100 miles, let’s be honest, it is the mythical distance every aspiring ultrarunner thinks about. Some months ago, I registered for what would ultimately be my first real 100 miles. I have run about the same distance before, but each time in a multiple day solo adventure setting. This would be a non stop race, quite a different ball park.
I had decided that I only needed a drop bag halfway at 80km. I had done 80km runs solo and unsupported before, so why would I need a drop bag after 42km, right? In my drop bag I had a change of clothes, a reload of snacks and sports drink powder, spare battery for my head torch and a battery pack and cable to recharge my watch if needed.
I would carry my Salomon ADV12 with the mandatory kit, a spare (lighter) top shirt, spare socks, snacks for 5 hours, extra sports drink powder and 3 full flasks.
With both my drop bag and my backpack prepared, I hit my sleeping bag for what would turn out to be a bad night, only a light sleep.
We set out at 04:00. I started rather at the front and was able to wedge myself in a group with a good pace.
The first 20 km went very smoothly. After 1:50 I entered CP1 for a toilet break and a cheese sandwich with a cup of coffee. As I had only emptied one flask, I didn’t take in extra water and continued. I spent less than 5 minutes in the CP. The only small downside was my choice of shoes: I was wearing my Innov8 X-Talon G 235, and the combination of the lugs -which I will need for the muddy parts- with the very small stack was not very comfortable for my feet, especially on the harder terrain.
With a good part of the same group, we set out again for the next part. After about 4 hours of running, I switched off my head torch. So great to run with natural light. It went equally smoothly, taking me about 2:22 to reach CP2, 23km further. I had covered a quarter of the distance and felt great. Near the end of this part we had the first stretches of deep mud, and I was glad to keep moving well due to the lugs under my shoes! In CP2 I took a bit more time (9 minutes) to eat and drink and to replenish my water flasks.
I left CP2 alone. Only 50 meters after leaving I was ankle-deep in mud. This would be the theme for the rest of the race, until I would be back in CP2, which is also CP6. Some places are worse, some less so, but there is a lot of mud. There is also a completely immersed path framed by barbed wire on both sides. Luckily there are also some stretches of gravel and road, to get the pace up a bit. I needed 2 hours to get to CP3 at 61km. When entering CP3, I saw local legend Merijn Geerts -also known from stunning achievements in several Back Yard Ultras- leaving it. I still felt good and was eager to continue. Having CPs every ~20km surely helps breaking up the big distance in easily manageable pieces. I took some more time at CP3, about 20 minutes, because I started talking with another guy while we were eating hot dogs.
We started the next part together, but he was clearly faster than me, so I let him go on his pace and returned to mine. We met a couple of times later during the race. It took me 2:15 to cover the next 20km to the halfway point. My feet started to hurt, but nothing that I couldn’t switch off mentally. I chose to listen to some celtic punk music and kept going forward. From 70km on, I started to cross the lead runners, who were making their way back all ready. A bit later I overtook Merijn, which gave me an extra boost.
At CP4 I took time to eat a plate of pasta bolognese, replenish my stock of snacks and drinks from my drop bag. I charged my watch a bit and made sure to pack the spare battery for my head torch. I didn’t need to change clothes. Even my Sealskinz socks were still dry on the inside. I left as much as possible out of my back pack, so I had to carry less. I still felt in good shape, and except for my feet I had no real pain. In hindsight, I should have understood that my feet were swollen and that I should have loosened my shoes a bit. But that’s something I would only understand later.
After 36 minutes at CP4 I set out for part 2, hoping to cover as much ground as possible in daylight. It had taken me 9:45 to get half way. Around 90km, I felt a sharp pain on the underside of my right foot. As if I stepped on a nail. Some probing led to nothing, so I decided to ignore it and continue. From then on I felt the pain more and more often. At a certain point later, it dawned on me that I might be developing a nice blister. I needed 2:23 to cover the 20km to CP5. My pace was starting to drop. Especially getting the pace up again after an ascent or a stretch of mud proved to become more difficult.
I took about 15 minutes in CP5 to eat, drink, rest a bit and ponder whether or not it would be smart to take off my right shoe to look at the blister. I decided against it, as I had chosen to leave the extra socks in my drop bag. I set out again for the next part, onto CP6.
The going became more difficult. I started counting out paces and distance remaining. At a certain moment I understood that this was not helping me. The end was still too far away to start counting, and focussing on that instead of staying in the moment was dragging my moral downwards. So I began to sing a meditative song in my head, to clear my head and to get back into the moment. That helped quite well. The sun set, back to running in the dark. On this stretch I slipped twice, sliding my right foot and leg up to the knee in a puddle. So water started to seep into my sock. A bit later the same thing happened with my left foot. So I had wet feet after all. After 2:14 I arrived in CP6, tired and happy I could rest a bit. While I was eating there, I saw several other runners turn in their trackers. It was tempting, but then I thought about all the sacrifices I made to get here and all the sacrifices my family made. I owed it to them to continue. I wanted to continue. So I continued.
After 20 minutes, I left CP6, determined to get closer to the finish. This 23km to CP7 would prove to be the hardest part of the race for me. It seemed as if I didn’t advance much. I had to use the inner song method a lot to clear my head away from counting kilometers and calculating my pace. But I also had a new insight: to push away the pain in my feet, especially the blister, I forced myself to run as relaxed as possible. Focussing on relaxing muscles while I ran helped me a lot. I was getting so tired, it seemed I was yawning the whole time. I needed 3:11 and some time spent sitting on a log in the middle of a dark muddy forest to cover the 23km to CP7. Truth is that I had some navigational confusion and added 2km to my route.
At CP7 I saw another runner taking a nap. Now that was a good idea. I put my head on my arms, relaxed all my muscles, and fell asleep. After 15 minutes of napping, I awoke refreshed! I took the time to eat and drink some coffee, and another 25 minutes later, I was ready for the final part!
Every step takes me closer to the finish. I was determined to make it. Around 15km from the end I passed 3 other runners walking. We exchanged encouragements, and I continued at my steady pace. Some time later, I noticed a head torch behind me, getting closer. I managed to accelerate (a bit). I would try to keep the other one behind me to the finish. We ran the last couple of kilometers some 100 meters apart. We even made the same route error near the end. I used all the mental tricks I know to keep myself focussed on advancing at a good pace.
I touched the gate marking the exit of the forest and entered the finish location. Stepping across the red carpet, being applauded by the other runners present, it dawned on me: I had made it. Up on the podium, medal around my neck. This was it!
A big surprise waited for me down the steps: my buddy Piet was waiting for me! Apparently he also stood at the gate, but I had not recognised him there out in the dark.
| part | distance | time | pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-CP1 | 19km | 1:50:00 | 5:49/km |
| CP1 | 0:04:40 | ||
| CP1-CP2 | 23km | 2:22:00 | 6:03/km |
| CP2 | 0:08:52 | ||
| CP2-CP3 | 18km | 2:03:00 | 6:56/km |
| CP3 | 0:20:32 | ||
| CP3-CP4 | 20km | 2:15:00 | 6:43/km |
| CP4 | 0:36:37 | ||
| CP4-CP5 | 20km | 2:23:00 | 7:05/km |
| CP5 | 0:14:56 | ||
| CP5-CP6 | 18km | 2:14:00 | 7:30/km |
| CP6 | 0:21:00 | ||
| CP6-CP7 | 24km | 3:11:00 | 7:55/km |
| CP7 | 0:41:32 | ||
| CP7-Finish | 19km | 2:28:00 | 7:36/km |
This was clearly the hardest thing I ever ran. I had a lot of fun being out there, pushing myself hard. Even if it crossed my mind at certain moments, I never really considered stopping. There certainly are lessons to be learned.