On Friday, May 25, 2017, at 8:08am, I began the Endurance Society’s Infinitus 100 miler in Goshen, VT. It was my fourth 100+ miler in 7 months. I had not been back to Vermont since the Summer 2015 Death Race. I’ll be honest, I was nervous about this race. Since I was familiar with the terrain and the unpredictability of the weather plus knowing that only 20% of participants finish, I made 2 goals:
- Finish the race.
- Finish in under 36 hours.
Happy to say, that I achieved both of my goals. I finished the 101 miles in 34:24 in 8th place overall. It was an amazing race with lots of ups and downs, both geographically and emotionally. I am already looking forward to going back.
Pre-Race
Since I would be flying out to this race and having to self support, my pre-race planning and experience was going to be different. My biggest concern was packing and gear – How to pack food, minimal amount (yet complete) gear, and clothing for all the weather conditions? Luckily, I connected with G, a friend from Texas that was also going to Infinitus. (I did my first GORUCK with G in Austin back in Dec 2012 and I still can’t properly spell or pronounce his full name.) We pooled our resources which was a huge help. I also had to pick up some new gear for Infinitus: A larger hydration pack and trekking poles. After putting the gear through some spreadsheet work, I got the best list. There were some notable items missing, like a sleeping bag. Do you really need a sleeping bag if you don’t plan on sleeping? (More on this later.)
The Usual Plan/Prep
I went with my usual plan/prep.
- Before the race:
- Cut out caffeine 2 weeks before the race.
- Reduce my workouts and running while increasing my meditation 2 weeks prior.
- Unfortunately, I did not get much climbing training before the race.
- During the race:
- Ingest calories every 5 miles.
- After the first 20 miles, walk between ½ and 1 mile every 5th mile. (This also makes it easier to eat.)
- Walk the steep climbs.
- Run the downhill and flat sections.
- Plan to incorporate electrolyte drinks during the day as needed.
- Hold off on any caffeine until it got dark.
A couple of days before the race, the weather report was rain (lots of rain), lows in the lower 40s, highs in the upper 60s.
On the way to Goshen, VT
I left Austin Thursday morning. I was going to meet G in Boston around 1pm and we would drive up to Goshen, picking up supplies on the way. We figured we would get there before dark, enough time to set up the tent, scope the area, etc. The weather had other ideas. I was delayed several times and did not land in Boston until around 4pm. By the time we got my bags and the rental, the GPS said we would not make it to Goshen until after 9pm.
We stopped and got supplies and dinner along the way. Other than the weather, it was a fun drive. G and I had a chance to talk and catch up. By the time we got to the Goshen area, the weather was severe. It was a torrential downpour with heavy winds. There were multiple downed trees along the way. There were no lights when we got to Blueberry Inn. Luckily, G had been there before and could navigate. We parked, sloshed through the mud, and found the entrance to the building. (All our flashlights and headlamps were packed away in the trunk of the car.) There were no lights on inside and it looked like a mix of a race aid station and refuge camp. We found Jack, one of the race directors, and he told us that they have been without power for like 5-6 hours and they were going to wait until morning before checking folks in. He also warned us about setting up a tent, “There are like 40 to 50 mph winds. None of the tents are staying up, so make sure you really stake your tent down.” I replied, “I think we may sleep in the car.” Jack said, “That’s what most folks are doing.”
We got back to our small rental car. Rearranged the bags, got out some of our sleeping gear and did our best to get comfortable. It was a long night. The rain and wind pounded and shook the car all night. I did not sleep well. The the sun started to come up around 5am and I was jazzed and ready to start the day.
Race morning
I went over to check in and look over the campsite. When I checked in, I was greeted by Andy with a big hug and a “Welcome, Ed! Glad you made it!” I must admit, it was a great way to start the morning.
We got our tent set up, gear set out, chatted with friends that also traveled in for the race, and went to the pre-race meeting. The race would consist of 2 loops: 7mi loop and a 20mi loop. For the 100 miler, we would do the loops in this order: 7, 20, 7, 20, 7, 20, 20. After each loop, we had to check in and mark the loop we completed.
There were about 70 of us running the 100. Standing at the start in the rain, there were so much different gear and set-ups people were running with. Then the mini-cannon was fired and we were off.
Making Friends
I started off with my usual ultra pace and quickly got in the front of the pack. After a lot of slipping, trudging through mud, and slow climbing, I finished the first 7 mile loop with a good pace somewhere around 4th or 5th place. I felt so good, I just continued on to the 20 mile loop after checking in. After a couple of miles, Greg Salveson caught up to me. (Greg went on to win the 100 miler. You can read his race report here.) I was able to run with him at his pace for a couple of miles. It was fun, Greg and I had some time to chat and get to know each other. He also taught me about the history of 6 day races. Once we hit some climbing, Greg took off and my pace slowed.
From Good to Bad
Overall, the 20 mile loop was rough. It had multiple water crossings, including one on a beaver dam. I had never seen a beaver dam so large. I used the bridge to cross most of the water, but did not notice the small trail to the side and crossed the rest of the water on the beaver dam. I was scared. I kept thinking, “I am going to be attacked by a swarm of beavers for stomping on there home.” Beavers have big, sharp teeth. Luckily, I made it through un-attacked. For the rest of the loop, I had a hard time with the climbing and absolutely hated the mud. At the end of my 20 mile loop, I stopped back at the tent, changed my socks, resupplied my food/fuel, and grabbed my poles. Changing the socks was a smart choice, taking the poles not so much. My next 7 mile loop was slow. The whole time I was struggling to get comfortable with running with the poles. When I was done with the 7, I went straight on to the 20 mile loop. I noticed that I was slower on the flats and downhills, and I felt no faster on the climbs with my poles. About halfway through the loop, I really started to suck on that loop. I was slow. I was cold, wet, and shivering. The lack of sleep over the last two days started to wear on me. I could never get into a good rhythm with the poles. At the same time, the sun started to set and the clouds descended on the mountains. With the low light and the fog, my visibility was limited and the headlamp didn’t do much. I pushed forward, but at a very slow pace. I slipped and fell several times.
Soon a couple of runners passed me, walking/running at a steady pace. I decided to run with them. It was a pace I could keep up and gave me something easy to focus on. The three of us ran together as a silent team for about 7 miles. Finally, we were getting close to the end of the loop. That loop took so long and was so miserable. I was in a dark place mentally. I was doubting my ability to finish the race. I knew I had to reset. I decided to go back to the tent, change, nap and hit the trails at sunrise.
Needed a Reset
As I mentioned earlier, I did not bring a sleeping bag. I did bring my emergency survival blanket, a yoga mat, and an outdoor blanket. (Not ideal for sleeping in a summer tent in the low 40F.) Since I wanted to maximize my sleep time and get warm as quickly as possible, I changed out of my wet clothes, dried off, and put some new clothes on. I also need to dry my feet out. I took off my socks, rubbed my feet with an alcohol wipe, and left them exposed. Next, I wrapped myself up with the emergency blanket, had a little food and laid down to get some sleep. I folded myself in the emergency blanket on top of the yoga mat and covered myself with the other blanket. Overall, it worked. I was warm except where the wind was getting in the emergency blanket. When the wind blew, I would start shivering again, but overall I was warming up.
About an hour or so later, G came back to the tent after finishing his loop. Since we rushed setting up the tent in the morning, we did not correctly plan out the sleeping arrangements. G’s sleeping bag was in the back of the tent and I was in the middle. When G came into the tent, I was basically in the way. He had to step over me several times, dropping mud and water on me each time. I was so tired, cold, and dirty already that I could care less.
Day 2
4am my alarm went off. I hit the snooze button and laid back down. I had 9 minutes to plan the following 51 minutes so I could hit the trail by 5am. I created and went through the exact plan of action, estimating how many minutes each task would take. I would eat, clean my feet, resupply my pack with spare clothing items, food and water. The alarm went off and I jumped into action. The first thing I did was check my gloves. I would probably need them in the morning, but they were cold and wet. I knew what I could do. I got up, put the gloves on the emergency blanket, and sat on them to eat. I ate a couple of slices of oatmeal bread and some granola, restocked my pack, and got my socks on. I checked on the gloves. They were still damp, but they were warm. This made me smile; not only did I have warm gloves, but I also now had the ability to say something like, “My buns are so hot, they warm my gloves!” (It’s the important things like this that keep you going.)
I left my poles at the tent, because “F*** those poles!!! They slow me down.” I ate a coffee goo as my morning coffee and hit the 7 mile loop right at 5am. I felt re-energized after getting food, sleep, sunshine, and caffeine. My pace was good and I felt fantastic. I ran ever flat and downhill chunk and kept a slow but solid pace on the climbs. Came in off the 7 miler, refilled my water and went right out to the 20 miler. Along the run, I ran with Devon from Massachusetts and chatted. I was feeling great, pushing myself every chance I could.
Final Loops
I finished my 20 miler, hit the tent and changed my socks. I checked in for my final loop and I was off. I kept the pace I had from the previous 20 mile loop. I checked my time and pace, I felt good about finishing in under 36 hours. I had to keep a decent pace, not too fast, not too slow. I hit the water station about 7 miles in. There were two other 100 miler racers there. As I was filling up my water, one of the guys asked if I wanted some Tailwind. I replied, “No thanks.” He said, “Are you sure? You look really pale.” I said I was good and got back on my way, but that comment really stuck with me. Why was I pale? Was I pushing myself too hard? Was my breathing too labored? With all those things in my head, I looked at my time and realized I could slow down a little and still make my goal. That’s what I did. I slowed my pace and did not push myself as hard on the flat and downhill sections.
About 13 miles later, I was done. I finished at 34:24, the same minute as Chris, the guy in front of me. I came in eighth place. While I knew I could have done better if I continued to push myself in those last 13 miles, I was very happy with the result.
Post Race
There is a little more story to tell after my race was finished. I showered, changed, and caught up with old friends and chatted with new ones. I hung out by the aid station and got to see the 1st place 888k racer and the 1st place 250m racer finish. It was pretty awesome.
Based on G’s check-ins, it looked like he was still on his second to last 20 mile loop. In order to help out and give him the most room in the tent for his transition, I moved all my stuff to the car. After the previous night, I decided I would sleep in the car. I waited around for G until I was too tired to stay up anymore. I went to car to sleep. I woke up at 4:30am in the morning. When I go to the lodge, my phone connected to the wi-fi and I had a note from G asking if I left. I found him sleeping in the tent. He woke up and told me he thought I had left him there. I told him that I was in the car and asked if he had checked there. “I didn’t even think to check the car,” he replied. I asked him if he finished. He had. It turns out he forgot to mark the box when he checked in. It was G’s first 100 mile finish after several attempts. It was awesome.
We packed up our campsite, said goodbye to friends, bought some Endurance Society gear, and thanked Andy and Jack for an awesome race. On the way back to Boston, we finished up our trip with breakfast at the General Store in Pittsfield. (A must stop for me after the 2015 Summer Death Race.) We had some breakfast, Vermont maple syrup, and a kale lemonade while we shared race stories and reminisced about our favorite and hated parts of the race.
Final Thoughts
Infinitus was a blast. Andy, Jack, and the Endurance Society put on a great race. If you are looking for an ultra that’s difficult, full of spectacular scenery, unpredictable weather, and group of friendly, fellow runners, be sure to check out Infinitus. I am already talking about going back next year. I just haven’t decided if this time I take the family and do a shorter run, or go solo again and attack the 250 miler.
