Location: Williams, Oregon
Total distance: 100 Miles
Notable features: Point to point course with lots of ascent and descent; parts on the PCT; rock scrambling.
Weather: 55º at the start, going up to 89º at peak and 50’s during the night.
Cutoff: 36 hours
Total Elevation Gain: 20,000’
Total Elevation Loss: 20,000’
Average Elevation: 4872’
Max Elevation: 7448’
Min Elevation: 2042’
Total runners who started: 110
Total runners who finished: 82
Goal Time: finish (pre-training it started at sub 24 hrs then post a lack of sufficient training it increased)
Finish Time: 28:51:37
Overall Place: 49
https://roguevalleyrunners.com/pages/pine-to-palm
My first 100 mile trail race. I should probably start with how I ended up choosing to do one and equally how I settled on Pine to Palm 100.
Why run 100 miles?
I get asked this question quite a bit shortly followed by did you stop, sleep and what about the bathroom. All good questions some easier to answer than others. In terms of sleeping, no. Stopping, occasionally. I tried to limit this to the aid stations but towards the end of the race or for a selection of the many spectacular views where I paused to take it all in. In terms of the bathroom, when you have to go you go. More on that later. In terms of the why its always difficult to put it into words. There have been some famous phrases such as George Mallory’s “Because its there”. But that would probably be cutting the story short. I got into ultra running on and off for the last maybe 7 years or so but apart from a charity 100 mile road run I hadn’t dipped my toes into the trail running 100 miler range. I had read and listened to countless stories from team mates, good friends, strangers at races as well as many a blog, magazine, podcast or trail running film. Each little nugget of inspiration budging me ever closer. I wanted to experience the gorgeous views, the crisp mountain air and that feeling before the finish line when you know its yours for the taking but not quite over yet. Overall I wanted to experience it for myself. Ultimately to see how I got on as well as whether its something I would potentially enjoy doing more than once. After deciding on entering a 100 miler next was the question of which one. I first set my sights on one of the east coast races like the Vermont 100 or eastern states. Both ended up clashing with another engagement that I couldn’t miss. So instead I opened it up to one in the US. I soon came across Pine to Palm, a race on the border of Oregon and California. It boosted gorgeous views, a bunch of mountains and almost of equal importance it was not limited by a lottery system, waiting list or anything like that. Plus it was a qualifier for Western states. It felt like a perfect option. I even thought in September the North West coast would be cooling down a bit more making for some ideal temperatures for running. With a few clicks of some buttons and I was entered. I have read and heard about the doorstep mile being the hardest. Making that initial first step to commit to doing something being the hardest part of the journey. And in some ways it was, roaming the niche corner of the internet devoted to individuals who want to pay money to join some other nutters in seeing how long and potentially painful it will be to travel 100 miles on foot. The training hadn’t really started at this point as I was still very much thinking of skiing whether it was hiking up mountains or cross country skiing around them. Spring time and summer would be the time for the miles to build up and for the task in hand to really sink in.
After deciding and entering to do the race early on in the year I thought I should at least try to structure and tailor my training to be more focussed on this 100 mile goal rather than my usual of doing multiple sports and activities. Post ski season after a short break I got back into training more regularly, slowly the additions of crossfit were replaced with more running sessions. I tried my hand at using one of the generic training programs through training peaks to help prepare me for the race. Training peaks is an online and app platform for training, in particular making use of heart rate information to gauge how you are developing. Overall the program made it pretty easy for each weeks training plan, which for years I have been working out myself. With all of life’s normal commitments popping up it certainly helped put some much needed structure in place. Despite this the one major challenge I did have was that unlike an actual coach, I wasn’t able to always adapt it to my personal circumstances. Which when I planned on using the program wasn’t much of a consideration but a series of personal commitments throughout the summer particularly over the weekends meant that my plan for regular long runs took the hit. In retrospect I could have opted to compress the mid week training with back to back runs morning and night to try and maintain a balance of quantity and quality. Overall would I recommend training peaks, for me it worked well and for another 100 miler I might be tempted to seek some more advice or input from an actual coach but I was happy enough with the generic program. I think had I followed it exactly I could have achieved an even better result. Saying that if you are using a heart rate monitor during training and with a bit more research you can probably achieve similar feedback through the likes of garmin/ suunto/ strava apps. Feel free to reach out to me or ask questions in the comments.
Onyx a new member to the family
Going back to the run. Despite a slightly more disrupted summer running plan than I originally had planned for, the race was quickly approaching. The ripple effect was that some of my decisions around nutrition and equipment were made quite late in the day. One big decision was I opted to use poles and for nutrition I would be mainly reliant on First Endurance both of which I chose fairly late in the game. In fact due to some travel arrangements I had to take near to the race, I ended up picking up my first endurance gels and powder just before the race for the first time. This is definitely not recommended but after reading a bunch of reviews and looking around at the various options I took the gamble. Fortunately it worked out for the best generally speaking but more on that later.
A friend of mine had very kindly agreed to join me out in the depths of Oregon to provide some crewing. Which I was delighted about, as being able to see a friendly face in the early hours of the morning or the later hours of the race would definitely be a benefit. Having not had a crew before and with it being a far longer race than I had previously entered I realised that there would be additional admin to sort out. Such as being much more organised on what would be required for each drop bag/ aid station, which stop would I require additional clothing/ head lamps and estimated times for each of the aid stations. I will follow up on a blog with my top learnings but overall depending on the race and your objectives I would recommend doing this admin straight after entering a 100 miler particularly if its your first. It will provide you with the time to reflect on what you need to achieve in your training as well as giving some clear ideas on what you will want to test on on various training runs. Doing that at the start of your training whilst the mileage and training time is lower also means you aren’t trying to do this all last minute or whilst trying to balance life along with a heavier training plan as you get closer to the race.
With the final few weeks to go I started getting together various supplies, final bits of kit and bagging it all out with a few last minute pieces before flying out west. Leaving the east coast as autumn/ fall was beginning to take full effect with cooler temperatures I arrived on the west coast to positively balmy 32C/ 93F. It was roasting and certainly a lot warmer than I was expecting for that time of year. After a bit of a lie in, I began getting the final bits of kit ready. Laying out the various drop bags and getting all my kit organised. As this was my first 100 miler as well as being crewed I certainly had brought far too much kit. Essentially everything can be brought along including the kitchen sink. Particularly if you are flying with a huge bag. With various spares and back ups in case something didn’t work/ break etc. With the car loaded and kit laid out for the morning, all that was left was for a pre-race evening meal. A hawaiian pizza and a couple of beers to wash it down followed by an early night was exactly what was required for a good nights sleep. I slept like a baby despite the ridiculously early alarm of 3.15 am. Driving through the town of Grants Pass in the early hours of the morning we were surprised by the number of people driving about in the small hours of the night as well as the prolific number of red traffic lights we managed to hit. We arrived at the drop off point to the eerie sounds of Coyotes howling. The sun had not begun to rise yet with a sky full of stars and a bright moon lighting up the area, to the point where a head torch was hardly needed. The temperature in the darkness of dawn was pretty chilly, compared to the highs of 93F (33C) the day before. If only it could stay this cool morning temperature it would have been perfect. Various groups huddled around waiting in random spots around the parking and drop off point as we debated on where the school bus would turn up. Slowly its lights came up through a swirl of dust off the farm track. We all bundled on board to make the drive to the start line. It turned out the bus would not go the full way to the start line and we end up walking the final stretch up the hill. Which it transpired we were to run back down as part of the start of the race. Nothing like some additional miles for a warm up.
Runners queued outside the port-a-loo’s for their final relief prior to the race start and zero toilets for the coming 100 miles. Head torches shone and swept across the area as runners looked out for friends, support crews, warmed up or looked for an alternative relief area to the long queues of the port-a-loo's. After a speech from Hal the race director we all lined up behind the start line facing down the hill. A count down began, some music blaring and we were off. The start of 100 miles. The initial speed of the group was infectious forgetting that this was merely the start in a long, long day (or two days), at least for those in the mid to rear of the pack. The sides lined with family, supporters, crew and a whole variety of vehicles that had made the drive up. It didn’t take long to reach the bottom of the hill that we had not long before walked up. Rounding the corner and it was on for the first ascent of the day. A series of switchbacks up the mountain along a dirt track to the first aid station of a water stop. Soon the pace broke into a speed walk as racers settled into their own strategy. I was certainly swept along by some of the atmosphere and joy of running with others in a new mountain range to help spur me on. As we reached the top of the mountain and began the meander back down the other side the sun began to rise and night transitioned to dawn in the blue and grey colours of the morning light. Head torches still cut through the semi darkness as patches of dense foliage threw us back into almost darkness again.
As the race continued I found myself with a group where we were all paced fairly well. Across the ups and downs we would leap frog one another as we chatted away, the path continually rising up a series of switchbacks up and up the mountain all the while surrounded by towering pine and red cedar trees. The second set of switch backs was where we got to witness the first sunrise of the race. Glorious rays of gold cut through between the trees. Runners would be momentarily bathed in gold before heading back into the shadows.
Its safe to say the morning kind of flew by, my legs and body felt strong. The pace felt good and my stops at the aid stations thanks to Mark who was crewing me were significantly quicker than if I was doing it by myself. The first surprise of the day was running towards what I thought was a field of rather stumpy looking Christmas trees. However as we got closer and the wind started blowing in our direction the aroma that hit us was surprisingly strong one guy described it almost like the aroma of a hoppy IPA. The aid station was situated right opposite the entrance to the field of marijuana as we paused to take in the views, a quick break and some much needed cooling thanks to an ice bucket and sponge. Once brain freeze was achieved it was time to continue running.
After a relatively flat section along some baking hot tarmac and trails we finally arrived at the check point. A quick transition thanks to Mark before being ushered by him to a kid with a water spray gun. Sprayed down in cold water. It was so refreshing! Like starting the day from scratch (almost). It was time to continue climbing. Heading up to Stein Butte. The day was heating up and the climb seemed to go on and on. I found out later this particular section alone had a 2400 ft elevation gain. The sun was beating down on us to the point where it appeared we weren’t even sweating, it was evaporating so quickly. As we neared the top of the ridge line we popped out from the trees. Running along the mountain we could see all the other peaks around us. The sun at this stage was baking down on us. I hadn’t appreciate that I was not feeling 100% until I arrived at the check point where there was a huge bucket of ice cold water. I grabbed the sponge and doused my head several times with the icy water dripping down my face, neck and back. Instantly cooling me down. I felt far more refreshed and revitalised. After grabbing some water, electrolyte and some food I headed on down the path. I didn’t get far, realising I had left my poles back at the check point I headed back the way I came. Fortunately it was not a large detour. Poles in hand and it was back down the path again. Second time round and slightly further down the track I missed the turn off for the runners. Spotting what I thought was one of the runners markers I ran down the mountain. Despite the route being in my watch the warning signal of being off path did not go off. But something did not feel right. Checking my route on both my watch and phone I quickly worked out that I had gone wrong. Time to run back up the mountain. Nothing like a bit of extra mileage in a 100 mile race. After the joy of running down hill in the shade, turning around and running back up the hill was not what I wanted to be doing. I arrived at the junction after maybe 5 - 10 mins of running and spotted one of the guys who had arrived in the checkpoint after me who was now a head of me. I also realised the stupidity of my mistake with sticks across the road and another marker further up the path I was meant to head up. It was certainly my mistake. The next section was mainly downhill to a lake, it would also be the point to pick up head torches for the next section of the race. I ended up joining a few other runners for this section as we ran towards our next checkpoint. Having a bit of company was fantastic and a good opportunity to pass the time. Arriving at a packed check point with runners and support crew members littered everywhere. With a variety of kit and food laid out waiting for their runners. I stopped off with Mark to grab a few bits and top up on some much needed food before heading on. In retrospect I definitely could have left my vest at the stop given we were doing a loop round the lake before continuing on. It did give me the opportunity to properly top up on some much needed nutrition for the trail a head. Back at the stop it was time to grab torches and head on. We were still a long way from darkness but this was going to be one of the final stops before darkness would set in.
Time for some more up hill. This did give the opportunity to admire sunset from the mountain tops. With the temperatures beginning to cool I managed to keep the pace with one of the other guys as we headed up the mountain. Coming round the corner and we came across a runner who had minimal supplies and was clearly in a pretty tight spot as he sat down for a rest. We checked he was ok, offered some food and water before heading on into the darkness. Not long after my tracking device beeped as the battery finally died, my watch time gave up due to low battery around the same time defaulting it to resort to time and date only rather than tracking. For a while a bunch of us ran together our headlights bumbling in the darkness. Occasionally we would go close to the various dirt roads which were being used all night by the crew cars running between check points. Dust was being kicked up with each passing car as they slowly drove into the darkness. Their headlights cutting a path up and along the mountainside. At points it gave us hope of being near a check point while at others when we could see them miles a head of us was slightly de-motivating with these pin pricks minutely winding a head of us like lit up ants. After a while the group broke up and I headed on into the darkness by myself. My head wondering amongst the discussions of mountain lions, coyotes, bears and snakes that had been mentioned just before the race started…. I felt like peaking behind every tree and each noise that came out from the darkness got my heart beating faster.
The highlight of the night was heading up towards Dutchman peak. Headlights of runners meandered a head and looking up I could see this string of lights heading up to the summit. As I got closer I could hear the music blaring out. It was incredible. I got in, found Mark having transported kit up the mountain. I grabbed a seat for the first time in the race. My body sinking into the seat and enjoying the weight being off my feet. I could feel a hot spot on my heel so I got some tape out to prevent any blister forming. The rest of my feet looked clean and blister free amazingly. After a much needed break it was time to head off. Back down the mountain I passed a runner and his wife who had pulled all of his supplies along with one kid on her front and side. It was inspiring to see and certainly my race was significantly easier In comparison.
The darkness dragged on and my pace slowed. Finally the miles had caught up with me. My initial speed over the first 60 - 80 miles slowed down. Night wore on running with my light bobbing away and cutting into the darkness amongst the trees and trails. I was counting the time down to reaching Grouse Gap. Reaching grouse and I was definitely feeling it. The offering of a beer or a shot was equally tempting yet equally a terrible idea. It was at this point that my stomach gave up with the gels and powders I had been consuming. Grabbing some toilet paper from the car I dashed to the bushes. This was not how I envisaged finishing my first 100 mile race.
With my vest filled with supplies it was time for the last 20 miles. Just 20 miles. I knew I could do it. I also knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. My foot that I had tried to patch up from a risk of a blister was now aching on my achilles. In retrospect I should have pulled the tape off and sucked up the hot spot from the blister. Ultra runners shuffle had certainly set in. First up was an out and back to grab a flag from the top of Butte. I slowly made my way up. It felt like snails pace as I painfully made my way up and up. Pausing to try to suck in some more air into my tired body. Arriving at the top of Butte with the sun rising gave me a burst of energy. I knew I could make it to the finish for the time I had set myself. The rest of the trail was down hill. Step by step I was getting closer to the finish. Despite the distance it was amazing to be so close to so many of the runners I had spent a large portion of the race with.
With the sun rising and the heat beginning to rise we ran amongst the red woods, these huge towering trees and these tight trails down towards the final check point. After yet another bathroom break and it was on for the final miles. I imagined the loops and trails I had ran back home in New Jersey, Scotland and the rest of the UK. With the end in sight I felt more relaxed to pick up the pace for the final miles into the finish. Coming through the town we could hear the occasional cheers coming from the finish. Suddenly round the corner and there it was. After months of training, hours of running and it was all over.
Slumping on a seat I soaked in the moment, feet up to help start the recovery.
Relaxing by the Pool whilst icing my foot
Attending the prize giving that evening was a special time, each runner was given the chance to stand or hobble up to say a couple of words about them and their race. Getting a quick snippet into each persons story from those charging at the front to following up at the back of the back was equally inspiring each in their own way.
All that as left was a short and very slow limp to the car and to celebrate with some food, a couple of beers and a warm bath to soak in.
