Monica's Vermont 100K Race Recap

Earlier this month, rabbit’s CEO and co-founder Monica DeVreese ran the Vermont 100K, a legendary race in West Windsor that boasts one of trail running’s richest histories.

Monica inspires all of us at the rabbit HQ every single day, and this race was just one more reminder of what she's made of.

Here’s her race recap.

Q: What was the high point of the race - a moment you felt strongest or most in the zone?
Mon: Around the 50K mark, so about halfway. It was raining steadily but it was pretty warm and humid… this peaceful kind of rain that somehow made everything feel a bit calmer.

I ran most of the race alone and just let myself get lost in my thoughts, soaking in how beautiful the course was and how lucky I was to be out there pushing myself further than I had in a long time.

Every 10 miles I'd see my crew Paul, Sam, Molly, and Nick, and that was the best. Between that and just sitting with gratitude for the whole experience, the tough moments were kind of always just in the background.

Q:Take us to the lowest point of the race. What did it look like and what got you through it?

The second half, hands down. All that rain chewed up the bottoms of my feet, and the downhills turned brutal.

I remember literally screaming "ouch, ouch, ouch" out loud with every step on the downhills. Weirdly, saying it out loud helped. But what really got me through was thinking about my kids. Just how lucky I am to be their mom, and wanting to make them proud. I'm always telling them it takes guts to do hard things and that I believe hard work eventually pays off….out there, I needed to actually live that, not just say it.

Q. What's something about training for or running 100 kilometers that surprised you — something you didn't expect going in?

I ran the Vermont 100 miler back in 2018, and I genuinely didn't remember how technical some of the sections were….maybe because everything was wet this time….or maybe because I’m a little older haha! I remembered the rolling hills but had completely blocked out the steeper stuff. It had also been four years since I'd raced anything longer than 42 miles, so this was a real gut check. But the people out there made it so amazing….including the volunteers at the aid stations. Shoutout to the woman at one of the aid stations who told me I needed some french toast with maple syrup. She was right.

Q. What message do you have for your crew?

Paul, Sam, Molly, Nick you were the best. Being out there all day for me, showing up every 10 miles, gave me something to look forward to and completely refreshed me every single time I saw you. You definitely made sure I was eating well each time I saw you…the grilled cheese and hot ramen came in were game changers….I think we joked I ate more than you all did that day. I couldn't have done this without you.

Q. What message do you have for someone who hasn’t yet but wants to run an ultra one day?

Just go for it, the goal is to finish, not to hit some number on the clock. Forget about time. It's okay to hike, it's okay to walk, nobody's keeping score on that. What matters is showing up with a real training plan, practicing your nutrition before you get to race day, and putting in the long runs. But more than anything, enjoy the journey of training, if you love the process, the race takes care of itself.