In awe

Author: Antin

  • Day424 Worlds End

    A Big weekend – best and much hyped though I would not able to compact and let the world know how great it was.

    I forgot how I got into this but many months ago I responded to a call for volunteering at the Worlds End Ultra.

    Likely it was because my friend was also volunteering in it, I decided to do it. I might have written something about this back then if I care to go back and check.

    I was so looking forward to it and it was everything as hoped. Worlds End 100k was challenging course. Though I was not running it, I felt the intensity. I felt I walk in the field where the very best compete – the real deal of ultra marathons.

    I signed up for sweeping duty at the fifth stage, with a hard cutoff (from mile 35 to 50). There were four other sweepers before me though their cutoffs were not as strictly enforced as mine section. No one could enter my section once I started my sweep. I felt pretty important. I had the night portion from 5 pm to 9 pm, with 9 as the cutoff. They warned me that last year, they couldn’t close the race until everyone was out and they were there till 1:30 – 2 in the morning. They made sure I understand that I should get everyone through that section as quickly as possible (and we were at the most remote place on the course).

    My primary concern…no I had several worries but first was that I was not able to run fast enough. Even though that is impossible but I was afraid there wouldn’t be anyone for me to sweep if I am too slow because these people were strong runners! Second that what if I injured myself on the course and they would have to send a rescue team looking for me instead. On the same vein, what if I got lost! I was afraid I would make a fool myself. Lastly, what if someone got hurt and I was not able to help them. It wouldn’t be wholely my responsibility but still I had a part in getting aid to the person and his/her safety is my responsibility.

    Me being too slow was out of the question. Still like in any races, you wouldn’t know until you do it. I had that butterfly in my stomach feeling before and during my run.

    I got to the course couple hours before my shift. It took me some time to flag down the volunteering coordinator, Tom. He was all over the place and I had no idea how he looked. Luckily I hooked up with my friend and he got me to checked out one of the radio/cell phones for key volunteers to be used for this race. I felt like a VIP carrying one. With that I got a hold of Tom. Tom was one responsible getting me to the right place on the course. It was far away from the start and finish.

    I got to the assigned station with Tom around 4:30. My start time was 5 pm. We saw two ladies leaving the station when we pulled in. I had to wait for exact time to start the sweep. However, no other runners showed up after the two ladies left (anyone showing up after 5 pm would be cut).

    So I started my shift. The first couple miles were all to myself. I was running on pace, actually a bit early. I know I was fast. The course was challenging. I immediately had about 1000 ft drop, like running along an edge of a clift. I didn’t really run but tried to get down to the bottom of the ravine as quickly as possible. It was fun and nerve whacking. This is the real deal, the kind of race I always wanted to do! Though it was not my race, I felt the excitement to be on the course.

    The afternoon was hot. The trail became smooth. There were rocks and stuff and crossings, but nothing too difficult for my fresh pair of legs. I did roll my ankle and F*, I continued on.

    Then came a big climb. Later I found out it might have been one of the hardest climbs. Midway through I caught up with the two ladies. I think I was like 5 minutes ahead of pace.

    Though I knew those two ladies were in trouble for going this slow since they had half hour ahead of me, but still enough time for me to able to catch them. I didn’t actually expect to catch them until like 8-10 miles later, but I caught them like on 2nd mile in.

    So I had a job to do. The runner, Gaby was pretty much tired but she was moving. Her pacer, Karen, was doing all she could. I didn’t have to do much to get them moving. As long as they were moving, my job is done. They were moving on pace.

    I got to say, we stayed on pace until the next Aid Station #8, Dry Run. As we near the station, I picked up another runner. He was in much worse shape. He didn’t speak much, together, we pushed into the station. Gaby arrived first.

    Dry Run station wasn’t going to close until 7pm. As me and the guy I picked up came in Gaby left the station with her pacer. As I said, the guy runner (forgot his name) was not doing great. He asked me if I was going to cut him. I said, no, he had to decide himself. If he felt he could continue, I wouldn’t stop him. I don’t think he even went to the food table but instead took a seat. He had stomach trouble.

    People at the aid station tried to help him as much as possible. There was another guy and his pacer too just dropped at the station (that was before I arrived). I announced to the station that I was the course sweeper for the section and I am the last person. They got busy then to pack up. Look how much power I had. Hehe. I was busy eating all the food they had left!

    The guy that did not do well, rested for maybe 10-15 minutes and decided to call it quit. The station captain then said I could continue on to sweep the next part.

    I am happy I got to run again and Gaby at this time had maybe a 15-20 minutes head start and I love chasing. I was wondering how long before I would catch up to her and her pacer again.

    I did catch up and we continued on pushing toward to the next part, which was about 4 miles away. We had a good chat going. Gaby was still upbeat though her chances of finishing was slipping fast. We were no longer on pace. Time was slipping. Her pace was slipping. I did not try to rush her. She had her pacer who would know how best to help her.

    Aid Station #9 was unstaffed and it was just water only. We didn’t stop. I think we were like 15 mins late by then (a mile slower). After that section, I picked up another runner and her pacer. I was not able to get her name but she was not a happy camper. I felt she was mad at me for catching up to her. Gaby quickly passed her. But I had to follow the slower runner since it was my job to stay with the last person. She told me she already decided not to continue the race and so would take her time to get to next station. I said, same, my only concern was that everyone keeps on moving and no one gets hurt. I don’t want to have to call in a rescue squad since that would mean I would remain on the course with the injured runner for a long time.

    We were probably 4 miles from Aid Station #10. We had two tough climbs and two also tough descends.

    I thought Gaby was long gone but she and pacer missed a turn. So they came back and we found them at the tricky turn. Gaby was able to save me from getting lost there! They brought along an even slower runner who also missed the turnoff.

    I was happy that I got a job to do. I stayed with this new runner, David, the rest of the ladies hurried passed. Comparing to David, the ladies were like flying. I was a bit sad that they were gone but I didn’t mind staying with David since it was my job.

    David was in even worse shape than any runners I came across. We had about 3 more miles to go by then.

    David was walking every few steps and had to bend over to breath. He was not injured but was totally worn. I felt sorry. I stayed with him and let him rest as long as he wanted. He was very cooperative. He would move without me prompting. I know he was doing his best. I love having him as companion. I think we were moving like a mile an hour. Time quickly passed. 9 pm came and gone – the cutoff. By then it was meaningless. Then 10 pm.

    David was kind. I tried to chat with him and he responded to everything. He did a full Ironman before, so physically he was strong. This though was his first 100k on a very hard course and on a hot weekend. His desire was strong, but the day just sapped his energy. He did improved after I met him, and was moving better and took less breaks.

    We kept pressing on to the Aid Station. There I reunited with Gaby and others. The Station captain scared me saying there was a runner still out there and they joked I should go back out on the trail to look for the dude. I took it seriously though at the time and was like a WTH moment for me. I wouldn’t cry but hell it would be whole night out there searching for this missing guy.

    We thought of different scenarios where I could miss the guy. We crossed a road couple times and ran along a road, so likely he flagged down a car and left the course. Or he might have taken a wrong turn like Gaby did, and that I passed him. Gaby said she saw a bearded guy, but I never came across a bearded runner. It got me all worry that on my first sweeping duty and I lost a guy!

    Anyway, they had someone to drive me back to the finish. I turned in my radio (was totally useless since I had no signal in my part of the course). There they told me they found the guy. He had a medical emergency earlier and had taken him off the course, so he was accounted for. It was not my fault that I supposingly missed him on my section.

    What a relief for me. I spent the rest of the weekend there, camping as well running part of the course after the race was done. It was a fulfilling personal time. I could write several entries just on the camping and the run I did. The sweeping duty is done.

    I hope to run the 50k there next year. 100k I probably can do it, but seeing so many strong runners being dropped, it gives me a pause on attempt 100k without fully know what I will be getting into. So 50k first is the thing to do to get my feet wet.

  • Day423 CRAW – a big finish

    CRAW is something so hard like impossible but once doing it, it is not too bad.

    I have been doing this virtual race, trying run around the world with a team of 10, virtually (of course). It is a bigger version of running across Tennessee, which I did last year (GVRAT) and I am doing again this year.

    What so interesting is even though it is a virtual race, it feels like we are actually doing it in real life (IRL). We are putting in our miles and doing as best as we can to finish it – like a real race. I guess a matter of perspective!

    I mean I do run a lot, but we usually don’t imagine able to run across a state in a summer or across the globe in a year (granted this is with a team). The funny thing is once you put a physical starting location and ending location, the training run reaches a whole other level. That is what the race director wants us to think. Just a different perspective. It is so cool.

    So yeah, I can say I am running around the world with 9 other people. Last night, our team finished Antarctica. It was a cold and windy night for me too. Luckily no rain. It was the biggest region of the whole race, which took us 73 days to do! I am happy.

    We know we won’t win any award. Our team is not that fast, pretty average, but we are moving consistently and we have a full team. There is a team of just 4 people-KOKO, but they are moving fast! – that’s wow. Our team is not like that. We are amazing too but just not that. Our team has been together for almost a year. We are almost halfway through.

    We’re just chugging along…

    —

    Next week…I will have some fun. I plan to be a race sweeper at the World’s End Ultra. I will be away. Wish me luck especially I got a tick bite earlier this week and it is not looking good. Fingers crossed I don’t have Lyme for a second time. That is some horrible horrible stuff. No runners want Lyme.

    After that, I have the Laurel Highland Ultra. I have been waiting for this for two years. It would be a 22 hour run for me!

  • Day421 River scramble

    River Scramble 10k and Bust the Banks 13.1 are Richmond gems of trail running in the city.

    I did this in 2018 as my first trail racing. It was a lot of fun. Full of adrenaline rushing down hill and power run up hill, rock hoping and scrambling, it was what I imagined trail running to be.

    Arm with experience now, three years later, it was still thrilling to run, but I am no longer green. Of course my horizon has broaden. A three mile park is nothing compare to something like Grayson Highlands I just did two weeks ago. But it packs a lot in a small area.

    I do feel like an adult in a kid playground. For many, this might be their first time on a trail. People do get injured. One of the ladies in front of me tripped and fell. She pulled to the side and sat down. I wanted to urge her to walk it off but likely she wouldn’t and she was waiting for her ride to the finish.

    The 5k runners started an hour after us, and I was at the tail end of their race. The markings for the 5K and 10K are the same and they also reused a portion of the 10K course. Unbeknown to me, I thought I was running on the 10K course, so I followed the trail marking and added 2-3 miles to my 10K run.

    Even for me an old timer, boo hoo, I got lost on the last quarter mile to the finish. It was not the course marking fault or the course marshall. We just miscommunicated. I arrived at the trail intersection and the guy was pointing left so I turned left. Then he called out right, so I looked back and he said you are on the right path but he might have spoken to another runner. Later I realized why he was pointing left. He wanted me to be aware of the step and not tripped but I misunderstood him of telling me to turn left. He was actually standing in front of the course marking and thus I didn’t see it. He was just a kid so I didn’t make a fuss after doing an extra loop. He was inexperience at being a course marshall and I was not well prepared like my other race, having the turns memorized.

    Amazingly by making a wrong turn I ended on a 5K event course.

    No matter to me. Originally, I wanted to finish my run quickly so I could do the 5K as well. It kind of worked out that way, though of course I didn’t get a 5K time since I didn’t officially registered for a 5K and also I didn’t start at the 5K start. The finish location is almost the same. I got a 10K time – of almost 2 hours – one of the worse ever, but it was a 9 mile run, so not bad.

    I still enjoyed it. Tomorrow I will do the half marathon. The course is relatively the same. I won’t get lost again.

    update: I knew the course like the back of my hand when I ran the half the following day.

  • Day419 Grayson Highlands 50

    Why running this race? The race promised a course that is beautiful, hard, and they have ponies!

    It was definitely hard even with long cutoffs and a shortened course. The beauty of the place does make up for the hard run.

    I love mountains. I love the view. I got to see the highland from up on the crest and ran through the vast grassy balds.

    The event I entered was the 50 miler. They had 50k and a half marathon. The fifty miler tested my limit (again). I believe it was the hardest race I ever did.

    My watch recorded about 6500 ft of elevation gained. Totalling about 42 miles (but my watch was paused for about 3 miles), so the total course according to garmin is maybe 45 miles long.

    I believe the course was cut short from the original 47.1 mile after reviewing the gps data. This is kind of a hot potato topic. First off, I ran according to the flagging. However, there were more than a few runners that ran according to the original published course, that I think added 2-3 more miles. It was a significant change. Some were not happy at all the course being shortened and blamed the RD for not flagging the course properly but it was really them of not seeing the flagging. To me the flags for the turn off was visible, but I could understand how it can be missed. I believe the course was flagged more than enough.

    I overheard the race director mentioned at the finish that they shortened the course. Not sure if he was referring it being shortened from 50 to 47.1 or from 47 to 45. For me the shorter distance was about right due to the elevation. Not sure if I could have made the final cutoff if it were 5 miles more. In truth, I hiked most it and after 14 hours out there, no, even after couple hours, I was asking myself why did I sign up a race just only to hike 90% of it. Was it worth?

    It was a hard course and I was undertrained for the hills. Toward the last six miles I had enough of it. I didn’t want any more hills. I was fainting and reached my limit. The last 6 miles were mostly uphill, at couple thousand feet of climbing. For those who planning to run this, expect the climb at the last hour. It added an extra pressure to make the cutoffs.

    As a redemption, the few miles near the finish were on a road, which made it a tad easier. Also I felt the aid stations were spaced about right at every six miles. There was only one that was about 12-13 miles apart, which was the hardest segment. I brought my own food, but didn’t eat them, except for some apple sauce. We could have a throw-away drop bag too, but I didn’t prepare one (not needed).

    I believe the RD originally wanted to put an aid station at mile 19-20 at the turnoff onto the Hurricane Trail trailhead, however he shortened the race by turning off to a service road to Hurricane Trail early, so no aid station. Well probably a volunteer/aid station at the turn off would help or after coming out from the Hurricane Trail.

    I was extremely happy that I didn’t miss the flag for the turn off. As in couple previous races, I missed a turn and I got really mad at myself, but in this race, even though I felt it was a level higher that what I used to do, I did everything perfectly. The map study beforehand helped. I didn’t use my map at all during the race even though it was on me. I had it mostly in my head. I didn’t have to use the gps (my companion Ryan downloaded the coordinates on his watch and it kind of help, but he got off trail too). I mostly relied on my spider sense and it was pretty accurate. Couple times I was saved by those around me.

    Pacing. Pacing was not allowed. I ran with the group of five or six runners I started with. I didn’t rush. I knew I was the last 10+ or so in about a total 100 runners (I finished 95). I think there were a dozen or so who started later, but those who started in the back with me were pretty much ran at my pace.

    I was together with about 4 ladies and a guy (Ryan) for about 26+ miles. Ryan was doing his first 50 as well as two other ladies around us. Ryan and I stayed together until mile 35. Originally after mile 9, Ryan took off but he might have ran the extra 3 miles and I met him back at my mile 20 and from then he was with me for the rest until he needed a restroom break at Camp Store Aid Station.

    One of the ladies took a nasty fall. Her left knee was bloody and so was one of her arms (right?). They bandaged her up and she continued on. I ran with her from mile 9-15, then she took off. I didn’t see her again until at the finish. I think she got lost at the Hurricane Trail, as many people did.

    It was good to have a companion. Ryan came back after mile 20, we passed Fox Creek Aid Station together. We had to run up 6 miles to Scale Aid Station. This was part that broke me, at least for the first and not the last time. Ryan was there hiking with me all the way. We passed the two ladies at Scale who were with us since the beginning. They had some issue with shoes and also were having some health issue too. Not sure if they finished, but Ryan and I pressed on. Ryan asked if I heard what they said. I almost fainted too climbing up to Scale. I had a beer at Scale and it refreshed me. That was around mile 30/31. I left Scale feeling strong again.

    Ryan had some stomach issue after Scale. We tagged team to the next station. It had some climbing as well descending. We mostly hiked. I got to chat with Ryan a bit. He told me to run ahead and not to wait for him. I said of course. However, he was literally tagging behind me. We arrived at the Camp Store together. There we said goodbye since he said he needed to use the privy.

    I was concerned that if he stopped he wouldn’t start again, but he did continue. I checked the finisher list and he was there with several others. Glad he found couple companions.

    Without Ryan, the next 10-12 miles were tough. I kept pushing from 3 pm – 5m to the last aid station. I took some food. I had until 8:30 to finish, so finishing was guaranteed. This last segment was mostly on the road leading up to the Visitor Center, which is about 3 miles long, so one step a time up the steep road. In normal time, I probably could have run it, but walking was all I got after running whole day.

    Then we turned off from the main road onto a side trail. It was a steep climb, I think maybe for another mile. This was my slowest ascend I think. I took a step and then rested so forth until I reached the Visitor Center, where the finish line was. However, the course required us to take a 2 mile loop from the Visitor Center to two overlooks (Big and Little Pinnacle). For me, I just wanted to finish, the view was supposed to be great there. I only took a glance then got off the Pinnacle, back toward to the real finish line.

    Again for those planning to run this race, expect the soul crushing finish at the last few miles because of the climbs. However, it couldn’t break my soul. Those who have done ultras know, you just have to press on no matter how the course plays with your head. Just beware.

    Final word, as on how technical the race is other than the elevation, was maybe at mile 35-40. It requires some technical footwork to descend the Wilson Trail from the Camp Store. In a normal time, I might consider this the best out of all the “fun” trails I was on. It was exciting to showcase all the fancy footwork you have been training. However, I had nothing left in me to make sharp jerking turns and take big steps and dodge low branches and skip over slick rocks. I do love it thinking back. Over all, there are many favorites, this was just one of them. For those who is going to do this race, take time to enjoy.

    Oh, is the course muddy? A portion of it is muddy even on a good day. And for couple of the trails, you are hiking up a stream on a bad day. Yes, you run with wet shoes. Blisters and stubbed toes can be an issue. It is a race for the dirty and yucky and those with lot of patience.

  • Day418 Mouth of Wilson

    I might be repeating myself, but I like how goals that seem to be impossible or even unthinkable are suddenly become mundane.

    Why I set those goals? I like to dream to the point of fantasizing. Don’t we all? I dream of running in this place and that place or going to here or there because at the time I didn’t have the ability to do it.

    Like I dream of running in Sydney or in Patagonia or Machu Picchu or in the Grand Canyon. Hey those are still pretty awesome dreams. But at the time, I saw them as if I will never able to do it. I’ve heard from people who did it, and it was hard to relate to them because it was far from my experience.

    Over time though some of those trips are no longer just a dream. I have been to Sydney, Machu Picchu, and Patagonia, and the Grand Canyon. I haven’t race in those locations yet, but to do so wouldn’t be too impossible.

    I was looking over my to-dos list and I was thinking oh how boring is that about some of the things I was so hyped about a few years ago. Some of those things no longer draw me as they did back then.

    I guess my priority has shifted. I don’t know what my current priority is, but I was thinking, wouldn’t it be cool if I can run around the world?

    I was asked, what would I do if I don’t have to work tomorrow. Meaning no longer having that responsibility of making money. We need money to live. But I am flirting with the idea what if I quit the day job, you know, be like those streamers. Some of them was forced to though. A few of the streamers I follow said they got into streaming because they lost their day job. For me, I was thinking I have so many places to go, and if I am not working, I would be traveling.

    My list was to go backpacking on the Appalachian Trail and then the other big trails like the PCT or the CDT (Pacific Crest or the Continental Divides). Then I would run across the continent and the world. I said, I have the next 20 years planned.

    There is this youtuber who has been biking around the world for the last 10 years. That is just speaking to my soul. Of course it is not easy and I don’t know if I would like it if I am doing that full-time.

    Any way I have to update my goals/bucket list. I forgot what that goal I need to put in. Right Annapurna. I will write on that if it is ever become a real trip.

    Here is one — a few years ago I went backpacking on Mt Rogers and Grayson Highlands. I started running back then but not as crazy as now. It didn’t occur to me then people do run there on the mountain. Later though I found out about a marathon being held there in the spring. At the time I didn’t believe I could do it but I have been watching/following it. Last year I signed up, but with corona/covid19, it was deferred and rescheduled but I didn’t run it. Tada… not counting my chicken just yet but next weekend I will be running it there at the mouth of wilson! It is one of my dreams. It is going to be hard and awesome. 14 hours. I hope I can finish the run within 14 hours.

    Been keeping it pretty low key. I might or might not post anything next week depending how I feel after the race or even before the race. Not sure how much time I have free on hand to post anything. Definitely I will have a race report – that is one of my thing. I got to have it saved. Just not sure when the report will be ready.

    Weather for that weekend though is not looking great. Looking at some cold running and wet probably. So ya 14 hours of that. But anyhow I will run it. I like the name of the place – Mouth of Wilson. Wonder why and who is Wilson? Yes will be on the mountain. Famous really. Virginia highest point! woo

    Also May 1st is the start of GVRAT – the rat race across Tennessee. I haven’t signed up. I am still on the fence. I did it last year and had a lot of fun, but this year, kinda not in the mood for a virtual race. Also, I am still doing the CRAW around the world, so it feels like cheating to double dip. The race permit double dipping, but it is just not settling with me. This is so different from last year, when I got the notification of the race, I signed up the same day and the next moment I was out the door running.

    Until next time…

  • Day417 time pause

    I read a good blog the other day from Isaac Takes a Hike, about his Badger Mountain 100. He shared of the time during the race when he came into an aid station and he was not feeling well at least well enough to continue. He determined not to leave the aid station until he solved his problem. Lucky for him, he managed. Go follow his blog, he is a great blogger.

    I am currently like that. I need to solve my problem quick. I don’t have any motivation to run now. There are races and trainings but I can hardly drag myself out of the bed.

    Don’t do it if I am not into it, is my philosophy. So here I am. I don’t know what is going on. I have been pretty much slacking off the last four months. I am not training as hard as I used to. This week I only run 6 miles. Last week maybe 12, something like that. Today is Saturday, normally it would be my long run. I should be doing 70-90 miles per week. I am not too much into the numbers, but they do show. I am not the same.

    I am questioning why am I even running. Why am I so tilted? Why did I rage quit?

    I need to fix whatever is wrong with my heart and get back out there.

    This blog post was not about my whining. I originally wanted to write considering how lucky I am I haven’t injured myself all these years of running, while people left and right were saying they had this and that. My body has been strong and is very durable.

    My most feared accident in a race is rolling my ankle. I ran myself into a pothole in a 5K race I think in 2018 and ever since, every couple months I would reinjure the same ankle. You say how does one run into a pothole. I don’t know. Cars run into potholes but we as runners should be able to avoid them.

    It was during a race. I saw the pothole, still I ran in and I was like a car, bang, and my ankle turned sideway. I had about half mile to a mile to go, so instead of quiting, I continued running and got to the finish line. Not sure why I didn’t avoid it. And even if I ran into it, it should be big enough, that I could still find my balance. No, my ankle gave out that time. I felt really stupid. I was not an ultra runner at the time. I could only run on super flat surface. Anyway due to my carelessness, that how it all started.

    I have never gone to physical therapy to have it properly fixed, but it is definitely a problem. I was thinking how lucky I was during the last six months and running two long races, never once was my ankle rolled.

    But guess what, last week, I rolled my ankle while doing a local run around the neighborhood. Note it is not the terrain. When the ankle feels like rolling, it will roll (collapse) with no apparent reason and the pain will shoot up my leg and I will go ayaaah and limp around to walk it off. It does not matter how carefully I try to step. If it wants to roll, it will roll. I just have to deal with it. That is generally how it goes every couple months because I think it was never healed properly. Or even when it is healed, the ankle has lost its elasticity or flexibility, so every so often it needs to be pop like knuckles to make it feels great. Rolling is like popping the knuckles.

    Anyway, here is another great blog from your truly. I was going to write that if I don’t do something, it is like the day doesn’t exist. I don’t want to fade away. You know, I write, therefore I am? The title makes no sense. Maybe that is for another day.

  • Day416 more races

    I am biting a bit more than I can chew. I see it coming long before but I signed up more races than I can handle.

    Which race is it? The current one that concern me is the Richmond Marathon. I deferred it from last year because of the pandemic – later though they did host an in-person virtual race on a different course over couple weekends last November (not a Boston qualified (BQ) course though). That was interesting in itself where you could run on an actual course with mile markers and water stations and a real timing chip, but it was virtual in a sense you pick the day to run and when to run it. There were be people out there on the course but it wasn’t a horde of people like in a normal marathon. My friend ended up doing it while I went and did a different one that weekend – I think it was the Seneca/Stone Mill I did.

    So the story started there. I planned to run it this year same time (November) since the race is already paid for since it was deferred.

    However, I realized I signed up for a 100 miler the preceeding weekend of the Richmond Marathon. Realistically, I can’t do both. In self defense, I signed up Richmond before I tangled into ultras thing. Now though marathons seem less appealing.

    I am trying to convince myself still I can do the 100, and still do the Richmond.

    There is no way I am giving up the 100 for a 26. To do both means I will walk the marathon. Likely a lost cause at it. It takes about 7 hours – very fast walk 3.7 mi/hr.

    I don’t mind having a DNF (not finishing a race). I am unable to google the course time limits at the moment, but I think it should be around 7 hours. Generally 6-6.5 though.

    Likely though I will have to give up on the Richmond Marathon.

    Anyway, what brought me to this topic was I have couple races coming up and I am booking places to stay.

    Both races are in remote areas – the suggested option is camping at the race site is the way to go. I am a camper person myself but not for races. I like a good bed to sleep the night before and the night after. A good good place – with mattress and all, no funky motel if that can be helped. Interestingly both race sites have really early start time. The one in May starts at 5 AM, given the race is super long. So for me, it means 4 AM on location to avoid any last minute goofed ups (no murphy law here to mess things up – the nearest thing that happened to me was traffic jam to the race venue in the Frederick Half – that nearly had me in a heart attack).

    The nearest hotel I found for the race in May and I now booked is about hour and half away. I am looking at very little sleep night before and possibly will be up by 2AM.

    The race in June, this one is even outrageous. I am busing from the finish line to the starting line, leaving my car at the finish. The race chartered busses for us. I think the bus time is something like 3AM in the morning. So I had to be there like 2 AM or earlier. People said midnight because the parking lot there is tiny like enough for 20-30 cars! So not likely to sleep at all because it means I will be up at lot staking my spot for my car. Yup, organizer advices people to carpool or being dropped off, etc.

    The hotel for this June race is near though but the price is through the roof (looking at $200 a night). I haven’t booked it yet since it is hard to justify booking for the two nights in that I will spend very little time there because I will be running most of the time. Still having a good base of operation is a must, so I am on the fence for this one.

    There are cheaper hotels that are an hour away ($50 a night), and this is very appealing, except the question is will I able to make the drive there after I finish running. I learned from my race in Houston is not to risk driving anywhere after running a hard race. I was a zombie and on the verge of asleep behind the wheel as I tried to get back to Houston. One time is enough for that kind of life-death situation. Not going to repeat that again. A lot of former runners said they slept in their cars afterward… hmm. So that is likely what I will do.

    Until next time, bye

    P.S. Smoky Mnt update: I narrowed down the paths I will take, likely will be Menton Mackaye Trail (BMT) – from Fontana Dam to Davenport, for the remoteness and challenges that will test my camping skills. I’m a bit ambitious to do it in 4-5 days, where others do it as a 10 day trip. This trip will take place after my long race, so running the BMT is out of the question.

  • Day415 breaks

    I’m taking it easier this week. Following some of my readers advices, I took couple days off running until the pain in my feet went away. I maybe am burning out. Maybe I should take a month or two off from running. Sike. I’m hyped on so many things this coming summer, like with a 50 miler on 1st of May! The struggle between doing and resting is real.

    After two days of rest, I went back to running. I had better results. I ran home from work three times this week: Monday, Tuesday and Friday. It was first time doing it back to back two because it is a hard thing. This time unlike previously after doing a 17-18 miles, I was not as tired afterward. I was even thinking of doing it on the third day, but weather was bad and I needed the rest. Friday, I went back at it. We had much cooler temperature (dropped to 27 F during the night – freezing temp) where as the previous week we were in the low 80s – a big swing. I ran a bit slower pace this week with a lot more rest/walking during the run.

    The night runs were beautiful because the cherry blossoms and magnolias were blooming. We had snow one night too. I couldn’t tell at the time whether they were flower petals falling or snow. The trees just glow in the dark! Not really glowing, but they have such high reflective, so a little bit of night would make them glow. I thought it was full moon (last Sunday), but through out on my runs this week, I didn’t see it. Maybe the hour for the moonrise was off.

    I realize my body adapted to doing longer runs now but I have a lot harder time with the shorter runs. 3-5 mile runs are my worse enemy.

    I didn’t realize this until now, thinking back to my last 50k I did a few weeks ago, our pace group started off with a 10 min-mile pace and I was out of breath after two miles in.

    Also on shorter runs I don’t carry my hydration pack, so I am lighter, and it feels weird because I run at a higher cadence and my body is throwing a fit. I think most of my muscles have changed to slow twitch from the fast twitch, which makes it insanely hard to run at a pace what I used to do a year ago. I dropped from 9-10 min-mile to now 12-13 min-mile. It is kind of shocking.

    I could run long for many hours but not fast. Being aware of this, I need to get back doing some speed work and lot of shorter runs.

    More to come on my next 50, then Laurel Highlands. With 8-9 weeks out, I don’t think I have started training for it yet.