2024 Fat Dog 100K Race Report
On Saturday, August 10, 2024, I participated in the Fat Dog 100K trail race. It was a wild experience. The course threw everything at us that day. I did my best to put this journey into words. If you want visuals, then you can find my race video HERE.
This screenshot from my Garmin app shows the 66 mile journey. The numbers represent the aid stations. (Note: Ignore #7 since it’s not an aid station.)
This screenshot from my Garmin app shows the elevation profile of the course. Take a look at that climb at the end.
The Race Course
The course is a 62 mile (plus some extra) point-to-point combination of trails in the beautiful and rugged Cascade Range of British Columbia, Canada. The race runs through thick forests, exposed mountain tops, and alpine meadows. The path includes dirt trails, rocky trails, roads, and gravel. All are very runnable!
The elevation gain is approximately 14,000 feet. The altitude ranges from 2,500 to 7,000 feet, with most of the race above 5,000 feet.
There are eight aid stations no further than 10 miles apart. All are well stocked with water and food. Some aid stations have more options than others due to their remote locations.
A good representation of the course profile can be found HERE.
Why This Race?
People tend to ask, “Why did you decide to do this race?” I selected the Fat Dog 100K because it provided just the right amount of elevation gain and distance to be a solid challenge for me. I have never done a trail run with more than 9,000 feet of elevation gain. I wanted to experience more climbs to see how far I could push my body. Plus, Fat Dog is located in a beautiful part of Canada that I always wanted to visit.
Generally speaking, endurance races make me feel alive. I get to experience a wide range of emotions during training and on race day. I experience the highs and the lows and everything in between. I see more places and more nature. I meet new people and make new friendships. It helps me live a full life.
This photo was taken right after completing the Red Wing Trail Challenge, my longest training run. I ran the 60K while my wife ran the 15K. It was a brutally hot day!
My 20 pound vest and StairMaster at my local gym.
Training
My training started in late February 2024. That gave me 22 weeks to prepare for this race. I had a general idea of what to expect considering I have completed a 50 mile and 100 mile race in previous years. But, I had a few things working against me.
For a couple of years, I have been dealing with an aggravated posterior tibial tendon on my left leg. Towards the end of 2023, it became very difficult to run more than 2 miles without feeling sharp pain on the inside of my left ankle. In early January 2024, I worked with a chiropractor and physical therapist to identify the root of the problem and strengthen any weak points. After two months of daily exercises, my posterior tibial tendon felt much stronger! This gave me the green light to start running again. Considering all the ups and down required for this training, I proceeded with caution.
I found a solid training plan online for a 100K mountain race. It provided a good amount of mileage (not excessive) and quite a bit of elevation gain on the runs. There are very few mountains in Westchester County, New York. I would have to drive an hour northwest to reach some small mountains in the Hudson Valley. A two hour drive north would get me to the Catskills for bigger mountains, but I just did not have that amount of time available. My spring and summer weekends were already full of weddings, bachelor parties, birthday parties, and other fun commitments. Yeah, I know… poor me. But it did make it challenging to find time to train. I had to settle for the smaller mountains in the Hudson Valley.
My weekly runs were done on roads and my long runs, which required a lot of elevation gain, were done on trails. Each long run was calculated for distance and elevation gain, and mapped on the AllTrails app. I tried a lot of new trails. Some were runner friendly while others were rocky death traps.
A runnable (low risk, high reward) trail that I found myself going back to was in the Red Wing Recreation Area in Lagrangeville, New York. This was where CTW Endurance hosted the Red Wing Trail Challenge. This 60K race with 6,500 feet of elevation gain was my longest and most challenging training run. On that race day, the humidity was high and the temperature was pushing into the 90s. But hey, I figured this was great training. Managing my breathing and heart rate under these conditions would only help me better prepare for the Fat Dog altitude.
As I progressed in my training, I realized that I needed more work on my ascent pacing. It was still a weak point and I did not want it to slow me down on race day. I decided to switch out a speed run for the infamous StairMaster. I strapped on a 20 pound weighted vest and would climb for 45 to 75 minutes at a moderate pace, sometimes adding intervals. I began to feel more confident in my uphill climb abilities just in time for taper.
About three weeks before the race, I started to taper. This weekly decrease in mileage gave my body enough time to recover. I wanted to feel strong and energized at the starting line. Little did I know that I would be hit with a surprise right before the race (more on that later).
This was the race plan broken down into segments between aid stations.
Race Strategy & Goals
Some people do not like to plan for these races because it can create anxiety. I’m the opposite. I need to plan for these races or else the uncertainty will kill me. There’s a reason they call me “Spreadsheet Freddy.”
I wanted to visualize the race and estimate a reasonable completion time. I broke the race down into sections between aid stations. These aid stations were considered my short term goals. Focusing on getting to an aid station 10 miles away is much better than focusing on a finish line 40 miles away. I compiled a spreadsheet of the segments with their respective distances and elevation gain (provided by the Fat Dog 120 guide). I applied a slower pace for those sections with more distance and higher elevation gain. The general pacing plan was to power hike the uphills and run the flats and downhills, when possible.
My wife, Rachel, was to meet me at two aid stations: Hope Pass and Blackwall. I gave her an estimated range of time to be at those aid stations hoping I got those estimates right. But just to be safe, I provided the Fat Dog race organizers my drop bags for those aid stations. That way, if Rachel could not make it in time, then I would still have my nutrition available for me at the aid stations.
And yes, I also planned my calorie consumption for the race. I was planning to eat around 350 calories per hour and drink a liter of water per hour. My fuel would consist of Precision Nutrition gels, Honey Stinger waffles, Tailwind hydration, and anything else that my stomach desired at the aid stations.
My primary goal is always to cross the finish line without injuries. However, I had a few specific time goals.
Goal A (safe goal): Finish the race in 18 hours.
Goal B (expected goal): Finish the race in 17 hours.
Goal C (reach goal): Finish the race in 16 hours.
My mandatory gear for the race, plus the running vest and minus the gloves.
Our little cabin at Sunshine Valley RV and Cabin Resort.
Final Race Prep
Two weeks before the race, I began to organize my race clothes, gear, nutrition, first aid kit, and personal care kit. For race day clothing, I decided to use my Ten Thousand Lightweight Shirt and Ten Thousand Distance Short. On my feet I decided on the Injinji Trail Midweight Mini-Crew Socks and the Hoka Challenger 7. These articles of clothing felt the most comfortable on my training runs.
The race required the runners to carry mandatory gear to keep them safe. This mandatory gear included a collapsible cup, minimum of 2 liters of fluid capacity, two sources of light, two survival blankets or one bivvy, whistle, minimum 400 calories of food in reserve for emergency, waterproof jacket with taped seams and hood, long running pants, insulating layer long-sleeve shirt, insulating hat and gloves. They also required a GPX navigation device with the correct race route loaded (I used my Garmin watch).
In addition to the mandatory gear, I carried my GoPro attached to an extendable stick, phone, sunglasses, gels, waffles, and a soft flask for my Tailwind. I put all this stuff into my Salomon Active Skin 12L running vest. I was packed and ready to go!
My wife, Rachel, and I flew into Vancouver a few days before the race. On the morning of our flight from Newark to Vancouver, I woke up sneezing and with a runny nose. I shrugged it off. During the six hour plane ride, a sinus headache started to build and my breathing felt heavier. “This can’t be happening… not now,” I thought to myself. Coming off the plane, my hands were shaky and I knew I was not in the right condition to run 100 kilometers. I stayed calm and wanted to give it a few hours to see if it would pass.
After getting food at Flying Beaver Bar & Grill, we drove two and a half hours east to Sunshine Valley. We stayed in a little cabin in the Sunshine Valley RV and Cabin Resort, which was just 15 minutes from the start line! By the time we reached the cabin, I felt much better. We took the next couple of days to hike for acclimatization, eat plenty of carbs, and load up on Sudafed (I was taking no chances). By Friday evening, I was mentally ready for my race, no matter how my body felt.
The Fat Dog 100K had 164 runners at the starting line.
Ready to go!
Race Day
On race day I woke up feeling good, but not great. I’ll take it! Sometimes you have to play the hand you are dealt. There is no time for pity parties. That time and energy is better spent on focusing on how to cross the finish line.
I proceeded with my pre-long run ritual of eating oatmeal, banana, hydration drink, and coffee. I taped my big toes to protect them, put on my running clothes, and packed up my running vest. Most importantly, I used the bathroom. There is no worse feeling than having to poop when you are standing at the starting line.
For the remainder of this race report, I will break down the 100K course by aid stations. As mentioned above, this is how I mentally approached my run. My goal was to make it to the next aid station within a given time.
From Starting Line to Cayuse Flats
Section Distance: 3.9 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 1,138 feet
Rachel and I pulled into the Cascade Rest Area, which was the trailhead for the start of the race. The sun was shining and the race energy was electric. After checking in, we stood around waiting for the race to start. I warmed up my body and made a mental note to pace myself. Anything can happen over 62 miles. The race organizers called all 164 runners to the starting line. I placed myself in the middle towards the back. The countdown began and then we were off by 7:30 AM.
This first section to Cayuse Flats was a single track trail in dense woods. This made it very difficult to pass people. I was wondering if I should have placed myself a little further up with the faster runners. Then again, this was a great way to pace myself at the beginning of the race.
Before I knew it, I was at the first aid station. There was no need for resupplying so I just kept going. There was another bottle neck here for checking bib numbers. However, the volunteers were doing an impressive job of manually processing so many people.
From Cayuse Flats to Grainger Creek
Section Distance: 4.7 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 981 feet
After leaving the aid station, there was still some crowding on the trail. It cleared up by mile six. That’s when I started to find my stride. The dirt trails through the woods were pleasant. There was nothing technical and this section had little elevation gain (compared to the other sections).
I arrived to Grainger Creek aid station in good spirits. I refilled my water bladder, Tailwind, and picked up a gel. I was only 8.6 miles into the race and covered 2,100 feet of elevation gain. There was no reason to be tired just yet. The next section was the one I was worried about.
From Grainger Creek to Hope Pass
Section Distance: 10 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 3,366 feet
This was a long stretch with a lot of climbing. I made it a point to pace myself in this section as I made my way into higher altitudes. I ran through some dense evergreen forests and colorful alpine meadows as some clouds began to roll in. Despite some light drizzles, I found myself continuously saying, “Wow,” to the beautiful surrounding scenery.
Luckily, I had the company of two other runners, Sharla and Matt. We carried some good conversation for a few miles to distract us from the agony of going uphill.
By the time I reached Hope Pass aid station, I covered a total of 18.6 miles and 5,486 feet of elevation gain. I knew Rachel was waiting for me at this aid station so that was some good motivation to get through this section. She ran up to me and asked me what I needed (like a pro crew member). I reapplied some anti-chaffing cream and went to find my drop bag. But my drop bag was not there!
While Rachel and the race volunteer looked for the bag, I went to resupply my water and Tailwind. I was already planning how many calories of food I would need to take from this aid station if they didn’t find my drop bag. For some reason, by drop bag ended up in the bag with all the “used” drop bags. I’m not sure how it ended up in there, but I’m sure glad they found it. Problem avoided!
I gave Rachel a kiss good-bye and asked her to bring an extra running shirt to the Blackwall aid station. I did not want to be in a wet shirt at night when the temperatures drop. Then I was off, back into the woods ready to tackle some other gnarly climbs.
From Hope Pass to Nicomen Lake
Section Distance: 8.3 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 1,716 feet
Much of this section I spent alone. I enjoyed the solitude. It was just me and nature at 6,000 feet of altitude. I got into a rhythm with my running. The constant “tap, tap, tap” turned into a never ending song in my head. My nutrition and hydration seemed to be on point.
By mile 24, everything was easy going until I felt a drop hit my head. Then a bigger and harder drop hit my head. I was getting hit by little pieces of hail. It soon turned into rain. I had to stop to put on my rain coat to avoid getting too wet. I covered my head with the hood and kept moving forward trying not to lose momentum.
The trails were getting muddy. Some puddles started to accumulate, which forced me to get off trail. The rocks and roots became slippery, which forced me to slow down. That “tap, tap, tap” noise became “splat, splat, splat.” It slowed me down a bit, but I was used to running in rainy conditions. I just became hyperaware of my footing and took advantage of the drier sections of the trail.
After a total of 26.9 miles, I reached Nicomen aid station and the rain stopped. I needed to refuel on electrolytes. Unfortunately, the aid station ran out of Tailwind. Instead, I poured some hot chicken broth into my soft flask. Considering the rain and cool temperatures, the broth was very comforting. I refilled my 2 liter water bladder and grabbed a handful of potato chips (my favorite!). It seemed like a few people were hanging at this station a little longer, probably to dry off a bit. I was in and out as quickly as possible. I was eager to see the popular Heather Trail everyone was talking about.
The uphill climb after leaving Nicomen Lake aid station, which was located along the right of the lake in this picture.
I came into Blackwall aid station completely soaked. You can see I have my eyes on those potato chips.
From Nicomen Lake to Heather
Section Distance: 9.9 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 2,290 feet
This section was going to be tough. Not only was it long with high elevation gain, but it also had the highest altitude peaking at 7,000 feet. The climb out of Nicomen Lake was slow and steady. I started to feel my lower back extensors start to ache. I was bending over on these climbs with 8 to 10 pounds on my back. My lower back was bound to take a hit. I started to put my knees on my hands for extra support as I made my way up. Many runners had trekking poles, but I did not think it was necessary for this distance. Maybe I was wrong.
After climbing (what seemed like forever), I found myself on top of a ridge with panoramic views of Nicomen Lake and surrounding mountains. This was another wow moment. I continued on the dirt path making my way across the exposed ridge towards some large alpine meadows. The skies still had an overcast, which did not bother me. What did bother me was the rain showers coming down hard in the distance. In my head, I was prepared for anything.
At mile 36.8, I reached Heather aid station. It was a simple aid station so I only refilled on water and Tailwind. I grabbed a handful of pretzels and was on my way. As I was making my way out, another runner came in seeking medical assistance because he was peeing blood. Unfortunately, that is when you have to call it quits.
From Heather to Blackwall
Section Distance: 6.7 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 761 feet
As I left Heather, something felt off. I ran a quarter of a mile before realizing I forgot my GoPro at the aid station! I turned around feeling a little foolish, but lucky considering it was a short distance.
This section had more downhill than uphill, which I loved! My legs felt strong and my mood was positive. I did start to feel some fatigue, but I trained for running in these tired conditions. I picked up my pace heading down the mountain as I heard words of encouragement from passing hikers.
The clouds were getting thicker and the skies were getting darker. Before I knew it, the rain started again. As I made my way down the gravel road towards Blackwall aid station, the rain intensified. It became a downpour. My adrenaline shot up. I thought to myself, “This is why I’m here. This is the challenge and discomfort I wanted.” In a weird way, this was one of my favorite parts of the race.
I rolled into Blackwall aid station completely soaked in rainwater. Poor Rachel was waiting for me in the rain with a shirt over her head (she’s the best). I was so happy she made it to the aid station safely and on time. I was running way ahead of schedule so I was worried that I would show up before her arrival.
Rachel handed me a new shirt that I asked for back in Hope Pass aid station. I quickly changed into that shirt and put my rain coat back on. I refilled my water, Tailwind, and collected my drop bag full of gels and waffles. I was starting to get tired of those gels and waffles, but it seemed like my digestive system was holding up pretty well. Too much sugar can make it go out of whack.
By this point I covered 43.5 miles and 10,200 feet of elevation gain. Going into the race I knew this was going to be when things got tough. This was when the race really began for me.
Coming down from Blackwall, racers were required to wear a reflective vest because we were sharing the road with cars. They gave me a small, which did not fit.
This was passing Lightning Lake on my way to Strawberry Flats aid station. You can see the finish line to the very right of the picture.
From Blackwall to Windy Joe's
Section Distance: 6.8 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 231 feet
This section was a lot of downhill road in the beginning. That meant the knees were working overtime as my heavy feet slammed into the hard payment. The road eventually turned into trail, but the downhill continued. It was a long way down. The total descent was about 2,300 feet. It started to take a toll on my right pinky toenail, which started to talk back to me.
In this section, I strategically had some caffeine for a boost. I pulled out a can of Coca Cola that I grabbed from the Blackwall aid station. The sugar and caffeine rush was much need. Things felt great until my stomach dropped. Uh oh. I immediately started looking for some good tree coverage to do my business, which I was well prepared for. This bathroom break set me back a few minutes, but I felt so much better. Plus, the sun was out and shining. Life was good!
I arrived at the Windy Joe’s aid station at mile 50.3. I refilled my water and Tailwind. I was getting tired of all the gels and waffles so I had some boiled potatoes and potato chips provided by the aid station. I had good momentum so I was in and out as quickly as possible.
From Windy Joe’s to Strawberry Flats
Section Distance: 5.1 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 984 feet
This stretch was short, but felt surprisingly long. I must have been getting tired. I ran by Lightning Lake where I could see the finish line to my right. However, I had to go left because I still had one more mountain to climb before I came back to finish. I ran around the lake as the sun came down and turned the tall Hemlock trees to gold. Yes, this was another wow moment.
I ran in complete solitude from the lake to Strawberry Flats. There was a lot of rocky terrain along the way, but I was used to running in that terrain back home.
At the Strawberry Flats aid station, I refilled on water, Tailwind, and ate some watermelon and waffle. The next stop was the finish line. I was ready to tackle the hardest part of the race.
As darkness fell on Skyline Trail, everything became still and quiet.
At the finish line with my medal.
My legs after the race. I needed to shower ASAP!
The Fat Dog 100K finisher medal.
From Strawberry Flats to Finish Line
Section Distance: 10.9 miles
Section Elevation Gain: 3,150 feet
This is the section I was mentally preparing for all day long. I’m sure the race organizers put a big climb at the very end just to make us smile. Regardless, I was ready for some pain.
I started the long climb up Skyline Trail on well manicured, soft dirt roads through the woods. I maintained a slow and steady pace going uphill. I made way for another racer to pass by. He was cruising at a fast pace. How did he have all that energy? Then I saw his trekking poles. “Ah, maybe next time Freddy,” I thought to myself. For now, my hands on my knees would be enough.
The sky started to dim and soon I had to pull my headlamp out. I have done many night runs before. In fact, I enjoy them. Watching the bright moon shine along the horizon of tall evergreen silhouettes against the red, orange, blue, and purple sky stopped me in my tracks. You guessed it; it was a wow moment.
I was starting to feel the exhaustion in the legs. For the first time, I had to stop my uphill climbs to rest for 10 to 20 seconds. Regardless, I felt like I was making good progress. I was passing by a bunch of people, who probably did not feel comfortable running in the dark. I made sure not to get too overconfident. I still had a long way to go so I just focused on my footing to avoid ditches, loose rocks, and steep ledges. One misstep can end the race for me.
After a lot of climbing, I reached the top of the mountain, or so I thought. There were a lot of false summits along the way. I made it to the first peak only to realize there were small headlamps making their way up another higher peak. This happened a few times. Instead of getting upset or frustrated, I just laughed.
There was a long and steep decent back towards the lake. Some sections were a little technical with rocky ledges, but I made it down safely. My watch was reading a total elevation gain of 13,500 feet. I was reserving some energy for the last 500 feet of climbing.
I stayed on course by following the signs. I found myself back near Lightning Lake, where I had a small moment of panic. I was heading towards the finish line, but I still had 500 feet of climbing left. I thought to myself, “Did I make a wrong turn? How can I fuck this up now?” I stood on the trail for 30 seconds until another runner came by. I asked her if I was going the right way. She was not sure because she was doing the 50 mile race (not the 62 mile race). I waited for another runner to come by. Luckily, he was running the 62 miler as well and told me that I was on the right path. (This turned out to be Mark, who I chatted with at the very beginning of the race. It was funny how we were finishing together.) I guess my watch was just off with the elevation gain.
Any energy I had left in reserve I let out in this final section around the lake. I burst into a fast pace run ready to end my race strong. A smile came across my face. I knew I was going to crush my time goals. Better yet, I felt strong and injury free (minus that right pinky toenail, but more on that later).
At 11:09 PM, I crossed the Fat Dog 100K finish line with a final time of 15 hours 39 minutes and 26 seconds. I surpassed all my time goals! This put me in 28th place out of 164 runners. Not bad! Just for perspective, the first place runner finished in 11 hours 41 minutes and 9 seconds. Incredible!
Aftermath
The next morning, I woke up after a poor night of sleep as expected. After long races, my cortisol and adrenaline levels are high. My nervous system is jacked up and my mind is still in race mode. Sometimes I find myself running in my sleep and kicking in bed. The night after Fat Dog, I dreamt that I stepped into a ditch in complete darkness and had to catch myself with my other leg. I woke myself up by kicking my leg into the air.
I spent the next couple of days as stiff as a board. My quads and glutes were stiff, but my lower back muscles were the worst of all. All that climbing during the race forced me into a bent over position and that really put stress on my lower back. It was comedic getting out of chairs at restaurants, car seats, couches, and hot tubs. I knew some movement would help my recovery so we spent one whole day walking all around Vancouver!
To my surprise, I had no chafing (thank you Squirrel’s Nut Butter) and no blisters. Better yet, I had no knee pain and that old posterior tibial tendon injury did not flare up. However, that right pinky toe nail did take a hit. A week later, it’s purple, but still hanging on for dear life. If that was the worst of it, then I’m very pleased!
Thank You
A big thank you to all the race organizers and race volunteers. They work hard to make sure the course is well marked and the aid stations are well stocked. Well done!
A special thank you to Rachel, who puts up with my crazy endeavors. She did a fantastic job crewing. I can’t do this without her.
And a thank you to everyone who followed along on my journey. You also played a role in this. You provided support and helped keep me accountable. I can’t wait for you to follow along on the next fitness journey.