I can see why people love this race. I now understand why runners continue to try to enter every year, and if they get in, are so thrilled that they had the opportunity to be a part of Western States. Now that I have had the opportunity myself, I am so excited to (hopefully) run it again someday.
Going into the Western States 100, I was convinced that I was slightly undertrained and overconfident. I'm okay with that. I didn't have any lofty ambition of beating any particular person to the finish, just running my own race. This works for me. I didn't want to go in taking any chances that could hinder my ability to finish, especially in a year that could possibly have record heat, and record hype. Although I love warm weather running, I don't think it was the time or place for me to push harder than I knew I should. Why am I putting all this out there from the onset of this blog post? Because I want you to understand me and that the purpose behind my running is first and foremost to bring glory to my Creator, and to enjoy and continue in my love for the sport. Ultrarunning is precious to me. It's something that I love training for and grow to love more and more all the time. My family and I have sacrificed time, emotions, headspace, and money in order for me to succeed in the ways that I have up until this point. I want my boys to see what commitment and hard work look like. After this past weekend, I feel as if they do.
I had eight tickets going into this year's WSER. When my name was drawn in the lottery in 2019, I was crazy excited to be able to run in 2020. Unfortunately, the race was canceled due to well, you know. Anyway, when it came time to finally start training, I had to deal with a calf strain I endured during Conquer the Rock 50K in March. I was devastated, but learned that it didn't have to mess up my training block completely. I did everything I could and with the help of my coach, Matt, and PT Brad at Performance Therapy, and I was well on my way to doing short runs, biking, and hiking. I took a long weekend to visit my mom and sister in Pensacola in hopes that I would find the strength and ability to seriously train for the race I had been looking forward to running for so long.
Testing Myself and Accepting Challenges
I won't spend too much time here, but once I felt I could get back into some longer runs and run/walk intervals, I signed up for two low-key events. One was Last Outlaw, a last-man-standing type event. I was able to get in 71 solid miles before calling it quits and being satisfied with my effort. The next was the Sunshine Endurance Run, an awesome event in Georgia to raise funds for a wonderful wife, mom, and ultrarunner, Annie Randolph, who is undergoing cancer treatments. Both were amazing experiences that I will treasure for many years.
The Good Stuff. Maybe?
I mean, race day does eventually come around. A few days prior to leaving, Alex and I jumped on an informed Zoom call with previous runners and crews, and most anxiety seemed to slip away…except for that one day. The day when I sat on my porch making my gear and nutrition list, and my emotions got the best of me. My first thought was to text Coach Matt, because he usually offers perspective that I tend to overlook in the stress of race preparation. He texted back, and ensured me that this would be the easiest hundred I’ve done yet. What does that mean, exactly? Well, if I were to list all the things I would encounter on race day, there would be nothing on that list that I hadn’t encountered before in other races. There wasn’t anything I hadn’t already practiced in previous runs. With all that out of the way, I got all our stuff ready and we finally headed to Olympic Valley, California.
Thursday and Friday were filled with informational meetings, eating almond croissants and pizza, and relaxing. We took the tram up to High Camp, and Alex and I hiked up to the top of the escarpment over to where we would begin our flats and descents on Saturday. I was so glad we did this. It really helped calm any lingering nerves I was having going into the race.
”Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
—Matthew 6:34
However, it would have been better had I not slipped on loose rock and left skin and blood from my left hand on the trail. Sigh.
On Friday, things got a lot busier in the village. I had the opportunity to listen to some of the interviews Corrinne Malcolm and Dylan Bowman were conducting. I got to talk to Andy Jones-Wilkins for a little while. You could really feel the excitement in the air!
To cap off Friday night, I went through some last minute information with the guys:
No sitting for me during the race.
Jackson would be in charge of headphones and my phone.
Please keep everything cold, keep me wet, and keep me iced.
I’m not waiting around if they happen to miss me at an aid station.
Don’t ask me any questions.
I was confident that I had properly equipped this crew, and let’s face it, Ken is a pro!
Game On
I’m not a particularly nervous person the morning of a race. Ken had sent me a text
during the race meeting the day before, of all the elite women who were called up and introduced to the audience/runners. It read, “These are the girls you get to beat!” I won’t say that I was feeling all that competitive going in, though.
I began the race solidly in the mid-pack, and I was good with that.
*First lesson learned: Go a little harder up the escarpment.
It was such a beautiful morning, and slightly humid at the start. Thankfully, I didn’t wear anything for cooler weather! I settled in on the climb, and listened to the conversations going on around me. I turned around at the top and took in the gorgeous view that was behind me. Getting up to the high country can be interesting for people like me who live at barely 1000’. I questioned how hard to push myself, and figured I’d stick with some people who seemed to be running pretty smart and who also lived at higher altitudes.
*Lesson #2: Go ahead and push a bit in the high country, too.
It was nice to meet some runners from the east up there. I quickly went through Lyon Ridge and Red Star Ridge aid stations, thankful when I arrived at each one, because I had finished off my fluids sooner than expected. By the time I arrived at Duncan Canyon, I regretted not taking that extra handheld from the start. I stayed for a minute longer to drink more and feel replenished before heading out.
I got to see my crew at Robinson Flat, mile 30. It was there that Ken informed me that I had already moved up place-wise. Jackson quickly put headphones over my ears and threw my Zip-Loc’d phone in my pack. They tied an ice bandanna around my neck. I asked for some Coke, and one of Tim’s crew brought me one of his (Coots maybe?) Anyway, they informed me that Tim was up ahead somewhere, so that gave me a reason to move a little quicker.
The canyons were warm, for sure, but I didn’t mind it much. The weeks of hot yoga definitely paid off! I kind of liked the warmth against my skin. My legs were feeling the effort on the hotter downhill sections, so I pulled back a little to save them for later. I switched my watch face from heart rate to pace, and kept track of it somewhat. It felt nice to throw some sub-10 minute pace miles in there in the miles leading down from Last Chance and to the Devil’s Thumb climb and aid. I hoped that I made up some time in that section, because the heat didn’t bother me much. Along the way, I left aid stations rather quickly and got ahead of some more people. The heat was really beginning to cause fatigue and stomach problems in a lot of the runners!
Devil’s Thumb was the perfect place to do a good self assessment, as I usually like to do around half way in a hundred. After that climb, I needed to make sure I felt replenished and ready to head out. It was a long, tough, arduous climb for me. It took me a bit of effort to get my legs back after DT, but off I went, knowing that I was just another step closer to seeing my crew.
Yay! Crew!
Bless those guys. It had to be hot for them, too. Going into Michigan Bluff and Foresthill aid stations is supposed to be pure excitement, but I’ll be honest, I was purely focused on getting what I needed and getting out! I mostly needed ice water dumped all over me, and I was able to get that, thankfully. I saw runners sitting, but I tried to block out anything else going on around me. This was a great opportunity to practice what I preach—don’t stick around, and keep moving. I watched another female (Mireya Vargas?) fly into Foresthill, and Alex got me moving quickly out of there. I had moved up quite a bit, and couldn’t afford to spend extra time if it wasn’t completely necessary.
Cal Street
It was during these sections that I watched people really suffer, and my heart sank. One person after another—well known, sponsored elites who I thought were way up ahead, were struggling, and I knew I couldn’t do anything of any real value to help them. David Horton’s voice resounded in my head, saying, “It’s a race, Shannon!” I decided it would be good to piggy-back with some of the other runners who were looking pretty good in order to keep on a good pace. When they were out of view, I would pretend that either Sergio, Marty, Will, Matt, or Victoria were running with me, talking to me and giving me their own forms of encouragement. I feel like I do this at almost every long race. Who better to join in on those alone sections than the people you trust and train with? It got lonely, and seemed to go on forever. And ever.
*Lesson #3: Empty out shoes at the first sign of discomfort, especially when the course is super sandy and rocky.
Between Peachstone and Ford’s Bar, I experienced my first bout of disappointment, knowing that I wouldn’t be at the river crossing before dark. I wasn’t sure where this put me as far as placement, but at least I was confident that I was going to finish. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. Also, I knew I would be picking Alex up for his pacing duties and I would finally have company.
The Rest of the Story
I had prepared Alex ahead of time to:
Get soaking wet in the river
Climb his way out out of there
It would be his longest distance in a long time, and *spoiler alert*—he did a great job of pacing. We joked around, and when I needed him as my “brain,” he showed up. He gave me updates on friends who had gone out to run “with” me in those hours (I love our CRAW team!). He read off text messages from people who were supporting me. It’s was a little hard to appreciate, as tired as I was, but I really tried.
Those last 20 miles had me going between zoning out and feeling totally coherent. Again, we came across a lot of runners who, at one point, had been far ahead of me. We ran past a few pukers, and I can understand why. It was still very warm, and getting drenched with cold water was still very acceptable. I didn’t take that opportunity for granted, trust me.
The best story of the day might have come out of Quarry Road, when I, ever so confidently, touched Hal Koerner’s robe and called him Rob Krar.
Yes. Rob Krar.
”Mmm close. I’m Hal.”
All I wanted was a shot of Coke and a Payday bar…and to die from embarrassment. Also, Magda Boulet (my ultra running hero) was sitting to my right, eating and preparing herself for the rest of the race. Another aid station worker informed me that Clare was just up ahead and not moving so well. Alex finally pushed me along and made me get out of there. When we caught up to Clare, she started yelling out, “Nicole? Is that you Nicole?” Alex let her know that I was Shannon Howell, and that Nicole (Bitter) had dropped earlier in the day.
Sarah Keyes flew past me, coming out of nowhere. Then, there was the skunk that wouldn’t get out of the way for us to keep moving well. Alex threw a stick, then a rock, and the skunk finally moved off to the left of the trail so we could move quickly past. 50 steps run, 25 steps walk. Repeat. We had been doing that for miles and miles. Then, Alex would stop counting, ensuring that I would lose count and run more steps. He knew I would, in my tired state. We eventually hit No Hands Bridge, which we could see for a while in all its blue twinkle-light glory. I was glad to have Alex accompany me for these last several miles, where we hit iconic points along the course that signaled our approach to the finish.
I was tired of climbs and tough descents, but the worst was yet to come. I’ve been known to be joyful for about 99 miles in a hundred, but finding my breaking point within a couple miles to the finish. Really. I can think back to a couple hundreds where this has happened. When we finally got to Robie Point, the time clock showed I was at just over 21:30. Wait. What? Alex! Apparently, his math hadn’t been quite right earlier, but I was ignorant of this fact. He asked the volunteers if that was the true time, and when they said yes, let out a big, “LFG!!” to propel me to the finish. Except, that’s hard to do when the way to the finish is entirely uphill. So, we kept our eyes on the ground and followed all the blue feet that were painted on the way to the track. It was lovely to see the tents decorated with lights, and I tried to get excited, but what I really wanted was some flat or downhill running and not any more climbing. I wanted a HOKA sign that would show me to turn towards the track.
I will admit that there was some internal conflict as to whether or not I really wanted the day to be over. It’s crazy how, as much as I wanted it all to be done, I also wanted it to go on forever. Putting out this blog even took much longer because I somehow I wanted to prolong the amazing experience.
All good things must come to an end. Until next time, Olympic Valley ♥️
Thank you volunteers: you all were so good at what you do. I hope I took the time to properly thank many of you throughout the day.
Thank you friends and family: how can I do any of this without your support? There’s a reason I brag on each one of you. Ultrarunning is, indeed, a team sport.
Gear:
Without Limits singlet
Altra trail running compression shorts
Nike Wildhorse
Xoskin toe socks
Nathan VaporMag hydration pack
Headsweats cap
Nutrition:
GU Stroopwafels
GU Roctane—Strawberry Hibiscus
Hüma Gel—strawberry and mango flavors
GU Liquid Energy—lemonade and
Coca-Cola
Bananas
Oranges
A pancake or two
Payday bars
Great adventure!!