Race Format

The 100-mile race was run at Shelby Farms Park, on the East side of Memphis. It is one of the largest urban parks in the country, covering 4,500 acres (that’s not a typo). The course consisted of seven (7) 14.3-mile loops for as close to 100 miles (100.1) as I’ve done in any of my prior races. The loops were 90% dirt forest trails with a couple short sections on paved walking / cycling paths. All the miles were runnable with the expected roots from the trees not being excessive. It was a road-shoe friendly race – but I stuck with my Altra Olympus trail shoes because the weather was not perfect.

Pre-Race

Memphis is around a 13-hour drive from my home so my wife and I decided to break it up into two days of travel to make it more enjoyable. My races have become mini-vacations in some regards. We generally find an Air-BnB close to the race and try to enjoy some local restaurants for my pre-race steak dinner two days before the races.

After getting to Memphis we set up the crew canopy at the start/finish line. Because this was a looped race my crew, wife, could settle in and create a comfortable as possible environment for the waiting between rushed pit stops. We did this setup in a light rain but nothing heavy.

Race Day

Lap 1

The first 3 miles of the first lap were spent in a long line of runners without much passing. We managed to line up by our expected finish pace fairly well. I was in the sub-24 hour group so the pace was good. After the first aid station at 3-miles the field spread out well and there were no more difficulties passing or being passed. I ran well, not stopping at the aid station on the course (which we passed 2x on the loop) and completed lap 1 in 2h38m, WAY too fast but it felt good and I kept my HR and pacing well within my low aerobic limit.

Lap 2

This lap started much like the first but I was more careful to keep my pace at the 3-hour mark. I wanted to keep knocking out 3-hour laps for as long as possible and not let the final two or three go past 4 hours. About mid-way through lap 2, I was out of gas! Not sure what was happening but my legs were feeling like wood. I was fueling with Hammer Perpetuem and taking my Vespa every two hours like clockwork. I may have been a bit dehydrated but the temps were low and the weather continued to be cloudy and wet, but not raining. This fueling plan worked perfectly in my last race, just seven weeks ago. I started taking walk breaks and began adding some Tailwind to my fueling at the aid station and drinking more plain water. I completed L2 in 3:05 but it was a struggle and I wasn’t sure I could maintain 3-hour laps.

Lap 3

With the extra calories and water, I felt better starting this lap but was still not 100% and it took 3h33m. This was about as slow as I could go and still finish in 24 hours. At the end of this lap I was focused on just maintaining whatever pace I could in order to get the race done. I felt the sub-24 slipping from my grasp. Oh, this was also the lap when the wasp stung me on the left ankle. That was fun, and is becoming a think, having happened in my last two races. I’m just thankful I am not allergic and don’t swell up.

Laps 4-6…

… went similarly to lap 3, minus being stung, that only happened once. My pace continued to slow and I continued to struggle. The walk breaks became longer and the running segments slower. I could not push myself hard enough to get my heart rate up so I just continued to grind out the miles. During lap 4 I contemplated a DNF. I knew I wasn’t operating at the level I was capable of and had trained for. Something was holding me back, maybe some sort of flu bug. When I completed lap 4 I made up my mind to finish regardless of how long it took, even if I had to walk the last three laps. I wanted to complete this particular race and I wanted to complete three 100-mile races in a calendar year. So I pressed on.

The final lap

When I finished lap 6 I had walked more than half the lap. Lap seven was going to take forever but I left in good spirits, knowing it was the last time around and that I was going to finish in a respectable time, even if it was far longer than I had wanted. Nothing exciting happened until I was about 4 miles from the finish. This is when the rain that had been predicted since around 3 am began. The rain was very light and didn’t even make the trail muddy. I donned my rain jacket and kept moving. The last three miles, from the aid station to the finish felt like it took FOREVER! The end always seems to stretch out, I think it has more to do with being mentally tired from forcing myself to do something unnatural. This is the only thing I do continuously for this duration and I’m certain that mental strain contributes to the physical fatigue. This is something to work through during the next race.

The Finish

I’m confident I can solve the sub-24-hour puzzle and will in 2025! I probably can’t squeeze another attempt into 2024. I know if I tried my wife would murder me. She, and I, are ready for a short off-season before selecting races for next year.