Hang 10
Footballguy
Seashore Trail Run 50K
Rewind to last year, where I was talked into signing up for my first ultra with little over a month to train. Bad idea. This race kicked my ### pretty good. Boinked. I had to walk 3 out of the last 4 miles...every step hurt...body was cramping badly. Total torture. I'M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN. 5 hours and 25 minutes.
This time was going to be different. I've had a pretty successful 2013 and I was going to prepare the best I knew how. My mileage is low compared to most you animals but I think ran about as much as I could as soon could coming off a light summer. Averaged about 35 to 40 miles a week for 2 months. This time I was going to keep my energy level up and stay hydrated.
First landing park is relatively flat when compared with most trail ultras but there are few trails that have steady hills up and down. Course isn't overly technical...not many rocks but tons of exposed roots...a little sand. Course is basically 2 loops of the whole park. Race temps for the first day of winter...high of 71.
Better take my handheld water bottle and salt tablets.
Race starts off with a cheesy little run down a paved section where you run out .75 miles and turn around cone and back, then straight to the trails. In my head, my goal has been 4 and 1/2 hours (little over a 8:30 pace). I made the decision to leave a couple buddies behind early and start off running by feel and start churning out low 8's. I feel good...my left quad is bothering me a bit but it's much better than a month ago. Still, I think the hardest thing about races of this distance is the mental aspect. You are so hypersensitive to not only how youre feeling at that moment but projecting how you're going to feel in 10 miles...or 15 miles...or 20 miles. It can really drive you crazy.
I'm chatting with a few runners here and there and a ultra veteran advises me to stay ahead of my nutrition and hydration on a warm day like today. Makes sense to me and who am I to argue? Start taking my taking half a serving of my chomps every 1/2 hour...started out doing a salt tab every hour. Things are going well but I start to rethink the decision to ditch my friends...it's lonely on that trail. It's easy to let negative thoughts creep in when you're inside your own head for so long. I just want to get to half way point and change out of my soaking wet tech t-shirt and into a light singlet. I even pondered changing my minimalist trail shoes to my more cushiony trainer. Get to the bag drop at mile 16 (2 hours 18 minutes 8:38 pace) and bend down to pick up my bag and this is first point of concern in the race. My head is woozy and my hamstrings are tighter than hell. Uh oh.
But it's time to press on. Feeling good in some fresh clothes and back to running 8's...high 8's. 4:30 doesn't seem all that realistic but I'm not really that worried about that anymore. I just want to see this thing through. Mile 18 a giant red flag hits me when I notice some slight cramping in my left quad. How can this be? I've drank plenty of water...I'm taking my salt. Still grinding and there's a 3 mile trail loop at mile 22 to 25 that is the toughest stretch of the course...just get through it and you're golden. That's what I was telling myself and that's the point when my race started falling apart. A mile in and I'm starting to cramp badly...it's breaking me. I start to walk for the first time and then the thought comes over me...you have 8 miles to go YOU CAN'T START WALKING NOW. So I start running through it. I can't drive off my quads anymore so I'm basically shuffling and leaping using my calves only. This was definitely come to Jesus moment. Time to pray. Lord get me through this...give me strength. Amazingly, my quad starts to loosen.
At this point I'm running 10's on the trail where I was running 8:50's or so. I make it to the mile 25 aid station and luckily they have extra salt tabs, so I through 2 more back, fill my bottle with gatorade this time and get back to it. Tons of people are fading because of the heat and some how I start passing people. Get to the marathon mark at 3:59...a little less than 5 miles to go. My other quad starts to cramp BAD...press on...do anything but walk. The goal now is just to get in under 5 hours...more prayer and more grinding. My quad loosens again. Some how I get moving again and my splits get back in the 9's. I'm starting to believe I can get through this.
I get to the aid station with a 1.5 miles left and I'm dying for some water. Take the cap off my bottle and yell...water...water. The volunteers just point to the cups. WTF. I see the pitcher, grab it and just as a volunteer starts to get up to pour it for me..."No...no...don't worry about getting up...I got this."
I'm going to make it...my pace quickens a bit and most people are encouraging me saying how I look so fresh and strong...they have no idea. When I see that finish line I seriously felt like crying...it felt like my first marathon. What a day! 4:45:23 24th overall 7/46 in men 30-39
40 minutes faster than last year!
But I was most proud to have gutted it out...my last 5 miles went as follows
27
4:05:10 + 0:21 (-4%) 10'20"/mi
28
4:14:49 - 0:41 (6%) 9'39"/mi
29
4:24:14 - 0:14 (2%) 9'25"/mi
30
4:33:32 - 0:07 (1%) 9'18"/mi
31
4:42:47 - 0:03 (0%) 9'15"/mi
PS: Sorry for the rambling and typos...I suck at these race reports.
Rewind to last year, where I was talked into signing up for my first ultra with little over a month to train. Bad idea. This race kicked my ### pretty good. Boinked. I had to walk 3 out of the last 4 miles...every step hurt...body was cramping badly. Total torture. I'M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN. 5 hours and 25 minutes.
This time was going to be different. I've had a pretty successful 2013 and I was going to prepare the best I knew how. My mileage is low compared to most you animals but I think ran about as much as I could as soon could coming off a light summer. Averaged about 35 to 40 miles a week for 2 months. This time I was going to keep my energy level up and stay hydrated.
First landing park is relatively flat when compared with most trail ultras but there are few trails that have steady hills up and down. Course isn't overly technical...not many rocks but tons of exposed roots...a little sand. Course is basically 2 loops of the whole park. Race temps for the first day of winter...high of 71.
Better take my handheld water bottle and salt tablets.Race starts off with a cheesy little run down a paved section where you run out .75 miles and turn around cone and back, then straight to the trails. In my head, my goal has been 4 and 1/2 hours (little over a 8:30 pace). I made the decision to leave a couple buddies behind early and start off running by feel and start churning out low 8's. I feel good...my left quad is bothering me a bit but it's much better than a month ago. Still, I think the hardest thing about races of this distance is the mental aspect. You are so hypersensitive to not only how youre feeling at that moment but projecting how you're going to feel in 10 miles...or 15 miles...or 20 miles. It can really drive you crazy.
I'm chatting with a few runners here and there and a ultra veteran advises me to stay ahead of my nutrition and hydration on a warm day like today. Makes sense to me and who am I to argue? Start taking my taking half a serving of my chomps every 1/2 hour...started out doing a salt tab every hour. Things are going well but I start to rethink the decision to ditch my friends...it's lonely on that trail. It's easy to let negative thoughts creep in when you're inside your own head for so long. I just want to get to half way point and change out of my soaking wet tech t-shirt and into a light singlet. I even pondered changing my minimalist trail shoes to my more cushiony trainer. Get to the bag drop at mile 16 (2 hours 18 minutes 8:38 pace) and bend down to pick up my bag and this is first point of concern in the race. My head is woozy and my hamstrings are tighter than hell. Uh oh.
But it's time to press on. Feeling good in some fresh clothes and back to running 8's...high 8's. 4:30 doesn't seem all that realistic but I'm not really that worried about that anymore. I just want to see this thing through. Mile 18 a giant red flag hits me when I notice some slight cramping in my left quad. How can this be? I've drank plenty of water...I'm taking my salt. Still grinding and there's a 3 mile trail loop at mile 22 to 25 that is the toughest stretch of the course...just get through it and you're golden. That's what I was telling myself and that's the point when my race started falling apart. A mile in and I'm starting to cramp badly...it's breaking me. I start to walk for the first time and then the thought comes over me...you have 8 miles to go YOU CAN'T START WALKING NOW. So I start running through it. I can't drive off my quads anymore so I'm basically shuffling and leaping using my calves only. This was definitely come to Jesus moment. Time to pray. Lord get me through this...give me strength. Amazingly, my quad starts to loosen.
At this point I'm running 10's on the trail where I was running 8:50's or so. I make it to the mile 25 aid station and luckily they have extra salt tabs, so I through 2 more back, fill my bottle with gatorade this time and get back to it. Tons of people are fading because of the heat and some how I start passing people. Get to the marathon mark at 3:59...a little less than 5 miles to go. My other quad starts to cramp BAD...press on...do anything but walk. The goal now is just to get in under 5 hours...more prayer and more grinding. My quad loosens again. Some how I get moving again and my splits get back in the 9's. I'm starting to believe I can get through this.
I get to the aid station with a 1.5 miles left and I'm dying for some water. Take the cap off my bottle and yell...water...water. The volunteers just point to the cups. WTF. I see the pitcher, grab it and just as a volunteer starts to get up to pour it for me..."No...no...don't worry about getting up...I got this."
I'm going to make it...my pace quickens a bit and most people are encouraging me saying how I look so fresh and strong...they have no idea. When I see that finish line I seriously felt like crying...it felt like my first marathon. What a day! 4:45:23 24th overall 7/46 in men 30-39
40 minutes faster than last year!
But I was most proud to have gutted it out...my last 5 miles went as follows
27
4:05:10 + 0:21 (-4%) 10'20"/mi
28
4:14:49 - 0:41 (6%) 9'39"/mi
29
4:24:14 - 0:14 (2%) 9'25"/mi
30
4:33:32 - 0:07 (1%) 9'18"/mi
31
4:42:47 - 0:03 (0%) 9'15"/mi
PS: Sorry for the rambling and typos...I suck at these race reports.
Last edited by a moderator:
at my last three race finish lines, so I can sure relate!
my one trail 50k was like this. I took it too slow for the first half mile before we got to single track in the dark, I had to walk portions before it finally opened up and we could pass. Lesson learned- know the course well and be confident at the start; don't sprint, but don't be overly cautious either if the course is one huge choke point.
).
