When Dr. Andy Reed isn’t dancing down scree slopes in Kananaskis or winning races in far flung mountain ranges, he’s usually putting athletes back together again in his Canmore sports medicine clinic.
It’s not often his work and play combine on trail.
However, only two and a half miles into the 100 mile Run Rabbit Run race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, he saw his friend Dave Proctor of Black Diamond, Alta. on his knees, clutching his chest.
“(Proctor) had driven down the day before, and I thought more likely it was a blood clot in his lung. He was feeling quite short of breath and I stopped to check on him,” Reed said.
He helped escort Proctor to a nearby aid station, with much protest.
“I nearly had to beat him with a stick to get him to move forward and go on with his own race,” Proctor said.
With Proctor en route to hospital, Reed switched his focus to the remaining 97.5 miles of his targeted race, and proceeded to kick butt for the next 23 hours.
“On paper, it didn’t look like the hardest 100 miler I’ve done. But it’s definitely hard. For me it was the toughest 100 mile race I’ve done,” Reed said.
There is no such thing as an easy 100 mile race, but Run Rabbit Run is particularly hard on ultrarunners. It’s a qualifier for the Superbowl of ultramarathons, the Western States 100, so the field is deep.
The course profile is brutal: 12,200 metres of elevation change, all of it at altitude, much of it on trails that tempt runners to go faster, when steady is the key to victory. No pace runners are allowed, so long nights alone in the mountains (complete with cougar sightings) are common.
“A lot of it is really runnable terrain. That makes for a difficult race,” Reed said. “It is essentially important to go steady at the start and not get caught with the fast guys.”
Starting with a 1,200m climb up the slope of Mount Werner, Reed felt strong through the first climb, and found himself ahead of many of the big names in the race. His training paid off, as he said the first half of the race flew by.
“There is a big aid station at mile 42, when it started to get dark. I was in really good shape. I was running in front of the race favourites and was sixth or seventh overall,” Reed said.
Over such distances, athletes must prepare for a myriad of weather changes, and organizers warned runners beforehand that cold was the number one reason for DNFs in Run Rabbit Run. Most of the run takes place in darkness, further exacerbating the issue. This race was no different. Above 3,100m, the temperature dropped to -14 C. Facing the cold night, half the field dropped out.
“When I started climbing to the 50 mile mark, it started to get really, really cold. By that point, you’re well into the race and fatigue sets in. It’s definitely a big challenge,” Reed said. “At that time, you have to manage what’s going on at the moment. It can be overwhelming to think how much further you have to go. Your focus is on what you must deal with at that time.”
Reed tried to warm up at an aid station, wearing three windbreakers, three jerseys, two Buffs and two pairs of gloves he had packed for the race. His hands were so cold he couldn’t use the zipper on his jacket, and his headlamp began to fade. It warmed him enough to keep going through the night, running in 10th spot.
The racecourse was unrelenting, dropping back to 1,000m elevation, only to climb back to 3,000m. The course was smooth, however, lacking some of the technical sections Rocky Mountain runners tend to prefer.
By the time dawn broke, Reed was suffering mightily, but knew he was only a few hours away from the finish.
“It was not so much of a race at that point, but a try to get it finished. Towards the end, I was passed by a few runners, but I didn’t care. I had nothing left,” Reed said.
He finished in 23 hours, 21 minutes, good enough for 12th in the open men’s division, and second in his age group. His GPS also said he had run an extra six miles, as he had rambled off course at one point, adding an extra hour to his race.
“My time is slower, but when I look at the additional distance, the weather and competition, I’m totally happy with this race,” said Reed, who was appreciative to have his family at the finish line. “I’ve had great support from my wife Saira, and from Salomon, who sponsored me along the way.
He’ll have to wait until December to see if he qualifies for the Western States 100, but in the meantime he may have a race or two left in his legs for this season. What he’d love to see is a 100-mile race come to the Bow Valley.
“We have some of the best trail running terrain in the world here and it would he relatively easy to put together a course. I’d love to see a 100-mile race come here,” Reed said.
