In awe

Category: running

  • Day531 Grindstone Training

    Would my readers want to hear about my first 10K race of 2023 or hear me training for a 100 mile race? TR;DR a long post about my weekend.

    I ran a 10K on Sunday called For the Love of It. It has been a race I have done every year since 2017 (or at least I thought so, until I checked the records).

    I almost did not sign up this year. You know, I just did not have the feel for it. Maybe it is a sign of burn-out. I know though 10K is good for me. I need some high cardio intense training. 5k/10k fits the bill.

    Friday morning, my friend messaged me that the Sunday spa time would be postponed. A few of us have been wanting to go to Spa World after one of our training runs. It all started when we got a runner in our running group to sign up for her first half marathon. She wanted to do Hot Pot and Spa either after a training or race. Since this place is far outside the city, we haven’t been to it yet. This Sunday, the schedule worked for everyone, but the lady (MC: main character) came down with an illness, so the event was canceled.

    I was scrambling to replace my weekend activities with something else. For Saturday, I wanted to go out on the Mountain to see one of the trails I will be doing a 100 mile race this September. For Sunday, 10K run seemed right. I had not run a 10K for awhile and I got an email reminding me to sign up.

    I will talk about the Sunday race first then go back to the Saturday hike.

    The 10k race: I woke up early. Got to the High School where the race would be held. Got my stuff — bib, swags, clothes. There was an hour wait before the start. I stayed in my car to catch some sleep. I haven’t been sleeping well lately — something changed, in that I got very sleepy early in the evening, around 9-ish and I would do a fake sleep (sleeping say on a chair or something) until 1 or 2 AM in the morning, then I would wake up and go to my room for a real sleep. However, usually I would be wide wake by 3 AM, and I would be up till morning. Anyway, I had a very interrupted sleep schedule since new year.

    This year, there were not as many runners running as before. I remember in the past the school parking lot would be full. It was the reason I went to the race site early to get parking, but this year, it seemed not necessary because the lot was only half full even when the race was about to start. Getting my bib only took couple minutes.

    We had about 200 runners. Faster people stayed in the front. I stood in the rear. The weather was nice. It was a chilly morning around 32 F with slight breezes (maybe about 5 mph). I felt cold and had two long sleeves on, plus a down jacket. Looking around and didn’t see anyone wearing a jacket, I took mine off. I had shorts on, so I was cold. Temperature wise, it was perfect weather for running, but I was sick mid week and had not built back up my resistance toward cold. Maybe the Saturday hike being out whole day in the cold also affected me. So I felt cold. I was glad to get started.

    We started on time. People took off. I started with a slow jog. I felt heavy. I think my pace was between 12-15 min per mile, which was just my normal ultra pace. In thr past, I was usually much faster when running 5k/10k. I was with a bunch of slower people. Many were big and kind of out of breath. I was wondering if this is the pace I would go for the whole race.

    Somehow I confused the distance between a 10k and a 5k. I thought we had only to do 3 miles. I have been training for 5k on the treadmill recently. I ran a few 5k on the treadmill during the week. My body had memorized the pace/distance. My mind did not comprehend that I would be running 6 miles until after mile 1.

    My body responded like I was on the treadmill. After 1 miles, my pace increased, as I normally do. I have been doing progressively increasing my pace over time on the treadmill. I could see my body started giving me a little more juice as the race progressed.

    By mile two, I felt I finally was back to my usual 10k pace. I lengthened and quickened strides. I reached Mile 3, and halfway.

    I was sweating. At first I contemplated stopping and to take off one layer. I decided not to. It was a good decision because occasionally we got a breeze and I felt cold. Two layers was the right call today. Yet I was also sweating.

    Slowly I was over taking people, especially on every uphill. My mountain training gave me an advantage when comes to hills. Hills here did not put me out of breath. I could charge straight up them.

    Mile 4 and 5 came by. We came back to the school where we started. Mile 5 was just beyond the school. We had only a mile left and the course took us around the block. I put the kick in to keep up my tempo. This allowed me to catch some remaining people in front of me. There were 5-6 of them.

    We finished on the high school track. I tried to dig in until crossing the finish line. I came through under 57 minutes (officially 56:56 min).

    I was glad because, my goal today was at least try to get it under an hour. I did it. It was not a fast time comparing to the past. I had much lower times before. I take what I got today though.

    About my ankle. I was limping before the start of the race. I was limping afterward. First mile, my ankle did bother me, but as I continued to run, my pain was gone. I could really dig in to do my best. Ankle stopped hurting. I was happy, at least I could run harder.

    2017 | 50:46

    2018 | 54:05

    2019 | 49:46

    2020 | 53:10

    2021 | NA – away for Rocky Raccoon 100

    2022 | NA – overslept I think, I had the shirt

    2023: 56:56

    There you go. My time is a bit worse than before. Yes, it is my goal this year as other years to get faster.

    Part II: Now about my training run on Saturday.

    This week I decided to visit the course for the Grindstone 100, at least part of it.

    The idea was to run the Wild Oak Trail. I first hiked Wild Oak maybe back in 2018. It was my first backpacking trip and most vivid memory. Camping is still something I love very much even though I haven’t done many in recent years.

    The trail is 28 miles long. At the time in 2017, I did not know people run on it. It was also at the time my hardest trip. It always had been in my mind if I ever wanted a hard training, this would be the place to do so. At the time, I had not been exposed to MMT and the like.

    Over the years, I went back there a few times. During one camping trip in the fall, probably in 2019, we encountered runners that weekend running a 100 miler (4 loops) on the trail. We were amazed. So in 2020, I ran on it on my own one weekend. I think I did two loops and was proud about that and somehow gave me the confident to signup for a real 100 mile. It was then I was introduced to the race TWOT 100. Note, last year I tried to sign up, but was not granted an admission. Doing the TROT 100 is one of my dreams. Today, I am not writing about TROT 100, but Grindstone 100, which also uses part of the Wild Oak Trail.

    Now having done the MMT, going back to Wild Oak is kind of easy. My perspective had shifted once again after this weekend. Wild Oak has a lot of elevation changes but they are way gentler than MMT. The trail at least is way smoother. Most of it is runnable. MMT on otherhand is much more technical and I have not been able to truly run on the MMT trails.

    I started the day later than what I wanted because I could not sleep very well. I was supposed to leave for the trail around 3-4 AM. I did not leave the house until 9 am, maybe 5 hours later than my original planned departure time. I got to the trailhead around 11:30 and did not start the hike/run until near noon.

    I still wanted to do the full 28 mile loop. I expected probably would take me 8-9 hours, meaning I would be running in the dark for a significant amount of time. Sunset at 5:30. I messaged my mom I wouldn’t be back until midnight. I did not expect to finish until past 10 pm.

    The day was cold. Even at noon, it was below freezing. When the wind blew, I felt it. I had on my normal running clothing, of two layers, a t-shirt and a long sleeve. A long pants with thermo underwear. The wind cut through them. I had to put on a fleece jacket but I still felt the cold. I brought a windbreaker along but did not put that on because I wanted my shirt to breath.

    Temperature should stay constant around 30s, even at night for that day, which was good that I did not have to worry about temperature drop when night approaches. Up on the mountain, it might drop down to 25 ish. The wind was gentle about 5-10 mph. It was a perfect day in winter to do this hike.

    In the first mile, I got my feet wet. I was surprised of the water on the trail didn’t freeze. The night before the temperature was down to 14-15F in the city. It might have been close to the low teens or single digit on the trail. I had expected the trail to be frozen.

    As I climbed higher, there was snow on the trail. I encountered a runner returned from his run. He was probably did an out and back. I saw dog prints and another set of footprints as I got higher. There was fresh snow. It was good knowing I was the third person on this trail since it snowed. I think we had snow on Thursday.

    Maybe about almost two miles in, I rolled my ankle. It was just a slight roll but then it started hurting and I could not put weight on it without being uncomfortable. The pain was not sharp, just like being hit in the funny bone type of pain that made my foot goes weak. I limped along. I felt I just had bad luck. It reinjured an old wound that I tried to heal for the past month.

    I felt discouraged. First, I was slow to wake up and got to the trail late and problems compounded with a rolled ankle. Now I felt it would be very hard to finish the loop. It felt the trip was wasted.

    At the time, I decided to press on and to defer the decision to turn back at the 6 mile mark, the Little Bald. I still hoped to finish the full loop but I was worried if the pain didn’t go away, it would be a slow hike and I might roll it again. I also sensed I might have to give up on this trip and call it a day early. The decision weighted on my mind as I hiked upward.

    The trail is popular but not that popular of me going to encounter another hiker being late in the day and if I get hurt on the trail, it might be a while before someone could rescue me. I had to believe that however severe my problem is, I would have to get myself out on my own. I was asking myself, could I extract myself from this mountain. It meant I had to be sensible to turn back while I still could.

    Snow got a bit deeper further up. My foot did not improve. Normally, I could walk it off. I got to Little Bald after three hours or so and only had hiked about 6.5 miles. I still wanted to continue on, so I started down on the other side to Camp Todd. I was hoping if my foot got worse, I could hike on the road to get back to the parking. It would still be a 9 mile hike back but on the road.

    I saw the set of footprints I was following disappeared, meaning the runner/hiker had turned around. It prompted me to reevaluate my decision if I still wanted to still do this. I would likely be limping all the way and there were 22 miles left. I had only gone 6 miles in 3 hours. I might not get back to my car before midnight.

    I then decided to turn around instead of continue down to Camp Todd. It was a good thing too because at the time, I did not realize I left my map back at the car. If I had gone on, I would not be able to find my way back even if I were to reach a road. There was no cell signal in the area. I had general direction memorized, but without a map was a disaster in a making, especially after dark.

    Returning to my car was mostly on downhill, 6 mile of descending. Running down hill hurt my foot more than going up. The thing with the pain was not every step would hurt. It only hurts on random steps. I could not narrow which position made it hurt more. It made going downhill hard. When the pain came, it caused me to be unsteady as if my leg would buckle. It made it a bit scary going down the hill. I started to run down to quickly get it over with. Risk it I said.

    After a mile or so on harder impact on my weaker foot, the pain went away. This was what I normally expect of walking off an ankle roll. I continued to make my way down.

    On the last mile, it was like 4:30 pm, sun was setting but was still bright enough, I encountered two older people. They were hiking up. We chatted. They asked if I had gone all the way around 28 miles. I said no and explained my weak foot. If not for that I was attempting to do the full loop. They were asking if I was okay. I said I should be fine in making my way back down. I asked if they were planning to camp up on the mountain, they said no. We chatted some more on races when they noticed my River Gorge shirt. They seemed to be seasoned trail travelers. They seemed to be aware that there are races conducted on the Wild Oak Trail as well. I mentioned that next week/or the week after would be the TROT 100 there, and even a 200 mile race. TROT 100 is on Feb 17 I think (2/15-2/19).

    We said our goodbyes and I continued down. I was thinking, sun would be setting soon, and it was weird that they were hiking up. I guess they maybe hoping to see the sunset on the mountain top. I hoped they would be ok. Temperature would drop soon. I wanted to be back in my car.

    There was a cyclist loading up his bike when I arrived back at the lot. I started the car and then put on layers. I was cold. I was also hungry. I hoped to get something to ear when I got to town. The nearest city woud be Harrisonburg. By the way, I stopped by there for dinner.

    I finished the day with 13.2 miles and it took me 5 hours. It probably would have taken me more than 10 hours to go all the way around. I would be finishing around 10-11 pm and possibly midnight. My foot was okay but I felt it would be very sore if I put 28 miles on it that day. Plus I still would have the 10K to do on Sunday. I was glad I made the right call to turn around.

    My next opportunity to get back out to the Wild Oak Trail might be in March or later. I know I need to go there a few times to be familarize with the course. My race, the Grindstone race will be on the last week of September. I still have time, but I wanted to do well. Some think MMT is harder. I think so too, but I could not and must not look down on Grindstone.

    Conclusion: I had a great weekend. I did not do as much as I wanted in term of training. Normally I tried to get 50 ish mile on a weekend. Lately, my miles were not there. I was glad I had a little bit of adventure. I went to Grindstone, saw some snow, got some hiking in, and ran a race. I am still relatively healthy, with just a bad ankle. Next week, I would have my second training run for the MMT and that what I like to write about.

    Camp site at Little Bald, my turn around point. A hiker/runner continued toward Reddish Knob, where turn around point for Grindstone. I have never been there and hope to run to there some day before my race
    Beautiful Vista all around as I hiked up. I had not done many winter hikes and the benefit is great views while hiking because no leaves blocking them
    Such smooth trail and note leaves are gone for the nice distance views to be seen. It is something not available during the summer
    10K run on Sunday. I just finished. Note, it was cold and everyone ducked back into the high school’s cafeteria after they finished

  • Day530 Holiday Lake TR (2)

    Training Run – Holiday Lake

    When I said I will be going to Holiday Lake for a training run, my friends and family reacted in disbelief. They think it was too easy for me.

    Do I really need to train for a 50K? Not really but I thought the place has good trails and elevation to help me with either the BRR or the MMT. Best of all new trail I have never been on before. Indeed it has some good elevation for training. I have been bored lately and needed a new place to excite me. Holiday Lake gave me a feeling of adventure.

    There seems to be a pattern with my training. Three weeks back, I was training for a 100 miler (MMT). Last week I was training for a 50 miller (BRR), and this week, I trained for a 50k. I guess next week would be a half marathon or shorter.

    Holiday Lake is about 200 miles south from my home. It takes about three hours to get there. As always I’d go anywhere for a race or a run. It got to be big enough to get my attention to put in this much work. Holiday Lake 50K has been ones I wanted to do since I know about ultras.

    Actually I was out at Signal Knob one afternoon probably in 2018-2019, doing a hike on the Meneka Peak with couple friends and afterward, I wanted to run around it again. During the run, I met a guy, he was also doing loops there but in the opposite direction. As for me, I was probably training for the JFK 50 at the time, my first real ultra. He was much better runner than I was. As we talked in the parking lot, I asked him any races he would recommend me because I was new to ultra trail running. He gave off a list of races and one of them was Holiday Lake. Of course, later I looked up his name, he was one of the first place winners of one of the races he recommended (Highland Sky). He might got first too at Holiday Lake too, but I don’t remember. Those were during his younger days. I didn’t recognize a celebrity when I came face to face with one. All he said to me was the RD knows him if I mention that he told me to sign up. (I tried to sign up for Highland Sky too, but got on the waitlist this year).

    Now, four or five years later, I finally get to run it. This weekend though was just a training run. The real race is next month. I missed its first training run the previous weekend, because it was in conflict with BRR1. This weekend was their 2nd training run. It was perfect for me.

    I had been reluctant to sign up in the past because it is a winter race in February. I always avoided winter races in the past because I did not like running in the cold. Eventually I got over it. You just bundle up more.

    This weekend was like the past two weekends. Early waking time. This time I slept earlier. Woke up at 3 AM. Started the drive at 4 AM. Arrived and met many people at the 4H Club Center at Holiday Lake.

    The race director introduced himself. Everyone said hi Brandon. Everyone was quite friendly, totally unlike BRR or MMT training run — MMT and BRR have friendly people too, but I felt once you leave the capital area, people are much nicer. I had similar experiences when I was in West Virginia, Atlanta, or Pennsylvania and Texas. Anyway, pasture is greener on the other side.

    We had a bunch of college students maybe they came from Lynchburg. I have been hanging out with older people in my trail community where the average age is around 45-47, and today the average dropped by a lot because most were teens and twentys. I felt a bit younger and it brought back memories when I was first year in college, my running club leader brought a few of us out to a lake to run. It might have beem Holiday Lake or similar. I did not remember it until today. Due to we got lost during the run, but I will save that for maybe another post.

    The training was on the exact course as the race. We would do a loop around the lake. It is a 16 ish mile loop. Two loops would make a 50k.

    We grouped up at the parking lot at 7:30. After a short speech, we walked to the start. There we took group photos, then the RD gave the G-word, we went off.

    The first quarter mile was up the road out the camp. We then turned right onto Lakeshore Trail, doing clockwise direction on this run. I think they did the reverse direction last time. On race day, we will do one in clockwise and another counter clockwise direction. Some think this is a fair way thst you get to climb or run down both sides of a hill.

    The day was beautiful. We had one of warmest winter days and I was in shorts and tee shirt. The morning was cold but it warmed up to near 50F, about 15C, perfect running temperature.

    I enjoyed the trail tremendously. It validated me for driving 3 hours and waking up at 3 in the morning. It was not too technical. It was very runable. There were a lot of roots and uneven surfaces. Some rocks, hills here and there. There were a few tough climbs. It dispelled my fear that the course would be entirely flat. I almost canceled the trip when I checked strava the night before and got the impression that it had only couple hundred of feet of elevation (I might have read the course 10K profile instead of the 50k). The reason I did not cancel is I was not ready to replace it with something else. I did not have time to study the map for another run, say The Wild Oak Trail, which a lot of runners were out there that day and I only learned of it afterward on Facebook. Anyway, no regrets for choosing Holiday Lake over Wild Oak. My run ended up with 1200 feet of elevation gain (for one loop), which is every good. Not hilly but enough to help me with my training. It was less hilly than the BRR training, maybe about half as much.

    By 4 miles, I was with Kristine and Chris and Ruby. Ruby was leading from maybe 100-200 feet away. Kristine and Chris have been in front of me the whole time. I was only a few steps behind.

    We were all new on this course. Everyone else, the more experienced folks already passed us ahead. Actually we passed some college kids at beach/picnic area. Ruby was one of the college kids, but she was new to the trail. I and rest of us assumed she knew the direction and did not pay attention at where we were going. As you know, we got off course. Chris is a city runner so he was not so keen on turns and such (I only noticed later). I ran with Kristine before, and she has a better sense of directions but I guess not by much. I had no excuses though. She was following Chris and I was following Kristine. I am supposed good at paying attention to turns by now. I remembered passing a turn and my spider sense told me, we should be turning here, but I kept my head down and followed Kristine and Chris. We went for maybe quarter mile to half a mile until the trail crossed a knee deep creek and no bridge was available. It was then, we were thinking no way we would want to get wet, crossing a creek. We did not see any streamers to indicate we should be crossing it and it seemed to be not the way to go. Bells were ringing in our heads that we were off track. While the group was debating to go across or not, I decided to turn around to find the last streamer we saw.

    The group then followed me. Pretty soon we found the turn we had missed. Ruby was starting to run out of steam and got left behind. I waited for her and adviced her and also anyone here as a PSA (public service announcement), when one is running on a new trail and the direction is iffy, stick to a partner. She was telling me not to wait for her.

    Note, don’t feel as a runner in a strange place that you are a burden to other runners that they had to wait for you. I remember while doing the MMT training run, the guys left me on the mountain, and it was not very nice.

    It was the reason, I stayed with Kristine and Chris even though I could run faster than they do. Three pairs of eyes are better than one.

    The rest of the run was uneventful. Ruby went for a mile more and turned around at 5 mile mark. Later some college kids also turned around. They were part of Ruby’s group. I told them that Ruby turned around early.

    The course uses trails, double track (forest road/atv trails), horse trails, and country roads. We were running in a pine tree forest. I think it was peaceful.

    There were a few places we were unsure of because we did not want to get lost again, but usually when we started to have doubts, we would come across a streamer that the race director put up, reassuring us we were on the right trail. Note, I also had a map on my phone, but the scale was too big to tell me anything useful (strava map).

    I did the first loop in 3 and half hours and the second loop in 4 and half, a total of 8 hours. The race cut off time is 8 hours. This was a training run, so I did not push myself hard. I am sure on race day, I would be going faster, especially on the flat portion. I won’t DNF. Also I got lost a bit on my second loop because I was going in a reverse direction. Somehow I missed a streamer back around the picnic area and I did not remember which way we did during the first loop. I later was able to find my way back. That might have taken half hour off the clock. I think I could do it under 7 hours.

    Now in hindsight, the course was actually quite easy. The full course is consisted of two trails, the Lakeshore trail (blazed blue rectangles) and the CT – Carter Taylor, blazed with red rectangles. Lakeshore trail goes around the lake and is 6.5 miles. Carter Taylor is also a loop, and maybe is 10 miles. So the race is doing these two loops, gives 16.5 miles. They are like a figure 8 with one loop on top of another.

    I ended the run feeling pretty well. If I had a companion, I would have gone out for maybe a 3rd loop too. I believe I was the only one who ran two loops that day. They thought I was crazy, but it was just a normal training day.

    Beautiful trail and pine forest
    A warm day, we were almost at the end
    I like a wide open trail
    walking to the start, a bit chilly in the morning
    young pine forest, I think they were replanting pine trees

  • Day529 BRR Training 1

    Bull Run Run Training 1.

    BRR training started a week after the MMT training run. I did both sets of training last year and doing them again this year. The only difference this time is I will be running in the BRR (actual race) this year. Last year, I only did the training runs but not the race itself. It’s long story, which I am about to tell.

    What is BRR? It stands for Bull Run Run. The race has been rebranded as BROT, which stands for Bull Run & Occoquan Trail Run, but I prefer BRR better for short, because that is the name I first encountered with this race and it rolls off the tongue. Yes, it is related to the American Civil War also, the Battle of Bull Run. I don’t know much of its history even though I visited the Manassa battle field and its museum. Funny thing was during the training run, an older runner was listening to a podcast about the Bull Run Battle. He forgot to bring his ear piece, so he had it on speaker. The few of us crowded around him to listen along with him.

    Note, I use the abbreviation of BRR to refer to the race (in April) and the training runs interchangeably, but rarely will I refer to the trail itself, even though that is the name of the trail. I know, hope it won’t be too confusing to my readers. In the same way, I’ll refer to MMT as the race and its training runs, even though it is the name of that trail.

    History, my history: Since forever, might be 2017 or 2018, in my early years of running, I had wanted to do this race. Every single year, I missed the registration because either they only opened for club members or by invitation only or they were quickly filled out and I missed out.

    There is some weird procedure to get onto the wait list. You are given a random number when you registered, and then the pick is based on a particular day of the stock market closing index price mentioned ahead of time. Depending if the index goes up or down, it would determine the sort ordering, for getting people off the list. They say it is clearly explained on their sign up website and is fair since the stock market is supposed to be random.

    I just find the sign up procedure weird. And math, I love math, but for a lot of people, it could be a turn off. It is like you have to solve some high level math problem to sign up a race. They also use some Latin words on their races too (yes, it runs by a bunch of brainy older people — lawyers). I took Latin as my foreign language elective, so I love Latin. But if I am a younger zoomer/millenial, I might not sign up. I’m not knocking at them. I was introduced into the racing world using the modern way of run-signup and ultra-signup websites, so was expecting something more slick. BRR sign up site is just unusual. Anyway, I finally got on the sign up list this year, without much problem. It was like my fifth or sixth try.

    So I will be religiously doing all the training runs. The truth is the race no longer scares me as it once did and I don’t need to train for it. I could do a 50 miler on any weekend without breaking a sweat (maybe a little), as I proved last season. However, I found from last year that BRR training run was very good for my MMT and I think a lot runners who will be running the MMT would do the BRR as preparation. So here I am.

    We had a good day. The temperature was between 35-45 F, way warmer than a week earlier. It felt it was more like fall weather. They were saying last year temperature was 6 or 16 degrees. Making today a nice day for a winter run. I had expected the run to run west, where my house is, only later after finishing, I found on their Facebook page that they made a last minute change, to have the run toward east because of the trail work being done on the west side. But anyway, it did not matter. A training run is a training run. Running eastward actually was more beneficial for me due there being more hills.

    I originally planned to wake up maybe at 3:30 am but overslept until 5:30, because I stayed up too late the night before. Anyway, I got home late due to lunar eve-eve new year’s celebration. I made very little preparation unlike the week before when I prepared for the MMT training run. This was a local run, and in the city, so no need to fret about packing emergency aid, food, and everything. Water was the only thing I needed. And no need to set an alarm, so as it turned out, I overslept.

    So I got up around 5:30 and I was thinking to myself, if could I still make it. I did not think I could make it on time after a bit of calculations. The original plan was to run from my house to the trailhead maybe at most 5 miles away and from there run to Hemlock Overlook, which was also about another 5 miles, where the rest of the group would meet. At the time, I did not know the distance was 5 miles, but I was planning a 4 hour run to the real starting line. We were to meet at 8 am, so it meant a 4 am start from my house. It would have given me a lot of mileage that day, again, at the time I didn’t know how far, but I was planning for a 30-40 mile day.

    Because I was running late, I decided to drive to the trailhead instead. The actual meet location was too early for me to be there and I wanted to have some early miles done. As I was driving, I made up my mind to go a trailhead nearer to my home, Rt 28 parking lot, but it was not the lot where everyone to meet. It saved me from running 4 or 5 miles from my house, but still would give me plenty miles for the day. I arrived there before sunrise. I was the first person in the lot. I got everything ready and as first light dawned (around 7 am), I hit the trail. It is a county park, so technically we were not allowed to be on the trail when it is dark. That was the reason I waited for some light, so I didn’t have to use a headlamp and also I would not be violating any local ordiances. I doubt anyone would call the cops on me, but you never know.

    I tried this run last year too but I was slower last year and missed the group start. This year I started 15 minutes earlier and I must have run faster. I met my goal of getting to Hemlock by 8 o’clock.

    The first couple miles, I was running at a slower pace, of 15 min mile. It was very slow. I had not warm up yet and the terrain was uneven. It was a bit cold but I knew also it should be warming up by noon time.

    I arrived at Hemlock as the group just started off. I could see them from maybe 100 yards away. I was not too late. I caught up with the group as they were circling around the parking lot. There were maybe 75-100 of us, which was quite a big group for a training run. Some came late too as usual since this was in the city. There were whole lot of excitement.

    I was more familiar with the trail this year than last year. I made many posts about this trail before. Those were the days when I first explored it on my own, I think around 2020 and 2021. It was such a joy then as it is now. Now running on it again, and finally the first time with the big group, I felt great. I had previous good memories as I ran. BRR training was where I met Iris, who later helped crew me at my Devil Dog. People like Iris are dear to me. That was just last year, but it felt so long ago. This year, Iris wasn’t there. A race director once told me, that volunteers are his dearest people, so it is the same for me. Anyone helped me in a race, they are my “brothers and sisters, and mother and father.”

    BRR and MMT are almost same for me in my mind. I’d lump both of them together. They were both organized by the same group of people, my local trail running group. It is quite famous here in the tri-state (DC, Maryland, and Virginia, well DC isn’t a state, but you know, we treated it like one). It’s name though is probably well known to our surrounding states as well, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. MMT is probably more well known around the nation in the trail community, since it had been around for a long time and it is a 100 miler.

    But as for the BRR, it is much more modest. It is a local race. And it is only a 50 mile compares to the 100 miler sibbling. This training run had only about 1500 ft of elevation change. The course is a series of rolling hills, so not that bad actually, at least for me who went to last week training for the MMT training run, where we did 5000 ft of climbing in a single day. Still I believe, BRR helps my training.

    I fell into my pace after couple miles. I met up with a friend from DC (Jana), and we ran together to the Bull Run’s Marina. I was surprised to see her here. She recently has done a lot trail runs, such as Naked Nick. She said though 50K is her max. I tried to convince her to try running a 50 miler, but she said she doesn’t do night time running. I said, it is only maybe an hour of darkness, and if she moves fast, she would finish before dark. I hope some day to get her to join me on longer runs.

    At the marina, we took a break at the aid station for this run. It was an out and back, so we would be back here again. It was well stocked with everything we needed, fruits, candies, sodas. And this training run was all free to us. It was festive because we had a big group there. We took a couple group photos. I recognized many familiar faces. However, I am not friend with them, like I am with Iris, Ram and Caroline. They were not on first name basis, but rather it was hey runner. Some people turned around here early to go back to Hemlock, since this is individual decision of how much or how long they wanted to be out there. For a few of us who needed more miles, we continued toward Fountainhead Park, which was about 6.5 miles away.

    Jana also went for a few miles more so that she would finish the day with 12 miles. I wanted to go until I was tired. 12 miles were too little for me. Though since I had 5 miles earlier, if I turned around then I would have 22 miles for the day, Jana told me. I did not believe her at the time, but her math did check out.

    It was too early for me to be turning around though. After saying goodbye to Jana, I continued toward Fountainhead. I got to mile 14, and turned around at the road, wolf run or something, maybe a mile or two before reaching Fountainhead. During the real BRR, this would be an aid station. By then many already turned around, and I believed I was the last one. I caught sight of Tracy and Tina — I believed I ran with Tina (from Baltimore) last year on this run, but she didn’t remember me. She arrived late last year and everyone had left, so it was me and her and she didn’t know the way and I led that time. Anyway, she was on time this year. She partnered up with Tracy. I didn’t know Tracy at the time.

    I tried to rush back so that the group if they were waiting for me would not have to wait for too long. I don’t need people to wait for me, but I am known within this group as one who likely to get lost and also one of the slowest. I was then stopped by a couple Asian hikers, because I looked Asian, they started up a conversation. They wanted to know about my parents and if I attended church, since chinese here in the area all kind of know one another. All they just need you know who your parents are and who your pastor is before long they could identify you. I stopped and started talking to them. Last I’ve been to a chinese church was almost 20 years ago. Things changed.

    Then a couple more runners came by and I believed they were part of our running group. I quickly caught up to them and joined in their run. Indeed, they were part of our training run. I was glad I was not the last person on the trail. Sorry to the asian hikers. They did not know I was in a group run. I left them behind. Actually, I stopped for way too long (maybe 15-20 minutes) and I was cooling off to the point I was starting to shake. Again, we are in two different worlds between runners and hikers. Hikers felt they have all day to talk. We runners are more bounded by time and have to get going.

    I found out the two runners started late and kind of doing their own thing but they were stronger runners than me. Josh came to the run from Virginia Beach and he did the BRR 50 miler race last year. His friend, Spencer, was the area native. They wanted to have 20 miles that day. I told them I already had 19 miles in and hoping maybe for 10 more by the time I finished. I could only stayed with them for about 2 miles and had to slow down. Their pace was too strong for me. I think Josh could run the race in 8-9 hours. Spencer is a bit weaker, but not by much. They both were in excellent built and young, maybe 5-10 years younger than me.

    We got back to the Bull Run’s Marina. Quatro the aid station captain and this training run RD, was still there. We were guessing he would have left by then. The time was around 11:30. I was glad because at least I could get water and some cookies for my return trip. From the Marina back to Hemlock is about 4 miles. I was bonking hard during this stetch. I took the red trail up to Hemlock instead of following blue circling around the base, and climbling up on the otherside. My short cut saved me maybe a mile. Of course, during the race, this would be a DNF. Today though wasn’t a race.

    Quatro was already back from the Marina. I expected that. He said couple other runners were still out besides Josh and Spencer. Shortly, we saw them came in (Tracy and Tina). I stayed for a few more minutes until Josh and Spencer also came in.

    I still had five more miles from Hemlock to my car. Slowly but surely I made it back to my car. I did come across of the group that was repairing the trail.

    For training goes, it was a run. A good run. Last week I worked on more technical stuff. This week was mostly working on the consistency in my run. I needed both types of training. The trail was runnable and so it was a good training on relatively flat ground with some hills tossed in. I had some solid “fast” miles while I was with Jana. Jana was about my pace, but I had to run to keep up with her. I believe I could out run her, but on this training run, she was stronger.

    I still have to work on to be a stronger trail runner. I crapped out too early. I need to have stronger endurance. I need to run faster uphill and also downhill. I know I would do fine for the BRR race because I am a strong hiker. However, I want to be able to run the full 50 miles instead of just hiking it. Also it would help me on the MMT in May. BRR training is complementary to the MMT training.

    BRR will give us a generous 13 hours to finish. I think I could do it in 12 hours. I hope maybe get it down to 11. Any below 11 hours would be a pipe dream. Since the training run was not a race, I finished around 2 pm. 7 hours after I started. I put in 27-28 miles. I did not have my gps watch on me, so couldn’t tell the actual distance I ran. There will be a few more training runs, one in Feb and one in March. Overall, I had a great time, a much more enjoyable than when I was at the MMT first training run. A couple guys recognized me from the week before.

  • Day528 MMT Training 1

    TL;DR This race in May (MMT) means a lot, so I wrote a long post about the first training run. Summary – a cold slow run on the first third of the actual course.

    Running up the road outside Caroline Furnace

    It has begun. I am not quite in a mood for training yet after more than a month off since the Devil Dog 100 race. Whether I am ready or not, training comes upon me again. I think though I am in a better position to start this year’s training than last year. At least, I am relatively in a good health and I am more upbeat about it. There’s an urgency that I need to get back out there as soon as possible to kick start the machinery. The MMT race is in the third week of May. There is still time. Time is also short. This is a recurrent theme. I have a whole life ahead (Goal #99) and yet there seems to be not enough time. There is so much expectancy that this year will be a good year.

    A little background, though no secret at all to my regular readers. The topic of MMT came up many times. I have talked/written to death about it. Last year I attempted this 100 mile race that was considered a much tougher 100 miler race than any I tried before. I ended up getting very close to finishing it, reaching mile 95 with only about 6-7 miles to go (the course was about 102 miles). Due to a kind of weird lapsed of focus at night, I burned up a lot of time and it caused me to miss the final cutoff in the morning. This year, I hope to correct this mistake — to be a stronger night runner. Yes, this will be another redemption arc, just like the Devil Dog. And I know I have a good chance to do well.

    MMT is no joke. It is not extremely hard but it is no walk in the park. We will have four training runs before the real race. Each one is just plain hard on the actual course and they are spaced a month apart. This allows me to gauge my progress. The first run was from the race start to mile 32. They get progressively harder. They will cover the entire course by the end of all three training runs.

    MMT is known for having rocky trail. This section is easier so a brave runner attempted to run on it, but I walked.

    How did I do? I knew I was out of shape even before doing the run. I had a couple runs since my last real race (the Devil Dog). I ran Naked Nick 50k and New Year Redeye 50k. I wrote on both in previous entries. Verdict: The run was a struggle and I mostly walked the course.

    On top of being out of shape, I also had a slight injury on my foot. It is an old problem because I tend to twist my ankle (especially the left) a lot. I might have reinjured it during Devil Dog. Each subsequent runs, I hurt it more. I had couple bad rolls at Naked Nick. I did it again at Redeye. I aggravated my left ankle. The last two weeks, I was basically off my foot. You might say, why I ran then. Men are stupid is all I have to say. My justification is I could not sit around while a training run is happening.

    I was hoping for it to get better. I finished the training run with the ankle being no better or worse. I guess I was lucky.

    I knew even with the injury and being physically weak, I should get out onto the course. We met at 5:30 AM at the Signal Knob Parking which was about an hour drive from home. I had to be up by 3:30 AM, to prepare. Mind you, I hit the snooze button a few times before finally getting up and getting into my car by 4:15.

    It was hard to wake up this early on a normal day. I made it tougher on myself because the night before I had various things to do and that I did not get to bed until past 1.

    [start rant] It was a busy Friday, both at work and in my personal life. It was like a whole week of work condensed to one day. The tale is just too long to tell. My mailbox key broke and I had that replaced. It is a story for another time trying to get the post office to fix it and I had been going at it for a full week, and actually we didn’t receive mail since Christmas. 2. Plus my car was in the shop for a recall due to the gas tank could be corroded (and could fall off, and I knew about this since last summer) and it needed an inspection. They ended up spraying a sealant on it. I was worried that I would not have my car back in time for the training run. Dealing with a rental car, but in the end everything worked out. 3. Another thing was our CRAW team had only 12 miles left to go. I did not have to run it that day, because we have 9 other people on our team to do it, but no one ran. We could leave it for the next day, but I did not want that since we were so close to the finish. So around 6 pm on Friday, I put on my clothes and headed outside to do almost a half marathon to get it done. This was a virtual relay race that went around the world. By 9-ish at night I finished it. 4. I cleaned up, ate, got warm up then I attended to some work left from my company I needed to do that night. I did not finish everything until midnight. 5. Then finally there was still laundry and packing for the trip to be done. I ended up with maybe three hours of sleep. [end rant]

    When everything was packed, I was ready for bed. It was too hot to sleep with everything on me, and of course, I stripped back down. I put on again everything early in the morning.

    Dressing for the cold: For the run, I ended up having on a tee shirt as a base layer. I wear a 32 degee brand thermo long sleeve over as my mid. They are like underwear but super warm and thin. I swear by these. I think they are made out of a special material that reflects heat, like those space blanket. Then I put a super thin hoodie sweater as my outer. We were required to bring a rain jacket that also served as a windbreaker. I was warned about the high wind. The temperature ranged from 20-30 F, in the freezing range. The wind chill factor was probably in the teens. I had gloves and a wool cap, but my fingers still were cold most of the time. I added a fleece jacket and brought along a puffy down jacket, as precaution. By the time I finished the run, I wore all of them because it was that cold. The puffy jacket though I left that in the car for use after the race. Because rain was expected, a fleece was better than a down jacket because fleece will stay warm even when they wet.

    I packed myself a lunch, which was just a (cubano?) sandwich. I had the same for breakfast. I added a gatorade, some gummies and bars. I filled up my water pack. This run required having a turn sheet because the course was not flagged. I had to download the map to my phone and tried to get the offline map to work and saved a copy of the directions on my phone. I already studied the course ahead of time. I did not have a printer. So in the middle of night before falling asleep, I wrote out all the turns by hand on a piece of paper. (I actually printed out at work but forgot to take it home.) I put that in a zip lock. This would be the most important paper. I prayed that I would not get lost.

    The course: I have been on the course before because I ran the MMT last year (MMT stands for Massanutten Mountain trail 100 mile race). Supposingly, I should know the way. As I ran this again, I was surprised by new things or sights I missed during the first time because I had forgotten about them. There were way more climbs than I remembered, such as the long climb after Edinburg Gap. That whole stretch was completely new to me. Somehow it was blocked off from my mind. Also the reservoir after Woodstock was a surprised to me. I didn’t know to go around the lake. Now as I write this, I kind of have vague recollection.

    The course was not hard. It was just one way – follow the orange blazes until near the end then follow the blue blazes. There was like just one turn. There were a few tricky sections but the usual mantra was to follow the orange.

    We started out with about fifty people. Some did not show up during the roll calls. A few dropped along the way. I ran near the back end of the group as usual since I am not a strong runner. I supposed there were a few behind me. They must have dropped off later into the run and I ended up being the last four to finish. Also some would come out again the next day for the Waterfall 50k (WTF 50), the race I couldn’t get in this year.

    The first few miles were on the road. It was snowing and started sticking. I think it was beautiful. I ran in the snow before but it also made me nervous because my shoes were not made for snow. The traction on them was not that good.

    Pacing: Having done the MMT, I know to go slow. It was not a race. I stayed with maybe 10 people. We entered the trail and went up the Short mountain. Some started to run ahead. Four or five passed me by. I tried to keep my pace. By about 8 miles I was tired. Going up hills got me breathing heavily. I was not in the best shape and my glasses fogged up. It was hard and I was wondering when I would black out.

    The first aid station was at mile 12. It was a welcome sight. We had hot food, some chips and sodas. I stayed there for a bit. I remember that during my race, I did not stop here or even at the next station. Today though would be different. It was not a race. I stopped along with my group. Larry called me as I came in. He knew me by name but I never met him, well I might have, but I could not remember him. I thought he was John, another famous runner in the club. They all knew every runner by name. I was still with a group of about 8. Charleen was quite famous in our group. People were calling out to her. Michelle and Jamie were with them. Both too were excellent runners. The women were in a high spirit. Three guys in front and four ladies in the back. I was sandwiched in between them.

    The three guys pressed ahead. I followed them so I don’t have to look for directions myself. The mid section to Woodstock Tower, before our second aid stop was boring to me. The three guys took off at a much faster speed and disappeared. Mind you I was leading them before. I was left my myself. The ladies were taking their time in the back.

    A bit lost: I knew to stayed on the orange blazed trail but some sections of it seemed to be unused for some time and the blazes faded. I was started to doubt if I was on the right trail. A couple times I could not see the trail at all. It got me worried that I was off the path. I looked around by instince went on ahead following along the ridgeline. I was back on the blazed trail.

    Woodstock Tower, just before reaching the aid station. I did not remember passing by it when I ran the MMT last year. Glad I caught sight of it this time

    At 2nd Aid Station: I arrived at Woostock aid station by 1 pm, well ahead of the cutoff of 2 pm. The three guys were still there. Soon the ladies arrived as well. The temperature dropped as we stood around. My water hose became frozen. I had to kept it underneath my shirt to melt the ice. I met a few familiar faces. Carl, son of a former race director and one who ran me a few years back at this place, greeted me. He left me a good impression and he also one of those guys who wins races. Dan, the current race director was also there. Carl’s father (one of former RDs) was also there cooking for us. I took some hash browns. There was also a guy there who helped me at the MMT around mile 80-85, but I did not know his name. I was so grateful to him during my race. He was one of the best volunteers to kick me out the aid station when I was about to give up. I was glad to see him again but did not get a chance to say hi. When the guys set off, I followed along.

    The last 12 miles were easier. The three guys in front got tired and slow down their pace and I could keep up with them by now. We picked up a few other stragglers by the time we got near Signal Knob. We climbed up toward the Meneka Peak. I showed my worth of knowing the trail here but directing them away from the Meneka Peak. Both trails were to the left and the direction told us to take a left without specifying which left. I saved the whole group from getting lost there.

    We then ran down on the other side. I think it was the Sidewinder trail or something. It was basically a series of switchbacks to the parking lot. During the descends the ladies caught up to us and they were speed demons. The three guys couldn’t kept up with them, so they overtook us. I always like a fast descend. Even though it is supposed to be fast, it was 3-4 miles long and probably took us close to an hour to get down. We reached the parking lot by 4:45. 10 hours after we started. My original goal was to finish under 9 hours. During the MMT, we do not go to the Parking Area but take a short trail to Elizabeth Furnace. It is about 32 miles. My watch battery died around mile 28 so, I don’t know the distance it would have recorded for the full run.

    The Finish: Again it was a very cold day even after we finished. The volunteers had ramen noodles for us. I would take anything hot. After me, were couple more guys. The last guy came in at 5:08. Larry (a different Larry) who organized this training run was accepted into Hard Rock, a very famous race. We all congratulated him. He said that race will be in mid July. It is like when I mentioned I run marathons to people, they think I was talking about 5k because they have no way to understand the distance. This guy is running 200 miles, and it is outside my realm of comprehension.

    This was how I imagine a good day to be. I fell asleep soon after getting home and slept in the living room. Of course, I had to wake up in the middle of the night to go to bed for real in my room. My ankle was still hurt.

    Some conclusions: 1. I know what I need to work on to be stronger. I need to work on hills. Uphill downhill. Plus I was horrible with flat. I couldn’t run much. I need to able to run for a long stretch of time. Yes I was out to of shape, so need to work on everything. Also my foot needs to heal.

    2. Challenges. My mom asked why am I doing this to myself. I realized the problems I laid out scared her. When I am worried, she is twice as worried. When I think a race is crazy, she thinks I am a complete lunatic to attempt it. She wanted me not to run. It was impossible for her to see I find joy in such a challenge. I have to be careful how I project my thoughts. I have to self-censure myself from anything that indicates danger or hardship. She asked why don’t I do races that I have confident in completing, ones that have less risks. I personally think it is because of the challenges I am attempting it. I don’t want to run easy races.

    3. This is kind of a rant because I was a bit miffed. I did not get along well with some people I ran with. They weren’t hostile, but it was like being on one toes, uncomfortable. I will leave it as that. I have many theories, however, I will keep those to myself.

    Many were their first time too. I hope they realize that the actual race is 4 times longer. So good luck to them. There are still three more training runs.

    PS. Happy Lunar New Year! (coming Sunday)

  • Day527 Naked Nick 50k

    RP of Naked Nick 50k, a race I ran few weeks back in December. Though I said I was not going to write a report, but here it is. Enjoy!

    We drove, up to Reading, Pennsyvania, about 3 hours away. We drove past York. York was like two third of the way. It is maybe an hour north of York. The drive reminded me a month ago when I when to Baltimore for the NCR marathon. I rarely drive up this part of town.

    We left around 3:30 in the morning. I set my alarm for 3. It was hard to fall asleep at night but I did catch a few hours. I usually only need about 4 hours to be functional.

    It was a long drive for sure. I have been to races that were farther away but I usually would go there a day before so as not to make an early morning drive.

    This time though I was trying to save money by skipping the hotel since it was not an important race to me because I just finished a 100 mile a few weeks before. There would be no way for me to do well in this one. I was going to run it to just stretch my legs out – a recovery run.

    The day before, I did search for hotel, but prices were reasonable. However, I promised to carpool with a friend, I did not want to bail on her. That weekend though my friend was actually in Pennsylvania, and I wanted to tell her, no need to come back to Virginia for me.

    Luckily, my friend decided to drive at the last minute. This helped a lot. It was like a godsends that I did not have to drive there or back myself.

    My predicted finish time was over 7 hours from the signup website. I know that is probably my pace because the site is usually accurate for me.

    The course was simple. The race director described it as a lollipop. We would run out 5 miles on the stick, then we do a 5 mile loop, and we come back on the stick for a total 15-ish miles. The 50k people would run the course twice.

    We arrived at the race early around 7 AM. The race started at 8. We got our bibs and I got dressed and changed into my shoes. The day started near freezing temp. I don’t remember but it felt like 28-30 F degrees. It might have been evem colder. I had multiple layers of clothes on. I had my gloves and my head buff/wool cap. I was shaking. I do not like the cold and prefer to be hot than cold.

    This race is very popular with the locals (Philadelphia people), and we had 500+ runners that day. This is huge for a trail race and a 50k no less. Sure many only wanted to run the 25K but still we had a festive crowd.

    We had a mass start. I was in no rush so I ended up kind of in the rear. After the first mile, I settled well into my pace.

    It was not long until I followed Jennifer, who was a friend to Caroline. At the time, I did not realize but after talking a bit I made the connection. Caroline introduced us earlier but I was bad with faces. By halfway another woman passed me and separating between me and Jennifer. I did not say anything for awhile and just kept my pace. Little did I know, later when I tried to get my spot back, the woman turned to me and said Antin! It was my other friend from DC! I did not recognize her at the time. Lucky I did not push her off the trail! Kidding, I never push people. I wouldn’t do that but you know when someone passes you, you kind of give that stink eye. Yana, I didn’t mean to if you happened to read my blog. Yana was invited to run with us (David and his friends) on Christmas to do the reindeer run. It was a small world.

    There was also a third lady, who saved my hat when it felt out my pocket. Sorry I forgot her name. However, three of us were pretty much in sync with our pace. The third lady and I took off as we near the finish line. She was doing the Half (25k, but we called it a half). I paced her to the finish. Yana and Jennifer were maybe a minute behind us. They too were doing the half.

    I still had a second loop so I went back out. It got warmer now, near noon time. The temperature was around 45 F. About a mile out I saw Caroline coming in. She was doing the half too. I felt sorry she would have to wait for me to come back and I still have maybe 3-4 hours for the second loop. Because she was my ride home. She told me later that she went to the car and sleep (and warmed it up for me by the time I finished). It was a cold day.

    Second loop was definitely slower. I walked a lot especially all the hills. The course is hilly. I met Keith and Ruth. We basically did run walk together for most of it.

    Aid stations were at about every 3-4 miles and they became important. I tried to stuff myself with something such as oreos whenever we got to one. I had plenty of liquid in my hydration pack but I still picked up a cup of gatorade or water when we went by.

    I could tell that Ruth from early on was much stronger among the three of us, however, she was staying with us. She planned to run her first 50 miler in California in January, so I guess she did not want to go all out in this race. Halfway through the loop, Keith dropped back. I was then left with Ruth for a while. At one of the aid stations, I lost Ruth too and I ended up by myself for about the next five miles. However, when there were about 3 miles left in the course, Ruth came back strong.

    I could hear her from behind me but I did not look back. Steadily, she closed the gap. I tried to keep her within sight but she was pressing all the hills. The course became flat near the end. She and couple other ladies just put on speed.

    I finished at 2:50 pm (6:44:00), which gave me a time of under 7 hours. I bested the prediction. I hobbled a bit. Got some warm food in me. Found my sweater and put that on (backward but too late to correct it). I was getting cold and I think the temperature might have dropped to the low 40s now. I was beginning to freeze. Just as I about to go to the car, Caroline came with my pack and winter coat from the car. I told her I likely would finish around 7 hours+. So she came out on cue. She finished more than three hours before me, and went to the car to sleep. I was happy to see her.

    We took our celebratory picture at the finish. She got me more food. I changed into dry and clean clothes and shoes. The course had sections that were muddy, so having a pair of clean shoes at the finish was a good idea.

    Caroline had moved her car to the finish, so I did not had to walk far. She parked next to the ambulance. I mean I would not have minded some walking. Our initial parking spot was not too far away. Note though some late comers had to park maybe a mile away (and RD delayed the start for extra 5 minutes to wait for those runners). So it beat to get to race an hour early for a good parking spot.

    The drive home was uneventful. I was the navigator because we could not get signal on the iphone to work. Somehow we went kind of a round about way to get back on the highway. We finally got the phone to work. I slept a bit on the way back.

    I was still cold but the car was already warmed up. We made a pitstop in town and I got myself a gatorade, which helped. It was hard to walk after sitting in the car. I was kind of hungry later on and I did not want to request a stop because I knew I would have food once we got home. If I was by myself, I would probably stop in Baltimore for food.

    I was asked if I would do this race again. I might. It was a good race. Low cost, good food at aid stations and finish line. Because the race was so cheap I did not expect food at the aid stations. We had a big crowd. Trail. Hills. Also generous cutoffs (race closes at 5 pm, 9 hours for a 50k). There was nothing not to like about it.

    For me, it was a bit far to drive to, but I would not mind getting up at 3 AM. It was in the winter, when normally I don’t do winter races. Also I was not in a racing mood, so I did not have the I got to run this every year feel.

    If I could go there with a friend though, yes I would be down for doing it again.

  • Day526 Mental health day

    I am very Tired…not like when I run a 100 mile physically kind of tired but more like being unmotivated to start this new year!

    Last year, I remembered it took me until February to get things rolling. To get my act together!

    I asked myself, have I considered taking a month or even couple months off from running. Hmm. The answer is never! Never would I do that. But I think I am starting to experience burn-out. 2021 yep big burn-out time in my 2nd half and it might have affected my 2022 first half. Then I pulled myself together. I don’t know when to stop is the thing. The only time I will take a break is when I fall over dead. Anyway…

    I tried to sign up for the WTF 50 (which is this coming weekend), but this time I did not get in. People are too fast! I was only a day late after the registration opened. And it all filled. I could write to the RD and beg. But I know they accepted a limited number of people. I think because the parking lot at the trailhead is quite small. Probably around like 25 spots. But we usually jam three times as many cars.

    Anyway…maybe next year then. Why WTF is so special to me? I think because it is hard. It is part of the MMT course, but we are doing it in winter. Either crossing very cold water (the whole trail is on a creek — waterfall) or very icy. Yep it is a suicidal kind of run. I tried to get in for the past 3 years. The first year, I ran by myself, when I didn’t get in. I might still do that, but I know I am too lazy.

    I did however get into the first MMT group training run. There will be four of these. I hope to get into all of them. Maybe it is a consolation. Last year, I traded the MMT training run for the WTF and then snow canceled on us. A few managed to go out and skated on the mountain trails. Anyway.

    I need a long break. A very long one.

    In my last post I said I have two reports to do. I don’t think I will ever get to them. So I will try to do it here as briefly as I could.

    First one was Naked Nick. I ran it in middle of December. Two weeks after my 100 miler. It was a 50K. I was surprised I could even manage to finish. I started out slow. Very slow. I kept the pace with couple women who I later found out were my friends or a friend with the friend I rode up to PA with. Small world. I am bad with recognizing faces and I only saw the back side of people for most of the race until I started passing the person who then turned to look at me and called out in surprise, Antin! I thought that was funny. It made me feel bad. She came up from DC to run it too. Yes, it was Yana.

    I finished it. I liked it because it was a trail run. It was not challenging at all but of course I could try run it faster next year if I wasn’t doing a big race before it. The friend who drove me there asked if I will do it again. It was her favorite. For me, it was just meh, average. Nothing wrong with the race itself. It was just me being too tired. And the race doesn’t seem to be challenging enough. It was a bit far, about three hours drive and in the middle of winter. Usually I don’t re-do a race! Usually I don’t race in the winter. However, there is less and less new races to do in the area, so I might do it again.

    My second run (race) was also a 50K, New Year Redeye Run. I love it and want to do this one year after year. It was our local race by the Happy Trail people. We ran it on January first. It was awesome to see my trail friends. All of them. They were instrumental in helping me get my 100 at the Devil Dog. In fact it was on the same course. Not exact route but the park is only so big, you know, so most of it was overlapping the Devil Dog course.

    Note, in the previous post, I said I could run this course blindfolded or something similar with my eyes closed because of the Devil Dog! Because I spent 31 hours out there running the same loop over and over and I was sick of it. I was a bit too prideful. And guess what! I got lost twice doing the Redeye! Almost lost not not exactly lost-lost, but luckily each time, the person behind me called out and got me back on course. Well technically we got lost three times! The 50k was to be done in three loops, the first loop I got off trail with everyone because I was following the mass and the lead missed a turn. (Don’t tell anyone, but no one wanted to backtrack to make the correct turn — this should a DNF for us whole lot, however, no one took it seriously). The second time I did not see the ribbon marker, I think the wind took it, or it wasn’t placed at the turn. Note, a lady Ruth, got lost and could get out till the race closed. She probably was one of the medal contenders but became DNF. The third time, I was just being careless. The turn was marked but I was spacing out. Good thing the guy behind called me to make the turn. Anyway, it was a familiar course and I love the devil dog. It brought back so much memories and emotions on that run.

    Both races, were cheap and the Redeye was free! Nothing could beat free. I used them as training runs and did not run my heart out as I would if they were real races. As for satisfaction, it was a bit lower, hence, I was dragging my feet to do formal race reports. I hope this is good enough.

    Well back on topic. I don’t know if I will post another entry soon. I want some time to rest. Next post maybe next week or the following.

    Some other news, and I am excited about this. I booked my air ticket to Texas this morning. They (American) added a new plane, and the price, I think, was reasonable and it was a direct flight, so I pulled off to the side of the road (I was on my way into work at the time) and booked it. I have been kind of anxious because I kind of forgot about this trip. Now I can relax. That race is just a month away! also a 50k. Ya, Cowtown I am coming.

    I have two more trips to plan (Toronto and Outer Banks). I was going do them over Christmas, but holidays — and — I was very unmotivated, so haven’t done them yet. Toronto could hold till maybe March. The trip is in May. I searched for tickets already. There are direct flights and prices were reasonable, except I haven’t booked it yet.

    Outer Banks though, I need get this S**T done. It is in March and, other people are fast to get their houses because I will be in conflict with a lot of college students and kids on their spring break! OBX is a too popular a destination. I hate myself for dragging my feet. I know, I don’t need a place myself to sleep because I would be running throughout the night, but I still need get a place for my team/crew. Yes, it is a 100 mile race. 32 hours. Planning scares me. I’ve been praying all these years, send me a manager to do all these logistical stuff. Let me just focus on the running part 😉 But all runners deal with this stuff.

    My friend David is going to Austin for his marathon…So jealous (Jelly). I already have a race that weekend or I would join him. I have Holiday Lake instead. I need to remember to go to their training run. I forgot the date. I think possibly next or following werkend. Personally I don’t like to go to that part of Virginia because I can’t use the interstate to get there. It takes forever to get there. Possibly was the reason General Lee chose that place to hide, and ultimately surrendered. It is still hard to get there.

    And finally, I am about to finish CRAW. Our group is 100 mile away from the finish line. We ran over 30,000 miles combined. I had done 5000 miles. Maybe a few more days, and we will be done. This is the race around the world. I am proud of my team. CRAW had 6 more bonus regions (like another 15000 miles) to explore Africa and Asia. My group won’t be doing the bonus regions, but I hope to join up with another team to continue.

    I need a mental health day.

  • Day523 2022 race recap

    I wrote up a list of all my races this year after running Naked Nick 50K, though I felt that entry did not do the justice. Here goes a 2nd round.

    100 mile:

    Massanutten 100 – May 14. Reached mile 95 but couldn’t finish it, mainly due to time management issue in the mid/late stage for aid station stops. Also I pressed too hard between mile 50-60 and bonked the rest of the way.

    Devil Dog 100 – December 3-4. Redeemption arc. I finished it this time. It was a huge relief. A bunch of new friends I met this year came and supported me including Iris and David.

    50 mile:

    Iron Mountain 50 – Sep 3. DNF. finished over 12 hours. It was a goal race and it hurt when I did not reach my goal. My fitness level was not where I wanted. I glad I ran and finished it with a friend, Eileen, who was more fit than me (we both DNF’d together). Also, got to meet Caroline.

    Stone Mill 50 – Nov 12. Finished it under 12 hours. Ran with two good friends, David and Alex.

    JFK 50 – Nov 19. Also ran with two friends, (another) David and Robert. Improved my 50 mile time by running under 11 though that was not my goal. Truly believe it set me for Devil Dog.

    50K:

    Catoctin 50k – July 9. One of hardest 50K I did. Almost took me 9 hours.

    Naked Nick 50k. Dec 18. Ran with Coraline as a recovery run. It was one of most calm races I did.

    Other weird distances trail races:

    Pemberton 24. Ran a 5k every hour for 24 hours I did 20 5k’s. Was an odd race but it was kind of fun.

    Lake Ridge 12h. Sep 10-11. Run for 12 hours. 2pm to 2am. My second time doing it but was a relaxing weekend with a small group of runners.

    Adventure Trail – I ran 8 hours or something. Also fun to run through the night. Didn’t know I was pacing a top female runner (who were at the end of her 24 hour run).

    Rock -n- the Knob – Sep 17. Hardest trail marathon. Took me about 7 hours. This is one of my favorites.

    River Rock – trail festival in Richmond. Kind of relaxing. 13 mile. Fun. My third or 4th time there.

    Marathons:

    1. Newport News – first marathon of the year and finally was able to run this one
    2. Salisbury Marathon – Ran with David and his friends. The best was having brunch after
    3. Grandma’s Marathon – out of state. stressful experience in getting pre race stuff working out, but was a memorable race. Adventurous with only couple hours of sleep
    4. Probility Ann Arbor Marathon – a surprise (unplanned) marathon to see a friend and also cross off one of the states.
    5. Atlantic City Marathon – Unplanned, but got it done because I was itching for a run and got a discount. Met a new friend (Sanjay)
    6. NCR Marathon – also unplanned because I was itching for a run. Had a good time to rerun this
    7. Rock -n- Knob – technically a marathon, but it felt more like a 50k.
    8. Richmond Marathon. Virtually done. It stressed me out for the whole month of November of how to get it done, and I finally ran it during the JFK 50. Only listed it here for completeness.

    Half marathon distances or less

    Bishop Half – June 12. It is a race I ran it once before and I relived the experience of last time when I ran it with Brian and the other David

    Richmond’s Bust the Banks Half. May 21. Same race as the river rock. River Rock was the name for the whole weekend. Bust the Banks was the name for the half marathon. Of course, I was there for the whole festival.

    Army 10 – Oct 9. Redoing this race after 20 years passed. Interesting feeling now I am a runner to look back when I first did it as a nobody

    Bobcats Trail 11. Nov 5. A hard short race

    Got Your Back 5k – I did a 5K. Probably only 5k I ran this year

    I feel better now that this list is more organized. My main races were MMT, Iron Mountain, and the Devil Dog. I put considerable time training for them.

    Other races kind of appeared and I ran them. Some I got to run with friends, which was pretty cool. Some I did to remember what they were like when I did them years ago and that was interesting to relive the experiences. A few were out of states where I get to cross them off my to-do list. They were also interesting in that I got to travel and experience running in new places. This sums up my 2022.

    Conclusion, (2022 original plan) How do I feel? I am proud my races. Originally my scope was much smaller and mostly for first half of the year. After MMT in May, I tried to change it, yes redeem it or redo however you call it. My second half of 2022 blossomed and was many times more exciting than my first half, and of course all thank to being able to finishing the Devil Dog 100. Looking back, it seemed easy and was a sure thing, but at the time nothing was set in stone. It could have turned out ugly. I felt lucky.

    What does it mean for next year? I don’t know yet. I had some races planned. At this point I don’t feel I have any sharp focus of what I want 2023 to be. I wrote about this a couple posts back, I am still seeking how I want to define 2023 to be. I have plans but they are just not that exciting. They feel more like chores to be done. We’ll see.

  • Day520 Devil Dog RP

    Race Report – Devil Dog, a 100 mile trail race, took place December 3-4, 2022, just outside of DC in Triangle, Virginia. I finished in 31 hours. Originally, I was hoping to do it in 28-29 hours. For comparison, the first place winner finished in around 20:08 hours. (Tara Dower from Virginia Beach broke the women’s record, as well as took home the overall prize).

    Last bridge crossing and up a big hill to the finish. photo credit: Ram

    Meta – I retold this in two different ways, so it might seem a bit weird. One was for myself and one was for others and because I wrote it at two different times, one was right after the race when my brain was scattered by many things and the other was almost a week later after I was able to have clearer thoughts and is more coherent.

    This race meant so much for me and I felt relief to have done it. I am a bit lost for words of how to write this report. At first, I wanted to put it aside for a few weeks before attempting to write, but then I know I got to move on. There is no telling what I will be doing in the next few weeks and I might not be able to find the time to get to this. So, here goes, strike the iron while it’s hot.

    I. A bit of a background, I ran this course last year doing the 100K, however, I did not finish (DNF). It was a heartbreak because it was unexpected. I ended up with a knee injury and a back injury and that set me back for this entire year. In truth, it affected my MMT training, and partly too why I did not finish the MMT 100. MMT is another epic race comparable to the Devil Dog. Devil Dog is the goofy version of it.

    I wanted to redo the Devil Dog to redeem myself. Not just because I couldn’t finish it last year but to prove to myself I could still do a 100 mile race (because I DNF’d at the MMT race earlier in the year).

    The question is what am I doing differently this year for the Devil Dog? I wrote out a bunch of tips in my last year race report. I followed most of them. (here is my last year race RP)

    More importantly, I am a much stronger runner this year and also gain more experience as a runner, having gone through the trial by fire at the MMT and Iron Mountain. Nothing get my attention quicker than being whooped, a good whooping I admit.

    As readers know, I kept Devil Dog quiet, both because it was a scary race to me and I did not want to think about it, and second, there were other races I was focusing just before the Devil Dog, and there was no time to specifically train for the Devil Dog. Once bitten, you kind of have a respect for the puppy. Though looking back, I was more prepared this time around, but before the race, I was still doubtful if I have what it take or would it be another DNF to close the year.

    The weather prediction leading up to the race did not help. We were looking at temperature that could be as low as 26 F (~4 C) at night, and during the day would be raining. Wet plus cold means a very cold run, and a dnf kind of situation. This race is known for many not finishing it (based on the last few years finishing rates). This year finishing rate was 65% (45% did not make it). Mostly because many underestimated the course.

    Luckily, we got a break by race day. The night before the race, the temperature warmed up to around 50-60 F (at night!). We had fall weather once again and to me it means running in a shirt and shorts. I have been breaking all kind of records in this season and it was at the temperatures I am doing well in. I like running in warmer temperatures. The race morning was warm. They said we had the full 4 seasons because it got cold at night (but I don’t remember much). The rain was light enough and lasted only “briefly” for 3 hours of the entire 32 hour race. Rain came early and that was good. We were not affected much by it other than the trail was wet and slippery. More on this later.

    My two friends heard about me running this race came out to support me, more specifically to be my crew. David (one whom I ran the JFK with) took the day shift, and he was there when I was halfway through my first loop around 9 AM and he came back around 5 pm at the end of my second loop. (I will explain the course soon, yes it is a loop course). Iris, a friend I met at the BRR (Bull Run Run) came for the night shift, from midnight to six in the morning. Finally, I was surprised by two other friends, Dan and Mike, whom I met in previous races (StoneMill, Cat, MMT), who helped me on my final loop on the following morning and at the finish. I am forever in debt to them. I believe they were crucial in helping me crossing the finish. A good crew can make or break a race when doing it without them.

    About the course, I ran this before, so it was not a surprise. In early April I signed for a 12 hour night race (AEQ race), there to train for the course. This year the course was slightly different because there was a new trail added and another (rocky) trail removed. The course is described as having generally rolling hills, some double tracks, but it was mostly on single track trails. People said it is deceptively easy but is not. Now having done it, I think it was not too hard. But that was one reason I underestimated the course last year to my own detriment.

    limping into the finishing chute. Photo credit: either Ram or Mike

    I believe most of the elevation comes at the beginning of the loop. It was not much but had couple hundred feet of climbing. Comparing to MMT this was nothing, though after we ran it 5 times, the hills worn us down. First loop was a few miles longer (23 miles total) by added an extra section and subsequent loops were 19 miles. There were just many little hills and they tired you out. I mentioned this in my last year report.

    We have three manned aid stations (Remi, Gunny, and Toofy), and 3 unmanned stations (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie). Unmanned ones were alternated with manned ones. My strategy was run from station to station. For me, they were set about an hour from one another. A loop took an average 6 hours (for me). Of course, those who could run fast could do it easily in about 3 hours.

    I stored my supplies at Gunny, Toofy and Remi. It means I was usually an hour or two away from my supplies (such as food or clean clothing) and not 5-6 hours like last year. Remi was the start and finish point. I liked the section from Remi to Gunny the best, even though there were some serious climbs, but I felt there were no hidden tricks.

    From Gunny to Toofy, usually I felt it was a bit too long. It was probably the longest segment. It was long enough for me to sub divide it into two parts. It also had a lot of climbing, though still runnable.

    From Toofy to back to Remi was the hardest section for me. This part is more rocky and has a lot of ups and downs. And generally not as runable. This segment was my downfall the previous year. I kind of hated it. Though this year, I did not have any troubles. I mentioned last year, that I am usually good with a long hard climb, but not with a bunch of smaller ups and downs. The constant changes of directions put a lot of strains on the knees and finer muscles. The third section felt like a roller coaster ride.

    The first few loops were relatively easy for me. I started off easy because I knew the battle would be during the last two loops. I was not in a hurry unlike last year. Last year, I went out expecting to do a loop like 3-4 hours because that was how fast I could run in a marathon. However, one has to be patience in a 100 miler. It is more like a cat and mouse game. The slower is the better. I was fine with finishing a loop in 6 hours this year. I was able to run it in 5.5 hours the first few loops and banked those extra minutes. I expected the final loop to take 7 hours. I ended up doing 7 hours on the last two loops.

    I was able to team up with another runner (bib 48, Jim), who has done this race before and has done many 100 miles. He was not rushed. I wasn’t either. We were okay with the whole field of runners passed us. Many those runners later could not finish.

    We met up with many other runners, such as Sam. I haven’t met Sam personally but I knew of her name from various races. Jim was an outgoing guy. He was calling out people when he encountered them. He was pacing someone also. Throughout the race, he was always pacing some runners. When a runner dropped out, he would find another set of runners around him. Another woman who was doing a 100k also joined with us for a while. Jim was talking about various things. I just listened.

    Even though I was with Jim, but when he started picking up the pace, I dropped back. I learned to run at my own pace this year. Jim, I suspected was doing a reverse split. That guy could easily run a sub 24 hour for this race, but he likes spending time with us slower runners. He finished in a decent time. He didn’t get exhausted like me on the final lap (and I think he did it in four hours).

    Most of the Saturday was like that. I was in it for a treat (to enjoy). I just did not think much on anything and ran. I passed my friend Fernando. I met Fernando before the start at Camp Remi. We chatted, since he set up his dropbag next to mine. Fernando was not doing well because he started walking.

    We got to a section of the course from Camp Toofy to Remi and in this section we were on a newly created trail, which just finished a week before. It did not have any gravels on it yet. It was just hard pack clay. With the rain, the trail became slick. Fernando and I could not even walk on it because we started sliding off from the trail. The trail was not flat but curved down (a reverse banking turn, you know on a race track, the track is curve down on the inside turn, so you could go faster on the outside, but this trail curves the other way, downward on the cliff edge). Quite dangerous. Frenando said what the hell is this. He was not having a good time. I had to grab on a tree to prevent going off the hill. I did not get to see Frenando again. He did not fall. He got to mile 75 the next day but was cut.

    The next person I came across was John on my second loop at Camp Gunny. John was walking. I asked what was going on with him. John said his knees were bothering him. This was John’s 4th Devil Dog. He dnf’ed all previous attempts. I felt sorry for John because to me, it was likely John would not finish again this year. He seemed like limping at the time. There were still four more laps and it was going to be a long time to the finish.

    To finish one needs to be persistent as well as being efficient in not waste too much time, yet not go out too fast. It means finding that sweet spot and adjusting it from time to time. It is sometimes hard to find that perfect balance. This was my sixth or 7th hundred mile race, but I had only successfully finished two. This time I was able to pull together all the prior experiences to finish this race. It is a reason I am so pleased with it. However, I am having a hard time how to describe that perfect pace. Actually there might not be one single pace, but you got to adjust from time to time in a 100. Mentioning this, because that what John got.

    I saw John again at the beginning on my last loop. John caught up to me from behind. I was surprised. It was a WTF moment for me. The tortoise had caught up to the hare. John has perservered and he told me this was the farest he had ever been on this course (and I think on any hundred miles). I thought I was fast and John who was just walking all this time, was now about to pass me.

    I was not doing well. I lasted through the night and on the last loop, doubts crept in whether I could finish. Logically, I had enough time to do it, but physically, I was tired. Seeing John renewed the determination. If John could do it, I must push harder and do better than John because my feet were healthier than his.

    I got to Camp Toofy for the last time. The cut off was at 11:30 and I was there around 10:45 (not sure), I think, they were packing things up. My friends Ram and Mike helped me. They fed me and suggested if I wanted to leave my hydration pack behind (note, this could have been a ground for DQ for this race, you have to have a hydration pack or a bottle), since I was using a water bottle now. I found handheld water bottle is quicker to refill than with a hydration vest. They helped repin the bib on me. My two friends reassured that I could finish. I went back out with renewed determination. There were only 6 miles left and three hours to do them.

    John passed me again the third time when I came out of Camp Toofy. I could not keep up with his pace this time around. Doubts again crept in. This final section was my Waterloo the year before. It took me more than four hours to get through this section last year. Today, we only had three hours.

    I told myself I had to keep John in my sight. As best as I could, tried to get my walking pace up again to match John. Soon strength returned. I started over taking John on downhill sections. John was having trouble going downhills. I felt sorry for him, because he struggled so hard.

    We both reached the finish line by 1 pm with a few minutes apart, 31 hours since we started. It was surreal when the race director handed me the buckle (finisher prize).

    Race clock is set as normal time, 12:55 pm EST. Meeting with RD, who is wearing the colorful F* hat and is about to hand me the DD 100 buckle! Photo credit: Mike

    I felt thankful. The one year ordeal was finally over. I was no longer considered a DNF at the Devil Dog any more. I’ve beaten the course. To others, the threat I would be dnf this time was nonexistent, but as a participant, the final lap got me into a bit of a fear as I raced from cutoff to cutoff and seeing my time slipping at each stop. At the last 6 miles, struggles were real that I started doubting if I could finish. I was grateful when I did it. I felt I lost it and was given back. The race was redeemed.

    More than that, My several friends helped me through the race. I could not let them down. Also, I wanted them to feel the significance of what they contributed. I couldn’t have done without them! Without their helps, it was likely, the race would have gone down to the wire and I could have dnf. In a hundred mile race, a bad thing could magnify many times and same with a good thing. It is like investment, good things compound! Just a few minutes saving from my friends would translate to an hour or more at the end.

    Dan and Mike were a great help at the finish because I could not walk another step after I reached the finish line. I was one of those who stopped functioning once it is over. My left calf was really hurting. Mike and Dan made sure I stayed warm and got me inside. Then they made sure I ate. Finally gathered all my things and arranged a ride for me to get my car (the shuttle ride to the other lot).

    —- Now part 2 —-

    II. What I did differently in this race? Lots of things.

    1. Dropbags. use them fully. Never underestimate them. Also something new to me is to pack food at the drop locations both to eat during at the rest stops and also take something to go.

    In truth, I over packed, but better get everything I possibly need than to be missing the things I really need.

    I have enough supplies for the whole team and some

    2. PreRace camping. I stayed at a cabin at the race by paying $20 more (not expensive). This gave me more time to sleep and not had to rush to the start. No need for a 2 am wake up. Devil Dog had a complicated shuttle ride system, so staying on site avoided the rush in the morning. This was one of the best advices I gave myself last year in the race report. I followed.

    3. experience. is a key to my success this year. Yes having friends to help was part of it, but knowing where and how I failed in previous races help avoid making the same mistakes. At MMT, I learned the important of eating and having a pacer. The most important is finding the appropriate pace at various phases of the race. This time, I learned who to follow and when not to follow. Also not to panic when things were going downhill. Yes, Wisdom to judge situations. This comes from experience.

    4. Being Efficient at AS. The idea of constant keeping moving yet also have enough rest and food needed for the run. I felt it was a balancing act. It is a key to finish a 100. This means being efficient at an aid station.

    Biggest thing I learned is to pack your food bags. So when you enter the station that has the dropbag, grab/exchange food and trashes. Aid Station food is only a secondary source of energy to food you brought. Relating to this is Eat while on the trail rather than at the aid station! (all about the efficiency and constantly on the move)

    5. One of the biggest risks in an ultra is the feet. Last year, I had blisters early in loop 1. This year, I did not have warm spots until the final loop (80 miles in). I did finish with couple of blisters, but those were dealt with post race. What changes were keeping feet dry and wearing old comfortable shoes I did not need to change shoes until mile 80! Last year, I changed at mile 20.

    6. A strategy/technique – is not to powerwalk this time, I saved my legs until the last 20 miles. I learned this earlier at Pemberton 24. Powerwalking hurts my calfs. Powerwalking is good for marathons or even 50 miles but for 100 distances, I felt it worn out the walking muscles.

    III. What didn’t go as expected and could be improved on?

    a. packing. I definitely could pack much lighter. I thought I was going to change at every loop but in truth, I could wear the same set of clothes for the whole race. Maybe bring an extra set to change. Two sets are the most I needed.

    b. food. Pack in small ziplocks of enough food for 6-12 miles. This allows be quick at the transition and to eat.

    c. crew. Crew was a great help. It was a difference of night and day having a crew vs not having one. Knowledgeable crew is a plus. I was blessed with a team of good people helping me. Some tasks crew can help can be planned ahead. Otherwise, some of my crew members kept asking “what do you need” etc, and they were as stressed as me. When I answered them, “food”, there were a lot back and forth of what type, and how much. “Do I need anything else?”, so a lot time was wasted. The basic things can be streamlined and so less question being asked or requiring my attention. Instead of them taking orders from me, if I could get it the other way, of me listening to them.

    d. injury. I was slow on the last two laps (40 miles) because my left calf started hurting. Two nights before the race (Thursday night), while sleeping, my left calf cramped up. I knew it would cause trouble in the race and it did. First three loops not much an issue. It felt a bit warm and sore. By forth loop, it started hurting and then a lot. Fifth loop it got worse. I finished with the calf definitely injured from the overused. I don’t know what I could have done differently. Maybe pack a heating pad?

    IV. Conclusion. There were a few things here. I was glad it was a resounding victory. I corrected some of my defects and ran the race successfully and therefore redeemed my previous failures.

    Looking just at this race on its own, it was a great accomplishment too, because it was an undertaking that required months of preparation and finally seeing everything coming together successfully (see preparation).

    Many people, also did the same preparation I did but did not finish. No one dares show up to a 100 mile race and is not trained for it (you could run a 26 miles without training, but not a 100 mile). It was kind of a validation for me. I know I don’t and shouldn’t look at other people. Yet, it makes me feel lucky. Their unsuccessful attempts boosted me. And validating my training system worked.

    (There’s no time to share about a runner who felt ill at mile 75 at 4 AM in the morning. Later, I checked the results, she was not able to finish — I think it was unsafe to let her back on the course, and the station captain might prevent the runner from returning on the course)

    Some people really earned this. My friend, John, who year after year trying it over and over finally completed it and earned the buckle the first time. I was glad for him. We don’t want failures, but once we overcome them, they make it sweeter.

    Lastly, last year I was a nobody running this race. However, through and because my dnfs many people got to know me. They were all wishing for me to succeed this time. Iris, Elaina from MMT, Mike and Ram, and Eileen at Iron Mountain. A whole slew of people wishing me success from back home. These people saw my struggles. They wanted so much so, they volunteered and did everything they could to get me to the finish line. I am in debt to them. They gave me hope that I can redeem my MMT race too.

    There is a saying you can’t walk into the same river twice. In a sense, that is right. This year is not last year. The course is not exactly the same (I think it was a little easier). This race also is not the MMT or Iron Mountain. Last year, the Devil Dog was not even a big race to me, but this year it was.

    I don’t know where I am going with this. The reason I like it was for the challenge. As prepared as I was, I did not know ahead of time whether I would finish or not. I tried to anticipate troubles ahead and planned accordingly. Sometimes things are unavoidable. I felt lucky to just having it done.

    Winners get write the history. The moment I crossed over the finish line, everything brightened up. All the stresses were gone. The race became such a good experience. It was so good to finish a race. Mentioned somewhere before on the last lap, I felt the race was slipping away almost to a point there was a possibility that I would not finish. The euphoria of actually crossing the finish line was unbelievable. Immediately, the race was not that hard any more.

    Overall, I was very at peace during the whole race. I met some decent people, Fernando, Watts and Jackie (no time to mention Watson & Jackie, but an amazing couple). Also, I was there when the last runner came in (DFL award).

    Should you run a 100 mile? I felt it was challenging for me. 100 are races that there are decent chance of not being able to finish (in this race this year 45% of the starters did not finish). About a third of the initial signed up participants did not showed up (DNS, though the final results purged them from the list). There were only thirty plus people out of close to 90 original runners finished. However, the reward is so satisfying when you did it. There are still a lot for me to learn but each time I run it, I get better. Lastly, I run, so I could do some even greater runs down the road.

    (updated to edit)

  • Day518 Devil Dog – Pre

    Just a quick post to hype up my coming weekend run, the Devil Dog 100. It’s a hundred mile run. Ya. I only attempted like 6 times and succeeded twice. A low success rate.

    Am I ready? I am ready as I ever will be. I felt I am much stronger this year. I had plenty of rest. My body is not exhausted like last year.

    Mentally I am ready too. I hit with 3 DNFs (not finishing a race) this year. They are unfortunate but I learn from them and I think mentally I am tougher now. Devil Dog was my first DNF that led the series and MMT and then Iron Mountain.

    Since then, I have trained and run harder. The Pemberton 24 gave me a good shake out. Stone Mill 50 and JFK 50, recent races, shown I can do it. I reached my targeted performance goals. Also a series of marathons: Duluth in Minnesota, Ann Arbor in Michigan, and past weekend NCR in Glencoe, Maryland, showed my performance is there. I actually was not pushing hard in those races, but my time has improved to I felt comfortable.

    How will I do in DD100? Don’t know until I try. It is all game and fun until…its not.

    Trust my training. is all.

    What left is to pack tonight! and then run the race on Saturday at 6 am.

    Weather: It’s Always down to the weather. Weather in the DC area is always weird at this time of year. Looks like we will face up to freezing temp at night (26-28F, a few degrees below freezing for my intl audience) and rain 97% chance on the first day. Not sure how heavy yet and how long. Looks like the whole Saturday. Nothing we can do. Was hoping the rain to move in early or move off till late Sunday, but the past few days only shown it is likely to get worse.

    I brought an umbrella and two sets of gloves (one light one and one for ski). Both are waterproof. Yes, they said plan for the worst but expecting the best. Not sure how running with an umbrella would work, but I think if the rain comes down heavy, it might be useful. The umbrella said could withstand strong wind (rated 75 something, i dont think its in mph), so we will see. Likely I don’t need it if the rain comes early while I still have the energy to run. It will be helpful when I walk.

    Thinking about drop bags. This year I will fully plan and use all three drop locations. Will be packing clothes, shoes, and food and drinks for all three locations. Get some coffee beans too for night the portion.

    My friend David (whom I ran the JFK with) will come during the day time on the first day. My MMT or BRR friends, Iris, and her husband will come at night from 11 pm to morning 6 am to cheer me on. I think she’s actually coming out for me and not just for general volunteering. I don’t need crewing but knowing a friendly face or two will definitely help. If they are available, I don’t mind to loop them in to crew for me, but usually that complicates things.

    I would have to plan out how best they can help me, like writing out a list of things I need to do at a crew stop (or lap): get rid of wastes, water up, pack in food, get wipes to clean myself, take care of chafe, lube up, take care of feet, shoes, socks or clothing changes, time check (how long the last loop, how long the next loop be, how much is used up, and specific food or equipment needed for the next section — like headlamp(s), gloves, jacket etc. Med kits.

    Any way I will be camping in on the night before the race, so I won’t be rushing to the start this year. Last year, the bus got lost and we were an hour late! Luckily the race org delay the start an extra hour for us.

    I am excited — stoked! Here we go!

    My report will be available some time after the race as usual.

  • Day517 Turkey Trot / NCR

    TL;DR – I ran a local 4 mile race on Thanksgiving and over the weekend did a marathon. They are thanksgiving related or happened about the same time frame so two race reports in one.

    I have done this Fairfax Turkey Trot charity race a few times and yes every time it was freezing cold. The first year I did it because this was the only turkey trot that offerred a 4 mi run instead of a traditional 5K. 4 mi is a weird distance but I like it. I was looking for a “long race” to run. At that time, 4 mi was a long race. A bonus for me was the hills they have for this course. I did not go about choosing a race based on how hilly it is but it was so happened to be like that. It was just right for me. I love hard runs.

    We had great weather this year. It started at around 30 F and got up to around 55 F in the afternoon. It was similar condition for the whole week because of the cold air / jet stream got push up to the pole. So it was like a final fall weekend before winter arrives.

    I dressed the way I did for the JFK, double layer for the top and shorts for the bottom.

    I arrived bright and early. The race did not start until 8:30 but they said parking would be hard to find because there were 1200 of us signed up. And the nearest lot held maybe 50-75 cars. There were no lots big enough for 1200 cars. Of course cars scrambling around the neighborhood looking for spaces. I was one of the first few to arrive around 7:30 to stake my spot. Then I just walked around the neighborhood until start time. I tell you, I was freezing, yet I refused to sit in my car. I figured it would get me prepared for my winter races.

    I had fresh legs and pretty much recovered from the JFK50. I decided to run my best by pushing hard early to see where I am at. I did not realize the neighborhood has plenty of hills. After a few of those, I was exhausted. I managed to finish. I mentioned this because I hit a wall around halfway and the feeling is like hitting a wall in a marathon. My legs became very slow. I felt like they were frozen. Time for me was not important. I just wanted to finish and to see how I did. I knew I was slower than my previous times. I managed to finish around 40 minutes averaging about 10 min pace. My best was probably around 35 mins. I am too lazy to look up my other finishes (my earliest was 32:34 in 2018, and probably my best). You just have to take my words for it. For short distances, finish within 4-5 mins, seems insignificant.

    Then of course, I did not feel good after running so fast. Originally I planned to go to downtown to do run with a turkey image on my strava (they call this strava art). My running group does this every year. We plot our run so that it will turn out to be a picture of the turkey on Strava. Yet I was too tired from my turkey trot, I decided to call it off. It would be a self guided run this year any way since everyone was out of town. I did not like the complicated parking in DC.

    Instead, I went to a nearby neighborhood trail and was going to do my usual Thursday training run. However, I was too tired to run and only did a 3 mile hike on a trail called the Wild Turkey Trail. I called it a day. I kind of watching my body. I knew if I struggled I could put out the miles I wanted to but I knew I have the Devil Dog coming up. I should be tapering for it and I shouldn’t push my body beyond its limit yet. Afterward, I went home to clean up, eat, and rest. At night, we had our Thanksgiving celebration. I was super tired.

    Part II. On Saturday, I had a marathon in Baltimore. It was the NCR race. I did this four years ago and I was happy to try my hand at this again. Back then, this was my first trail marathon. Speaking of trail, it was flat, and a fast course. I finished it in 4:23:00. Yet, because I was running with a bunch of runners on their championship event, I felt I was the last one on the course.

    This time around I had experience of not to push too fast. I was racing with many top local runners since this was a RRCA (Road Runner Club) champion event. A lot of fast older people came out to run this (as well as a lot younger runners). Let say, a competitor, who seems at least 10 years older than me, yet finished at a time I can only dream (3:15:00). A woman about my age who finished at 3:35 and said she was slow this year, meaning, she used to be faster. What are these people? They probably running sub 3 hour back in their younger days. If I could run under 4 hours, I would consider this year a success. Yes there were a lot of fast people at the race, so over 4 hours seemed to be really slow. I am happy with my time though (if you compare it to my last marathon in Atlantic City, it was just a couple minutes off).

    Not much can be said about the race. The swags were awesome. We got a premium hoodie sweater and we were given a wool blanket as a finisher prize. It was also well run. We had crossing guards at every intersection. We had buses picking us up from our parking lot. The race really was spread in three sites (runners parking, the school staging area, and the start and finish chute. Each location is about 1 mi to 2 mi apart. It was handled well.

    The trail was scenic out in a rural area (might be near Camp David, i need to check). It was in a wooded area north of Baltimore near the PA border. There is a bunch of history about the trail but I did not read up on it. NCR is the name of the rail road company and rail line which now the track has become a rail to trail called Gunpowder Falls Trail (state park). It is one of the best trails I run on in the area. It is unpaved.

    I did arrive early this time. I left my house at 5 and got to the race location (bus pick up location) at 6:30. I was one of the first one there. I went to a Dunkins and got a couple bagels for breakfast. This was smarter than the first year I did it. Also, I did not stay at a hotel this time and saved some money. The bus took us to the school (Old Fields, and all girls boarding school that seems to have a bit of history; I feel like I’m in a Harry Potter movie) where the start would be. We waited in the field house. It was a long wait, because the start was at 8:30.

    The race was uneventful. I started off at a 9:30 pace but I got slower as the race progressed. I finished with an overall pace of 10:04. I have not analyzed my spits. My pace must have degraded badly around mile 22. My pace was 10:50 for the final section. I was running a 10:26 after the turn around.

    I was mostly by myself. The fast runners all passed me during the first mile. This time I did not panic nor did I try to chase like I did the first time. On the second half, I led a pack of maybe 5 runners. Though I couldn’t manage their pace. With 10K left to go, they passed me. Then it was just me running to the finish.

    I struggled around mile 21-22. I was bonking. The aid stations being about 2-3 mi apart helped. I was revitalized. The last two miles were not an issue for me. I was some what regaining my pace. I finished without feeling too tired. I believed I could still run some more.

    NCR is one of the best marathons I did. It is not like the Grandma’s Marathon or other city marathons I ran this year. It was low key event but had great supports. We had a lot of aid stations. Many are well stocked with gels and drinks. Some had sodas. Finish line had the usual water and bananas. But at the field house, we had soup and other snacks and lot of breads that they were giving out loaves to runners to take home. It was pretty much a lunch in the field house. Not many marathons serve lunch. This is one of the rare ones that does.

    I don’t know why I signed up for this race in the first place. I think it was because I wanted to run a marathon but I wanted something local. I think I did well. I glad I did it. See the 2018 report. It offers an interesting perspective of my early days marathon run.