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Pamela Monaghan-Geernaert of Aberdeen, front right, runs alongside fellow ultramarathons as she competes in her ninth 100-mile race in Hyak, Wash. Courtesy photo.
Many Aberdeen residents spend their weekends relaxing, but a few chose to spend the last weekend of June doing something most would consider anything but soothing.
They all finished grueling 100-mile ultramarathons.
Reid Albrecht, Pamela Monaghan-Geernaert, Jackson Harrison and Josh Martin set out on their quests early Friday, June 26, continued through the night and crossed their respective finish lines on Saturday, June 27.
Martin is now in Sioux Falls, but spent plenty of time living in Aberdeen.
It’s estimated that 7,000 to 10,000 people in the U.S. finish 100-mile races each year, so they’ve joined a rare group.
But, they all have unique stories that show running 100 miles is a lot more possible than most might think.
Albrecht relies on determination, training instead of experience
Albrecht completed his first ultramarathon, the Copper Kings 100, in Butte, Mont., placing 82nd in 34:58:59.
He only started running a few years ago.
“A friend of mine got me to do a 4-mile race three years ago,” he said. “I just kind of started watching running videos, and then, somewhere along the way, I watched a couple videos of 100-mile races.”
Reid Albrecht of Aberdeen completed his first 100-mile run earlier this summer in Butte, Mont. Courtesy photo.
Going from 4 miles to 100 in three years might seem like a big leap, but Albrecht’s curiosity guided him.
“I always knew I wanted to try it. I never really actually thought it would happen. Going farther piqued my interest more than going faster,” he said.
The Montana course included 63 miles on the Continental Divide Trail and nearly 14,000 feet of elevation change. Training for that kind of terrain in Aberdeen meant getting creative. Albrecht said he used treadmill incline, stair climber sessions and, when the weather allowed, hikes around Sica Hollow in the Sisseton area.
One challenge for Albrecht during his 100 miles was staying awake through the night. He explained that “during the race, you go through these highs and lows,” and the night was a low for him.
“I kept falling asleep while walking, so once the sun came up, I kind of got a second burst of energy,” he said.
Having a team to assist him at aid stations and serve as pacers is what kept him going through the difficult times, he said.
“My crew was imperative for me getting it done. They made sure I had all my food and drink and forced me to eat when I couldn’t stomach it,” Albrecht said.
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His friends James Brown and Andrew Larson paced him through sections of the race, including a portion of the night and at the end.
“I don’t think I would have finished without them,” Albrecht said.
He said the feeling of crossing the finish line was surreal because he never thought he’d be capable of such a feat.
“Standing at the start line and having 100 miles in front of me was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but once you start, you really have nothing to think about except for moving forward,” he said.
Albrecht wants people to know covering the distance is more attainable than it seems.
“So many people I’ve talked to think that something like this … they could never do it. And I just think that, even a marathon, if someone wants to put in the miles and train a little bit, almost anyone could actually do it,” he said.
Hiking the incline and jogging the flat and downhill portions when his legs felt up for it, Albrecht estimated he walked or hiked about 55 or 60 miles.
“The farther you go, the more time you have. I didn’t even run half of this race, so it’s very doable if someone is interested in it,” he said.
While Albrecht long questioned if he’d be able to make it, he said he’s thinking about doing another.
“As soon as it was over, the next day, I’m like, ‘Alright, which one’s next?’” he said.
Monaghan-Geernaert draws on past experience
Monaghan-Geernaert’s story is considerably different as she’s had a lengthy running career.
She finished the Yeti Ultra Trail Washington in Hyak, Wash., in 24th place with a time of 26:51:22. It was her ninth ultramarathon.
Monaghan-Geernaert said she spent years running and racing before ever considering trying 100 miles. She began by running many marathons, qualifying for the Boston Marathon six times.
Pamela Monaghan-Geernaert of Aberdeen throws her arms up for a photo during the Yeti Ultra Trail 100-mile race earlier this summer. Courtesy photo.
Eventually, she had a friend convince her to do a 50- kilometer run. Slightly more than 30 miles, the biggest difference in the race wasn’t the distance, rather the atmosphere, Monaghan-Geernaert said.
“I don’t like trying to pass people, I don’t like people trying to pass me. I don’t like trying to peg people ahead of me and try to track them down. I’m just not a competitive person,” she said.
That’s why she finds the friendlier, less-competitive ultramarathon culture more compelling.
“I went out there and you walk the hills and there’s grilled cheese sandwiches at the aid stations, and it had a whole different vibe to it that was just friendlier,” Monaghan-Geernaert said. “And it was prettier, to be honest. I like the mountains much better than the cities.”
With a couple ultramarathons that were shorter than 100 miles under her belt, she spent the next few years working as crew or a pacer for others running 100-mile races.
“As a pacer, you pick up your runner 50, 60 or 70 miles in. And your job, most of the time, is just to keep them awake at night, tell them stories, remind them to eat and drink and just be company for them,” Monaghan-Geernaert said.
Working as a pacer gave her a realistic view of the challenge.
“I saw how rewarding it is to finish a 100-mile race, but I also saw how ugly it gets, so it took me a while before I finally decided that maybe this is something I could do,” she said.
Monaghan-Geernaert has used the same six-month training plan Albrecht did to prepare for 100-milers. She said she’s only missed one run and that was due to food poisoning.
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She said her schedule as an associate professor of sociology at Northern State University allows her flexibility when getting miles in, making training more manageable.
Of all the runs of different distances she’s tried, she said 100-mile events are her favorite and the one she finished in June was her best yet.
“It’s just amazing what the human mind and body can do. And your mind will go long before your body does,” Monaghan-Geernaert said. “It’s really just kind of talking yourself into continuing to go on.”
Harrison, Martin swap track for trail during first ultramarathon
Former teammates Harrison and Martin reunited in Sturgis to complete their first 100-miler together.
Martin finished the Black Hills 100 in 22nd place with a time of 30:22:11. Harrison placed 26th in 31:06:10.
The race was actually 107 miles and covered 16,000 feet of elevation.
Both Harrison and Martin ran for Aberdeen Central in high school, then competed in cross-country and track and field at Northern State. Harrison set seven NSU records, and running is deeply engraved in his routine.
“I can’t even really see my day, or at least my week, without running. I get kind of hyper or even irritated if I don’t run for an extended period of time,” Harrison said.
The idea to try a 100-mile race came from Martin, who said he was inspired by Monaghan-Geernaert, but he wanted a friend who was game to partner up.
“I talked to a bunch of friends, honestly, and Jackson was kind of the only one who was crazy enough to do it with me,” Martin said.
As they get ready to begin the Black Hills 100, former Central High School and Northern State teammates Josh Martin and Jackson Harrison pose for a photo. Courtesy photo.
They ran together for about the first 30 or 40 miles before splitting up. Harrison struggled early and said he wasn’t sure he’d be able to continue for the remaining 60 miles. Luckily, a kind aid station worker gave him food and pickle juice — a surprisingly effective remedy, he said.
The weather added another layer of difficulty to the endeavor. Martin and Harrison dealt with daytime temperatures in the upper 80s and a severe thunderstorm at night.
Harrison said his track and cross-country background did not prepare him for that.
“I’m used to running on the track and on the streets, so I’ve never ran into the issue of mud. We were slipping and sliding all over on the trails. It was pretty brutal,” he said.
While there were challenges and surprises, there were also moments of beauty.
“You get to watch the sun set and then watch it rise,” Harrison said. “And it’s cool just being in the middle of the woods and seeing the stars.”
Training was another challenge. Both said they procrastinated until they felt the pressure of the looming race. Preparing to cover 100 miles is far different than everything else they’d ever done.
Harrison got creative with his long runs. For his farthest one, he ran to Groton and back on the side of the highway.
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Like Alberecht, he had to deal with trying to find places to prepare that simulated altitude and elevation, which is hard to do in Aberdeen.
“I realized pretty quickly that there’s not really any proper way, at least in the Aberdeen area, to train for something like that. We don’t really have trails, and we don’t have hills, so that was tough, Harrison said.
The biggest surprise for him came after he finished.
“I’ve never experienced this before, but I couldn’t get off the ground on my own,” Harrison said. “I laid down after the race just on the ground, like, ‘Oh, I’m finally done, I can lay down and rest,’ and I couldn’t get back up no matter how hard I tried. One of my friends had to help me up.”
He and Martin said the motivation was simple — to prove they could finish the course. But, they also gained a meaningful experience and got to see how much they are capable of both physically and mentally.
“I’m capable of doing that, so what am I not capable of doing?” Harrison said.
