Occasional Runner
This one is pretty funny in places. I hope you enjoy.
http://www.slippingslowlyintopain.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-bear-100-anatomy-of-dnf.html
Kelly
I really want to make a bunch of sarcastic remarks just to give you Hell, knowing I'll get it right back. And I like that. It is funny. However, the substance of the post is too profound to go there, at least for me, today. When everything is going fine, we often fail to reflect on what drives us to do what we do, whatever it is that we do. It certainly doesn't have to be a 100 miles or even running. It is anything in which we decide to participate that sometimes offers us seemingly insurmountable challenges.
I have been thinking about this stuff all week. Last week, there were at least three people in that 50 mile race that should have, could have, and would almost certainly leave me in the dust on any race from 5K to 100 miles. But my focus was where it needed to be, even though it was just a small race and has no significance outside of the fact that it was a race I needed to finish as I mentally prepare for another race that I find extremely challenging. This report helped me gain some perspective on some things I have coming up. Thanks for sharing it.
LB2
Burke- When I wrote the first draft, it was entirely serious and dedicated to insightful rambling. I read it three times before I realized it was almost depressing and wrote the draft that you see published now. There's plenty of sincerity mixed in there, but there needed to be levity if I wanted to attract readers to what I had to say. Sometimes, when you get too serious, people read it as pompous. I just want to share my thoughts. Effective writing and communicating is pretty fucking hard. Thanks for reading.
For some reason, this report has struck a chord with me.
I've read it a couple times and have been reflecting on my decision from last year to drop in my first 50 mile attempt.
There are days when I look back that I regret dropping. I think "it was only a broken foot" and I wonder what would have happened if I had gone on. I was completely content with my decision that day and for the weeks following, but now I just wonder sometimes.
This has given me even more to think about.
Why does this stupid sport have to mess with my mind so badly?
Thanks for being honest with us and opening up the way you do.
p.s. I laughed at the Zero drop comment. and the zombie chart.
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
It was a perfect balance. But, you were serious about the zombies, right?
Are we there, yet?
Your race reports always seem to come at the right time and with the right content to address issues I'm dealing with. Once again I stopped early, about 15 hours into it, in a 24-hour event. I didn't meet any of my goals and for two of them there is no second (or rather third) chance to reach them because they were single-age record related. I'll have a birthday and a new age before my next opportunity to run another 24-hour race. I don't doubt that my decision was the correct one. It's awfully hard to walk, much less run, when you can barely place any weight on one leg. Still it carries a lot of disappointment, but your Bear 100 story comments on your DNF carry a lot of good insight on dealing with it and moving on to the next race.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
You better have a plan, Burke. You don't want to be caught unprepared. Ask your brother, Nathan. I bet he agrees with me.
Sorry to hear about that. Other opportunities will present themselves. They may be different than you had planned, but they're out there for you. Good luck.
You run a lot of races so it seems a DNF is more likely to happen and certainly not the worst case but still I imagine the debate goes on in your head regardless. I've only had the debate a few times myself but my racing is pretty infrequent and thus I tend to have a finish line mentality.
How is the hamstring now? It looks to be better if you are running. I had a hammie sieze up during the Chicago marathon one year. Probably the closest I came to a DNF and one of the more memorable DNF debates.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
The hamstring is fine on my runs, but I haven't duplicated my effort from the Bear. It started to bother me on the first climb, which is about 4500' over 4 miles. I don't have any intense mountain running planned for a while now that winter is heading into the high country. That should give me some time to recover while I run flatter courses for a while.
Faster Than Your Couch!
Great summary, and lots of insights. Thanks for sharing.
Sorry for the DNF, but your reflection is really funny in some spots. Gives an insight how pathetic our "reasoning" about a possible DNF can become during a race. And at the time, it's totally serious.
I did add up the $$ for a heli rescue in my head once, not in a race, but on a training run, when I was stuck on a ledge in the middle of the brambles out in nowhereland. Pretty scary.
Hope your hamstring will recover soon!
Run for fun.
Disappointment and nuggets of wisdom aside, that was f**ing hilarious!
I suppose I feel less disappointed about not being able to pace you there (you may not have know it, but until my injury in June I really wanted to volunteer).
As for the rescue, I might pay the helicopter fee after being "rescued" in Italy after my ankle injury and having to ride on the back of an ATV down the mountain at night with no helmet (and no guard rails) and then on the highway to get back to our hotel
I was following you Friday night and was wondering if you were stuck or whether the reporting wasn't so good.
Yup. been there done that. I might add that there typically some "deals" that you make with yourself... like.... "if I drop now I won't hurt so badly and then I can train twice as hard for the next one" type of stuff.
Thanks for the RR, once again great write-up even if it wasn't what you were hoping for.
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL
Le professeur de trail
"You made the right choice" and "Hey, you gonna take another shot at the Bear?"
Seriously though, I would imagine that the decision to DNF is different for someone who already has DNF'ed. For instance, was your thought process different during your first DNF than it is now? A first time 100 miler might try and run through an injury rather than be smart. Or they just DNF because they are not prepared for it?!?
Do you have a preference of mountain races versus flat lander races?
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
"You made the right choice" and "Hey, you gonna take another shot at the Bear?" Seriously though, I would imagine that the decision to DNF is different for someone who already has DNF'ed. For instance, was your thought process different during your first DNF than it is now? A first time 100 miler might try and run through an injury rather than be smart. Or they just DNF because they are not prepared for it?!? Do you have a preference of mountain races versus flat lander races?
I don't think my perspective has changed because of prior DNF's. I think my perspective has changed because I have a ton of finishes, including one at the Bear. With a pile of buckles sitting at home, what's the point of continuing on when I really don't feel like it? I don't have anything to prove to anybody regarding any distance or terrain. I don't place a high value on have a matching buckle. I don't love running through storms and mud. Where's my motivation?
If this had been my first 100, I would have finished because my perspective and my motivation would be entirely different. But this race really wasn't a big deal to me. This is hard to explain to people because we all have a unique perspective on 100 mile races.
I love running mountain races but I'm not as competitive. It's nice to finish up front sometimes. But to answer your question, I like them all equally.