Results as of Friday, July 21, 2006

Place Time Pace Age Sex Name State/Country
1 16:26:12 09:52 43 M Karnazes, Dean CA
2 16:52:33 10:08 42 F Anderson-Abbs, Beverley CA
3 17:45:55 10:40 38 M Grossman, Eric VA
4 17:51:21 10:43 47 M Pilla, Jack VT
5 18:18:49 10:59 31 F Africa, Darcy P. CO
6 18:33:14 11:08 38 M Lane, Byron NY
7 18:45:12 11:15 36 M Abbs, Alan CA
8 19:01:52 11:25 30 M Larson, Daniel MA
9 19:08:13 11:29 48 M Turk, Jerry CT
10 19:10:24 11:30 42 M Nelson, Steve
Rapport fra nykommer Steve Nelson (10 plass 19:10:24)
For anyone interested, this is my brief account of the Vermont 100 this
year. This was my first 100 (second ultra), and I was very lucky to have a
great run. Many thanks to the Vermont 100 staff and volunteers for putting
on a great event!

The race started at 4AM, so I went to bed at 9:15 and woke up at 2AM. I saw
Dean Karnazes at the check-in table, and we chatted for a couple minutes.
Nice guy.

There were 241 starters on this day (only 152 would finish). I started off
slow and ran the first 4 miles with my ultra-mentor and friend, Jim
Campiformio. Jim finished 33rd from what I remember (not bad for age 56).
After awhile, I started moving ahead of people. I was amazed at how many
people were running the uphills - I think they paid the price later. I saw
my crew (including Mom,Dad, sister Amy, and friend Pam) at mile 18, and I
got really pumped. They were really excited! Shortly before Mile 25
(around 8AM), I started running with a guy that looked like a really great
runner. I didn't know it at the time, but his name is Byron Lane. He is
the NY State Ultramarathon champ, and is a top contender in every race. He
told me I was on 16 hour pace, and I would finish in the Top 10 at this
rate. I thought, "Oh shit, I went out too fast." I definitely had no
business being up there with those guys - this was my first 100 miler. He
said, "You are in rare air at this point"! I told him my stretch goal was
to break 20 hours, but I really just wanted to finish in under 24 if at all
possible. At about this point, I realized I was nearly out of water, and
we had just passed an aid station. I turned around and headed back for
water. I caught up with Byron a few miles later. He was having a couple
issues and I was feeling strong. He told me that we had just passed 2
former 24-hour national champions (or was it one 2-time champion? - I don't
know). He said John Geesler was having a hamstring issue.

Well, I forgot to tell my crew to cut my energy drink (don't every try
"Sustained Energy") in half, and I started getting very nauseas. At mile 36
I was a mess. I poured out the sustained energy and filled it with water.
The aid station folks poured water over my head and tried to get me to eat.
I walked away with 2 pieces of watermelon, and just walked. Ironically, it
was the most runable section of the course (flat pavement for about 1/2
mile). I remembered my ultra-mentor saying that you will have low points in
the race, and you just need to keep going. It will get better. So, I
managed to start jogging again, and hooked up with a guy from Scotland. His
accent alone was enough to keep me entertained, and we made it into the
check point at around mile 40 together. I told my Mom I was sick and they
had me sit for a couple minutes. I had to weigh in, so they tried to get me
to eat. I ate some orange. Mom says it's good for morning sickness...and
apparently ultrarunners as it was the cure for my stomach. From that point
on, I started using hammergel and my stomach was fine. I weighed in at
139.5 (140 lbs. at check-in)) and off I went. I was somewhere around 13th
place (I think).

The next 20 miles or so is kind of a blur. I managed to pass a few more
runners, and it got very warm out. At mile 55, I saw my crew again. The
crowd was very supportive, and I felt great. I changed my shoes and socks,
and off I went up the next hill. I had trained for the hills, but they were
still big and many. I was sad to see one of the top guys being driven off
in the back of a truck (hamstring issue). I found a lost volunteer and
helped him get back to Camp Ten Bear. At 10 Bear (mile 68.2), I weighed in
again (140), and picked up my pacer, Kevin. It took a little while for
Kevin and I to get in synch with each other. I had never run with a pacer,
and I don't think he ever ran in a race. He did a 25 mile training run with
me, so this would be his farthest run ever. He was great! We had a few
hiccups, but it all worked out.

At mile 76, the crew was great, but we had one major faux pas. We forgot
our headlamps. We would not see them again for 13 miles. This gave us
approx. 2.5 hours to get to them by 8:30 (sunset). Talk about motivation!
I was running scared! I thought, "What a way to blow a great finish!"
Getting lost in the woods because you forgot your headlamp. So, we ran
hard, and made it there with about 15 minutes to spare. Whew! My weight was
good, but I had run out of regular hammergel. I switched to caffeinated
hammergel at this point, and caffeine is like rocket fuel for me. You would
have thought I could fly to the finish, but my quads were fried at this
point (actually, they were fried at mile 50). I was in 9th place.

Running in the dark can be a very peaceful experience. Kevin and I were
enjoying ourselves and knew we were going to finish. Then, I was shocked to
see 2 German Sheperds coming at us from a side road/driveway. They were
charging hard, and I had no energy left to fight them off. I made an
attempt to outrun them, but Kevin chose another tactic. He stopped and
yelled at them, and they turned back. Whew! Thanks Kevin! You earned your
pacer stripes!

I could feel myself slowing down in the dark, and with around 5 miles to go,
I was passed. This guy was flying. I had no chance of matching his pace.
I just decided to try to hang on to 10th place. Then, we missed a turn. We
had to backtrack about 100-200 yards (felt like an eternity) to find our
way.

The last 2.4 miles is basically a slog through super steep mud. There was
mud throughout the course, but this was "suck your shoe off your foot" mud.
I was cursing the race director at this point. At the top of the hill, we
heard the crowd cheering and figured the guy in front of me finished. I
knew we were close. Suddenly, the finish line was there, and it was all
over. I finished 10th overall in 19 hours and 10 minutes. Dean Karnazes
won in 16 hours and 35 minutes, and my new friend, Byron Lane, finished 37
minutes ahead of me in 6th place. I was walking on air! I had exceeded my
wildest expectations, and I really enjoyed the experience.

After the race, I became hypothermic (my guess) due to dehydration. The
next 3 hours would be worse than anything I experienced during the race as I
sipped water to rehydrate. The following day, I could barely walk (think
about how you felt after your first marathon and multiply by 4). It hurt so
bad that my blisters were un-noticeable. Yes, my feet look pretty bad too.

The next day was the awards ceremony. Finishers under 30 hours receive a
plaque, and finishers under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle. I did
not know that Top 10 finishers received a special belt buckle, so that was a
really nice surprise. I had my photo taken with the Top 10 (except Dean had
to catch a plane before the award ceremony). It was a really special moment
for me!

Overall, the race was amazing! Some great memories were collected this past
weekend. Thanks to all who supported me in this effort. I have managed to
collect over $1,000 for Prostate Cancer Research.

Steve