I ran 4 this morning. I changed up my schedule for this week after deciding to take a URD yesterday. I'll still be in excess of 50 miles for the week, but a little rest was needed on the front end of this week to recover from the back end of last week.
QOTD: Have you ever had a race where everything turned around for the better after a terrible patch? If so, what turned it around?
Yes. I went through a bad patch at Cajun Coyote 100K. I was just totally down in energy at about the halfway point, and I really wanted to just quit. At that point, there was nowhere to quit. So, I trudged on, still running to the next aid station where I saw people I knew. Seeing people I knew helped, but it was clear that I wasn't feeling well. I moved on to the next aid station and got some potato soup. Five minutes after that, I really felt a pep in my step. Then, I started counting the 100K runners coming back toward me on the last loop and realized I was a little closer to them than I thought. I made it to the S/F area, and a guy made me a quesadilla. Once I hit mile 40 or so, I took off and started passing people I had met on the way in. They were playing out, and I was just starting to run really well. That one race/run has been an experience that I have pulled deeper understandings from every time I am involved in a long race whether I am pacing, crewing, or running. It has helped me stay positive at low points, and I think it has helped me help others. Sometimes, I over-simplify things, but I only do that when it seems clear to me that they have overlooked the simple things. The simple things must be taken care of or they really complicate things.
I think the potato soup was the biggest factor in turning things around on that day. Had I stopped that day, I would have missed out on a great learning experience.
LB2
Faster Than Your Couch!
Good Morning,
Getting ready to run a few miles. Company picnic later in the afternoon. I decided not to submit a pie for the annual pie contest, but go for a run instead...
LB2: When you said "changed up", I thought you were now into heat runs in the middle of the day. But 50 miles is fair enough for some lighter days. What's your next race coming up (seems this ultra-related memory loss is now spreading to my daily life...)?
QOTD: I think my most significant turn around was at Eastern States 100. I had a very hard time on the first 25 miles, with dizziness from heat and humidity, and it also seems that 3 rest days before a race don't do me much good any more. Very steep, long hills, one after another, terrible footing, difficult trails. I was a bit queasy, but not really nauseous.
Still, I was fighting.
I think eating a lot of protein and some more calories when I got to my first drop bag helped turning it around. I might also have adjusted to the heat by then. And when running got really hard, I focused on praying, because a lady had said a prayer for me, right there on the trail, when I had felt so bad that I had to squat down around mile 3, and that prayer had stayed in my head. I had never done that before, but it seemed to help. Maybe it was also because my mind was focusing on getting me in a better state, and I did not allow myself to mentally give in.
By mile 35 or 40, I was in good shape again.
Run for fun.
Le professeur de trail
Morning. I got out last night for 6.5 in the soupy stuff. As I was walking in the house, I saw a huge spider just next to our door ready to jump in when I opened the door. DW freaks out at any spider but this one was pretty big...so I disposed of it!
QOTD: My second 50k, I had a very bad patch miles 16-24ish. I have no idea what turned it around. I just know I wasn't going to drop. I walked a good bit and tried to just persevere. I got to the last section of trail and felt good so I started running again. I flew the last 5-6 miles. It really boosted my confidence that I could do those types of distances.
Two weeks later in my first 50 miler, I had a bad patch somewhere in the first half - nausea, bear attacks, etc. I though for sure I was done. But I kept on going. It got better and I ran well the second half...that is until the last 4-5 miles and then just wanted to be done. I did not know it at the time but I had already completed 50 miles at that point. The race ended up being close to 55 miles (the RDs measured wrong) so we were in bonus miles. Discovering that in the days to follow made me feel much better about the last few miles I was dragging.
Have a great day!
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
7 in the soup this morning. Bleh.
QOTD: Not really. I've only run a couple of marathon/50K length races, one of which went downhill and stayed that way and one of which I got lost 2/3 of the way through and bushwhacked my way to the finish.
Tim
Ran in the fog this morning. Beautiful and a bit creepy at the same time. Couldn't see more than a few trees in front of me at a time. Humid as hell, but it was fun.
QOTD: Sole Challenge 24hr last year. Heat got to me early on and I was spent. Had to rest in the Medical tent for a short bit to recover. Changed my goals and then decided to just trudged along slowly until things cooled off. Night time came and that was the turn around point. People who pushed through the heat were slowing to a crawl and I was getting faster. Ran my fasted splits during the night. Finished 3rd, so slowing down in the heat was the best thing I could have done, giving weight to "take what the day gives you".
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
I ran 7 miles last night on the easier side of Green Lane Reservoir. Nice and warm and sweaty. Loved it. A bunch of hijinx going on out on the lake. Must have been a big camping group of kids out there with kayaks/canoes making quite a ruckus and having a good time. I could hear them 1/2 mile away while in the spruce forest. Tonight, need to get out Coventry Woods and do a simulation run for the 6 hour this weekend. That means I get to walk some hills.
QOTD: Geez, everytime I run Laurel Highlands I seem to have a funk in the early miles. Typically from 20-22 miles into the course. Then I wake up and feel pretty good the rest of the day. Most years I think it's just lack of fueling. A few GU's fixes me up. This year it was the call of the bear. 3 good craps and I felt much better.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
running under the BigSky
Haven't decided if I'm going to run today or not, I may just cruise to this weekends race. Back to back races the two prior weekends and then running more than I planned this last weekend, has me leaning towards cruise mode
qotd: I had a turn around at my last Elkhorn 50k, but it came much to late; hoping I don't need a turn around this weekend
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Been feeling a little sick and run down lately. Probably due to a little bit too much stress, but yesterday was bad enough that I considered talking with my Dr about the possibility of Lyme's. For now though I'm going with the too much stress and work thing, so I called off for tonight's shift at my part-time job. This should allow me to get in a 7-8 mile run this evening and actually plan to get up on the mountain tomorrow.
QOTD: Not really. Once I start to feel bad it's all downhill from there. This is possibly because I don't really run that many long races. The first year I did Rothrock I started to have some problems that quickly escalated to a bear attack. Once that was taken care of it was smooth sailing.
Refurbished Hip
Well, today is day #2 in the air boot for me. My X-Rays came back normal from the doctor, so now we're moving onto an MRI. Stuck in the boot until we figure out what's going on with my foot.
QOTD: I've had plenty of ups and downs in longer races. I can't think of anything worthy of a story though.
Running is dumb.
Well, today is day #2 in the air boot for me. My X-Rays came back normal from the doctor, so now we're moving onto an MRI. Stuck in the boot until we figure out what's going on with my foot. QOTD: I've had plenty of ups and downs in longer races. I can't think of anything worthy of a story though.
I swear you must have the worst luck. Sorry to hear the foot is still not good.
Sue
So I trudge along for an hour this morning with the mutts. It's pretty smoky here. Legs a little tired and knee started to hurt a little; better get out that foam roller.
QOTD: Not that I can remember. I was on a long run and was dying once so I stopped off at a liquor store (I was training for a road marathon) and bought an ice cold coke. It gave me so much energy! I still have a special feeling for coke at aid stations.
several mentions of trudging today...made me think of that guy from RW Trudging Along.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
FTYC: My next run is the Cottonmouth 100 (1st Annual...). Hmmm. Anyway, I haven't paid the fee yet, but I will before it increases. Looks to be a pretty flat course, sort of an out and back (explanation below).
Basically, you leave the lake camping area and run a few miles out to the main trail and turn south. You run 20 something miles to the turn around and head back north. You pass the point where you turned south and go all the way to the Alabama state line. Then, you turn around, do a 4.5 (9 mile total) out and back at another lake and head back to the lake you started from. Originally, I was under the impression that the run would be start at point A, run to point B, and run directly back to point A. I guess it is like that really, but I don't like to go "back" until I have already gone all the way "out". But, it isn't that big of a deal. The vast majority of the race is on single track trail. I am pretty sure there are a few forest service roads that connect the trails, but the only pavement is supposed to be where the trail crosses a road. Plus, my wife and kids will be coming along because she has a good friend who lives near where the race is. I'll be running solo, no pacer or crew. I basically did that at my last 100 because my pacer got injured soon after he started pacing. It should be a low key event, no speedsters yet. I just hope these folks have enough sense to have enough aid station food. I have been to well established events where things sometimes get out of whack and they run out of things like water early. Things happen sometimes, even when you know what you are doing.
15 hilly miles.
It was hot, but not too bad, and somewhat humid, not too bad either. Good conditions for summer. I refilled my water bottle twice at local springs, but I still got a bit dehydrated. Then I ran out of food and still had 5 miles to go, that was the tough part. I overheated then, just a bit, got a headache and was nauseous, but up to that point, I had really enjoyed the run. Oh well, training that mental toughness again. 10 good miles are better than no run. And, best of all, virtually NO FLIES!! Yay!
Edit: Just checked, the dewpoint was around 70 degrees, that might explain the overheating.
Off to the company picnic soon. I hope they'll have plenty of gluten-free food there.
LB2: That race sounds nice, almost like a figure-8 loop. Could be nice to run. And with your speediness, you probably won't have to worry about the aid stations running out of supplies.
some call me Tim
Wow, lots of great stories out there!
10 on trails today at midday ~85 and humid, split up because I elected to finish up at home after my watch died. I feel like this midday stuff is paying off. I went through a couple bottles of water, but never felt overheated.
qotd: A bit. My first 50k I went out with the leaders, then settled for a chase pack through halfway and then found I'd really undertrained. The last 10k in particular was murder and I was walking a bunch. Then a guy came along and passed slowly enough to give me a target. I caught up and we talked- he was a veteran of the race and though we didn't do much but commiserate that connection really brought me back and I got a decent finish. Not a complete recovery, but certainly a turnaround.
ME WEBLARG
8 miles around Echo Mt Cold front comming 69-79 today!
As far as comebacks go sometimes I want the race to last longer so I can pass more people.
Unfortunatly this only happens a few times a year but it feels good.