Notes
Before I get into my report and the details of this race I feel I should open with a statement regarding the fact that what you are about to read may seem self-indulgent. That is not my intent. I am proud of this race and the work I did to get myself to this point. I write my race reports not only to preserve these memories but they also serve as a reference in my preparation for other races. If you are interested in my thoughts and experience at the 2018 GT100 please keep reading. If not please go do other things.
Thank You
Ghost Train 2018 Race Report
I did some running this year. More than a little. There were no secret formulas or special plans to follow. Just get the miles in. When I first registered for Ghost Train it was as a backup race in case I did not get into the VT100. We all know how that stuff goes and very early on that plan was out the window. I decided to attempt to run both races with Vermont as my primary goal race. Vermont went very well but took a lot out of my legs. Maybe more than I even let on. With Ghost Train around the corner and a busy family schedule in August. I was left with a short recovery period and then just two months to get myself back to 100 mile race shape. I continued putting the miles in and along with running I added several hikes with Jacob and Luc into the training routine. By the end of September I felt ready to make a run at a PR. I would need to run <20:51 although the real goal was a <20:00 finish. I thought with more experience, more training and a better strategy I could get this done.
Friday October 19th with Jacob.
I’m not really sure why my son Jake decided he would be my crew for this race but was so happy when he told me he was planning to come. This experience and time together was really special to me. We had a good time setting up our camp on Friday afternoon then heading over to the dinner. There we talked about the plan and what I hoped he could do for me during the race. After dinner we walked around Camp Tevya with headlamps on and even walked out on the trail for a bit. That was so cool. Like walking into that empty football field or baseball park the night before the big game. We went to bed pretty early and this was one of the better sleeps I have had prior to a race.
Race Day October 20th
We woke up around 7am and just relaxed as people arrived to pickup bibs and get setup. It was nice to not have to deal with any of those details in the morning. As we get ready and I take my usual 20 trips to the porta john things start to feel exciting. I see Heidi and Laurie and Greg G. Then Kelly and Deb. Talked to all of them briefly but was down at the start about 10 minutes early and ready to go.
Leg 1 Miles 1-15 9:00am-11:06am
I line up right behind Patrick Caron and Alexander Jinx. The race starts and I’m hanging with those guys for about .00000000222222 seconds. Maybe less. I find a groove that feels easy and try to lock it in there. Very early on Laurie catches up to me and we run together and chatted our way out to Milford. This was great. Time flew by and we were heading back before you knew it. The chip timing makes this so much better. When you turn in Milford there is no trying to track anyone down and make sure they grabbed your bib number. You just cross the mat and turn. I got back to camp, Jacob had things ready and I turned right back around for #2. The only hiccup there was I decided I would grab my glasses as the first leg without them was a little more challenging in the harder sections.
Leg 2 Miles 16-30 11:15am-1:46pm
This leg went so much better than it did in my 2016 race. I ran it like an easy long run on The Cotton Valley Rail Trail. Not too much happening outside of the usual hellos, good jobs, you look strong, you’re killing it, etc… etc… etc… exchanges in both directions. This TARC trail etiquette thing is real and it makes these events so much fun. I take a short stop at the middle aid station and fill a water bottle. Then smooth sailing almost all the way in. But Mile 29 I stop for really the first time in the race other than aid stops. It gets slightly dark but then I traveled right through it and I was fine. That was weird. But thankfully brief. I get in and change shoes from the Altra One 2.5s into the Altra Olympus 2.5s. Also grab my first solid food. An Amys Frozen Burrito thawed just right. As this is now past 30 miles pacers are allowed so Jacob decides to head out with me for 2.5 to The Pumpkin Bridge.
Leg 3 Miles 31-45 1:55pm-4:46pm
The beginning of this leg was slow mostly due to a self-imposed regroup and making sure I got the food down. Plus it was so fun to have Jake’s company. He was getting right into the GT banter. “You look great”, “Nice Job”etc.. etc… etc.. When I left him at the bridge I started to feel good again and my legs came right back around. Though it was not my fastest this was one of my better legs in the race. After the technical hill section spits back out to a flatter faster trail on the return trip from Milford Alexander Jinks (the eventual Winner and course record holder) passes on my right. He's a full 15 mile leg ahead of me. I speed up to him and we start talking for a bit. He tells me he went out way faster than he intended and was on a PR pace but would need to see if he could hold up. He also gave me some advice about putting on warm gear at night even if you feel ok. He told me not doing that had cost him in a race a while back. Good advice and a nice guy. At least he was for the 5-6 minutes I spent with him. I get back and not only see the Cabins but Steve is standing there at the end of the trail. Yes!
Leg 4 Miles 46-60 4:51pm-7:48pm Steve
Steve relays to Jacob what I need. I add some warmer gear and also take a headlamp. Steve runs out a mile or two with me starting slow again to get more food down. I am closely paying attention to the time and the goal at this point. I know I’m in a very good spot but things can change fast in these races. No sooner do I think that and the dreaded onset of calf cramps creep in. I drink my Limon Pepino mix and try to make a slight adjustment in my stride. Whatever I did worked. I get to the middle aid station and probably over do the pickles and pickle juice but that issue never returned. After leaving the aid station I know the 5 mile sign for the finishing turn is just ahead and that is exactly 50 miles. 8 hours and 44 minutes at the 50 mile mark. I was psyched. If you notice the splits from my watch you will see the numbers are off a tad. But I was very aware of the actual time and distance. Making that turn in Milford with a chance to get back before 8pm had me on a mission to do just that. I was starting to gain confidence and part of that came from knowing this course. I also knew Steve was going to be with me for the next 15 so things were looking very good.
Leg 5 Miles 61-75 8:12pm-11:05pm more Steve
Time to roll. Steve gets out there and does what he does best. Becomes a coach, a game manager and strategist. He is completely aware of all of it. The goal, my condition, nutrition, pace and does a really good job of having me not focus on that by talking about other things then bringing it back around to the task at hand. It was awesome. My most memorable part of this leg was unfortunately a fall. We both went down but got right back up and kept it moving. This was around mile 66 I think. We get to Milford and spend less than a minute there. Going back to Tevya was even faster than heading out. We roll into Camp and not only see Jake at the tent but Pam is there too.
Leg 6 Miles 76-90 11:24pm-2:47am Pam the headlamp and some trail kindness.
The headlamp. Before I get to the headlamp I have to speak to what a huge boost it gave me to see Pam at this point. I did not think she would make it until later. She truly gives me a lot of leeway when it comes to doing this stuff and major support. I can’t begin to thank her enough for that. As I run up and say hello they start asking all the questions regarding my needs. I decided one more shoe change would be in order and I switched to the Altra Olympus 1.5s my favorite long distance shoe ever. At this point time was ok and I was on track for a sub 20 although it is never a given in these things. My headlamp had been using the same batteries for about 25 miles so I figured it would be a good time to get those changed. New batteries go in and light does not come on. Shit. Old Batteries go back in and the light does not come on. Shit. Shit. Pam starts looking for the spare headlamp. It would have worked fine if only we could locate it. Steve is saying... “You need to go”. I put in different new batteries and finally my headlamp comes on. Steve is basically telling me to get the fuck out on the trail and that I’m wasting valuable time. He was right. I was. Pam decides to run out a couple miles with me then I would be on my own. We get about 1 mile out on to the trail and my headlamp goes out. Pitch black. She has a cheap flash light in her pocket and we start fiddling around with the light. A woman heading in sees our struggle and hands us hers because she is done for the night. Such a nice thing to do and I owe this woman (Named Kim I think) a big thank you. Kim’s light was very dim and I could barely see with it though. Pam decides she would head back and tear the camp apart until she finds the spare. I move on but with that light it is slow going. About 2 miles out I run into a bike patroller and ask if he has a spare. He doesn’t but we try new batteries in the Kim’s lamp. A flat head screw driver was needed to get into it. Time is ticking and I think he could tell I was getting stressed. The batteries were changed but the brightness of that light did not. The bike patroller Rob Hollingsworth suggests I use his handle bar lamp as a hand held. He gets it ready for me and it’s perfect. The problem is this all took several minutes. I thank him and start moving again. Now I’m trying to work out the math in my head. The sub 20 goal was still in play provided nothing else went wrong and I could keep moving. I knew it was going to be tight but if I could get myself back with about 2 hours and 10 minutes for the final leg I may still have a shot. So that’s what I worked on for the rest of this leg. Picking the best spots on the course to really pick it up and slowing down and gathering myself in the more challenging sections. Knowing this course so well made this a lot easier for me and when I passed the Pumpkins on my return trip I knew I had done what was needed. With 2.5 miles to camp Tevya I was just grinding them out. I get back to the tent and ask Pam if she found the spare headlamp. She said no. I was not too worried as the handle bar lamp was working out but it would have been nice to have had both hands free. I didn’t even relay what I needed for food. Came back around after the bridge grabbed a bar and a stinger waffle. Tucked them in my vest. Steve was asking what I needed. I said we need to go. We gotta go. Lets go. Pam told me later that she knew right at that point I was going to make it. I must have looked crazy and fucking determined. I was. I am.
Leg 6 Miles 91-100 2:50am – 4:56am More Steve
This was it about 2:10 to get in for a sub 20. Sure anything under 20:51 would have been a PR. But that was not my goal. I wanted my finish time to start with a 19 and I was going to give it my best shot to get it. If we could make the 5 mile turn in an hour we would be on track. Steve did everything he could to get me going. I didn’t talk much but I knew the course, knew my level of strength at the time and I had my own plan. Again picking the best spots to move and gain or hold pace. We did not stop at the aid station heading out or going back. I think we hit the five mile turn at about 55 minutes. Perfect.
This was all good news but five miles is still a long way for things to go to shit. Stay calm. I keep thinking that too. Stay calm. And I did. Steve tried pushing and when that didn’t work he would run ahead and try to pull me. Nope, not yet. Not Yet. Come on Doug If you want to make this you need to go. Not Yet. Ok now. We would pick it up for a stretch and again when we got to the Pumpkins I knew I had it. I kept telling him it was going to be close. But I kind of knew and just did not want to jinx it. We get into Tevya and he starts saying this guy is finishing sub 20. This was probably the fastest I ran the section through camp all day. Especially the run to the finish. I was so happy to see the 19:56 up on the clock as I crossed the line. And had a huge smile on my face when they handed me my Spike. Probably my best race ever. Having Pam and Steve there at the finish was awesome too. Jake had gone to sleep but I thought about him and the big part he played in this too.
So here I am finished reflecting and happy. I think about the headlamp and say to myself well shit happens in these things. You need to overcome some things. It could have just as easily been something else. And had I not lost the time would I have run as hard those last 23. Maybe not. And Maybe because of that something else happens. You just never know. What I do know is I love these races and challenges and that they have become a major part of my life. There is no way to describe the peace and utter joy I receive through my running and how incredibly grateful I am for it.