2010 Louisville's Lovin' The Hills

Well, it's been almost 2 months since my last post here, but I didn't abandon blogland during this time -- I've been working on my LLTH PLUS blog & it's been really fun!

As for this year's version of LLTH, there was no ice storm cleanup to worry about like last year, but there was always the worry that the weather would be so bad that nobody could make it to the race. We lucked out on that & despite the weather & road conditions, most of the entrants were able to make it to the event. Some runners may have opted out and not attended due to the expected "less than ideal" trail conditions, but they sure missed out if they did -- it had to be the most scenic race of all previous years. I thought the race went very smoothly start to finish & was a big success.

nice goodies:

a couple small disappointments coming in :

Last year I ran the Mountain Mist 50k in Alabama in January -- I thought it was an excellent tuneup for LLTH. But since I had the swine flu last fall when registration opened, I did not get a chance to enter as it quickly filled up. So, I did not have a race which I felt I needed in January this year.

The Highway Dept has always had the 2 hills leading to LLTH, on Holsclaw Hill and Brooks Hill Roads, at the same priority as Interstates when it comes to clearing & salting the roads in bad weather. For some reason, they did not do any salting till late -- it was a little slick when I came in & it could have been worse. With the rain the day before, I think they were unable to pretreat the roads with their brine and when it came Saturday morning they were just way behind -- plus I think because it was Saturday, they probably thought: who would want to drive up these hills then? Next time they're going to get a call as a reminder . . .

prerace:

Last year, I came into the race tired from clearing the trails after the ice storm & the course marking was done very late too. This year, Cynthia & I got almost all of the trails marked a week before. Plus, I decided to hike the trails when marking this time & not to run & wear myself out -- or risk injury too. So I felt pretty fresh, though undertrained still, for the race this year.

I recognized quite a few LLTH veterans present & was able to talk to, or throw out words of encouragement to several people I knew or met prerace & on the trail: Todd, Cynthia, Jeff, Suzan, Larry, David, Kim, Brian, Mike, Brenda, Logan, Jennifer, Tony, Eric, Troy, Ricky, Steve, Matt -- everybody was in such a happy mood -- this was a most enjoyable day!

my race:

I took it easy this year, compared to previous years, on the 1st loop & I was content to follow along where I started -- somewhere in the back half. The scenery was absolutely stunning with all the snow blanketing everything & stuck to all the trees & undergrowth like glue. I got in a good chat with Steve Durbin (RD) of LBL (March 13) before he sped off (great run Steve!). I don't think I passed anyone till on the 2nd loop. The footing was more tricky & sloppy on the Yellow Trail, but I knew the course very well. Several runners passed me on the road section though, but I hope those runners enjoyed it while they could -- they may not have this road next year! If the new trail from the Welcome Center to the Yost section is completed this summer, I am pushing for this 1 mile section (done twice) on the 2nd leg to be replaced by trail -- along with the gravel road & highway on the 3rd leg. If the new trail is completed & I have my way, the only pavement on the course will be the short section at Scott's Gap & several road crossings -- that's it! And, I'm even working on bypassing that short piece of road at Scott's Gap!


Starting the 3rd loop, I noticed my time was really slow compared to previous years. I felt OK with that though and also felt I didn't need to push it with the trail conditions as they were. So I kept a slow, but steady pace the remainder of the race. I did get to thank Eric Grossman for the pictures he sent, as he ran past me on the out and back -- I believe it took him a little by surprise! How effortless it seemed in his running style. The next runners who were some distance behind him, looked to be struggling somewhat & feeling their efforts.

On my return trip from Scott's Gap, I passed Rob Apple & Susan Donnelly on their way out to Scott's Gap. I was surprised to see them so far back, but Susan said they were taking pictures & taking their time -- I was so happy that they did! These photos let me relive the race as I recognized most every location that the pictures were taken. Such beautiful scenery has now been captured for posterity. Thank you so much Susan!!

All the photos in this blog post today are courtesy of Susan Donnelly.


My official time: 7:53:36 -- slowest in the 6 years I've run this event. Winning time was an impressive 5:02:38 by Eric Grossman.

next:

I have the Mt. Cheaha 50k in Alabama on my calendar in a couple weeks. The trails around here look to be packed with snow for at least the next week or so, so it's going to be tough to get in some good running. I'm looking forward to the race though -- it looks like I've run part of it during the Pinhoti 100, except in the opposite direction. After Mt. Cheaha, it's going to be a short 2 weeks to Land Between the Lakes (LBL) 50 miler. Last year, I had one of my better races there, so I'm looking forward to trying to match that effort this year.

Oh yes, my crash diet ending last month was just that. After reaching a whopping 195 #'s in December, I lost 10 #'s after starving myself. But I gained almost all of it back already -- on this last race day, I weighed 191 #'s (obese again).

2009 Lookout Mountain 100k

After my performance at Tecumseh, I was pretty down on myself, so the best medicine for getting my mind off that was to enter another race ASAP! I needed to have a long, fat-burning run to kickoff my diet too and the Lookout Mountain 100k fit the bill. I thought briefly about entering HUFF 50k as I had not run that race either, but the idea of running my first 100k on a mountain had me excited & full of anticipation!

early signs

After I decided to enter the event though, there were indications that I had made the wrong choice and it took some extra determination to stay positive thru it all:

The 1st sign of things to come was the weather & it became the biggest influence on the event. When I registered online 5 days out, the forecast was for nice weather Friday & Saturday -- zero chance of precip. The actual weather was rain ALL DAY Friday, resulting in local flooding. Race day was windy with rain & snow in the evening.

I left early Friday for the drive to Chattanooga, TN, in hopes of sightseeing & getting a few pics. I set the GPS in my car for a motel off the Interstate in town. Where did I end up? The GPS never registered the exit off the Interstate and it eventually led me down a dead end road! When I eventually found the motel, the clerk informed me that I was not the only one to have found that dead end. Oh no, I thought, it was beginning to be one of those events that gets started on the wrong foot!

After checking in, I decided to scout the start/finish area atop Lookout Mtn and get a few pics, even though it was raining. Halfway up the mountain, I started into the clouds/fog & soon it turned really thick. At the top, it was said you could see 5 states on a clear day. Well, this day you were lucky to see 5 feet in front of the car! After much difficulty, I got turned around & headed back down into town to attend the prerace meeting. Suffice to say I was pretty disappointed I could not get any pictures.


Arriving at early packet pickup, I received a BIG surprise. Apparently an email with last minute changes was sent to everyone in the afternoon (after I had left home) & it seemed I was the only one not aware of it. The surprise: due to lack of parking (mud) at the start/finish & concerns over the safety of the runners with the cold weather Saturday night, the race was being changed to 50 miles! Associated with the distance drop were major changes in the course itself, changes to the aid stations, start/finish location & starting time -- Wo! All my race planning & course studying were out the window. A huge letdown on not running the 100k distance too, but I was still determined to complete my fat burning mission! And, I still wanted to have fun, of course. So onward!

Most of the prerace meeting was about preventing hypothermia as they had problems with a runner last year. The major changes were discussed, but no new maps or revisions were handed out. Trying to figure out the new course & a new strategy left me with my head spinning.


the race

The fog wasn't bad Saturday morning, but still made it a challenge to find the start/finish in the maze of roads atop the mountain. Temps up on top were 7 degrees lower than downtown Chattanooga. One thing I learned this day: Yes, you can have fog and have 20 mph winds -- guess I was confusing fog and frost!

The race began at the new late start time at the revised starting location. At first it was splishy-splashy with standing water & streams running down the middle of the trails, but no real muddy areas with the rocky base. I would have wet feet all day, but no blisters. There were numerous waterfalls off the rock cliffs which at times towered 200' above us -- really nice! There were occasional barrier cables at sheer cliff dropoffs -- not really functional, but served as an extra warning to watch your step. Along the way, we passed beneath the inclined railway -- it was nearly vertical -- no way would I ever get on one of those! There would have been super nice views had there been no low hanging clouds.

At the first aid station at about 8 miles I found that I had gotten confused with the new numbers of the aid stations & labeled my drop bags wrong. No problem though as I ended up depending on my bags very little this race.


There's one sinking feeling which I hate to have during a race -- that's when you see a runner who had been in front of you, come to a stop & start to come back towards you. You know he's going to ask if you'd seen any markers lately! There was one thing brand new to me for an ultra -- a new course marking technique. The course was marked by blocking off wrong turns with a small line of flags -- the right way to go had no flags blocking the trail. Seeing an intermediate or directional flag was rare. It was not uncommon to go a mile or two before seeing a flag. When the runner (Mike) said we could be off course, I told him I could not remember crossing any flags either. So we continued till we reached the highway going up the mountain -- obviously signaling we were way, way off course! Pretty disappointed here as I had been averaging 12 minute miles up to this point (15.4 miles) & had been feeling pretty good. So we sucked it up & backtracked till we ran into some runners -- never really found the exact point where we went off course, but I did measure it to be about 1.1 (x 2) miles additional. From what I heard from other runners, they could see aid station 2 & turned & headed toward it, rather than go straight in the wrong direction as we did. The extra out-and-back is to the top center of the pic above & lower right of the pic below:


Finally coming into aid station 2, I really felt drained (more mentally than physically) having done the extra miles & felt a little defeated in that all the runners who were 25 minutes or so behind me were now in front (yes, I do feel competitive at times even though I bring up the last third of the pack!). Some of those runners I had worked hard to get by, or keep ahead of -- now I was way behind . . .

What uplifted me though as I approached the 3rd aid station was I saw Mr. Ultra (Rob Apple) & several others fueling up. I was really surprised to be catching up & passing anyone as slow as I was going back up the mountain. So with renewed energy, I picked it up & started to pass some runners. This next section going to aid station 4 was on a newly constructed trail, so it was nice & muddy. One swift creek crossing & one windy powerline segment were included here. The leaders were now heading back on their final leg on this out & back section. I recognized a local runner, Troy Shellhamer in the top 7 moving pretty good -- Congrats Troy! I also recognized several runners who I ran with earlier in the race when I left the course -- they were now 30 minutes in front of me.

After the turnaround would be the most scenic section of the event. After using a rope to climb down a short steep muddy incline (shades of McNaughton), I could hear the roar of a waterfall. It became louder & louder . . . . until . . . WOW! A most impressive waterfall! Super rock formations! With all the rain, the creek was up & roaring down thru a narrow, winding channel & over a cliff. A place where I could sit for a week just taking it all in! An aid station was located right there -- those volunteers must've done something extra special to deserve that location!

That waterfall really made my day -- everything that had gone awry earlier was now distant history! From here as night fell, I cruised on at a steady pace, never having to walk any except the steeper hills. The rain which had been off & on, turned to snow & the 30 mph headwind on the return trip thru the powerline segment was pretty tough.

Only one small disappointment from there as I finished up in 11:49 : I had picked up my Moeben sleeves at the last drop bag station since there was so much emphasis by the RD at the prerace meeting about the cold front coming thru -- I should have known with my cold weather experience that it was nothing new. Anyway, I just didn't need the sleeves & I ended up dropping/losing one on the course. At the end of the race, I apologized for "littering" the course. With it being black, I don't think any runner or sweeper would see it in the dark unless they were looking for it specifically. No news yet on whether it's been found.


It's been guaranteed the course will be changed again next year. I would highly recommend this very scenic event, especially if the weather is better!

Next:

DIET time! Holding to the plan, it's crash diet time (a low carb/starvation/unhealthy diet) for 4 weeks or so -- just long enough that hopefully I can get in a good training run afterwards for Louisville's Lovin' the Hills on Feb 6.

2009 Tecumseh Marathon

Here I am scratching my head trying to figure out what happened at Tecumseh this past weekend. I entered this race fairly confident that I could improve on my slow time of last year (that I blamed on snow & ice), but I ended up struggling to finish this year. I wish I could say I had something to happen during the race to blame, but I can't. I felt good at the start with the cool temps & I had the leg turnover (that had abandoned me at the start of Pinhoti). My shoulder & back were never issues -- the shoulder had finally healed (95%) and my back was acting OK -- some chronic lower back pain, but nothing unusual.

So, obviously it has to be in my training & preparation . . . . . other than not getting in enough miles, the one thing that glares at me has been my weight gain (Thanksgiving didn't help). Moving back to the "obese" category from "overweight" means I've gained back all the weight (15 lbs) since my hard fought diet during the summer of '08. Although after the diet I started to eat healthier foods, the biggest problem has been "quantity" -- I love to eat (who doesn't?). It's depressing to think about, so I need to get away from this (since it only makes me want to eat!) & move forward. Another diet is forthcoming, once I work myself up to it!
the race

The weather on race day was great! I recognized a dozen or so names from the entry list (700 runners!) but met only a few before the race start -- Brian K & Brian H, Barry, Jeffrey. Course conditions were much better this year with only a few slick spots where the mud was frozen. The streams were up a little more than usual, so having wet feet was a little different.

I settled into a comfortable pace for the first couple miles on the double track trail/road. Entering the single track, I figured I would be running in a "train" of runners -- I just wanted to get into a group going my pace. I didn't expect all the stopping at the stream crossings though -- at one place where the trail switched back several times, I could see at least 30 runners ahead who were just standing & waiting to cross a stream! By the next stream crossing though, runners were crossing 5 wide thru the water & off trail rather than wait in line.

Approaching the halfway point, I could feel my legs starting to tire (what gives?) even though I didn't feel like I was pushing it. I could also see that my split time was going to be the slowest ever for this event & slower than any training run that I've done on this section! So what had been a fun & most enjoyable run turned into a jog/walkfest & struggle the remainder of the way. End result -- my slowest time in the 7 years running this event, including 2007 when I entered the race half sick: 5:29:56.


postrace

I didn't realize it until getting a cramp in my leg when I got in my car that I had completely forgotten to take any Succeed tablets with me on the run -- don't think that was an issue though as I had taken gels -- supposedly fortified with extra electrolytes.

I left a large stack of Louisville's Lovin' the Hills applications at the packet pickup, but it had disappeared by the time I finished -- I did not see many people taking one while I was there in the morning, so I'm wondering what happened to them???

next

With Otter Creek Trail Marathon this weekend canceled, my marathon "double" that I've done the last 5 years will come to an end. It has really puzzled me that the city of Louisville will not entertain the prospect of earning $$ for granting a permit for running of the race at the park this year.

My future race plans? Diet plans? Got to get some motivation going here . . . . . . and soon!

2009 Pinhoti 100

It's been a tough 5 days in recovery since the race, but finally here's my account of my adventure & mis-adventures for the record:

short version

I had hoped my back would not flare up and allow me to finish, but I ended up battling it from before the start & I was unable to meet the cutoff time at 65 miles. I tried to enjoy myself as much as I could during the race, although this has to be the most painful event I've ever endured (yes, I paid to do this & still happy I did!).

How the race unfolded & how it was run was quite different from my attempt last year, even though the end result was the same. For the very long & extremely boring details, read on . . . . otherwise, thanks for checking by!

prerace issues

Five days before my trip to Sylacauga for the Pinhoti 100, I went out for a jog around the Red Trail that's part of the Louisville's Lovin' the Hills 50k course across from my house. I felt I needed to get one more short run in since I had only run once after Stone Steps 50k a couple weeks ago. My biggest concern was keeping from spraining my ankles on any rocks or roots hidden under the leaves. I did well on that, but didn't expect to slip down on the leaves on a steep downhill & catch my right wrist/arm on a small tree. Going quickly down onto my butt, my arm ended up extended backwards behind me in an awkward position as I slid by the tree. If I was not double-jointed, I probably would have dislocated my shoulder, but instead tore some muscles & ligaments & ?? I had sharp pains from behind my shoulder blade to the top corner of my arm/shoulder & was unable to lift my arm for anything for a couple days. By the time I left for the trip to Alabama, I only had sharp pains if I raised my arm above my shoulder. This would come back on me late in the race.

Getting a good night's sleep at a motel just a few minutes from where I needed to go in the morning is very rare. I went to bed very early & despite all the usual door slams & horn honking (from people locking their cars remotely), I got in a good long sleep. Unfortunately, when I woke, I had a crick in my neck -- actually it was centered on my backbone where the neck meets the shoulder & it was very sore. I could actually put my finger on the offending vertebrate -- painful! I could not turn my head to the left or right without wincing in pain so I took some Tylenol & it felt much better although the pain would return after the race start.

at the start

I arrived at the finish line early at 3:30 am for the ride to the start for this point to point race. Although the bus was scheduled to leave at 4, I wanted to be one of the first ones on the bus to get a good seat -- the closer I sit to the front, the less chance I will get motion sickness (as I had a little last year). However, the bus driver overslept & didn't arrive till 4:15. As I got ready to get on the bus, I noticed the driver checking the side of the bus . . . . a dead battery! Eventually we were able to get on the bus 15 minutes later -- the result of all this was the race began late & the feeling that the day was sure getting off to a bad start!

Getting situated at the start line, I talked & shook hands with a real vet, Dan Brenden (58) -- he was coming off a 100 miler just 6 days previous & finished well this race (26:20)! I also talked a little to Robin Meagher, who repeated her 1st place finish and with a super 21:48 this year -- Congrats! I gave well wishes to Tim Barnes, The Trail Store manager in Louisville & the only other Kentuckian in the race. He was running his first 100 -- finished 4th 20:51 -- Congrats! I also recognized a couple others I knew from reading about their exploits: Karl Meltzer (runner xtraordinaire & winner 17:12) & Christian Griffith (blogger & Lister)

race begins

Within the 1st few miles, I can usually tell how the day will go. Right off I could tell I did not have the leg turnover (just like at DWD earlier this year). My legs would just not respond! I'm guessing it was the Tylenol I had took for my neck -- I knew it could be a mistake but I really had no choice if I was to run at all. Also, having to make an unscheduled pitstop right after the start, I came to a stop to let everyone pass (dead last!) -- with the trail following a hillside, there was just no cover. Finishing my business, I took off the best I could, which according to my Garmin was a mere 13-14 minutes per mile -- I knew I was in trouble as last year I was doing 11-12 minute miles with no problem. I did catch up to "steady Freddy" (Fred Davis) and we had a chat as we brought up the rear. We talked about previous races we had together & he told me he had just done the 24 hour in Cleveland, finishing 104 miles! He said he was surprised he did not get an age group award (at age 61).

no detour

After the 2nd aid station last year, the course was re-routed onto the road to avoid the trails damaged by a tornado. This year, we went thru this area -- you can see the road & trail in this pic:
This was all new trail to me & the 1st thing I did was get off course! Places I usually get off course in a race is when the main trail or road goes straight & there's no marking directly in front of me when the course makes a 90 degree turn onto a lesser trail. This was the case here as the course switched back more than 90 degrees and there were no markings in front of me (they were to the left of course!). Only went about 800 feet before I realized I was not on the race trail & looped back to find where I went off course ( the loop in the top center of pic above). The RD & volunteers did a great job in removing the blow-downs from the trail that were hard to get by last year, mostly because there were so many. Really nice single track trails thru this Talledega National Forest!


more slow down

At aid station 3, about 18 miles into the race, I had already digressed to 15-16 minute miles. It was so puzzling & knew then it couldn't have been the Tylenol to blame. I tried to keep positive, thinking if I kept up this same pace, I could finish in 26 hours. Of course, reality was that I would continue to slow down -- soon walking much more than anything else. By the 6th aid station at about mile 35, I was at a continuous walk starting up Mt. Cheaha. I had already accepted the fact I was not going to finish & just wanted to make it to the top of the mountain where I had my drop bag & some warm clothes and I could end my race without freezing to death. Unfortunately, my drop bag had my lights too and with 5 miles to walk uphill with only an hour of daylight left, I was in a fix! I had totally not expected to be over 2 hours behind my time of last year at this point. I was saved though by one of the volunteers who gave up his personal flashlight so I could make it to the top -- Thanks Tim! I would not have been able to make it around the rocks & cliffs near the Bald Rock aid station without it.

legs return

For some reason, just as confounding as my lack of leg turnover at the start, I got my legs to respond approaching Bald Rock at mile 40. I wish I could figure out how & why this happened & to can it & save it! Maybe because it was now dark & just felt like I was going faster -- nope, I started running uphills! I reached the Bald Rock overlook near the top of Mt. Cheaha. Last year it was crowded with visitors. This year there was nobody -- I had the entire overlook to myself -- what a beautiful sight of all the city lights below in the valley & beyond! It was pitch black & I had to watch my step past here as I carefully made my way on the bare rocks as the course went along the edge of the cliff -- no fence! Running into the aid station, I had every intention to end my race. After hearing so much encouragement from the volunteers though & hearing that I was 30 minutes ahead of the cutoff pace (18 minutes per mile), I started to reconsider. But what really made me change my mind to not stop here was that I did NOT have any clothes here like I thought! They were at the next drop bag location 16 miles away! So I picked up my lights & ran off into the nippy night with no shirt. Going along at night with little clothes on felt OK with me temperature wise -- as long as I didn't stop or got hurt along the way -- very risky!


faulty memory

Leaving the Bald Rock aid station on the paved park road, I felt GREAT! Nice & cool, I had my legs & the road was on a downward grade. I ran my fastest of the race thru here, felt like 11 minute miles. I was looking for the turnoff that went "down & to the right" off the main road as I cruised on down the road. I passed three entrances, but none that I recognized. Soon the hill got steeper & when I rounded a curve & shown my light way down the road, I could not see another entrance at all!! I stopped dead in my tracks! I did not recognize this steeper portion. I realized then I had missed the turnoff & started back up the hill -- what a bummer, what wasted energy! Passing the 1st entrance back up the hill, it was just a bare road heading off into the forest -- I did not recognize it whatsoever. Coming to the next entrance back up the hill, the road led to a large campground -- had I seen this before I thought? I went into the campground & at the1st bonfire I interrupted the partygoers: Does anyone know where I could find the "Blue Hell Trail"? I wondered what they thought, all standing around the fire with jackets on & here was this half naked crazy fool! One fellow stepped out of the crowd & apparently knew there was a race going on & directed me to go back out to the main road & up to the next entrance. So I went to the next entrance -- no flagging, but one red pie plate sign with a black arrow sitting in an island full of other signs -- still, the entrance did not look familiar in the dark.

So I ran down this side road which after a few minutes, was wondering if I was on course. A little later, a woman shouted out to me from a roadside campfire "Are you asleep?" I said "What?!" (she had said "Are you a sweep"). A fellow came up behind her & said the sweeps went thru here 10 minutes ago picking up flags & signs. Wo!! Thanks I said & asked where the course went from here . . . go to the next entrance that goes "down & to the right". So a little later I came up to the entrance that I thought was on the main road!!! So I scurried on down the road, knowing now there would be no markings for the course unless/until I caught up to the sweepers.

Heading down the road, I noticed a small white arrow on the pavement (thank goodness!) pointing down to the left onto the Rock Garden Trail (Blue Hell Trail). I quickly headed off onto this trail and soon found it to be nothing but rocks. I followed what seemed to be the forest trail markings on the trees until I lost track of them. There was no discernible trail among the rocks & boulders -- you easily could see why this was called a rock garden! I took the clearest path down the hill, but I came to a cliff. Wandering around & climbing the rocks & boulders was starting to wear me down & it was tough on the back & shoulders. I was about to give up when I saw a lone flag! I reached the flag, but then what? -- I could not make out a trail in ANY direction! Luckily, I chose a direction down the hill to the left & saw another flag -- whew, saved! I scampered over the rocks & soon I saw a blue blaze painted on a rock, then another flag & then I recognized a huge boulder -- about the size of a small house! I was able to make out a trail after that & I could see 3 lights below me!

sweepers

I quickly, but carefully headed down the steep rocky hill trying to catch the 3 lights. I sure didn't want to have a fall here as it would be unforgiving, but just as I reached the 3 lights, I raised my light up to see their faces & stepped on some leaves on a slanted flat rock. Both of my feet went out from under me & I landed on my butt with my left hand smacking a rock. How embarrassing, but felt lucky I could jump right up & talk to the sweepers. The 1st thing one guy asks is what's that dripping off your hand, blood? WHAT?!!! I felt something very warm dripping off the fingers of my left hand -- I was afraid to look! Fortunately it was only my gel flask with a cracked top -- what a sticky mess. I told them thanks for leaving a few flags for me, but I could tell they sure didn't want to go back up the steep hill to get these flags that they missed! So there I was, caught up to the sweepers, my 30 minute cushion on the cutoff was gone -- wasted on extra excursions. But I still felt better than the morning, so I took off to the next aid station at best possible speed.

fall time

After reaching the next aid station, I didn't stay long as I knew I was last & they all wanted to go home. I had seen a runner leave the aid station when I arrived & I hoped to catch him. This next section was very tough on me last year & this year wouldn't be any different. I fell several times, mostly tripping on rocks beneath leaves, nothing serious but each fall hurt like the dickens! Using my arms to break my fall a couple times brought back the sharp pains from my injury earlier in the week. Also my knee caught a broken limb sticking out in the trail & it knocked me down. If I had hit my knee head on, it would have been very bad news. At several of the creeks, the water was up compared to last year & I made it across the boulders at the 1st one only. The water was chilly, but a good chance to wash the blood off my legs! Occasionally I would see the lone light of the runner in front of me, about a quarter mile or so ahead. But by the time I reached the aid station, he had not arrived yet! I learned later he was found safe.

no longer last

At the Adam's Gap aid station, I got some clothes on & the course became a hard packed gravel road. This would now allow me to shuffle my feet & not fall on my face! About 4.5 miles of the next 5 miles was uphill. Despite the gradual but steady climb, I did not walk much & I totally enjoyed being able to turn off my light & to run with nothing but a half moon lighting the way. So peaceful to be running along a high ridgetop . . . then, I passed one gal who was walking -- hey, no longer last! Reaching the Clairmont Gap aid station at mile 60, I had made it to the point where I stopped last year over concerns of my back going out. I had low level back pain with a few sharp stabs all day, but seemed OK at this point. The aid station volunteers were ready to close shop when I arrived, but I told them one more runner was behind me. I knew I was within minutes of cutoff, but the next section was mostly downhill.

sweeper vs pacer

So as I was leaving, 2 fellows started to run along beside me -- they said they were the "2nd shift" sweepers intending on cleaning up thru the next 3 or 4 aid sections. I've never had a pacer & this was a new experience. Right off, I realized I felt "cramped" by their presence although grateful they were going to accompany me. Here I was on my last legs & they were totally fresh. I knew they were well intentioned, but at night, I like to have a clear path at least 20 feet ahead so my light can show up the best path to take, especially on a washed out double track dirt road. They wanted to run right beside & in front of me, which was OK when we chatted, but made it more difficult to run in my weakened condition. With my feet dragging & my eyes getting tired, it was taking alot of mental concentration to just remain upright! I told them a couple times to go on ahead & look back & keep on eye on my light, but they insisted to stick very tight. I continually reminded myself, these are sweepers, not my pacers. When we finally got off the rough dirt road, the course became an uneven, winding single track on a downward grade for several miles. I sped up & took the lead as I wanted to see where I was going and they kept right up on my heals. I felt they were really breathing down my neck, stumbling to keep from running me over & I probably went alot faster than I should have. Soon my back started to give out big time. Very quickly things deteriorated from here. Although it was mostly downhill, I came to a walk as my back was hurting in 2 places -- I started to have a lean. It was reassuring to have company at this time & I thanked them. When we reached the aid station at Chandler Springs at 65 miles, we were already past the cutoff & the volunteers were in the process of dismantling the aid station. Race over.


Wo! This is a super long report -- maybe in reading this account next year, it will help me on my next attempt!


Next:

I had signed up earlier for the Dizzy Fifties (40M) on the 21st, but at this point, I'm having my doubts as I'm still hurting (my shoulder especially). So I'm going to look at my progress each day before deciding what to do.

2009 Stone Steps 50k

I journeyed to Cincinnati for the Stone Steps 50k with hopes of breaking 7 hours and I was just able to do so. Although I had major stomach issues 10 miles into the race, the lack of training was by far the biggest factor for the day. I started slower than usual, to not get caught up in the pace, and then continued to slow down the rest of the way. It was a beautiful day though, with gorgeous weather and I was able to take all that extra time to enjoy the day & to take in the sights!


Colors were very bright on this sunny day with alot of yellow leaves still on the trees and ones on the ground really lighting up the trail -- which was especially noticeable at the start of the race when it's usually pretty dark when entering the woods for the first time. EVERYTHING under the forest canopy had a deep amber hue and when the sun peaked thru small breaks in the trees, the sunlight showed up on the ground as an "odd" bright white light! -- that was an amazing sight all day.

I apparently bumped my Garmin into something before reaching 11 miles that stopped the timer & mapping, so I have incomplete data on the race. The big loop + small loop measured 8.06 miles:


Note: Bimactive.com places Cincinnati in KY! Their site won't allow editing of info on this page other than the Notes.


There were more than the usual number of people out on race day enjoying the nice Fall colors on the trails, many with large dogs. This was the first time I did not see any deer at this park. I remember a couple years ago on a training run that they were so thick, you practically had to shoo them off the trail so you could get by! There was also another first: meeting a fellow on a horse on a narrow trail -- never knew horses were allowed here . . .

Next: This race was to boost my confidence for Pinhoti 100 in 2 weeks . . . . I believe I can do it now, yet I know everything must go right (no issues whatsoever) to finish. Checking last week with Todd Henderson, RD, he has said that they were in the middle of clearing the trails -- the countless downed trees (from a tornado) were a major stumbling block (DNF) for me last year with my bad back. So hopefully with some good luck I can improve on my performance.

back to running

A couple days ago, I was finally able to get rid of that deep rooted tired feeling that seemed to hang on forever after I got over the worst of the flu (it was so depressing to be so fatigued)! First thing I needed to do after that was to see if I could run -- a short jog on local trails showed I could but it left me very sore! What I've noticed more than anything else over the last 4 or 5 years is that when I take 2 weeks or more off from running, I lose muscle tone very quickly & the muscles get sore easily like they haven't been used in months! So although the muscle soreness was disappointing, it was expected. But, I was so happy that the fatigue feeling was not present while I was running. And, being overjoyed to be out in the forest, my mood quickly went positive!

So with running back in the picture, my thoughts returned to my once very ambitious Fall running schedule. With Stone Steps coming up in a week, I'm thinking it's much too soon to attempt a 50k right off, but then again, I really hate to miss one of my favorite events -- plus it's the 2nd closest trail ultra to Louisville at less than a 2 hour drive. With this in mind, I decided to go ahead & sign up for Stone Steps & proceed with training as much as possible, as long as the body cooperated . . .

And that means NO taper this week & entering a race this morning, the Outrunning Autism Family 5K Walk/Run. When I arrived at sign up in downtown Louisville, the only bibs they had left were the "WALKER" ones -- how fitting I thought! Surprisingly, I never had the urge to walk even though it sure was a struggle to keep up any kind of "running" pace. The city streets reminded me how much I do not like pavement -- among other things, it's so tough on the joints!

I've went ahead & turned in applications for all the races that I had originally planned on this Fall before getting sick. One thing though, while being in the funk with the flu, I missed out on signing up for the Mountain Mist 50k -- which WAS going to be my first race of 2010. The organizers had moved the application date back from November 1 last year to October 1 and the race quickly filled up (350 applicants) by October 12!! After I got lost in that race last time, I was planning on redeeming myself. I also thought it was the best & also just about the only ultra race within reasonable driving distance in all of January.


Next: A few years ago, I had a goal of breaking 6 hours at Stone Steps -- this year I'd be happy to: 1. finish the race; 2. break 7 hours. If I can reach that time goal, I plan on going ahead with the Pinhoti 100 in Alabama in November even though I won't/can't be in the shape I had hoped to be in before getting sick.

H1N1 = NO Oil Creek = Sobbing! Cursing! Suffering!

I was a bit premature on my flu assessment in my last post. All I had to do was wait till it felt like I was run over by a truck 12 hours later! Fever, sweats & chills, extreme fatigue . . . . the whole nine yards.

I've just now been able to get myself unglued from the bed, so I'm feebly able to get to things that must be done, like cancel my motel reservation in Titusville, PA. Not attending Oil Creek 100 has to be the biggest letdown EVER when it comes to running. When 2 weeks before the race you have your race & course strategies memorized & your drop bags packed, you know the anticipation was very high . . . .

Next: well at present I'm not in any condition or mood to speculate on any future race plans. What was my most ambitious Fall plans ever are now history -- I have a clean slate at the moment.

Back to bed.