Run Like Monkey

My race report from the Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run is now published under Race Reports.

Go check out the long version with pictures if you want the real scoop:

2010 Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run – Race Report

Short Version

This was hands down the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life.  Everything I had heard before about 100 miles was true, but I had no idea exactly how it would feel.  It hurt, and I was exhausted.  I finished though, in 30 hours and 49 minutes, and feel an amazing sense of achievement.  The Zumbro Bottoms trails were much tougher than I thought, maybe easier than Superior but not tremendously.  My crew was indispensable to my finish.  What an epic experience.  Finished the day saying “well, I got that out of my system,” but amnesia might be setting in.  Shared trail with some awesome people during the day, notably Susan Donnelly, Rob Apple, and Ryan Carter.

I finished in 30 hours and 49 minutes.

I’ve been tweeting more than blogging for awhile, it’s just too accessible and accommodates mild ADHD better. 😉  The Zumbro 100 mile event was the first time I have actually tweeted during a race, so I thought it would be fun to record the Twitter activity for posterity.

These will read in reverse (newest to oldest), because that’s how Twitter displays them and I’m not bothering to invert them.

My Tweets

amazing how much better i feel already after #zumbro100; big change since sat. night. only 2 Alleve yesterday 2:13 PM Apr 12th via web

@crazyrunnerguy sat. night was misery, sunday was rough but improving, today is amazing how much better. legs mainly, stomach fine. thx! 2:10 PM Apr 12th via web in reply to crazyrunnerguy

duh… make that *30* hrs 49 mins for my Zumbro 100 mile finish. brain still gooey from yesterday. felt like 39 though 12:07 PM Apr 11th via web

FINISHED #zumbro100 mile endurance run yesterday in 39 hours 49 minutes! Bad ass race 6:40 AM Apr 11th via TweetDeck

Mile 81 at #zumbro100 – just started last lap! 7:30 AM Apr 10th via TweetDeck

Mile 54 at #zumbro100, beautiful night, stomach settled down. Distance PRs from now on! 9:56 PM Apr 9th via txt

Mile 41 at #zumbro100, still going strong, have Neil and Brian pacing, nice to have company 5:39 PM Apr 9th via txt

Feeling better now, heat earlier was rough. Mile 34. Very uneven trail due to horsetracks and loose rocks #zumbro100 3:44 PM Apr 9th via txt

Loop 1 down, 4 to go at #zumbro100. Mile 21 12:17 PM Apr 9th via txt

Loop 1 going GREAT at #zumbro100. 14 miles, perfect weather 10:30 AM Apr 9th via txt

Got great first timer advice last night from ultra vets Rob Apple and @susanruns100s for #zumbro100. Thanks guys! 5:12 AM Apr 9th via TweetDeck

@dlrustvold will be in New Balance 790s. Want to bag a 100 before trying in VFF, I think. We’ll see what happens tomorrow 7:59 PM Apr 8th via TweetDeck in reply to dlrustvold

Good times chatting by the campfire with @kettlefans and other runners at #zumbro100. Cool peeps! 7:50 PM Apr 8th via txt

weather report for #zumbro100 about 2 mins in, courtesy of Ryan! http://wcco.com/video/?cid=20 7:53 AM Apr 8th via web

37 hours until the start of #zumbro100 – a collage of lists, packing, planning, shopping #running #ultra 5:57 PM Apr 7th via TweetDeck

running away from my shadow this week in anticipation of #zumbro100 – http://bit.ly/aFvyqS #running #ultra 9:37 AM Apr 6th via web

This time next Saturday I will around mile 88 at #zumbro100 8:34 AM Apr 3rd via TweetDeck

@kettlefans yeah i suppose, i had been hoping my crew could tweet, sounds like i’ll have to carry or skip it. hoping verizon does well 2:12 PM Apr 2nd via web in reply to kettlefans

Pulled trigger on Nathan #020 (thx @roughkat @crazyrunnerguy!) for #zumbro100. Pre-race anxiety is expensive for me #running #ultra 7:23 AM Mar 30th via TweetDeck

debating whether to buy Nathan #020 when i already have CamelBak MULE. are the front pockets worth it? seems like it #running #ultra 3:48 PM Mar 28th via web

shoe goo-ing velcro onto my #shoes for my http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/ !! countdown to #zumbro100 #running #ultra 1:52 PM Mar 27th via web

Two more weeks til #zumbro100! Hoping this awesome weather holds, gained one more crew yesterday, very cool 8:29 AM Mar 26th via TweetDeck

@injinji i will be wearing you in the Zumbro 100 mile trail run in few weeks! need to review at https://runlikemonkey.com/gear-reviews/ 11:39 AM Mar 19th via web

@kettlefans how are the trails down there? i won’t get a recon run in, so totally new territory for me #zumbro100 9:31 AM Mar 19th via web in reply to kettlefans

now on spending spree for zumbro 100 – gaiters, S! caps, blister supplies, Clif products, Injinji socks, various other @REI_CoOp items 7:14 PM Mar 17th via web

32 mile training run last night, testing gear for zumbro. is everyone sore after 32mi? or is it supposed to get easy at some point? #ultra 5:59 PM Mar 16th via web

Four more weeks until Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run! http://www.zumbro100.com 6:33 PM Mar 11th via TweetDeck

Tweets Sent to Me

Thanks to everyone who sent words of encouragement during the race!

crazyrunnerguy    @runlikemonkey How are the legs, stomach, etc?
5:55 PM Apr 11th via web in reply to runlikemonkey

theNeedful    RT @runlikemonkey Wow, amazing accomplishment! You did the needful. http://bit.ly/aTHfMc
1:01 PM Apr 11th via twitterfeed

squiej2    @runlikemonkey Wow, amazing accomplishment! You did the needful.
12:55 PM Apr 11th via TweetCaster in reply to runlikemonkey

roughkat    @runlikemonkey Congrats! That’s a huge accomplishment.
12:16 PM Apr 11th via TweetDeck in reply to runlikemonkey

UnsvelteAngel    @runlikemonkey congrats 🙂
8:55 AM Apr 11th via Twittelator in reply to runlikemonkey

sanityinc    @runlikemonkey Great job, congrats!
8:41 AM Apr 11th via Tweetie in reply to runlikemonkey

masonham    @runlikemonkey Congratulations!
6:57 AM Apr 11th via twicca in reply to runlikemonkey

DarthHelix    YEAH!!! Go get that 100! RT @runlikemonkey: Mile 81 at #zumbro100 – just started last lap!
11:39 AM Apr 10th via Echofon

SilentSportsEd    @runlikemonkey Stay strong, focused!
7:44 AM Apr 10th via UberTwitter in reply to runlikemonkey

crazyrunnerguy    @runlikemonkey way to go! You’ll make it!
7:33 AM Apr 10th via web

mthyer    @runlikemonkey WOOT for you brother, eat a lime it will be the best fruit you ever tasted.
10:50 PM Apr 9th via Seesmic in reply to runlikemonkey

Run_Bike_Paddle    #ff #follow friday for @runlikemonkey for live updates from the #zumbro100 he’s killing it out there
8:20 PM Apr 9th via web

aReyoUiN    RT Keep it going! @runlikemonkey Mile 41 at #zumbro100, still going strong, have Neil and Brian pacing, nice to have company
5:50 PM Apr 9th via web

mplsxman    @runlikemonkey Loop 1 going GREAT at #zumbro100. 14 miles, perfect weather Hang in there!
4:09 PM Apr 9th via Twitterrific in reply to runlikemonkey

roughkat    @runlikemonkey congrats and good luck on the rest.
2:34 PM Apr 9th via TweetDeck in reply to runlikemonkey

outsideinmi    Good luck @runlikemonkey #run100
11:05 AM Apr 9th via txt

dlrustvold    Run @runlikemonkey! Have fun on your hundred miles. What kind of footwear?
6:07 PM Apr 7th via Tweetie in reply to runlikemonkey

kettlefans    @runlikemonkey I think the only way “tweets” will work down there is if you take your phone in your pack so it can go up on the ridges.
7:26 AM Apr 2nd via web in reply to runlikemonkey

crazyrunnerguy    @runlikemonkey Good decision. You won’t regret it.
10:24 PM Mar 30th via web in reply to runlikemonkey

crazyrunnerguy    @runlikemonkey I have Nathan #020 vest and it is fantastic. Pockets are great and carries well.
5:00 PM Mar 28th via web

Ditto what Matt said about race week and the shadow.  This line in particular – the mind and body starts playing tricks on you. All insecurities come to the forefront.  Too true.

Photo courtesy of stuant63 on flickr

I generally feel confident about my training, even though its not a traditional approach.  I sure enjoy it, anyways.  But that goes out the window about 2 weeks ahead of an ultra, especially this time around.

I make the mistake of reading what everyone else has done that’s so different from what I have done and it sinks in.  I keep thinking that I should have done more, should have done different.  Those insecurities take deep root, and I try fight them off with the more accurate rationalizations:  there is no playbook for ultra training; what works for one can ruin another; I trained in a way that matches our overall family lifestyle, and addressed the things I think are most critical for me.  Like another commenter on Matt’s blog said – the hay is already in the barn.

One of my favorite race reports ever was Julie Berg’s 2008 Javelina Jundred report.  It contains the best single piece of ultra advice I have heard:  Quit thinking about the problem and begin to think about the solution. That is my race strategy in a nutshell.  For everything that seems to go “wrong” I remind myself of something that is going great, and stay positive.

No matter what, the Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run will be a blast.  I have an awesome crew.  It might be a training run for Superior 100.  It might be my first 100 finish.  My optimistic son even asked “what happens if you win?”  Not too worried about that. 😉  Either way, I will have learned something new by Saturday afternoon.

The training is essentially done, and the countdown is on – less than two weeks until the Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run!

This will be another experiment race for me to see if less overall mileage supplement with quad-intenstive cross training can actually get me through a race like this.  I was amazingly undertrained for the Superior 50 mile last year and had a great run and a great experience.  My base goal is to finish Zumbro in whatever time it takes, and have a great experience again no matter what happens.

I have a great crew assembled, so that shouldn’t be too hard.  They are solid runners in their own right, but also just up for a good time.  Some don’t know each other, so here is how I introduced them to each other:

Brian – the fast one, can’t seem to do anything but obsess on a sub-3 hour marathon.  He is getting wise and hitting the trails with us in Zumbro, maybe it will stick?

Tim – can’t decide if he’s fast or likes trails, but I need to be polite since he was my first committed pacer/crew and seems to be up for anythign I throw at him.  Ran the Superior 50 mile last Fall.

Neil – dangerously close to a BQ marathon pace, arguably is the most potentially physically fit of this group, but chooses to slum it with us rather than getting serious.  set our group’s 20-minute-pushup record of 304 (for now).

Diego – slow like me, one of the only ones here who gets that running is supposed to be fun.  organizing an ultra team for the Ragnar Relay team this year (spots available).  Disappointed that he didn’t get into an indoor track marathon – 400 times around a track, go figure.

Hugh – a complete nut job who signs up for races before he is ready for them (Lake Placid Ironman, Leadville 100 mountain bike) yet finishes. has a cabin that is peeing distance from Oberg Mountain on the SHT, signed up for the 50k this Spring.  Trying to talk me into running the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc.

I’m running very minimal miles this week, probably more walking than running, and will run very little next week.  I’m spending my “training” time on planning, and final gear purchases.  Those two things help a lot with pre-race anxiety.

If nothing else, this will be a fun weekend in the woods and a good learning experience for the Superior 100.  Good times!

Here is a rough accounting of how I fueled and hydrated for the Superior Trail 50 Mile race this year.  This is probably 85-90% accurate as far as exactly what I ate and calorie estimates, so take it for what it’s worth.  While I was training I just always wanted to see a complete plan to get some idea of what other people did as a whole picture, not just “I like this” or “that does down well”.  Times are very approximate, and likely won’t add up exactly to my race time – I’m just not bothering with being that accurate.  It is what it is.

Important Note: This should not be considered any type of plan or recommendation.  This is just what happened to work well for me that day, in those conditions.  It probably won’t work well for you, and it probably won’t work for me again.  Like I said, it’s just a snapshot.

AS = Aid Station.  Also note that a major ultra rule I broke is that I spent a lot of time in aid stations.  I even got kicked out of one (thanks Dale! That was funny.).  Most people recommend no more than about 2 minutes per AS.  But guess what?  I loved it!  My family was there, I got to eat a bunch, and it’s part of how I really enjoyed the overall race.

Totals
4935 calories
2.12 gallons of HEED (272 ounces)
.9 gallons of water (116 ounces)

Monkey Fuel mix (Inspired by Scott Jurek’s drink mix)
16 oz. Rice Milk (I like enriched Vanilla Rice Dream)
3 tbsp Soy Protein (I like Yammer Soy Essence)
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp chia seeds

Other Notes

• I took an S! cap every 45 minutes, religiously, throughout the day.  I might have been able to up that to 1/30 mins in the middle of the day during the heat.
• I frequently had a very full stomach leaving the AS and and to walk for 15 minutes or so to clear it before running again, but I preferred that to eating large amounts on the trail.
• The honey and chia in the drink mix worked well for me during training, but didn’t seem to taste right during the race.  Maybe it was the heat?  I could have left the honey out for sure, maybe even the chia.  But it was nice to pack in those calories in liquid form.
• I carried 2 Nathan handhelds for most of the race, thus the 20/20 for HEED and water.  For a couple of longer sections I could have drank more.
• This works out to about 350 calories per hour (almost 14 hour race), which was my original plan.