Homestead 10 x 5K - I did it for the honey!

"I sure wish it was hotter and more humid out... said no runner ever." - unknown

 

After one successful week back running, I had a genius idea... why not run the Homestead 10 x 5k which was the next weekend? Sure I would only have trained for two weeks before the race, and my longest run was only ten miles in the last five months, but what the hell. My knee felt good, and I had wanted to run the 10 x 5k ever since I moved to Charleston.

I thought this was a great race to ease me back into competition since I would not have to run 31 miles straight, and instead only had to run a 5k on the hour for 10 consecutive hours (ha!). I decided to sign up after promising my wife that I would stop immediately if my knee started to hurt.

As a runner, the problem with living in the south during the summer is the heat. This summer has been relatively mild, right up until three days before the race when a heat wave hit the south. I started to rethink the idea of competing in this race when I heard news anchors advising people to stay inside unless they had to go outside, and if they had to go outside to not go out during the hottest part of the day. In the end, I  decided to move forward with my plans to compete because a little bit of heat wasn't going to scare me away.

The morning of the race was overwhelming for me. I realized just how much I missed racing... not only the competition, but the ultra running community/family. There are truly no better, crazier people than ultra runners.

Lowcountry Ultra's Race Director Tim Waz (and closet Alabama fan) sounded a siren to signify the first 5k was about to begin. We lined up to the start line, and five minutes later we were off. My strategy going in to the race was to run the first few 5k's as quickly as I could, and then hold on for dear life after that.  

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

I started off strong and in control, running the first 5k in 20:11. After finishing I quickly grabbed some fruit and water. Before I knew it, it was time to line up again. Off we went for the second 5k, which I ran in 20:18.  I felt good after the second run, but I knew I would not be able to hold that pace throughout the rest of the race. So I planned to slow down on the third and fourth runs, which I did finishing in 21:24 and 21:48.

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

After the fourth run, I noticed a significant increase in temperature since the start of the race. It was extremely hot...  I'm talking so hot you could fry an egg on the pavement.  We later found out the temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and with the heat index it was a staggering 126 degrees Fahrenheit. Downright miserable. 

Nonetheless the brave souls running this race heard the horn which meant five minutes until the start of the fifth race. My legs were hurting badly by this point. However, I found out I was in 2nd place and was determined to stay there. Bren Tompkins, aka Spiderman, was in 3rd place, and I knew I had to stay focused if I wanted to keep my place. So off we went.

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

I managed to run the fifth 5k in 23:06. At the end of this run, I couldn't take it anymore. I made the decision to do something I've never done before... drop from the race. I had my mind made up.  My knee wasn't hurting but my legs were screaming. I convinced myself it was okay to drop since I just started back. I sat down, and sent a text to my wife letting her know about my decision to drop. She had the perfect response, "Enjoy the pain - it was not so long ago that you were wanting to feel like this but couldn't because of your knee." I stared down at those words, and knew she was right (which is rare ;-P). I picked myself up, stretched and then made my way to the start line.

Run #6 went down in 23:45.  Bren was gaining time on me quickly.  I knew I needed one last, hard effort on loop #7. I went out with Bren on this run, losing only a handful of seconds to him with a finish of 23:30. I was a little delusional at this point. I tried not to think about the three runs I had left. 

Fueling up in between runs (Photo credit: Nicole Taylor)

At the end of the eighth run, I finished with a time of 24:03. I was exhausted both mentally and physically. I tried to continue eating fruit and drinking water after each run, but the heat was not helping my appetite. The last thing I wanted to do was eat, but remembering how the award ceremony ended at my last race, I did myself (and everyone else) a favor and forced the food down.

At the start of the ninth run, I was leading Bren by only seven minutes and forty-five seconds. I didn't want to lose my edge so close to the finish, but I knew I could only do so much. Bren took off on the ninth lap, while I was left playing catch up. I managed a finish of 24:20, while Bren moved up two minutes closer to my overall time. 

There we stood at the start of the tenth and final lap. I kept reminding myself this was the last run of the day, as if that would make this run easier.  My legs were squealing... my mind was trying to convince me to walk this one out, but I knew I would be disappointed if I did that. "Pain is temporary," is what I kept telling myself. I also thought of one of my good ultra running buddies, Masumi, who could not be at the race that day - and decided to run this last loop for him. A smile crept on to my face as I turned the corner one last time to see the finish line. I finished the last run in 25:20. 

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

Relieved to be done with my first race since knee surgery, I collapsed (willingly this time) on the grass for a few minutes. I was ecstatic to finish in 2nd place overall, and even more excited knowing that I would receive a jar of Tim Waz's homemade honey.

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to be back running. My knee has made a full recovery thanks to Dr. McKoy at Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and I'm focused on my next quest - Grindstone 100.

Injury Update

"Rome wasn't built in a day." - unknown

So finally after 3 months of no running my knee is... still a no go.  I went to Southern Orthopedics & Sports Medicine yesterday to see exactly what was going on since my own diagnosis clearly was not correct.  After taking some x-rays the Doc came back in to the room with some good news. He told me the x-rays came back negative and that I have no ligament damage.  A major sigh of relief came over me.  Next he performed a physical exam on my knee and said it was mechanically working great.  More good news!  So what was my issue?  His response - swollen plica band. If you're like me, you're probably wondering what the hell is a plica band.  According to the definition on Sports Stars from Dr. Nirav Pandya, "The plica is a band of synoyial (joint lining) tissue which can become pinched between the femur (thigh bone) and the patella (knee cap).  Although we have multiple plicas in our knee, the plica on the inside (medial) of the knee most commonly causes discomfort to athletes."

Wow, this could not be more true.

 The doctor gave me an injection hoping to decrease the inflammation.  He told me to rest for another week and said that should help my knee feel better soon.  After a week of rest, I can resume low impact activities like biking and the elliptical for 2 weeks. I have a follow up appointment with him in 3 weeks where I hope to get the okay to start running again.

For the past 2 weeks I have been biking to and from work.  It is about a 25 mile round trip so I have been averaging about 120-130 miles a week.  Hopefully next week I can resume that plus add in some work on the elliptical.  I'm hoping this will help me gain some fitness back so when I do run I will not have to start off out of shape.  I know I will not be able to just start banging out the miles but within a few weeks I expect to be back in the full swing of things.

I'm disappointed that I won't be able to run Bad Marsh this month (which just so happens to be on my Dirty 30 birthday), but lucky for me, it looks like I may be back in time to compete in the Cremator in July. I really want to run the Double Cremator but I don't want to push my luck too quickly. I plan to  run smart and see how I'm feeling at the beginning of July before deciding on running the single or double Cremator. There is some pretty stiff competition at Cremator this year so although I will not be at the fitness level that I hoped to be at, hopefully I will be close.

Yes, I lost 3 months of running but what I gained was that itch to run again.  I do not have to worry about getting burned out in the summer months which sometimes happened to me.

I know I've been MIA with my running crowd, but I look forward to seeing you all out on the road soon!

Run Grateful Because Every Mile Is A Gift

"Run Grateful Because Every Mile Is A Gift!" - unknown

So things have not gone according to plan since my Delirium 24hr race.  I hurt my knee doing a track workout and had hoped to recover in time for the South Carolina Track 24.  Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in that race because my knee was still bothering me.  I then took a full 2 weeks off to give my knee a rest hoping to recover in time for Fort Clinch 100, which is in late April.  Sadly, last Saturday after a short run it started to hurt again.  At this point I am really frustrated because all I want to do is get back to doing what I love to do.  So now what?

Seeing as my big race for the year is Grindstone 100, I want to make sure I am fully recovered so I can have a stellar performance at what will be the toughest race I have done to date.  I am currently wearing a knee brace to stabilize my knee, and I am staying off of it as much as possible.  I am not sure how long I will be out of commission but it will be at least another 2-3 weeks... possibly more.

I am trying to stay positive but it is proving to be difficult especially since the weather is getting better, and all I want to do is go running.  I used to struggle some days just getting out to run, whether it be because of the weather or just a lack of motivation. I now realize how much I took my health for granted.  I can assure you that whenever I am able to start running again I will be grateful every time I lace up my shoes.  It doesn't matter if I am running along a busy highway, on the beach or some beautiful trail in the woods. It doesn't matter if I am running 1 mile or 100 miles because I am quickly finding out how hard it truly is to not be able to run.

I believe this injury has allowed me a lot of time to really think and put things in perspective. I miss running with all the wonderful people I've become friends with here in Charleston. I hope to be back running with you all soon! Run one extra mile for me!

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

Preparing for Delirium 24hr

"Set your goals high because what a person accomplishes is in proportion to what they attempt."

- Mitchell Naufell

With a little over one week until the Delirium 24hr race, I am trying to finalize my race plan.  Since this is my first 24hr race, I am not sure what to expect other than a lot of pain. The course is on a 1.7 mile trail which is flat and fast, and I am hoping to cover a lot of miles… 140 to be exact. 

Training has been okay but not great.  I haven’t been able to log as many miles as I would have liked heading into this race, but in January alone I have three 30+ milers and another two 26 mile runs under my belt.  My pace varied between 8:15 to 9:00 minutes per mile, and all of my long runs have felt relatively easy.  I’m hoping my long runs have made up for the lack of overall weekly mileage.

As with all ultras, there are two race strategies: 1) start out slow and hold that pace longer or 2) start out quick, gain time (in this case miles) and do the ultra shuffle all the way to the end. I have discovered that more times than not, option 1 is the best option; knowing this, most of the time I still end up choosing option 2.  A part of me wants to see how fast I can run 100 miles and then worry about the rest of the race after that; however, the other part wants me to run a smarter race in order to cover more miles.  Hopefully I will be able to find a middle ground between those two options come race day.  My ideal race strategy, which I am going to try and stick to as close as possible, is to cover the first 100 miles in sub 16hrs.  To break it down even further, I would like to cover the first 50 miles in sub 7:30 hrs then the next 50 in 8 to 8:30 hrs. That would leave me 8 hrs to cover the final 40 miles.

I have wanted to run a 24hr race for a while now, and I am so excited that my first one will be Delirium. I look forward to seeing what I can do, and if I can accomplish running 140 miles in 24hrs. Stay tuned!

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.

Lowcountry Trail Half Marathon Recap and Future Plans

"The more I train, the more I realize I have more speed in me." - Leroy Burrell

Not much has been happening since my North Face race in late September.  I recovered well from the race, and I was back running within a couple of days.  Two weeks after the race, I decided to run in a half marathon.  Just to be clear, my first love is ultra running and that is what I focus on. I don't run many races shorter than the 50k distance; however, I was lucky enough to win a free entry into the inaugural Low Country Trail 1/2 Marathon on Johns Island and couldn't pass up the opportunity to run in a new area.  Plus, this race gave me the chance to see how fast I could run a trail half marathon. Since this was a last minute decision to run this race, I had not done any half marathon specific training but figured I might be able to finish in a decent time.

After a brief warm up on the course, I quickly realized that the course was going to be slower than I thought due to thick grass and sandy trails but nonetheless I wanted to go out hard.  After coming through 2 miles in 11:30 I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain that pace but I still continued to run hard without holding back.  Naturally the part of the course in which we ran twice was the most difficult due to the thick grass. There was also a lot of twists, turns and roots which made me slow my pace down - but I wouldn't expect anything less from a trail race.  I was ecstatic to see 1:23:19 when I crossed the finish line.  All in all the course was awesome. It was well marked with every mile noted with a sign so you knew where you were on the course at all times.

Going out 'balls to the wall' for this half marathon made me think about trying to run a fast 50k. Being so close to Charleston I think the Mad Marsh 50K would be a perfect course to set a fast 50k pr.  I am hoping I can find the right balance of speed work and mileage over the next couple of weeks to put a good race together. I have come up with a plan, and pending any injuries, I think that I'll be able to achieve my goal.

Beyond that, I am thinking about running in the Lookout 50 miler in December. I heard it is an awesome race to compete in.  I think I am most excited about the Delirium 24hr race in February. I am intrigued by the thought of running for 24 straight hours to see how many miles I could log in that time frame.  I will be making my decisions about what races to compete in for the remainder of the year and early next year very soon. I look forward to testing my new strategies and seeing what this 29 year old body of mine can do.

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.

Cremator 50 Race Report

"The best pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die." - Steve Prefontaine

On Saturday, July 20 I ran in the Cremator 50 in Beaufort, SC.  This race is part of a race series that Tim Waz puts on called LowCountry Ultras.  The week leading up to the race I tried to determine what my strategy would be come race day - I had two options.  Option 1: Start off conservative and sustain that pace longer, most likely leading to a faster finish time.  Option 2: Go out fast, hold it for as long as possible and know there would most likely be a lot of  suffering in the final miles.  So naturally I chose Option 2. Here's how it went down.


Start Line

My wife and I made the 2 hour trek from Charleston to Beaufort the morning of the race.  We arrived just before 5 a.m. and checked in.  Tim Waz gave a few race instructions to the racers and then we lined up on the start line.  At 6 a.m. 50 runners took off down the road, heading for what would turn out to be a long, hot day of racing.  Ryan Thompson and I had done several training runs together so I knew what he was capable of doing.  Ryan, myself and Jason Flassing took the race out at what felt like an easy sub 7:30 per mile pace.  I decided at that point that I would just hold onto that pace for as long as possible knowing there would be some carnage in the late miles.  Before I knew it, we had arrived at the first aid station and we were now 6 miles into the race.  Ryan was having some GI issues so he stopped to use the bathroom, and Jason continued running about a minute behind me.  I quickly exchanged my water bottle and my wife gave me 3 medjool dates.  This would be the game plan until I could no longer stomach dates. 

The next 6.5 miles went down without any issues, and I pulled into the 12.5 mile aid station around 1:33 into the race.  Still feeling good, I quickly switched water bottles, grabbed some dates and turned to start my journey back down the road.



12.5 mile turn-around

With this being an out and back course, I could see exactly how far behind 2nd and 3rd place were.  At this point, Ryan and Jason were only a few minutes behind me. The two of them were close enough to catch me if I faltered in any way.  At one point I was contemplating waiting on Ryan just to have someone to talk to but ultimately decided against it.  Around mile 19 I was able to see my wife again, and she gave me more dates and another water bottle of cold water.  With the temperatures starting to rise, she poured some water on my back to cool me off. It was one of the highlights of the day!  I gave her a kiss and headed towards the midway check point.  

Coming into the 25 mile aid station, I decided to drop the pace down to 7:40 per mile.  I knew the 25 mile aid station was just around the corner, so I looked down at my watch and saw that it read a little over 25 miles. Apparently, not only was this race run in the middle of the summer in South Carolina with no shade but Tim also made the course long (thanks Tim!) When I arrived at the aid station, I ate some watermelon and oranges.  I put on my music, switched water bottles and headed back out for the last lap.

My legs started to hurt but I was not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I decided to maintain a sub 7:45 pace.  On the way out I noticed that Ryan was only a couple of minutes behind me. Realizing that there were still 25 miles left to run, I knew the race was far from over and I needed to run smart.  After climbing the one and only hill on the course, which was a bridge over the Beaufort River, I decided to slow my pace.  The clouds started to break and the sun came out which made the temperature rise quickly.  I came into the 31 mile aid station right at 4 hrs into the race.  I switched water bottles, grabbed some dates and had my wife pour more cold water on me.

I left the aid station in fairly good spirits, and  I was running right at a 8:00 minute pace.  Then I experienced a first - I could no longer stomach food. I tried to eat my dates but had to spit them out because I started to feel ill.  I knew I needed calories so I tried a gel.  That didn't sit well with my stomach either.  At this point, my goal was to make it to the next aid station so I could try other foods before things got too bad.  I was about 3 miles from the aid station when all of a sudden IT hit me - kind of like how Alan got hit by Mike Tyson in "The Hangover."  I was down for the count.  I was no longer able to take in calories, and I ran out of water.  As if that wasn't bad enough, I stopped to pee for the second time and the color was neon orange.  Things looked grim.  I kept telling myself to get to the next aid station where I could spend a few minutes and recover.  I came into the aid station where I tried to eat several different things, including salt tabs, hoping that would help.  I was finally able to stomach a couple of potatoes and a little bit of coke.  I decided to spend 5 minutes at this aid station so I could prepare for the last 12.5 miles



Forcing myself to eat calories

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At last I was able to jog out of the aid station with two bottles in my hand.  The sun was in full force at this point, and I knew I needed to drink a lot of water.  As I passed Ryan, who was only about a mile behind me, he told me he was dropping due to GI issues. I tried to persuade him to continue running, but certainly understood his reason for dropping. I started to feel my energy levels come back to me but the damage had already been done.  About 2 miles after I left the aid station, I passed Sara Maltby who was now in 2nd place.  She was running well and looked like she was still fresh.  I knew I had a good lead and needed to keep moving forward to secure the win.  I continued running until I started having painful cramps which forced me to start walking.  At this point in the race, I felt like my feet were rubbed raw from running on the hot pavement.  I could feel blisters starting to form on the bottom of my feet, and I knew there was nothing I could do about it.  So I told myself to run for as long as I could. 



Photo-op with Race Director Tim Waz

I finally made it back to the last aid station where my wife was waiting for me.  I spent a couple of minutes there refilling water bottles and taking in whatever calories I could stomach.  Mark Knowling volunteered to run the last 6 miles with me, and I gladly accepted.  Mark and I left the aid station and started to make our way to the finish line.  Given how I felt at the time, I was running a fairly decent pace.  I allowed myself to walk a little bit as long as it wasn't for too long.  It was nice having Mark there to keep me company in the final few miles.  We made one last trip over the bridge, and then we had a little over 2 miles left.  In my final mile I wanted to walk a little bit but Mark convinced me to run the rest of the way.  We turned the final corner, and I could see the finish.  I came up to the finish as quickly as I could where my wife, Ryan, Tim and volunteers were waiting for me.  I finished the Cremator 51 Miler in 7:23:47.  It felt good to be done.  Tim put a medal around my neck and congratulated me.  We took a couple of pictures and then it was time to jump into the pool where I spent the next few minutes cooling off.




Post-win swim

I love ultra running because it's unpredictable. You can train but you're never really sure how you're going to feel mentally and physically come race day.  I read in a race report once that had the perfect statement to sum up my race, "You won't know, unless you go."  I have no regrets about my decision to take the race out that fast.  Even though I know I could have taken it out slower and finished with a faster time, I am satisfied with how my race went. 

Congrats to everyone who made it to the start line and finished!  A special thanks to Tim for putting on this great event!  I am looking forward to participating in some of your other races. 

So many people think that running is an individual sport but it definitely is not.  I could not have finished this race without the help of all of the volunteers.  Thanks to Mark who had no plans to pace me but ended up doing so which helped me get to the finish line. Finally the biggest thanks to my wife.  She had come down with a bad cold just 2 days before the race and still went down and stood outside in the heat for over 7 hours while I ran down the searing hot road in the middle of summer like an idiot. 

Here are a couple of other pictures from the race:


Can you see me?

Feeling good - now bring on the heat!



Not feeling so good!