Officially Committed to my First 100-Mile Race
My Journey into the Unknown Depths of Ultra Running
Yes, you read that correctly. Running? ONE HUNDRED miles? I’ve heard every response to that concept possible: “I don’t even like driving that far”…“How long does that take? How can you even stay awake” etc…
I must reiterate and write it down again because I too have those exact same thoughts; I am not at all immune to to the idea of going 100 miles just because I’ve officially committed.
The feelings I have towards facing this challenge are more daunting than what the average person would imagine. For those who don’t run, or do, but partake in much less extreme distances than the world of ultras, it’s hard to understand the concept of going 100 miles on foot, beyond just ‘that’s really freaking far.’ I’ve dedicated almost 10 years to running and have raced distances up through 30, 40 and even 50 miles, taking upwards of 17-20 hours at a time. My longest distance to-date is 56 miles and I KNOW what that feels like. I understand what goes into an event of that magnitude, the prep, the training, the commitment, the pain, the fatigue, the determination, and the resiliency. Imagining what roughly DOUBLING all that entails? That’s where I stand. My experiences of already running 50 miles provides a personalized context into the world of 100’s and it’s downright terrifying.
For my closer knit ultra running friends, you may already know where this is going, for I’ve hinted and contemplated this with some of you, but for the sake of everyone else and for wanting to publish a complete story of this event, I’ll begin with my ‘how’, proceed with my ‘why’, and end by revealing the race that I’ve chosen and what it means to me.
MY HOW
How did I let myself agree to 100 miles? Some crazy people are more of the ‘just do’ type and thrust themselves into the deep waters without so much a swimming lesson or life jacket. I’ve heard of successful 100 mile finishes as their FIRST ultra ever, and some others even completing all 100 miles with ZERO training. I’m not one of them. My ultra running ‘career’ has always progressed slowly and in a coordinated fashion. From my first 50k in November of 2019, my distance PR’s have increased like little stepping stones with each new benchmark relatively within reach: 31 miles, 36, 40, 45, 50, 56. I’ve cherished all these as equally and respectfully as my first ultra, as they each came with their own unique set of challenges.
There becomes a point, though, after going for so long that 4, 5, or 6 miles further is pretty minuscule - I don’t mean to belittle my longest distances here, I’m just saying the extra little milage becomes easier the more you’ve gone - that it’s not like going from your first 5 miler all the way up to 11. “What’s 1-2 more hours after you’ve already gone 15?” Though I must add, with each new distance I’ve sorta naturally been drawn to the hardest of those courses. (Read about my first 50 miler here.)
I’ve been around quite a bit of 100-mile events and have a decent array of first hand experience supporting friends at their finishes, and while each are so incredibly humbling, exciting, and usually emotional, I had never really been drawn to attempt one myself - not until much more recently. Frankly, it’s pretty overwhelming to see what all some people have triumphed through, and while so inspiring, I wasn’t sure if I had THAT kind of grit. 100-milers were always just ‘something other people did’ and I was happy and content just helping out in any way I could.
The members of the ultra running community are among the most amazing people. They always have your back and sacrifice so much so willingly to help everyone reach their goals. It’s selflessness defined to its extreme. Though I’ve expressed my concerns of bumping from 56 miles all the way up to the iconic 100, entirely skipping the 100km (62mi) distance all together, the people that I’ve surrounded myself around the past few years have time and time again reminded me I’ve done so much so far to successfully take on the challenge. Sometimes you go so far out of your way to help others reach their goals, and sometimes it takes a nudge from the others to help you reach yours.
MY WHY
Running 100 miles will be really really hard. So why do it? Why would I willfully sign up for an event so unbelievably difficult knowing it’s going to hurt, knowing I’m going to suffer, and NOT knowing if I’ll even complete it in the first place. Everybody has their why, and I’m sure mine will adapt and evolve and change especially once the race actually begins and eventually turns into the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
So why am I trying to go for 100 miles? The simple answer is because I don’t know if I can. The allure of the unknown is so powerful and itches my curiosity. If we only partook in the activities of which we knew we could, we’d be missing out on so much. I want to know what it feels like to ‘just keep going’ no matter what and I want to find my potential. I’m proud of my body and my legs that have taken me so far and I want to look back on this time and remember how great it was to be doing what I am. Each of these endurance events are filled with so many memories and stories that one day, when I look back at it all, I want to know that I’ve fulfilled every aspect that I knew I could. There is no doubt that my upcoming 100 mile event will be cherished and remembered, no matter the outcome, for probably as long as I’m around.
This race will not at all be done to just ‘check the box’ like my attitude towards running my first marathon back in 2014, and it sure as hell won’t be to ‘prove’ to anybody else that I had the guts to try. I’m doing this for me, to see if I can, and to find out how to break past barriers I never thought I could. I will post and share and put my preparation out there, one, to help hold myself accountable, but also to give those who have no understanding of this concept a little bit of insight on what it actually will take to arrive at the start line. Afterall, the journey to the start is just as exciting and important as the race day(s) itself.
MY RACE
My first time ever volunteering at a 100 mile race was last year in April at the Umstead Endurance Run when I paced Bernadette to her first finish of 100 miles. It was such a profound experience for each of us that we’ve remained in contact till today - and I’m actually excited to share this post with her soon.
For the 2022 Umstead 100, I also helped volunteer and pace two of the most amazing people (Mike and Ray) to some spectacular finishes. I encourage you to read their stories here1 after this one concludes.
I wanted the Umstead 100 to be my first. What better way to break into this new distance at a local event so close to home, at a beloved park that I’ve spent hundreds of hours running in so far. Logistics would be easy, I’d have all the friends to help crew and pace that I’d ever need, and in terms of overall difficulty, the rate-of-completion for this race is remarkably high and generally advertised as ‘the best one to do for your first’ or for those looking to set a new best. I began getting excited about running this race while filling out my race calendar with other tough events as precursors to my first 100.
Long before any of this, I had already signed up for my first 100k later this year and was excited to break that new distance PR also, concluding this year out with a BANG. So far this year I’ve raced six ultras, three of them being 50 miles or longer, the hardest of which just a few weeks ago. But in between all the excitement and finish line celebrations the allure of 100 miles was still out there.
Ahead of my last race - Manitou’s Revenge complete with 54 miles and 17,000’ of climbing - I contemplated this thought: if the outcome of this race is successful (meaning I escape injury-free and not crawling to my death bed) then maybe I’ll bump my 100k race up to 100 miles. Well, since Manitou’s turned out to be a huge success (you can read about it here) I’ve officially acted on that decision.
This October I’ll be running the 2022 Uwharrie 100.
Though very much built upon the same loving community and incredible atmosphere as Umstead, this race is 10 times harder. At least. With the slogan “Simply Unrelenting” this race is quoted as one of the hardest 100’s on the east coast: 5 x 20.5mi loops = 102.5 miles of tough, rugged mountain single-track trails traversing some of the oldest mountains in the entire US - only a short 2hr drive away from the Triangle. There are no gravel roads, no wide paths, no breaks to relax your mind or body. Veteran ultra runners advise NOT to attempt Uwharrie as your first 100, for obvious reasons listed above.
So why again THIS race? Because the opportunity is there, and a wasted chance is one never to be regained. I knew that the 100k here (3 laps instead of 5) wouldn’t be any more difficult than the Manitou’s race I just ran, and ultimately I didn’t want to finish thinking ‘what if.’
What if I had just ‘kept going?’ 100k is not my limit. I did 56 miles so 62 is hardly any different. Would I have been dissatisfied seeing others battle out a full night of darkness to emerge on the other side victorious with a finisher’s buckle in hand? I don’t have to think of any that, because I will keep going and I will earn the finish just like I’ve helped so many others before me. I’m no stranger to the Uwharrie trails or this course. I’ve run the loop many times individually and I’ve helped pace, crew and support some friends for their races out here as well (Read: A Pacing Story about a Beautiful Connection and a First Time 100-mile Finish). The community is world class, the people are amazing, oh, and the food served is some of the best ever - it’s not common for a race to be ‘known for’ it’s culinary exquisites, but at Uwharrie, anything goes.
So now it’s my turn to finally run this coveted distance. At the time of writing this, 14 weeks separates me from the starting line of the 2022 Uwharrie 100 mile race. I’ll do everything that I can to prepare, but can one truly ever be ready to run a distance that far? I’m excited and scared, but determined to put in the work, and just see where it takes me. Let’s do this!
Mike and Ray’s pacing stories mentioned earlier
You got this man! Proud of you to accept the challenge. I will be there rooting you on. While I would love to pace you for the final loop, I can't guarantee how I will be after NB100 in early Oct. Otherwise, I'd give a hard commit. But who knows. I know I jumped from my first 50K to a 50 miler. Although it was flat, I ran my first unofficial 50K during my training run on the Neuse River Greenway for the 50 mi. There's no doubt than you can and will finish Uwharrie 100. Sleep deprivation, digestion, nutrition may be the biggest hurdles to overcome and hopefully the weather is good too. If you think about it, you have to make the jump somewhere 56 to 100 or 62 to 100, either way, what's a few more miles as they say? LOL!