From: "Herb & Sue Hedgecock" <hhedgecock@kih.net>
Subject: Vermont 100 (long)
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 02:39:14 -0400

What a nice feeling to have finally finished 100 miles! Three years in
a row of dnf's at Mohican, and the self-doubts begin to set in. A heavy
feeling that was hard to carry, and not pleasant.

Well, it's gone with a vengance now. I finished Vermont, and it wasn't
just a finish, but a buckle finish. 23:33:26 and holy wow what got into
me to do that?! We hope to someday do a hundred-miler. To finish in less
than a day is more gravy (or bragging rights). And the idea (dream) of
winning is about as foreign as can be imagined. I got 2 out of 3, which
is: respectable/fantastic/amazing/not-going-to-pay-the-rent/nice for a
first-timer but nothing to crow about for the hardnoses.

First, let's talk about the "easy" ?Vermont course. I only have Mohican
to compare and I never got past 62 miles in Ohio. Mohican has trails,
often heat, 9 stream crossings, not too many sections of flat, 21 good
aid stations, hills that make the narrow rocky trails hard, and more.

There is this idea out there that Vermont is an easy 100. I shouldn't
cuss, but bullhocky. Maybe we ONLY had to do about half of the
elevation of WS and the other biggies, but It got tiresome as H-E-double
L at running a mile or so, and then going up a(an) hard-packed gravel/old
farming/horse trail/logging road/trail for what was almost always more
than a mile. AND        ALWAYS immediately going back down the other side for
about the same distance. Up-down-up-down-flatinthesun-down-up-GEEZ when
is it going to stop?!

At 100 miles, quite simple. You don't have to run any more hills (either
up or down) after that. But if you camped at Smoke Rise Farm, then you
will have to walk back UP to your tent/car. And if any of you decide to
do Vermont, then you really should go there, camp out in the field with
the other 50-90 others, and get into the ambiance of Smoke Rise. I'm
not upper class, but I've been around some of the horse farms near
Lexington KY, and they don't live like us (little people). Yet I never
felt small in Lex or at Smoke Rise. It's just them that has and are
modest, and us who don't have quite so many $$$. Still, if any of you
are going to do VT in the future, then do camp out there the night
before.

How else would you get to walk around some of the farm, see the huge
banner welcoming the runners at what was to be the start of the race.
Laugh at the big old goat in the field in front of the house. Since
I've become a shephard by marriage, and as such, have also become
an expert in animal husbandry, seeing that floppy eared goat in there
to calm the horses was a nice tidbit.

Also, if you're going to do a race, then you should go to the pre-race
briefing. For example, there is also a 100-mile horse race that starts
an hour after the runners. AND they used most of the same trail we did.
That meant that they followed most all of the yellow plastic plates that
we did. BUT there were a few variations, and I would have been really
PI**ED to have gone on their route and have lost time. Thanks for being
there for the race prelims, even in a hot crowded barn where it was
very hard to hear as I had to stand by the door watching for my wife
at the same time.

I heard lots of people who were staying nearby at motels and B&Bs. It
just didn't seem the same. They had a nice bed to spend their fitfull,
restless night-before sleep; I had a tent/sleeping bag/cover and listened
to the pitter-patter of the light, short rain above my head. That was
actually calming to think that a hot, humid race day might just be calmed
by this rain. I probably even got a few hours of sleep.

But those who went back to B&Bs and rooms didn't get the chance at 2:30
to hear Mickey Rollins roll out of his truck, groan, and pump his camp
stove into action heating a pot of Texan coffee. They also didn't get to
hear him sing and play his guitar the night before. Mr. Rollins is a
fine southern gentlemen offering coffee to all of us camping near him
and up by 2:40 or so. I was not bribed by that coffee, but would highly
recommend that every ULTRA dude/dudette support his Rocky Raccoon races.

And the pre-race buffet! Spaghetti with tomato sauce/tomato-vegie sauce,
so many other pastas that I couldn't even begin to sample them all, beer,
salads, breads, sweets, B&J cold, caloric rich ice cream! Oh geez, a
buffet that I tried to scale, but got the best of me. B-U-R-R-R-R-R-R-P!

And one of the best parts of the race is meeting new people, especially
those on the ULTRA list. Marsha (running) and Barry (handling) Craig.
I met them four weeks before at Mohican, and since we have e-mailed
often. Barry had this idea that I was a "quality" runner, i.e. fast.
He finished Mohican; I dnf'ed. Anyway, Barry and Marsha are a couple
of special people from meeting them, running with them, and being
inspired and goaded by Barry to think that maybe I could run well.
His words played in my mind more than once during the race to give it
my best. He offered handler help along the way, and I took him up on
it, around 28 miles when I had a blister and needed a bandaid. This
is what ultrarunning is about; people like the Craigs who are friends.

And who else did I meet. Stan Jensen - a short hello after the pre-race
feed. There are a few names associated with ultras that meeting those
persons is very special. Stan is one of those for me. Seeing him at
about 25+ hours after the race on a cot at the finish, and thinking that
he looked really "dead" made me realize again that all of us who do this
are mortals. He looked quite alive later at the race ceremony and feed.

Who else? Chip Marz who sent me an inspiring e-mail about dnf-land. I'm
not ready to do his levee run (though I shook his hand and that is the
supposed kiss-of-death(you're hooked). Who the hell knows when you meet
a guy with his extrovertedness.

And others I met. I feel bad at not remembering the 100th 100 woman who
shared our supper table. She was so bubbly; I think she was 9th overall.
And how we we have a connection by this group, but may not know one-
another. She knew me because of my signature at the ends of my posts.
Another fellow at our table "knew" me from something posted here on
ULTRA.

So I had a good time before the run meeting others, getting into the
feel of the run, resting some before the race. If you know me, then
it's most typical that my wife Sue is around all of this. In fact,
the Craigs asked about her. Well, this is a short side trip, but part
of all this. Sue's father lives in Boston, her sister (and family) live
in NH, and her dad has as summer cottage there. So we all converged
there on Thursday. Lounge and play in the lake. Eat pasta. For me,
do as little as possible. Relax. Geez was that nice. Then on Friday
at Smoke Rise we met a friend of Sue's. They went to NH for a nice
cozy bed and what I was guessing and hoping was a fun Saturday where-
ever while I did my thing, not having to worry about our two different
situations. I didn't get much sleep the night before, probably less
than Sue did, but whatthehell.

Listening to Mickey at 2:30. Up at 2:40. Happy for a bowel movement
soon thereafter. Coffee. To the barn after 3:00. It's all sort of
blurry during that time. I went outside for the start only a few
moments after the brief fireworks, walked down the drive as Mr Piano
played mood music for us, and we cheered his a.m. craziness.

Someone near the lighted starting banner chanted about "her" being up
there (Ann Trayson), but I never saw her. Geez. I got down there and
needed to pee, and AT was at the front (me near the back), and somebody
announces that we have a minute before the start!  GOOOOOO!!!!

I never been on this course before, it's 4:00a.m. Dark. I try to not
use my light since we're on a road. Bumps, hills. Then we're on trails
and the footing is not certain. Somewhere during these first few NEW
miles, I get this quick appreciation of this course. Runners all
around me, but it's too hectic to talk to them and find out who they
are. So I learn very quickly that VT is ups and downs and trails of
all sorts.

And aid stations. Many of them with no volunteers. I had been warned
to not dally too long at all of them, lest I lose 1/2 or more hours
of time. But I did stop at most. I drank lots of Conquest (not on
my endorsement list), ate our marvelously greasy chips/fruit/cheetoes/
quick feed.

Again, this was my first Vermont, and I didn't have an earthly idea of
where I was most of the time. In fact, I had a drop bag at about 28-30
miles and didn't even know I was there. So much for my planned change
of shoes and socks. Thank goodness Barry Craig was there and helped me
put on a bandaid on a blister.

My one gripe is that the aid stations are not marked very well so that
you know where you are. I got by that simply by taking a few seconds to
clearly observe the small signs OR to ask for that info from the aid
workers. BTW: the aid workers would help in any way you asked and often
even before we had the chance to ask.

THE RACE: Started in the dark. Roads were OK. Trails could be difficult
especially in the dark. That first covered bridge was a rush. I got to
meet and pass a car on the crossing, then we had a nice flat section
along the stream where the old mill had been, as we passed the horse
handlers. You know, the runners' handlers were helpful and always
seemed to offer help. But some of the horse handlers were just as
supportive and helpful as the runners' crews,

They would offer us encouragement. Rarely negatives. The crews for
horses and runners would have offered anything had we asked. Yet I
wouldn't have needed to ask for any help for the first half-ish of
the run.

As I ran, there was the routine that as I approached the aid station,
then there was not much need to communicate - fill bottle with
CHO/electrolyte drink, eat and drink a little more, get back on the
trail... The aid workers were nearly all great.

And the run: /\/\_/\ to the nth as far as terrain. Running with
Cindie McKenna for a short part of her 7th 100 this year during the
early miles.  Stopping at Asa Moob's grave (died May 17 at age 77 in
1855) just before the spring on "his" farm. And if I didn't explain
about the backroads. Farmers in the early years of our nation in VT
built boundry fences of field granite rock. The tradition was that
a suitor who married into that fence would also have to add to the
fence boundary. AND THEY DID AND WE RAN MILES OF THOSE FENCES up and
down their hill.

Running flats were seldom. In the morning hours in the dark when the
footing was unsure and the glowsticks were in occasional short-supply,
then the race took on it's darkest side rather than the day's treks.

It was somewhere around the half-way split that I began to realize
that I was close to finishing in under 24 hours. NO. Surely not.
It didn't seem likely in my timed pace, but the mathematician began
to work. I seemed to be about 1/2hr ahead of a buckle around 51ish
miles, and it seemed to stay that way all evening and night.

I wanted to give up so many times, probably as often as i passed an
aid station. Giving up that sub-24 hours finish was such a battle.

I'm running in the night on a course I've never done before. 30 minutes
cushion seems almost nothing on this unknown. My mind fights over the
sub-24. Not about finishing. I'll be disappointed with 24+, but I have
to go on and at least try to do it.

I had my 30 minute advantage about 50-60 into the race, and it didn't
even seem possible that I could continue such a hard race. Yet I did.
According to SP's analysis I did the 14th best paced run. I think that
what I Was aware of was that:

I had to run the last 5th of the run hard, and not slack off on the
hills that kept coming on.

There were too many aid stations and I should be careful to stop as
needed near the end.

If I could run (albeit funny and slow), then maybe I could do 15min/mi
pace.

Even having a light die at the end wasn't so bad when there was a
back-up.

Vermont 100.

23:33:26   81/252 entrants/172 finishers

AND HAPPY AS HELL (and it's late.)

kyhillrunner
HerbHedgecock

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