Notes
So this training cycle I focused a lot more on hill training and most of my training runs I was a lot faster on the hills. Speedwork definitely suffered a little as a result because I was not recovering well enough from the hill repeats. Despite this, going into the race I thought I was ready for a 8:23 minute pace based on my overall trail run pace compared to last year.
The day before I took a half day knowing there was no way I would be able to focus on work. Kristen I dropped off the kids at the grandparents and drove up to Wisconsin to pickup the race packets. After the packet pickup we drove another hour back home. On the way we stopped at a local BBQ place and ate dinner of sweet potatoes, brisket, cornbread, around 5:30. Got home by 6:15 and put my race stuff together, setup my watch to lap at 7.15 miles - if I could hit that once an hour I knew I'd be good. I'm tweaking pretty damn good at this point. Went to bed around 9:00.
Race day got up at 3:30 AM, ate my normal breakfast of oatmeal and coffee and drove up to the race with Kristen who was freaking out about running her first ultra and 2nd trail run ever. Decided to wear a singlet and arm sleeves, carry a 20 ounce hand held and bring only 6 gels on person as there were plenty of aid stations plus aid stations 5 and 9 had hammer gel. Temps at race start were about 47. Perfect.
The course is one 9 mile loop on double wide cross country ski track about 1700 ft of elevation, then and out and back to Rice lake on single track about half flat and half pretty hilly total distance about 24 miles or so. Last part is out and back single track which is mostly hilly - the final 17 miles. None of these hills are extremely long or steep, but there are more than enough to challenge the quads and if you don’t train well enough for the hills you will be walking both the uphills and downhills by mile 35 or so (like I was last year).
Ran into Kevin G. at the start - he schooled me at my last 50k by 20 minutes. He said he was going for sub 7 as well and going to avoid getting sucked into going out to fast. I told him I was going for sub 7 too, but was going to start off very slow. The race starts and 30+ runners take off in front of me including Kevin who was quickly out of sight.
First couple of miles I look at my watch every 30 seconds making sure I'm not going below 8:00 minute pace. Most of it was 8:05 - 8:10. By mile 5 I settled into a easy rhythm of 8:15s. Felt like I was holding back big time. I trade places with a few runners who have finished around 7:30 the last couple years. Eventually they go ahead and I knew I would see them again later.
First loop went by and even with stopping to pee I managed 8:17s or so. Around 13 miles I noticed my GPS said I was running slower even though it felt like my effort was the same. I kicked it up a little and my pace was closer to back on track but effort level felt harder than it should at this point. By the third split I missed pace by over 10 seconds per mile and I was pretty sure things were not going to get better. 8:23 minute pace was just too hard so I decided to try under 8:40 for the rest of the race and keep the effort level in check.
Saw the leaders coming back from the first loop around mile 19.5 for me, close to 24 for them. Local WI runner Zach was in 2nd and I gave him a shout - go Zach! 8 or nine runners pass by in about 10 minutes and then the lead female Cassie S. comes flying by- probably at a 6:40 finish pace! I keep going to the Rice lake turn around. At Rice lake I fill up my hand held, grab 5 hammer gels and down some mountain dew. I lost maybe two minutes here but don’t waste any more time than necessary.
Around mile 23 I pass the 2nd place female, Denise B, who won last year. She probably got sucked into that blistering pace and crashed hard. No time to talk but I tell her to hang in there. Kept going and passed a few more runners. At some point someone yells I'm in 23rd place. What?? Are you kidding me, I thought I was doing a lot better... Running up some stairs before highway 12 on the way back I catch one with my left leg. I almost fall but catch myself but in the act of that pull hard on my back and left hammy. I felt that for the next 3 or so miles. After highway 12 there is a good section of relatively flat ground and I am able to keep holding onto 8:40 minute pace.
Back into the hills I passed a few more runners even though I've slowed down on my own pace. Got to confusion corner (33 miles in) and now I'm on the last out and back. Thank god, I just want to get this done. I am not feeling great at this point, not going to crash and burn but not sure if I can sustain this pace for another 17 miles. Worse yet, I've been dealing with stones getting lodged under the knuckle of my big toe, stopped twice already and it feels like something is wrong and rocks are rubbing on bone. I didn’t really have time to think about this so I dump the rocks out of my shoe and sock and keep going.
On this out and back I get to see 50kers finishing their first 15 miles. I just want to see someone else on the trails running slower than I feel like I'm running. I feel good off and on, but mostly just hurt, no energy in the legs but my lungs can pull air, this is good. Also, I've been chewing on ginger chews which are a total bitch to open. I spent almost an entire mile just trying to open one of those fuckers. These are supposed to help with nausea and no nausea yet.
See the elites on their way back and Zach is in 2nd again now to someone different which I later figure out was the winner - Riddle. My head is telling me I could just turn around at horseriders aid station – which would have me running 46 miles instead of 50. Who cares if it is a DNF, I'm not getting sub 7 so fuck it. Get to horseriders (mile 37) dump my hand held and grabbed some more hammer gel. Didn’t think about DNF once I dropped the hand-held, plus it felt good to run without anything in my hand. Maybe I can hang in there for a few more miles.
Out to Emma Carlin (mile 40) and see Hank (came in 3rd at the crusty 50K) walking away with his stuff. People are slowing down and dropping out and maybe I can up my overall standings even if my time sucks. On the way back I see there are some guys running pretty fast and now I really have to make sure I don’t slow down anymore. Denise (2nd female OA) looks like she may catch me.
I go back and forth between why the fuck am I doing this, you already lost your time, to run faster you idiot you can pick some fuckers off. Back at horseriders - now 43 miles I get some motivation. Less than 7 miles to go. I can run 7 miles any fucking day and way faster. Don't be a lazy ass.
Around mile 46 I catch someone else, ask how he is doing and he says fine. I say hang in there and he says - that's the name of the game. Somehow I manage to kick it in just to put a little distance between us. I continue this for may a mile or so and then fatigue kicks my ass again. Finally get past confusion corner to the loop where 50kers are running (1.5 miles to go) and every one I see is a 50 miler in my head. I focus on passing them and slowly make my way to the finish. At 1 mile left the time is 7:12:1X (yes I remember this). If I push it I can still get under 7:20.
After there is nothing left there is nothing left to lose. I haven't cramped up at this point so all I can do is hurt more. I passed maybe 10 50kers in the last 1.5 miles and finally I realize I can hear the finish. I sprint (well it felt like a sprint but was actually 8:00 minute miles) as hard as I can because I know the finish line is less than maybe a 10th of a mile away. Finally I see the finish line. Now I see a clock with 7:19:XX. I close it down with a sub 7:20. Not what I wanted but better than 7:20:XX.
Nutrition notes - My plan was to take hammer gel every 30 minutes, carry only water in the handheld and take salt tablets/Mt. Dew/Coke when I felt like I needed it. I pretty much hit this except for getting a little lazy with the gel midway through and it was more like every 45 minutes when I took gel. Drank Mt Dew with water at miles 11, 23, 37,40,43,47 and took about 3 s-caps.