Days 4,122-3—Running in the Badger 100 on a Beautiful Day in Wisconsin: Complete Edition with all the Pictures and the Video—

 

Part I: Don’t Worry, I've Got Pictures

         I wasn’t sure if I had gotten any good pictures and videos, but I went through everything last night. I thought my stuff might be too blurry to do much with, but it didn’t look bad. I think I will be able to make a decent video after all! I got a lot of video of the pre-race, but hardly any of the after-race. I kept thinking I should have recorded a little when Travis and I ate at Burger King on Sunday, but everything seemed more difficult on Sunday, and I was mostly happy.

Friday, driving down went smoothly, and we were there with our tents up before I knew it. We met this guy, Heath, who was doing the 100, who came over and talked to us. He was a nice guy and had some interesting strategies about running. The only thing in his dropbag was socks, which I thought was a bold move.

We had been worried about parking, but the lot didn’t fill up on Friday, so it wasn’t a real concern. I lay down to read a little before 8 p.m. and started falling asleep. I went to bed soon afterward. I didn’t sleep straight through the night, but I got at least 5 hours and felt awake without caffeine at 3:30 on Saturday morning. I noticed the school buses circling the lot and loaded onto one at 4:15. There were only a couple of people on my bus, and I wondered if I should try to talk to someone on the 45-minute drive, but I felt comfortable in the continued silence.

         It was cold, and I saw a lot of people with jackets, but I kept reminding myself that I would be warm once the race started. Before the race, a guy just started talking to me to tell me I needed to have my race bib horizontal, which was on my vest. I struggled with that, and Travis showed me that part of his shoe tread was falling off. We both ran to the starting position shortly after the race director did the usual talk, and he started the countdown while a lot of runners were still getting into position. This was the biggest 100 I had done since the Tunnel Hill years ago. There were supposed to be almost 150 runners there.

Part II: All the Way back to Bellville at mile 30.x

         I was running with Travis initially, and we were both going faster than we had planned. We started at around 9-minute miles and gradually increased our pace as we ran. Travis dropped off to use the bathroom, but he kept catching up, and he said he had to stop three times before we hit the first aid station.

         He started recognizing people and was introducing me to a guy who had completed the Grand Slam of Ultras, which is either 4 or 5 prestigious 100+ mile races across the country. We started pacing with a different runner whom I talked to until the first aid station. She told me a little bit about her running year, and it was exciting to meet someone who had completed a lot of the bigger, more prestigious races like the Cruel Jewel, and I thought it was interesting that she had her 100-mile race PR in her first race. For me, it was the second, but I have thought about why that is. I mainly assumed that it was because of how much easier the Lighthouse was compared to almost all the other races I have done, but I don’t know if the Lighthouse was that much easier than the Huron 100. They both had cool weather. The Lighthouse there was rain, and it was almost all pavement. I also was thinking that fewer aid stations can make me faster because even when I am only staying long enough to get my water filled, I will usually lose 3-5 minutes. I lost her after that, but I figured it wouldn’t be long until she passed me. I was trying not to think of anything but focus on my run, and I was planning to sub 20 hours if I could do it!

         I wasn’t sure how fresh I felt, but it was such a nice day, and I was starting to see why someone would want to do a race on this trail. It was beautiful! All the greenery was encroaching on every section, and there were many beautiful bridges that we ran under. The air felt fresh and invigorating, and I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed I was easily getting under 9-minute miles. Travis caught up to me, and we started talking to Nicholas, whom we both had met during the Aslinger 24-hour in April. He was attempting to have the record for the most 100-mile finishes in one year for a 23-year-old, which will be 16! 

         He said the guy who has the record for all time completed 52 in one year! At first, I thought about how cool that was, but I don’t know if I could imagine that would be a goal I would be interested in. Even if I had the money and resources, there is the time factor. I wondered if they were independently wealthy, but I wanted to just be happy for them. What an amazing accomplishment! I would like to do it maybe once a month if I ever get an opportunity, but any more than that would be a lot to ask for from my wife.

         I also started thinking about how this was already my 3rd 100-mile race this year and my 5th, counting my 200-mile and 24-hour races. That’s by far the most 100-mile races I have done in a year. The most I had officially completed before this year was only two. One year, I ran the 100-mile distance but unofficially, so 5 is a lot! And I am already signed up for 1 more, and I am almost confident I will do one in December too, for my birthday. Right now, I am looking at the Hitchcock 100, which is a 20-mile loop in Iowa for my birthday. Now, I am more seriously thinking about completing as many ones in different states as possible. If I do at least 2 different states a year, I could foreseeably reach my goal in the next 20 years. Some years, I will need to do three, but I think I can do it if I start planning in advance.

The first 20 miles flew by, and I was pacing fast, but I was breathing through my nose, and my HR was averaging 130. I started talking to Nicholas again. He had caught up to me, and I started running with this guy PJ, who was from Chicago. It was his first 100-mile run, and he was doing amazing! He had a light mustache, and I wondered if he had grown it for the race.

I was loving the aid station experience! I was downing 5-7 pieces of watermelon at each stop and drinking the hydration they provided. I got it by accident when I filled up in the morning, and I was finding it refreshing. After 20 miles, I knew we would hit the detour soon, and everyone was giving me different distances, but it sounded like it was between 1 and 2 miles and hilly. I felt like so far we had gone almost all downhill, so I wasn’t going to slow down until I got to the detour section. By then, PJ had caught up with me with another first-time 100-mile runner, Holly. She looked strong, and both she and PJ were powering up the hills on the detour, but I was determined to walk. I was still pacing at the point where I would be able to finish 50-miles under 9 hours, so I was very happy thinking about the possibilities and embraced walking up the hills. By the time I hit mile 30.x miles I was back to race headquarters where I had camped the night before I was running alone, but I was smiling big and raced over to change my shorts and shirt in the bathroom. I knew it was early, but my clothes weren’t drying, and my shorts felt so heavy.

Part III: Running to Dot’s and finishing 50 miles at a 10:12 pace!

It was a little confusing to find the path to Dot’s initially, but I remembered how we drove there yesterday, and eventually, I saw the right path and was heading in that direction. I started passing people going the other direction when I was close to a mile away from Dot’s Tavern. I think PJ might have been in the lead of the runners whom I had talked to. It was good seeing everyone again. I felt like I was going a lot slower than they were, but I kept checking my watch and reassuring myself that this pace was exactly where I wanted to be. I was about to hit 35.x miles once I got to Dot’s, and it was only 5 and a half hours into the race, which would roughly put my close to a 9:30 on average pace. To get under 20 hours, I just needed to sub 12-minute miles overall, which might not sound that bad, but when you add in time to go to the bathroom, change clothes, and eat, it becomes a lot closer to under 11-minute miles, so starting faster could potentially make the second half easier.

         I know the wisdom is to start slower, which I agree is good advice, and the race where I got my best time, I did that, but it is a lot harder mentally to go against what your body naturally wants to do. When you start out, it is easier to go faster, so why not take advantage? It is always hard to run fast for the second 50 miles, and it was going to get hot soon, so I wanted to get as many invigorating miles in as I could. I knew I had slowed down some and taken the time to change clothes, but I was trying to be smart.

         When I made it to the tavern I walked over to the aid station and filled up my hydration. They handed me a coaster, and I gave them a look that spelled confusion. “I am good. I don’t need a coaster.”

         The guy offered to put it in my vest for me and said he was giving it to me to prove I had gone to Dot's. “There are no timing mats out here.”

         I shoved the coaster in my vest pocket next to my phone and commented that it was getting hot. The guy suggested I go downstairs at Dots, but I didn’t even consider taking more unnecessary steps at this point in the race!

         On my way out, I ran into Nicholas and Travis. They were so close to Dot’s that I was barely pacing ahead of them. My journey back to Bellville didn’t take nearly as long as it did the first time. I didn’t stay there long, but went to give someone my coasters that had fallen apart in my pocket! I was so annoyed! Bits of the coaster were all over my phone. The guy I offered it to said, No, thanks. I thought at least they might check some box, but when they didn't, I threw it away. I had no issue with Dot’s or the assignment. I have done similar things in other races. It seems having to use a hole punch on your bib is a normal way to handle it.

         I was only 35 miles in, but I had experienced the whole course at this point. There would be no more directional things to have to remember. I thought about the bracelet that he gave us, “What Would a Train Do?” And I thought it was kind of mean, but I changed my mind once it got dark. It was incredibly useful advice.

         Now, I was passing people who were still running to Dot’s for the first time, and I was calculating in my head what lap they were on. When I was on mile 42, they were on mile 23. I kept looking for Heath, who had met me the first night. He said that he was planning to pace it to almost 36 hours, which is what he did last year. When I got to him, he was about 20 miles behind me, so he was about hitting that pace, which worried me if this was his first half.

         The aid station before the road detour was at mile 43, and I was so happy to make it there. I was getting closer to 50, and I could tell I would at the very least make it under 9 hours, which would mean I would have over an hour of banked time to make it under 20 hours! I walked the hills and looked at the beautiful farmland, but it was getting hot.

         Not too long later, Nicholas caught up to me. He showed me he had made a video on his phone, edited it, and posted it to Instagram, all while we were running! I can barely edit any video in a noisy room. I was impressed he was getting some content made while we were running. Then a butterfly flew by, and he started chasing it with his camera. He got some good footage of it and immediately showed it to me.

         We ran a little longer together, but then he was off to the races, and I was running by myself. I was going to make it to the Monticello aid station soon, and I was planning on taking a minute to make sure I cooled down. When I got there, the aid stations offered me an ice bandana. I told him I didn’t have my own, and they said I could have the one they gave me! They also put ice down my vest. It was probably only in the 80s, but I was overheating.

         I left again, not wanting to give up my first half lead, and I couldn’t wait to see the time I would make it to half, which ended up being 8 hours and 35 minutes, which might seem fast, but I remembered that the course was 101 miles, so I waited to see where I would be at 50.5 half miles. Either way, I was only going to need to average under a 13-minute mile to finish at 20 miles! I also started to cool down, so I decided I would let myself walk if necessary because the sun was getting to the hottest it had been all day, and I was not about to drive myself into dehydration, so the only other way besides drinking water to stay hydrated was to stay cool.

Part IV: But will they have Vegan Burgers?

        I had only eaten fresh fruit at the aid stations so far. So much watermelon that my face was red. At first, I wondered if I had some type of rash when I went to record a moment of my race, but quickly I realized it was the watermelon juice. Normally, you want to eat slowly, but when you’re racing, you’re focused on consuming as much food in the shortest time possible. If they cut the watermelon thin, I stack them on top of each other and finish a piece in three to four bites. It isn’t the normal way I eat stuff, but all I am thinking about is that I am losing time.

         When I hit the aid station before the 7-mile stretch. A young girl was helping out. She couldn’t have been older than 8. The guy had her make me a cherry slushy that hit the spot. They also had a fountain of pickles. I didn’t have any, but I did marvel at the juxtaposition of seeing pickles in a fountain. I might be anxious to get going, but I try not to show it. I was slowing down anyway after I hit 50. I was letting myself walk some, so as to not get overheated, and was running closer to 4 miles per hour through the heat. I was still running the majority of the time, but knowing this is the part when I am usually miserable.

         I was also running alone. All the 100-mile runners whom I had run with earlier were mostly far ahead of me. I hadn’t seen Travis in a while, but I figured it wouldn’t be long until he caught up with me. One younger-looking guy kept passing me, and then I would catch him and pass him for a while. During one aid station stop, he sat on a cooler for a few minutes and left without getting any water.

         I waved greetings to him each time we ran close to each other, but he never responded. I wonder if he had heard me, or was just in the zone. The aid station before the turnaround, the point in Orangeville, Illinois, was getting closer, so there was a sign where we could text our order for hot food in Orangeville. I scanned the sign for anything that said vegan and didn’t see it, so I just assumed that I wouldn’t get any hot food, which was fine.

         There were these Cheez-It-like crackers (Cheese-Less) that I had in my bag that I was craving, and I was getting so hungry. I decided I would take a proper break. Maybe even taking as many as 20 minutes to sit around and eat my crackers. I finished 70 miles after about 12 hours and 45 minutes (10:55 pace per mile). I stayed at that aid station for 21 minutes. A little longer than I thought, but when I got there, the guy said he had vegan burgers! So I was pumped to get to have an actual burger! I drank some ginger ale and started and ate my crackers. Shoving them so quickly in my mouth, a lot were spilling on the ground. Before I left, I decided to start drinking caffeine, so I was hoping for a jolt of energy, and as I started running back to Belleville, I was smiling! I was full, comfortable, and feeling like running again. I saw Travis immediately when I left. He was less than a mile behind me. I was looking forward to being done, but I was also looking forward to that nice 7-mile stretch that was coming up. I kept doing the math to figure out what my pace needed to be for the rest of the run. I wanted to be able to run 12s for the rest of the run, but that would have put me over 20 hours, so after the first hour, I started running between 12 and 14-minute miles.

Part V: What Would a Train Do?

         I thought this advice was kind of mean when he first said it, but when it got dark and I crossed a road, I started asking myself the question. I don’t remember it being confusing before, but I was keeping my light off until it was so dark I couldn’t see anything, and then I turned on my red light. There were so many people I was passing the other way, I didn’t want to blind them.

         I was expecting this 30 miles to fly by, and when I realized that I might beat my PR, I started going as fast as I could, which wasn’t that fast. I had been walking at the start of each mile, and I was hitting between 12- and 13-minute miles when I switched to running the whole time. I couldn’t get much faster than 11-minute miles. I kept doing the math, and if I finished at 100.5 or less I was going to finish under 19:35. I couldn’t remember if my PR was 19:25 or 19:35. I figured that it didn’t matter and I needed to focus on moving, but I had a hard time not being motivated by the possibility of having my fastest time since 2021! I knew it was going to be close to even get under 20 hours.

          At every aid station, I filled up my water and hydration, and I drank Coke and ginger ale. I wasn’t tired, tired, but I was worried that I was going to lose my momentum, so every opportunity I had to have some caffeine, I took it. One of the benefits of running a faster time was that I wouldn’t have to stay up all night. 20 hours would have me finishing at 2 a.m., which isn’t that late, so I wasn’t worried about burning out on caffeine like I will be if I have to stay up all night.

         I didn’t see anyone except the people going in the other direction. I also was passing 100K runners periodically, but most people at this point were quiet. I kept looking for Heath, but I hadn’t seen him yet. Once I was in the 80s, I knew that the worst was over, but my body was starting to cramp up a bit. I was no longer finishing my water and hydration between aid stations and had stopped eating completely.

         As I got into the 90s, I kept looking at my watch periodically to see if I was still able to possibly PR, but I still couldn’t say anything for sure. Especially since my max speed at this point was an 11-minute mile. I hoped that my watch was going to be off from the predicted distance of 101 miles, and I would be closer to 100 miles. If I ended up at 100 miles, I could still beat my PR time.

         Once I was in the last hour of the run, I saw Heath still moving. I don’t think he was in last place, but I admired the mental strength to be as determined as he was after 18 hours of running. After I hit 99, I stopped looking at my watch and just kept going as fast as I could. I know I wasn’t pacing that much faster, but it felt faster. I was still holding on to hope that maybe I would still get under 19:35.

                When I ran across the timing mats, I saw that I was just barely at 19:37. I talked to the race director, and he was super nice and encouraging. I felt bad that I didn’t get my PR, but if the race had been exactly 100 miles, I would have been almost right at 19:25.

         There was a long walk to my tent, so I sat down for a while and tried to drink a beer. I didn’t finish half of it before I spilled it. I stayed on a bench for 20 minutes watching people finish. I was thinking maybe Travis or the other guy, who I had been running close to, would finish any minute now, but they didn’t, and I started to shiver.

I walked as far as the restroom to stand for a while to warm up because I was shaking violently and breathing irregularly. I knew it wasn’t that cold, but I had let my body cool down enough that the temperature in the 50s was making me so cold I could barely move. Once I made it into my tent, I put my warmer around my neck and turned it on full blast. I couldn’t take a shower, but I wiped off my body thoroughly with Dude Wipes, and I went to sleep. I was so happy I would be able to sleep for at least 5-6 hours because I kept thinking that I would need to work tomorrow.

Part VI: the Return and the Recovery

         I woke up about 10 a.m., and I heard Travis taking down his tent in disbelief. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t still sleeping. When I emerged from my tent, I confirmed it was him and slowly started to pack up my stuff with Travis helping out. We walked to the main area and saw runners still finishing. I asked what place I had finished, and I was 7th overall and 5th in the men's category. Everyone finished a good hour ahead of me. Nicholas was in the 16-hour something, which was the fastest of the people I ran with. PJ was after that but didn’t finish close to Nicholas's time. Travis was under 22 hours, which was his goal coming down, so everyone I talked to was able to meet their goals, which blew my mind.

         The drop bags were not there yet, so we decided to leave and get them. It felt odd going to see the aid stations again, which were still up and running, now so many hours later. It didn’t take that long, and the aid stations were right off the road, so they didn’t take a long time to find them. This would be a good run if you had a crew because they would have no problem following you to the major aid stations.

         Travis was nice enough to stop at Burger King on the way back, and we both got the Impossible Whopper. I tried to find some music on the way back, but we didn’t talk as much, and I didn’t record any video. I think we were both thinking about the workweek and what we would need to do tomorrow, but what a success! I also talked to Holly, who beat me after the race, and she is a vegan, ultra streak runner! First time I have ever met another runner who is all those things. There has got to be more of us. I meet a lot of vegan runners, but I have never met another vegan ultra streak runner before. Maybe we’re slowly taking over the world, and every runner in time will be all those things! I read a newspaper article about an ultra runner who is 80 years old the other day. He is the oldest runner to complete the Badwater 135, and of course, he is a vegan runner too.