{"id":31,"date":"2012-11-03T18:00:20","date_gmt":"2012-11-03T23:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottruns.com\/?p=31"},"modified":"2020-10-14T19:38:15","modified_gmt":"2020-10-15T00:38:15","slug":"pinhoti-100-ga-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottruns.com\/?p=31","title":{"rendered":"Pinhoti 100, GA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I want to give Race Director Todd\nHenderson Thumps UP!!!  This was a very well\norganized 100 miler with all the important items which an Ultra- marathon needs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night before Todd had a great\npre race pasta dinner: Basic Salad, Fresh Bake Bread, Lasagna, Spaghetti\nAlfredo, local made Ice Cream and Fresh Bake Brownies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pre-race meeting after dinner\nhad a guest speaker Neal Gorman, (won the Old Dominion, Grindstone in 2011).  Talk about why he runs and why others run\n100\u2019s.  The one thing that stuck with me\nwas why do you run 100 mile Ultra?  This\nis a question everyone asks you when you did or planning to run 100 miles.  I normally answer this question by saying\nbecause I can or just because.  I like\nthe speaker answer, \u201cIt all about chasing a feeling, what it takes to run 100\nmiles\u201d.  Next, the RD gave a detail\ncourse low down, and it was like you were listening to southern NASCAR\nannouncer.  You had to listen very closely\nto get all the important facts.  Once I\nran the course, all information actual made sense and was very useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The school bus ride to the start was\nvery interesting at 3:45am<\/a>\nin the morning, but did not leave until after 4:00am to get to the start by\n5:45 for 6:00am start.    You would think people would want to go get\nsleep before the 100 miler, but everyone was talking and I think I was the only\none trying to get more sleep.  I did not\nrealize the buses was following the race director in his truck until a bus had\nto make an emergency  pit stop at a gas\nstation for potty break, which we all had to stop and lost another\n5-10minutes.  When we finally turn off of\nthe black top the bus driver did not know where he was going because when the RD\u2019s\ntruck disappeared on the dusty forest road the bus driver stop at the next intersection  Bus driver ask if anyone knew the way.  One Runner said to follow the dust cloud.  I was very surprised how fast the buses moved\non the narrow stone roads without wrecking it was like assessment ride that\nshook & vibrate the snout out of you. \nWe finally got at the drop off point to walk to the start, only 10 minutes\nbefore the race start.  This did not\nleave a lot of time for pre race mother nature call before the race.  We were walking to the start when he heard\nthe race will start in 5 minutes.  When\nwe finally got to the start we had 3 minutes before the day begins.   I dropped to the ground and started to stretch\nat the starting line.  I jump up and\nthought the race should be starting soon. \nWell I was right about 40 seconds later the race started.  I just was happy I was at the starting\ninstead of some of the runners were going the other way to start about 1\u20132\nminutes later.  One bad thing I never got\nto see Mother Nature to unload some weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The race started<\/a> but ultras are not like 5Ks,\nbut this ultra people took off very fast. \nThen I realize why, the trail became single track in 300 yards.   I\ntotal forgot about the Mother Nature call and said to myself, well I have 100\nmiles to run today so going out slow may not hurt me, so I took this as a\nblessing but after 3 miles I got very anxious and impatient to pass.  It felt like I was marching single file<\/a> in the military\nto a cadence.  I finally passed the groups\nin front of me and ran a mile or two solo until I had to see Mother Nature.  The trails<\/a> were awesome<\/a> with pine needles<\/a> ,\nawesome views<\/a>,\nand leaves laying over top a hard sandy \/ dirt surface it were like running on\ncarpet and did not have to worry about tripping on rocks or tree roots like PA.  I realize at the first aid station at 7 miles\ntook me 1 \u00bd hours I realize I was probably not going complete the race in 23 hours\nwhich the same thoughts I had when I check out<\/a> mile 85 the day before<\/a>.  The course  seem easier, but I was running slower pace\nthan I expected, but I still keep a positive attitude and told myself I have 93\nmiles to fix this slow pace issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At aid#1 stop I had water and a PBJ\nsquare, the aid station crew was great, it look like I was the first runner to\nstop for 1 – 2 minutes and lost about 5 positions.   After leaving\nthe aid station I was eating potato chips and the last chip I chocked that\nrequired me to stop running.  I said to myself\nI should chew food before I swallow. Also, I was thinking headline news \u201cRunner\nchocks to death running an Ultra\u201d.  Since\nI was running solo, I pick up the pace to make some time up.  Did I say how awesome the single\ntrack trails were<\/a>!  In a\ncouple of miles I caught up with the people I passed 4 miles ago.  I was thinking to myself, that the Mother\nNature caused me a lot of time or I am running totally to slow.  I started to pass the group again and I\ncaught up with my friend Dan.  We ran to\nthe 2nd<\/sup> aid station (13 miles) together and left the aid station together.  Our wives were waiting for us at the next aid.  I was thinking this is great we running the\nsame pace and run together as we both planned. \nI was running the lead and I heard a runner behind me and I thought it\nwas Dan, but it was not.  Oops I wonder\nwhere he got to, what a friend am I, but if you know me I cannot turn my head\nwhile running because I will lose my balance. \nThis is the great gift I have due to my Meniere’s Disease.  Here<\/a> are some pictures<\/a>\nafter aid#2.   I continued until I got<\/a> to aid#3<\/a> (18\nmiles) where my wife was eagerly waiting for me.  She had all my extra aid supplies ready like\na great crew Captain.  Dan wife asked me\nwhere is Dan I said about a couple minutes behind me.  My wife practice questioning drill: When did\nI pee last, when did I eat, How do I feel? \n I said 10 minutes and 30 minutes\nand OK.   She read this two days before the race\nresearching what are the crew captain duties. \nThose items are the most important things you should ask if you are\ncrewing someone.   I grabbed two turkey\nand cheddar squares for the road.  I dump\nmy hat, head ban, arm warmer and gloves since the start was 36 degrees   and now it was 40 degrees.  After that I almost forgot to check out the\naid table which I grab some deep fried half cook potatoes to cut the sweet gel\ntaste, and a couple cups of Heed(electrolytes) and water.  I was told at BWI Airport by a local Alabama\nman that they love to deep fry everything. \nThey can make a deep fried house shingle to taste good and the fried\npotatoes did hit the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off I went, by this time I thought\nDan would be behind me, but he was not.  I\nkept on looking back to see if we was there, until I went back in the woods.  I hope he was doing well.  This is where the miles to seem to be\nstanding still for the next 9.  I passed\naid #4 stop for a minute and got going. \nI continue enjoying the great single track<\/a>\nand the rolling climbs that did not stop. \nThe trail starting to look all the same winding in and out the mountain\ncurves.  2 miles before aid#5 my ear\nstarted make a clicking sound.  This\nnormally a bad sign from my past experiences, nothing good happens.  I slowed down and took a gel, but nothing\nchanged. The clicking noise actual getting louder and my balance was getting\nworst.  Last time this happen to me was a\nnight training run along the river.  Then\nI realize I probably should take an electrolyte tablet because I was running 4\nhours.  That did not really work either,\nbut as soon I got out of the little stream valley everything got somewhat\nbetter.   Then finally seen some real technical single\ntrack, but it only lasted for 3 minutes then I was at Aid #5 (27 \u00bd miles) which\noverlook Lake Morgan<\/a>.  The scenery was awesome with the leaves turn\ncolor in the background of the lake.  I\ngrabbed my gels in my drop bag and eat something.  I do not remember because I was trying to\nfigure why my balance was still not right. \nI decided to push through this issue even know I was getting motion sick\nwhile running.   I thought I would see Dan because this was\nonly out & back section of the course. \nBut there was no Dan. This is where Dan dropped due to a pre race\ninjury, runners\u2019 knee as I found out at mile 41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The miles started trickle off, but\nmy mind was getting the best of me how hard is the first major climb was going\nto feel like.  I checked into the Aid #6 (34\n\u00bd mile) and ask how hard was the climb coming up.  He said it continues a slow grade for 4 miles\nand you will know when you get to the top because it becomes real steep.  My balance had improved a lot, but do not know\nif it the pressure difference in the valley or electrolytes were out of\nbalance.  I felt like I still have a\nchance to complete the 100 miles again. \nI left the aid station thinking this is not going be too bad until 5\nmile into it.  When I got the semi\nsteep grade<\/a> I  thought I was at\nthe top but it kept on continuing,<\/a>\nso I thought  the steep part was still be\ncoming up. I started to hike over the rocks to save my legs for the steep part.  I never found the steep part.  I do admit it was a hard climb for the last 4\nto 5 miles.  Next thing I heard my name,\nbut could not see anybody, then I heard it again.  I thought I was losing it mentally and it was\nonly mile 40.  My wife calls my name and\nsaid look up, but if you know me I am also hard of hearing and I could not tell\nwhere the voice was coming from.  I was\nso concentrated trying figure out the course direction<\/a>,\nI ignore my wife directions, I ran off the course because I was following the Rock Ledge<\/a> and looking\nat the view. <\/a> After the 4 times being told I figure out the\ncourse to get onto the board\nwalk<\/a>.  The board walk<\/a> was the\nhandy cap access to Bald Rock.  I guess I\nwas a little tired climbing the mountain at 2,407 feet, and it was mile 41 into\nthe course.  This was 1st board walk I\never ran on top of a mountain before and had a \u00bc mile to aid #7 (41 miles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Aid #7, like all the other had tons of food,\nbut settle for some great fresh roast turkey on saltines.  It tastes great after gels and PBJ last\ncouple hours.   I did not realize how hot I was until I wipe\nmy face off, than I iced my neck and chew on some ice to cool down.   This where I seen Dan and realize he was\ndone for the day.   It was about 3:30pm,\nand checked by existing pace and realized I would not make it by Dark where my\ncrew would be.  My wife ran back to the\ncar and got my cheap head light and handed to me before I darted back in the\nwoods.  I started down the blues rock trail.  I thought I was back in PA, technical downhill\ngoing over big boulders, due the extreme terrain change I cramp on the first\ntwo boulders.  Once my legs were in full\ndownhill mode the cramp was gone I could final enjoy the .88 miles of downhill\nfun.  I passed a beautiful<\/a>\nlake<\/a>\nand then there was another 3 miles of exciting blacktop road.  I stayed positive; because I should try starting\nto run faster get more mileage during the daylight.  I got to aid #9 pretty quick.  I hung out a little longer to refuel properly\nbecause it was 7 miles of rolling hills until the next aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the aid I ran another 200\nyards and darted back in the woods for another 12 miles of fun until I see my\ncrew.  The first hill had a shelter at\nthe top with an awesome view<\/a>.  I look at my watch I was going break 11 \u00bd\nhours for the first 50.  This is the\nfirst time in this race my mine failed me. \nI thought the next aid was 55 miles and it was only 52.  Oops, but least I was running pretty hard to\nget miles done before night fall. I ran this canon type trail and see a small\ngorgeous double water fall. I ran off the trail down to the creek to snap a picture<\/a>.  I was off course, but it was worth it.   I ran up a hill and turn around<\/a>\nand seen the gorgeous little waterfalls<\/a>.  I knew I was getting tired after pushing for\n2 hours because I was finding reasons to slow down.   Well this was the last picture I took during\nthe race due to night fall.  I made it to\nmile 52 aid station; an Australian runner said your legs are working pretty well\nfor this time of day.  I told him I was\ngood on the hills because of the terrain I train.  But you would pass me on the flats with no\nissue.  Then he said you keep same pace\nup and down hills matter how tired you are. \nI said thanks.  Off I went to pick\nmy wife up at the next aid.  This section\nwas only 3-4 miles but it was all uphill with small breaks.  After this great complaint my legs final\nstarted to hurt enough to hike a little with a mile to go.  Then it got dark in five minutes with very\nrocky footing up to the aid station.  I\nwas amazed back at mile 41 that I call this one right, that I would need my head\nlight before mile 55. It would have been a long mile without my headlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aid station #10 was 55 \u00bd miles\nwhich around 12 hours 15 minutes.  At the\npre race dinner the RD said multiple your time by 2 for your finishing\ntime.  It would be 24 hours 30 minutes, I\nsaid to myself I can break 24 hours.  I\nrefuel and my wife started to pace me. \nIt was amazing she was out running me, I told her to give me a break I\nstarted to walk for 2 minutes, I told her you cannot believe your eyes, she\nsaid you better start running if you want to break 24 hrs. We started up again,\nI said run my pace not a 5 miler pace that will make me bonk.   I ask my wife why was all the people at the\naid station, she said about 10 runners are dropping.  So what place does that put me in?  Remember you do not want to know, I said\nthat\u2019s right, thanks.   This was great to have pacer to talk to after\nrunning solo for 55 miles.  We clip the next\n5 miles off in less than hour.  I made a\nquick stop at the next aid #11 and had small amount of ham & beans and talk\nto long again, you cannot believe that one! This aid station is ran by an Ultra\nfamily (His 14 year old daughter ran her first 100K this year), what a great\nfamily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next 5 miles went slower than\nexempted.  I had to see Mother Nature\nagain, and take two piss breaks.  My legs\nstarted feel sluggish.   Every since mile\n28 I was taking electro every 1 \u00bd hour.  I said to myself I just have to make to\nPinnacle which was the last large climb. \nI slowed down a little to save energy because Pinnacle is 2nd<\/sup>\ntallest peak in Alabama.  I made it to\naid #12.  I need something else to eat,\nmy wife got me cheese quesadilla<\/em> <\/strong>and had water and Heed.  My wife asks me if everything OK as she\nwalked with me until I went into the woods. \nI see you at the next stop I said. \nI do not remember much on this stretch other than we went up and slowly\nclimbed to the next aid station.  I think\nmy mind was taking a nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final reach aid #13 the last stop\nbefore big climb of Pinnacle. I had water and Heed and water down coke.  I lost track of time and I will not see my\nwife\/crew until 17 more miles.  About a\nmile into this I had to see Mother Nature again.  I went around Lake Scott but I could not see\nthe lake.  I thought I was still doing\npretty good I am going to break 24 hours I said to myself.  Then was a stream crossing, which I hit rocks\nwith both ankles, now I was hobbling up Pinnacle but did not know it at this\ntime.  The pain went away in five minutes,\nI said to myself I think this is pinnacle, but where are the switch backs they\npromise.  I kept a good pace. Going up a\ngradual climb, I passed two runners on a plateau but then started to go up\nhill. The switch backs started to be short and the turns were steep, I said\nthis is not too bad.  I keep on running\nor jogging after I hit the 5 switch back I started to hike.  I think my quads were going to explode.  I hike the corners and try to jog easier\ngrades.  Finally the switch backs become\nlonger which help me to jog longer. \nFinally I reach Pinnacle aid station #14.  I had their famous egg cheese sandwich, Heed,\nand water.  I think that egg cheese\nsandwich the best. The aid volunteer gave me to load down for the rest of the\ncourse, which was very helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally left the aid station eating\nmy egg sandwich, I made a right turn on the forest road which my mind failed me\nthe second time, I turn around because I thought I went the wrong way, it was\nonly 200 yards to the intersection.  I\nlook at the signs and I was going right, I turn around start to run to make up\nthe 7 minute I lost.  By the way I was\nnot at top of pinnacle yet. I have another 1 \u00bd mile to go yet per the aid\nstation.  I continue going up, but my legs\nwere finally falling me, so I kept a fast hike going.  2 runners passed me and disappeared, at this\npoint I just wanted to complete the race. \nI started to concentrate on my running form by practicing Chi running techniques\nbecause my quads were hurting.  The next\n2 miles went quick and a nice 10mph breeze kick up.  I passed the 2 runners that passed me.  The breezes were cool one minute and hot the\nnext, but still refreshing.  I finally got\nin a rhythm after Pinnacle, and then aid #15, mile 80 appeared out of the\nwoods.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mind was falling again because I\njust could not remember what the last station said about the course.  I had some bake potatoes and heed, coke\nw\/water, water, pretzels and chips.  I\nlook at my watch I had to get going if I was going to aid #16 by 3:00am -3:30am\npick up my wife for the last 15 miles.  I\nstarted down a jeep road and Mother Nature calls again.  I thought this is impossible, I said to myself\nI will never eat whole wheat bread again on my sandwiches.  The next 3 miles went Ok but it was an\naverage of 1-3% up.  I was concentrating\non my running form help these miles to clip off.  Finally I was heading into the woods\nagain.  I have 3 miles until the\naid.  Then I realize my quads did not\nlike running down hills anymore.   All I\nsay this sucks when you cannot use downhill gravity to help you run\nanymore.   Well I got to the Aid station #16, my wife\nasks how I was doing, and I said I need new legs.  This was a dark aid station because there generator\nran out of gas.  I had some water down\ncoke and I cannot remember the other items at this point.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3:30 am my crew captain\/pacer and I\nwere off on the stone road.  I was\nwalking at this point trying to eat noodle out of a cup, it was not a pretty\nsight.  My wife was trying to make me\nrun, but I said give me a couple minutes. \nAbout 5 minutes passed and started to run again the hills and the down\nhills.  The next 4 miles was under an\nhour and I said I am going to break 24 hours. \nI hit aid #17, talked for a while, probably too long. A runner we passed\na mile ago pull up and off he went before we left I thought who I will never\nsee me again.  We passed him again about\nin 2 miles where the course was not marked at the intersection.  My wife said if there is no flags do not\nturn, so I actual listen to her again. The next 3 \u00bd miles went pretty fast\nuntil hit the watershed area.   The grass\nwas wet and slippy and about 5 degrees colder, and rutty.  The next 2 miles went slower than I\nexpected.  I tell you what I think I\ndrove my pacer nuts by saying are you sure we are going right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reach the last aid#18.  I eat something but did not remember.  Off we went and hit some more rutty trails\nwith grass and leaves covering the ruts and my head light started to dimmed,\nbut OK.  We were finally on good footing\ntrails.  The cows and donkeys were\nrestless as we ran passed the fields.  We\npassed 2 more runners and but I was not going make 24 hours because it was 24\nhours 7 minutes.  We final got to the\nroad which was the last 3 miles.  My legs\ndid not like this one bit, but in 3 minutes I was running again.   The one runner passed us; my wife was just\nkeeping up find.  When I hit the track my\nwife said I thought running together at the finish line.  I said run faster.  We finished<\/a> in 24 hours, 33 minutes, 50\nseconds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to thanks my wife Stephanie,\nand Dan, and June for assisting me to complete my 1st<\/sup> 100\nmiler.  This is the hardness thing I ever\ndid.  I feel like this was a very\nsuccessful race due no injuries and health issues.  I place 26th<\/sup> out of 108 finishers\nwith 234 starters.  Next 100 will be Grindstone\nto qualify for Western States and Hard Rock if I make the lottery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My diet during the run:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n