Ultra Runners

26th annual Glacial 50k / 50 Mile October 14th (Read 547 times)

jjameson


    Slip-sliding away .......

     

     

      I am so sorry I couldn't hang around after I finished. I was cold and tired with a 3 hr drive home. I hope everyone had a good day despite the conditions
      jjameson


        I am so sorry I couldn't hang around after I finished. I was cold and tired with a 3 hr drive home. I hope everyone had a good day despite the conditions

         

        Completely understand.  Shower was near mandatory to wash mud off and warm up.  We left pretty quickly because we had 5 hours in the car.  Just got home.  Had a good time.

         

         

          So how did everyone do?

          jjameson


            So how did everyone do?

             

            Really wet and sloppy.  Some of the downhills were treacherous and standing water all over the trail.  Rained the whole time I think, at times coming down quite hard.  Didn't see DB.  I headed home with my friends, because we had a 5 hour drive.

             

            I thought I went out a little fast but still had enough for very even splits:

             

            2:11 out 9th at turnaround 

            2:11 in

            Total 4:22:??  4th overall

             

             

              Nice! Congrats!
              DoppleBock


                Goal was to win I was 3rd OA 7:58 = Fail

                 

                Rainageddon race report

                 

                Rained 2+ inches Saturday night and close to 3 inches Sunday during the race.  The time I was on the course it rained moderate to heavy for 90% of the time and the other 10% was light rain 5 or 6 times that tricked you into thinking it was letting up.

                 

                Took it out pretty hard ~ Trail was in reasonable shape, but often you had to make the choice between running the single track (Hard packed dirt that had become moderately slick) or in the taller mushy grass.  6 people went out ahead of me and 4 were still ahead at the turn.

                 

                I made the turn @ 25 miles in 3:45 ... but Chris Rubesch was 8 minutes ahead - So he made the turn 3:28-3:29.  The 1st leg back 4.5 miles footing was still reasonable and I hit the same split time as the out.  After that the trail deteriated quickly.  Most places there was nowhere to run that was not slippery and muddy.  Every uphill was an adventure to find enough footing to get up - Most the downhills were as slow as the ups as you slip and slid your way down.

                 

                Something else was happening - Every step I took I was wasting energy.   Energy I had not planned on being wasted when I set the pace the 1st 25 miles.  With 13.3 miles to go I was in 2nd place - My legs were spent.  I really wanted to hold onto 2nd, so I fought as hard as I could.  Many times dizzy and lightheaded before I was forced to walk.   My friend Joel Lammers had been stalking me all day.  We ran together for a couple miles, but I would gap him a minute of 2 then he would be behind me again.

                 

                4.5 miles to go ~ I see Joel again - Damn it.  4 Miles to go, Joel passes me.  I got nothing.  Finally I give in and take the time to get my Go-Lite Wisp (Coat) out of my camelback - 53 is not cold - but 7 hours of 53 and rain, my fingers were not working well.  I ended up wasting a minute or so.

                 

                As I started to warm up, breathing became easier and I was able to run better.  Now I was just praying to see the spur trail (Wade House sign)  I was caught in a time enomoly where time slows down ... finally the spur trail. 

                 

                I look at my watch - 7:40:38 God Damn it!  That is all I needed - From a recent trail run I know If I run the last bit really hard, I can break 8 hours.  I would have been content to just finsih in 3rd - But now I have to go to max effort.  Now I am flying again ... It is either flat or downhill the last 2 miles.  Almost all grass ~ Squishy, splashy grass ~  not mud, but not easy to run fast in. 

                 

                I hit the 1 mile to go sign = 1/4 mile of trail and the last 3/4 on the road ~ 7:50:42.  I know I have the sub 8, I even permit myself to walk 20 seconds on the last bit of mud I will run in today.  I hit the road - Damn does it feel good to have pavement under my feet.  The finish line clock was next to the building and not a the finish line, So I am not exactly sure of my time ~ 7:58:??  Joel finished 7:57:??.

                 

                I only own road shoes and have never had issues using them on trails.  This day I wish I had a pair of trail shoes and theie beautiful lugs.  I fell 6 times.  5 of them when I was in the muddy single track and tried to get up to the grass and my foot would slide out and I would fall into the slop.  Luckily with all the rain, the mud washed away quickly.

                 

                1st Chris Rubesch 7:33 (3:29 / 4:04)

                2nd Joel Lammers 7:57 (3:46 / 4:11)

                3rd  Dopplebock 7:58 (3:45 / 4:13)

                Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                 

                 

                DoppleBock


                  PS - I would like to blame all you 50k-ers for tearing up the trail ... but I think by the time we came back through it was going to be saturated anyway.

                   

                  Congrats Joe - That is a fast time.

                   

                  All my falls were in non-technical areas with lots of soft mud to lessen the impact.

                   

                  I stayed until my last LaCrosse friend came in and hung out with them ~ I think I left a little after 6pm - There were still 6 people on the course ... tamps had fallen to 46.

                  Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                   

                   


                  Feeling the growl again

                    Not quite what you wanted, but you have to deal with what the race throws at you on the day.  Way to fight for it at the end.

                    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                     

                    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                     

                    cgruett


                      PS - I would like to blame all you 50k-ers for tearing up the trail ...

                       

                      You're welcome.  Big grin

                       

                      My ultra debut was a respectable one.  14th overall in the 50K at 4:54.  I was 18th at the turnaround, passed 6 guys on the way back, and got passed by 2.  Ran alone the entire last 7 miles. 

                       

                      Split was about 2:20/2:34.  Like db said, trails were a mess on the way back.  I wore a ss shirt, shorts, and gloves and never had problems with the temperature.


                        PS - I would like to blame all you 50k-ers for tearing up the trail ... but I think by the time we came back through it was going to be saturated anyway.

                         

                         

                        This crossed my mind on the way back.  It was pretty bad when I went through on the way back.  I tripped 3 or 4 times, but never fell thank goodness.

                         

                        All in all I had a fun time.  I also wore a short sleeve shirt paired with arm warmers and gloves at the start.  I ditched the arm warmers, but kept the gloves.  Good thing I did, because when I ditched my camel back for my hand held on the way back I ended up getting chilly.  Who knew the camel back was keeping me warm??  I hit the turn around in 4th place at about 2:32, I ended up passing the lady in 3rd somewhere around mile 25.  Finished in about 5:21 as the 3rd female.  I am super happy with that time as it was only 2 mins slower than my finish at IceAge in May Smile

                          DB - sub 8 on that course on a good day is a great time, in yesterdays conditions is awesome!  Hopefully the achilles is doing ok.

                           

                          Great job out there to all the RA crew!

                          jjameson


                            DB sub 8 is a great time.  Not sure soccer cleats would have helped in that mud

                            Oldfather -- nice job getting 3rd

                            Chad -- nice warmup for JFK.  Were you the "Chad" with the large cheering crowd?

                             

                            I ran out with Vick Asmus to the turnaround.  We took turns pacemaking, changing the lead at every road crossing.  She was definitely pushing the pace, gapping me on the downhills, while I was trying to conserve my muscles.  My energy was fine but my legs were tired from training and no substantial taper.  I ran hard on the way back to the first aid station (8 miles or so) and passed some runners who had gone out too fast.  Saw two more runners leaving the last (or first) aid station just as I came in and passed them pretty quickly as they were walking some hills.  The last 30 minutes I was looking for the "connector" relieved to finally find it and also relieved to find a lot of the last 3 miles was downhill!

                             

                            Congrats everyone

                             

                             

                            cgruett


                              Chad -- nice warmup for JFK.  Were you the "Chad" with the large cheering crowd?

                               

                              Yep.  That was me!

                               

                              Nice job out there yesterday!

                              TeaOlive


                              old woman w/hobby

                                Good going all of you under crap conditions!

                                steph