Getting My Ticket Punched on the Ghost Train

This is New England.  The weather can change in a minute, hour, day...and I should know that by now.  That said, here's a recap of my first 100 mile attempt:

So I'd suffered the ill effects of peer pressure (again) and thrown my name on the wait list for the Ghost Train 100-miler, because fuck it, if I'm gonna sign up for a race like this, then I might as well be in for all of it!  Then I got in.  Whoops.  I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.  I even swore off beer for two weeks ahead of the race!

My mileage has been low and my work schedule crazy, but I thought I'd start slow and just cruise and see how things played out.  We had tickets to a comedy show the night before, but we went right home after, got 6 hours' sleep, and I got up early to make the 2-hour drive to Southern New Hampshire for the race.

When I arrived, Claire and John G. had already set up a big tent and all their gear close to the starting line, and let me stow my things there.  Claire was attempting her first 100, along with another friend of theirs (also named Mike).  He and I chatted about goals, and he was looking for a faster pace than I was, so I wished him luck and said I'd see him out there.  The forecast was for wind and rain later in the day, but everything was surprisingly calm before the 9 a.m. start, aside from the nervous energy of 400 runners getting ready for the day.  Seasoned distance runners and novice trail runners alike, all signed on for distances of 30, 45, 60, 75 or 100 miles.  Lots of excitement!  Tents lined the main drag at the start/finish, food was cooking in big pots, people had crews supporting them, there was a Yeti...

I opted for shorts and a t-shirt at the start, and tied a windbreaker around my waist just in case.  After a few words by RD Steven Latour, we were off!  I started jogging, and felt like most everyone was falling back quickly.  Claire went right out to the front pack of about 8 runners, and I settled in next to other Mike. The pace was faster than I was hoping to start out at, but I told him I'd bank some time and then fall back.  I ended up staying with him for the first 15 miles, which took 2:30.  Maybe shouldn't have done that.

I changed clothes quickly at the turnaround, put on a compression shirt under my t-shirt, and grabbed a cotton pullover as an extra layer, as the rain wasn't supposed to start until later?  I was already slowing down at this point.  A light drizzle at about mile 18 turned into a soaking rain at mile 20, and suddenly I was drenched, and alternating between a walk and a jog.  Many other people were as well, but my motivation was starting to wane as a chill set into me.  I got cold, really cold. My friend John was on his way up from RI to pace me, and I texted him when I reached the 30-mile turnaround, to tell him not to bother making the trip.  He was 15 minutes away,  I changed clothes and got back out there...

All I can say about miles 31-45 is that as I got passed by a steady stream of runners, I had plenty of time to ponder all the reasons I wasn't going to finish 100 miles.  I was way undertrained for this race and this distance, and hadn't done any runs of any signifigance since Cayuga.  I went out too fast at the start, banking time but wiping it all out later.  In spite of bringing plenty of rainproof gear, I put it on after I got wet and cold, after it was too late to have any positive effect.  I stopped drinking beer!  Anyway, I'd brought my phone on this loop, and sent John a message that I was dropping when I got back to camp.  He suited up, ran out on the course to find me, and walked me in.  Good friend.  Tried to talk me into continuing, and I was having none of it.  My lower shins were really bothering me at this point, never had that before?  John joked with me, chatted and got me back to the start/finish, where I pulled the plug.  45 miles in 11:19 officially.  It was dark, the wind had picked up, and I packed my gear and headed out.

Claire, on the other hand, crushed it.  First 100, first female and third overall in 17:15, took 1:48 off the women's course record and had the 5th fastest time in the race's history!  Way to go Claire!!!  And the overall winner, who was flying effortlessly along the course, smiling and offering words of encouragement?  Patrick Caron, 19 years old, winning in 14:51.  Holy crap that's fast.

The race directors say that there are no DNF's at Ghost Train, but I signed up for 100 and did 45, so I'm calling it what it is.  After having a few days to think about it, I know what I did wrong, what I need to do to have a good performance at a race like this, and whether my current schedule is going to allow for it.  So it's back to the drawing board.  My first couple of runs after this race were great.  Short trail runs with no pressure, and I felt good!

Oddly enough, my next race is the final installment of the RI 6hr Ultra, and my 4th time running it.  Trying to beat 32.4 miles.  Lots of friends scheduled to race that day, should be awesome!!!  Until then, gonna run and enjoy the changing weather as we transition from Fall to Winter.