2012 Leadville 100 - Huge Disappointment

Short Version:

DNF at Winfield.  Body just stopped working near the half way point with the last 2 miles taking me almost 45 minutes.

Long Version:

A few things before I start explaining my pathetic attempt at running 100 miles. 

None of this would have been remotely possible if it weren't for my wife.  You know how much you mean to me and I'm glad you got to experience at least half the ride with me.

(Sorry honey for posting a pic you hate)

 



Sorry you didn't get the chance to pace me for a few hours this past weekend but I'm glad you were able to get in a few miles when all said and done PG.

MH, I know you were crewing/pacing KM, but you helping out my wife and daughter Saturday morning was nothing short of awesome.  I can not thank you enough for your kindness. 

Before the Start

I slept great and had a rather uneventful start to the morning.  All was going great and I had absolutely no reason not to expect anything but a great day.   

To May Queen

Quick highlights include:
5 minutes into the race and just not feeling right but hoping for the best.
An unexpected squat in the woods just before the mini powerline section.
Getting a piss poor attitude by my stomach feeling off and the inconsistent running pace around the lake.
Another bathroom brake upon arriving to May Queen.
Leaving May Queen a good 20 minutes past my expected 2:10 split.
 
It just blows my mind that I enjoyed absolutely nothing about my time out between the start and May Queen.

To Fish Hatchery

Knowing I had a conservative target time between May Queen and Fish Hatchery, I was hoping to find a groove and make up some time.  However it was shockingly obvious on the road up to the Colorado Trail that my quads were feeling the effort exerted already. 

During all my training over the past 9 months, I can't recall my quads feeling as horrible as they did as I headed up to the Hagerman road.  They just got worse and worse as I continued the up.  During this whole time I continued to pull back my effort.  Finally hitting Powerline I was hoping that stretching out the legs on the downhill would release whatever funk my quads were in.  To the contrary, they only got worse.  I ran the whole Powerline section very comfortably but it hurt a lot.

My negative attitude had gotten even worse as I was on the mile plus long paved stretch towards Fish.  Here I am running maybe a 9 minute pace at what felt like an extremely conservative effort.  My whole upper body relaxed and calm which I was fully expecting.  Calves, feet, groin muscles all working perfectly.  But my quads just hurt.  I tried stretching, I tried walking, I tried sprinting a few strides and nothing was helping them out.  They were done and I was maybe 24 miles into a 100 mile race. 

The lone positive was my bathroom brakes held in check during this section.  There were a few moments of wanting to duck behind a bush but thankfully there was never a need too.

With all that was going bad for me, I was 15 minutes behind schedule. 

(I'm the pissed off guy near the middle)

To Half Moon

The road section came and went.  I ran as easy, relaxed and efficient as I possibly could but each foot plant and each push off reminded me of how bad my quads felt.  There was never a foot step where I didn't think about my quads.  They just slowly got tighter and tighter. 

Once on the trails along the woods, I kept on having scares of needing to squat behind a bush.  Then finally Half Moon Aid Station arrived and the only thing I noticed were the 6 or so porta potties. Stop number 3 in a plastic hut that might have been 200 degrees.  I sweated more in that hot box then I did during any running point of the race.

5 plus hours in and I still wasn't having fun. 

To Twin Lakes

It became pretty obvious by now that my desire to eat had gone away along time ago.  Drinking thankfully wasn't an issue and I was staying well on top of that. 

I finally found a nice groove as I left Half Moon and ventured unto the Colorado Trail.  The running was far from impressive but I was moving at a clip that I had expected of myself all day. 

Around the high point of this section near the East Elbert Trailhead, it became obvious to me that my quads weren't going to get any better.  However they weren't really going to get that much worse.  I finally faced reality and accepted that my quads were completely blown.  From what I have no idea.  But they weren't going to be the reason why I finish this race. 
 
That was my first positive thought I had all day and before I knew it I was sitting next to my wife and daughter at the Twin Lakes Aid Station.  2 minutes ahead of my conservative pace of 7 hours and 30 minutes.   

A positive thought wasn't enough to cover up the fact that I still wasn't having any fun out there.  I told that to my wife and she simply said to continue on and hope that things would get better. 

To Winfield

The water crossing was a relief as the day was starting to get warmer.  I was looking forward to the huge climb of Hope Pass and took in a pack of chomps to make sure I had some calories in me.  The first item I had eaten since Half Moon.  What I also got to experience for the first time since Half Moon was another squat in the woods.  You have got to be kidding me!!!

The climb was done very conservatively but it was impacting my body a lot more then it should have.  I have power hiked hard and walked up slow so many times this year that I know the difference between the two when tackling a climb.  Even if I tried, there would be no hard power hike in my bag of tricks today. 

The climb was never tough, just tiring and before long I was at the top no worse off then I was before the climb started.  And still on pace with my splits. 

Eager to run my way into Winfield proved impossible.  I couldn't run a downhill section.  I walked/stumbled 75% of the downhill to the new Continental Divide Trail. 

I can't remember if it was a positive thought or simply being distracted by others heading inbound but for the first time all day I didn't labor on negative thoughts.  I was getting eager to hitting Windfield and heading inbound myself.  I started to run for a good mile or so on quads that I knew weren't going to stop me from completing this race.  

Then it happened.  After walking a steep uphill section I tried to run.  Right leg push off left leg plant and stumble.  Try again and fall.  Walk for a few and try this running thing and stumble badly yet again.  My guess is it took me some 45 minutes to cover the last 2 miles into Winfield.

My body had completely run out of fuel and shut down on me.  I got to Winfield and laid down on a cot.  I was given food and water.  I could drink.  I could talk, but I just had no desire to eat.  And eating some type of substance was what I needed to continue on.  My guess was I had consumed a 2 gels and 1 pack of chomps since Fish.  While my maltrodexterin water mix was helping out tremendously, the deficit created with all them bathroom brakes was simply to much to make up for me.

I had contemplated for a minute to try and make it back to Twin Lakes but I couldn't stand up off the cot.  It likely would have taken me 5 to 6 hours to make it back back to Twin putting me in jeopardy of missing the 9pm cut off. 

Aftermath

The stage of soreness my quads experienced the next day is unlike anything I've felt.  Worse then after my first Imogene Pass Run.  Worse then after my first road marathon.  Too this day it blows my mind how and why my quads got beat up as badly as they did. 

I ate a slice of pizza later around 9pm that night but didn't really consume any real food for some 30 hours after my race had ended. Why my stomach went south is a head scratcher.

My pissy attitude overshadowed items that are great about the race.  Specifically arriving to the aid stations of May Queen, Fish Hatchery, Twin Lakes and Winfield.  Outside of seeing my wife, I can't recall a thing about any of these aid stations.  As far as I can remember, they were either completely empty or full of folks laughing at me for running like a dork. 

I'm at peace with the decision to drop.  What I'm not at peace with is all this hard work put in over such a long period of time to only run 50 miles and fail so miserably. 

However I look back at the journey itself to race day which has been such an incredible ride.  Some of the most fun I've ever had running in my life.  So many miles spent with such solid people in this ultra running game.  I'm a better person for it and can't wait spend more time with friends on the trails.

Lastly, it's funny how I'm reminded of how insignificant my selfish attempt at trying to run 100 miles is.  Here I am all beat up and pissed off at the world from dropping at Winfield.  My wife and I arrived at our rental home at roughly 8pm.  Just before my little one was put down for the night.  I'm not even at the door and I hear my 18 month old yell out "DA DA" as she runs at me and embraces me around the legs. 

I embraced her as well, kissed her on the top of the head and for the first time all day I'm happy and enjoying the moment. I'll have to remember this moment the next time I line up for my next 100.