Alright. Promise breaking time.
I had told myself, after the Umstead 100, no signing up for races until July, June at the earliest. I didn't want to have a training mindset. Well, if I sign up for a race, but don't (/can't) train for it, that's still in the "spirit" of that promise, right?
A few days after Umstead, I made the silly mistake of emailing the race director for a race, asking if there was a waitlist or any openings. I really wasn't expecting for there to be any. That is until last week, I got a reply from the race director, saying there IS an opportunity I can use.
So the race? May 16/17 is the ThunderRock 100. It's a trail race in the mountains around/near Chattanooga, TN, held by as part of a race series called Rock Creek. It's not quite like the Lynchburg/Beast Series where you strive to complete every race in the series; it's just a bunch of races, with an overall point series. One of the really cool parts about this race is that it's the inaugural run.
This is mainly meant to be a fun experience, but of course there will be some challenges. Even though the race series has several ultras under its belt, as a first go, there's bound to be hiccups. A video from a training run, shows VERY technical sections of the course. The race starts at noon of Friday, so I will HAVE to be running throughout the entire night. And likely, I'll be attempting it without crew or pacers. I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that I met many other ultra runners who have done races without much support because of travelling long distances.
That race is only three weeks away. I'm still in the recovery phase from Umstead, and it's been steady. Nothing crazy, and if I am doing this ThunderRock, I won't be pushing anything. By the time I could get a longish run, it'll be time to taper back down. I'm too worried about that, and I'll play it by ear.
I'll be interviewing with Wake County EMS just before I go to the race. Wish me luck!
Soundtrack:
Breath Again - by Red
Last Night - by Skillet
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Umstead 100 Race Reflections
It's been about a week and a half since the 2014 Umstead 100. During my initial race report I had started to write about some of my reflections and insights I gained from the race. I'm sure some is still there, but a lot of it I thought complicated the reading, and I also wanted it separated out, kind of for my own benefit.
I guess first things first. Did I reach my goal? Well, my "soft" goal was sub-17 hour, and my "hard" goal was sub-16 hour. I made the first, but not the second. Still, like most people, I'm both very satisfied with my PR, but frustrated not to break 16 hours. I had set a goal and didn't meet it. And I don't like to give/make excuses for not having the discipline to follow through.
BUT, I also look at what I was actually aiming for. Sub-16 was really the means to the end. I knew sub-16 was a perfect weather, perfect day goal. Everything had to be going right for it to be "easy" to reach. The purpose was to set a goal that was well beyond my known capabilities, so that I would see how hard I would make myself try.
So, did I reach THAT goal? Overall, I would say yes. At least twice, maybe three times, I had terrible low points. During those instances, I was hurting and told myself that I'd worked hard enough, and could take it easy the rest of the way. Yet somehow I was able to say NO, and keep going.
On of the biggest revelations from this struggle was what I was fighting. I've also supported the idea that our physical limits are really based on the "central governor." Without too many details, it's the belief that our limits are all in our nervous system; receiving physiological cues from our body, and stopping it before we exhaust ourselves to our grave. For me, that mental limit was always manifested in physiological limits. That is, I just felt like I couldn't go any harder. However, during and after this race, I realized a lot is NOT subconscious. I was rationalizing to myself that I didn't need to run harder. I was consciously thinking that "reaching my goal isn't really that big a deal." If you think about it, it's really scary. It makes "mind over matter" seem easy compared to what boils down to "mind over mind." Or, put another way: it's not like this third person experience. You always seem like you're fighting this "other" person. But in the moment, it's just you, and and you are totally in control of your thoughts and decisions.
With that, a few of nitty-gritty analysis comes out.
So what to now? I don't want to sign up for any fall races until June or July. I want several weeks of unstructured base building. It never really feels like training. I first experienced this around New Years, when I postponed my buildup for Umstead, and I think it gave me several weeks for good mileage, but without the stress of trying to hit training goals.
My recovery is going GREAT so far. The first few days were of course painful. I've got a good regiment of using The Stick in the morning, and using the foam roller in the evening. Last Thursday I started some easy spinning on a stationary bike. Saturday I went for a easy three mile run. I know I may be flirting with disaster: last year, two weeks out it was PAINFUL and I wasn't finally good to go until four week out. But I PROMISE I'm listening to my body (really, if I think about it, I didn't even want to for those first two weeks). And my body told me "RUN." I alternate days of spinning and easy 3 milers. I'm fully prepared to stop at the first sign of trouble.
Even though I'm not going to register, I have to admit I am looking at races. There's so many cool ones out there. I've got some pressure to go for the Grindstone 100, which is just up near Lynchburg. It's tempting because, though I haven't done it, I know a fair bit about the race and the group that organizes it so it's somewhat familiar territory. But then, that's what would be challenging about going to a race that isn't so well-known [to me].
I also do NOT want to run any looped courses.
Soundtrack:
David has got me hooked on movie theme songs. So far:
Thor 2
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
Captain America 2
I guess first things first. Did I reach my goal? Well, my "soft" goal was sub-17 hour, and my "hard" goal was sub-16 hour. I made the first, but not the second. Still, like most people, I'm both very satisfied with my PR, but frustrated not to break 16 hours. I had set a goal and didn't meet it. And I don't like to give/make excuses for not having the discipline to follow through.
BUT, I also look at what I was actually aiming for. Sub-16 was really the means to the end. I knew sub-16 was a perfect weather, perfect day goal. Everything had to be going right for it to be "easy" to reach. The purpose was to set a goal that was well beyond my known capabilities, so that I would see how hard I would make myself try.
So, did I reach THAT goal? Overall, I would say yes. At least twice, maybe three times, I had terrible low points. During those instances, I was hurting and told myself that I'd worked hard enough, and could take it easy the rest of the way. Yet somehow I was able to say NO, and keep going.
On of the biggest revelations from this struggle was what I was fighting. I've also supported the idea that our physical limits are really based on the "central governor." Without too many details, it's the belief that our limits are all in our nervous system; receiving physiological cues from our body, and stopping it before we exhaust ourselves to our grave. For me, that mental limit was always manifested in physiological limits. That is, I just felt like I couldn't go any harder. However, during and after this race, I realized a lot is NOT subconscious. I was rationalizing to myself that I didn't need to run harder. I was consciously thinking that "reaching my goal isn't really that big a deal." If you think about it, it's really scary. It makes "mind over matter" seem easy compared to what boils down to "mind over mind." Or, put another way: it's not like this third person experience. You always seem like you're fighting this "other" person. But in the moment, it's just you, and and you are totally in control of your thoughts and decisions.
With that, a few of nitty-gritty analysis comes out.
- I need to talk more to my crew about how I'm feeling, both good and bad. If I'm feeling bad, I need time to ease up to collect myself. But then when I'm feeling good, if I say things like above "I've worked hard enough... I just want to take it easy the rest of the way" then they know it's time to pick up the pace again.
- I still have gotten the nutrition down just right. I did a better job of forcing down gels and stuff. But I wasn't as good about sipping my HEED later in the race. I think I want to experiment more with the handheld, because it was easier to get water that was cooler. The problem is carrying enough gels, particularly when I move toward more remote trails/races
- I will say that having experienced the GI discomfort last year made me at ease with it this year. I was't freaking out as much about what the hell was going on.
- Some of it may be learning to eat more frequently. During training I stick pretty much to 100 cal (either in gel, blocks, sports beans) per hour. That's meant to get me to keep going on less. And that's usually just enough to keep from bonking on the longer runs. But I'm guessing the big jump in calories/hour in the hundred is what's getting to me.
So what to now? I don't want to sign up for any fall races until June or July. I want several weeks of unstructured base building. It never really feels like training. I first experienced this around New Years, when I postponed my buildup for Umstead, and I think it gave me several weeks for good mileage, but without the stress of trying to hit training goals.
My recovery is going GREAT so far. The first few days were of course painful. I've got a good regiment of using The Stick in the morning, and using the foam roller in the evening. Last Thursday I started some easy spinning on a stationary bike. Saturday I went for a easy three mile run. I know I may be flirting with disaster: last year, two weeks out it was PAINFUL and I wasn't finally good to go until four week out. But I PROMISE I'm listening to my body (really, if I think about it, I didn't even want to for those first two weeks). And my body told me "RUN." I alternate days of spinning and easy 3 milers. I'm fully prepared to stop at the first sign of trouble.
Even though I'm not going to register, I have to admit I am looking at races. There's so many cool ones out there. I've got some pressure to go for the Grindstone 100, which is just up near Lynchburg. It's tempting because, though I haven't done it, I know a fair bit about the race and the group that organizes it so it's somewhat familiar territory. But then, that's what would be challenging about going to a race that isn't so well-known [to me].
I also do NOT want to run any looped courses.
Soundtrack:
David has got me hooked on movie theme songs. So far:
Thor 2
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
Captain America 2
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run 2014
I'm starting this Sunday morning, at 5:18am; about 6 hours, 50 minutes after I finished the race and have failed to be able to get to sleep.
**Late morning extra** Went to breakfast at the State Farmers Market. Killed some bacon, eggs, and a monster pancake.
Pre-race: Even though it was the "secret" goal, most people knew I was aiming for a sub 16 hour finish. My competitive entry "mandated" a sub 17 hour finish, but I truly wanted to push the envelope. Last year, at my first 100, I had no goals, and while it was very tough, I don't remember feeling forced to overcome my body. 16 hours was perfect because a) it WAS far enough ahead to be truly challenging, and b) at 8 laps, 16 hours was an easy 2 hours per lap. My timing was incredibly tight; the difference between 17 and 16 hours was only 7 1/2 minutes per lap, which can EASILY snowball.
The week and a half before the race, the forecast was scary, flirting with the mid- to upper 70s, dipping higher and lower as we counted down. All week leading up to the race, I was incredibly nervous. Do I really have to do this?
Friday morning: That's all gone. I woke up, did an easy shake out run, and COULDN'T WAIT to get going. I volunteered at packet pickup, which gave me the opportunity to get a prime spot for a crew, and get settled pretty stress free. I rambled with the other pickup volunteers: Tom who was a multi-year, multi-race veteran, Caitlin a volunteer pacer, and Dana who was doing her first one hundred. I LOVE hearing everyone's stories, and that was no exception. I'll breeze over the rest of the evening, as we have race briefing, dinner, and Greg and I do a basic run down of my gear.
RACE MORNING:
I get up and munch down on some energy bars at my 4:30 wake up. I had moments where I had fallen asleep, but not being much of a pre-race sleeper, that didn't bother me. My roommate and I traded back random wake ups for midnight bathroom breaks. Over at HQ, Greg and I did another run through, and I chatted with all the guys I knew; racers, volunteers, staff.
LAP 1:
Right on time, the cannon fires, and we're off at 6:00. I place myself away from the front to get myself to get a good pace. I past most people within the first mile and half along the airport spur, but I'm not really worried at this point. At way point 1 (WP1), I grab a cookie. I'm still in that seesaw stage with most other racers; some of these hills a runnable, and there's a mix of strategies; I'm among the runners. For this lap, as planned, I'm running the LONG hill up ORCR before Turkey Creek. From the intersection with Reedy Creek Lake until aid station 2 (AS2), I chat with a guy, Jonas, from Rolesville who recognized me from the Mountain Masochist Trail Run. Here I take a long needed pee break, grab some easily digested fruit and water, and continue on my way. Having stopped, several guys get past me. Along North Turkey Creek, the seesaw hits the extremes, and I see people running some truly steep sections. For a few, I get caught up and run before I planned, but I ended getting a hold of myself. As we're coming down Graylyn, we finally introduced ourselves; one guy Mike I had met on lap 1 last year, and though stayed a head of him, it was only about 10 minutes. I also meet Traci, who had won the race in 2012. We're all pretty similar; Mike wants under 17; Traci under 16.
** Perspective ** There's a big difference between advice/encouragement give from mid-/back-of-the-packers and these front runners. And fourth runner who was with us was on his first 100 and wanted a 22. Most mid-/back would have give some encouragement: "Wow, well good luck to you." Traci and Mike were straight up: "Dude, slow the "f*ck down!"
** At WP1 I grab Gu to save my stash. I grab a hat from Greg back at HQ, who, after this lap, easily adjust to my shorter transitions. I've tried to be extremely specific in my requests. I think Traci and Mike said we were in around 1:54.
LAP 2:
I'm running the same sections as before. Most of this lap I'm running within a few 10s of yards of Traci and Mike. They are walking some of the hills I'm so use to running, but Traci is obviously great on the downhills, so overall we're pretty even. I left them as I ran up ORCR and they walked, but by 1.5 miles to AS2, they caught up and we stay together. I made a strategy changed, and plan to start walking some of that the following lap to save some energy. We continued our seesaw, and mostly piecemeal conversation, but were doing good. I add one hill as a walker but overall stick to my plan and don't lose time. It's incredible how fast Traci is on the downhills (she unabashedly LOVES them, even 4-5 laps later). I like the downhills; I just can't run them as fast. I grab another Gu at WP1 and keep on going. We're in right at 3:45. It's 15 hours pace, but I'm OK because I need some extra time. Greg and I have a good trade off, and I tell him to have the HEED ready for lap 5.
Lap 3&4. Probably some of the toughest laps because I'm still without a pacer. Mike's dropped off, but Traci and I still go back and forth. I'm quicker out of the aid stations and I think she's losing speed. It almost takes an hour to the next aid station, but she's gets on back. My walk/run ORCR feels good; only a minute slower to AS2 that before. Overall Lap 3 is in at 5:40, so not as quick. I've switched to HEED and it tasted better, but it's hot and nothing taste good going in. I'm force feeding/drinking at WP1. It leaves me bloated, but perks me up after a couple of minutes. I'm right at 7:40. With a 2 hour lap, I'm cooked, and tell Greg I can't do better than that. I'm thinking 2:05's if I'm working, but I honest could care less if I dropped to 2:30's.
Lap 5:
But holy crap! I've gotten my first pacer, Emmeline. She's good friend of Daren and Tood, but I've never met her, I didn't have great expectations. Those were unwarranted. She was simply amazing, and my spirits soared. When we talked about the race, the encouragement was dead on, but she also distracted me brilliantly. At the fuel spots, she asks what I want. I mostly know it when I see it, and from her I just want her to keep talking. We had a lot in common (she had gotten a Masters degree in Chemistry from NC State), and worked as pharmacists for a drug company on a really neat ailment (dilutional hyponatremia). We slowed a bit to 2:10, but I knew it would happen, and felt good that we kept that. I think I'm staying on top of my nutrition. My intake at the way points and aid stations is consistent, but I'm drinking less. I'm urination way darker, and way less than I did last year. I just keep trying to do the best I can.
Lap 6:
Another low point. I've picked up not-my-brother David, who I had met while coaching Masters swimming. He does a good job, but he's not the bubbly personality that Emmeline was. I guess I should've told him to talk, but I don't, and it's too quiet for my taste. He also asks me I want to walk at certain points, which is really the opposite motivation if you're trying to keep running. He's a very "maximize-efficiency" runner and tries to get me to run a certain spot of the trail which is unnerving. To be fair, I think I'm just hitting my bottom, knowing that even after 75 miles, I still have 25 miles to go. At some point Traci passes me with a gale-force second wind. However, I feel good because I feel that I've perfectly honed my walking/running points. I have all my landmarks in my head, and stick to regiment. I really think that determination, not to push the body, but to stick to the routine, kept me going. Hitting 2:10 again, we're to an average 2 hour lap, which unless I'm faster on the next two, 16 hours is gone.
Lap 7:
Todd. We start out kind of rough. Like last year, I need have to remind him several times to NOT run in front of me before he settles down. Starting lap 7, I feel like I just want to get through this lap well (another 2:10 is good) and just sandbag lap 8 for whatever. Todd's style is different, he's a good motivator, which perks me up. I get rid of eating Gu's and focus on true love; Sports Beans and Shot Blocks. I guess just that it's sort of solid food, but so much more digestible. It takes a while, but I hitting another high point. I hope it last until I get going on lap 8. I'm not sure what time I pass the timing mat, but I don't leave my crew until 2:18, but I had some major gear change, with my shirt, hat headlamp, and fuel pack.
Lap 8:
Again, I was resigned to sandbag this and just make it a victory lap. But I'm still on another high. Pace and pain be damned, but I still hit all the right running and walking landmarks. Nicole and I keep up a conversation. I'm so amazed, and proud; hills I felt sure I would walk, I'm digging deep to keep on running. My legs are on fire. But after seeing it for 8 laps, I see the sign "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever" and I keep up my strategy. We crest Cemetery Hill for the last time, a mile to go, and I'm start gunning it as best I can. At half a mile, I send Nicole up for the heads up. I crush the pain deep down and hurl myself down.
I come in at 16:28:49, within a minute of an hour improvement.
The rest is a happy blur. I do better to keep walking around. I'm wary of hugs and slaps on the back: my skin is sunburned and badly chaffed from my pack. This time I'm able to walk back to my car. David and I just get to make it out of the park for the 11 o'clock gate.
**Final Nutrition thoughts**
I used WP1, AS2, WP1 again, and HQ as my points of fueling. Besides the first lap, both WP1 stops were Gu stops, AS2 and HQ was solid fruit with Gatorade (once or twice Mtn Dew or Ginger Ale). I switched from water to HEED in my pack on lap 4 (mile 37.5) when it warmed up and took a S-cap (electrolyte pill) every hour. Initially the HEED tasted great, but when it got even hotter, that, as well as everything else got grosser.
I sucked down HEED, but also tried to increase my calories at my fuel stops. Both WP1 switched to a cup half Gatorade - half water, a Gu (eaten quickly before I spit it out), chased with a cup of water. I did that from lap 4, maybe until lap 5 around lap 7 and half-ish. AS2 and HQ was an additional cup of liquid fuel. I had a love hate relationship with this strategy. Everything tasted gross, and I had to chug to liquids before I'd throw away a half-sipped cup. That left me churning, but after 10 minutes or so, I could really feel the pick-me-up. Later, I was switching to Sports Beans and Shot Blocks; don't ask me how, but these really hit the spot over Gu's and were quite a blessing. Todd and Nicole were great at piecing them out.
One of the biggest take-a-ways was having a routine and sticking to it. I've always tried to take a more flexible approach. But I appreciated that when I didn't really feel like I could trust my gut, I just followed a regiment that I knew and in the end, dragged me through.
BTW. I changed shirt at mile 50. A friend along the course goes "New shirt, new man!" Another girl I was passing goes "Do you mind just taking it off and running just a little bit ahead of me." Loved it! Can't say I haven't wished for similar when the NC State team is out there.
So now it's all about taking it easy. I won't do much running for a bit, but work will keep me moving around, which I think helps mitigate the stiffness. I don't plan on even signing up for a race for a while; just let any running being about enjoyment.
**Late morning extra** Went to breakfast at the State Farmers Market. Killed some bacon, eggs, and a monster pancake.
Pre-race: Even though it was the "secret" goal, most people knew I was aiming for a sub 16 hour finish. My competitive entry "mandated" a sub 17 hour finish, but I truly wanted to push the envelope. Last year, at my first 100, I had no goals, and while it was very tough, I don't remember feeling forced to overcome my body. 16 hours was perfect because a) it WAS far enough ahead to be truly challenging, and b) at 8 laps, 16 hours was an easy 2 hours per lap. My timing was incredibly tight; the difference between 17 and 16 hours was only 7 1/2 minutes per lap, which can EASILY snowball.
The week and a half before the race, the forecast was scary, flirting with the mid- to upper 70s, dipping higher and lower as we counted down. All week leading up to the race, I was incredibly nervous. Do I really have to do this?
Friday morning: That's all gone. I woke up, did an easy shake out run, and COULDN'T WAIT to get going. I volunteered at packet pickup, which gave me the opportunity to get a prime spot for a crew, and get settled pretty stress free. I rambled with the other pickup volunteers: Tom who was a multi-year, multi-race veteran, Caitlin a volunteer pacer, and Dana who was doing her first one hundred. I LOVE hearing everyone's stories, and that was no exception. I'll breeze over the rest of the evening, as we have race briefing, dinner, and Greg and I do a basic run down of my gear.
RACE MORNING:
I get up and munch down on some energy bars at my 4:30 wake up. I had moments where I had fallen asleep, but not being much of a pre-race sleeper, that didn't bother me. My roommate and I traded back random wake ups for midnight bathroom breaks. Over at HQ, Greg and I did another run through, and I chatted with all the guys I knew; racers, volunteers, staff.
LAP 1:
Right on time, the cannon fires, and we're off at 6:00. I place myself away from the front to get myself to get a good pace. I past most people within the first mile and half along the airport spur, but I'm not really worried at this point. At way point 1 (WP1), I grab a cookie. I'm still in that seesaw stage with most other racers; some of these hills a runnable, and there's a mix of strategies; I'm among the runners. For this lap, as planned, I'm running the LONG hill up ORCR before Turkey Creek. From the intersection with Reedy Creek Lake until aid station 2 (AS2), I chat with a guy, Jonas, from Rolesville who recognized me from the Mountain Masochist Trail Run. Here I take a long needed pee break, grab some easily digested fruit and water, and continue on my way. Having stopped, several guys get past me. Along North Turkey Creek, the seesaw hits the extremes, and I see people running some truly steep sections. For a few, I get caught up and run before I planned, but I ended getting a hold of myself. As we're coming down Graylyn, we finally introduced ourselves; one guy Mike I had met on lap 1 last year, and though stayed a head of him, it was only about 10 minutes. I also meet Traci, who had won the race in 2012. We're all pretty similar; Mike wants under 17; Traci under 16.
** Perspective ** There's a big difference between advice/encouragement give from mid-/back-of-the-packers and these front runners. And fourth runner who was with us was on his first 100 and wanted a 22. Most mid-/back would have give some encouragement: "Wow, well good luck to you." Traci and Mike were straight up: "Dude, slow the "f*ck down!"
** At WP1 I grab Gu to save my stash. I grab a hat from Greg back at HQ, who, after this lap, easily adjust to my shorter transitions. I've tried to be extremely specific in my requests. I think Traci and Mike said we were in around 1:54.
LAP 2:
I'm running the same sections as before. Most of this lap I'm running within a few 10s of yards of Traci and Mike. They are walking some of the hills I'm so use to running, but Traci is obviously great on the downhills, so overall we're pretty even. I left them as I ran up ORCR and they walked, but by 1.5 miles to AS2, they caught up and we stay together. I made a strategy changed, and plan to start walking some of that the following lap to save some energy. We continued our seesaw, and mostly piecemeal conversation, but were doing good. I add one hill as a walker but overall stick to my plan and don't lose time. It's incredible how fast Traci is on the downhills (she unabashedly LOVES them, even 4-5 laps later). I like the downhills; I just can't run them as fast. I grab another Gu at WP1 and keep on going. We're in right at 3:45. It's 15 hours pace, but I'm OK because I need some extra time. Greg and I have a good trade off, and I tell him to have the HEED ready for lap 5.
Lap 3&4. Probably some of the toughest laps because I'm still without a pacer. Mike's dropped off, but Traci and I still go back and forth. I'm quicker out of the aid stations and I think she's losing speed. It almost takes an hour to the next aid station, but she's gets on back. My walk/run ORCR feels good; only a minute slower to AS2 that before. Overall Lap 3 is in at 5:40, so not as quick. I've switched to HEED and it tasted better, but it's hot and nothing taste good going in. I'm force feeding/drinking at WP1. It leaves me bloated, but perks me up after a couple of minutes. I'm right at 7:40. With a 2 hour lap, I'm cooked, and tell Greg I can't do better than that. I'm thinking 2:05's if I'm working, but I honest could care less if I dropped to 2:30's.
Lap 5:
But holy crap! I've gotten my first pacer, Emmeline. She's good friend of Daren and Tood, but I've never met her, I didn't have great expectations. Those were unwarranted. She was simply amazing, and my spirits soared. When we talked about the race, the encouragement was dead on, but she also distracted me brilliantly. At the fuel spots, she asks what I want. I mostly know it when I see it, and from her I just want her to keep talking. We had a lot in common (she had gotten a Masters degree in Chemistry from NC State), and worked as pharmacists for a drug company on a really neat ailment (dilutional hyponatremia). We slowed a bit to 2:10, but I knew it would happen, and felt good that we kept that. I think I'm staying on top of my nutrition. My intake at the way points and aid stations is consistent, but I'm drinking less. I'm urination way darker, and way less than I did last year. I just keep trying to do the best I can.
Lap 6:
Another low point. I've picked up not-my-brother David, who I had met while coaching Masters swimming. He does a good job, but he's not the bubbly personality that Emmeline was. I guess I should've told him to talk, but I don't, and it's too quiet for my taste. He also asks me I want to walk at certain points, which is really the opposite motivation if you're trying to keep running. He's a very "maximize-efficiency" runner and tries to get me to run a certain spot of the trail which is unnerving. To be fair, I think I'm just hitting my bottom, knowing that even after 75 miles, I still have 25 miles to go. At some point Traci passes me with a gale-force second wind. However, I feel good because I feel that I've perfectly honed my walking/running points. I have all my landmarks in my head, and stick to regiment. I really think that determination, not to push the body, but to stick to the routine, kept me going. Hitting 2:10 again, we're to an average 2 hour lap, which unless I'm faster on the next two, 16 hours is gone.
Lap 7:
Todd. We start out kind of rough. Like last year, I need have to remind him several times to NOT run in front of me before he settles down. Starting lap 7, I feel like I just want to get through this lap well (another 2:10 is good) and just sandbag lap 8 for whatever. Todd's style is different, he's a good motivator, which perks me up. I get rid of eating Gu's and focus on true love; Sports Beans and Shot Blocks. I guess just that it's sort of solid food, but so much more digestible. It takes a while, but I hitting another high point. I hope it last until I get going on lap 8. I'm not sure what time I pass the timing mat, but I don't leave my crew until 2:18, but I had some major gear change, with my shirt, hat headlamp, and fuel pack.
Lap 8:
Again, I was resigned to sandbag this and just make it a victory lap. But I'm still on another high. Pace and pain be damned, but I still hit all the right running and walking landmarks. Nicole and I keep up a conversation. I'm so amazed, and proud; hills I felt sure I would walk, I'm digging deep to keep on running. My legs are on fire. But after seeing it for 8 laps, I see the sign "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever" and I keep up my strategy. We crest Cemetery Hill for the last time, a mile to go, and I'm start gunning it as best I can. At half a mile, I send Nicole up for the heads up. I crush the pain deep down and hurl myself down.
I come in at 16:28:49, within a minute of an hour improvement.
The rest is a happy blur. I do better to keep walking around. I'm wary of hugs and slaps on the back: my skin is sunburned and badly chaffed from my pack. This time I'm able to walk back to my car. David and I just get to make it out of the park for the 11 o'clock gate.
**Final Nutrition thoughts**
I used WP1, AS2, WP1 again, and HQ as my points of fueling. Besides the first lap, both WP1 stops were Gu stops, AS2 and HQ was solid fruit with Gatorade (once or twice Mtn Dew or Ginger Ale). I switched from water to HEED in my pack on lap 4 (mile 37.5) when it warmed up and took a S-cap (electrolyte pill) every hour. Initially the HEED tasted great, but when it got even hotter, that, as well as everything else got grosser.
I sucked down HEED, but also tried to increase my calories at my fuel stops. Both WP1 switched to a cup half Gatorade - half water, a Gu (eaten quickly before I spit it out), chased with a cup of water. I did that from lap 4, maybe until lap 5 around lap 7 and half-ish. AS2 and HQ was an additional cup of liquid fuel. I had a love hate relationship with this strategy. Everything tasted gross, and I had to chug to liquids before I'd throw away a half-sipped cup. That left me churning, but after 10 minutes or so, I could really feel the pick-me-up. Later, I was switching to Sports Beans and Shot Blocks; don't ask me how, but these really hit the spot over Gu's and were quite a blessing. Todd and Nicole were great at piecing them out.
One of the biggest take-a-ways was having a routine and sticking to it. I've always tried to take a more flexible approach. But I appreciated that when I didn't really feel like I could trust my gut, I just followed a regiment that I knew and in the end, dragged me through.
BTW. I changed shirt at mile 50. A friend along the course goes "New shirt, new man!" Another girl I was passing goes "Do you mind just taking it off and running just a little bit ahead of me." Loved it! Can't say I haven't wished for similar when the NC State team is out there.
So now it's all about taking it easy. I won't do much running for a bit, but work will keep me moving around, which I think helps mitigate the stiffness. I don't plan on even signing up for a race for a while; just let any running being about enjoyment.
Friday, April 4, 2014
[Last Minute] Umstead 100 Motivation
Echelon by Pillar "... drive one, pressin' on till we reach the top; and you know we don't stop"
Dive by Disciple "I'll run and not go weak/ walk and will not faint/ climb the highest mountain and dive off"
ISHFWILF by Disturbed (originally by U2)
Worth it All by Disciple "Forgetting what is behind/ I'm going straight head/ And I will run with a passion until I reach the end/I won't let my eyes move left to right/I'll with all my heart/ I'll give it all I've got"
I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin "I will not bow/ I will not break"
Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin "Only the strongest will survive"
"If you wanted a guarantee you wouldn't have signed up ..." - How to Be Epic, Runner's World
"Only those who risk going too far can possible find out how far one can go" - T.S. Eliot
Dive by Disciple "I'll run and not go weak/ walk and will not faint/ climb the highest mountain and dive off"
ISHFWILF by Disturbed (originally by U2)
Worth it All by Disciple "Forgetting what is behind/ I'm going straight head/ And I will run with a passion until I reach the end/I won't let my eyes move left to right/I'll with all my heart/ I'll give it all I've got"
I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin "I will not bow/ I will not break"
Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin "Only the strongest will survive"
"If you wanted a guarantee you wouldn't have signed up ..." - How to Be Epic, Runner's World
"Only those who risk going too far can possible find out how far one can go" - T.S. Eliot
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