Arkansas Traveller 100

Race Information

• What? Arkansas Traveller 100
• When? October 5th, 2024
• Distance: 100 miles (161 km)
• Where? Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas, USA
• Website: Arkansas Traveller 100
• Strava Activity: Strava
• Finish Time: 22 hours 27 minutes

Goals

Preamble

The idea to race Arkansas Traveller 100, was set into motion many years ago, when I was looking for a 2022 Western States qualifier. Unfortunately, a cycling accident kept me from running a 100-mile race that year, as recovery took months. Thankfully, WSER allows byes or else I would have lost all my tickets. This left a sense of unfinished business, and I was determined to revisit this race and finish what I had originally planned for 2022.

It’s always fun to explore a new state, so going to Arkansas was quite appealing. Fun fact: Arkansas has roughly the same land area as England, but about 1/20th of the population! That’s a lot of open space…

Training

There are two ways to look at my training: (1) I had been training all year for this race, and all my other races were just milestones or (2) the block that proceeded this race. I will focus on the block that directly preceded this race. If you are curious about the rest of this year - have a look at my other race reports.

First off, I’ve managed to avoid any major injuries. I attribute this to smarter training. More easy runs, less intensity, and a significant increase in stretching and strength work.

Two weeks after San Francisco marathon, I began the training block. My goal was to try hit my highest weekly mileage ever, previously it had been about 42miles/65 km, I was shooting for “up to 100miles/160km”, though I realistically expected to fall short there as I only had 9 weeks to play with, including post marathon recovery and pre-race taper.

The two major changes to my approach were: (1) reduced intensity, focusing more on time and distance, and (2) back-to-back long runs. I really enjoyed this training block, managing to peak at 116 km in a week! The back-to-back long runs were particularly interesting. I split them into a hot, flat long run of marathon distance or more on day one, followed by a vert-focused half marathon (about 1,000 meters/3,000 feet of elevation) on day two.

I wrapped up the last training week by tapering the distance while slightly increasing the intensity, finishing with a relatively fast parkrun (18:20) where I eased into the first 2 km before picking up the pace.

Before the race

Unlike my last few 100 mile races, I thought it would be nice to have a pacer/crew join for the experience. A friend from the UK, Phil, kindly volunteered, and it was a great stroke of luck as he’s an experienced crew member and pacer, having come 9th-place at the Centurion Thames Path 100.

We both made our way to Little Rock on the Wednesday before the race, well at least I did. Phil had some rotten luck and got stuck in Dallas after his UK flight was delayed. My trip from San Francisco went smoothly, and I arrived early. After checking in at our Airbnb I went for a short shakeout run to keep my running streak alive and enjoyed a delicious burger at a local smash burger joint. I then treated myself to a 10-hour sleep before another shakeout run around the Little Rock river and bridges, ending at a fantastic coffee shop to kick off my carbo-loading. Phil arrived shortly after, and we did some exploring together.

I managed around 700 grams of carbs that day, eating:

1. Banana muffin
2. Avocado toast
3. Croissant
4. A donut
5. Pizza
6. A bagel
7. Chocolate chip muffin
8. Some orange and pineapple juicee.

I felt stuffed and knew I wouldn’t be able to eat that much again the next day!

On Friday, we packed up and headed to the race start location. I wanted to check out the technical portion of the trail to determine which shoes to wear as I couldn’t decide between trail and road. This proved to be a very useful excursion, as I quickly decided trail shoes were the best choice.

We then headed to Morrilton, grabbed some pizza, and I was in bed by 5 pm, though I didn’t actually fall asleep until around 9 pm due to race nerves…

Race Day

Waking up at 3am, I had a bagel and orange juice before changing into my race kit. With the abundance of aid stations, I skipped the ultra vest in favor of a waist belt (Naked Belt) that had worked well during training runs, provided it wasn’t overloaded with too much weight.

Jumping in the car we made our way to the race check-in at the start/finish point. We got there just in-time. In retrospect, should have budgeted an extra 10 minutes… and we were off.

To Crew Spot 1 (0 to 16.4 miles)

Aid Stations: Brown’s Creek to Lake Sylvia

With an ambitious goal of a top 10 finish and the weather forecasted to be very hot, I decided to start relatively fast to bank some time. The start featured a pleasant downhill on roads, but I was surprised by how quickly others were running. Even at a solid pace, runners were overtaking me. I had to remind myself to stick to my plan and let them go.

As we turned off the road onto a hard-packed dirt access road, I began using my heart rate as a guide, aiming to keep it around 139 bpm. I chatted to a few friendly locals as they overtook me and asked for tips on the course. The first person I bumped into was Cliff and his friend, it was his 3rd time running of the race, and he had an ambitious goal of 19 hours, though mainly I remember our discussion of venomous snakes on the course (more of that later!)

After a small climb, I decided to stretch out my legs on the downhill. A few minutes in, I realized I was pushing too hard, so I adopted my first mantra: “Take the free miles.” It reminded me to embrace the downhills without burning out. Shortly afterwards I ran into a shirtless runner, he looked somewhat familiar and after a brief chat with him mentioning he was a lawyer in Arkansas, I put 2 and 2 together and realized I was running with the a previous course record holder and previous winnner, Wesley. We chatted for a bit before he stopped for water. He later passed me again, along with the first-place woman, and I let them pace me into the first crew aid station.

After a quick bio break, Phil did a great job getting me through the aid station quickly. I picked up a fully loaded ice bandana, which seemed excessive at the time, but turned out to be my best decision of the day.

To Crew Spot 2 (16.4 to 30.9 miles)

Aid Stations: Lake Sylvia to Lake Winona

As I left the aid station, the group I had been running with was long gone. I still felt good but decided to be more conservative on the uphills. It was already getting warm, and it was only 9 am.

This section marked the start of the out-and-back portion of the race, as we would not repeat the initial loop on the Ouichita trail. The path wasn’t too technical, but I was still glad I kept my trail shoes. The miles flowed smoothly, and I ran alone all the way to the next aid station, where I quickly topped up my ice and continued.

Not long after, some of the early faster runners started coming back to me, and Cliff overtook me with words of encouragement.

The trail between the next two aid stations wasn’t too technical, and I made good time. Feeling great, I filled my ice bandana at the Electronic Tower Aid Station, had some snacks, water, and Coke before heading out.

About a kilometer later, I realized I’d neglected to refill my water bottles and there were still about 10 km to the next aid station. I briefly considered going back, but the thought of retracing my steps was unappealing. Feeling good, I decided to push on, rationing the 150 ml of water I had left.

As I made my way to the Lake Winona aid station the trail was technical but as it was generally descending I felt good. I wanted to keep up the momentum, so ate my first caffeine gel of the day with the remnants of the water. This perked me up immensely and I made really good progress. I started drinking the melting water off my ice banana, which tasted pretty good if I’m honest. As the last of the ice started to melt I remembered a tip from a podcast with Tom Evans: swallow the ice to stay cool. I took a very small amount of the ice shrapnel and tried to swallow it. My body was having none of that, so I stuck to sipping the last of the meltwater. By now, the heat was intense, and I could feel waves of it. At the next aid station, I eagerly refilled my water and moved on.

To Crew Spot 3 (30.9 to 47.6 miles)

Aid Stations: Lake Winona to Powerline

Arriving at the next Aid station Phil was waiting, and we made another quick transition with him grabbing me snacks, refilling my ice bandanan and my gels. He had also filled my water bottles with ice-cold water, which was glorious. I left quickly and after a brief descent started climbing up to Pigtrail - where I topped up with more ice. I kept on pushing through ascending and descending as swiftly as my legs would carry me, hindered mainly by the occasional bashed toe, ouch.

Arriving at Bahama Mama I had a fun chat with the friendly Aid Station folks, before pushing on. Most of the course had been hard-packed dirt, so it was noticeable that this section started with a bit of grass, I was extra vigilant for snakes after my earlier chat but I none were spotted. It was at this point that I started walking more of the hills. The heat of the day and the relentless pushing had got to me. Or perhaps my lower calorie intake in the last section was the culprit. Time for a new mantra, “walking isn’t free”, I really liked this one and used it throughout the rest of the race. I would chant this and then remind myself, (a) walking is slower (b) it still requires effort (c) more time on feet overall - it really helped me to overcome the brain telling me to walk.

During this section a few folks were in the pain cave with the very high heat and I passed them on ascents or descents. I also realized than as soon as the ice had fully melted I had to reduce my exertion level quite a lot or I would quickly feel too hot.

After 28kms of very hot running, I heard it was just over 32c/90f with a pretty large climb to the end of this section. I finally arrived the next crew spot, Powerline - wooo, I was roughly half way!

Powerline Loop (47.6 to 68.2 miles)

Aid Stations: Powerline to Powerline

As I exited the aid station, I saw Phil again! He had navigated some tricky roads to reach the crew point and was ready to pace me for this 34 km section. I sat down briefly, mumbled about the previous segments while eating and drinking, and looked forward to the next stretch with a bit a bit of company. I also decided to swap my shoes to a fresh pair, which felt great - who knows if the foam had compressed or it was all psychological - but I’m not complaining! After a slightly longer stop, we set out together.

The start of the Powerline section was a gentle trail, perfect for making good time. We ran the flats and downhills, power hiking the ups. About 37 minutes in, we spotted the first-place runner, Brendon, powering up a hill. He looked like a man on a mission, and Phil and I were both impressed. We pressed on and reached the next aid station, where we topped up with ice and enjoyed some fantastic pumpkin chocolate cake, definitely the best snack of the day.

After leaving the aid station, we kept a solid pace. The second-place runner passed us, about 40 minutes behind Brendon. Shortly after, we saw the leading lady and then Cliff, still looking strong. We pushed on and eventually reached the turnaround aid station. The heat made this a tough stretch, so we took a few minutes to refuel, chat with the friendly volunteers, and recharge. Then we headed back out.

The return leg felt quicker, helped by the steady stream of runners heading out. Everyone was incredibly friendly, exchanging encouragement. Toward the end of this section, I started feeling low and could only manage a wave to the passers-by, sorry about that!

It was getting dark as we returned to Powerline. Phil and I had a plan: instead of pacing me through the next section, he would meet me for the last 25 km, ensuring I had company for the most challenging part, the finish section.

As I entered the Powerline aid station for the second time, I couldn’t help but admire those just starting this loop. It had taken me just under 5 hours to complete the loop, and just over 14 hours total race time. If they matched my pace, they’d be over 19 hours in by the time they returned, painful.

As I prepared to head out, we realized that our head torches had gotten mixed up in the wrong bags. After a momentary panic, we worked out a plan: I left with Phil’s torch, and he would bring mine for the next pacing section. Crisis averted!

Back from Powerline (68.2 to 84.9 miles)

Aid Stations: Powerline to Lake Winona

It had now got quite dark, but unfortunately the heat was persistent, around 27c/80f. Making my way up my first climb I began to feel overheated. It wasn’t quite hot enough for an ice bandana, but I still felt uncomfortably warm. For the first time in any ultra I’ve done, I took off my running shirt. Wow, that made a huge difference. Instantly, I felt better, and it was decided: I’d run the rest of the race shirtless.

From there, I focused on grinding out the miles. The terrain was a mix of climbs and descents, and while all the aid stations were fantastic, the Flamingo aid station was a highlight. It felt like a flamingo themed night club in the middle of nowhere! I took a few minutes to sit, enjoy some broth, and chat with the volunteers before heading out, I knew what lay ahead of me. What I liked to call “The Hell Road”, technical section full of rocks.

Just as I was about to leave, another shirtless runner bent over and let out a massive chunder. I had to look away to avoid triggering my own stomach!

Not long after, the same runner and his pacer caught up to me. We exchanged pleasantries, and he asked, “Having fun yet?” I replied with a hearty “f@#k no, I just want to get this done”. Various runners and I began leap frogging, many had pacers and sometimes I would try hang on for a few miles using them to drive a bit of extra motivation in myself.

At one point, I teamed up with two guys and their mom, who were setting a great pace. We chatted about San Diego and various other races. Midway through, a runner coming the other way (presumably a sweeper) warned us about a copperhead rattlesnake up ahead. From then on, every snake-shaped branch put us on edge. Eventually, I let them go and tackled the remaining miles on my own.

Back from Powerline (84.9 to 100.3 miles)

Aid Stations: Lake Winona to FINISH

Arriving back at the aid station, I thought I had completed about 144 km in 18.5 hours. But my GPS must have been off, or I had been running poor tangents—there were still 26 km to go! It’s a bit disheartening to realize you’re not as far along as you thought. Though on a positive note, Phil would be re-joining me until the end.

After more broth and chips, Phil and I left the aid station. I mentioned the snake story, and he didn’t seem to register it. Looking back I guess he was thinking about the next section or something else as not 10 minutes later… he nearly stepped on a small copperhead, missing it by just a few inches! He also encountered his first tarantula soon after. Quite the introduction to pacing in Arkansas!

This next section began with a runnable trail, followed by a rocky climb. It was Phil’s first experience with the trickier terrain, and he remarked on how challenging it was. We kept pressing on, summiting climbs and then descending them trying to run as much as possible, mixing in a fair amount of death marching. I had long since given up on the top 10 goal and was now focusing on sub-24. With plenty of time in the bank, I focused on maintaining a decent pace to secure that coveted colorful buckle.

As we descended the final long hill, I knew we’d done it. Phil went ahead to film my finish, and with a final burst of energy, I crossed the line. Hooray! 22 hours and 26 minutes, my third fastest 100-miler, and 24th overall!

After a brief chat with the race director and receiving my buckle, we headed back to the hotel for a well-earned rest.

Epilogue

Back at the hotel, we grabbed a terrible McDonald’s breakfast, I showered briefly before going down for a well earned nap. Waking up I briefly considered going back to the race to watch the final finishers and the award ceremony, but we were tight on time to return the rental car in Little Rock, so I had to skip it.

Reflecting on the race and my goals, I fell short of my aspirations but knew they were lofty. I let go of my time goals early on, except for finishing under 24 hours, due to the heat. Did I give up on the top 10 too soon? Could I have pushed deeper into the pain cave earlier? Should I have taken more risks later on? I’m not sure. But either way, it was fun to push harder, run more hills, and I’m incredibly proud of the result.

Finally, I’d always heard the term “California Carpet” to describe the smooth trails out west where I usually run, but I never understood why East-coasters used it. Now I know, Arkansas trails are full of rocks, so many rocks.

Side Note

I’ve been thinking about some longer-term goals to keep things interesting. Inspired by Walter Handloser, who’s run nearly 100x100 milers, and Ultra Kraut, I’ve decided to try running a 100-miler in every state. I’ve completed five so far, so it’s time to pick up the pace!