Mohican 100 Mile Run
June 21, 2008

I really enjoyed this run last year. It was my second 100 miler and looked forward to running it again. It will remain on my schedule for next year.

The drive to Ohio went quickly. In Cincinnati, the cicadas were so loud I had to put up the windows briefly. That was on the highway with all sorts of noise to drown them out and they were still deafening.

I got to Mohican and checked in with Amy Kaylor, who had been my pacer last year. She took over registration for the event this year. Her husband, Chris, was back with all of his trail running goodies for those who forgot anything, like me. They actually met while working an aid station last year.

I got a camping spot along the river, thinking it'd be peaceful. The group next to me was up until 1 am partying. I had to be up around 4:15, so that was decidedly inconvenient for me. When I did rise, there was a group several sites down who were still partying.

I had originally planned to run this in under 24 hours. I had Achilles heel issues last year which slowed me down on the descents. I figured I would have run it in 25 1/2 hours if I hadn't had that pain.

What a difference a year makes! I'd experienced myriad overuse ailments. Nothing which completely stopped me but many issues which slowed me down dramatically. I hadn't been on the bike much and hadn't been doing yoga or lifting weights with any frequency, all three of which had been integral parts of my training. I paid the price for it this year.

I started off moving well. I passed runners going uphill. I want to increase my uphill hiking stride a bit more but it worked well for me. When I hit the first big downhill, I let gravity take over and I moved more quickly than I had in ten months. I still didn't want to go 100% but I was quite pleased with how well my body responded.

I ran back and forth with Jay and Anita Finkle. Everything felt fine and I had some lungs as well. It was nice to get to the trail section, however.

I really plowed through this last year but still moved okay this year. The trails are fast and very runnable. I had forgotten just how smooth they were. I only wished I were in better shape so I could really push myself. I caught a runner out of the corner of my eye doing something that shouldn't be done so close to the trail. He was only about ten yards off and not well concealed. I conversed with a group of three women ahead shortly afterward but fortunately they didn't bear witness to the defiling of forest.

I ran with Kim intermittently. She's a larger bodied runner but it was all I could do to keep pace with her. We both felt proud when we passed up a very thin runner on a climb.

We came to the third aid station more quickly than anticipated. I continued to move well along the green loop. The trail grew wider and had more gravel, which was my enemy. I avoided it at all cost since my metatarsalgia caused great paind whenever the ball of either foot struck a rock.

Soon the tower was in site and I made my way to the aid station. I was well ahead of cutoff but well back in the pack. The portion to the covered bridge contained excessive amounts of large gravel so I wound up hiking more than I'd liked to.

The orange loop was different than last year. The course now has more singletrack and a road section has been eliminated. I started this with Todd, whom I met while trying to beat the cutoff at Massanutten. The orange loop from the covered bridge to the state park entrance is the highlight of the run. This is by far the most scenic section. The trail rolls along surprisingly tall hills on mountain biking trails. The trails undulate like a roller coaster with countless twists and turns.

Getting to the Grist Mill was not a pleasant task. The temperature had warmed up and this grassy expanse was quite exposed to the sun. This was a step down from last year's course and will hopefully be eliminated next year. The loop after the Grist Mill was removed. This loop was the steepest part and caused great pains the second time through last year so I was okay with it getting gone.

The trek back to the covered bridge was extremely hot. The climbs were tougher than I'd remembered and the flats alonf the river just kept going. When it was time to ford the river, I welcomed the cool water. It was a challenge getting through it since it was littered with large rocks. I stumbled and plodded my way across.

The blue loop was up next. Last year this almost broke me due to the intense heat. It was later in the day this year so I didn't experience all that much direct sunlight. It seemed much easier this year. The 75 degree incline was tough. You have to pull yourself up through roots and rocks. Every run should have a part like this!

Making my way back to the covered bridge again, I ran into Terri Hayes. She didn't have a chance of making the cutoff so she was opting for a 100k route of her choosing simply to get in as many miles as possible. I felt the best I'd felt all day coming off the blue loop.

Heading up on the red loop, which followed a slightly different course from last year, I was soon gasping for air. The high I'd just felt was replaced by exaspiration. I'd made the last cutoff by an hour and planned on making up time here. That wasn't the case and then some rough weather moved in on me. At the top of a ridge, it was calm and then all of a sudden, small trees were at 90 degree angles and large ones were at 30 degree angles. The wind whipped across the trail and branches snapped. I was hit by one but kept on moving. figuring rougher weather was soon to come.

Just before the aid station, the sky opened up and it poured and hailed. Todd and I huddled under the tent to wait it out. There was a report of a tornado in the county so we stayed put a while. Eventually, we headed out into the driving rain. Our cushion of time had almost evaporated so we had no choice.

Todd went ahead on the first big climb and I was left alone with my thoughts. The red loop had several stream crossings. There was no way to stay dry. I'd had some chafing issues before the rain but they were exacerbated after the steady downpour. Soon it hurt to walk but surprisingly felt less painful to run. I knew I was very likely the last runner to leave the previous aid station.

The climb away from the stream after the final crossing went on forever, just as it had during the night last year. I finally made it out to the road and then back onto the last section of trail I would run. It was a soggy mess.

A climb on dirt road brought me back to where the trail section had started earlier. One loop was all I would do this year. I was 52 miles in but in tremendous pain. I had just an 8 minute time cushion. My feet hurt almost as much as the chafing so I knew it was time to stop.

There is a consolation finisher's medal is you get to at least 50 miles so I did receive a medal. My finish percentage for 100 milers was now at 50. I wasn't all that bothered by not finishing. I'd overdone it lately and experienced constant injuries. I still look forward to the next adventure.

B-Rex