Ozark Trail 100 - a DNF Report

Maybe 10 minutes, okay, 20 minutes after Haliburton, I knew I wanted to do another 100.  I also knew I didn't want to run in the heat.  So when I got back from Canada, I started looking.  It didn't take me long to find Ozark Trail.  Squirrel had said she wasn't going that long in 2014, I think largely cause of the time away from our people.  When I sent her the OT100 info indicating I was thinking of it...well, I had her when she saw the buckle had acorns :D

She convinced me to do Laurel Highlands in the spring.  I was afraid cause of the potential for heat.  We lucked out.  I will definitely do that race again someday.  What it did mean was that we'd pretty much be training all year.  By late September we were already dreaming of no 100s in 2015.

My work got super crazy.  12 to 13+ hours a day were the rule.  I was dreaming of the stuff, waking up with a high pulse rate.  It was like I was over training, but not with running.  Ugh.  As the race got closer, work got even more intense.  When work people commented on the craziness of the race, I said it was way more preferable to being there.  At the same time, I worried for my "room".  I'm almost as obsessed with it as with running...just not as in love.

People at work were all kinds of getting sick.  I tried to remember to wash hands at every turn, a good plan for a nail biter.

Thursday before, Rick and I drove to Squirrel Central.  Pete looked a little rough.  Turns out he was battling something, but committed to crewing.  We all said goodbye to their furry kids and headed out.  It was fun to be in constant messaging contact with the Jedi and Princess.  I love that about events.

We landed in St. Louis, got our rental, and headed towards the Ozarks.  With a little help from Google, we found an excellent local Mexican restaurant that you might drive pass just on looks.  From  there we went straight to our mid-point hotel (about 1/2 way between start and finish of the point to point).

In the morning, we tried to find a breakfast place.  We had to walk out of the first "cafe" cause of the smoke.  Who knew other states still allow smoking in restaurants?!  The next place was of similar caliber, but no one happened to be smoking.  From there it was to Walmart.  Rick and I have been to Walmart in Ontario before Hali, in PA before Laurel, and now in MO before OT100.  It's a thing.  Since we flew, there were things that made more sense just to buy.  Squirrel and I both bought fleece (faux fur?) lined, zippered hoodies for the start.  I bought a $4.97 blanket.  It was perhaps my best purchase of this year.  No shit.

Pete started feeling worse, so it was decided he should stay put and get rest while we did packet pickup and prerace meal.  And meet up with the Jedi and Princess!!!  They had gotten a cabin at the race end and pre-race stuff local (by the way, a godsend).  Tim, our pacer, was heading in around the same time.  The race headquarters was cool.  Met our with our ultra family and gave me that "this-is-what-I-love" feeling.  As we headed to the pre-race meal, I mentioned to Mindy my stomach was wrong.  I still ate and enjoyed meeting a new ultra friend, we named Gummy Bear.

The "mandatory pre-race meeting" was after the dinner.  We were getting anxious to get back and settle in.  Ah, the logistics of a 100 pt to pt.  I went and asked how mandatory was mandatory.  No, you wouldn't get DQ'd if you didn't attend.  Done and done.  A goodbye hug to George and Ann and we were on our way.  Not a few minutes into our drive, my weird stomach became much more of a concern.  I had intense GI cramps.  A bit later I told Rick, "If we don't come to something soon, I need to pull into the woods."  Squirrel saw a gas station.  Now!  I am forever sorry Philips 66 in Steeleville and forever grateful that your were there.  I went back out to the SUV, almost got in, but had to return to the 66.  Hit the Walmart again to pick up more Imodium.  Stomach cramps still bad, but sort of subsiding, we got back to the hotel.  Pete seemed better.  Tim was there.  Everyone to bed.

In the morning, I woke feeling better, but not all the way.  I checked in with work.  Shit was going down.  I tried to help before telling them I'd be out of reach from race start on.  Rick asked if I was good to go.  How could I not try?!

We all set out, Rick, Pete, S & S in the SUV, Tim following in the red Prius.  We had directions.  Just 40 something minutes to the start.  Well, we were on the right road, but couldn't find the turn...minutes were getting precious.  Where the hell was County Rd 862?  We saw 861.  Had we gone too far or not far enough?!!  Retracing.  It was after race start.  We're fucked; they'll be gone before we get there.  Wait!  It starts with a 1.4 mile out and back; they'll be there a bit after.  Found it!  How the hell would we see that.  Ian would have had a person there (but, as good as this event was, they didn't have our gIANt).  We got there  almost 10 minutes late, but were okayed to go!!! (And, spoiler, that's right Squirrel was second woman with a 10 minute handicap).  We reminded ourselves that 10 minutes is nothing in a 100, but set out a bit quick any way.  We were caught up with the tail end after the out and back.


So, I took stock.  As I ran, my body felt better.  Oh, yeah, this is what I do.  I'm okay.  We picked off people and just ran.  It got lighter quicker than we expected.  The trail was hard in interesting ways.  They weren't kidding about ankle-biting rocks under leaf coverage.  It was unrelenting.  It was also interestingly a lot of on-the-side-of-a-mountain running; it seemed like you were always on a camber.  I think it was the most single track of single track.  There were lots of stream crossings.  How could I have done at least 12 in my 40, when there were 12 in the 100?


The course doesn't have a lot of crew access, but were looked forward to seeing our first at 14 miles.  We were running strong and maybe middle of the pack.  Squirrel made use of actual toilets at this aid station while Rick topped of my bladder and we were gone.


I fell once.  Turned an ankle, but knew it'd be fine if I kept moving.  Around 20 miles, I knew my GI issues were not a fluke.  Something was still wrong.  I allowed that I had to get Squirrel to 65 where she'd have Tim to pace her, then I could decide whether I was good to go on.  Not much farther it was just I had to get her to 65.  After the 35 or something mile aid station, I went down hill fast.  I was just hanging on.  I felt terrible.  I tried to tell Squirrel that my mission was to get her to Tim, but I was a failure. It tried to get her to run ahead. She'd have none of it.  The guys aren't far, just go.  No.  Then I felt worse.  I realized there was no way I could go past the next aid station.  I was going to throw up and felt light headed.  I started to hyperventilate trying to tell Squirrel I couldn't reach my main goal; get her to Tim.  She got me back to the trail.  We got in to the aid station.  I think Rick knew looking at me I was done.  I was shivering on top of shivering.  Wrapped in my Walmart blanket, I heard Squirrel and Marmot planning her journey.  She was on top of her game and ready.  I almost knew it was OK that I didn't get her to 65; she didn't need anyone getting her anywhere.  Still, I felt like Tim was my goal; almost like DNFing on top of DNFing.  Rick got me to the warmth of the SUV.  I performed some kind of weird contortionist act under my blanket to get into dry clothes.  Soon Tim was at my window letting me know he was heading off to catch Mindy.  He was my hero by somehow letting me off the hook on the one DNF.

Rick drove me on the long and wild route back to race finish.  Thankfully, Ann was in her cabin.  They got me on the pullout sofa where I promptly went to sleep for over 12 hours.  I woke feeling slightly better, still no desire for food or ability to look at it.  More time passed before Ann told me I felt feverish.  She and Rick walked down to check on the runners status.  The race did an amazing job with updates and tracking.  Soon we learned Jedi was coming back.  He was pulled for time.  His mind was there, but his recently 100 (grindstone 100) legs were not willing to push the pace.  I know, being a race director, they had to pull him, but they don't know the Jedi.  He would have summoned whatever it took to get it done in time.  Somewhere in here, my fever broke, , my headache left.  I felt so much better, just not food friendly.

Rick kept walking down to check the board for squirrel updates.  I had no doubt about her finishing, just when to walk down to cheer.  Jedi came back with stories.  He said he's never been that cold before.  He thought he'd never get warm again.  Remember, he still has Grindstone stories to tell, too.  He got cleaned up, took a bit nap, then we headed down to wait for Squirrel.  Pete came in.  He thought Mindy might be 2nd woman?!  We cheered runners coming in.  I recognized some from the trail.

Then.  Squirrel!!!  She looked so strong running in with Tim.  Volunteers were cheering "Squirrel!"  Many had manned more than one aid station and she'd clearly won their hearts.  OK, I'll let her tell her tale.  It was just so..wow!

So, I don't feel bad.  It wasn't like I had a decision; i was not going to finish. It was just bad timing for me.  I still have a need to earn that buckle.  So that is my target race for next year.  No putting in for Western States; I'm OT100 bound.