2019 Elves and Reindeer 5K

 Holiday Fun

Although only two weeks after Crooked Road 24, I felt recovered enough to race a 5K. I needed a change of pace and Crooked Road hadn't drained me that much. Looking around for something convenient, I found the Elves and Reindeer 5K in Wilson Farm Park, a venue that I sometimes train at, so I'm familiar with the course. As it turned out, it wasn't the usual course used by races held there, and I think it increased the difficulty slightly with a few more hills. Leading up to the race my workouts were a combination of recovery and taper. I was gradually increasing the distance of my easy runs while adding some long overdue speed work in small quantities. I wasn't really sharp or at a peak, but I expected that I could run faster than I had last June at the Nun Run 5K.

 

Though temperatures were just above freezing at the start, which is not to my liking, that shouldn't affect times that much, certainly not to the extent that very warm temperatures do. The hills will have an effect. The start is up a moderately easy hill, but the finish is up the biggest hill on the course. With the new layout, we run almost two full laps, so we pass the finish line for our first split a little short of halfway. Besides the hills at the start and finish, most of the rest of the course is up or down with only a few flat sections of 50-150 meters.

 

Being a charity 5K the start is casual with what seems to be only a few serious racers. I started slowly not wanting to begin with tired legs from the initial uphill, but was surprised that even then runners starting ahead of me were slower and I had to work my way around them. By the time we reached the first kilometer most everyone around me had settled into their rhythm and there was very little change in position after that. The mile marker wasn't where I expected it based on the course map, and my time at that point was faster than I expected, so I suspect it may have been placed for convenience rather than accuracy. My Garmin split was a good 10 seconds later. Even so the first mile was fast, about 10:03 estimated, and I wasn't sure I could maintain that pace, especially with the new course. I came through the first partial lap in 15:26 clock time, so on pace for something around 31:30. The hills were taking their toll on the second lap and I felt like my pace was slowing a little. (The 2 mile split was way off from where I thought it should be. Per the posted markers my first two miles were 9:53 and 10:16, by my Garmin they were 10:03 and 10:43.) At that point I was trying to chase a couple runners who had passed me but was gradually losing ground. Finishing uphill was torturous, but this was where the splits really got crazy. I didn't see a 3 mile marker, but my Garmin split was 10:21 indicating I had sped up, not slowed down, then recorded the time from 3 miles to the finish as only 49 seconds. I know with certainty I wasn't running that fast.

 

Knowing how my Garmin records on hilly courses (measures them short), and being told by the timing team that the course measured between 3.11 and 3.14 miles (not certified), I'd estimate my splits at closer to 10:03, 10:22, 10:21, and 1:01 to the finish. My chip time was 31:47, a 20 second improvement on a slightly tougher course from my June 1st Nun Run 5K. I was exhausted and don't think I left much on the course. Even a short cool down was an effort. I stayed for the awards but was not surprised to not win one. The oldest age group was 60+ so I was competing with runners as much as 13 years younger.

 

2019 Crooked Road 24

It Rained on My 100K Attempt

 

The leading role at Crooked Road 24 was the rain, roughly 12 hours of rain, and chilly temperatures hovering around 40F for the entire race. At least I think it did for the entire race, because I was finished by 8:00 PM.

My training and racing had gone well all year. Though on occasion the weather limited the numbers I ran, the subjective results were very good. I had high hopes that Crooked Road 24 this year would be the race I finally reached 100K. Stalking the weather beginning two weeks out, I had hopes, slight though they were, that the weather pattern would shift one day either way. Friday and Sunday forecasts were near ideal, but this nasty forecast persisted in sitting in the middle on Saturday when the bulk of the running would be done - 40F and steady rain from late morning until midnight. The big challenge this year would not be pacing or nutrition and hydration, but staying as dry and warm as possible. It didn't do much for my mental state either.

The drive down wasn't too bad and I got to packet pickup in plenty of time to also walk the course and refamiliarize myself with it. After that I checked into my hotel, grabbed dinner which wasn't that good, arranged my clothes and drop bags for the morning, then tried to get some sleep. Typically I tossed and turned, waking almost every hour, checking the time, then trying to get back to sleep. Saturday morning I was feeling a little under the weather, so took some allergy medicine to clear some of the symptoms, and acetaminophen as a preemptive measure in case I was coming down with a cold. Hopefully that would stave off any mild fever or headache.

Arriving at the park in plenty of time, the weather wasn't too bad for the start. I greeted some friends and tried to stay warm until we began. My plan was to walk one minute, run one minute for as long as I could with minor adjustments to walk the one longer but minor "hill", and after the aid station walking while eating and drinking. With the 1.178 mile loop I expected each lap to be between 16 and 18 minutes depending on how long I walked while eating. My race effort would then yield a pace of 13:30-13:34, but when I checked my splits they were closer to 14:00-15:00 pace. I stayed with the effort rather than pushing to bring the pace down. I held that for about 15 miles then the times started to regularly creep over 18 minutes and over 15:00 pace. By this time it had started raining and wouldn't let up for more than a few minutes for the rest of the time I was on the course. After a while puddles formed on the trail and we were sloshing through cold water getting our feet thoroughly soaked. Volunteers were digging trenches to try to drain the water, while others were able to bring more crushed stone to fill in the puddles. Puddles formed right in front of the aid station as well, so they moved it back a little and moved the food and drinks to the side instead of front of the canopy so we wouldn't be standing in water when we stopped there.

I was still feeling strong, but slowing down, though some of that was a longer walk break after the aid station while I was eating. I finally ceased the running and moved to all walking after 34 miles. The first couple laps walking were good and steady, then I started feeling wobbly and nearly walked off the trail a few times instead of holding to a straight line. I was definitely losing concentration. At one point I almost missed a turned and narrowly missed walking into the side of a tent before I realized where I was. At that point I decided to take a break after I finished the lap.

My first thought was to go to my car, start it, turn up the heat, and put on some warmer shirts. I was quickly distracted when my car wouldn't start, nothing but a click. Doing my best in the cold and cramped space, I donned one of my Polartec shirts, then walked back to the aid station to ask if there was some place I could sit and get warm. They offered me a seat right next to the heater. When I explained my car problem, several of them offered help with jumper cables and suggestions on the best place to buy a battery if that was the problem. Meanwhile I'm starting to shiver, even sitting next to the heater. That was the final factor in deciding I was done for the day. All I wanted was to get my car started and get back to the hotel to get dry and warm. While I was deciding this, one of the volunteers brought me hot broth and another brought me my finishers medal. Oddly when we went back to my car, opened the hood, and checked the battery cables, etc., not only did everything look normal, but when I tried, the car started immediately, no need for a jump. I thanked the volunteer profusely and left for the hotel. That pretty much wrapped up the day. My final total was 36 laps for 42.408 miles.

In retrospect I let several factors affect me. The weather was not in my control, but I didn't plan for it as well as I thought I had. I had also been looking forward to warmer temperatures than a Pennsylvania November, but with the unusual weather this year, didn't get that. In the weeks leading up to my taper and throughout my taper I did very little speed work and no interval workouts. I think this led to my being sluggish and my slower pace at the start. While I would have preferred being able to use a two or three minute run with one minute walk, the one minute run, one minute walk worked much better allowing me to maintain that much longer than a 3:1 or 2:1 ratio has in the past. It gave me slower splits in the early miles, but by the time I reached the marathon and 50K distances, I had made up any lost time and would have been well on my way to an age group best for 50 miles under better conditions where I wasn't dealing with being cold and wet.

Crooked Road is still one of the best 24 hour races and I hope to be back next year. My focus for the next six months, though, will be 50K, then moving on to running a good 12-hour race.

 

 

 

2019 North Coast 24 Endurance Race

Hot Time, Summer in the City

I've been building up to this race all year as my primary goal race. I had hoped for good weather to optimize my chances of finally reaching my 100K goal, but that was not to be. Even a high of 83F, which was the last forecast I saw, would have been better than the high of 90F that we actually experienced. The heat ruled the day, not only for me, but for all the runners. I had trained for the possibility of heat and had scheduled three 6-hour races over the summer to get used to racing in hot conditions. I had also increased my training mileage to the highest in several years. I was much better prepared this year than any year in the past with the possible exception of 2013, my first year here and first ultra marathon. Now it all depended on my mental status, desire, and ability to cope with adverse conditions.

The trip up went smoothly until I went to check into the Travelodge in Lakewood. No record of my reservation, but I always stay there in preference to the Day's Inn a block over. I still don't know how I managed to botch this and never notice it when I printed the email confirmation, but my reservation was for a smoking room at the Day's Inn. Nothing I could do about it now, so the Day's Inn is where I stayed, while many of my friends there for the race were at the Travelodge. That might have been an omen or portent of what the race would be like. We were still able to get most of us together for dinner at the Edgewater Park pavilion.

Saturday morning began reasonably smoothly, up in plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast, then the short drive to the park. I was one of the earlier arrivals in our group. Eventually we were all there, took the requisite group photo, picked up our bibs, and wandered down to the start. This being my seventh North Coast 24 race, I saw many friends and acquaintances there as well. Of course I'm on a first name basis with the medical staff from past visits in prior years.

I started the race feeling good and was running easy in a run two minutes, walk one minute pattern. While not normally recommended, I was building a cushion which I knew I would give back sometime later in the race. At my level of fitness that's almost inevitable regardless of how slowly I start. In any case I was keeping my pace under 14:00 which, if held for 24 hours, would give me over 100 miles. Obviously that was not going to happen, but I had hopes that I could hold that long enough to give me the cushion I needed to reach my goal. By noon I could feel the heat increasing. I cut way back on running. Finally about 4:20 into the race with my hands starting to swell I took some preemptive action and stopped in the medical tent to find the best way to adjust my eating and drinking to head off potential problems. Adjusting the amount and balance of sports drink and water helped and that never became a problem. The next issue occurred about six and a half hours and 25 miles into the race when my lower back started to tighten. That prompted my next visit to the medical tent where a good half hour of stretching and follow up on my eating and drinking addressed that issue. Aside from a couple short stops to let them know my status, that was my last stop there. By this time the temperature was approaching 90F.

This was when the race became purely a mental effort. I was walking steadily but feeling the fatigue and wanted to stop for a break. A couple of the early breaks weren't anywhere near enough as I was encouraged to get back out and walk another lap or two with one of the other runners in the group. I had asked them not to let me rest more than 15 minutes before getting me back on the course; it's just that a couple times it was only 7-8 minutes. The race became a series of walking 4-5 laps and resting for 30 minutes (or more). The laps were adding up but the long breaks also meant the available window to cover the 71 laps I needed was dwindling. I kept walking as long as I could maintain a controlled, purposeful stride, then I took a break. Eventually I was at a point where I felt more like I was shuffling even after a break, and that's when I decided the effort to continue and possible push myself to a state of exhaustion and it's resultant risk was not worth pushing for a personal best.

After 18:50 I stopped and turned in my timing chip. Since I was heading back to the hotel and didn't know if I would be back for the finish and awards, I made a point to thank the medical staff, volunteers, and race director. As it was I woke up too late for the finish, but did get back in time for the awards. Since there were two well known runners in my age group that I knew could put up many more miles than me, and I had watched a third lap me many times, I had no expectations of an award. I had already picked up my finishers medal. There was also one other runner in my age group but had not identified him during the race, so he was an unknown. As it worked out, those extra laps I pushed myself to walk to first match last year's total, then that of the year before, and finally for a nice round total of 60 laps (52.932 miles) were very important. That kept me ahead of the fourth runner in my age group. Coupled with the favorite stopping early, that left me in third place and owner of a bronze medal for my age group in the national championship race.

I still have two more races this year, but my racing schedule has been very heavy, perhaps a little too much, so these will be more social events. They will also give me added input to help me decide where I want to place my emphasis next year. I'm leaning more toward consolidating my recent gains and focusing on 6-hours to 12-hours, rather than selecting a 24-hour race for my main goal. That also brackets 50K, but places 50 miles slightly outside the range, which is fine since cutoff times can still be an issue in many 50 mile races.

 

 2019 Lean Horse 30M

Evaluating My Training

This trip was intended as much for a vacation as it was to run a destination race.  As a result I arrived in Custer, SD, on Tuesday for my Saturday race.  I had planned on arriving Monday but severe weather in Chicago resulted in a cancelled flight and a day's delay.  I was hoping that spending several days in the area with some hiking above 5,000 ft might help me cope with the higher elevation, since that had seemed to affect me adversely at the Whiskey Basin 33K race in April.  I'm not really sure if it made any difference, because I had no problems hiking up Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rockies at 7,242 feet on Thursday.  So basically I spent the three days before my race sightseeing and hiking along with some short runs of 2.5 to 3 miles.

Packet pick up was a block up the street from my hotel.  I was able to speak with the race director about the course.  My biggest concern on the course was how long, gradual slopes would affect me.  He didn't see it as a big issue since I would be using a run-walk method anyway and none of the slopes would exceed a 3-4% grade on the rails to trails course.  The course is point to point beginning at the Mystic aid station at mile 70 of the 100 mile race.  The surface is crushed stone and grit so easy on the legs, but a good candidate for wearing gaiters.  I've never bothered to use them and had no issues this time, but a lot of the runners did.  The course also goes through a couple old tunnels and over a number of bridges.  There was one section approaching the 15 mile aid station in Hill City where we were on concrete for about three quarters of a mile, but otherwise we ran through picturesque forests and fields with mountains occasionally coming into view.   

Saturday morning started early for me at 5:00 a.m. making coffee in my room with a blueberry and cream cheese pastry I bought the day before.  After packing my knapsack, filling my water bottles with ice and water, then double checking that I had everything I needed, I drove to the high school to catch the bus to the start.  Just as I was turning off the road onto the drive to the parking lot, I saw a buck grazing at the corner.  He looked up briefly than ignored me and went back to his grazing.  While waiting for the bus, Tammy, a friend from Maryland walked down the drive.  It seemed strange to meet her this far away, but that type of encounter is becoming a common occurrence as I meet more ultra runners.  After leaving my keys with the finish line volunteers so I didn't have to carry them in the race, I rode up to the start with Tammy.  The bus got us there a full hour before the 8:00 a.m. start, so I had plenty of time to chat with some of the other runners.

The race started on time and the first few miles felt really slow and sluggish.  I had visions of this being a really long day slogging to the finish.  At least I had no worries about a cutoff time since I had until 8:00 p.m. (12 hours) to finish. I was also trying to take a few pictures along the way.  I preferred taking pictures during my walk breaks to minimize time lost, but once in a while the view demanded I stop and take a picture during a running segment.  Somewhere around 3 to 3.5 miles I started to finally feel looser and running better.  After the first aid station at mile 5.1, I notice this reflected in my pace as well when my mile splits dropped from high 13s and low 14s to low 13s and even sub-13:00.  My 5 mile split was 1:10:06, just over 14:00 pace.  I was able to maintain that through the 15 mile aid station at Hill City where I took a slightly longer break to be sure I had enough to eat and drink.  It also helped that there were a half dozen other runners in sight so I felt like I had company and was in a race.  Coming through 10 miles in 2:16:09 my average pace had dropped to 13:36.  I passed the 15 mile mark just after Hilly City in 3:23:29, an overall average of 13:33.  The last two 5 mile splits averaged 13:12 and 13:28.  At this point I was feeling good, but the sun was also trying to come out, and that could be a problem.

Despite some cloud cover, the Sun was breaking through and it started to warm up.  Combined with the distance I had already run, I first switched to a 1:00 run, 1:00 walk pattern from my original run 2:00, walk 1:00, then eventually to all walking to avoid any overheating.  That was the situation when I arrived at the Orville 20 mile aid station.  I took a little longer here to eat and drink more before topping off my water bottles and continuing.  Shortly after that the trail started climbing, albeit at a gradual slope of 3-4%, but this continued for four miles or more.  It didn't level off until about 25 miles shortly before the last aid station designated appropriately as the Mountain Aid Station.  I was able to switch back to run-walk as I neared the aid station, so I tried to minimize my time there and get moving as quickly as possible.  I was moving steadily and comfortably when I began hearing thunder in the distance.  The last thing I wanted to experience was a thunder storm on the trail, so I started to pick up the pace.  It sounded like the thunder was getting nearer.  I'm not sure if it was real or my imagination, but I thought I felt a drop or two of rain as well and I was not looking forward to getting drenched, even though I had my rain jacket with me.  I knocked out the last four miles in 13:01, 12:52, 12:24, and 11:54 in my rush to finish before the rain arrived.  While that certainly helped with my final time, it turned out to be unnecessary as far as avoiding the rain.  The storm bypassed us and it never did rain while I was at the finish at the high school track.  That also meant my last 5 mile split was 1:04:27, an average of 12:49.4 per mile.

Here's the numbers summary:
Official time: 07:07:41:
Garmin time: 07:07:57 (no idea why the discrepancy)
38rd overall of 53 runners
26th of 31 men
1st in the 70+ AG since I was the only one in that age group
The WMA Age Grading calculator (2015) 50K equivalent: 7:25:04
Extrapolating to 50K at average pace for the race: 7:22:55
Extrapolating to 50K at average pace over last 5 miles: 7:21:24 

I'm very pleased with the way this race unfolded.  I'm not sure whether I could have gone faster had I not walked the long hill.  That break from running obviously rejuvenated me because my last 5 miles was my fastest split of the race.  I don't know whether I could have done that without the respite from walking.  Overall the race was very encouraging and indicative that my training is going well.  The numbers above show significant improvement, since I'm still keeping my effort under control and not running myself to exhaustion like I did at D3.  While I'm still considering the possibility of a race Labor Day weekend, I may skip that and plan back to back long runs instead for my final big effort before North Coast 24.  I'm optimistic that not only will I finally get my 100K there, but possibly a lot farther.

 
 

2019 Endless Summer 6-Hour

More Heat

Six years ago to the day I ran this race, though it was held in Quiet Waters Park that year, with high expectations and a goal to exceed the marathon distance. That goal was so set in my mind that I ignored all warning signs and continued to push to maintain my scheduled pace despite the unexpected small hills and the summer heat and sun. Needless to say, without going into great detail, it didn't take long for my goals to become unreachable and not long after that to be sitting at the aid station with the medical staff checking to be sure I was okay. Instead of it being my first ultra race, I finished with 16.6 miles and severe doubts that I was suited for these longer races.

This year my confidence is high once again based on solid training mileage including a couple 6-Hour races in the heat and a solid 50K performance with an age group best by almost 20 minutes. With the reminder of this race six years ago, I hope to avoid being over confident and making the same mistakes. A last minute announcement, well actually the day before, had me reworking all my pacing numbers and reevaluating my eating and drinking schedule. Instead of a 3.65 mile loop, it would be 4.369 miles certified. I was already at my hotel in Annapolis so I was stuck with only the two bottles for my vest, and two bottles wasn't enough at Loopy Bunny's 4.5 mile loop. There had been no mention of a water stop or aid station on the course, just the one at the start which we would pass after finishing each lap. It wasn't until I took a closer loop at the map that I realized the course looped back past the aid station at 1.1 miles. Fears relieved and issue resolved. Now the only problem was what to do for breakfast. The hotel breakfast started at 6:30 a.m., but I planned to leave for the race at 6:00 a.m.. My fall back plan was to look for a mini-mart where I could buy coffee and a bagel or Danish, but when I went to check out most of the breakfast fixings had already been set out, so I did get my coffee, a Danish, and a muffin there and ate while I drove to the race. Once there it seemed like old home week. I met up with two friends from RWOL days and saw at least four runners I knew from D3 (Dawn to Dusk to Dawn).

The race started a few minutes late, which was fine with me because the porta-potty lines were long and I barely finished in time to get to the start for the national anthem. I opted for a run three minutes, walk one minute pattern assuming the terrain did not dictate otherwise. There were two dips in the trail during the first mile where I felt walking up from the bottom was preferable, but that was only ten seconds or so of walking so for all practical purposes I ignored it. The only times I deviated from the pattern during the first four laps was after stopping at the aid station, then walking until I finished what I was eating, which was mostly PB&J sandwich sections. While individual miles times were erratic depending on when the walk breaks occurred and how long it took me to eat, Lap times were amazingly consistent at 58:21, 59:04, 58:03, and 58:36. When I stopped at the aid station at the end of the fourth lap, I felt a bit unsteady and it was getting very warm by this time. With no cloud cover and the course only partially shaded, I decided to was time to walk. Four laps put me at 17.476 miles, so my 20 mile minimum was well within reach with over two hours left. I was happy with that and was able to enjoy the course more the next lap. The course had been set up in the Greenbury Point Nature Center so there was a lot to see from views of the bay to osprey nests complete with osprey sitting in them, not to mention the butterflies and flowers. I took it easy at somewhere between 17 and 20 minutes per miles. Five laps gave me 21.8+ miles and that first loop of the course was 1.1 miles, so I decided 23 miles sounded like a nice number. Just to be certain, I walked an extra two tenths past the aid station, then called it a day with about 13 minutes of the six hours remaining. I didn't see any sense in continuing until the six hours were up because all that would do would be to put me that much farther from the finish and that much longer to walk back...and my legs were tired. That's why I finished with 23.1485 miles.

Here's the numbers summary: Total miles: 23.1485 73rd overall of 129 runners 55th of 84 men 1st of 3 in the 70+ age group which did not exist formally, the upper age group was 60 and over and I was 4th of 8 Oldest male in the race (there was a 78 year old female).

I'm very pleased with the way this race unfolded. Four solid laps with no appreciable slowdown in pace is very encouraging, especially since that was at a 5:51 marathon pace and once again did not include a taper. Even without the heat it would have been difficult to maintain that pace much longer, but it is still my strongest race in the past year. Next up is Lean Horse 30M in three weeks on a rails to trails course at mild altitude. That should be my final tune up race before North Coast 24 five weeks later.    

 

 

2019 Ethan Allen 6-Hour

Who needs to taper for a race?

I entered this race only two weeks before, almost on the spur of the moment. It fitted nicely in between Loopy Bunny 6-Hour two weeks prior and Endless Summer two weeks after. As another supported training run in the heat, it was perfect for my build up to North Coast 24 in September. In conjunction with that I did not taper for the race, already logging 36 miles for the week up to race day. This limited my expectations since I wouldn't be racing fully recovered on fresh legs. I still hoped for at least 20 miles, anything beyond that would be a nice bonus.

The drive up was uneventful though the worst traffic was not in northern New Jersey or near New York City, but after I exited I-787 at Troy, NY. It must have taken me 15 minutes to drive a mile with traffic lights every two or three blocks and very heavy traffic. The motel where I stayed felt like I had traveled back to the '60s, complete with registration card to fill out and an actual key, not an electronic card, for the room. It was convenient, though, only three minutes from the high school track where the race was being held. After picking up my packet and chatting with the Adam and Eliza, the race directors, Mike and Bill, the timers, and a few other runners who picked up their packets while I was there, I found an Italian restaurant nearby for my pre-race dinner. It didn't take long to organize my gear for the race, so I thought I'd check on-line for updates and messages. Unfortunately internet service was sporadic, so I finally gave up and read until bedtime.

With the 24-hour starting at 9:00 A.M. and the 6-Hour at 10:00 A.M., I had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast, even with heading over in time for the start of the 24-Hour race. After putting my knapsack down where one of my friends had set up her tent, I managed to remember and take a few pictures before my race started. I ended up taking more photos here than I have at any of my other races, including some from the start of the 12-Hour which began at 9:00 P.M. until the camera battery charge got too low to focus on a moving object. I had hopes that the weather might cooperate and stay overcast. I knew we had no hopes of avoiding temperatures in the mid-80s.

After the pre-race announcements and instructions we lined up as the 24-Hour runners were approaching their first direction change guided by the OWGD (Old White Guys Dancing). Mike and Bill put on a hilarious show for the turnarounds. The first few laps felt slower than they actually were, but it wasn't too long before perceived effort and pace matched, unfortunately on the slower side. I was running about 250m, then walking the remainder of each lap, timing it so I walked past the aid station on the far side of the track. The first few miles were around 14:30 pace. It wasn't until mile four that it dropped under 14:15. I was able to hold that pace through mile 16 before the heat prompted me to stop running and only walk. Running generated too much heat, especially when we lost the cloud cover. With an ice bandanna, cold water poured on my head and back of the neck, and a volunteer who sprayed us with cold water on request, I was able to keep moving at a 16 minute pace. When I slowed even more, I promised myself I would take a break once I reached 20 miles. I wanted to limit my break to about 10 minutes, but it was about 16 minutes before I stepped back on the track and started moving slowly. It took a while to loosed up and move more naturally, but once I did I was moving as fast or faster than I had at any time during the race. With my kick over the last lap and a half, my average lap time for the final 6.5 laps was under 3:10, about a 12:36 pace. My final total with partial lap was 22.6061, a distance I was very pleased to run under the conditions.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the race was how I recovered and bounced back after my short break. In hindsight I probably should have taken the break sooner, but I was focused on first getting to 20 miles. Also I lacked the confidence that I would be able to continue in the heat once I sat down. With two more summer races scheduled, Endless Summer 6-Hour at the end of July and Lean Horse 30M/50K in mid-August, I'll have two more opportunities to refine my adaptations to heat, as well as assuring me a couple more extra long runs in preparing for North Coast 24 on September 21st.

     

 

 

 2019 Loopy Bunny 6-Hour

A Run in the Heat

What could possibly go wrong after having great running weather for most of June with below average temperatures? A 90F day when you're running a 6 hour race with no significant heat acclimation. That describes the Loopy Bunny race well. I had decided this would be a good race as a supported long run in my training for North Coast 24. It was described as a 4.5ish mile loop with "bunny" hills totaling 415 feet of gain per lap. I'll agree with the 'ish' of the 4.5 miles, but I was caught off balance with the hills. While not steep, the first half mile of the course was a long gradual rise which only presaged the big hill 1.2 miles into the loop. My Garmin course elevation graph indicates this one hill had about a 200 ft gain, not exactly what I had in mind when I read bunny hills. After running, or rather walking, that the first time, coupled with the heat, I quickly revised my estimate of what I planned for the day. Originally I had expected to run 5 loops for 22.5 miles, an average of 1:12 per lap. With temperatures climbing and facing that hill every 4.5 miles or so, that now seemed out of reach and it wasn't worth the effort and a potential disaster to even attempt to stretch for that. Besides I promised my doctor I wouldn't push so hard and end up in the ER again.

After a short segment in the woods, the course turned up a power line swath before turning back into the woods. We stayed on undulating single track before turning up the big hill. The course seemed to alternate from there between a wide crushed stone path and more single track, some of it along a creek side. While mostly shaded we did have a few short segments open to the sun, enough that I stopped after the first lap to grab my hat for sun protection. The first lap passed in 1:07:00, another strong indication that I should limit my goal to four laps maximum.

Not being in any real hurry, I spent almost 4 minutes at the aid station. I wanted to be sure I got enough to eat and drink, and replenish my water bottles since it would be about 75 minutes before I had another opportunity - quite different from D3 where I passed the aid station every quarter mile. As it turned out the second lap took me until 2:23:15. Given when I started that lap the actual run time was about 1:12:30. I had another long break including a trip to the pit toilets (they aren't as bad as that sounds) that lasted about 6 minutes. By the time I finished climbing the big hill on the third lap I was definitely feeling the effects of both the mileage and the heat. I walked a great deal of the rest of the lap. It was 3:53:31 when I finished it, so about 1:24:15 running from the time I began the lap after the aid station break. While at the aid station I talked with a couple of my friends who were also running and they advised me that if I was having doubts about whether to run another lap, I probably shouldn't. I decided that was good advice, so I continued to eat and drink, and even found a place where I could sit for a while.

After relaxing for about 20 minutes or so I was feeling a lot better and was reconsidering running another lap. The main factor preventing me from starting was that I had run out of water well before the end of the last lap and finished the last mile plus with nothing to drink. So I had the bright idea to ask if the aid station had any empty small soda bottles I could use. They were able to find one for me which added an additional 16 ounces of water I could carry. I thought that was enough to get me through another lap and I had more than enough time, 1:46 left before the end of 6 hours, so I took off. I was really amazed at how much I had recovered and revived during my break. I was able to get in some good running downhill and on the flatter parts of the trail. I was assuming that my pace would get me to the finish at about 5:35, but as I neared landmarks indicating I was close to finishing I realized I had a chance to end the lap under 5:30. All it took was a quick run down the short wooded trail at the end. Official results had me completing my fourth lap at 5:29:58 or about 1:16 from the start of the lap.

The heat took its toll on a lot of the runners. I was surprised when official results were posted that my 18 miles earned me 44th of 71 runners in the 6 hour race. I was also the oldest in the race by 9 years. Overall it was a great success. I felt I managed the heat well and was sensible in my efforts. Given that North Coast 24 can be hot, I've scheduled two more 6 hour races and a 50K in the next two months to help with getting in the long runs and getting more experience coping with the heat under race conditions.

 2019 Eagle Up 24

A 24 Hour Fun Run

 

Eagle Up 24 is only four weeks after Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K and just a week after my IHM 5K Nun Run. I'm going into the race without being fully recovered and with low or no expectations. I do want to run a minimum of six laps which would give me 30 miles so I can count it as an ultra, and hopefully run as many as 50 miles before I stop. If I decide to stop after 6 full laps, I will do the extra out and back for a full 50K.

The trip down went smoothly though I was very close to an empty gas tank when I arrived in Canal Fulton and found a gas station to fill up. After picking up my packet, I texted my friend Susan to let her know I was there. After we connected, we waited for another friend, Laura, to arrive for dinner together. We took advantage of the pre-race pasta dinner at the restaurant next to packet pickup which simplified the plans. After dinner it was back to the hotel and a restless night's sleep. It's a good thing I was waking up every hour or so and finally decided to get up and get ready at 4:15 AM, because I never got my 4:30 AM wake up call. That's too early for breakfast at the hotel, but fortunately the same place where I got gas on Friday is apparently open all night because I was able to get a pastry and coffee there in the morning. By the time I got to the race tent city (camping was allowed Friday night as well as Saturday night), Susan and Todd were up and getting ready. Todd would hold down the fort while Susan and I ran.

After pre-race announcements and singing the national anthem, the start was a low key event. I think many of us must have been half asleep with the 6:00 AM start. With around 500 runners between solo runners and relay teams, it took 35 seconds to get across the starting mat. Susan and I were planning very different paces so I made no attempt to run the first lap with her. Hopefully we'd be able to run or walk a lap together later when we've both slowed down from our initial paces. I started at run 2:00, walk 1:00, more conservatively than my usual run 3:00, walk 1:00, but this was more about staying on the course as long as possible. I held that through 4 laps or 20 miles before switching to run 2:00, walk 2:00, then run 1:00, walk 1:00 on lap 5. While not official splits, my Garmin splits should adequately reflect that I was keeping a reasonably consistent pace: Lap 1 - 1:07:39 Lap 2 - 1:08:01 Lap 3 - 1:10:37 Lap 4 - 1:11:52 Some of the slowdown on laps 2 and 3 were due to the time I needed at the aid station to find what I wanted, then walking while I ate and drank. Lap 5 - 1:20:58 Lap 6 - 1:32:20 I should have taken a break after lap 4 or 5, but I wanted to push through 6 laps to have the minimum distance to call this an ultra. I walked the entire 6th lap and my legs were really tired even before the end. I had no real choice about taking a long break then.

I had just finished my 6th lap when I saw Susan and Laura near the aid station. Laura had recently arrived and was getting ready to walk a lap with Susan. Unfortunately there was no way I could accompany them, so I missed walking with Laura. She was up for only one 5 mile lap. I took a long break then while they walked, then joined Susan for a lap while Laura called it a day. In the time it had taken Susan and Laura to walk a lap, I made a good recovery. Susan said we were walking sub-16:00 miles and I didn't feel like I was pushing the pace at all. Susan wanted to make some changes after that lap, so I continued on my own at a slightly slower pace, taking Susan's advice to heart. I finished that making sure to cross the mat so the lap would be recorded, then took another break. Lap 7 - 3:17:27 which includes the time I was resting Lap 8 - 1:26:08 When you look at lap 8 versus lap 6, you can understand why I think I should have taken my first break earlier. This time I got out my sleeping bag and stretched out for a long nap. I didn't really get any sleep, the the rest was needed. When I finally got up from my nap, I was stiff and a little sore. Walking over to the men's rest room, then over to the aid station didn't help at all, so I decided that was enough.

Even after getting something to eat, I didn't feel great so I stopped at the first aid tent to get an assessment. Everything was within reason given I had run 40 miles, but of course they picked up on some of the cardiac issues I've had, so they called the EMTs to evaluate me. They didn't find anything I wasn't already aware of and had been cleared by my cardiologists, so I signed a form that I had refused transportation to the ER. By this time I was finally feeling find. Of course this was where Susan and Todd found me since I wasn't at the campsite. Susan was about finished also and had only the out and back to complete 100K. Once that was done Todd insisted we sit and rest while he broke camp.

Since we finished early I was in bed by midnight and got a good night's sleep. While stiff and sore the next morning, I could still walk up and down stairs, so it wasn't too bad. I had the day to relax since I wasn't driving home until Monday. On reflection I realized that I should have taken my first break after 25 miles, or even after 20 miles, trusting that I wouldn't tighten up too much. There was no reason for me to tighten up at that point because I was still moving well. I think a half hour break, then another lap, maybe two, then another break, and I could go a lot farther following that pattern. Also I think I had a good handle on hydration and eating. Once again I had no problems with my hands getting stiff, swelling and getting puffy, all indications of improper hydration and electrolyte imbalance. The Sun and heat were not factors, so Endless Summer 6-Hour and Lean Horse 30M will be good testing grounds for how well acclimated to heat I am and whether I can make the necessary adaptations under those conditions. I am gaining confidence that I can finally put together a good race at North Coast 24.

 2019 IHM Nun Run 5K

It Was Supposed To Be A Tempo Run

Three weeks after my exhausting Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K, I do not yet feel fully recovered, and with a week until my next 24 hour race, Eagle Up 24, I need to treat this as a training run. I should be in taper mode, not racing. The plan is to run at a good tempo pace and not push for time - except in the unlikely case of bettering my time from two years ago.

Saturday morning started normally for a race day and with the race practically next door, I had plenty of time to eat breakfast, drink my coffee, and drive over to pick up my packet. Jogging over to the registration table I met one of the women from the Immaculata cross country team and her parents. I had wondered if I would see them this year since Michelle had graduated. I was more surprised to see two other women from the track team that I knew. I chatted briefly before picking up my packet and heading off for my warm up.

The warm up seemed comfortable, then I checked the time and pace. It was fast for me, so I consciously slowed down and added some walk breaks to be sure I kept the effort easy. A few strides to finish and I was done. It was a shorter than I'd planned, only 1.6 miles, but it was getting close to race time. In the prerace announcement I was dismayed to hear that they would not be stopping traffic as we crossed King Road, rather they would ask the runners to stop until there was a break in traffic. This happened two years ago as well and seriously broke my rhythm as we reach King Road at the bottom of a long hill where we can build up some momentum for a push over the last 600m.

The start is always a bit strange. Most of the field just stands around with very few actually up at the starting line ready to race. The race doesn't attract the normal racing crowd as indicated by only 5 finishers under 21:20 this year and a winning time of 18:12. It's mostly family and friends with ties to Immaculata University and Villa Maria Middle School where the race is held. There are also no age group awards. Being chipped timed none of this was a particular concern for me. Despite the small field of 227 including walkers, it still took me 11 seconds to reach the starting line, but being a chip timed race this was of no concern to me. I settled into pace approximately mid-pack as we follwed the drive around the school and headed down to King Road. After we crossed the road we tackled the first of eight hills on the course heading up to the university campus. The nuns had placed inspirational signs all along the course to help us up the hills. They also place signs at the mile markers. Mile one was near the bottom of the second hill on the course and both that and my Garmin agreed on a 10:28 split for the first mile. Despite most of my training being run the downhill and flats and walk the hills, I had no problems keeping my effort up the hills with only a nominal slowing of pace as expected. Mile 2 took us behind the library and onto Grotto Road, finally exiting that and turning up past Camilla Hall Nursing Home where the resident nuns were out in force cheering. That also took us up 2 more long hills and a couple short ones. The 2 mile mark is after a right turn past Camilla Hall. There was a slight discrepancy between running time at the split (20:54) and my Garmin which recorded the 2 mile split as 21:16. After a long straight and a couple turns I powered up the penultimate hill past Villa Maria Hall, the main building, and complete the campus loop bringing me back to the first hill which we now run down building up momentum for the final push after recrossing King Road. I could only hope I could time my run so I would not have to stop and lose all that momentum at the bottom of the hill. As I looked ahead I didn't see any group forming at the bottom of the hill, but I didn't heave a sign of relief until I was actually crossing the road. Now up the final hill on the drive approaching the 3 mile sign. This sign has to be misplaced since it's almost 400m from there to the finish and the total distance seems about right. I also don't think I ran a 10 minute mile even if I was beginning to push the pace. Rounding the final curve on the drive I could hear footsteps behind me, so I upped my effort a little bit more to not be passed in the final 50m. The clock time was 32:18 and the chip time 32:07. I was quite surprised as I had expected to run between 34 and 35 minutes. This was almost a full minute faster than two years ago, and I had not been running any dedicated speed work to prepare for a 5K. I also placed 112 of 227, but much to my surprise I was not the oldest finisher.

While I didn't think I had expended that much energy as I was running well within myself, or so it seemed, the first couple miles, I crashed hard in the afternoon. This next week has to be strongly focused on recovery to be reasonably fresh for Eagle Up 24. My goal there is to run at least 50 miles, but with the proviso that I get some nighttime running in the early hours of Sunday and not stop after 14-16 hours. After that I still have three more races in preparing for my goal race, North Coast 24.

 2019 Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K

Agony to Ecstasy to ER

Last year's race was memorable for all the wrong reasons. I had been battling plantar fasciitis, had very low training mileage and almost no long runs for preparation, and unbeknownst to me at the time, I suffered from atrial fibrillation. All those have been corrected. I've run injury free for the last year. The atrial fibrillation has been corrected and I can train with no restrictions or medication. My mileage has increased significantly, almost double for some months year over year. I would have liked a few longer runs or races, but that's in retrospect. I set up my race schedule based on what I perceived was appropriate for my fitness, my willingness to travel, and the winter weather. Leading up to race day, I've tried very carefully to take the time to taper properly. The weather forecast, which of course I've been checking daily, looks good, possibly some rain, but no bright sun or warm temperatures. While I wouldn't say I was well prepared, I'm as confident as I've been for a race in several years.

I loaded everything but my gym bag into the car last night, so all I needed to worry about was getting up in time, eating breakfast, and getting to the race. For once I was getting a good, solid night's sleep when the warning alarm on my phone went off at 4:00 AM telling me the battery was low. I got up, plugged it in to recharge, but my rest was disturbed. Even though I got back to sleep, when the real alarm went off I was groggy and not ready to get up yet. With the 24-hour race beginning at 7:00 AM, all the parking on the street was taken, so I had to park in the school parking lot and walk a little further hauling tent, sleeping bag, and gym bag. Sometimes I wonder why I bring and set up the tent because half the time I don't use it, this year being one of them.

With the 50K not starting until 9:00 a.m., the 24-hour runners had already been on the track for over an hour before I arrived. I found a nice spot on the infield to set up and put up my "little" four person tent. After that I wandered around to greet friends and pick up my ankle timing chip. That's the one that linked to the live results, while the bib chip served as a backup in case anything went wrong. At the start is was around 60 degrees and partly cloudy. I knew I needed to slow down from my usual training pace, so I adjusted my run-walk ratio to running 250m and walking 150m. Despite the extra walking I was still covering each lap in the 3:16-3:22 range except for laps that I mostly walked while eating or taking a port-a-potty break. This put me on pace for about a 7:05, well under my 7:30 goal. As always the question was how long I could hold that pace and how much would I slow down once I started. The first test would be at 20K. I was still running very consistently and wasn't noticely tiring yet. As 25K came and went I could sense a growing fatigue and started wondering how much longer I could maintain this pace and how I should adjust. At 30K I was still on pace for 7:05 but I was tiring. I managed a few more laps a that pace then slowed by 5, 10, 15 seconds per lap. By 35K I'm thinking it's time to walk more or even consider all walking as a little insurance that I would finish. Fortunately the clouds were blocking more of the Sun and overheating was no longer a significant worry. I opted to walk with possibly resuming running later if I needed to for a sub-7:30 time. I didn't even consider lessening the run distance and lengthening the walk distance. The first couple walking miles were quite slow as I reached 40K in 5:48. With the last 10K in 1:34:03, that time was on pace for a 7:15, a time out of reach at my current pace, but it gave me a little breathing room for my goal. As I began to recover and feel better I picked up the pace to where I was consistently sub-4:00 for each lap and sometimes even sub-3:45. One of the 24-hour runners took it on himself to be a pacer and cheerleader for me over the last 15-20 laps. The company was welcome and very appreciated. With 10 laps to go I was confident of reaching my goal and eased just a little keeping a close eye on the clock. For personal pride I did break into a run the final straight rather than walking across the finish mat. My final time was 7:25:43, well under my goal, though I had slowed considerably over the last 10K. It ranks as probably my third or fourth best ultra race ever and my best in the last four years.

After I finished, the day started to fall apart, almost literally. I immediately checked in with the co-race director as he had requested given last year's episode. While talking with him I literally collapsed and was kept from falling on my face when he and a friend grabbed my arms. It seems I literally ran myself into the ground. They eased me onto a chair and then on the ground so they could elevate my feet. I was a little nauseous and probably dehydrated, but after being covered with a blanket and getting something to drink I was feeling better. The RD did call 911 so the EMTs arrived. Of course at least one of them remembered me from last year. With only a little persuasion I agreed to go to the ER where the ER physician also remembered me from last year. This year they wanted to keep me overnight. It took longer than I'd hoped for everything to return to normal, so I ended up staying a second night while they ran additional test. After all that the conclusion was that it was primarily extreme exhaustion and dehydration, but follow up will include appointments with both my primary car physician and my cardiologist.

I need to reevaluate my goals after this. If my goals are sending me to the ER, they are too aggressive. I'm not into this ultra running to torture myself. It's the community and camaraderie that I enjoy. Unless otherwise advised, I still intend to run all the races I've registered for, but at a much lower level of intensity.

 2019 Whiskey Basin 33K

Venturing Onto the Desert Trails

Leading up to Whiskey Basin 33K, I've been running more consistently, more mileage, and generally better workouts than I have in several years.  However this is not a goal race; that will be the D3 (Dawn to Dusk to Dawn) 50K a month later.  At just over 20 miles this should be a good supported training run with not a lot of vertical gain, and not exhausting enough to keep me from sightseeing at Grand Canyon National Park afterwards. 

The trip was more exhausting than anticipated.  It seemed like it took forever to drive to Prescott from Phoenix.  It was a blessing to get a dinner invitation from Alan (a Running Ahead friend) for dinner so I didn't have that hassle on top of being tired and ready for bed with the three hour time difference.  That turn it into a relaxing evening.  I had no definite plans for Friday except to relax and enjoy any sightseeing.  I ended up spending hours at the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott learning about local history from pre-Columbian times to the present.  The only drawback was dealing with slight nausea and a headache from the altitude that had me reconsidering whether I should race on Saturday.  Friday evening I had a reprise of dinner with Alan and family before calling it an early night.

More so than normal I had difficulty sleeping the night before the race.  All combined I don't think I got more than two hours of actual sleep.  Finally giving up on sleeping, I was up and ready to go by the time breakfast was served at the hotel.  For once it started early enough that I could take the time to eat there rather than having to fend for myself.  Obviously I decided I felt well enough that I could at least start the race, and with a generous cutoff time I could finish under almost any conditions.  It was only a 15 minute drive to the finish line where I caught the bus to the start.  With a forecast of a high of 57F tights and a long sleeve shirt seemed the best choice.  Keeping in mind the arid environment I also wore my vest with two bottles of water.  I should have paid more attention to where the aid stations were.

There was quite a climb on the bus to get to the start at Goldwater Lake, so it would be a big net downhill run.  I need to get better at reading course profiles, because I was caught off guard by how much vertical gain there was in the first four miles.  The start was one of the most congested I've ever experienced.  We were all waiting in a parking area but the actual start was a single track, short, steep downhill, so we entered one by one single file, all 130 or so of us. By the time my turn came my watch already read 1:45.  Reportedly 149 were entered but I'm not sure how many started since only 128 with no DNFs are listed on the official results.  I felt completely out of control descending the path and am surprised I didn't end up head over heels or face plant.  The we started up...and up...and up.  We passed the first aid station not more than a half mile in and didn't bother stopping for anything.  Then as I left the area I notice a sign that the next aid station was 9.4 miles away.  For some reason I didn't remember that and it was my first feeling of uncertainty in the race.  The climbing continued with occasional openings with magnificent panoramas.  I ran when I could but it was mostly walking up hill for the first four miles or so.

Given that I was stopping to take a few photos, coupled with the vertical gain, I was surprised to see that I was keeping the overall pace under 20:00.  With over 1000 feet of gain in the first 4 miles according to Garmin, I was still under 1:14:00, a sub-18:30 pace.  After that it was either up or down, nothing that could be consider flat.  I can best describe it was running switchbacks down into a gully and back up.  It also started to warm up, but instead of feeling overheated I felt cold and clammy, not a good sign.  Also with the altitude whenever I ran my heart rate would spike and I'd be breathing had.  As a result I kept my running to a minimum.  It seemed to take forever to reach the next aid station.  I could hear them cheering runners long before I reached it, but with the switchbacks, it was a lot farther away across the valley.  When I got there all I wanted to do was sit and recover.  That was the Badger Mountain aid station and they worked wonders meeting my needs.  It took over 25 minutes of eating and drinking while resting before I felt up to continuing, but when I did, I knew I could positively make it to the next aid station less then 4 miles away.  Unless I completely fell apart, once there it was only a little over 6 miles to the finish and I could walk that within the time allotted.

Except for the 5 minute or so rest break at the Sundog Aid Station, I was able to keep my pace under 20:00 even with mostly walking an actually ran one mile as fast as 16:01.  There were still a couple "small" climbs of 60-75 feet in the last 6 miles that didn't give me any real problems.  My legs were fine; it was my heart rate and breathing that gave me the most trouble.  Of course the finish was another 65 foot climb and I ended up walking across the finish line totally exhausted.  Volunteers were quick to find me a chair and bring me chips, water, and Gatorade. Getting up and walking was painful, but moving some did help and I was able to get to the aid table unassisted to get more to eat and drink.  Officially I was DFL, dead freaking last, at 128th in a time of 6:48:36.  I don't know what happened to the remaining registered runners.  I was also the oldest in the race.  The hills and elevation gain, 2607 feet according to Garmin, were not nearly the problems they have been in prior races.  This time it seemed to be mainly the altitude and I don't know how to train to compensate for that.

It's time now to regroup for the D3 50K, then reconsider my possible race selections given my adverse reaction to the altitude this time.  I'd never previously experienced headaches or nausea at that altitude, only once at over 9,000 feet many years ago.  Opting for the 33K rather than the 60K was definitely the wise choice, and will probably guide me in future selections for trail races at altitude.
 

 
 

 

2019 Tideland 24

How to Sabotage Your Race

With an additional two months of training, I wanted another race, preferably warm weather, to check my progress toward my goals for Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K and North Coast 24. While I would have liked a good trail run, I haven't done the hill training to meet that challenge, so I looked for another fixed time race. I had several to choose from, but one seemed more suited to more elite runners and others entailed higher travel expenses without the likelihood of being able to combine it with a nice vacation. Tideland 24 was just within my acceptable driving range and on the type of course I prefer, a 1.38 mile loop on groomed trails. The weather wasn't the greatest by my standards, a trifle too cold, but nothing extraordinary. I expected to push through about 16-18 hours of running and walking. With a 1.37779 mile certified loop, 14:30 pace is almost exactly 20:00 per lap. Initially I wanted to run sub-20:00 laps (14:30 pace) for as long as I could hold that, then continue walking until I hopefully reached 18 hours. I was hoping the physical layout of the course would fit itself to suitable breakpoints for walking. I think that's my current limit and didn't want to push myself to exhaustion attempting 24 hours, then face an eight hour drive home.

Aside from getting on the road 10-15 minutes earlier than planned, the drive seemed to be an omen of what was to come. To begin my mind must have been elsewhere because I started north toward the PA Turnpike instead of south toward I-95. That lost me my early start. Exiting the tunnel through Baltimore it became stop and go traffic with a 5 mile backup due to an accident. That added a bit of time to the trip. With stops for gas and food, by the time I arrive at packet pick up I'd been on the road more than 9.5 hours, much more than the 8 hours or so I'd anticipated based on google maps. Then finding my hotel proved to be a challenge also as the street sign wasn't illuminated and google maps neglected to tell me the route number going only by name. I was tired and frustrated by the time I got to bed. Race day morning began the same way. I turned the wrong way leaving the hotel and drove a couple miles out of the way.

Race day morning was cold! I think it was about 29F. I almost wore warm up pants over my tights. I decided not to and that was one of the few things that went right for me. A couple laps of the 1.38 mile loop and my jacket came off. It would be a couple more laps before I doffed ear warmer and gloves. It also took that long to begin to pick out landmarks I could use for my walk breaks. My Garmin proved useless for monitoring pace as it kept indicating I was running 15 minute miles when my lap times indicated I was close to 14 minutes. I was okay, not feeling great, but not yet struggling for the first 12 laps, roughly 16.5 miles. My legs started feeling tired then, much earlier than they had at Crooked Road, so I extended my walk breaks and cut back my running. My laps times slowed accordingly and I was able to hold that for 9 more laps which brought me to about 29 miles. At that point it became almost all walking. I estimated I reached 50K about 30 minutes slower than at Crooked Road. It had helped some that I was running and walking with two women, Cheryl and Tracie, whom I had met at Crooked Road who were moving at about the same pace. I lost contact when I took a bathroom break and walked a few laps by myself. Darkness had arrived, but even with my headlamp the going was a little daunting. I think I could use a brighter headlamp because I had difficulty seeing the trail when it curved. I would have been hesitant to run at any speed and there was no way I could have seen any obstacles like tree roots. I was getting a little unsteady on my feet with an occasional stumble as well. As the night went on and I got more tired, I could envision me stumbling, tripping, or otherwise losing my balance and pitching off one of the bridges with no railings and into the swamp.

I finished my 27th lap for 37.1979 miles with a time of 10:17:02 and at that point talked myself out of continuing in the dark. I was tired, a little light-headed, possibly from not eating the right balance of foods, a little scared of losing my balance or stumbling on a bridge, daunted by the dark because I didn't have enough illumination to be comfortable, and otherwise dug up excuses to stop. It didn't help that I lost some training time 3 weeks before the race, then tried to make up some of that with a couple good workouts two weeks before when I should have been tapering. As a result my legs weren't as fresh as they should have been Anyway, I informed the timer, thanked the race director and the volunteers, and headed back to my hotel.

After a good night's sleep and no repeat of the fainting after Crooked Road, and a good breakfast at the hotel, I checked out early (my reservation was through Sunday night), and drove home. I'm no more sore than after a long, hard training run, so I obviously could have pushed harder. I let the events of the drive down set the negative tone and never worked through that with positive thoughts.

The one issue I need to address is the feeling of light-headedness and being wobbly on my feet, since this isn't the first time I've felt like that. Some of it I'm sure is simply lacking endurance with a dearth of long runs, and I'm fairly positive most of the rest of it is what I'm eating and drinking, or not eating and drinking. I think it's the balance rather than the amount, and I need to adjust the ratio of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The one difference I noticed between here and Crooked Road where I ran very well was that I drank Coke at Crooked Road, which provided a sugar boost, and none at Tideland.

In some ways it's good that my next scheduled race is a 50K, since most of my issues don't develop until beyond that distance. That gives me more time to work on what's needed for North Coast 24 in September. Running 8 hours or more as a solo training run is still more than I can discipline myself to do, so I may add another 12 or 24 hour race or two to my schedule before that to help work out solutions, but they would be treated as training runs for testing possible solutions.