Wow awesome story Tc. Thanks for sharing it. We missed you at 12 summits on Saturday. I don’t think I would have liked being weighed in 10 times or all the attention at the A/S, but it sounds like a great challenge. I guess it’s time to start saving my pennies!
Thanks for the great write up...I followed you on-line and I knew it must have been an off day from the start. We$tern $tate$ is a BIG hoopla event. Too much for me. (Come to Massanutten...no wiegh ins.. no hoopla.. and a greater challenge.)
Great job toughing this one out!
Anyway, your race and write up make me afraid of vermont in 3 weeks..... I hate fried quads! Greg Crowther's expereince was similiar to yours (but he dropped).
As I am aproaching my 3 week out from peak race weekend.. I am debating on what to do as my last training event. Would you do anything differently the last 25 days preior to race day if you could go back? Would you recommend I hit the trails or the roads for the last big effort. I have DNF'd in my last 3 100 attempts (Umstead 06, MMT06, HURT07)... honestly a little worried.
I'm not sure I would have done anything differently the last 3 weeks. It was too late for my quads by then. I normally don't taper as much as I did this time and I don't think that made much of a physical difference. But it did make a mental difference - I felt less sure of myself. I have had success in my last 6 100s so I kept looking back on those.
I think I would do road now rather than trail. I think you need more running and less hiking to toughen up your legs for Vermont. Just don't over do it ... not much more physically that you can do to improve at this stage.
I wished I were running Vermont instead of WS ... I think I could have kicked butt on that kind of course (flatter and runable from what I understand).
Jim Kerby will be there kicking butt along with you.
Great report, TC. It's good to hear the other side of the story. I am not sure how I would feel about all the weigh ins and all of that. I think when we come back I will definitely follow your crews lead and head over to the aid stations they did and skip Robinson Flat. See ya around.
Congratulations Tony. I can't believe everything the course threw at you in just the first 50k. I still can't imagine you having negative thoughts before you even hit 50k. It really must have been tough.
Nice work letting your anger out ;) I can totally picture you being a grouch to the guy trying to put his arm around you to get you on the scale. Too funny.
Also, have you not learned anything? You're curvaceous, not fat!
It sounds like Glenn and Kendall were good to you. But I would have expected them to yell at you more, something like: Get going you lazy sob! :)
Thanks for the report. Great comeback at the end. Way to pass on the homestretch too - like your style!
I got to give props to Kendall and Glenn for sticking with you, especially near the end when you got really PO'ed at being treated like a piece of meat at those aid stations and you just wanted to finish that freakin' race! When you said you felt like a piece of meat, you weren't kidding!
Some struggle with altitude! You know, it seems most have it, and I probably did too, it just most 100's I did were at altitude, so i kind of accepted is as part of a challenge (sucks, I agree). I am really glad you had REAl friends with you who knew how to get you a picker-upper for your attitude:) I heard from you all the negatives on WS before, so wasn't surprised, you're right, to each their own (experience). I think you ran a pretty even race no matter what, and have a few things to learn from you. Hope to see you in a couple of months!
It's a hyped up race and that makes it harder....I think. The course itself isn't as hard as others you've done but the number of people on the course and the excitment they all have can suck the energy from some and give it to others. I think you did a great job managing yourself.
Great race report. Congratulations on not giving in and toughing it out. I have to say that I like the less "hoopla" races too. So glad you had Glenn and Kendall to keep you grounded. A great crew and pacer can really make or break a day. I'm glad they got you to the finish. Rest up!
I think I'll add a special Tony C. scale at CCC just for you. I'll just drive it around the course and try to weigh you as much as possible :)
Nice job down there. Any run at WS that is puke-free is a good one. That is the only place I've been sick in an ultra and it happened every time in basically the same sections. Despite the unnecessary hype I still really like the finish on the track. It's a great way to end a 100.
Charlie, I too like the track finish ... that is kind of cool. In fact, I could have done 10 miles around the track at least ... I had no quads but plenty of leg and lots of energy left unexpended.
I cried a couple of times watching others finish, especially as 30 hours came around!
One more add for now: I ate very little, I think partially because of how slow I was going. Here is what I ate:
1/2 peanut butter & honey (pre-race) 2, 1/2 pbh - during the race. 1/4 sandwich at the near side of the river. 1/4 ham & cheese at Hwy 49 Fruit at most aid stations Maybe 12 GUs Soup at 2 aid stations Other Calories: 2 Frappachinos, 7-up and a few aid stations.
Congrats, TC. It was great to see you at Robinson Flats, Michigan, and the finish. Glad you recovered from the initial breathing problems. I agree I am not much for all the hoopla but it is a beautiful course. I would like to run 12 summits with you some weekend if you are willing to take it easy. Rest and recover quickly.
tc - Great job all around! I think I'm going to bring a dust cup next time I run this event. I found that breathing through my nose was about the only way to keep the dust from choking me. It's amazing how much dust some people can kick up. I swear they must have been dragging their feet to stir up a big cloud.
I spoke to Steve Stoyles and we are real interested in running 12 summits next Saturday the 7th. We have the R2P relay the next weekend but then I'd like to get up to the CCC trail and run one or two of the sections. I might want to stay over one night to do back to back sections.
I hope you have your WS buckle displayed in a prominent place in your home.
*tc, I'm a little belated with this comment but I wanted to say that finishing a 100 miler can't be easy even when mentally and physically things are cranking as smoothly as possible. When they aren't, and you still tough it out, now that says something! And I appreciated the lack of overly cheerleadery summation of the race - I like to hear it like it is, and I appreciated your honesty (including the positives). Take care.
17 comments:
Wow awesome story Tc. Thanks for sharing it. We missed you at 12 summits on Saturday. I don’t think I would have liked being weighed in 10 times or all the attention at the A/S, but it sounds like a great challenge.
I guess it’s time to start saving my pennies!
TC,
Thanks for the great write up...I followed you on-line and I knew it must have been an off day from the start. We$tern $tate$ is a BIG hoopla event. Too much for me. (Come to Massanutten...no wiegh ins.. no hoopla.. and a greater challenge.)
Great job toughing this one out!
Anyway, your race and write up make me afraid of vermont in 3 weeks..... I hate fried quads! Greg Crowther's expereince was similiar to yours (but he dropped).
As I am aproaching my 3 week out from peak race weekend.. I am debating on what to do as my last training event. Would you do anything differently the last 25 days preior to race day if you could go back? Would you recommend I hit the trails or the roads for the last big effort. I have DNF'd in my last 3 100 attempts (Umstead 06, MMT06, HURT07)... honestly a little worried.
Cheers,
Greg
Greg,
I'm not sure I would have done anything differently the last 3 weeks. It was too late for my quads by then. I normally don't taper as much as I did this time and I don't think that made much of a physical difference. But it did make a mental difference - I felt less sure of myself. I have had success in my last 6 100s so I kept looking back on those.
I think I would do road now rather than trail. I think you need more running and less hiking to toughen up your legs for Vermont. Just don't over do it ... not much more physically that you can do to improve at this stage.
I wished I were running Vermont instead of WS ... I think I could have kicked butt on that kind of course (flatter and runable from what I understand).
Jim Kerby will be there kicking butt along with you.
*tc
Great report, TC. It's good to hear the other side of the story. I am not sure how I would feel about all the weigh ins and all of that. I think when we come back I will definitely follow your crews lead and head over to the aid stations they did and skip Robinson Flat. See ya around.
Congratulations Tony. I can't believe everything the course threw at you in just the first 50k. I still can't imagine you having negative thoughts before you even hit 50k. It really must have been tough.
Nice work letting your anger out ;) I can totally picture you being a grouch to the guy trying to put his arm around you to get you on the scale. Too funny.
Also, have you not learned anything? You're curvaceous, not fat!
It sounds like Glenn and Kendall were good to you. But I would have expected them to yell at you more, something like: Get going you lazy sob! :)
Thanks for the report. Great comeback at the end. Way to pass on the homestretch too - like your style!
Great race report tc. Congrats on your 100th!
I got to give props to Kendall and Glenn for sticking with you, especially near the end when you got really PO'ed at being treated like a piece of meat at those aid stations and you just wanted to finish that freakin' race! When you said you felt like a piece of meat, you weren't kidding!
Some struggle with altitude! You know, it seems most have it, and I probably did too, it just most 100's I did were at altitude, so i kind of accepted is as part of a challenge (sucks, I agree). I am really glad you had REAl friends with you who knew how to get you a picker-upper for your attitude:) I heard from you all the negatives on WS before, so wasn't surprised, you're right, to each their own (experience). I think you ran a pretty even race no matter what, and have a few things to learn from you. Hope to see you in a couple of months!
Nice report Tony,
It's a hyped up race and that makes it harder....I think. The course itself isn't as hard as others you've done but the number of people on the course and the excitment they all have can suck the energy from some and give it to others. I think you did a great job managing yourself.
Rest up!
tc,
Way to stick it out. I had many similar experiences last year, and came back much wiser. Hope you have a good recovery!
Meghan
Great, great report, Tony. Congrats on a fantastic race!
TC,
Great race report. Congratulations on not giving in and toughing it out. I have to say that I like the less "hoopla" races too. So glad you had Glenn and Kendall to keep you grounded. A great crew and pacer can really make or break a day. I'm glad they got you to the finish. Rest up!
Tony --
I think I'll add a special Tony C. scale at CCC just for you. I'll just drive it around the course and try to weigh you as much as possible :)
Nice job down there. Any run at WS that is puke-free is a good one. That is the only place I've been sick in an ultra and it happened every time in basically the same sections. Despite the unnecessary hype I still really like the finish on the track. It's a great way to end a 100.
Thanks all who have commented.
Charlie, I too like the track finish ... that is kind of cool. In fact, I could have done 10 miles around the track at least ... I had no quads but plenty of leg and lots of energy left unexpended.
I cried a couple of times watching others finish, especially as 30 hours came around!
One more add for now:
I ate very little, I think partially because of how slow I was going. Here is what I ate:
1/2 peanut butter & honey (pre-race)
2, 1/2 pbh - during the race.
1/4 sandwich at the near side of the river.
1/4 ham & cheese at Hwy 49
Fruit at most aid stations
Maybe 12 GUs
Soup at 2 aid stations
Other Calories: 2 Frappachinos, 7-up and a few aid stations.
Way to perservere. You are a true ultra legend with 100 finishes! Congratulations!
SD
Congrats, TC. It was great to see you at Robinson Flats, Michigan, and the finish. Glad you recovered from the initial breathing problems. I agree I am not much for all the hoopla but it is a beautiful course. I would like to run 12 summits with you some weekend if you are willing to take it easy. Rest and recover quickly.
Steve Stoyles
tc - Great job all around! I think I'm going to bring a dust cup next time I run this event. I found that breathing through my nose was about the only way to keep the dust from choking me. It's amazing how much dust some people can kick up. I swear they must have been dragging their feet to stir up a big cloud.
I spoke to Steve Stoyles and we are real interested in running 12 summits next Saturday the 7th. We have the R2P relay the next weekend but then I'd like to get up to the CCC trail and run one or two of the sections. I might want to stay over one night to do back to back sections.
I hope you have your WS buckle displayed in a prominent place in your home.
Eric
*tc, I'm a little belated with this comment but I wanted to say that finishing a 100 miler can't be easy even when mentally and physically things are cranking as smoothly as possible. When they aren't, and you still tough it out, now that says something! And I appreciated the lack of overly cheerleadery summation of the race - I like to hear it like it is, and I appreciated your honesty (including the positives). Take care.
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