Bighorn 100 Report-Ashley Nordell

Bighorn 100- 2010

“Always in the big woods when you leave the familiar ground and step off alone into a new path, there will be, along with feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging dread. It is the ancient fear of the Unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into. What you are doing is exploring. You are undertaking the first experience, not of place, but of yourself in that place….” – Wendell Berry

A few months ago, one of my spin instructors handed us this quote at the beginning of class. I think he had planned a killer workout, and was bracing us for the pain or something. It immediately made me think of hundred milers. No matter how many I run, I continue to have that little nagging sense of dread at the beginning; the worry of the course, the distance, of how my body will handle everything. But, along with that dread, is the excitement of what I am about to undertake. However the race unfolds, the good, the bad, and the really bad, it is an amazing thing to be able to say that I ran 100 miles.

If I were to have written a Bighorn race report last week, all I would have been able to conjure up would be the agony of my stomach. That was the relentless issue for me this year, probably making it the hardest race to finish. Now, with a week gone, I am able to remember more positives from the experience. I saw a herd of elk at dusk racing through one of the Aspen meadows. I actually remember hearing the birds as the sun just started to come up again, and thought to myself at the time, “It can’t be that bad if I am able to appreciate the birds. ” I was able to laugh when Josh and I both, within seconds of each other, slipped and fell into one of the huge mud bogs, covering our clothes and gear completely with mud. And, I got a time and place that I am super happy with, despite the struggles.

Race Highlights (what went well, was enjoyed, and stayed down)-

• The people- When isn’t this a highlight of ultras? I am guessing many would agree that the people at these races are what make the events so amazing. The volunteers at Bighorn are simply incredible. They endure freezing weather, remote aid stations, and long nights, just to keep us moving. Many of the aid stations at Bighorn are inaccessible by vehicle, so volunteers horseback or hike supplies in. Who would have thought runners would get apple and carrot smoothies operated by a generator in the middle of the woods? Two guys even hauled in chairs to a spring and sat there through the night filling water jugs to make it easier for us to fill our bottles.  I ran back and forth with several runners throughout the whole race, so seeing people like Geoff Donovan, a new friend from Oregon, and Tom Remkes (again!), from Utah, helped keep me going when all I wanted to do was lay down in the trail. Even when we weren’t chatting, it made such a difference to be running near others.
• My pacer- If Josh had not been pacing me, I don’t know that I would have finished. He’s seen me through enough of these that he knows he can push me hard, and eventually I will get up off the ground and keep moving. He pretended not to be worried when I was throwing up black gook, reminded me even if I refused to eat I better be drinking, and raised his voice just enough to get me to quit walking on the dirt road so I could get in under 24 hours.
• The course- This race course simply rocks! It’s so technical and crazy with the mud, snow, rocks, creeks, etc. that you just have to embrace it. The scenery and wildlife aren’t half bad either!!
• Post race venue- How can you not love a huge party after running a 100 miles?  It was extra fun to be able to share it with such a fantastic group from Oregon, especially the Corvallis gang, the Brownings, and Yassine. If only I could have actually eaten the great food they were making.
• EFS drink- When my plan of getting a lot of my calories from gel backfired, the only thing I could get down was the EFS drink Josh had brought for himself. I actually don’t ever use it in training, but after mile 50, its pretty much all I consumed. Although not very calorie dense, it had enough electrolytes and some calories to keep me going.
• Sub 24 hours

Race Lowlights-

• My stomach- It started feeling weird by mile 17, was nauseous by mile 35, throwing up by mile 50, and it never turned around. Nothing would stay down, so in addition to feeling crummy, my energy went south too. My stomach is always my issue in 100s, but I have never before had to battle it for 70 miles. Won’t go into the gory details, but I have some things to figure out with it before I take on another 100. So frustrating when the legs feel ready to run!
• My planning- For how long in advance I started packing, I should have been more than prepared for this race. Don’t know why I thought three gel flasks (12 gels worth) would be enough to get me 100 miles. In addition, didn’t start making adjustments quickly enough when I couldn’t keep Succeed caps down- mainly because I didn’t think to carry nuun up from the Footbridge, and had run out of my ONE gel flask I packed for the first 48 miles. I think becoming low on electrolytes might have contributed to my stomach issues.

Like all other hundreds I have run, my resolve of “never again!!” is already dissolving. Especially after following WS 100 on-line, how can you not get excited for the next 100 mile adventure!

Gear used- Pearl Izumi Fuel XC trail shoes, Nathan Insulated Quick Draw hand bottles, Nathan Krissy vest first half, then Nathan Hydration Pack the second half, carried my super light weight PI fly jacket and PI armbands the whole race.