South Branch and Black Cat with Wilder and Jackson

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Jigger Johnson 100 DNF manifesto 😝

Did not finish the race, but had an absolutely awesome time in the mountains. Man, am I pining for them today! Through the first four aid stations I was thinking, “what’s the big deal?” Some climbing, sure, but plenty of runnable flats to recover and make time. The 15 miles between Sawyer and Bartlett zipped by. Got to Bartlett and was like, “oh, I’m here already?!” Tremont, which I heard a lot of talk about before/during/after the race was kind of a garden variety New England mountain - steep with all the roots and rocks you could hope for. Then comes the heart of the race - Bartlett to South Moat and back. By far the most strenuous, longest, and driest section. Also the most scenic, interesting, fun, and rewarding. Met a runner in the middle of the night on my way out at the intersection of Attitash and South Moat trails. This runner was experiencing a perfect storm of technical difficulties cascading into mental and then physical difficulties. We agreed to stay together to South Moat trails. I took a 50 minute nap half a mile before the turn around which felt great. At the head station, the runner was being expertly tended to by volunteers. I got the opportunity to talk to some of the volunteers local to midcoast who had heard of, but not met before. That was so energizing! I expected the runner I met the night before to drop at that aid station, but she rallied and headed back out. Going over the Moats, Attitash, and table rock in the daytime after having crossed them in a crystal clear night. was the highlight for me. Absolutely beautiful both ways. I had never done any of these trails before and especially enjoyed the Moats with their steep ledges and great views. After crossing back over the Moats and Attitash on my way to Table Rock on the second day I got thinking about the remainder of the course. After Table Rock the only significant climb left was Tremont. Other than that there was a fair amount runnable single track, dirt, and paved road with a few ups and downs. During this stretch I began to think about whether I wanted to spend another night out to finish that stretch and the DNF choice entered my mind. After brief but thorough reflection I decided I had had enough and did not want to spend another night out and made the decision to DNF at Bartlett. A while later on the flats heading into the Bartlett aid station I met a group of other runners at a stream where we all joyfully gorged on ice cold filtered water after the long dry stretch. Imagine by intention to DNF at Bartlett and one runner’s eyes shot up to meet mine. “Do not DNF” he said. “I ran the 102 years ago and this was my low point right here. I was going to DNF, but then I made it to Bartlett and got some food and fluids and finished the race. You seem fine. Don’t DNF here.“ I told him that I did feel fine, but also felt ready to be done with the race. I was tired and did not feel motivated to spend another night out to finish that stretch of the course. My only regret was missing the experience of sharing miles with Nick who was at the ready to meet me at the Sawyer aid station. Ever gracious and understanding Nick handled the situation better than I deserved. After I got off the trail I got a text from my wife that my cousin happen to be staying with some friends the next town over. They were having a party and a barbecue and said I was welcome to crash, get some food, a shower and a comfortable bed. I eagerly availed myself of all of these things and enjoyed some unexpected family time. The next day I went to the finish line and the golden hour to pick up my drop bags. There sat the runner I had gone over the Moats with Friday night/Saturday morning! “You finished?!“ I asked. “Yes!“ She replied. I gave her a big hug and congratulated her on an incredible race. I honestly did not think there was any chance she would finish based on her state when we met. That she was able to recover from that very low point and finish an absolutely brutal course is incredible and extremely inspiring. I am so grateful I got to see her and congratulate her at the end. It was truly amazing to see all of the runners approach that race, from the front runners who were moving over the trails with what is to me incomprehensible skill and speed to runners who may have been on the ropes at points, but gutted it out to complete what I have to imagine will be an experience they will always keep and draw from. Though I did not finish I had a truly wonderful experience. It was fairly straightforward. I didn’t really have any low points to work through. No pain other than some stiffness for a couple of days. No injuries and not even a blister. I have huge respect for anyone who completes that course, anyone who tries, and the many incredible, skilled, and wise volunteers, who make it all happen. Thank you all!

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Brian Sherman

Jigger Johnson 100 DNF manifesto 😝

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South Branch and Black Cat with Wilder and Jackson

Traveler Loop

Morning Run

Afternoon Workout

Jigger Johnson 100 DNF manifesto 😝

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