Time for my second go at the 50mile distance, this time at the Heartland 100/50, also known as the Spirit of the Prairie Run. It's Kansas' sole (currently) 100mi run, and one that I've heard much about from Nerd/Hawk friends. I've had it penciled in to my race calendar since mid-July. Unfortunately, it filled up in mid-June, and it was only thanks to the awesomeness of Bad Ben that I was able to sneak in and officially be a registrant 11 days before the race itself. Was planning on heading down anyways - would ask around about pacer/crew/aid station volunteer needs if I couldn't run.
I was nervous about this race! Didn't expect to be - I realized afterwards I didn't have any definitive goals except "Don't Bonk" and "Beat my Voyageur Time". But the sheer quantity of random mini-stress attacks about minuscule details in the week leading up to the race spoke against my "it's-all-good" outward demeanor.
Was originally expecting to drive down Saturday morning at dark-o'-thirty, but co-worker Keith mentioned he wouldn't mind closing Friday (minor miracle), and I would be free to boogey down for the pre-race briefing and dinner. The race is held in Cassoday, KS, which has a population of 99. It's the only exit for 30mi either direction off of I-35, and contains some houses, one tiny gas station, and a community building, which 125 runners + at least 3x that number of pacers, crew & race workers took over for the weekend. Craziness. Co-race director Randy Albrecht (an accomplished ultrarunner in his own right) gave us directions for this 10th running of the race, the most significant of which was the weather. Friday was pretty nice - mostly sunny, low 50's, not too much wind. Saturday - nope. *Might* break into the 40's, possible rain at any point in the day, and windy. This being a gravel road, open prairie run, any weather that happens we would be right in the middle of. A bit nerve wracking for a group of trail runners used to being sheltered by trees and the like. Pre-race dinner was great - all the fixin's you might find at a church potluck, and all prepared by one amazing Mennonite lady + helpers. Various salads, veggie dishes, beef brisket, chicken breasts, bread, etc. Plenty of good fare for omnivores, veggies, and in-betweeners like myself. I had brought a can of great northern beans as a just-in-case supplement, and downed it with dinner anyways. Stomach had been a bit unsettled, but I chalked it up to nerves. Said hi to Gary Henry, Paul & Cindy Schoenlaub, Jim & Sandy Beiter, and a bunch more folks I somewhat remembered from Flatrock.
At Heartland, I was hoping to learn a lot about the workings of a 100-miler, so that I'd feel better prepped for Ozark Trail 100 in a month. After hanging out with Darin Schneidewind, his family and other Topeka folks (John Knowles, Kyle Phillips, Jenn Franklin & family), I headed over to the *cough* campsite, where Colleen Voeks, Jim & Sandy Beiter, plus many more of the race folks were parking by the start/finish line & camping in our cars. Despite numerous previous plans to sleep in my car, this was my first actual experience. Once the sun went down, two things rapidly happened - it got COLD and it got DARK. Only lived in the city a year and I'm already not used to country darkness. Sheesh. After laying out some prep for the next morning, it was pretty easy to tuck in to the car - BUT - how to sleep. Do I lay the front seat back to nearly horizontal? Do I sleep curled in the back seat? The trunk? Ended up going with option #2, which did not hurt my back like I was worried. Read some Trail Runner magazine and drifted off around 9:30p, alarm set for 5:00a.
Saturday - had the most splendid waking up ever! Actually woke up at 4:45, before my alarm, noted the time, started the car, curled back into the sleeping bag and when the alarm DID go off, got to get dressed & eat breakfast (bran flakes :) in a nice, WARM car. Saddled up, hit the port-o-potty, and hit the mandatory check-in. Skittered around nervously with everyone else, decided to start with three layers up top instead of two (but lose the third at the first aid station, as evidenced by my pinning my race number to the front of the second layer) and shorts. It was announced that the 50 milers were going to start about 75 yards ahead of the 100 milers. Walked down to the start, glanced at my watch - 5:57a. Oh crap! I completely forgot that I had promised my bud Debbie Webster that I'd make sure there was a group hug at the start! Sprinted back to the other start line and gathered Darin, Jim & Gary for a hug. Of course Gary was lame and took a picture instead of joining in, but we hugged, I wished them all luck one more time, and sprinted back up to my start line with 30sec to spare.
Gun goes off! Plan for today is to go out at 11min pace and see how long I can hold that. My only previous 50mi was Minnesota Voyaguer, which is a tougher course in which I bonked pretty hard. My time there was 10:50, so I figure if I can hold 11min pace, that plus aid stations should put me in around 9:30, or at least under 10hrs if I run into some trouble. Go out pretty conservatively - definitely not Greg Burger style (just kidding), but 100 yards into it, I'm leading the race! Ahh! Another guy near my age pulls up, and we learn that each other's name is Brad. The following conversation ensues:
"Ran this before?"
"Nope."
"Me either."
"Got a headlamp?"
"Nope."
"Me either."
"Know where the course goes?"
"Nope."
"Me either - let's have some fun"
About a mile in, some of the faster guys cruise on past - I say Hi to Kyle Amos, Paul, etc, and I let Brad go soon after to settle in to what feels like 10-11min effort. Darin & I had planned on going out together to hold each other accountable to not starting too fast, but he started behind me & haven't seen him yet. First poop at mile 3. Hit the first unmanned aid station in 39:30...ummm...this is mile 4.6 - definitely not 11min pace. Oops. Back off a tad, but feeling good so I go with it. Sunrise is around 7a, and with it comes (of course) the wind. North wind. Brisk. Roll through Battle Creek, the first manned aid station (Willie Lambert's Great Plains Running Company) at 8.2 feeling good, still around 9min pace. With the wind, decide to hold on to the outer layer. At this aid station, I am enabled to add another electrolyte replenishing beverage to my list of "things that can potentially make Brad puke". Conquest. Sorry Hammer Nutrition - you make great Goos, but both HEED and Conquest cause the stomach to tango.
Darin catches me soon after and we head along together. Except...rather than restraining each other, we feed off each other and start catching folks. It isn't until Darin & I catch back up to Paul that warning bells start going off. We back it off a bit more, but still feel good. Except! Pack = Fail! Goos are falling out on the road, I have to stop, pick them up & stuff them back in 3 times! The third time, my numb fingers drop the whole pack & EVERYTHING spills out. Darin stops for a pee break while I repack & manage to keep from cussing, and zipper shut my Goo pack. Sheesh.
Course is very straight, on gravel, country roads. You mostly run in the tire paths. No water crossings, only one small muddy spot worth noting. You'll go the same exact direction for 4-6 miles at a time before hitting a right-angle turn. Hills are rolling, all are runnable with fresh legs or fresh determination. With hills, I find there are some that will zap you only if you let them (mental), some that will if you're not paying attention (big enough to be trouble if you don't get mentally prepared), and some that will zap you no matter how tough your mindset is. Heartland is full of Category 1, only has a couple Category 2 (at least on the 50mi course), and none of Category 3. With this being a flat, open course where you can see miles of the course stretching ahead of you with little to distract you, it is very much a mental game - if you don't let the course get ahead of you, you'll be fine, but once you start giving the difficulties more attention than they merit, you're on a slippery slope.
Darin & I roll into Lapland a bit later than I expected - I thought it was 15.4mi into the course, when it's really 16.8. Didn't realize how much I was anticipating it until it started to fray a bit on my mental game. Darin and Jim's crew (including Colleen) are at Lapland, and it's great to see some smiling, familiar faces. Have to wait while a PB&J is made, but fresh=good and take it on the run, sharing with Darin. We've hit some northward stretches now, and the wind is really becoming a factor. Still feeling it, and I begin to stretch out a bit from Darin. Feeling good, and I figure as much as we've gone so far at this pace, we're each either going to really pay for it or amaze ourselves. My money's definitely on the former.
Around mile 21, we hit a directly northbound stretch, right into the teeth of the wind. It was definitely the most memorable part of the run, weather wise, and could have been the toughest, but it actually helped me, I think. This is the mileage where my legs usually start getting distractingly sore, but with just shorts on, it was like running in a perpetual ice bath. If I can't feel the pain, is it really there? Cruise into the Teterville aid station at mile 25 (my turnaround) feeling good. I've only counted three runners passing us heading back, and am wondering how in the world I missed so many folks, so I ask the aid station folks if I'm really in 4th. They tell me 3rd(!) - one of the guys had a pacer. Well, bonk city, here I come. Not to mention that in the whole first half of the race, I have only now finished off my water pack (500ml) plus three 4oz cups of liquid at aid stations. Double Oops.
You know how you're never supposed to do anything new during a race? Well, an awesome friend, Rachael Gordon, had given me her old MP3 player on Wednesday, and I hadn't gotten a chance to try it out before race day, but I really wanted to. But I hate having ear phones actually in my ears. So I fumble around for at least 8 minutes getting my numb fingers to safety pin the headphones to my headband and get everything situated, then roll out with a final good luck to Darin and Gloria Gaynor in my ears.
Oh. My. Goodness. Colleen had told me before the race that for her, having music while running is like snorting crack. And she is so right. I swear I felt nothing the next 5 miles but a bass beat - so many folks I went by coming into Teterville must have been staring at the runner with black hoops dangling from his headband, talking to the wind and having arm spasms every which way. So many songs just call for air guitar solos no matter what you're doing, right? And I actually got myself into oxygen debt from singing along. Don't know what my pace was (fast), don't care - it was AWESOME. Also, in all that I forgot to check my split at the turn around, but I think it was somewhere around 4:08-4:12.
Back into Lapland the second time, starting to get a fueling routine down, which will help me at Ozark. Baked potato wedges first for quick energy, then some Pringles for salt, then some PB&J so something sticks in my stomach. Goos at least every hour (should be twice an hour but I can't eat while running & hate to take walk breaks unless I need them). Water as much as I can, which is still not enough, but I know how sore I get so forcing myself to take water breaks every couple miles now. Haven't had any salt so far...we'll see how that goes. And then whose head pops into the aid tent? Shelley Flones! Another familiar face. Though, as loopy as I was getting + not wearing my glasses, I'm sure I gave her the strangest Who Are You? face when she poked in. But she forgave me, and gave me ibuprofen! Yes, another new thing on race day, but considering my lack of hydration, I was fortunate to be as soreness free as I was at this point, and thought it wouldn't hurt to try to aid the wind chill numbness in that.
The stretch from Lapland to Battle Creek was probably the hardest for me. It was leaving Lapland and still seeing no one at all in the visible mile down the road behind me that I realized I might very well place 3rd unless someone ran amazing negative splits or the wheels completely came off. But that meant there was no one around - just me, my tunes, the wind, and gravel road. And cows. Can't forget them. This stretch was just about maintaining and trying to keep the wheels from wobbling too much. More drinking, more goos, less air guitar solos. The thing about ultras and my legs is, unless other variables are put into play (creeks, STEEP hills, rocks that break up your stride), once I get about 10mi in, whatever pace my legs have been going is what they'll fall into naturally. Or grow tired of and reduce me to walking. On this stretch, I decide my new goal is to not walk - to actually run the full 50 miles, with no walk breaks except the short, necessary ones for goo/water. But no walking for walking's sake.
Low point of the race (seriously) - my new MP3 player decides to play Billy Joel's Piano Man and Weird Al Yankovic's Ode to a Superhero (parody of the previous song) back-to-back. Not exactly the most motivational song, and I was struggling some, wanting a more quick tempo song. AND THEN. For the only time that day, it skips and restarts Ode to a Superhero when it was within 20seconds of finishing. Same song. 3 times in a row. Not cool.
Battle Creek couldn't come up again fast enough, grab my usual fare plus a solitary peanut M&M (blue) for good luck, and head out. My ears keep straining for footsteps behind me - I really want that 3rd now. I've never placed anywhere near as high in an ultra before, and this would be a real breakout. I know most of the elite competition is in the 100, but still feel I could be top 10 if everyone was in the 50. Who knows. Mentally calculate and recalculate my pace & goal time, and realize I'm basically a lock for sub-9hrs (unless I walk). Everything is basically followed with the phrase "unless I walk" now, and my determination not to is what I cling to (plus Weird Al Yankovic, They Might Be Giants, etc).
Hold Steady. Keep the Wheels On. Don't Walk. Hold Steady. Keep the Wheels On. Don't Walk. The unmanned aid station at 4.6mi is a solid point for me, and I realize I'm going to make it. I'm not going to walk. I'm going to finish sub-9 (maybe even sub 8:30). I might finish 3rd. I keep myself buoyed with a mental montage of good finishes from previous runs, and click away. Without my glasses on, it isn't until about 3 miles out that I finally can make out the water tower that marks where the start/finish it. Very encouraging to me - the end is in sight. A mental playback of a Debbie Webster Woohoo! helps me find a bit of reserve and pick it up a step or two. Down the stretch, turn the corner, a half mile and DONE.
8:17. 3rd. Also, first half around 4:10, second half 4:03 (discounting time at Teterville). I mean, really? I negative split an ultra? I never negative split ANYTHING unless I make precise plans and pacing. Plus I burned that first half with Darin. What??? Not to sound big headed, but I'm slightly in shock. PR by 2:33. This potentially opens some doors...
Weather ended up completely nuts - 37 was the high, and that was sometime mid-morning. Clouds moved in after that, and the wind blew all day. That last part is what I forgot to factor in - wind is never an issue with the trees, and I'm used to disregarding that part of the forecast. Quite the opposite here - in open prairie, if there is wind, it is the main thing you notice. 20+ mph most of the day and night (slacking off a bit after midnight Sat/Sun). Never did lose that 3rd layer. And to top it all off - Sunday was gorgeous like Friday was!
Could say more, but I've written so much already. Real quick - Shelley is an angel for taking care of me at the finish, Topeka Trail Gator Hunter Munns saves my bacon when I discover I'd locked my keys in the car (deja vu) by playing along very well pretending my car is his (for Triple-A), I grill burgers for finishers until Bad Ben shows up, and we head out to set up Mirage Aid Station at the 4.6 unmanned mark. First time with extended aid station staffing, quite fun. Long, cold night for he, I, Shelley & Poochini - I wore 6 layers up top, 3 below + 3 socks and sat a foot from the propane heater most of the night and was still shivering in the tent. Was actually harder than when I was running because of the cold and sitting. 1.5hrs of sleep, German movies, inane conversation, staggering, freezing runners. Propane runs out around 5:30a. I send 250+ texts through the night with my own mini race cast of how folks are doing. Mt. Dew Code Red is my go juice.
Kyle finishes 4th in 17:37, first time Heartland had four runners under 18hrs), Darin and I pull a double - he comes in 5th in 18:19, WAY ahead of his 22hr goal and neither of us suffer bonks from our stupid starts. Paul finishes 7th after chasing down a guy 90 seconds ahead of him at our aid station, we save Gary Henry's butt ;) on his way to a solid 27hr finish. Other folks kick butt in the 50mi - John & Sam Kevern come in 9:11 and 9:21, 7th & 8th overall (Sam is 2nd female), John Knowles 9th in 9:30, Willie Lambert 13th, Kyle & Jenn 22nd/23rd. Good times are had by all and now you're quite tired of reading my poor excuse for prose. If you actually want to hear more, check with your psychiatrist to make sure your meds are up to date, and then come join me on the trails! :)
Thanks to Bad Ben, Shelley, Debbie, Hunter, Colleen, Darin & family, Gary, Kyle, Paul, Randy, Jim Davis, James Barker, the whole Tuesday night crew, all aid station & race workers, the multitude of other folks I'm forgetting and of course the Big Guy upstairs for everything. Y'all are why I run - it's not just that I can't do this alone, it's even if I could, I wouldn't. Y'all make it worth it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Race Reports still to write
Psycho Night 10K
Mud & Muck 5K
North Shore Trail Run
Heart of America Marathon
Flatrock 50K
Other races older than 2 months (if I can remember/care to)
Mud & Muck 5K
North Shore Trail Run
Heart of America Marathon
Other races older than 2 months (if I can remember/care to)
Flatrock 50K
Kicked off the fall ultra season with the Flatrock 50K, which is billed as Kansas' first ultra (now in its 15th year) with the motto "If you look up, you're going down".
Felt pretty good going in - I'd done Darin Schniedewind's "40mi on his 40th" with him about a month before, and then the Heart of America marathon in Columbia on Labor Day, plus plenty more runs in the 15-20mi range. Headed down Friday night, planning on sharing a camping spot with Chris Farney and his wife Caitie.
Backing up a bit, I had a slight(?) freak-out earlier in the day Friday. Unbeknowst to him, Gary Henry had planted a bug in my ear during a run the previous Saturday, when we were talking about the inaugural Ozark Trail 100 coming up in November. Somehow, he said something (I don't remember what) that got me connecting to all the longing I'd felt upon reading Ultrarunner Magazine and seeing the names of people receiving their 10-year buckles & whatnot, wondering when I'd get to start my own streak. It finally occurred to me that I'd be more-or-less ready if I wanted to try Ozark and get my own streak started, so I spent the week mulling it around, hoping to bug some folks for advice on recovery times (with my already full race plans for the fall), age, etc. I had offered to pace John King, and messaged him, to which he replied he had found another pacer and wasn't needing me.
So I'm noodling, and RD Paul Schoenlaub sends out an email Friday saying that, basically, OT100 is filling up faster than expected - he didn't even expect it to fill. I suddenly feel that decision time is now and start freaking out. So I call good friend & fellow ultrarunner Debbie Webster in a tizzy at work & talk her ear off, and she recommends I call Kyle Amos, one of the top ultrarunners in the midwest, for advice. Do so on the ride down, discuss what shape I'm in, what my plans are, and he counsels me that as long as I don't do crazy things in the race I've entered 2 weeks before OT100, he thinks I should be good to go. With those very soothing words, I arrive at Elk City Lake State Park, set up my tent, and head over to packet pickup with a freshly printed entry form & check in hand for Paul, who is also running this race. Eeeee!
Ok, back to the actual race I'm reporting on. Pack my drop bag, lay out my race gear, and head over for the pre-race dinner. Delish & bountiful - spaghetti, sauce, and meatballs on the side (yay! for us non-beef eaters), plus salad (onion vinigarette dressing!) & rolls. Had a great time hanging out and chatting with Paul and his wife Cindy, Sophia Wharton, Greg Burger, Bad Ben Holmes, Chris, Caitie, and many more. End up hanging out at the shelter until almost everyone has left, just reading back issues of Running Times, chilling & enjoying the saving of batteries. Head back to the camp site where I help stoke up the fire and Chris, Greg, Caitie & I hang out for a bit before turning in around 9:45. Evidently it rains during the night, but shout out to fellow Trinity (Church of the Nazarene) guy Brian Longfellow for hooking me up with a nice, dry tent.
Up at 6a. No...wait...6:15...ummm...6:35? Eventually up, change in the car, and hike the quarter mile on down the road to the shelter for the pre-race briefing. Because of the rain, the time limit gets extended an hour. Must be rather slick out there; good thing I wore my dancing shoes! Runners hike en masse another half-mile down the road to the start. Realize that, oops, I forgot breakfast. 45 of us in the 50K; 25K folks start an hour later and they aren't around yet.
RD Eric Steele counts us down (wearing his bad-ass Badwater shirt) and we're off. Paul, Greg & a young buck in a Team Nebraska blazer take it out, with Chris & I a few yards behind. Duck off the road & now we're into the woods. Wow! Sweet climb, sweet rocks, sweet narrow clefts in between huge boulders to run through. It is a bit slick, and I take a minor spill a half-mile in. Oops. Chris & I run together for the first 2.5 or so, and then he peels away as I stop to pee. Very encouraging for me - I have peed a grand total of one time in 4 previous ultras and know I need to focus on hydrating. Realize it's rather ambitious considering the course and my previous 50K PR being 6:18 (12:11 pace), but I'm hoping to hold down a 10min pace today, and would very much like a top 5. Through the first aid station, I'm putting in 10min effort, but the rocks and general unevenness of the course are holding me to an 11min pace. Oh well. Shout out to the first aid station, which I shall call the "Punk Rock Aid Station" - 3 young dudes with punk haircuts, shirts, and a van blaring alternative/punk rock audible for a mile radius serving up chips, gatorade, M&Ms and all the standard good fare. Definite thumbs up.
Couple of guys catch me in the next few miles, and I basically just conserve & cruise. Course is definitely runnable throughout, just not at an even pace or stride - you're always shorting, cutting, flexing or otherwise dancing around rocks of all shapes & sizes. Very few patches actually require you to slow to a walk, but very few stretches actually let you fall into your normal stride. I like this, but worry it will change when I'm tired later. Contrary to what I'd been led to expect, the course is very well marked. Blue blazes visible every 10-15 paces, actually painted on the ground on rocks in places where you really can't look up. Only problem is the lack of flags/markings on sharp turns - I probably lost 3-5min throughout the race having to stop and look to see where the trail went when it turned unexpectedly. Didn't get off course, though.
Tick right along through the first half in 2:48 (15.2 is the turnaround), holding onto 11min pace easy, not seeing anyone that close in front or behind me. Shake my head at and scramble over/through the waterfall(!) at mile 11, avoid the cockleburrs at mile 13, and tromp the mud at mile 14. Team Nebraska passes me heading back while I'm still around mile 12 - he's at 18 miles in only 2:26ish, and I'm worried local ultrastud & friend Caleb Chatfield's course record of 4:29 is in danger. See Paul on the back while in the mud, he's about a mile ahead of me, with Chris following 200 yards behind. Greg is running 4th, a quarter mile back from them. 5th & 6th are about six and eight minutes ahead of me, and 8th is at least 10 behind.
Shout out to everyone on the back - very nice & encouraging to see the whole field played out. Nice battle in the female race - 1st through 3rd are all w/in a quarter mile of each other, with Sophia in 2nd. Starting to get hungry - I still can't eat on the run, and it's hard to convince myself to stop & walk when I'm actually caring about my pace & time (aka, racing) as opposed to just looking to finish. I've put down the accelerator a bit more, hoping to catch 5th/6th, and am asking at each aid station, "How much time do they have on me?". "4 minutes" is the answer. "3 minutes." "5 minutes". Arrgh. I'm pulling a good pace for the 2nd half, but can't seem to make up any ground. Stomach starts actually growling at mile 21, burn through the last of the 5 goos I packed, which was quite insufficient. Snarf at the aid stations - baked potatoes are good, but there's no PB&J. Need something that will stick in my stomach, but peanut M&Ms are the only option for that, and I'm not in the mood. Le sigh.
Have a couple of weak(er) spots where I have to back off for a half-mile or so, but pretty much still feeling strong at 11min pace. Grab the KU score at the 9.6 aid station, keep trying to pull on the guys ahead of me. Finally hear the melodious sound of the punk rock aid station, and pull in asking how much time to catch the next guy. "4 minutes." What did the fish say when it ran into the cement wall?
Not feeling like I can catch them now, I just concentrate on keeping the slightly-wobbling wheels on to bring it home strong. Come through the last mile of rocky hill, and am heading down the switchbacks out of the woods when I see movement ahead of me. At first, I think it's one of the straggling 25K folks that I've been passing, but this shape is moving a bit too fast for that. Pull out of the woods and see - it's my 6th place guy! Think to myself that I've got to put a move on, blow by him before he can react - there's a half-mile of flat, straight road to go. I manage to pull alongside at a good clip but as low on gas as I am, just can't muster up the Andy Henshaw-style "break his heart" surge. He matches my pace, and we pull each other for a quarter mile until he starts to move ahead. I'm pulling ergs of energy from anywhere I can, but it's just his day, and he crosses the line 4 seconds ahead of me. Definitely need to work on that kick. Dang - 7th again. Just like North Shore. Just like Psycho Night Run. Just like Summer Intro. Not that I'm complaining, but it's starting to get a little repetitious. ALSO - 5th place wasn't that far ahead - 6th (who shall henceforth be called by his name, Scott) & I could see him on the home stretch not too far ahead of us on the road, looking back at intervals to see how much we were gaining. End up in 5:46:05, four seconds out of 6th and 20 out of 5th.
Other than being rather hungry, I feel good - the least tired or sore I've yet felt at the end of an ultra. I've peed not once, not twice, but 3 times(!!!) in the course of the race, and my only fall was that one at a half-mile in. Beautiful weather - 50's at the start, mostly sunny & 70's by the finish. Other than dropping my outer thin long-sleeve at the Punk Rock Aid Station on the way out, not a spare thought about temperature regulation. And the course is simply beautiful - first ultra I've done where I seriously want to come back & do as a day-hike. Rock clefts, scrambles, waterfall, clearing w/ fire pit at mile 8 - definitely have to try.
Congratulate Scott, and find out that 5th place was none other than Greg! He's fast! And I finished within 20 seconds of him! Wowserz! Not only that, but I pretty much ran even splits - 2:48 out, 2:55 back (plus a bit farther at the end since the finish is further down than the start). New 50K PR by 32min! Except for lacking a kick, I'm pleased as punch with my race, and ready to go kick it at Heartland 50in two weeks. Team Nebraska ended up winning by a lot, but missed breaking Caleb's record by 2min (silent, guilty cheer). Chris ended up getting 2nd in an awesome 5:07, Paul third in 5:28. Bad Ben brings it home in 7:13, which is super considering he's rather undertrained, a bearded Levi Bowles (who for some reason I haven't mentioned yet?) not long after in 7:22 for his first ultra, Sophia is 3rd female in 7:50ish, and another not-yet-mentioned friend Christy Craig matches her time from last year, also on much less training. In the words of my alma mater Grinnell College's cross country team, a good time was had by all. :)
I take a shift with a cowbell for folks finishing, eat heaping plates of spaghetti and whatever else I can find, and generally chill - Sophia watch w/ Ben, PBR time with Levi & his Irishman, chat more with Paul & Cindy about OT100, flitter around Eric at the finish line, etc. Planning on staying for the awards ceremony and "Flatrock Fire", which I've heard will wrap up around 8/9p, in plenty of time for me to get back to KC by midnight for church the next day. Tear down my tent in the "shove it still assembled onto the roof of my car and drive it down the road to the race headquarters so I can tear it down while still hanging with folks but mostly just look ridiculous" method, and pee about 6 dozen more times. Look at the post-race chili longingly, but it has beef in it. :( Most folks leave by awards, but a good few dozen folks are around to clap & cheer as awards are presented, and we get to see "King Eric" in his crown, robe & sword knight another runner into the 10-consecutive-year-finisher "Flatrock Hall of Pain", accompanied by a funny ode by the first inductee into that society. Take advantage of the deal offered to register for next year's Flatrock already, at 50% off this weekend only! :) Find out that the Flatrock Fire actually is a long-into-the-night ritual (as chef Warren puts it, "it wraps up around 3 or 4 am, which is when most folks pass out), and decide to head home, already planning to make sure I can stay the 2nd night next year.
Get home. Cook and eat a half-pound of bacon (among other things), and an amazing smoothie* (recipe below). Sleep. Still jittery around OT100. Wake up, church, unpack, realize I've left my shoes at the shelter. Email Eric, no one picked them up. Nuts.
*Nearly Naked Smoothie:
-1 banana
-1 mango
-1 kiwi
-1 tangerine (navel orange may be substituted)
-6-8oz strawberry yogurt
-1/2 can of guava nectar (essential)
-2 cubes of ice
Blend until well mixed & mostly smooth.
Felt pretty good going in - I'd done Darin Schniedewind's "40mi on his 40th" with him about a month before, and then the Heart of America marathon in Columbia on Labor Day, plus plenty more runs in the 15-20mi range. Headed down Friday night, planning on sharing a camping spot with Chris Farney and his wife Caitie.
Backing up a bit, I had a slight(?) freak-out earlier in the day Friday. Unbeknowst to him, Gary Henry had planted a bug in my ear during a run the previous Saturday, when we were talking about the inaugural Ozark Trail 100 coming up in November. Somehow, he said something (I don't remember what) that got me connecting to all the longing I'd felt upon reading Ultrarunner Magazine and seeing the names of people receiving their 10-year buckles & whatnot, wondering when I'd get to start my own streak. It finally occurred to me that I'd be more-or-less ready if I wanted to try Ozark and get my own streak started, so I spent the week mulling it around, hoping to bug some folks for advice on recovery times (with my already full race plans for the fall), age, etc. I had offered to pace John King, and messaged him, to which he replied he had found another pacer and wasn't needing me.
So I'm noodling, and RD Paul Schoenlaub sends out an email Friday saying that, basically, OT100 is filling up faster than expected - he didn't even expect it to fill. I suddenly feel that decision time is now and start freaking out. So I call good friend & fellow ultrarunner Debbie Webster in a tizzy at work & talk her ear off, and she recommends I call Kyle Amos, one of the top ultrarunners in the midwest, for advice. Do so on the ride down, discuss what shape I'm in, what my plans are, and he counsels me that as long as I don't do crazy things in the race I've entered 2 weeks before OT100, he thinks I should be good to go. With those very soothing words, I arrive at Elk City Lake State Park, set up my tent, and head over to packet pickup with a freshly printed entry form & check in hand for Paul, who is also running this race. Eeeee!
Ok, back to the actual race I'm reporting on. Pack my drop bag, lay out my race gear, and head over for the pre-race dinner. Delish & bountiful - spaghetti, sauce, and meatballs on the side (yay! for us non-beef eaters), plus salad (onion vinigarette dressing!) & rolls. Had a great time hanging out and chatting with Paul and his wife Cindy, Sophia Wharton, Greg Burger, Bad Ben Holmes, Chris, Caitie, and many more. End up hanging out at the shelter until almost everyone has left, just reading back issues of Running Times, chilling & enjoying the saving of batteries. Head back to the camp site where I help stoke up the fire and Chris, Greg, Caitie & I hang out for a bit before turning in around 9:45. Evidently it rains during the night, but shout out to fellow Trinity (Church of the Nazarene) guy Brian Longfellow for hooking me up with a nice, dry tent.
Up at 6a. No...wait...6:15...ummm...6:35? Eventually up, change in the car, and hike the quarter mile on down the road to the shelter for the pre-race briefing. Because of the rain, the time limit gets extended an hour. Must be rather slick out there; good thing I wore my dancing shoes! Runners hike en masse another half-mile down the road to the start. Realize that, oops, I forgot breakfast. 45 of us in the 50K; 25K folks start an hour later and they aren't around yet.
RD Eric Steele counts us down (wearing his bad-ass Badwater shirt) and we're off. Paul, Greg & a young buck in a Team Nebraska blazer take it out, with Chris & I a few yards behind. Duck off the road & now we're into the woods. Wow! Sweet climb, sweet rocks, sweet narrow clefts in between huge boulders to run through. It is a bit slick, and I take a minor spill a half-mile in. Oops. Chris & I run together for the first 2.5 or so, and then he peels away as I stop to pee. Very encouraging for me - I have peed a grand total of one time in 4 previous ultras and know I need to focus on hydrating. Realize it's rather ambitious considering the course and my previous 50K PR being 6:18 (12:11 pace), but I'm hoping to hold down a 10min pace today, and would very much like a top 5. Through the first aid station, I'm putting in 10min effort, but the rocks and general unevenness of the course are holding me to an 11min pace. Oh well. Shout out to the first aid station, which I shall call the "Punk Rock Aid Station" - 3 young dudes with punk haircuts, shirts, and a van blaring alternative/punk rock audible for a mile radius serving up chips, gatorade, M&Ms and all the standard good fare. Definite thumbs up.
Couple of guys catch me in the next few miles, and I basically just conserve & cruise. Course is definitely runnable throughout, just not at an even pace or stride - you're always shorting, cutting, flexing or otherwise dancing around rocks of all shapes & sizes. Very few patches actually require you to slow to a walk, but very few stretches actually let you fall into your normal stride. I like this, but worry it will change when I'm tired later. Contrary to what I'd been led to expect, the course is very well marked. Blue blazes visible every 10-15 paces, actually painted on the ground on rocks in places where you really can't look up. Only problem is the lack of flags/markings on sharp turns - I probably lost 3-5min throughout the race having to stop and look to see where the trail went when it turned unexpectedly. Didn't get off course, though.
Tick right along through the first half in 2:48 (15.2 is the turnaround), holding onto 11min pace easy, not seeing anyone that close in front or behind me. Shake my head at and scramble over/through the waterfall(!) at mile 11, avoid the cockleburrs at mile 13, and tromp the mud at mile 14. Team Nebraska passes me heading back while I'm still around mile 12 - he's at 18 miles in only 2:26ish, and I'm worried local ultrastud & friend Caleb Chatfield's course record of 4:29 is in danger. See Paul on the back while in the mud, he's about a mile ahead of me, with Chris following 200 yards behind. Greg is running 4th, a quarter mile back from them. 5th & 6th are about six and eight minutes ahead of me, and 8th is at least 10 behind.
Shout out to everyone on the back - very nice & encouraging to see the whole field played out. Nice battle in the female race - 1st through 3rd are all w/in a quarter mile of each other, with Sophia in 2nd. Starting to get hungry - I still can't eat on the run, and it's hard to convince myself to stop & walk when I'm actually caring about my pace & time (aka, racing) as opposed to just looking to finish. I've put down the accelerator a bit more, hoping to catch 5th/6th, and am asking at each aid station, "How much time do they have on me?". "4 minutes" is the answer. "3 minutes." "5 minutes". Arrgh. I'm pulling a good pace for the 2nd half, but can't seem to make up any ground. Stomach starts actually growling at mile 21, burn through the last of the 5 goos I packed, which was quite insufficient. Snarf at the aid stations - baked potatoes are good, but there's no PB&J. Need something that will stick in my stomach, but peanut M&Ms are the only option for that, and I'm not in the mood. Le sigh.
Have a couple of weak(er) spots where I have to back off for a half-mile or so, but pretty much still feeling strong at 11min pace. Grab the KU score at the 9.6 aid station, keep trying to pull on the guys ahead of me. Finally hear the melodious sound of the punk rock aid station, and pull in asking how much time to catch the next guy. "4 minutes." What did the fish say when it ran into the cement wall?
Not feeling like I can catch them now, I just concentrate on keeping the slightly-wobbling wheels on to bring it home strong. Come through the last mile of rocky hill, and am heading down the switchbacks out of the woods when I see movement ahead of me. At first, I think it's one of the straggling 25K folks that I've been passing, but this shape is moving a bit too fast for that. Pull out of the woods and see - it's my 6th place guy! Think to myself that I've got to put a move on, blow by him before he can react - there's a half-mile of flat, straight road to go. I manage to pull alongside at a good clip but as low on gas as I am, just can't muster up the Andy Henshaw-style "break his heart" surge. He matches my pace, and we pull each other for a quarter mile until he starts to move ahead. I'm pulling ergs of energy from anywhere I can, but it's just his day, and he crosses the line 4 seconds ahead of me. Definitely need to work on that kick. Dang - 7th again. Just like North Shore. Just like Psycho Night Run. Just like Summer Intro. Not that I'm complaining, but it's starting to get a little repetitious. ALSO - 5th place wasn't that far ahead - 6th (who shall henceforth be called by his name, Scott) & I could see him on the home stretch not too far ahead of us on the road, looking back at intervals to see how much we were gaining. End up in 5:46:05, four seconds out of 6th and 20 out of 5th.
Other than being rather hungry, I feel good - the least tired or sore I've yet felt at the end of an ultra. I've peed not once, not twice, but 3 times(!!!) in the course of the race, and my only fall was that one at a half-mile in. Beautiful weather - 50's at the start, mostly sunny & 70's by the finish. Other than dropping my outer thin long-sleeve at the Punk Rock Aid Station on the way out, not a spare thought about temperature regulation. And the course is simply beautiful - first ultra I've done where I seriously want to come back & do as a day-hike. Rock clefts, scrambles, waterfall, clearing w/ fire pit at mile 8 - definitely have to try.
Congratulate Scott, and find out that 5th place was none other than Greg! He's fast! And I finished within 20 seconds of him! Wowserz! Not only that, but I pretty much ran even splits - 2:48 out, 2:55 back (plus a bit farther at the end since the finish is further down than the start). New 50K PR by 32min! Except for lacking a kick, I'm pleased as punch with my race, and ready to go kick it at Heartland 50in two weeks. Team Nebraska ended up winning by a lot, but missed breaking Caleb's record by 2min (silent, guilty cheer). Chris ended up getting 2nd in an awesome 5:07, Paul third in 5:28. Bad Ben brings it home in 7:13, which is super considering he's rather undertrained, a bearded Levi Bowles (who for some reason I haven't mentioned yet?) not long after in 7:22 for his first ultra, Sophia is 3rd female in 7:50ish, and another not-yet-mentioned friend Christy Craig matches her time from last year, also on much less training. In the words of my alma mater Grinnell College's cross country team, a good time was had by all. :)
I take a shift with a cowbell for folks finishing, eat heaping plates of spaghetti and whatever else I can find, and generally chill - Sophia watch w/ Ben, PBR time with Levi & his Irishman, chat more with Paul & Cindy about OT100, flitter around Eric at the finish line, etc. Planning on staying for the awards ceremony and "Flatrock Fire", which I've heard will wrap up around 8/9p, in plenty of time for me to get back to KC by midnight for church the next day. Tear down my tent in the "shove it still assembled onto the roof of my car and drive it down the road to the race headquarters so I can tear it down while still hanging with folks but mostly just look ridiculous" method, and pee about 6 dozen more times. Look at the post-race chili longingly, but it has beef in it. :( Most folks leave by awards, but a good few dozen folks are around to clap & cheer as awards are presented, and we get to see "King Eric" in his crown, robe & sword knight another runner into the 10-consecutive-year-finisher "Flatrock Hall of Pain", accompanied by a funny ode by the first inductee into that society. Take advantage of the deal offered to register for next year's Flatrock already, at 50% off this weekend only! :) Find out that the Flatrock Fire actually is a long-into-the-night ritual (as chef Warren puts it, "it wraps up around 3 or 4 am, which is when most folks pass out), and decide to head home, already planning to make sure I can stay the 2nd night next year.
Get home. Cook and eat a half-pound of bacon (among other things), and an amazing smoothie* (recipe below). Sleep. Still jittery around OT100. Wake up, church, unpack, realize I've left my shoes at the shelter. Email Eric, no one picked them up. Nuts.
*Nearly Naked Smoothie:
-1 banana
-1 mango
-1 kiwi
-1 tangerine (navel orange may be substituted)
-6-8oz strawberry yogurt
-1/2 can of guava nectar (essential)
-2 cubes of ice
Blend until well mixed & mostly smooth.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Race
First 50 under my belt!
Started thinking about doing a 50 in mid-May when I found out how many of the KC Trail Nerds would be heading out to Oregon for the PCT 50 Mile run near Portland/Mt. Hood. Considering that I have lots of friends out there, throw in the possibility of a cross-country road trip, and ice it with a nice ultramarathon - what else could you want?
Well, for starters, $$$. Flying would be too expensive, and in order to drive the route, I'd need a traveling mate to split gas costs with. After over a month of searching, no such mate could be found. BUT, it'd be a shame to waste the 6+ weeks I'd spent optimistically training, so I started looking for another possibility. After finding out about the Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile race the same day up in Duluth, MN (calculating that it would be barely within my gas budget) and getting a hearty recommendation from 5-time finisher Bad Ben, I decided to do that instead.
Got some serious running karma beforehand. A group called Sage Hospitality is sponsoring a promotion called Give A Day, Get A Night, in which they'll give you free lodging in exchange for 8 hours of documented volunteering for a registered non-profit. With the hours I've spent race volunteering and weed whacking, and having one of their participating hotels in Duluth, Bad Ben was more than happy to sign off on my time. Running volunteering pays for running lodging. :D
Arrived Friday afternoon to Carlton, MN (pop: 810) for packet pickup, and found out that the race was part of (or at least coincides with) the town's summer festival. Headed over to the hockey rink(!) for a spaghetti feed and to hopefully chat up some other runners. As was mentioned two years ago in Gary Henry's Voyageur race report, no luck for non-beef eaters, so I had two heaping plates of unsauced spaghetti.
Met a family of ultrarunners - the 33 year old daughter (Kathleen) and her father (Norm, 70) would be running tomorrow, and the mother had a broken arm, so she would "only" be running the 5K that night before. Found out that Norm was the same gentleman mentioned in Gary's report who in 2007,
"A few miles out of the turnaround ... had realized he wasn't going to make the 6-hour cutoff. But instead of going on and taking himself out at the 25-mile mark, he turned around and headed back to DNF at the finish. He said he didn't come to the race to just do 25 miles." I like this guy - instead of legitimately being pulled off the course after 25mi, he actually bends the rules so that he could run 44mi.
Ended up eating with a nice 26-year-old guy from Colorado Springs named Brooks, who was hoping for a sub-8 hour and was planning on spending the night in his car. Just had to pass the good running karma along, so invited him to room with me. We watched most of the 5K together, talked with some local residents (who had lived in town all their life and had no idea Voyageur existed!), and headed to the hotel.
Duluth is beautiful! Driving into it on I-35 coming over the hills to see it laid out before Lake Superior made me gasp!
Only the second ultra I've used drop bags for, still feeling out what I'd need, so packed my three for the next day with everything I thought I might conceivably want. Hope to pare that down once I get a bit more experience. (Comments welcome here) Forecast called for scattered rain pretty much all day, so waterproofed things in ziplock bags, finished reading Once A Runner (not really related to ultrarunning, per se, but the author does an excellent job of communicating the intimate details of running in general) and drifted off to sleep.
Arrived an hour early, milled around, got stuck in the line for the john (as usual), and geared up.
Goals:
1. Finish
2. Sub 10 hour would be nice
3. Mark Inbody & Steve Plumb were also up representing the Nerds, and it'd be nice to finish near (or beat) them.
Plan is to reign myself in for the first 25mi and then let loose whatever is left on the way back.
142 starters. Down the city street three blocks, onto the asphalt bike trail and out of town onto a trail in a half-mile. First section was nice & technical, bordering the St. Louis river. Slick rounded river rocks instead of the sharp edged rocks we have here in MO/KS made footing a bit more tricky, but pleasant way to start. EXCEPT. Hornet. Or biting fly. Whatever it was, 2 miles in I yelp as a sudden sharp pain erupts from the back of my thigh and I see something twice as big as the biting flies at WyCo fly off, laughing at my attempts to swat it. Couple locals running behind me get a guffaw at my expense.
Quite a few fellow runners remark on my Trail Nerds jersey. :)
Swinging bridge! Over a beautiful river gorge! Can't help myself - turn a few pirouettes to take in the full view, start bouncing on it, hit it just right to get about 2' of air. :) First aid station, 3.4mi in at 32min. Too fast. I feel like I am noticeably reigning myself in, but still holding sub-10min pace. Hmmm....
Trail broadens to double track, no too technical. Still feeling good, taking salt every half-hour and a goo every hour, plus various aid station pickings. Trying to polish off at least a liter of water between each aid station. Keeping a nice, even pace with little effort and somehow I'm still right at 10min pace.
Fun little deep ravine that we go in & out of gets me thinking of a fun race concept - Rim to Rim to Rim to Rim to Rim (Etc). Find myself a nice deep gulley, whack out 5mi of trail, and sponsor an out-and-back race that has zero flat sections, just weaves in & out. I'd love it, at least. We'll see...
Hit the infamous Power Lines at mile 10.6 - whee! I love hills! I'm told that there are 7 hills in this section, but only two are beyond ordinary - super steep, non-switchbacked medium length hills of single track bare dirt. Would be quite hard if there was any mud, but dry as a bone and very runnable. I do remember Ben's advice to resist my inclination to burn them - for one hill - and generally enjoy myself. :-D
Keep ticking along steady until Fond du Lac, 15.5 mi in. Still not feeling a thing, so start letting myself stride out a bit on some fun downhills. 10min pace going strong. Start thinking my sub-10hr goal is a piece of cake (if I hold 10min, I'd be in at 8:20!). Taking goos & salt regularly, drinking, just enjoying the beautiful woodland scenery.
Race leader Andy Holak passes me heading back around mile 21, looking fresh. I hit the last aid station before Turnaround Zoo at 21.7 miles in, letting the pace slow up a bit (finally) as I'm starting to feel it in my legs a bit, and suddenly OH CRAP PAVEMENT. Lots of it. 0.7+ mi pavement uphill, and then interspersed pavement & mostly gravel trail until the half-way point. It's hard to describe how horrid pavement feels after 20+ miles of trail.
Count myself around 45th as I meet people coming out from the turnaround (Brooks is running 10th). For the first time ever in an ultra, decide not to change my socks/shoes halfway through. Yay Merino socks! Yay Sophia, Mizuno Rep & Pub Trivia night teammate extraordinaire! My new Ascends are holding up great! Hit the turn around just under 4:30. Sub-10 is in the bag, right?
See Mark Inbody only 6min behind. Really start to feel the pavement heading out from the turnaround. By the time I hit that long paved downhill, my feet are quickly becoming hamburger style. I feel the toenails committing seppuku with each step. Insert walking here. Mark catches me.
Then my arch-nemesis comes into play. I've consistently dealt with major leg muscle soreness on practically every run I've done over 18miles since January. Tried adjusting fluids, salt, calorie intake, shoes, etc to no avail. Didn't occur at Psycho WyCo 50K a few weeks beforehand, so I was hoping I had the problem beat. Nope! After the pavement comes major soreness - no cramping or sharp pain, just an impossible-to-ignore loud ache. Struggle to keep 12-min pace, more walking. First thought of "20 more miles? How am I ever going to finish this, let alone a hundred" enters my mind.
I stop to pee! For the first time ever in an ultra! It's rather yellow, but the fact I'm peeing means I'm doing a good job of hydrating during an ultra, right??
Hot spot on my big toe, stop to get it taped up at Fond du Lac. Thanks for the Duck brand Duct-Tape bandages from Christmas, Mom. See Steve Plumb & father for the first time, they've been gaining steadily on me since the turnaround. Also 15 miles to go seems much more manageable than 20.
Aid station workers have been frustrating thus far. The elementary school brigade was out in force in the morning, which was cool to see, but they knew little about aiding a runner. The one kid I handed my waist pack to to fill ended up completely twisting the hose & water sack inside the pack, which cost me a few minutes to undo. Also - no pitchers, just lots of cups. So I could refill my water pack at a rate faster than "trickle", ended up reaching under the table (or in one case, grabbing out of a guy's hand after a frustrating exchange) for the gallon jugs of water they were using to fill the cups. Good selection of food though, and the turnout at each station is impressive. Just wish they could have perhaps placed one experienced ultrarunner at each station who could teach the rest of the volunteers how to help runners. If I was one of the folks there running Voyageur as my first ultra, I would have sorely missed the valuable counsel ultrarunners can give you mid-race. The Nerds have spoiled me.
After a few walk breaks, feeling good again and ready to show the Power Lines who's boss. And I do. I can't help it - I burn the hills, catcall, laugh, suck oxygen, and generally act like a speeding goof. Despite the forecast, it hasn't more than misted yet, the hills are perfectly dry, and I just power up them. Know I'll pay for it later, but am having too much fun to care.
Once the mental boost from the hills passes, the next five miles are rough. A fellow I'm running with tells me that "You run the most even pace I've seen", which I happily take as a compliment, considering that's exactly what I'm trying to do. As Dory from Finding Nemo says, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming". Sore sore sore, but alternatingly refusing to whine or looking around to make sure no one has a shovel.
Hit the 5.2 mile aid station with my right calf completely locked up, soreness almost overwhelming. Have realized by this point that it's major lactic acid build-up, and am drinking as much as I can handle (which evidently isn't enough). Take a look at my watch (which I purposely put away at the turnaround) and see that I've really fallen off pace - I'm at 9:30 with 5 miles to go; no way I'm pulling a sub-10 now. Sad. Decide to walk the next stretch, rather than continuing my soreness-shuffle, in hopes of being able to run the last 3.4mi technical fun finishing stretch. Have about a dozen people pass me, which is frustrating this close to the finish.
Successfully prevent myself from running the one tempting hill on that stretch, hit the final aid station feeling...better. Less sore. Start moving again, realize that, at least for now, I can ignore the pain enough to put some mental energy into moving my legs faster. Suck it up and tell myself it's no different from hitting the three mile mark at Clinton Lake long run, start moving at a decent pace. NOW it starts to rain, a regular down pour before too long. Can't help but think that I would have avoided this completely if I had just met my goal time. But I'm in cruise control on towards the finish, legs pumping, soreness ignoring, rock hurdling, and actually re-passing a half-dozen of the folks. Half-mile of pavement at the end almost breaks the tiny bit of zone I've built up, but bring it in strong for a 10:50 finish. Oh well, it was my first 50, and sub-10 will come this fall at Heartland or Blue Springs
Except for the ending rain, weather was perfect - started high 50's / low 60's, finished in mid-70's, scattered clouds all day, humidity nothing noticeable for this Midwestern boy, temperature regulation didn't merit a stray thought from my mind all day.
Also first ultra that I haven't fertilized the trail somewhere along the lines of the race. *Shrugs*
Showers are available in the school after the race! But the hot water is gone. Enjoy my third pasta meal in a row with the post-race lasagna & salad. No Jello salad, though - I've been in MN 24 hours and am quite disappointed. Look for Brooks - he's nowhere to be found, but his car is there. Find Kathleen, Norm & wife and sit to chat for a bit. She finished well, just over 11hrs, and Norm didn't make the final aid station before the 6-hour cutoff, so he had to drop there. They say they'll be at Rocky Raccoon, so looking forward to seeing them again.
Sit around for much too long getting cold & stiff, since there's no awards until 8p. Directors end up moving the ceremony to 7:20 so people can head out. Was somewhat surprised to get a mug instead of a medal. Nothing was mentioned in the literature, but in my experienced, I just assumed all ultras give medals or buckles.
Still no Brooks, but his car is still there. Wonder if he made his goals of top-10 and sub-8. Expect that I'll see him at the hotel later, and head back. Stop off at the grocery store for buffalo wings, salt & vinegar chips, and Naked juice. Mmmm... Watch some of the Transformers movie and drift off.
Am tired enough in the morning that I decide not to take any scenic routes on the return trip home, and head back to KC, tired, happy & sucking on my new Voyageur water bottle. :)
Lessons learned:
-I'm at a level where I can easily tick off at least 15 miles at 10min pace. :)
-I get sore because of lactic acid build up. I need to drink more. I am already drinking much more than my body is telling me I need. Grrr. Reading/research shall commence.
-How you feel at mile 30 is not how you feel at mile 47 (or 35, 40, 38.1023, etc)
Post-race note: someone posts a link on the UltraList Monday after the race with an article about Voyageur. I skim it and find the next-to-last sentence says that Brooks Williams, 26, of Colorado Springs, CO was taken to the hospital after collapsing a half-mile from the finish. Oh, crap - I don't have his phone number, and am trying to find him on Facebook. Prayers are appreciated.
Started thinking about doing a 50 in mid-May when I found out how many of the KC Trail Nerds would be heading out to Oregon for the PCT 50 Mile run near Portland/Mt. Hood. Considering that I have lots of friends out there, throw in the possibility of a cross-country road trip, and ice it with a nice ultramarathon - what else could you want?
Well, for starters, $$$. Flying would be too expensive, and in order to drive the route, I'd need a traveling mate to split gas costs with. After over a month of searching, no such mate could be found. BUT, it'd be a shame to waste the 6+ weeks I'd spent optimistically training, so I started looking for another possibility. After finding out about the Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile race the same day up in Duluth, MN (calculating that it would be barely within my gas budget) and getting a hearty recommendation from 5-time finisher Bad Ben, I decided to do that instead.
Got some serious running karma beforehand. A group called Sage Hospitality is sponsoring a promotion called Give A Day, Get A Night, in which they'll give you free lodging in exchange for 8 hours of documented volunteering for a registered non-profit. With the hours I've spent race volunteering and weed whacking, and having one of their participating hotels in Duluth, Bad Ben was more than happy to sign off on my time. Running volunteering pays for running lodging. :D
Arrived Friday afternoon to Carlton, MN (pop: 810) for packet pickup, and found out that the race was part of (or at least coincides with) the town's summer festival. Headed over to the hockey rink(!) for a spaghetti feed and to hopefully chat up some other runners. As was mentioned two years ago in Gary Henry's Voyageur race report, no luck for non-beef eaters, so I had two heaping plates of unsauced spaghetti.
Met a family of ultrarunners - the 33 year old daughter (Kathleen) and her father (Norm, 70) would be running tomorrow, and the mother had a broken arm, so she would "only" be running the 5K that night before. Found out that Norm was the same gentleman mentioned in Gary's report who in 2007,
"A few miles out of the turnaround ... had realized he wasn't going to make the 6-hour cutoff. But instead of going on and taking himself out at the 25-mile mark, he turned around and headed back to DNF at the finish. He said he didn't come to the race to just do 25 miles." I like this guy - instead of legitimately being pulled off the course after 25mi, he actually bends the rules so that he could run 44mi.
Ended up eating with a nice 26-year-old guy from Colorado Springs named Brooks, who was hoping for a sub-8 hour and was planning on spending the night in his car. Just had to pass the good running karma along, so invited him to room with me. We watched most of the 5K together, talked with some local residents (who had lived in town all their life and had no idea Voyageur existed!), and headed to the hotel.
Duluth is beautiful! Driving into it on I-35 coming over the hills to see it laid out before Lake Superior made me gasp!
Only the second ultra I've used drop bags for, still feeling out what I'd need, so packed my three for the next day with everything I thought I might conceivably want. Hope to pare that down once I get a bit more experience. (Comments welcome here) Forecast called for scattered rain pretty much all day, so waterproofed things in ziplock bags, finished reading Once A Runner (not really related to ultrarunning, per se, but the author does an excellent job of communicating the intimate details of running in general) and drifted off to sleep.
Arrived an hour early, milled around, got stuck in the line for the john (as usual), and geared up.
Goals:
1. Finish
2. Sub 10 hour would be nice
3. Mark Inbody & Steve Plumb were also up representing the Nerds, and it'd be nice to finish near (or beat) them.
Plan is to reign myself in for the first 25mi and then let loose whatever is left on the way back.
142 starters. Down the city street three blocks, onto the asphalt bike trail and out of town onto a trail in a half-mile. First section was nice & technical, bordering the St. Louis river. Slick rounded river rocks instead of the sharp edged rocks we have here in MO/KS made footing a bit more tricky, but pleasant way to start. EXCEPT. Hornet. Or biting fly. Whatever it was, 2 miles in I yelp as a sudden sharp pain erupts from the back of my thigh and I see something twice as big as the biting flies at WyCo fly off, laughing at my attempts to swat it. Couple locals running behind me get a guffaw at my expense.
Quite a few fellow runners remark on my Trail Nerds jersey. :)
Swinging bridge! Over a beautiful river gorge! Can't help myself - turn a few pirouettes to take in the full view, start bouncing on it, hit it just right to get about 2' of air. :) First aid station, 3.4mi in at 32min. Too fast. I feel like I am noticeably reigning myself in, but still holding sub-10min pace. Hmmm....
Trail broadens to double track, no too technical. Still feeling good, taking salt every half-hour and a goo every hour, plus various aid station pickings. Trying to polish off at least a liter of water between each aid station. Keeping a nice, even pace with little effort and somehow I'm still right at 10min pace.
Fun little deep ravine that we go in & out of gets me thinking of a fun race concept - Rim to Rim to Rim to Rim to Rim (Etc). Find myself a nice deep gulley, whack out 5mi of trail, and sponsor an out-and-back race that has zero flat sections, just weaves in & out. I'd love it, at least. We'll see...
Hit the infamous Power Lines at mile 10.6 - whee! I love hills! I'm told that there are 7 hills in this section, but only two are beyond ordinary - super steep, non-switchbacked medium length hills of single track bare dirt. Would be quite hard if there was any mud, but dry as a bone and very runnable. I do remember Ben's advice to resist my inclination to burn them - for one hill - and generally enjoy myself. :-D
Keep ticking along steady until Fond du Lac, 15.5 mi in. Still not feeling a thing, so start letting myself stride out a bit on some fun downhills. 10min pace going strong. Start thinking my sub-10hr goal is a piece of cake (if I hold 10min, I'd be in at 8:20!). Taking goos & salt regularly, drinking, just enjoying the beautiful woodland scenery.
Race leader Andy Holak passes me heading back around mile 21, looking fresh. I hit the last aid station before Turnaround Zoo at 21.7 miles in, letting the pace slow up a bit (finally) as I'm starting to feel it in my legs a bit, and suddenly OH CRAP PAVEMENT. Lots of it. 0.7+ mi pavement uphill, and then interspersed pavement & mostly gravel trail until the half-way point. It's hard to describe how horrid pavement feels after 20+ miles of trail.
Count myself around 45th as I meet people coming out from the turnaround (Brooks is running 10th). For the first time ever in an ultra, decide not to change my socks/shoes halfway through. Yay Merino socks! Yay Sophia, Mizuno Rep & Pub Trivia night teammate extraordinaire! My new Ascends are holding up great! Hit the turn around just under 4:30. Sub-10 is in the bag, right?
See Mark Inbody only 6min behind. Really start to feel the pavement heading out from the turnaround. By the time I hit that long paved downhill, my feet are quickly becoming hamburger style. I feel the toenails committing seppuku with each step. Insert walking here. Mark catches me.
Then my arch-nemesis comes into play. I've consistently dealt with major leg muscle soreness on practically every run I've done over 18miles since January. Tried adjusting fluids, salt, calorie intake, shoes, etc to no avail. Didn't occur at Psycho WyCo 50K a few weeks beforehand, so I was hoping I had the problem beat. Nope! After the pavement comes major soreness - no cramping or sharp pain, just an impossible-to-ignore loud ache. Struggle to keep 12-min pace, more walking. First thought of "20 more miles? How am I ever going to finish this, let alone a hundred" enters my mind.
I stop to pee! For the first time ever in an ultra! It's rather yellow, but the fact I'm peeing means I'm doing a good job of hydrating during an ultra, right??
Hot spot on my big toe, stop to get it taped up at Fond du Lac. Thanks for the Duck brand Duct-Tape bandages from Christmas, Mom. See Steve Plumb & father for the first time, they've been gaining steadily on me since the turnaround. Also 15 miles to go seems much more manageable than 20.
Aid station workers have been frustrating thus far. The elementary school brigade was out in force in the morning, which was cool to see, but they knew little about aiding a runner. The one kid I handed my waist pack to to fill ended up completely twisting the hose & water sack inside the pack, which cost me a few minutes to undo. Also - no pitchers, just lots of cups. So I could refill my water pack at a rate faster than "trickle", ended up reaching under the table (or in one case, grabbing out of a guy's hand after a frustrating exchange) for the gallon jugs of water they were using to fill the cups. Good selection of food though, and the turnout at each station is impressive. Just wish they could have perhaps placed one experienced ultrarunner at each station who could teach the rest of the volunteers how to help runners. If I was one of the folks there running Voyageur as my first ultra, I would have sorely missed the valuable counsel ultrarunners can give you mid-race. The Nerds have spoiled me.
After a few walk breaks, feeling good again and ready to show the Power Lines who's boss. And I do. I can't help it - I burn the hills, catcall, laugh, suck oxygen, and generally act like a speeding goof. Despite the forecast, it hasn't more than misted yet, the hills are perfectly dry, and I just power up them. Know I'll pay for it later, but am having too much fun to care.
Once the mental boost from the hills passes, the next five miles are rough. A fellow I'm running with tells me that "You run the most even pace I've seen", which I happily take as a compliment, considering that's exactly what I'm trying to do. As Dory from Finding Nemo says, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming". Sore sore sore, but alternatingly refusing to whine or looking around to make sure no one has a shovel.
Hit the 5.2 mile aid station with my right calf completely locked up, soreness almost overwhelming. Have realized by this point that it's major lactic acid build-up, and am drinking as much as I can handle (which evidently isn't enough). Take a look at my watch (which I purposely put away at the turnaround) and see that I've really fallen off pace - I'm at 9:30 with 5 miles to go; no way I'm pulling a sub-10 now. Sad. Decide to walk the next stretch, rather than continuing my soreness-shuffle, in hopes of being able to run the last 3.4mi technical fun finishing stretch. Have about a dozen people pass me, which is frustrating this close to the finish.
Successfully prevent myself from running the one tempting hill on that stretch, hit the final aid station feeling...better. Less sore. Start moving again, realize that, at least for now, I can ignore the pain enough to put some mental energy into moving my legs faster. Suck it up and tell myself it's no different from hitting the three mile mark at Clinton Lake long run, start moving at a decent pace. NOW it starts to rain, a regular down pour before too long. Can't help but think that I would have avoided this completely if I had just met my goal time. But I'm in cruise control on towards the finish, legs pumping, soreness ignoring, rock hurdling, and actually re-passing a half-dozen of the folks. Half-mile of pavement at the end almost breaks the tiny bit of zone I've built up, but bring it in strong for a 10:50 finish. Oh well, it was my first 50, and sub-10 will come this fall at Heartland or Blue Springs
Except for the ending rain, weather was perfect - started high 50's / low 60's, finished in mid-70's, scattered clouds all day, humidity nothing noticeable for this Midwestern boy, temperature regulation didn't merit a stray thought from my mind all day.
Also first ultra that I haven't fertilized the trail somewhere along the lines of the race. *Shrugs*
Showers are available in the school after the race! But the hot water is gone. Enjoy my third pasta meal in a row with the post-race lasagna & salad. No Jello salad, though - I've been in MN 24 hours and am quite disappointed. Look for Brooks - he's nowhere to be found, but his car is there. Find Kathleen, Norm & wife and sit to chat for a bit. She finished well, just over 11hrs, and Norm didn't make the final aid station before the 6-hour cutoff, so he had to drop there. They say they'll be at Rocky Raccoon, so looking forward to seeing them again.
Sit around for much too long getting cold & stiff, since there's no awards until 8p. Directors end up moving the ceremony to 7:20 so people can head out. Was somewhat surprised to get a mug instead of a medal. Nothing was mentioned in the literature, but in my experienced, I just assumed all ultras give medals or buckles.
Still no Brooks, but his car is still there. Wonder if he made his goals of top-10 and sub-8. Expect that I'll see him at the hotel later, and head back. Stop off at the grocery store for buffalo wings, salt & vinegar chips, and Naked juice. Mmmm... Watch some of the Transformers movie and drift off.
Am tired enough in the morning that I decide not to take any scenic routes on the return trip home, and head back to KC, tired, happy & sucking on my new Voyageur water bottle. :)
Lessons learned:
-I'm at a level where I can easily tick off at least 15 miles at 10min pace. :)
-I get sore because of lactic acid build up. I need to drink more. I am already drinking much more than my body is telling me I need. Grrr. Reading/research shall commence.
-How you feel at mile 30 is not how you feel at mile 47 (or 35, 40, 38.1023, etc)
Post-race note: someone posts a link on the UltraList Monday after the race with an article about Voyageur. I skim it and find the next-to-last sentence says that Brooks Williams, 26, of Colorado Springs, CO was taken to the hospital after collapsing a half-mile from the finish. Oh, crap - I don't have his phone number, and am trying to find him on Facebook. Prayers are appreciated.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Studying Scripture Honestly
I've noticed that when I'm studying scripture, I get more out of it if I just study it as myself. What I mean is, I always used to (and still do) get into "Bible Study Mode", where I take scripture seriously. I try to place myself in a frame of mind where I can best prevent the parts of myself that I understand to be unbiblical from negatively affecting my study, and allow those parts that have flourished because of my faith to take the lead. I still believe this is a good way to approach scripture, but perhaps it is not honest.
I have found this year that when I let myself relax, focus on scripture alone without trying to simultaneously control myself, I see more. This means I can be snarky, crass, and generally respond to scripture in ways that are natural but part of my mind decries as disrespectful. I respond to things like Paul writing in 1 Thessalonians 3:6 "he has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us" with a sarcastic "That's nice". I have a good habit of being able to look past disturbing phrasing to get at actual meaning, but I let that fall by the wayside, and make scripture prove to me that it's not offensive, racist, or wrongly wrathful.
I have found this year that when I let myself relax, focus on scripture alone without trying to simultaneously control myself, I see more. This means I can be snarky, crass, and generally respond to scripture in ways that are natural but part of my mind decries as disrespectful. I respond to things like Paul writing in 1 Thessalonians 3:6 "he has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us" with a sarcastic "That's nice". I have a good habit of being able to look past disturbing phrasing to get at actual meaning, but I let that fall by the wayside, and make scripture prove to me that it's not offensive, racist, or wrongly wrathful.
Now, I believe the application out of this is not to treat scripture disrespectfully, but honestly. If I'm currently at a place where I am asinine, disinterested, or even disbelieving of what I'm reading, I need to honestly acknowledge those as parts of my reaction which affect my understanding. I also need to be honest that I don't want to react like that, and thus my goal with those behaviors, then, is to grow out of them - BUT the best way to do so is not to ignore them.
I know this doesn't really sound that profound, but I am honestly quite surprised that my treating scripture in a way that I feel is disrespectful helps me develop even more respect for it.Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sing a Happy WyCo Song
Oh my goodness such a good run today I just have to share!
Final Psycho prep run - 2 loops. Fun group - Danny, Nick, Pat, Dave, Allen & Rachael. Beautiful beautiful day - I was down to one layer by the infamous Wyandotte Triangle, and was actually most comfortable shirtless the final 5mi.
Danny, Nate & I blasted through the first loop in something close to 1:40 (not counting time spent stopping for a couple regroups), which is 10min faster than I had ever done a loop before. Was feeling great! Stopped at the cars to reload, drank a can of Peach Nectar that I'd picked up as a tasty possible refueling drink - yumyumyum.
Headed back out at a bit slower pace, after the triangle, I was still feeling good, surged on ahead, struggled a bit on the backstretch but still was able to run up two of the Three Hills, finishing somewhere around 2:15 (my watch died yesterday). Celebrated with a delicious can of Campbell's tomato soup & raisin bread, got a good stretch in, and got to meet Brad #2 and Anna (?), Mud Doc's crew from last year who are running the 10mi Psycho this year. Mud Doc showed up too after a chase-the-rabbit circuit on us two-loopers (me, Danny, Pat & Dave), and we had a 'yay we made it' mini party in the parking lot.
Oh yeah! And I've been running with two right-handed gloves the last two weeks because I lost both of my lefties - guess who showed up on the archery field on the second loop today! Leftie! Karma++
Speaking of that, I pray we fortunate folks these past few days didn't use up all the good weather karma for WyCo. It's been sunny, 40s-60s, and the trail has been dry!!! +2 for those of you running the Psycho 5K tomorrow - I'll see you there. :)
In Summary:
-PR for WyCo course
-PB for distance, ever!
-Weather Karma++
-Return of prodigal glove+++
-Discovery of two new fantastic refueling foods: peach nectar & tomato soup in a sippy cup
Happy happy happy! :)
Have a great Saturday, and enjoy the weather!
Final Psycho prep run - 2 loops. Fun group - Danny, Nick, Pat, Dave, Allen & Rachael. Beautiful beautiful day - I was down to one layer by the infamous Wyandotte Triangle, and was actually most comfortable shirtless the final 5mi.
Danny, Nate & I blasted through the first loop in something close to 1:40 (not counting time spent stopping for a couple regroups), which is 10min faster than I had ever done a loop before. Was feeling great! Stopped at the cars to reload, drank a can of Peach Nectar that I'd picked up as a tasty possible refueling drink - yumyumyum.
Headed back out at a bit slower pace, after the triangle, I was still feeling good, surged on ahead, struggled a bit on the backstretch but still was able to run up two of the Three Hills, finishing somewhere around 2:15 (my watch died yesterday). Celebrated with a delicious can of Campbell's tomato soup & raisin bread, got a good stretch in, and got to meet Brad #2 and Anna (?), Mud Doc's crew from last year who are running the 10mi Psycho this year. Mud Doc showed up too after a chase-the-rabbit circuit on us two-loopers (me, Danny, Pat & Dave), and we had a 'yay we made it' mini party in the parking lot.
Oh yeah! And I've been running with two right-handed gloves the last two weeks because I lost both of my lefties - guess who showed up on the archery field on the second loop today! Leftie! Karma++
Speaking of that, I pray we fortunate folks these past few days didn't use up all the good weather karma for WyCo. It's been sunny, 40s-60s, and the trail has been dry!!! +2 for those of you running the Psycho 5K tomorrow - I'll see you there. :)
In Summary:
-PR for WyCo course
-PB for distance, ever!
-Weather Karma++
-Return of prodigal glove+++
-Discovery of two new fantastic refueling foods: peach nectar & tomato soup in a sippy cup
Happy happy happy! :)
Have a great Saturday, and enjoy the weather!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon
Topeka-To-Auburn Half-Marathon Jan 17, 2009
I WIN: Met the early registration deadline by one day, so got cool race + a ton of cool swag for cheaper price.
I QUESTION: For the race, I could wear my Vasque Blurs, which are primarily trail running shoes, but new-ish and broken in. Or I
could wear my regular road-running shoes, which I have screwed for winter running. Or I could wear an older pair of shoes that still have some life/cushioning left, but are rather heavy and I've never really liked. Decide that I don't want to take the screws out of my road runners (so they'll stick better) and the Blurs will do.
I LOSE: Driving to the finish line, no roads in Kansas were marked with anything helpful, and it takes me a half-hour longer than planned, arriving at 10:07 when the last bus to the start is scheduled for 10:00
I WIN: The last bus is running late, and I make it to the start (this is a point-to-point race, rather than a loop)
I LOSE: I underestimate the temperature (by about 30 degrees) and didn't look at the forecast, and am wearing way too much clothes
I WIN: I successfully navigate something I've never tried before: submitting & labeling a drop bag for transport
I LOSE: My too much clothes + shoes mean my small running bag is overflowing
I WIN: But I make it all fit somehow
I ???: I believe the announcer asked the audience to sing along with him for the National Anthem, but I don't hear anyone singing, so I do sing, but quietly
I LOSE: 0.25 miles into the race, I realize my legs are still recovering from the 20mi at Clinton Lake last Saturday (or something) and are much more tired than I expected, and question my ability to hold sub-8:00 pace
I WIN: (or at least I think I do) I remember to keep it steady for the first 4 miles, and cruise along at 8:00 pace
I LOSE: Legs are quite tired; start drifting above 8:00 pace
I WIN: I remember that today is the day for another experiment. In my 7 years of running & racing, I've never used an aid station. I always hydrate well enough ahead of time and haven't raced further than a half that I don't need to. So I take Gatorade at the 6.8mi station. And it doesn't upset my stomach
I LOSE: But it does upset my breathing rhythm and I get a nasty sugar-aftertaste
I LOSE: 7.5mi -Seems I've improperly tied my shoes; it's pressing unevenly on my foot, and my big toe is feeling it. Have to stop twice in a half-mile to redo them
I WIN: Stopping gives me a burst, and I get some pace back
I LOSE: Legs are really tired; barely holding 9:00 pace now. Dang. Shoes feel heavy.
I WIN: 8mi mark - Gravel! Not pavement! Sweet softer surface.
I LOSE: Big toe still getting boxed, and some of the soreness from last week Clinton is coming back as well
I WIN: I keep going?
I LOSE: I keep going slowly
I WIN: Coming into town, I see I am going to finish at my safety goal of under 2hr
I WIN: Somewhere I get a burst - wasn't even looking for it - and pick it up with energy from space or something for the last half-mile
SOMEONE ELSE LOSES: The race was again, warm, and I'm down to my T-Shirt (with thoughts of removing it), with my long-sleeve tied around my waist. I tied it specifically so that you could still read my number pinned to it, now situated on my backside. But guy (race volunteer?) is yelling "Where's Your Number?", now yelling insistently, now yelling angrily! Sounds very angry! Aaah! Hurriedly untie my shirt while still running & hold it up, totally blowing any semblance of a finishing kick. And it turns out they only wanted to see the number from the front so the finish line announcer could call out my name as I finished for the multitude of people there who knew who I was. Grrr.
I WIN: Finishers medal! Ooh! Forgot about that!
I LOSE: 139th of 270. Not a big deal, but I have a "thing" about finishing in the top half.
I WIN: Stretching feels good!
I LOSE: Big toe really took a beating. Even though Vasque Blurs aren't made specifically for pavement running, I thought with my
insoles they'd be just fine for this run. Beginning to think toe box of Blurs is not my friend
I WIN: Pancakes! 2 helpings!
I LOSE: Ow. Toe. Limp. Ow.
Addendum: That evening - toenail does not look good. As in, looks like stage 1 of the time it eventually fell off. Crap.
Addendum 2: Ran again on Sunday at WyCo, this time in my screwed road runners on the trails. Toe no better but definitely no worse. Am really starting to suspect the Blurs, especially after how sore I was in unusual places following Clinton the week before.
Addendum 3: Soaked toe in Epsom salts for an hour after WyCo run, trimmed toenail gingerly, feels MUCH better
I WIN: Met the early registration deadline by one day, so got cool race + a ton of cool swag for cheaper price.
I QUESTION: For the race, I could wear my Vasque Blurs, which are primarily trail running shoes, but new-ish and broken in. Or I
could wear my regular road-running shoes, which I have screwed for winter running. Or I could wear an older pair of shoes that still have some life/cushioning left, but are rather heavy and I've never really liked. Decide that I don't want to take the screws out of my road runners (so they'll stick better) and the Blurs will do.
I LOSE: Driving to the finish line, no roads in Kansas were marked with anything helpful, and it takes me a half-hour longer than planned, arriving at 10:07 when the last bus to the start is scheduled for 10:00
I WIN: The last bus is running late, and I make it to the start (this is a point-to-point race, rather than a loop)
I LOSE: I underestimate the temperature (by about 30 degrees) and didn't look at the forecast, and am wearing way too much clothes
I WIN: I successfully navigate something I've never tried before: submitting & labeling a drop bag for transport
I LOSE: My too much clothes + shoes mean my small running bag is overflowing
I WIN: But I make it all fit somehow
I ???: I believe the announcer asked the audience to sing along with him for the National Anthem, but I don't hear anyone singing, so I do sing, but quietly
I LOSE: 0.25 miles into the race, I realize my legs are still recovering from the 20mi at Clinton Lake last Saturday (or something) and are much more tired than I expected, and question my ability to hold sub-8:00 pace
I WIN: (or at least I think I do) I remember to keep it steady for the first 4 miles, and cruise along at 8:00 pace
I LOSE: Legs are quite tired; start drifting above 8:00 pace
I WIN: I remember that today is the day for another experiment. In my 7 years of running & racing, I've never used an aid station. I always hydrate well enough ahead of time and haven't raced further than a half that I don't need to. So I take Gatorade at the 6.8mi station. And it doesn't upset my stomach
I LOSE: But it does upset my breathing rhythm and I get a nasty sugar-aftertaste
I LOSE: 7.5mi -Seems I've improperly tied my shoes; it's pressing unevenly on my foot, and my big toe is feeling it. Have to stop twice in a half-mile to redo them
I WIN: Stopping gives me a burst, and I get some pace back
I LOSE: Legs are really tired; barely holding 9:00 pace now. Dang. Shoes feel heavy.
I WIN: 8mi mark - Gravel! Not pavement! Sweet softer surface.
I LOSE: Big toe still getting boxed, and some of the soreness from last week Clinton is coming back as well
I WIN: I keep going?
I LOSE: I keep going slowly
I WIN: Coming into town, I see I am going to finish at my safety goal of under 2hr
I WIN: Somewhere I get a burst - wasn't even looking for it - and pick it up with energy from space or something for the last half-mile
SOMEONE ELSE LOSES: The race was again, warm, and I'm down to my T-Shirt (with thoughts of removing it), with my long-sleeve tied around my waist. I tied it specifically so that you could still read my number pinned to it, now situated on my backside. But guy (race volunteer?) is yelling "Where's Your Number?", now yelling insistently, now yelling angrily! Sounds very angry! Aaah! Hurriedly untie my shirt while still running & hold it up, totally blowing any semblance of a finishing kick. And it turns out they only wanted to see the number from the front so the finish line announcer could call out my name as I finished for the multitude of people there who knew who I was. Grrr.
I WIN: Finishers medal! Ooh! Forgot about that!
I LOSE: 139th of 270. Not a big deal, but I have a "thing" about finishing in the top half.
I WIN: Stretching feels good!
I LOSE: Big toe really took a beating. Even though Vasque Blurs aren't made specifically for pavement running, I thought with my
insoles they'd be just fine for this run. Beginning to think toe box of Blurs is not my friend
I WIN: Pancakes! 2 helpings!
I LOSE: Ow. Toe. Limp. Ow.
Addendum: That evening - toenail does not look good. As in, looks like stage 1 of the time it eventually fell off. Crap.
Addendum 2: Ran again on Sunday at WyCo, this time in my screwed road runners on the trails. Toe no better but definitely no worse. Am really starting to suspect the Blurs, especially after how sore I was in unusual places following Clinton the week before.
Addendum 3: Soaked toe in Epsom salts for an hour after WyCo run, trimmed toenail gingerly, feels MUCH better
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