What It’s Like to Run a One Hundred Mile Race

Roanoker James Decker and columnist Johnny Robinson have both competed in multiple 100 Mile races this year.
Roanoker James Decker and columnist Johnny Robinson have both competed in multiple 100 Mile races this year.

As in one hundred miles in one massive go, not over a six-month period. And not a relay race, but individuals each running the entire distance. Huh? Is that even possible?

Local elementary school teacher James Decker recently completed the Grindstone 100-Miler, one of the toughest mountain ultra-trail races in the United States. In its eighth year running, the Grindstone 100 features an especially grueling course, taking its participants on an out-and-back odyssey through the mountains of the George Washington National Forest west of Staunton and Harrisonburg. The total amount of climbing and descending on the course is just shy of 48,000 vertical feet (!), 24,000 ft. each way.

Most mountain trail ultras are 50km in distance, with some fifty-milers, such as the famous Mountain Masochist Trail Run or the Iron Mountain 50-Miler, being well-established. And the annual Hellgate 100k, which features a point-to-point course along the spine of the Blue Ridge from Natural Bridge Station to Camp Bethel is legendary among ultra runners. The Commonwealth of Virginia happens to be a hot-bed of this kind of long-distance running, and among Roanoke’s dedicated community of trail runners is a core group of those with a passion for ultras.

The “Curious Observer” recently caught up with James about his recent Grindstone 100 adventure, in hopes of gaining some insight into this lunatic fringe of running.

Curious Observer: James, you ran 100 miles on rough trails. How is that even possible and why would you want to try it?

James Decker: For starters, massive amounts of brutal physical training help make it possible, but to really enter the realm of being able to finish a 100-miler it’s necessary to transcend the physical and train the mind to accept the suffering inherent in such an ordeal. Why? I wanted the belt buckle! Finishing a 100-mile race usually gets you an award of a tough belt buckle. It’s a bit proud, but you have to be a bit proud after something like that. Let’s not overlook that I just love to run on trails. Running ultras is just a natural – ok abnormal – extension of that. That and an intense desire to live with passion.

C.O. Tell us a bit about your training.

James: Lots and lots of running on technical -rocky, steep- trails. My friends and I run for hours at a time in all kinds of weather.

C.O. And I assume that part of your training for Grindstone was completing other ultra-distance trail races. How many such races have you competed in?

James: Seventeen in the past few years.

C.O. How many entrants were there in Grindstone and where did they come from?
James: The field consisted of 242 runners representing 26 states and Canada. There were three Roanokers competing.

C.O. How do you fuel yourself properly? What do you drink? How do you know how much to eat and drink?

James: What, when, and how to eat during an ultra is as much an art as it is a science, but suffice to say it’s necessary to eat and drink very frequently during the event, especially in the latter part of it, when the body’s stores are becoming seriously depleted. Sometimes it comes down to eating what you can eat – what you can keep down!

C.O. Were there support stops on the Grindstone course? How does that work?

James: There were aid stations spaced every ten miles or so, staffed by wonderful volunteers who dispensed a variety of food and drink to the racers. There were peanut butter and jelly sandwich sections, bananas, cookies, soup, grapes, orange slices, and candy. Some of the aid station volunteers got fancy and served things like grilled cheeses and quesadillas.

C.O. What did you carry with you and how did you carry it?

James: On my back I carried a “bladder pack” containing two liters of water, as well as food items and some – yes – toilet paper.

C.O. James, what time of day did the race start? Did you run all night? Did you carry some kind of light? Were you by yourself a lot?

James: The race started on an October Friday at 6:00PM. So yes, I ran all night, in a misty rain. I wore a headlamp and carried an extra one in my pack. The field of racers gets spread out dramatically on ultra-distance events, so yes I ran by myself much of the time. It’s a very remote course and sometimes I ran for hours without seeing anyone.

C.O. Did you stop and sleep? Was there a time limit to complete the race? What about bodily functions?

James: I did not stop to sleep. Actually, with the exception of a warm fire at mile 47 to wake me up, I hardly stopped at all; to finish such a race it’s important to keep moving if at all possible. There was a thirty-eight hour cutoff to finish the race, and yes it was necessary to go behind trees during the race!

C.O. Oh man, that’s crazy. How long did it take you to finish Grindstone?

James: 29:55:46, as in just shy of thirty hours.

C.O. Really! So you saw the sun go down, come up again the next morning, and then go down again the following evening…all while continuing to run. Wow. Were some people unable to finish? And was there any joy out there on that ridiculous course?

James: About thirty percent of the starters did not finish the race. I’m grateful to be among the finishers. Was there joy? Yes! Much of the success of completing such a race rests with the mind control of the runner, so a happy, positive attitude is a big help. I share with most ultra-runners a great love for the trails on which we tread and a deep gratitude for the opportunity to be out there, seeing what it’s like to experience such an unusual endeavor. Finding others out there to run and share the experience with really helped keep me alert.

C.O. What about the wear and tear on your feet and the rest of your body? Chafing and blisters?
James: The worst of the suffering was the mental anguish, but there was an abundance of physical damage also. Pre-race prep helped, such as spot bandages on my nipples and lubrication of various body parts but I was nonetheless chafed raw in numerous spots, particularly “below the belt,” and my feet developed some record-setting blisters during the Grindstone 100. My leg muscles were trashed and my throat was sore.

C.O. Sounds fun, James! So you finished about midnight. What was crossing the finish line like? What happened next?

James: I was absolutely awash in relief and happiness. Friends, family and fellow racers welcomed me, and soon after that I passed out for seven hours or so, looking forward to the big breakfast.

C.O. Well, James, you are obviously “not quite right!” To have the desire and drive and ability to complete the Grindstone 100 is pretty amazing. Thanks for telling us about it. And congratulations!

James: Thanks! See you out there.

– Johnny Robinson

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