07/05/2021
Western States 100 miler race report from Olga Huber.
Over the last few years, when asked what is my goal as a runner I told people it is to run a Western States 100 miler. And after 4 years of qualifying for lottery, and waiting for 1.5 years due to Covid, I finally got my chance.
Walking around the registration area with Shea the night before the start with Shea pointing out the running celebrities was exciting but also extremely humbling. I actually have been extremely anxious about the race for the last 2 months of so, doubting myself as I never had before. A couple of injuries leading up the race did not help either. A hole in the right knee with 8 stitches in February, banging my left knee at Two Rivers AR walking in Rock Creek, getting an enormous blister on each heel at Racoongaine, just two weeks prior to a big race. Could my body still handle it? What about that over 100 degrees heat in the forecast, could I deal with it? Do I still have it in me to push that hard? All that doubt was kind of new.
But also new was a big crew that got assembled to support me this time around. In the years past my crew usually consisted of just one person. It was my oldest daughter Alona for Thomas Jefferson 100K, Rocky Racoon 100 miler and Eastern States 100 miler, my youngest daughter Maria for Mighty Mosquito 100 miler, and John for Twisted Branch 100K in 2019 (that got me into Western States and what we are now counting as our first date). Outside one of my daughters running up to 10 miles with me during the race, I had no other pacers. This time I have my daughter Maria (little Maria), John’s daughters Maria (big Maria) and Teresa, and my Fragile Flowers teammate Shea Coleman! And I had my wonderful, wonderful partner John. Big Maria and Teresa took over the aid station planning so all I needed to do is to focus on running comes race day.
I kept reminding myself of what an aid station volunteer told me once at about mile 80 during my 31.5 hours Eastern States 100 race – “It is all about sipping a little bit of water and keeping one foot in front of the other”. I could do that. I think.
The first half of the race is very technical, with 2,200 elevation gain just in the first 4.5 miles straight uphill, rocky terrain and other excitement. I kept thinking that many of my friend told me to enjoy every moment, so I kept looking at the truly breathtaking views and gorgeous blooming flowers.
I also realized that I need a count down to something exciting, and the finish is too far away. So knowing that Shea will join me and pace me starting at Michigan Bluffs around mile 55, I started to count – 30 miles to Shea, 25 miles to Shea, 20 miles to Shea, and that kept me going.
Getting ready for the race I knew that I will race in the heat, I just didn’t realize how much in the heat, as the temperatures reached up to 105 degrees on a race weekend. Coming from North East and not used to run in the hot weather, I realized that keeping down the temperature will be a key to a finish for me. During the race meeting we were told by race director that they prepared 5 lb of ice per runner. Per Aid Station! That is 110 lb of ice prepared just for me! I believe I took the full advantage of it during the race. At every aid station I will put some ice under my (white!) hat to keep it cold and let it melt down my neck. I also brought a neck gaiter, and as many other runners, kept stashing some ice inside of it to make an Ice Necklace. All the aid station volunteers were extremely skilled in making those necklaces, you just pass them on your gaiter or buff, and a minute later they pull it over your head full of ice. As ice melts, it adds a cooling effect to your upper body. There was also a ‘bub’ ice, a small zip lock bag with ice that I will stash inside my sports bra. And when refilling my bladder, I will also ask for it to be filled with ice first, then electrolytes. All that ice added a certain sound effect. And as I live each aid station, fully iced, I keep thinking that I sound just like a cocktail shaker, just no alcohol.
But the heat did affect my speed, I just did not realize how much is slowed me down until about 40+ miles into the race. As you leave each aid station at WS, you get to see a poster with the time you are expected to be at that point during the race to finish in 24 hours, and in 30 hours, with 30 hours being a time cut off for the race. As I was leaving (fittingly named) Last Change aid station, the poster caught my eye, and the 30-hour time listed was 4:20 PM. I glanced at my watch and the current time was 4:20 PM. I was running at 30-hour finish time! Which for me with still over 50 miles to go meant I might be facing a DNF. Which will be my first DNF. The image of coming to finish line in Auburn just a few minutes past 30 hours and not be able to finish was devastating. How did it happen? But then I realized that it does not matter how it happened, what matters is what could I do now to make sure I finish. I could shorten my Aid Station passing time and get in and out quickly. But I also need to get ahead of 30-hour course time line as there is still 50+ miles left in the race and many things could go wrong.
Now the next part of the course is The Canyons, inarguably the hardest part of the course. Here is the description from the WS website:
The first of the canyons, Deadwood, drops about 2,000 feet and then ascends an extremely steep 1,500 feet to Devil’s Thumb. The second canyon, El Dorado, is more gradual but deeper, with a descent of 2,600 feet followed by an 1,800-foot climb to the old mining community of Michigan Bluff. This most rugged 13 miles of trail between Last Chance and Michigan Bluff is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
So I guess it is ‘Historically Hard’ 😊Race director also told us at race briefing that most of us will probably will be running the canyons during the hottest part of the day. A running friend who raced WS a few years ago reminded me as well a few days ago that canyons is the hardest part of the course. But that don’t seem to matter much for me in that moment as I needed to do something.
So down the canyons I went. I have pushed my quads on the downhills, and used my climbing ability on the uphills. While going uphill on almost every switch back I will encounter a guy sitting on a rock taking a break. But I took no brakes and kept going. I do not believe a single person passed me in the canyons but I passed plenty. As I emerged at Michigan Bluffs aid station at around mile 56, I glanced at their aid station time poster and noted that I am now ahead of 30-hour timeline by 40 min.
And then Shea joined me! From that point on the race got easy. Shea was making a song about me racing at Western States, most of the lyrics did not really rhythmed making the whole experience even better. The next aid station, Forest Hill, around mile 62, is the only three places on the race course where your entire crew could join you for a couple of miles. So John, big Maria, little and Teresa, all wearing Fragile Flowers shirts, joined me and Shea for a stroll around Forest Hill as we laughed together. At the aid station the funky music was playing and I busted out a few dance moves to the full amusement of the volunteer crew. Also, I believe this is where chanting started. My crew just started to chant: “Olga! Olga! Olga!” And in a few seconds, everybody around will join in chanting my name. Now if that will not make you think you are capable of anything, I am not sure what will.
Me and Shea continued on our journey, from aid station to aid station, as we spend 24 miles together. With the extreme dryness on the course this year, I managed to keep my feet dry. And me and Shea were looking forward to cooling off at the river crossing at Rucky Chucky, about mile 79.
But before the river crossing, we got to encounter another excitement we were not planning for. In about a mile before Rucky Chucky, at mile 76.8 according to my Garmin, we were on the dirt road following the river on our left. We had a mountain ledge on our right. With time being around 1 AM we had out headlamps on, and following the reflective markers on the road to keep on course. I was looking ahead and noticed a trail marker placed high up on the right, on the mountain ledge, about 15 feet up. Hmm.. interesting place to put the marker… Or may be it is a photographer? There is a lot of them all over the place… But once I get closer, I realized it is not one but two reflective items … and that they are the eyes of the animal… and belong to … the mountain lion, you know, just like the one on the Western States logo. He was just handing out there on the ledge above us, watching us. I told Shea, she looked up, and we agreed that although it is not uncommon to hallucinate during the ultra, both of us hallucinating a mountain lion at the same time does not sounds probable. We grabbed each other’s hands, and Shea made an extremely loud roar sound (I have no idea that so much sound could come out of such a tiny body). Shea also moved her headlamp to point backwards, so we have a light in the back as well as upfront, and we slowly continued walking past the mountain lion, and the animal did not move.
As we reached the Rucky Chucky, we told aid station volunteers about our encounter and proceeded to cross the river. As we were pulling ourselves across the river using ropes, waist-deep in water, I remember asking Shea if mountain lion could still find us once we cross the river…
In two miles, at Green Gates aid station, my 16-year-old daughter Maria took over as my pacer. Confident in my finish by now, we took our time and spend a few quality mother-daughter hours together on the trail watching the sun come up and a new day begin.
At mile 94 my partner John’s daughter Teresa got to pace me for a bit as well. She kept me motivated and entertained until we reached the rest of our team at Robie’s Point, about mile 98.
And then all my pacers joined me, and we trek the last couple of miles of the race together. All wearing Fragile Flowers shirts, the crew kept chanting “Olga! Olga! Olga!” every chance they got, and the spectators joined in. I was laughing. And I was crying.
Now I should say a few words about Truckee the Fish. When preparing for Boston Marathon in 2016, I read a tip somewhere that to help a runner to spot the family along the route course, the family could carry a bright helium balloon for visibility. I used this trick on most of my ultras as well, getting 2-3 bright balloons for my crew, so I could easily spot them at aid stations. We did the same at Western States. First, we got the flower as in Fragile Flowers. But then Teresa commented that we should get another balloon as we will be using two cars for crewing (the first couple of aid stations were too far apart by road making it impossible to see your runner using only one car). Teresa spotted a big fish balloon and named him Truckee for the town near the start where we bough him, and Truckee joined our crew.
As we were heading to the finish line, a couple of spectators asked where is our fish! Apparently, Truckee got very popular at aid stations with people complementing the crew. I do believe we set the trend, and there may be more balloons at Western States next year.
We entered the finish stadium and crossed the finish line together holding hands. There was so much joy I am still unable to describe it, even a week later. The clock time was 28 hours 31 minutes placing me 31st overall female, 3rd in my age group.
With the heat affecting many runners, the finishing rate this year was only 66%, lowest since 2009 race, as 1/3 of the racers DNFd. But when the conditions got tough, women raised to the occasion. In this year’s race there were 3 women in the top 10 (the most ever), as well as 15 women in the top 30 (the most ever)!!!
I am so so thankful that I got to chance to be part of this adventure called Western States and for my crew who supported me along the way. Go Fragile Flowers!!!
PS I know that I may be including too many finishing line photos but there is just so many different emotions on our team faces, each of them unique, and all should be celebrated.
