Hennepin 100 Race- 50 mile race report:

This race took place about 2 hours west of Chicago in Sterling, IL. This is the 3^rd year for it, but the Hennepin 100 has rapidly acquired a good reputation as a fast, well organized and supported event. The course is along the Hennepin canal and is predominantly flat dirt road (my watch said 496 ft elevation for 50 miles!). The race is run by the Ornery Mule Racing group. I have run their Earth Day 50K race the last 2 years and that was a solid race too. The course is flat and fast and after slogging through the mud at kettle earlier this year and the 100K of single track at Evergreen Lake-both of which took their toll on me, I was ready to just do some running.

I hadn’t planned on racing this month, for some reason 6 days before the race I decided to sign up on a whim. I hadn’t even had that much to drink. Damn you ultrasign up!. Since I have been more or less training and racing since January, I am getting pretty tired of training. After a run I feel good, but getting up and out the door is tough. I was relieved after signing up because that would mean that week I wouldn’t have to run much prior to the race, and the week after I would likely have a lower mileage recovery. So actually running a lot less over the 2 week time span and having more fun. But I think in my mind one reason I signed up was to work on nutrition. The last 2 races I have done, Evergreen Lake 100K and Kettle 100K, I had bad gi issues which basically left a question about next months upcoming Tunnel 100. Would I just do a three peat and end up nausea/vomiting around mile 40-50. So this was a “training” run to work on nutrition with some new options. I think there were 4 spots left in the 50 mile. There was also a night 50K and 100 mile race. Most people are in the 100 mile-I think about 450 racers overall (but not sure exactly).

The race starts at 7 am. To reduce am travel time, I stayed at a hotel just 15 min from the 50 mile finish line where the bus to the start picked up. I slept really poorly the night before but that is not unusual so I have come to expect it. I took the bus from the start line at 5:15 am. The race started as the sun came up. The day was cloudy and called for rain and winds 25-35 mph. I was not excited for this weather. But it was mid 60-70s so not cold even with the wind.

2 days before the race (the day I usually pack), I finally read the website in detail and realized I would not have any drop bags for the 50 mile as I had planned. To use a drop bag, you had to go Friday night to the pre race meeting to leave your bag, and I was working, so that was out. I was bummed because I wanted to change shoes to give the TIMP a try on the back end. I just ended running the whole thing in Lone Peaks because I know these work great for me.   The race definitely could be run in road shoes, I just didn’t have any with the big toe boxes I like now. I may have to look at that for Tunnel. Not having a drop bag also meant I had to carry the ensure and nutrition with me, so I put the ensure in soft flasks in my pack. The pack was a little heavy. In the end, not having a drop bag was a benefit in terms of efficiency because I didn’t waiste time with changing shoes, shirt, nutrition, and basically managed just fine. Many people at the 50 mile start didn’t even have a pack, because the aid stations were so close together it was really not necessary. If you are a gulper, then you could run it without a water bottle I would bet.

My race plan was to basically run easy effort, work on nutrition. Time wise I was thinking 10 hours would be pretty conservative given how flat it is, provided my stomach didn’t blow up. I used my heart monitor for the first half, keeping my heart rate around 140s (max 200). I also just watched average pace. I did the usual first couple miles up to around mile 10 a bit faster (9:45-10 min/mi) but all was easy effort.

The aid stations were great, and ton of volunteers. Well stocked with food, soda, and Tailwind (which works because I have been training with TW). One of the main reasons I did this race was to work on nutrition, I brought ensure, cliff ginger and margarita chews, a wafer, and mini Pay Days. I wanted to see what I could do to stop the GI issues that have plagued me this summer.

I was good through the aid stations spending very little time, all I would do is take some water or tailwind and grab a snack or a cup of mountain dew. The aid stations are space so close (every 4-5 miles), so I was able to pass right through a couple as well. I did grab some bacon at one of the aid stations which was great. The had shots of jack, tequila, but it was a little early for me (10am) so I passed on that.

The first ½ race I was talking with runners intermittently a bit, most all 100 milers, some doing walk run so they would pass me then I would pass them. Quite a few 1^st time 100 milers, which I think is a good race for that as it is well supported and not really technical. My heart rate started to drift up around mile 15 into the low 150s, so at that point I dropped back the pace to hold there, around 11 min/mile average to keep it easy. Then by the 50K mark (5:35h) my average pace was 10:47 which is my PR average pace for 50 miles. I felt fine, so I decided to take a shot at a 50 mile PR. So I picked up the pace and decided to average 10:30. After a couple 10 min miles I settled into 10:30 range (HR 160s now) and effort moderate. At mile 35 I shut off the HR monitor, the battery life doesn’t show in the activity and I didn’t know how low I was (turns out this am, after being on all day yesterday and not charged overnight there is 50%, so that would have been okay). At that point I just watched average pace, it was right at 10:45-10:48. So very little wiggle room on th PR goal. The race was all along a canal point to point, so pretty much no excuse to get lost. After the 50K mark, I reward myself started listening to music which really gave me a boost, but I get into my own little world.

There were no hills, except once I turned on to one and due to the novelty of it decided to run up it, but then I wound up in a parking lot with no sign of the trail, so I realized I had run off course and doubled back. I then saw the “wrong way” sign clearly marking where I had gone.   Just some extra credit.  It was mostly overcast with light rain through the morning.  The wind was pretty strong at points so there was a good deal of running into the wind.  After mile 34 it was 6.6 mi to the next aid station and the rain and wind picked up a lot. It was a strong headwind, and I did not see another soul that whole time.  I just put my head down and ran and listened to music.  The mile 39 aid station Flatlanders had so great energy and music which was welcome after that slog.  After that the weather was fine and even the sun came out briefly at the finish line.

I felt pretty strong when my watch was around mile 48 I saw a bridge up ahead and across the bridge the was the finish line! This happens sometime the watch is off or the course is a little short. I was relieved because I had easily broke my PR. I started sprinting for the fun of it, just pushing it and ran through the finish chute and across the line-people cheering. The clock said 8:34 which I was blown away by-24 minutes under my PR. It seemed unreal.  I put my hands on my knees and was breathing hard, people congratulating me.  So glad to be done.

Then a guy comes up and says that before the bridge there is a 1.5 mile out and back that I missed when I turned across the bridge! So I was not quite done. Ugh. But it made sense based on my watch and clock time so I wasn’t blown away by that info. I was just ready to be done, so I turned around and did the out and back. The wind was out of my sails though. I could see too that my PR was not going to happen, I just didn’t have enough time (well I guess desire at that point?). So I jogged the 1.5 mile out and back.   This took you through a short tunnel of hell which had really uneven ground, but fortunately some guy had warned me watch the tunnel, otherwise I would have fallen.

After the tunnel of hell was the 50 mile turnaround which was just a sign, and then I jogged it into the finish. My time was 9:08 and change, so my second fastest 50 mile race. I felt okay with that. I had a nice split 1^st half 4:27/ second half 4:41 (where I would usually have like an hour or two positive split). I hadn’t set out to break my PR so that didn’t really weigh a whole ton on me, I guess I hadn’t really formulated it as a goal so it wasn’t that important. But I was a little bummed as I had held that pace after the 50K point and was on course to do it prior to my finishing antics. The best part was while I had some slight cramps, I had no nausea, no vomiting, no hours of nausea after the race. And a short ride home. So a confidence boost for sure.

This race was organized and run well, great aid stations/volunteers-for example each time I came in to a station the volunteers would come up to me and say what do you need, take my bottle fill it, then ask if I have eaten etc, so very personal attention. I only regret I didn’t know enough about it this year as I think it would be a great 100 miler and it is close to where I am at. So that will have to wait until next month. For now, since I just finished the race, I can not run as much this week, which is a bonus and in fact, in a couple weeks will start tapering again for Tunnel Hill. So overall this will be a pretty low mileage month. Which means I should be recovered for Tunnel.

I am adding the strava link.  This is the first time I have posted with strava so if it doesn't work let me know.  Strava doesn't have any of my training, I was hoping when I signed up it would back load it in, but it didn't.  So I guess it will be new stuff unless I manually load it up:

https://www.strava.com/activities/1221401511

addendum:  Although they told me I won age group and gave me AG trophy.  A couple days after the race I checked ultrasignup and there are 3 guys 40-49 AG ahead of me, so I am not sure what is going on.  I have sent a message to the RD to see if they want me to send this back or what the deal is.  Will post when I know more.  So another strange twist in a pretty straightforward race.  I no one really should care about an AG award in a relatively small field like this, but I guess I am a little disappointed to be honest.  But of course, I want to give proper recognition to the ones who earned it.

Website was good for info, my paying attention not so great.   I had my head phones on and was in the zone, I am sure the volunteers tried because they came and grabbed me right away, so I have to take the blame on that one.  I also knew deep down the 8:34 was nonsense, just couldn't put it together right away in my brain.  I usually leave a headphone out to be more aware of my surroundings, but this course is so non tech and not crowded I didn't.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the report.

I think you ran really smart.  Looks like a successful step to your 100.

Congratulations Trail_Hound, really nice considering you jumped in at the last moment. I gotta tell ya though, doing a flat and I guess fairly straight course would be a killer.

I always think that coming in close to a PR kind of validates the actual PR, shows it wasn't a fluke. At least that is a positive spin that I put on it, being the half-full kinda guy I am.

Also good on you to grunt out those extra miles when you thought you were done (even if you know something was up). I'm sure it wasn't easy, but to get the finish it had to be done.

 

Thanks, The flat fast race is a completely different experience to be sure.  There are really no excuses.  After doing Kettle 100K this year which was a lot of mud and hot prairie and then Evergreen 100K which was not muddy but lots of twists and turns, roots, almost all single track, I was relieved to just run.  It had been a long time since I did a race I could just run and not have to worry about foot fall, banging my foot, or if I am on the right path (for the most part).  Some times the constant switching gear wears me out.  There is something to getting in the rhythm and just holding on.  The music in the second half was definitely a big boost to the extent that the day after I sat down and made a new playlist for my next race in preparation.

First, congrats on a training run that you were able to make into a good race.  Sorry to hear about the missed turn and all that.

I completely agree with you about the relief/joy of a non-technical flat race.  To be sure, it's not the only kind of joy in running, but it's perhaps an underrated one.  I also listened to music during the second half of my race.  My wife handed me my MP3 player at mile 26 and I think it did help--not only just because I enjoyed listening to songs I like, but I think the beat of the music helped me to keep up a steady pace, to not slow down.  I know you've run at the DPRT races before, so if you want to PR at 50 miles, there's probably not a better place for that.  Maybe you can do it in 2018.  There's really no way for you to miss a turn there.