Beginners and Beyond

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Jackpot Ultra 24-Hour RR (Read 65 times)

wcrunner2


Are we there, yet?

    2015 Jackpot 24-Hour
    Reached a Milestone, Short of Another

    Once again I'm going after those elusive 50-Mile and 100K distances. Recovery was slow after the Clearwater 50K, but I did get in several solid runs of 2-2.5 hours. The cold weather has been a deterent and also doesn't help with preparations for a race where I expect it to be 80F and sunny. My biggest concern, though, remains whether my ankles, knees, and hips will hold up. Twice now in 24-hour races I've had to retire after about 45 miles and 15.5 hours because of that. The second time led to 10 weeks of PT to strengthen the knee and gain more flexibility. This should be a test of how well that helped.

    Travel to Las Vegas went smoothly except for somewhere losing my charger cord for my tablet, so when the battery wore down, I lost access to the Internet and communication with the outside world. Arriving as early as I did on Thursday, we had a group meeting for dinner both Thursday and Friday. Everyone in the groups were new to me, though I also expected to see many friends from last year's race on Saturday.  

    For once I also got a good night's sleep, though with the time difference I was up at 4:00 am. After a few attempts to get a little more sleep, I finally got up, repacked my knapsack for the race, eat breakfast, and drove over to Cornerstone Park for the race. I was one of the early arrivals and just dropped my knapsack by one of the light poles just before the turn around near mile 1. That made it easily accessible during the race without having to leave the course. For the next hour or so I wandered around looking for friends including Katrina, June, and Kelly who would win the 24-hour race and pass 100 miles before the winner of the 100 mile race did. It was the first time I'd met Kelly, knowing him only through RunningAhead and his blog. He had a much appreciated encouraging word for me whenever he passed me during the race.

    There was one minor change in the course. The RDs moved the start and finish up past the aid station rather than before it. At a couple points this turned into a minor inconvenience when I decided I needed to go back to the aid station for treatment of blisters or my hip and ankle, since I had to be careful not to trigger the timing mat accidentally.

    The race started with a siren, but I wasn't really sure at first because no one seemed to be moving yet. With most of us going 24-hours or 100 miles, there wasn't the same sense of urgency found in road races. With my main goal of being on my feet and moving until the next morning, I was in no hurry either. After the way my quads were trashed early at Clearwater, I shortened the run segments and lengthened the walk segments. I didn't have any clear timed interval to make the transition and used the undulating course profile for most of them, walking on the uphill slopes and running on the downhill and flat. If I could I'd run and walk with someone adjusting my breaks to what they were comfortable with as long as they didn't deviate too much from my general plan. I spent several comfortable laps with Katrina, and later Heather. After that my pace seldom matched anyone's so most of the rest of the race I ran solo. With the course layout even running solo does not leave you alone. There was a constant stream of runners either passing me or headed in the opposite direction, so there was continuous interaction with the other runners.  

    From the start I tried to ignore the pace and focus only on how I felt and moving forward. Nonetheless I noted that each of the early 2.38 mile laps was taking me between 31 and 33 minutes to run, roughly 13:30 per mile. That seemed fine and was slower than my previous races, so hopefully I would be able to maintain it longer. Around noon I could start to really feel the heat. By this time I'd run about 6 laps and was close to 15 miles, and I had been pretty consistent in my laps, but now I consciously slowed and started walking more to prevent and avoid any heat related issues. My paced slowed to 16:00, then 17:00 per mile. Keep in mind that time also included stopping at the aid station to grab something to eat and get my water bottles refilled. After what my legs felt like at Clearwater, I was thinking I only had so many running miles on them, so I used them judiciously so get some variation in my gait. As I moved into the middle of the afternoon and the heat of the day, I was going through two 10.5 ounce water bottles each lap, about half to drink and half to cool my head. I passed 25 miles around 3:00 pm and reached 50K about 4:45 pm 7:45 into the race.

    At this point I really started to struggle. It wasn't that I was hurting in the way I did at Clearwater, it was more simply a feeling that I wanted to stop and rest. I'd been moving for 8 hours now with no break. My worst fear, though, was that if I stopped I'd never get started again, so each time I came around it was an internal debate to find a chair and plop down risking tightening up or continue one more lap. I'm not sure how many laps I walked like that, for my this time that was all I could do. My right ankle and hip were hurting too badly to run on them. It was also in the forefront of my thoughts what had happened at North Coast when I stopped to have the medical staff check out my knee. Even with their expert ministrations, when I got up I couldn't place any weight on my knee and had to retire from that race. I was afraid the same thing would happen with either my hip or ankle if I stopped to let someone look at them.

    Finally near mile 35, e.g. lap 15 when I needed to get at least 21 laps for 50 miles, I stopped to rest attended to by a friend who had run the marathon and finished earlier. At her behest I walked back to the aid station to see the masseuse. I was skeptical, but June insisted she would be able to help and it couldn't hurt anything. Well, let me rephrase that. Her prodding and stretching my hip hurt, but whatever she did, when she was finished my hip gave me no more problems. The ankle was a different matter. The rest itself helped there, but this was something I would have to closely monitor for the rest of the race. Amazingly I did not tighten up and was able to get back on the course moving, albeit slowly so as to put as little pressure on my ankle as possible.

    I wish I could say I continued purposefully, but it was more an easy walk that kept me moving and not much more. It was probably a 20:00 mile or slower at times. By this time the sun was moving toward the horizon so the heat and sunlight was less of a problem. Once darkness fell I stopped to get my little flashlight. While it wasn't needed on most of the course, there were a few places where I appreciated having it with me. The night brought another aspect to the race that I hadn't anticipated. I've been told that it is difficult to maintain focus when you're tired and short of sleep in these races, but the reality was a little scary. At time I didn't know how I got to where I was on the course because I didn't remember passing some of the landmarks. At other times I'm surprised I didn't simply keep walking straight right off the course to who knows where. To say I was in a fog is an understatement. When I looked up I could see the rest of the course and lights moving, sometimes actually see the runners under the street lights, but for the most part it was me in my own little world bounded by the beam of my flashlight except when someone passed me.

    Being less afraid that I would tighten up, I started taking rest breaks as needed to let my ankle recover. One of the crew members for another runner kindly let me use her tent and sleeping bag when I really needed to crash for a while. I would walk a lap or two as I could, then take a break. By this method I reached 17, then 19 laps. Finally I reached 21 laps or 49.98 miles. With 100K well out of reach, I thought I take another break, then get out for one more lap to put me over 50 miles. When I woke up and looked at my watch, it said 7:45. I thought I had only 75 minutes left, so I jumped up, walked back to reenter the course where I'd left it, and started walking. It was only then that it "dawned" on me that the sky was still black and there was no hint of a sunrise yet. Somehow my watch had reset itself 3 hours ahead to Eastern time. I calmed myself and finished my 22nd lap and decided that was enough. I wasn't feeling all that great, and that had nothing to do with the race. By Sunday evening I was coughing and thinking I was coming down with bronchitis. As it is my head is still all stuffy as I type this. It did mean I wasn't present at the finish and missed chatting with the other runners afterwards, but it was probably still the better choice to head back to my hotel to bed.

    While I did finally achieve one of my goals, I also think I need to back off on the longer races and limit myself to nothing longer than 50K until I get the issues resolved with the joint aches and pains when I push beyond that. That still leaves me lots of options, and since many of those races are on trails, perhaps that will help, since I think the pounding on asphalt is a contributing cause. Next up is the Ice Age 50K in May. I still have the North Coast 24 scheduled for September. Hopefully by then my training will be able to sustain me beyond 50 miles and 100K will be a feasible goal.

     2024 Races:

          03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

          05/11 - D3 50K
          05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

          06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

     

     

         

    Docket_Rocket


      Tough but great race for you, George!  Sorry your joints are still giving you issues but congrats on achieving this milestone!  I am sure that with a bit of rest from the longer distances, you will achieve the next milestone soon.

      Damaris

       

      As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.

      Fundraising Page

      happylily


        Nicely done, George. I am impressed.

        PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013

                Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013

        18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010


        delicate flower

          Nice job, George!  Congrats on hitting 50 miles.  I would think 50 miles on asphalt would indeed be torture on the body.  I know my twice-repaired knee would be quite unhappy about that.

           

          Who are these runningahead people?  Anyone we know?  Smile

          <3

          wcrunner2


          Are we there, yet?

            Nice job, George!  Congrats on hitting 50 miles.  I would think 50 miles on asphalt would indeed be torture on the body.  I know my twice-repaired knee would be quite unhappy about that.

             

            Who are these runningahead people?  Anyone we know?  Smile

             

            lace_up, aka Kelly Agnew, who posts mainly in Trailer Trash. He set PRs and course records for both 100M and 24-hours at the race. Nice guy who had an encouraging word when he passed me...many times.

             2024 Races:

                  03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

                  05/11 - D3 50K
                  05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

                  06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

             

             

                 

            GinnyinPA


              Congratulations George.  50 miles is a huge milestone.

              Half Crazy K 2.0


                Wow. 50 miles in one shot is a lot. Congratulations.

                  Congrats on the 50! Sounds like a rough day, but great job pushing through.

                  Dave

                  hog4life


                    Congrats on the 50 miles! Can I be like you when I grow up? You are accomplishing some amazing feats.

                    tracilynn


                      Very impressive. Congrats to you 

                      ~~~~~~~

                      Traci

                       

                      LRB


                        Once darkness fell I stopped to get my little flashlight. While it wasn't needed on most of the course, there were a few places where I appreciated having it with me. The night brought another aspect to the race that I hadn't anticipated. I've been told that it is difficult to maintain focus when you're tired and short of sleep in these races, but the reality was a little scary. At time I didn't know how I got to where I was on the course because I didn't remember passing some of the landmarks. At other times I'm surprised I didn't simply keep walking straight right off the course to who knows where. To say I was in a fog is an understatement. When I looked up I could see the rest of the course and lights moving, sometimes actually see the runners under the street lights, but for the most part it was me in my own little world bounded by the beam of my flashlight except when someone passed me.

                         

                        That's some deep stuff right there man. Reading through it will make this morning's treadmill run seem like a walk in the park for me.

                        LRB


                          When I woke up and looked at my watch, it said 7:45.

                           

                          It is not everyday that you read a line like that from a race report. Geezus man, incredible!

                           

                          Now that you have run 50 miles, completing a 100k seems more than feasible, it's just the ancillary stuff that you need to figure out and you are already on top of that.

                           

                          Congrats on finally achieving that elusive high-water mark and adding to an already distinguished running career!

                           

                          Oh, and you are crazy man. like, loco. lol

                          TrailProf


                          Le professeur de trail

                            Congrats for reaching your goal.  I enjoyed reading about your experiences.

                             

                            Be careful and smart about handling your knees and hips.  I hope it works out for you to hit the 100k mark in September.

                            My favorite day of the week is RUNday

                             

                             

                            StepbyStep-SH


                              Congratulations on reaching your 50-mile goal!

                              20,000 miles behind me, the world still to see.

                              Brilliant


                                Great report and race, congratulations on the 50 miles!  Your dedication is an inspiration to me.  (I think I say that on all your RRs because it's true!)  I especially enjoyed your description of the night-time running; it sounds surreal.   I'm hoping to do a 50 miler before I turn 50.  Maybe Jackpot 2017 is in my future. Big grin

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