Pinhoti 100 Race Report

Wow.  Not sure how to process this one.  Running the Pinhoti 100 has been a goal of mine for almost two years.  Now it is finished.  The race was fantastic.  I enjoyed all but about two hours of it, and those two hours were absolutely miserable.  My goals were to 1) finish, and 2) finish in under 24 hours.  Both were accomplished, but it required pushing through my physical and mental limits to achieve.  Here’s how it went down.

Andon Briggs, Sally and I departed from my house at 3:00 a.m. to follow the buses from the finish line in Sylacauga to the starting line in Heflin.  The buses ran a bit behind and those following in cars had to park a half mile away and walk to the start.  The race was determined to start on time, so I found myself running the half mile to the starting line to make it on time.  Big deal, what’s another half mile added to 100, right?

So, the race began before dawn and after a very short stretch of pavement turned immediately onto the trail.  With 200 runners all together it was very crowded on the single-track trail, so I just tucked in and went with a group until things spread out after about 5 miles.  The early group pace was too fast, so as soon as it thinned out I settled into a comfortable pace and enjoyed the space.  Also, by this time the sun was out, so I was able to enjoy the beautiful trail and scenery in solitude.  The course really is beautiful, with many ups and downs, dense forest, sweeping overlooks, and unique rock formations, and is surprise for many out of state runners that run the race assuming the scenery to be only flat Alabama clay.  Far from it.   I talked to a couple other runners, but early on I was really enjoying being alone, so I intentionally stayed away from people after the first aid station (Highrock) at mile 6.7.  Part of the reason for staying alone was the scenery and part was that due to the starting line rush I did not have time to use the bathroom (sitting not standing) and was looking for a good place.  Fortunately the woods has many such facilities, so I went about 15 yards off the trail behind some bushes and proceeded, only to realize that the trail looped back behind me.  So, I awkwardly waived hello to the passing runner, completed my business and moved on.  Not sure why I shared that, but thought it would give you a true glimpse into the glitz and glamour that is ultrarunning. 

I saw my crew (Sally and Andon at this point) at Aid Station 2 (Shoal Creek) at mile 13.27 and Aid Station 3 (Horseblock) at mile 18.27.  Both stops were a quick exchange of bottles and packs taking less than 20 seconds each.  The race was near Talladega, so we rolled NASCAR style.

I would not see my crew again until mile 40 (Bald Rock).  This stretch was challenging because the temperature was quickly rising to a high of 81 degrees.  I greatly prefer cold weather running.  Given the choice of 81 or 21 I choose 21 any day.  Despite the heat, I felt good during this stretch, with only slight discomfort as I approached Bald Rock.  Bald Rock is the highest point in Alabama and is stunning.  The climb to it was steady, but not as sinister as I feared.  My crew met me here and cooled me off with ice, which helped a lot and after a brief stop to cool down was ready to go again, feeling good.

At the mile 45 Aid Station (Silent Trail) I picked up my first pacer Andon.  He accompanied me from mile 45 to 60.  After running alone for most of the initial 45 miles it was nice to have company.  Our conversation began with me stating how ridiculous this whole thing was and wondering why I ever wanted to do this.  And that was while I felt good!  Andon passed mile 50 with me and we enjoyed the fact that each mile from this point forward was a mile farther than I have ever run.  The rest of the race was new territory for me.  Neat feeling.

Blister formed just past halfway and at mile 55 the crew taped it up, with Andon saying that my feet looked nasty.  I’m sure another 45 miles will heal them right up!  We continued together until the Clairmont Gap Aid Station at mile 60, where I picked up my other pacer John Cobbs.  John’s assignment was to pace me from mile 60 to 85.  John is a very fast and experienced runner, so my hope was to have him keep my pace up during these tough miles.  Turns out his task was to keep me from giving up. 

Around mile 70 my stomach shut down.  I couldn’t eat or drink anything.  Making matters worse is that miles 70-75 were the climb up “The Pinnacle”, arguably the hardest climb in the race.  My pace slowed to a crawl, with me literally stumbling up the trail.  At one point I sat on the side of the trail, looking dazed and confused.  Two women blazed by me while I was sitting, offering encouragement such as “It will get better.”  My thoughts:  Thanks, but I doubt it.

John kept me moving, walking every step of this section.  My watch would beep every so often and John would say “Only three more miles to the aid station”, “Only two more miles”, etc.  Funny thing, but each time he said it at first seemed like an insurmountable task, but after a few seconds it reminded me that I was indeed moving forward.  We finally reached The Pinnacle Aid Station at mile 75 and I sat in a chair by the fire while John brought me various food and drinks to help get my stomach working.  The only thing I was able to get down was four cups of coke.  I sat there for probably 20 minutes and finally got moving, but didn’t feel any better.

Remarkably, after another mile or so, the coke must have kicked in and I felt solid.  I began to run again and found that when running my legs still felt quite good.  I was able to get down a couple gels and water.  The pace quickened and we arrived at the Power Line Aid Station at mile 79 renewed and alive.  The next six miles to Bulls Gap and the crew went by quick and I felt good again.

The worst appeared to be over, and at Bulls Gap I grabbed two water bottles, one with water and one with coke.  Coke is not the best drink to run with, but it was working so I figured I’d ride it out until I crashed.  After a five minute rest at the aid station Andon resumed pacing duties and we proceeded into the night.

At mile 75 I assumed that the 24 hour goal was out of reach.  However, the renewed life and quick pace of miles 76-85 brought it back into the realm of possibility.  Still tough, but possible.  We departed Bulls Gap at 2:55 a.m., giving us just over 3 hours to cover 15 miles to break 24 hours.  Not an easy task after 85 miles, but worth a shot.  Our plan was to run miles 85-95 at a hard, steady effort in order to bank time so that the last five miles could be easy and relaxed.  My stomach cooperated and my legs still felt quite good, and we covered miles 85-95 at just over a 9:00/mile pace, assuring a sub-24 hour finish absent any major issues the last five miles. 

The last five miles were tough, as the quick pace of miles 76-95 caught up to me, but Andon kept me on a solid pace.  The last three miles were on a long road leading into the Sylacauga High School football stadium.  This was the longest road I have ever seen.  The three miles felt like 30, but before long we made the turn into the football stadium and began the half lap around the track to the finish line.  Sally joined me and we crossed the line together in 23:32, a full 28 minutes under the goal time of 24 hours.

The experience was phenomenal.  I enjoyed all but five miles of the race (70-75 for those not paying attention).  That said, I’m glad it’s over.  My body and mind were trashed after it was over, but the feeling of accomplishment is hard to beat.  Turns out I finished 23^rd out of around 200 runners and was the first Alabama finisher. 

Special Thanks to:

-          My crew and pacers Sally Dollar, Andon Briggs, John Cobbs, Beth Briggs, Allan Campo, Donna Campo and Parker Briggs, who were tremendous throughout the entire race.  The devotional entitled “Running Alone” speaks more to their immeasurable contributions to my race.  I am eternally grateful to each of you.

-          Those who came out to cheer and support in person: Randy Hemphill, Casey Smith, Jennifer Smith, Jeff Roberts and Will Harris. 

-          All who texted, called, emailed and Facebooked messages of encouragement.  They were all felt.

-          My parents for keeping Luke and Anna while Sally and I were at the race.  We exhausted our sitters for this?!?!

-          Jack Bauer for keeping me company on treadmill runs with episodes of 24 on Netflix.

-          Will Harris, John Gregg, John Cobbs, Andon Briggs, Mike Chase and others who joined me on training runs the last few months.

-          Randy and Melody Hemphill – The partnership with LIFE Ministries has been a huge encouragement to me during training and leading up to the race.  Your ministry is second to none and it has been an honor to come alongside you on this journey.

-          All who have donated to LIFE Ministries through the race.

In fact, you can still donate by visiting http://runforlifenow.com/.  If you were waiting to see if I'd actually finish the race before donating, now you can! 

Run for Life - Running Alone

Below is my final devotional written for LIFE Ministries.  This one was written after the race.  You can still donate to LIFE Ministries by visiting http://runforlifenow.com/.  If you were waiting to see if I finished before donating, I did and now it's your turn!  Thank you!

November 8, 2012 – Running Alone

Done.  After months of training and preparation the Pinhoti 100 is complete.  I am very pleased with the outcome.  My first goal was to finish, but my secondary goal was to complete the course in less than 24 hours.  Before daybreak on Sunday I crossed the finish line in 23 hours and 32 minutes.  A full 28 minutes to spare.  Could have cut it closer, but not much!

The whole race experience was surreal.  It was an amazing day, with tremendous highs and painful lows.  The following is a very small sample of my thoughts throughout the day.  I promise I am not making these up.

“It’s November…why is it so hot?”

“This is going to be easy.”
“Who’s idea was this?  Oh yeah, mine.”
“Is that Jason (Friday the 13^th) behind that tree?”  Note:  Watching Halloween movies the week of an all-night trail race is not a good idea.
“If only a wild animal would attack me, leaving me alive but hurt right here on the trail, I could quit now and everyone would understand.”
“I may crash and burn, but I’m going all out the last 15 miles.”
“I think I’m going to throw up.  No, pass out.”
"Throwing up would help.  Nope, i was wrong."
“This is the longest road ever.”  (Final 3 miles was on a road leading to the finish line.)
“Wow!  This is really going to happen.”

Needless to say, if there were a way to get inside my head for the race it would have been quite entertaining.

Much of my day was spent in my own thoughts, reflecting and praying on various aspects of my life.  Sometimes I just tuned out.  I enjoy the time alone to pause and reflect, and in this case to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation at the same time.  Time alone is abundant in running, but during this race I was not alone.

I could not have completed the race without the help of my crew, pacers and the volunteers at each of the race aid stations.  My crew met me at 10 different points throughout the race and provided me with everything I needed to complete the race.  Some stops, especially early in the race, were brief and only a swap of water bottles was needed.  Later in the race more attention was necessary, and my crew and the race volunteers were there to meet every physical need while providing encouragement to get me over the mental hurdles.

A few examples.  At mile 40 I was feeling nauseous due to heat, so my crew provided me with ice to cool down.  At mile 55 they taped a bad blister that was forming on the ball of my left foot.  At mile 75, when I could barely stand, my pacer gave me various drinks/foods to help my stomach recover after it shut down.  At mile 85 the crew altered the original plan to change the types of fluids I would carry for the remaining 15 miles.  Yes, I ran my own personal race, but without the support of many people I would not have made it to the finish.  Obviously I could not have provided my own ice or blister kit, and these are just a couple small examples.  Alone I would have had access only to what I carried with me, which would have lasted only a short time.

Our Christian faith is much the same.  Our relationship with Christ is personal, but not private.  Our faith is strengthened by walking with other believers and encouraging each other along our way.  Sometimes only a little encouragement and support is needed, while other times more care and attention is required. 

Our community of believers should look very similar to my crew in this race.  My crew was finely in tune with my needs and was ready to respond and adapt.  We should do the same for our fellow Christians.  This is critical.  In fact, it is Christ’s design for the church.  John 17:21-23 includes part of Christ’s prayer for all believers, praying that all of us may be one so that the world may believe in Him.  Jesus wants us to be united together, involved in the good and bad of each other’s lives.  This is so different than what we’re accustomed to in our self-centered and individualistic society.  We want to live like the cowboy in the western movie, walking into town tough and alone.  Christ calls us to just the opposite.  We need each other.  It is okay to acknowledge this.

No doubt, being deeply involved in the lives of other believers can be messy, very similar to treating someone else’s blister 55 miles into a race.  It may seem easier to withdraw from the headaches and isolate yourself away from others.  Don’t let the enemy take you out of the battle like that.  Encourage others, be involved, care about people’s struggles and their successes…and don’t be surprised when they do the same for you.

My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.  May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

- John 17:20-23