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Executive Summary: i missed the cutoff at mile 48 by a few minutes and was pulled from the course. wow.<br><br><br>
The short and long of it all:<br>
Last year i ran this race and there was some terrible weather. I barely made the cutoffs and had some issues with the race organization, but i chalked it up to the weather and looked forward to returning this year. My husband also wanted to try his had at the bike race.<br><br>
After I signed up for the VT50, i decided to do the Grand Teton 100 miler a few weeks before. One of the hardest 100 milers out there. THEN we bought a house, painted and moved. This past month was exhaustive. If my DH was not signed up for the bike race, i would have bagged the race, but since we were going i decided to run and just enjoy myself.<br><br>
The race started off well and it was foggy and a bit cool and damp. The first several miles were uneventful. I was having some minor piriformis issues, which i have not had since February, and took some advil and it made it bearable (piriformis pain = pain in the ass!!!!).<br><br>
At the 13 (?) mile aid station, we were able to get our drop bags. I arrived there and saw Gingerbread. What a nice surprise!!!!! We looked for my drop bag and it was no where to be found. I had counted on my Ensures and Clif blocks for my nutrition for the next big bulk of the race (to mile 35.5 with the next drop bags). I tried to hold back my temper tantrum and be positive. Ginger had a granola bar thing and i took that and some cookies and tried to shake it off. This is where i nutritionally got very far behind during the race, which i am sure was a HUGE factor in the last stretch.<br><br>
The next stretch was long. 8+ miles to the next aid station. I was doing well and powering up the uphills very well. The 21 mile aid station is decieving, you see it and hear it WAY before you get there. I remembered that from last year. It is such a tease after over 8 miles in the woods. Once there i was shocked to find i was 10 minutes ahead of the cutoff. I picked up the pace and 6+ miles later, i was 40+ minutes ahead of the cutoff at the next aid station.<br><br>
This aid station was memorable for me, because this is where the torrential storms and heavy rains came thru in the previous year. This year, this is also where i started to rapidly past other runners for the rest of the race. Not something i have a lot experience doing in ultras! i passed 13 (one finally repassed me 45 miles in) during the rest of the race. I felt good here and felt like i was doing very well with my time.<br><br>
Mile 35.5 was the next drop bag point and where i saw Ginger again. She helped me load up on clif blocks and ensures. She also walked with me for a while up the trail. Seeing her was, by far, the highlight of the entire race!<br><br>
This is where the race fell apart for me, this year and last. It was supposed to be 5.4 miles to the next aid station. AND just like last year, i ran for 100+ minutes. A lot of this section was downhill switchbacks and i was running at a good clip. When i finally got to the aid station, they informed me i was only 37.5 miles into the race. WTF?<br><br>
I went thru the aid station fast and did not stop for anything but a quick swig of coke. I did not have time to stop and wanted to just spend more time at the next aid station. As i approached the 43 (?) mile aid station, the volunteer yelled down the road to me that i had only one minute to get there or they were going to pull me (they ended up letting three people behind me continue, and they were no where near me at that point). Last year this same aid station told me i would never make the next cutoff and i did! This year, i would not be so lucky. I knew i was pushing it close to the time and really wanted to just make the last cut off. I did not stop to pee or eat or refill my camelbak. I just wanted to go forward fast. I started to run and run fast. After a short while my legs just could not take it and for the first time ever in my ultra career, my legs felt like they were going to stop and fail on me all together in the middle of the woods. So, i walked for a little bit and then ran/walked as fast as i could muster.<br><br>
I turned my timer to clock and knew i had to make it to the cutoff by 6:15pm. I ran by a group of people who cheered me on and told me i looked awesome and i said "as long as they let me continue!" and they said, of course they would. I rounded the corner to the road to the final aid station and knew i was out of time. I knew it was close and knew it could go either way when i got there. I came up the drive to the station and was shocked to find the aid station gone, and i was only a few minutes late. All the food gone, all the drink gone, all the drop bags gone, and most of the volunteers gone. I asked if i was going to be allowed to continue and told them i had a handheld light, but they said no. I then asked how i was going to get back to the finish and the race official said he did not know. WTF???Then i asked if he can radio to the finish to tell my husband that i was pulled at mile 48 and he said no. WTF? So i beg around for a ride until i get one.<br><br>
A woman behind me at the race came up there at the time i was finding a ride and was shocked to know she was pulled. She cried and was in disbelief. I felt so bad for her and hugged her before i left for the finish. Turns out, the aid station was closed down early and the four guys ahead of me (at least 10-15 minutes) were pulled before the cut off time!!!!! This is what angers me. Not the fact that i did not finish, but the way they dealt with it. The lack of food and water for us there was uncalled for. The drop bags already gone sucked as well. My husband said he kept asking the officials at the finish if i made the last cut off and they said they had not heard. My husband also heard the RD walkie talkie way before the cut off time to the last aid station to bring the drop bags in and they tried to argue with him as there were a lot of runners still out there.<br><br>
I feel worst for the people around me who did not finish their first 50 miler. Three of those guys said they will never run another ultra again <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Sad"><br><br>
I also think i will never do this race again. The issues i had with the race last year were not because of the weather, but actually with the race.<br><br>
I also think i should stick to 100 milers <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy">
The short and long of it all:<br>
Last year i ran this race and there was some terrible weather. I barely made the cutoffs and had some issues with the race organization, but i chalked it up to the weather and looked forward to returning this year. My husband also wanted to try his had at the bike race.<br><br>
After I signed up for the VT50, i decided to do the Grand Teton 100 miler a few weeks before. One of the hardest 100 milers out there. THEN we bought a house, painted and moved. This past month was exhaustive. If my DH was not signed up for the bike race, i would have bagged the race, but since we were going i decided to run and just enjoy myself.<br><br>
The race started off well and it was foggy and a bit cool and damp. The first several miles were uneventful. I was having some minor piriformis issues, which i have not had since February, and took some advil and it made it bearable (piriformis pain = pain in the ass!!!!).<br><br>
At the 13 (?) mile aid station, we were able to get our drop bags. I arrived there and saw Gingerbread. What a nice surprise!!!!! We looked for my drop bag and it was no where to be found. I had counted on my Ensures and Clif blocks for my nutrition for the next big bulk of the race (to mile 35.5 with the next drop bags). I tried to hold back my temper tantrum and be positive. Ginger had a granola bar thing and i took that and some cookies and tried to shake it off. This is where i nutritionally got very far behind during the race, which i am sure was a HUGE factor in the last stretch.<br><br>
The next stretch was long. 8+ miles to the next aid station. I was doing well and powering up the uphills very well. The 21 mile aid station is decieving, you see it and hear it WAY before you get there. I remembered that from last year. It is such a tease after over 8 miles in the woods. Once there i was shocked to find i was 10 minutes ahead of the cutoff. I picked up the pace and 6+ miles later, i was 40+ minutes ahead of the cutoff at the next aid station.<br><br>
This aid station was memorable for me, because this is where the torrential storms and heavy rains came thru in the previous year. This year, this is also where i started to rapidly past other runners for the rest of the race. Not something i have a lot experience doing in ultras! i passed 13 (one finally repassed me 45 miles in) during the rest of the race. I felt good here and felt like i was doing very well with my time.<br><br>
Mile 35.5 was the next drop bag point and where i saw Ginger again. She helped me load up on clif blocks and ensures. She also walked with me for a while up the trail. Seeing her was, by far, the highlight of the entire race!<br><br>
This is where the race fell apart for me, this year and last. It was supposed to be 5.4 miles to the next aid station. AND just like last year, i ran for 100+ minutes. A lot of this section was downhill switchbacks and i was running at a good clip. When i finally got to the aid station, they informed me i was only 37.5 miles into the race. WTF?<br><br>
I went thru the aid station fast and did not stop for anything but a quick swig of coke. I did not have time to stop and wanted to just spend more time at the next aid station. As i approached the 43 (?) mile aid station, the volunteer yelled down the road to me that i had only one minute to get there or they were going to pull me (they ended up letting three people behind me continue, and they were no where near me at that point). Last year this same aid station told me i would never make the next cutoff and i did! This year, i would not be so lucky. I knew i was pushing it close to the time and really wanted to just make the last cut off. I did not stop to pee or eat or refill my camelbak. I just wanted to go forward fast. I started to run and run fast. After a short while my legs just could not take it and for the first time ever in my ultra career, my legs felt like they were going to stop and fail on me all together in the middle of the woods. So, i walked for a little bit and then ran/walked as fast as i could muster.<br><br>
I turned my timer to clock and knew i had to make it to the cutoff by 6:15pm. I ran by a group of people who cheered me on and told me i looked awesome and i said "as long as they let me continue!" and they said, of course they would. I rounded the corner to the road to the final aid station and knew i was out of time. I knew it was close and knew it could go either way when i got there. I came up the drive to the station and was shocked to find the aid station gone, and i was only a few minutes late. All the food gone, all the drink gone, all the drop bags gone, and most of the volunteers gone. I asked if i was going to be allowed to continue and told them i had a handheld light, but they said no. I then asked how i was going to get back to the finish and the race official said he did not know. WTF???Then i asked if he can radio to the finish to tell my husband that i was pulled at mile 48 and he said no. WTF? So i beg around for a ride until i get one.<br><br>
A woman behind me at the race came up there at the time i was finding a ride and was shocked to know she was pulled. She cried and was in disbelief. I felt so bad for her and hugged her before i left for the finish. Turns out, the aid station was closed down early and the four guys ahead of me (at least 10-15 minutes) were pulled before the cut off time!!!!! This is what angers me. Not the fact that i did not finish, but the way they dealt with it. The lack of food and water for us there was uncalled for. The drop bags already gone sucked as well. My husband said he kept asking the officials at the finish if i made the last cut off and they said they had not heard. My husband also heard the RD walkie talkie way before the cut off time to the last aid station to bring the drop bags in and they tried to argue with him as there were a lot of runners still out there.<br><br>
I feel worst for the people around me who did not finish their first 50 miler. Three of those guys said they will never run another ultra again <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Sad"><br><br>
I also think i will never do this race again. The issues i had with the race last year were not because of the weather, but actually with the race.<br><br>
I also think i should stick to 100 milers <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy">
