Ice Age Trail 50K: Redemption in 2015

Last year I entered Ice Age as my first trail ultra. I had high hopes and expectations. They were dashed by a combination of heat, hills I was not prepared for, and inexperience. I promised myself I would return for redemption. That was not as easy as it sounds. Beginning with registration, the races are so popular that the server kept crashing before I could finish registering. The RD posted on the FB page to send an email for those having problems and he would see that they had a place in the race. I did, then went for a run. When I returned I was able to register and breathe a sigh of relief. Now it was just a matter of being better prepared.

Even after a couple years focusing on ultras I still have problems with solo long runs. I've gotten to the point where I can run 2 to 2.5 hours at least weekly, but at my pace that's only 10-12 miles. The lack of 3 and 4 hour runs was a big concern. With my work schedule I rarely have 2 consecutive days off, so even the traditional back to back runs weren't feasible. I tried to compensate by more modest back to back to back runs of 8-12 miles each, so I might log 27-28 miles in 3 days, then take a couple easy days and a couple rest days to fill out the week. Missing almost a week of running twice because of illness in the 3 months leading up to Ice Age didn't help either, but when I was healthy I was getting in a good 40 miles a week.

With the winter weather, I wasn't up for trail running. By the time I could get on the trails, I had only a month or so before the race. After a hard fall on one trail that strained my groin, I was even more hesitant to run the trails and possibly make it even worse with another hard fall. I became very tentative, especially downhill which hurt my groin as well. What time I was able to run on hills was on the Mt Joy and Valley Creek trails in Valley forge National Park. They are well used and kept in good condition, so that minimized the risk.

The last factor was the heat. With the long winter and delayed spring we'd had almost no warm weather. When it reached 70F that was a heat wave. I really did not want to have to cope with running unacclimated in the heat for a second year. I don't know if it helped, but I would overdress on my long runs to deliberately overheat in an attempt to simulate warm weather and stimulate acclimation. It was with a sigh of relief to see the forecast for race day drop from the upper 70s to a high of 71F. It was still humid with a high dew point, but the temps weren't bad and it was mostly overcast, so no sun beating down on the runners.

Going into the race I had only one goal, to finish regardless of what it took, even if it meant walking the entire last 9 mile loop on the Nordic Trail or more. I was expecting even with the lack of solid training to be able to run about 8:30. I would love to run sub-8:00, but after last year and my 8:37 time at Labor Pain last September, I wasn't really expecting that. Even so I tentatively planned to finish the hilly single track 13 miles out and back on the Ice Age Trail in 3:30. That would be about a half hour slower than last year, so extremely conservative, but expecting a further slowdown on the two 9-mile loops of the Nordic Trail.

After my usual restless night before the race and waking up before my 5:00 am wake up call, I had a good breakfast, then double checked my drop bag. After a short contemplation I repacked placing some things in my drop bag which I would have at the start/finish area, and others in my knapsack which I would leave in my car. As the day unfolded all this didn't matter as I didn't need anything from it during the race, and the only things I really needed after the race were a dry shirt and my warm up suit so I wouldn't get chilled. I pulled into the parking area at the race a little over an hour before it started. Much to my surprise, as I looked over at the car that pulled in next to me, I realized it had to be one of the RunningAhead trail runners who said he would be there. I introduced myself and we hung out together for a while before the race. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to the time when I realized the RD was making prerace announcements and it was almost starting time. I quickly shucked my warmups and stuffed them into my drop bag. It wasn't until I was actually at the start waiting to begin that I realized I had left my Garmin in the warmup jacket pocket. so I would be running this race with no Garmin, i.e. not knowing how far along I was or what pace I was running. I was more concerned with not knowing the mileage because I wouldn't know how far to the next aid station and how best to ration my water. I was a little concerned about pace and possibly starting too fast as my easy shakeout run on Friday had been at a quick pace for the effort. Hopefully decades of running without a Garmin would kick in and I'd fal into a nice, easy effort that would be sustainable.

At first it felt a little strange not having my Garmin to check. My biggest concern was a too fast start on the very runnable first trail section before we reached the single track segment. I figured if people were passing me I was okay. I also walked every hill though there weren't many until we reached the single track. Last year I think I pushed the effort too hard when walking, especially uphill, so I kept the effort a lot easier this year. Even so I could feel the effort in my quads on the larger and steeper hills. I couldn't remember my times for the intermediate aid stations, so I wasn't sure of my rate of progress until I reached the turn around in about 1:35, slower than last year and still feeling good. I don't think I counted more than 6-8 runners still going out as I was on the way back. I guess that was good as it indicated I wasn't running fast. I joined up with another runner whom I caught up to and ran with her for a while. I was a little concerned about my pace when I pulled ahead because I wasn't sure whether I was moving too fast or she had slowed down. I was still moving strong, though, and felt much better than at that point last year. I reached the start/finish area in about 3:12 and change, roughly 15 minutes behind last year, but feeling very good. Ironically after losing a water bottle on that section last year when I didn't get it clipped in securely, this year I found one identical to the one I lost. I stopped to pick it up and dropped it off at the next aid station. I had 2 loops of the Nordic Trail left. If I could get through the first loop okay, my friend, Mandy, was going to join me and keep me company on the last loop.

My memory of the Nordic Loop was definitely faulty. I had no recollection of all the hills and valleys on the section of the course I ran last year before dropping out. It wasn't that they were big, but it was one after another and some of them relatively steep compared to what I've been used to. Now it makes more sense why I remember feeling like I came almost to a standstill on some of them last year. I picked up a couple more running partners through the first section until we reached the aid station where I bailed last year. I was amazed that I still felt good and strong. They last section was a little easier than the first as well as being a little shorter and eventually brought me back to the wide section at the beginning of the out and back as it turned toward the start/finish area. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get anything like an official split at the end of the loop, but I think it was in the range of 5:20-5:25, which meant I ran the loop around 2:08-2:12 when I was planning on something closer to 2:15-2:20. At least I had a huge cushion and gave me an excellent opportunity to finish sub-8:00, not just sub-8:30.

Mandy found my while I was getting my water bottles refilled and wolfing down another PBJ quarter. I still didn't feel like I was fading at all when I headed back on the final loop. Mandy even commented on how strong I looked. I wasn't until a couple miles in and we started encountering the rolling hills again that I started to fade. It came on suddenly on one of the short, steep hills. I think I could have continued to push, but at this point I wasn't going to take any risks of blowing up. My groin was aching more frequently, requiring more frequent and longer walk breaks. I also noticed the first mild affects of the heat and humidity despite freqently dowsing my head with water. Still we arrived at the main aid station on that loop in good time and condition leaving 4.4 miles to go according to the volunteers there. I continued to drink Coke and ginger ale at the aid stations to wash down my PBJ, and rationed my water between aid station between dowsing my self and drinking it. By now I was alternating between periods of feeling good and even using the downhill to kick start some running, with periods where I felt like I was bareely moving at 20 minute mile pace or slower. Mandy was great in keeping my spirits up and letting me know we had a big cushion to still beat 8 hours. It felt great to finally reach the last little aid station with less than 2 miles to go. I was now being passed pretty regularly by mid-pack 50-Mile runners who always gave words of encouragement too. As we neared the finish, which included a small uphill of course, Mandy turned off to let me run in by myself. I must have had a huge grin on my face because I heard spectators makiing comments. It was such a relief and joyful feeling to pass under the arch across the finish line. Besides the sense of accomplishment and smashing my expectations with a 7:48:44 finishing time, I got a really neat key chain with the IAT mastodon logo.

After hugs and congratulations Mandy got me something to drink while we watched runners finish and kept checking on our friend Amanda, who was running the 50-Mile. Once I felt my stomach could handle real food, I grabbed a brat, fruit, and pasta from the post-race dinner and we found chairs where we could watch the finish better. It's amazing to see the array of emotions runners experienced as they finished, some smiling, some crying, but none unaffected. We finally saw Amanda finish and found a place where the 3 of us could sit and hear about each others race. Once results were posted I checked for my official time and place. the time is above. I was 9th of 9 in the 60-69 age group, 103 of 116 for males, and 165 of 195 overall.

I now have 3 weeks to prepare myself for the Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K. I'm approaching this as merely another opportunity for a long training, then volunteering to help, crew, or pace any runner who would like me to. With the aches and pains I've had after most of my ultras over the last 9 months, I placing a hold on registering for any more until I can find a solution. North Coast 24, which I'm already registered for, is the earliest I plan for my next ultra and I'm not even sure what I want to attempt there as a goal. I may just use the race to keep others company while they run.

Congratulations. 50k on the road is tough enough, on trails it must be brutal.

Congratulations. 50k on the road is tough enough, on trails it must be brutal.

I'm finding the trail races a lot less punishing on my body. While my time was a lot slower than at Clearwater as you might expect with trails, I was also a lot less beat up after the race. No problems with ankles, knees, or hips other than the groin strain which I had going into the race.

George - I'm so glad that you were finally able to finish an ultra in a time that beat your expectations and with a smile on your face.  I really admire your willingness to go outside your comfort zone and push your boundaries.  I hope your post race recovery goes well.

Is this a race you would recommend?  I'm not ready for ultras and trail races yet, but someday I would like to try.  Our local trail races are technical with lots of rocks, which is intimidating, even for a hiker like me.

George - I'm so glad that you were finally able to finish an ultra in a time that beat your expectations and with a smile on your face.  I really admire your willingness to go outside your comfort zone and push your boundaries.  I hope your post race recovery goes well.

 

Is this a race you would recommend?  I'm not ready for ultras and trail races yet, but someday I would like to try.  Our local trail races are technical with lots of rocks, which is intimidating, even for a hiker like me.

Ginny, I'd highly recommend it, especially as a first trail ultra. Good organization, almost impossible to get lost, aid stations close enough together that you only need to carry water, great volunteers. The biggest problem is registration. I think it filled in about 2-3 hours this year. They have a 50M and a HM as well as the 50K. The 50M is the premier event.  Some portions of the trail are a little technical between 2-11 miles, but otherwise a very runnable course. I believe the cutoff for the 50K is 9:45, a very liberal time.

It seems crazy to me to run a 50k only three weeks after running another 50k. But you've become a seasoned pro at this and you seem to recover quickly, which must be a must for this type of race. I have nothing else to say except that these words make me very very happy:

 

It was such a relief and joyful feeling to pass under the arch across the finish line. Besides the sense of accomplishment and smashing my expectations with a 7:48:44 finishing time, I got a really neat key chain with the IAT mastodon logo.

 

Congratulations, George!

This is the most excited and happy I've been after a race since my first NC 24 in 2013. As for the 50K at D2D2D in three weeks, I figured I might as well get in a good long run that day, but I am going primarily because it is local, I want to support it, and I plan to stick around after I finish to volunteer and help out through the night for those running 12 or 24 hours.

Awesome PR and RR wcrunner2!!! Really enjoyed your report.

Congrats George, I hope to do a 50k trail run this next winter.