In awe

Category: running

  • 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.

  • Day515 JFK Race Report

    TL;DR – Race Report for JFK. 2nd time running it

    “Let us run the race set out for us with perserverance”

    The quote was much an encouragement in my race, which was especially a very long race that went from sun up to sun down. There were plenty of time for me in solitude pondering on it. When I felt pressed of being too slow, I relaxed, knowing by being faster a bit would not bring me to the finish immediately. Yet at the same time when I started to walk and in my low state, I was reminded to press on to finish the race.

    I did not have much a goal of what time I would finish. I ran a 50 mile under 12 hours the week before and secretly hoped i could repeat the feat. The race gave us 13 hours. I knew I could do it.

    This time around I learned the history of JFK 50 Mile Ultra marathon Run and why it is called the JFK and how it became America’s oldest ultra marathon.

    There are a whole bunch of videos online explaining all this, so I won’t repeat it in details. Also I am not good with dates and names. The race was inspired by John F Kennedy when he wanted to know if his marine officers could hike 50 miles under 20 hours due to a mandate he discovered that was given by another former president (one of the Roosevelts, I think it was Teddy).

    Originally it was not a race at all but a military fitness evaluation, but many people around the country took on the challenge and started organizing events to walk 50 miles. Some youths in the town of Boonsboro, MD also took part in the challenge and later led to a formal event. After the president’s assasination, the event became a memorial run and now occurs every November. So, we lined up in the cold this weekend (25F, -4C), subfreezing tempersture, and once again run this to remember JFK and his push for healthier lifestyle for the average citizens.

    I also have a piece of personal history though not any where as dramatic as the race history.

    I ran this race in 2019 as my first 50 mile (link provided at the end). Why I ran was mentioned in that post. It was the hardest run I did at that time.

    Couple of my friends wanted to run it last year, and might have been influenced by me (my friend David crewed me on my first 50). They signed up, but one of the guys got sick just two weeks prior to the event and he had to stay out. I stayed out too because of my busy race schedule, and JFK sandwiched between Stone Mill 50 and the Devil Dog 100, races I did and about to do again. David ended up only one running. We said we will try again this year.

    So early this year in the spring, everyone was healthy and three of us said let do this for real. I, was conflicted because I wanted to run Stone Mill 50 and also the Devil Dog 100, which the JFK saddles between the two events. I was not sure if I could handle three hard races, so I did not sign up until Monday, just a few days prior the race. Luckily, they still took reservation (in former years, the race usually sold out).

    I thought why not, I felt ready. Doing two back to back 50 milers should not be that hard. I boasted to be able to run a 50 miler any weekend in a few posts earlier, and let see if I could live up to my big talk.

    On Thursday night after work, I drove three hours to Hagerstown to pick up my race package. Friday would be too much for me to fight traffic to get there, since I live in the Washington DC metro area and it is impossible to get anywhere fast on a Friday or any day as a matter of fact. I don’t like being rushed. I like to have a calm evening before my race.

    Friday evening came while I was still getting ready after work, I received a call from my friend David saying they got in a car accident of a collision with a deer while on the way to the race event location (they were within 30 minutes from the race hotel). I got a sinking feeling, oh-no, not again and probably only me running it this time and we would have to redo it again next year.

    They needed someone to pick up their bibs prompto or else they could not run. I was too far away from the race hotel at that time to pick the bibs up for them. Without a bib means no race. Plus, they still needed to have the car towed back home. It was not a good night for them. Couldn’t offered them much help, I said good night.

    My two friends made it to the race the next day. They were able to get someone else from their hotel to pick up their race packages for them.

    The morning of the race day was cold with temperature started from 27F and got to high 37F. It was pretty much a freezing temperature. It was much colder than the year I ran. 37 high was not exactly warm but the air was crisp. I like taking in the deep breath and let the cold air fill up my lung. It was so invigorating during the run.

    I was struggling what to wear the night before at the hotel. I had planned out wearing a long sleeved of thermo underlayer shirt, a tee shirt from a previous marathon over it, a pair of shorts, a long pants on the outside, and another long sleeved shirt on top. Plus I would put on a hoodie, head buff, neck buff, and a pair of wool gloves. No rain was forecasted but I had a lightweight rain jacket along to double as a wind breaker. Note, it was almost exactly what I wore the last time (but that was 10-15 degrees warmer).

    In the morning, I made last minute changed on the specific shirts and shorts because I did not like the material of the set I had, but the plan to dress in layers remained.

    At the start line, I had to ditch my long pants because I felt it would be too hot. The shorts though made my legs cold. Later in the race, this was a correct call. It was perfect when the temp got to 35 F, just wee bit above freezing. There were a few others running in shorts. We were the minority.

    I had to ditch my outer layer hoodie too about half mile in. I left behind my wind breaker. I was feeling over-heated. So I ran with a thermo under layer, a t-shirt on top and a pair of shorts.

    During the run, when there was no wind, I felt a bit hot, but when the wind blew, I was cold. I was alternating between hot and cold. However, I felt choosing the thermo shirt was the right choice. It was super thin and light and comfortable and it was warm. It also moved over my skins so I did not feel sticky. I liked it to be a bit hot and the thermo did that. How do people come up with this kind of clothing? I am impressed. I wore this for hiking before but not for running, so this was the first time.

    The race: Three of us started together. It was soon obvious we were not running at the same pace. My friend Dave stayed back with Robert. And by two miles when we arrived at the Appalachian Trail, I separated from them because I could run better on the trail. David and Robert had their stories to tell, I leave it as that since those are their stories. Basically, they struggled this year, (note that David could run faster than me, and David finished around in 10:45 last year, and hour ahead of my fastest time at the time).

    Experience is a valuable tool. The first time I ran this I was inexperienced. I was well-prepared to run it but I was not experienced like today. This time around with three years more of trail running and ultra racing, it was completely different. I was more confident and relaxed. I was settled. Nothing would rattle me.

    This year, I learned to endure patiently and not to push too hard in any part of the race. I let people pass me. I walked when the person in front of me walk. If the person became too clumsy on the trail then I would pass. There were a couple runners that scared me by how they moved on the trail. I had to pass them. I tried to kept my heart rate down. Run smart not hard. In a previous year, I felt the need to keep up with the person in front, and that was a stupid thing to do. This year, I let everything go.

    I got off the trail after about 13 miles, 15.5 miles from the start, and three hours later, total time was 3.5 hours, arriving at Weverton by 10:05 am. It was not fast nor slow. I ran this portion half an hour faster last time. Why I mentioned? I ran this section in 2.5 hours the previous year. I was half hour slower this time around.

    I stumpled couple times but did not fall (I was not wearing trail shoes). Once I reached the canal, I expected the faster runners from the rear to catch up. A few did but just a few, unlike the previous year when I felt the whole field passed me by. There were much fewer runners catching up to me this time. The people I ran with on the trail stayed with me till the finish. We were not by my side, but I recognized them whenever I passed or they passed me (we leapfrogged a lot). Runners moved up and down all the time but I could recognize a few of them.

    None of them kept at my pace and I did not keep them either, so there was no chance for me to strike up a conversation. I ran the canal portion in 5.5 hours for 26 miles. Not bad at all. This was half an hour faster than last time. Based on this, it should be a wash (tie). But I actually got off the canal about 45 minutes earlier than last time. The math confused me.

    I was not hurried. I told myself, I don’t need to chase anyone and I don’t need to fight for a position placement. This was totally different from the first year I ran this. If someone passes me, let it be so. I run my own race. I kept watch on my body. When I felt I became too focused (stressed) I would ease up. A couple times I took a walk. Whenever I walked, I told myself, don’t stay at the pace for too long. I think I kept my walking breaks brief to only 2 minutes each time.

    Soon I reached the end of the Canal portion. The time was around 3:45. I do want a 5 pm finish now. We had about 8 miles left. I knew I had to be slow and steady. 8 miles could be as long as two hours. Unlike a previous year, I could still run. My feet were heavy but running was still possible. I ran with the same group of people I started with earlier in the day. No one was passing and I was passing no one. They were not letting up on the road portion, so I was not letting up either. It was funny that I was expecting someone to bonk so I could pass them, but everyone was holding up well. They were well trained. This time around, I did not see anyone bonking hard, like I did at Stone Mill.

    With only a few miles left, we got to the finish line. Some sprinted in. I held my pace steady. I finished the race in 10:45:00 at 5:15 pm before it got completely dark. I was happy to finish in the “day time”. It was just a little over 5 pm but I was happy for set a personal best. At Stone Mill last weekend, I broke my own record by finishing a 50 miler in 11:16, and this week I broke it once again and got the record down to 10:45.

    My two other friends were having much difficulty with their runs but they finished. One finished in 12 hours. The other finished 20 minutes later. We all decided that this is our last time, well who knows. I had fun. They were proud of their accomplishments too. The struggle was real for them. I was happy to able to have two more friends to be able to see and experience a 50 miler run. If I have time, I would go much into what this means. I was happy though my two friends were able to share in the struggle of ultra running and they completely it.

    There were a few friends I saw on the course. Blaine, and Caroline were running this. Billy, Mike, and Gretchen were out there supporting. I like to mention them because they made my race special. I also met a runner Trevor, who ran Stone Mill the week before. He stopped and said, hey you ran Stone Mill too last weekend. It was a bond we share.

    Running ultras is like life. I know I have a destination to get to. Sometimes being rushed doesn’t get us there sooner. Only way is to keep a steady pace.

    Link is here to my 2019 race report. I reread it and found it interesting. I met up with Marnie at C&O 100 in April this year, and we were arguing who was pacing who at the JFK in 2019. She was correct to say she paced me. After reading the report, I had to agree. At the end, we happily concluded that we were pacing one another.

  • Day514 Wrapping it up / Stone Mill 50 RP

    Stone Mill 50 mile race brings a close to my fall training season. It has been fun and a lot of grinding the past 10 weeks to get here. I know there are still four more weeks of fall, but weather is getter too cold for me to see that as fall. The fun of fall running is over after this race.

    Recap, after my attempted of the Iron Monutain 50 mile run on Labor Day weekend, I had a bunch of training runs and couple races to prepare me for the Stone Mill 50. Readers have been bearing with me from one training run after another. This year, I avoided the dreaded slump of doing too much.

    Stone Mill 50 was not a hard race in itself, due to it being held in the city (meaning lack of real technical trails and also closer to home) and a generous cut off time given (14-15 hours, 15 for those who started at 5:00 AM). I think it is doable and accessible to many first time ultra runners.

    This race attracts both the seasoned and new runners. For a repeated runner like me, this race was like a reunion. I started to recognize faces of runners from other races such as my friend Ram was there, also, Coach Phil who hosted the Stone Mill training runs recognized me, and Dan who refilled up my water pack. I met a couple runners on the course who have done this 4-5 times. One person, this was his 13th time.

    Iron Mountain, the race I did before this one, on the otherhand was much harder. As I wrote previously, I did not officially finished that race because I came in after 12 hours. That race challenged me to run Stone Mill 50 under 12 hours. 12 hour became a new bar for me to reach. You would think if I could run a marathon in 5 hours, doing in 12 hours should be easy for a 50 mile run. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. Doubling the distance doesn’t mean doubling the time. Previous years, my times at Stone Mill were all over 12 hours. I really did not know how doable for me to aim for it.

    This year was my third time running. Here is a Report from 2021. It’s gotten easier, I admit. And third time the charm as they say. Fast-forward, I did get it under 12 hours, finished it at 11:16:48. It was a PR (personal record or personal best), beating my previous fastest 50 mile run by 15 minutes set at JFK50.

    This race is significant to me because the first year I ran this my grandmother passed away. Whenever I run this again, I remember her.

    In a marathon, especially in our area, often there are runners who run their race for a fallen soldier. It could be quite sober moment when I come across them. During Stone Mill, I passed one runner who had a photo of a soldier on the back of his hydration pack. It dawned on me, I was also running for someone.

    This year, I was excited to do again. Amazingly, two of my friends from my running club decided to join me. This always get me so excited.

    The first year (SM2020) when I ran Stone Mill, the race was like a Mt Everlast for me. It was tough. I have not done a 50 mile on the trail before then. I still don’t remember how I got through.

    Contrasting the first year, this year was much easier. A series of training run I did helped and so too were my prior years’ experiences. The number one thing was I did not get lost. My two other friends did like I did on my first year. They said the flagging was bad. I believe they were not used to the flagging system. Many Other races I did, the course usually flagged with streamers hanging from trees. The turns on this course were indicated by small rectagular flags on the ground. Two or more flags placed together means to turn. If they are on the left side of the trail it means to turn left and if they are placed on the right, to the right. However, flags could be easily missed if they are bended (or trampled) down or covered by leaves. I think that was a reason people got lost. I was used to seeing ribbons too but now I learned about flags, I began to like it too. I believe they are more predictable and you could run with your eyes down on the ground instead of constantly scanning the trees.

    Another factor standing out was I was quick in my passing through at the aid stations. Drawing from my MMT experience (a race I did not finish), I learned to be as quick at the aid stations as possible. This stems from a change of philosophy that I have to keep moving. I skipped some aid stations when I didn’t need to stop. My longest stop was at near the midway at mile 24, I stopped there for 7 minutes to change socks and shirt. It was a bit too long I know, but I was almost a magnitude faster than last year. I might have used about 3 minutes at the food table and 4 minutes for changing my shirt and socks. Wet socks were hard to remove. The overall result was still a quick in-and-out, much quicker than previous years.

    Now about the race, we arrived early at the race site at around 5 am, an hour before the race start. My friend David had just gotten back from his vacation in India a couple days before and so probably was suffering from a bit of jetlag. He almost couldn’t make it due to some complication with his travel. My other friend Alex hasn’t run for over a whole month and likely has not done any long training runs. Alex has done a 100K before, so this 50 mile distance was not much to fear. But I was worried for these two being out there and doing a 50 miler with me, having very little preparation, especially toward the end, as the time approaching cutoff.

    About 200 runners starting and 150 volunteers supporting us. We were waiting for the go signal

    The first few miles were uneventful. The sun was about to rise when we started at 6 am. I was surprised how early the sunrise was. I had expected that we would be running an hour in the dark but it was like 10-15 minutes after the start it got lighted. I had just entered the woods. We held a steady pace. We had 14 hours to finish (by 8 pm). The first mile was on the road. We ran down Watkins Mill Road to the Seneca Creek Trail. By 6:30, the sun was completely up. We had a beautiful sunrise. The temperature was unusually warm. I think the temp in the morning was around 60 degrees (15 C). And it would continue to climb to 70s. I like it hot but many other runners prefer it to be a bit cooler. For me it was perfect. I got a feeling I would do well on this run.

    The trail was a bit muddy since much weakened Tropical storm Nicole that caused major devastation in Florida passed through our area just the day before.

    My two friends were trying to keep their shoes clean and dry and they tried to go around mud puddles and such. For me, I ran through them. Mud is part of ultra runner life. I expected to have a lot of it. Fortunately, only a brief portion of the trail was muddy. Most of the trail in the later portion was on a ridge, so the trail drains well.

    I stayed with my friends for the first 9 miles or so. We all skipped the first Aid Station at Rt 355 (mile 4), but they stopped at the second one at mile 9. I did not stop but went on ahead. They were quick though, by the time I left the third Station (mile 11), they had caught back up. I only grabbed a cup of soda at the third aid station, so I was out less than a minute. After that, I did not see them again until at the finish. I was hoping they could catch back up by the time I reached mile 24, but I was probably going too fast for them. Normally, they would be much stronger runners than me.

    My goal always had been to get to mile 24 in 5 hours. This year I arrived at 5:03 elapsed time (11:03 am in real time). Compare to two other years, I was here around 11:45 am. So I was already 40 mins ahead the game. In a previous year, I stayed between 20 to 30 minutes at this aid station. This time I only stayed for about 7 minutes.

    As I arrived, a volunteer found my dropbag where I have clean clothes and other things I want, such as an energy drink. I then instead of changing out stuff, took care of my fluid needs first. I might have grabbed some sodas and fruits and various of sweets and crackers on the aid table, just stuffing myself. Another volunteer was so kind to take my hydration bag and refilling the water for me while I ate. I also grabbed a cup of chicken broth. The salty soup was refreshing.

    The ordering how I did is something I learned from MMT. Basically Water, food, then your feet, and everything else. It is the order of importance. At MMT, I did this in reverse, and so ended up did not drink or eat enough before leaving the stations and later low energy derailed my race. Stone Mill is a much smaller scale than MMT, and I know I could skip food if needed, but I still tried to perfect it, by taking care of my body. Water is the most important. I don’t need to drink it at the aid station, but I need to make sure my bag is full.

    Lastly, I then went to change. I couldn’t let my body cool down too much. In my mind, I still have a marathon distance to run (26 mile), I couldn’t afford bonking now so I got to get moving as fast as I could. A volunteer I knew called out “Antin, you have stayed too long, get back out there!” I left the station in full agreement, first by walking and then started to do a slow jog, then slowly got back into my pace in a mile or so. The key to ultra running is don’t stop (this is my current philosophy). The moment you stop, you don’t want to start back up again.

    In a previous year, this section was when I passed a lot of people because most people usually have hard time getting over the 26 mile hump because we usually trained to run a marathon and many runners, this is there first 50 mile run. They don’t have the ability to push much beyond their low moments yet at this point in time.

    This section to me was always the most boring section. We were on the C&O canal towpath. The view is nice but because everything is far away, you don’t like you are moving at all. It was 4.5 miles to the next station. This year I did great by focusing and kept a good pace through the canal portion. I had help.

    I ran with a runner (I think Jamie) and I recognized her from a few of previous races – such as at the MMT. She is a beast at ultras. She has done MMT like 4-5 times. And Stone Mill mutiple times. Same too for the Devil Dog. Plus she did Grindstone. She has seen it all. All these are races in my area and they are tough races. I wrote about these all the time. She is definitely my hero.

    With Jamie pacing me, I got to Stone Mill Aid Station without a problem (mile 28). She didn’t mean to pace me, but we were going at the same pace. It helped to pass away the boredom. The next Station Rt 28 was about 6.5 mile away. This was my toughest section this year. In the previous year, this was the section I became alive and passed a lot of people because I had someone who held me to a good pace. Not this time. I was bonking and people were passing me instead.

    I felt bloated from the food and drinks I had at mile 24. Those were not digested yet. In this section I could not find my pace. I had to walk a lot. My time was slipping. Runners from the rear were catching up. Then Jamie caught up again to me about two miles out, but I latched onto her, she and another runner got me back on pace. I also had to do a restroom break behind a tree and that relieved the pressure/bloatedness I was feeling. After that I was able to run again.

    Jamie paused at the RT 28. There were a lot people hovering at the RT 28 station, so I decided to skip it. It was a good chance to get ahead of them. I grabbed a piece of bread as I came through and headed out and I did not lose any time stopping. I was able to catch back up to people who passed me earlier. I remembered what Jamie said, that she normally finished Stone Mill in 11:30:00. It kind of giving me an idea of what my finishing time would be. I was definitely wanted to finish under 12 hours.

    sunrise over the lake (and my finger)

    We were on the Seneca Ridge Trail now, a part I was familiar with and liked it a lot. I was able to catch up with a few more runners. These (strong) runners were bonking here. They were big guys with long legs. They were walking and doing everything in slow motion. It was a common sight. It was a good opportunity to pass them. I swallowed some gummies and pressed ahead. Everyone was kind enough to let me pass. I said I tried to get it under 5 o clock and they cheered and encouraged me to go for it. I got to the next station where I refilled my water bag one last time. I might have used a minute or two off the clock. We had only 13 miles left to the end (in reality I think it was more like 15 miles). I wanted to be optimistic. I made good time to the next aid at Riffleford (9 miles left to the end. My goal was to pass Riffleford as quickly as possible since I already made a stop earlier.

    I was quick with my stop at the station here too. My goal was to reach here by 3:00 pm, but I arrived at Riffleford at 3:15. My goal now was to finish the race by 5:00 pm. With 8.5 miles left I believed it was possible. They offerred me broth, but it seemed they had to heat it first, so I did not stay for it. I chugged some cups of soda and off I went along with a few runners. Here I met a fast runner. He beated me up the hill I wouldn’t see him again (he was like spiderman, with a few strides he disappeared up the hill). I was able to catch other four or five other runners on the hill, until I got to Meg, who was leading the pack. She was too fast for me to overtake. I asked if she allowed me to follow her. She did not mind. It was her first time doing Stone Mill. I tacked onto her leaving the rest of the group as we ran up another hill.

    No others were in front of us. We had 8 remaining miles. This was long 8 miles. We were able to catch up to one more runner. In my mind it was like only 2 miles to Rt 355, however, Meg and I ran maybe another 4 miles before we got there. My goal was to get to Rt 355 by 4 pm so that I could have a good shot at finish by 5. 4 pm went by and were still not there yet. 4:15 passed. If I had any chance left, it would be now. We were still maybe half mile from the station.

    I don’t know when we arrived at Rt 355, maybe around 4:20-4:25 pm. Meg did not stop at the station and I praised her for that but I was pretty much drained. I stopped at the station and said goodbye to Meg. She seemed too strong and likely could finish by 5 pm. After maybe a minute or so breather at Rt 355, I left knowing only 4 more miles to finish the race. I knew I could finish and I had to finish before darkness because my headlamp was not bright enough and I don’t want to be on the trail in the dark (I forgot to check the batteries before the race and so they were about to die and at the time I did not know if I had any spares — I only know I did have spares later on after the race).

    Maybe about a mile later, I caught back up to Meg. She was walking. The two guys who left the station with her were nowhere in sight. So I was happy to pace with her again, hoping we might have a shot to catch up to them again. I assumed we might catch other runners when we reached the road. I could possibly pass her now and could finish with an earlier time (though 5 pm finish was no longer a realistic goal) but I like to remain with Meg. Meg’s goal was to finish by 5:30 pm. We had about an hour so I settled on 5:30 as well. I said to her we have only 3 miles left. We could run a 5K in normal condition under 30 minutes. So I told her, we don’t have to fast, we just have to keep going. She listened and responded. By 30 minutes later, (5 pm) we reached the wooden bridge where I knew we would be at the road junction soon, from there it was just a final hill climb up to Watkins Mill Rd. We got on the road by 5:06 pm. Meg was definitely tired. She was breathing heavily and walking from time to time even though the road portion was supposed to be easier.

    To me, we had to finish strong. Here I believed I could run all the way to the finish. I told her, it was just a mile left. For trail runners, running on the road is not fun. We just had to endure it for 10 minutes max, and we would be back at school (our starting/finish location). I walked with her whenever she paused to walk but I said if she sees the school, we got to run to the finish. What thrilling to me was whenever I spoke, Meg was able to draw strength and she was pressing harder. I felt I was fulfilling my job as a pacer. It couldn’t be more than quarter mile away. We did it. She ran up the hill. We finished at 5:16, way ahead of our 5:30 goal!

    It was a good finish. For me my goal was complete it under 12 hours. I was way ahead of that, coming in at 11:16. I still had what it takes to run fast. It gave me a boost of morale to attempt the Iron Mountain again next Labor Day where I will have to do that under 12 hours.

    Runners coming in straining toward the finishing mat

    My other friends finished too. One came 12:45 and the other about twenty minutes later. I was happy none were cut. I was happy for them. It was a tough run and they did it. They almost got me worry when we were near 13 hours.

    conclusion. I stayed till almost to the last runner. They say the sweeper is coming. There was a woman waiting for her husband. We watched him on the map on the phone and saw him going down the wrong road. He did realize and backtracked and made it to the finish. Unfortunately, the official time already expired so his time was not counted. He was happy nonetheless. I was happy to celebrate his finish. It made my day. I found out later, he was one of the people I talked to earlier on the course, Jared. It was so cool to make the connection.

  • Day512 long format runs

    I was just thinking while showering, why I run 100 miles.

    This has been explored before. I can’t think of the post and too lazy to search, but I am sure I talked/wrote about this probably in one of my race reports, e.g. SM-2021. Intetestingly, here now on the eve of another Stone Mill Run, I reflect on why I’m doing this.

    I reread all my 100 mi race reports, and I didn’t mention it. Maybe it was assumed I know why I wanted to run long races before even signing up those big races. So here is it why I want to do them, kind of a summary.

    For the challenge. I like running long races because they are hard. Maybe I feel happy when I overcome them.

    Marathons no longer give me the same challenge like a 100 mile race does because with the time given in a marathon usually ranges from 6.5 hours to 7 hours, I can finish it without any worries. I run a marathon between 4.5-5 hours. Only on a very bad day do I need 5.5 hours. The chance of where I don’t finish is pretty small. So far, my record is perfect.

    I moved onto 50K and I ran 50 milers hoping they would be harder. They are a bit harder but 99% of the time, I would finish those just like I would for marathons.

    50K, I can run a 50K between 6-8 hours. My average is usually 7 hours. My most recent one on a moderately hard trail took me 8:45 hours and I finished just within the 9 hr cutoff, and that was an exception. I think most races give about 7-8 hours.

    Fifty mile runs are much harder. I have done about 5-6 of these, I am confident I could finish any of them. Not as much of a leeway as a marathon, but I have not had any 50 miler killing me unless it was the very first one. Running the distance is not a problem for me. I finish them usually between 12-13 hours. I did not finish a recent one (Iron Mountain) because the time limit was only 12 hours, but I was very close in getting it. I was 20 minutes late. Most 50 milers I did, gave about 13 hours. I think that is the norm. As you see, I am pushing against the cutoff but usually I could do it.

    I conclude that I could do a marathon or any distances up to 50 miles at any time. I could do them week after week without feeling too exhausting.

    I generally don’t run two races within a given weekend, but I did it before, a marathon on Saturday and another on Sunday.

    That is the reason, I want to attempt even longer distance, something that I can feel fear when I go into it. I mean I still get jittery when I do a marathon, but now about those 100 mile races, they are what I find challenging.

    A 100 mile run gives the feel of desperation because the likelihood of failure increases many times over. It is weird to say this, but I want to feel afraid of a race. If you ask me about MMT, yes that race scares the living shadow out of me. I wasn’t afraid at the time, but now if you ask me if I am ready to do it again, I would have to pause, and say, let me think about that. Because the chance of not finishing is real.

    There is the dread going into a race knowing likely you won’t make it out in time.

    To-date, I only completed 2 one-hundred-mile races out of 5 attempts (GSER 1 &2, RockyRaccoon, RimtoRiver, MMT). That’s a 40% chance. Not a good odd compares to my other shorter distance races. Of those two times I did finish, I swore I wouldn’t try again. I guess I am addicted to the pain, so I have signed up again and again. I think I mentioned the trick I did was to sign up for the next one before running the current one. It is really another level harder.

    No matter how confident I went in, in the middle of the race, there is a real temptation to tap out when you are offered a quick way to end it. I tapped out in the MMT and the Devil Dog. This is not the case for a marathon.

    The longer format also has a different feel besides fear. It feels almost magical and even mystical. Yes there is the desperation too but when you see the sunrise and later the sunset and you are not even halfway through, I feel a sense of largeness / and being in an epic adventure. There is an other worldly feeling. It is an awesome feeling. I’m sure probably from the runner high or something, but there is the mystery of running through the night and darkeness. Maybe it is a feeling of loneliness and abandonment when the rest of the world is asleep. In the end, might be a bunch of emotions mixing up due to fatigue as well as sense of accomplishment as I get near to the finish. A 100 mile let you experience all the emotions over a long period. It is certainly an unforgetable feeling to see both the sunset and the sunrise during the whole 24 hrs.

    Is there anything else? There are other things like having the bragging right of been there done that. Until I see the horizon, it was hard to say I am an ultra runner. I think I mentioned in some other post, about feeling belonging to a special group of people who did what I did. I did not get the same feel when I did a 50 mile as when I did a 100 miler. I have not done a 200 mile, so I don’t know how that feels. I can imagine how special that is. On one hand, there is nothing to brag about, but on another, it is a significant distance.

    Along with being proud about it, there is also a sense of friendship (community) shared between those who did the race or finished that distance. There is a wide range of difficulty in 100 mile races, but still it is like in the community, we know what it takes to finish one. In a sense, it can be said the same about those who did a marathon or even a 5K. It makes me realize there are people (like my mom) who dream if they could finish a 5k.

    There are probably other reasons like I just like being alone out there. I like to escape from my daily life and worries. I like to travel. I like to combine both things I like (hiking/camping with running). These are reasons I rarely think about but they are true of why I love the longer format so much. All the reasons are the same as given im a previous post on why I run – day502.

    It is also a privilege. I met other marathoners, like Sanjay from my recent marathon, when I asked if he is aiming for a 50 states quest. He said he is old and not like me. We joked a bit of him never too old. It is what I fear too that age is creeping up on me. It is a prvilege my body can still allow me to do things that I might not be able to do some day not too distance away.

    I haven’t even mentioned about the financial aspect. I could only do the things I do, because I have money side taken care of. Indeed, it is a priviledge. Plus time and opportunity. I think I mentioned somewhere, that I am glad to not being tied down by a family. Not that those having family can’t run, but it does make my training schedule a bit easier. All these factors remind me to always to be thankful, when I get to stand at the starting line of a race and even more thankful when I reach the end of it.

    What are we suppose to learn from it? I was asking myself, how can I do better? This year, I failed three different races, a 100K (devil dog), a 100 mile (MMT), and a 50 mile (Iron Mountain), which was my first time of not being able to finish a race. They have been analyzed in many posts. I write race reports.

    Yes, the races were hard to me. I was not adaquately trained. If I were a little stronger, etc. They were somehow beyond me. But have I considered what can I do differently next time to get them done? I wrote out a template in each of those reports, how I can tackle them next time. I even reassured myself, that I failed because I chose hard races that were designed to hit my limit.

    As far as (life) lessons I can draw from a race, this is a tough question. I don’t really have an answer. I want to run and forget about them. Maybe one day when I can no longer run, I then can sit down and think about it more. The answer has to do with bigger question of why I am doing this and what it means to finish or not finish. I am grasping straws here.

    I want to run even farther than a 100 mile. I know there are way longer distances out there. Some say, I haven’t really know what ultra distance is unless I try those longer ones. I have heard they are a world apart from the 100. I so far haven’t had the gut to step into a 200 mile world. I think once I did that, I would be fully initiated. Truth is I don’t know when I will be ready (initially I thought by next year, I should be ready). Many people are content to just stay at the 100 distance. Not sure if the 200 mile races are for me.

    There are longer distances than 200. I want to run across Tennessee in real life (I have done it virtually for three years in a row). I think once you step into a distance measures in weeks, it becomes something else. Las’ races like HOTs and LAVS are something I dream of doing.

    I also want to run/hike across the country. I wrote about this couple times this year. Initially it was my secret new year resolution (D479: self-talk), but now I believe I have to bring it a step closer to reality by having it in the open. Ultimately, I hope some day, I get to try running around the world (there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) others who attempted or finished). Just saying, I won’t be the first. I know the chance for me to do so is low, maybe very low, but still it is a dream if one day I can. It’s A bucket list thing — need to get luck (opportunity), ability, time and money together.

    For those who don’t follow my blog, yes, I am couple months away from finish a virtual version of running around the world, called the CRAW (it deserves a separate post). I know it is not the same but it is like maybe 1 percent of the real thing, and is many times easier because there is no logistics to handle, but it really expanded my horizon to sense the vastness of the distance. It allows me to see the distance in a more concrete term, to know, whether it can be realistically done. I think if in real life, it would take about 10 years to walk/run around the world (it took us 3 years with 10 people each doing a portion). It feeds my dream to do the real thing.

    The reason for running such long runs (multi day runs), no longer because of the physical challenge but for being a wanderlust. I feel the reason I would do something like that is to explore places and to go to places. Yes, running probably is least efficient way to accomplish it. The reason I would still choose running is to be out there as long as possible.

    Of course, I run long races, because I enjoy doing them. Even if I fail to finish, I found them to be exhilarating.

    PS. I just looked at a race Heart Land 100. They offer a 125 mi option and I am tempted to sign up for next year or one after. It is the wanderlust in me.