100 Miles? In Crocs?
What better way to end a busy summer than by running 100 miles? Well, not exactly running, but covering 100 miles in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California in under 33 hours. That’s how much time we were given to finish The Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run on the weekend of August 28th.
Two Types of 100 Mile Footwear
The Angeles Crest 100 is a race I last did twenty years ago. It’s very beautiful but very tough and when I crossed the finish line in 1991 I swore I’d never do it again. Yet here I was, twenty years older, but obviously not twenty years wiser, toeing the line once again. It must be the Crocs. That and my good friend and running partner Marisa who convinced me it would be fun to run it together. 100 miles of fun? How could I resist?
Marisa and Me - Ready to Go
At 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning 104 intrepid trail runners lined up in the small mountain town of Wrightwood on the eastern edge of the San Gabriels. Our goal was Loma Alta Park, far to the west in the town of Altadena. To get there we had to negotiate 100 miles of rugged, rocky, mountain trails including a pass over Mt. Baden-Powell at 9,210 feet. Our total climb would be 21, 610 feet and total descent 26,700 feet. Daunting, yes, but as Confucius said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So we headed off to see where our journey would take us.
AC 100 Course Profile
Heading in to the 25 Mile Aid Station
Although you often hear about the loneliness of the long distance runner, running 100 miles is not really an individual event. For most ultrarunners the training is not done alone, nor is the race. Marisa and I train together for company, camaraderie, and enjoyment. On race day we would run together for the same reasons. But we also needed a support crew to meet us along the way and help us take care of our nutritional, physical, and even psychological needs. We also needed pacers, friends who would run with us through the night and into the last miles of the race making sure we stayed awake, didn’t get lost, and kept ahead of the cut-off times at each aid station. If not for good friends who were willing to give up their weekend, our Angeles Crest 100 Mile Adventure would not have been possible.
Crew Chief Corrinne and Chief Pacer Jenny
Finished! Finally able to sit down!!
It was a long and arduous journey but never once was it lonely. I ran high in the mountains along moonlit trails and saw city lights twinkling below. I saw two glorious sunrises along the way. And a mere nineteen minutes before the 2:00 p.m. deadline on Sunday afternoon, I crossed the finish line. 32 hours and 41 minutes on 100 miles of rough and ragged mountain trails – in my trusty Crocs. And not one blister!
Sadly, Marisa had stomach issues and had to withdraw from the race at 62 miles. But she was there to meet me and my pacer Jenny at the finish. And next year I’ll be there to meet her as she crosses the line. Because this time I really mean it – never again!
The Angeles Crest 100 is still very beautiful but still very tough. Finishing two times is certainly enough for me. But check back in twenty years, just in case I change my mind!
Every Finisher Gets a Buckle!
