Race Report Bear Trails Grizzly 100 - The Brutal One

It's been a while since I race report had written. In the early days of Obstakels.com I wrote a report almost every week about an event I attended. Lately I've been in the shop, than I'll be found on the trails or in the mud.

And after the 10th Mud Masters, there's little new to write about, and it feels a bit repetitive. However, I recently started the Bear Sports Grizzly 100. This event certainly deserves a race report.

I've never been much of a training schedule person, and this time I didn't really have one either. The idea was to just rack up the miles and see if I could train for some elevation gain. Ultimately, neither worked out quite as well. Three young children, a shop, and a wife who works full-time meant the mileage wasn't enough. And elevation gain. That's a challenge in and around Amsterdam. So that wasn't enough either. In June, as a trial run, I did a six o'clock I ran a race in the Haarlemmermeer. On the one hand, to see if I was in good shape. On the other, to see what it does to me mentally. After all, you don't see beautiful trails, just the same loop every kilometer. With 62 kilometers in six hours, I was reasonably satisfied. A month before the Grizzly, I still had the Dam run I ran and then walked home to make it a marathon. That was kind of the long, big training run, and I didn't do much after that. The conclusion is that I need to do more in preparation next time, because this wasn't enough.

Since I had to come from Amsterdam, and it's easily a three-hour drive, I thought it would be wise to stay at a bed and breakfast nearby. The Merschermole mill is about five minutes from the start, and at the Legends Tracking, I could see the night before that I wasn't the only participant staying there. It's a beautiful area, and the night before, I could enjoy a delicious meal by the Meuse River and lay the foundation for Saturday's challenge. You could pick up your race number and tracker on Friday evening, so my entire outfit, drop bag, and race vest were all set the night before. Now it was just a matter of setting two alarms and getting a good night's sleep.

"It can't be the equipment," I always say. Especially in my case, the equipment has to be top-notch. This was the outfit I started in.

• NNormal Tomir 2/Merrell Agility Peak 5 (I used two pairs of shoes)
• Drymax socks
• Compressport Oxygen Tubes
• Instinct shorts
• N Normal vest (with extra flask)
• Compressport Free Belt Pro
• Compressport Trail shirt Half zip
• COROS Vertix 2
• Compressport Arm Sleeves
• Leki Poles
• Buff
• Shokz
• Julbo Glasses
• NNormal Cap
• Buff headband
• Phoenix lamp

There were also mandatory items like a trail cup, a thermal blanket, and a rain jacket. None of these were used. As you can see, running or trail running is a cheap sport. Just a pair of shoes and you're good to go ;)

Along the way, you could leave two drop bags with items in them. At kilometers 44 and 62, you reached these drop bags and could take items from your bag. Or leave them behind. Mine mainly contained food and an extra pair of shoes for a change.

"What do you eat on the road?" is a question I often get. When you start delving into endurance nutrition, you have to be careful not to fall into the rabbit hole. Before you know it, you're creating spreadsheets with carbohydrates and figuring out the best electrolyte mix. Personally, I usually aim for about 60 carbs per hour, supplemented with plenty of fluids and some supplements. I also bring some "real food" for variety and as a bonus. This is what I packed in my vest, belt, and shorts:

• Maurten 320 Drink
• Maurten 320 CAF Drink
• Maurten 100 Gel
• Naak Ultra Energy drink
• Naked Gel
• Naked Puree
• Hammer BCAA
• Hammer Antifatigue
• Saltstick caps
• 3 soft flasks (1.5 liter)
• Dried mango
• Salted Cashews
• Cranberries

And now for a race report, broken down by drink station.

At 6:05 a.m., the starting gun sounded, and hundreds of headlamps began their adventure. Soon, a beautiful line of lights appeared when you looked back. The course was fairly busy for the first 5 to 10 kilometers, but after that, the field dispersed, and the pace became relaxed. After an hour or two, the headlamps could be turned off, and at the first stop at kilometer 22, the headlamp and headband could be stowed away. The cap and goggles could go on, as the sun would soon be rising above the horizon.

The course was nicely varied, covering all surfaces. Somewhere before the first bag drop was also the muddiest part, where my shoes completely sank into the mud. My second pair of shoes, which I'd worn from kilometer 44, never got as dirty as the first pair. I started with two soft flasks, but at the first stop, I decided to fill the third soft flask, which was in the back. As the sun came up and the temperature rose, this proved to be a good idea. As for food, I only managed gels. I wasn't really hungry yet. Until the first bag drop at kilometer 44, things went pretty fast. I was running at a pace similar to my long-distance running pace, and it felt nice and relaxed. My fluids weren't quite enough, so I was happy to be there.I stopped at the drop bag to change shoes and replenish my food. I mostly drank a lot of water and sports drink, from sponsor Tailwind Nutrition, but didn't eat anything else, except for a Naak puree from my bag.

From all that sitting, I'd gotten a tiny bit stiff, and for the first few hundred meters, I felt like I was hobbling along like The Penguin in the new HBO series. Pretty soon, I could grab my Leki poles again, and the adventure continued. On my Strava, I saw my pace slow down a bit, and it felt that way too. The course was quiet, and I regularly ran into the same runners. I even ran with a customer from the store for a bit, but otherwise, it was mostly solo running. My Shokz was now regularly used for audiobooks and podcasts. And for the most part, it was all about enjoying the scenery. I wasn't sure which country I was running in anymore, but the road signs told me it was Germany, Belgium, or the Netherlands.

After another lap around Drielandenpunt, we arrived back at the drop bag for the second time. The advice there was to drink plenty of fluids, as we were now going to run about 25 kilometers without a refreshment station. I skipped all the hot food and didn't sit down, so my muscles wouldn't get stiff. I also had a Naak puree here, and I took the sports drink sachets and new gels with me. There was plenty of hot food available, but I still wasn't really hungry. The gels and sports drink still went down very smoothly, and it seemed to be enough. The long stretch to the last checkpoint went really well. I did have to walk a bit every now and then because the lack of training was starting to get to me. Looking at Strava, this is also where I clocked my slowest kilometers. Still, I had a great time and jogged along to the last checkpoint. It arrived a bit earlier than I'd anticipated, and refilling my soft flasks got me through quickly. Tip! If you use the Naak Salty Soup sports drink, which is deliciously salty, be sure to thoroughly clean any previous bottle of sweet sports drink first. If the flavors mix, it won't taste good.

The last part was a matter of just keeping going. You know you'll be there in about 10 kilometers, so you don't have to save any time. Just keep going. At one point, the sun set, and I had to keep my Fenix ​​on my head for the final kilometers. I managed to take a wrong turn 200 meters before the finish, which meant I had to walk through a ditch to reach the finish. Walking back the 50 meters wasn't an option, of course. Tired but satisfied, I crossed the finish line after 1:40 PM.

I felt like I was still pretty awake when I crossed the finish line, mainly thanks to the caffeinated sports drink. However, I wasn't completely alert anymore, because when I finished my B&As I was walking in, I realized I still had a drop bag, and that it was probably still at the finish line. It's a shame to leave your shoes and spare food behind. So that became a bonus run. The next day, I felt a bit like I sometimes see Joe Biden waddling on TV. After eating a lot and a short nap in the afternoon, I felt completely fine again. Meanwhile, I'm in Italy for the autumn break and have already completed my first 10K run.The muscle pain is gone, but I still feel a bit tired. When I get home, the medal will get a prominent place in the shop.

I also use my long runs and races to buy stuff for the Trail.NL I'm testing out a few things for a while now, but these are the main conclusions:

• Fenix ​​HM65R-T V2.0 headlampOn paper, it's quite heavy, but you don't notice it. The strap is a bit wider than most brands and it stays in place. The twist-and-twist system for tightening or loosening it is perfect and easier than with most headlamps. This remains my go-to lamp at the moment.
• NNormal Tomir 2I have two pairs. After a 30-kilometer training run, I was worried that size 47 would be too small because I could feel my big toe against the front. Unfortunately, NNormal doesn't make 47 2/3 or 48, so I ordered a 48.5. With an extra-thick sole, they should fit. I started with them, but took them off at kilometer 44. They felt a bit too wide.
• Merrell Agility Peak 5. We recently started selling these shoes. This seemed like a good time to give them a proper test, and I'm very pleased with them. I never had a moment's doubt that I didn't feel safe or stable in them.
• Drymax socksWe only recently added these to our range. I usually ran with Injinji toe socks, but these Drymax socks keep your feet so dry that you're less likely to get blisters during ultras. So I didn't get a single blister and never felt like I was running with wet feet, not even after deep mud. I'll definitely continue running long distances with these.
• Instinct shortsThese shorts are lightweight, have a built-in belt for your belongings, and pockets on the thighs. I never get chafing when I wear them, and they're just really comfortable. The black is a bit boring, though.
• Combination of NNormal 5 liter vest and Compressport Free Belt ProI find this vest very comfortable, but the (waterproof) pocket on the back is sometimes a bit difficult to reach. The Free Belt Pro has the advantage that you can easily store your phone in the belt, add some power, attach your poles to the loops on your back (if you don't attach them to the vest or are holding them in your hands), and attach your race number. This combination suited me perfectly, especially since I also had some gels on my thighs inside the tights.
• Julbo FrequencyWhen the headlamp went off, the sunglasses went on. They have photochromic lenses, so you can wear them even when the sun isn't shining. During training runs, I sometimes get bothered by large swarms of flies, and it's nice to have eye protection. I think I wore them for 75 kilometers without any discomfort or annoying pressure.
• Leki Ultratrail FX.One SuperliteThis is a risk because they're carbon poles with an extra-thin tube. This makes them fragile and prone to breaking. I once got a pole stuck on a rocky trail, so I understand the risk. Otherwise, they were great. However, on a rocky trail, I would start with aluminum poles. The risk of breaking is much smaller, and the extra weight isn't excessive.
• COROS Vertix 2I've been using this for quite a while now and I'm super happy with it.It's the COROS equivalent of the Garmin Fenix, but you're missing a few features like Garmin Pay. You don't have to worry about the battery life, as it's fantastic. I also had the GPX on my watch, and even though the course was very well marked, I checked the GPX quite often. It worked very well, and when we took a wrong turn after about 30 kilometers, it immediately started beeping.
• Power supplyI did it almost entirely on sports drink and gel, except for some dried mango and Naak puree. This combination of Maurten and Naak gave me enough energy to get through each hour, and I didn't feel hungry. I'm sometimes tempted to snack on candy, salty crackers, non-alcoholic beer, or fried eggs, but I don't do that in training either. So during the race, I stick as much as possible to what I'm used to.

The next one is in my agenda at the end of the month. Graef Castricum Trail 60 km from Cairn Adventures. Time to test some more shoes.:)