Jean-Jacques d'Aquin

Just the name makes me smile as it implies a certain playfulness associated with that critter. Arrived early Friday having spent the night at the local Wal*Mart lot after a long twelve hour drive. Found a great parking spot very near the start/finish where I could use my truck as an aid-station. The course is 5 laps of 20.15 miles of trails inside the park and around a large lake, meandering over small rolling hills and swampy lowland. No mountains or great rocky formations makes for a fast course, and runners of various caliber come from all over the country to try and set personal time records (PR). Volunteered for the last-minute preparations until noon then relaxed off my feet for several hours. The usual runner's briefing and pasta diner took place before dusk, after which I showered, taped my feet, laid-out my clothes and gear and went to sleep by 8pm. The predicted cold front was arriving and the temperature was dropping fast.

By 3am Saturday I couldn't stay in the sack any longer. Outside, it was 36? with a thick fog. Prediction was for a sunny day in the low 60s, followed by a night in the mid to high 40s. As I forced myself to eat (bagels, banana, yogurt) and hydrate (constant sipping at Gatorade bottle), I reassessed my clothing needs and dressed. Climbed into the cab, started the engine and heater, lowered the back of the seat and napped in warmth until 5:30am. Fortunately, once again, I had calculated my breakfast time correctly and an urgent call of nature was answered a few minutes before the 6am start.

After the first few, stiff shuffling steps and cold minutes, everyone settled down and small groups formed, trying to adjust their pace and field of view to their lights. As daybreak slowly expanded the accuracy of vision, I soon found a pace that was so comfortable that I chose to ignore the fact that my heart rate monitor (HRM) was warning me that I was pushing a bit hard. The first lap consisted mainly of maintaining a comfortable pace and trying to keep track of the chain of topographical features that would be revisited during the night. I tried to eat something at each aid-station (5 per lap) but my stomach soured very early on and the only thing I could keep down at first was peppermint hard candy. Even the drink mixtures they served were distasteful. Fortunately, I was able to keep drinking a full bottle between each station and keep reasonably hydrated, or I would have had to drop out. Later on, we found out the stations were using the park faucets to obtain the water needed for mixing the powdered drink mix. We suspect that this high-mineral content source was the main cause of our distress because many runners were complaining about gastrointestinal problems. The first lap soon ended and my exit time at the start of lap 2 was 9:30am, for an elapsed time of 3hrs.30mins, about 45 minutes faster than originally planned. Had I already sabotaged my final result with my usual early lack of self-discipline? The next lap would provide a good indicator.

The rising bright sun, absolutely clear, blue sky and low humidity started warming up the forest, and I was glad I had peeled of the starting layers of clothing and was now comfortable in sleeveless shirt and shorts. My feet were absolutely comfortable even though we had run through unavoidable mud and water sections. I adjusted my pace down to what I hoped would be close to the original plan. This time around, the various parts of the course were recognizable, and I focused on cataloging where the various areas of rocks, roots, stream crossings, muddy bogs, etc. were located. Most of the people in the small group I had run with during the first lap were now ahead of me and it was interesting to see who was where as we encountered each other on the various turn-around portions of the trails. Although I was drinking constantly, I was not urinating often or copiously enough and I started to worry about my kidney function. That, and the sour stomach that was still keeping me from eating, made me anxious about what was going on. Lap 2 ended and I forced myself to drink a can of "Ensure" along with my electrolyte pills to try and get some nutritional intake. At 100 calories per mile (average), I would burn 10,000 during this run and they had to come from somewhere… The scales at the end of the 1st lap had shown an increase of 2lbs. of body weight, consistent with my not passing water and not eating pointing to possible kidney problems and edema formation. This time the scales showed no increase, which was a relief. My exit time was 2:00pm, with a split of 4:30 and a cumulative time of 8hrs. for 40M. That lifted my spirits some. If I could keep this up for one more lap before the miles and the night took their toll, then there was hope of matching or breaking my present 100M PR of 27:20.

Lap 3 developed into a classic example of "unanticipated outcomes" that change all of one's perspectives and plans, no matter how well anticipated. At the exit of the "Start/Finish" area I had seen a hastily written sign saying something like "This event dedicated to Challenger." It had caught my eye, but had not registered. I was starting to experience cramping in my gut and could only focus on keeping moving. After a particularly nasty section of downhill roots and mud, I turned onto a soft, sandy portion of jeep trail leading up to station #1 and was astonished as my body turned on a series of jet-propulsion blasts that must have contributed considerably to the methane percentage of the area. This continued on for almost a mile, and as I arrived at the station I was fortunate to see one of the few porta-toilets on the course, and it was unoccupied! Greatly relieved (in more ways than one), I proceeded to eat part of a sandwich and a banana section and as I left, on impulse, I asked: "What's with the Challenger?" and was stunned by the answer. I don't remember much of the next several miles, as I mulled over the tragedy. A quick, hard fall that knocked the breath out of me, but did no real damage, forced me to concentrate on my own problems. I was keeping down the food I had eaten, but was still queasy and was to remain so for the duration. At station #4, the last before the "Start/Finish", I saw a dejected looking young man get up from a chair and start walking along. I recognized him as one of the original small group of runners that I had conversed with during the first lap. I remembered he was from California, had not completed two previous 100M attempts, and was very hopeful of finishing this one. As I came up to him on the trail, I asked if he was OK and he answered he had "bonked" (lost all energy and unable to run) and had spent 20mins. at the station, unable to eat, trying to decide whether to quit or continue in hope of a recovery. I told him that I would pace him, but not wait for him, and that if he could hang on for a while, he might yet make it. He started shuffling behind me and shortly was able to keep up. Soon he was feeling better and getting hungry. By the time we finished lap 3, he had climbed out of his depression and was enjoying himself again. We decided to run together and pace each other as the need arose. At the weigh-in I had lost 2lbs and remembered I had been able to urinate a couple of times that lap. Buddy and I exited the area together at 6:30pm, having put on a layer of clothes in anticipation of a cool night, and each with a head-light and a hand-light. The split was 4:30, for a total of 12hrs. and 30mins. for 60M. We both realized that if the night and fatigue didn't slow us down drastically, not only would we finish with time to spare, but that a PR was possible!

As night deepened and my stomach kept refusing even soup, on which I usually thrive, I started to slow down and lose the will to push on. Had I been alone, I would have shuffled on, simply enduring. Buddy, however, was in fine form and taking over the lead, began to pace me, encouraging us both on by doing a variety of time/distance calculations that made us both believe we had a chance, a slim one, to break the 24hr. barrier which merits a silver buckle, not just the usual brass one. Breaking 24hrs., for me, would be like qualifying for Boston had been: something to strive for, but usually out of reach. As already noted, a group has an energy of its own, greater than the sum of its parts. That phenomenon is well known in cycling and marathon running, and also holds true for just two people. Running together at night gave us both the benefits of 4 lights instead of only two. With Buddy up front running just within the limit of his vision and calling out the obstacles as they came up, making the moment to moment decisions, all I had to do was focus on stepping where he had and just keep up. I kept checking my HRM, worrying about pushing harder than my body could take, but every time I looked, I was in Zone 1, the 65%-70% of effort zone where the body burns 90% fat and 10% carbohydrate, the most efficient way of burning energy. That went a long way toward explaining where the majority of those 10,000 calories I was burning came from. All I had to do was make sure I continued digesting carbohydrates and I concentrated on regularly nipping at my gel supply, as my stomach would let me. The miles and stations became a blur, and suddenly, I was aware we were only a ½ mile from the "Start/Finish." We had been passing people, but I hadn't paid attention until now. Ted, another one of the "1st lap people" I recognized, was walking dispiritedly as we came up on him. He had been hoping for a 24hr.finish but was giving that up. I invited him to join us, and said that if he could keep up we all had a chance. He agreed to try. At the line, the scale showed another 2lb. loss for me, which was good. I was a bit hungry now and was able to swallow a few spoonfuls of rice and beans, some potato soup and banana sections. The exit was at exactly 11:30pm for a split of 5hrs. and a total of 17:30 hrs. for 80M. We had 6:30hrs. to do the remaining 20M! We had to do it!

Spurred on by the possibility, the three of us hit the trail for the last loop, in high spirits and mental, if not physical energy. Ted was able to keep up, I perked up a bit, and a pattern quickly developed where when the lead would slow down, the next person would pace for a while, and so on. The running became slower and we shuffled more, but the three of us powerwalked remarkable quickly, continuing to pass others. We encouraged and pushed each other, and the obstacles were checked off our list with the satisfaction of finality. I enjoyed thanking the volunteers as we went through the stations, knowing I would not have to be there again. As we got closer to the finish Buddy suggested we should all three cross the line together at the same time. Because we were where we were as a result of this group effort, it seemed natural to each of us that the "group" should finish. And so, 20 yards from the finish, when we came to the asphalt of the parking lot by the "Finish," we ran shoulder to shoulder up to the line, stopped, and on the count of "three" stepped over in unison, to the great amusement of those in attendance. The split was 5:24, total elapsed time was 22:54 hrs., and we had done IT, decisively! It was worth a photo!