OSS/CIA 50 [Day563]

I got back on a normal training schedule, Tuesday/Thursday and Saturday run. Plus I had a race this week.

A race is always good for me to catch up with my running friends once again.

I did not expect to see the people I ran with at the MMT to show up, since this was kind of a small local race.

A bit of background, OSS/CIA 50, takes place in Prince William Forest, Triangle Virginia, just maybe 14 miles outside of DC (oh and it took me 90 minutes to get there on a Saturday afternoon, due to traffic, my goodness).

It is a night race, starting at 6:00 evening and ending the next morning 8:30. We have 14 and half hours to run this.

Why it is called OSS/CIA because Prince William Forest was a place used as training camp for OSS officers/agents back in the early days (post WW2). OSS was the former name for the CIA. Barracks/cabins used are still around

I ran in the park a few times, three times for the Devil Dog, and once for the Redeye 50K, and once with the same organization for an 8 hour night run. I am familiar with the course, though I still get lost in this park because there are just a lot of trails.

I have heard of OSS/CIA 50 a few years back and did not run it back then because I saw the cutoffs and many people who could not finish (usually around 50% would DNF). Plus it is a night run, which is tougher in many ways. I was not ready for it back then.

However, having done a few 100 milers, the race does not put much a fear in me any more.

I signed up this year after I could not get into the Highland Sky 40, which is a much preferred run for its scenic route and many of my local friends run in it. Truth to be told, I did get off the waitlist for Highland Sky a week ago, but I already signed up for the OSS/CIA. I was on the 40-50th place and thought my chance was not that great to get in for the Highland Sky when I signed up.

I think I tried OSS/CIA last year too but it was full. My friend said, I could have emailed Alex the race director and he would have let me in. Well I did not know Alex well back then.

I only started to know various people in “high positions” recently after having done some of our local hard races such as the MMT and Devil Dog.

Note, I am not a fast runner, but I guess I am making splashes with people because of my DNFs in both races and that I went back to redeem them. I guess that is one way to make aquantance with the local race officials and get my name out there.

As mentioned some of the MMT runners were there. Many went to Highland Sky either to run or volunteers. Those that did not, showed up at this race. Jana was there helping out as well as running in it (she took first place in the marathon distance). She is in many running podcasts. She is our local heroes. We trained and ran in the MMT. Everyone knows Jana.

My friends Wayne and Charlie from the MMT also showed up. I told Wayne about my Grindstone race in September, and he promises to pace me. He will have the UTMB (100) in September too, but he said he could pace me for 50 miles!

No doubt Wayne is an impressive runner and having him pacing me at the Grindstone would be an honor. I asked if Charlie would crew me, but he has his kid’s event (soccer I think) to go to. Anyway, having someone to promise to pace already is very good. Crew could be found later.

My other friends John H and Charleen were there. John is planning to run the Shenandoah 100 (a self fatass event). I volunteer to crew John. So more to come about this event in a couple weeks.

Plus I made a new friend Lynn. I met Lynn at the MMT too, and she recognized me at the OSS/CIA and said she will be doing Grindstone too. I took down her contact in case we might go to course to train together. I did not know at the time that she is from upstate NY. It seems though she comes to the DC area a lot. The more people I have for Grindstone the better. It will be a hard race, but do-able. I have heard it is comparable to the MMT. I plan to meet up Lyyn.

There are people once you meet, you know they will be a good friend. All these people, I met at OSS are amazing. I think Lynn is one of them.

I am on a quest to do 50 states and 100 of 100 mile races. So knowing people like Lynn from out of my state is helpful to me! I don’t go out of my way to make friends or with an agenda in mind. It is just their interest matches mine.

I already looked up races Lynn has done and will be going, and I want to pick her brain about the 100 miles she has done.

Lynn has done the Burning River 100 last year. She told me to get the Fairfield Hotel for the cheap price and close to the race. Sharaton already sold out and costing $500 a night is just too much for my budget. I will have to get back with Lynn about the run though. She finished it in 29 hours, so that is some confident builder for me since I am about her pace.

I met Orico too. I met Orico on the second loop just before halfway maybe around mile 32-33. She seemed to running fine according me when I was chasing her from behind. I had run with Wayne most of the night but at that point in time Wayne took off from me and disappeared. I came across Orico thinking it was Wayne. By the time I caught up, it was definite not Wayne because Orico is much smaller (and female).

Orico was breathing heavily. I could heard her from behind. In my mind, this is an ultra and not a 5K run. We were little over halfway and still many miles (hours) left. Runners should not run like they are out of breath.

True, we have high level of pollens in our area and the Canadian smoke from their fires is back in the area. So people who have asthma were having tougher time breathing.

I called out to her, that it is OK to walk in an ultra. However, she did not respond back to me. In ultras, we love talking since there are not many of us out on the course and we would be spending a significant of time running together (sometimes hours and days).

It was strange yet not so strange she did not answer back. As I mentioned in previous posts, DC area has a lot of runners who come off as unfriendly and this is due to the culture here where no one says hello or look at people in the eyes in public.

I was afraid I might be scaring her and as well as pushing her to run faster. In a race, if somone is following me, it tends to push me on running faster. As a young runner, I fell for that a lot. As I now become more experienced, I know to run my own race.

I told her that, she was not in my way. If I wanted to pass, I would announce it. This is the trail ettique. Since we are a single trail, it is hard to pass. Usually we wait for a place where the trail widens, unless the runner in front would stop to step to the side, to let the runner from behind to pass.

She also did not say anything back. In my mind, I was in no rush. She was running a decent pace though I was catching up to her. Then she took a wrong turn and I used that time to pass her, since I took the correct turn. Taking a wrong turn usually means she was panicking or distracted. After I passed her, I did not see her catching back up. I think she started walking from then on. Her pace/groove was broken.

Later at the finish I found out this was her first 50 mile race. It explained a lot. In our race there were 10-12 first time ultra runners. It is good to have new people joining. It makes the race so much more special. It is like initiation. I always remember my first 50. In my opinion OSS/CIA is a hard first time 50 miler, due to night run and trail condition.

About the course, we had a dry course, even though it rained the nighr before, but still it was technical course for first time runners. For me, now, the trail is smooth and buttery and very runnable. I remember my first DNF there and every rock was hard. Every stone and every hills I struggled in my first DNF I could still recall as reran on the same course that evening.

In fact, my first 5-10 miles that night was hard. My feet forgot how to run on the trail and I had to stare intensely at where my feet were stepping to avoid tripping. Later though, they gained back the natural ability to run without looking. Having a brighter flashlight on the second loop helped too.

My run was pretty uneventful. When I first arrived and saw Wayne and Charlie. I pulled up in my car right behind Wayne. We were both “late” 15 mins before the registration was to be closed. There were no more parking spots left. A volunteer (Jana) told us to pull to side to go for the check-in first before looking for parking. I think we were the last few to arrived. Then we drove to the back lot (ball park), where luckily there were enough spaces for us. It was not too far a walk to get back to the starting line.

I started out running with Wayne and Charlie since they are both good friends of mine and our paces are pretty much the same.

Not having run seriously for over a month since the MMT, I was a bit rusty. Soon Wayne and Charlie pulled away. Everyone was running a fast click, I think it got to be around 10 min pace (fast for ultras). My goal was to do about 15 mins, though at the time I was probably running about 12 mins.

Lynn passed me and gave me encouraging words. We passed each other a few times through out the first loop. There were several out and back sections, so we got to see those who were a bit ahead and those who were behind.

I then slowed down to the pace of that of John Hord was running. I met John from MMT training since John and Charleen were doing aid stations. I remember seeing John at the second and third training run. John was great at giving me encouraging words at the Chocolate Bunny and at MMT since he was crewing for Charleen that night.

Tracy C was about our pace too. We were running together. I got to kept pace with Tracy until near first half on the first loop (13 ish mile). Tracy has her own story.

My first MMT’s racing strategy kind of build around her. She is known in our club for DNF-ing too. You know you can be famous either you are the first place runner or the last place. Tracy is not slow! She is faster than me on many of the runs but she is still chasing for her buckle for the MMT. She is a bit sensitive about it, and I would too. She was saying people should tone it down. I apologized for using her as the person to beat at the MMT. She is commended of being brave to still sign up for races. I have been there after running my first MMT and didn’t finish, and I was thinking to myself if I still get what it takes to finish a 100 mile. It takes courage to show up and run. I felt I know Tracy a bit better that evening when she shared how she felt about the MMT race.

At the first Aid Station, I caught back with Wayne and Charlie. Wayne loves to take his time at the station, I think 10-15 minutes each time. It allowed me to catch up. We basically ran together for the rest of the night. Wayne did not wait for me, but I would catch up from time to time. I ran my own race. I did not wait for Wayne either, at the aid station, if I finish first, I took off, knowing both Wayne and Charlie could catch up to me.

We finished the first loop after midnight. 25/26 miles in the book. It is 25 miles but some people’s gps watch was reporting a mile more. It didn’t matter to me. I was treating it as 26 miles because it felt like a marathon length.

At midnight the marathon (25 mile) event took off. We saw many runners coming out.

I saw Tracy and John coming in from their first loop. Also Lynn came in. The cut off was at 1 am. I saw Lynn around 12:30 which was not too bad. We had until 8:30 (I didn’t know at the time) but that was plenty of time for a second loop.

Lynn said the course has way more double track trails (gravel roads) than she expected and was tired of running on them. I think about 5-6 miles of them. It was demotivating to run on gravel roads. One loop was enough for Lynn. As for me, I love roads and gravel because I could run faster on them than on trails.

Also Charlie did not go back out for his second loop. Wayne believed he might have some stomach issue like at the MMT. I had a 10 minute head start over Wayne on the second loop but he was quick to catch back to me and by mile 10 and passed me to get to aid station first. He took off when I arrived at Oak Ridge.

However, the next three miles, and it was 4 am by then, Wayne was exhausted. His running was the pace of my walking. I caught up to him just by walking/hiking.

We arrived back at Oak Ridge aid station the second time on our second loop. I told him to eat and he did. However, I could not wait for him to finish eating because I was getting cold. When a runner headed out, I followed. The runner in front of me was fast and disappeared. I must have sometimes passed Travis, another friend. Travis is fast. But as the night grinded on, I was passing people. Travis was the aid station captain at the Old Dominion Race (couple weeks ago), and I got to know him there.

The time was 4:30 ish then. Morning should arrived soon. The RD told us, tonight is the shortest night (summer soltice is couple days away). Initially I wanted to finish under 12 hours if possible. Meaning less than 2 hours left. At this time, I was willing to compromise for 8 am (14 hours). Still I felt I was behind schedule to finish by 8 am. We had 13 miles left to do.

I got to the next water point (Burma Road), around 6 am. Morning has dawned. From then I caught up maybe 10 runners. On the out and back I saw Wayne was only two places behind me maybe about 5 minutes behind. It is not bad and I thought he would surely catch up.

I had about 2 hours to do remaining 8 miles. Normally it should be fine, 15 mins a mile. 4 miles an hour. I felt though my pace was slipping. I thought 8 am was the final cut off since 8 am is the marathon cut off time. It was natural to assume the ultra would have the same cut off too.

In my mind, I believed I had only 6 miles left since the first time arriving at the Burma aid station is 4 miles. The out and back on Burma road was at least two miles, which gave 6 miles remaining. I asked the radio guy at the Burma station how many miles are left, and his reply was 8. So eight it is for me even though I was sure there should be 6 miles left.

My goal was to get to swinging bridge by 7 am. This would give me three miles (2.5 miles) for the final section. The laurel trail is about a mile long. The start/finish trail is less than a mile. It was about half mile to get to the Laurel Trail from the swinging bridge. So about 2-ish total.

I finished at 7:28. I had many people cheering me as I came in. Total 13:28 h.

We had breakfast and then the award ceremony. It was good to catch up with everyone. Marty (another friend) who always give me words of encouragement out on the trail, was there. He was pacing Adeline, who was only 10 minutes ahead of me. I was chasing her all night. I knew she had maybe a mile ahead. I see her in many of my races too.

Wayne came in 15 minutes after me. He made it before 8. We talked on many things. He will be running the Eastern States and Iron Stone 100K. I unfortunately already signed up for the Catoctin. I might go to see him after Catoctin since Iron Stone starts at 2 pm. I believe, I might get there by evening and then hang out with the Pennsylvania runners. This will be in couple weeks. I am excited for that.

Conclusion: I like running, because it gets me to run some more. This race is kind of help me get my act together for my summer races. Also many plans were made.

By the way, my Saturday was jammed packed. I had Catoctin training that morning with Billy C. I had a tea time with my other running group (Siri) in DC at 2 pm. Then the race was at 6. It took me almost two hours to get into DC and almost 2 hours to come back out. The traffic almost killed me that afternoon. Luckily I got all my fun in. I was with three different running groups that day. Yep. I was so tired the next day and Monday. Luckily, Monday was a holiday and I could recover. It was exactly how I like it.