Massanutten Mountain Trails (MMT) 100 Race Report
14-15 May 2011
by Karen Taber
I did it! I completed my first 100-mile race. I was by no means fast finishing in 35 hours, 28 minutes, 41 seconds, which is less than 32 minutes before the cut-off time of 36 hours. But I'm okay with that although I definitely want to do better in the future. Even before I finished my first 50 mile last summer I decided I really wanted to make MMT my first 100 despite the notorious rocks for several reasons. First it is a first-class race put on by my club, the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (VHTRC). This guaranteed a well-run race and lots of experts I could rely on for advice. Second, this race was less than 2 hours away from where I lived in Northern Virginia which made it possible to do occasional training runs on the course on my own during the weekend and also participate in the VHTRC training runs that cover every part of the course. Third, I was leaving the state in the summer and this race would be a great way to celebrate the beautiful Virginia trails I've come to love in the past three years. So in early December 2010, I promptly applied and crossed my fingers hoping I would get in through the lottery system.
I got lucky and ended up on the list. Obsessive is a word my patient and supportive husband, Darryl used a few times but it is the most accurate word to describe how wrapped up I was in MMT and the training leading up to it. I don't regret my dedication. This race was all it was cracked up to be. I loved it! I knew I would be more than happy with just finishing the race within established cut-offs. But given my history of lolly-gagging and not paying attention to time in past races, I decided to set a soft goal of completing the race in 32 hours to give myself enough cushion between cut-offs with the plan that I would only continue to strive for that goal if I was running comfortably and not pushing it too hard especially early on in the race. So I set goals between aid stations based on split times from a runner last year. This worked out well for the first 30 or so miles as I was able to stay ahead of my aid station goals. However, shortly between Elizabeth Furnace, Aid Station #4 (the 32 mile point) the heavy humidity, right big toe slamming against shoe, and stomach issues started getting to me. This slowed me down significantly especially when I unexpectedly ended up changing my shoes at Aid Station #4. Although I was still on target through Elizabeth Furnace due to arriving earlier than planned at Aid stations 1-3, I started to lose a few minutes between each aid station until Camp Roosevelt (63-mile point) at which time I gave the 32-hour goal up for good. However, I was still okay because I still had a decent time cushion throughout the race.
The weather during the race was on and off. The forecast was 80% chance of rain and 70 degrees during the day. However, it actually turned out to be very humid with clear skies throughout. It did rain quite a bit throughout the night that made for wet and somewhat miserable running. Sunday morning dawned bright and warm but it clouded up quickly towards the end and rained really, really hard the last 3 miles of the race. I had to chuckle a little when it started to rain so hard so close to the end.
My biggest challenges...
Sleep deprivation. Despite taking a sleeping pill at 7:30 p.m. and being in bed by 8:30 pm. the night before, I still only got 2 hours of sleep. Very frustrating as I think it made it so much more difficult during the night portions of the race. It didn't help that I kept obsessing about the "less than 2 hours" but later in the race, I talked myself into thinking that I really got 7 hours of sleep which at least stopped me from dwelling on the little sleep I actually got. I had a few minor hallucinations that consisted of a branch that looked like a snake and a runner standing downhill from me in a bright green hat and jacket that was actually just leaves on a tree. To stay awake, I ended up taking three 5-hour energy drinks throughout the night and early in the morning. I did seem very alert after the first and second shots but they definitely wore off earlier than the 5 hours with the last shot not seeming to help at all. I cut caffeine about two weeks before the race so the effects of caffeine during the race would be amplified but I couldn't tell if this helped or not. I plan on trying this technique in future races.
Blistered feet. I thought that I had blister prevention figured out having read "How to Fix Your Feet" but I only changed my socks twice when I really should have changed them at least one more time given the muddy, wet conditions. I also planted a pair of socks in early drop bags and didn't leave enough extra socks with Darryl for late in the race. I ended up with 7 blisters on my feet and only bothered to fix one around Mile 50. This was not a smart move and did slow me down more than it should have.
Nausea/Light headed. Periodically through the night portion while running a ridgeline, I felt nauseated. Marina, one of my pacers, believed it was due to disorientation caused by running at night and focusing too much on following a light. It did help when she stopped and held a pressure point at the base of my thumb several times. This recurred during the last 12 miles of the race in the daylight but added to that was a really fast heart rate. It helped when I stopped and either sat on a rock or stood there for a minute. I'm not exactly sure what caused the daylight lightheadedness and fast heart rate but I may have pushed it too hard in the 13-14 miles prior to that section, something was off balance, or maybe my body was just simply too tired.
Lost number. At the 77-mile point (Visitor Center), I decided to change my shorts due to an increasing chafing issue between my thighs (the only chafing I had in the race). The fresh pair of shorts (slightly longer than my first pair) did resolve my chafing issue. However, I created another problem. Although I very carefully removed my race number and the pins from the old shorts, I neglected to pin it on my new shorts and ended up leaving the aid station without my race number. I discovered this after about a half-mile of steep climbing up Bird Knob. This really bummed me out, as I was afraid that I would be kicked out at the next aid station. Marina was kind enough to run back to the aid station and look for it. Unfortunately, instead of continuing to climb while she went back to the aid station, I stood there and waited for her. I did debate while standing there for the 20-25 minutes she was gone, whether I should keep going rather than wait but my tired mind thought no I better wait because she wouldn't know where I was. This actually made no sense because the trail only went one way, was well-marked and we both knew it well. Foolish! One of the first things she said when she came back up was that I should have kept going as she would have easily caught up to me since she was relatively fresh. To complicate matters, she didn't find my number. Thankfully the aid station assured her that they would call ahead so it wouldn't create a problem. It still made me feel bad every time I ran into an aid station and especially at the finish when I crossed the line. #180 had become my identity as a MMT runner and I felt a little off without it. Later that night Darryl found my number under the passenger seat of his truck.
Things that worked well for me…
Aid station chart. Rather than think about how many miles I had to run, I decided the best way to do the race was only to concentrate on running from aid station to aid station. In order to keep the miles and time allowed between each aid station clear, I made up a chart that I protected in plastic and pinned upside down on my shirt. This worked well as I was able to stay focused. I 'll use this technique again.
Shoes. I used Inov-8 Roclite trail shoes. I started wearing these last summer and really like them. I had two pairs of shoes and planned on changing shoes at the Mile 63 point. The first pair were 9s which are half-size bigger than my normal shoes and worked great for my two 50 miles and all my training runs. However, my second pair of shoes were a 9.5. This was mostly because my favorite shoe store didn't have another size 9 so I ended up with 9.5. I'm glad I did. Shortly before Mile 30 I realized the big toe of my right foot was getting banged up really bad on down hills so I made the decision at the Mile 32 point to switch into the 9.5. Although I ended up losing my big toe nail due the smaller shoe in the beginning, it could have been a more painful run the rest of the way if I had waited until Mile 63 to change shoes as planned. I definitely will use size 9.5 for my longer races from now on.
Tapering. I believe that I had a good taper before the race after my longest run—15 miles in the morning and 37 at night—took place 3 weeks before MMT. Although I was tempted to run more and at times felt lazy during those 3 weeks, I believe my legs were well-rested before MMT as they didn't feel tired or sore during the race except for minor ITB issues near my left ankle and knee. Wrapping and two Ibroprofen at Mile 72 took it away. I had expected my legs to be super sore during the last part of the race as that is what happened in my first 50-mile race but they didn't become sore until after I finished.
My pacers and crew. I had two pacers who were terrific. The first one was Marina who paced me from Mile 63 to about Mile 87. Marina was able to run the last 37 or so miles of the course with me during the daytime and nighttime MMT training runs helping me better prepare. During the race, she pushed me when I needed it and even taught me a neat trick about pressure points to control nausea. Also after 63 miles of mostly running alone, it was just nice to have someone to talk to and take my mind off how many more miles I had yet to cover.
My husband, Darryl, was my pacer from Mile 87 to the end. He was also my crew throughout the race. He was so patient while I spent hours on the trail training leading up to the race and was willing to crew and pace me during the race. He waited long hours at aid stations, treated blisters, and generally took care of me. I know how bored he got at times but I'm so glad he and Heidi, my dog, could be there for me.
Aid stations. Great aid stations with plenty of food that offered variety—scrambled eggs, good soup, and watermelon. Also the people were awesome. At the last aid station, Darryl and I were encouraged not to hang out too long by the aid station captain. To be honest I felt pressured and a little annoyed when it happened but was grateful for it later on when we didn't feel stressed the last few miles about making the 36-hour cut-off.
Nature. As always, it was great to run through the beautiful mountains of Virginia. The rocks were even great in a beautiful but challenging sort of way. I didn't see any animals that I recall. I did hear about two rattlesnakes I was happy to have avoided. There was one sighted about 10 minutes before I came through a particular area and one about 10 minutes after I came through another section.
Finishing…
I actually had mixed feelings crossing the finish line. It felt good to finally reach my goal but I also felt a little off because I didn't have my number and it was kind of a letdown having finally completed my goal after striving for it for so long. Also Darryl didn't finish the last mile with me as I had envisioned because he had to run ahead to pack up our camp and take care of the dog who was sick. Because of this, I was unable to change out of my very wet clothes until he returned about an hour later. Also all of the good food was gone. I do have to say one nice volunteer made me a can of soup and did his best to take care of me with limited food choices. Overall, during the race I never felt like quitting although I was tempted to take a nap here and there. Bottom line, I'm hooked! I definitely want to do many more 100s in the future.