2019 Mountain Lakes 100
100 miles. 10K feet of elevation gain. 30 hours.
I ran for 75 miles in a Bubble of Joy. But it burst, and I had to fight for the the last 25 miles.
Here’s a warning. Once you’ve run 100 miles, the yearning to run another eventually draws you back for more.
A few weeks after finishing Rio Del Lago in November, 2018 — a 100-mile race in Folsom, CA, I decided I wanted to run another 100-miler to see if it’s repeatable for me, and because frankly, after finishing something I thought was impossible, I craved the next adventure and challenge.
I heard about Mountain Lakes 100 (ML100) when I was researching my first 100-miler. It sounded absolutely beautiful, but being from California, I held off because it was out-of-state. Last year, some friends ran it and their race reports inspired me even more to give it a try.
Go Beyond Racing’s website describes ML100 as:
“One of the country’s most beautiful 100-mile races [it] starts at Olallie Lake and runs past more than 25 mountain lakes between Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. This race features the best trail running Oregon has to offer — technical and rocky sections, views of mountain peaks in every direction, and 60 miles of luscious sections of the Pacific Crest Trail.”
With 10,000+ feet of elevation gain, a 30-hour cut-off, cool temperatures and possible rain, it was the right fit for me. As a bonus, the race is a Western States qualifier and awards 5 UTMB points to finishers.
Winning the lottery
Because of its gaining popularity, entry to the 2019 ML100 was done via lottery for the first time. I registered when it opened on February 1st. A week later, I watched on Facebook as they streamed the drawing live from Portland, OR. Out of 375 names in the lottery, 170 were drawn randomly. The rest were placed on a wait list.
Halfway through the drawing, Race Director Todd Janssen called my name! I knew it would mean months, hundreds of miles, and significant hours of training, but I sure felt lucky…like I won the lottery. Oh hey, I did!
Compressed training
I had two goal races in Spring 2019 — Canyons 100K in April and Ultra Trail Australia 100K (UTA100) in May. These were my first two attempts at qualifying for Western States 2020. Thankfully, I earned my Western States qualifier at Canyons 100K by finishing under the 18-hour cutoff.
I took a few weeks off after UTA100 to recover, then started training for ML100 in mid-June, in effect compressing my training block to 15 weeks (vs a full 24 weeks). Once again, I based my training plan on the book Relentless Forward Progress, with a goal of 5 runs per week and peak weekly mileage in the low to mid-60s.
On-course training was limited. For goal races, I find that training on the course provides a tremendous advantage physically and pyschologically. But since ML100 is in Oregon, those opportunities were numbered.
I researched races on the Mountain Lakes course and found the Timberline Half Marathon & Marathon in mid-June. The course circles Timothy Lake, which closely approximates Miles 55–70 of the ML100 course. It’s mostly flat with very runnable terrain and has amazing views of Mt. Hood.
The Mount Hood 50M & 50K would have been ideal training runs, but they were sold out. So my first-hand knowledge of the course was confined to the flattest 13 miles.
Long runs were not ultra long. In this training block, I wanted to focus more on consistency by running frequently, with back-to-back medium to long runs on the weekends, versus getting the majority of my weekly mileage from running ultramarathons on Saturdays.
As a result, I only ran 3 ultras during this training block — Tahoe Rim Trail 55K, Skyline 50K, and Squamish 50M (which I DNF’d — ultrarunner speak for “did not finish” — at Mile 44). The rest of my long runs only ranged between 11–24 miles. However, my goal of 5 runs per week remained elusive.
Bouncing back after a setback. It was fortuitous that I was listening to the Trail Runner Nation podcast interview of elite ultra runner and coach Ian Sharman, titled “Can Failure Make Us More Successful”, as I hiked up Galactic Scheisse at Squamish. He said, and I paraphrase:
“Not many people nail really difficult things on the first attempt. You learn a lot more from failure than from success. Failure is often a prerequisite to doing really well. You sometimes need that failure to give you a reason to push harder.”
Life events took priority over training at the end of summer, so I tried to make up for it by completing a 70-mile training week just before tapering. After suffering a DNF at the Squamish 50M, I needed a confidence-booster!
Overall, I ran only ~80% of the prescribed miles in the training plan, and averaged only 4 runs per week. I knew going into the race that I was undertrained and had to rely on my training from the first half of the year to get me through ML100.
Mandatory trail work
Starting in 2019, ML100 requires each runner to contribute eight hours of volunteer trail work…”to spend time building and improving the trails we all enjoy.” By making it a requirement to race, there will have been 1,200 hours of trail work done, collectively by all the runners, in 2019.
I found a local group — the East Bay Trail Dogs — that routinely does trail work for east bay parks, including Mount Diablo, where I train regularly. I joined them on two occasions — 5 hours each in June and August.
Fire abatement is a big priority on Mount Diablo, especially heading into fire season. So we pruned and cut down bushes, trees, and branches —- including the ubiquitous and dreaded poison oak. Sadly, I had a very bad reaction to it. But I got my required trail work done by the September 1st deadline. And my beloved Mount Diablo was better for it.
Crew and pacers
I was hiking one fine March day with friends when Patti and Liz exclaimed they wanted to crew me at ML100. Patti and I crewed together at the Leadville 100 in 2016, but this would be her first time as crew chief. Liz was new to ultras and had never crewed, but she was eager to learn.
We started planning in late March, and updated and refined our plans over the next 6 months. We scoured the race website and the ML100 Facebook page for information, read race reports, watched YouTube videos, and listened to podcasts. Patti and Liz asked me a lot of questions — on nutrition, gear, race strategy, logistics, etc. — forcing me to think about these in advance, and helping them understand how to best support me.
Our friend Beth generously shared with us her best practices on crewing. She inspired us to put together a tackle box full of magical supplies. It was so impressive that someone at the Olallie Lake aid station thought Patti and Liz were crewing an elite athlete! It was truly a collaborative effort and I appreciate how invested they were in this process.
Pacers are only allowed to start at the Clackamas Ranger Station — as runners pass thru during their first (mile 55) or second (mile 70) time at the aid station. I was very fortunate to have two of my best friends, Ken and Jaime, pacing me for the last 45 miles of the race. They’re both experienced ultra runners, and they loved me and wanted me to reach my goals.
Ken had just recovered from an ankle injury in July, so I asked him to pace me 15 miles on the Timothy Lake loop, and Jaime would pace me the last 30 miles to the finish.
As a bonus, on race weekend, my BFF Mike announced he would come by the race during his road trip to cheer me on. Mike was instrumental in getting Jaime to our hotel with plenty of time to spare before her pacing gig. Thank you so much!
I would be remiss if I don’t mention my ultrarunning mentor and chief instigator, Josam, who was neither crewing nor pacing me this weekend, but was with us in spirit and sent these words of wisdom:
Good luck, Peach, on your 2nd 100 miler. Good luck crew and pacers taking care of Peach. I hope you have a great race from start to finish. If things go wrong or experience lows, your crew and pacers are there to keep you afloat and in positive spirit. Just keep going and see the race through. If the bone is not showing, you ain’t stopping.
Tip #1: Make sure you are properly fueled before leaving the aid stations. I made this mistake because of chasing cutoffs.
Tip #2: If you only have 2 minutes at an aid station, you can grab what you need move past that aid station stop somewhere to sit to eat/drink and avoid being cut.
Have a great weekend and enjoy every minute of it because sooo much nature!!!
I felt extremely grateful and blessed for the heartfelt support from my friends, crew, and pacers. I resolved to give it my best and make them proud.
Logistics
Destination races require planning and logistics; this one more than others because of its remote nature.
The race starts and finishes at Olallie Lake Resort in the Mt. Hood National Forest. It’s 98 miles SE of Portland and 80 miles E of Salem.There’s barely any cell signal on the course. And there are no restaurants, cafes, or gas stations nearby.
We decided to fly into Portland (myself on Thursday night, and my crew and pacers on Friday). That allowed me to get our SUV rental, pick up supplies at the local Walmart (wagon, camping chair, and cooler), and get a good night’s sleep.
Lodging around the start/finish is limited to very rustic cabins (no WiFi or electricity) or camping, neither one fit my needs. Luckily, we were able to score a room at The Lodge at Detroit Lake — bedroom, loft, pull-out sofa bed, kitchen with fridge and stove, jetted tub, WiFi, and electricity!
We picked up more supplies in Clackamas and Salem, en route to the lodge, making sure we had enough food and drinks for the long weekend. After checking in, we headed to Olallie Lake for packet pick up.
Olallie Lake Resort was only 36 miles from the lodge, but it took us an hour and 15 minutes to get there. The first 22 miles were on winding paved road, and the last 14 were on rough logging road. Thank goodness for the SUV!
Packet pickup
It was overcast, chilly, and slightly humid at Olallie Lake. I collected my bib and some sweet pre-race swag which included a long-sleeved Nike tech shirt, silicone cup (a cupless race!), and a pair of Nike Trail Air Zoom Pegasus (so that’s why they asked for your shoe size at registration!) I also purchased a cotton shirt, beanies for me and my crew, and a beautiful commemorative print of Olallie Lake and Mt. Jefferson.
They served a delicious spaghetti dinner (vegetarian option available) which was complimentary for runners and available for a small donation to others. Go Beyond Racing is an environmentally responsible race company, and RD Todd cleans and sorts through the plastic plates and cups before they get recycled. So cool!
Back at the lodge, we had our final team meeting, prepared for the next day, and finally went to bed.
Part 1: Olallie Lake Resort Loop (Miles 0-26)
I didn’t sleep much the night before the race, but woke up feeling relaxed and slightly giddy. We left the lodge at 5:30am on race morning to make the 1.5-hour drive to the start.
Temperatures were chilly at the start, but the sun was out and Mt. Jefferson was in full view. Luckily, it stayed sunny all day.
RDs Todd and Renee gave a pre-race briefing and at 8:05am, we started our 100-mile journey. After we left, they also gave a crew briefing.
The first 26 miles of the race is a loop that starts and ends at Olallie Lake Resort. It was gorgeous! We ran by countless lakes, beneath towering trees, with views of snow-capped Mt. Jefferson. I saw a video on YouTube that mentioned wasps on the course. Sure enough, even before Horseshoe Lake aid station (mile 4.1), the runner in front of me, unfortunately, got stung by a wasp! I was lucky not to get stung myself.
I caught up to a Bay Area friend Karen T, and we ran together down to the Powerline aid station (mile 12.6). It was so early in the race that it was wonderful to be able to share the miles with a friend. We chatted and ran at a comfortable pace.
Soon after leaving Powerline, I caught up and leapfrogged with another Bay Area friend Karen O who was running her first hundred miler! The next 7 miles featured the biggest climb (~2000 ft in elevation gain) and a dry creek bed, making that segment also the most technical.
I arrived at Olallie Lake Resort (mile 26) at 3:18pm, 42 minutes under the 4pm cutoff. My crew had a spot set up for me. In the last segment before the aid station, I tripped on one of the wooden bridges and skinned my knee. My crew went to work cleaning my wound; replacing my soft flasks; offering me food, drinks, medicine, and supplies; spraying me with bug spray and sunblock; and making sure I had my headlamp and waistlight, because the next time I would see them would be at mile 55 around midnight. I think I talked too much and didn’t eat enough at the aid station. But I was happy!
Part 2: Olallie Lake Resort to Clackamas Ranger Staion (Miles 26–55)
The next 29 miles would also be the last 29 miles of the race, in reverse. Due to most of it being on an Indian reservation, 3 out of 4 aid stations were not crew-accessible.
Every so often, I caught a glimpse of Karen T ahead of me. I am grateful to her for pulling me along. I made it a goal to arrive at Pinheads aid station (mile 37.5) before sunset (at 7:41pm), which I did. Hooray! It was getting chilly and dark very quickly, so I put on my Houdini jacket, and my headlamp and waist light.
It was also during this stretch when I started to take caffeine — through my Spring Energy gels, Salt Sticks, Stroopwafels, and Coke at the aid stations — and I continued to take in caffeine regularly until the finish. This strategy worked because I had no issues with sleepiness during this race.
I saw the lead runners on their way back to the finish at mile 48 (they were 30 miles ahead of me!) I finally caught up to the two Karens as we approached Red Wolf aid station (mile 50.2). We ran/walked together for a short while.
I wanted to get to the Clackamas Ranger Station (mile 55) well under the midnight cutoff, to give me time to change clothes and refuel. So I pushed for the next 5 miles and arrived at 11:32pm.
Clackamas was lit up and there was music playing. My crew was there and helped me go through a complete change of clothing (except shoes) due to cooler temps around Timothy Lake and rain forecast in the wee hours. I ate half of a Cup O Noodles and drank coffee. It was the perfect midnight pick-me-up!
My belly was happy. I was warm and adequately caffeinated. My crew and pacers energized me. And I got to pick up Ken as my pacer. It felt like the start of a new race!
Part 3: Timothy Lake Loop (Miles 55-70)
The Timothy Lake loop is the flattest and lowest point of the course. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold as we feared, and the forecasted rain held off.
Ken was patient, encouraging, so fun to chat with, and even played music! At one point, I told him that I was running in a Happy Bubble and just wanted to hold and maintain my effort for the rest of the race. Admittedly, in this video, I sound a little loopy. In my defense, I had been awake for almost 24 hours and was starting to feel fatigued.
The crew met us at Timothy Lake Dam aid station (mile 66.4) — not necessary, but very much appreciated. I ate chicken broth and grilled cheese, and drank more coffee.
Earlier at Clackamas, I had picked up a battery pack so I could charge my Garmin as I ran. At this point, I decided my Garmin had enough juice and returned the battery pack to Jaime. I also collected my phone which I left earlier with her to recharge.
In the last 4 miles of the Timothy Lake loop, the mist got heavier. Ken and I arrived back at Clackamas Ranger Station (mile 70) at 4:08am, comfortably under the 5am cutoff. And he passed on the pacing baton to Jaime.
After Jaime and I left at 4:23am, the crew headed back to the lodge to shower and rest. The next time we would see them would be at the finish line, hopefully before 2pm. Jaime and I had 9 hours and 37 mins to cover 30 miles.
Part 4: Clackamas Ranger Station to Olallie Lake Resort (Miles 70-Finish)
Jaime is a Mermacorn, a perfect blend of mermaid and unicorn. She exudes joy and positivity, but can be very firm, which makes her the perfect pacer for the final stretch of a long race.
The final 30 miles of ML100 includes 4 climbs and 3 descents. Yup, the last bit to the finish is uphill. We used the first climb to catch up, with me setting a very comfortable pace. The sun started to rise. I had been awake for over 26 hours at this point, and seeing the purple, blue, pink, and orange hues of the sky gave me renewed energy. It was both a peaceful and energizing moment!
However, we realized at Red Wolf (mile 75.7) that we were falling behind pace and needed to pick it up. I could no longer stay in my Bubble of Joy. Jaime took the lead from there on. She set a steady pace — shuffling the flats and downhills, power-hiking the uphills, and always staying ahead of me, out of earshot. We didn’t need to talk. I just needed a target to follow. Every so often, she would look back to make sure I was still moving.
Around mile 78, my Garmin died so I switched to Strava on my phone. That too drained by mile 82, so I stopped Strava. No big deal, right? Except it was! I always run with my watch because I rely on the feedback it gives me — primarily, distance and time elapsed. Not having either was distressing. My only source of data in the last 18 miles of the race was the clock on my phone. And to make things worse, it started to drizzle. And I was gagging on my gel and burping. And my tummy was complaining. My Bubble of Joy had shattered and the mental battles started in earnest.
Arriving back at Pinheads aid station (mile 88), I was really worried and questioned whether I could make it under the cutoff. The kindest volunteer convinced me to drink Ginger Ale to settle my tummy, and reminded me that I was still running at mile 88! She said to drink and eat slowly because I had done so well up to that point and didn’t need to upset my stomach. She told me I had enough time to hike the remaining 12 miles.
At the last 2 aid stations, Jaime made me promise not to sit down. She consistently stayed ahead of me, turning around occasionally to give me a smile, and that made me smile. When I whined about something or other, Jaime would simply say “Okay!” and keep moving.
Every time my thoughts went to a dark place, I redirected them towards thoughts of gratitude — I had to do that many times! And I tried to remember how inspiring, joyful, and positive my friend Bryan Paisley was at Tahoe 200.
The last 3.8 miles were uphill and all I could do was shuffle forward as quickly as my tired legs would let me. The rain started coming down steadily. I finally remembered what RD Renee said at the race briefing — the orange agility cones that served as confidence markers were spaced 0.25-mile apart. So I counted them down. It gave me something to do and helped calm my nerves.
After what seemed like an eternity, we saw people and the road, and we heard the cowbells. Then we saw Ken, Patti, and Liz. And then we made the final turn down to the finish line, where RDs Todd and Renee welcomed me with hugs, and awarded me my finisher’s buckle and pint glass. I finished Mountain Lakes 100!!!
Official time was 29:04:03, my personal best at the 100-mile distance.
A very grateful heart
I am extremely grateful for:
- the many months of preparation and my tribe who kept me company in that pursuit;
- Go Beyond Racing and the warm and caring volunteers for putting on a topnotch race that was beautiful, challenging, and environmentally responsible;
- an almost 50-year-old body that continues to prove to me that age is just a number;
- #runninghomies4life who carved out significant chunks of time from their lives to help me get through this race and documented it so well that I can write this blog months later;
- and my family who supports me unconditionally and strengthens my Why.
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” A.A. Milne
