright in the light, how on earth was I going to finish in the dark? At mile 45, the woman in 3rd place, Jill, caught up to me. She was having some stomach issues but still looked strong. We filled our waters together at the 45.7 mile unmanned station, and she offered me an ibuprofen, which I gladly accepted. I tried to stick with her but my left ankle was so weak I just could not run over anything uneven. 

One of the early sections of trail demonstrating just how rugged it could be

I was so defeated when I came into the 50 mile aid station that I just sat there and sobbed. I wanted to quit so badly. All I could choke out was that I couldn't stop falling. My ankle was throbbing, I was bruised and bleeding, and I was moving so slowly. It was a pretty epic meltdown. A hush settled over the crew teams. I was so angry watching all the locals run through the segments I was wobbling through and falling. I was panicking over the prosepct of finishing in the dark. Luckily, Bobby isn't one to indulge in my self pity. He handed me some caffeine and assured me that this was a rough patch. Someone else reiterated that I was still very much on pace to finish in the daylight. A guy who's name I didn't catch, but he had an epic beard and cool leg tattoos, asked me if I knew what the rest of the course was like. I just cried. He told me that there was a big climb ahead, a few smaller climbs, but lots of runnable stuff. "You're not gonna fall anymore!" he assured me. Honestly, just knowing that things would get better was the best thing for me mentally. I got myself together after a good sit and cry. I kept my poles and cranked out the last two big climbs. Then the trail finally got more runnable! I was clicking off the miles at a respectable pace very comfortably. When I came into the final aid station, I felt strong and confident. I left my poles at the 58.2 mile station and tried to chase down the other two ladies. I gained some time, but didn't close the gap. The last 6 miles were mostly runnable, with the nastiest, steepest, downhill that I may have partially slid down on my butt. But, it was done! I chugged back into the park to see my husband and dog cheering (ok, he was cheering, she was looking for snacks). I ended up finishing 3rd female by only 17 minutes (top two were 40 seconds apart) and 10th overall. Out of 175 racers, there were 104 finishers. I smashed my time goal of 15 hours, with a finishing time of 14:12. And, I picked myself up from arguably one of the lowest points I've experienced in a long time and closed the race strong. I've got a lot of work to do to become a more technical runner, but I am so grateful for the experience I had at Worlds End. 

To summarize: You should check this race out. But respect it. I came into it with plenty of respect for the course and I was still utterly humbled. 

Nutrition: 

I took in a bottle of infinite (1 scoop of grape- flavored women's "go far" in a 16 oz handheld) at the crew-permitted (six of the twelve) aid stations. I did have one bottle of tailwind from an aid station since I was going to be 15 miles between crew-permitted station. I drank TONS of water. Peanut butter MnM’s, Mike and Ike’s, pringles, larabars, goldfish and some date balls were the snacks I packed and ate. I ate some grilled cheese, dried mango and lays potato chips at aid stations. I was in love with the pickles and pickle juice at the aid stations!  

Lucky enough to have Bobby sheparding me at aid stations
photo credit: Jeff Kascsak

Gear: 

I alternated between a a front-loading double 20oz Nathan (pinnacle) pack and a 2L back loaded Nathan (Vapor) hydration pack, depending on how far apart aid stations were. They could vary from 3 miles to 8 miles apart. I also had a 16 oz handheld for my infinite. I ran the vast majority of the race in the Hoka Speedgoats, but did use the cliftons for about 10 miles to let the speedgoats dry out after I fell in a water crossing. I used the Leki trekking poles for about 20 miles when I was really struggling. 

In other news, big shoutout to Nathan for the front-loaded pack! It was a gift to me for my placement at Bandera this spring -- we were allowed to choose one item off the site to be shipped to us. I'm obsessed with this pack, thanks Nathan! My poles fit really nicely in the back of this pack too. 

https://www.nathansports.com/pages/pinnacle-series

Recognition:

Huge thanks to the team around me: Bobby Munro (hubby and crew team captain), my mom Sarah who made a ton of food for us to eat on the road, my friends who babysat the two dogs and four cats at home, my coach Erin Young, and the super kind volunteers and other athletes crew members (especially Michelle Pede) who were so kind to me when I was having a rough patch. All the volunteers were fantastic all day! I don't take for granted the hard work that goes into organizing and setting up an event like this -- huge thank you to everyone involved!

I am a proud member of Team Athletic Mentors, and Ambassador for the Iceman Cometh Challenge. I don't have nutrition or gear sponsors and am not getting any kickbacks if you like my gear/nutrition, I'm just sharing what works for me!

Race Report: Marji Gesick 50 Mile; Sept 17, 2022

The Marji Gesick was definitely the highlight of my 2022 season, and quite honestly, this race will be hard to top. An event that started as a very indirect mountain bike 100 mile race from Forestville to Marquette, Marji is "The toughest race you've never heard of" per their website. If you want to get an idea of the culture surrounding the race, just hop over to their website: marjigesick.com. Warnings immediately jump off the page: "Self-supported ethos." "You're on your own -- in an emergency call 911." "This course is designed to break you." "Blame Danny and Todd." "80% of folks will never see the finish line." The race is one of those events that your crazy endurance mountain bike friend probably did once, but with relatively few slots between the 50 and 100 mile bike and run events, it's tough to register and lives on shrouded in mystery for most of the Marji-curious. 

I was scrolling through facebook last October and saw the alert that registration would be opening, and 666 slots would be up for grabs. On a whim, I hopped over the ultrasignup and entered my credit card number. I was in for the 50! I had read exactly 0 race reports. 

The race report search came in January. I train in the west side of Michigan on trails the likes of Merrell, Cannonsburg, Luton, and occasionally Saugatuck Dunes or Yankee Springs. I quickly realized that Marquette trails were going to be a challenge. Not only is there much more elevation gain and loss, but the trails are quite rocky and technical. What I somehow missed in the excitement of trying to figure out how to optimize my training, was that the 50 wasn't 50 miles. 

During Ode to the Hoff, I overheard some of the guys talking about running Marji the year prior. As I started to ask them their experience, one mentioned that the 50 was 63 miles. Naturally, I assumed he missed a turn and added some distance. I was very wrong. 

My race stats: Finish time: 14:01:15. Distance: 64.1 miles. Elevation gain: 8,205 ft. Average heart rate: 151 bpm.

Let's look at the breakdown:

Race website: https://marjigesick.com/

Registration: Ultra Signup

Location:  ★★★★★
Marquette (or Forestville for the 100) to Ishpeming, Upper Peninsula of Michigan
I'm incredibly biased when it comes to the UP. I am absolutely in awe of the rugged beauty of the trails here. I loved starting in downtown Marquette. We camped just a few miles from the start line at the Marquette tourist park, and were absolutely thrilled to find a youth mountain bike skills park attached to the campground itself. Shakeout runs were so convenient along the north country trail. Packet pickup at Blackrocks Brewery Friday night afforded an opportunity to experience downtown Marquette. The finish in Ishpeming was so much fun. It felt like the entire downtown stayed open late to see us finish. Although the race is point-to-point, which can be tough logistically, the driving distance between Marquette and Ishpeming is really only about 15 miles/20 minutes. 

Organization: ★★★★☆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LHU_tuXrbQ

The race is organized by 906 adventure team. Their philosphy: " 906 Adventure Team is a 501c3 Non-Profit based in Marquette, Michigan. Since 2014 we have been creating outdoor adventure experiences for youth through Adventure Bike Club and events like Polar Roll, The Crusher, and Marji Gesick. Our take on life is pretty simple - it’s an adventure. In life (and adventure) stuff doesn't always go to plan. Things go wrong. Bad things happen to good people and you don’t overcome it by complaining or pointing fingers. The truth is adversity brings out the best of us - by taking us down unknown paths to find it. 
906 Adventure Team uses revenue from the events to support trail organizations and create more youth Adventure Teams. The Marji Gesick will donate $27,000 to local trails this year, bringing total trail donations since 2015 to $216,000." 

Please watch the above video for an idea of what is going through the race organizer's minds in the creation of this event. Overall the race can feel rather disorganized (see notes regarding course below). However, I honestly think it's all part of the ethos. My one complaint is the timing of the race starts. The 100 mile run starts Friday at noon in Forestville. Saturday morning the 50 mile runners start at 7 am in Marquette. At 7:30 am, 100 mile cyclists and duathletes start in Forestville. Then, the 50 mile bikes start at 8:00 in Marquette. This is problematic because then the bikes are catching almost all of the 50 mile runners while we are still on singletrack. Giving another hour or so would allow the majority of the runners to hit rail trail before the cyclists catch up, making passing much easier. Of course, the daylight is limited even in the summer in the UP, so my thought for a happy medium would be to get the runners out at 6 am. 

Parking in downtown Marquette does look like it could be limited, but being in the first crew to shuffle through the start line, we had no issues getting our monster of a van situated. 

Course: ★★★★★
This is such a subjective scale. This course is five stars for achieving its goal: to break you, mentally and physically. First of all, the "50 mile" is actually 63+ miles depending on the year (I missed a turn and added about 0.5 mile) and the "100 mile" is really around 112. The course is well marked, but you have been warned time and again not to depend on course markings. GPS is required. However, the GPS file was not made available until WEDNESDAY before the race! Then, there was an issue with that file so I wasn't able to download the true GPS file until Friday morning. The race cue sheet indicated 8 miles between downtown Ishpeming and Jackson Mine park round 2, where you would get to see your crew again -- but in reality it was more like 13 miles. The GPS file indicated that the course would be 60 miles with 4000 ft of elevation -- and you see my stats above. All of this could add up to make a 1 star course, but, given the race ethos, this course is exactly what it should be. 

The course itself is also absolutely terrible in the best way possible. We started at the docks in downtown Marquette. It was still dark at 7 am. The initial 2 miles is pavement and sidewalk heading south before the course jogs west towards Marquette Mountain. The first climb is about 3 miles in, still on the road. Then there is a fairly staightforward trail section before you hit the rail trail for the fastest 6 miles of the race. However, that's about the last fast section as the course then meanders for 40 miles through RAMBA mountain bike trails. The trail is rocky and technical, with loose downhills and steep climbs. There aren't really words for the level of torment that last 8 miles of RAMBA is. The best I can provide is this video from Bike Life with Rob: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5lwKVCoa4

Food: N/A
I can't technically grade the food, as the race is very clear about not organizing aid stations. However, "trail angels" are out en mass to support the race. All race support is neutral, meaning that while you may have crew supporting you, they must also offer the same assitance to all competitors. At every road crossing, both major and seasonal, there was at least someone there who would offer water or snacks. Jackson Mine park was essentially a city of support tents with plenty of food to go around. Since all food is offered on a volunteer basis, I did not want to depend on it and stuck to the food I had stocked in the van. 

The afterparty goes on all night in downtown Ishpeming, and there are multiple food trucks and a beer garden available for competitors and support crew. Important note is that these are at an additional cost, so don't forget your credit card. 

My race:

The morning of Marji Gesick was perfect: 63 degrees with the sun not yet up. It had rained for the past 2 days, and while the mud we were likely to encounter was on everyone's minds, it was a clear morning. The race started at the docks in downtown Marquette. It was a very quiet start, just a quick pre-race briefing before the horn sounded and we were off. No unicorns or LeBike starts, they save that nonsense for Forestville!

The first two miles of the race were paved. I quickly settled into a pack of about 8 folks and we chatted as we loosened up.  At the first climb, I reminded myself to powehike ever climb in the first half and then think about running more uphills if I had it in me during RAMBA. I felt like I was taking the pace pretty chill through the pavement and first chunks of singletrack, then finally pushed the pace a bit on the rail trail from miles 14-19. I knew this was likely to be the most runable section and wanted to capitalize on that. Plus, the sun was getting more intense and I was anxious to get back into the shaded singletrack.

After Jackson Mine Park, it was time to start the roughly 45 miles of looping through RAMBA. My pace was held back quite a bit in RAMBA by the cyclists actually. They would pass me on flats and descents, but then would have to unclip and hike-a-bike on ascents and technical terrain. Initially I could feel myself stressing about lost time. I made the mindful choice to use this time to stop and eat. Throughout the day, the same group of cyclists and me were leapfrogging and the banter with those people kept my spirits high. I honestly think that having that time and comiseration with those cyclists was a big part of me having such a good day!  I was priveledged to have runner company for the first 11 miles, then miles 20-26 but after that it was just me and my new cycling friends.  In the first 20 miles of RAMBA, I took care not to overrun the downhills and my IT bands thanked me later. However, miles 30-45 were so incredibly hot and supringly unsheltered by forest. This became a race of attrition. Having some cyclists around encouraged me to stay upbeat.

I was able to see my support crew of my husband and dogs six times during the race. He tracked my location throughout the day and at each meeting point, he would have a camp chair ready for me and all of my snacks spread out so I could decide what I needed. My training partner Desi was very upset that dogs are not allowed in the race, and she attempted to sneak her way into the event anyway!

One of the fun little quirks of Marji is that you have to collect tokens at undisclosed checkpoints on the route. I was in the dark for about two hours through the roughest portion of RAMBA. I was falling at least once every 2 miles. And, instead of being upset about falling, my biggest worry was that I was going to lose one of those frickin tokens and be turned around at the finish line to go collect another. I'm not really much of a finish line crier, but when I finally made that left hand turn into Ishpeming and started down the chute, I just started to sob. That's the power of da Marji.

Gear:
I wore road shoes for the whole thing. (Hoka Cliftons, wore two seperate pairs). I brought trekking poles but did not use them and left them in the van. 

Nutrition:
I stuck to mostly savory stuff: goldfish about an hour in. After the first bit, they were hard to get down but forced me to drink water which wasn't a bad thing at all. I was really feeling Pringles, and ate a few rice cakes along the way too. Good and Plenty's were the sweet of choice. Some oreos felt good towards the end. I ate about 3 larabars and 2 kind bars spread throughout the day as well. I prepackaged everything into small portions in plastic baggies which were stashed in my hydration pack. I had a little tummy trouble around 2-4 pm just as it was pretty hot, but I took a couple short walk breaks and it chilled out. I shockingly experienced no vomiting throughout the day! Drank water in the hydration pack and had a handheld with liquid IV electrolytes -- drank 4 of these throughout the day. This wasn't enough hydration as I only urinated 3 times during the day, but it was enough that I didn't end up with the crippling headache I've suffered after many events. 

    

At the end of the day, I finished 2nd overall in the 50 mile race behind Alisan Barrett. It was so incredible to have two women atop that podium! The Marji broke me physically and mentally, but rebuilt me to be so much stronger. While I won't return for 2023, I know Marji hasn't seen the last of me yet! 

Remember that I am recapping my experiences. Any inaccuracies regarding the course are likely secondary to me blocking out the trauma I endured in RAMBA!

Race Report: Ode to the Hoff, June 18, 2022

  Ode to the Hoff is a backyard style ultramarathon. Every hour, on the hour, runners embark on a  4.12 mile loop. You can finish in 30  minutes, or finish in 59 minutes, but the next lap starts at 60 minutes on the mark. The remaining time you have between your lap finish and the next lap start, can be spent any way you please. The last runner standing is marked as the winner, with the second to last runner taking the "assist". This style of racing poses a unique set of challenges, as well as some very distinct benefits. My overall takeaway was that I don't see myself personally falling in love with the backyard ultra in a competitive way, but I absolutely see value in hopping into one of these events throughout the season for a "supported long run". 

This was a first-year event, but was hosted by the Ode to the Laz race organizers. Ode to the Laz is a primarily east-side of Michigan series. It was nice to see a primarily east-side organization host an event here in beautiful West Michigan!

Race website: https://odetolaz.com/

Registration: Ultra Signup

Location:  ★★★★★
Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, Michigan
The race was hosted at the State Park, with ample camping space at Hoffmaster and Muskegon state parks, less than a mile from the race start. There is a shower house and multistall bathroom with hot and cold running water located mere steps away from the start line (important for those middle laps!). If you've had enough of running through the woods, Lake Michigan (the greatest of the great lakes, in my opinion) is steps away for a quick dip. 

Organization: ★★★★☆
As mentioned above, the race was a first year event. However, the race company is experienced. The race organizers were very clear regarding course rules and what would and would not be provided at the race. My two complaints and the reason that organization is ranked as "good" and not "excellent": there was a relatively late date change for the race. As in, end of March, an email went out announcing a date change from June 11 to June 18. Maybe not a huge deal to some, but many of us have to request weekends off from work months in advance. The other complaint is regarding communication regarding parking. It was quite unclear where crew members were to park. We had planned to crew out of the van, but that appeared to be a no-go. It was fine, but clarification regarding whether people can crew out of cars or if they really need a tent, is a must for future. 

Course: ★★★☆☆
The course was beautiful, but really was almost a weird long S shape with two out and backs. The single track is wide enough that it wasn't a huge deal, but I didn't love having that many sharp turnarounds. The course consistested of about 0.7 miles of pavement along the park road (minimal car traffic). The rest of the course was wide singletrack. There was quite a bit of elevation packed into a small out and back -- essentially, you climb from the park to the top of a dune/bluff overlooking the lake, then start to descend down towards the lake, then climb back up. The course is very rooted, which became quite technically challenging later on in the day as the shadows grew long. Additionally, there is a nice little set of 7-10 wooden stairs in there too. I imagine those could get pretty slick in the rain, but you could easily run off to the side of them if you're a confident descender. 

For the first two laps, the course was short by about half a mile due to a misplaced cone. This was corrected for further laps.

I will note that the night loops were 100% pavement on the park roads (no vehicle traffic in the park after 10 pm). I bailed after completing 11 yards (loops) and the night course didn't take effect until yard 13. Therefore, I really can't attest to this further

Food: ★★★★☆
Traditional ultra fare was available. Not much was really required since most people had their own snacks with their crew. However, the food rating got bumped up from three star "average" to four star "good" because Pigeon Hill brewing had kegs flowing all day! Additionally, there was plenty of sponsored corepower to go around. 

My race:

Not the ideal race prep coming into this. I worked overnights through the weekend, Tuesday-Friday was in Makinac at a conference, and jetted back downstate just in time to grab the van, head out to Muskegon, and get some sleep. The morning was chilly but clear. I started the day with my award-winning pre-race prep of half a white monster, kodiak cakes oatmeal, and some liquid IV. 

View of Lake Michigan -- one of my favorite parts of Muskegon!

The race started with a very informal rundown of the rules, and an airhorn to start us out. There were about 80 people at the start, but there were two categories: The backyard ultra crew, and the 3 hour adventure crew. So, the pack really thinned out after the third yard.

Starting out I had the tiniest little niggle in the right calf but otherwise felt great. I ran the first three hours with coach Erin Young and friend Joe Miles. Chatting with friends really made the yards fly by. Huge props go out to Joe for sticking with us for his longest run to date! The pace was conservative. I was shooting for 20-25 minutes of rest between yards and really nailed this throughout the day. The first 2 yards were short, so had more like 30 minutes of rest for those. Not a bad deal early in the day!

The singular image of me in the event. Joe (in red) of course looked great for the camera; I don't think I noticed it was there!

Joe dropped off on the fourth yard, and Erin on the fifth. On my own with the day starting to heat up, I started making some new friends. The most fun part of this event was that I was rarely alone, since everyone gets a "reset" to regroup for every yard. 

I started struggling with some stomach issues between my cycle and overdoing it on cold fruit (it tasted so good!) so the vomiting began around yard eight. Around this time I really felt the toll in the my right ankle and calf from running off camber on the trail for a mile every lap. I really wanted to push through to 10-12 yards though, so trudged on with a few extra walk breaks.

Refueling in the corepower tent between yards

After the 11th yard, I made the decision not to head out for another one. I had met my goal, and was ready to go to sleep. I had to wake up for work at 4:15 am the next morning and had an hour drive home!

Overall, I really enjoyed Ode to the Hoff. If you're thinking about dipping into the backyard ultra scene, this just might be the race for you!