Mountain Masochist Trail Run 2006

 

November 3

 

This week leading up to my race has been interesting.  My parents were planning on coming down to visit last weekend, but didn’t make it because my dad has a bruised leg that isn’t healing.  The doctor thinks that he will be okay, and that it will be healed up by this weekend.  However, on Wednesday (two days ago) my parents called on their way to the hospital, as my dad’s leg has gotten worse, not better.  He was planning on meeting me in Lynchburg to crew for this race.  I made a few attempts to find another crew, but decided to go it alone.  My kids have too many activities going on this weekend, so my wife wasn’t an option, either.

 

Now it is Friday afternoon, and I am driving down to Lynchburg.  I arrive in Lynchburg about 15 minutes before 5pm.  Dinner at Heritage High School is at 6pm, so I have almost an hour before then.  I am staying at the Wingate Inn with free wireless Internet.  I open up my laptop computer just in time for my colleagues to call me on my cell phone.  We have a multi-year proposal due on November 8, and it is good for us to talk before the weekend.  I spend about 40 minutes going through the direction of our proposal.  Now, I have to switch my mindset back to the race before me, even though the proposal is in the forefront of my mind.

 

I get to the high school a little after 6pm and everything is in full swing.  Many people have already gone through the line and are sitting down eating their dinner.  Dinner is quite tasty and includes options of pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna.  I see and talk with many old friends as we hear David Horton give the pre-race briefing.  After the briefing and more conversation, I head back to my hotel.  On the way, I try to figure out the confusing array of roads so that I can make the three miles from my hotel to the high school in the morning.

 

November 4

 

When I was in college I determined that it was better to stay up than go to sleep if I couldn’t get at least four hours of sleep.  Last night I got to bed just after 9pm, and I had to get up at 2:45am.  David said in the pre-race briefing that the buses will roll at 4am sharp, and if someone shows up at 4:05 they will miss the bus.  I get to the high school lot about 20 minutes before 4am.  It is over a 45-minute bus ride up to the start.  It is very cold out this morning for this early in November.  The reported temperature is 19 degrees.  I am wearing tights, two long sleeve t-shirts, a wool hat, and gloves.  My goal today is to run conservatively, get a good prep run for the Hellgate 100k in five weeks, and have something at the end to finish strong.

 

Mile 3.3      30:10 (9:08 avg./mile) Parkway & 501

 

I start out running close to Sophie Spiedel.  She has done this race a couple of times, and I want to make sure I don’t go out too fast.  The first 5+ miles are on pavement, and this first part is basically flat.  It is dark for this first part, and the cold is penetrating.  My feet begin to get feeling in them after the first two miles.

 

Mile 5.7      37:35 (15:40 avg./mile) Cashaw Creek Trail

 

After the first aid station, the road starts to go uphill.  Since I have not run this race before, I will take it conservatively and walk the uphills.  Sophie continues to run on up the hill even though she talked about throttling back some.

 

Mile 8.4      36:01 (13:20 avg./mile) Peavine Mountain

 

The aid stations on this course are really close together.  Typically, on an ultra trail race, most of the aid station will be at least four miles apart.  Some of this section is downhill, and I begin to really pound these sections.  Unfortunately, I think I have lost something on running down hills.  It seems like I used to be faster going downhill.

 

Mile 11.2    39:26 (14:05 avg./mile) Otter Creek

 

The uphill sections are fairly steep, and so far, except for the first three miles, the course has either gone up or down.  I feel like I have gotten off to a good start, and the weather is warming up to the point that it might be slightly above the freezing mark.

 

Mile 14.9    47:37 (12:52 avg./mile) Parkway Gate

 

There is nothing spectacular to report yet.  My plan is to only refill my Camelbak once near the halfway point because with aid stations every two to three miles, I am taking in most of my fluid needs at the aid stations.  The nice thing at this race is that the recovery drink offered is Conquest, which is David’s favorite.  It also happens to be my preferred drink.

 

Mile 17.5    34:48 (13:23 avg./mile) AT & 607 & FS 311

 

The course continues to climb, and I am walking the uphills.  The cut-off time on the race is 12 hours, and it seems like I am about 30 minutes ahead of 12-hour pace.

 

Mile 20.2    21:38 (8:01 avg./mile) FS 311 & FS 315

 

This section is the first one that goes downhill the whole way.  I make good time going downhill, and it is good to see that my legs are still feeling pretty good.

 

Mile 22.3    22:37 (10:46 avg./mile) North End of LR

 

More downhill, and I feel like I am picking up positions.  It is still too early to really start racing, but I have Tom Corris just in front of me.

 

Mile 24.6    33:17 (14:28 avg./mile) Halfway between North End of LR & Hwy 60

 

After a couple of downhill sections, the course turns back uphill.  My hip flexors seem to be working hard, and I feel the uphills in my butt and back.

 

Mile 26.9    36:00 (15:39 avg./mile) Hwy 60

 

This aid station is just past the halfway point, and the drop bags are available here.  My feet feel fine, but since I don’t have a crew, I decide to change my shoes because I won’t have another opportunity.  So, I change from Innov-8s into Asics Gel Eagle Vs.  I also refill my Camelbak.

 

Mile 29.5    47:41 (18:20 avg./mile) Buck Mountain

 

Coming out of the last aid station, I pass by Milton Webb, and then link up with some guy named Dave.  He is running this race for his first time, but he has run this course many times with Horton.  We stick together for this whole section, and it is some good conversation that takes my mind off of the fatigue.

 

Mile 32.1    26:24 (10:09 avg./mile) Intersection of FS 48 & FS 520

 

The climb up the steepest part of the race is now over.  The last section was steep and all uphill.  After leaving the last aid station and starting downhill, I pass Dave Stuckey, who is bent over and says that he is in a world of hurt.  It appears like he is either in the process of throwing up or is about to, so I don’t even look that direction.  I am still doing well running downhill, and I like my chances of turning it up a little more coming in towards the finish.

 

Mile 33.6    25:35 (17:03 avg./mile) Start of 5 Mile Loop

 

Reaching this spot is great because after this five-mile loop, it will be a straight shot to the finish.  I have been eating one or two sandwich quarters at nearly every aid station.  I have also been drinking a cup of Conquest.  Things are good, but my legs are definitely tired of climbing uphills.  As I head into the five-mile loop, Sophie is coming out.  She looks good, and I cheer her on to try and get under 10 hours.

 

Mile 38.6    1:11:48 (14:22 avg./mile) End of 5 Mile Loop

 

I start this five-mile by running on a relatively flat section.  During this time, I go by two runners.  Then the trail gets rockier, and my legs aren’t ready to run it hard.  After awhile a few runners come back by me, and then I have to stop to take a large rock out of my left shoe.  I finish the loop in decent time, but it seems like I will not be making any great surge over the last ten miles.

 

Mile 41.5    42:24 (14:37 avg./mile) Salt Log Gap

 

I now realize that a 10-hour finish is not possible, but I might still have a chance to go under 11-hours.  That would be good, but right now, I still only have about 35-40 minutes on the 12-hour pace.  I don’t know that I am motivated enough to really push is in to pick up another 20 minutes on the 12-hour pace.

 

Mile 43.0    19:30 (13:00 avg./mile) Forest Valley

 

This section is short with half of it being uphill and half downhill to the aid station.  On this section I talk with a lady who is running her first ultra.  She is from Michigan, and she ran a marathon last weekend.  Annette Bednosky is at this aid station, and she was at an aid station earlier in the day.  She tells me that it is mostly uphill to the next aid station, and also it is definitely Horton miles—probably closer to five miles than four.  Horton miles are longing than a standard mile.  However, they vary in the amount they are longer.  The reason for Horton miles is that he doesn’t think we would be suffering enough with standard miles.  Then he varies the length of Horton miles so that it makes us mentally tougher.  In my experience, Horton miles will vary from 0-20% longer than standard miles.

 

Mile 47.1    1:08:55 (16:49 avg./mile) Porter’s Ridge

 

I start off walking the uphill portion, wanting to bide my energy for the last downhill push to the finish.  After I start running again, Vicki Kendall comes up behind me.  We run together for a while and then while she is stepping over a log, she catches a stick right on the front of her shin.  She says ouch, and I don’t think much about it.  However, within two minutes, Vicki mentions that her sock is soaked with blood.  A little while later, I look back and see that it is definitely soaked with blood.  As a matter of fact, her whole right shoe is filled with blood, and every step she takes is leaving a splattering of blood.  I mention to her that she is probably going to need to stop at the next aid station.  Well at this point, she goes ahead of me by about 200 yards and beats me into the aid station.  When I get to the aid station, she has already left and I ask the aid station workers if they let her go on.  They say, the bleeder?  I say yes, and they say, she wanted to finish.  So, I grab a hotdog and two cups of Coke and head down the trail wondering if Vicki will make it the last three miles to the finish.

 

Mile 50.0    1:15:15 (25:57 avg./mile) FINISH

 

Within a half-mile out of the last aid station, another runner and I come upon Vicki who is now walking.  By the time we get to her, she sits down and says she is too dizzy to stand and continue.  Initially, we try to assist her walking, but she is unable to do even that.  Then we try to carry her, but that isn’t going to work either.  Vicki tries to tell us just to finish and send help back up for her.  She is planning on just laying there.  The problem is, of course, that she has lost quite a bit of blood, run 48 miles, and the temperature is near freezing.  Most of the puddles with standing water have some ice on their surface.  So, Carl and I fashion together a litter with two long sticks and a few of our shirts.  We then with the help of a few other runners, proceed to carry Vicki about a mile to the next gate where Doctor Wortley is able to meet us.  One of the runners who come by is Barb Isom, and she is a great help talking to Vicki, as they are good friends.  Tom Green comes by while we are carrying her, but I tell him that he has to go finish as he has finished all of the previous 23 races on this course.  Finally, we get Vicki into Doc’s car, and then we have a little less than 20 minutes left before the cut-off.  Can we make it?  How far do we have?  I don’t know, but there is nothing else to do but give it a try.  It is all down hill now, and before too long, I come upon the one mile to go sign.  I look at my watch, and it reads 11:48:30.  I have 11 minutes and 30 seconds to make the last mile.  With the finish in sight, and adrenaline coursing through me, I manage an 8:00 last mile.

 

Official Finishing Time 11:56:41

 

211st out of 300 starters (220 finishers under 12 hours)

 

I finish feeling pretty good.  I am glad we were able to get Vicki out safely, and I finish the race under the cut-off.  This is a tough race with a not so lenient time cut-off.  After I finish, there is a bench press contest to see how many times 150 pounds can be lifted.  The women get to lift 75 pounds.  The current number for men to beat is 32.  While I don’t think I can beat that, I still decide to try and see how many times I can do it.  Well, after carrying Vicki for a mile and everything else, I manage to lift the 150 pounds a total of 16 times.

 

After the race, I get to ride the bus back to Lynchburg.  The ride is about an hour.  I get back to the high school, take a shower, eat dinner, and then head back to my car to drive home.  I now have five weeks until Hellgate, and I feel this race was definitely a good prep for that event.  My left knee still has a little twinge in it, but that has been there for a year and shouldn’t slow me down any.

 

Until then, never stop running,

Darin

 

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