2025 Goals and Plans
A Return to 24-Hours, and Maybe More

After running very slow times, even for me, in 2024, I'm considering a return to 24-Hour races, and possibly even venture a 48-Hour race. A secondary consideration is having to walk for a major segment of my training, not just run-walk, but steady walking, which eventually resulted in walking a couple 12-Hour races. At the Stinger I walked almost as far as I ran and walked at Six Days in the Dome, which had me wondering what distance I could cover in longer races.

The year will be structured around four key races, Crooked Road 24 to assess my fitness and training up to that point in March, Dawn to Dusk to Dawn (D3) as my primary 50K, Six Days in the Dome 24-Hour as a goal race, and Midnight Dreary 12-Hour as my final goal race. Any other races would be for preparation toward one or more of these races. Most likely I will run What the Duck 12-Hour again and a possible November or December race to close out the year.

Kicking off my racing season with Crooked Road 24 and a view to beat the PA resident age 78 24-Hour record of 33.6 miles, I hope to easily surpass that. I expect to better the 50K PA resident record of 10:48:56 also, but since there are no official splits, my time would not be eligible. There is no current mark for 50M, so if I reach that distance it would also be a record if it were eligible. My main goal will be to break my own M75 24-Hour PB of 44.909 miles, and possibly even my overall PB of 58.02 miles. Finally running 100K would be an unexpected, but gratifying result as I've been chasing that for 10 years. Whatever the result, barring a catastrophe, it will set a baseline for my fitness and guide my training adjustments for Six Days in the Dome. My main concern is adverse weather conditions at that time of year.

Next up is my annual race at D3 since April doesn't offer any races I would be interested in running as long supported training runs. The only one that looked even the least bit tempting is a night run, and I think that would disrupt my regular routine too much. Past D3 races have run the gaunlet of very good to disastrous, though I'm still amused that I picked up the second place male award in 2024 due to the lack of good runners while running one of my worst races there. This should be my second opportunity for a PA resident age 78 record as the current 50K record is 10:48:56. I thought last year I could set the age 77 record, but that blew up in my face, so I'm not taking anything for granted this year. The record would be a serendipitous byproduct if I meet my goal of running faster than last year and hopefully running a sub-9 hour time.

Although it's only two weeks after D3, I usually run What the Duck 12-Hour as a long supported training run and opportunity for a social gathering with some long time running friends. In the past I have limited my time to 6-8 hours, but this year I plan to run the entire 12 hours as preparation for 24-Hours at the Dome. I'm not setting any distance goal, though I do expect to run at least 50K, and instead focusing on maintaining a consistent effort over the entire 12 hours. I will still have 4 weeks to recover and prepare for the Dome.

Six Days in the Dome is my main race for the year. Conditions there are ideal being indoors on an oversized track. No rain or wind, no summer Sun beating down, and a consistent 55F. With approximately 40 6-Day and 10-Day runners on the track, I hope to find some to keep me company at times and reduce the expected boredom. The final list of runners isn't complete yet, but I expect there will be many that I know. It helps that I've run the 12-Hour there a couple years. Besides the RD, timer, and volunteer captain are all friends. A secondary consideration is that there are several fall and early winter races for a second attempt at my goals, if I don't reach them here. Although I hope to run at least 100K at Crooked Road 24, that would be a stretch, so that is my main goal here. Along the way, because official splits will be recorded, I hope to set PA resident age 78 records at 50K, 50M, and 100K, as well as the 24-Hour record. If the earlier races and training go exceptionally well, then I may optimistically aim for 65 miles.

Summer will be a time to recover from the physical and mental stresses of preparing for and running Six Days in the Dome regardless of the results there. I'm not planning any races and will reduce my training load for at least a short time. A vacation may be in the works as I'd like to revisit both Gettysburg National Historical Park and Colonial Williamsburg.

So far fall brings only one scheduled race with as yet to be determined date, The Midnight Dreary where I'll be looking for a good 12-Hour effort. The PA resident single age record keeper doesn't track 12-Hour races, so no record is at stake, making an M75 age group PB my goal. With my current PB at 38.66 miles, 40 miles would be a nice, round goal. The race is in South Carolina, so I plan to include a Charleston vacation and treat myself to some luxury after the race: B&B accommodations, eating at good restaurants, a few historical tours. The rest of the year is open. Whether I schedule another race or not will depend in part on whether I'm feeling burned out from racing. If I'm up for another race, several possibilities are available, including the option of my first 48-Hour race. Fat Ox and Across the Years, both in Arizona and put on by Aravaipa Running, are the most likely choices.

As 2024 draws to a close and more races are announcing their 2025 dates, several intrigue me that I hadn't considered or were doubtful possibilities.  The Mad City 50K is the USATF National Championship and would fit nicely in April and give me a second definite 50K race.  Fat Ox has always been a possibility, albeit not high on the priority list, but it is the USATF 24-Hour National Championship.  It's always nice to earn a second medal for placing in my age group as so few ultras offer age group awards.  The level and amount of competition is problematic.  In the past I have won age group awards when I least expected it, but if the race does draw interest, finishing top three in my age group would be a challenge.

Addendum:
PA Age 78 Records
50K 10:48:56
50M N/A
100K N/A
100M N/A
24HR 33.6 Miles

PA Age 79 Records
50K N/A
50M N/A
100K N/A
100M N/A
24HR N/A

2024 Year In Review
Looking Promising Until My Ankle Said No

It's not quite the end of the year, but with nothing else besides my normal training planned, there's nothing planned that would materially change my end of the year summary. The year started with some solid, but not great training. I seemed to be in a rut running about 30 miles per week. For what I wanted to set as goals for Dawn To Dusk To Dawn 50K and Six Days in the Dome 12-Hour, that was inadequate to say the least. Serendipitously I learned of a 6-Hour race in New Jersey, The Livingston Oval 6-Hour, that would allow me to test my fitness, then make needed adjustments to my training. Despite a cold rain for much of the race, I was able to record 22.9 miles, which was better than expected. On the down side I was not able to increase my training mileage and continued to log 25-30 miles per week leading up to D3.

Without going into a detailed race report, D3 was less than satisfactory, starting to head downhill after about 25K, which is what I could realistically expect given my limited training. At one point I was seriously considering a DNF, but Mike Melton, the timer, notified me that I was somehow in second place and could probably hold that given my lead and current pace of third place. I still have a certain amount of chagrin about accepting the large plaque that went with second place having run only 9:11:09. Apparently only one decently fast runner entered the 50K, the remainder having chosen either the 12-Hour or 24-Hour races.

Training remained static at about 30 miles per week including racing at What the Duck 12-Hour where I limited myself to a little over 6 hours of running and 18 miles total. I was getting in some good quality speed work, but that wasn't what I needed to prepare for the 12-Hour at Six Days in the Dome. My longest runs were barely an hour and a half. With lowered expectations I planned to take more frequent breaks, not push the pace early, and in general enjoy the race, but first a couple days volunteering, mostly at the aid station. My 50K split was even slower than at D3, but I felt much better and was able to continue for a total of 35.8 miles. As it turned out, that would be my best total for the year.

Even given time for recovery, I couldn't seem to log over 30 miles per week, though I was still running good quality interval and tempo workouts. Then in early August I reinjured my left ankle just as I had in December, 2022. Since the doctor's orders then were basically rest with no specific physical therapy, I followed that. I limited my walking initially to 30-45 minutes at an easy effort to not place any strain on my ankle and wore the brace I had been issued. I tried to gradually increase effort to a more brisk pace and also increase the distance. After about a month I reintroduced running, but that proved to be too soon. The setback had me walking as a very slow, leisurely pace to ensure no further injury and hopefully still be able to compete at the Hainesport 12-Hour Endurance Run. I was able to complete a few walks in the hour and a half to two hour range. I hoped that would be enough to get me through the race. As it developed, even wearing the brace, my ankle gave out by five and a half hour into the race just short of 17 miles.

Following Hainesport I increased my mileage, concentrating especially on two hour plus walks and doubles to give me more time on my feet. My ankle was feeling better, but I continued to be conservative by wearing the brace and postponing a return to running. The Stinger has announced that this year was the final year to be run and I had had that on my bucket list for almost five years. I didn't want any additional obstacles keeping me from this last opportunity to run it. At the race I had a last minute panic when I realized I had left all my water bottles at the hotel, so I had a last minute rush to get them and returned to the track barely in time for the final instructions before the race. The race went exceptionally well. The primary difficulty was my legs not holding up well over the last 3-4 hours and needing frequent rest breaks, though while I was walking I was able to maintain a good consistent pace. Even with no running at all I finished with less than a mile under what i had at the Dome.

During recovery the following week it was easy to include a transition to running, initially not much more than a 30 second shuffle every couple minutes, but gradually increasing that to what I had been doing before the injury. I had been considering one final race, the Frosty Looper 8-Hour in December, but between uncertain weather that time of year and the course being a 3.75 mile loop, I eventually dismissed the idea. Among other considerations was the need to focus on being able to tackle longer workouts on my own with a view to running some 24-Hour race next year and possible a 48-Hour race.

2024 The Stinger 12-Hour
Closing Out the Year

After the disappointment of having to stop early at the Hainesport 12-Hour because my ankle began hurting, I had doubts of whether I should schedule any more races this year. In any case thoughts of including a 24-Hour such as Fat Ox or Across the Years had to be abandoned. Learning that this would be the last year for The Stinger added pressure to register anyway, since I've had this on my bucket list for several years. After seeing that my post race recovery was going well, including my ankle holding up on longer walks, I committed to the 12-Hour and the long two day drive to Locust Grove, Georgia. With that in mind I planned to include a series of double workouts on my long days, split so that the total time would at least approach three hours.

So far, so good as I entered the final week for my taper. Mileage has been in a range of 33 to 43 miles, but more significantly 9.5 to 12.5 hours of walking per week. That has increased my optimism that I should be able to walk all or most of the 12 hours. Pace has been inconsistent. Sometimes 16:00-16:30 feels comfortable and other times I can barely hold a 17:30 pace. It makes assessing a reasonable race pace difficult, if not impossible. Of course my main goal is to endure the entire 12 hours, even if I average 18:00 or more. An average pace of 18:00 would still get me close to my (overly optimistic)goal of 40 miles, and 20:00 pace would give me 36 miles. My more reasonable goal is 50K to 35 miles.

While I took two days to drive down,it was more fatiguing than planned. My loosen up walk after arriving at Locust Grove felt like it took more effort than it should have at a leisurely pace. Then as usual I had a restless night, waking up several times before finally getting up and ready for the race. I was able to have a relatively leisurely breakfast at the hotel before checking in at the race, only to realize I'd forgotten my water bottles. Fortunately my hotel was only 5 minutes from the race, but it was still a hectic trip to my hotel room, barely making it back for the pre-race instructions.

I don't know what the other runners thought of the weather, but I was quite happy with how overcast and cool it was, around 64F. It turned sunny for only a short while in early afternoon, but we also had a few periods of light rain, nothing hard enough for me to don a jacket, and that also kept it cool. (Sorry all you runners who seem to prefer 45F, but this was ideal for me.) I started much too fast with my first few laps around 4:00 and Garmin recording my first mile in 16:21. I finally settled into a pace of about 4:15-4:30 per lap with a few slower laps for aid station and port-a-potty breaks. I managed to maintain that for 70 laps before slipping slightly to 4:30-4:45 per lap. About that same period I began to take short breaks to rest my legs. Although I was able to maintain that pace, it was wearing me down and I needed time to recover, initally after another 10-12 laps, but the interval kept decreasing. Once I passed 50K on the 126th lap, I was in an almost constant debate with myself about whether I wanted to continue, and if so how far and for how long. With about an hour and a half to go, while I was on yet another recovery break, I had a brief conversation with Bill Schultz, one half of the timing team. I got up for one more lap. While on that lap I decided that I wanted to last the entire 12 hours, even if it meant walking a lap, then sitting until I could continue. I surprised myself by walking 5 laps before my next break, but after that it was walk a couple laps, rest and repeat. I surprised myself again by stringing together 3 laps at the end to bring my total to 143 laps and 35.15 miles with the last lap down to 4:23. That placed me 9th of the 14 competitors and 4th among the 6 men, overall exceeding my expectations. I did endure the full 12 hours, and my average pace was well over 18:00, but that included rest and recovery breaks. I didn't experience anywhere near the pace degradation that I normally see, though I think much of that was due to walking rather than a run-walk method.

I think I'm through with racing this year and want to start working up to a 24-hour, or even a 48-hour race for next year. With that in mind, I may enter a local 8-hour in December as a supported training run. Including some 6-hour races in the past as training runs seems to have helped me with improving my endurance, so that is a possibility I'm considering. It adds a level of training I don't get in training runs, even with back to back long runs. I suspect the weather will play a significant part in my decision as December in New Jersey can bring miserable weather.

2024 Hainesport 12-Hour
A Pain in the Ankle

It all started in early August when I felt a sharp twinge in my left ankle, the same one that sidelined me for several months during the winter of 2022-23. I immediately backed off my training, stopped running, and power walked to keep my fitness. As much as possible I tried to follow what the orthopedist had prescribed. It felt better after a few weeks, so I cautiously added easy jogging to my routine. Everything seemed to be progressing well until I added some intensity. Then it was back to square one again. After another month wearing an ankle brace and limiting myself to moderate walking with roughly an hour limit, I realized I had to increase the duration if I was to have any chance to race at Hainesport. I managed a couple two hour plus walks and some doubles to increase time on my feet. It was enough that I decided it was worth the time and expense to race. With unsupported hopes that I could walk 50K I made my plans, but feared I was being overly optimistic and might only be able to reach 15-20 miles.

The drive to the host hotel went smoothly. I didn't get lost on this trip. It was a short walk to Cracker Barrel for dinner. After a short after dinner walk, I relaxed, set the alarm, and tried to get as much sleep as I could, which usually isn't much the night before a race. In the morning I missed a turn and took longer to get to the race than planned, but still in plenty of time to find a good spot to set my chair and bags. I wandered around for a while greeting friends before settling onto my chair to get off my feet since there was still over a half hour before the start.

Knowing I planned to walk the entire time, I positioned myself well back at the start. I was a little surprised that I wasn't last by the end of the first lap, but apparently there were slower walkers than me. The first lap was a little faster than anticipated at 16:43, but I quickly settled into a steady pace of about 17:30 per .9913 mile lap, about 17:40 per mile. I took a brief break after 12 laps to give my ankle a rest. When I resumed walking, it was at a slower pace and I was beginning to feel some stress on my ankle. I took a longer break to see if that might help, but by the time I was finishing my 17th lap, I was noticeably limping. I sat and pondered the situation for about 40 minutes before deciding it was too risky to continue, that doing so would probably cause more damage to my ankle and jeopardize my race plans for the rest of the year. I notified the timing crew and picked up my medal. My final distance was 16.85 miles in 5:22:26 placing me 41st of 44 runners, not at all what I had hoped to do, though close to what I realistically expected if I was being realistic.

The remainder of the racing year is still uncertain. Much depends on how my ankle recovers in the following week(s). I've been hoping I would be able to justify a trip to Georgia for The Stinger 12 Hour in November, since this is the last year that race will be held. Reluctantly I'm also scratching a couple of 24 hour races I was contemplating. Racing 24 hours will have to be delayed until next Spring at the earliest. That will also push back my plans for a 48 hour race and an attempt to reach 100 miles and earn a buckle.

2024 Six Days in the Dome 12-Hour
Revising My Race Strategy

photo by Tuan Nguyen

Like last year, circumstances have altered to where this is not the peak goal race I had planned. It's been a struggle to regain fitness after my ablation last September. I haven't been able to get in the long runs of 2.5-3 hours that I need to prepare for these races. That was glaringly apparent at D3, so I've decided to modify my approach slightly from a run 1:00, walk 1:00 schedule for as long as I can maintain that to a run 1:00, walk 2:00 in the hopes that I can maintain that for a much longer time before leg fatigue forces me to shift to all walking. That will mean a much slower 50K split, but hopefully a better overall outcome for 12 hours.

I managed to replicate last year's drive out to Milwaukee: 12 hours the first day and stayed in the same hotel. The second day was much shorter, so I arrived at the Pettit National Ice Center just before noon. Bill made sure I had something to eat, then I got to work with whatever Bill needed me to do. Mostly I kept the aid station offerings filled, helped put out the catered lunches and dinners, then cleaned up and put away any not picked up. Some of my other duties were checking in runners, handing out the swag bags, giving basic instructions, and answering questions if I knew the answer. Over the weekend I also helped out with a couple resupply runs to Walmart. Between check-in and manning the aid station, I got to meet a lot of the runners. Besides that I took a short break each day for a couple mile jog and walk to loosed up. Sunday that was cut short when I stepped outside into 90F heat after being in a controlled 55F environment for most of three days.

My 12-hour race started at 9:00 AM on Monday. There were just three of us, me and two women. The other 9 runners were starting later in the week, mostly on Friday or Saturday. That meant that the three of us were sharing the track only with the 10-day runners and one or two others who opted for early starts. It was an uncommon experience for me to be passing people, but with many of the 10-day runners walking I enjoyed the sensation while I could. The staggered starting times meant I was in first place for all of 17 hours and 20 minutes until a Tuesday starter exceeded my total.

Normally I begin a race alternating running 1:00 with walking 1:00. This year at Livingston Oval 6-Hour that lasted a little over 3 hours, and at D3 even less. Finishing D3 was a difficult struggle and only the prospect of a second place finish got back on the track instead of contemplating a DNF. I was miserable those last 5-6 hours and did not want a repetition here at the Dome. My coach agreed that extending the walking recovery might keep me going longer before needing to cease running and walk the rest of the race. That was the rationale behind walking 2:00 instead of 1:00. It worked well in that I maintained the run 1:00, walk 2:00 for 5 hours, roughly double my other races. The main drawback was a slower pace. In this case a lot slower then expected because I woke up Monday morning feeling on the verge of being sick. Because of that I kept my effort even easier (and slower) than I had hoped I could. Mostly I was keeping each lap under 5:00 except when I paused at my site or the aid station to eat and drink, or when nature called. While that was working well as far being able to run longer, it was immediately apparent that none of my primary goals would be attainable except getting a minimum of 50K.

Once I realized that my A and B goals were unattainable, and my C goal very unlikely, I relaxed and chose to enjoy the rest of the race, taking full breaks to eat, walking and talking with the 10-day runners, taking shorter breaks when I noticed my pace was flagging. While all those breaks probably reduced my overall mileage, I felt much better and each time returned to the track refreshed and moving quicker. I did keep an eye on my lap count and mileage. When I realized my lap times walking weren't that much over 5:00, I contemplated whether I could start running again without crashing badly. For simplicity, and as a cautious approach, I chose to wait until there was only an hour left in the race before trying to resume my run 1:00, walk 2:00 schedule. Oops, I miscalculated thinking I would only be running 1:00 10 times, when the actual count was double that. It worked out well anyway. Not only was I able to drop my lap times below 5:00, I even had a couple under 4:30. My last 10 laps were the third fastest 10 lap split in the race and brought my total to 130 laps, 10 more than last year. Those 10 laps are 4.4354 km or 2.756 miles. That brought my grand total for the race to 35.8216 miles or 57.6492 km. I finished my last lap with just over a minute to spare.

While tempted to find the nearest chair and plop down, I resisted the urge and walked several laps to cool down. Bill brought me my medal and removed my shoe tag. I'm not sure I could have bent down to do that and gotten up again. I gathered all my stuff, then called my daughter with the good news, before finally making the rounds to say good bye to as many of the runners, crew, and staff as I could find before leaving for my hotel to clean up and do my best to get a good night's sleep.

While my 50K split was much slower than D3, I never hit a low period when I felt like stopping and quitting. Obviously I finished extremely strong, so I should be able to improve on my total later in the year. More than that I enjoyed this race and never felt miserable or reluctant to continue at any time during it. So far I haven't made any race commitments for the second half of the year, but it will definitely include another 12-hour race and maybe a 24-hour race. Much depends on how well the rest of my summer training goes, which is definitely problematic since heat is not kind to me. For now I'm looking forward to recovery and a July vacation trip.

2024 Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K
A Disaster With a Bright Spot

I should have seen this coming with all the issues I'd been having with recovery in training. I joke about being under trained for these races, but this was taking that to an extreme. In March I ran the Livingston Ultra 6-Hour and was generally pleased with the results and hoped that was an indication that I was on track with my training in preparation for my more important races. Following that race I fell into a cycle of running some good workouts, then needing extra time for recovery. As a result I wasn't able to increase my mileage and my long runs were barely over two hours. I think this was a deciding factor in how the race developed.

Approaching race day I was stalking the weather. D3 seems to have either torrential rain or hot temperatures and sun. This year it looked like it might be near ideal with temperature at the start of 52F/11C and a high of 64F/18C with at least some cloud cover. My taper, however, was not going well. Leading up to the race I was not running relaxed and still did not feel fully recovered from my last hard run. As a result I tried something different for my and took a full rest day the day before, rather than my usual warm up jog with a couple strides. Just in case there was a last minute change in the weather, I packed everything I thought I could possibly need from extra shirts, shorts, and socks, to rain jacket and a long sleeve fleece shirt. That all went in my D3 gym bag. Then I packed my knapsack with Gatorade and granola bars just in case I needed to supplement the aid station offerings. I thought I had everything I would need, then halfway to the race Saturday morning I realized I'd forgotten my signature Tilley hat. It was too late to turn around and get it, but it didn't look like I would need it anyway with no rain in the forecast and it wasn't supposed to be sunny. That brings me to the start at 9:00 AM, two hours after the 24-Hour runners began.

The race amazingly did start off well. The first two laps were a little fast before I settled into running 3:30-3:35 per lap. Add in the time I needed to grab something to eat or drink and I reached 10K in 1:29:58, about a 14:29 pace. I did slow down slightly for the next 10K, but it was also getting warmer and as I approached 20K my legs were feeling the effort. I decided that at 20K I needed to shift to walking exclusively, at least until I felt I could kick it in to the finish. The second 10K was 1:31:25, a 14:43 pace so there was a definite slowing. The sun was also breaking through now and then, enough that I got sunburned a little on my arms and neck. This is when I really missed my hat. Fortunately Bill Schultz, the race director found one and offered it to me. I was really grateful as it made more of a difference than I expected. I had turned down an earlier offer of a hat from another runner, former RD Josh Irvan.

This is when the race started downhill. Much to my chagrin I wasn't walking nearly as fast as I had anticipated and my legs were feeling more and more fatigued. By 16 miles I needed a break and took a 7 minute rest. It wouldn't be my last or my shortest. At this point I actually began considering whether I should call it a day and leave for the comfort of home. It was apparent that 8 hours was unattainable. Obviously I didn't, but neither was it the last time that thought crossed my mind. Three miles later with the day getting hotter, I took another long break; this one was 14 minutes. Now I was running some quick figures and wondering if I even had the energy and motivation to continue an attempt at setting the PA resident single age 77 record. That was, and still is, 8:41:10, held by Al Emma, who happened to be in the race again this year. From this point on it seemed to be walk 4-6 laps, take a short break, and repeat, all the while wondering why I didn't stop. Of course by this time I was also a lot closer to the finish, and stopping no longer made any sense. I even tried to incorporate some short 30 second runs, but after a few laps realized my legs might not hold up to the finish if I continued to push it like that. Now even finishing under 9 hours was no longer in sight. My only incentive, I thought, was to avoid a DNS. I was taking another break, which turned out to be my last, with 13 laps left, when Mike Melton, the timer stopped to inform me that I was in second place. Somewhat in disbelief, I immediately pushed myself off my chair to begin my final push to the finish. Mike hadn't said how much of a lead I had, so I did my best to see that I wasn't passed by any of the other geezers in the race. (The three left to battle me for second place were ages 69, 74, and 83.) I tried to get a good glance at the monitor, but was never able to see how much of a cushion I had. I'm counting down in my head now, reaching first single digits to go, then down to my last mile, then a verbal check with Mike to be sure I was starting my final lap. I couldn't even bring myself to run across the finish.  My final time was 9:11:09.

There's not much of a denouement to wrap up the day. Mike removed the timing chip from my shoe. I couldn't have bent down to cut if off if I tried. Then he brought out my coffee mug as a finisher and this huge plaque for runner-up in the 50K. I still have a hard time believing that happened. Enough time had elapsed from when the winner finished to when I did, that he could have run another 50K with plenty of time to spare. The gap was 5:43:50. I had a lead of 37:56 over third place.

These results are prompting me to rethink my goals for 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour. That's five weeks away, so I have some time to prepare. Part of that preparation will be the Bubbletown What the Duck 12-Hour which will be primarily a social run for me, but also an opportunity for a final good long run before the Dome. The first few days of recovery have gone well, so I still have some hope for a good distance there. I will also be rethinking my race strategy, particularly the duration of my walk breaks, to see if I can extent the time I can run, then work on being able to walk at a faster pace.

 

 2024 Livingston Oval 6-Hour
First Race of Comeback

After my 12-Hour at Six Days in the Dome, I had to address the medical issues plaguing me. Back in a-fib beginning some time before Six Days, I finally agreed to having an ablation scheduled for September. My training response to that left me gasping for breath with even moderate exertion, so I also underwent a heart catheterization to ensure there were no blockages. After that I had to accept that reconditioning was going to be longer and slower than I had hoped. Now almost 6 months after my ablation, I'm finally at a point where I'm ready to race and evaluate my fitness and endurance. I've had some very encouraging workouts, both long runs and intervals, but still bothered by needing longer recoveries than expected.

Packing is minimal as all I need besides what I'm wearing are my running clothes for the race and any food and drink I want to bring to supplement what the aid station has. I can relax Friday morning by watching the Nike Indoor Nationals for high school. It's only a 2 hour drive (providing I don't get lost), which will leave me time to make the drive from hotel to park to be sure I know the route, and also to check out the course. My legs felt very tired on Thursday. I hope that's only a pre-race taper effect, and that another light day or day off will get me back to feeling strong for the race. I'm hoping to hold a 14:00-14:15 pace for 3 hours, then see what I can maintain after that. I expect no less than 20 miles, and think 24 miles is a possibility if I have a good day.

It's only a 2 hour drive if I avoid rush hour around the metropolitan New York area. It took me 2 hours and 40 minutes. After checking into the hotel, I drove to the park to check out the loop and do some walking and jogging to loosen up after the drive. Despite that I managed a wrong turn at a confusing intersection on the way to the race Saturday morning. I checked in and chatted with the race director and one of the runners, both of whom were at the Ethan Allen 6-Hour I ran back in 2019. The race director won that one. This was his first race as the race director. It was very low key with "manual" recording of laps rather than chip timing, but it was entered directly into a keypad and we had results posted online by the time I got home.

Some runners would love the conditions, cloudy and temperatures between 41-45F. That's a little too cold for me. I wore jacket, ear warmer, and gloves the entire race. Mid-race we also picked up some wind and the last hour or so a light sprinkle.

We had a small field of 20 runners and I dropped to the rear quickly except for a walker. We had no leaderboard, so I had no idea where I was as far as place until results were posted online. Also no digital clock or display showing laps, time, lap time, etc., so I had to track all that myself. It had a real old time feeling, which was fine with me as it also meant a very enthusiastic group of volunteers, even when the weather worsened the last hour, and I could focus on the race and not be distracted by the standings. The first 3 miles fell right where I had planned and hoped I would be, in the 14:20 range. My paced slipped after that and I was between 14:30 and 14:40 for the next 11 miles except for the 2 minutes I lost for a port-a-potty break. Naturally it was occupied and I had to wait. One of my goals was to maintain run-walk for 3 hours. That's almost an hour more than I had worked up to in training. My pace hadn't slowed yet, so I maintained run-walk for as long as I could while keeping in mind I didn't want to exhaust myself so much that I couldn't keep a reasonable walking pace to the finish. I finally shifted to walking after 14 miles at about 3:26. I think I cut the margin very close, because any pause in concentration resulted in a temporary slacking of pace. I also had to increase my calorie intake. Except for one mile when I spent extra time at the aid station and one for another port-a-potty break, I was able to keep the pace under 17:00. When I've pushed too hard early in other races, I've slow to 20:00 or slower, so this was a significant victory for me. As time ran down, I considered whether I could resume run-walk, but my metal calculations indicated I probably couldn't gain enough time to complete an additional lap beyond what I could do walking. I finished my last lap at 5:56:41, 52 laps for 22.88 miles officially and 14th of 20 runners.

Overall I was encouraged by my effort and results. I exceeded several goals, namely maintaining the run-walk well beyond 3 hours, and completing more than 20 miles. Mentally I kept myself in the race and didn't let fatigue or the cold, wet conditions tempt me to stop early, even when I reached my minimum goal of 20 miles with 50 minutes left. While I haven't yet registered, my next race will probably be the Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K on May 11th. I would like to run sub-8:00 there, but I'll need the 2 months training and hopeful increase in fitness to get there.