The mud was thick, slippery and clay orange in color. Much
of the 8.9 mile course loop was covered with it, especially the last 4 miles.
There was no traction to be found. On the down hills, the best you could hope
for was to slide without falling.
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| Wet 5am start, in the dark and rain |
Jim and I ran along, trying to keep pace. During 5 loops, we
were very consistent, about 2 hrs per loop, just as planned. Go out slow and
hold steady. Early on we developed a flow, one would lead, we’d hike the hills,
run the descents and flats. Starting the sixth loop, it was doubtful I would be
able to keep with him. My quads had really been complaining after 10 hrs of running, and a brain cloud was squelching my focus.
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| Jim during loop 2 |
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| Loop 2, in the drizzle |
The course, at first view, seemed tame. Single track that
wondered through the woods around a lake, with about of 1K ft of gain/loss per
loop. Reality was quite different. There was a constant variation of climbs,
descents, turns and switchbacks while running over roots and rocks. It was
difficult to establish any rhythm. The course relentlessly ground you down. The
rain added a layer of complexity to running, Wet from the start, the trail was
a bit sloshy. As the loops clicked off, conditions deteriorated as the skies opened up during the forth and fifth loops. The mud
worked hard to claim your shoes and put you on your butt. The down hills
became a free fall, balancing test, trying to hold on to some momentum into a
turn or up a rise.
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| Some technical parts, look tame when dry |
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| Lots of rocks on the climbs (during training run) |
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| Add rain and 1000 foot prints, you get mud sludge |
Race director, the
legendary ultra-runner, AndyJones-Wilkins (AJW) worked hard to give this race an old school feel with a
friendly vibe. Starting with the pre-race dinner and meeting held at Tandem
Friends School, (where AJW is Head Master) runners were treated to wonderful food
and felt as if we were members of a casual, local running club. A loop course (well
marked) was selected for ease of logistics and crewing, giving an old style bent
of “let’s run in the woods with some friends”. Little things like hand written loop times on a big
board, lent a real low tech, fun feel. There was almost no cell
coverage on the course, so someone had to drive several miles to get a signal to
upload loop times. Adding personal touches, AJW was at the loop finish, announcing each runner’s name,
as if we were elite. There was plenty of covered space and small tents at
the start, offering easy access to stowed gear.
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| RD & MC AJW, greetings at every loop |
Two aid stations, one at start/finish and one just before
half way, were staffed with amazing volunteers who were focused on service;
filling bottles, handing out food, massaging cramped muscles, triaging blisters
and trail wounds. Laurie and
Craig Thornley (RD for Western States 100 mile Endurance
Run) were part of the volunteers who worked tirelessly all day. The aid station
food selection was outstanding, the best ultra-feast I have experienced, mostly
home cooked by the volunteers. Along with the staples of potatoes, PBJs, flat
coke, etc, there was an amazing selection of dishes. There was even huge slices
of bacon! (Oh did that taste good.) I discovered a new favorite trail food,
sweet potato - almond butter burritos (thanks Helen M). Jim and I had one on at
least 4 loops.
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| AS feast. Sweet Potato-Almond Butter Burritos! |
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| Happy volunteers handed out food, massage and triage |
Unexpectedly, I found a second wind on loop 6. Perhaps it
was the stick massage Angela, my crew member, did on my quads. Jim and I were
still keeping a good pace, and started to enjoy the mud. Another deception of
the course was that from the far side of the lake, you could see the finish
area. You got to see it 4 times before finally turning towards it. Each time
you came to the water’s edge, thinking the end of loop was near, back into the
woods you would be sent. This messed with your mind, so by loop 6, we started
cursing the sight of the lake, then tried to ignore it.
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| Across the lake, loop 7, as sun diminishes |
I had fallen during each of the first 3 loops. The first was
only a mile into the race. In the dark, I stumbled and tried to recover by
taking several step and quickening my cadence. This only accelerated my fall,
with my head leading the way. Just before hitting the ground, Jim caught me by the
chin and righted me up. (A big thanks Jim! Nice catch!) The other two times I went down
hard, causing some lingering mechanical issues that had to be worked
off.
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| Some Ultra-Smiles early in the race |
During the 7th and final loop, both Jim and I
started to slow a bit, and were trading places being dragged along by the
other. Using the TJ100K as a training run,
fitness-check race, I had a set of workable goals: 1) finish 2) finish in less
than 15 hrs 3) if all goes great, around 14 hrs. The sun started to set during
the 7th loop. We pushed on, hoping to beat the darkness. As the mud
did its best to suck us down, we slogged on. Such a great feeling came over me
during the last mile, knowing we would finish much better than hoped, and with the last remnants of
daylight.
Jim and I crossed the finish line together, in 14 hrs, 19
min, an amazing time for both our first 100K attempts. Running the entire race
together, it was only fitting we finish that way. AJW was there to provide our
race awards, new $2 bills (with portrait of Thomas Jefferson).
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| Expectations Exceeded! Jim and I at finish |
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| With AJW and our race prizes |
The Thomas Jefferson 100K was a very enjoyable race;
relentless, surprisingly tough, with a big dose of old-school fun. Definitely a
race that will challenge you, with a course you need to respect. As the word
gets out about this race, it will likely grow in the coming years, becoming an
east coast favorite. I know I’ll be back!
A big THANK YOU to Andy Jones-Wilkens and his team of
volunteers for hosting an outstanding ultra event. The course, the organization,
the food, the warmth and service were exceptional. Each runner was made to feel
special and part of a family.
Thank you Jim Freiss for pacing with me the entire race. Also much appreciation and thanks to Angela for providing amazing
crew support.
