Hello Blog, have you missed me?
Let’s go ahead and dispense with the formalities. It rained. It was muddy. It was fun! The official results not posted yet.
Arrival at Huntsville State Park Friday at around 1:30 pm found Chris and Miles working hard at getting the aid station set up. My plan was to help them, so pitched in and helped wherever they directed me, including stringing strand after strand after strand of Christmas lights and hauling supplies from the lodge. Oh, and testing said Christmas lights while a torrential downpour was in progress… interesting, but stupid. We did everything we could so that all they really had to do was unload the perishable food in the morning and start cooking. I missed the pre-race briefing, but I ALWAYS read the race document so felt I was well prepared for the race the next day.
I am so lucky to have friends like Deborah Sexton! She organized the hotel room for the weekend and the Friday night pre-race dinner at the Farmhouse Café on 14th Street in Huntsville. As usual the NTTR group was very friendly and we had a nice chat (newbies and ultra veterans alike) before going back to the hotel to get our things ready for Saturday morning.
There were 5 ladies in one hotel room and there were no problems with everyone taking their turn in the restroom. LOL. As usual, I showered and put on my base layer and my socks before going to bed. I put my timing chip on the ankle strap, drank some water and went to bed. When we woke up Saturday morning, the storm going on outside was EPIC! That had been the forecast all week, and we paid to play, so let’s get this show on the road! The 100 mile race started at 6 am, and I arrived at the park in time to see them head out through the woods in the downpour. There were some friends who offered to crew for me because another one of their friends was running his first 50, so I found them and headed to the start at around 6:50, in plenty of time for the starting gun. It is customary to check in with the timing people prior to the start of this race, so I asked where the check-in table was located. When I was told that the timing chip was the check-in as we crossed the mat… I felt a huge pit in my stomach. I had forgotten my chip at the hotel. The stream of expletives that escaped my mouth was another EPIC occurrence at Rocky Raccoon 2012! I never thought to ask for another chip, so I RAN the half mile back to where my car was parked and DROVE back to the hotel to get my chip. It was the DUMBASS runner move of the day.
When I got back to the start line, I threw my car keys at the crew and headed out to the trail. As I passed the timing tent I said, I guess we can start when we are good and ready, right? I was so angry, I think I started with 16 or 17 minutes on the clock, and I had a pretty serious time goal as far as I was concerned, having emailed a pace chart for a 13:20 finish to all my friends with a note that stated “no Crazy outfits this time, I am serious.” Starting the race late does not really qualify as serious, right? As I headed out to join 700 other crazy folks on the trail, I just tried to forget how stupid I felt and focus on the task at hand. I don’t usually run much, but planned to run/walk this race. The 50 mile course is 3 16.67 mile loops and the plan was to finish each loop as close to 4:26 as I could, that would give me an average pace of 16:00 per mile. My finish time for the previous two 50 milers I completed was around 16:45, for an average pace of 20:06; so, if I completed this one according to plan, the PR would be another EPIC occurrence at Rocky Raccoon 2012. Since I don’t have official results and splits, the part of the story where I talk about my loop times will be estimated.
Back to the story – It was not long before I encountered the first of many mud pits on the trail. No worries, the rain had slowed down by the time I started, and I expected the mud, so I just plowed right through it. Trying to go around would just slow me down, and I had some lost time to make up. When shooting for an average pace of 16:00 per mile in a trail race with an aid station every 3 to 5 miles, you need to move faster than that in order to take a minute or two to stop at the station, refill your water bottle, use the potty if necessary and then get the heck out again. I was not fooling around, just refill and run on. The mud… did I mention the mud? 700 other folks had already plowed through the mud pits once before I got to them. Every one was sloppier than the one before. The spot I was most worried about was right after crossing the dam. There was lots of slipping and sliding going on there. I almost sat down and used the hill like a sliding board, but chose to ski on my running shoes instead. I was hitting most of my miles in the 13:00 to 14:00 minute range, so totally making up for the time I lost at the start! Of course, my bad attitude for starting late was catching up with me and my back was tightening up causing my sciatica to kick in. I know, you’re not supposed to talk on the cell while you are in a race, but I called Melissa, my friend and ultra-massage therapist. She gave me some tips on how to release my lower back, which I planned to do at the end of the first loop, or risk having to drop due to the sciatica. I kept powering through and finished the first loop somewhere around 4:00, giving me plenty of time to clean the mud out of my shoes, clean my feet and put on dry socks, and lay on the ground to fix my back.
Headed back out on the trail for loop 2, right on schedule, and very proud I had made up for lost time. Aid stations are packed with ultra fare, which I am not sorry to say, is mostly JUNK. Since starting the Paleo diet a year ago, I just don’t eat ramen noodles, cookies, crackers, pretzels, candy, quesadillas and pancakes. I also don’t drink soda or Gatorade. So, I brought along my pre-mixed ultra fuel (pureed sweet potatoes, dates, pineapple juice, egg white protein powder, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, and a little sea salt all blended together and poured into my fuel belt bottles) and some home made pemmican bars. I did use some Hammer gel and Endurolytes too; it IS a race after all. The nutrition and hydration went pretty well, though I did need to pee twice during each loop. The good thing is I never had any cramping during or after the race, and I knew what to do if my hands started to swell. This time right after passing the dam, I encountered a huge tree that had fallen across the trail sometime after I completed the first loop. The conversation that resulted was hilarious. Most folks thought they just forgot seeing it the first time around. I am just thankful no ultra runners were injured when the tree fell! About half way through the second loop, my back loosened up and I was really able to embrace the raccoon and the mud! A couple of times, I shouted… “I’m five years old!!!” There was one good thing about the mud: the water was cold, so it was like a built in ice pack every 30 minutes or so, so no foot problems. Second loop finished in about 4:30, including the stop to change shoes at the end… still right on schedule.
Almost left for loop #3 without the water bottle… thanks again, crew!!! Headed out, knowing I was going to meet my second goal of finishing the race in fewer than 14 hours! My back was better, there was no more pain in my left IT band, calf and hamstring, I had my music back and charged up for the last loop, and I had my headlamp ready for when darkness fell! Nothing could go wrong from here! The best thing of all was approaching the Park Road Aid station in the dark and seeing those Christmas lights that I had helped string the day before! I knew my friends from Houston would be there to cheer me on to the finish! They even had a true Paleo snack for me: almond stuffed, bacon wrapped dates! They made my day and when I asked the time of day because I couldn’t see my Garmin anymore, I took off for the finish in high spirits! The crew expected to see me at about 9pm, just making my 14 hour gun time goal, but when I saw the clock as I sprinted to the finish; it read 13:38 hours (8:38 pm). OH, MY GOD!!! If I had started the race at 7 am along with everyone else, I would have finished at a clock time of 13:21 or 13:22, just a minute or two over my “blue sky” time goal. I never really dreamed I could do 50 miles in those tough conditions that quickly! I know in the grand scheme, and compared to fast runners my age, it’s not a big deal, but to PR by 3+ hours in a 50 mile race – well that’s freaking HUGE! So, I finish, and my crew is nowhere to be found… they are off cooking pork fajitas so their friend and I will have some hot protein to eat at the finish. I got my medal and my hugs (thanks Deb and Janice), and headed out to hot food and to revel in my personal win!
Back to the hotel, shower, sleep a few hours and prepare to work the aid station Sunday morning so I could help the later 100 mile finishers see their way down the trail with some hot food and words of encouragement.
What a great way to spend the weekend!
Music notes during the race:
At 10 miles – Sublime “40oz to Freedom” No - 40 miles to freedom!
At dusk – Opeth “Harlequin Forest” (They are the trees, rotten pulp inside, never well)
Sorry so long for a measly 50 miles, but they are my thoughts to share if you wish to read them. Thanks… malvs2walk (and sometimes she runs!)
Showing posts with label 50 miles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 50 miles. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, February 9, 2009
Rocky Raccoon 100/50 mile Trail Race, Huntsville Texas
All right, I guess it is time to get to the details.
Friday – Feb 6. I left work early so that I could get to Huntsville early enough to avoid rush hour traffic. I had to take my daughter to run a few errands, so I did not get to leave home as early as I had planned. I put my bags into the car, packed the cooler with essentials (sweetened espresso and skim milk), and left Sealy at 2pm. The drive to Huntsville is a nice one when you take the back way, which I did. There is no driving anywhere fast if you go near Houston on a Friday afternoon. As I got to the last stretch of road, saw the remaining distance to Huntsville, and looked at my odometer, I realized Huntsville is almost exactly 100 miles from Sealy. Then I started to think hmm, maybe I could have walked. All right, I am just kidding.
Packet pick up at Huntsville State Park was well organized. The race shirt is a nice, heavy-duty embroidered sweatshirt. They were using a chip system I have not seen previously. The chip was attached to an ankle strap, so that you did not have to fool with reattaching it to a second pair of shoes if you had the need to change during the race. The race director, volunteer coordinator and the person in charge of race timing had a pre-race briefing at 5pm. They gave out a lot of good information and answered questions from the race participants. The pasta dinner started at 6pm. The food was great, spaghetti, tortellini, salad and garlic bread with a choice of lemon pound cake or chocolate cake for dessert. I ate dinner with a couple of first time 50 milers and a veteran of the 100 and his wife. After dinner, it was time to get to the hotel, shower quickly, dress in my race clothes (that is for you, Beth) and try to get some sleep. Motel 6 is cheap, yes, but it was not a quiet, peaceful place to sleep.
Saturday – Feb 7. The alarm went off at 4:30 am and I was ready to go. All I had to do was fill my fuel belt bottles and go. Starbucks was not open yet, so I had to resort to an old standby for breakfast – McDonalds. When I got to the park, it was organized chaos and the 100 milers were checking in prior to the race start. I set up my gear in a spot near the finish line and checked in after the 100 started at 6 am. I had to wait for the 50 to start at 7 am, so I sat in my chair and acquainted myself with my neighbors who had set up their gear near me. There was a woman who was crewing for her father-in-law (50 miles), her husband (100 miles) and her two teenage sons (50 miles); a man who had done a number of marathons but this was his first 50 miler; and a group from Fort Bend Fit who were doing their first 50 miler.
One minute to the start, so I make my way to the back, and we are off. This race starts and finishes all on trail. The only time you have to walk on pavement is to cross the road a few times. My plan was to take it easy, so I watched my HR pretty close the first lap. My goal was to keep it under 70% so that I could finish. I just wanted to have fun, and I did. I dilly dallied at every aid station, thanking the volunteers and eating what turned out to be the right combination of junk foot to get me through 50 miles. I was somewhat tired after the first 16.67 mile loop, which I finished in 4:34:??. I realized I was not drinking enough electrolytes, so I forced myself to empty the fuel belt totally in each of the last two loops. I knew the Garmin battery would not last for the whole day, so I took it off; to save it for the last loop when I knew I would really need to watch the hr, as I would be getting tired. I was reasonably sure of my pace on the trails by now. I took a restroom break, drank some of my espresso and skim milk, (the break lasted about 30 minutes) and then headed out for the second loop. I felt better a lot better after the latte!
The thing I love the most about ultra distance races is the atmosphere among all of the participants. Everyone is so supportive of each other. Every time you meet someone on the trails, you say, good going, good job, looking good, etc. You get the same back from everyone else. As a walker, I feel more a part of what is going on than in any road marathon, half-marathon, 10k or 5k I have ever participated. Of course, smaller races are different, like the one I walked in Arizona last weekend; that one was one of the best, although one of my more difficult marathons.
Loop number two was just as much fun as loop number one. The course had been changed from previous years runs, and there were no out and backs. The course looped back on itself in a couple of places, but that was great as you got to meet up with a lot of other racers on the trails. The only difference between the 50 mile course and the 100 mile course was one place where the 100 milers had 10k between aid stations, while the 50 milers had 5k. The rest of the aid stations were anywhere from 5k to 4.5 miles apart. At one point in the second loop, I guess I looked like I was having a little too much fun at an aid station, and someone asked me if I needed a little help leaving. He politely took my arm and escorted me out, all for my own good. I finished the second loop in about 5 hours… remember I took a 30 minute break after I crossed the timing mat at the end of the first loop. My pace was holding up pretty well. The total distance at the end of loop number two was 33.34 miles. I was now walking into the unknown, every step I took. I had never walked past 50k before. I made sure to drink the second dose of iced non-fat latte, and then went to the restroom. It was going to be getting dark soon, so I readied my headlamp and was preparing to drop my skirt and put on my leggings, to keep the calf muscles from cramping up from the cold air. It was only going to be in the 50’s, but the course passes by the lake a few times, and it was windy. The nice woman who was crewing for her family offered to help me. She held a jacket in front of me so I would not have to change in front of everyone, but I was prepared to do so if I had to. I do wear underwear, so there would not be reason to be embarrassed. I wish I could remember her name or had gotten her email address so I could thank her again. She helped me with my shoes and socks, then her older son came sprinting to the finish at the end of his first 50 mile race. Wow, that was a sight, and I still had another loop to go.
I put my Garmin back on to monitor my HR, and off I go, out onto the trail for the third loop. Remember, I am still just having fun. As I progressed, a couple of the 100 milers passed me, and then one decided to hang with me for a while. I was still walking at a consistent 16 mpm or so, and he told me he just needed to average 18 mpm to finish his first 100 mile race in less than 24 hours. He was planning to celebrate his birthday at midnight on the trails. I was happy to help him. I never dreamed I would pace someone at this race, even if only for a few miles. We made it to the first aid station, and again I stuck around for about 5 minutes before I headed out. So, the birthday guy headed out before I did. I did not see him again. Walking in the woods after dark was a very new experience for me. Thank goodness, the moon was full. I know I was getting tired because I began to trip on the tree roots more often. I ate a chocolate GU and got a little help from it. The rustling noises in the woods were also very interesting. I was hoping the noises were just armadillos, not the alligators that are supposed to be in the park. Then a runner met me on the trail and told me to watch out for armadillos on the trail ahead. That was a relief. The rest is kind of a blur, because it was getting late, and I was getting tired, but yet, still keeping up my pace. The last time I tripped, I was on the last 4.4 leg of the race. I thought I had broken my great toe, or jammed it up pretty badly. I limped along for a few paces, and then the pain subsided. I started to chant, PICK UP YOUR FEET, to myself and avoided the tree roots for the rest of the race.
Funny thing, I expected to be emotional at the finish of my first 50 mile race. I must have been dazed and confused, because I calmly accepted my medal, had my picture taken in front of the race banner and just went to sit down in my chair, clean my feet and put on dry socks and clean shoes. After a little while, I ate some hot chicken noodle soup and drank a cup of hot coffee. I really wanted to hang out and encourage the rest of the runners, but I just did not have it in me. I started to feel chilled through, so I walked to my car and turned on the seat warmer and heater and fell asleep. I slept until about 4:30 am. I really wanted to stick around for the breakfast and the 100 mile award ceremony, but I decided to go home. I had to walk back to the start, pick up my gear and carry it to the car. Not too difficult, considering I just walk 50 miles.
I stopped at IHOP and ate pancakes, eggs and bacon, drank some coffee and headed for home at about 6am. It was difficult going, and I had to stop about half way home and sleep in the car for about 30 minutes.
I would like to give this race 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend it to anyone for a first attempt at 50 miles. The aid stations are fantastic, staffed by ultra runners and their families. They take very good care of the race participants.
Once I was at home, I thought about all the encouragement and inspiration I get from all my online friends. I would not be where I am today if I had not found you all. Thank you so much!!!
Friday – Feb 6. I left work early so that I could get to Huntsville early enough to avoid rush hour traffic. I had to take my daughter to run a few errands, so I did not get to leave home as early as I had planned. I put my bags into the car, packed the cooler with essentials (sweetened espresso and skim milk), and left Sealy at 2pm. The drive to Huntsville is a nice one when you take the back way, which I did. There is no driving anywhere fast if you go near Houston on a Friday afternoon. As I got to the last stretch of road, saw the remaining distance to Huntsville, and looked at my odometer, I realized Huntsville is almost exactly 100 miles from Sealy. Then I started to think hmm, maybe I could have walked. All right, I am just kidding.
Packet pick up at Huntsville State Park was well organized. The race shirt is a nice, heavy-duty embroidered sweatshirt. They were using a chip system I have not seen previously. The chip was attached to an ankle strap, so that you did not have to fool with reattaching it to a second pair of shoes if you had the need to change during the race. The race director, volunteer coordinator and the person in charge of race timing had a pre-race briefing at 5pm. They gave out a lot of good information and answered questions from the race participants. The pasta dinner started at 6pm. The food was great, spaghetti, tortellini, salad and garlic bread with a choice of lemon pound cake or chocolate cake for dessert. I ate dinner with a couple of first time 50 milers and a veteran of the 100 and his wife. After dinner, it was time to get to the hotel, shower quickly, dress in my race clothes (that is for you, Beth) and try to get some sleep. Motel 6 is cheap, yes, but it was not a quiet, peaceful place to sleep.
Saturday – Feb 7. The alarm went off at 4:30 am and I was ready to go. All I had to do was fill my fuel belt bottles and go. Starbucks was not open yet, so I had to resort to an old standby for breakfast – McDonalds. When I got to the park, it was organized chaos and the 100 milers were checking in prior to the race start. I set up my gear in a spot near the finish line and checked in after the 100 started at 6 am. I had to wait for the 50 to start at 7 am, so I sat in my chair and acquainted myself with my neighbors who had set up their gear near me. There was a woman who was crewing for her father-in-law (50 miles), her husband (100 miles) and her two teenage sons (50 miles); a man who had done a number of marathons but this was his first 50 miler; and a group from Fort Bend Fit who were doing their first 50 miler.
One minute to the start, so I make my way to the back, and we are off. This race starts and finishes all on trail. The only time you have to walk on pavement is to cross the road a few times. My plan was to take it easy, so I watched my HR pretty close the first lap. My goal was to keep it under 70% so that I could finish. I just wanted to have fun, and I did. I dilly dallied at every aid station, thanking the volunteers and eating what turned out to be the right combination of junk foot to get me through 50 miles. I was somewhat tired after the first 16.67 mile loop, which I finished in 4:34:??. I realized I was not drinking enough electrolytes, so I forced myself to empty the fuel belt totally in each of the last two loops. I knew the Garmin battery would not last for the whole day, so I took it off; to save it for the last loop when I knew I would really need to watch the hr, as I would be getting tired. I was reasonably sure of my pace on the trails by now. I took a restroom break, drank some of my espresso and skim milk, (the break lasted about 30 minutes) and then headed out for the second loop. I felt better a lot better after the latte!
The thing I love the most about ultra distance races is the atmosphere among all of the participants. Everyone is so supportive of each other. Every time you meet someone on the trails, you say, good going, good job, looking good, etc. You get the same back from everyone else. As a walker, I feel more a part of what is going on than in any road marathon, half-marathon, 10k or 5k I have ever participated. Of course, smaller races are different, like the one I walked in Arizona last weekend; that one was one of the best, although one of my more difficult marathons.
Loop number two was just as much fun as loop number one. The course had been changed from previous years runs, and there were no out and backs. The course looped back on itself in a couple of places, but that was great as you got to meet up with a lot of other racers on the trails. The only difference between the 50 mile course and the 100 mile course was one place where the 100 milers had 10k between aid stations, while the 50 milers had 5k. The rest of the aid stations were anywhere from 5k to 4.5 miles apart. At one point in the second loop, I guess I looked like I was having a little too much fun at an aid station, and someone asked me if I needed a little help leaving. He politely took my arm and escorted me out, all for my own good. I finished the second loop in about 5 hours… remember I took a 30 minute break after I crossed the timing mat at the end of the first loop. My pace was holding up pretty well. The total distance at the end of loop number two was 33.34 miles. I was now walking into the unknown, every step I took. I had never walked past 50k before. I made sure to drink the second dose of iced non-fat latte, and then went to the restroom. It was going to be getting dark soon, so I readied my headlamp and was preparing to drop my skirt and put on my leggings, to keep the calf muscles from cramping up from the cold air. It was only going to be in the 50’s, but the course passes by the lake a few times, and it was windy. The nice woman who was crewing for her family offered to help me. She held a jacket in front of me so I would not have to change in front of everyone, but I was prepared to do so if I had to. I do wear underwear, so there would not be reason to be embarrassed. I wish I could remember her name or had gotten her email address so I could thank her again. She helped me with my shoes and socks, then her older son came sprinting to the finish at the end of his first 50 mile race. Wow, that was a sight, and I still had another loop to go.
I put my Garmin back on to monitor my HR, and off I go, out onto the trail for the third loop. Remember, I am still just having fun. As I progressed, a couple of the 100 milers passed me, and then one decided to hang with me for a while. I was still walking at a consistent 16 mpm or so, and he told me he just needed to average 18 mpm to finish his first 100 mile race in less than 24 hours. He was planning to celebrate his birthday at midnight on the trails. I was happy to help him. I never dreamed I would pace someone at this race, even if only for a few miles. We made it to the first aid station, and again I stuck around for about 5 minutes before I headed out. So, the birthday guy headed out before I did. I did not see him again. Walking in the woods after dark was a very new experience for me. Thank goodness, the moon was full. I know I was getting tired because I began to trip on the tree roots more often. I ate a chocolate GU and got a little help from it. The rustling noises in the woods were also very interesting. I was hoping the noises were just armadillos, not the alligators that are supposed to be in the park. Then a runner met me on the trail and told me to watch out for armadillos on the trail ahead. That was a relief. The rest is kind of a blur, because it was getting late, and I was getting tired, but yet, still keeping up my pace. The last time I tripped, I was on the last 4.4 leg of the race. I thought I had broken my great toe, or jammed it up pretty badly. I limped along for a few paces, and then the pain subsided. I started to chant, PICK UP YOUR FEET, to myself and avoided the tree roots for the rest of the race.
Funny thing, I expected to be emotional at the finish of my first 50 mile race. I must have been dazed and confused, because I calmly accepted my medal, had my picture taken in front of the race banner and just went to sit down in my chair, clean my feet and put on dry socks and clean shoes. After a little while, I ate some hot chicken noodle soup and drank a cup of hot coffee. I really wanted to hang out and encourage the rest of the runners, but I just did not have it in me. I started to feel chilled through, so I walked to my car and turned on the seat warmer and heater and fell asleep. I slept until about 4:30 am. I really wanted to stick around for the breakfast and the 100 mile award ceremony, but I decided to go home. I had to walk back to the start, pick up my gear and carry it to the car. Not too difficult, considering I just walk 50 miles.
I stopped at IHOP and ate pancakes, eggs and bacon, drank some coffee and headed for home at about 6am. It was difficult going, and I had to stop about half way home and sleep in the car for about 30 minutes.
I would like to give this race 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend it to anyone for a first attempt at 50 miles. The aid stations are fantastic, staffed by ultra runners and their families. They take very good care of the race participants.
Once I was at home, I thought about all the encouragement and inspiration I get from all my online friends. I would not be where I am today if I had not found you all. Thank you so much!!!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Rocky Raccoon 100/50 mile trail race
Well, I just bit another bullet. There is no way I was going to miss out on my first try at 50 miles, even if it is just 1 week after the Desert Classic marathon (January 31) and World Class Racewalking clinic (Jan 30 - Feb 1). So, I registered online just a little while ago. Here is the link if anyone wants to check it out: Rocky Raccoon (February 7) www.tejastrails.com/Rocky.html
The RD gives the 50 mile entrants 29 hours to finish and the course is 3 - 16.67 mile loops in Huntsville State Park. I am going to try and finish in less than 15 hours, then volunteer until all the 100 mile entrants finish. I really want to watch and learn from everyone... so, no going home until it's over. I am going to buy a headlamp this weekend.
I am really stoked! I can't believe this is all just over a month away!
The RD gives the 50 mile entrants 29 hours to finish and the course is 3 - 16.67 mile loops in Huntsville State Park. I am going to try and finish in less than 15 hours, then volunteer until all the 100 mile entrants finish. I really want to watch and learn from everyone... so, no going home until it's over. I am going to buy a headlamp this weekend.
I am really stoked! I can't believe this is all just over a month away!
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