Creemore Horizontal 100 Mile RR

markc7 · Dec 7, 2010

I haven't written a race report in a long time, mostly because I took off almost two years from ultra running. This spring I DNF'd a 100 miler, then covered a pedestrian 45 km in a 6-hour race. My plan after that was to either run Haliburton 100 in September, or wait until 2011 and try a different 100 miler. But when I heard about the Creemore Horizontal 100 Mile Fat-Ass race, I changed my mind. I've been interested in running a long race in cold weather, and this seemed like a great chance. And at 0$, you can't beat the price!
 
I drove down to Creemore the day before and had a relaxing meal in the town pub that evening. The weather forecast was strange; Creemore was predicted to get a couple cm of snow, but the city of Barrie just thirty minutes away was supposed to get 15 cm of snow! The wind was howling all night, and I started to worry that the race would be more than I had bargained for. Nevertheless, I slept well and arrived at the race site a few minutes before the 6am start.
 
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The race started with a 2km out and back spur. The snow was flying, but with the wind at our backs, the first km felt fine. Then we turned around. The snow bit at exposed flesh, and the howling wind drowned out even the loudest music of those wearing earbuds. I can honestly say that the only time in the whole race that I despaired of finishing was in the 1 km return. I simply could not imagine running for any length of time in weather like this, let alone all day and night. Of course, that early in a race dropping out wasn't actually an option, and it was easy enough (though a bit unpleasant) to keep running.
 
We then started on the first of 15 10.5km laps. The first two km was flat and easy on rural roads through town. A sharp left hand turn at a bridge revealed the first challenge; a steep and long uphill road past some farms and a cemetery (the race director had helpfully suggested that if we encountered problems during the race, we were to stop there). The first time up the hill wasn't too bad, but we all knew that by the later laps we'd be pretty tired of it. Around 4 km into the loop, we turned onto a trail section with some nice, small rolling hills. At this point there was plenty of snow on the ground (and more falling) and the sun had started to rise. After a steep downhill, the trail crossed a beaver dam before turning sharply upwards to the 5km aid station.
 
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/65085/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="CH100 elevation.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15344" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15344/width/700/height/400" style="; width: 700px; height: 400px"></a>
 
As a Fat-Ass style race, all the goodies at the aid stations were brought by the runners themselves. But let me tell you, we weren't wanting for anything. This actually might have been the best stocked race I've run. After the aid station we were on back country roads for another two km, most of which was downhill. The course then turned into a small conservation area beside a river for the remainder of the distance back to the start/finish area. Although there were less than 30 runners in this event, most of us were still fairly bunched up at this point, and several of us entered the aid station together.
 
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Because it was still early in the race, my stops at the aid stations were short. I ran the first four laps in about 1:30 each, but was slowing down each loop. The snow gradually tapered off, and the weather alternated between clouds and clear blue sky for the rest of the day. My girlfriend joined me for the third lap. Unfortunately, around that time my stomach started acting up, as it often does in long races. It's a bit frustrating, because after my first two or three 100 milers I thought I had nutrition figured out. With my ultra-running hiatus, I seem to have lost much of my ability to stomach food when going long. A few times throughout the day I had to lay down on the couch in the indoor start/finish aid station to let my stomach settle. I lost tons of time doing so, but I am sure that it saved my race. If I had started to heave only 50km into the race, I would have been toast.
 
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/65077/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="DSCF0925.resized.JPG" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15340" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15340/width/253/height/338" style="width:253px;height:338px;"></a>
 
For the rest of the day, I made an effort to not get into conversations with other runners. I'm not anti-social, but I find that I sometimes let myself get dragged up or down to other runner's pace. I wanted to run my race, and the best solution seemed to be to turn on my mp3 player and tune out other distractions. I spent the next ten hours listening to an audiobook of “Pride and Prejudice” and before I knew it several laps had past. My girlfriend left for the night at around 11pm, but not before finding me a pacer for the next two laps. Neil is a great trail runner and RD who has paced me once before, at Dirty Girls 24-hour in 2008 when I set my 100 mile PR. It was just what I needed; he was willing to chat but didn't expect much conversation from my end, he encouraged me to run but was responsive to my occasional need to walk, and his headlamp was about a million times brighter than my tiny flashlight. The two darkest and coldest laps passed quickly. Neil started to run a third lap with me, but a pre-existing injury flared up and he pulled out shortly before the aid station.
 
Running a 100 mile race at this latitude at this time of year means more night than day. Fortunately the temperatures didn't drop too low at night, although it was cold enough to require an extra layer. The night felt like it lasted an absurdly long time, but eventually the sky slowly started to get brighter. With three laps to go at 5:30am, I felt confident that I would finish, but I was well aware than at my current pace my cushion was only half an hour. I managed to pick up the pace by about ten minutes on my second to last lap, and then felt comfortable relaxing a bit.
 
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Last time up the hill.
 
As I stated my last lap with my girlfriend pacing, I knew that I was in DFL position or close to it, but didn't care in the least. After two and a half years since my last 100 mile finish, this felt as good as my first ever buckle. She took lots of pictures along the way, and ran ahead in the last half km in order to wait at the finish line. I was the last person to cross the finish, and although many had gone home, most the volunteers and many of the runners were still there to cheer for me. My RD handed me a unique pottery belt buckle, and I was helped to a chair. The next thing I knew, the volunteers were offering me a glass of Champagne! That night, Monica Scholz had completed the last of her World Record 25 100 milers in 2010, breaking her own previous world record of 23. Champagne was definitely in order! In total, 12 of 26 runners had completed the 100 milers. Although the RD said that this was a one-shot event, I'm sure I'm not the only one hoping that Creemore Horizontal becomes an annual event.

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Crossing the beaver dam on the last lap.
 
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The course followed this river for a few km.
 
 
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<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/65089/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="pace.png" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15346" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15346/width/560/height/350" style="; width: 560px; height: 350px"></a>
 
Not the greatest pacing, but not too bad either.

Carl A · Dec 7, 2010

Thanks for posting this report. Your writing and the pictures show the beautiful desolation that is, to me, the primary challenge of such an event. I too hope that it becomes an annual thing, so that I can eventually get there for it. It's also great to hear that Monica accomplished her goal.

Buzzie · Dec 8, 2010

Congratulations!! Way to make an ultra comeback!
I really enjoyed reading your report.
And, I, too, hope this event happens again - I'd hoped to be there this year, but a broken foot has kept me down.
 
So cool to learn about Monica - I'd been wondering about her, off an on, since meeting her on the trail at Burning River. (She offered me a bite of her popsicle!)

runNYtrails · Dec 9, 2010

<img alt="occasion18.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/occasion18.gif"> yay !! way to go markc7 ! A 100 Mile FA ! Now that's some real Ultrarunnin' ! No chips and choppers !
 
Thanks for the report and pics.

Creemore Horizontal 100 Mile RR

markc7

Carl A

Buzzie

runNYtrails

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