Subject: RR100 report - long Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 13:01:49 +0000 From: Jan Ryerse Organization: Saint Louis University I haven't seen many 2000 RR100 reports on the list so here's mine - its kinda long but you can speed-resd it in 3 or 4 minutes. The conditions were ideal for most of the runners and there were some teriffic times posted included Jim Garcia's overall win and Janice Anderson's 2.5 hour course record. I like it warmer than it was at RR this year but the crisp clear air made for an enjoyable day and night on the trails and in the woods of Huntsville State Park. Here's my report: Rocky Racoon 2000 was cool and dry, quite a change from last year's warm and humid conditions. On Wednesday, I drove the 800 miles from St. Louis and camped in Huntsville SP in my van. Thursday morning I helped fill water containers at race headquarters and then returned to my campsite to relax. Rolly Portelance and his wife from Sudbury Ontario pulled into the campsite next to me in his RV and we had a good chat. RR 2000 was to be his 50th 100 miler. Friday afternoon I hiked a bit and then went to the race briefing. I met my SLUG buddies, Gary Fuerst and Mark Williams, who had just arrived from Houston after flying in from St. Louis and we had a good feed at the pasta dinner. They headed off to La Quinta Inn in Huntsville and I went back to my campsite for last minute preparations. Saturday morning came clear and cold, probably well down in the 30's. I set up my little aid station with food, clothes, lights batteries chair etc at the start/finish area since I'd be coming through at the end of each 20 mile loop. At 6 am in the dark we were off. I carried a hand-held water bottle and wore a UD solo torso pack with a second bottle full of Succeed. I was wearing 2 coolmax shirts, a light jacket, a wool cap, gloves, tights and Adidas Shimantos shoes with thorlo socks. I don't like cold weather and I don't understand how people can go out in shorts and singlets or short sleeve shirts on a morning like this. The first 3/4 mile or so was on a well worn asphalt and dirt path and then we crossed a road and entered the woods onto a single track trail which was very rooty. Even with a flashlight you had to watch your foot placement carefully or you'd go down. It was still pretty crowded until we reached the first out and back which is on a wide dirt service road and then things thinned out a bit. You can make good time on this section out to the first aid station at about 3.5 miles. I pass Gary, Mark and Mike Price from Utah running together as they come back from the turnaround. They are already a good distance ahead of me. I know these guys are going to attempt to burn this course today and there's no way I can stay with them. I see Earl Blewett from Oklahoma wearing his trademark white cowboy hat and lots of other people I know. I'm determined to run easy and as I count off the runners coming back towards me I find I'm in about 50th place of 140 starters. Its light now as we work our way back along the service road and soon turn we turn into the woods onto another narrow single track trail. This winds up and down some gentle hills and we come out onto another service road which makes a couple of 90 degree turns which brings us into aid station number 2 at 7 miles. From here its 2.5 miles out to a turn-around and back to the same aid station. I like this section of the course - you're about as far away from the sounds of civilization - campers, boaters and hikers- as you can get. Except for a couple of mountain bikers its just us runners out here. Once back at aid station 2/3 I refill my bottles and grab some banana pieces and cookies and am off. We retrace our route and then turn off towards the lake and the dam. There's a short loop down around behind the dam and then we're up on a long straight path paralleling the lake shore - we can see the start/finish area about a half mile away directly across the lake but we have 7 miles or so to go to get there. Its back into the forest again onto a rather featureless trail - just the trees and palmetto palms and shrubbery - this section seems to go on and on. But then we run down to a short wooden footbridge which signals that we are coming to the boardwalks traversing the marshy areas at the north end of the lake. If you glance to your left here you can see the 2.5 mile out and back turnaround about 20 feet away but I won't be there again for another 15 miles or so. Now its back along the lake to aid station 4 and then up a hill and into the final 2.7 miles which brings you back to the asphalt/dirt path we went out on and back into the start/ finish area. I get weighed and am still at 162 - exactly the same as at weigh in the day before. First loop done in 3:35. I take off my tights for my shorts which I'm wearing underneath my tights, put on some dry shirts, drink an Ensure, down a GU, put my tape player and a couple of tapes in a pouch on my torso belt and I'm off on loop two. This loop takes me 30 minutes longer than loop 1 - its still quite cool and my legs feel tight. Unlike most ultrarunners I'd much rather have it in the 60s, 70s or even 80s - my legs feel much looser when it's warm. The day wears on and the hours pass. Soon I'm finished the 3rd lap and its now quite dark. I put my tights on again, get my headlamp on and handheld light, down another ensure and GU, change my tapes and I'm off on the trail again. It's 7 pm and I'm running and walking alone. No moon but a very clear night with very bright stars. Its going to get cold tonight! I stop on the flats alongside the lake after passing the dam this loop to admire the beautiful night sky - you don't see stars like this in the city! Across the lake I see the lights of the start/finish area and music and the sound of voices drift across the lake to me. But then it's back into the forest for several miles and finally out along the lake and into the 4th aid station with 2.7 miles to the S/F. I arrive about 12:30 am - about 5 and a half hours for that loop. Its getting very cold and I'm walking a lot. My quads are very tight. I spend about 10 minutes in the aid station eating, changing batteries and then head out on the last lap. I'm now wearing 4 layers - two coolmax shirts plus a heavy weight cotton shirt and a fleece vest. Even with all this and a wool cap and gloves, I'm still cold. I'm walking a lot now with an occasional jog thrown in - when I run I run for 100 paces and then walk again. 100 paces and walk, 100 more paces and walk and so it goes hour after hour. I've been drinking coke and eating turkey sandwiches - a combo which usually keeps me alert and energetic during the night but tonight I feel sleepy - the first time this has ever happened to me during a 100 - I think it's because I'm cold. The out from the 2/3 aid station goes on forever this last time but once I get to the turn around and head back it goes faster. This is where the coyotes are - just a few hundred yards away over the perimeter fence and across a service road in the deep pine woods and they periodically start up an incredible chorus of howls. I feel a tingle of nervousness - here I am all alone not too far from this pack of wild creatures. I'm certain they could be over the fence and after me in an instant if they wanted but they are not interested in me - maybe they don't even know I'm here. When I get back to the 2/3 station I ask about the temperature - 25 degrees the guy says - gees - no wonder I'm feeling cold. They have a terrific bonfire going and I sit down to eat and drink for a few minutes and enjoy the warmth of the flames. Then it's off up the service roads for the last time, down past the dam and along the lake and into the forest once more. A long time later I emerge and head across the wooden foot bridges over the swamp and proceed slowly along the lake into the last aid station - here I hear barred owls calling "who cooks for you" and smile to myself at their calls. Its pretty much a brisk walk now - I'm done jogging. I know I won't get in under 24 hours but I can walk in under 25 hours. I do, finishing in 24:46. It's good to be done. I get weighed one final time and am 164 - 2 pounds over my starting weight. The dawn has come and in the new light I watch a few runners come in before I gather my things and head for a shower and back to my campsite for a well-deserved sleep. My friends Gary Fuerst, Mark Williams (his first 100) and Mike Price finished together in an incredible 20:45, PRs all around. Congratulations to those guys on a fine effort. It was great seeing many old friends and meeting new ones at the 2000 Coon - Ron Dunbar, Bob and Robert Rayburn, Karl Jensen, Monica Scholz, David Redman, Rolly Portelance, Earl Blewett, Jose Wilke, Joe Prusaitis among others. Mickey Rollins and crew put on a great event. Thanks to them and to the aid station folks who worked all day and then braved the cold night. The guys and gals at the 2/3 aid station had the right idea with that big fire going all night. But as a runner you don't want to linger too long at cozy comfortable places like that - it can be hard to get up and leave. Jan "Turbo Turtle" Ryerse, St. Louis MO (amended 2/23/00)