The Barefoot Running Book - Jason Robillard [57]
Pete Kemme http://www.kemmestudios.com/
My Adventures
Hallucination 100 Race Report
The following is the race report I wrote after completing the Hallucination 100 Mile Run, part of the Woodstock Running Festival in Pinckney, Michigan in September of 2009.
I decided to add this adventure as it was the culmination of my barefoot running efforts and I would not have been able to make this journey if it were not for the inspiring words from my fellow ultrarunners in other race reports. These race reports can be a wealth of information. I encourage every runner to share their thoughts, experiences, and general adventures by writing their own race reports for their more memorable races.
The Seed is Planted
The year was 2004. We were watching the Janet Jackson Super Bowl at our friends’ house. Doug, an old work friend of Shelly’s, mentioned running the local 25K road race. I was amazed. Who would run 15.5 miles?!? That brought up the insanity of running a marathon and those crazy people who run 26.2 miles! At that point the furthest I had run was a four mile adventure while in high school. Then Doug uttered words that would haunt me for years, “There are even longer races called ultramarathons and some are one hundred miles long!”
Moments later, the now-famous wardrobe malfunction occurred. I missed it because I was entranced by this idea that people would run 100 miles at one time. Little did I know that wintery day in 2004 would change my life. The following spring, Shelly and I started running regularly. The thought of ultramarathons brewed in the back of my mind that entire year prompting me to do some research. The more I discovered, the more intrigued I became. That following year, Shelly and I decided to enter a local 15K. It led me to my first attempt at training for a 50-mile ultramarathon scheduled for September. I trained hard all summer but repeated injuries derailed my mileage making me settle for the marathon version of that race. During that marathon I managed to finish but suffered with pain. Then I ran another marathon a few weeks later.
Then in 2006, I decided to run a 50-miler. That spring, my father passed away due to a major heart attack—a lifetime of smoking ultimately led to his death. His death had a profound impact on me. My second child was born a week after he died, and I did not want my children to lose their father like I had. My quest to complete an ultramarathon became a near-obsessive quest to ensure my health.
Doug’s words about ultramarathons continued to echo in my head—“Some are one hundred miles long.” To reach my goal, I knew I would have to overcome the injury bug. My exhaustive research led to barefoot running, which I adapted in earnest. During that first year there were many trials and tribulations as I made about every mistake a new barefoot runner could make. Still, I seemed to avoid major injuries.
That fall I ran and finished my first 50-mile race, the North Country Trail Run. Running through the forest alone was an incredibly emotional experience reminding me of the many days spent hunting with my dad. I felt a powerful connection to the wilderness which made the race especially emotional. I knew I wasn’t ready for the 100-miler yet, so instead I ran the 50-miler again in 2007. Once again, I finished without major problems and decided I would be ready to run the 100-miler the next time.
In 2008, I entered and ran the Burning River 100-mile race in Northeast Ohio. However I made many stupid mistakes, hit a serious wall, and ultimately gave up and walked my way to being pulled from the course at about mile 65. It was a devastating blow to my confidence because it was the first time I had really tried to do something and failed miserably. That raised serious doubts about my ability to finish a 100-miler.