The Mighty Goat and the Vermont 100

It's taken me a few days to gather my thoughts on this one.  How do you write a story about your bestest buddy's struggle through a 100 mile race?   It didn't quite unfold the way we scripted it, but maybe that fact makes it all the better.  Perhaps it unfolded just the way it was meant to be...

The Mighty Goat announced his intentions to run the Vermont 100 this past winter.  My first thoughts were that this was bold and audacious, but I also believed he would finish.  "Why "audacious"?", you might ask.  Well, you see, the Goat had never run a marathon.  Road racing was not interesting to him.  He had ostensibly completed one serious race in his life prior to announcing his intention to run the Vermont 100.  He completed the Stonecat 50 miler two years ago and had completed no other races other than being a substitute runner on our Reach the Beach Relay Team and doing the Manchester Road Race many years ago.

He ran Stonecat after pacing me in the Vermont 100 twice, so his announcement to run the Vermont 100 was not exactly a complete shock....but geez, most people do a few races before attempting 100 miles!  I mean I ran for more than 20 years before attempting my first 100 miler.  The Goat was going from 0 to 60mph in 2 seconds flat!  Nevertheless, he is the Goat!  He is the man!  He is the man-Goat!

So, the Goat asked me to put together a training plan for him, and I knew this was going to take some dedication for both of us.  It turned out to be a blessing for me because it forced me to get out and run on days when I was consumed by work.  It helped me stay sane when things were coming down around me, and the Goat was there to listen.  It gave us time to plan a race, the Traprock 50K, which will likely be a part of New England ultra running for years to come.  It helped us learn a lot about ourselves and our friendship in the process.

There were times when we both wanted to quit.  I mapped out a plan for us to run hills every Tuesday night throughout the winter.  There were nights when I wasn't sure we could get it done, but we persevered and learned something in the process.

Along the way we recited lines from a poem that was passed down from his Grandfather to his Mom, and then to him.  He memorized the poem and recited it at his Mom's memorial service a couple years ago.  The poem is Rudyard Kipling's, "If".  It's a definite keeper and has helped me more than once.

It starts out with, "IF you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you and make allowances for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or be lied to, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hating, Don't look too good nor talk too wise...."

Throughout the training, I watched Goat lose weight and gain strength and endurance.  I saw his enthusiasm for running grow, and watched his weekly mileage soar.  He studied the ultrarunning scene and constantly peppered me with questions.  It was interesting to witness this transformation from someone who could barely run 4 miles with me 4 years ago.   I had my doubts when I asked him to pace me at Vermont in 2006, and now he was preparing to attempt it himself.

It goes on, "IF you can dream but not make dreams your master, Or think and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.

We dreamt of hosting an ultra in CT and thought it would be a huge success if we got 20 runners.  We turned it into 3 races and hosted 52 runners.  The Traprock 50K was reported in the most recent issue of Ultrarunner Magazine.   We'll be going for 100 runners next year!

"IF you can watch the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken and stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools."

For some reason, this section rings true for me.  Goat and I bothed survived divorces and then some.  He has dealt with his fair share of challenges, and I've watched him pull through with flying colors.

The week before the race, the Goat was like a caged animal.  He was fiery and edgy...I'd never seen him like this... but knew he was stressed about the race.  Perhaps the audacity of the situation was even getting to him?

"IF you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss and lose and start at your beginnings and never breath a word about your loss."

The race started at 4AM on Saturday and the Goat was anxious to get going.  My biggest concern was that he not go out too fast.  I encouraged the Goat to do a few races prior to this one to teach him the art of pacing.  He ran the Northern Nipmuck trail race and ran a good race, but then went out too fast at the Traprock 50K.  I was concerned, and constantly coached him to "keep the bit in his mouth".

It was great to see so many people at the race.  My ultramentor, Jim Campiformio, was there and ready to run.  Kinda wish I was running with him.  Our friends and Traprock Alumni were there including Marty, Mark Buongiorno, Scott Turco, and many others.   It was great to see so many familiar faces.  Dawn was pacing Marty and Bruce G. was crewing for Mark and Scott.  The Mayor was pacing Mark and it was cool to meet some new folks.  Oddly enough, Jack Pilla, last year's winner was crewing and making pancakes...go figure!

Goat wore his Garmin GPS and ran to a prescribed plan for a 22 hour finish.  I figured he had a reasonable shot at 22 hours and if that didn't happen, he had a good cushion for a 24 hour finish.  I helped crew for him for the first 30 miles, and he executed the plan to perfection.  I saw AJW come through in the lead, and saw some of my old foes/friends, Ron Farkesh and Daniel Larsen come through looking strong as well as many new faces.  I even saw, Cherie Baby, in her pink skirt, looking strong in her pink compression socks come cruising by...and then there was that guy from Western States in the pink tutu.  Word was that he had just completed Badwater as well.  Damn, the guy is older than me and I'm whining about getting old?

After seeing Goat running so strong for the first 3rd of the race, I figured I should get some sleep to be ready to pace him through the night, so went back to the hotel for some zzz's.

After a good rest, I was back at Camp 10 Bear awaiting Goat's arrival at the 70 mile mark.  I chatted with many folks..even saw Michelle Roy and got a big hug from her while she waited for her runner to come through.  I was bummed to hear from Bruce that Scott had dropped while we waited for Mark and Goat.

Mark B. came in on pace for a 20-22 hour finish.  He looked good and was in or near the Top 20.  I thought he had a decent shot at a good time, but time would tell.  I think the real race happens between 10 Bear and the finish.  In fact, after pacing Bruce at WS100, I think the last 30 at Vermont is tougher than the last 38 at WS100, and my body agrees.

Goat came in and looked pretty exhausted.  I fed him a lot of watermelon and filled his bottles while Dagmar and company tended to his other needs.  He was excited to know that his weight was fine after having a scare the first time through Camp 10 Bear (Mile 48).  After Goat regrouped, we headed down the road together as we have so many times before...we were 30 minutes off his 22 hour pace..not bad at all.

Goat really struggled up the first big hill outside 10 Bear.  It is a monster climb up a technical trail.  It was much drier this year, but that didn't help Goat.  He was struggling and had to stop a few times.  Wow!  This is not the way things looked at mile 30...and I was hoping for some easy pacing duties.

Goat really had to work to get to Mile 77, but it is one of the toughest sections of the race.  He was 45 minutes off his pace which seemed to worry no one except me.   No one realized that losing 15 minutes in a 7 mile stretch is the equivalent of 2 hours over 30 miles.  His energy level was very low and his quads were killing him.   I knew this was going to be a battle and it would take everything he had to break 24 hours.

We hit another big hill and Goat struggled, but then we made very good time on the gravel roads.   At one point, he puked big time...welcome to the 100 mile scene Mr. Goat...and then he said he felt better.

I was tracking us against a 24 hour finish and was hoping to get him in with under 15-18 minute miles.  He made it to Bill's (Mile 89), his favorite aid station, with approx. 3 hours to go.  The crew thought he had it in the bag, but I was concerned.  While Goat rested, Cherie Baby, came cruising in.  She was running well and had good energy.  Cool!  I whispered to her that she needed to break 24 hours, and she teased me about my penchant for watermelon in ultras.  Then, the Goat and I were off....

Goat ran well through the next downhill section, but the uphills were taking the life out of him.   Soon enough, he couldn't run much at all, and we struggled to get to the next aid station.  I begged him not to sit down at the 92 mile mark, but he insisted.  We pressed on to mile 95.5 where we would see the crew for the last time before the finish.

"IF you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the will to which says to them "Hold on!""

Hold on Goat!  Please Buddy!  Runners trying to beat the 24 hour mark were coming by now and I felt the time slipping away.

We reached the 95.5 mile mark (Pinky's) and Goat needed to regroup.  I fed him PB&J while Dagmar applied anti-inflammatory cream to his quads.  I think everyone knew that it was going to be close.  He had about 1 hour and 15 minutes (if I recall) to do the last 4.5 miles.  "Oh Boy, hear we go again!", I thought.  Let's do this...

Goat could not run at all, so we hiked it.  We made it to the first big hill and we were doing OK.  I started telling Goat that I thought he was going to break 24, when he let out a scream.  Damn!  He said his right calf had a shooting pain.  We guessed that it was a cramp, and he could hardly walk at all.  We had 3-3.5 miles to go.  Oh man, this is not good.  At this point, he wasn't even sure he could finish.  I told him he had to keep moving so it would not tighten up and I tried to massage it a bit.  He took some salt pills and then we walked on.

We talked about how finishing was the main thing and that not breaking 24 was not the end of the world.  We pressed on and his leg seemed to loosen up a bit.  We were doing OK and thought maybe...just maybe...there was a chance.  Maybe he could run if we were within a mile.

...but then the time slipped away on us and 4AM came and went.  Dagmar met us at the top of the hill with about 0.75 mile left.  We explained the situation, and she walked in with us while we picked up the rest of the crew.  Goat was so relieved to finish and his time was 24 hours, 20 min, and 59 seconds.

You go Goat!  Goat was a hurtin' unit, and we got him some medical support right away.  We then trucked him back to the hotel, and we all got some sleep before breakfast.  It was nearly 5AM!

"IF can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foe nor loving friend can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much."

Goat was up before me and ready to start the day.  Wow!  I'm impressed.  His leg was still hurting though.  We ate breakfast and Goat decided to skip the award ceremony.  Dawn decided to head up to say good bye to Marty and Deb.  I decided to go up to see some friends and pick up Goat's plaque for him.  I chatted with a few folks, grabbed the award, said good bye to Marty, Deb, and Dawn and then headed off down the road.

On the ride home, I thought about how Goat, the Mighty, had the guts to sign up for a 100 mile race run on the hills of Vermont in the middle of July having run only one serious race in his life.  I thought about the commitment to sign up in January without knowing what lay ahead.  I thought about how he could hardly run 4 miles with me 5 years ago and now he just completed 100 miles (with a torn calf muscle we later learned).

I thought about all the fun we had along the way, all the memories we have shared, and all the miles we have logged together....

"IF you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run, yours is the earth  and everything that's in it - and which is more - you'll be a man my son."

Congratulations to my friend, the Mighty Goat!

2008 Vermont 100 Race Report - We did it!

Where to begin! I suppose at the beginning...I had told anyone that would listen over the past 6 months that Vermont 100 would be hot and humid this year because "hot and humid" seem to follow me to every race. Well, darned if I wasn't right again! Weather predictions were anywhere from upper 80's to 100 degrees with high humidity and possible thunderstorms. Oh goodie, here we go again! Well, here we all are waiting for the race to begin while trying to wait out a storm under the tent. This is the best I will look for the next 24 hours. The first pick is me getting prepped by Dawn with my Mom looking on. Below is a shot of me and my daughter, Tara. My younger daughter, Jamie, decided to sleep in, but would show up later in the race.

I was feeling pretty good about my chances for a better finish than 2 years ago. My strategy is to first set several progressive goals, so this is what I chose for this race: 1. Get family and friends together and attempt to re-create the magical experience from 2 years ago...basically share it with more people. This was a tall enough task. 2. Finish the race. 3. Break 24 hours. 4. Get a PR - sub 19 hours 5. Another Top 10 finish 6. Sub 17:30 and possibly Top 5.

I knew the last one was a stretch for 2 reasons: 1. The weather would slow all times, so sub 17:30 was a challenge 2. The Western States runners definitely made this a tougher field.

At the pre-race check in, my weight was a hair under 136, so I rounded down to 135.5. I had been training at about 132.5 and figured I gained 2 lbs. during tapering. 135.5 or 136 was about right with my shoes on.

The race started and people raced off like it was a 10K once again. I just don't understand it. I settled in at a pace that felt a bit fast - probably around 8:30-8:45 by my guess. My goal was to run around 3:25-3:30 for the first 21 miles. I knew the big dogs would be cruising it at around 3:00, and just wanted to stay within range without blowing up early. I ran with the Fitzpatrick's (Diana would finish 3rd Woman overall) from Northern Cal. for awhile. They are veteran WS100 runners and were a bit concerned about the humidity and gravel roads. One of the great things about these races is meeting good people, and they were no exception.

I used Perpetuem for my first 2 bottles and switched to Heed for No. 3. My goal was 1 bottle per hour and supplement with Hammergel and Endurolytes as needed.

I saw my crew for the first time at mile 21, and got very emotional (as I did last time) running into that Aid Station. I guess the magic was being re-created. My daughter, Tara, screamed when she saw me, and I saw my Dad shooting video.








Dawn had given everyone a task, and they were operating like a well-oiled machine. I think I had cracked the top 20 at this point, and came in right around 3:25. Everything was going according to plan.










I kept a good pace and passed a few more runners, and then the wheels started coming off the bus. Just after passing 2 guys on a long downhill, I got sick and projectile vomited large quantities of liquid. It was nasty. Never having vomited in a race, I wasn't sure what to do. I knew the guys behind me witnessed it, so I decided to act like nothing was wrong. I cruised into the next aid station - dumped the Perpetuem and switched to Heed (hoping it would help). I moved out of the aid station quickly, and those guys never caught up with me.

While I was feeling weak and concerned about the up-coming weigh-in, it was really nice to be running alone for the first time in the race. The views were amazing, and I was just happy to be taking it all in (despite my stomach woes).

At Camp 10 Bear (mile 47ish), I saw my crew and was summoned to the weigh-in before I could eat or hydrate. The scale said, "129 lbs.", and I almost passed out. I didn't say a word. They told me to look at it like a Mom chastising a child for using crayon on the wall. I acted like you do when you are pulled over by a State Trooper, "Who me, ..., speeding?" They asked if I had a crew, etc. The Doctor said I was OK to go on, but to put on sunscreen or a shirt. I had two thoughts: 1. Why aren't you pulling me from the race? 2. Thank God you're not pulling me from the race.

Sean (my cousin) forced grapes and oranges on me, and I reluctantly ate some. The grapes were tasty... Thanks Sean! I whispered to Dawn my concerns about my puking, and she told me to slow down, but don't stop. My crew was really excited, and I didn't want to disappoint them.

I decided that I would go easy the rest of the way and hoped to finish in under 24 hours. I wanted Jamie to see me run, and wanted both girls to see me finish. All hopes of a Top 10 were gone at that point, and I settled in for the long haul.

At the next aid station (Pinky's - mile 51), a young guy caught up to me, and I tried to chat with him. He didn't say much, so I shuffled on down the road. He caught up again and this time we talked more. His name was Brian, and he was a runner from Ca. This was his first 100, and he was looking really strong. I decided to try to hang with him as long as possible. We got into a rythym and worked well together. I knew the course, and offered some info. Our crews got to know each other, and Tara got a good picture of us at the Tracer Brook (57 mile) aid station.

I told Brian I was changing shoes at Margaritaville (mile 62.1), so he should go ahead without me. My crew tried to feed me a lot knowing I had to weigh-in at Camp 10 Bear (70 miles).

After leaving the aid station with Brian and one other guy, Ryan, I quickly proceeded to do the technicolor yawn once again. I told them to go on without me in between bouts of heaving. It was not pretty!

I thought that would be it for me. I drank some water and shuffled along just hoping to keep them in sight. Ryan looked like he was hurting, and I started catching up to him. I passed without saying much and set my eyes on Brian. We worked well together, and I hoped I could still hang with him. Once we got back together, it started pouring rain right at the mile 65 aid station. Brian needed electrolyte pills and I gave him some of mine as they had none at the aid station. I figured they weren't doing me any good at this point. We ran like we were being chased by the giant ball in the first Indiana Jones movie to get through the rain. We were in a wide trail, but the puddles were turning into Lakes. At one point, we had no choice, but to go through the middle. Brian was lucky and found a high spot while I went in up to my knees. Yuck!

We finally made it to a road, and I knew we were within 1-1.5 miles on Ten Bear. It was a long down hill and then short up to hit the aid station. I weighed-in at 135 due to some extra water and mud and other assistance, and all seemed well. Dawn said we were running 10 and 11 at that point, but we passed a couple people at the aid station. I picked up my pacer, Kevin (the Goat), and I explained to him and Dawn that I had another puking fit. By this point, I was operating solely on water, hammergel, and watermelon. I wouldn't touch anything else.

Goat was a welcome companion, and we quickly settled into a nice pace. Brian stayed with us as his pacer was waiting until mile 77 to meet him. The section from 70 to 77 is one of the toughest on the course, and Kevin's experience with it from the last race really helped us. He did such a great job pacing me through the last 30 miles.

We hammered the very technical downhill into mile 75 and I was feeling good. Brian, on the other hand, was at his limit. His quads were shot, and I knew he would be slowing down. I gave him a few words of encouragement and off we went.

At mile 77, we saw our crew again. Brian's folks had donated a watermelon to my cause since it was all I would eat. Thank you! As we left the aid station, we passed John Geesler, the former 24 hour national champ, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Wow! I thought, "We are doing good now!"

At this point, I was running 9th and knew we had a couple folks in striking distance.

We caught up to the first place woman (Devon) as she had made a slight detour. We came into Bill's (mile 88.6) in 8th place and the crew was going nuts. The weigh-in was fine, and off we went with watermelon (I learned later it was from Charlotte's fruit salad) of course.

It was getting dark, so I started using the headlamp. Devon passed us in one of the fields (I hate running through wet fields), and on we rolled.

At mile 95, there was NO WATERMELON! :-) Oh well! Everyone laughed when I asked for it, and I was ready to just take care of business. Goat and I were on a mission and he was the lead dog. I tucked in behind him like a Tour de France racer behind the lead climber. We made sure to avoid the wrong turn we made 2 years earlier and passed Devon again. The fog was so bad that you could only see about 5 feet in front of you, and the trail was very technical. We had to walk most of this section. It was very muddy, and I did not want to chance twisting an ankle.

We hit the last major climb and knew we were almost home. Goat powered up the nasty, muddy slope and saw a headlamp in the distance. We didn't even have to say a word. He put the hammer down and I just hung on. We passed the number 8 man and he looked like he was done. Goat left no question and kept pounding the slope to the top of the ridge. We hit the road and went 200 yards or so with no one in sight behind us. How sweet it is to be in 7th place.

Torches marked the 99.5 mile mark and we followed the glowing gallon markers into the finish. My crew did not react because they did not expect me in 7th place. The fog didn't allow anyone to figure out who I was until I hit the finish line. Dawn yelled out, "Oh my God, it's him!", then grabbed me yelling, "They did it, they did it". My girls quickly joined the hug, and I was smiling once again. My time was 18:29:20, and life was good. Devon finished about 1 minute behind me.

At the medical tent, my blood pressure was fine. I chatted with Joe Kulak (6th place finisher who just completed his 30th 100 miler). The guy is a legend, but was so nice. I couldn't believe he asked me how I did, etc. Really nice guy! Jack Pilla (3rd place) was there and gave me some advice on electrolytes. We chatted a bit and then he recommended I get some mud off of me. Hint, hint! :-)

I started to clean up and then got the shakes really bad. The EMT covered me in blankets and I warmed up quickly. We got the car nice and warm and I jumped in while my brother, Robert, drove back to the hotel.

After a rough nights sleep, we rolled over to our cousins, Charlotte and Steve's, house for breakfast. They were great hosts for the weekend, and I'm so happy we were able to spend some time with them.

At the award ceremony, I looked for Mark and Scott (2 other UTC runners), but could not find them. When I was called up for my Top 10 finish award, I saw both of them wave at me, and it felt great to see them.
After the photos, they told me they had both finished - Mark was around 22.5 hours and Scott was 25.5 hours. Nice work guys!!! I chatted a bit with Mark's pacer, Bruce, and also found Brian. Brian finished under 20 hours and seemed a bit wiped out. He has a great future in ultra running if he hangs with it, and his parents should be proud. He's a great guy!

Many thanks to my family and friends for being there. My cousin, Sean, was a huge help, and it's always fun to spend time with him. My parents have been great supporters and this race was no exception. I was proud to finish strong in front of my girls and glad they could share the experience. As I mentioned, Steve and Charlotte hosted us, and I'm glad they could share in the experience. My brother, Robert, is one of the nicest people in the world and I was lucky to have him there.



The Goat was the man once again, and he is like a second brother to me.








Dawn pulled everything and everyone together as she has for me over the past 6 months, and I am so grateful to her. It was a joy to share the experience with her.






When it comes right down to it, my crew and pacer made the difference between 7th and 9th place. They were amazing and deserve so much credit. Thank you all!

Vermont 100: It's show time!

This will likely be my last post before the race. I've got lots to do to get ready for this weekend. I feel really good other than a slightly tweaked left calf. I should be well rested and ready for this Saturday.

For the folks that are not familiar with the Vermont 100 or haven't seen my pics from 2 years ago, I've decided to throw some in here. I was looking at them earlier today and it brought back some great memories.


Here's the start with me and Ultra-mentor Jim Campiformio. Notice the UTC endorsement.Shuffling along the country roads.

This is me and the Goat at Camp 10 Bear (around Mile 68). Mom, Amy, and Pam are in upper left corner.
I was very happy to cross the finish line. Celebrating with the Goat! CCM is our climbing group (The CT Climbers and Mountaineers).

This past week was a bit strange. Work and home life were very busy. I took two rest days after last Sunday's hill work as I wanted to be fresh. On Wednesday, I went fairly hard on a 10.5 mile run, then did about 6.3 miles at work on Friday. The weather is getting warm! Saturday, I surprised the gang by showing up for a Red Eye Runners run in the Colchester area. It's my first run there since Tim has been inviting me for more than 10 years. I'm glad he didn't give up on me. It was a real pleasure to chat with the guys while doing a nice 10 on the very scenic Airline Trail.

I only planned to do 6-8 today, but stretched it into another 10 just because I felt like doing a little more. It was such a beautiful day, and it was good to get some heat training at mid-day.

I know I should not be doing too much, but I couldn't resist catching up on a lot of chores this weekend. It's amazing what you can get done when you are not running all day or recovering from a run. Mentally, I needed to get caught up on some things.

It's been a great 7 months of training. A few weeks ago, I was mentally drained from it all, but now I reflect in a positive way. I've met some new friends, completed runs that I never knew I could do, blew away my previous weekly mileage totals, and am probably in the best shape of my life. Andy Jones-Wilkins recently put up a post that indicated that the race is the dessert. I think he is right. The dessert will be sweet, but the main course was most excellent.

Many thanks to all my friends and family for being supportive and tolerant over these past months. I certainly appreciate it. This weekend, I'll have lots of family and friends at the race. The support is so appreciated. We will have a great time!

Let's go!!!!!!!

Weekly Summary -
Wed - 10.5 hard
Friday - 6.3 moderate
Saturday - 10 moderate
Sunday - 9.7 moderate
Total - 36.5 miles