As mentioned in my last post, I decided to treat this race as an experiment. I had not prepared thoroughly, neglecting my long runs as I sometimes do. My decision proved itself a good one when the RD decided, two days before the race, to up the length of each loop to 7 miles instead of 10k. Not a big deal, but it makes a difference.
As I mentioned in my last post, may A goal was to run 2 marathons. My B goal was to run the full 8 hours. My C goal was to break my 50k PR. I realized pretty quickly that, with my training as it was, A and B were probably right out, unless I wanted to injure myself. So I quickly decided on three new goals: break my marathon PR, break my 50k PR, and break my overall distance PR (which was 50k).
I had prepared my drop bag (or rather box) well: I had all the VFuel Gels I could need, extra gloves, hats, shoes, and socks, as well as 4 bottles of Skratch Labs hydration mix. I hoped the constant influx of low-level calories would help me avoid the crashes I've experienced in other races.
Lap 1 (1:01:06 with aid, 7 miles): The race started with little fanfare out of a cul-du-sac. The RD gave the announcements, gave a "ready, set, go," and we all followed a guy on a fat bike, in red onesie pajamas, past the aid station and onto the loop we would run for the next several hours.
I started out slowly, running with a group of people including a recent Chicago marathon finisher. My watch was reading 9:50+ mile pace, and fool that I am I believed it. After sticking with a pack running an almost excruciatingly slow place (for me), I shot off at about mile 2 and left my train behind.
This lap was exploratory at best. I tried to find a pace slow enough that I could maintain it for a long time, but one that was also comfortable. I was going as slowly as I could and still feel comfortable and efficient, but was discouraged somewhat that my legs, particularly my hip flexors and attached stabilizing muscles, were already feeling slow.
When I passed the 4 mile mark at just under 36 minutes, I knew the mileage on my watch was well low (3.67 miles). The latter 3 miles proved much easier than the first 4. I skipped the Break the Stigma aid station, passing several people (including the lead woman) in the process. The last mile or so of the course proved to be rolling once again, but I coasted easily in and through the fully stocked loop aid station, asking only a water bottle refill.
Lap 2 (1:00:39, 2:01 in aid station, 2:03:46 elapsed, 14 miles): Lap 2 began with an unfortunate realization. I took a sip from my newly refilled water-bottle only to find that it was not water, but HEED. HEED tends to make me sick to my stomach, and that one small sip was enough to throw off my stomach. So I had half a bottle of Skratch for the next four miles.
Within the first mile of this lap, I teamed up with another runner (also in bright green) named Jeremy. He had recently run a 50-miler on roads, but this was his first ever trail race. It sounded like it was also his first ever trail run of any sort. Gutsy. But he was quick and good company. By this lap, I had decided that the 4-mile point was my checkpoint. I passed it this lap in around 35:20 this lap, and realized that I was again ahead of my goal pace. Feeling light and comfortable still, I decided the pace was ok.
This lap was characterized by encroaching pain in my calves and lessening pain in my hip flexors. I was still running easily, and even though this was closing in on the length of my longest training run, I still felt reasonably fresh and light. A stop at the 5-mile aid station refreshed my water helped up my mood.
Lap 3 (1:00:25, 22s in aid, 3:04:23 elapsed, 21 miles): This time I took a brief stop in the aid station (my 2:01 stop) for a pit stop, and to grab my next bottle of Skratch. So far, despite the HEED mistake, I was still on track for my nutrition plan: 1 gel every 40 minutes and 1 bottle of Skratch every two laps.
Jeremy had passed me at the aid station, but I could see him darting ahead of me for this entire lap. I think it was chasing him that led this to be my fastest lap of the bunch. Despite being nearly 20 miles into the race, I still felt easy and light as I chased Jeremy through the woods. The 4 mile checkpoint came at under 35 minutes this time, once again ahead of my prior lap.
As ever, the last 3 miles felt easier than the first 4, and I cruised into the aid station to find G waiting there.
Lap 4 (1:07:41, forgot to lap in aid, 4:12:04 elapsed, 28 miles): The 22 seconds must have been incorrect here, because not only did I have time to talk with G, her mom was on the phone and, for the first time I can remember, I had a phone conversation in the middle of a race. That's something I would not consider doing if I were racing in the usual format. After my conversation, I grabbed a few cookies at the aid station, the same time
This race saw the beginning of my inevitable deterioration. I ran for a while with an older runner who had found a good pace early and was trying to keep it up as long as possible. But he kept keeping his feet too low and took two diggers that I saw while I was running with him. After the second, I passed him, running for a while with a guy named Jason, who I had talked to briefly on the first lap.
Turns out, he's a Western States finisher and rather experienced at this whole ultra-running thing. We passed mile 4 at around 38 minutes or a little over, and I knew the wheels were falling off. Nonetheless, we ran in to the aid station at the same time.
Lap 5 (1:16:06, done at aid, 5:28:10 elapsed, 35 miles): At this loop, I took a little extra time. G had gone off for coffee and wasn't back yet, but I took the time to grab a couple salted potatoes. These seemed to satisfy at first, but the switch from gel to solid food left me a tiny bit nauseated for a little bit.
Jason had taken off a little earlier and a little faster than I did for this lap. For the first time this race I started walking more of the uphills. My quads were beginning to get really sore, not cramping this time as they did in the Superior 50k this past spring, they were just shot from lack of sufficient training.
The wheels had fallen off. I had a brief moment of elation at 31 miles (50k) where I passed my farthest distance ever. I told myself after that point that each additional step I took was another PR for me. But honestly I needed more walking breaks than I had hoped I would, and my quads were just getting worse. I passed the 4 mile checkpoint somewhere around 44 minutes.
In one lap, I had gone from mid-9 minute miles to 11-minute miles. I found out a few things about myself in this lap, though. First: I still have the ability to run on essentially dead legs. Second, I get really weird when I'm fatigued (according to G). Third, I am not willing to push myself to the point of injury when I haven't trained enough. If I'm going to pursue longer and longer distances, I need to train more appropriately.
I ran into the aid station, considering dropping out right when I got there. G was waiting, and convinced me that I should take a break for a little and then see if I felt up for another lap or, more likely, a few of the shorter, finishing laps. But once I stopped, even after switching shoes, I was done.
The Loop: The loop itself was really nice, non-technical single track. Mile 1 was an out and back loop with just a few small, rolling hills. Mile 2 took you up to the top of the ridge (on the biggest climb of the course, which was none too bad), then wound over bike obstacles back down into the valley of River Falls. Mile 3 was again single track through the woods. Winding back and forth through the woods, you would occasionally catch glimpses of the other runners flitting through the trees.
The fourth mile shunted you back up towards the ridge and, near the end, along the edge of a cornfield where, for much of the race, a tractor was plowing under the corn stalks. After 4 laps, believe me, a ride on that tractor started to seem really nice. Mile 5 saw the on-course aid station, winding along the ridge before hitting another stretch along the cornfield. With the wind gusting at 25 mph, this section could be pretty cold.
Mile 6 took you tantalizingly close to the major climb at the start of mile 2 (also near the start of the lap), then popped along the cornfields again before dropping back down into the woods to weave through the trees again. The final mile took you up 1 final hill, that seemed longer and longer each lap. But the last stretch into the aid station was blessedly flat, letting you at least look fast when coming through.
Synopsis: I am pretty satisfied with this race. I did not meet my original A and B goals, but they were major reach goals in any case. By the pure fact that I run more quickly than many people, it's harder for me to run an 8 hour race. Had I kept up my progression, I would likely have run more than 45 miles in the 8 hours, even had I walked a 6th lap.
But I was treating this as an experiment. I wanted to find out whether my body could go longer than 31 miles on 15-mile training runs: it can. I wanted to find out whether I could still keep going when my legs said to quit, and I could. I wanted to see how Skratch Labs hydration mix would work for me: it certainly seemed to. I never had the crashes I've had in prior races.
I also learned that I find it really hard to go appropriately slow at the early stages of a race like this. It feels uncomfortable to me to run much more slowly than 8:30 pace on the flats, and 9-minute average miles. Jason seemed to have an efficient, shuffling stride that worked well for him, and maybe I need to work on that sort of stride if I want to try these longer challenges.
Then again, maybe I want to focus on shorter races, and save longer efforts for my own fkt-type attempts. I do know that, if I'm going to do something longer than 50k, I need to a) do longer runs than 15 miles (25-30 would be better) and b) do back-to-back longer runs.
All in all, a satisfying and fun experience.
