ResPass 100M - Fasted Running in Practice

 

• 2 aid stations. Mile 42 and mile 68.5
• Race start time: 3pm
• Fasted except for a cookie at noon
• Salami and cheese packs 
• Carried: 2 each between aid stations
• Used: 2.5 total race
•  Tailwind
• Carried: 4 packs / had replacement packs at aid stations
• Used: 1 pack and 3 pre-mixed bottles total race
• Post race meal
• Subway sandwich 
• cookie

I want to document my 100 mile trail race with respect to how I would perform, or survive the run, given a year of intermittent fasting. For most of my life, I have trained by running at the noon hour and would not eat until after my run. I did that, accidental fasted running, because it came natural for me. I wasn't extremely consistent throughout as I tried different "diets" in an attempt to improve my weight and lower my body fat. As with a lot of running related things, I haven't really studied (i.e., researched) diets and the effects of fasting or what I ate, and how those factors attributed to my health. I've worked more on that as I'm getting older and want to stay healthy; not just running health. 

The ResPass 100 mile race is a fairly remote, medium technical, mostly single track trail with about 10,500 feet of gain. Black and brown bears are a real threat as they roam these areas, eating fish and berries, and hopefully not humans. By this time of year, bears aren't in their super hungry state and are less likely to bother runners. The weather during this race changes on a dime. In past races, we've started out in pouring rain and ended up in the heat; we've started out in the heat, had rain through the night, then heat again the next day. The race does start at 3pm which adds to the difficulty of logistics, the sleep depravation issue, and how & when to eat. The reason for the late start is to allow the race directors (RDs) to hold the 100 miler and 50 miler (6am Saturday start) and serve both groups. This aspect of the race, having the 50 mile runners intermix with the 100 mile runners late in the race, is very enjoyable to me. I would prefer to start at 6am on Friday but I understand how the timing helps the RDs. This is a free 100 miler so ANYTHING the RDs can do for us is awesome! 

In preparation for the race, I would rely on my high mileage over the previous 15 months. For the months between May 2020 and Apr 2021, I averaged 320 miles a month. Most of these miles were either on the road and/or in the snow (hard packed), and almost no trails. I mention this as I am not very fond of trial running. To some from my past, runners in WA and OR, this seems to contradict the racing I did for about half of my ultra running career. I ran a lot of trail ultras from 1998-2011. That said, I really prefer the road. In fact, I never ran on a trail until I started ultra running; about 25 years into my running "career." My mileage for May 2021 - July 2021, which included this race, I averaged 410 miles a month. I did run a 24 hour race in June and accumulated 104 miles. Then I ran a double-marathon (Hatcher Pass) on July 10th. This gave me high confidence of being able to cover the distance. The one thing for me to factor in was the fact that I don't train on trails. I did likely fewer than 100 miles total for the year which doesn't bode well for my body's adaptation to trial running; especially on this technical trail. In 2012 I did no trail running to speak of and came out of this race having a torn glute muscle; my worst running injury ever that kept me out of running for 8 weeks. Not wanting to repeat that, I would be cautious of lifting my feet over roots and falling versus trying to catch myself when I would trip. And I would walk if I felt too much back or hip pain. So this is the, "do as I say not as I do," part of the post. I recommend to newer ultra runners that they train with specificity. That is, train on the surface and if possible, the weather conditions that you will be racing in. I would never recommend to newer ultra runner running this race on "road runner legs." That's just crazy talk. 

I had Shawn walk through my plan for the race and the logistics with regard to what I would put in my bags. I had decided to go with my Solomon 8 pack from the start so that I could carry food, Tailwind packets, a headlamp, rain jacket, etc. I also wanted to go lighter from the 2nd aid station at Devil's Pass Trail Head (TH) to the finish and put my smaller Solomon 5 in that drop bag. 

I also used a gallon zip lock bag to separate my replacement fuel, hand warmers, etc., in each of my drop bags so that I wouldn't have to think much about what to grab when coming in to each aid station. 

An addition to my first bag was a headlamp that my son bought me for Christmas last year. It is super bright which would be helpful leaving Cooper Landing. It would be dark leaving there and the canopy of trees make it even darker. I wanted to avoid the tripping and slow running caused by my fear and distaste for running in the dark. Also, with regard to eating day of race, I decided to not eat. I would have a cookie (guilty pleasure) at noon just to have some calories in my tummy to burn, though it was likely unnecessary. 

With that set up, the race started in good weather; 60F and a bit humid but no rain. This year, as with last year, the race started with a 2 mile out, 2 mile back from the Hope TH, on the road leading to the TH. The start was mellow with 19 racers nervously chatting on the easy 4 miles of gravel road. Into the parking lot at the TH we were met with cheers from family and friends. Now it was over the bridge and into the woods where the race would be played out. I was in the lead pack that included Laura McDonough, Sue and Teri Buck closely followed by Krystal.

 Still chatty we ran and discussed the return trip with Sue who is from Vermont. A few miles later Teri and I started to pull away from the others. I expected to see Krystal at any time and soon we were being passed by Nobile G., the youngest runner of the race at 17. Teri and I continued to pull away, not really intending to do so. The pace felt comfortable to me so I just went with it. What I didn't want to do was to go out hard and pay for it early. at about mile 12 I could see Nobile ahead and picked up the pace a bit. He stopped to eat and I passed on by, now alone for the duration. 

I had started with a handheld bottle with water and Tailwind. That was emptied soon and I refilled at a stream. This course has so much water that I've never found it necessary to carry more than one bottle. This compared to Cascade Crest 100M that has 19 aid stations and where I've carried 2 water bottles ~ dry course. I also don't filter as my immune system seems to do just fine against giardia. I do try to be smart about where I get my water. 

Before I knew it, I was at the ResPass sign. That's 19 miles from Hope TH so 23 miles into the race. I didn't stop there as I was looking forward to seeing Mike Fisher at the trail junction a few miles later. Mike Buck was coming the other way on his bike right before I hit the junction. It's always nice to see others out on the lonely trail. Mike Fisher had put up signage and directions for both races to keep us from getting lost. He wasn't at "his post" as I ran by but I soon saw him filling up water jugs at a river crossing down the trail. 

As I got on to the trail that heads to the Sterling Highway in Cooper Landing, I focused on my footing. This was also the point where I started getting a headache. At first I thought maybe it was the lack of calories but I soon put that out of my mind as I had plenty of energy. I did eat a GU as I was at the marathon mark. I stopped briefly to remove my hat (head swelling) and put my bear bell in my pack, wrapped in my mittens, in hopes that the quiet would make my head feel better. Again, at this point the trail gets a bit rocky and I concentrated on my footing. Since I hadn't run this race in 4 years, my memory was a little fuzzy on whether there was water on this trail. I didn't think there was but there are a few river crossings that I was able to dip in on the way down, and of course on the way back up. Most of the run down was pleasant. The trail was much improved and even the trail around Juneau lake was moved up so as not to be right on the shoreline. At times I picked up the pace and just focused on running comfortably and not walking. It started to get dark, mostly from the canopy of trees, as I approached the highway. I could hear the vehicles from the highway about 3 miles out. It's a good sound! As it turned out, I was able to run all the way to the aid station (about mile 42) before dawning my headlamp. 

I left that aid station and tried to push as much as I could on the return trip from Cooper Landing while I still had some light. I tend to slow down too much in the dark. It was a clear night so the views were awesome and the moon was shining. The other thing I was looking forward to on this section was seeing other runners. I enjoy that especially at night. Soon I had gone by all other racers and was heading to the top of the trail. As I was cresting the top I could see fog and that the wind was blowing rather hard. I still had on my short sleeve shirt and knew I'd have to find some protection from the wind in order to put on some warm clothes. I was a bit nervous with the cold but there was a clump of trees just ahead where I would change shirts and add my jacket; then swap out my ball cap for my skull cap. I was hoping that it would only be the couple of miles to the Devil's Pass trail that would be windy. I scurried through to the DP trail and was happily out of the wind. I started to slow in this section which was annoying because it's down hill. I wasn't low on energy; the lack of trail running hit me more than anything as the footing wasn't even. "You're not on the road anymore tc!" I made it to the 2nd aid station a lot later than I was hoping to so I made hasted of getting in and out of there. I finished the rest of my original food by the second aid station (mile 68.5). There I grabbed my smaller pack (Solomon 5) which had another portion of salami and cheese. 

I moved out of there quickly as I was getting cold. In my pack I had a dry short sleeve shirt I would change into as the day warmed up. I moved slowly back up the Devil's Pass trail and was happy again to see Lara, Teri, and Laura heading my way. There was a long gap and as I was heading through some thick brush I was taken aback by a noise. There had been plenty of bear activity during the night and evidence in the way of bear scat on the trail, so that gave me pause about the noise. It turned out to be the lead 50 mile runner blasting down the trail. Not too long after the first female (Meg) came flying by. Eventually I came out of the trail and onto the main ResPass trail (79 miles) where it was very sunny; not at all windy like I had imagined. I soon got too warm and stopped to put my dry short sleeve shirt on and pack up my long sleeve shirt and rain jacket. It was at this time that Lara passed by me. I tried to hurry up and pack so that I could try and hang on to her pace. That didn't last very long as she was cruising and I was faltering. I gradually slowed down to a walk, having the same tight legs/back issues that I had at the dome. It was great weather so I didn't worry about my speed. Instead I just enjoyed long walk to the finish. Teri Buck caught up to me with about 5 miles to go and we hobbled into the finish together. It was nice to have her company again. 

I hung out at the finish line for about 6 hours cheering on 50 and 100 mile finisher then retired to my car for the night.  1 week until next race ~ woah!