I've used this race as a prep for the McNaughton 100 & 150 the last 2 years. The Clinton Lake 30M course reminds me much of the trails at McNaughton -- both trails are soft dirt when it's not muddy and both have 10 mile loops. The hills seem somewhat similar although a few of the hills are bigger at McNaughton -- but not as frequent.
This year, the weather & course conditions at Clinton Lake were very good. Nice & cool. A few muddy spots, but they dried up thru the day. Logan Martin returned to break his own course record set last year. It was awesome to see such a runner in action up close, although it was pretty deflating to be lapped at mile 17 of a 3 loop, 30 mile race . . . .
I set my PR for this course & for 30 miles last year at 5:58:35. I was hoping for a similar time this year, but ran out of gas -- 6:12:37. I believe the effort was there, but I feel the 10 pounds extra weight I've been packing the last few months takes its toll. Looks like I'll be back on yet another diet this summer.
It was great to see familiar faces in a race so far from home. This day I ran into: Ellen (2008 winner), Mike (met last race), Chris (RD), Jeff (my on the course motivator), Brian (CHUGS), Cassie (ex-blogger, now facebook), Jake (another friendly runner) and Juli & Val (a loving couple). I also ran with & chatted for a little while with Kathleen -- she's listed as 61 & age group winner on the results, but she sure ran like & looked like she was alot younger.
a final note:
I do wish to thank Chris Migotsky for his efforts & dedication as Race Director for the three years I've run this event. His enthusiasm spilled out onto others too & will be missed as he retires from directing & focuses more on his own running. I'm sure I will see Chris again on the course next year.
Chris (the one dancing) & also Mike & Jeff in this pic:
next:
"Muddy McNutty" There won't be a 150 miler this year at McNaughton as there's a new RD. Can count on a super slimey course, as usual.
Land Between the Lakes (LBL) & Louisville's Lovin' the Hills (LLTH) are the only trail ultras left in KY since Herb dropped his Natural Bridge & KUTS races several years ago. LBL has survived all these years & has thrived -- quadrupling in size since I first ran on this course in 2005. So with this year's race being my 6th straight running, it would seem logical I would have learned how to run this race most efficiently & stuck to it . . . Nope. I thought I had it down pat last year as I finally had a good run, but I went out & totally ignored that strategy that worked so well. "Stupid is as stupid does."
This is the bad habit that I've reverted to 5 of the last 6 years: The first 1.7 miles of the course is a paved roadway before entering an 11.3 mile single track loop that's repeated several times. Most (more than 80% of the 300+ runners this year) I line up with each year are running a shorter distance. It's only natural their pace (as a whole) would be faster, so it follows that I would be at a slower pace, right? It's not that I get burned out running a fast pace in those 1.7 miles. It's that once we reach the trail, we're funneled down into single track & into long lines of runners and I try to keep with the flow -- so I stay on pace with everyone (I'm too pigheaded to pull off the course for a few minutes). The pace is actually easy, but of course it's only the 1st lap of 4. I usually don't get into my own pace until the one lap runners drop off the course at 13 miles -- by then it's too late, the damage has been done. This course causes me more problems on starting pace than any other I run. I've already set my goal for next year (& it only involves 1.7 miles).
the race:
The course was in pretty good condition & the temps were cool -- many records were broke this day. There were a few muddy spots, but not bad, although these spots would become wallowed out a little more by the 4th lap & we had some rain then too.
I felt good the 1st lap, but also felt a little spent near the end at 13 miles (this was not a good sign). By the end of the 2nd lap at about 24 miles, my legs were gone. I began thinking about dropping down to 60k (3 laps) like a dozen other 50 milers eventually did. Instead of quitting, I decided to go into my very slow, but steady pace mode -- a pace that would let me finish without walking the flats. The only problem with that was that I still had a cutoff to make if I wanted to continue on to 50 miles. If I didn't finish the 3rd lap in 7 hours 45 minutes (13 minute pace), I would be forced to head to a 60k finish. Somehow making it under the cutoff, I continued with my "survival" pace -- it suited me & I actually felt pretty good the last lap. Not good enough to get into the "running" mode again, but enough that I enjoyed myself the entire lap & that's what it's about! Official time: 11:05:16, about half an hour slower than last year.
Looking back, I did have fun & as usual, ran into many familiar faces & was introduced to a few new ones! Ones I can remember and was able to get in a word or two: Steve & John D., Mike H., Jeff R., Cynthia H., Kim R., Troy & Kara S., Josh A., Brian Y., Bob E., Logan S., Jennifer B., Chris M. & David G. I heard my name shouted out by at least 4 runners who I didn't know. Two of them took the time to introduce themselves & I'm happy that they did: Mike Matteson -- I had seen at several other races, but we had never met. I'll see Mike again at my next 2 events: Clinton Lake 30M & McNaughton Park 100M. Congrats on a nice run Mike! Henry Cubero -- I had seen his name on the LLTH entry list, but that was about it. We kind of leap frogged thru the race, but Henry became hobbled as he felt like he had a stress fracture in one foot. After starting the 4th lap he had to drop at the next aid station -- that was pretty gutsy to start on that last lap Henry!
extra notes:
Thanks to Steve Durbin, RD and all the dedicated volunteers who make this one of the most organized & enjoyable events that I attend each year!
Congrats to Cynthia Heady, RD of LLTH, who captured her 2nd win in the 50 miler!
Hats off to the runner (Naresh?) who finished the 50 miler wearing Vibrams Five Fingers!
next:
Next up is Clinton Lake 30M. This has proved to be good preparation for McNaughton, so looking forward to the event.
With LLTH moved back a week from Valentines, there would be 5 weeks to Land Between the Lakes (LBL) -- usually my next race. So to fill the gap, I decided to try the Mt. Cheaha 50k down in Alabama to see what some have said is a more challenging race than the Mountain Mist 50k in Huntsville (the Mountain Mist website claims their race is the toughest run in Alabama). I also wanted to get away from all the snow & mud on the local trails which made training difficult. Which reminds me, I met Kim, the Trail Goddess, on one of those "less than ideal" trail condition days (nice weather though) last week. It was a real surprise, shocking actually, to see a runner from out of state on the snowy hills in Louisville and that runner to be someone I knew too! It made for a pleasant run -- Thanks Kim!
It was a very long drive to Oxford, AL -- like the 400+ mile trip to the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 50k last year, but the Friday afternoon traffic thru Tenn. & Ala. was not as bad as when I went up thru Ohio.
Arriving Friday afternoon, I did some sightseeing around Cheaha State Park, the location of the finish line & early packet pickup. I also drove around the park checking out where I had made a 2.5 mile wrong turn in the dark in last year's Pinhoti 100, which also ran thru this park. The park roads looked completely different in the daylight hours! Still, it took me a while to figure out where & how I actually made the mistake. Someone local would have never taken the wrong road as I did -- that wrong turn helped earn me a DNF in that race last year.
on top -- course comes up this road, not far from the finish:
the race:
Race day begins with an early bus ride from the finish line to the start area for this point to point race. Apparently, the RD miscalculated the number of runners taking the 2 buses this year. I'm sure glad I got one of the seats, although it was in the back of the bus. Felt sorry for all the people who sat in the aisles -- I would have gotten motion sickness for sure!
Arriving at the start 40 minutes early, there wasn't much to do except to sign in & try to keep warm. Although it was in the upper 20's at the start, I would be running with a singlet, sleeves & shorts. I placed myself about mid-pack as the race started right on time. With 160 runners toeing the line at the trailhead though, the inevitable bottleneck would come very quickly in this race as the single track trail started in less than 100 feet!!
Mt. Cheaha: current skycam
The first few miles were pretty easy going as the pace was dictated by where I had placed myself at the start. I was so glad to be away from all the mud & snow back in KY -- the only slippage here was on thick mats of pine needles! At about mile 7 or 8, the trail emptied out onto a washed out jeep road. At first it was uphill, but then led to a mile or 2 of steady, straight & very runnable downhill. This is where alot of runners kicked it into gear (I put it into neutral). I looked down at my GPS & it said I was running 9 minute miles, if so, everyone else was doing 8 minutes & less! Comparing this course to LLTH, the hills are higher & much longer both up & down, but not as steep or as frequent. One exception to that is the very steep climb up Mt. Cheaha near the end of the race.
not sure where I got this (last year's run), but thanks to the original poster:
After the jeep road, the trail went up onto a ridge & stayed there for a long way. Some very nice scenic overlooks when 1st coming up on this ridge. About this time, nature came a calling -- after many years of racing, I've still not found a sure fire diet that will keep this from happening 100% of the time. Weakened with this & along with my changed intake at the aid stations, I just couldn't seem to get any pep into my stride afterwards. With no drop bags in this race, I would be relying on the aid stations for all my intake after the start. Heed would be the drink the rest of the race & having trained on sweet Gatorade, it was a big difference. For the 1st time though, I didn't have abdominal discomfort after drinking Heed as has happened twice before.
one of the nice campsites:
After the scenic overlooks, the trail was following and running just the below the very top of the ridge and it became pretty rough going. Here it was not the embedded rocks as much as the flat rocks that were lying on top of uneven ones that made it tough. Every step was an adventure for several miles as the rocks teetered in unpredictable directions beneath the feet. If I fell here, there were no soft spots so I took my time as I didn't want to get injured. I was very lucky & never once turned an ankle or even rolled one slightly, yet my ankles were extremely sore by the time we finished this section. Many trips, but no falls this day!
Finally leaving the extra rocky section, the course became pretty familiar to me. It was the Pinhoti 100 course run in reverse direction, which I had done twice before. Alot of that was in the dark, so it was nice to see everything I missed. The cold creek crossings hadn't changed, but I could also see what I could only hear before -- the beautiful mountain creek rushing thru the gorge -- nice!
All good things come to an end though as the trail emptied out onto a gravel, then paved road for 2 or 3 miles. My ankles were sore & my feet were hurting as they pounded the hard road. It was easier to shuffle than to run or walk so that's what I did. Most of the runners I had passed on the trail the last 3 or 4 miles passed me back. What I'll remember most though as I trudged along was the sight of Mt. Cheaha looming ahead. On the steepest part of the mountain I could see a near vertical rock face -- that's where the course went!
from Mt. Cheaha -- course approaches from the ridgeline to the distant left in this pic:
From the last aid station at Lake Cheaha, the course went UP. Gradual at first, then became steeper & rockier until it was almost a hand climb & the rocks became boulders. I was familiar with the trail having come down this mountain twice, but it sure was a night & day difference in comparison to going up this trail. So I motored up this mountain step by measured step, just watching the heart rate as my legs felt OK with the steep climb. I passed a couple runners who seemed to be having extreme difficulty thru here & I also passed directly underneath 2 people rapelling down the rock face!
At the top of this extra steep section, the course became a mix of paved road & trail. I just wanted to finish evenly from here & not get passed by too many runners on the road sections (2 actually passed). Official finish time 7:20:23.
Jamie & Todd Henderson (in the pink & in the red), Race Directors at the finish at the Bald Rock Lodge:
next:
Land Between the Lakes 50M. Last year was one of my better efforts, so matching that will be my goal.
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).
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.
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!
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.
This year, the weather & course conditions at Clinton Lake were very good. Nice & cool. A few muddy spots, but they dried up thru the day. Logan Martin returned to break his own course record set last year. It was awesome to see such a runner in action up close, although it was pretty deflating to be lapped at mile 17 of a 3 loop, 30 mile race . . . .
