It was supposed to be Dawn To Dusk To Dawn, but I was long gone by the second dawn.

This was a late addition to my 2014 racing schedule and I debated for quite a while before finally deciding to add it even though it came only 3 weeks after the Ice Age Trail 50K race. It proved to be a disappointment, but not because of any of the reasons I heard about why running it was not a good idea. I had hopes of setting a couple single-age PA resident records at the race, one for 100K and one for 24-hours. The 100K record should have been a shoo in since there was no existing mark. All I had to do was reach the 100K distance and it was mine. The 24-hour mark was and remains 72 miles, a distance that should have been well within my capabilities. Both will have to wait for another day. I should have one more crack at them at North Coast 24 just a few weeks before my birthday.

Leading up to the race I was finally beginning to feel more comfortable with long training runs. Besides the Garden Spot Village Marathon run in April as a supported training run, I finally managed to complete a 20 mile solo training run. Following that were the 18+ miles run at the IAT50K and another training run of about 16 miles. I topped out my training with a 55 mile week before tapering. My only real concern leading up to the race was the weather forecast. I've had several, actually more than several, bad experiences with heat and heat related issues both at races and in training over the last few years and the forecast was for sunny skies and a high of 77F. Similar conditions were a major factor in my DNF at Ice Age. Thanks to the many good suggestions on the RW and RA forums, I felt I would be able to cope with the sum and heat this time, though it would mean setting aside any attempts to finally complete 50 miles under 12 hours.

Race day started on a less than auspicious note. As I was pulling out the container of blueberries to add to my morning cereal the top popped open spilling blueberries all over the kitchen floor. I finally got that all cleaned up, ate breakfast, dressed, packed the cooler, and carted everything out to the car - then made two more trips inside to add a few things I'd forgotten or overlooked. Then despite having checked out directions earlier in the week, I missed a critical turn and got lost driving to the track. I was not the most relaxed person when I finally found my way, though I had left more than enough time just for contingencies like that. I dropped my cooler and bag on the grass infield not too far from the start/finish and picked up my packet, chatted with my friend Keith and met a few other runners. And of course forgot to apply sunscreen. All told this was not the way I intended to begin the day.

The race was set up starting to run counter-clockwise. There were actually 3 races, a 50K, a 12-hour, and a 24-hour. Every 4 hours we would change direction by completing the lap we were on in the first two lanes where the timing mats were and turning around using lanes 5 and 6 for a wider turn before moving back to lane one giving those who were completing their lap the right of way. With only about 35 of us on the track to start we were pretty spread out quickly. There were some very good runners there so it wasn't long before we slower runners were getting lapped. I was lapped by the lead runner just as I was completing my first lap. Runners were instructed to keep to the inside except when passing or running side by side, though I noticed many moved into lane 2 when walking, but n general crowding and passing was not a problem. Port-a-potties were set up at one end of the track and the aid station was near the start/finish. From what I could tell it was standard fare. One nice feature was water bottles with ours names taped on them that volunteers would refill for us if we left them on the table.

The race started rather informally. As the digital clock counted toward 7:00 the RD said go and we were off and running or walking as was the case a few. I started my stopwatch, then had problems starting my Garmin so I was 5-10 seconds off on that which is insignificant. I just adjusted by first split to compensate. It didn't really matter because there was a monitor just past the timing mat that displayed number of laps, kilometers, and time of last lap so all the information I needed was there. I also knew my Garmin battery would only last 12-13 hours which is why I started my watch as well. With a plan of running 2 laps then walking a lap, mile splits would be erratic and not really show any inconsistencies, so I manually took splits every 5K on my watch. For the first 35K they were reasonably consistent with much of the variation due to stops at the aid station or potty breaks. In any case they were 40:53, 42:18, 42:03, 40:56, 42:09, 44:44, and 43:56. It was approaching noon and so far no problems. The sun was warm but not hot yet. As precautions I was wearing a short sleeve white shirt, a light blue hat, and sprinkling my head with cold water frequently. It was also about this time that I started noticing what was to become the problems leading to my retiring early.

The first symptom was a developing soreness in my right ankle and a feeling that I had little cushioning or support. that probably wasn't surprising because I was wearing a light weight road shoe, the Saucony Ride 6 which already had about 150 miles on them. Somewhere in there I think I may have slightly hyperextended my left knee as well because it was starting to ache behind the knee and feel a little puffy. Just in case some thing like this happens, I had brought along an old pair of Guide 7s. While they did have a lot of miles on them, they also had a little more support which I hoped would help. I started walking a lot more at this point as well, both because of the aches and because it was getting warmer and I didn't want to overheat any more than needed. My next couple 5K splits were 48:15 and 57:34. After that it gets hard to tell what pace I was going because of the breaks. When I finally reached 60K, 150 laps, I took an extended break.

Despite eating frequently I may not have been eating enough because I was feeling a lack of energy. I had slowed to over 20 minutes per mile at that point. The RD noticed me taking an extended break and checked to see if I was okay. He suggested, almost insisted, that I walk down to the building housing the kitchen to get out of the sun and get more food and drink in me. This turned into a break of almost 2 hours as I waited at their suggestion until almost 7:00 p.m. when we had the next direction change and the sun was much lower before returning to the track. Once back on the track I was feeling much better, but after testing my ankle and knee decided I did not want to risk aggravating them anymore and settled into a steady walk about 16:40-16:45 pace and knocked out another 15K. Over the last kilometer or so I could again feel myself starting to fade so I decided to take another break to recover. Once again the RD insisted I come inside, this time to get warm. I really appreciated his insistence since I tend to tell people I'm find and don't need anything because I don't want to be a bother. It wasn't until I got inside that I realized I was slightly chilled despite the temperatures. With being damp from perspiration and the cool breeze, it was easy to get chilled when you weren't moving. I sat and stayed warm for about 40 minutes. While I was feeling better after than as far as energy, I also noted that there was no relief of the aches in my ankle and knee. If anything they had slightly worsened and I could feel the beginnings of a pain in my hip as well. I decided it was best to call it a day and not push myself into a real injury. It's a moot point whether I could have babied myself for another 30K to get that record. At that moment it wasn't important enough to me to make the attempt even though there was plenty of time even walking slowly. In spite of all this, I really did enjoy myself and have fun. Most of the time I was smiling and had some good interactions with the other runners, and the laps went by much faster than many would expect.

Waking up Sunday morning my ankle was a little sore and my knee stiff. I have no doubt I made a good decision, whether it was the best or not I don't know. I expect to have another chance at those records. What concerns me more is whether I'm making a habit of giving up when things get tough rather than persevering through the difficult spots or whether they were really wise decisions. Nutrition and taking in enough calories is still any issue, though hydration seems fine by all criteria or measurements I'm aware of. I expect to learn more about that and about my decision making and perseverance as I plan for long summer runs working toward North Coast 24.

George, it sounds to be like you are learning a little more about managing your body for ultras each time. Not that you are giving up. You are using the wisdom OF experience and knowing your body to continue GAINING experience. Each time you have come away with a few more tools to use the next time. I think you have noted before how different the ultra mentality and approach is from the track and speed that has been your background. You are a shining example of how we can always challenge ourselves to learn and do something new if we are willing to step outside our comfort zone.

Good luck with your summer training and NC24!

Sorry I omitted that number, though it's implicit in the commentary if you add up a couple figures. The final total was 75.2K or 46.7 miles. That puts me in the odd position of having my 24-hour PB less than my 12-hour PW.

I think it's natural to question one's self about whether or not dropping out was the best decision.  As a third party observer though, it sounds to me like the right call.  I think a swollen knee, sore ankle, and sore hip are pretty good indications of that.  Dropping out because it got tough mentally is one thing, but physical injuries are another.  46 miles is still a crapload of miles.  Nice going, George!

Thanks for sharing, George.  Sounds like you are learning from ecah one of this races and that's what's important.  Sorry you were achieve your goal, though.