Zumbro
100 Mile Race Recap
Friday, April 13th 2018
Zumbro Bottoms : Richard J. Dorer
Memorial Hardwood Forest - Theilman, MN
Crew : My wife Anna, Bryson, Bridget, Briggs,
Brokk, and my dad, Dan.
Pacers : Mark Thompson (50-83 miles)
and Lance Cundy (83-100 miles)
3rd Overall : 29 hours 59
minutes 34 seconds
Running 100 miles is as much about the journey as it is the
finish. But it’s the finish that makes it worth it. There is a lot of mental prep
and early morning training runs that go into an event like this. It doesn’t
just happen, you have to prepare your mind and body to handle what the race
gives you. You learn a lot about yourself and how to push through when it hurts
a lot and you are at your lowest points. Quite often I tell people it makes me feel even "more
alive" to get those intense feelings and to conquer those obstacles. Its physically demanding, its mentally
taxing, and its emotional. Little did I know this years Zumbro race would be one of
epic proportions thanks to mother nature. Maybe I should have noticed the first clue which was the race date: Friday the 13th.
Zumbro:
what is it? Zumbro is a 100 mile trail race cut into the hills and bluffs of SE
Minnesota. Its situated in a remote hardwood forest not too far from the
Mississippi River. There is little to no cell service and it’s difficult to get
to. As you can guess, that also means the terrain is challenging. The climbs are
steep and the footing is technical. The race is made of 6 loops that are 17
miles each with an overall vertical gain of 18,500 ft. In each loop there are
several 350-400 ft. climbs and descents to match with pretty much everything
else in between. So basically the course is relentless. Instead of worrying
about the course I embraced it. I was looking forward to its challenges. My
plan was to let it all come at me and see if I could just keep hammering. The harder
the course the better.
With
that being said my family was all set to crew for me, except our baby, Brita.
We left her with grandma Molly and grandpa Dave. That turned out to be one the
best decisions we made that weekend. So Anna, Bryson, Bridget, Briggs, and
Brokk headed up north in my in-laws green Ford camper van. Not
only is that van a beauty, it was perfect for this trip with its fold down bench seat
and lots of extra room for stuff. It cruised down the black top much the way I thought
I would on trails!
Bryson, Briggs, Bridget, and Brokk
THE GREEN MACHINE
So Anna was set to go (as she
always is) and also my two buddies Mark Thompson and Lance Cundy were heading up separately and were ready to
hit the trail with me as pacers for miles 50 through 100. It couldn't have been a better set-up for me going into the race with my family and friends there for support.
I can’t thank my wife enough for putting up with my training runs and her continuous support. She understands the sport and she gets my passion for running a race like this and what it takes to follow through. And as far as Mark and Lance, well they gave me a lot of time on the trail, encouragement, and sacrificed sleep in uncertain weather as well. Being that we were all Thorsday teammates it seemed like we had the right recipe to do well. They know the things they need to say and when to say it. Mark ended up spending 12-13 hours on the trail with me, and Lance another 5-6 hours. That’s a lot of time on the feet for anyone.
I can’t thank my wife enough for putting up with my training runs and her continuous support. She understands the sport and she gets my passion for running a race like this and what it takes to follow through. And as far as Mark and Lance, well they gave me a lot of time on the trail, encouragement, and sacrificed sleep in uncertain weather as well. Being that we were all Thorsday teammates it seemed like we had the right recipe to do well. They know the things they need to say and when to say it. Mark ended up spending 12-13 hours on the trail with me, and Lance another 5-6 hours. That’s a lot of time on the feet for anyone.
Before the start. Brokk has Mjolnir (Thor's hammer).
The
race director, John Storkamp, addressed the runners 10 minutes before the start
with a prerace briefing. Everyone huddled under the shelter to stay dry for a
few more minutes. I remember him mentioning that Zumbro is Zumbro and just
because it’s raining “don’t think we are special or anything, we are not
the only runners to have bad weather at Zumbro.” Everyone got a good chuckle
out of that. He added, “So just go out there and enjoy the race and be safe. And be
careful, if you decide to go out after each and you drop from the race there is
no way to get back other than to hike.” That made me think a little bit about a plan if something were to go south later in the race, but I was hoping I wouldn't need to go there.
Prerace briefing (That is Anna in the Hawkeye poncho)
Ready to roll.
LOOP# 1 – The Rain
And we're off! The race started at 8:00am on Friday and all the 100 milers set off onto the trail. About 200 meters into the race we enter the woods and already the trail is a thick sticky mud. My first thought is to keep the feet dry for a little while but that plan goes out the window as soon as it takes too much energy to tip-toe around. A half mile in we already start our first climb on a technical single-track trail that meets up with a rocky road up to the west ridge overlook. It's about a 400 ft. climb and I take my time hiking up. You are not going to survive if you try to run any of the steep ascents.
Last year's winner took off in the lead and I stayed with a pack of 2-3 guys sitting in about 5th place. At the top of the ridge there are incredible views of the Zumbro river valley and the campground we had just left. The campground looks like some sort of alien figure which adds to the allure. There is still traces of snow from a previous snowfall and a stretch of pure ice under the pine trees on the upper trail. There is no way to avoid the ice, if you fall there your race could be done early. I just locked in my pace and tried not to spend a lot of energy getting through the mud on the way to the first aid station. I also told myself over and over to be patient, if I don't mess this up I WILL finish. Just don't make any mistakes.
First 50 meters of the race.
The first lap was pretty muddy, but it was very fun. It wasn't easy to move fast but the legs were fresh and I was having conversations with a couple of guys I was running with. I felt like I was conserving energy an still came through the first lap in 4th place in about 3 hours 11 minutes. That was actually a pretty good clip. I stopped at all the aid stations to make sure to get something to eat and drink but not take too much time standing still. After the first lap I came through and sat on a picnic table and Anna was ready to help out with anything I needed. I swapped shirts, gloves, and shoes.
While swapping shoes one of the race volunteers, who I believe his name was Mark, took a look at my feet and said they looked really good. I though to myself, "that's a first." He even wiped them down and put some fresh socks on my feet. Man, that felt great. The service was impressive, not what I was expecting! I told myself I would take time after each lap to make sure I made time to catch my breath and get what I needed. After a few minutes I was ready to start on lap 2.
Finding the edge where I could.
West Overlook
LOOP# 2 - The Mud
Lap 2 was already different 17 miles into the race as I headed out. Where we entered the woods it was just pure water we were sloshing through. The course had taken on a lot of water and it was like soup. Traction was limited making it hard on the climbs and treacherous on the descents. It was a struggle to get to the edges of the trails to find spots that weren't shredded. Each step took so much energy pounding in and out of the mud as it sucked my feet in. After everyone went through lap one it chewed up the course pretty good. Somehow it got even more muddy and some of the trails were rivers. As you can imagine that made the footing difficult. You had to fight for each step and the uphill sections were brutal. Some of the waterlogged puddles were almost comical. I would laugh out loud and say "what is this?! Are you serious right now?!"
There isn't much else you can do at that point except keep plowing through. With that type of footing it doesn't take long for your hip flexors and legs to start burning and never let up. Even on the downhills, its a complete burn to stop from wiping out. One time I did slip and just slid down on my butt like a mud luge.
Water trail of Sand Coulee
After Aid
Station 1-4 past the bridge is a low spot that is just a wide
path of mud and deep footprints. After that section you head on a service road
and it has tracks from the ATV that were over 12” deep and filled with water.
Coming down Sand Coulee was a lot different the second time as well. It went
from a sandy to straight up river. I splashed my way through it just using
momentum which was my new strategy to move forward. Lap 2 took much longer but
mentally and physically I was feeling good coming through at 7 hours and change
for the day. When I came out of the woods toward the start/finish area I had
already lost track of what place I was, but I didn’t care either.
The best part
of the lap was seeing that Mark and Lance had arrived! Mark was waving the
Thorsday flag and running around at the check point. It pumped me up instantly!
After I came through I sat on the picnic table again and made a shoe change. I
went with my Brooks Cascadia Gore-tex shoe to see if I could get down the trail
with dry feet for a little while. Mark and Lance said I looked good. It was
great to see everyone and I had one more lap to get under the belt and then I could have a
pacer.
After lap 2 the Thorsday flag has arrived!
LOOP# 3- The slop
On the start of lap three it was pretty lonely and it was again muddy. The temps were starting to drop which caused the ground to be the consistency of peanut butter. My shoe choice was spot on at least. I was able to go about 4-5 miles without getting my feet too soggy. I tried to concentrate on keeping fluids and food in my stomach on this lap. I have ran a couple of 50 mile trail races before but after this loop I was going to be entering new territory and each step would be the furthest I have ever run. That was both exciting and daunting.
I dialed back my pace a little more to conserve energy and process food. I was burning far more calories that I was consuming to this point so at least I was aware I needed to do something. I think by this time I was around 8-10th place. But once again, my place didn't phase me. The goal was to get the finishers buckle.
Of the challenges I encountered on loop three, the slop really made my legs heavy. With 3 miles to go on lap 3 the Pine Trail section was absolutely horrible. The water was freezing and the layers of ice were chunky and slippery. My shoes were holding in the water and the mud was packed in really tight (for some reason I still opted to use the same shoes on the next lap with Mark, not sure why!). I continued to slog through this section fighting for each step so I could just get through it and put half of the race behind me and focus on the remainder.
LOOP# 4 - Thunder snow
We were in the warming tent and I changed layers again and Anna got me some food. It was great to see the kids and feel the excitement of having Mark and Lance there. They were ready to roll and said I was looking good once again. There were a number of guys that dropped at that point already and even the returning champ had dropped. They also said other runners feet were not looking good but I was doing well on all my checks, amazingly. My feet were not hurting or blistered. When I was ready to go I was proud to say “when I step out of this tent it will be the furthest I have ever run!” I couldn’t wait to get down the trail and chat with Mark and share some stories. It lifted my spirits as we head out in the darkness to see what else was in store for lap 4.
Got Mud?
LOOP# 4 - Thunder snow
Halfway there
now!
Mark was ready to go when I got into camp after I finished lap three. It was funny, he forget his water bottles and the shoes he brought had rips in them and were "blown out." You could see his socks and he tried to duct tape them around the forefoot! Luckily I brought every piece of running gear I had in case we needed anything later.We were in the warming tent and I changed layers again and Anna got me some food. It was great to see the kids and feel the excitement of having Mark and Lance there. They were ready to roll and said I was looking good once again. There were a number of guys that dropped at that point already and even the returning champ had dropped. They also said other runners feet were not looking good but I was doing well on all my checks, amazingly. My feet were not hurting or blistered. When I was ready to go I was proud to say “when I step out of this tent it will be the furthest I have ever run!” I couldn’t wait to get down the trail and chat with Mark and share some stories. It lifted my spirits as we head out in the darkness to see what else was in store for lap 4.
Mark and I headed down the trail and Lance followed us giving us a few hoots and hollers. It was great, Thorsday (our trail club) was going to head out into the wilderness again for a brand new race. I was excited to show Mark the trails but he wouldn't be seeing any of the views until the next loop. We just took our time and Mark was doing some "dancing" and running in place to keep himself warm, it was entertainment for me. The mud was starting to set up a bit but it was still tough going. We got to the top of the first climb on the West Ridge and we could see all of the light below in the campground. We weren't really paying attention to the fact that we were in for more surprises ahead.
We were going along pretty good and the thunder clouds came in and we saw the lightning. Time for some "thunder snow!" The snow started falling at that point which helped firm up the trail a bit. Then Mark was ready to break out a few stories that I was looking forward to as the wind picked up. We got some good laughs about some of the old college days and past races. It was great to have my buddy there to help pace me.
It was about 7 miles into lap 4 that my stomach started its backlash. I knew it would happen at some point. My stomach is the hardest thing for me to navigate during an ultra. It has a mind of its own and its hard for me to correct it once it goes sour. I just really had to get something at each aid station and just choke it down. So I chose chicken broth and soup. That allowed me to get something warm in my stomach quickly before I could reject it. I also remember my hands getting cold at this point and my sweat was starting to make my core colder. We stopped at the fire pit too to warm the hands down the lower Sand Coulee aid station. The volunteers were just awesome and I did my best to make sure they knew I appreciated them. I would always arrive with a smile and leave with a smile and to say thanks. I didn’t want my attitude to go south because I needed positivity. Plus its good to have build trail karma along the way!
The trail was now turning icy at this point and the snow was piling up. When we made the turn to head up the biggest climb to the Scenic Overlook Trail we could hear the wind howling like a freight train. We could tell it was going to be brutal up there, and it was. We crested the top and it was drifting with up to 4 feet of snow and the wind was whipping at about 60-70 mph. We just needed to fight through this section so we could get to Ant Hill and start moving down where it was less windy. This is where Mark says to me, “This is crazy, its nuts...But in a fun way!” He was still bouncing around in the heart of the storm trying to stay warm. But we were both starting to get quite cold, especially our hands and feet.
We were going along pretty good and the thunder clouds came in and we saw the lightning. Time for some "thunder snow!" The snow started falling at that point which helped firm up the trail a bit. Then Mark was ready to break out a few stories that I was looking forward to as the wind picked up. We got some good laughs about some of the old college days and past races. It was great to have my buddy there to help pace me.
It was about 7 miles into lap 4 that my stomach started its backlash. I knew it would happen at some point. My stomach is the hardest thing for me to navigate during an ultra. It has a mind of its own and its hard for me to correct it once it goes sour. I just really had to get something at each aid station and just choke it down. So I chose chicken broth and soup. That allowed me to get something warm in my stomach quickly before I could reject it. I also remember my hands getting cold at this point and my sweat was starting to make my core colder. We stopped at the fire pit too to warm the hands down the lower Sand Coulee aid station. The volunteers were just awesome and I did my best to make sure they knew I appreciated them. I would always arrive with a smile and leave with a smile and to say thanks. I didn’t want my attitude to go south because I needed positivity. Plus its good to have build trail karma along the way!
The trail was now turning icy at this point and the snow was piling up. When we made the turn to head up the biggest climb to the Scenic Overlook Trail we could hear the wind howling like a freight train. We could tell it was going to be brutal up there, and it was. We crested the top and it was drifting with up to 4 feet of snow and the wind was whipping at about 60-70 mph. We just needed to fight through this section so we could get to Ant Hill and start moving down where it was less windy. This is where Mark says to me, “This is crazy, its nuts...But in a fun way!” He was still bouncing around in the heart of the storm trying to stay warm. But we were both starting to get quite cold, especially our hands and feet.
Back at Aid Station 1-4 with about 3-4 miles left in the loop it was not looking good for a lot of people. There were lights on and a big bon fire and it seemed like the busiest aid station we had seen. Of course, the 50 mile racers were now on the course which started at midnight and also the leaders of the 100 had come through after already completing lap 4. That would mean they are 7 miles ahead of us! I didn't care, I was cold and I tried to get some food and coffee but my hands were shaking so bad I just stood there and stared at myself spilling hot coffee everywhere on myself. My stomach didn't want food and I was getting cold. So I took my gloves off and we spent 5 minutes in front of the fire before we headed out to finish off lap 4. Our goal was to just get this lap under my belt. We figured 4 was one of the hardest laps since it was all in the dark and it was cold and the blizzard was setting in. At this point we also heard the rescue vehicles were stuck and out of commission so the only traffic anywhere was by foot. For this reason the volunteers earned a lot more respect.
As we entered the campground I was ready for a break. At this point we were at mile 67 and it was probably about 2am. My stomach needed me to sit down and I needed to get into the warming tent to get my core temperature back. I got in about the same time as another guy and he was in rough shape. He was hunched over in chair just shivering. His wife was consoling him and telling him he was done. He then proceeded to cry and threw up in a bag. I mean, he was done but he didn't want to accept it. His wife said it was nothing to be ashamed of. It sure made me think twice about going back out there. I took my sweaty clothes off and sat in a chair next to the stove and shivered. People putting blankets on me and I was trying to drink an Ensure, a Pepsi and a food pouch. But I really kind of wanted to throw up.
We took my shoes off and got my feet dry and clean which helped. It didn’t seem like I spent much time in the tent but I guess we did. Even Mark was just laying down for a nap. But with the encouragement of Lance and Anna they just pushed me to get out of the tent. I was super impressed that the Anna and the kids didn't miss me one time throughout the entire race sleeping in the van and staying warm. I couldn't believe their level of dedication!
Now I was warmed up and we knew lap 5 would be pivotal. It would be the lap where the darkness ends and the new day begins. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to leave just yet but I knew I had too, and I didn’t want to let Lance down. I needed to pound out this lap and give him a shot out on the trails.
As we entered the campground I was ready for a break. At this point we were at mile 67 and it was probably about 2am. My stomach needed me to sit down and I needed to get into the warming tent to get my core temperature back. I got in about the same time as another guy and he was in rough shape. He was hunched over in chair just shivering. His wife was consoling him and telling him he was done. He then proceeded to cry and threw up in a bag. I mean, he was done but he didn't want to accept it. His wife said it was nothing to be ashamed of. It sure made me think twice about going back out there. I took my sweaty clothes off and sat in a chair next to the stove and shivered. People putting blankets on me and I was trying to drink an Ensure, a Pepsi and a food pouch. But I really kind of wanted to throw up.
We took my shoes off and got my feet dry and clean which helped. It didn’t seem like I spent much time in the tent but I guess we did. Even Mark was just laying down for a nap. But with the encouragement of Lance and Anna they just pushed me to get out of the tent. I was super impressed that the Anna and the kids didn't miss me one time throughout the entire race sleeping in the van and staying warm. I couldn't believe their level of dedication!
Now I was warmed up and we knew lap 5 would be pivotal. It would be the lap where the darkness ends and the new day begins. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to leave just yet but I knew I had too, and I didn’t want to let Lance down. I needed to pound out this lap and give him a shot out on the trails.
The struggle of changing the shoes.
LOOP# 5 - The Blizzard
After I hit the Port-a-John quickly I got a little jolt of energy and we took off. We headed into the dark woods again and up the first climb. Then Mark pulls our a great line and says to me "Once more into the fray." Instantly it gave me the chills and gave me a wide grin. That was a poem from a movie called The Grey.
Mark is great with his timing. Its the little things like that line that can give me a boost.
This lap was the one that gets me to the last lap. It was challenging with the snow and it being packed down and turning to ice. There were these small pellets of ice that looked like "Dippin' Dots" ice cream falling all over the place causing it to be slick and some of the descents were now like luges. I am glad I had my trekking poles to help me balance.
This about when we also heard that the 17 mile race was cancelled. It had been so bad out that the roads were impassible and closed. They had to cancel the 17 mile for safety reasons. I didn't really realize it because we were in this "Zumbro Bubble" fighting our own battle in the elements for nearly 24 hours up to this point.
I was so glad I was able to get Lance out there. Nothing was going to stop me from finishing now. My crew was amped up and I was ready to go. As we left I remember saying “this is going to be the best 16.7 miles of life, let’s do this!” And then we bolted out of the tent and headed for the trees!
After I hit the Port-a-John quickly I got a little jolt of energy and we took off. We headed into the dark woods again and up the first climb. Then Mark pulls our a great line and says to me "Once more into the fray." Instantly it gave me the chills and gave me a wide grin. That was a poem from a movie called The Grey.
Mark is great with his timing. Its the little things like that line that can give me a boost.
--- Into the Fray ---
Once more into the fray
Into the last good fight I'll ever know
Live or die on this day
Live or die on this day
Into the last good fight I'll ever know
Live or die on this day
Live or die on this day
This lap was the one that gets me to the last lap. It was challenging with the snow and it being packed down and turning to ice. There were these small pellets of ice that looked like "Dippin' Dots" ice cream falling all over the place causing it to be slick and some of the descents were now like luges. I am glad I had my trekking poles to help me balance.
This about when we also heard that the 17 mile race was cancelled. It had been so bad out that the roads were impassible and closed. They had to cancel the 17 mile for safety reasons. I didn't really realize it because we were in this "Zumbro Bubble" fighting our own battle in the elements for nearly 24 hours up to this point.
The Scenic Overlook trail
Halfway through the lap Mark was good to let me know that I had been running for 24 hours. Alright! I told myself many hours before it would be wise for me to not look at my watch at all. A huge bonus one of the next aid stations was pancakes and sausage! Seeing the light sky was great and the snow was just beautiful on the trees. It was like a winter wonderland which made it seem like a completely different course. What was once mud was now beautiful white snow.
My
stomach was also coming around a little at mile 80 and we were moving pretty well. I just kept my focus out in front of me and not where we had been. As we
came into the finish are after lap 5 my energy level had gone up and my pace was quicker. I kept my
same shoes on and had some breakfast and I remember just wanting to tackle that
last loop. My Dad said I was also making up some ground on the runners out front who had slowed down. I was so glad I was able to get Lance out there. Nothing was going to stop me from finishing now. My crew was amped up and I was ready to go. As we left I remember saying “this is going to be the best 16.7 miles of life, let’s do this!” And then we bolted out of the tent and headed for the trees!
LOOP# 6 - The homestretch
This was going to be an exciting lap. Each step would bring me closer to the finish, which is the motivation to keep the momentum going. Plus, Bryson was planning on meeting us at the last aid station so he could run the last few miles with me to the finish. In the back of my mind I was hoping he would time it right and that he had the right gear on for it. Lance and I clipped along pretty good. It was also nice to be able to give him the run down on the course and offer him some tips to make time pass. I remember telling him how different it looked each time I went by a certain spot and how I knew where to step. In fact, I kept referring to some spots where I thought I had been earlier that morning, but Lance had to remind me it was “yesterday morning!” Oh yeah, it was yesterday morning when it was pure mud!
I also thought I was seeing some weird things in the distance. At one point I thought I saw something that looked like a sunken plane in the water, or a boat or something. But Lance assured me I was seeing things. When you are awake that long you can fool yourself with your eyes and things around you look like they are moving, especially when you stop for a few minutes. But there was no denying the beauty of the valley through the trees and lookouts. It was awesome.
The downhill sections were tough on that last lap but I had just one focus and by this time I didn’t want to waste much time at aid stations either. On one of the ascents after Picnic Rock, we past another runner ahead of me nd we just blasted down the hill which was a lot of fun. Lance kind of whispered to me as we approached "go for it" and we just barreled down as fast as we could and left him in the dust! That gave me a little shot of adrenaline. Once again, coming down Sand Coulee you could hear the wind blasting at the top of the Scenic Overlook trail. That was my favorite part so I was looking forward to one more climb of that beast and plowing through the wind and snow.
Me and Lance.
By this time the three of us we were laughing and talking the whole rest of the way. The hard part was done! We just had to get from point A to point B and savor the journey. Bryson said he enjoyed the snowy trail as we hit the last portion before hitting the clearing into the campground.
As we came through the clearing I could see the clock in the distance and I thought it said what I thought looked like 29 hours. I have pretty good eyesight so when I saw that the clock was at 29 hours 59 minutes I just threw my stuff down and said “let’s go!”…I mean, why not? I made it this far, let’s go for sub 30 hours! Bryson and I took off for the finish and just buried the last couple of hundred meters. It was such a great way to finish, much better than I had imagined after running for almost 30 hours. I felt exhausted and overcome with joy at the same time. It was crazy!
I was just happy to have crossed that line. I hugged my wife Anna, my kids, and my Dad. They were all jumping around and yelling. I don't think I knew what just happened. I was in shock. The race directory gave me my finishers medal and the coveted Zumbro belt buckle and he said "Congratulations!" I had made it through as the 3rd place finisher earning a podium finish. I also got to sign the 100 mile poster and shared a few words with Mark and Lance before they had to head out.
We didn’t stick around a whole lot longer, just enough to snap a few pictures and say thanks to the race director and volunteers. We needed to get back to the hotel because the weather was not getting better and the roads were nasty. I couldn't believe as we were leaving that Briggs asked if we could stick around to play in the snow some more. Haha! Not a chance that was going to happen!
Right before we left I just took a look around the valley for a minute and took a deep breath. Unbelievable...I just ran 100 miles. I survived.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMMWclJoAzhZwmKB34JwZZHXZa2l0xVmyhJiKRYex4O19jd2SyPHevqTvtBk4Nfeg/photo/AF1QipP2qRnCp9u4oMqdbGtmBUmvn1t_trjC9_n0lUrv?key=SVpmMldwMmhqajduck5DSkVSZWVHUXd5Z3R5bXBn
This was going to be an exciting lap. Each step would bring me closer to the finish, which is the motivation to keep the momentum going. Plus, Bryson was planning on meeting us at the last aid station so he could run the last few miles with me to the finish. In the back of my mind I was hoping he would time it right and that he had the right gear on for it. Lance and I clipped along pretty good. It was also nice to be able to give him the run down on the course and offer him some tips to make time pass. I remember telling him how different it looked each time I went by a certain spot and how I knew where to step. In fact, I kept referring to some spots where I thought I had been earlier that morning, but Lance had to remind me it was “yesterday morning!” Oh yeah, it was yesterday morning when it was pure mud!
I also thought I was seeing some weird things in the distance. At one point I thought I saw something that looked like a sunken plane in the water, or a boat or something. But Lance assured me I was seeing things. When you are awake that long you can fool yourself with your eyes and things around you look like they are moving, especially when you stop for a few minutes. But there was no denying the beauty of the valley through the trees and lookouts. It was awesome.
Winter Wonderland.
The downhill sections were tough on that last lap but I had just one focus and by this time I didn’t want to waste much time at aid stations either. On one of the ascents after Picnic Rock, we past another runner ahead of me nd we just blasted down the hill which was a lot of fun. Lance kind of whispered to me as we approached "go for it" and we just barreled down as fast as we could and left him in the dust! That gave me a little shot of adrenaline. Once again, coming down Sand Coulee you could hear the wind blasting at the top of the Scenic Overlook trail. That was my favorite part so I was looking forward to one more climb of that beast and plowing through the wind and snow.
Me and Lance.
At last we hit the flat section before the last aid station and I was hoping we would see Bryson. As we came to the bridge I could see the Yellow Thorsday hat he was wearing. “Yes, its Bryson!” When I got to close to him my eyes were welling up and my emotions came over me. I was so happy he was going to run with me to the end. He had only been there for 15 minutes so it worked perfectly. Again it gave me the boost I needed and the feeling of getting close to the finish!
Bryson ready to go!
By this time the three of us we were laughing and talking the whole rest of the way. The hard part was done! We just had to get from point A to point B and savor the journey. Bryson said he enjoyed the snowy trail as we hit the last portion before hitting the clearing into the campground.
As we came through the clearing I could see the clock in the distance and I thought it said what I thought looked like 29 hours. I have pretty good eyesight so when I saw that the clock was at 29 hours 59 minutes I just threw my stuff down and said “let’s go!”…I mean, why not? I made it this far, let’s go for sub 30 hours! Bryson and I took off for the finish and just buried the last couple of hundred meters. It was such a great way to finish, much better than I had imagined after running for almost 30 hours. I felt exhausted and overcome with joy at the same time. It was crazy!
I was just happy to have crossed that line. I hugged my wife Anna, my kids, and my Dad. They were all jumping around and yelling. I don't think I knew what just happened. I was in shock. The race directory gave me my finishers medal and the coveted Zumbro belt buckle and he said "Congratulations!" I had made it through as the 3rd place finisher earning a podium finish. I also got to sign the 100 mile poster and shared a few words with Mark and Lance before they had to head out.
We didn’t stick around a whole lot longer, just enough to snap a few pictures and say thanks to the race director and volunteers. We needed to get back to the hotel because the weather was not getting better and the roads were nasty. I couldn't believe as we were leaving that Briggs asked if we could stick around to play in the snow some more. Haha! Not a chance that was going to happen!
Right before we left I just took a look around the valley for a minute and took a deep breath. Unbelievable...I just ran 100 miles. I survived.
15 Second Video of my finish
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMMWclJoAzhZwmKB34JwZZHXZa2l0xVmyhJiKRYex4O19jd2SyPHevqTvtBk4Nfeg/photo/AF1QipP2qRnCp9u4oMqdbGtmBUmvn1t_trjC9_n0lUrv?key=SVpmMldwMmhqajduck5DSkVSZWVHUXd5Z3R5bXBn
Nearing the finish with Bryson and Bridget.
Bryson, myself, and my dad in the Carhart jacket.
Bryson, myself, and my dad in the Carhart jacket.
Me with Lance and Mark.
The family finish.
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