OK, I'm gonna keep my race report pretty simple and short (yes, it's a first!). But, I also want to comment on the state of the race, especially after last year's fiasco (debacle/ unfortunate incidents?)
I got a call from the RD ten days before the event. "Hey, we've got a great new course. It's flat. It's been certified. We're giving prize money to all top three finishers in each race. We're gonna write checks on the spot." I respond, "Well, that sounds like a good change. When is the race going to be held?" The RD says, "It's next week." Hmmm...? Weird. Very weird.
So, I guess he hooked me a little. At least, got me thinking. I was very interested in doing a 48 or 72 hour race this year. But, since ATY got cancelled, there were no other options available. Given the incredibly short time frame, I had no chance to really train. Plus, I had just run Heartland 100, 4 weeks ago. I had planned on taking a few months off and skiing and trying to get fat (if you know me, it's a funny thought). My work situation has been very hectic. I wasn't really planning on attending. On Wednesday, I cashed in a frequent flyer ticket and signed up for the 24 hour race. I love impulsive decisions!
The Race:
Things went really well. The course was a short 1/2 mile loop. It was pretty flat. I would estimate there was maybe 10' of vertical gain/drop over the loop. It was nice to have a small undulation to vary muscle usage a little. It wasn't terribly scenic. Although, you could get a glimpse of the lake every now and then. There was a sharp turn at the far side which was a little stressful on the joints. I started slowing down for it early on. It was fine at a slightly lower speed.
The aid station was great! Lorrie Gray was in charge of most of the aid fare. She did a great job, along with her husband and mom (?), and several other great volunteers. Once again, the volunteers rock! The food was the usual fare, plus LOADS of Hammer products. At the end, there was a big table just stacked with boxes of bars, gels, energy drinks. They had more than they could give away. If I wasn't flying with one small carry-on, I would have grabbed a few boxes of bars. The finale was a full breakfast, including bacon, eggs, oatmeal, pancakes and juice. My favorite - yogurt with fresh fruit. Big strawberries and giant black berries! Excellent job, Lorrie!
The timing was provided by RunFar, out of Austin. They had live updates any time I wanted one. They also posted results every 30 minutes. The guy even showed me how to pull up splits on is laptop, if he wasn't there. But, usually he was. It was great.
I don't know what to make of the RD for this race. He seems like a really nice guy. He obviously puts a ton of work into this event. But, on the other hand, he didn't have anything up on the website until maybe a month before the race (maybe less?). Last year, he told everyone that the course was flat. It was a lie. There was a big hill. Many big time runners showed up for records and were very pissed off, and understandably so. Me - I had a good time, in spite of the hill. But, I certainly understood people's frustrations. I have emailed with a couple of people who say they are still owed money from last year's prize money. I won't make any call on this, since I don't really know the whole story.
There were a total of 12 runners in the 24 hour. All told, I think there were around 40 participants in all events. In 2008, I would estimate well over 200 participants. There was supposed to be a 24/48 hour mountain bike event. But, I never saw a bike, nor heard anything about it. It seems to me that the RD probably lost money on this event, possibly quite a bit. But, in the end, it was pretty well run. I think that if future events are run as this one was, there is hope for this race. Sadly, it's going to probably take a lot to overcome the problems of last year. I really like that there is another opportunity presented to do a longer event, like a 48/72 hour. The RD joked (?) that he would have a 96 hour event next year.
My Race:
I decided that I would try to win. Yep. I've never said it before in a race, or even thought it possible. But, there were 12 entrants and I knew I could pump out at least 100 miles, or more. If there was not a ringer in the field, I could do it.
I started out at a 10:00 per mile pace. It felt good, so I stayed with it through about 20 miles. At this point, I was leading. Holy crap, I've never been in the lead! I tried to drop down to a 11:00 pace for a while. A 50 mile split of 9 1/2 hours would mean a 11:30 pace. At mile 30, I started to fade to about 12:00. By the time I hit 50 miles, it was just past 10 hours. I was still hoping to put up 105-110 miles total. Unfortunately, I soon realized there was a ringer. Sam Thompson from Seattle was banging out laps at a 10:00 pace and was not slowing down. By 14 hours, he was about 15 miles ahead of me. Man, he was smooth and consistent! I vowed to hold onto second place for the time being. If he stopped, or went to sleep, I would keep going. I wasn't going to bail out early, under any circumstances.
As the night wore on, I started to slow some more. I was putting in some 15:00-16:00 miles. When I added in a stop for water, food, or a clothing change every few laps, the pace was really starting to drop. Getting 100 miles in was starting to look iffy. As the sun came up , I got a burst of energy (oh, glorious sun!). I was at 89 miles, with two hours to go. I had 3.5 miles over 3rd place. Damn, I wanted that 100 miles! I decided to just start cranking the speed up. If I could go hard for a few laps, maybe I could still squeak in 100 miles. I really hated the thought of ending with 99.4. I started running harder. As I approached the small downhill, I let it pull me. I was movin'! I started clocking 11:30 miles, then down to 11 minutes per mile. I kept it going for the last two hours. Each time I crossed the line I would call out to see if new laps had been posted. At about 23:30, I passed the 100 mile mark. Better put in a couple extra, just in case. I ran two more miles. At 23:54, I crossed the line again. That was it. I sat down.
Overall, I finished in second place with 102.4 miles. Sam Thompson took the 24 hour win, with 115.6 miles,a very good run. He even slowed down for a few hours at night, so he had a lot of good solid miles built up. I PR'd my 100 mile time at 23:30. I increased my 24 hour total by 1/3 mile over my best finish. Small steps... small steps. I've never finished in second place. Third place, once. But, there were only three runners. As a comparison, I would have placed seventh at FANS with this mileage. But, I am very pleased. Plus, to top it all off, I got a check for 75 bucks, on the spot!
So, now I'm back to lazing around, getting fat, and waiting for the ski lift to open on Wednesday. Life is good!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Heartland 100 2009
This is the third time I have run the Heartland 100. It was also the first race where I ever ran 100 miles, in 2007. Thus, it has a special place in my heart, and holds some nostalgia for me. In addition, it is just a great race. The race is very well organized, with many experienced runners involved. The volunteers are great and the food is fantastic, with each aid station having something unique. From burgers and sloppy joes to home made soup and cookies, it’s all there and all delicious. The course is fantastic, laid out on 99% dirt roads. Wide open, tall grass prairie stretches as far as the eye can see in every direction. It is very rare to see a house out here. I would say that the course passes by 8-10 homes, about half of which are actually inhabited. Other than a few race vehicles associated with the crews and volunteers, I probably saw four cars during the entire experience. Most would call this “the middle of nowhere”. Being a long time lover of all things desolate, I think it’s just fantastic!
I’ve come to realize that one of the main reasons I run 100 mile races is for the adventure of it. Most folks in our modern world never get to have any real adventure. Given that I’ve always loved great tales of adventure, and putting myself out a little close to the edge, the sport of ultra running seems to fit very well. I suppose when you compare it to jumping off of cliffs with a parachute, it may be rather tame. But, combined with the personal struggles involved, I find it very fulfilling.
Race day in Kansas typically holds good weather. The average highs and lows are 69 & 55 degrees. This year would tip the scales and set a record for the coldest race weekend yet. The morning temperature was 29 degrees at 6:00 am. The wind was calm, but an expected front was scheduled around lunch time. Forecast: cloudy, with a high of 40, low of 30. After training in normal fall temps, this was a bit of a shock to the system. But, as usual in these races, it was really more of a mental issue, most of the time.
The race began at the old school in Cassoday, Kansas, about 45 minutes northeast of Wichita. Wichita is dead flat, but Cassoday is the beginning of the Flint Hills area. Lots and lots of rolling hills, covered in some of the last remaining tall grass prairie in the Midwest. This makes for a course with around 6-7,000 feet of elevation gain, over 100 miles. The 50 mile runners (43 of them) started about 100 yards ahead of the 100 milers (a total of 61 starters). At the count, we all started off together.
I held a pretty fast pace for the first several miles. I had been working on speed work in my training and was eager to see how it would translate. I ran at what felt like a comfortable pace for the first 9.2 miles to the Battle Creek aid station. I arrived at a pace of around 10:30 minutes per mile. I had already taken off my jacket after the first couple of miles and was starting to wonder why I had worn it. As I left Battle Creek, after a quick stop to fill up my water and grab a snack, I felt the wind. It immediately hit me and chilled me. I took the jacket from around my waist and put it on. I would keep on my jacket for the entire rest of the trip. Running in 30 degree temps was no big deal. But, combine that with a 20 mph wind and it was down right chilly.
I kept clipping along at a comfortable pace to the next major aid station. Coming into Lapland, I met Susan Lance from Georgia. She knew my name from the Ultra list. I came into Lapland (mile 16.8) at around three hours. I had made a time sheet with splits to keep me on a 11:00 min/mile pace through mile 25. After a stop for chocolate milk, a water fill up and snacks to go, I was 5 minutes ahead of my schedule. Susan left a few minutes before me. It was the last time I would see her, as she went on to finish in something around 18:35, good enough for second place among the women runners. Amazing!
I ran well for the next hour or so. I arrived at mile 25 (Teterville aid station) at around 10:30 (4 ½ hours in). I was still 5 minutes ahead of schedule. I was aiming to make the 50 mile turnaround at 9:40. This was pretty aggressive, and about 30 minutes faster than I had ever run. But, I thought it was possible, and without setting a big goal, you never know if you can reach it.
The next section entails about 5.5 miles to Texaco Hill, a manned aid station, then 5.2 more miles to Ridgeline at mile 34.5. The first 4 miles involve a few fairly long climbs. Not terribly steep, but consistent in their climb. I had been running up hills in training and decided that I would run up this section, as much as possible, while not blowing all my energy. It went pretty well. I met up with Bob Murphy, when I noticed that his light was on and flashing in his pack. We ran/ walked the hill for an hour or so and came into Texaco Hill together. Another quick stop and I headed out. I enjoyed talking with Bob, but really wanted to stick with my own pace. I’ve found in the past that I sometimes will latch onto someone at a different pace and wind up slowing down considerably. So, I headed out solo. As I covered the next section, I could see Bob behind me, a few hundred yards back, but hanging tough.
Coming into Ridgeline, I was starting to slip off schedule. I was 15 minutes behind. I had set my pace at about 11:30 per mile for this section. I soon realized that the pace was unrealistic for me, at that point in the race. But, I made a quick, efficient water and food stop and headed back out. On average, my aid stops were typically around 5 minutes each. It doesn’t seem like much time. But, when there are 11 manned aid stations, it really starts to add up. Plus, during the night, I had a couple that went to 10 minutes. I came to the realization that my goal of 9:40 was not going to happen. I set my sights on 10 hours even. I ran well into Matfield Green , at mile 42.5. I also met up with Bob again, who seemed to be running very strong. He eventually ran ahead of me and I couldn’t quite keep up. Although, I did keep him in sight through this section. Bob would go on to finish around 22:35, quite impressive.
Leaving Matfield, I saw the leader come by on the way back. It was Dan Schmidt, local Salida runner and the guy I picked (as did he) to win. He was cranking along, as he passed by. I said hi, but I don’t think he recognized me. One minute later, along came the second place runner. Dan was being chased down hard! I started to count the runners to figure out my place. I knew I was around 23rd at mile 25. By the time I reached the turnaround at mile 50, I was right at 20th place. I also saw Amy, who would go on to win the women’s race (somewhere around 18 hours?). At first, there was nothing remarkable about her, although she was quite attractive. But if you looked down, you noticed that she had a prosthesis on one leg. A super, high-tech looking steel spring that flexed. She had no handicap in my mind. And I’m sure all the other runners, most of which were a long ways behind her, would agree. My time at the 50 mile mark was 10:30. Not what I’d hoped for, but a good pace for me, for the first half.
My mind now took a rest. I had been worrying about making my goal time for the first half. When I started to fall behind, I worried about that. Now, I just felt like I could let it go and just go with the flow. I still thought I could make a 24 hour finish. I had done my last race with a second half of 12 ½ hours. So, I knew that it was within reach. I headed back to Matfield for a sloppy joe and some chocolate milk.
On the next section, I met James. He was running his first 100 miler. Every time I have run this section, I have met someone doing their first 100. James was moving very well for a first timer. I told him he could easily get a finish, and probably a fast one. We ran together through the Ridgeline aid station, with a quick stop for Prairie Power Pellets, a sort of glorified beanie weenie, with 15 different beans. It was a tradition at this aid station and it really hit the spot. Night fell a few minutes before Ridgeline, and head lamps were donned. As we left for Texaco Hill, the wind was blowing from the side again, and it was cold! The only saving grace was that it caused us to run to keep some heat generated.
We arrived at Texaco Hill to a warm tent. James had mentioned a few times that his stomach didn’t feel too good. I told him that was pretty normal. I offered him an electrolyte pill, as it didn’t appear that he had been taking any. At Texaco, he didn’t feel much better. He was nice enough to give me an extra set of batteries, if I needed them later. As we left, we shivered from the cold and wind. Each time I went into a warm tent, upon leaving it took me 5-10 minutes of shivering to feel warm again. Just 100 yards out of Texaco Hill, James announced that he was going to throw up. Knowing that this was not uncommon in hundred milers, I said, ”Ok, no problem. I’ll just walk a bit. Do what you need to.” He then said he was going back to the aid station. I was surprised. I told him, “Throwing up is not fatal. You can still keep going. Go back, if you want. Those guys are experienced ultra runners. Just tell them your problems. They’ll fix you up.” He said he would. Finally, I yelled back “Don’t quit. Just keep going. I’ll see you at the finish!” Unfortunately, that was the last I saw, or heard, of James.
I came into Teterville alone at 11:30 pm. I’d been on my feet for 16 ½ hours. I was feeling pretty tired, but overall in good spirits. I had started taking caffeine at around 8:30. I’ve learned from experience that I need to start taking it before I get tired. After the yawns start, it almost impossible for me to come back to a mentally awake state. Half of a NoDoz, every 2 hours seemed to work well. I thought about taking some extra clothes, as I left. I had a second jacket tied around my waist already and I hadn’t needed it yet. I had some soup and headed out. As I left, I heard one of the volunteers yell out, “#58 dropped, #18 dropped, #33 dropped”. Yikes! I was getting out of there, just in case it was catching.
I had run miles 50-75 in 7 hours. I had 25 miles to go, and only 6 ½ hours to do it. If I was going to break 24 hours, it was going to be a long hard battle. So, I got down to work. I knew the course pretty well, after running the race three times. I would think about each turn ahead, as it approached. I could see two lights behind me. I kept running to stay ahead of them. Every time I turned a corner and the headwind caught me, I would run as long as I could, before taking a walk break. It was just too cold to walk. I came to the Lapland aid station at 1:30 am. 4.1 miles per hour! I was on pace. I had 4 ½ hours to go 16.8 miles.
I kept up my pace, continually doing math, over and over, in my head. If I reached the next aid station, at a certain time, I was good. The last manned station, Battle Creek, came at 3:45 am. I had 8.2 miles to go. I had to keep a 15 minute per mile pace. It seems easy, on paper. But, after 90 miles, it’s no small feat. I grabbed two cookies and headed out quickly. I had been experiencing the beginnings of a blister for the last several miles. But, I wasn’t going to stop to tape it. If I spent 5 minutes on it, I wasn’t going to make 24 hours. And as long as I kept good running form and didn’t walk on it much, it didn’t hurt. Good impetus to keep up my form and pace, I thought.
The last aid station (Mirage) is at mile 95.1. It’s not officially part of the race, but is manned by Bad Ben, a runner from Kansas City, who comes out every year to help out. And every year, he serves home made beer. A wonderful gesture. But, I don’t know how anyone can stomach beer at mile 95. I asked him how far it was. “4.9 miles”. Perfect, I thought. It was 4:45 am. At 15 minutes per mile, I’d have 5 minutes to spare. Way too close, but still doable. I kept it up, kept doing math, kept running and trying not to walk.
As I rounded the final turn and hit the pavement, with about 100 yards to go, I kept running. I also started to get very emotional. It’s pretty common for me to feel a little choked up at the end of 100 miles. You fight so hard, for so long. You try to remain in control, to keep telling yourself that you can do it. You encourage others and they encourage you. You dig deep into yourself. Almost nothing in daily life requires the commitment and the fortitude that it takes to run 100 miles on foot. It’s one of the main reasons why I run these races: to go outside of myself and my capabilities. I think that most other runners would agree. There really is no other valid reason to explain why I run 100 miles.
I crossed the line. My time was 23:54:34! I made it with 5 ½ minutes to spare! After sitting by the heater for about 20 minutes, I crawled into the back of my truck. I pulled out a sleeping pad and two sleeping bags and collapse into a nap for about 90 minutes. I ended up placing 15th, overall, 12th among men. There were some great performances out there. The winner, from Wichita, ran 17:05. My buddy Dan, from Salida, finished in 17:36 (?), good enough for third place. There were 41 finishers, out of 61 starters, for the 100 mile. Every one of the 43 who started the 50 mile race finished. Pretty good statistic for a race that long. I got my third matching belt buckle from the Heartland 100. So many buckles, so few belts!
This race was my fourth 100 mile race during 2009. I finished the Moab 100 in 29:57 (3/28/09), my slowest ever finish and a long hard slog, while trying to manage a bad blister. I ran the 24 hour race at FANS, in Minneapolis, completing 101 miles (6/6/09). I ran the Lean Horse 100, in South Dakota in 24:35 (8/20/09). It felt really good to be able to complete four 100 milers in one year (5 ½ months actually), and to bring my finish times down quite a bit from my first few races. I also completed every race which I started. I’ve come a long way in a little over two years of running ultras. Right now, I’m going to relax and wait for ski season. I may run the Rocky Raccoon 100, in February, or not. But, given how these adventures have gotten under my skin, I probably will.
I’ve come to realize that one of the main reasons I run 100 mile races is for the adventure of it. Most folks in our modern world never get to have any real adventure. Given that I’ve always loved great tales of adventure, and putting myself out a little close to the edge, the sport of ultra running seems to fit very well. I suppose when you compare it to jumping off of cliffs with a parachute, it may be rather tame. But, combined with the personal struggles involved, I find it very fulfilling.
Race day in Kansas typically holds good weather. The average highs and lows are 69 & 55 degrees. This year would tip the scales and set a record for the coldest race weekend yet. The morning temperature was 29 degrees at 6:00 am. The wind was calm, but an expected front was scheduled around lunch time. Forecast: cloudy, with a high of 40, low of 30. After training in normal fall temps, this was a bit of a shock to the system. But, as usual in these races, it was really more of a mental issue, most of the time.
The race began at the old school in Cassoday, Kansas, about 45 minutes northeast of Wichita. Wichita is dead flat, but Cassoday is the beginning of the Flint Hills area. Lots and lots of rolling hills, covered in some of the last remaining tall grass prairie in the Midwest. This makes for a course with around 6-7,000 feet of elevation gain, over 100 miles. The 50 mile runners (43 of them) started about 100 yards ahead of the 100 milers (a total of 61 starters). At the count, we all started off together.
I held a pretty fast pace for the first several miles. I had been working on speed work in my training and was eager to see how it would translate. I ran at what felt like a comfortable pace for the first 9.2 miles to the Battle Creek aid station. I arrived at a pace of around 10:30 minutes per mile. I had already taken off my jacket after the first couple of miles and was starting to wonder why I had worn it. As I left Battle Creek, after a quick stop to fill up my water and grab a snack, I felt the wind. It immediately hit me and chilled me. I took the jacket from around my waist and put it on. I would keep on my jacket for the entire rest of the trip. Running in 30 degree temps was no big deal. But, combine that with a 20 mph wind and it was down right chilly.
I kept clipping along at a comfortable pace to the next major aid station. Coming into Lapland, I met Susan Lance from Georgia. She knew my name from the Ultra list. I came into Lapland (mile 16.8) at around three hours. I had made a time sheet with splits to keep me on a 11:00 min/mile pace through mile 25. After a stop for chocolate milk, a water fill up and snacks to go, I was 5 minutes ahead of my schedule. Susan left a few minutes before me. It was the last time I would see her, as she went on to finish in something around 18:35, good enough for second place among the women runners. Amazing!
I ran well for the next hour or so. I arrived at mile 25 (Teterville aid station) at around 10:30 (4 ½ hours in). I was still 5 minutes ahead of schedule. I was aiming to make the 50 mile turnaround at 9:40. This was pretty aggressive, and about 30 minutes faster than I had ever run. But, I thought it was possible, and without setting a big goal, you never know if you can reach it.
The next section entails about 5.5 miles to Texaco Hill, a manned aid station, then 5.2 more miles to Ridgeline at mile 34.5. The first 4 miles involve a few fairly long climbs. Not terribly steep, but consistent in their climb. I had been running up hills in training and decided that I would run up this section, as much as possible, while not blowing all my energy. It went pretty well. I met up with Bob Murphy, when I noticed that his light was on and flashing in his pack. We ran/ walked the hill for an hour or so and came into Texaco Hill together. Another quick stop and I headed out. I enjoyed talking with Bob, but really wanted to stick with my own pace. I’ve found in the past that I sometimes will latch onto someone at a different pace and wind up slowing down considerably. So, I headed out solo. As I covered the next section, I could see Bob behind me, a few hundred yards back, but hanging tough.
Coming into Ridgeline, I was starting to slip off schedule. I was 15 minutes behind. I had set my pace at about 11:30 per mile for this section. I soon realized that the pace was unrealistic for me, at that point in the race. But, I made a quick, efficient water and food stop and headed back out. On average, my aid stops were typically around 5 minutes each. It doesn’t seem like much time. But, when there are 11 manned aid stations, it really starts to add up. Plus, during the night, I had a couple that went to 10 minutes. I came to the realization that my goal of 9:40 was not going to happen. I set my sights on 10 hours even. I ran well into Matfield Green , at mile 42.5. I also met up with Bob again, who seemed to be running very strong. He eventually ran ahead of me and I couldn’t quite keep up. Although, I did keep him in sight through this section. Bob would go on to finish around 22:35, quite impressive.
Leaving Matfield, I saw the leader come by on the way back. It was Dan Schmidt, local Salida runner and the guy I picked (as did he) to win. He was cranking along, as he passed by. I said hi, but I don’t think he recognized me. One minute later, along came the second place runner. Dan was being chased down hard! I started to count the runners to figure out my place. I knew I was around 23rd at mile 25. By the time I reached the turnaround at mile 50, I was right at 20th place. I also saw Amy, who would go on to win the women’s race (somewhere around 18 hours?). At first, there was nothing remarkable about her, although she was quite attractive. But if you looked down, you noticed that she had a prosthesis on one leg. A super, high-tech looking steel spring that flexed. She had no handicap in my mind. And I’m sure all the other runners, most of which were a long ways behind her, would agree. My time at the 50 mile mark was 10:30. Not what I’d hoped for, but a good pace for me, for the first half.
My mind now took a rest. I had been worrying about making my goal time for the first half. When I started to fall behind, I worried about that. Now, I just felt like I could let it go and just go with the flow. I still thought I could make a 24 hour finish. I had done my last race with a second half of 12 ½ hours. So, I knew that it was within reach. I headed back to Matfield for a sloppy joe and some chocolate milk.
On the next section, I met James. He was running his first 100 miler. Every time I have run this section, I have met someone doing their first 100. James was moving very well for a first timer. I told him he could easily get a finish, and probably a fast one. We ran together through the Ridgeline aid station, with a quick stop for Prairie Power Pellets, a sort of glorified beanie weenie, with 15 different beans. It was a tradition at this aid station and it really hit the spot. Night fell a few minutes before Ridgeline, and head lamps were donned. As we left for Texaco Hill, the wind was blowing from the side again, and it was cold! The only saving grace was that it caused us to run to keep some heat generated.
We arrived at Texaco Hill to a warm tent. James had mentioned a few times that his stomach didn’t feel too good. I told him that was pretty normal. I offered him an electrolyte pill, as it didn’t appear that he had been taking any. At Texaco, he didn’t feel much better. He was nice enough to give me an extra set of batteries, if I needed them later. As we left, we shivered from the cold and wind. Each time I went into a warm tent, upon leaving it took me 5-10 minutes of shivering to feel warm again. Just 100 yards out of Texaco Hill, James announced that he was going to throw up. Knowing that this was not uncommon in hundred milers, I said, ”Ok, no problem. I’ll just walk a bit. Do what you need to.” He then said he was going back to the aid station. I was surprised. I told him, “Throwing up is not fatal. You can still keep going. Go back, if you want. Those guys are experienced ultra runners. Just tell them your problems. They’ll fix you up.” He said he would. Finally, I yelled back “Don’t quit. Just keep going. I’ll see you at the finish!” Unfortunately, that was the last I saw, or heard, of James.
I came into Teterville alone at 11:30 pm. I’d been on my feet for 16 ½ hours. I was feeling pretty tired, but overall in good spirits. I had started taking caffeine at around 8:30. I’ve learned from experience that I need to start taking it before I get tired. After the yawns start, it almost impossible for me to come back to a mentally awake state. Half of a NoDoz, every 2 hours seemed to work well. I thought about taking some extra clothes, as I left. I had a second jacket tied around my waist already and I hadn’t needed it yet. I had some soup and headed out. As I left, I heard one of the volunteers yell out, “#58 dropped, #18 dropped, #33 dropped”. Yikes! I was getting out of there, just in case it was catching.
I had run miles 50-75 in 7 hours. I had 25 miles to go, and only 6 ½ hours to do it. If I was going to break 24 hours, it was going to be a long hard battle. So, I got down to work. I knew the course pretty well, after running the race three times. I would think about each turn ahead, as it approached. I could see two lights behind me. I kept running to stay ahead of them. Every time I turned a corner and the headwind caught me, I would run as long as I could, before taking a walk break. It was just too cold to walk. I came to the Lapland aid station at 1:30 am. 4.1 miles per hour! I was on pace. I had 4 ½ hours to go 16.8 miles.
I kept up my pace, continually doing math, over and over, in my head. If I reached the next aid station, at a certain time, I was good. The last manned station, Battle Creek, came at 3:45 am. I had 8.2 miles to go. I had to keep a 15 minute per mile pace. It seems easy, on paper. But, after 90 miles, it’s no small feat. I grabbed two cookies and headed out quickly. I had been experiencing the beginnings of a blister for the last several miles. But, I wasn’t going to stop to tape it. If I spent 5 minutes on it, I wasn’t going to make 24 hours. And as long as I kept good running form and didn’t walk on it much, it didn’t hurt. Good impetus to keep up my form and pace, I thought.
The last aid station (Mirage) is at mile 95.1. It’s not officially part of the race, but is manned by Bad Ben, a runner from Kansas City, who comes out every year to help out. And every year, he serves home made beer. A wonderful gesture. But, I don’t know how anyone can stomach beer at mile 95. I asked him how far it was. “4.9 miles”. Perfect, I thought. It was 4:45 am. At 15 minutes per mile, I’d have 5 minutes to spare. Way too close, but still doable. I kept it up, kept doing math, kept running and trying not to walk.
As I rounded the final turn and hit the pavement, with about 100 yards to go, I kept running. I also started to get very emotional. It’s pretty common for me to feel a little choked up at the end of 100 miles. You fight so hard, for so long. You try to remain in control, to keep telling yourself that you can do it. You encourage others and they encourage you. You dig deep into yourself. Almost nothing in daily life requires the commitment and the fortitude that it takes to run 100 miles on foot. It’s one of the main reasons why I run these races: to go outside of myself and my capabilities. I think that most other runners would agree. There really is no other valid reason to explain why I run 100 miles.
I crossed the line. My time was 23:54:34! I made it with 5 ½ minutes to spare! After sitting by the heater for about 20 minutes, I crawled into the back of my truck. I pulled out a sleeping pad and two sleeping bags and collapse into a nap for about 90 minutes. I ended up placing 15th, overall, 12th among men. There were some great performances out there. The winner, from Wichita, ran 17:05. My buddy Dan, from Salida, finished in 17:36 (?), good enough for third place. There were 41 finishers, out of 61 starters, for the 100 mile. Every one of the 43 who started the 50 mile race finished. Pretty good statistic for a race that long. I got my third matching belt buckle from the Heartland 100. So many buckles, so few belts!
This race was my fourth 100 mile race during 2009. I finished the Moab 100 in 29:57 (3/28/09), my slowest ever finish and a long hard slog, while trying to manage a bad blister. I ran the 24 hour race at FANS, in Minneapolis, completing 101 miles (6/6/09). I ran the Lean Horse 100, in South Dakota in 24:35 (8/20/09). It felt really good to be able to complete four 100 milers in one year (5 ½ months actually), and to bring my finish times down quite a bit from my first few races. I also completed every race which I started. I’ve come a long way in a little over two years of running ultras. Right now, I’m going to relax and wait for ski season. I may run the Rocky Raccoon 100, in February, or not. But, given how these adventures have gotten under my skin, I probably will.
Monday, September 7, 2009
FANS 24 Hour Race Report- June 2009
I ran the FANS 24 Hour race this weekend, in Minneapolis. The people were great, the weather...not so much. This report is a bit long. So, get a cup of coffe and cozy up.
First of all, the folks that put this race on were absolutely great. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Sure, it's pretty much the norm for an ultra. But, it's always appreciated and sort of amazing. These poor folks, many of them non-runners, sit around freezing their butts off, so that us poor, filthy slobs can abuse ourselves by running in circles. Some of my favorite things which this team delivered: 1) Pizza, twice! At 6 pm, and again at midnight, I had pizza. Awesome! 2) Massages. Yes, that's right. At any given time, there were 2 massage therapists on hand. Wow! I loved it and took advantage of it a few times when a few minor aches wouldn't go away. 3) I really enjoyed the full breakfast after the race. I was hungry and tired, as was everyone else. It was great to walk right into breakfast. Perhaps the best part was to be able to sit and talk with some of the other runners.
There's always sort of a sadness when an event is over. You think about it for so long. You plan. You travel. You run like hell. Then, when it's over, your regular life just pops back on. It's nice to spend some time to ease out of it, talking with others who've experienced this kind of weird experience (volunteers and runners, alike), before easing back into the 'normal world'. As I sat in the airport, trying not to fall asleep before getting on the plane. I thought,"These people don't have any idea why I walk like I'm 90 years old, why I can't keep my head upright on my shoulders." But, the others that were present 'out there', they get it. They understand the things that went on at the lake. The nondescript piece of a city park that saw a thousand amazing things take place in the hearts and minds of those that were there.
Like the guy who couldn't run after the first 5 hours because of pain. So he walked for the next 19 hours. What kind of impression do you think that made on his two kids? Their dad was certainly as amazing as any super hero.
The forecast for the week looked great. 64 degrees and partly cloudy. But, two days out, it changed to rain, 70% chance. Sure enough, it dawned cloudy. At the start, it was still dry. By the second hour, the rain started. It was light, but constant for the first 6 hours, or so. Then, it turned to a moderate, but very consistent rain. This continued for about 3 hours. It was cold, too. The temp was around 50 degrees.
I had on a rain jacket and gloves that had been soaked for hours. I was wearing shorts that stuck to my legs. There were a lot of folks who were starting to go hypothermic. You could put on something dry. But, within minutes it would be wet again. All in all, most runners seemed to deal with it pretty well. There was far less activity in the medical tent than I expected. Happily, around 9:00 pm, the rain stopped and settled into a fine foggy mist. Manageable with a dry rain jacket and a dry change of clothes. I'd been resisting pulling out the dry set. I knew that I'd need it to get through the night.
My race went pretty well. I had stated my goal to anyone that would listen: 100 miles in under 24 hours. I started somewhat slow and easy, as planned. I went for a 12 minute pace for the first 5-6 miles. Then, I brought it up a little. I tried to keep it around 10-11 minute pace for the remainder of the first 25 miles. Plus, I walked the bridge across the lake every lap. It was about 5 minutes, out of every 25-35 minute lap. A good break to keep my legs fresh.
That bridge was always the coldest part of every lap. The wind blew off the lake and right across the bridge. There was definitely a cold, nasty wind a-blowin'! But, the best thing about the bridge was the planes. The planes would line up for the airport runway, about 300 feet off the deck. It was awesome! They'd come roaring in every few minutes, leaving swirling trails of mist in the wakes of their wing tips. Great full sensory experience!
I never came to my "wall", which I usually hit around mile 16-20, and sometimes repeats every 30 miles, or so. I believe that my fueling was the reason. I ate mostly fruit and a few small pieces of turkey sandwich. Never underestimate the power of an orange slice! I felt like I got a charge for the next lap, every time I ate a couple. A slow and even burn of quick carbs was the main goal. I was able to PR every distance at this race, From marathon (yeah, my marathon time is slow) to 50k, through 50 miles and 100k, I was ahead of all of my best times. The flat loop course was the secret. But, that was the reason I showed up.
Around mile 40, I started to hear that old familiar voice in my head. It was raining. It was cold. I could go to the motel, watch some bad TV, go to the steakhouse for a big dinner and dessert. I just kept telling myself no. Not this lap. Just go around again, one more time. Stay in the now. I've learned that being present is what gets me through these things. Thinking about what's to come is not a good strategy. And besides, I had chosen this. I had thought about it for months. I had spent a few hundred bucks to get here. My wife had reorganized her life for the week, so that I could do this. My daughter told me I could do it. I couldn't tell her, I couldn't tell everyone, that I just decided to quit and go somewhere warm and dry.
At mile 40, I looked at the top ten. I was there! I was number 10! I'd never been number ten, unless maybe there were ten entrants. By mile 62, the voice was finally gone for good. I had 10 hours left to go about 38 miles. I had clean, dry clothes and shoes. It had stopped raining. I was going to break 100 miles. I was. I knew it. There was nothing that was within my control that could stop me. It was possible that there could have been something else. But, I didn't see any problems. I had a few small aches and pains. I stopped at the massage tent for a couple of quick 10 minute tune-ups.
Every lap, I would yell out my number to the lap counters. They would yell back, "That's lap 31. That's 75 miles!" I'd yell back, "25 to go!" Then, I'd do the math. If I hold a pace of at least 17.5 minutes per mile. I'll have 20 minutes to spare. I must have done the math 200 times during the night. The last 3-4 hours, I was still very close to making it, or not. I had to keep moving. Walking it in was not an option. I was NOT going to end up with 97 miles. There were a lot of folks out there walking. I admired each and every one of them. I was just not going to be one of them.
Mile 98.5. The time clock said 23:20, I had 40 minutes to go 1.5 miles. I decided to go over to the short course, instead of the long loop. I was pretty sure I could manage the pace. But, I didn't have a watch. There would no denying my goal. So, I ran short loops back and forth, near the finish area. It was really fun. There must have been 60 people running back and forth, 220 yards out, then back again.
"I need six short loops", I thought. "Six, and I'm done."
There were some who were just walking. Some were running hard, like a six minute pace. They were cranking out laps, passing by slower walkers, over and over. I decided that if all these people could keep going for the last few minutes, I would too. Plus, I didn't want to come up short, due to some math error. I felt like 101 was a good number. I picked it up. I passed 100 miles. Yes!!! I counted 4 more loops. I passed 101 miles. There was 15 seconds left. Others came sprinting in, literally as the clock turned 24:00. Amazing! Absolutely awesome!
I saw one woman getting congratulations from her family. She had hit the line with literally no seconds left. She had run HARD for the last 30 minutes. Her family was ecstatic. She started to tear up. And I felt it, too. I was a little sad that I didn't have someone there with me, to share my joy. But, I understood the joy and the pride. All around me, there was appreciation for all the athletes, young and old, fast and slow. There were volunteers yelling "You guys are awesome! 24 hours! Yeahhhhh!" It was a great display of human emotion on so many levels. One of the many reasons that I, and so many others, love this crazy, ridiculous sport that is ultrarunning.
There were a lot of astounding things that happened out there. From a pure numbers stand point, there was a new course record set. Michael Henze put up just over 145 miles, to break the old course record of 136. This guy was just fast and consistent, the whole time. The only time I saw him walk, he was coming by me up the small hill they call Mt. Nokomis. He told me he had to break 135 miles to be considered for the US 24 Hour team. I think he took care of that! Of course, there were many other stories there. Most of which probably went on within the minds of those participating. But, I'll leave it to them to tell their own story.
First of all, the folks that put this race on were absolutely great. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Sure, it's pretty much the norm for an ultra. But, it's always appreciated and sort of amazing. These poor folks, many of them non-runners, sit around freezing their butts off, so that us poor, filthy slobs can abuse ourselves by running in circles. Some of my favorite things which this team delivered: 1) Pizza, twice! At 6 pm, and again at midnight, I had pizza. Awesome! 2) Massages. Yes, that's right. At any given time, there were 2 massage therapists on hand. Wow! I loved it and took advantage of it a few times when a few minor aches wouldn't go away. 3) I really enjoyed the full breakfast after the race. I was hungry and tired, as was everyone else. It was great to walk right into breakfast. Perhaps the best part was to be able to sit and talk with some of the other runners.
There's always sort of a sadness when an event is over. You think about it for so long. You plan. You travel. You run like hell. Then, when it's over, your regular life just pops back on. It's nice to spend some time to ease out of it, talking with others who've experienced this kind of weird experience (volunteers and runners, alike), before easing back into the 'normal world'. As I sat in the airport, trying not to fall asleep before getting on the plane. I thought,"These people don't have any idea why I walk like I'm 90 years old, why I can't keep my head upright on my shoulders." But, the others that were present 'out there', they get it. They understand the things that went on at the lake. The nondescript piece of a city park that saw a thousand amazing things take place in the hearts and minds of those that were there.
Like the guy who couldn't run after the first 5 hours because of pain. So he walked for the next 19 hours. What kind of impression do you think that made on his two kids? Their dad was certainly as amazing as any super hero.
The forecast for the week looked great. 64 degrees and partly cloudy. But, two days out, it changed to rain, 70% chance. Sure enough, it dawned cloudy. At the start, it was still dry. By the second hour, the rain started. It was light, but constant for the first 6 hours, or so. Then, it turned to a moderate, but very consistent rain. This continued for about 3 hours. It was cold, too. The temp was around 50 degrees.
I had on a rain jacket and gloves that had been soaked for hours. I was wearing shorts that stuck to my legs. There were a lot of folks who were starting to go hypothermic. You could put on something dry. But, within minutes it would be wet again. All in all, most runners seemed to deal with it pretty well. There was far less activity in the medical tent than I expected. Happily, around 9:00 pm, the rain stopped and settled into a fine foggy mist. Manageable with a dry rain jacket and a dry change of clothes. I'd been resisting pulling out the dry set. I knew that I'd need it to get through the night.
My race went pretty well. I had stated my goal to anyone that would listen: 100 miles in under 24 hours. I started somewhat slow and easy, as planned. I went for a 12 minute pace for the first 5-6 miles. Then, I brought it up a little. I tried to keep it around 10-11 minute pace for the remainder of the first 25 miles. Plus, I walked the bridge across the lake every lap. It was about 5 minutes, out of every 25-35 minute lap. A good break to keep my legs fresh.
That bridge was always the coldest part of every lap. The wind blew off the lake and right across the bridge. There was definitely a cold, nasty wind a-blowin'! But, the best thing about the bridge was the planes. The planes would line up for the airport runway, about 300 feet off the deck. It was awesome! They'd come roaring in every few minutes, leaving swirling trails of mist in the wakes of their wing tips. Great full sensory experience!
I never came to my "wall", which I usually hit around mile 16-20, and sometimes repeats every 30 miles, or so. I believe that my fueling was the reason. I ate mostly fruit and a few small pieces of turkey sandwich. Never underestimate the power of an orange slice! I felt like I got a charge for the next lap, every time I ate a couple. A slow and even burn of quick carbs was the main goal. I was able to PR every distance at this race, From marathon (yeah, my marathon time is slow) to 50k, through 50 miles and 100k, I was ahead of all of my best times. The flat loop course was the secret. But, that was the reason I showed up.
Around mile 40, I started to hear that old familiar voice in my head. It was raining. It was cold. I could go to the motel, watch some bad TV, go to the steakhouse for a big dinner and dessert. I just kept telling myself no. Not this lap. Just go around again, one more time. Stay in the now. I've learned that being present is what gets me through these things. Thinking about what's to come is not a good strategy. And besides, I had chosen this. I had thought about it for months. I had spent a few hundred bucks to get here. My wife had reorganized her life for the week, so that I could do this. My daughter told me I could do it. I couldn't tell her, I couldn't tell everyone, that I just decided to quit and go somewhere warm and dry.
At mile 40, I looked at the top ten. I was there! I was number 10! I'd never been number ten, unless maybe there were ten entrants. By mile 62, the voice was finally gone for good. I had 10 hours left to go about 38 miles. I had clean, dry clothes and shoes. It had stopped raining. I was going to break 100 miles. I was. I knew it. There was nothing that was within my control that could stop me. It was possible that there could have been something else. But, I didn't see any problems. I had a few small aches and pains. I stopped at the massage tent for a couple of quick 10 minute tune-ups.
Every lap, I would yell out my number to the lap counters. They would yell back, "That's lap 31. That's 75 miles!" I'd yell back, "25 to go!" Then, I'd do the math. If I hold a pace of at least 17.5 minutes per mile. I'll have 20 minutes to spare. I must have done the math 200 times during the night. The last 3-4 hours, I was still very close to making it, or not. I had to keep moving. Walking it in was not an option. I was NOT going to end up with 97 miles. There were a lot of folks out there walking. I admired each and every one of them. I was just not going to be one of them.
Mile 98.5. The time clock said 23:20, I had 40 minutes to go 1.5 miles. I decided to go over to the short course, instead of the long loop. I was pretty sure I could manage the pace. But, I didn't have a watch. There would no denying my goal. So, I ran short loops back and forth, near the finish area. It was really fun. There must have been 60 people running back and forth, 220 yards out, then back again.
"I need six short loops", I thought. "Six, and I'm done."
There were some who were just walking. Some were running hard, like a six minute pace. They were cranking out laps, passing by slower walkers, over and over. I decided that if all these people could keep going for the last few minutes, I would too. Plus, I didn't want to come up short, due to some math error. I felt like 101 was a good number. I picked it up. I passed 100 miles. Yes!!! I counted 4 more loops. I passed 101 miles. There was 15 seconds left. Others came sprinting in, literally as the clock turned 24:00. Amazing! Absolutely awesome!
I saw one woman getting congratulations from her family. She had hit the line with literally no seconds left. She had run HARD for the last 30 minutes. Her family was ecstatic. She started to tear up. And I felt it, too. I was a little sad that I didn't have someone there with me, to share my joy. But, I understood the joy and the pride. All around me, there was appreciation for all the athletes, young and old, fast and slow. There were volunteers yelling "You guys are awesome! 24 hours! Yeahhhhh!" It was a great display of human emotion on so many levels. One of the many reasons that I, and so many others, love this crazy, ridiculous sport that is ultrarunning.
There were a lot of astounding things that happened out there. From a pure numbers stand point, there was a new course record set. Michael Henze put up just over 145 miles, to break the old course record of 136. This guy was just fast and consistent, the whole time. The only time I saw him walk, he was coming by me up the small hill they call Mt. Nokomis. He told me he had to break 135 miles to be considered for the US 24 Hour team. I think he took care of that! Of course, there were many other stories there. Most of which probably went on within the minds of those participating. But, I'll leave it to them to tell their own story.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Moab 100 Race Report - March, 2009
I ran the Moab 100, last weekend. It was a somewhat ugly experience in a beautiful location.
For the first few laps (5.37 miles each), everything went pretty well. I started too fast on the first lap. When will I ever learn? By lap 2 & 3, I was in a good groove, doing about 12 minute miles. I had a low point around mile 20. Low energy, lack of speed, typical "wall" for me.Things went generally well for the first 50 miles. I came into the mile 48turnaround at about 11 hours.
Around mile 45, I realized that I hadn't been peeing all day. Made a little stop and found that both quantity and quality did not look good. I decided to stop at the aid station and drink at least a quart, before continuing any further. I also had some pasta with chicken,since I was lolly gagging in a chair, anyway.
Things seemed to be on track shortly thereafter. But, around mile 55-60, I started feeling some blisters starting on the balls of my feet. There was a lot of deep, dry sand on the course. Much more than I remembered from last year (when I dropped at mile 64 of the 24 hour - wimp!). Between the sand in my shoes and the crazy off-camber angles of the slick rock sections, it was turning into a fine sanding on the bottoms of my feet. Although it was a minor problem, I knew that I had to address the issue, or I wasn't going to be continuing. Thus began 3-4 laps of 10 minute stops each lap, farting around with tape, changing socks, dumping out sand. Repeat, repeat, repeat.I was loosing tons of time. My moving pace was reasonably good. But, I felt like I had to take care of my feet, first and foremost. Otherwise, there would be NO pace at all.
My wife, Paige came out with me to pace for three laps, starting at mile 60.I felt like I was moving pretty well, as she did. However, we realized at the end of each lap, that we were still doing about 20 minute pace. Some were quicker, but more time was wasted dealing with keeping blisters at bay.Not good. My wife, on the other hand, was awesome! She has paced me for part of every 100 miler that I have finished. Curiously, the two I did not finish, she did not pace me. Hmm? Around 4:00 am, she went to sleep and I continued on.
I asked the RD how many 100 milers were still out there when I left at mile80. He said there were about 10. I almost asked what my 24 hour mileage was,and what place that put me in. I knew I had the option of dropping down to the 24 hour race.Then, I thought better of it. I wasn't going to get to the finish with that thought in my head. So, out I went, solo. I had one more lap to do in the dark. I knew that I would get a nice boost with the second sunrise. I had 9 hours to go 20 miles. Easy, right?
Overall, I felt pretty good for the last 4 laps. My blistered foot started flaring up again at mile 86. I was out of tape and out of ideas. Arrgh! It was in a very awkward spot between my big toe and the pad of the ball of my foot. I tried to wrap it in duct tape, out of desperation. No deal. It couldn't move and flex. I was literally debating dropping at mile 86.Finally, I looked over and saw some corn pads I had bought. Ah-ha! I stuck one on, no tape. But, It seemed to work. I was back again. I felt like this was the 3rd time I had been able to pull this race out of my ass. There would be a fourth yet to come.
I finished my final lap (mile 98.4) with an hour and 5 minutes left. I knew I had it in the bag! I left for the 1.6 mile out and back. I walked briskly up the hill, feeling like I was moving well (for a walk, anyway). I had some running in me. But, I didn't see much point in trashing myself to knock off10 or 15 minutes from a slow time. During the last couple of hours, the wind had really picked up. By the time I got close to the out and back turnaround, it was screaming! I would estimate it was blowing consistently at 50-60 mph. It was difficult to remain upright, at times. I turned around at the cone. Less than a miles to go. I figured I had lots of time,probably 40-45 minutes left. However, I didn't have a watch. Good move!
I met another runner, about a 1/3 mile from the finish. We walked and chatted.With about 100 yards to go, I saw my wife and daughter. My 5 year old ran out to me and said, "Four minutes, dad!" Holy crap, four minutes!? I wasn't gonna lose a finish at this point. I kicked it into gear and ran hard. Up the hill and even faster toward the finish. My time: 29:57:00. Three minutes to spare!I was very happy to have the finish. And very happy to just be done.
Things I learned:
1) Slick rock is brutal. It's hard on your knees. It's makes your feet slip around, because the surface is uneven. Add in lots of sand, and it's even worse. This is my fourth finish of 100 miles or more, with my worst blister problems, by far. Happily, they are not huge and felt reasonably good, once I stopped.
2) My wife pacing me dramatically increases my chances of finishing. I told her in the middle of the night,"If you hadn't been pacing me, I probably would not have a 100 mile finish to my name." She is awesome! In the wee hours of the night, the company of another is worth a lot. The company of someone you love, and just enjoying the night together is worth even more.
3) Just focus on maintaining forward motion. Once again, I was trying to make excuses for stopping. But, I just kept moving and everything took care of itself.
I also met a few members of the Ultralist. Janet Thomson and her friend Luis had a great race, and smiled the whole way. Janet took the women's category in the 100, around 27 hours. Outstanding for a first 100 miler, on a tough course. Fred Davis, who I met at Ultracentric looked good, but had a tough time with his temperature system. Fred is very prolific. This guy runs 100'sand beyond like most people do training runs. Oh, and he's in his early60's. Wow! Davy Crockett was like a man driven mad. Every time I saw him, he was running HARD. From what I've seen, Davy gives it all he has every time.
I don't know if I'll go back to the Moab 100. I like the race, but the slick rock really gives you a beating. Maybe a shorter 12 hour next year, or a fun relay team? I was excited to get a race shirt this year. This should be a given when you sign up for a race, in my book. I also really liked the warm pasta with chicken and the potatoes with broth. However, the general food spread at the aid station was pretty sparse and didn't change. I'd love to see some more variety.
I think this race is underestimated by many people.The description says 450 feet of vertical per loop. I would estimate at least 600 feet, which was backed up by a Moab local. This would put the total vertical gain as close to 11,000' vs. the 8,200' advertised. And the slick rock will kick your butt!
For the first few laps (5.37 miles each), everything went pretty well. I started too fast on the first lap. When will I ever learn? By lap 2 & 3, I was in a good groove, doing about 12 minute miles. I had a low point around mile 20. Low energy, lack of speed, typical "wall" for me.Things went generally well for the first 50 miles. I came into the mile 48turnaround at about 11 hours.
Around mile 45, I realized that I hadn't been peeing all day. Made a little stop and found that both quantity and quality did not look good. I decided to stop at the aid station and drink at least a quart, before continuing any further. I also had some pasta with chicken,since I was lolly gagging in a chair, anyway.
Things seemed to be on track shortly thereafter. But, around mile 55-60, I started feeling some blisters starting on the balls of my feet. There was a lot of deep, dry sand on the course. Much more than I remembered from last year (when I dropped at mile 64 of the 24 hour - wimp!). Between the sand in my shoes and the crazy off-camber angles of the slick rock sections, it was turning into a fine sanding on the bottoms of my feet. Although it was a minor problem, I knew that I had to address the issue, or I wasn't going to be continuing. Thus began 3-4 laps of 10 minute stops each lap, farting around with tape, changing socks, dumping out sand. Repeat, repeat, repeat.I was loosing tons of time. My moving pace was reasonably good. But, I felt like I had to take care of my feet, first and foremost. Otherwise, there would be NO pace at all.
My wife, Paige came out with me to pace for three laps, starting at mile 60.I felt like I was moving pretty well, as she did. However, we realized at the end of each lap, that we were still doing about 20 minute pace. Some were quicker, but more time was wasted dealing with keeping blisters at bay.Not good. My wife, on the other hand, was awesome! She has paced me for part of every 100 miler that I have finished. Curiously, the two I did not finish, she did not pace me. Hmm? Around 4:00 am, she went to sleep and I continued on.
I asked the RD how many 100 milers were still out there when I left at mile80. He said there were about 10. I almost asked what my 24 hour mileage was,and what place that put me in. I knew I had the option of dropping down to the 24 hour race.Then, I thought better of it. I wasn't going to get to the finish with that thought in my head. So, out I went, solo. I had one more lap to do in the dark. I knew that I would get a nice boost with the second sunrise. I had 9 hours to go 20 miles. Easy, right?
Overall, I felt pretty good for the last 4 laps. My blistered foot started flaring up again at mile 86. I was out of tape and out of ideas. Arrgh! It was in a very awkward spot between my big toe and the pad of the ball of my foot. I tried to wrap it in duct tape, out of desperation. No deal. It couldn't move and flex. I was literally debating dropping at mile 86.Finally, I looked over and saw some corn pads I had bought. Ah-ha! I stuck one on, no tape. But, It seemed to work. I was back again. I felt like this was the 3rd time I had been able to pull this race out of my ass. There would be a fourth yet to come.
I finished my final lap (mile 98.4) with an hour and 5 minutes left. I knew I had it in the bag! I left for the 1.6 mile out and back. I walked briskly up the hill, feeling like I was moving well (for a walk, anyway). I had some running in me. But, I didn't see much point in trashing myself to knock off10 or 15 minutes from a slow time. During the last couple of hours, the wind had really picked up. By the time I got close to the out and back turnaround, it was screaming! I would estimate it was blowing consistently at 50-60 mph. It was difficult to remain upright, at times. I turned around at the cone. Less than a miles to go. I figured I had lots of time,probably 40-45 minutes left. However, I didn't have a watch. Good move!
I met another runner, about a 1/3 mile from the finish. We walked and chatted.With about 100 yards to go, I saw my wife and daughter. My 5 year old ran out to me and said, "Four minutes, dad!" Holy crap, four minutes!? I wasn't gonna lose a finish at this point. I kicked it into gear and ran hard. Up the hill and even faster toward the finish. My time: 29:57:00. Three minutes to spare!I was very happy to have the finish. And very happy to just be done.
Things I learned:
1) Slick rock is brutal. It's hard on your knees. It's makes your feet slip around, because the surface is uneven. Add in lots of sand, and it's even worse. This is my fourth finish of 100 miles or more, with my worst blister problems, by far. Happily, they are not huge and felt reasonably good, once I stopped.
2) My wife pacing me dramatically increases my chances of finishing. I told her in the middle of the night,"If you hadn't been pacing me, I probably would not have a 100 mile finish to my name." She is awesome! In the wee hours of the night, the company of another is worth a lot. The company of someone you love, and just enjoying the night together is worth even more.
3) Just focus on maintaining forward motion. Once again, I was trying to make excuses for stopping. But, I just kept moving and everything took care of itself.
I also met a few members of the Ultralist. Janet Thomson and her friend Luis had a great race, and smiled the whole way. Janet took the women's category in the 100, around 27 hours. Outstanding for a first 100 miler, on a tough course. Fred Davis, who I met at Ultracentric looked good, but had a tough time with his temperature system. Fred is very prolific. This guy runs 100'sand beyond like most people do training runs. Oh, and he's in his early60's. Wow! Davy Crockett was like a man driven mad. Every time I saw him, he was running HARD. From what I've seen, Davy gives it all he has every time.
I don't know if I'll go back to the Moab 100. I like the race, but the slick rock really gives you a beating. Maybe a shorter 12 hour next year, or a fun relay team? I was excited to get a race shirt this year. This should be a given when you sign up for a race, in my book. I also really liked the warm pasta with chicken and the potatoes with broth. However, the general food spread at the aid station was pretty sparse and didn't change. I'd love to see some more variety.
I think this race is underestimated by many people.The description says 450 feet of vertical per loop. I would estimate at least 600 feet, which was backed up by a Moab local. This would put the total vertical gain as close to 11,000' vs. the 8,200' advertised. And the slick rock will kick your butt!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Ultracentric 48 Hour Race
Jim & Sue Norwood sent me this inquiry about my 48 hour strategy. Here is a brief report. Ok, it's kinda long!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim wrote:
Well, how did UC go for you? Sue and I were entered, but for various reasons didn't go. For one thing, we were a bit concerned about the lack of organization and conflicting information we found on the race website. From what we've heard, it may have been a good decision. We hope your experience was positive.
We're interested in hearing how things went for you. How did you deal with sleep? That seemed to be a concern you had. You received several responses from your post to the list in October and we're wondering how much was helpful, and if you were able to adhere to any kind of predetermined schedule. Since you solicited advice from the list, others may be interested in your comments.
I had a good race. As has been mentioned, there were some problems with the organizer, mainly a ridiculous, completely false course description. Lap counts were often hard to get. Sometimes, for several hours at a time. But, all in all, I had a great time at my first 48 hour experience.
I ran at a steady pace most of the first 9 hours. Started slow (15 min. pace) for the first couple laps. Then, cranked it up (ha, ha!) to around 11-12 min. pace for the remaining daylight hours. With rest breaks (bathroom, few minutes for dinner), I was keeping about a 13:30 average. Night brought a slow down, with a few laps coming in around 20 minutes (17 min. mile). But, one of the best things for me, psychologically speaking, was knowing that I could sleep. I decided to take a 90 minute rest around 2-3:00 am. At 1:30, I started to get the yawns. So, I pulled into the tent around 2:00 and set the alarm for 90 minutes. I think I only slept about the last 20-30 minutes. But, it felt very good to just rest and close my eyes. I woke up and immediately got moving. What made it worse was that our tent was at the bottom of the hill. So, I immediately had to go into a climb. But, no big problem. After a lap or two of loosening up, I was able to get my running going again.
Overall, I ran the flats. I mostly ran the downhill, alternating walking down every third or fourth lap, to save the quads. This seemed to work well. I walked mostly all of the uphills. Although, on the first day, I mixed it up a little to work different muscles. I would estimate that the 1.15 mile loop was 1/2 flat to slightly downhill, 1/4 slight uphills, 1/4 big hill at the start/finish.
I stopped again for a rest around 5:00 am. This time for 45 minutes. Due to a misunderstanding (and my wife being mostly asleep) she set the alarm for 35 minutes. But, it worked out great. I would guess I actually slept about 15-20 minutes. I felt fairly refreshed upon waking 5 minutes before the alarm. Once again, a lap or two of walkng got me back to a running gear. My best times during the wee hours of darkness were around 14-15 minute miles. I passed the 100 mile mark around 28 hours. I would estimate the course as having 50-60 feet of elevation per loop. Hundred mile total was around 4,500 5,000 feet of gain. I feel that I could have been faster through the first 100. But, I felt it was smart to try to keep my ability to run as long as possible.
Day two brought back some speed. I was able to do mostly 14 min. miles through the daytime hours. Eating real food every 5-6 hours seemed to work well for energy and felt great. I had a good, consistent appetite throughout, a rarity for me. I only had one shot of gel during the whole race. Took an S-cap! every hour during daylight, every 2 hours at night. I drank about 10 oz. of Clip2, about every 3-4 hours throughout. I did start out with my hydration pack for the first 2 hours. I realized that it wasn't needed, as I could get water every 15-20 minutes. So, for the first time, I ran the rest of the race carrying nothing. It was nice. I did feel like I lost a bit of time this way. At times, I found myself stopping every lap for a drink, a snack, to pee, etc. After 3-4 laps like this, I'd get frustrated at my lap times. Then, I would decide to go something like: 2 laps no stops, get water quickly, take food with me. Then, 2-3 more laps non-stop, etc. This kept my pace up to a reasonable rate, maybe 15 min. miles, average.
As the second night started, the constant wind finally stopped. The wind had blown strong and gusty since early afternoon on the first day. During day 2, I was in a jacket most of the day, sometimes with hat and gloves. I couldn't understand how the 12/24 hour runners were out there in shorts and singlets! I figured I was just physically depleted and not able to keep the furnace stoked. I also noticed most of the 48 hour runners were also bundled up. As the sun went down, I got a great second wind. I pulled out 4-5 laps at 12-14 minute pace. My goal was 150 miles. I decided that when I hit 150, I would call it and go to sleep. This gave me good incentive to keep moving. I was constantly doing math in my head: "only 9 hours to go".
Around hour 34, my achilles tendon really started to hurt. It went from a very slight twinge, to "hey, idiot!" in just a few minutes. This gave me cause for alarm. I know that achlles injuries can be very chronic. I asked a couple of well seasoned runners about it. They agreed that I shouldn't keep going if I had pain. After catching up with Dr. Andy Lovy, he also confirmed the diagnosis. He said to stretch and rest. If it didn't hurt, I could continue. If it still hurt, I would be risking more injury. After walking two more laps, it was time to throw in the towel. They had me counted at 126 miles. I felt content with that. So, at 36:05, I handed in my timing chip and caught a ride back to the motel. By 10:30, I was in bed.
We returned in the morning, just before the runners finished at 9:00. We had a nice breakfast. We hung out at the awards ceremony and cheered the other runners. There were some great performances, especially considering the course. Afterwards, we packed up camp and headed down the road.
Overall, I felt pretty good physically. Spending 2-3 days driving home was terrible for my circulation. We only drove 4-5 hours a day, taking it slow and milking a few more days of vacation. But, the blood just pooled in my legs. When we would stop at a hotel, I would walk around a bit and elevate. No problems. 11 days later, my achilles is still slightly sore, with a small nodule. A regular routine of RICE has helped a lot. I did my first run of about a mile on day 9, before it started to tighten up. I walked back. Yesterday, I went for a 4.5 mile loop. Ran 4 miles at pretty slow pace. More tightening up. I deceided it was time for some other therapy. So, I'm going to see my PT on tuesday. Slow and easy and no more injury is my motto.
I hope to be back on my regular, rigorous ;-) schedule of 30 mpw soon. Plus, as soon as it starts snowing, I've got some ski days to get in. And, of course, like any junkie, I'm thinking about trying to get down for Rocky Raccoon 100 in February.
PS- A huge shout out to my wife Paige, and daughter Ripley. The best crew a guy could ask for. They brought me Chick-Fil-A twice for dinner. And were generally fantastic! And, as is always the case, great volunteers at the race, Always helpful, always gracious. I hope that the RD can get his act together. This could really be a class act, with a few minor changes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim wrote:
Well, how did UC go for you? Sue and I were entered, but for various reasons didn't go. For one thing, we were a bit concerned about the lack of organization and conflicting information we found on the race website. From what we've heard, it may have been a good decision. We hope your experience was positive.
We're interested in hearing how things went for you. How did you deal with sleep? That seemed to be a concern you had. You received several responses from your post to the list in October and we're wondering how much was helpful, and if you were able to adhere to any kind of predetermined schedule. Since you solicited advice from the list, others may be interested in your comments.
I had a good race. As has been mentioned, there were some problems with the organizer, mainly a ridiculous, completely false course description. Lap counts were often hard to get. Sometimes, for several hours at a time. But, all in all, I had a great time at my first 48 hour experience.
I ran at a steady pace most of the first 9 hours. Started slow (15 min. pace) for the first couple laps. Then, cranked it up (ha, ha!) to around 11-12 min. pace for the remaining daylight hours. With rest breaks (bathroom, few minutes for dinner), I was keeping about a 13:30 average. Night brought a slow down, with a few laps coming in around 20 minutes (17 min. mile). But, one of the best things for me, psychologically speaking, was knowing that I could sleep. I decided to take a 90 minute rest around 2-3:00 am. At 1:30, I started to get the yawns. So, I pulled into the tent around 2:00 and set the alarm for 90 minutes. I think I only slept about the last 20-30 minutes. But, it felt very good to just rest and close my eyes. I woke up and immediately got moving. What made it worse was that our tent was at the bottom of the hill. So, I immediately had to go into a climb. But, no big problem. After a lap or two of loosening up, I was able to get my running going again.
Overall, I ran the flats. I mostly ran the downhill, alternating walking down every third or fourth lap, to save the quads. This seemed to work well. I walked mostly all of the uphills. Although, on the first day, I mixed it up a little to work different muscles. I would estimate that the 1.15 mile loop was 1/2 flat to slightly downhill, 1/4 slight uphills, 1/4 big hill at the start/finish.
I stopped again for a rest around 5:00 am. This time for 45 minutes. Due to a misunderstanding (and my wife being mostly asleep) she set the alarm for 35 minutes. But, it worked out great. I would guess I actually slept about 15-20 minutes. I felt fairly refreshed upon waking 5 minutes before the alarm. Once again, a lap or two of walkng got me back to a running gear. My best times during the wee hours of darkness were around 14-15 minute miles. I passed the 100 mile mark around 28 hours. I would estimate the course as having 50-60 feet of elevation per loop. Hundred mile total was around 4,500 5,000 feet of gain. I feel that I could have been faster through the first 100. But, I felt it was smart to try to keep my ability to run as long as possible.
Day two brought back some speed. I was able to do mostly 14 min. miles through the daytime hours. Eating real food every 5-6 hours seemed to work well for energy and felt great. I had a good, consistent appetite throughout, a rarity for me. I only had one shot of gel during the whole race. Took an S-cap! every hour during daylight, every 2 hours at night. I drank about 10 oz. of Clip2, about every 3-4 hours throughout. I did start out with my hydration pack for the first 2 hours. I realized that it wasn't needed, as I could get water every 15-20 minutes. So, for the first time, I ran the rest of the race carrying nothing. It was nice. I did feel like I lost a bit of time this way. At times, I found myself stopping every lap for a drink, a snack, to pee, etc. After 3-4 laps like this, I'd get frustrated at my lap times. Then, I would decide to go something like: 2 laps no stops, get water quickly, take food with me. Then, 2-3 more laps non-stop, etc. This kept my pace up to a reasonable rate, maybe 15 min. miles, average.
As the second night started, the constant wind finally stopped. The wind had blown strong and gusty since early afternoon on the first day. During day 2, I was in a jacket most of the day, sometimes with hat and gloves. I couldn't understand how the 12/24 hour runners were out there in shorts and singlets! I figured I was just physically depleted and not able to keep the furnace stoked. I also noticed most of the 48 hour runners were also bundled up. As the sun went down, I got a great second wind. I pulled out 4-5 laps at 12-14 minute pace. My goal was 150 miles. I decided that when I hit 150, I would call it and go to sleep. This gave me good incentive to keep moving. I was constantly doing math in my head: "only 9 hours to go".
Around hour 34, my achilles tendon really started to hurt. It went from a very slight twinge, to "hey, idiot!" in just a few minutes. This gave me cause for alarm. I know that achlles injuries can be very chronic. I asked a couple of well seasoned runners about it. They agreed that I shouldn't keep going if I had pain. After catching up with Dr. Andy Lovy, he also confirmed the diagnosis. He said to stretch and rest. If it didn't hurt, I could continue. If it still hurt, I would be risking more injury. After walking two more laps, it was time to throw in the towel. They had me counted at 126 miles. I felt content with that. So, at 36:05, I handed in my timing chip and caught a ride back to the motel. By 10:30, I was in bed.
We returned in the morning, just before the runners finished at 9:00. We had a nice breakfast. We hung out at the awards ceremony and cheered the other runners. There were some great performances, especially considering the course. Afterwards, we packed up camp and headed down the road.
Overall, I felt pretty good physically. Spending 2-3 days driving home was terrible for my circulation. We only drove 4-5 hours a day, taking it slow and milking a few more days of vacation. But, the blood just pooled in my legs. When we would stop at a hotel, I would walk around a bit and elevate. No problems. 11 days later, my achilles is still slightly sore, with a small nodule. A regular routine of RICE has helped a lot. I did my first run of about a mile on day 9, before it started to tighten up. I walked back. Yesterday, I went for a 4.5 mile loop. Ran 4 miles at pretty slow pace. More tightening up. I deceided it was time for some other therapy. So, I'm going to see my PT on tuesday. Slow and easy and no more injury is my motto.
I hope to be back on my regular, rigorous ;-) schedule of 30 mpw soon. Plus, as soon as it starts snowing, I've got some ski days to get in. And, of course, like any junkie, I'm thinking about trying to get down for Rocky Raccoon 100 in February.
PS- A huge shout out to my wife Paige, and daughter Ripley. The best crew a guy could ask for. They brought me Chick-Fil-A twice for dinner. And were generally fantastic! And, as is always the case, great volunteers at the race, Always helpful, always gracious. I hope that the RD can get his act together. This could really be a class act, with a few minor changes.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Heartland 100 - October 2008
I ran the Heartland 100 last week,for the second time. In 2007, it was my first 100 miler and first finish. This time, it was my 4th attempt at 100 miles, and second finish! My report is below. Warning; it's long!
Heartland is a great race. The atmosphere is pretty low-key. The people are very friendly. There is certainly a small town feel to this race, which takes place near Cassoday, Ks (pop. 100). Heartland was my first attempt at 100 miles, in 2007. I completed it in 29:22, after walking in the last 35 miles, due to pain in my knee when running. However, I could walk with no pain. So, I walked. It was a finish. But, I wanted to know how much better I could have done, had I been able to run throughout the race.
My race history for 2008 has been pretty spotty. I had a good run at Rocky Raccoon 50, finishing in 10:20 for a substantial PR at the distance. In March, I ran 65 miles in the 24 Hours of Moab. But, I had quit at 11:00 pm, with about 8 hours to go. I wasn't really sure why. I just wasn't feeling motivated. The next morning, I came down with a really nasty stomach bug. In retrospect, I was very glad I hadn't continued to run all night.
In June, I ran the Kettle Moraine 100. After some of the worst weather I've ever experienced outdoors, I dropped at 62 miles. I found myself very regretful of that decision. The next day, I felt great. I had a lot more left in me. So, after pacing at Badwater in July, I signed up for the Leadville 100.
Now, I knew that Leadville is the race that eats its young. I knew that my chances were probably 50/50 of making the cutoffs and finishing. But, I felt like I had to get a monkey off my back. My race went great through Twin Lakes. I was a bit behind my schedule, but ahead of the cutoffs. Then, Hope Pass reared its ugly head. I was fueled, I was hydrated, I had energy. Then, the wheels just fell off. I slowed to a crawl. I made it to the 50 mile turnaround at Winfield. But, I was 20 miuntes too late. I got pulled for time. But, I did give it all that I could. It felt better to be pulled for time. At least I didn't have to wrestle with my own decision to quit. Thus, my resolve to go to Heartland and finish was sealed.
My family and I spent 2 days driving to Wichita, seeing the sights (and smelling the feedlots) and enjoying being away from some of the recent stresses at home. We arrived at Cassoday on Friday for the pre-race meeting and dinner at 4:00. Dinner was very good. There was bbq beef, chicken, pasta, salad and a few other choices. My favorite: blackberry cobbler! We made an early break to get ready for the race and an early bed time. I slept pretty well. I think I'm starting to realize that worrying and thinking too much before a race just gets me nervous and causes me stomach distress. Staying in the moment seems to really help to alleviate the problem. At 6:00, myself and 99 other runners took off from the old school house, headed for the open prarie. I tried to maintain a good, easy effort pace.
The first 16.8 miles, to Lapland AS went by in 3:22. A good pace for me. I met my wife and daughter, had some chocolate milk (one of my new favorites) and headed out. One of my goals for this race was to spend far less time in aid stations. I figured I had lost 2 hours lat year at various aid stations. Eleven aid stations with your family can really wreak havoc with your overall time. This time, my wife said "I think the only other thing to do is tell you to get outta here". And I was off. I hit the Teterville station at 11:00. 12 min/mile pace, including stops. This was great time for me.
I reached Ridgeline (mile 36.5) at 7:38. I couldn't wait to eat some Prarie Power Pellets. They're sort of like Beanie Weenie, but with 15 kinds of beans. Fantastic! I told the cook I'd be back for more. At Matfield (mile 42.8), they offered me a bratwurst. It sounded so good. But, I decided to eat light and save up for the return, which would be around dinner time. I thought about that brat for 15 miles! My goal was to make the turnaround under 11 hours. I knew that 10-10 1/2 hours would probably be too fast. I wanted to be able to run throughout the entire race. I did NOT want to have to walk in the last miles, like last year. I hit the 50 mile turn at 10:50, right on plan. I spent 5 minutes getting fluids, eating a few oranges and some chicken noodle soup. I really wanted the sloppy joes, but I had a schedule to keep. Here, I ran into Abi, from the UltraList. She looked strong and had arrived before me. I left first, thinking about the next 7.5 miles, and a delicious brat.
I returned to Matfield (mile 57.4) in a total time of 12:43. I spent 17 minutes eating a brat, some oranges and a choco milk. Next stop: Ridgeline and Prarie Pellets. I found that the different foods that were offered really helped my appetite and my overall mood. After a few hours, I just can't look at another M&M, or boiled potato. But, all the varied options were just great. I also found that eating orange slices wherever I could really upped my energy level. My food plan for the race was to eat about 300 calories at every AS (about every 7-10 miles) and snack a little on the run. This race was the best I've ever had, in terms of fueling and consistent energy level. I didn't really hit any kind of wall until around mile 65. Typically, it would start around mile 16-20 and cycle up and down.
I met up with another runner on this section. We would walk/ run together, and leapfrog for most of the rest of the race. Shira was running her first 100. It made me so happy to think back to last year's race, and my first 100 mile experience. I was really happy for her. She was having some trouble with leg pain when she ran. I told her how I had walked in the last 35 miles and finished. We were well ahead of my pace from last year. I assured her that as long as she could walk, she would have no trouble finishing, if she just kept moving forward. We walked/ran into Ridgeline and another serving of Power Pellets at around 14:35. My big goal for this race was to finish under 24 hours. I knew it was a stretch, and I would have been very excited to break 25 hours. On the next stretch, I felt like my goals were slipping away. Technically, I was on pace. But, I knew I would have a slow down during the dark. Sure enough, on this section I was slowing to 17-18 minute miles. I took a NoDoz at 9:00pm, knowing that I had almost sleepwalked this section last year. It really gave me a jump start. But, essentially it just made my walking pace faster. I started to get a bit depressed at my goal slipping away. I did start to mix in more running.
After a stop at Texaco Hill for some soup, I felt better. I knew there was a nice, long downhill ahead and I was going to run it. I picked up some speed and made it to 75 miles at a time of 18:15. Once again, my wife crewed me and got me out of there in good time. 25 miles in under 7 hours seemed almost impossible. On any given day, while sane and wide awake, this would be easy for me. Hell, it's only 16.2 minutes per mile! I could hike up mountains faster than that. But, at this point in the night, I just didn't think I could keep it up. Then, at some point I had a revelation. I simply decided that I had just had a bad stretch. I had a bad 3 1/2 hours. It didn't mean that I had a bad 7 hours to go. It just meant that I had gone through a bad patch. Like many times before, it would turn around. I had felt great for the first 65 miles. I was having a better run than ever before. And, by golly, I was going to finish. I had done it before. I knew that I was capable. I knew that I was better trained than ever before. Simply keep moving forward. The miles would take care of themselves.
I made Lapland (mile 83.1) at 20:45. I was slow, but I was runnig the downhills and some of the flats. I was dissapointed to find that there were no pancakes this year. Last year, they served bacon and pancakes, and it was like heaven! Instead, I ate something (don't even recall), had some oranges and Dew and hit the road. I ran well for the first mile, mostly downhill and settled into a run/walk pattern. I decided I'd better take some more caffeine, as I was really starting to feel tired and was weaving. I pulled out my last NoDoz, and split it in half. The first 200 mg. pill had made me a bit jumpy, so I thought I'd take half. I also had this crazy idea of sleeping after the finish. If I took a buch of caffeine, I wouldn't be able to sleep at the finish. Big mistake. About 30 minutes after taking it, I just started to lose it. I was looking for places to sit down. I was thinking how nice it would be to just lay down for a nap in the road. At one point, I found a rock to sit on. I hunched over and hung my head. I immediately started to feel light-headed. This was not a place to pass out. I got back up and moved on. Shortly after, I stopped on the side of the road to squat and answer nature's call. Another runner caught up just as I was done. We walked together for a few minutes, which helped to keep us both awake.
Scott was another runner doing his first 100 miler. "Aging triathlete, trying to do the ultra thing" he said. "Older, slow guy trying to finish" I said.
By the time I got to the Battle Creek aid station (mile 91.7) at 23:15, I was trashed. I just wanted to sleep. I was trying to talk the AS folks into letting me sleep for 10 minutes. But, they wouldn't have it. "You've only got 8.3 miles to go" they said. It doesn't matter if I fall asleep in the road and get run over, I thought. Alas, my spirits brightened when they mentioned they had pancakes! Yes, I'll take one! Sadly, she ran out of propane as they were cooking. When she handed it to me, it was sort of limp. I took a bite and it tasted raw. It was all I could do to chew it. But, I knew that my stomach was empty and I needed caffeine. Mt Dew was not going to set well on an empty stomach. So, I ate it as best I could.
I sat in that chair for 30 minutes. It took everything I had just to kep my head upright and to stay awake. The aid station folks were great. Not pushy, but insistent that I had to get up and get moving. He told me that he was going to kick me out at 5:45. I agreed. I had 2 cups of Dew and my last half of NoDoz. Just for good measure, I asked them to fill up my 10 oz. bottle with Dew for the road.
The next 3.6 miles went well. I picked up steam, running and walking. I caught Scott, who had left about 10 minutes before me, and kept going. Once the sun rose, at around 7:15, I caught the lift of the second sun rise. I was trying all day and night to finish before the sun. But, now it was just what I needed. And I couldn't wait for it to arrive.
The last few miles of this course seem very long. The final stretch is almost totally flat. At mile 97, I can see the water tower at the finish. It's so hard to gauge how far it is. I see runners far ahead of me, and I watch for them to make the turn for the tower. Finally, I turn and head north toward Cassoday. The sun is up, although it is cloudy. I have energy. I can run. But it's slow and doesn't seem to be worth the extra effort to save few seconds at the finish. I continue and think about how nice this moment is. I'm going to finish! I'm enjoying a fun vacation with my wife and daughter. I can sleep soon. I'm going to get a matching belt buckle to go with my first one. I just ran a freakin' 100 miles!!!
I hit the final turn on the paved road and start to run the last quarter mile.It feels great to be able to run at this point. My wife comes out to run in the last 100 yards with me. We cross at 26:04. I finish 3:18 ahead of last year, for a personal best.
Epilogue:
I think that my training helped a lot with my performance. I upped my speed in the last year. In the several weeks leading up to the race, I was able to do long, difficult training runs at a consistent 12 min/mile pace. My shorter (8-10 mile) runs were done at 10 min. pace. I felt like I did the first half of this race at a much lower perceived effort. My fueling was great. Having 'real food' at aid stations did wonders for me. It kept me eating and enjoying it. I just can't live on gels and energy drink. Oranges are my new faorite aid station food. Never touched an M&M, Oreo, or potato. Laid off the caffeine until night time. Next time, I'll take another 200 mg. of NoDoz earler, rather than wait for the crash and try to bring myself back.
The hardest part of this race was dealing with sleep deprivetion. My wife was not able to pace me during this race. I thought this would be difficult for me during the night. It turned out, it was OK. In fact, it may have even kept me on my own pace a little better at times. Although, I would certainly welcome a pacer any time. Also, our I-pod took a dump before the race. This was something I had always used during the late hours. But, no problem.
Except for the long stay at Battle Creek, I had good AS times. Having a crew is awesome for helping to get in and out of aid stations. But, I tend to spend too much time there chatting. I did a pretty good job of staying on task this time. The Heartland support folks are top notch! There are many experienced runners working this race. They know just what to do when you need it. And to top it all off, it's a bargain at just over $100.
Heartland is a great race. The atmosphere is pretty low-key. The people are very friendly. There is certainly a small town feel to this race, which takes place near Cassoday, Ks (pop. 100). Heartland was my first attempt at 100 miles, in 2007. I completed it in 29:22, after walking in the last 35 miles, due to pain in my knee when running. However, I could walk with no pain. So, I walked. It was a finish. But, I wanted to know how much better I could have done, had I been able to run throughout the race.
My race history for 2008 has been pretty spotty. I had a good run at Rocky Raccoon 50, finishing in 10:20 for a substantial PR at the distance. In March, I ran 65 miles in the 24 Hours of Moab. But, I had quit at 11:00 pm, with about 8 hours to go. I wasn't really sure why. I just wasn't feeling motivated. The next morning, I came down with a really nasty stomach bug. In retrospect, I was very glad I hadn't continued to run all night.
In June, I ran the Kettle Moraine 100. After some of the worst weather I've ever experienced outdoors, I dropped at 62 miles. I found myself very regretful of that decision. The next day, I felt great. I had a lot more left in me. So, after pacing at Badwater in July, I signed up for the Leadville 100.
Now, I knew that Leadville is the race that eats its young. I knew that my chances were probably 50/50 of making the cutoffs and finishing. But, I felt like I had to get a monkey off my back. My race went great through Twin Lakes. I was a bit behind my schedule, but ahead of the cutoffs. Then, Hope Pass reared its ugly head. I was fueled, I was hydrated, I had energy. Then, the wheels just fell off. I slowed to a crawl. I made it to the 50 mile turnaround at Winfield. But, I was 20 miuntes too late. I got pulled for time. But, I did give it all that I could. It felt better to be pulled for time. At least I didn't have to wrestle with my own decision to quit. Thus, my resolve to go to Heartland and finish was sealed.
My family and I spent 2 days driving to Wichita, seeing the sights (and smelling the feedlots) and enjoying being away from some of the recent stresses at home. We arrived at Cassoday on Friday for the pre-race meeting and dinner at 4:00. Dinner was very good. There was bbq beef, chicken, pasta, salad and a few other choices. My favorite: blackberry cobbler! We made an early break to get ready for the race and an early bed time. I slept pretty well. I think I'm starting to realize that worrying and thinking too much before a race just gets me nervous and causes me stomach distress. Staying in the moment seems to really help to alleviate the problem. At 6:00, myself and 99 other runners took off from the old school house, headed for the open prarie. I tried to maintain a good, easy effort pace.
The first 16.8 miles, to Lapland AS went by in 3:22. A good pace for me. I met my wife and daughter, had some chocolate milk (one of my new favorites) and headed out. One of my goals for this race was to spend far less time in aid stations. I figured I had lost 2 hours lat year at various aid stations. Eleven aid stations with your family can really wreak havoc with your overall time. This time, my wife said "I think the only other thing to do is tell you to get outta here". And I was off. I hit the Teterville station at 11:00. 12 min/mile pace, including stops. This was great time for me.
I reached Ridgeline (mile 36.5) at 7:38. I couldn't wait to eat some Prarie Power Pellets. They're sort of like Beanie Weenie, but with 15 kinds of beans. Fantastic! I told the cook I'd be back for more. At Matfield (mile 42.8), they offered me a bratwurst. It sounded so good. But, I decided to eat light and save up for the return, which would be around dinner time. I thought about that brat for 15 miles! My goal was to make the turnaround under 11 hours. I knew that 10-10 1/2 hours would probably be too fast. I wanted to be able to run throughout the entire race. I did NOT want to have to walk in the last miles, like last year. I hit the 50 mile turn at 10:50, right on plan. I spent 5 minutes getting fluids, eating a few oranges and some chicken noodle soup. I really wanted the sloppy joes, but I had a schedule to keep. Here, I ran into Abi, from the UltraList. She looked strong and had arrived before me. I left first, thinking about the next 7.5 miles, and a delicious brat.
I returned to Matfield (mile 57.4) in a total time of 12:43. I spent 17 minutes eating a brat, some oranges and a choco milk. Next stop: Ridgeline and Prarie Pellets. I found that the different foods that were offered really helped my appetite and my overall mood. After a few hours, I just can't look at another M&M, or boiled potato. But, all the varied options were just great. I also found that eating orange slices wherever I could really upped my energy level. My food plan for the race was to eat about 300 calories at every AS (about every 7-10 miles) and snack a little on the run. This race was the best I've ever had, in terms of fueling and consistent energy level. I didn't really hit any kind of wall until around mile 65. Typically, it would start around mile 16-20 and cycle up and down.
I met up with another runner on this section. We would walk/ run together, and leapfrog for most of the rest of the race. Shira was running her first 100. It made me so happy to think back to last year's race, and my first 100 mile experience. I was really happy for her. She was having some trouble with leg pain when she ran. I told her how I had walked in the last 35 miles and finished. We were well ahead of my pace from last year. I assured her that as long as she could walk, she would have no trouble finishing, if she just kept moving forward. We walked/ran into Ridgeline and another serving of Power Pellets at around 14:35. My big goal for this race was to finish under 24 hours. I knew it was a stretch, and I would have been very excited to break 25 hours. On the next stretch, I felt like my goals were slipping away. Technically, I was on pace. But, I knew I would have a slow down during the dark. Sure enough, on this section I was slowing to 17-18 minute miles. I took a NoDoz at 9:00pm, knowing that I had almost sleepwalked this section last year. It really gave me a jump start. But, essentially it just made my walking pace faster. I started to get a bit depressed at my goal slipping away. I did start to mix in more running.
After a stop at Texaco Hill for some soup, I felt better. I knew there was a nice, long downhill ahead and I was going to run it. I picked up some speed and made it to 75 miles at a time of 18:15. Once again, my wife crewed me and got me out of there in good time. 25 miles in under 7 hours seemed almost impossible. On any given day, while sane and wide awake, this would be easy for me. Hell, it's only 16.2 minutes per mile! I could hike up mountains faster than that. But, at this point in the night, I just didn't think I could keep it up. Then, at some point I had a revelation. I simply decided that I had just had a bad stretch. I had a bad 3 1/2 hours. It didn't mean that I had a bad 7 hours to go. It just meant that I had gone through a bad patch. Like many times before, it would turn around. I had felt great for the first 65 miles. I was having a better run than ever before. And, by golly, I was going to finish. I had done it before. I knew that I was capable. I knew that I was better trained than ever before. Simply keep moving forward. The miles would take care of themselves.
I made Lapland (mile 83.1) at 20:45. I was slow, but I was runnig the downhills and some of the flats. I was dissapointed to find that there were no pancakes this year. Last year, they served bacon and pancakes, and it was like heaven! Instead, I ate something (don't even recall), had some oranges and Dew and hit the road. I ran well for the first mile, mostly downhill and settled into a run/walk pattern. I decided I'd better take some more caffeine, as I was really starting to feel tired and was weaving. I pulled out my last NoDoz, and split it in half. The first 200 mg. pill had made me a bit jumpy, so I thought I'd take half. I also had this crazy idea of sleeping after the finish. If I took a buch of caffeine, I wouldn't be able to sleep at the finish. Big mistake. About 30 minutes after taking it, I just started to lose it. I was looking for places to sit down. I was thinking how nice it would be to just lay down for a nap in the road. At one point, I found a rock to sit on. I hunched over and hung my head. I immediately started to feel light-headed. This was not a place to pass out. I got back up and moved on. Shortly after, I stopped on the side of the road to squat and answer nature's call. Another runner caught up just as I was done. We walked together for a few minutes, which helped to keep us both awake.
Scott was another runner doing his first 100 miler. "Aging triathlete, trying to do the ultra thing" he said. "Older, slow guy trying to finish" I said.
By the time I got to the Battle Creek aid station (mile 91.7) at 23:15, I was trashed. I just wanted to sleep. I was trying to talk the AS folks into letting me sleep for 10 minutes. But, they wouldn't have it. "You've only got 8.3 miles to go" they said. It doesn't matter if I fall asleep in the road and get run over, I thought. Alas, my spirits brightened when they mentioned they had pancakes! Yes, I'll take one! Sadly, she ran out of propane as they were cooking. When she handed it to me, it was sort of limp. I took a bite and it tasted raw. It was all I could do to chew it. But, I knew that my stomach was empty and I needed caffeine. Mt Dew was not going to set well on an empty stomach. So, I ate it as best I could.
I sat in that chair for 30 minutes. It took everything I had just to kep my head upright and to stay awake. The aid station folks were great. Not pushy, but insistent that I had to get up and get moving. He told me that he was going to kick me out at 5:45. I agreed. I had 2 cups of Dew and my last half of NoDoz. Just for good measure, I asked them to fill up my 10 oz. bottle with Dew for the road.
The next 3.6 miles went well. I picked up steam, running and walking. I caught Scott, who had left about 10 minutes before me, and kept going. Once the sun rose, at around 7:15, I caught the lift of the second sun rise. I was trying all day and night to finish before the sun. But, now it was just what I needed. And I couldn't wait for it to arrive.
The last few miles of this course seem very long. The final stretch is almost totally flat. At mile 97, I can see the water tower at the finish. It's so hard to gauge how far it is. I see runners far ahead of me, and I watch for them to make the turn for the tower. Finally, I turn and head north toward Cassoday. The sun is up, although it is cloudy. I have energy. I can run. But it's slow and doesn't seem to be worth the extra effort to save few seconds at the finish. I continue and think about how nice this moment is. I'm going to finish! I'm enjoying a fun vacation with my wife and daughter. I can sleep soon. I'm going to get a matching belt buckle to go with my first one. I just ran a freakin' 100 miles!!!
I hit the final turn on the paved road and start to run the last quarter mile.It feels great to be able to run at this point. My wife comes out to run in the last 100 yards with me. We cross at 26:04. I finish 3:18 ahead of last year, for a personal best.
Epilogue:
I think that my training helped a lot with my performance. I upped my speed in the last year. In the several weeks leading up to the race, I was able to do long, difficult training runs at a consistent 12 min/mile pace. My shorter (8-10 mile) runs were done at 10 min. pace. I felt like I did the first half of this race at a much lower perceived effort. My fueling was great. Having 'real food' at aid stations did wonders for me. It kept me eating and enjoying it. I just can't live on gels and energy drink. Oranges are my new faorite aid station food. Never touched an M&M, Oreo, or potato. Laid off the caffeine until night time. Next time, I'll take another 200 mg. of NoDoz earler, rather than wait for the crash and try to bring myself back.
The hardest part of this race was dealing with sleep deprivetion. My wife was not able to pace me during this race. I thought this would be difficult for me during the night. It turned out, it was OK. In fact, it may have even kept me on my own pace a little better at times. Although, I would certainly welcome a pacer any time. Also, our I-pod took a dump before the race. This was something I had always used during the late hours. But, no problem.
Except for the long stay at Battle Creek, I had good AS times. Having a crew is awesome for helping to get in and out of aid stations. But, I tend to spend too much time there chatting. I did a pretty good job of staying on task this time. The Heartland support folks are top notch! There are many experienced runners working this race. They know just what to do when you need it. And to top it all off, it's a bargain at just over $100.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rocky Raccoon 50 Mile Race
My wife and I arrived Friday night to run the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile race, in Huntsville, Texas. We arrived at the start around 6:30 a.m., after an early wake up call at 5:00. We checked in and got our goodie bag, with a nice fleece sweatshirt and bib number. It was great to be around the race atmosphere again. Hundreds of runners were milling about. Some quiet, some chatting nervously about their first 50 miler. I was here to try for a decent time at the distance. My PR being a not-so-great 11:49 (basically my first 50, Aug. ‘07), I knew that I had plenty of room for improvement. My wife, Paige, was doing her first 50. Her main goal was to finish and avoid a recurring injury she’d been wrestling with for the last few months, while training for the event.
The weather looked to be perfect, with a high around 70, and a starting temp around 45. Coming from Colorado, it was exciting to have warm weather for running. Something we hadn’t experienced since October. I had run the Huff 50k, in Indiana, over the holidays. Other than that, most of my training was 6-8 miles at a time, with a couple of 12 milers. However, I had a lot of cross training, mostly skiing (telemark style) some great powder days! I knew that being over-trained was not an issue.
The course for the 50 milers is 3 loops. I started with my wife for the first mile or so. She was on a strict 5:1 program, so I went on ahead. I kept my pace pretty comfortable and still passed quite a few runners during the first loop. I was on a 10 -10:30 pace for most of the first half. This was a good clip for me. I didn’t feel too fatigued by it, so I kept it up, walking all of the uphills. It was fun to see the 100 milers coming at us at the Far Side. The 2.9 mile section got kind of crowded the first lap. With around 450 people on the course, it got a bit tight trying to pass and avoid the oncoming traffic. This may be my only complaint about the course layout. Certainly not a major issue, but it sometimes required a lot of concentration on footing and traffic, at the same time. I saw a few other Ultra listers on the course, and introduced myself. I came around to the final stretch toward the Lodge and crossed the mat at 2:55 for my first lap. At 10:47 / mile pace, I was very pleased. I had visions in my head of a sub-10 hour finish. Unfortunately, I had to take a 15 minute stop to change, futz around and tape my foot over a hot spot.
The second lap started well. I was maintaining my previous pace for the first couple miles. But, by the first aid station (20 miles in), it started. I always seem to get a rough patch around this time. It typically starts somewhere between miles 15-20. It seems to last for 4-5 miles. This time, it lasted for 10 miles. The rest of the second loop was just tough. I mentally went through the drill. My hydration was good,. My electrolytes were good. I was taking one S! Cap per hour, about normal. I wondered if the humidity was affecting my sweat rate. I took my next one after 45 minutes. I was still moving pretty well. But, it was requiring much more effort. I kept to my program of eating something at every aid station, with the grab-and-go technique. Bananas and PBJ’s were my food of choice, with some Oreos and animal crackers thrown in for good measure. Not only was I running through the woods all day, just like when I was a kid. I was also eating just like I was a kid.
By the time I got to the Site 174 aid station I was feeling pretty sore. Nothing in particular, just most things below the waist. They had some ibuprofen, so I took two. Within 10 minutes, I was feeling much better. I don’t know if it really took the edge off, or if it was a placebo effect. But, I didn’t care. I was running into the Lodge feeling good again. My second loop split was about 3:45, including the 15 minutes I lost at my drop bag, the first time around. I grabbed snacks, topped off my bladder and went straight out.
I did the math. I figured if my third loop was faster than the second, I might have a shot at going under 10 hours. Something I’d thought about, but considered to be my “fantasy finish time” for this race. I had done a three loop 50k, and had the same experience of a bad second loop, and a big resurgence on the third. So, I was going to push it a little. I wanted the finish first. But, sub-10 would be very sweet! My philosophy with running these races is also three goals, in order: One: no injuries. Two: finish the race. Three: set a good time for myself (totally relative). I’m just not willing to risk pushing too hard for a better time and pay for it for weeks to come, nursing an injury. An experience I’ve endured before.
Shortly after starting the lap, I ran with Ryan Valdez, who puts on the El Scorcho race in Texas. We both felt the same. Tired, but with some fuel still in the tank. We talked and prodded each other along for the next 10 miles, or so. At the Dam Road aid station, he pulled out before I did and I never saw him again until the finish line. He had more in the tank than I did, finishing 10 minutes ahead of me.
The 4.4 miles from Dam Road to Site 174 seemed really long each time around. I kept thinking it was almost done, but it just wouldn’t come. Then, every time I got past it, the last 2.9 miles to the Lodge flew by. I suppose it’s all mental games at work. As usual, it came slowly. I was watching the time. If I could get there in 11 minutes, then turn in 10 minute miles to the finish, I could get in under ten hours. Sadly, I got there in 24 minutes. I realized that there was no way for me to run 2.9 miles in 17 minutes. So, I rethought my goals a little. My PR at 50 miles was 11:49 (DFL, and pretty darn slow). If I got in under 10:19, I could break my PR by an hour and thirty minutes. That was damn respectable. So, I walked the ups, ran the downs, and mixed it up in the flats. As usual, the last section flew by. I saw the power line, and the final 200 yards to the finish. I cranked it up. I ran by Elvis, who was there all day. He and his group gave me a cheer. I said “Thank you, thank you very much”, in my best Elvis voice, which got a rise out of the group. I ran by the others, sitting under tents and clapping as I went by. For a few moments, I got a little emotional, as I have at other races. I love the fact that total strangers will cheer for everyone, no matter how fast or slow. I saw the line and I poured on whatever I had left. I looked at the clock. It said 10:18: 50-something. I heard the BEEP! I had crossed just a few seconds before 10:19. I had gotten my secondary goal. I didn’t really have a hard finish time in my head when I started. But, I certainly didn’t expect to break my PR by 90 minutes. It was awesome!
I waited for my wife to come in behind me. She had been 5 - 10 minutes behind me for most of the second and third laps. I really expected her to pass me the last few miles. She had been wrestling with an injury leading up to the race, and wasn’t sure if she could even run it. I was so happy when we passed each other and she would smile and give me a high five. She had to DNF at the Huff 50k, because of her injury. I was so psyched to see her going all the way. When I last saw her, at the Far Side, she said “ I feel great,. No pain, no soreness. Wait ‘til you see my sexy toes!” I knew that this meant she had blisters, or worse. But, mentally, she was in a great place. She crossed the line at 10:52, fantastic for her first 50 miler. After hugs and congratulations, we headed to the medical tent to review the blisters. She had two toes with big blisters under the toe nails. They were big, blood-filled and ugly. She has lost toe nails before. And had no problem with the fact that these two were going to go eventually, and probably the two big toes, as well. She ended the race by saying “ I’m definitely ready to do another one!” What a Rock Star!
After some great beans and rice and other goodies, we made our back to the motel for some well deserved rest, after a visit to the local IHOP. I always crave breakfast after a long race. As we were driving home from the airport after our flight to Denver (3 hours), it started snowing. I said “If my feet aren’t too swollen to get in my boots, I’m going up skiing for a couple of hours in the morning”. Lo and behold, the swelling was down. There was 6 inches of fresh powder, and I had a great morning of skiing. It only lasted 90 minutes before my legs said it was time to go. It seems like every race I do leads to a better and much faster recovery. My wife is also feeling generally good, and tending to her toes.
Overall, I loved this race. The course was good and well marked. The surface was easy on the body, although a bit hard to see the texture of the roots sometimes with all the pine needle coverage. I thought how easy it would be to miss a root in the dark, with just a headlamp or flashlight. The aid was great. And the volunteers were excellent. I’m always so amazed at how supportive the volunteers are at ultras. This race was no exception. Good people everywhere in this sport. I would highly recommend this race to anyone. Great for first timers, or for veterans looking for a fast PR. All these reasons add up to make this race grow more every year, and deservedly so.
The weather looked to be perfect, with a high around 70, and a starting temp around 45. Coming from Colorado, it was exciting to have warm weather for running. Something we hadn’t experienced since October. I had run the Huff 50k, in Indiana, over the holidays. Other than that, most of my training was 6-8 miles at a time, with a couple of 12 milers. However, I had a lot of cross training, mostly skiing (telemark style) some great powder days! I knew that being over-trained was not an issue.
The course for the 50 milers is 3 loops. I started with my wife for the first mile or so. She was on a strict 5:1 program, so I went on ahead. I kept my pace pretty comfortable and still passed quite a few runners during the first loop. I was on a 10 -10:30 pace for most of the first half. This was a good clip for me. I didn’t feel too fatigued by it, so I kept it up, walking all of the uphills. It was fun to see the 100 milers coming at us at the Far Side. The 2.9 mile section got kind of crowded the first lap. With around 450 people on the course, it got a bit tight trying to pass and avoid the oncoming traffic. This may be my only complaint about the course layout. Certainly not a major issue, but it sometimes required a lot of concentration on footing and traffic, at the same time. I saw a few other Ultra listers on the course, and introduced myself. I came around to the final stretch toward the Lodge and crossed the mat at 2:55 for my first lap. At 10:47 / mile pace, I was very pleased. I had visions in my head of a sub-10 hour finish. Unfortunately, I had to take a 15 minute stop to change, futz around and tape my foot over a hot spot.
The second lap started well. I was maintaining my previous pace for the first couple miles. But, by the first aid station (20 miles in), it started. I always seem to get a rough patch around this time. It typically starts somewhere between miles 15-20. It seems to last for 4-5 miles. This time, it lasted for 10 miles. The rest of the second loop was just tough. I mentally went through the drill. My hydration was good,. My electrolytes were good. I was taking one S! Cap per hour, about normal. I wondered if the humidity was affecting my sweat rate. I took my next one after 45 minutes. I was still moving pretty well. But, it was requiring much more effort. I kept to my program of eating something at every aid station, with the grab-and-go technique. Bananas and PBJ’s were my food of choice, with some Oreos and animal crackers thrown in for good measure. Not only was I running through the woods all day, just like when I was a kid. I was also eating just like I was a kid.
By the time I got to the Site 174 aid station I was feeling pretty sore. Nothing in particular, just most things below the waist. They had some ibuprofen, so I took two. Within 10 minutes, I was feeling much better. I don’t know if it really took the edge off, or if it was a placebo effect. But, I didn’t care. I was running into the Lodge feeling good again. My second loop split was about 3:45, including the 15 minutes I lost at my drop bag, the first time around. I grabbed snacks, topped off my bladder and went straight out.
I did the math. I figured if my third loop was faster than the second, I might have a shot at going under 10 hours. Something I’d thought about, but considered to be my “fantasy finish time” for this race. I had done a three loop 50k, and had the same experience of a bad second loop, and a big resurgence on the third. So, I was going to push it a little. I wanted the finish first. But, sub-10 would be very sweet! My philosophy with running these races is also three goals, in order: One: no injuries. Two: finish the race. Three: set a good time for myself (totally relative). I’m just not willing to risk pushing too hard for a better time and pay for it for weeks to come, nursing an injury. An experience I’ve endured before.
Shortly after starting the lap, I ran with Ryan Valdez, who puts on the El Scorcho race in Texas. We both felt the same. Tired, but with some fuel still in the tank. We talked and prodded each other along for the next 10 miles, or so. At the Dam Road aid station, he pulled out before I did and I never saw him again until the finish line. He had more in the tank than I did, finishing 10 minutes ahead of me.
The 4.4 miles from Dam Road to Site 174 seemed really long each time around. I kept thinking it was almost done, but it just wouldn’t come. Then, every time I got past it, the last 2.9 miles to the Lodge flew by. I suppose it’s all mental games at work. As usual, it came slowly. I was watching the time. If I could get there in 11 minutes, then turn in 10 minute miles to the finish, I could get in under ten hours. Sadly, I got there in 24 minutes. I realized that there was no way for me to run 2.9 miles in 17 minutes. So, I rethought my goals a little. My PR at 50 miles was 11:49 (DFL, and pretty darn slow). If I got in under 10:19, I could break my PR by an hour and thirty minutes. That was damn respectable. So, I walked the ups, ran the downs, and mixed it up in the flats. As usual, the last section flew by. I saw the power line, and the final 200 yards to the finish. I cranked it up. I ran by Elvis, who was there all day. He and his group gave me a cheer. I said “Thank you, thank you very much”, in my best Elvis voice, which got a rise out of the group. I ran by the others, sitting under tents and clapping as I went by. For a few moments, I got a little emotional, as I have at other races. I love the fact that total strangers will cheer for everyone, no matter how fast or slow. I saw the line and I poured on whatever I had left. I looked at the clock. It said 10:18: 50-something. I heard the BEEP! I had crossed just a few seconds before 10:19. I had gotten my secondary goal. I didn’t really have a hard finish time in my head when I started. But, I certainly didn’t expect to break my PR by 90 minutes. It was awesome!
I waited for my wife to come in behind me. She had been 5 - 10 minutes behind me for most of the second and third laps. I really expected her to pass me the last few miles. She had been wrestling with an injury leading up to the race, and wasn’t sure if she could even run it. I was so happy when we passed each other and she would smile and give me a high five. She had to DNF at the Huff 50k, because of her injury. I was so psyched to see her going all the way. When I last saw her, at the Far Side, she said “ I feel great,. No pain, no soreness. Wait ‘til you see my sexy toes!” I knew that this meant she had blisters, or worse. But, mentally, she was in a great place. She crossed the line at 10:52, fantastic for her first 50 miler. After hugs and congratulations, we headed to the medical tent to review the blisters. She had two toes with big blisters under the toe nails. They were big, blood-filled and ugly. She has lost toe nails before. And had no problem with the fact that these two were going to go eventually, and probably the two big toes, as well. She ended the race by saying “ I’m definitely ready to do another one!” What a Rock Star!
After some great beans and rice and other goodies, we made our back to the motel for some well deserved rest, after a visit to the local IHOP. I always crave breakfast after a long race. As we were driving home from the airport after our flight to Denver (3 hours), it started snowing. I said “If my feet aren’t too swollen to get in my boots, I’m going up skiing for a couple of hours in the morning”. Lo and behold, the swelling was down. There was 6 inches of fresh powder, and I had a great morning of skiing. It only lasted 90 minutes before my legs said it was time to go. It seems like every race I do leads to a better and much faster recovery. My wife is also feeling generally good, and tending to her toes.
Overall, I loved this race. The course was good and well marked. The surface was easy on the body, although a bit hard to see the texture of the roots sometimes with all the pine needle coverage. I thought how easy it would be to miss a root in the dark, with just a headlamp or flashlight. The aid was great. And the volunteers were excellent. I’m always so amazed at how supportive the volunteers are at ultras. This race was no exception. Good people everywhere in this sport. I would highly recommend this race to anyone. Great for first timers, or for veterans looking for a fast PR. All these reasons add up to make this race grow more every year, and deservedly so.
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