If I've said it 100 times, I'll say it again. The Wilderness 101 is just a classic PA route, and organized great by SMT. This year would be by 5th run at it (my 17th 100 overall), and I've already said this will be my last. Although, I hope to do a little better than my best time ever here (10 hrs), I know that impending stuff going on is probably going to halt my expectations although I have no idea how bad.
I know I need to keep light pressure on my feet these days, so I start off doing just that. This might sound all good and helpful but in reality it is meaning I put pressure elsewhere, namely my butt and hands....so now not only a few hours in are my feet hurting & burning so badly I can barely walk let alone pedal, my wrists are sore/numb and I just can't keep this much weight on my seat, it's killing, even the downhills are not fun this day....and this is some of PA best downhills!!
Along with my agonizing day, the route is also adjusted this year primarily due to the amount of people in the event, forest issues, overuse concerns. SMT is asked to divert 2 rather cool trail sections to gravel roads. One cool thing about the route in past years was the amount of trail vs road, and the super rough terrain of the rocky trails used. This year, the adjustments (albeit better for the forest) did not leave a good taste in my mouth. It was turning into a full on gravel grinder route, just not what I wanted here right now. All this combined and I was losing some time horribly on the last big climb, I got to the last aide (#5) in plenty of time to finish probably at ~11.5hrs, it just wasn't worth the effort now. I was nowhere near my best finish of 10, and the girls I should be near are well ahead. My feet are also at one of the worst points ever, I decide to bail here. I feel upset and wasteful, but I don't have a choice. I can't push through the foot pain anymore like I used to, it is just much worse and relentless. This time, it hurts for days afterwards, that is new. Usually it will go away just after I stop pushing on my feet.
I sag it back and it's still been a long day regardless so like usual I just get some food and bunk it up. Chris (SMT) is the first to give me a disappointed look, ugh, that makes me feel worse! He knows I'm not going to be up with the front girls, but he also knows what I am capable of, here and on other hard rides, even he expected me to beef it up and do better. Unfortunately, I am sticking with my gut feeling, this was my last 100 entry, and sadly my last Wilderness 101:-(
If I'm going to destroy my feet, it's going to be checking out some new adventures & with some much smaller crowds as I want to be IN the forest, not skirting around it due to trail overuse concerns. When things get THAT big (over 300 people??), I really think there is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed than merely impounding IMBA trail standards. There is no reason that 300+ souls need to be trapsing along the same route on the same day for the glory of doing a 'hard race' against the fast peeps w some beer at the end. I have some ideas that could skirt this issue, but that's another post:-)
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