Recount #5.3: Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Run

While hiking up Jawbone (the first time) Tristin started doing what he does best - making me laugh.  I remember laughing and promising him that I would finish the race.  My crew and the AS volunteers cared so much and were working so hard to get my ass in gear and get to the finish - I couldn't let them down.  Quitting was not on the agenda.  Way too much time and effort was invested into the race that quitting would be more of an insult to my crew and the volunteers than it would be to my running portfolio - which is strong to very strong, by the way (had to throw in a "Meet the Parents" quote).  Tristin quickly brought me out of my lowest funk of the race and I was mentally back in the fight.

As we neared the summit it was rapidly becoming dark.  The air was cooling off which forced the horse flies to abandon their posts and go elsewhere for the night - hooray, 'bout time!  At the paper plate sign we left-faced and started along the ridge.  There was still enough daylight to cruise without headlamps all the way to Q's View.  There we stopped for a minute to take it all in.  After a few deep breaths and a few mental pictures we hit the trail again, this time we flicked on our lights.

I ate a gel and choked down some salt pills, and finally I started to feel better physically.  Tristin kept insisting that I eat some solid foods so I pulled out the veggie burrito Kari shoved in my pack and reluctantly took a bite.  I had my appetite back!  Nothing ever tasted so good!  I couldn't believe it!  The sight of solid foods (other than oranges) disgusted me all day, but all of a sudden this veggie burrito was appealing to me.  I wanted to scarf down the entire thing.  I elected to eat half and save the other for later.

The ridge continued for a few miles and led us to a dirt road.  It felt good to have a flat surface under my feet and I was able to start running at a decent pace.  Families and crews were using that section of the road to travel to the Visitor Center AS, so we ganged way for a few vehicles over the next 3 miles.  Dirt turned into concrete and we started to run faster.  Thanks to Tom's training runs I knew the course well, and knew the Bird Knob climb was waiting for me at the bottom of the hill.  We paced ourselves, probably 10-minute miles, all the way to the AS.  Aside from the pee-break and a quick stop to swallow some more salt we kept our feet moving and cranked out some fast miles.  Walking up the entrance to the Visitor Center AS I ate the rest of the veggie burrito.

The Visitor Center AS was bumping in the night. 

The sound of generators echoed through the woods and lights lit the trail-way towards Bird Knob.  Upon arrival I executed my routine - grab oranges and Gatorade, apply a fresh coat of lube under my arms and under my...

While I was munching some chocolate covered coffee beans Tristin informed me that I was doing the next 10 miles alone.  I wasn't too disappointed.  I knew the course, was very familiar with the two climbs between the Visitor Center AS and the Picnic Area AS, and was prepared with fresh batteries in the music box (but not in the headlamp...that story is next).  Our strategy was: run 78-88 solo, pick up Ryan for 88-97, then pick up Tristin again for the remaining 7+ to the finish.  We stuck to the plan, sort of.

As we wrapped up things in the Visitor Center AS the volunteers were very alert and attentive.  Many of them offered to make me a fresh sandwich (whatever I wanted, basically), bring me drinks, deliver fruit to me, etc.  What an awesome bunch!  One of the volunteers helped Papa Cillo re-fill my pack with water and gels, which always saved me time and effort, especially since my arms were still going numb when I moved them in certain positions.  Exiting the Visitor Center AS I turned and yelled, "Thanks everyone!  Best AS in the whole race!"  They cheered and fist-pumped.  And then I slipped and fell onto the trail...didn't see that 6 inch ledge...I only heard one person make fun of me...Tristin...typical...

Going up Bird Knob I passed a guy and his pacer around mile 79.  I didnt see anyone else on the trail until mile 102 - kind of scary when you're in the middle of the woods with only a veggie burrito to keep you company.  I may have peeled back the tortilla and flapped it around once or twice to simulate a talking snack.  But maybe I only thought about it.  Maybe I never did carry on a full conversation with a Mexican treat.  I don't remember, but it's not important.

Atop Bird Knob the fog was thicker than I have ever seen in my life.  In fact, it was so thick that I was forced to walk the ridge-line into the Bird Knob AS because I couldn't see the ground under my feet.  Exhaling filled the air in front of my face with even more debris, so I incorporated some sort of goofy breathing technique in which I inhaled from the front and exhaled to the side.  I assumed my lungs were strong enough to suck up the fog from in front of my face when I inhaled, thus making it easier to see.  It definitely didn't work.  There is probably a detailed, chemistry-related explanation out there which I would be interested in reading.

About 100 yards from the AS, which I could hear but could not see, a bright pink object showed itself on the left side of the trail.  I think it was some sort of cardboard flamingo?!?  Really freaked me out.  A few yards later there was another.  And another.  Then a generator was sitting on the deck.  Then lines and lines of lights which led me directly to the Bird Knob AS.  Ok, I pulled a "Brad" going into the AS...I saw people straight ahead, they saw me, so I jogged a few steps to make it look like I was actually doing something.  Thanks Brad, I know you'll take it like a Champ.

All I can say about the Bird Knob AS is YOU ROCK!  Vegetarian soup, vegan soup, fresh fruit, cookies, cold water, cold gatorade, roaring fire, a few youngsters experiencing what an all-nighter feels like...  I stayed there too long, about 10 minutes, and I didn't even fill my pack.  The vegan soup smelled too good to be true.  "Cup or bowl?" I was asked.  Styrofoam cup was my choice.  I sipped it as the younger volunteers explained how they pull all-nighters frequently while playing video games and drinking orange soda.  I wish I had a picture to share with you all.  The Bird Knob AS made my night!  Best AS in the whole race!

The next mile or so was downhill on a service road so I was able to make up some lost time.  The fog was less dense at lower altitude so I really picked up the pace until I turned left on the purple trail and encountered another climb.  Although rather short it was very steep.  It offered many large rocks to grab onto with my hands, but they were all covered in some sort of centipede insect thingy.  A few times I forgot how many there were and I smashed them with my hands and fingers - gross.  I learned my lesson and toughed it out by pushing down on my knees with my hands as I hiked the hill.  I knew the backside of the mountain was all downhill to the Picnic Area AS, and I couldn't wait.

Before the Chocolate Bunny training run Tom stressed that there were FIVE switchbacks going down the purple trail.  I counted them out loud to myself: "ONE! HA! HA! HA!"......."TWO! HA! HA! HA!".......'THREE! HA! HA! HA!".......remember I mentioned my headlamp and batteries?  Well, after the third switchback, and subsequent third miniature celebration, I noticed the trail was slowly disappearing.  Time to switch out batteries.  Like all smart ultrarunners I was carrying an extra headlamp and extra batteries.  I found a waist high rock and pulled over, flopped my pack onto the rock, pulled out my fresh headlamp (with fresh batteries), and proceeded to pull out a ziploc with my extra batteries.  I removed dead headlamp from my noggin' and replaced it with the live one.  At that point I should have packed up my stuff and kept running, right?  For a reason still unknown to me I began removing the battery cover on my dead headlamp and fishing out 3 new AA's.  I remember the situation so well:

"Can't get the battery cover off, bit all my fingernails in the tent last night.  Gotta find a rock.  This one looks good.  Nope, too fat.  Here, this one is skinny, this should be good to go.  Ouch, my arms keep going numb, wtf?!?  Ok, stick rock here, press here...boing!  Crap, batteries everywhere.  Don't want to litter, I'm an ultrarunner!  This ain't no marathon!  I pick up my trash!  Let me find these stupid things.  Here's one.  Here's two.  Hmmm....ok, 2 out of 3 is failing but it'll have to do.  Ok, new batteries.  Positive side here, negative side here, repeat for other two batteries.  Shut the cover.  Press on button.  On!  Sweet!  Pack up.  Oh crap, the light went off.  Press on again.  On!  Continue packing.  Crap, lights out again.  Wtf?!?  Oh, cover isn't shut all the way.  Try to remove cover and correct problem.  Cover won't come off because one end is clicked into place and the other is not.  Find the skinny rock again.  Open cover again.  Batteries fall out again.  Must find them all this time, they are live!  Collect up all 3, put them back in, close cover PROPERLY.  Press on button.  On!  Staying on!  Still staying on!  Smack against the rock and still stays on.  Ok, pack up.  Throw skinny rock into woods and say "Hi-yah!"  Sling pack onto body.  Ouch, numb again.  Run away..."

"FOUR! HA! HA! HA!"......."FIVE! HA! HA! HA!".......

Needless to say, I was losing "it".  I took a left on the pink trail and scampered down the rest of the hill.  My stomach started acting funny again so I made a quick stop to handle my business.  By then the baby wipes had already moved from the pack to the front pocket.  At the stream at the bottom of the hill I missed a rock while hopping across and ended up in the water.  The entire left side of my body was soaked.  It actually felt pretty good but I knew my left foot would pay the price soon enough.  (Actually, the only blister I got during the race was on my right big toe, my left foot held up.)  I thought the trail to the AS would never end.  I also thought the AS was in the route 211 parking lot, so it was a big relief when I stumbled upon it, almost accidentally, at the gate at the end of the trail.  I was losing "it", but my feet were still moving pretty quick.

Snipes had been preaching to me for weeks about how to control highs and lows, and not to get too high or too low.  That was constantly on my mind, which is why I didn't burn myself out coming down the pink trail, or sink into oblivion at Gap Creek.  I figured as long as I wasn't using my highs to sprint through the Massanuttens that I was free to use them in other ways.  I crept down the trail into the Picnic Area AS and was as happy as a pig in mud!

"What up, party people?"

"Oh...Runner!!!"

"How ya'll doin'?"  (I'm not even from the south...)

It seemed as if the AS volunteers were not prepared to see someone as ecstatic as me, especially after covering 88 miles of Massanutten trails.  And neither was my crew!  I don't think they were expecting me for another hour or so.  It was obvious when I walked by the crew vehicle and saw Tristin sleeping in it.  But Kari, Papa Cillo and Ryan were all awake and sitting by the fire with the volunteers.  Kari and my Dad greeted me with smiles as wide as the Massanuttens!  Ryan hung by the fire, I think he was in shock.  Kari quickly made my final veggie burrito of the race (since the veggies were gone after making it) as I munched on some oranges and Gatorade - who woulda thought?  I ate the burrito by the fire in less than 30 seconds.  My dad and I re-filled my hydration pack.  I think the AS volunteers were still in shock that someone would be so happy at midnight after being on their feet all day.

"Everybody good 'round here, or what?"

"Yeah, we're good!  Not as good as you, but we're good!"

"C'mon peeps, let's get some pep in our step!  That is one huge fire you guys have!"  (I really used the word "peeps"?)

Once my pack was full I was ready to start stepping it out.  I started saying my see-ya-laters as Ryan ripped off his sweatpants and put on his pack.  I forgot he was coming with me!  Things were going great!  I warned him of the upcoming climb after crossing route 211 but he insisted on coming, as long as he wasn't going to slow me down - he didn't want to miss out on the experience.  After some reassurance that he would certainly not be holding me back we headed out for the 9-mile stick to the final AS.  Many thanks to the Picnic Area folks for a smooth transition and for keeping my spirits up!  Best AS in the whole race!  And maybe the best fire in the whole race too:

Pops and Ryan

Kari said this was the only 5 minutes my Dad slept the entire race

Before Ryan and I zig-zagged our way to the route 211 parking lot we had to trot past the vehicles of the families and volunteers.  Tristin was still spread out across the back seat of the crew vic - another picture I wish I had taken.

We crossed route 211 and began the ascent.  Every couple minutes I reassured Ryan (and myself) that there was a summit.  He actually held his own going up the creek bed.  I was the one who stopped to sit on a tree stump for a minute.  And stopped to use the restroom a few times.  And stopped simply to stop....

Heading down the backside of the mountain was hard on my knees and ankles - it was relatively steep in some places and the rocks were starting to annoy me.  I knew there was a service road at the bottom that would lead us directly to Gap Creek AS, and the thought of jogging on a smooth surface helped us mentally negotiate the terrain.

The service road was a lot longer than I remembered.  Crew vehicles were also using that road to travel to/from the Gap Creek AS, so we got our daily dosage of dust until we reached the AS.

As was the case with most of the aid stations, Gap Creek lit up the sky and we were able to see from a few hundred yards away.  As we rounded the turn and came into the AS I realized how much Ryan had taken my mind off the running.  We conversed the entire two-and-a-half hours about things like family, baseball, our careers, graduate school, flipping houses, etc.  I would talk while he listened, he would talk while I listened - what a great concept.  I can't thank Ryan enough for being there to share in the suffering and to support our team's endeavor in finishing the race.

The first thing I noticed when we entered the AS was that Kari was dressed in running shorts and one of my Athletic Equation tech-t's, and she had my hand bottle full of water.  At the Picnic Area AS I brought up the idea that she should run the last leg of the race with me, but I didn't think she would be up for it after such a long day and a sleepless night.  Not to mention I was about to climb Jawbone for the second time.  Some of the volunteers re-filled my pack one last time while Tristin and my Dad escorted me to the orange aisle.  (Side note - PB&J is usually my go-to snack during races, but not once did I crave any type of sandwich during the entire 25+ hours I was running.)  I spent about 10 minutes perusing and chatting with the AS volunteers and my crew, as well as Adam Watkins, who was waiting for his wife Robin.  When I had my fill I slid on my pack, grabbed a few gels (just in case), and gave Ryan a manly hug for being an awesome friend.  I was ready, but Kari was not...

"Do I have time to go to the bathroom?"

"Really?"

"Yes, really...wait for me..." (Kari runs into the woods...)

"Yeah, sure, no problem.  I know you've been pretty busy the past few hours, so it's no big deal..."

"Psht, just shut up and wait."

"Yes Ma'am..."
At that point Adam stated that he was expecting Robin any minute.  I had made it a personal goal at the Habron Gap AS to not let a female runner finish ahead of me, since every race I had ever finished there was at LEAST one kick-ass female who made us guys feel slow.  But honestly, I didn't really care and it had slipped my mind the previous 40 miles that Kathleen and Robin had fallen behind.  In any event, I was waiting on my most favorite female in the whole world to finish her business and join me on my second journey up Jawbone. 

I love running with Kari and it had been awhile since we last ran together - different speeds, different mentality, different approaches to training, etc. - so I was looking forward to a nice run and casual conversation.  Actually, we used to run the trails in Prince William Forest Park together quite frequently until we coined them the "Divorce Trails"...since then we have been training on individual programs.

Kari has a rigorous routine she has to execute prior to going for a run.  When she returned from the woods she gave me a head nod and signaled she was good to go.  I gulped down one final cup of gatorade while I thanked the volunteers at the AS, who were all in such a great mood after being awake for so many hours.  They were also doubling-up as the Gap Creek 1 AS and the Gap Creek 2 AS.  They were helpful in many ways and gave us the encouragement to finish the last leg of the race and cross the finish line!  Best AS in the whole race!

Immediately, both of us were out of breath.  We were both tired and running on no sleep - literally, running.  But, since we finally had some time together, I was able to tell her about my experiences on the course with Kathleen and she got to tell me about the dangers of crewing with the guys.  Time went by fast and we reached the top in no time.  That late into the race it was easier going up than going down.  The downhill section was comprised mostly of gigantic rocks and downed trees, none of which were easy to maneuver over/around anymore.

We walked the last half-mile of the trail - my ankles were so sore and that lone blister was forming under my big right toe.  I probably should have changed my socks at some point, probably at the Picnic Area AS after I fell in the creek.  Oh well, too late.  I knew that once we hit the road it wouldn't matter anyway.  But once we got there my feet had so many hot spots it was hard to run.  If the race had ended at mile 100 then I would have still been in great shape.  But I really fell apart those last 3.7 miles.  I had hopes of running the last few miles, all downhill on concrete, and making up for lost time as I crossed the finish line feeling strong.  But after 10 more minutes of walking on the road I was still hurting.  It was then that I encountered another runner, the first since going up Bird Knob.  This time I was the victim though.  I looked behind me and saw two headlamps.  As I turned to look behind me I walked into Kari on accident - my ankles were done for.  Then we heard the strangest thing - singing!  Bad singing, in fact, a song I had never heard.  But the worst part was that it was two female voices...Robin!  No way.  Not today.  All of a sudden I didn't give a hoot how bad my ankles hurt.  I was going to finish strong.  We started running and I started to forget about the pain.  It was then that I had my one and only genuine hallucination:

"Kari, look, I thought that sign said '25 mph', but it doesn't."

"Uhhhhhhh...nope."

"Haha.  It says 'cars and trucks cannot cross bridge.'"

"Uhhhhhhh...no it doesn't.  It says 'do not cross bridge when flooded.'"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Oh man, this is not good."

Kari and I ran the rest of the road to the Lutheran Camp entrance, probably just over a mile-and-a-half.  I only stopped once because I had to pee.  The fact that I was still peeing at mile 102 was impressive but each time I stopped added more minutes I was on the course. 

We took a left on the dirt road and I kept running.  I ran all the way to the top.  We took a right onto the trail and I kept running.  Kari was falling behind.  I just wanted it to be over.  I wanted to feel the satisfaction of crossing the finish line with my crew, knowing that each of us put everything we had into the race.  Every ounce of energy.  Every calorie was burned.  All of it.  All of it was left on the course.  I wanted my crew to know that I didn't let them down and that their efforts were not wasted.  I wanted all the volunteers to know that their efforts were way beyond expectations and that they truly carried us through the race.  What better way to end the journey than by crossing the finish line and celebrating with my crew.  And shaking the RD's hand.  All those training miles were about to pay off.  Having the best family and friends, and some stellar volunteers at all the aid stations, made it seem way too easy.  So easy that I felt they were working harder than me most times.  Crossing the finish line would prove to anyone that anything is possible.  That a no-name bum - never been a runner, doesn't even consider himself a runner, not the greatest form, and in road shoes for crying out loud - could gather some of his closest friends and family and embark on a brand new adventure.  An adventure in which the end felt almost unattainable at the start.  An ending point that none of us were certain we would see without taking an ambulance ride and visiting the nearest hospital...

When Kari and I reached the last bridge we stopped and cried together for a few seconds.  Words can't really describe how good it felt to know the finish line was just around the corner.  We hugged and told each other how proud we were that the team made it this far.  I could have stood there longer but we had somewhere to be.  After the bridge was one last creek - I ran straight through it as Kari hopped the rocks.  We decided to part ways at the fork in the road - she went left, I went right.  I knew she and the crew would be waiting for me at the finish line so I damn near sprinted out and around the trees and down the straight away.

Alas!  I could see the official race clock!  My crew was standing right next to it, and Kevin was in his lawn chair just beyond them.  I smiled.  Only another 30 seconds of pain.  Before I knew it I was keeled over and breathing heavy on the other side of the finish line.  Kevin bent down and shook my hand, which sealed the job for us.  We had done it - 103.7 miles in 25:23:33.  Anything really is possible.

Here are some photos:

Me, Tristin, and Kari checking the video

Holy crap we made it: Tristin, Ryan, Pops, me, and Kari

Ryan and I

Me and Pops

After we took some pictures I stuffed my face. Tom, Toni and the rest of Team Gaylord made so many good dishes. I ate a little of everything on the vegetarian menu. Delicious! Coupled with a few cups of Gatorade made my belly feel good for the first time in 12 hours. We were all tired and getting restless so Kari stretched me out quick: (this is our post-race tradition)

When I felt good enough to walk we headed for the campground:



This hill was seriously the worst one of the day...


When we got back it was still dark.  The guys needed to head back to PA and get some sleep - they all had to work the next morning.  We hugged it out one more time.  It was sad to see them go.

After they left, Kari and I showered then slept in the tent for about 4 hours.  We woke up around 1100 and mingled around for a bit.  We ate some PB&N (peanut butter & nutella) sandwiches, chocolate covered coffee beans, and some sparkling waters (go Wegmans!) as we packed up the camp site.  I went to the bath house to brush my teeth and ran into Snipes.  He had just finished his 10th running of the MMT100 - congrats man!  What an elite group of runners to be associated with.

The awards ceremony started at 1500, so we started walking that way around 1405 to make sure we had enough time.  Kari has some good footage of us (well, me) walking painfully down the hill and across the bridge.  Walking would become a chore for the next two days.  Surprisingly, so would sleep.  (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights I woke up every 30 minutes, and each time I sat straight up in bed and looked around.  I was anxious about something.  Luckily, I was back to my normal sleep schedule by the following weekend.)

I received my belt buckle and another hand shake from Kevin.

These shoes got tossed after the race.  There was a permanent dent in the left one...

A quick story. When I was 16 I got my driver's license. My Dad considered selling his old truck but decided to keep it for me to drive. I vaguely remember his asking me one time, "Do you want that truck, or can I sell it?" I don't remember my answer, but it was probably something like "Yeah, but I'm going to look around for something else too," or, "Sure, I guess so." Well, whatever my answer was, there was one thing it wasn't: convincing. I drove it to school for two days and the next week it was sold and gone. The following week I found myself in a used car salesman's office emptying my savings account for a lousy '91 Chevy Beretta with 145,000 miles.

So, my Dad sold the truck that was supposed to be mine, and then allowed me to spend every last penny I had on a POS used car...what a dick! But what a damn genius! I then had a job at the grocery store 3 miles from our house. After I bought the car I increased my hours, spent less money on the weekends on dumb stuff, and (ironically) continue riding my bike to/from the grocery store to save enough funds to afford gas, repairs, and insurance. (yes, he made me pay insurance too.) I hated my Dad at the time, but the impact on my work ethic was priceless. I had to juggle work with baseball, football, homework, girlfriends...and I had to have money for all of them. I learned that great successes came with hard work and determination. I discovered that I was going to earn everything for the rest of my life on my own, because when my Dad would once in awhile slip me a $20 bill for some food at the baseball park it didn't feel right.

Always earned, never given. Although my crew and the volunteers dang near ran the race for me, I still left-footed / right-footed all 103.7 miles and earned the sweet taste of accomplishment. Thanks Pops...

To all the volunteers - a huge thank you for your service, and thanks for making this race possible!

To my crew - I don't even know what to say.  This might be the most memorable experience of my life thus far, and you were right next to me the entire way.

I could keep going but this post is long enough as it is.  And since I couldn't fit it in anywhere else....Anstr, thanks for what you do.  There was no formal method for paying for camp sites on pre-race day.  There was no receipt machine.  There might have been a roster, but I didn't see one.  But I had no doubt that when I handed you $30 for two campsites that the money would go towards something for the club, or a race, or anything beneficial to ultrarunning or VHTRC.  And what kind of runner would I be without knowing all my splits?!?  Now I can show all my buddies at work how slow I really was the second half of the race...

End of recount...

Recount #5.2: Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Run

3... 2... 1...

We started across the field, through the cones, out the entrance to the Lutheran Camp, and onto the road.  There was a man sitting on the tailgate of his truck playing an accordion when we exited the camp.  I have no idea who he was, but he made my day!  I was experiencing many emotions all at once - nervousness, fear, excitement - but that guy relaxed me so much I was able to mentally float up Short Mountain.  Thank you, Sir, whoever you were.

The 3.7 mile stretch of road to the trail went by very quickly.  I had music but didn't listen to it - far too early.  Dave Snipes and I spoke for a brief moment, but he was the only person I talked to until the trailhead.  AS #1 was located at the trailhead, so I pulled off to the side to give them my bib number.  Afterall, those were the directions and I didn't want Carter to come looking for me.  (She tracked all the runners throughout the race and enforced cut-off times.  She also acted as the on course RN - I heard she patched up multiple runners.  Basically, she is a jack-of-all-trades, or rather a jill-of-all-trades.)  It turned out they didn't need my bib at AS #1 so they waved the magic glowing wand toward the trail and said "better hurry!"  "Ok, have a great day guys, thank you" and I was off.  Many thanks to the crew at Moreland AS for being in such a great mood @ 0430 in the morning.  Best AS in the whole race!

Heading up Short Mountain I linked up with a guy from Massachusetts for about 10 minutes - that was his first time on the course.  We talked about our training regimen for the race while we meandered our way up the rocky terrain.  I wanted to start the race slow and intended to walk up Short Mountain anyway, but I had to run my race and nobody else's, so I bid him good luck and trotted around him.  Two female runners followed me.  I would leap frog both of them multiple times for the next 50 miles.  Kathleen, who I met that day, would turn out to be an awesome companion throughout the race!  The other had clearly mastered the art of speed hiking because I had to jog to keep up with her while she hiked the remainder of Short Mountain. 

Once we reached the ridge we were able to start running - sort of - it was still dark.  Luckily, the course was marked so well we were able to see shiny things hanging from trees 30 yards ahead of us.  Confidence streamers!  A HUGE thanks to the volunteers who wandered over 100 miles of trails the week before the race.  Cutting strips of ribbon, assembling reflective streamers, driving around the mountains, then covering the trails by foot...very time consuming, but VERY necessary for a successful race.  I never felt lost and was able to focus solely on putting one foot in front of the other due to the hard work by the trail marking team.  And, let's not forget the informative pre-race brief with Gary as the demonstrator!

Around mile 10 I linked up with a group of runners being led by Jim Harris, a 5-time finisher of MMT100 (now a 6-time finisher, congrats Jim).  The sun was also coming up which made foot placement easier.  In the group of about 10 runners were my friends Robin, with whom I ran Chocolate Bunny, and Mike, who I met last year at the Iron Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run.  Mike and I also competed together in the ICY-8 and Holiday Lake 50k.  The pack stayed together along the ridge and down the other side of Short Mountain.  The trail dumped us off onto a service road @ mile 12, we took a left, and jogged the last stretch to AS #2 located at the 12.1 mile marker.

Dad, Kari, Tristin and Ryan were waiting for me, along with a stellar AS crew.  I didn't need much - just dropped off my head lamp, picked up my hat, and chugged some Gatorade.  Phil came over and talked me through the upcoming 8-mile section, which was a good refresher - a big climb, followed by 6 miles along the ridge to the Woodstock aid station.  Kari told me that I was about 20 minutes ahead of my projected pace.  Yikes.  I better slow down.  One of the volunteers at the aid station said "You have all day."  Phew...thanks to Phil and the Edinburg AS crew for some very useful advice!  I was feeling good at that point and may have pushed myself too hard through that next section, but you guys helped me stick to my race strategy.  Kudos to the Edinburg crew - you were all having fun and it rubbed off on the runners.  Best AS in the whole race!
From Edinburg to Woodstock I lost Robin and Mike.  They were both right behind me leaving E-burg, but somewhere going up the next hill they played it smart and slowed their pace to ensure they had something left in the tank later in the race.  The next time I saw Robin was around mile 102, but that story will come later.

Around mile 13 I came across my buddy Ryan (not my crew) who was chugging it up the last part of the climb.  We exchanged pleasantries and I continued on my way.  Miles 14-20 were on a relatively flat ridge and went fast.  A few boulders and downed trees slowed me momentarily, but runners are able to make up some time on that portion of the course. 

I strolled into the Woodstock AS still way ahead of pace.  I wasn't sure if I was pushing the pace too much or if I had drastically over-estimated the travel times between each AS during the pre-race planning session with Kari.  Since I still felt like I was holding back I decided my pace was good and that I could use an extra cushion for the night miles - I planned all my times around a 24-hour finish, probably a little overzealous.  Matt Bugin was also in the AS with me, who I have never officially met.

"Matt, right?"

"Yeah, how's it going?"

"Good, man!  We haven't met but I follow you online."

Insert the term "creep" here.  He is one of the faster and more well-known runners in the area, so I imagine he encountered similar experiences previously.

Woodstock was packed with good chow.  I grabbed some Gatorade, orange slices, and cantaloupe while the amazing volunteers refilled my Nathan's hydration pack.  Hands down, that was the best cantaloupe all day!  Must have been from Wegmans (inside joke).  I thanked the Woodstock crew, who were incredibly helpful and motivated.  I noticed Alisa Springman was volunteering, who I unorthodxly introduced myself to during the initial climb in Terrapin Mountain 50k.  Just seeing her motivated me to want to finish - she is a 2-time finisher of the Badwater Ultramarathon and is tough as nails.  Best AS in the whole race!

From Woodstock to the Powell's AS was 5.6 miles.  It was during that stint that I ran into Kathleen again.  We talked about the birds and the bees until she ran away from me.  That wouldn't be the last time we talked during the race, nor would it be the last time she left me in her dust trail.

Honestly, I don't remember too much of the stretch to Powell's AS.  After Kathleen and I parted ways I turned on my music and zoned out.

Much like the approach to E-burg the trail dumped me off onto a service road, I took a left, and entered Powell's AS.  I passed a woman sitting in a lawn chair at the entrance and said "Number 42!"  "Thanks, darling."  I love being young, and those comments never get old :)  Again, the volunteers picked me up and re-filled my pack while I snacked on some red potatoes w/salt, orange slices and cookies.  Kathleen ran in a few seconds behind me with her friend Tom, who exited the AS ahead of us.  The AS crew was cracking some jokes while I enjoyed their refreshments, and we all got a kick out of Kathleen and her extraordinary sense of humor.  I was really starting to enjoy having such a happy-go-lucky runner on the course with me!  As always, I thanked the AS volunteers on my way out.  Best AS in the whole race!  Lastly, I had to apologize to the woman in the lawn chair:

"Excuse me, I forgot to tell you how beautiful you are on the way in, so I am telling you now."

"Oh, how sweet, thank you darling.  But you're not going to run any faster saying those things."

"I just want to stay here with you all day.  Is that allowed?"

"You better get running, mister."

"You have yourself a great day, beautiful."

Kathleen and I left together - I turned left, she turned right...

"Kathleen, I'm going this way, see you later alligator."

"Oh, jeeeeeeez...."

We ran together for the next 7.5 miles to Elizabeth's Furnace AS.  Since we had some time and were both starting to feel a bit jello-legged, we listen to each other's gripes and shared running stories.  Her quads were tiring and I was starting to cramp already from the humidity.  I doubled up on the S-Caps until the next AS and fully recovered.  She talked herself through the issue with her quads and we both felt alive again soon enough.  I found out she was already a 4-time finisher of MMT100 and I never doubted she would tough it out for her 5th.  There was a tough climb with multiple switchbacks going up and over the moutain to Elizabeth's Furnace, but Kathleen knocked it out of the park as I struggled to keep up.

Finally, we made it to Elizabeth's Furnace AS at mile 33.3:

Apparently, I ate something I didn't like

The last time I saw my crew was @ E-burg AS @ mile 12.1, so I was pretty excited to see everyone and eat some of the tasty treats they brought along.  The problem was I wasn't hungry.  That would continue until very late in the race when I finally got an appetite.  But for now, I only wanted to drink calories.  The only food I could really stomach were oranges.  Maybe the humidity was getting to me afterall...  I decided to run shirtless with a hand bottle for the next stint of 4.7 miles.  Kari grabbed my shirt and hydration pack while Tristin passed me my Nathan hand bottle.  The AS crew and my dad got me some orange slices, chocolate covered coffee beans, and some Gatorade.  I had never been pampered like that before.  Having a 3-man crew, combined with the AS volunteers, was like having 10 personal assistants.  Literally, I worried about nothing.  All I had to do was chew-chew-swallow, and repeat.  And again, we all shared a laugh at Kathleen's uncanny ability to lighten the mood around her and keep us all laughing throughout the day.  A BIG thumbs up to the Elizabeth's Furnace crew for your solid performance all day.  I heard many good things about the crew and how helpful they were.  I also heard some people entered the AS with some bumps and bruises (Snipes...) that needed tended to, and the crew held their own.  Doogie Howser would have been proud.  Best AS in the whole race!

The next 4.7 miles up and over the mountain to Shawl Gap AS @ mile 38 were my favorite miles of the race.  I felt so free and unrestricted without my heavy pack and shirt.  I wanted to drastically pick up the pace but I remembered the race strategy and wanted to stick to it.  Ok, maybe I did pump out a 9-minute mile coming into Shawl Gap AS, but I still felt like I was holding back.

The Bacon Station! 

Those guys rocked!  I'm a vegetarian but still, the AS was hopping!  Oranges were fresh, Gatorade was fresh, there was a large and motivated crowd... what more could a runner ask for?  I headed straight to the water jug as a volunteer reached out for my bottle and executed the re-fill - I gorged in the fruit aisle.  Kari and Tristin ran over with a shirt and my hydration pack, but I quickly denied both.  They thought I was nuts.  I wouldn't see them for another 16 miles until Habron AS @ mile 54, and there was a 9-mile leg in there somewhere I would have to do on a single water bottle during the hottest part of the day.  Didn't care.  I was alive!  Free!  Mobile!  Agile!  Hostile!  (Denzel moment...)  My crew thought I was nuts but trusted my judgment regardless.  "You're flying, Buddy.  Are you sure you don't want your pack?" Tristin said to me.  "I'm good man, way too hot."  After a few more words and some high fives (and one of Kari's good luck kisses) I peaced out.  "Best aid station in the whole race!" I shouted as I headed down the road.

All 3.1 miles to the next AS were on service roads and concrete.  It would have been easy to get carried away take that 5k much too fast, which would certainly come with negative consequences later in the night.  I heard my Dad's voice saying "You're way ahead of schedule, you don't need to go faster."  Being so early in the race I decided not to push it, so I held my pace until Veach Gap AS.

If I remember correctly, I think I heard a cow bell going into Veach Gap AS.  Wow.  Wow.  Wow.  What a FANTASTIC crew @ Veach Gap.  Motivated, helpful, vigilant, creative.  I checked in @ 1221 and yelled "Number 42."  Immediately, I saw one of the crew members jump up and run over to the drop bags.  To save her some time I yelled "No drop bag!"  The temperature was high and the humidity was increasing - I wished I had sent a bag with a second hand bottle.  The AS crew saw I was hurting a bit from the heat and had exactly what I needed to get the cylinders firing again: a bucket of towels in ice water.  One of the guy draped a towel over my head and said "Here man, make sure you get your stomach too."  A shock went through my body and I got the chills.  Immediately I felt a rush of energy and just wanted to crank out some more miles!  The next stretch of 9-miles had the potential to break me off for good since I only had about 16 oz of water to take with me.  The crew offered me a bag-o-water.  What a great idea!  But I didn't want to fumble around with a ziploc for 9-miles.  They offered many ideas but in the end I decided to tough it out since I was the moron who dropped his pack in the mid-afternoon before one of the longest gaps between aid stations.  After the usual - oranges, Gatorade, and two cookies - I was out.  Thank you, Veach Gap crew, for saving my day with the ice water and towel.  Best AS in the whole race!

I started walking out of the AS as I munched on the last piece of my second cookie and I caught up with my friend Brad, who I met during one of Tom's MMT100 training runs.  We talked about the upcoming climb and how difficult it would be if someone only had 16 oz of water...  then, we both heard some heavy breathing sounds from behind us:

"Phhhoooo.  Phhhoooo.  Phhhoooo.  Do I sound like a train, or what?"

Brad and I turned around to see Kathleen, power-walking and pumping her arms wildly as she conquered yet another one of MMT100's climbs.

"Why yes, you do," I said.

"I know!  I practiced.  Excuse me, I'm just going to swing by your left here.  Ok, here I come.  Phhhoooo.  Phhhoooo.  You guys are looking sooooo great!!!  Phhhoooo.  Phhhoooo.  Is this a big hill?  Phhhoooo.  I don't remember?  Phhhoooo.  Phhhoooo."

"Um..."

"Do you think it'll rain today?  I know you were hoping for it, AJ.  Phhhoooo.  Where'd your shirt go, buddy?  Man, these bugs are everywhere!"

Brad and I just laughed.  She was really moving and went ahead of us by about 20 yards.  A few more questions were fired our way but soon she was around the corner and out of sight.  About a mile later Brad and I saw Aaron with his camera along the side of the trail.  He was at the top of the climb where most of us looked exhausted and were still walking.  His location was strategically scouted.  Naturally, Brad started running and smiling at the camera to make for a good photo.  I was laughing so hard I couldn't run when my turn came to pass in front of the lense.

Along the ridgeline Brad and I traded places a few times - he would stop to fix something with his bottles, I would stop to empty the rocks out of my shoes, and so forth.  Kathleen, meanwhile, was so far in front we couldn't see her, or hear her.  The last two miles to the AS were downhill, and I surprisingly still had some water left in my bottle, so I picked it up a tad.  Brad and I entered Indian Grave AS @ mile 50.1 only a few minutes apart with me leading.  Kevin was there to greet us!  It was awesome to see the RD out on the course.  I believe he was with Bill Sublett, the "on the course" RD as Kevin explained to me.  That was the truth.  I later learned that Bill covered the entire course a few times in his truck, dropping off supplies where needed, motivating the volunteers, and cheering on the runners.  I will get back to Bill in a moment...

Indian Grave AS had some awesome chow and drinks: ginger ale, Ensure, Pedialyte, pickles...Pickles!  I indulged.  They were all excited to see runners.  Everyone was offering me goodies.  Someone actually started to make me a sandwich and I felt bad when I asked her not to.  I was still feeling very good but there was another guy struggling on the picnic table.  I suggested she help him instead so I could get out of their way.  One of the volunteers re-filled my hand bottle for me while I ate a few orange slices.  I thanked everyone and yelled "Best aid station of the race!"  They cheered loudly.

Now back to Mr. Sublett.  The course from Indian Grave AS to Habron Gap AS was 3.9 miles of concrete.  About two miles into it a truck drove by - it was Bill and Kevin.  They kindly slowed down as they passed.  Bill yelled out "Looking good" and kept going.  That was awesome!  Something as simple as "looking good" or "keep it up" has a huge affect on the morale of a runner late in a long race.  I started thinking, "Maybe I am looking good."

Another mile down the road I turned a corner and there was Kathleen, swinging her arms in every direction and bouncing her head from left to right.  I caught up to her said "Howdy."  I could hear her music over mine.  She gave me a thumbs up and a head nod, and continued singing and dancing.  I didn't want to interrupt to so carried on.  A couple minutes later there was a stream running along the right side of the road - I helped myself to a few handfuls over my head and arms.  On the left there were some folks kayaking and fishing on the creek and I really wanted to cut left and swim out to them.  The fish wouldn't like that very much.  I rounded one final corner and saw the Habron AS in the distance.  My crew was there waiting for me with a dry shirt and my hydration pack - I would certainly need it for the next 9.8 mile leg to Camp Roosevelt.

I can't say enough about the aid stations and the volunteers.  These guys were totally awesome.  I was 54 miles into the race and my arms were starting to go numb when I reached for anything on the ground.  One of the AS volunteers saw me having trouble with my pack, and that I couldn't reach back to get it on my body, so he rushed over to help me.  One of the straps was crooked so he quickly went to work correcting it for me.  Meanwhile, another volunteer was getting me Gatorade and oranges.  Tristin was re-filling my bag of S-Caps.  Kari was making me a veggie burrito.  Ryan was filming/taking pictures and my Dad was letting me know how I was doing and mentally preparing me for the next leg.  Another AS volunteer asked me if I needed anything and re-filled my cup with more Gatorade.  I was in awe.  So many people, so many moving parts, and all focused on the runners.  What an operation!  My spirits were completely lifted and I was super motivated all over again.  Mentally and physically, and 54 miles in, I was now prepared for the longest leg of the race.  I owe it to the Habron Gap AS crew for their preparedness and positive attitudes!  Best AS in the whole race!



Between Habron Gap and Camp Roosevelt the crew made a stop for some coffee and to take some photos:

What a crew vehicle looks like after a few aid stations

The whole crew: Kari, Tristin, Ryan, and Papa Cillo

Somehow, I lost Brad and Kathleen, so the majority of the 9.8 miles I spent alone listening to music.  Frankly, I don't remember the climb after Habron Gap AS.  The next thing I do remember is coming across Luann with her hiking poles coming towards me.  I met her once before at an aid station and I have seen her at a few other races.  I specifically remember seeing her atop the highest point during Terrapin Mountain 50k.  She stopped me and I took out my headphones to hear her.

"Be careful because there is a bear about 0.2 miles ahead of you."

"Really?  No crap?"

"Yep.  Look up on your left at the hard right turn, you'll see him sitting there."

"Ok, thanks.  Hey, I think I saw you hiking around during Terrapin Mountain.  Was that you?"

"Yes, it was.  Would you like a cookie?"

"Cookies???"

"Yes, here..."

"No really, that's ok.  Are there some at the aid station up ahead?"

"Oh, yes!  I dropped off walnut and chocolate chip!"

"Perfect!  I will get some there.  Thank you so much.  You look so beautiful today!"

"Thank you sweetie, good luck today."

She actually started to pull out a cookie from her fanny pack!!!  I was dazed.  One second I am cruising downhill listening to tunes, the next there is a beautiful woman on the trail with cookies in her fanny pack.  I really needed to get to Camp Roosevelt and have my crew check my pupils or something.

I turned my music off and switched my mindset to the combat hunter as I scanned hillsides and crevices for a bear.  Nothing.  Drats!  Before long I was flying down the dirt road to the concrete, took a right, and entered the Camp Roosevelt AS.  There were a ton of AS volunteers, families, friends...and they were all cheering like crazy.  What a pick-me-up!  Mike Campbell was one of the first one's to see me, along with my crew.  Tristin was already geared up and ready to start pacing, but I needed a few minutes to change my compression shorts.  I started towards the bathrooms with Papa Cillo simply to use the building to hide behind while I stripped down.  It turned out the bathrooms at Camp Roosevelt AS were closed, but all I needed to do was change my underpants, so I snuck behind and completed the mission.

The crew was always at the ready



Everybody was so awesome and gave me the confidence I needed for the next climb

Now, with fresh briefs covering my rumpus, I was ready for some chow.  Mike brought me some Gatorade, Tristin brought me some oranges, my Dad fished out the chocolate covered coffee beans and some of the energy balls Kari made, Ryan captured the moment on the camera, and the AS volunteers asked me what I needed and offered to bring me things from the table.  Really, I was good with a fresh pair of shorts, but my crew and the AS volunteers were determined to make me as comfortable as possible.  I shoved a few more coffee beans and oranges into my mouth, grabbed my veggie burrito from Kari, took the Clif bar and honeystinger waffle Dad handed me and shoved them into my pack.  I threw on my hat, got high fives and a kiss (and I think a pat on the rumpus), then headed back down the trail.  Again, AS volunteers cheered loudly and motivated us!  Thanks guys!  Best AS in the whole race!

We were in such a hurry to get running that we forgot the baby wipes.  I stopped on the road while Tristin returned.  We stepped off again and realized I didn't have a headlamp.  We didn't return again since it wouldn't be dark for another two hours or so.

Immediately I had to pull off to the side and go to the bathroom.  Let's just say I was very grateful Tristin went back for the baby wipes.

"How you doing out there, Buddy?"

"Not well."

"Take as long as you need man, I'm feeling fresh.  Not like we're in a race or anything..."

"Right..."

When we started moving again I realized I had a massive stomach ache, which would creep up randomly throughout the night.

The climb to the climb was what I thought to be the climb we had to climb.  Got that?  So when we reached the 0.8 mile "climb" I was somewhat demoralized by how big it was.  I looked up and saw a runner, almost directly above me.  Then I remembered the training run and it all came back to me - very steep, very long, and a ton of switchbacks...pretty much like every hill in MMT100.  Tristin was able to humor me all the way up and all the way down the other side though, so the stomach ache slipped my mind.  He and I have been friends since, well...our mom's put their stomachs together (even though he is 2 years older than me...you get the point).  Our discussions get deep into the weeds.  We used to go on night runs until 0300 and talk the entire time.  Sometimes new topics, sometimes we re-visit old ones.  Life.  Running.  Wives (he is getting married in September).  Cars.  School.  Work.  Christmas tree farms.  Adopting kids.  You name it.  Therefore, the run to Gap Creek went fairly quickly but I was starting to feel the miles.

Coming down into Gap Creek really started wearing down my ankles and joints, and I started to feel sick again.

I began feeling very sorry for myself and had to choke back tears.  Tristin ran the Pine Creek 100 Mile Run last year and warned me about emotions creeping up later in the race.  The Gap Creek AS crew was phenomenal.  They immediately started asking for ways to help.  Someone brought me Gatorade and orange slices.  Someone else offered me some S-Caps and a cup of ginger ale.  Dad offered me a dry shirt and socks, neither of which I accepted.  Tristin wanted me to eat a Clif bar but I wasn't craving that at all.  Kari made a veggie burrito in preparation for the first climb up Jawbone but I just wasn't in the mood to eat anything.  Ryan just looked scared, and for good reason.

I was in a huge slump.  I couldn't think of anything I wanted to eat, so I didn't.  Gatorade and oranges lost their zazz, so I put them down too.  I love Kari's energy balls but almost threw up looking at them.  My arms were chafed and going numb again.  Stomach acid was creeping up my throat.  All I wanted to do was cry and go lay in the poison ivy.  My ankles and knees were screaming at me to sit down, but I vowed to NOT sit AT ALL in the aid stations.  The straw that broke the camels back was when Tristin said he was sending me out on my own for the next 8.5 miles so he could rest enough to finish out the race with me from the Visitor's Center AS.  At that point I gave up. I shut down.  No more food, no more water, nothing.  I started walking towards Jawbone for some reason.  I guess I was ready to tackle it without water or electrolytes, because Kari and my Dad called me back and reminded me I was empty on both.  So I moped back and bent over while they took my pack off.  AS volunteers were getting worried.  I knew what I needed.  I just needed to cry and get it all out.  Needed to suck it up and keep moving.  I didn't train for 5 months to drop out because of a stomach ache, or sore ankles, or sore knees, or because I felt like getting poison ivy. 

Then Tristin said he was going with me.

"That's it, I'm coming on this one with you.  Ryan will take over after me."

"No man, I need some alone time with the woods."

"That's bull shit, I'm coming with you."

"Fine..."

We started walking towards the road, took a left, crossed over the gate, and started up the mountain.  After a few steps I stopped, put my face in my hands, and stood there and cried for as long as Tristin would let me.  Turns out his patience ran thin after 4 seconds and he grabbed my arm and threw me towards the mountain.  And that was that..........

Part III coming soon...

Recount #5.1: Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Run

So much to share with you all... I will break it down into three separate posts:

1. Pre-race
2. Start to mile 70 (when the "wheels fell off")
3. Mile 70 and beyond

But first, I know I cheated you out of the Terrapin Mountain 50k and Chocolate Bunny recounts.  Here is a quick, bulletized rundown of the highlights for each:

TERRAPIN MOUNTAIN 50K:
- I hit a deer on the way to the race.  He jumped completely over the hood of my car.  At least an 8-point, might have been bigger.  Only his butt hairs grazed my left fender.  No damage, but Dave Snipes and I laughed hard when I got there and noticed it actually cleaned the dirt off my fender.
- I slept in my car again.  This time I was able to get comfortable and stay warm all night, unlike Holiday Lake 50k.  Some of you may not be familiar with the type of car I drive, or how difficult it is to sleep in such a confined space with smelly shoes and rotting fruit piled around you.  Here is a random picture of a replica of my car with a really tall guy next to it for added dramatization:

- Dr. David Horton was on the course on his mountain bike.  I saw him around mile 2 on the side of one mountain, then saw him again at mile 22 at the base of another.  The guy is Superman.  Planet Earth needs more people like him if we want to survive the Zombies.
- I met Dr. Clark Zealand, the RD for Terrapin Mtn 50k and some other races around the area to include Grindstone 100:

The first picture is Clark on the trails, the second from his biography on the Liberty University website.  What a kind, motivating, and genuinely heroic person!  To be able to hang around with Dave and Clark in the same day is a blessing.  Later I will describe Kevin Sayers, the RD for MMT100 - he is in the same category as these individuals.
- Fat Man's Misery was icy and I slid all the way through it on my rumpus.  (The word "rumpus" doesn't even mean "butt", but I like to use it when I can)
- The race was a blast!  Excellent mix of service roads, concrete, smooth trails, technical trails, big climbs...I will definitely be back next year.  For more info on the run, or to check out the results, click on the "Terrapin Mtn 50k" link on the right side of the blog.

CHOCOLATE BUNNY:
- The Chocolate Bunny is a training run for MMT100, but it starts at 2000 and covers the final 50k of the MMT100 course (the portion most will run in the dark).  Tom Corris coordinated the run with the assistance of a few insane volunteers who spent their Saturday night in a parking lot along route 211.
- Mother nature was nice to us but there was still some snow on the ground.
- I had covered that portion of the course in the daylight before, so there were no surprises.
- A few miles into the run the course breaks off to the left onto the purple blazed trail.  At that turn we all made fun of Robin because she missed that turn last year during The Ring - a 71-mile race that covers much of the same trails as the MMT100.
- Jack, Robin and I all finished together at the front of the pack.  I note this factoid because Tom awarded us with the winner's prizes: chocolate bunnies and bunny parachuters!  Later that night, around 0330 when I got home, I floated mine from the top of the stairs to the bottom (without waking up Kari).  It is important to note that Tom bought everyone silly Easter-related trinkets from Dollar General...

Ok...now onto MMT100.

I took off work on Friday so Kari and I could drive out to Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp early that day, set up the tent (yeah, we tent camped, we're harder than most), get a fire rolling, and relax a bit.  We took a ton of good food to cook over the weekend, some of which required a fire to prepare.  To our disappointment there were no fire pits anywhere.  After the tent was up we began collecting rocks - there was no way we were doing this without a fire.  We could have survived without the veggie-burgers and smores, but we would have died hungry as the bugs ate us alive.  The pit came together, the burgers were delicious, and the bugs flew elsewhere.  In fact, we were the only people with a campfire in the entire campground. 

We shared smores with multiple strangers that evening.  Little kids wanted to abandon their parents to come chill with us.  It was so legit that my buddy Phil asked "How much are you charging to enter the VIP area?"  Here it is completely assembled:

The day moved along quickly.  Kari and I spent the early afternoon reading by the fire until check-in began at the start/finish line.  The campground was about 400 yards through the woods, across a stream, and up a hill from the start/finish - two days later that walk would prove to be one of the hardest of my life. 

After check-in we gathered with the other runners until the pre-race brief @ 1600.  Here is the start/finish set-up:

Kevin Sayers gave an awesome brief - informative yet humorous, serious topics yet delivered in a dumbed-down fashion for us idiotic and narrow-minded ultrarunners to understand.  Kevin is a tremendously dedicated individual and, what I would consider, a significant innovator of the sport of ultrarunning.  He has his own website, http://www.ultrunr.com/, devoted to everything ultrarunning: training, coaching, nutrition, hydration, recovery, injury prevention...the list really doesn't end.  Here he is:

Like Clark and Dave, Kevin also shakes the hand (or gets hugged by) every finisher at his race.  He also stayed up for three days straight, tracked 198 runners through the Massanutten Mountains with no cell phone reception, ensured the MMT100 website maintained live updates for those following from home, established 15 aid stations across 103.7 miles of trail, coordinated the placement of over 150 volunteers, ensured all those miles of trail were properly marked/blazed so we didn't get lost while scatter-brained at mile 85...pre-race pasta dinner, post-race refreshments, awards presentation, post-race clean up, medical requirements during/after the race, closing down the campground he rented out for the weekend...more coordination and preparation goes into the MMT100 with only 200 runners than is required for your local 10k with 2,000 runners, and it takes an intelligent and extremely dedicated individual to successfully sync it all together.  It is because of people like Kevin, those who choose to inspire rather than be inspired, that numb-nuts like me are able to go out and make our own dreams come true while inspiring family and friends.

Clark, Dave, Kevin...they are the wizards behind the curtain that devote countless hours to a bigger cause.  They allow us to push our bodies to their mental and physical limits.  They understand the "big picture".  They realize that, through organizing these events, our experiences might one day touch someone, that our stories might one day reach those who don't believe and change them for the better, help them believe in something, believe in anything, believe that anything is possible, ANYTHING, that one day we all might see eye-to-eye and share common goals, common beliefs, common experiences, work to achieve the same result, focus our efforts in the same direction, act selflessly rather than selfishly...I mean, we all put our pants on one leg at a time, right?

After the pre-race brief Kari and I headed back to the campsite to get the burgers going.  Phil stopped by with our friend Mike and shared some of the veggie-sausages and smores with us.  (If you didn't pick up on it yet, Kari and I are vegetarians.)  We chatted about different races, our favorite post-race meals, and everyone's expectations for the next few days, and then Patrick pulled up a log from the complementary VIP stack of firewood and joined in the conversation. 

That lasted another 30 minutes or so until we all decided we better hit the hay - it was almost dark and Patrick still needed to pitch his tent.  He denied a smores, wished me good luck for the race, and parted for the evening.  Phil and Mike also retired to their cabin for the night.

Kari and I stayed up until 2130.  We sat by the fire and made smores, and just really enjoyed the warmth of the fire on the bottoms of our feet as the air around us got somewhat chilly.  We also played some rummy, which is our favorite and traditional camping activity.  However, we were both very anxious because my friends Tristin and Ryan were expected to arrive 2 hours earlier and were still nowhere to be found.  They would be serving as my crew and pacers, along with Kari.  I have never had more than one person crew me for a race in the past, and I have never had a pacer, so their arrival would certainly come as a huge stress reliever for me.  With no cell reception we were basically alone and unafraid.  We both agreed that one of the following scenarios occurred:

- They got stuck in Friday DC traffic coming down from PA
- They drove to the other entrance of the Lutheran Camp and started looking for us there
- Or, they won the Powerball and ditched us altogether

Around 2145 we got in our sleeping bags and accepted the Powerball scenario as ground truth.  Kari got to snoozing relatively quickly, but I tossed and turned in anticipation.  I saw my watch hit 2200, 2205, 2210, 2215, 2220, and I finally got to sleep shortly after.  Not 10 minutes later I hear the sound of tires turning on soft-packed gravel and thought to myself "Dang, that dude must be sleeping in his car tonight, because it is too dark to set up camp.  Plus, he probably doesn't want to wake anyone up."  But, to my dismay, the sound of tent poles snapping together began resonating throughout the campground.  I turned to Kari, who was now awake with the rest of us, and said "Alright...I have to pee anyway, let me go see who this wacko is."  I threw on my sandals and unzipped the front door.  The bathroom was located on the opposite side of the campground and between it and our tent were these three wackos, setting up their tent (one for all three of them, apparently) in the middle of the volleyball court.

"Kari, you gotta see this."

"See what?"

"These guys are putting up their tent in the middle of the volleyball court."

"Is it Ryan and Tristin?  That sounds like something they would do."

"No, there are three of them.  I don't know who it is but they all must be sleeping in the same tent.  Let me go pee and check it out."

As I walked towards them my intention was to say "What's goin' on fellas?" and continue to the bathroom, only while sneaking a glimpse so I would know who to blame for my upcoming sleepness night.  When I got closer I heard a giggle that sounded a lot like Tristin.  No way.  Then I saw a guy in a hat that took the form of my friend Ryan.  It was totally my crew!!!

I apologize to everyone in the campground for their behavior.  If you were one of the poor souls that was woken up by their horseplay I am extremely sorry - at least you didn't have to "deal" with their antics.  But those same knuckle-heads would get me through the final 30 miles the next day, and their "antics" would keep me in good spirits through 25 straight hours of running.  But there was still a third figure I couldn't quite make out.  The light from the lodge was shining in my eyes so I could only see the outlines of these jokers.  When I was within 3-4 paces I realized who it was...my Dad.  He had texted me earlier in the afternoon a message that said "good luck tomorrow."  I walked up next to him and he said "Hey Bud" and gave me a hug.  I have the best friends anyone could ask for.  Apparently, right after I asked them to come down and pace/crew me they called my Dad and cleared his schedule for him.

When I asked where the heck they had been all night they mentioned they got "held up."  The conversation went something like this:

Me: "What took you guys so long?"

Ryan: "We bought lottery tickets from Virginia in Virginia."

Me: "Huh?"

Tristin: "Oh, we stopped at the 711 and bought Powerball tickets from Virginia...in Virginia.  Her name was Virginia and she works at the 711...in Virg..."

Me: "Got it."

Tristin: "She had an accent.  If we aren't at the aid station tomorrow then you'll know we won.  First thing I am doing is getting a bull dozer and flipping cars.  I will give every person 20 G's for a new one."

Ryan: "I'm going sleeping..."

Tristin: "Does 'passed out' count as sleeping?"

Dad: "I am going to Vegas and yes, 'passed out' counts."

Tristin: "Sweet!  Hey, you gotta get some sleep, Buddy!  Wake us up in the morning, we'll be the ones on the volleyball court."

With my crew finally on deck I felt completely ready for the race.  After another 30 minutes of listening to giggles coming from the direction of the volleyball court I was able to get a wink or two of sleep before my watch reminded me it was 0305.

The morning was relatively uneventful.  Kari and I got up and stretched out.  I was ready and out of the tent in less than 10 minutes.  Zippers were opening all around us as we all left the comfort of our sleeping bags for a little run in the woods.  My last and final task before the race was to wake the crew.  I knew they were going to struggle to stay awake just as much as me for the next two days, so I let them sleep as late as possible.  At 0325 I walked over to their tent and said, "You ladies up yet?"  I got one "yep", one "nope", and one "go away".  They were ready.

We made our way past Cabin-8 and down the trail to the start/finish.  I didn't want to get there too early because I don't like standing around before the race.  A 0345 arrival would leave us with just enough time for my photographer to snap a few pictures, we could review the elevation chart and crew directions one final time, and finalize our strategy to ensure we had our ducks in a row for the aid stations.  Here is the entire crew on race morning:

Left to right: Dad, me, Kari, Tristin, Ryan

This is the final picture before the start

Before I knew it we were counting down from 10... 9... 8... 7...

Recount #5.2 coming shortly...



******[UPDATE: Recounts 5.2 and 5.3 are up! And there is a VIDEO as well!!!]*********