Subject: Bear 100 Report From: Jim ONeil Date:Thu, 4 Oct 2001 12:16:48 EDT To finally avenge a DNF is very satisfying. I've been looking forward to finishing The Bear since last September. It wasn't, however, as much fun as I thought it was going to be; this course was a lot more difficult than I remembered. This year we were able to camp 30 feet from the start/finish area in a nice shady spot at Deer Cliff Inn. It was great knowing all I had to do was step out the door of our camper and start running. The bad part was that I forgot about checking in. Leland reminded me about that as I approached the group in the dark with less than three minutes to go. Oops!! At 6:00 AM we were off. I found myself running the first section with Betsy Kalmeyer, winner of the Hardrock 100. What an honor. But I knew I'd better let her go before we started the long uphill that was soon to come. We made the single file ascent, still in the dark, looking forward to the panoramic views just ahead. The brilliant fall colors we saw last year were not to be. Insufficient moisture this year turned the maples from green to brown. Yellow aspens still added a striking contrast to the fall landscape. Like last year, the orange and yellow ribbons were sometimes a challenge to spot. Just before the first aid station, I watched a group of runners head down into a canyon instead of taking the sharp right turn at the top of the hill. A couple of us noticed this event and sounded the alarm. Not too long afterwards, Ted Schuster and I somehow followed this section in reverse. When we realized our mistake, we reversed direction and stopped John Medinger, Brent Craven, Max Welker and a couple of others from following us back out of the canyon. I was feeling pretty good, my legs were strong as I pushed the climbs. At the aid stations, I tried to watch my food intake so I wouldn't get sick later on. I was well ahead of my scheduled 30 hour pace, but knowing I would slow down later, I wanted to get some miles in the bank early; at the 50 mile aid station I was on a 29 hour pace. Although the weather was perfect, it did get kinda warm during the afternoon; luckily we had a little breeze to keep us cool. Last year we watched stars galore against a black sky. This year we had cloudy skies and felt a few raindrops during the night. The night was VERY, VERY long, almost 12 hours of darkness. Several times I stood motionless on the trail and was amazed by the complete absence of sound and light. By mile 74 I was dealing with the inevitable nausea that I experience during 100's. Sue suggested that if I got rid of everything, I might feel better. Sure enough, within a few miles I was eating saltines and drinking lots of water again. I still passed on the hash browns at Fred Riemer & Company's 90 mile aid station; ice water was great though. There were lots of runnable/walkable trails and roads, but there were also miles and miles of boulder fields, dry stream beds and open meadows to navigate. The aid station folks were great, they knew what we needed and got it for us quickly. The course markings were more than adequate this year. So who's fault was it that I took two wrong turns and ran an extra mile? I had the written directions in my hand, but my brain had trouble following them. It was nice having Sue out there to crew, she listened to me whine at the 50, 58 and 74 mile aid stations. She commented that I was in much better spirits by the time I reached mile 91 where she paced me to the finish. This last section from 93 to 95 can only be appreciated by those who have completed it. Up and over and down, sometimes on all fours, sometimes holding on to trees and rocks for support. I cannot imagine how the front runners navigated this section in the dark, it was hard enough in daylight. Sue is amazing; she did it twice, once as she was securing ribbons to trees on her way out to meet me, and the second time pacing me home. I dubbed this section, "Leland's Ledge." It may improve over time, but then The Bear wouldn't be The Bear. I can't say enough about this last section, so I won't. I did manage to gather the strength to run most of the last four miles at a pretty good clip. I was about three miles from the finish when I spotted Tropical John giving it his best. I remember John and one of his "Pacer Babes" passing me just before the 50 mile aid station. Although Sue assured me I wasn't last, I knew better; I hadn't seen anyone since mile 58. It really didn't matter though, I knew I was going to finish. My comment to Sue was, "John's been ahead of me the last 45 miles, he ought to stay there." But I was feeling good and running seemed to be the fastest way to get this thing over with. "Sorry John, hate to do this, but . . ." The numbers are increasing each year, with 29 starters this year. Hal Koerner is the only winner the race has known, setting a new course record every year the race has been run. My friend Tom Hayes finished in second place, way to go, Tom! Ruth Zollinger also set a course record in only her third 100 miler. Betsy finished the "Mountain Slam" in fine form: Hardrock, Leadville, Wastach and The Bear. The awards/post race dinner was lots of fun; we enjoyed dining with our table mates, Betsy and Dick, Hans-Dieter and Susie, Bill Rideg and for a short time Errol Jones. Finishers received handsome bear buckles and really cool plaques engraved with their names and finishing times. I certainly plan to do the Bear again next year. Many thanks to Leland Barker and all the very, very hard working and dedicated volunteers. Jim O'Neil