Delirium 24 hour: The Tale of Two Races

Walking the course the day before

I made my way down to Ridgeland, SC on Friday with plans to run a lot of miles at the Delirium 24 hour race. When I arrived, I set up camp and headed out for a one lap run on the 1.695 mile course.  This gave me a chance to see the course and helped loosen up my legs. There was a little bit of rain the week of the race that left a couple of small puddles on the course, but nothing too bad.  The course was absolutely beautiful as it led you through a tree-lined dirt road and along a beautiful lake. The rest of the night was spent hanging with friends and resting up for the next day's adventure.

Before the start of the race with Lara, female 1st place finisher

I woke up at 6 a.m. on Saturday to a cold chill in the air.  It had drizzled during the night, and the forecast was calling for the worst part to begin just after the start of the race. I lined up to the start line, and at 8 a.m. 143 people headed through tent city and out of sight of the start line. I started out a little quicker than I expected but the pace felt easy.  We made the first lap without any rain but within a few minutes of starting the second lap, the rain started to steadily come down.  According to the forecast, the rain would continue for the next few hours.  With 143 people mixed between the 6, 12 and 24 hour race option, this meant the course was going to quickly become a mud fest.  Lucky for me, I didn't concentrate too much on this since I was running alongside two time defending champ Garth Peterson during the first few laps .

Running just in front of Garth

Pearl Izumi N1s all wet and muddy after 4 hours of running

Lap after lap we went around and around. I made sure to eat some type of gel or fruit every other lap. I planned to stay ahead of my nutrition early on. My pace was relatively steady throughout the morning but never felt quite right towards the end of the morning. All I could do was push through the uneasiness and hope to turn things around. Going through and around the mud was starting to take a toll on my legs and my shoes. After about 4 hours (I think) the rain finally stopped and the sun started peaking through the sky. Since that was all of the rain that was in the forecast and the course was starting to dry up, I changed out of my Pearl Izumi N1s and into a clean pair of Hokas. I didn't plan to wear my Hokas so early in the race but with my N1s covered in mud I had no choice.

Once I changed into my Hokas, I quickly got back into the groove of running laps and dodging mud puddles.  I came through the 50 mile mark in just under 7:30 hours.  I knew my initial goal of running 140 miles was out of the window as my legs were hurting more than they should have been at this point.  I continued to stay on top of my nutrition by eating fruit, dates and gels.... I made sure to grab something after every lap. My stomach felt great, and my energy was high... I just had to get my legs in a good place.

59 laps equaled 100 miles and I didn't start thinking about this until lap 50.  At this point I told myself to only stop every other lap for nutrition.  As I continued logging laps, I began to focus on running 100 miles in under 16 hours.  I crossed lap 58 with roughly 18 minutes until the 16 hour mark.  I skipped the aid station and ran as fast as I could on the dry spots of the course.  Even though I still had 8 hours left to race, I did not care.  I wanted sub 16 hours. I maneuvered through the largest muddy section very carefully to ensure I did not fall.  Once I cleared this section, I opened my stride. Hollering and screaming I came around the corner and over the line in 15:58:10.  Sub 16 hours was big for me.

Once I hit sub 16 hours for 100 miles, I stopped for 15 minutes or so.  I sat at the aid station for a while eating and talking to the volunteers. After that, I tried running but the 15 minute break made my legs stiffen up so I slowly transitioned into a jog.  In my head I really did not care what happened the rest of the race but I still wanted to keep going, even if it meant walking for 8 hours.  I was able to muster up a slight run, if that is what you want to call it.  I knocked out 2 more laps before the 17 hour mark.

At the 17 hour mark, I knew there would be no more running for me. My challenge now was to see  how many miles I could cover by walking and if I could keep my first place finish.  I reached a very low point and my beautiful wife joined me for the next 4 1/2 hours as I walked.  We were covering good mileage until about the 21 hour mark when my pace dropped from sub 30 minute laps to 45 minutes per lap.  I was stumbling around the course like a drunken idiot. I tried to eat every lap to see if I could make any energy return to my body but nothing changed. I planned to call it quits at lap 70 but after a little convincing from my wife, we decided to head out for one more lap.  This lap was a big blur for me.  I was barely able to stay upright, but with her motivation I made it around the loop and back to the finish.  As I crossed the line, I called it quits with 1 1/2 hours to go. I made a major mistake after I finished... I did not eat or drink anything. Because of this, after we took a few pictures... I passed out. I quickly recovered thanks to the help of Tim and Joe, but I learned not to scare the crap out of my wife, other runners and crew again.

RD Tim Waz presenting me with the first place trophy

I ended up running a total of 120.34 miles. The weather made it a long, tough day on the course.  A huge congratulations to 2nd place finisher, Garth Peterson, who finished with a total of 116.96 miles and still looked strong at the end.  Birthday girl, Lara Zoeller, won the female's race and finished 3rd overall covering 115.26 miles. What a way to celebrate a birthday! All in all we had 11 people finish with 100 miles or more.

If you haven't had a chance to run a Lowcountry Ultra race, I highly recommend it!  They are not only well organized but they are also a lot of fun. I'm glad my first 24 hour race was a part of this race series. I look forward to next years race, and I promise not to pass out next time!

Belt buckle for running at least 100 miles in the race

Feeling good at this point

Nice lake view to enjoy while running

Group shot of all the 100 mile finishers (this was right before I passed out!)

A few of the runners and crew warming up by the fire after the race

2013 Year in Review

"People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed." - Tony Robbins

What a year 2013 has been.  It started off with a 2^nd place finish at a cold and muddy 50k in February.  Then in March I had my first win in an ultra at the Oak Mountain 50k.  After that my wife and I decided to move from Nashville, TN to Charleston, SC.  My running slacked for the next few months until we moved in May but I regained the motivation to start logging miles again after the move. 

I have run this bridge many times since moving to Charleston

I quickly realized that running in Charleston is completely different than running in Nashville.  There are very few trails and zero hills other than a bridge in Mount Pleasant leading to downtown.  A lot of the runners here seem to care more about 5k and 10k times rather than 50 mile or 100 mile times but this has benefitted me greatly.  I have joined several running groups, and I run a lot more track workouts now.  My speed has increased, and I have kept the fitness needed to be successful in ultra running. 

I took another win at the Cremator 50 Mile Ultra in July.  It was hot and I did not eat nearly enough calories but managed to build up a big lead and hung on for dear life in the last 12 miles.  The Cremator helped me take a major step forward in my running because it was in that race that I realized I need to take in a lot more calories and stay hydrated in order to finish strong in my races.  I know this should be common sense but it is easier said than done. 

I tested out my new found epiphany at the Long Cane 50k.  Even though I started off with plans of running the 55 mile option I had to drop down to the 50k due to a knee injury.  I felt great taking gels every 20-30 minutes. Even after 5 hours of running I felt like I could have kept going, aside from my knee issue.  The big test was the last weekend of September at the North Face Endurance Challenge in Atlanta.  I took one hour off of my previous years’ time and finished in 3^rd.  I was in the lead through mile 44 but ended up losing it to two great runners.  I took 20 gels in the span of 8 hours and it kept my energy high.  I lost, not because of my nutrition, but because of my fitness.  I finished off the year with a win and course record at Mad Marsh 50k.

Thinking back to the beginning of 2013, I never imagined it would turn out to be such a great year. I had planned some big goals for myself and ended up surpassing all of them. Looking forward to 2014 I am very excited about what lies ahead.  Lowcountry Ultras is starting a points system for their races and at the end of all 5 races whoever has the least amount of points (points are given cross country style; i.e. 1^st = 1 point, 5^th = 5 points….you get the idea) wins the series.  The winner will get some swag plus entry into all 2015 races.  The races include Delirium 24hr, Bad Marsh 50k, Cremator 50 Miler with the option to run the Double Cremator, Homestead 10x5k and finally the Mad Marsh 50k.  I have all 5 races on my schedule for 2014 as I have every intention of winning the series.  If you think you have what it takes, check out their website and come out and challenge me. 

Also on the schedule for the first weekend of October is the Grindstone 100 in Swoope, Va.  This race has a measly 23,300 feet of climbing and 23,300 feet of descending on some of the most technical trails in the nation.  I get goose bumps just thinking about it.  Here is a description of the race on their website: “Grit, endurance, temporary loss of sanity.  You might need all of these if you want to attempt Grindstone.  If you want to finish, well, just keep in mind this is, without a doubt, the hardest 100 miler east of the 100^th meridian.” I have read race reports from all levels of runners, and they have all said this is one of the most difficult races they have ever attempted.

Other than the races I mentioned, I would love to add 1-2 more races to my schedule. Right now I am thinking I would like to add a 50 or 100 mile race in the spring on the East Coast - so if you know of a good one, please let me know. 

Thanks for reading all about my adventures in running the ultra mile. If any of you are ever in the Charleston area, I encourage you to reach out to me so we can go for a run. There’s no better way to explore a new city than through running – trust me.

Revenge at The North Face Endurance Challenge Atlanta 50 Miler

"Racing is pain, and that's why you do it, to challenge yourself and the limits of your physical and mental barriers.  You don't experience that in an armchair watching television."- Mark Allen

After last years debacle at North Face in Atlanta, I vowed to never run that race again simply because it beat me up so badly physically and mentally.  However, there I was Saturday morning at 4:55 a.m. standing at the start line in pitch black darkness, thinking about the events that happened last year and trying not to let them happen again this year.  I wanted my revenge.

At 5:00 a.m. sharp the first wave of runners headed down the open field toward the Pine Mountain trail where we would spend the next 2 hours stumbling through the darkness. Right before we stepped on to the trail, I realized that I was leading everyone. This surprised me as I was running a very modest pace.  After a couple of miles we had established a group of about 5 runners.  It was a great group to run with as we were all chatting and getting to know each other.

5 miles down... 45 more to go!

We came into the first aid station, which was 5 miles in, and I decided to run right through without stopping.  We only had 6 miles to the next aid, and I had enough water and gels to get me through this section.  The trail was lined with glow sticks which made navigation easy so the only thing I had to worry about was not falling over the many rocks that were on the course.  I was concentrating on taking a Clif Gel every 25-30 minutes.  I wanted to stay ahead of my nutrition plan early as I knew it would be difficult for me to take in calories later.  Every time we came to a hair pin turn, I would glance behind to see how many we had in our group.  We had 4 in our group with Jonathan Allen just behind.

Refilling at 11 miles

After a quick bathroom break, which relieved me of my pacing duties, I filed in the back of our group. At the second aid station I refilled my bottle, restocked on Clif Gels and grabbed a pack of Clif Shot Blocks.  Even though it was less than 5 miles to the next aid station I wanted the calories.  I was feeling great and was excited about how the race was going, even though it was early.  When the sun finally broke through the trees I turned off my headlamp and... fell flat on my face.  Are you kidding me!!!!  I make it through 2+ hours of pitch black darkness on this technical trail without falling and within 30 seconds of turning the headlamp off I do a face plant.  Lucky for me, I didn't hurt myself too badly.

Our group of 4 was still together at the 16 mile aid station. As we left, I remembered from the year before that the next 7 miles was one of the harder sections of the course so I wanted to keep a steady pace. Along here our group dwindled from 4 down to 3 and then down to 2.  Not knowing it at the time but Russell Jones and myself would spend the next 5 hours separated by no more than 30 seconds.

Coming into 29.1 aid station

Knowing the 23 mile aid station was just up the trail I stopped to use the bathroom, giving Russell around 30 seconds going into the aid station.  While at the aid station, I ate a few bananas and headed down the trail back in the lead.  After a mile or so there was still no sign of Russell.  I turned onto a new section of the trail and started running up a long dirt road.  I glanced behind me and saw Russell making his way up the road.  I am glad he decided to catch up as it was easier to run with someone than by myself.  Every time we turned the corner, I saw that the trail kept going up; and I would grow more and more frustrated. Finally we turned off the dirt road  and on to a trail. We were then immediately faced with a short but steep climb.  This was a hands-on-knees kind of climb.  I was lucky to have Russell with me as we worked together to stay on the trail.  Some sections were tough to navigate so it was good to have 2 sets of eyes looking for the orange markers.  We finally broke through the trees and into an open field with the 29 mile aid station in sight.  We were running together into the aid station. We made quick work of the stop - refilled water bottles and stocked up on gels.

Up to this point my nutrition plan was perfect.  The Clif Gels were still tasting great and I was able to stomach them.  My legs were starting to get a little fatigued but that's what should happen after running 30 miles on a technical trail.  In the next 6.5 miles Russell and I continued to run together.  If I walked up a hill then he walked.  If I picked up the pace on a downhill or flat - he matched it.  We were making it a point to stay together and if someone caught up to us we hoped we would have the legs to stay with them.

Russell and I coming into 35.5 aid station

As we were nearing the 35.5 mile aid station I started to get really hungry.  Luckily I had some crackers in my race belt so I stopped to eat them even though the aid station was less than a mile up the road.  When I got to the aid station I planned on eating a little bit of everything they had.  I did not want to feel hungry again for the rest of the race.  I ate several bananas, Clif Shot Blocks, potatoes, saltine crackers and 2 gels all while the volunteer refilled my bottle.  To make it go down easier I even had a little bit of mountain dew.  Russell and I left the aid station once again, together. Knowing this was one of the easier sections we decided to run at a good pace in hopes that we could hold off whoever was behind us.

Over the next several miles we were never separated by more than a couple of seconds except when I stopped to use the bathroom.  We were passing 50k racers going the other direction and I was trying to catch back up to Russell.  A couple of the racers stopped to let me by and as I went by my foot hit a rock and down I went.  Yelling words that should not have been said (sorry Mom!)  I stood up and was hit with a cramp.  After a few seconds I started running and finally caught back up to Russell.

39.7 aid station

Coming into the 42.5 mile aid station we were once again together.  We refilled our bottles and went down the trail for the final 7.5 miles.  The problem with running in the lead is you don't know who is behind you and how far back they are.  While Russell and I were staying together, Jonathan Allen was inching closer and closer to us.  We figured he was lurking back there somewhere and it was only a matter of time before we saw him.  We hoped he used all of his energy trying to catch up to us and that we would be able to stay with him. Unfortunately, he passed us around the 44-45 mile mark while we were going up a hill, and I knew I could not match his pace. Russell moved on with Jonathan while I remained behind.  Once I made it to the top of the hill, I tried to put in one last effort in hopes of keeping it close but my legs just weren't able to keep the pace. After a long uphill leading to the final aid station, I knew there was no hope.  They had put a couple of minutes on me with only 2.5 miles left.

2.6 miles left

I made quick work of the last aid station as I wanted to finish in the top 3.  Once again I was in a position of not knowing who was behind me or how far back they were so I pushed with everything I had.  A couple of cramps stopped me in my tracks but I was able to run those out. Finally I came over a small hill and could smell the finish line food.  I looked up and saw the tents of the festival. I took one last glance behind me just to make sure no one was back there.  As I came out of the trail and onto the open field where we started more than 8 hours ago, I was so excited.  I put my hands up in the air as I crossed the finish line in 8:08:05.  I was ecstatic, not only because of my 3rd place finish, but because I got my revenge and knocked almost 1 hour off of last year's time.  I could not believe it.




It was congratulations all around.  Jonathan ran an extremely smart race to finish in 1st with a time of 7:59:20.  Russell pushed Jonathan in the final miles and came in 2nd at 8:03:51.  This was the closest race in North Face Endurance Challenge-Atlanta history, and I was glad to be a part of it.   Below is a quick interview with the overall Top 3 from the race.

                        

Top 3 from North Face: Jonathan Allen, Russell Jones and Me

There were two things that made my race go so well.  For the second race in a row Clif Gels did not let me down.  I cannot express how great these things are.  I ate around 20 gels during my race and not once did I have to force myself to take it because they taste so good.

The second thing that made my race go so well were my shoes.  Thanks to Chris from Fleet Feet in Mount Pleasant for getting me into the Pearl Izumi N1's.  After about 30 miles of trail running the week before the race without any knee problems, I decided to use them at North Face.  With the trail being as rocky as it was I wanted a little more protection than the NB110 could provide, and the PI N1s did not let me down.

I want to take some time to enjoy this race so I am not sure what the near future holds for me. I might take the rest of the year off from racing and focus on the Delirium 24hr race in February, or I might compete in the Mad Marsh 50K or Lookout Mountain 50 Miler later in the year.  Whatever my next race is I hope to build from this race.

Long Cane Ultramarathon Race Report... well sort of

"Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

Sometimes making the right decision is not easy; and in the case of the Long Cane 55 Miler, I had to do something that I had never done before. In the middle of the race I dropped my distance from the 55 mile race to the 50K due to an annoyance in my knee.  For those of you that know me or have met me, you know I never quit anything.  It doesn't matter how bad I feel in a race or how much further I have to go, I would rather walk the rest of the way than quit.  But with two weeks until the North Face 50 I had to think about that race and did not want to do anything that would prevent me from seeking my revenge at North Face this year (read last years report on how North Face beat me up.)

Long Cane Ultra is a part of the Ultra on Trails series that Terri Hayes puts on.  This is a series of FREE races that promotes the sport of trail running in South Carolina and Florida.  Terri does a phenomenal job at these races as the aid stations are often stocked just as well, if not better, than some of the other ultras I have competed in.

Instead of boring you with details about my race, I am going to give you the good, the bad and the ugly of what happened at Long Cane.

The Good - With North Face 50 in two weeks, I wanted to use Long Cane's 55 miles as a chance to get a long run in on some trails and to test out my new nutrition plan.  In past races I have always struggled with going out too fast so I was also concentrating on pacing myself.  I did not go into Long Cane looking for love but by the time it was over I was in love with Clif gels.  I ended up running about 35 miles total on Saturday, and not once did I have a low point or lack of energy.  I never became fatigued, and I could have easily run another few hours before I slowed down.  I took a Clif gel every 40 minutes and it did wonders.  It not only gave me energy but it tasted amazing.  I even joked that I might start eating them for breakfast.  I am extremely happy with my fitness and my new, established nutrition plan heading into North Face. Additionally, I ended up placing 1st in the 50K. All in all, it was a nice run.

The Bad - I was fighting an inner battle with my mind on whether or not I missed a turn. The course was well marked and made perfect sense when looking at it on a map, however for about 10 minutes I was arguing with myself that I was going the wrong direction.  Finally, I decided to turn around and run back until I came across another runner.  It took about a mile until I finally saw someone else, who then confirmed I was going in the right direction. In the end my paranoia about missing a turn was wrong and cost me about 2 miles.

The Ugly - About 25 miles into the race my right knee started to hurt.  I have no clue where this came from as I had never felt this before.  I came into the 27 mile aid station right at 4 hrs into the race, and physically I felt fine except for my knee.  It was hurting badly but I knew I at least wanted to finish the 50K option.  I took some ibuprofen and ran/walked the last 4 miles to the finish.

With the knee issue aside, when I reflect on my run at Long Cane I can be happy with the fact that I got 5 hrs of running in on a beautiful trail without any muscle fatigue or soreness.  The Long Cane trail had a good mixture of rocks, roots, hills and even a water crossing or two.  It was definitely a good trail to run to help prepare me for North Face. Hopefully my knee will not hurt at North Face because I have the fitness and nutrition plan that will allow me to get my revenge.

Off we go!

5 hours later - finally finished!