I'm still alive and well, I'm still alive and well, every now and then its kind of hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

Well, this is the 3rd year in a row of me running the Whispering Pines 12 hour trail run. It's become a winter tradition of sorts. Snowbird in FL for a few weeks in February visiting my parents and run an ultra that is located just 10-15 minutes away from their house. I've been first in this race 2 years in a row. Not a huge deal since the field is typically small but still it's a reason to go  back besides just wintering a few weeks in FL.

This year was sort of big question mark whether I'd make it or not. Three months of battling injuries (October, November, December) where I was running minimal mileage, short dogs jogs, and no long runs to boot. Injury was left knee related, but after some time and google doctoring a diagnosed myself with quadriceps tendinitis. It really took some time to shake it, and vitamin I was not really helpful in treating it. I guess reduced mileage, PT, and time finally made it go away.

Finally at the end of December I started to get some 10-12 mile runs completed and was starting to feel better about my chances of running this race again. Sure I'd be slow but hey ultras are slow, right?! But then some more weird health problems hit me. After nearly choking on some roast beef at Christmas dinner, some other strange GI problems started happening after New Year's. I ended up in the ER a few days after New Years on the drive home from visiting my sister in Atlanta. Ironically an ER just off the Massanutten Mountain (a race I've done a few times) in Woodstock VA. On the drive home I felt horribly bloated, indigested, felt like something was stuck in my throat and was generally panicking and freaking out. I checked out ok, and felt like a fool but something still was not right. My body seemed to be rebelling against me.

I made an appointment with my doctor upon returning home and was referred to a GI specialist who promptly stuck a tube down my throat into my belly and diagnosed me with gastritis and esophagitis. I was put on meds (Prilosec) and a low-acid diet and told to check back with him in 2 months. I guess this was good news, nothing serious was wrong and at least during this time my running was getting better. I had managed to complete a 3 hour run in early January so I emailed the RD and signed up for the race. So promptly after the sign-up, I get the flu and my training is side-tracked again for a week. Talk about undertrained! Oh well, maybe I'd remember what to do once I started racing. Once over the flu I did manage to pull off a 4+ hour run with no issues so at least that gave some confidence but jumped into a "taper" pretty quickly, though one can argue it's not tapering if you only trained 4 weeks!

Silly me, thinking my battles of sickness and crud were winding down. After an uneventful drive to FL we hooked up with my sister, nephews, and nieces who were vacationing at a resort in Orlando FL. We had a great time and the next day the missus and I hit the FL state fair. That night I woke up in the middle of the night with gastrointestinal distress. Things flying out of me at both ends. This was 5 days before the race. I thought it was bad fair food, but turned out it was some virus I picked up at the resort in Orlando, as most all my family had the same crud. Thankfully it was a 24 hour bug thing and by Wednesday of race week I felt somewhat normal again, even managing a few short runs in the FL heat before race day.

Pre-race: Very easy race logistically. 8am start, 15 minutes from my parent's house. Sleep in, eat, drive over, pack cooler with fluids and ice, snacks, gear bag, place on picnic table under pavilion and you are set for the day. Plenty of aid provided by the race, fee is donation only, and a nice 4.8 mile loop course in a shady forest of pines, oaks, and other FL scrub trees. Trail is packed sand and dirt with pine needle coating, flat for the most part, though there are some inclines. Waiting for the race to start I chatted with a few people, runners, people with dogs (yay!) and spotted one fast looking dude. Talked to him for a bit and I suspected he would steal my title this year. His name was Colin and originally from PA but last year he quit his job, sold his house, bought an RV and his family now travels the US during the year, though he calls Colorado home. He somehow knew who I was from past race results and my PA Pretzel Sports Shirt. I told him a bit about the course, and how it could get confusing the first lap, and best just to run that first lap with someone who knows the course. Turned out he chose me as his first lap pacer. Ok, off we go....

Lap1 (50:42): In the past years I have run this race and went out alone from the get-go at a jogging pace. This year I had company! Colin, who I had met before the race and some youngster named Paul from FL who ran 9 loops last year. It was a nice easy pace, or so it felt, but of course the fastest split of the day due to a lack of aid station break time in the split. We chatted it up, ran along, and I showed Colin the tricky parts of the figure 8 loop. I figured he was going to pull ahead in loop 2 and honestly I was thankful not to have to push today. Not that I could. I consoled myself with the fact that these two were 15+ years my junior.

Lap2 (51:30): I took a pretty short break here, just topping off my handheld but Paul and Colin headed out for loop2 just before me. I ran well this lap, keeping within range of Paul and Colin but did not push to close the gap, satisfied to be alone at my own effort.

Lap3/4 (54:00, 59:09): Fuzzy memory here. I do remember some 6 hour runners zooming about and past me here and there, and I think I may have passed Paul at the start of lap4 as he was lounging about the pavilion at the loop end complaining of sore legs. I would join him shortly in that department! Some 6 hour runners who were on their first lap during my third loop missed some turns as I saw runners going in both directions on the course.

Lap5 (67:53): Uh-oh. This is starting to feel hard. I take a few walk breaks on the "inclines".

Lap6 (76:28): I run most of this loop, but my running feels pathetic, and my legs are sore, sort of back in the hamstring attachment points. Sort of a shuffle/stagger effort here but it's all I have.

Lap7 (73:10): I see Paul again at the start of this loop at the aid station. I mention to him that I think I need to walk an entire lap. I linger for quite some time, burning up some time on the clock but find some chicken noodle soup. I have not been eating that well, relying on tailwind, gels and water, pudding and berries for fuel. I head out on this lap with Paul and after he takes off running I continue to walk for almost a mile. Suddenly I had enough walking and give this running thing another shot. I feel better all of a sudden and actually have some zip again in the legs. I catch up and pass Paul halfway through the loop and pronounce myself in bounce back mode. Remember that guy Colin from the start? Despite my bounce back he goes flying by me (laps me) at the end of the loop.

Lap8 (76:33): I waste too much time again at the pavilion at the end of the loop. Figure I will try some soup again, but alas it's not the magic bullet this time. Some young gal who had setup her gear near me at the pavilion heads out for her last lap. I jog by her in the single track section, then she goes by me as I stop for water and a gel at the midpoint self serve aid station. I start "running" again, and spy her up ahead of me walking. It takes me forever to catch her it seems, and I laugh at her about my slowness. "You are nearly walking as fast as I run right now", I tell her. She laughs back and then latches on to me and I become here personal pacer for the rest of the loop, well at least most of it. Finishing the lap I congratulate her on her 6 lap/ultra finish, joke at her for keeping me on a leash, then go about my continued business of suffering.

Lap9 (81:38): All the 6 hour runners are gone now and the trail becomes a lonely place. No one seems to be around. I seriously question my ability as an ultra runner here as I am doing so much walking. I make it through the lap though, and stop to talk with Teri the RD briefly at the end of the loop. She tells me a pretty funny story about a post she made on face-book earlier last month in an attempt to draw out FL ultra-runners to come kick my ass. I tell her I am glad someone else is out there fast today, and ask how Colin is doing. He is still looking strong she says. I tell her that technically the title is still going to be held by a PA runner.

Lap10 (74:30): Just before the start of this lap some other runner comes in just behind me that is on the same lap as me. I believe I am in second now so skedaddle out of the aid station. Paul is behind me and I see him coming in as I am leaving. He needs one more loop to beat his distance from last year so he has it in the bag. I did run this whole loop, surprising given the time, but it was definitely a shuffle jog. Colin lapped me again just as we finished this loop, giving him a great chance to break the record and get 13 laps/100k. Watching Colin today, is like watching myself from last year. We had almost identical times for 12 laps.

Lap11 (74:11): I finish up loop10 at 11+ hours into the race, but Teri the RD will give you credit for any lap started before 11:15 into the race, even if it goes over the 12 hours. With the length of the loop I think it's a good rule, and since I was not going for the win or any records I shuffle out onto the trail for one last loop. Full nighttime now and I must look like a zombie man. How much longer can this nonsense go on and why did I do this again and not just stop?! I bide time during the shuffling by observing the luminescent affect of beads of moisture on the ground alongside the trail. They look like little eyes staring up at me. Now I am pretty sure I am out on this loop all alone but still not sure about that guy I heard before the start of my last lap. Is he still out here? Am I still racing for second despite my shuffling? With a mile and a half to go I swear I see a headlamp behind me. I don't turn fully around to check, and in retrospect it is likely just a light from an out building in this section of the park, but it knocks me out of my slumber and low and behold i can run again. Fairly well too it seems. I just needed a scare or something to knock me out of my bad place. So I run that last mile and a half into the finish quite well being chased by no one but my own made up ghosts. Fitting it seems. It felt good though.

Postscript: Colin was still hanging out when I came in and he crushed his last lap, getting 13 laps completed 10 minutes under the 12 hour time. He was adamant about getting the miles in under the time limit. I totally get that, as I had the same quandary last year but stopped at 12 as I did not think I could push another loop under the 12 hour time. Something I regretted for some time. Anyways, good planning on my part as I had 2 beers (Lagunitas 12th of Never Ale) and of course shared one with him as we discussed our days and life in general. I may not have got the win this year, but forging ahead for 12 hours, getting second, well it was a victory for me in it's own way.

Splits: 50:42, 51:30, 54:00, 59:09, 67:53, 76:28, 73:10, 76:33, 81:38, 74:30, 74:11
Total of 11 laps. 53 miles or thereabouts. Total time of 12:20 and change. I really faded there after 20 miles but hey I kept going and going at least. Second overall however.

Nice work on the 2nd place finish!  Imagine the possibilities if you had actually trained for the race and avoided the GI upset.

Great job. Running races when under trained really takes a lot of will power.

Nice report.

Nice job representing our old man group.

While reading the first 6 paragraphs, all you needed was a broken down car or two and it could have been one of Daydreamer's posts. 

Thanks everyone...

Sue, weather was not too bad. 82 or 83 as a high but humidity was not an issue. I did my usual shirtless run the whole day as it was mid to upper 60's at the start, low 70's at the finish. My main issue was being undertrained, but I forged ahead. Made the mistake of looking back at my race here from last year. I had only one split over 60 minutes and completed 12 loops in the time it took me to get in 10 this year. I will blame it on aging, but dang I must have been in good shape last year.

note to self: no 12 hour races 

that sounds like a real honest to goodness suffer fest- good on you to hang tough!

 

Think I'm bad??  You should see DW's niece's husband.  Something is always breaking, but then he really never works at keeping things up, just tries to fix them when they break.

Actually, I admire that you can fix them.  I'm great with gadgets and wood working, but never learned much about my cars.  Especially now when I don't recognize anything under the hood.