My race goals:
1. 11-12 hour finish. Sub 11 would be nice too, but likely out of reach for me.
2. Stay steady and don't get injured.
3. Nail the nutrition and hydration.
My strategies:
1. Break the race up into 5 mile increments, and keep each one between 60-70 minutes.
2. Run aid station to aid station, don't focus on the entire distance.
3. Eat on schedule no matter what, drink more than you think you can, and be realistic.
Race morning: Up at 4am for 2 eggs (forgot the half of Powerbar until we got to the site) and coffee. My stuff was pre-packed and ready to go so dressing. TH had Lose Yourself to play for in the car on the drive, we got busy with the driving and didn't play it, but I took the music in my head for the day. It was still dark, and a million stars were overhead in a dazzling array. Smoke and ash from the campfires sprinkled out of the dark into the headlamps. Everything was so still and quiet, but the prerace buzz was everywhere. We met up with TV and M and did our little rituals. TH kept me moving and on target, which led to a very quick and slick prep.
The report will break up the race into 5 mile increments. Another way to look at it was by the aid stations, positioned roughly every 5 miles, so there will be some overlap in how I analyze this.The garmin wasn't accurate over the course (it ended the first loop at 25.5, and the race at 52 miles), but it's close enough for me to gauge time over the roughly 5 mile intervals. Not once did I look at my HR during the race.
Miles 0-5: 66 minutes 132 bpm. As I'm finding with ultras, the start is more of a casual gathering, often in the dark with the size of the site being all you can see from the cumulative headlamps. The "go" was just a simple signal, and we were off and running...for about 100y before the group choked together at the start of the trail. We walked, still all smiles and jokes, and I enjoyed the easing into the run. TV was right behind me, and soon enough the groups broke up and we ended up near the front of a small train that was moving easy for their 100M run -- so a little too easy for me. I needed to break out and settle into my own pace. At 1.9 miles and 30 mins, I knew I needed out. Hi-5 to TV, then passed the two girls ahead of me. I wasn't moving much faster, I just needed my own space. But I missed the company. Soon enough the headlamp wasn't needed, the sunrise was slow and soft--a light glow that led to soft shadows that soon enough was a crisp, golden sunlight. As you can tell, the first 5 miles were quite pleasant, and I was very happy to see that even though it seemed like I walked too much I was still within my time goals.
Miles 6-10: 61-62 minutes 134 bpm. After a brief aid station stop, I kept on. TV was behind me--I could hear him talking and laughing. I wanted to run with him, but feared our paces wouldn't match and one of us would be pushed or pulled into the wrong pace. Rolling, rolling, everything running along and a song in my head. I was humming my race theme song "Have A Nice Day", along with It's My Life and Lose Yourself. Passed a few women, then started leap-frogging with two guys and often found myself having to "reel it in" and slow down the pace. There was a section of trail on a paved road, pleasantly downhill, then an AS stop. Saw TV again, managed a dry crossing of Brazil Creek, then got into a group with 4 other runners--the leap-froggers and two women.
Miles 11-15: 56 minutes 143bpm. This little train of runners set a smooth and quick pace, I was in the middle of a group that spoke not a word for the first few miles. It helped that this interval was a fast section of course. So far we'd seen lots of rocks--big and small and gravely, one major hill, roots, dirt, rolling hills, but now we were getting long slow declines on smooth ground. It might have been too fast, maybe too much? I eventually passed the two women, then me and my leap-froggers moved ahead. I wondered a few times if I was being pushed by the runners behind me, but I kept to it anyway. In this section I had a hard trip over what was probably a root and had a near-fall. About a mile later, I did it again. Ack!
Miles 16-20: 62 minutes 138 bpm. I was running alone again in this segment, through another quick section of smooth declines and easy trail. I kept getting the distances messed up in my head, thinking that 20 miles was the start/finish area. I also kept getting the mental map of the race messed up. When we ran this in June, we ran clockwise, but in my head it was c-clockwise! Even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn't over-write the memory. That problem carried into today, I had to keep correcting my mental GPS. So a little confusion in this section, and the first signs of mental fatigue were kicking in. I started on a bag of Sport Beans with caffeine to see if things improved. BTW-cherry SB's taste awful.
Miles 21-25: 63 minutes 139 bpm. This loop took me into the start/finish and ended the first lap. I kept myself going in two ways. First, I was really looking forward to seeing TH. All during the run, every time I thought about her (what was she doing, was she resting her arm, was she volunteering) and every time I had a What Would T Tell Me To Do moment I took a sip of water. I felt like I had so much to tell her, all these things happening in the race! Second, I had delusions of my place in the race. I'd passed a number of females and saw none ahead of me. So I had a voice in my head saying "I wonder if we're near the front". A delusion for sure--the front runners were hours ahead of me--but oddly enough the delusion kept me focused. At the same time that voice spoke up, another countered with a "don't be so foolish". But once I realized it was working for me, I let them argue it out.
Miles 26-30: 70 minutes 134 bpm. This section contained the stop at the drop bag. MV refilled my Camelbak and TH grabbed my drop bag. It was like a Nascar stop! Left to my own devices, I would have stopped longer, but TH kept me focused. Bathroom break (sadly my first in the race, even though I had to pee 10 miles earlier, I was worried my leap-froggers would pass me again see me!), then off for more miles. Knowing that walking didn't affect my time much the first time I came through here helped me relax some. I kept thinking--slowing down now is GOOD, bank the energy, reel it in. I even did a fishing reel motion with my somewhat swollen hands. It seemed to take forever to get to the next aid station, I swear they moved it!
Miles 31-35: 66 minutes 135 bpm. This next section was the first indication of a breakdown in physical terms. The first twinges of knee problems started in this section. I knew the 2nd AS was just over 4 miles away and after the pavement section, so I found some comfort in knowing this was a "short" section. I got a little mentally distracted with the Garmin being off mileage. It read 35 miles as I came into the AS at 34 miles. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. The 2nd AS near the creek came and went (saw TV again!), had a few moments of the Garmin losing satellite signal (more mental distraction), another dry crossing, then off to the next AS.
Miles 36-40: 65 minutes 134 bpm. The next AS was 6 miles away, which didn't seem bad at first. In my head, I told myself that I'd trained to 30 miles multiple times so 30 mile is easy. After that, 35 miles ain't so bad. Then just 15 more! But this section drug out so long, and looking back I'd put the "halfway" mark of the race right here. This is where the "race begins", so to speak. I was running alone until I came up behind a runner I accompanied until the next AS. He was a Korean guy my age who had the most impressive running resume I'd ever heard (15-16 100's, Western States, 314 mi in VolState, and more more more)! Super nice, positive energy, and a calm approach to this sluggish section. This all helped when we both realized we were out of water in a sunny mile of course! By now my right knee was a problem--I was down to fast walk over all rocks--but still moving strong.
Miles 41-45: 69 minutes 128 bpm. This was the "10 miles to go" aid station! TV caught up to me there and I got a much-needed boost from seeing him. I wasn't ready to admit to knee problems yet, somehow doing that would make it real. I was afraid to stop for too long for fear that my leg would stiffen up, so I was in and out. "34 out the door" as I said it. I'd hoped a few of the people I'd left behind at the AS would catch me, and TV did pass me soon enough. But I was struggling. I wanted to run; my knee didn't. The pain was lateral on the right knee, the best I can describe it: a tightness in the connective tissues. Not an injury pain, nothing broken or torn. But enough that I was losing confidence in having a sure step through rocks and uneven ground, so I walked those sections to prevent a more serious injury. I had moments where I wanted to cry, then I was euphoric and dancing to mental music, then the feeling of wanting to cry again. That's a sign of low glucose--time to eat!! I was discouraged to see the increased time on the clock, but I was still within my 60-70 min range. Happy with that, I kept it rolling. The last AS seemed to take forever to reach. By this time I was almost counting the tenths.
Miles 46-50: 76 minutes 119 bpm. TV passed me again out of the AS and headed off to finish his last loop. I was down to a fast walk now. Walking didn't hurt, so I restructured my goals. 1. Don't create a more permanent injury. 2. Save some energy to run across the finish line. 3. Try for 11hrs. I was walking as fast as I could, running on the smooth downhills and flats. I was yelling at myself to run, to dig deep, to gut it out, to HTFU, and I did. But my heart was racing (it felt like it was anyway), my mind was churning ideas, and my knee wasn't having any of it. Soon enough I was walking only the downhills. 11hrs came and went, so I restructured again to finish under 11:23, which I thought would be 2 hrs under my Poto time.
Garmin overrun: 2 miles 30 minutes 116 bpm. The last 2 miles, which were really miles 48-50 of the race, went by in a drawn-out frenzy. I was doing the fastest walk I could, following the "run when you can, walk if you have to" mentality. It seemed to take forever. And then I realized that 13:23 was my Ironman PR, not my Poto time! I needed to MOVE to get a 2hr PR of 11:18. I passed the sign marking the turn-off of the Ozark Trail (the first time by this sign I was disappointed to realize that wasn't the turn to the start/finish area) and eagerly watched for the real final turn. By now I'd been mentally cheerleading myself--2 more miles!! 1.5 more miles!! 1 more mile!! Now I was down to tenths, how many more I didn't know. As I came over the last hill and the clock came into view-- I was motivated to run to beat 11:20. I did! A hi-5 and hug from the RD TL, my medal, and I'm DONE!
Post-race. TH kept me on target getting food, fresh clothes, and rest. When I finally peeled off the socks, tape, and bandages, I was surprised to find a nice fat blood blister on the medial left foot. But that's it--no other chafing, blisters, cuts, falls, blood, injuries--compared to many other runners out there that I saw with real battle scars. Seeing them kept me in my place, and caused some more mental arguing in my last 5 miles. I had a mixed post-race recovery. On one hand, I was in actuality injury-free and very grateful for the complete lack of ankle rolls, falls, or other acute injuries. I finished remarkably clean. On the other hand, that last hour of the race was a walk fest and my body was upset with my knee for being the rate-limiting step in my finish time. But to be honest-- my tummy, mind, and body were just blaming the knee. I really didn't have a lot of run left in me and if it wasn't the knee complaining something else would have in its place.
In summary--a fabulous end to my race season! A PR, a perfect weekend of weather and trail conditions, an awesome sherpa who I can't thank enough, no major injuries, and a certainty that 100 mile races are NOT in my immediate future! I'm not even sure I want to do 50 miles ever again. But I always say that, give me a week. :)
The next day, I was up/down in energy as usual for post-race, but I was definitely happy and buzzing. A song heard on the way home: Good Feeling by Flo Rida. New to me, but it's been on the air for 2 years now.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, sometimes I get a good feeling, yeahI get a feeling that I never never never never had before, no noI get a good feeling, yeah
The mountain top, walk on waterI got power, feel so royalOne second, I'ma strike oilDiamond, platinum, no more for youGot adrenaline, never giving inGiving up's not an option, gotta get it inWitness I got the heart of 20 menNo fear, go to sleep in the lion's denThat flow, that spark, that crownYou looking at the king of the jungle nowStronger than ever can't hold me downA hundred miles gunnin' from the pitcher's moundStraight game face, it's game daySee me running through the crowd full of melee
Is that 3rd line from the bottom a sign that I'll do 100 someday?!
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