Bull
Run Run 2009
April
17
The
past two years, the whole family has come up to help crew for me at this
race. This year, however, just Martha is
joining me in my pursuit of my sixth straight Bull Run Run
finish. Nathan has a band trip to Busch Gardens,
and Amy elected to spend the weekend in Bumpass with her grandparents. At Hemlock, the race headquarters, I get
checked in and claim my bunk in the bunkhouse.
Then Martha and I go out to dinner in Centreville at Carrabba’s. We enjoy a nice evening out by
ourselves. We finish our feast with ice
cream from Baskin Robbins. Martha then
takes me back to Hemlock, and she checks into her hotel in Centreville. This arrangement works well for her because
the first aid station is at Centreville Road.
Back
at Hemlock, I listen to the sparsely attended race briefing by Anstr. Nothing new this year, but it was casually
entertaining to listen to Anstr. Then I
hang out in the bunkhouse until the lights are turned off a little after
9pm. It is an interesting evening as
both Leigh Schmitt and Todd Walker are staying in the same bunkhouse as
me. They are both top runners, and
tomorrow Leigh will claim another victory on this course.
April
18
I
had my alarm clock on my phone set for 5am, but my cell phone is in the process
of dying so it doesn’t end up working when 5am rolls around. However, I still get up around 5:15am, which
gives me just enough time to get fully prepared for the race start at 6:30am. It is going to be very warm today with the
predicted high near 80 degrees. This
will be the first time we have seen temperatures that high this year. I put on plenty of sunscreen, but I will
start with a shirt on since the temperature this morning is around 50. I am running on a team this year, and I am
actually the captain of the team for some reason. Our team name (which I can’t take credit for)
is “Over 40 and still hot!” Fortunately
for us, the weather today will allow everyone to be “hot” today.
Mile
7.2 1:10:27 (9:47 avg./mile)
As
the weather is still cool, my brain and body think that I should go out quickly
before it gets warmer. The fault in this
logic is that pushing hard, even when it is cool, still makes you sweat a lot. This is valuable liquid that you will have to
replenish sooner or later. I feel good
though, and I think I am trained extremely well. At this first aid station, I drink some
Conquest, less than a pint.
Mile
11.6 39:13 (8:55 avg./mile)
At
the turn around, Snipes is ahead of me and so is Frank Probst,
who turns 66 today! Neither of these is
a surprise as they both seem to start pretty quick here, and I have only bested
Frank once in five tries here at BRR.
Just after the turnaround, though, I pass Frank with the hope that I can
keep him behind me this year. He isn’t a
great hot weather runner, and one would think he might start acting his age at
these races soon. At this aid station, I
decide it is now warm enough to leave the shirt behind. I drink some chocolate milk and take half of
a bagel to eat on the way. I feel good
so far, but I am sweating quite a bit so far.
Mile
16.6 53:01 (10:36 avg./mile)
Hemlock Overlook
After
my quick start, I decide to throttle it back a little. I decide to quit trying to keep up with
Marlin Yoder and take it a bit easier on the flat portions. I am feeling okay so far, but my knees are
sore for some reason. My ankles are sore
also, even though I haven’t rolled either of them lately. At this aid station, I catch up with Sophie Speidel, who I find out later is having a bad day and ends
up dropping. I drink plenty of Conquest
at this aid station, as I am trying to stay ahead of my fluid needs. I also trade out my Camelbak
at this point. I carry just water in my Camelbak, but I take Succeed electrolyte capsules every
hour, especially on a warm day like today.
Mile
21.1 45:46 (10:10 avg./mile)
I
begin pushing again, just slightly. I
know I am closing in on Snipes, and I would like to get past him soon. Also, this section is fairly flat, plus it
goes through the soccer fields, and I want to look good for the crowd watching
the soccer games. I catch Snipes just
before we enter the aid station. So, at
the aid station, Martha has about a half pint of chocolate milk for me, but I
split it with Snipes. He looks like he
is struggling today even more than his fast start would cause. It is definitely warming up at this point,
but it isn’t too hot yet.
Mile
26.1 54:48 (10:58 avg./mile)
Wolf Run Shoals
I
manage to maintain some semblance of a decent pace after I leave Snipes. I was planning on running with him for a
while, but he didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood and wasn’t running very
fast. My knees and ankles are now not
hurting as much (relatively) because my leg muscles are starting to hurt
more. I think that is mostly a hydration
issue, and I have made a concerted effort to consume more water and
electrolytes. I arrive at this aid
station, which crews can’t get to, in good shape, but I am now really wishing
that I had started a little more conservatively. On the plus side, I am still in front of
Frank and now Snipes, so I can’t be doing all that bad.
Mile
28.1 27:36 (13:48 avg./mile)
Fountainhead
These
two miles always seem to be slow. I don’t
know if it always coincides with me slowing down or these two miles are a
little long, but I don’t think I have ever had a blazing time on this
section. Just before I get into
Fountainhead, Frank catches me. He is
looking strong, but I am hopeful that the heat will start slowing him
down. The problem is that another 60+
year old runner is right on his tail.
Zeke Zucker, whom I paced at Massanutten two years ago, comes into the aid station right
after me and Frank. He is looking good,
and the three of us leave the aid station in close vicinity to each other. At this aid station, I get some more
chocolate milk and wash it down with Conquest.
I take a half of bagel for the trail as I won’t see Martha again until I
get back here in a couple of hours.
Mile
32.5 55:21 (12:35 avg./mile)
Do Loop (start)
Leaving
Fountainhead, I watch as Zeke passes me and then passes Frank. It is quite an interesting battle between
these two old guys, but unfortunately, I can’t seem to keep up with them to
watch it for very long. Neither one of
them really walks on the uphills; they just keep
their steady paces. It seems like
forever getting to this aid station, and the temperature is definitely now up
in the too hot to push hard category. At
this aid station, I grab a half of a cup of Coke to see if that can get me
going a little faster. The pollen is
also very thick today, and my breathing isn’t as easy as I would like it to
be. However, I don’t think that is
really slowing me down much. I have
found that sometimes a little caffeine will help my asthma. Here’s hoping.
Mile
35.5 40:13 (13:24 avg./mile)
Do Loop (end)
I
am now at a point where my legs are hurting.
My knees and ankles are hurting again.
And, I have to force myself to run the flats and downhills. Jaret Seiberg passes me in the vicinity of an old Nash
Rambler. The funny thing is that it
seems like he always passes me around this same point. I tell him after the race that I plan on starting
easy with him next year to try something different on this race. I finish the Do Loop, and now it is time to
start pushing to the finish. I am done
with all of the out and backs and loops, and it is a straight shot to the
finish. The only question is whether I
have enough left in me, and how much I can push with the mercury close to 80
degrees.
Mile
37.9 35:55 (14:58 avg./mile)
Fountainhead
I
make my way back to Fountainhead, and the only consolation is that Snipes is
still behind me, and I am ahead of all of the people still going outbound. It is quite warm, but I am still running
decently, although I know that I am not setting any land speed records. At the aid station, I drink over a pint of
Conquest. John Dodds
is there, and he tells me that Zeke is ahead of Frank, and that Zeke is his
hero. Martha drapes an ice towel over the
back of my hot neck and shoulders. It
feels really good, and just might keep me from feeling hot for a few minutes.
Mile
39.9 31:31 (15:45 avg./mile)
Wolf Run Shoals
I
slog my way into Wolf Run Shoals. The
aid station workers tell me that Michelle Harmon is doing well as the first
person on my team, but that she didn’t look any more motivated than me. I elect to hold off on the ice cream bar at
this aid station, and instead drink some Coke.
As I am leaving the aid station, I am calculating whether I still have a
chance to finish under 10 hours.
Mile
44.9 1:03:57 (12:47 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina
There
is life still left in my hot, tired body.
I push this section fairly hard in order to give myself a chance to come
in under 10 hours. I am not feeling
great, but I think I can hold it together for 5.5 more miles. Martha is at this aid station, and I get some
more Coke. Unlike some years, though,
there is not a garden hose to shower me down.
She does, however, have an ice towel that she drapes over the back of my
neck and shoulders. I have about 1:20 to
cover the last 5.5 miles, and I think I can do it to get under 10 hours.
Mile
50.4 1:12:31 (13:11 avg./mile) FINISH!
I
continue to push it hard, but I am measuring my effort to make sure that I don’t
blow up before the finish. With about a
mile and a half to go, Tom Corris passes me,
encouraging me to finish with him. I
stay about 10 yards behind him until I have to stop to pee. The last thing I want to do when I finish is
rush off to find a bathroom. Out here on
the trail, it is a simple one step off the trail. Unfortunately, after that Tom has opened up
about a 100 yard lead on me, and I am unable to catch him this time. I come in with a nice finish, and I am happy
I was able to come in under 10 hours, but this is my slowest Bull Run Run to date.
Official
Finishing Time 9:50:19
89th
out of 314 starters (264 finishers)
It is
actually a very nice spring day, if you aren’t trying to run fast or far. Martha and I sit in the grass for about 30
minutes watching others finish and talking with many others that finished
earlier. My next race is May 16-17 at
the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler, which
starts and ends near Front Royal, Virginia.
Until then,
Never stop
running,
Darin
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