Rich Gleason and I ran the Umstead 100 this past weekend. We both finished within the 30 hour time limit. We had no injuries, no blisters, just a few cramps after we stopped. Neither one of us got depressed, sleepy nor started hallucinting. I wore the same shoes through the entire 100 miles, New Balance 1022s, and they treated me better than my mother used to. I finished in 29 hours and 35 minutes and Rich finished a few minutes before me. We stayed together the entire 29-plus hours until the last quarter mile, when Rich moved ahead to pass a veteran California ultrarunner with a big ego. We were told by race officials that we were the last group that would officially finish and I was determined not to finish next-to-last, so I walked in with a 71- year- old veteran Umsteader and insisted he cross the line before me. I won the award for being the last official finisher, 78th out of 183 starters. We started slow, ate and drank a lot and had a wonderful time. It was hot Saturday, but a very heavy noon rain cooled things off a while. Saturday night was perfect, probably in the upper 40s, followed by a warm, sunny Sunday. It was a wonderful experience.
Mary Proctor and my wife, Mona, provided us with food, drink and plenty of cheer at the beginning of each 10 mile loop. Wild Bill "the animal" van Antwerp and Russ Evans were there and assisted. Bill ran the 50 in something ridiculous (like 5 hours probably), and then decided to call it a day due to the fact that the entire course had an inch of pollen on it and it affected his breathing. To be able to run part of a lap during an ultramarathon with the legend was indeed a thrill for someone as slow as me.
The field was made up of runners from all over the country and a few from overseas. Every one of them was a joy, except the few so focused they didn't know anyone else was on the trail. Blake Norwood, the race director, and his wife Myra were two of the nicest people I've ever met. This race is so well put on that runners should pay $80 to go to it just for the food that is provided. Mona had so much fun that she said I have to run it again next year so she can go back and visit.
From a technical standpoint, I ran 40 to 70 miles a week for three months, most of it at a 10 to 12 minute per mile pace. Each week I'd do a slow 20 miles or more long run-walk. Rich and I had two training runs of 30 and 34 miles, the last being three weeks before the race. We started the run at a 15 to 20 minute per mile pace, and kept it up pretty much throughout. We walked the ups and slowly jogged the downs. The uphills are very long, one being a mile to the top, as are the downhills. It was very scenic. We saw one copperhead on the trail and heard a bunch of wild turkeys gobbling at night.
They say running a 50 mile ultramarathon is easier than running a marathon. I won't say that running a 100 mile ultramarathon is easier than running a 50, but I will say that anyone who can run the JFK faster than me (which is everyone in Reston Runners), can run a 100 with just a little extra training. The feeling of accomplishment when you finish is beyond words.
My mom and dad both passed away last year. My mom would have been very proud of me. My dad, after I told him I ran the JFK-50, said it was stupid. I wonder what he would say now?