Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run 2016
Posting Date: 4/11/2016
Race Date: 4/8/16
Finishing Time: 28 hours, 51 minutes
Placing: 21st of 52 finishers (not including 22 DNF's)
I
was startled awake by the growing sound of voices. "I think it's
getting even colder," "I can't feel my hands or my toes" they said. I
looked up to reacquaint myself with my surroundings. I was sitting in a
folding camp chair by the fire at aid station three with a sleeping bag
over my upper body and a space blanket around my legs. It was in the
low 20's, and after hours in the cold, my body had given in to
hypothermia. I had sat down at aid station four by the fire hoping to
warm-up. I soon found out that stopping was a bad idea. I grew colder
with the lack of body heat being produced, despite being just feet from
the fire. A volunteer from the aid station was nice enough to lend me
his sleeping bag and a space blanket to warm-up. After shivering
violently for nearly an hour, I fell asleep. Upon waking, I looked up to
my pacer, Ryan, and said "I think I'm done, I don't think I can move at
all, much less move fast enough to regain the body heat I'll need to
battle the cold." I was frozen in place. I had literally not moved in
two hours. My body was locked up, shivering, and unable to produce the
energy needed to get back on the trail. I sat there another hour with
the full intent on dropping and going home with a DNF (did not finish).
Let's rewind a bit here...
Late last summer my good friend, Jeremy Eckert, decided that the 2016 Zumbro 100 was going to be his first 100 mile race. As any good friend would do, I threw my hat in to pace him for the final 50 miles of the race. All year I looked forward to returning to my favorite course and favorite race, this time as a pacer rather than a competitor. In 2014 and 2015, I towed the line at the Zumbro Midnight 50-mile, the baby brother of the Zumbro 100, that takes place concurrently along with a 17 mile race that starts on Saturday morning. The 2014 Zumbro 50 was my first ultra race, and I DNF'd due to hypothermia and extreme weather conditions at mile 41. In 2015, I completed the Zumbro 50,which was my first trail 50 mile finish.
The Zumbro Endurance Run course takes place on a hidden gem of land nestled in a forest reserve near the small village of Theilman, MN. It is southern Minnesota bluff country at it's finest, with great views, tough and rugged terrain, and consistently strange and harsh weather that seems to be a staple of the Zumbro Endurance Run each year. The race features 18,500 feet of elevation gain.
Twelve days before Zumbro, my plans took a pretty dramatic turn. While on a training run with Jeremy at Afton State Park, he decided to take it upon himself to convince me that I should sign up to race the Zumbro 100. I reminded him that this would mean he's out a pacer, and he convinced me that he'd rather I race the whole thing. To this day I'm not quite sure why he was so intent on having me sign-up for the race. Nevertheless, I was quite easily convinced. Upon arriving home, I registered and began the short and sweet countdown to my first 100 mile trail race.
The
morning of April 8th began with me waking up at 4:20am in the guest
bedroom of Jeremy's lovely home in Hudson, WI. I felt good, well rested,
and ready for the challenge ahead. At 5am, we hit the road from Hudson
to the Zumbro River Bottoms West Management Unit - a horse campground in
the middle of nowhere nestled between the Zumbro River and the tall
bluffs that surround it. There is no cell service, no running water, and
no electricity. It is for those reasons among many, a very magical
place. We arrived at the campground at 6:30am and checked in. 90 minutes
later, we were at the start line of our biggest adventure to date. 100
miles with 18,500ft of elevation gain. As per the course with Rocksteady
Running races, John Storkamp stood up on his ladder for the pre-race
announcements. He warned us that though the forecast looked clear, there
is no way that we would get out of the event without at least a little
bit of wild weather. After all, extreme weather is one of the trademarks
of Zumbro. After the announcements, he said 3..2..1...GO and we were
off.
The start of a 100 mile race is very different from a marathon or 10k. It is a relaxed atmosphere, everyone is friendly, talkative, and excited for the day ahead. The race consists of six 16.7 mile loops, each loop finishing at the start/finish area in the campground and comprised of both bushwacked single track hiking trail and wider double track horse trails. After about a half-mile, you begin ascending the first bluff up to the "phone booth," the one spot in the area where you can get a weak cell signal. The top of this bluff offers spectacular views of the landscape below. Miles of bluffs, prairies, and of course the Zumbro River itself. Following the ascent to the Phone Booth, you follow double track horse trails up and down the bluff for a couple miles of the most run-able terrain on the course. The first stop is aid station 1 (which doubles as aid station 4), known as "The Bridge," due to it's position next to the only bridge in the area that crosses the river. This aid station is run by the crew from TC Running. These guys put on a spectacular aid station and are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. I've known Kate Hoglund and Kurt Decker since I began running in 2013. I am always excited and motivated when I see them at races, as they are both strong and dedicated runners themselves.
Following
aid station one you cross the river towards another set of bluffs that
is home to aid stations 2/3, known as the "Sand Coulee" aid station.
This aid station gets it's name from the dried up creek bed it is
nestled next to. The Sand Coulee section of the course begins what I
would consider the most demanding series of climbs and descents on the
16.7 mile loop. The climbs are long, steep and very rocky. While there
are a good collection of friendly descents, perfect for fast easy
running, this section also hosts a couple technical descents that test
your strength and agility as you navigate the rocks, roots, and slippery
mud, often times at grades that I would pin around 18-20%. Needless to
say, staying upright on these sections is a challenge in itself.
Following the Sand Coulee, you are treated to several more climbs and a decent known as "Ant Hill." This is the longest technical decent of the race, and is an extra special treat on tired shaky legs. After you get past Ant Hill you are treated to another five or so miles of fairly run-able terrain with only moderate hills leading back to the campground.
Upon
returning to the campground, Jeremy and I, who ran the whole first loop
together, were greeted by our crew; Captain Tony Villano, his son Ben,
Savannah (Jeremy's wife), Nita (Jeremy's Mom), and Jeremy's Aunt.
Following the first loop we were low maintenance, asking for nothing
more than some water, our hiking poles, and a pat on the back. Later in
the race, our crew, especially Tony, became vital to our continued
effort.
Jeremy
and I continued to run together for the majority of loop two until the
last section where we split off. This was an important point in the
race, as Jeremy and I have different strengths (he's fast and strong on
the flats whereas I excel at the uphills and downhills) and struggled to
maintain a balanced effort. I knew I was going to miss his company, but
being able to run my own race was liberating and much needed. Going
into loop three, I felt like I was on a cloud, and this high continued
through my fourth loop. I found myself at the end of my fourth loop,
feeling good, and still on pace for a 24 hour finish. My "A-Goal" was
under 28 hours, so knowing I was that far ahead and feeling good was
comforting. From our second loop through the fourth, we were treated to
what I can only imagine mountain weather is like. One side of the bluffs
would be cold and snowy (at times very hard snow), and the other sunny
and warm. It was a very pretty fun mix of weather, and it kept things
interesting.
As I crossed the line at the end of loop four, my pacer, Ryan Soule, joined me for the final 34 miles ahead. Ryan is a member of my Training Team at 3CLICK Fitness, and is a seasoned runner himself. Although this was his longest single run to date, he was a top level runner in high school and college. He specialized in the shorter distances, but he has a pretty impressive marathon PR of 3:04, so clearly he is capable of some serious endurance feats. Ryan proved to be an outstanding pacer and vital part of me not only finishing, but finishing strong despite some serious setbacks.
Loop five started out strong despite some minor GI distress. Ryan brought with him some fresh energy, and I was excited to have him on the loop and show him all of the features of the trail. We stayed strong through aid station three, that's when things started to go south. It was growing colder, and I was getting slower in the dark of the night. We both remarked how cold it was getting back and fourth, and we spent what seemed like an eternity between aid stations two and three as temperatures continued to drop. By the time we reached aid station three I was freezing. I grabbed a chair next to the fire, desperate to get warm. My hands were numb, my body was shaking, and regardless of the fire, my thermal base layer and heavy windproof running jacket, and thermal running tights, I couldn't maintain my body temperature. I sat for nearly an hour wrapped in an aid station volunteers sleeping bag and a space blanket before drifting off. I awoke still cold and shaking, but back to a stable body temperature. The area around the fire was crowded with both 100 and 50-mile runners trying to warm-up. I had mentally given up. With my energy zapped by the cold, my body stiff from sitting static for two hours, and the thought of even being able to walk 1.5 miles to get a ride back to the start/finish area seeming almost impossible (much less the 25 miles to the finish), I was completely prepared to drop the race and take the DNF. During this time, Ryan was remarkable. Despite being cold and miserable himself, he never lost hope. He kept reminding me that the sun would come up soon and it would start to get warmer. He urged me to hold off dropping the race and instead wait it out until the temperature started to rise. At 6am I knew I had to make a decision. With the sun nearly up and the clock ticking, if I even wanted a shot at finishing I needed to decide now. I stood up from the chair and blankets and immediately began to grow cold again. I remarked to the aid station crew that I did not think I could continue. That's when a saint at the aid station who goes by the name of Peter, offered me to borrow his extra pair of rain pants and lobster gloves. I proceeded to layer the pants on top of my thermal tights, added my windbreaker over top of my running jacket, and the lobster gloves on over my current pair of gloves. Now blizzard ready, I got up, took a shot of coffee, and booked it back up the bluff towards the next aid station. I'm not exactly sure how I went from feeling like I couldn't move at all to moving at such a strong clip, but I can tell you it was far more mental than physical. After maintaining a good hiking pace for several miles, I found myself running again and back on track to finish.
Upon my arrival to the start finish area, Tony helped me with one last sock change and blister management session before I embarked on my final loop. With Peter's pants and gloves attached to my pack (it had now warmed up a good 10 degrees), I was on a mission to not only return these items to their rightful owner, but finish this damned race if it was the last thing I do. My final lap was strong. Although I was not going fast, I felt good nearly the whole way through. The highlight of the last loop was running a good couple miles with the 17 milers at their pace. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to maintain such a good clip after 90 miles of running, and it was fun talking and racing right along side the 17 mile runners as they enjoyed what had turned into a beautiful sunny day of running. Ryan pushed me hard in the final miles of this loop, urging me to continue pushing towards a sub 29 hour finish. All of the pushing paid off, and I crossed the line with a time of 28:51.
At
the finish line I was greeted by Jeremy, race director John Storkamp,
and a crowd of excited runners, volunteers, family and friends. I was
handed a 100-mile buckle and my finishers medal. I had done it, I had
finished the Zumbro 100. If you would have told me that I was going to
finish the 100 as I sat hypothermic by the fire at 3am with 25 miles to
go, I would have told you that you were wrong. If you would have told me
that I was going to pull off a sub-30 hour finish after that ordeal, I
would have told you that you were insane. It's a good thing that wrong
and insane are just integral parts of ultrarunning.
I owe a huge thank you to the following people:
Race Gear
People are always curious what gear I use during my races, so here it is!
I'll be honest in saying I entered this race with absolutely no plan for nutrition. I didn't bring anything of my own with the exception of a little bit of Tailwind and a couple Clif Bars. I ended up running on a diet of Hammer's HEED sports drink, a Fig Newton here and there, and a hell of a lot of chicken noodle soup. Oh! and a chocolate chip pancake in from aid station one on my final loop. Delicious!
Race Date: 4/8/16
Finishing Time: 28 hours, 51 minutes
Placing: 21st of 52 finishers (not including 22 DNF's)
 |
| Jeremy, Ryan and I after finishing Zumbro 100 |
Let's rewind a bit here...
Late last summer my good friend, Jeremy Eckert, decided that the 2016 Zumbro 100 was going to be his first 100 mile race. As any good friend would do, I threw my hat in to pace him for the final 50 miles of the race. All year I looked forward to returning to my favorite course and favorite race, this time as a pacer rather than a competitor. In 2014 and 2015, I towed the line at the Zumbro Midnight 50-mile, the baby brother of the Zumbro 100, that takes place concurrently along with a 17 mile race that starts on Saturday morning. The 2014 Zumbro 50 was my first ultra race, and I DNF'd due to hypothermia and extreme weather conditions at mile 41. In 2015, I completed the Zumbro 50,which was my first trail 50 mile finish.
The Zumbro Endurance Run course takes place on a hidden gem of land nestled in a forest reserve near the small village of Theilman, MN. It is southern Minnesota bluff country at it's finest, with great views, tough and rugged terrain, and consistently strange and harsh weather that seems to be a staple of the Zumbro Endurance Run each year. The race features 18,500 feet of elevation gain.
Twelve days before Zumbro, my plans took a pretty dramatic turn. While on a training run with Jeremy at Afton State Park, he decided to take it upon himself to convince me that I should sign up to race the Zumbro 100. I reminded him that this would mean he's out a pacer, and he convinced me that he'd rather I race the whole thing. To this day I'm not quite sure why he was so intent on having me sign-up for the race. Nevertheless, I was quite easily convinced. Upon arriving home, I registered and began the short and sweet countdown to my first 100 mile trail race.
 |
| Excited for the race to start! |
The start of a 100 mile race is very different from a marathon or 10k. It is a relaxed atmosphere, everyone is friendly, talkative, and excited for the day ahead. The race consists of six 16.7 mile loops, each loop finishing at the start/finish area in the campground and comprised of both bushwacked single track hiking trail and wider double track horse trails. After about a half-mile, you begin ascending the first bluff up to the "phone booth," the one spot in the area where you can get a weak cell signal. The top of this bluff offers spectacular views of the landscape below. Miles of bluffs, prairies, and of course the Zumbro River itself. Following the ascent to the Phone Booth, you follow double track horse trails up and down the bluff for a couple miles of the most run-able terrain on the course. The first stop is aid station 1 (which doubles as aid station 4), known as "The Bridge," due to it's position next to the only bridge in the area that crosses the river. This aid station is run by the crew from TC Running. These guys put on a spectacular aid station and are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. I've known Kate Hoglund and Kurt Decker since I began running in 2013. I am always excited and motivated when I see them at races, as they are both strong and dedicated runners themselves.
 |
| Thanks to Todd Rowe for this photo |
Following the Sand Coulee, you are treated to several more climbs and a decent known as "Ant Hill." This is the longest technical decent of the race, and is an extra special treat on tired shaky legs. After you get past Ant Hill you are treated to another five or so miles of fairly run-able terrain with only moderate hills leading back to the campground.
 |
| Jeremy and I consulting with Crew Captain, Tony at the end of loop one |
 |
| Jeremy's Mom, Nita, fighting off the cold and snow |
As I crossed the line at the end of loop four, my pacer, Ryan Soule, joined me for the final 34 miles ahead. Ryan is a member of my Training Team at 3CLICK Fitness, and is a seasoned runner himself. Although this was his longest single run to date, he was a top level runner in high school and college. He specialized in the shorter distances, but he has a pretty impressive marathon PR of 3:04, so clearly he is capable of some serious endurance feats. Ryan proved to be an outstanding pacer and vital part of me not only finishing, but finishing strong despite some serious setbacks.
Loop five started out strong despite some minor GI distress. Ryan brought with him some fresh energy, and I was excited to have him on the loop and show him all of the features of the trail. We stayed strong through aid station three, that's when things started to go south. It was growing colder, and I was getting slower in the dark of the night. We both remarked how cold it was getting back and fourth, and we spent what seemed like an eternity between aid stations two and three as temperatures continued to drop. By the time we reached aid station three I was freezing. I grabbed a chair next to the fire, desperate to get warm. My hands were numb, my body was shaking, and regardless of the fire, my thermal base layer and heavy windproof running jacket, and thermal running tights, I couldn't maintain my body temperature. I sat for nearly an hour wrapped in an aid station volunteers sleeping bag and a space blanket before drifting off. I awoke still cold and shaking, but back to a stable body temperature. The area around the fire was crowded with both 100 and 50-mile runners trying to warm-up. I had mentally given up. With my energy zapped by the cold, my body stiff from sitting static for two hours, and the thought of even being able to walk 1.5 miles to get a ride back to the start/finish area seeming almost impossible (much less the 25 miles to the finish), I was completely prepared to drop the race and take the DNF. During this time, Ryan was remarkable. Despite being cold and miserable himself, he never lost hope. He kept reminding me that the sun would come up soon and it would start to get warmer. He urged me to hold off dropping the race and instead wait it out until the temperature started to rise. At 6am I knew I had to make a decision. With the sun nearly up and the clock ticking, if I even wanted a shot at finishing I needed to decide now. I stood up from the chair and blankets and immediately began to grow cold again. I remarked to the aid station crew that I did not think I could continue. That's when a saint at the aid station who goes by the name of Peter, offered me to borrow his extra pair of rain pants and lobster gloves. I proceeded to layer the pants on top of my thermal tights, added my windbreaker over top of my running jacket, and the lobster gloves on over my current pair of gloves. Now blizzard ready, I got up, took a shot of coffee, and booked it back up the bluff towards the next aid station. I'm not exactly sure how I went from feeling like I couldn't move at all to moving at such a strong clip, but I can tell you it was far more mental than physical. After maintaining a good hiking pace for several miles, I found myself running again and back on track to finish.
Upon my arrival to the start finish area, Tony helped me with one last sock change and blister management session before I embarked on my final loop. With Peter's pants and gloves attached to my pack (it had now warmed up a good 10 degrees), I was on a mission to not only return these items to their rightful owner, but finish this damned race if it was the last thing I do. My final lap was strong. Although I was not going fast, I felt good nearly the whole way through. The highlight of the last loop was running a good couple miles with the 17 milers at their pace. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to maintain such a good clip after 90 miles of running, and it was fun talking and racing right along side the 17 mile runners as they enjoyed what had turned into a beautiful sunny day of running. Ryan pushed me hard in the final miles of this loop, urging me to continue pushing towards a sub 29 hour finish. All of the pushing paid off, and I crossed the line with a time of 28:51.
 |
| At the finish! |
I owe a huge thank you to the following people:
- Ryan Soule (My Pacer) - without this guy I would very likely have a DNF next to my name for this race. He did a phenomenal job pacing me for this event and I can't thank him enough. He also helped me find my dog after she ran off in the middle of Afton State Park a few weeks ago, so he's got some serious brownie points with me right now. : )
- Jeremy Eckert - Without him I never would have signed up for this event, at least not this year. He rightly convinced me that I was ready after my very solid training block. My training would also not be as fun and enjoyable without him.
- Tony Villano (Crew Captain) - This guy is pretty much one of the best friends I've ever had. I met him when he was my Personal Training client nearly three years ago. I helped him improve his strength and muscular balance in preparation for attempting to run 100 miles at FANS 24 hour endurance run (which he accomplished). He got me into this crazy stuff and I likely would not be an ultrarunner if it wasn't for him. He was a huge help at Zumbro and was a key part of us staying fresh, relatively blister free, and focused on the task at hand. He is just an awesome guy for driving all the way down from his house in Maple Plain with his son to crew for Jeremy and I.
- My Wife (Isabel) - She puts up with my endless running. From the 4am wake-up calls for early morning runs, to being gone 3/4's of the weekend at times off running. She puts up with it all and (usually) with a smile. She is beyond supportive and I owe her a lot of credit.
- My Puppies (Richie and Belle) - Belle put in literally hundreds of miles with me training so far this year. Her endurance knows no limits and she is famous for finishing 25+ mile long runs and then sprinting across the backyard upon arriving home chasing squirrels and other things I think she dreams up in her head. Richie became an unexpected running partner during my taper for Zumbro. He had only done very short (1-2mile) runs before, but on a fairly consistent basis. He joined me for about 30 miles during my taper and is a great partner for the slower bouts.
- Peter (from aid station 3) - This guy is an absolute lifesaver. I owe him big time for letting me borrow his rain pants and thick lobster gloves.
 |
| Signing the Banner of Finishers |
People are always curious what gear I use during my races, so here it is!
- Pearl Izumi Trail N2's (wore for first two loops and switched due to blisters from feet sliding on the downhills)
- Scott Kinabalu 3.0 (wore these for the last four loops and they were perfect, no sliding!)
- Nike weather resistant jacket
- Brooks nightlife windbreaker
- Brooks Shelter Jacket (I wore all three of these coats, sometimes simultaneously)
- Asics thermal running tights
- A bunch of random cheap pairs of gloves (again, sometimes simultaneously)
- Leki carbon trekking poles (these were AWESOME and were such a big help on the climbs)
- Nathan hydration pack (did not use for hydration, but carried so that I could have extra layers on me and food with me)
- Saucony running socks (cheap and durable socks, worked well)
I'll be honest in saying I entered this race with absolutely no plan for nutrition. I didn't bring anything of my own with the exception of a little bit of Tailwind and a couple Clif Bars. I ended up running on a diet of Hammer's HEED sports drink, a Fig Newton here and there, and a hell of a lot of chicken noodle soup. Oh! and a chocolate chip pancake in from aid station one on my final loop. Delicious!
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