David Bursler

I can sum up my race this weekend in one word....unprepared. I had some very aggressive goals but did not plan properly to achieve them. It started as I rushed to the line to begin the race just as it began. I forgot to bring a water bottle with me and had to dig through my drop bagto get one causing me to almost miss the 6 a.m. start.

Loop #1 I took off very fast on the first loop and paid the price later on. I blew by every aid station with out so much as refilling my water bottle. The markings were more than sufficient and I've run the course two other times so I had no problems staying on the path. I felt very good after loop 1 arriving in 2:38. Most of my 21 mile training runs I struggle to break 3 hours so I was surprised when I saw the time. I ran most of the first loop by myself with no one to help gauge my pace. I wasn't too concerned about the fast time because in 2001 I ran the first loop in 2:42 and it didn't affect me later. When I arrived at the finish a friend was there to cheer me on which was great. I was a little disappointed my pacer (Joan) wasn't there also but I knew she needed to rest for later on. Support at these events is something that I really need. Normally I either have family or do them by myself. This time I had two friends with me which gave me a feeling inside I can't explain. Seeing Bob gave me an extra boost to turn around and start loop #2.

Loop #2 Obviously I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain the same pace on the second loop but I wanted at least 3:15 if I could. This time I made sure I stopped at every aid station and ate something. Mistake number one of the day was not eating before the race. I just didn't allow myself enough time. By the time I hit the aid station on the 2nd loop I was starving. The food selection was typical of most 100's with PB&J sandwiches, soup, candies, etc. Stuff I would never eat on a normal day and really wasn't interested in today. I ate , drank, and ran around the second loop. I was passed by the eventual winner at about the 23 mile mark. We ran together for the next 6 miles before I let him go off by himself. He was very strong and I knew it made no sense to try to keep up with him. I held my ground through most of the second loop before another runner caught up with me towards the finish. We came in together at 5:36 through two loops. I ran the second loop in just under 3 hours which was again too fast for me this early. Again Bob was there to cheer me on and this time Joan was also there. I ran into the tent to check in and when I came out Joan had succeed tabs waiting for me. I was glad she had them because I was not thinking about taking them and would not of if she wasn't there. I could have easily duplicated the same mistake I made at Wasatch. I was not taking in any sports drink or succeed tabs and I severely cramped 62 miles into the race forcing me to walk the remaining miles. Joan has never crewed before but she is a runner and instinctively knew what to do. Again inspired by my friends I took off for the third time around.

Loop #3 I was beginning to feel the effects of the quick start. My quads were tightening and thoughts of not achieving my goals were rambling through my head. I started readjusting my goals during this section of the course. My short term goal was to finish the 3rd loop at or before 4 p.m. Calculating the time of day I knew I should be able to do this easily. It gave me 4 1/2 hours to do so. As bad as I was starting to feel I was confident I could do this. I wanted to give Joan the opportunity to run her first loop in some daylight so she could familiarize herself with the course. Tired and doubting my abilities I kept running. I started to employ the walk up the hills run down the hills method. This seemed to energize me enough to run the last 8 miles in entirety. I arrived back at the finish around 3:15 p.m. Bob and Joan were once again there to cheer me on. This time I was picking up Joan so she could pace me the rest of the way. This is the first time out of 12 one hundred milers that I would use a pacer. The fact is that I never knew anyone before who I could trust would be able to do it. Joan is an excellent runner having completed several marathons and the JFK 50 in just over 9 hours. I had no doubts whatsoever she would be able to get me to the finish.

Loop #4 I was very tired at this point but having a chance to run with Joan gave me the energy to run more than walk through this loop. Not long after we took off I tripped on a root and landed face first. I got up and could feel blood coming out of my nose. I stood there for a second, wiped the blood away and then we took off again. Never having paced before Joan did an excellent job. She always remained 6 to 8 feet in front of me to lead the way. She never gave me an opportunity to quit. Her upbeat personality gave me a lift I've never experienced this late in a hundred miler. I found myself running some of the hills I walked in the previous loop. The temps were in the 50's most of the day but now it was getting a little cooler. I was surprised to hear Joan say she was hot. After running the first couple of miles in a long sleeve shirt she removed it to cool off a little. Judging by some of the comments I think she may have energized a couple of the guys passing by when she did this. We made our way around with little difficulty. I was very tired but kept running as much as possible. We arrived at the finish in 13:35 or so leaving me on pace to possibly break 18 hours. Joan really wanted to do this but I knew I didn't have it. Bob was once again there to cheer us on.

Loop #5 I told Bob the last lap could take a while. I figured it would take anywhere between 4-6 hours depending upon whether I could get myself back together. Joan and I took off for the last time in complete darkness and temperatures that were dropping rapidly. This would be the toughest loop of the night. It started off okay because I was able to do some running but as we reached the dirt road for the out and back my mind had just given up. My breathing had become erratic and it was painful to inhale. I know it must have frustrated Joan to have to walk as much as we did but at no time did she ever indicate that. While walking she told me we only have to average 13 minute miles to reach our goal but at this point it didn't matter. The only thing I wanted to do was spend some time on the trail with her and finish in whatever time it took. I was confident breaking 20 hours would be easy and I was satisfied with that. Every once in awhile I did attempt to run but became frustrated by not being able to maintain it. At one point I was even frustrated enough to throw my water bottle and light on the ground. We walked most of the way running sporadically as my mind would allow me. At one point Joan tripped over a root and twisted her ankle. I heard her saying something but she said it so low I couldn't make it out. Later she told me she was worried I would take it as her complaining. Someone who's never paced before she knew exactly how to react in all situations. She may have over reacted here, however, because she had every right to complain. I kept promising Joan that would run again I just needed to recover. I thought as we got closer to the finish I would feel exhilarated enough to push. It never really happened and we continued to walk. The cold temperatures were now also beginning to set in. We both really just wanted this thing to end. We made it to the last aid station freezing our butts off. We walked up the trail leading us to the main road. Once there we watched as runners were going out for the 4th and 5th time. Thankfully we were done but I felt sorry for those who had more to go. I actually mustered up enough energy to run the last 3/4 of a mile to the finish. I finished in 19:31 in front of what I now consider two very good friends my pacer Joan Messick and my support person Bob Prottas.

Course Description The race consists of five laps around a twenty mile loop course. There are no major obstacles but at times the roots can be annoying. The surface varies from dirt roads to pine needle covered soft trail sections. Runners leave the start/finish area and run about 3/4 of a mile on a trail that parallels the main road entering the park. The course then leads you across the main road to another short 1 mile trail section that leads to an out and back on dirt roads. Through this part of the course the trail was in good condition with the exception of one swampy area on the 1 mile trail section. Runners could navigate their way around this easily in the daylight hours but at night it was hard. Wet feet ,as the temperature dropped later at night, may have been a factor in runners dropping. The out and back is a gentle up and down section that can wear on you by the fourth or fifth loop. The first aid station greets runners at the turn around before heading back. The out and back ends at another short trail section with lots of roots and some minor ups and downs. The trail then leads to a dirt road which takes you to the second aid station about 1/4 of a mile after entering it. This is also the fourth aid station as it will be hit again on the way back after the 5 mile out and back on trails. There are no real hills on the course but this section does have some walkable hills. It can also frustrate runners who are walking because it seems to take forever to get to the 3rd aid station on the way out. Having an aid station at the turnaround is an upgrade from the last time I ran the race in 2001. In 01 I had a difficult time trying to determine where the turnaround point was but the aid station this year left no doubts. Runners make their way back retracing their steps to aid station #2 which is now aid station #4. At this point runners have access to drop bags and have the opportunity to get any necessary items. The course leads runners from the aid station down a dirt road for about 1/2 a mile to an easy trail section on the left. The trail continues for about 1/2 mile until it ends at the lake and turns into a dirt road that runs parallel to the lake for about 1/4 mile. As you look across the lake the start/finish line can be seen. This may give some a false sense of happiness for they feel the end is near. Unfortunately there are still about 5 miles to the finish from here. The dirt road leads into the woods once again on trail with lots of roots. This part of the trail has the most roots and will give runners fits at night. This section of the course is about 2 miles and it leads to a series of bridges that cross the lake. During daylight hours there was a photographer taking pictures of runners as they crossed the bridges. The course turns right on to a soft trail section that is run parallel to the lake for about a 1/2 mile. This section had a couple of very swampy areas that could not be avoided. It led to the last aid station about 3 miles from the finish. The course twists and turns on soft trails with some gentle ups until it leads to the trail parallel to the main road. This is where the loop meets so runners coming in can see runners going out for their next lap at this point. It's about 3/4 of a mile to the finish from here.

My next goal is to pace Joan to a successful finish at Western States in June. Hopefully I'll make it from 28th on the wait list to the start line at Hardrock in July.

Dave Bursler
Bear, Delaware