Bull
Run Run 2008
April
11
It
is Friday afternoon, and all of us (Darin, Martha, Nathan, and Amy) are driving
to Northern Virginia for the Bull Run Run 50
Miler. I don’t try too hard to get a
crew for this race, but I did ask a couple of people. After those attempts failed, the crew task
fell to my very reliable bride, Martha.
Then we asked the kids if they wanted to go, and both of them said
yes. Amy said that she really likes the
Bull Run Run.
I had two bunks reserved at the start/finish area at Hemlock, so Martha
made a motel reservation for her and Amy in Centreville.
Nathan
and I enjoyed the pre-race dinner, which was brought in from Carraba’s. It was
most excellent. The race briefing was
given by Gary Knipling because the race director, Bob Phillips, was tied up at
work. Gary said the weather was going to
be hot and wet, with a chance of showers.
Friday night, we got a little thunderstorm, but it didn’t rain for long,
and the area was very dry anyway.
April
12
I
woke up at 4:45am because another guy in the cabin I was staying had his alarm
set for that time. Then he and another
guy get up and decide it is time to turn the lights on. The race doesn’t start until 6:30, so I was
planning on sleeping later. I did,
however, get a nice night’s sleep, so I guess the few less minutes of sleep won’t
bother me any. The temperature is
already above 60 degrees, so I decide to start without my shirt. I had Nathan put sunscreen on my back, and I
covered everything else. I start the
race with shorts, Camelbak, Keen Wasatch Crest shoes, and a Buff on my
head. Here’s hoping it doesn’t get too
hot today.
Mile
7.2 1:13:42 (10:14 avg./mile)
I
start off comfortably, but I also want to get out on the trail in the first
third of runners. Most of this course is
single track, and early on, it can be difficult to pass a lot of people. I like my time to this first aid
station. When I get there, I see Amy
running back to tell Martha that I am here.
I decide that I don’t need anything from them at this point, so I head
back on the trail without waiting for them to get to me. I find out later that they were a little late
getting to the first aid station because of directions from the motel.
Mile
11.6 42:01 (9:33 avg./mile)
This
section is a two plus mile out and back on the upstream portion of the
course. I stick with a group of about
4-5 other people and cruise nicely along.
At the turnaround, I see that David Snipes is out quickly and has a
couple of minutes on me. It is great to
see everyone behind me after I turn around.
At this early stage, everyone looks good. The course is a little muddy, but not bad at
all.
Mile
16.6 54:40 (10:56 avg./mile)
Hemlock Overlook
Getting
back to Hemlock in good shape is an important point. I am feeling fine, and I am not making bad
time at this point. I have passed Frank Probst, but I am still trailing David Snipes. The weather is warming up very quickly, and
the humidity is thick in the air. I grab
some chocolate milk and half of a bagel from my crew at this point. I also trade out my Camelbak for a full
one. It is only going to get hotter.
Mile
21.1 49:57 (11:06 avg./mile)
This
time to the marina is slower than I normally run, but with the temperatures so
warm and humid, I think it is the prudent pace at this point. My crew tells me that Snipes is less than
five minutes ahead of me. I have usually
passed him by this point, but he seems to be having a good day so far. My goal for this race is to finish feeling
decent and to get in a great workout for my upcoming 100 mile in five weeks.
Mile
26.1 53:09 (10:38 avg./mile)
Wolf Run Shoals
The
temperature is quite warm, but I am keeping Frank behind me for now. In case you don’t know, Frank is 64 years
old, but still a really good runner. I
grab a cup of Gatorade and a few cookies at this aid station. My crew isn’t allowed to come to this one, so
I have to feed off of the able aid station food. The only thing is that the aid stations don’t
provide chocolate milk or bagels, usually.
Mile
28.1 26:36 (13:18 avg./mile)
Fountainhead
The
first of several brief showers drops a little rain on us. It feels good for about a minute or two, but
then the sun comes back out. This makes
it worse in the end. However, I hope
that the clouds will move in and block out the sun more. The drawback is that this course can get
quite sloppy if we get any serious rain.
Here at this aid station, I catch up to Snipes, but then Frank goes by
both of us. I get some more chocolate
milk and part of a bagel from my crew. I
will never understand why these last two miles take longer than I expect. I think they just might be a bit more than
two miles, but I would never say such a thing on a trail race. As the clouds look like they might be set in,
I leave my Buff here.
Mile
32.5 54:27 (12:23 avg./mile)
Do Loop (start)
David
Snipes and I get to this aid station together.
We haven’t run much together in a race since Masochist in November, and
then he left me behind near the end. At
this aid station, I see an old friend, Janet Vincent, whom I haven’t see in at least a year.
This is another non-crew stop, and I grab some Gatorade and chips for
the loop ahead. I also complain to Jeff
Reed that it is darn hot out here today.
Mile
35.5 37:28 (12:29 avg./mile)
Do Loop (end)
While
I make okay time on the Do Loop, David Snipes is clearly running better than me
today. He beats me into the aid station,
but is still there talking away when I arrive.
On the Do Loop, there is an old Rambler, and I perform my yearly ritual
of emptying my bladder on the left front fender. I must say that the left front fender is
holding up much better than the rest of the car!
Mile
37.9 32:36 (13:35 avg./mile)
Fountainhead
Leaving
the Do Loop aid station, it starts to rain again. It now looks like it might rain for some
time, but then it stops. However, it
remains mostly cloudy this time, which is a welcome relief. David and I run most of this section
together, but I am not running as well as him today, and I encourage him to
press on ahead as he has a chance for a personal best on this course. At this aid station, I drink just Conquest
and eat half of a bagel. The heat is
getting to me as I don’t care to eat much, but I know I need to keep the
calories coming. Nathan asks me if I
want my Buff back, and I say that it looks like it will stay cloudy the rest of
the day.
Mile
39.9 29:12 (14:36 avg./mile)
Wolf Run Shoals
This
is the long two mile section on which I am also conserving my energy for the
final push to the finish. At this aid
station they offer ice cream and other food items, but I have no stomach for
much at this point. I drink a couple of
cups of Gatorade and head on out, hoping that the sun will remain behind the
clouds until I am finished.
Mile
44.9 1:02:53 (12:35 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina
The
clouds have broken and the sun pounds down on me once again. It is hot, and I have no Buff now to cover my
head. I don’t put sunscreen above my
eyes because it will run into them. My
time is okay, but I am just glad to almost be done. I know I won’t be getting a personal best
today, and if I don’t hurry I will have my slowest time on this course! Nathan starts running with me for this last
section, but before I leave the aid station, I get a shower from a garden hose
and drink two cups of Coke to help with the final push to the finish.
Mile
50.4 1:09:36 (12:39 avg./mile) FINISH!
My
legs are tired, and they are a little crampy. However, it is really nice to have Nathan
with me. We run the logs through the
swamp, and then we stride across the soccer fields. We managed to pass a few people for a change
as many have been passing me. Near the
finish I am feeling okay, so I give it a good kick and finish just two minutes
behind Frank. David Snipes only finished
a couple of minutes ahead of Frank.
Official
Finishing Time 9:46:17
61st
out of 310 starters (265 finishers)
Bob Phillips
congratulates me and gives me my finishers prize—a nice backpack. He also mentions that I am only the 61st
person to finish and that finishing times are much slower this year. So, despite the fact that this is my slowest
time on this course and almost 40 minutes slower than last year, I actually
finish in a higher position. Overall, I
had a great time, and I succeeded in getting a very good workout in before my
100 miler in five weeks.
Now my total
focus turns to the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100. I finished this race in 2005, dropped in
2006, and paced Zeke Zucker last year. This year, I am out to push my finishing
percentage back over 50%. I also want to
finish with more than 42 minutes to spare like I did
in ’05. Until then,
Never stop
running,
Darin
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