Mountain Masochist Trail Run 2010

November 5

This race is based in Lynchburg, but it is a point-to-point course that starts near Big Island and ends in Montebello. It is Friday afternoon, and I am driving to Lynchburg where I am staying at the race headquarters at the Kirkley Hotel. I arrive just after 4:00pm, check into my hotel room, and wait until 5:00pm to go downstairs to pickup my race packet. My room is cold as the heat is turned off, so I turn it on and admire the view out my window of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It rained yesterday and was a little cloudy this morning, but now it looks like things are clearing. The trees are just past full color, but are still very beautiful. After getting some things situated I head downstairs to check-in and get my race packet. There I see many friends. David Snipes is there (as always). I talk with Rebekah Trittipoe a little about last year’s Hellgate race where I was motivated to finish in front of her leaving the last aid station. Then I meet a lady (Jen Davis) who owns the female speed record for the Appalachian Trail. She is here to run the race, sell her book, and announce that she will run the AT again in 2011. This time she will be trying to better the male speed record on the AT. Her time is 57 days, and Andrew Thompson’s time is 47 days.

The prerace meal is outstanding this year. I pile my salad plate high with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cheese, topping it all with Italian dressing. Then I pile my main plate with penne and a slice of lasagna and pour a healthy portion of meat sauce and marinara sauce. I don’t think I can get too much tomato stuff. I finish off my meal with a reasonable-size piece of cake, but I hold off on the ice cream. The prerace briefing starts with Clark, then Jen, Rosie, and others. It finally starts to wind down with Horton reminding us all of the, what he thinks are, important details. Around 9:00pm, I head upstairs to go to bed. Another runner, Brian Hayes is sharing the room with me tonight, but we both are not loud sleepers, and I fall asleep shortly before 10:00pm.

November 6

My alarm rings at 3:50am. I get up and head to the bathroom taking care of all of my biological needs. Then I drink a pint of chocolate milk, noting that Nestle has now switched to 1% milk in their chocolate milk. This may seem like a good thing to most people, but when I started drinking Nestle chocolate milk during ultras, it was made with whole milk and contained 440 calories per pint. Then they reduced the milk to 2% and the calories to 400 per pint. Now a pint only has 340 calories. This is fine if you just want to enjoy chocolate milk, but if your goal is to get calories into your body for running this trend is not good at all. I will have to experiment with other chocolate milk options. At 4:55am, I board the third bus of five for the ride up to the start. At the start, it feels rather warm. The predicted low is close to 32 degrees, but it is definitely warmer than that at this point. The problem is that we are at about 1,000 feet elevation and much of the race will be above 2,000 feet elevation. As a matter of fact, the second half of the course is mostly above 3,000 feet. Despite this, I decide to switch from wearing tights to shorts. So, I start the race with shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, and a Buff on my head. I leave the gloves and wool cap in my drop bag, which I will have access to at mile 26.9.

Mile 5.7 1:05:55 (11:34 avg./mile) Cashaw Creek Trail

It is dark still when the race starts at 6:30am. We run a mile up the Blue Ridge Parkway, and then turnaround and run back past the start. I am not thinking of too much as I am just trying to settle into a nice easy pace. My goal today is to run smooth and steady. Maybe I will get a personal best time today; maybe I won’t. Either way, this race is a great prep race for Hellgate in five weeks. Dan Lehman is around me for these early miles. He is recovering from a calf injury and isn’t sure how he will fare today. I don’t pay any attention to my split times this early in the race because the Horton miles multiplier factor is very random in this race. Even though these first 5.7 miles are on paved roads, there is still an extra “Horton mile” thrown in there. If you don’t know, David Horton started this race and laid out the course. All of his races are at least a little longer than advertised.

Mile 8.4 31:11 (11:33 avg./mile) Peavine Mountain

As the race entered the woods, I find myself right beside Sophie Speidel. She routinely runs about 9:30, and she says that is her goal today. We catch up on things as she tells me about her son who is playing lacrosse at Denison University. For a few miles, I keep up with Sophie as we power past other runners. At one point, we pass Jen Davis. I talk with her for a few minutes and then I notice that Sophie has moved ahead. Oh well, I wasn’t probably ready to run a 9:30 today anyway. Jen is a phenomenal climber on the hills as she is rail thin and six foot tall. I guess hiking and then running the AT might tend to make someone a good uphill power hiker. I come into this aid station, and grab a couple of sandwich quarters and cookies and then head on up the trail.

Mile 11.2 38:20 (13:41 avg./mile) Otter Creek

With all of the rain that has fallen in October, the course is fairly wet. The wetness isn’t a factor on most of the trail, but the creek crossings are more than a skip and a jump. Just before this aid station, I have to navigate my way across a creek that usually isn’t a problem. However, this year I get my toes a little wet. At this aid station, Tammy Gray is there as she is crewing for her husband Rick. At the time I figure Rick is behind me, but I find out later that he was ahead of me the whole race. I grab a couple more sandwich quarters and wash them down with a cup of water. I have never tried Nuun and am not about to try it today.

Mile 14.9 44:46 (12:06 avg./mile) Parkway Gate

My IT band on the outside of my left knee is giving me a little discomfort today. It only bothers me when I am running, but this course involves a lot of running, especially early in the race. I figure the IT band will stop bothering me when other things begin to get sore. I continue to eat sandwich quarters at each aid station, either peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese. The aid station workers are doing a wonderful job on this cold, chilly fall day.

Mile 17.5 34:26 (13:15 avg./mile) AT & 607 & FS 311

This section is mostly uphill, and I power hike up the hills. Other than my IT band, I feel really good today. My training this fall has gone really well as I was able to train on Priest/Three Ridges on three different times. My choice of clothing has so far been the right one. I am not warm at all, but I am also not very cold. I grab some potato chips at this aid station and am ready for a little downhill section.

Mile 20.2 23:07 (8:34 avg./mile) FS 311 & FS 315

This section is all downhill, and I start off running well. I quickly pass several runners and then catch up to Dan Lehman again. I power on past him as we go down and down. About two miles down the hill, my IT band starts to act up again. It is hurting quite a bit when I finally reach the bottom and have an opportunity to walk a little. I probably wouldn’t have walked at this point as it is basically flat, but I have to because of the IT band. The IT band is now causing me to go slower than I would have otherwise, but this is all part of an ultra race. At this aid station, I grab two more sandwich quarters.

Mile 22.3 24:07 (11:29 avg./mile) North End of LR

After walking just a little bit the discomfort in my left leg subsides. However, now after running less than a mile the IT band flares up again. I am able to keep up with Dan Lehman, and I talk with a lady named Abby for a while who is using this race as a test of her healing right hamstring. I make okay time on this section, but the IT band is really limiting things. If I can just make it to Highway 60 and the climbs, I think I will be okay. I really feel like I could be pushing things at this point.

Mile 26.9 1:02:48 (13:39 avg./mile) Hwy 60

During this section Stephanie Wilson comes by me and starts talking about her rose colored glasses. I play along since it seems like she is trying to distract herself, but then she says that she is serious; her sunglasses are really making things look red. She even hands them to me, and I have to admit that things do have a red shade to them. I make my way into this aid station, which is basically the halfway point. Yes, I know that half of 50 is 25, but that doesn’t take into account the greater number of Horton miles on the second half. Also, we will climb over 2,000 feet from here to the finish. I was hoping to come into this aid station around 5 hours, but my time is over 5:24. I guess I won’t be running a sub 10-hour race today. I get my drop bag, and the only thing I decide to use out of it is a bagel and the bottle of Conquest. I drink about a pint of the Conquest, and take the bagel to eat on the way up the hill. I also refill my Camelbak at this point for the first time today. While I won’t be finishing this race very fast today, I am looking forward to the climb ahead of me.

Mile 29.5 49:03 (18:52 avg./mile) Buck Mountain

This is the toughest and longest climb on the course. However, I am ready for it this year as I have done the workouts on Priest and Three Ridges. I start out on the section somewhat dejected because my time to this point is slower than I wanted, but I finish this section feeling great and ready to get to the finish. At the top of the climb is the aid station and they are playing the Rocky theme song over and over again, non-stop all day long. Each time it starts again, I wonder if I will make it to the top before the next loop of the song ends. Unfortunately, I get to listen to it at least a half of a dozen times before I make it to the aid station. The climb has one beneficial side effect for me as my IT band no longer is bothering me. There is a retired Marine working the aid station, and it is motivating to slap a high five with him. I grab a couple of sandwich quarters and drink a cup of water before starting to run down the other side.

Mile 33.6 52:30 (12:48 avg./mile) Start of 5 mile loop

Running down the other side of Buck Mountain isn’t nearly as much downhill as the other side was up, but at least it isn’t uphill, at least initially. The surprising thing on this section, at this higher altitude, is that there is a light dusting of snow in places where the sun isn’t shining. It is only early November, but seeing snow is always a motivating experience for me. It is actually freeing to just move along at a good pace, not worrying about my time, and enjoying the scenery. At this aid station, I talk with Quattro while I slurp down a cup of Ramen soup. He is crewing for Sophie today, and she is due to come out of the loop any minute now. Well, at least I am moving fast enough to get into the loop before Sophie gets out of the loop as this hasn’t been the case in all of the years I have run this race.

Mile 38.6 1:08:29 (13:42 avg./mile) End of 5 mile loop

The loop, which is supposed to be only 5 miles, is surely around 6 miles. I make good time on the loop and again I can’t say I am having a miserable time. The weather is cool, the sun is out, and I am feeling okay still. I get passed by one runner, but then I pass three runners myself, so things are good. When I get to the aid station, I have another cup of Ramen soup and then head out to start the real push to the finish.

Mile 41.5 37:32 (12:57 avg./mile) Salt Log Gap

Most of this section is downhill or slightly rolling. I try to run as much of it as possible. When I get to the aid station and start eating, two people come in that say I am their pace setter as they have been trying to catch me the whole section. So, after I have had some potato chips, a sandwich quarter, and a Coke, I tell them all that we need to go conquer this next hill.

Mile 43.0 18:07 (12:05 avg./mile) Forest Valley

I power up this hill like I own the thing. The climb is not that long, but it is fairly steep, and we have been at this for over 8 hours at this point. My legs, though, feel all right. The Coke is kicking in to help me with my push to the finish. At this aid station, I feel so good that I decide to just drink another cup of Coke and continue on down the trail. By not taking too much time at this aid station, I get ahead of two more runners.

Mile 47.1 1:06:51 (16:18 avg./mile) Porter’s Ridge

Leaving Forest Valley, I am ready to push all of the way to the finish. This plan is working really well for the first couple of miles, but then the Coke starts to wear off, and I am left wishing that I had eaten something more substantial back at the last aid station. Well, this has now become a great training opportunity for me to push through a bonking situation. I basically feel okay, but my energy is pegged on empty. In the last mile or so before the aid station (did I mention there is at least one Horton mile in this section?) a few runners pass me. The last to catch and pass me is Martha Wright. She is looking great, but I still have her in sight we head into the aid station. However, she does a drive through, only taking a quick swig of water before heading for the finish. Meanwhile, I need to spend a couple of minutes reloading my energy stores. I start with some potato chips, and then grab a doughnut when one is offered to me. Another guy comes into the aid station as I am standing there, and he asks how far the last section is. My response is that it is longer than the advertised distance. One of the aid station workers holds up the sign and reads 2.9 miles, which makes me burst out in laughter. I say it is at least 3.5 miles to the finish from here.

Mile 50.0 41:12 (14:12 avg./mile) FINISH

I start out on this last section intending to catch Martha, but it takes a while for my legs and body to get really moving quickly. As I make the turn at a switchback, I look back and there are 4 or 5 runners close behind me. One is really close, and I vow to stay ahead of her. However, it seems as though she is intent on passing me. I begin to really hit my stride and think that I just need to keep her behind me until we get to the smooth gravel road that is sharply downhill to the finish. The smoother road also marks the roughly 1.5 miles to go point. As I am trying to stay ahead of the person behind me, I cross a small stream, carefully picking my foot plant spots so that I don’t slip on the wet rocks. Just after I clear the last rock, I hear the runner behind me fall. I don’t look back, but I do howler over my shoulder to ask if she is okay. She says yes, and I keep running hard. I now have some breathing room, and I am soon at the last gate where the smooth gravel road begins. I push the pace hard down the hill and to the finish, getting in just under 11 hours. While this wasn’t my fastest Masochist race, it is only a few minutes off of my best.

Official Finishing Time 10:58:34

127^th out of 290 starters

I shake Horton’s hand at the finish, and he kids me a little about Hellgate in December. I am 7 for 7 at Hellgate and one of only six guys who have run them all. Will this be the year someone else doesn’t make it? Will I be that one person? All six of us are entered, and I think we will all give it our all to make it. Dan Lehman finishes about 20 minutes after me, and he is one of the six Hellgate streakers.

My recovery after Masochist has gone well. While I was running Masochist, my daughter Amy was running the sub-varsity race at the Central Regional cross country meet. She comes in second place, and this year’s 5k Turkey trot will be very interesting as I wonder if I still have enough speed left in my 41 year old body to beat her at a short distance. So, if you see me at Hellgate, ask me or Amy who won. Until then, take care and …

Never stop running,

Darin

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