Pictures
Results
Map and Elevation
Short Video Clip of Red Trail (Ron Ruhs)
Saturday I ran my second 100K which was the same course as my first 100K. I drove with Jeff on Friday afternoon. We set up camp, grilled steaks, had a fire, and headed to bed around 10 pm. I slept on my air mattress in the Element. The temperature got down to around 37F. I slept pretty poorly since the air was slowly going out of my air mattress so not quite as firm as I needed. The alarm was set for 5:30 but I woke up about an hour before.
We headed over to the start around 6:30 am. This race allows 2 drop bags but I opted for only 1 at the start since they were serving Succeed and S-Caps, gels, and always have good options at the aid stations. The KC Trail Nerds, Ben Holmes, and the volunteers always do a superb job with their races. The trails are marked clearly and they have plenty of volunteers on the course.
We started promptly at 7 am. When I ran this course 2 years ago it was muddy and I ran in 11 hr 25 minutes and was taking it easy since this was before my first 100 miler. This year the course was completely dry so I was hoping for around 10 hr 30 min or at least a PR. At about 0.3 miles I took my first fall and of course there were 2 runners behind me. I am thinking it is pretty embarrassing that I fell so soon but had not fallen in a couple months so I was due. There were lots of rocks and roots on the course to trip over and somehow I kept hitting them with my big toes but didn't always fall. After about 10 miles I was pretty much running alone the rest of the day. I wore a long sleeved shirt over my short sleeve plus gloves for the first 10 miles. Then I removed the long sleeved and had to carry for the last hour of the first loop as it warmed up. Temps at the start were around 40. I ended up falling one more time during the first loop this time when I passed a walker going up a hill and landed on my butt. I finished the first loop in 3:22 which was a little slower than I had hoped even though I had run most of the hills since they were pretty short.
I refilled my bottle, picked up a couple gels and started the second loop. Staying consistent with the first loop I fell 2 more times! This time there was a guy I had been passing back and forth for a few miles. I fell running in front of him and within a minute I fell again somehow landing on my back. My problem shoulder hurt a bit so I started walking and it soon felt better. As the guy passed me again he said was glad he wasn't the only one falling. I was getting pretty frustrated with all the falling and banging my big toes. I just wasn't quite in the groove for some reason. I finished the second loop in 3:50 so quite a bit slower than the first one.
I filled with Succeed grabbed some gels and quickly took off before I changed my mind and stopped at 40 miles. Shortly into the 3rd loop, I passed the guy I had passed back and forth earlier. I was hanging on moving forward and feeling strong but just not running as fast as I had hoped at this point possibly due to the warmer temp since it got up to 75. I walked more of the hills these last 2 loops. I ended up falling 1 more time and this time I hit my left big toe pretty hard. I go flying and my gel goes flying out of the pocket of my water bottle. This time there was no one there to witness my spectacular fall. Both big toe metatarsal joints were hurting. In all these falls I just ever so slightly had a small knee abrasion so was pretty lucky. I was worried I was going to hit the toe again and that I'd break it so tried to be extra careful.
When I got to the rocky part that runs close to the lake I was still running okay even though I had big rocks to run over and this part of the course was a bit more technical. At this point a guy catches me and says he doesn't need around since he is pacing the guy behind him. Knowing they were behind me kept me moving. My water bottle was nearly empty and I was feeling too warm. I wanted to take my shirt off but was afraid I would fall so wanted the extra protection for my skin. Shortly we get to the next aid station and the volunteer filled my bottle with Succeed and ice. I had a quick bite of melon and some chips and took off feeling 100% better and running faster. This part of the course was also in the trees and felt cooler.
I skipped the last aid station about 3 miles from the end since I was so ready to be done. This course goes mostly out and back along the lake but is on 2 different trails that run very close together. In some places you can see runners on the other trail. There were times I heard people but weren't sure which trail they were on. The course is also very curvy. About 2 miles from the end I hear a couple guys talking and see one. I was pretty sure it was the guys that had caught up to me on the rocks earlier. Not wanting to be passed at this late stage I keep moving and ran all the hills the rest of the way. It seemed like most of the 3rd loop I was keeping a pace fairly close to the latter part of the second loop. I finished the third loop in 4:03 (slowed 13 minutes from the second) and the guy with the pacer was just less than a minute behind me.
I placed 4th overall out of 40 finishers. There were more that started but some dropped back to the 40 miler and others didn't quite finish the 3rd loop. There were 12 that started the 100K and dropped to the 40 mile. Overall time was 11 hr 14 min so a 11 minute PR over 2 years ago. I hoped for better but can't complain placing 4th. The trend for almost all except the second place guy was to run each loop slower.
I wasn't able to eat anything at the end so consumed a chocolate milk before taking a shower and heading home. My mouth felt extremely dry so had a Powerade as well. I had noticed my mouth getting really dry in the latter part of the race even though I was drinking so I must have been a bit dehydrated. My left big toe metatarsal joint looked a bit swollen on Sunday, but looked much better today so damage wasn't too bad. I remember the first time I ran this course the day seemed to drag on forever since it was the longest I had run at this time. I was out there almost as long this time but didn't seem so bad compared to running 100 miles.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
2012 Sedalia Half Marathon
My policy this year has been only to write about races that are half marathon or longer, but will mention I ran the St. Patrick's Day 5K the week after running 3 Days of Syllamo and ran quite well at 18:41 and 11th overall. I did take it easier that week and only ran 37 miles. I signed up for the Sedalia Half Marathon so had 3 weeks out from Syllamo which I ran 2 track workouts plus mile intervals workout on a Saturday and have gotten my average mileage back into the 50s.
It has been unseasonably warm this year and the day of the half we started with temperatures in the 60s. I missed running the half last year since I had just started running again after back surgery the week of the half so I ran the 5K. I wasn't tapered for this half but still wanted to attempt my PR which was 1:23:51 two years ago. I started out running with Katie hoping I could keep up with her since she runs faster 5Ks than me. I noticed right away soreness in my legs running fast on the road but it got better after a few miles. We caught up to another guy in a green shirt and stayed close. The miles were close to goal but the pace felt tough to me for this early in the race.
About mile 6, I ran ahead of them and was in second. Ryan was way ahead. About at 6.5 miiles I notice both my calves are feeling sore. Legs were working fine so just hoping I could run through the pain and the hills weren't too bad or it wouldn't have been easy.. It was more just muscle soreness like I felt after Syllamo and I guess at this speed it made a reappearance. Eventually, the pain subsides and the guy we had run with earlier catches up to me. We pass back and forth for about 2.5 miles until mile 11.5. A young guy running his first half blows right past us like we are standing still. I speed up a little and then the calf soreness returns and green shirt guy passes me. A couple years ago when it was 32F on race day I finished this with faster average splits the last 2 miles, but I slowed down a little this time and ran them in 6:36.
Overall pace was 6:30 and time 1:25:33 and felt I really had to work for it and it was good I had some runners to actually push me or I may have given up sooner. Overall placed 4th of 161 and first place 40 - 49/masters (26 runners in AG) and got one of the usual glass blocks. I think there were 140 runners. A fun trip too since we road tripped with friends and many others were there as well. We all went out to eat together after.
Splits
Results.
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It has been unseasonably warm this year and the day of the half we started with temperatures in the 60s. I missed running the half last year since I had just started running again after back surgery the week of the half so I ran the 5K. I wasn't tapered for this half but still wanted to attempt my PR which was 1:23:51 two years ago. I started out running with Katie hoping I could keep up with her since she runs faster 5Ks than me. I noticed right away soreness in my legs running fast on the road but it got better after a few miles. We caught up to another guy in a green shirt and stayed close. The miles were close to goal but the pace felt tough to me for this early in the race.
About mile 6, I ran ahead of them and was in second. Ryan was way ahead. About at 6.5 miiles I notice both my calves are feeling sore. Legs were working fine so just hoping I could run through the pain and the hills weren't too bad or it wouldn't have been easy.. It was more just muscle soreness like I felt after Syllamo and I guess at this speed it made a reappearance. Eventually, the pain subsides and the guy we had run with earlier catches up to me. We pass back and forth for about 2.5 miles until mile 11.5. A young guy running his first half blows right past us like we are standing still. I speed up a little and then the calf soreness returns and green shirt guy passes me. A couple years ago when it was 32F on race day I finished this with faster average splits the last 2 miles, but I slowed down a little this time and ran them in 6:36.
Overall pace was 6:30 and time 1:25:33 and felt I really had to work for it and it was good I had some runners to actually push me or I may have given up sooner. Overall placed 4th of 161 and first place 40 - 49/masters (26 runners in AG) and got one of the usual glass blocks. I think there were 140 runners. A fun trip too since we road tripped with friends and many others were there as well. We all went out to eat together after.
Splits
Results.
.JPG)
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| Running with Katie |
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| Hugh on left |
Monday, March 12, 2012
2012 3 Days of Syllamo 150K Stage Race
Day 1 - 50K:
I ran Syllamo in 2008 and 2009. There are some races that are worth repeating and this is one of them. The scenery is beautiful, the course is challenging, and it is fun to see the runners from before and meet new ones doing it for the first time. Jeff and I drove in on Thursday since the first 50K was on Friday. Karen caught up to us on the way down since she was going to run her first 50K on Friday and drive back on Saturday. We had dinner at Pizza Inn buffet which I will say is not as good as Incredible's Pizza but it fueled us for the next day's race.
The race on Friday started at 9 am. It was about 37F at the start and temps would get up to 63. Jeff planned to wear a tank so I decided to go with sleeveless. I was never cold so that was the right decision and the temps warmed up quickly. The sun was shining so we were exposed most of the time since the leaves were not yet out on the trees. My plan was to race conservatively so I would have something left for the 50 miler. The 2008 Syllamo was my first 50 miler and was one of the toughest races I have done. It was my first 50 miler and followed by a sub-5 hour 50K which was not smart. In 2009 we ran an easier course due to the ice storm knocking down the trees. I did not want a repeat the awful day in 2008 so raced conservatively.
For the first 15 miles I often ran with groups of people, but only if they were running a pace that I felt I could be running. Sometimes I am better off running alone or I get caught up in pace that I will pay for later. Or if someone is running behind me I don't like the pressure of trying to keep up a pace if I feel like they want to pass me even though they say they don't. If I feel like they want to run with me and my pace then all is well. At the 15 miles aid station I went ahead of the last 2 guys I had run with. The aid stations were about 4 - 6 miles apart which seemed to work out perfectly for me. If you were a slower runner or if it were warmer 2 water bottles might be a good idea.
I carried one water bottle with Succeed Ultra and used either Hammer Gels or Accel Gels. I also had some Succeed Caps and Endurolytes that I took about every hour. I used 5 gels and 3 packets of Succeed and ate a little at aid stations but since it was only a 50K it wasn't more than a few chips. Stomach seemed to be happy with this arrangement.
I ran alone for about 12 miles. At 26 miles, I was at 5 hours and 5 min so I was taking it considerably easier than in the past. I walked all the bad hills too. I caught up to Stuart at this point and passed him and we ran together for a few miles. This seemed to be just what he needed and he took off the last couple miles and finished a bit ahead of me. I finished in 5:42:30 and had 29.3 miles on the GPS but we make it up on the last day since the 20K is about 1.3 miles long.
I drank the Recoverite they included in our race packets and went to soak the legs in the creek with some other runners. Since the air temp was in the low 60s it didn't seem too bad standing in the water. I stayed for 20 minutes and legs were quite numb. I got in barefoot so the rocks were kind of painful on my feet and it was hard to pull myself out. I went back to the finish line to wait for Jeff and Karen to come in. They crossed the finish in 6:54 and Karen had completed her first 50K.
I managed to complete the first day without falling and felt pretty good going into day 2. I wore the Innov8 Rocklite 295 shoes that I also wore for the 50K at the Post Oak 2 weeks ago. They performed extremely well on the variety of terrain and my feet were very comfortable and no issues at all. We went back to the cabin and Karen cooked us a yummy chicken and rice dish for dinner to fuel us for the next day.
Map and Elevation
Splits
Day 2 - 50 mile:
Saturday's race started at 6 am. We got up at 4 am so it was going to be a long day. plus we would be losing an hour due to DST. Temperature was a bit cooler at 6 am and was down to 32F at the start. Even though I don't normally drink coffee each day I had coffee before the race since it seems to help get me going. I kept breakfast pretty much the same each day with a Lean Body protein shake, a banana, and some grapes. Once were were up and moving around my legs felt pretty good and energy level felt normal.
My body was ready to race and I could have easily convinced myself that I had not run a 50K the day before. The 50 miler worried me a bit since I lost over 160 miles of training in January and February due to a stress reaction in my foot so I was forced to cut my mileage way back. The Post Oak Double 2 weeks ago was a confidence booster since I made it through that race strong and foot did not hurt at all so I just had to believe that everything had healed quickly and I was going to be fine. I went to see Dr. Curt on Wednesday and he worked on me so I felt as ready as I could be.
The 50 mile goes up for the first mile so once we start and get to the hill I walked most of the up and ran where I could. We were told to bring our lights for the first few miles but I didn't need it. If you were going to be running past 6:30 pm you would definitely need one later. This race claims over 25,000 feet of elevation gain and loss over the 3 days, but my GPS had about 35,000. The 50 mile course is a very tough course. There are some flat sections, but there is everything from sand, rocks, running along the edge of rocky cliffs, and rock over your head as your are trying to run. There are also some stair step rocky places and one part that you have to squeeze your way through.
The course is marked by the forest service so we follow the markers each day plus each race had it's own color of ribbon that was placed at intersections where there was more than 1 way to go. It is not a well-marked course so you really have to pay attention which adds to the challenge. There were several runners each day that made wrong turns and I think a lot of them were the faster runners. They got back on track and were still ahead of me. In one portion I was told they laid some logs across a road so others would not make the same mistake. It is great the faster runners were looking out for the other runners.
On the way out I ran behind some runners for a few miles but passed them since I wanted to go a little faster. I could often see a runner or 2 behind me but ran alone for most of the day. I stuck to the same nutrition plan of gels and Succeed as the day before plus a little food at the aid stations since I was getting hungry. I had chip and peanut butter crackers. Once I ate some chocolate toffee stuff and felt a brief sugar crash but recovered from it. I didn't realize what it was when I ate it but it was quite yummy.
The 50 mile was out and back and we could have drop bags at 9.5/40.5 and 18.4/31.6. I opted only for the 18.4/31.6. Since it was cooler at the start I wore a long sleeve shirt and left it and my light in my drop bag at 18.4 miles. The next aid station was at 22.6 miles and then we had to run out to the turn around at 25 miles, read a sign, and back to the aid station to let them know the code words. Just after the 22.6 mile aid station I started seeing the first runners coming back. The leading guys were less than a half mile apart. I saw Ashley that I ran the 50K and part of the 50 miler in 2008 running with a group. They had made a wrong turn or would have been further ahead but she was still the leading female.
There was a girl running not far behind me since before the last aid station. After the turn around she was about 0.2 miles behind me. My GPS had the turnaround at 24.8 miles so pretty darn close to 25 and my overall time was 5:15 so seemed pretty reasonable to me. On the way back I started seeing quite a few runners. I saw Jeff when he was about 2 miles from the turnaround and he seemed to be doing well. Eventually the girl (Mindy) caught me after the turnaround and we ran to the next 2 aid stations together. She had run the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia in 2004 and 2011. We had a good time chatting together and the 31.6 mile aid/drop bag station came quickly. She didn't spend much time and took off and I told her I would try to catch her. I restocked my gels and Succeed and went to refill my bottle and realized I had barely drank anything for the past 4 miles.
I did not see Mindy again during the 50. I started to feel crappy and figured it was dehydration. I consumed my entire bottle. The next aid station would only be 4 miles at 35 miles and the unmanned one at the creek crossing. I made to the water and filled my 20 ounce bottle drank it and filled it half full and drank more. Then filled it all the way up and continued across the creek. This was the only deep water we had to cross during the 50 miler where we had a couple deep ones during the 50K the day before. I wasn't sure I was going to recover from my dehydration. My heart rate felt elevated so I kept the pace really slow.
I was starting to recover a little and heard a couple runners behind me talking. Eventually they caught up and it was James that was staying in the cabin next to us and Teddy, a runner from Louisiana that we realized we had run the same 50K in 2009 when I ran the Q50 there. They passed me and I stayed with them for a bit before they went ahead. Before I got to the 40 mile aid station I started to feel good again and James and Teddy were there. I drank some ginger ale, refilled my bottle and continued on. After awhile, I could hear them behind me but they didn't ever catch me.
At the last aid station I refilled with plain water and headed to the finish. I could still kind of hear James and Teddy behind me but I think they were further behind than I thought. Thinking they were close kind of gave me the push I needed to keep going. I was really looking forward to getting to the last 1.3 miles since I knew I could fly down that hill we walked up in the beginning.
I finished in 10:45:26 with 49.4 miles on the GPS. I went to soak my legs in the creek again but this time I kept my shoes on. Then I ate a small bowl of the food they were serving to sustain me until Jeff finished and we went back to the cabin to cook our steaks.
For the 50 miler I wore my newest pair of Mizuno Ascend and they rubbed the outside of my little toe on each foot. The one on the left was a blister. The fact the trail was so slanted in places and these shoes tend to rub the outside of my little toes was a bad combination. I decided I would put a Band Aid and on it for the next day. We didn't get to bed until 10:30 and then set the clock ahead so actually 11:30. The next day's race started at 9:00 am, but we planned to get up at 6 am to pack our stuff and check out.
Maps and Elevation
Splits
Day 3 - 20K+:
When we left on Thursday we knew the weather forecast was not looking good for Sunday. When I went outside to load the car it was lightly raining but a few minutes later it had stopped. I had planned to wear my Mizuno Cabrakan trail shoes. I bandaged and taped my blister on my left little toe and put on the shoes and they just seemed to rub right up against it like the Ascend. My Innov8 Rocklite 295 had dried from Friday and I put those on and perfect fit and no rubbing. I wished I had worn them for the 50 miler. They are more foot-shaped (at least my foot) than the Mizunos. The Mizunos are usually fine though but not for the beating they I put my feet through on the 50 miler.
We headed over to the race and stopped for coffee. The cashier checked and said an 85% chance of rain at 9 am and 100% at 11 am. Five minutes before the race started it started to rain. It was 50F but felt cold so both Jeff and I and many others wore our rain jackets. It rained the entire race. I was warm at first but ended up being the right decision since I was comfortable the rest of the time.
The 20K course is actually closer to 14 miles and this makes up for the first day being a little short. Starting out did not feel good at all and I started extremely slow. After 1.5 miles my legs suddenly felt better and I picked up the pace a bit and passed quite a few people (some which would pass me later). I could not run up most of the hills since my calves were very sore. Downhills and flats I was flying, but with the uphills average pace wasn't that great. There was a girl I passed back and forth about 2/3 of the race. She had not run the previous 2 days and could run up the hills but I could run faster than her on the flat and down. I caught up to Paul and Stuart and passed them. A few miles later than go flying past me. It is weird how everyone feels better at different times but you just go with it on this last day.
Around mile 8 or so, Teddy, caught up to me and said I don't want to go around so I felt like she really wanted to run with me. I was still running okay but not feeling as good as I had earlier, but we still had several 10-something miles. I was glad she ran with me since it really made the time go faster. Near the end a guy said take a right at the next intersection and when we got there we doubted what he had said for a minute or so. Our minds just weren't working at this point in the race. If we had gone the other way we would have completed another loop which we were warned someone had done so a few years ago.
We crossed the finish together in 2:33:55 and 13.8 miles on my GPS. I went to soak my legs again in the creek. When I was done I decided to shower while waiting for Jeff since I was cold and it was raining. The shower really made me feel better and I had a coke and 3 small cookies. I really didn't feel like eating much. Jeff finished about an hour after me. He was going to shower but they were full so he just dried off, got dressed and we headed home. We stopped to eat around 3:30 pm and I was starving by then. It rained on us all the way home except when we stopped to eat. When we went out to the car it was pouring rain.
No official results yet, but first day I placed 22nd, 2nd day 18th, and 3rd day 32nd. There were other runners in the races not doing the stage race or ones that had to drop out for various reasons so not sure how I placed overall yet. My overall time should be around 19 hours and 2 minutes. This is about 51 minutes faster than in 2008 when I think we pretty much ran the same courses. It is really hard though to compare on these events when there are so many factors that can change things.
There is something about running for 3 days that really clears the mind so I will likely be running this race again. Even though this is a very difficult race, I am thankful it was a little easier for me 4 years later. I am also glad we got to run on the trails like in 2008. In 2009 it was a lot of forest roads which made it easier in some ways but was kind of boring.
Maps and Elevation
Splits
Day 1 - 11:42/mi - 5:42:32 - 22 of 78
Day 2 - 13:09/mi - 10:45:27 - 18 of 43
Day 3 - 11:10/mi - 2:33:55 - 32 of 69
Overall - 12:21/mi - 19:01:54 - 12 of 31 There were 65 signed up for all 3 races but not sure how many started the first day.
I think the 50 miler is harder than two of the hundred milers I have done between the course and the fact I have run a tough 50K the day before.
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I ran Syllamo in 2008 and 2009. There are some races that are worth repeating and this is one of them. The scenery is beautiful, the course is challenging, and it is fun to see the runners from before and meet new ones doing it for the first time. Jeff and I drove in on Thursday since the first 50K was on Friday. Karen caught up to us on the way down since she was going to run her first 50K on Friday and drive back on Saturday. We had dinner at Pizza Inn buffet which I will say is not as good as Incredible's Pizza but it fueled us for the next day's race.
The race on Friday started at 9 am. It was about 37F at the start and temps would get up to 63. Jeff planned to wear a tank so I decided to go with sleeveless. I was never cold so that was the right decision and the temps warmed up quickly. The sun was shining so we were exposed most of the time since the leaves were not yet out on the trees. My plan was to race conservatively so I would have something left for the 50 miler. The 2008 Syllamo was my first 50 miler and was one of the toughest races I have done. It was my first 50 miler and followed by a sub-5 hour 50K which was not smart. In 2009 we ran an easier course due to the ice storm knocking down the trees. I did not want a repeat the awful day in 2008 so raced conservatively.
For the first 15 miles I often ran with groups of people, but only if they were running a pace that I felt I could be running. Sometimes I am better off running alone or I get caught up in pace that I will pay for later. Or if someone is running behind me I don't like the pressure of trying to keep up a pace if I feel like they want to pass me even though they say they don't. If I feel like they want to run with me and my pace then all is well. At the 15 miles aid station I went ahead of the last 2 guys I had run with. The aid stations were about 4 - 6 miles apart which seemed to work out perfectly for me. If you were a slower runner or if it were warmer 2 water bottles might be a good idea.
I carried one water bottle with Succeed Ultra and used either Hammer Gels or Accel Gels. I also had some Succeed Caps and Endurolytes that I took about every hour. I used 5 gels and 3 packets of Succeed and ate a little at aid stations but since it was only a 50K it wasn't more than a few chips. Stomach seemed to be happy with this arrangement.
I ran alone for about 12 miles. At 26 miles, I was at 5 hours and 5 min so I was taking it considerably easier than in the past. I walked all the bad hills too. I caught up to Stuart at this point and passed him and we ran together for a few miles. This seemed to be just what he needed and he took off the last couple miles and finished a bit ahead of me. I finished in 5:42:30 and had 29.3 miles on the GPS but we make it up on the last day since the 20K is about 1.3 miles long.
I drank the Recoverite they included in our race packets and went to soak the legs in the creek with some other runners. Since the air temp was in the low 60s it didn't seem too bad standing in the water. I stayed for 20 minutes and legs were quite numb. I got in barefoot so the rocks were kind of painful on my feet and it was hard to pull myself out. I went back to the finish line to wait for Jeff and Karen to come in. They crossed the finish in 6:54 and Karen had completed her first 50K.
I managed to complete the first day without falling and felt pretty good going into day 2. I wore the Innov8 Rocklite 295 shoes that I also wore for the 50K at the Post Oak 2 weeks ago. They performed extremely well on the variety of terrain and my feet were very comfortable and no issues at all. We went back to the cabin and Karen cooked us a yummy chicken and rice dish for dinner to fuel us for the next day.
Map and Elevation
Splits
Day 2 - 50 mile:
Saturday's race started at 6 am. We got up at 4 am so it was going to be a long day. plus we would be losing an hour due to DST. Temperature was a bit cooler at 6 am and was down to 32F at the start. Even though I don't normally drink coffee each day I had coffee before the race since it seems to help get me going. I kept breakfast pretty much the same each day with a Lean Body protein shake, a banana, and some grapes. Once were were up and moving around my legs felt pretty good and energy level felt normal.
My body was ready to race and I could have easily convinced myself that I had not run a 50K the day before. The 50 miler worried me a bit since I lost over 160 miles of training in January and February due to a stress reaction in my foot so I was forced to cut my mileage way back. The Post Oak Double 2 weeks ago was a confidence booster since I made it through that race strong and foot did not hurt at all so I just had to believe that everything had healed quickly and I was going to be fine. I went to see Dr. Curt on Wednesday and he worked on me so I felt as ready as I could be.
The 50 mile goes up for the first mile so once we start and get to the hill I walked most of the up and ran where I could. We were told to bring our lights for the first few miles but I didn't need it. If you were going to be running past 6:30 pm you would definitely need one later. This race claims over 25,000 feet of elevation gain and loss over the 3 days, but my GPS had about 35,000. The 50 mile course is a very tough course. There are some flat sections, but there is everything from sand, rocks, running along the edge of rocky cliffs, and rock over your head as your are trying to run. There are also some stair step rocky places and one part that you have to squeeze your way through.
The course is marked by the forest service so we follow the markers each day plus each race had it's own color of ribbon that was placed at intersections where there was more than 1 way to go. It is not a well-marked course so you really have to pay attention which adds to the challenge. There were several runners each day that made wrong turns and I think a lot of them were the faster runners. They got back on track and were still ahead of me. In one portion I was told they laid some logs across a road so others would not make the same mistake. It is great the faster runners were looking out for the other runners.
On the way out I ran behind some runners for a few miles but passed them since I wanted to go a little faster. I could often see a runner or 2 behind me but ran alone for most of the day. I stuck to the same nutrition plan of gels and Succeed as the day before plus a little food at the aid stations since I was getting hungry. I had chip and peanut butter crackers. Once I ate some chocolate toffee stuff and felt a brief sugar crash but recovered from it. I didn't realize what it was when I ate it but it was quite yummy.
The 50 mile was out and back and we could have drop bags at 9.5/40.5 and 18.4/31.6. I opted only for the 18.4/31.6. Since it was cooler at the start I wore a long sleeve shirt and left it and my light in my drop bag at 18.4 miles. The next aid station was at 22.6 miles and then we had to run out to the turn around at 25 miles, read a sign, and back to the aid station to let them know the code words. Just after the 22.6 mile aid station I started seeing the first runners coming back. The leading guys were less than a half mile apart. I saw Ashley that I ran the 50K and part of the 50 miler in 2008 running with a group. They had made a wrong turn or would have been further ahead but she was still the leading female.
There was a girl running not far behind me since before the last aid station. After the turn around she was about 0.2 miles behind me. My GPS had the turnaround at 24.8 miles so pretty darn close to 25 and my overall time was 5:15 so seemed pretty reasonable to me. On the way back I started seeing quite a few runners. I saw Jeff when he was about 2 miles from the turnaround and he seemed to be doing well. Eventually the girl (Mindy) caught me after the turnaround and we ran to the next 2 aid stations together. She had run the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia in 2004 and 2011. We had a good time chatting together and the 31.6 mile aid/drop bag station came quickly. She didn't spend much time and took off and I told her I would try to catch her. I restocked my gels and Succeed and went to refill my bottle and realized I had barely drank anything for the past 4 miles.
I did not see Mindy again during the 50. I started to feel crappy and figured it was dehydration. I consumed my entire bottle. The next aid station would only be 4 miles at 35 miles and the unmanned one at the creek crossing. I made to the water and filled my 20 ounce bottle drank it and filled it half full and drank more. Then filled it all the way up and continued across the creek. This was the only deep water we had to cross during the 50 miler where we had a couple deep ones during the 50K the day before. I wasn't sure I was going to recover from my dehydration. My heart rate felt elevated so I kept the pace really slow.
I was starting to recover a little and heard a couple runners behind me talking. Eventually they caught up and it was James that was staying in the cabin next to us and Teddy, a runner from Louisiana that we realized we had run the same 50K in 2009 when I ran the Q50 there. They passed me and I stayed with them for a bit before they went ahead. Before I got to the 40 mile aid station I started to feel good again and James and Teddy were there. I drank some ginger ale, refilled my bottle and continued on. After awhile, I could hear them behind me but they didn't ever catch me.
At the last aid station I refilled with plain water and headed to the finish. I could still kind of hear James and Teddy behind me but I think they were further behind than I thought. Thinking they were close kind of gave me the push I needed to keep going. I was really looking forward to getting to the last 1.3 miles since I knew I could fly down that hill we walked up in the beginning.
I finished in 10:45:26 with 49.4 miles on the GPS. I went to soak my legs in the creek again but this time I kept my shoes on. Then I ate a small bowl of the food they were serving to sustain me until Jeff finished and we went back to the cabin to cook our steaks.
For the 50 miler I wore my newest pair of Mizuno Ascend and they rubbed the outside of my little toe on each foot. The one on the left was a blister. The fact the trail was so slanted in places and these shoes tend to rub the outside of my little toes was a bad combination. I decided I would put a Band Aid and on it for the next day. We didn't get to bed until 10:30 and then set the clock ahead so actually 11:30. The next day's race started at 9:00 am, but we planned to get up at 6 am to pack our stuff and check out.
Maps and Elevation
Splits
Day 3 - 20K+:
When we left on Thursday we knew the weather forecast was not looking good for Sunday. When I went outside to load the car it was lightly raining but a few minutes later it had stopped. I had planned to wear my Mizuno Cabrakan trail shoes. I bandaged and taped my blister on my left little toe and put on the shoes and they just seemed to rub right up against it like the Ascend. My Innov8 Rocklite 295 had dried from Friday and I put those on and perfect fit and no rubbing. I wished I had worn them for the 50 miler. They are more foot-shaped (at least my foot) than the Mizunos. The Mizunos are usually fine though but not for the beating they I put my feet through on the 50 miler.
We headed over to the race and stopped for coffee. The cashier checked and said an 85% chance of rain at 9 am and 100% at 11 am. Five minutes before the race started it started to rain. It was 50F but felt cold so both Jeff and I and many others wore our rain jackets. It rained the entire race. I was warm at first but ended up being the right decision since I was comfortable the rest of the time.
The 20K course is actually closer to 14 miles and this makes up for the first day being a little short. Starting out did not feel good at all and I started extremely slow. After 1.5 miles my legs suddenly felt better and I picked up the pace a bit and passed quite a few people (some which would pass me later). I could not run up most of the hills since my calves were very sore. Downhills and flats I was flying, but with the uphills average pace wasn't that great. There was a girl I passed back and forth about 2/3 of the race. She had not run the previous 2 days and could run up the hills but I could run faster than her on the flat and down. I caught up to Paul and Stuart and passed them. A few miles later than go flying past me. It is weird how everyone feels better at different times but you just go with it on this last day.
Around mile 8 or so, Teddy, caught up to me and said I don't want to go around so I felt like she really wanted to run with me. I was still running okay but not feeling as good as I had earlier, but we still had several 10-something miles. I was glad she ran with me since it really made the time go faster. Near the end a guy said take a right at the next intersection and when we got there we doubted what he had said for a minute or so. Our minds just weren't working at this point in the race. If we had gone the other way we would have completed another loop which we were warned someone had done so a few years ago.
We crossed the finish together in 2:33:55 and 13.8 miles on my GPS. I went to soak my legs again in the creek. When I was done I decided to shower while waiting for Jeff since I was cold and it was raining. The shower really made me feel better and I had a coke and 3 small cookies. I really didn't feel like eating much. Jeff finished about an hour after me. He was going to shower but they were full so he just dried off, got dressed and we headed home. We stopped to eat around 3:30 pm and I was starving by then. It rained on us all the way home except when we stopped to eat. When we went out to the car it was pouring rain.
No official results yet, but first day I placed 22nd, 2nd day 18th, and 3rd day 32nd. There were other runners in the races not doing the stage race or ones that had to drop out for various reasons so not sure how I placed overall yet. My overall time should be around 19 hours and 2 minutes. This is about 51 minutes faster than in 2008 when I think we pretty much ran the same courses. It is really hard though to compare on these events when there are so many factors that can change things.
There is something about running for 3 days that really clears the mind so I will likely be running this race again. Even though this is a very difficult race, I am thankful it was a little easier for me 4 years later. I am also glad we got to run on the trails like in 2008. In 2009 it was a lot of forest roads which made it easier in some ways but was kind of boring.
Maps and Elevation
Splits
Day 1 - 11:42/mi - 5:42:32 - 22 of 78
Day 2 - 13:09/mi - 10:45:27 - 18 of 43
Day 3 - 11:10/mi - 2:33:55 - 32 of 69
Overall - 12:21/mi - 19:01:54 - 12 of 31 There were 65 signed up for all 3 races but not sure how many started the first day.
I think the 50 miler is harder than two of the hundred milers I have done between the course and the fact I have run a tough 50K the day before.
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Post Oak Challenge Double - Marathon - Day 2
Overall this went very well considering I had run 50K yesterday. I decided to repeat the same meal at Incredible's Pizza on Saturday night and ate about 10 pizzas of pizza, pasta, and desserts. It was a little less than the day before since I had eaten a little right after the race and stomach was a little queasy. I headed to bed a little earlier but woke up before the alarm went off. I even found a way to the race start avoiding road construction. I got a better parking spot too. I picked up my chip, drank a coffee, and used the bathroom while waiting for the start. The temp was 46F so 18 degrees warmer than the previous morning. I left a drop bag at the start since I assumed 2 loops meant we would go back to the start before completing a second loop.
I started with the guy I had run with the day before and he let me lead the way. I felt pretty crappy the first 4 miles. Breathing was difficult and stomach didn't feel quite right. My pace was about 9:30 and no way I should be breathing so hard for that pace. At about 4 miles, I suddenly felt really good and kept the same pace. I didn't see my running friend until after the race. I didn't think I sped up but I did kind of take off faster. The second day ended up being 75% road and 25% trail and was a lot like the first day but fewer hills. There was a little confusion with some of what I read on the web site and in some e-mails. I thought the course had been changed to 50/50 based on what I had read. We ran on some of the same trails as before and some new trails. As the day before the trails were marked really well. Also, the same rocks sticking up to trip me, but no falling.
At about mile 8 I noticed a bunch of people merging onto the trail I was running. I was confused at first and then realized they must be running a different race. I asked a guy if he was running the half marathon and he said quarter. I got behind 3 people running the quarter that were running my marathon pace. At about 10 miles, we ran on the pavement to run out 1.3 miles and back. I saw the guy I had run with the first 4 miles about a half mile behind me. Once we got back I was directed to take a trail rather than up a huge hill back to the start. I assumed the volunteer knew what he was doing although I was hoping to go back to the start to get 2 more Accel gels and a packet of Succeed. I had to formulate a new plan since it was getting warm and I needed to refill my bottle. The temp got up to 63. My time for the first 13.1 on my GPS was 2:06. At the next aid station I got plain water and drank a cup of Gatorade. I also picked up two GUs and ate one. The GU was just awful but I think it helped.
I am guessing I passed about 10 marathoners during the 2 loops and I was passed by 2 guys. If someone had an orange sticker on their number I knew they had run one of the races the day before so I always tried to look when they passed me. One of the guys that passed me did have an orange sticker. The temp was warming up and I was running a lot in the sun as the previous day. I took small sips of water but could not bring myself to take the other GU. I had 2 pretzels at an aid station and decided I probably didn't need to eat anything else. I was feeling pretty good but closer to an 11 min pace rather than the 9:30 - 10 pace I ran in the first half. Slowing down my pace made me feel even better.
I was keeping the doubler guy that was in his 20s in my sights that had passed me earlier. I got to the pavement to run out again and noticed he was walking up the hill and I was running. After the turnaround I caught up to him. I asked if he had run the 50K the previous day and he said he had run about 5:50 and asked how fast I had run. We were going downhill at this point so I took off and left him behind. My last 2 full miles were a 9:30 pace. However, the last 0.6 miles included a huge hill that slowed me down to 11-something for that section. My running ahead map shows it going straight up at the end. It wasn't a long hill but it was short and steep and I walked it and didn't have to worry about the guy behind me catching up. I really thought this hill was worse than the hill from hell the previous day. I can run a long gradual hill but a short steep is impossible to run.
My overall time was 4:35:28, a 10:22 pace so 22 seconds slower pace than the 50K. The last 13.5 was 2:29 so slowed a bit but still passed a lot of people. Splits are here. Overall I placed 22 of 108 and 8th of 21 in my age group so no age group award the second day. I got another medal like the day before and a special doubler award for running both the 50K and the marathon. I went inside and once again they were serving the marathoners 2 meals and 4 drinks. I waited awhile before eating and I was able to get 2 bowls of chicken chili down but it wasn't easy. I had 2 drinks and took 2 to go plus the corn chips that I didn't eat.
I wish someone could have gone with me to this race but it turned out to be an enjoyable weekend and a fun event. I am now 2 weeks out from Syllamo so a good dress rehearsal for that 3 day race.
So far no pictures but they do have results. The picture below I had a woman take for me at the end.
I started with the guy I had run with the day before and he let me lead the way. I felt pretty crappy the first 4 miles. Breathing was difficult and stomach didn't feel quite right. My pace was about 9:30 and no way I should be breathing so hard for that pace. At about 4 miles, I suddenly felt really good and kept the same pace. I didn't see my running friend until after the race. I didn't think I sped up but I did kind of take off faster. The second day ended up being 75% road and 25% trail and was a lot like the first day but fewer hills. There was a little confusion with some of what I read on the web site and in some e-mails. I thought the course had been changed to 50/50 based on what I had read. We ran on some of the same trails as before and some new trails. As the day before the trails were marked really well. Also, the same rocks sticking up to trip me, but no falling.
At about mile 8 I noticed a bunch of people merging onto the trail I was running. I was confused at first and then realized they must be running a different race. I asked a guy if he was running the half marathon and he said quarter. I got behind 3 people running the quarter that were running my marathon pace. At about 10 miles, we ran on the pavement to run out 1.3 miles and back. I saw the guy I had run with the first 4 miles about a half mile behind me. Once we got back I was directed to take a trail rather than up a huge hill back to the start. I assumed the volunteer knew what he was doing although I was hoping to go back to the start to get 2 more Accel gels and a packet of Succeed. I had to formulate a new plan since it was getting warm and I needed to refill my bottle. The temp got up to 63. My time for the first 13.1 on my GPS was 2:06. At the next aid station I got plain water and drank a cup of Gatorade. I also picked up two GUs and ate one. The GU was just awful but I think it helped.
I am guessing I passed about 10 marathoners during the 2 loops and I was passed by 2 guys. If someone had an orange sticker on their number I knew they had run one of the races the day before so I always tried to look when they passed me. One of the guys that passed me did have an orange sticker. The temp was warming up and I was running a lot in the sun as the previous day. I took small sips of water but could not bring myself to take the other GU. I had 2 pretzels at an aid station and decided I probably didn't need to eat anything else. I was feeling pretty good but closer to an 11 min pace rather than the 9:30 - 10 pace I ran in the first half. Slowing down my pace made me feel even better.
I was keeping the doubler guy that was in his 20s in my sights that had passed me earlier. I got to the pavement to run out again and noticed he was walking up the hill and I was running. After the turnaround I caught up to him. I asked if he had run the 50K the previous day and he said he had run about 5:50 and asked how fast I had run. We were going downhill at this point so I took off and left him behind. My last 2 full miles were a 9:30 pace. However, the last 0.6 miles included a huge hill that slowed me down to 11-something for that section. My running ahead map shows it going straight up at the end. It wasn't a long hill but it was short and steep and I walked it and didn't have to worry about the guy behind me catching up. I really thought this hill was worse than the hill from hell the previous day. I can run a long gradual hill but a short steep is impossible to run.
My overall time was 4:35:28, a 10:22 pace so 22 seconds slower pace than the 50K. The last 13.5 was 2:29 so slowed a bit but still passed a lot of people. Splits are here. Overall I placed 22 of 108 and 8th of 21 in my age group so no age group award the second day. I got another medal like the day before and a special doubler award for running both the 50K and the marathon. I went inside and once again they were serving the marathoners 2 meals and 4 drinks. I waited awhile before eating and I was able to get 2 bowls of chicken chili down but it wasn't easy. I had 2 drinks and took 2 to go plus the corn chips that I didn't eat.
I wish someone could have gone with me to this race but it turned out to be an enjoyable weekend and a fun event. I am now 2 weeks out from Syllamo so a good dress rehearsal for that 3 day race.
So far no pictures but they do have results. The picture below I had a woman take for me at the end.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Post Oak Challenge Double - 50K - Day 1
Arrived in Tulsa on Friday picked up my packet for the Post Oak
Challenge Double, checked out another running store and then checked
into my hotel. It was very challenging getting around Tulsa since there
is so much road construction. GPS said to take exits and streets that I
could not take and traffic was horrible. I ate at an Incredible's
Pizza buffet that was 4 miles down the street so no chance of getting
lost. Even though I am following Primal Blueprint (lower carbs), I
wasn't going to sacrifice carbs before this race so really enjoyed
myself at the buffet, eating about 10 pieces of pizza, lasagna,
spaghetti, pasta salad, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, and ice
cream. Totally skipped the veggies and lettuce salad.
Other than a couple wrong turns race day went very well. There was an early start at 7 am and then the main start was at 8 am. It was around 28 degrees when I arrived and since there is so much road construction in Tulsa it was good I had my GPS since I had to go off route and then get back on but made it there just as the early starters took off. They didn't give us our chip yesterday so picked that up and had a cup of coffee, relaxed inside, and used the bathroom a couple times. I used the last time about 10 min before the start and there was no one using the outside bathrooms. We took off and found myself running with 3 other guys. We introduced ourselves and talked about our goal times. I really didn't have one since I didn't know what this course would be like. We ended up not staying together but one of them stayed with me. The first wrong turn was totally my fault and I took him with me. There was a sign pointing right but I was thinking it was up ahead a little further. The course was marked with 3 colors of flags (10K, 50K and 25K and marathon - which is tomorrow), The first wrong turn added maybe 0.1 mi to the course. We ran in a compact area so a lot of the trails they had us running on were very close. They had yellow tape on the ground that we were to not cross.
I ran quite a bit with the guy that took the wrong turn with me. He is training for Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa and is in his 20s. I decided to run with my water bottle even though the aid stations were frequent. I have not been using any nutrition during my training lately but planned to use Succeed and Accel gels for the race. The guy I was running with used the bathroom at an aid station and said he would catch me later. I caught up to some funny guys with British accents. I didn't think I was following them although I was catching them and this is where the second wrong turn happened. I am not sure how we missed the turn but probably added another 0.3 mi. There should have been yellow tape in the wrong direction here but there was not.
The course was quite rocky and parts reminded me of Flatrock in Kansas with the rocks sticking up out of the ground. Some in the woods and some in grass and in the open but pretty much single track most places. We had to run a few places that had some gravel. Three hills stood out to me on the course. The first reminded me of the hills at Kettle Moraine where it was a wide path and went up abruptly. I walked it. The second one was a butte. I walked but the guy I was with wanted to get it over with so he ran it. When I got to the top you could see all around for miles. I caught him soon as I descended. The last hill was the hill from hell and it just was a long ascent of several hills that never seemed to end. and we ended up finishing the first loop together. Another guy I had been running with came in shortly after and decided to call it a day due to his foot. I had 16.3 miles on the first loop with the extra 0.4 so either way the course was going to be long. Some parts were very runnable and it really didn't get tough until the last 5 miles of the loop.
I got rid of one shirt since it had warmed up, ate a banana, refilled my bottle with Succeed and picked up more gels. I wasted about 5 minutes before taking off and didn't see where the guy I had crossed the line went so took off on my own. Time was 2:37 when I took off. The second loop I ran all by myself and didn't miss any turns. I passed 4 people that I know of. My time at 26.2 was around 4:17. After I was descending the butte on the second loop I saw the guy I had been running with earlier over on another trail. I thought he was a few minutes ahead. Somewhere along the way he said he used the bathroom and that is where I must have passed him since I finished ahead of him.
I felt like I finished strong with lots left in the tank so hopefully that is a good sign for tomorrow. I have never felt so good at the end of a 50K. Even sprinted the last 0.2 miles at 7:39 pace. Time was 5:21:34 so ran the second loop 7 min slower although with the time I stopped between loops actually running was probably about 3 min slower. I ran 32.2 miles since the second loop was shorter without wrong turns and had a 10 min flat pace. I placed 9th overall and not everyone had finished when I left but I think there were close to 100 that had signed up. There were 10 year age groups and I placed 3rd in the 40 - 49 so got a special award. The medal I got is a huge piece of metal. They had some food afterwards and the 50Kers could get 2 meals. I have my second meal to a 25Ker that was still hungry since I couldn't eat that much yet. We could also get up to 4 drinks and they had soda, water, and beer. There was also a beer stop before the hill from hell. Temperature at the end was 61 so warmed up just a bit!
At packet pickup we got a nice shirt and it has the 2 races on the sleeve that I am running. Also got a bright yellow running hat that says Hill From Hell Double Survivor, a Koozie and a cup. The course was kind of nuts with all the trails running so close together, but I think they did a really good job. I saw several guys that were at the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd (in Talequah OK) that were either running or working an aid station.
Tomorrow I run the marathon which is on some of the same trails, some different, and some road.
Course Map and Elevation from my GPS - This course kind of made me dizzy at first with all the turns.
Splits from GPS
Other than a couple wrong turns race day went very well. There was an early start at 7 am and then the main start was at 8 am. It was around 28 degrees when I arrived and since there is so much road construction in Tulsa it was good I had my GPS since I had to go off route and then get back on but made it there just as the early starters took off. They didn't give us our chip yesterday so picked that up and had a cup of coffee, relaxed inside, and used the bathroom a couple times. I used the last time about 10 min before the start and there was no one using the outside bathrooms. We took off and found myself running with 3 other guys. We introduced ourselves and talked about our goal times. I really didn't have one since I didn't know what this course would be like. We ended up not staying together but one of them stayed with me. The first wrong turn was totally my fault and I took him with me. There was a sign pointing right but I was thinking it was up ahead a little further. The course was marked with 3 colors of flags (10K, 50K and 25K and marathon - which is tomorrow), The first wrong turn added maybe 0.1 mi to the course. We ran in a compact area so a lot of the trails they had us running on were very close. They had yellow tape on the ground that we were to not cross.
I ran quite a bit with the guy that took the wrong turn with me. He is training for Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa and is in his 20s. I decided to run with my water bottle even though the aid stations were frequent. I have not been using any nutrition during my training lately but planned to use Succeed and Accel gels for the race. The guy I was running with used the bathroom at an aid station and said he would catch me later. I caught up to some funny guys with British accents. I didn't think I was following them although I was catching them and this is where the second wrong turn happened. I am not sure how we missed the turn but probably added another 0.3 mi. There should have been yellow tape in the wrong direction here but there was not.
The course was quite rocky and parts reminded me of Flatrock in Kansas with the rocks sticking up out of the ground. Some in the woods and some in grass and in the open but pretty much single track most places. We had to run a few places that had some gravel. Three hills stood out to me on the course. The first reminded me of the hills at Kettle Moraine where it was a wide path and went up abruptly. I walked it. The second one was a butte. I walked but the guy I was with wanted to get it over with so he ran it. When I got to the top you could see all around for miles. I caught him soon as I descended. The last hill was the hill from hell and it just was a long ascent of several hills that never seemed to end. and we ended up finishing the first loop together. Another guy I had been running with came in shortly after and decided to call it a day due to his foot. I had 16.3 miles on the first loop with the extra 0.4 so either way the course was going to be long. Some parts were very runnable and it really didn't get tough until the last 5 miles of the loop.
I got rid of one shirt since it had warmed up, ate a banana, refilled my bottle with Succeed and picked up more gels. I wasted about 5 minutes before taking off and didn't see where the guy I had crossed the line went so took off on my own. Time was 2:37 when I took off. The second loop I ran all by myself and didn't miss any turns. I passed 4 people that I know of. My time at 26.2 was around 4:17. After I was descending the butte on the second loop I saw the guy I had been running with earlier over on another trail. I thought he was a few minutes ahead. Somewhere along the way he said he used the bathroom and that is where I must have passed him since I finished ahead of him.
I felt like I finished strong with lots left in the tank so hopefully that is a good sign for tomorrow. I have never felt so good at the end of a 50K. Even sprinted the last 0.2 miles at 7:39 pace. Time was 5:21:34 so ran the second loop 7 min slower although with the time I stopped between loops actually running was probably about 3 min slower. I ran 32.2 miles since the second loop was shorter without wrong turns and had a 10 min flat pace. I placed 9th overall and not everyone had finished when I left but I think there were close to 100 that had signed up. There were 10 year age groups and I placed 3rd in the 40 - 49 so got a special award. The medal I got is a huge piece of metal. They had some food afterwards and the 50Kers could get 2 meals. I have my second meal to a 25Ker that was still hungry since I couldn't eat that much yet. We could also get up to 4 drinks and they had soda, water, and beer. There was also a beer stop before the hill from hell. Temperature at the end was 61 so warmed up just a bit!
At packet pickup we got a nice shirt and it has the 2 races on the sleeve that I am running. Also got a bright yellow running hat that says Hill From Hell Double Survivor, a Koozie and a cup. The course was kind of nuts with all the trails running so close together, but I think they did a really good job. I saw several guys that were at the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd (in Talequah OK) that were either running or working an aid station.
Tomorrow I run the marathon which is on some of the same trails, some different, and some road.
Course Map and Elevation from my GPS - This course kind of made me dizzy at first with all the turns.
Splits from GPS
Saturday, February 11, 2012
2012 Master's USA Cross Country Championships 8K
I planned to not write reports for races less than a half marathon this year, but I will make a few exceptions and this race deserves a report.
I ran against some of the best Master's runners in the country and was hoping to not embarrass myself too badly. I knew it wouldn't be pretty even if I was in top shape. I felt pretty good going into this other than feeling out of shape to run an 8K. It was ridiculously cold and I am guessing around 20F with wind chill in the single digits. My feet were numb from walking around before our race. We watched Nancy's race and she brought home the gold for the 50 - 55 year old women. Our male master's team race was at 10:45. Warmed up a bit on the course. The ground was pretty solidly frozen but a few spots feeling slick with the sun warming them up. It snowed enough to cover the ground a bit last night but the sun quickly had melted it away.
I wore 2 long sleeve shirts and my Columbia Track Club shirt over the top. I opted for shorts but if I had brought tights I would have likely worn. I wore some wind shorts underneath the shorts. These shorts were 1.5 inch inseam so pretty skimpy. My legs were fine and wasn't as cold as I thought it might be. The course was divided into Ks and there was a clock at each 2K but used my GPS. My first mile was 6:19 so faster than I expected. I settled into a pace and not a whole lot happened. We had to run 4 loops but it was a curvy course. The middle two loops we had to merge out and then merge inside on the first and last so I was hoping I wouldn't lose track. It wasn't a problem since I had lots of people to follow. I passed a couple guys back and forth and was able to out run them at the end since they were much older than me.
The course was hillier than I expected but the hills were short. My foot didn't bother me during the warmup but was a little painful running at the faster speed on the grass and some uneven ground. The cold and not being in shape were probably my the best excuse for not running as I wanted. The 2nd and 3rd miles were under 7 minutes, 4th mile just over 7 and last under 7 minutes. GPS had 5.1 miles at 34:26. Tough course, but would have liked to run at least 2 minutes faster. We had to wear our age groups on our back and I didn't see any 40 - 44 around me. I did see a lot of 50 and 55 and a few 60 and 65. The reason I didn't see anyone else is I finished DFL in my age group . I did manage to beat all the 70 and 80 year olds. I was 31 of 31 runners in 40 - 44 and 81 of 96 overall. To further rub salt on the wound they had my age-graded results as 91 of 96. I'm glad I ran it and it was fun and I am proud to take last place among this stiff competition. Dan E. on our team was next to last in our age group so I saved him from being last. Our team placed 6th 1 point behind St. Louis.
Results here
I ran against some of the best Master's runners in the country and was hoping to not embarrass myself too badly. I knew it wouldn't be pretty even if I was in top shape. I felt pretty good going into this other than feeling out of shape to run an 8K. It was ridiculously cold and I am guessing around 20F with wind chill in the single digits. My feet were numb from walking around before our race. We watched Nancy's race and she brought home the gold for the 50 - 55 year old women. Our male master's team race was at 10:45. Warmed up a bit on the course. The ground was pretty solidly frozen but a few spots feeling slick with the sun warming them up. It snowed enough to cover the ground a bit last night but the sun quickly had melted it away.
I wore 2 long sleeve shirts and my Columbia Track Club shirt over the top. I opted for shorts but if I had brought tights I would have likely worn. I wore some wind shorts underneath the shorts. These shorts were 1.5 inch inseam so pretty skimpy. My legs were fine and wasn't as cold as I thought it might be. The course was divided into Ks and there was a clock at each 2K but used my GPS. My first mile was 6:19 so faster than I expected. I settled into a pace and not a whole lot happened. We had to run 4 loops but it was a curvy course. The middle two loops we had to merge out and then merge inside on the first and last so I was hoping I wouldn't lose track. It wasn't a problem since I had lots of people to follow. I passed a couple guys back and forth and was able to out run them at the end since they were much older than me.
The course was hillier than I expected but the hills were short. My foot didn't bother me during the warmup but was a little painful running at the faster speed on the grass and some uneven ground. The cold and not being in shape were probably my the best excuse for not running as I wanted. The 2nd and 3rd miles were under 7 minutes, 4th mile just over 7 and last under 7 minutes. GPS had 5.1 miles at 34:26. Tough course, but would have liked to run at least 2 minutes faster. We had to wear our age groups on our back and I didn't see any 40 - 44 around me. I did see a lot of 50 and 55 and a few 60 and 65. The reason I didn't see anyone else is I finished DFL in my age group . I did manage to beat all the 70 and 80 year olds. I was 31 of 31 runners in 40 - 44 and 81 of 96 overall. To further rub salt on the wound they had my age-graded results as 91 of 96. I'm glad I ran it and it was fun and I am proud to take last place among this stiff competition. Dan E. on our team was next to last in our age group so I saved him from being last. Our team placed 6th 1 point behind St. Louis.
Results here
Sunday, January 01, 2012
2011 Running and Racing Year in Review
The weather was beautiful for December 31st and the First Night 5K. The temperature at 4 pm was 59F but pretty windy. Since the race fell on Saturday, my regular long run day, I decided to go ahead and run earlier in the day. I ran 15.5 trail miles and then ran 2.5 miles with Hugh before the race. I didn't feel rested during the warm up so didn't expect to run very well for the 5K. My overall time was 20:59, average 6:40 pace, and pretty even splits and actually passed quite a few people at that pace. My time was over 2 minutes slower than my usual time for this race. I was 28th overall out of 364 runners and 4th in my age group. I was so glad for it to be over, but then went out and ran 3 more miles to cool down. I ended up with 24 miles for the day so an enjoyable last day of running for the year. I was feeling quite hungry and fuzzy brain after the cool down run.
Goals accomplished for 2011 - I set as a goal to get my bulging disc healed or have surgery to fix it since it was interfering with getting full enjoyment out of life. Thankfully, the surgery was a success and I recovered quickly. I had some goal races but did not do them - 3 Days of Syllamo and Burning River 100 miler. I was recovering from surgery during Syllamo and not ready for Burning River so did not sign up for either. I had hoped to do more cross training and I actually did while recovering from surgery, but did not keep it up after. I had my worst year for weight lifting since I started in 2001. I used to be consistent every week and missed months of training this year. I wanted to take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with 4 - 7 consecutive days of no running. My first break was almost 6 weeks recovering from surgery. I also took 4 full days off in October after my 100 miler.
I had a 30 day streak where I ran every day but this is not something I would want to do 365 days per year. I did this as a short term challenge and to kick start my training for the 100 miler I ran in October. I had not planned to run a 100 miler this year. I was hoping to run either a 50 miler or 100K, but training was going so well I decided to run the 100 mile. I had very enjoyable year of running, no injuries (other than recovering from surgery) and did not feel too burned out at any point. The hardest challenge this year was not running for almost 6 weeks and then getting back in shape.
Total Miles:
2011 - 2460
2010 - 2839
2009 - 2675
2008 – 3014
2007 – 2572
2006 – 1937
2005 – 2090
2004 - ~1000
Marathons (25 total):
2011 - (2) Berryman Trail Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2010 - (2) Go! St Louis Marathon (BQ), Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2009 - (5) Disney Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), 3 Days of Syllamo (Trail), Boston Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), Heart of America Marathon (BQ and Course PR), Louis & Clark Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr)
2008 - (4) Boston Marathon (BQ and PR), Laughing Out Loud Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ), Twin Cities Marathon (BQ)
2007 - (5) Laughing Out Load, Berryman (First Trail Marathon - placed
4th), Heart of America (BQ), Baltimore Marathon (BQ), Bass Pro
Marathon
2006 - (3) Flying Pig (BQ), Heart of America (BQ, Chicago (BQ)
2005 - (3) Mad City, Heart of America (BQ), Portland (BQ)
2004 - (1) Heart of America
Ultramarathons (20 total):
2011 - (5) Psycho Wyco 50K, Grand Canyon 47 mi, Psycho Psummer 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Pumpkin Holler 100 mi (PR)
2010 - (6) Psycho Wyco 50K, Free State Trail 100K (PR), Kettle Moraine 100 mi (PR), Flatrock 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Ozark Trail 100 mi
2009 - (4) 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Psycho Wyco 50K, Berryman 50 mi, Q50 Ultramarathon 50K (PR)
2008 – (4)3 Days of Syllamo 50K, 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Berryman 50 mi, Rock Creek Trail 50K
2007 - (1) Hocking Hills Indian Run 60K
Number of each type of races for 2011:
100 mi -1
47 mi (Grand Canyon Run) - 1
50K - 3
Marathon – 2
16 mi (part of relay) - 1
Half Marathon - 1
20K - 1
10 mi -2
10K - 4
5 mi - 1
4 mi - 1
5K -8
Total running miles run in 26 races: 416 miles (last year 25 races – 509 mi)
States I ran marathons and ultras in 2011 (4): AZ, KS, MO,OK
All states I have run marathons and ultras (14): AR, AZ, FL, IL, LA, KS, MA,MD, MN, MO, OH, OK, OR, WI
2011 PRs in 4 mi, 10K, 100 mi
2010 PRs in 1 mi, 4 mi, 10 mi, half marathon, 3/4 marathon, 100K, 100 mi
2009 PRs in 5K, 25K, half marathon, and 50K
2008 PRs in 5K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi, marathon, 50K, 50 mi
2007 PRs in 5K, 4 mi, 8K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi
2006 PRs in 20K, half Marathon, and marathon
Goals for 2012:
1. Continue weight lifting 2 - 3 times per week as soon as I finish painting the inside of the house (hopefully within the next 2 weeks).
2. Correct the issue with my right foot turning in when I run. This isn't causing major problems yet, but it is bad form that could cause problems so need to fix. Either need a hip adjustment or possibly some exercises.
3. Do more speed work. I run short races but would like to also run a speed session when I am not doing races (which is rare).
4. Take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with at least 3 - 4 consecutive days of no running.
5. More biking as cross training.
Marathons and ultras planned for 2012 -
January - No plans
February - Post Oak Challenge Double (already registered)
March - 3 Days of Syllamo (50K, 50 mi, also 20K) (already registered)
April - Free State 100K?
May - Berryman Trail 50 miler (already registered)
June - Run a 50 miler?
July - Psycho Summer 50K?
August - Burning River 100 mi (already registered)
September - Heart of America Marathon (already registered), maybe a 50K
October – Maybe a 50K or the C2C 39.3 mile or the Backyard Ultra in Tennessee
November - Ozark Trail 100 mile
December - No plans
Goals accomplished for 2011 - I set as a goal to get my bulging disc healed or have surgery to fix it since it was interfering with getting full enjoyment out of life. Thankfully, the surgery was a success and I recovered quickly. I had some goal races but did not do them - 3 Days of Syllamo and Burning River 100 miler. I was recovering from surgery during Syllamo and not ready for Burning River so did not sign up for either. I had hoped to do more cross training and I actually did while recovering from surgery, but did not keep it up after. I had my worst year for weight lifting since I started in 2001. I used to be consistent every week and missed months of training this year. I wanted to take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with 4 - 7 consecutive days of no running. My first break was almost 6 weeks recovering from surgery. I also took 4 full days off in October after my 100 miler.
I had a 30 day streak where I ran every day but this is not something I would want to do 365 days per year. I did this as a short term challenge and to kick start my training for the 100 miler I ran in October. I had not planned to run a 100 miler this year. I was hoping to run either a 50 miler or 100K, but training was going so well I decided to run the 100 mile. I had very enjoyable year of running, no injuries (other than recovering from surgery) and did not feel too burned out at any point. The hardest challenge this year was not running for almost 6 weeks and then getting back in shape.
Total Miles:
2011 - 2460
2010 - 2839
2009 - 2675
2008 – 3014
2007 – 2572
2006 – 1937
2005 – 2090
2004 - ~1000
Marathons (25 total):
2011 - (2) Berryman Trail Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2010 - (2) Go! St Louis Marathon (BQ), Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2009 - (5) Disney Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), 3 Days of Syllamo (Trail), Boston Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), Heart of America Marathon (BQ and Course PR), Louis & Clark Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr)
2008 - (4) Boston Marathon (BQ and PR), Laughing Out Loud Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ), Twin Cities Marathon (BQ)
2007 - (5) Laughing Out Load, Berryman (First Trail Marathon - placed
4th), Heart of America (BQ), Baltimore Marathon (BQ), Bass Pro
Marathon
2006 - (3) Flying Pig (BQ), Heart of America (BQ, Chicago (BQ)
2005 - (3) Mad City, Heart of America (BQ), Portland (BQ)
2004 - (1) Heart of America
Ultramarathons (20 total):
2011 - (5) Psycho Wyco 50K, Grand Canyon 47 mi, Psycho Psummer 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Pumpkin Holler 100 mi (PR)
2010 - (6) Psycho Wyco 50K, Free State Trail 100K (PR), Kettle Moraine 100 mi (PR), Flatrock 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Ozark Trail 100 mi
2009 - (4) 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Psycho Wyco 50K, Berryman 50 mi, Q50 Ultramarathon 50K (PR)
2008 – (4)3 Days of Syllamo 50K, 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Berryman 50 mi, Rock Creek Trail 50K
2007 - (1) Hocking Hills Indian Run 60K
Number of each type of races for 2011:
100 mi -1
47 mi (Grand Canyon Run) - 1
50K - 3
Marathon – 2
16 mi (part of relay) - 1
Half Marathon - 1
20K - 1
10 mi -2
10K - 4
5 mi - 1
4 mi - 1
5K -8
Total running miles run in 26 races: 416 miles (last year 25 races – 509 mi)
States I ran marathons and ultras in 2011 (4): AZ, KS, MO,OK
All states I have run marathons and ultras (14): AR, AZ, FL, IL, LA, KS, MA,MD, MN, MO, OH, OK, OR, WI
2011 PRs in 4 mi, 10K, 100 mi
2010 PRs in 1 mi, 4 mi, 10 mi, half marathon, 3/4 marathon, 100K, 100 mi
2009 PRs in 5K, 25K, half marathon, and 50K
2008 PRs in 5K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi, marathon, 50K, 50 mi
2007 PRs in 5K, 4 mi, 8K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi
2006 PRs in 20K, half Marathon, and marathon
Goals for 2012:
1. Continue weight lifting 2 - 3 times per week as soon as I finish painting the inside of the house (hopefully within the next 2 weeks).
2. Correct the issue with my right foot turning in when I run. This isn't causing major problems yet, but it is bad form that could cause problems so need to fix. Either need a hip adjustment or possibly some exercises.
3. Do more speed work. I run short races but would like to also run a speed session when I am not doing races (which is rare).
4. Take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with at least 3 - 4 consecutive days of no running.
5. More biking as cross training.
Marathons and ultras planned for 2012 -
January - No plans
February - Post Oak Challenge Double (already registered)
March - 3 Days of Syllamo (50K, 50 mi, also 20K) (already registered)
April - Free State 100K?
May - Berryman Trail 50 miler (already registered)
June - Run a 50 miler?
July - Psycho Summer 50K?
August - Burning River 100 mi (already registered)
September - Heart of America Marathon (already registered), maybe a 50K
October – Maybe a 50K or the C2C 39.3 mile or the Backyard Ultra in Tennessee
November - Ozark Trail 100 mile
December - No plans
Saturday, December 10, 2011
2011 Cheese & Sauerkraut 10 miler
Temperature was 19F today, but the wind was not bad. After the 5.2 mile warm up, we had 5 minutes to spare. I consulted with Phil about what time to write down. I wasn't feeling like I wanted to work extremely hard but decided to predict 1:07 even though I ran 1:03:50 last year. I took off my watch (none allowed) and quickly used the bathroom. We started promptly at 8:30 am. There were 4 of us running close together for the first 2 or so miles. I pulled ahead a bit before we turned on the road where we had to run down and turn around. I passed a couple runners and then was in second place. The guy in first (Kevin) was pretty far ahead of me and his twin brother (Erik) was behind me. I completed the first loop feeling pretty strong.
The second loop went well until about the last 2 miles, my legs were starting to feel fatigued and sore so I was having to work to keep the same pace. I didn't feel like I fell off the pace too bad and had pulled far enough ahead of Erik I didn't worry about him catching me, but would have been nice to have someone push me for the last couple miles. My finishing time was 1:05:01 so 2 minutes off my prediction but not close or far enough off to win the cheese or sauerkraut. I placed 2nd for my time overall out of 45 runners. The winner was 5 minutes ahead of me. We had sauerkraut dip, sauerkraut chocolate cookies (added a bag of milk chocolate chips), brownies, and cinnamon rolls to eat after. Hugh and I brought the sauerkraut cookies. There were 5 dozen and we only brought home about 4 cookies.
The second loop went well until about the last 2 miles, my legs were starting to feel fatigued and sore so I was having to work to keep the same pace. I didn't feel like I fell off the pace too bad and had pulled far enough ahead of Erik I didn't worry about him catching me, but would have been nice to have someone push me for the last couple miles. My finishing time was 1:05:01 so 2 minutes off my prediction but not close or far enough off to win the cheese or sauerkraut. I placed 2nd for my time overall out of 45 runners. The winner was 5 minutes ahead of me. We had sauerkraut dip, sauerkraut chocolate cookies (added a bag of milk chocolate chips), brownies, and cinnamon rolls to eat after. Hugh and I brought the sauerkraut cookies. There were 5 dozen and we only brought home about 4 cookies.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
2011 Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K
We arrived about 8 am to pick up our shirt and timing chip. I had ordered a small but they were out so I took the last medium. Hugh ordered a medium and took a large since that was the only size left. We could have gotten on a list for the correct size, but did not. There was not enough time to run the course as a warmup. I used the bathroom and decided to skip the warmup. I had time to run a mile but did not.
The 10K started about 5 minutes before the 5K which was good since there was a huge crowd of over 700 runners and walkers. I started off with Katie and had hoped to run around 18:30. The first mile went okay, but a little slower than I had hoped at 6:02. I passed a couple guys and one guy passed me that looked to be in my age group. II was feeling the urge to use the bathroom and I definitely should have done so. I had to slow down for the last 2 miles. The second mile was 6:18. I did pass one guy near the finish and almost caught up to the guy in my age group. Last mile was 6:23 and last 0.1 was 33 seconds. Overall 19:15, 16th place of 397, and 3rd of 33 in the 40 - 49 age group. Not as fast as I had hoped, but not much I could do. I had to run to the bathroom as soon as I finished. I decided not to do a cool down and will go for a longer run tomorrow.
I won a Chez Monet Pecan pie in the drawing. I picked the last pecan pie. Hugh was 4th in his age group in the 5K so just missed getting a medal this year. Results posted here.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
2011 Cranberry Crawl 5K
The Cranberry Crawl is a race that benefits the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri and starts at the Food Bank.. I warmed up with Hugh for about 1.5 miles and then we found the bathroom before the start. Temperature was 47 F so I wore a long sleeved shirt. I felt like I had a good race in me so I hoped to go out at a sub-6 minute mile. Started off with Dan E. and Tony R. was right behind us. I felt like maybe I was running too hard for the hilly course. The first mile was 5:47 and I felt better. There was also a 10K that ran 2 loops and the leaders of the 10K were ahead of us. We ran just behind the first female runner for about 1.5 miles and then passed her. Dan would pass me on the uphills and I pass him on the downhills and then we ran side by side. There wasn't much chit chat since we were working hard. 2 mile split was 6:10. At about 2.3 miles, Tony passes me and I work to keep up with him. I passed him up the last hill, but he passed me back. My 3 mile split was 6:06. I had a kick at the end but couldn't quite catch him. Overall time was 18:32 and Tony was 18:30. Dan came in after me. It felt like an actual race and no doubt we all helped each other to run our best today.
Overall I placed 7th of 92 and 2nd in age group. Hugh placed 11th overall and 1st in age group. I ran the course again with Dan for a cool down. Then we went inside to get some food and get ready for the awards. For the prizes we were allowed to pick from an assortment on a table. Hugh and I both picked the Body Glide. The last time I ran the 5K in this race was in 2008. Today was a 17 second improvement.
The course is shaped like a turkey. Here is the map and course elevation profile.
Overall I placed 7th of 92 and 2nd in age group. Hugh placed 11th overall and 1st in age group. I ran the course again with Dan for a cool down. Then we went inside to get some food and get ready for the awards. For the prizes we were allowed to pick from an assortment on a table. Hugh and I both picked the Body Glide. The last time I ran the 5K in this race was in 2008. Today was a 17 second improvement.
The course is shaped like a turkey. Here is the map and course elevation profile.
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| Tony & Andy |
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| Hugh |
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| Marc, Bill, Andy, Hugh |
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| Back of shirt has course shaped like Turkey - We selected Body Glide for age group placings. |
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
New Blog - Primal Nutrition and Fitness
I have started a new blog called Primal Nutrition and Fitness. I would
like to explore this as a long term plan to stay healthy and feel good.
I will likely keep running some endurance races and post those here. Even though I am not sure all this running is entirely compatible with Primal Fitness, there are some modifications that I can make. I don't want the running
to overtake my life and I think focusing on Primal Nutrition and Fitness
will be a healthy balance. If you are interested or think I am crazy, check out the blog.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
2011 Prevent 10K
Cold but beautiful morning for a race. It was in the 30s when we woke up but low 40s by the time the race started at 9 am. I ran the 5K course with Hugh before the race as a warmup. The extra for the 10K was on the MKT trail. I was overdressed for the warmup so by the time the race started I was ready to shed some clothes. I wore my long sleeved Pumpkin Holler shirt, shorts, orange racing flats, and black and orange Sock Guy 3 Days of Syllamo socks. Everyone walked out to the road for the race start. I heard some guys talking about running 35 min so wasn't sure I was standing in the right place and there were also 5K racers. Since the race offered money for the top 3 male and female 10K winners, most of the really fast guys/gals were running the 10K.
The course started off pretty flat and after about half mile heads up a pretty good hill (up 100 ft) for a half mile. The fast 10K runners were in the lead. Katie was just ahead of me and I knew she would run faster than me so did not try to keep up and kept my goal pace. Tony was running the 5K and we were running close until he passed me after we got up the hill. My first mile split was 6:15 which was right where I wanted to be overall but figured the first mile might be slower due to the hill. The next part of the course is pretty flat for just over a half mile and then goes downhill for about three quarters mile, and then on the flat MKT trail at 2.3 miles. Once on the trail Brad running the 5K caught up to me before the 5K finish. I passed a guy that seemed like he was tiring out and then next thing I know he is surging ahead and passed me as well as Brad before the end. The first three 5K runners were fairly close. I believe the winner was about 19:10 so I wasn't far behind. My first 3 miles were 18:31.
From this point, the course went out just over 1.5 miles on the trail and back. Since I no longer had any runners close, I had to push the pace on my own. I was holding a very steady comfortable pace that seemed closer to a 5K than 10K pace. Before the turn around I got to see the first 6 runners 4 males and 2 females coming back. The turn around slowed me down a few seconds. Then I saw the runners coming out so that helped to see them. I knew the pace I was running that I was probably going to PR. My finishing time was 38:31 so an 11 second PR. My last 10K PR was in 2008 on an entirely flat course. In spite of the hill and the turnaround I felt like this was a fast course too and could probably go a little faster on it. I placed 7th overall and 5th male. There were over 100 runners registered between the 2 races and 39 finishers for the 10K.
After the race there was plenty of good Halloween candy, bananas, bagels, and bars to eat. Then the awards ceremony at about 11 am. The first and second overall guys ran 35-something and were in my 40 - 49 age group. I ended up winning the 1st place males Master's award which included $50 cash which was a nice surprise. Hugh won first in his age group in the 5K. There was also a drawing for numerous prizes which we were allowed to pick a prize off the table. I won a $15 Kostakis Pizza gift certificate and Hugh won a lunch at Honey Baked Ham.
This was the second year for this race. I was not able to run it last year. It was extremely well-organized and had a lot of support and sponsors. This race was to benefit the More Project. Pictures are on the Prevent FaceBook site. Race results at Columbia Track Club.
Splits:
M1 - 6:15
M2 - 6:12
M3 - 6:04
M4 - 6:08
M5 - 6:08
M6 - 6:10
M0.28 - 1:36 (5:43 pace)
The course started off pretty flat and after about half mile heads up a pretty good hill (up 100 ft) for a half mile. The fast 10K runners were in the lead. Katie was just ahead of me and I knew she would run faster than me so did not try to keep up and kept my goal pace. Tony was running the 5K and we were running close until he passed me after we got up the hill. My first mile split was 6:15 which was right where I wanted to be overall but figured the first mile might be slower due to the hill. The next part of the course is pretty flat for just over a half mile and then goes downhill for about three quarters mile, and then on the flat MKT trail at 2.3 miles. Once on the trail Brad running the 5K caught up to me before the 5K finish. I passed a guy that seemed like he was tiring out and then next thing I know he is surging ahead and passed me as well as Brad before the end. The first three 5K runners were fairly close. I believe the winner was about 19:10 so I wasn't far behind. My first 3 miles were 18:31.
From this point, the course went out just over 1.5 miles on the trail and back. Since I no longer had any runners close, I had to push the pace on my own. I was holding a very steady comfortable pace that seemed closer to a 5K than 10K pace. Before the turn around I got to see the first 6 runners 4 males and 2 females coming back. The turn around slowed me down a few seconds. Then I saw the runners coming out so that helped to see them. I knew the pace I was running that I was probably going to PR. My finishing time was 38:31 so an 11 second PR. My last 10K PR was in 2008 on an entirely flat course. In spite of the hill and the turnaround I felt like this was a fast course too and could probably go a little faster on it. I placed 7th overall and 5th male. There were over 100 runners registered between the 2 races and 39 finishers for the 10K.
After the race there was plenty of good Halloween candy, bananas, bagels, and bars to eat. Then the awards ceremony at about 11 am. The first and second overall guys ran 35-something and were in my 40 - 49 age group. I ended up winning the 1st place males Master's award which included $50 cash which was a nice surprise. Hugh won first in his age group in the 5K. There was also a drawing for numerous prizes which we were allowed to pick a prize off the table. I won a $15 Kostakis Pizza gift certificate and Hugh won a lunch at Honey Baked Ham.
This was the second year for this race. I was not able to run it last year. It was extremely well-organized and had a lot of support and sponsors. This race was to benefit the More Project. Pictures are on the Prevent FaceBook site. Race results at Columbia Track Club.
Splits:
M1 - 6:15
M2 - 6:12
M3 - 6:04
M4 - 6:08
M5 - 6:08
M6 - 6:10
M0.28 - 1:36 (5:43 pace)
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| Andy - 2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011 |
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| Andy - 2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011 |
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| Hugh -2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011 |
Sunday, October 23, 2011
2011 Capitol to Courthouse Ultra Marathon (relay)
Melanie sang the national anthem and then the runners were off. The temperature at the start was probably low 40s so a bit cool, but supposed to warm up to the 60s by the time I would start running. Hugh planned to run to Easley which was the first 5 legs of the relay 22.5 miles and I would run the last 4 legs 16.8 miles. We were allowed to split up any way that we desired. Dan and Jenny were a 2 person team and had a bike and ran every 5 miles while the other biked. I really didn't have a plan until I met Hugh at Easley so to kill some time I went to Hartsburg where one of the aid stations was set up at 13.6 miles. I watched some relay teams come through and waited for Hugh. I rode my bike out a bit about when I thought he would arrive. He tried to talk me into taking over for awhile at Hartsburg, but I told him he only had 9 miles to go and to slow down if he couldn't keep up his pace.
I headed towards Columbia and decided to go to the store to get some Powerade and then headed to Easley to meet Hugh. I expected he would arrive around 10:21 so got there a few minutes early and he was there at 10:22 so took him 3 hrs 22 min 16 seconds (9:00 pace) for his 22.5 mile portion. I took off and planned to just see what kind of pace I could hold. I had not run a fast pace in awhile and coming off the 100 miler was not sure what I could do. My first mile was 6:35 pace and I shortly passed Dan and Jenny. The trail is entirely flat so pretty easy to hold a steady pace, but I wasn't sure how long I would be able to keep up this pace.
I didn't see many people the rest of the way, but did pass a couple girls running the relay and the first place male solo runner. I skipped the first aid station I passed since wasn't thirsty yet, but by the time I hit the second one I think I was a bit behind on hydration. I had a gel just before I got there and then a small cup of water to wash down. The next aid station did not come until Scott Blvd. (11.5 miles for me) and by the time I got there I very thirsty. I had manged to keep the pace in the 6:30s to 6:40s up to this point. I drank an entire bottle of water and then felt a little sick and needed to use the restroom. My next mile was 8:49 with the short break. I almost got back on pace with the next mile at 6:51, but slowed down after. Katy cheered me on at Forum Blvd.
I was very much looking forward to being done and glad I was not running the entire distance. Mile 15 - 7:16, Mile 16 - 7:33, and the last 0.8 - 7:30 pace. I finished my 16.8 miles in 1:57:45, 7:00 pace. Our overall time for 39.3 miles was 5:20:01 so our combined pace was 8:09/mi. We ended up winning the first place Masters relay team since the other teams that beat us all had at least 1 person under age 40.
This was a fun and well organized event and looking forward to being a part of it next year when it will reverse the course and run from Courthouse to Capitol. The results are posted here.
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| Hugh coming into Hartsburg |
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| After finish picture in front of Boone County Courthouse |
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| First place Masters Team finishing award with spike and tie from the railroad. Our course was run on an old railroad that has been converted to trail. |
Thursday, October 20, 2011
2011 Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd
After microdiscectomy surgery in February I said I would not run a 100 miler this year and give myself plenty of time to recover and then maybe run one next year if I made a full recovery. My plan this year was to run an easy 50 miler or 100K this fall so I began searching for a race within driving distance. I discovered the inaugural Pumpkin Holler 100K in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (less than 6 hours away) on an online race calendars. The web site promoted a relatively flat course on a gravel road and had pretty pictures of the course. There was also a 50K and a 100 mile race. The pumpkin medal they planned to award for the 100K was appealing since I am a Halloween baby and liked the pumpkin-theme of this race. I have often received pumpkin-themed birthday cards. They would award a pumpkin buckle for the 100 miler so that was kind of tempting, but I wasn't sure if I could be ready to run it and I was going to stick to my plan to wait until next year. Also, I couldn't seem to get motivated to get my mileage out of the 40-something mile per week until after I ran the Psycho Wyco 50K in July. I decided to motivate myself to increase my mileage by running every day for 30 days. I made it 31 days and was feeling pretty good so started to have thoughts of running the 100 miler. I waited until after the Heart of America Marathon to make a final decision and then signed up for the 100 miler.
I ran the Ozark Trail 100 mile last year in November and never completed a 50 miler before the race which I think made it a tough race for me. For my first 100 miler (Kettle Morraine) in June 2010, I had completed a 100K six weeks before and my first 100 miler turned out very well for me and I felt good the entire race. I couldn't find any 50 milers that I wanted to do before the Pumpkin so ran a 50 mile training run 4 weeks before the race on the MKT/Katy trail and then the 50K at Rock Bridge Revenge 2 weeks before. About a week before the Pumpkin, I received a pre-race e-mail informing me the course was not flat and there were indeed hills. I had trained on some hills but had not done hill repeats as I have done in the past to prepare for a hilly course. I was hoping for a sub-20 hour race since I thought it might be an easier course than Kettle Moraine where I ran 21:21. I still went into the race with the sub-20 hour plan and would make any adjustments on the day of the race as needed if it turned out to be a crazy idea.
I left Columbia on Friday morning and met Michael E. in Lebanon and we drove the rest of the way together. He planned to run the 100K. We camped at the Eagle Bluff Campground which was a beautiful setting along the Illinois River. The race start and finish were just a few steps from our campsite so very convenient so we could sleep their after our races. There was delicious a prerace pasta dinner catered by a local Italian restaurant and a meeting in Tahlequah that we attended as well as picked up our packets. The race directors humorously answered any questions about the "relatively flat" course. Some runners had completed a training run on the course and discovered that it was not "relatively flat" so I think that was the reason we were notified that the course was hilly. We returned to the campground after the meeting, finished preparing our drop bags, and then to bed. The campground was pretty noisy for awhile, but I managed to get some sleep.
I had set the alarm for 6:30 am but woke up 10 minutes early so got up. It felt like it had gotten pretty cold overnight. I had plenty of time to drink a shake, use the restroom several times, set drop bags out, and get dressed before the 8 am start. It was cold so I kept my pants and jacket on until 5 minutes before the start. Then Michael and I headed over to the start. I turned on my 310XT GPS which I intended to wear most of the race due to the 19 or so hour battery life. As soon as I turned it on, it said low battery. It had failed to charge the last time I put on the charger. I had my 610 GPS in my start line drop bag so quickly switched them out. I was hoping I could run the 4 mile out and back, plus one complete loop so I would have the the entire course captured on GPS. Also, I wanted to have it for the first part so I wouldn't go out too fast. I must have been a bit nervous since I nearly forgot to pick up my bottle after I switched watches.
The race was chip timed and all distances started together. We all lined up in the finishing shoot to start. I stayed pretty far back so I wouldn't get run over by the fast 50K runners. With over 150 runners, the course was kind of crowded until the hundred milers split off at about 1 mile to do our out and back which went through the center of the main course loop. I was was pretty far back the hundred miler group. I counted somewhere between 14 and 16th place and wondered if I was starting too slow or were they all starting too fast? Anything can happen in a hundred miler so I decided to stick with my own plan and run my own race and did not run with anyone for this section. During the start of a 100 miler you really can't get competitive or you might ruin your entire race so I remained patient. My plan was to run about 10:30 pace (which included aid station stops) the first 50K (5 hr 30 min goal). There was a terrible hill in our out and back section which I mostly walked. The hundred milers had to return to the start after our out and back and I had just slightly over 8 miles at this point with a time of 1:22:56 (10:22 pace so close to my goal pace) and in 15th place. There were 57 starters for the 100 miler. I grabbed a Succeed packet from my drop bag and refilled my bottle, went to the bathroom and then was off to start my first of 3 loops for the complete 50K circuit.
I managed to maintain my goal pace for my first 50K and it felt easy. The plan later is that I would run each consecutive 50K one half hour slower, and then would have the extra 9.5 miles at the end. The course would be a little long by my estimation since there was an extra mile in our out and back at the beginning and the loop was 31.5 miles. No big deal since I don't mind a few bonus miles, but it might make my goal more difficult to obtain. We were allowed 5 drop bags on the course and aid stations were about 3 - 5 miles apart and drop bags 3 - 9 miles apart. The drop bags were almost too frequent so if I had to do it over again, I might would not use all of them. I did stop at each one to get either a bar, crackers, gel, and a Succeed Ultra powder for my bottle. Also, I would try to grab something small from each aid station to eat such as peanut butter and jelly or some Pringles. I took Succeed caps about every hour at least during the day. The temp was warming up so I changed into my singlet in my drop bag at mile 20. I planned to change back into the short sleeve on the next loop after it started to cool down for the evening. At 50K, my GPS had me at 5:30:00 (10:39 overall pace) which was kind of scary since that was exactly where I wanted to be. The 31 miles happened during a 3 mile section of the course that was paved and actually felt kind of good to run on after running on the gravel for so long. The gravel was softer, but I had to be more careful where to run. The paved section had some hills that I walked near the end before turning back to gravel. At one house along the course a couple girls came out cheering very enthusiastically. I passed a few people on this loop running other distances as well as some of the 100 milers that had slowed down. My pace slowed which I expected since I think it is difficult to maintain the same pace in a 100 miler or at least on the little amount that I train. Also, being out on the course so long you go through periods of feeling better or not so good. It warmed up to 80F so that slowed me down a bit.
As I was about to make it back to the start/finish of the first loop, I got a low battery warning on the GPS. It made it through the loop though and I planned to go to my car and retrieve a watch so I would at least know the time for the rest of the race. My overall time when I arrived back at the start for the 39.6 miles was 7 hrs 5 min and I was now in 7th place. I did not know my placing at the time since I had lost track of the people I passed. I ran the full 50K loop section (after the first 8 miles) in 5:42:21 (10:52 pace). Michael was at the start/finish and about ready to start his next loop of the 100K. I left my singlet in the car and decided to go shirtless until I got back to the shirt I left at mile 51 which would hopefully be early in the evening. While at the car, I decided to have a Powerade that I had in the cooler. I gulped down pretty quickly so must have really needed it since I felt like I was getting behind a bit on hydration. I tend to not spend a lot of time in aid stations if I am feeling okay and I would guess I did not spend more than 2 or 3 minutes at most. It I stop too long the muscles stiffen. I like to keep the momentum going.
I started the second loop just after 3 pm. Since I no longer had a GPS, I made time goals in my head to get to each aid station. I had a general idea of my pace and kept it easy. I was beginning to have a difficult time wanting to eat so forced down a few gels and something small plus an extra drink at aid stations. After the Mad Dog station which was about 5 miles into the loop, a dog follows me for about 2 miles to the Out and Back aid station. The owner soon came along in his truck and saw me running with his dog. He asked if I had fed the dog and said if the dog continued to follow me I would have to take it home with me. At the Out and Back station it stopped following me, but on the way back, I saw it following two other runners to the Out and Back turnaround. Our complete loop had a short out and back section that went out almost 2 miles and then back where we continued our loop. We had to cross an mat at the out turnaround which would prove we had been there. They also checked us in and out of the aid stations just to keep track of all runners. At 51 miles, I picked up my flash light and put on the shirt I had left there earlier. It had finally cooled off just enough so worked out perfectly. I carried the light in my pocket since I didn't need it yet. I had a headlamp at the next station at 56 miles so the earlier light was just in case I didn't make it there before dark or if the headlamp stopped working for some reason, I would not be left in the dark. I made it to the headlamp before dark and turned it on around 7:15 pm. I had bats flying over my head a couple times. The girls that cheered for me earlier were still outside. I was sure I would not see them the final loop. Near the end of the loop there were quite a few cars passing me and kicking up dust. Previously, I had seen very few cars on the course during the day. I couldn't avoid breathing quite a bit of the dust so figured I would have the brown boogers they warned us about at the meeting.
At the end of the second loop, I was told I was in 4th place and the overall time was 13:27:44 so I had just run the second 50K loop in 6:22:28 (12:08 pace), 40 minutes slower than the previous loop. I was out in 2 minutes and started my 3rd loop. I was ready to get it over before I changed my mind! At this point I was unsure if I would run sub-20 hours but if I did, it would be close and I would have to run almost as fast as the the previous loop so probably not realistic. I decide that 20:30 would be my B goal and also a PR. As it got cooler, it was easier to run, but food was still kind of blah for whatever they would offer me at aid stations. At the Out and Back (~76 miles), I decided to try some broth of the Ramen Noodles. I picked up my very light jacket since my arms were cold and figured it might help to keep them warm so my blood could work on digesting my food. One of the hundred milers that was just behind me was coming back from his out and back so estimated he was about 40 min ahead of me. Also, saw some other runners at the Out and Back that stayed awhile and were about 20 min behind me, but not sure what loop they were on at the time. I started to feel better so decided on the way back I would have some more Ramen noodles. My headlamp flashed on me so when I got back to the Out and Back, they helped me change the batteries and I had some more noodles.
I took off feeling much better. I encountered a bit of wildlife on the course. There were cows along the course all day. On this loop I there were more bats and felt like maybe one might have touched my arm, but I could have been imagining it. I heard some rustling in the woods and saw several deer running away. I heard barking dogs in the woods that kind of freaked me out and started wondering about coyotes since someone had mentioned them earlier. Then I see a truck and am thinking I am already to the aid station but knew it was too soon. There were 2 hunters with 2 dogs that I guess were hunting coyotes and just putting the dogs away. They asked if I was running a race. I told them 100 miles and they didn't seem too shocked. Just before the East of Eden aid station at mile 87, I tried picking up the pace a bit and it felt good. I had been thinking I might be finished in about 20:40 at this point, but maybe if I could keep this up I would be a bit faster. I had to stop at the aid station to pick up some stuff from the drop bag. I had some Ramen noodles which were a bit hot so put what I thought was water in them to cool off and it was Gatorade, but I went ahead and drank the Gatorade flavored broth. I then started off again at what felt like a faster pace. At 2:20 am I run past a house with people outside and next thing I know a girl (not a runner's build) is running with me and asking if I am running a race. She admitted she was a little drunk. She asked what place I am in and why I am running this race. She picks up her pace and tells me to run faster. Then we get to a hill and she stops to ask me my name, tells me her name is Janice, and I continue on. The roads were covered with trees, but at one point where it was clear, I tried running without the light for awhile since the moon was pretty bright. At the last drop bag station Hardup (~91 miles), I fill my pockets with the stuff in my drop bag. I had been collecting it along the way so we wouldn't have to stay late to get them the next afternoon. I had some more Ramen noodles which I had been doing every chance that I could get. They seemed to work for my stomach queasiness. Shortly after this aid station I am running on the pavement for the 3rd time and this time I notice it is hurting my feet a bit but it is tolerable. I pass one of the hundred miler runners that is walking so assume at this point I am in 3rd place if I can keep it up and he doesn't start running again. I was told back at the aid station that first and second place were close together, but about an hour ahead of me so no way I would catch them. I often place 4th so was very happy to be in 3rd and maybe break the curse.
I was surprised I felt so good this final loop and reminded me of my first 100 at Kettle Morraine when I was feeling so good near the end and wanted to pick up the pace and get it done. I made it to a point where I knew I only had about 10 minutes to go. I decided at this point I would not look at my watch since I wanted to be surprised to see my time. As I arrived at the campground, someone blew the bullhorn, and I followed the road to the finish. Overall time was 20:16:30 (11:52 overall pace) which was faster than I expected so I must have really picked up the pace the last 13 miles. It was 4:16 am. I ran that loop in 6:48:47 (12:59 pace) which was 26 minutes slower than the previous loop. I must have really slowed down for awhile since those last 13 miles sure felt pretty "fast". At the finish I asked someone what I should do with the chip and he found a lady who asked if I had just finished the 100 mile. She gave me my buckle and someone suggested I sit down around the fire and I had another cup of Ramen noodles that took about 45 minutes to eat. I talked to a few people that were either waiting on someone or had finished. About 5 am, I decide it would be good to get up and take a shower. It was difficult to walk, but not too painful unlike the almost screaming in after I tried to walk after the OT100. When I took off my shoes, my feet looked really good and no blisters.
I headed to bed in my tent about 6 am and slept pretty good for about 2 hours and then got up. I found Michael over by the start. I had some brownies for breakfast and then we packed up our stuff and headed home. I dropped Micheal off in Lebanon and decided to have Long John Silvers for lunch and then I headed back home. I stopped about an hour from home to take a nap before driving the rest of the way since I was having trouble staying awake.
I really enjoyed this hundred miler and TATUR did a great job putting it on. It was definitely a first class event. The course was a little challenging with the hills and the rocks. Hopefully they have time to shave down some of the hills before next year so the course will be relatively flat. I think with more training on hills I could have easily gone under 20 hours. Also, considering I have done pretty well in 2 of my 3 hundred milers, I have to wonder with better and more focused training on the 100 miler what I might be able to accomplish for this distance. I stay pretty focused and the entire run is kind of like a good meditation so I don't think about much other than how I am feeling and what I need next. I was able to walk pretty well on Monday and have slept just fine too. Overall, post race soreness isn't that much worse than a road marathon and in some ways not as bad. I ran 7 miles today (Thursday) and ran a sub-8 pace so I am pleased that I am feeling good. I don't think I would want to run a 100 miler more than 2 times per year right now since I enjoy running shorter distances as well.
I ran the Ozark Trail 100 mile last year in November and never completed a 50 miler before the race which I think made it a tough race for me. For my first 100 miler (Kettle Morraine) in June 2010, I had completed a 100K six weeks before and my first 100 miler turned out very well for me and I felt good the entire race. I couldn't find any 50 milers that I wanted to do before the Pumpkin so ran a 50 mile training run 4 weeks before the race on the MKT/Katy trail and then the 50K at Rock Bridge Revenge 2 weeks before. About a week before the Pumpkin, I received a pre-race e-mail informing me the course was not flat and there were indeed hills. I had trained on some hills but had not done hill repeats as I have done in the past to prepare for a hilly course. I was hoping for a sub-20 hour race since I thought it might be an easier course than Kettle Moraine where I ran 21:21. I still went into the race with the sub-20 hour plan and would make any adjustments on the day of the race as needed if it turned out to be a crazy idea.
I left Columbia on Friday morning and met Michael E. in Lebanon and we drove the rest of the way together. He planned to run the 100K. We camped at the Eagle Bluff Campground which was a beautiful setting along the Illinois River. The race start and finish were just a few steps from our campsite so very convenient so we could sleep their after our races. There was delicious a prerace pasta dinner catered by a local Italian restaurant and a meeting in Tahlequah that we attended as well as picked up our packets. The race directors humorously answered any questions about the "relatively flat" course. Some runners had completed a training run on the course and discovered that it was not "relatively flat" so I think that was the reason we were notified that the course was hilly. We returned to the campground after the meeting, finished preparing our drop bags, and then to bed. The campground was pretty noisy for awhile, but I managed to get some sleep.
I had set the alarm for 6:30 am but woke up 10 minutes early so got up. It felt like it had gotten pretty cold overnight. I had plenty of time to drink a shake, use the restroom several times, set drop bags out, and get dressed before the 8 am start. It was cold so I kept my pants and jacket on until 5 minutes before the start. Then Michael and I headed over to the start. I turned on my 310XT GPS which I intended to wear most of the race due to the 19 or so hour battery life. As soon as I turned it on, it said low battery. It had failed to charge the last time I put on the charger. I had my 610 GPS in my start line drop bag so quickly switched them out. I was hoping I could run the 4 mile out and back, plus one complete loop so I would have the the entire course captured on GPS. Also, I wanted to have it for the first part so I wouldn't go out too fast. I must have been a bit nervous since I nearly forgot to pick up my bottle after I switched watches.
The race was chip timed and all distances started together. We all lined up in the finishing shoot to start. I stayed pretty far back so I wouldn't get run over by the fast 50K runners. With over 150 runners, the course was kind of crowded until the hundred milers split off at about 1 mile to do our out and back which went through the center of the main course loop. I was was pretty far back the hundred miler group. I counted somewhere between 14 and 16th place and wondered if I was starting too slow or were they all starting too fast? Anything can happen in a hundred miler so I decided to stick with my own plan and run my own race and did not run with anyone for this section. During the start of a 100 miler you really can't get competitive or you might ruin your entire race so I remained patient. My plan was to run about 10:30 pace (which included aid station stops) the first 50K (5 hr 30 min goal). There was a terrible hill in our out and back section which I mostly walked. The hundred milers had to return to the start after our out and back and I had just slightly over 8 miles at this point with a time of 1:22:56 (10:22 pace so close to my goal pace) and in 15th place. There were 57 starters for the 100 miler. I grabbed a Succeed packet from my drop bag and refilled my bottle, went to the bathroom and then was off to start my first of 3 loops for the complete 50K circuit.
I managed to maintain my goal pace for my first 50K and it felt easy. The plan later is that I would run each consecutive 50K one half hour slower, and then would have the extra 9.5 miles at the end. The course would be a little long by my estimation since there was an extra mile in our out and back at the beginning and the loop was 31.5 miles. No big deal since I don't mind a few bonus miles, but it might make my goal more difficult to obtain. We were allowed 5 drop bags on the course and aid stations were about 3 - 5 miles apart and drop bags 3 - 9 miles apart. The drop bags were almost too frequent so if I had to do it over again, I might would not use all of them. I did stop at each one to get either a bar, crackers, gel, and a Succeed Ultra powder for my bottle. Also, I would try to grab something small from each aid station to eat such as peanut butter and jelly or some Pringles. I took Succeed caps about every hour at least during the day. The temp was warming up so I changed into my singlet in my drop bag at mile 20. I planned to change back into the short sleeve on the next loop after it started to cool down for the evening. At 50K, my GPS had me at 5:30:00 (10:39 overall pace) which was kind of scary since that was exactly where I wanted to be. The 31 miles happened during a 3 mile section of the course that was paved and actually felt kind of good to run on after running on the gravel for so long. The gravel was softer, but I had to be more careful where to run. The paved section had some hills that I walked near the end before turning back to gravel. At one house along the course a couple girls came out cheering very enthusiastically. I passed a few people on this loop running other distances as well as some of the 100 milers that had slowed down. My pace slowed which I expected since I think it is difficult to maintain the same pace in a 100 miler or at least on the little amount that I train. Also, being out on the course so long you go through periods of feeling better or not so good. It warmed up to 80F so that slowed me down a bit.
As I was about to make it back to the start/finish of the first loop, I got a low battery warning on the GPS. It made it through the loop though and I planned to go to my car and retrieve a watch so I would at least know the time for the rest of the race. My overall time when I arrived back at the start for the 39.6 miles was 7 hrs 5 min and I was now in 7th place. I did not know my placing at the time since I had lost track of the people I passed. I ran the full 50K loop section (after the first 8 miles) in 5:42:21 (10:52 pace). Michael was at the start/finish and about ready to start his next loop of the 100K. I left my singlet in the car and decided to go shirtless until I got back to the shirt I left at mile 51 which would hopefully be early in the evening. While at the car, I decided to have a Powerade that I had in the cooler. I gulped down pretty quickly so must have really needed it since I felt like I was getting behind a bit on hydration. I tend to not spend a lot of time in aid stations if I am feeling okay and I would guess I did not spend more than 2 or 3 minutes at most. It I stop too long the muscles stiffen. I like to keep the momentum going.
I started the second loop just after 3 pm. Since I no longer had a GPS, I made time goals in my head to get to each aid station. I had a general idea of my pace and kept it easy. I was beginning to have a difficult time wanting to eat so forced down a few gels and something small plus an extra drink at aid stations. After the Mad Dog station which was about 5 miles into the loop, a dog follows me for about 2 miles to the Out and Back aid station. The owner soon came along in his truck and saw me running with his dog. He asked if I had fed the dog and said if the dog continued to follow me I would have to take it home with me. At the Out and Back station it stopped following me, but on the way back, I saw it following two other runners to the Out and Back turnaround. Our complete loop had a short out and back section that went out almost 2 miles and then back where we continued our loop. We had to cross an mat at the out turnaround which would prove we had been there. They also checked us in and out of the aid stations just to keep track of all runners. At 51 miles, I picked up my flash light and put on the shirt I had left there earlier. It had finally cooled off just enough so worked out perfectly. I carried the light in my pocket since I didn't need it yet. I had a headlamp at the next station at 56 miles so the earlier light was just in case I didn't make it there before dark or if the headlamp stopped working for some reason, I would not be left in the dark. I made it to the headlamp before dark and turned it on around 7:15 pm. I had bats flying over my head a couple times. The girls that cheered for me earlier were still outside. I was sure I would not see them the final loop. Near the end of the loop there were quite a few cars passing me and kicking up dust. Previously, I had seen very few cars on the course during the day. I couldn't avoid breathing quite a bit of the dust so figured I would have the brown boogers they warned us about at the meeting.
At the end of the second loop, I was told I was in 4th place and the overall time was 13:27:44 so I had just run the second 50K loop in 6:22:28 (12:08 pace), 40 minutes slower than the previous loop. I was out in 2 minutes and started my 3rd loop. I was ready to get it over before I changed my mind! At this point I was unsure if I would run sub-20 hours but if I did, it would be close and I would have to run almost as fast as the the previous loop so probably not realistic. I decide that 20:30 would be my B goal and also a PR. As it got cooler, it was easier to run, but food was still kind of blah for whatever they would offer me at aid stations. At the Out and Back (~76 miles), I decided to try some broth of the Ramen Noodles. I picked up my very light jacket since my arms were cold and figured it might help to keep them warm so my blood could work on digesting my food. One of the hundred milers that was just behind me was coming back from his out and back so estimated he was about 40 min ahead of me. Also, saw some other runners at the Out and Back that stayed awhile and were about 20 min behind me, but not sure what loop they were on at the time. I started to feel better so decided on the way back I would have some more Ramen noodles. My headlamp flashed on me so when I got back to the Out and Back, they helped me change the batteries and I had some more noodles.
I took off feeling much better. I encountered a bit of wildlife on the course. There were cows along the course all day. On this loop I there were more bats and felt like maybe one might have touched my arm, but I could have been imagining it. I heard some rustling in the woods and saw several deer running away. I heard barking dogs in the woods that kind of freaked me out and started wondering about coyotes since someone had mentioned them earlier. Then I see a truck and am thinking I am already to the aid station but knew it was too soon. There were 2 hunters with 2 dogs that I guess were hunting coyotes and just putting the dogs away. They asked if I was running a race. I told them 100 miles and they didn't seem too shocked. Just before the East of Eden aid station at mile 87, I tried picking up the pace a bit and it felt good. I had been thinking I might be finished in about 20:40 at this point, but maybe if I could keep this up I would be a bit faster. I had to stop at the aid station to pick up some stuff from the drop bag. I had some Ramen noodles which were a bit hot so put what I thought was water in them to cool off and it was Gatorade, but I went ahead and drank the Gatorade flavored broth. I then started off again at what felt like a faster pace. At 2:20 am I run past a house with people outside and next thing I know a girl (not a runner's build) is running with me and asking if I am running a race. She admitted she was a little drunk. She asked what place I am in and why I am running this race. She picks up her pace and tells me to run faster. Then we get to a hill and she stops to ask me my name, tells me her name is Janice, and I continue on. The roads were covered with trees, but at one point where it was clear, I tried running without the light for awhile since the moon was pretty bright. At the last drop bag station Hardup (~91 miles), I fill my pockets with the stuff in my drop bag. I had been collecting it along the way so we wouldn't have to stay late to get them the next afternoon. I had some more Ramen noodles which I had been doing every chance that I could get. They seemed to work for my stomach queasiness. Shortly after this aid station I am running on the pavement for the 3rd time and this time I notice it is hurting my feet a bit but it is tolerable. I pass one of the hundred miler runners that is walking so assume at this point I am in 3rd place if I can keep it up and he doesn't start running again. I was told back at the aid station that first and second place were close together, but about an hour ahead of me so no way I would catch them. I often place 4th so was very happy to be in 3rd and maybe break the curse.
I was surprised I felt so good this final loop and reminded me of my first 100 at Kettle Morraine when I was feeling so good near the end and wanted to pick up the pace and get it done. I made it to a point where I knew I only had about 10 minutes to go. I decided at this point I would not look at my watch since I wanted to be surprised to see my time. As I arrived at the campground, someone blew the bullhorn, and I followed the road to the finish. Overall time was 20:16:30 (11:52 overall pace) which was faster than I expected so I must have really picked up the pace the last 13 miles. It was 4:16 am. I ran that loop in 6:48:47 (12:59 pace) which was 26 minutes slower than the previous loop. I must have really slowed down for awhile since those last 13 miles sure felt pretty "fast". At the finish I asked someone what I should do with the chip and he found a lady who asked if I had just finished the 100 mile. She gave me my buckle and someone suggested I sit down around the fire and I had another cup of Ramen noodles that took about 45 minutes to eat. I talked to a few people that were either waiting on someone or had finished. About 5 am, I decide it would be good to get up and take a shower. It was difficult to walk, but not too painful unlike the almost screaming in after I tried to walk after the OT100. When I took off my shoes, my feet looked really good and no blisters.
I headed to bed in my tent about 6 am and slept pretty good for about 2 hours and then got up. I found Michael over by the start. I had some brownies for breakfast and then we packed up our stuff and headed home. I dropped Micheal off in Lebanon and decided to have Long John Silvers for lunch and then I headed back home. I stopped about an hour from home to take a nap before driving the rest of the way since I was having trouble staying awake.
I really enjoyed this hundred miler and TATUR did a great job putting it on. It was definitely a first class event. The course was a little challenging with the hills and the rocks. Hopefully they have time to shave down some of the hills before next year so the course will be relatively flat. I think with more training on hills I could have easily gone under 20 hours. Also, considering I have done pretty well in 2 of my 3 hundred milers, I have to wonder with better and more focused training on the 100 miler what I might be able to accomplish for this distance. I stay pretty focused and the entire run is kind of like a good meditation so I don't think about much other than how I am feeling and what I need next. I was able to walk pretty well on Monday and have slept just fine too. Overall, post race soreness isn't that much worse than a road marathon and in some ways not as bad. I ran 7 miles today (Thursday) and ran a sub-8 pace so I am pleased that I am feeling good. I don't think I would want to run a 100 miler more than 2 times per year right now since I enjoy running shorter distances as well.
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Photo of some of us before the start. | |||||||||||||
I am to the right of the finish arch. | |||||||||||||
Photo at finish at 4:16 am holding my pumpkin buckle.
A play by play live Twitter feeds by Endurance Buzz's David Hanenburg (I didn't know about this site ahead of time, but I got a mention a few times since I was running so well and some people at home were following his posts.) EnduranceBuzz Report Blog Post by Co RD Ken "Trail Zombie" Childress" You Tube Video by Ron Ruhs Picture Album by Bryan Moore Picture Album by Deborah Sexton |
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