In awe

Category: running

  • Day446 4th Hello World

    Can’t believe once again, I reached the end of another year on WP. Yes, this is the fourth. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are somewhere. Readers can search for them.

    In similar vein, it is the close of my fifth year of running and beginning of the sixth. I am not always a runner before. It used to be a big deal for me to note the season because each season I had some sort of goal I tried to reach. Now it is just, run and keep up with things. I am probably in my 12th or 13th season by now … I have lost count, assuming two seasons a year (fall and spring). summer and winter are usually too short to do anything, so I don’t count those.

    These few years have gone by so fast. The first year was fall 2016 – I ran my first 10K, and then a half marathon. I trained through winter and till spring, (season 2) when I had my first and second marathon within a month apart. My marathon was on April 1, easy to remember. My family thought I was playing a joke on them. They did however went and cheered me in Charlottesville. There wasn’t any marathon like that since. It was also one of the hardest marathons I did.

    Fall 2017, Season 3, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon. I trained all summer. The result was not as I expected. I did not improve on my time. Reality set in, that this won’t be a quick thing to be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

    Correction: I think I ran NCR marathon in fall 2017 and I ran Marine Corps Marathon in Fall 2018. The story is the same. At NCR I met a lady who did like 22 marathons. And at MCM I came to understand that I couldn’t reach my goal in a year or two.

    Spring 2018, Season 4, I ran the Delaware Coastal Marathon, as the first or one of early out of state marathons. I guess the idea was forming that I wanted to do all 50 states. As I ran more races, I got to meet people who were on similar quest. I met someone who was halfway to the 50 states.

    Fall 2018, Season 5, history is a bit hazy here. I think I got accepted to the marathon maniacs club. At the time, I thought the standard was pretty tough, because one had to run 3 marathons within 90 days. Somehow I did it and qualified. I was thrilled. It led me down a path of endless marathons – yes I became a true maniac!

    A lot happening then. I might have started blogging then. And marathons were not as challenging as the next level – “Ultra Marathon!”

    No idea how I got introduced to the Ultra world. It just happened.

    Spring 2019, Season 6. The rest is history so to speak. Everything now is documented here on WP, of how I became an ultra runner. I ran so many races in 2019, I can’t recall them. We did many hikes too. Because this was the year, we would go to Patagonia. Plans were made in the spring. Ah I remembered how I came to the ultra world — I volunteered at an ultra event (Seneca Greenway 50K) that spring and then everything fell into places. Spring 2019 was very important in what led to me today — both as a distance runner and an outdoor man.

    Fall 2019, Season 7. I did one of the best ultra races – Old Glory and from then I fell in love with trail running. A week after, I ran the JFK 50 mile. That was one of the longest races – mind boggling long and epic. We finished the season by traveling to Chile and backpacked Patagonia. I think that always will be a high point of my life.

    Spring 2020, Season 8. Bad thing happened – Covid-19 came and all my plans and races crumbled. But I was able to do a race in California – Carlsbad Marathon. It was one of most scenic marathons I did.

    Fall 2020, Season 9. I was willing to up my game. Due to Covid-19, many races became “virtual” – basically you ran at your home of the distance the race required. One of the virtual events I did was to run the distance across Tennessee – about 630 miles over 4 months. That was the most miles I ever ran. I surpassed the requirement and finished with 1000 miles that summer. Also, I made two attempts to run a 100 mile in Atlanta and both ended in failure but it led to greater boldness in doing runs in all locations, any time, and any weather. There was the passion to be out on the street running day and night. I ran across my city for the first time doing 50 miles. My whole city became my playground/training arena. No place is too far to go on foot. I did a lot of miles alone, and self-supported. And that helped me in doing ultra races the following year.

    Spring 2021, Season 10. Finally I succeeded in my first 100 mile run. I traveled down to Houston, Texas, to do it. Not only did I run the 100 mile, I ran couple 50 miles, and a 70 mile. It was an ultra pop off year. races: Rocky Raccoon, Grayson Highlands, Laurel Highlands, Stone Mill 50, and Seneca Greenway 50k, oh I forgot about Iron Mountain. Each race was epic and an adventure in itself. The significance of this is I got tested on the trails. Sure I could run on roads, but what about trails? Doing those races gave the confident, yes and on trails too.

    Fall 2021, Season 11. As season comes to the close, I have another 100 mile lined up and several maybe-maybe ultras. I am committed to the Devil Dog, and very tempted to run either the Stone Mill or the JFK again. I know I got to be out of my mind to do them because I am sure the 100 mile race would drain all of me – the question is: will there strength left to do any other races afterward? We will see!

    What next year gonna be? It has not arrived yet. God willing, I will be running some more. My goal as always is to do all fifty states. And to be a better marathon runner – yes run faster and stronger. Also I am still part of a virtual race with a team of runners – and we are running around the world. This winter, we would be two-third way through (20,000 miles). Wow! we ran a lot. 2000 miles per person on average. I think I reached 3000 miles – maybe. Who is keeping count? More on this in future posts.

    Something to discuss on future posts, how has running changed me? Time is devoted to being on the road. I virtually disappeared the last year or so. The body adapted. What I thought was impossible, now seems easy. I am boasting I could do a marathon any weekend. Want to run 20-30 miles this weekend? Sure lets do it. While that is true, I want to be the person who can run 26 miles every day! This is a minimum for those who want to cross the country on foot. I have that bigger dream to cross the continent one summer on foot. Ya.

    There you have it. Thank you all for your supports. Once a year, I got to thank my fans.

  • Day445 Fall Classic 10K

    I have been doing a lot of longer runs and while they are fun, sometimes running a shorter race is a break in the routine one needs.

    I was originally going to go up to Philadelphia for their trail marathon race. I have been contemplating and maybe was even agonizing a little over it. Those who know, I am the person who is hard to make up my mind on anything.

    Maybe its a story for another time — but by the time I came to a decision to go ahead with the race – you know what!? the race registration had closed by then but if I want to still go I could register on race day. They closed the registration a week before the race to assign bibs (and to purchase the event insurance). So I was worked up to make that trip up to Philadelphia without the assurance whether I can race at all.

    TL;TD, I ended up didn’t go at the 11th hour. However, also I had a back up plan to run with local training group on their training run for the Stone Mill 50. Plus I signed up to run the Fall Classic 10K on Sunday.

    I pride myself now to run without much advance preparation a 20-30 mile distance. So on Saturday I woke up early and drove to the training run location in MD. I ran the Stone Mill 50 miler last Fall, as my second 50 miler. At the time then, I was nervous about the race and I put in weeks of hard training for that. I am not running it this year. For those who want to, you could look up the training runs and race report from last year.

    The training run this time brought back memories of my own race and training runs I did. We ran on a section I had the most difficult with because I got a bit confused there during my race. This time however, I know the way. It was a cinch. Except I almost ran out water on my run. Any way, I ran to a gas station and got some fluid to quelch my thirst.

    The run was over 20 miles and we finished it by noon. It was one of the quickest weekend training runs ever. Usually, I don’t start my weekend long run until after 12. This time, we finished by 12.

    Then on Sunday, I went out to Ashburn and did their Fall Classic 10K. It has been a while since I ran a 10K. This was the exact route of their spring Pot of Gold 10K. It was my second time on this course.

    The weather was perfect. It was maybe around 55F (12 C) in the morning. It maybe a bit chilly but I decided to go light and wore a T shirt and shorts. There were maybe 200 (177 results). I did not have a target time in mind or a target pace. Since my 100 miler is coming up, my so call race pace for the 100 miler is around 17 min a mile. So as long as I am able to run 4 miles an hour, I am happy.

    With such a long break since I last ran a 10K, I don’t even know what speed I was still capable of, so I started the race at a slow and steady pace, pretty much at my marathon pace. People left and right passed me. I stayed with a lady for the first mile…I think she was going out too fast though, because she was panting while I hardly broke a sweat. I didn’t bother her though. This was a 10K and not a marathon – no one talked. I dropped her after first mile because she couldn’t keep at my pace. There were a few too got drop behind too. I believed I maintained a pretty steady pace. It is fun to see those who blasted out the gate and died on after the first mile.

    Second mile came around. The course was familiar to me, all we did was making right turns. In a normal 10K I won’t stop for water…you pretty much can hold in (some marathons I did, water stops are spaced like 6 miles apart, and I usually only drink/stop at every 13 miles). But that day, I felt if I didn’t stop, I wouldn’t able to keep my pace. So I did a full stop and took a water bottle. I lost maybe 20-30 seconds on the clock but it was worth it. Those who didn’t stop were not that far ahead and I was able to catch back up to them.

    Mile 3, halfway. By now, my pacing was better. I felt I was breathing well and my legs were fine (even after running a 20 miles the day before, they were fresh that morning). I was hitting the pace well. So I started to pay attention on my ETA for the next mile. This stuff is like a second nature to me now. I was running like between 9-10 mins pace, so the calculation was very easy.

    Mile 4, we came to another water stop. This time I didn’t stop. It was unmanned. I ran through but was slow enough for me to grab a bottle and I ran and drank from the bottle without skipping a beat.

    Mile 5, I found a guy who was running strong. He was with me pretty much since mile 2. But he was pushing a bit faster and faster at each mile. He and I was passing a lot of people. Though at that time it did not occur to me, we were speeding up. I was just running my own race, but he was always like 5-6 steps ahead. We were always at an ear shot away.

    Before mile 6 there was a bit of hill climb (not that much but enough to get people to slow down). The dude and I basically crushed it and we started passing people now. I know it was just quarter mile from the finish. I expected maybe 2 min till the end. I called out to those around, we got to sprint to the finish. There is always that extra energy for me to sprint. I out sprinted the dude I was with, though he still bested me with his chip time since he crossed the starting line 20-30 seconds later than me. He did win. For me, it was still the thrill to be able to race with someone in a friendly competition.

    Note usually I don’t do race report for a 10k or training run. I did it this time, because it reminded me how much fun it was. The vibe was different. It was a fast race and I could run my heart out. I was able to do 6 miles under an hour. It was not my fastest 10K. I think I did it in 56 mins, but it was very reassuring to have the feeling – ya you still got it in you to run fast. I know fast is relative (1st place winner is usually around 30 mins), but it was fast based on my time. It felt really good.

  • Day444 High Bridge Ultra

    High Bridge was on my race-to-run list since after finishing the Eastern Divide in 2018, but things got in the way ever since as usual, so after three years, I was finally free to go down to Pamplin, Virginia, to run this 50K, the High Bridge Ultra. The race is part of the trail race series by the Trail Adventure, and I have run all of them but the High Bridge (HBU). The other races for the curious are Eastern Divide (EDU), Old Glory (OGU), and Lake Ridge (LRU @ Lake Claytor). I might have reported on those at some point.

    I am least prepared for this event than any other races I have done. I could wing a 5K or 10K without training but to show up at an ultra unprepared is asking for a lot of pain. Physically, I think I am decently fit, as I usually could run a marathon or two every weekend, but I had been slacking the last two weeks on my training. It is kind of crazy to do a 50K as a first run after such long break.

    I could of course not show up to the race and not run it, like I did the week before for a 10 miler run.

    Those who know me, giving up on a race is almost nonexistent in my lexicon. So, even though I was not that enthusiastic about driving the 4 hours to Pamplin, I got into the car Friday night and drove down and camped out at a nearby park. Not that I couldn’t affort-affort a decent hotel/motel stay but it would hurt the pocket and I am feeling the pinch. A camping spot costs like $15-25 and with inflation going on now, I started see even the cheapest motels are costing $130-140 a night, so camping easily won out.

    Pre-race. Due to many things happening, I did not arrive at the camp until midnight. I am not unfamiliar by now in setting up camp quickly without in the dark. So a few minutes later, I had a proper tent set up. If it was not for there being a chance of rain, I might even sleep under the stars. I could roll and sleep anywhere now, bugs not withstanding. I did feel better though to have a tent.

    I set my alarm for 4:25. This time I said there would be no over sleeping like I did at the Eau Claire race. You learn a bit at each race and try to improve from it. Last race for me was the problem of sleeping and waking up. When the alarm went off, I forced myself up this time, though I was drowsy, I quickly followed the plan to pack up. Normally, it would take me an hour to pack up, but I told myself, I don’t have the luxury this time. I needed to leave the camp by 5 am and get to the race by 6. I even skipped the bathroom and breakfast. I had some munchies to chew while driving to the race site though don’t remember what I ate by now. I did this time around stopped by a convenience store the night before on the way down and I had brought bread, cereal, and milk with me. I didn’t eat them though. I remember in Eau Claire I didn’t have food because Mc Donalds were not open. This time, I was prepared.

    My morning haziness was quickly gone by time I got to the package pickup. I was greeted by familiar faces. I ran with this organization a few time, with the most recent race at Lake Claytor last month. They said, there is no way to not remember me after supporting me almost 24 hours that day (there were only like 10 of us in that race). I received my bib. We took the bus from Pamplin to the real starting place, somewhere 30+ miles to the east. The race starting location was not the same as our bib pickup location by design. This was a point to point race. 31.1 miles on the High Bridge Trail. We were to run back to our cars.

    It was my first time on the course. There were about 40-50 of us, not that many but maybe a third of us were first time running an ultra. I fondly recalled when I did my first ultra. I was no stranger to this distance by now though. Even without a recent run, I was not afraid to tackle this distance. As long as I can get to mile 26, it is a sure finish.

    We started on time. There was not much fanfare. 8 o clock came and the race director said go and we were off. The trail is wide, and can fit maybe 5-6 of us side by side. Mostly, I was running by myself. The morning was cloudy and warm. There was a chance of rain, but it never came until long after I finished. The trail was on a hard compact limestone surface. It felt like running on concrete. Initially, the hard ground did not bother me, but about halfway through, my knees and calves started to feel the pounding. I had to run off the trail a few time to rest my feet.

    The course was marked by every half mile by trail markers. So I was much more focused on my pace than in any other races. You could in theory have a very controlled run.

    A fellow runner from a previous race recognized me. We ran the 12 hour event at Lake Claytor a month ago. She and I had pretty much the same pace. There were no official pacers for the race. So I used her to gauge the proper pace to run. But by halfway, she slowed down and I lost her.

    In my mind, having done the Eau Claire Marathon, I know how fast I should be running. experience for that race was still fresh on my mind and was easily transferred to this one. I knew I was going way too fast. However, everyone around me were doing 9 mins or less. So we were running extremely fast for this event.

    pacing: I told myself to run at 12 min per mile or slower, for this event since my ever fastest 31 miles was 6 hours. I know I was not planning to surpass my best time.

    I added in a 30 seconds walk at the end of every mile to slow down my pace. I told myself I would keep doing that for as long as I could. The race director had warned us that this race would be deceptively easy, because the monotonous pace would cause us to run too fast. It means there would be no chance for our muscles to take a break — unless we are disciplined to control our pace.

    By halfway, I already found I couldn’t maintain my pace and I was easing off on the pedal. I still forced myself though to make a 12 minutes mile. Pretty soon, that was unsustainable either. I started counting how many more miles to the next aid station.

    Mile 20 seemed extremely far. I hit the wall again and again before then. Pretty sure, the first wall was somewhere at mile 16. Then 17, and 18. So I don’t even remember how I got through to mile 20. Mile 20 is important because it is 2/3 of the race in and to me it is more meaningful than the 50% mark. You know how after halfway mark, every step is one step closer to the finish. However, I want to consider how second half is usually harder than the first half. So I prefer setting the 66% as a mental halfway point, that every step I take should be easier than the first 66%. I must have passed through an aid station by then, but I can’t recall now. There was another one at mile 24. Then one more at mile 29. My concerntration was taking a toil. Runner delusion I called it.

    Mile 26 was my next goal. I know if I reached it, there would be no way I would not going to finish. I walk if have to in order to finish.

    My concern was not so much of not able to finish the race but how my body feels during it. I know for 100 mile run, I will be doing this like 4x. So I am supposed to be still fresh after doing a marathon distance. So during the run, I was comparing my breathing, and how my body feels and so I was pretending I was doing a 100 miler instead of a 30 mile race. Did it work? After 26, miles, I was just trying to survive, and I was no longer pretending it was a 100 mile race. It didn’t work.

    Ending. Mile 29 would be the last aid station. It was also the farest one apart from the previous one. The race director had warned us about this. For me, it was indeed very far especially when you are tired. I was mostly walking by now, 2 mins of walk for every 15-30 seconds of running. It took eternity before I arrived. After reaching it, the finish line was not too far away.

    A redeeming feature for this race for me was the final two miles on the road. I love and romanticize running on a single lane country road all the time because we don’t have that luxury or the deprivation in the city where I live (because we have the money to have sidewalks and bike trails and all the good stuffs of city living). My fellow runners think this is the most dangerous part of the race because we faced oncoming traffic with cars going as fast as 45-55 miles flying down the one lane road. Sometimes there were not enough room on the shoulder either. You pray hard the car sees you and would slow down. Others didn’t share my thrill of running with cars. They think this part of the race was totally unnecessary dangerous because they could have shifted the start line 2 miles back and we would finish it before we get to the road portion. But I love it because it got us out of the repetiveness of the rail to trail section. It was exciting playing frogger. It was really a short section (and most of the traffic were runners who had finished or family members/friends of runners). I think it was worth it.

    Is the race worth running? Yes, the race description from the race site is accurate. It is a good first ultra for the uninitiated runners. Because the course has very little of hills. And the direction to stay on the course is easy. It was just one straight way. The course passed the High Bridge, the race namesake, which is considered the highest and longest bridge (I think for railroad) of that particular era. So those who ran got a bit of history to see. High Bridge is worth the visit for those who are into history and landmarks.

    Small town. This Pamplin is tiny like any Virginian towns! There are like one or two stores. Some runners might also use this time to check out the more famous nearby towns such as Appomattox or Farmville. Aside, I can see why or how General Lee and the Confederate troops were being helmed in/driven to this remote place and ultimately surrendering nearby at Appomattox. Today, this region is still just as remote and not easy to get to (for lack of interstates). You get to experience what small towns in Virginia are like. Farmville, which we passed midway in the race, is probably the place to stay and visit for the out of town runners (unfortunately I didn’t do any sight seeing). A few people drove in the morning of from far away places. They had to be up like 2-3 AM. Or be like me, camp out in a nearby state park!

    Critique. A few said this is a once and done race. I agree. While High Bridge, the actual bridge is a historical landmark and deserves visiting, it doesn’t have enough draw to come back year after year. And the race was not truly a trail race. The ground was too hard. Those planning to do it, should treat it like a road race.

    I don’t regret running it though. I found it interesting and happy I did it.

    Out take. I ran it because I wanted to jumpstart my running again and also it was on my schedule. I think and hope it helped me to shake out my final preparation for an upcoming 100 miler. It did get my mind ready for that race, but in term of nutrition/gears and pacing, it was not an ideal shakeout run – because I came under prepared. It was not an ideal run for trophy either. It was more like a super long run … . Other than that, I loved the run.

  • Day441 Eau Claire Marathon

    That was the Eighth marathon-state and 42 more states to go. If I count the Rocky Raccoon I ran in February in Texas, it would be the nineth. Rocky Raccoon was an ultra marathon, and it is not the same as a normal marathon.

    When I run a normal marathon I feel I am fast again, relatively fast when compares to my other races. I am able to push more until I hit a breaking point. I feel good doing that.

    Eau Claire was everything I like about running a marathon. Maybe my first marathon was like that. Beautiful, and I feel successful. I was doing my thing and in my own separate world. There was the hype and race atmosphere. Many people tried to do their first marathons etc.

    I started off slow. Maybe I blame the weather. It was a bit nippy. Leaves in Wiscousin already were turning yellow, but the day was going to be great. Our pacer encouraged us to finish the run early to avoid the heat (80 F). We started off around 45 F though. I tried to stay in my car with my hoodie until the time of the start. I already decided to run in shorts and tee. I was willing to stand the shivering of the first hour or so. Hey this might be my last race before winter.

    The fact I did not have my breakfast was kind of suck. I did not pack my meal the night before, thinking I could get something from a McDonalds or 7-eleven. I was feeling lazy. Making sandwiches is a lot of work to me. Google said Dunkins and McDonalds would be open by 5 am. I was in a small town though and on a Sunday – the general hour doesn’t apply. Nothing was open. I kind of woke up late too around 5:30 am. Plus a half hour drive to the race, I had very little time left. The race started at 7:00.

    Last time I ran an “official” fast marathon was almost two years ago in Carlsbad, California. The Moonlight Marathon in West Virginia I did a month ago doesn’t count because that was like training and also that was “hilly”. Also Gettysburg marathon I ran last October doesn’t count – that was not a new state for me. I finished Eau Claire almost an hour ahead of my Moonlight Marathon. This is what I mean by fast. I needed to feel I was near my max performance.

    Parking was going to a problem I thought since they would block the roads. I arrived before they put down the barricades. So I was lucky. They actually only put up the starting arch like 15 minutes before the start. It felt unreal that they were behind schedule. We were going to run in the middle of the road. Things looked like last minute flash in the pan operation to me.

    The race place felt empty. Later I found out less people ran it this year than in previous years. Maybe about 40% less people, likely due to the pandemic. Not that it bothered me whether there were 40 people or 3000 people, a race is a race. There were 200 of us but it seemed even less – like 75 or 50 people.

    We started off on time, just after a beautiful sunrise behind us. I warmed up in no time. We had wave starts – and I was in the last wave because I put 5 hours as my finish time. I think the race average finishing was 4:20 in the past. This year was 4:10. Yes, there were a lot faster runners than me. I met a few during package pick up such as a runner called Steve and another Braxton.

    I had no idea exactly of the course. I did my homework but still. It was a road marathon and I knew it would be a lot of turns. The course markings were more than sufficient and they had volunteers at every turn, so following the course was not a problem. It was more a thing for me not knowing what ahead, that I had to be more conservative with my pace.

    I followed a pacer ahead. Very early on, I stuck with the 4:30 group. In my mind, many times in the past the 4:30 group would pass me in the middle of the race because I normally run a 4:45 or 5:00 hour marathon. I had a bit of age discrimination that day because pacers for 4:45 / 5:00 and beyond were all led by older guys. They look like they were in their 60s. I know I am not that young (and my hair is graying like them) but I wanted to be with the younger crowd. I didn’t want a grandpa to pace me. I felt embarrassed.

    Initially the 4:30 pace group only had me and a lady. After a few miles, we picked up a few more runners. I had to pee at the time. I felt I could hold it but better if there was a place to let it out. We had aid stations every couple miles and I hoped at one of them should/would have a porta potty. I think at mile 4 they had one but it was still locked (zip-tied). So shoot. Then I saw someone ran into a local park and I followed. I thought the dude knew a place for bathroom. Then he ran around the corner of a building (probably was a public bathroom – but the door was locked) and I found him squatting with pants down around his ankles once I came around the building. He quickly got up but he already had a big pile of poops on the ground. I was disgusted both at myself for the discovery and at the dude. Any runner would have done their business before the race! And why not go into the treeline at least! Leave-no-trace man. Now it means someone would have to clean up after him. Why did we wait till after the start to look for bathrooms? I was fuming.

    Anyway, I could go into the woods and do my business but I held it in after finding the guy shamelessly making a mess in public. So I ran back out to the race course and tried to catch up with my pace group again. I believe, it was not until mile 6 or 8 before I found a potty from a construction site where I finally could pee – that was like an hour later.

    The rest of the race was uneventful. I left my pace group by then and ran by myself till halfway. I settled into a kind of new group of people but we were all kind of far apart. I could still see the guy who pooped still running ahead. I told myself – I am not visiting any aid station after the dude. I was sure he didn’t wipe. I kind of felt sorry at the same time. If I had any wipes I would give it to him. My goal was to pass him but he ran freaking fast, maybe so that he wouldn’t have to talk to me, but I was trying to chase him at the same time. Yup awkward.

    Later I did pass him – he and a bunch of people were finally ran out of steam. Or maybe I was really speeding up. I felt strong and I think I was actually steady with my pace. Then for a few miles I was with a lady – later on, she said she is Annie. I did not start a conversation and neither did she. I just tried to keep my pace steady. I could see she was fast and in my mind, I had no intention to over take her. There were times she was way ahead of me and times when she dropped behind. However, after a while, she was constantly at my side or I was by hers.

    The race course took us out onto a gravel road. I was hoping being a more experienced running on trail I might be able to lose some people. I think at this time, We ran into the 4:20 pace group. It was like running into a wall. I was surprised that Annie had no intention to pass the group. At the time, the trail was a bit crowded and so I did not pass either. I felt it was awfully slow.

    The pace leader Paul, introduced himself. He might have gone off to the bathroom too because he ran out of nowhere and started chatting first to Annie and then to me. He asked our names and where we from. He took back the pace stick from a fellow runner (Cooper). It was a social group. We had lot of people and there might be as many as 12-15 of us behind Paul.

    The race had couple hills. I think maybe 200- 300 ft or so. They said this was a new course. It made no different to me. Not a super big hill, but Paul had us do 30-30, a 30 seconds of walk and then 30 seconds of run. We would repeat until we crested it. He was right, we felt great coming out of the hill. He said, we would make up time on the down hill portion. We did.

    Miles flew by. 14, 15, 16. I started to feel the pace getting to me and I believed I would need to slow down. A few times, after slowing down at aid stations I could not keep up with Paul and the group any more. Also our group of 15 now shrunk to like a group of 5. Every mile we would lose someone. Cooper would call out, we lost so and so. Paul also had Cooper to call out our last mile time. We should run at a 10:05 pace, but usually we are a bit ahead, e.g. 9:55. Annie, Cooper, Paul, me, and another lady were only ones left. I told Paul mile 20 is likely the last mile I will be with them. For Annie, mile 18 would be the longest distance she ever ran. We passed mile 18, 19, 20. Miles were getting tougher. Soon even Cooper disappeared. Cooper had ran in 18 states. Paul had like 50 or so and lost count. Me, I had 7 states but lost count of my marathons either (around 33, now I checked).

    Annie and the other lady I think Kim, took off. I felt a burst of energy too and ran off with them leaving Paul behind. From experience, I know I couldn’t sustain the pace, but it felt good at the time. I don’t remember where but eventually, I was not able to keep up with Annie, probably at around mile 22. Paul caught back up, maybe at mile 24. I told him I couldn’t do it any more. He said, to run with him hip to hip. Ya sure. I really couldn’t. I dropped to a walk. That was really suck that I hit the wall. I will myself as much as I could but I couldn’t get going. Later someone said, you could actually hear the finish noise because we were literally just a block away. However, I was not as familar with the course as I should and I had no idea where I was. We still had two miles to run (an extra loop from the finish). It took us to the school – University of Wiscousin – Eau Claire campus. The students were all out cheering. They called it the Gold Blue or Blue Gold mile. I don’t think they helped but I got back to a jog. At least I was moving. Like with any marathons or races, the last mile was the hardest. I gradually picked up the pace again and arrived at the finish.

    Annie finished like at 4:16. Paul arrived on time at 4:19:55. His wife owns the pacing company and he said he could not finish a second late or his wife would kill him. We were ahead of pace by 30-50 seconds during the run. Paul must have slowed down to make the perfectly paced finish. I arrived at 4:21:27. And Cooper came in around around 4:30. I did not wait for any others. Steve whom I met during package pickup waited for me. He finished around 3:30 (hr/min). He said Braxton was around 3:00. Braxton wanted to qualify for Boston. We all revered Steve who ran in the Boston in the past.

    It was a fast finish for me too. It was not my fastest. My fastest was around 4:12. And my second fastest was 4:16. This should be my third fastest time. I did not intend to make a PR (personal best/record). You kind of know at the start of the race whether it would be your fastest. I felt I goofed a bit by not warming up before the start, or to use the bathroom, or to get up earlier. So I did not expect making any record. I knew I was running generally better than other marathons. I did want to run a fast one since my last one of 8:25 was awfully slow and kind of want to prove myself I can still do it. To be able to keep up with the 4:20 pace group for most of the race was an achievement. Also, Annie kind of pull me to an even faster pace near the end and this either helped or messed me up – I rather take a positive look that it helped me reached my third fastest time. Everyone runs their own race is the motto. It was a win in my book.

    Is Eau Claire worth going for others? I think it was well managed. They had a half marathon and 5K event too. The course is generally beautiful. It is in a small rural town but not so small like Damascus, VA. I think a decent size. There are many bridges. I think the place is calming and beautiful to run. It is not like big city marathon such as the Marine Corps with many thousands of people, but Eau Claire definitely put up a good race like any big races.

    It is one of those destination races for me. Once and done. If I live nearby I might run it again, but it is halfway across the country and the nearest airport is about 2 hours away. The drive from the airport was boring to me. I am the guy that hate driving. It was mostly woods on either side of the highway. Camping is one of the recommended activities and the second recommendation was to see the country fair/rodeo show. I love those stuffs but not when I am there for running.

    I did not visit museums or any historical buildings. Another recommended thing was to see their trails and parks. I ran out of time so I did not go on their trails. I would have if I had a bit more time or I had planned better.

    My remaining time was to eat. None of the places I would recommend on here. Not that they were bad bad, but I chose some places in a bad neighborhood. It also helped me see a city in a different light. Restaurants in the Mall of America were pretty bland – your usual standard chain restaurants. I visited Mall of America, supposingly America biggest shopping mall. There were some eating guides available, but again I didn’t have the time or energy to seek those places out – I kind of hate any crowded downtowns and the lack of parking and all so, I did not even go there.

    I flew into Minneapolis/St Paul of course. Other than that, I did not find much to do in the city. To me, Minnesota felt like Texas of the north – that everything is big. The airport MSP is one of the nicer ones – I explored the whole airport since I spent about 4 hours there. It needs a bit more arts is what I can say. An airport is airport – after a while, you kind of hate it no matter how nice it is. I flew Delta – the service is nice. I got my can of coke and cookies. I was happy. I slept on the way back. It was a direct flight. Happy to make it home.

    Epilogue – I am thinking of running Grandma’s Marathon in Deluth in the near future. It means I will be back in St.Paul/Minneapolis. I only learned of Deluth from the lady at the car rental counter, when I asked her what is there to do here in St. Paul. She said I should visit Deluth. De-lu what? The town near Canada. What!? I thought it was a restaurant or a park. Later, I was able to find the city on the map, oh, that is too far. Ya, I know, Deluth is not in St. Paul, it is like two hours away.

    Oh also I don’t know how to pronouce Eau Claire…I think the people there say it as Oh-claire. I have been saying it as oo-claire. I don’t think anyone there speak French. Maybe it was a historical leftover from a french origin. I think it was headwater of the Mississippee. No it was another river. I should have read up more on the place I visited.

  • Day440 Rock ‘N the Knob Marathon

    Here is a big post. A fellow runner Greg, who ran this did a video. He gave a better description of the course better than me.

    —

    With couple (decently hard) ultras under my belt, Rock ‘N the Knob was not an impossible race, though this one literally knocked the air out of me. I think I say this for all my races. It was hard hard, yet it was only 26.2 miles. It felt like I was running 30 or 40 miles.

    I came into the race humbled by last year experience of doing a Half Marathon there under 4 hours (report). Note normally I could run a Half under two hours. I also became familarized with the race organization since last year (I ran their Camp Anderson 8 hr event). These people are involved in some hardest trail races in the Atlantic region (e.g., Black Forest, Eastern States, and World Ends), none of those races are within my ability to do at this time, except for this one.

    There was no doubt I would finish it. The question was more like when and how soon. We had 9 hours to run the full marathon. I did not really set a goal how fast I would do it beforehand but while out on the course I was kind of aiming to finish under 8 hours after talking to a few people. It was a soft goal. I really believed I could do 4 miles an hour, so 8 hours were not that strange. Spoiler, I finished at 8:25.

    Last year I started way too fast and then choke around mile 3 with cramps and all. I was gentle with myself this time and I did not try to keep up or pass anyone. It really came with the experience of able to lock into your own pace and ignored everyone else. We had a strong field too because most people were gone by the time I get going!

    I actually started way back of the crowd like the last 5 or so people and did not push on the quarter-mile of the road portion. I remember in other races the road usually is where I would push hard because you want to get into the woods with a sufficient lead over the slower people since most people slow down a lot on the trail.

    We entered into the trail portion at a speed I liked. Of course everyone slowed down too, but not too slow. I knew I was at the right pace. We were kind of walking for another quarter mile before the line thinned out even more. We trail runners would roll our eyes at those walking on this portion so early on since it means they were not properly trained for trail racing. I was a patience guy though and used this time to chat with the couple runners ahead of me.

    The guy in front of me remembered me from the Laurel Highlands Race I did in June – but unfortunately, I didn’t remember him. For me, I usually only recall people by what they wear and the hydration pack they carry. We ran for a mile or so as the crowd continued to thin out more. I used the chance to pass him, since he was pacing his friend and the pace seemed like unbearably slow. Normally I don’t pass people this early in the race. I called myself the course unofficial sweeper because usually I am the last couple guys on the course and you kind of know who would finish and who would not especially in a trail race.

    Miles flew by under me. By mile 6, we reached our first big climb. The race had a name for each ascend and descend — as a way sometimes to demoralize/tease runners rather than for identification purposes. I don’t recall the name of that particular climb but it was a long climb like going up on the side of a cliff. Many of the big climbs were like that. They were not impossible but nearly there. I talking about getting down on hands and knees if not careful. I doubt unless you are the top 10, everyone would walk up these climbs. For me, even walking up on them were tough. On some of them, we had to crawl.

    Unlike in my previous race, this time the hill really got me dizzily out of breath. No matter how many ultras I had run before this, it was a challenging section. I was no longer able to keep up with the group pace. I was not necessary in a group, but the people I were with ran on, Greg and Dina I think, whom I kind of stayed with for an extended time. By the way, if you want his perspection, check out his video recount.

    This was when I also caught up with Jenn at the top of the climb as we pulled into an aid station (Raven’s Nest, I think).

    Initially Jenn was just a random runner. I wanted to pass her quickly and leave her behind. No more waiting for people – I told myself.

    I did not really stayed to chat or what not with anyone at the Aid Station but left for the next section as soon as I could. This was mostly downhill for next few miles. We reached our second long climb. Jenn caught up to me. I was kind of surprised. We leapfrogged each other couple of times afterward. Jenn was one of the nice runners (everyone were nice, but she was especially so) because she offered me her food, not that I needed any, since I packed my own as well. We did chat a bit by then. I don’t remember what, but I showed her my granola bars. We got to the third climb – I called it the waterfall but the real name was Beaver’s Dam or “I’ll neetle do this again” as the director called it.

    By then I might have a bit of heat exhaustion. I could not keep up with Jenn, not that she was going fast but I was definitely not feeling great and slipping in my pace. I did not want her to wait for me or anything. And she didn’t. It was everyone their own race. We just passed a runner who was sitting in the creek. He certainly did not look good. Later he told me he threw up 4 times.

    We continued the ascend. Not long after that Jenn was way ahead and was out of sight. I felt like I was about to faint by then so I quickly looked around for a place to sit, maybe that would help. This was from my experience of previously fainting on the trail when I had Lyme Disease. You kind of know all sudden that you don’t have any strength left and you feel as if you were walking on air.

    I sat on a tree stump or a limp of a fallen tree. Then immediately I started throwing up all I had eaten and drunk that morning. It wouldn’t stop, like a fire hydrant, stuff kept gushing out in torrent. The poor runner behind me arrived and told me it had happened to him too – he was the guy we passed at the creek and he asked if I were OK or needed anything like salt tablet. I did not have strength to reply. I did not feel ok. I wanted to quit the race right then because I had no more strength to move or do anything. I was done. He told me to sit for a while and I should be ok as he had sat at the creek. I listened because not like I had a choice. I was too weak to move.

    Throwing up was good because I was no longer fainting. But now one of my ears was ringing. It was as if it got stuffed or maybe like swimmer ear. I didn’t pay attention at the time but later on it was very distracting to me when I started to run. I felt I had vertigo.

    After a few minutes, I was no longer throwing up, I felt I could stand up again. I made it to the top of the climb, which was not that much since we had climbed a lot already. I was at mile 16 by now. I slowly walked to the next Aid Station – I think it was the Heaven Hairpin at mile 18. The section was not hard after the climb. I remebered running it last year and was probably one of the few runnable sections in the race, but this time, I was walking because that was all I could muster. Once I arrived, I plopped down on a chair a volunteer offered up. Volunteers served me with water and sodas and chips. I might had the look of a seriously ill runner because the way they treated me. My friend Aaron was there. He was sweeping the course for the half marathon event. They had an earlier cut off time but they ran almost an identical course, just without a six mile side track nor the six mile extra loop at the end of our course. I was about 20 minutes from my cutoff. Time was not a concern to me at all, though the aid station captain was kind of concern about me she might have to cut me. I might have rested way too long at the station. The next Aid Station was at mile 20 about 2.4 miles away. I knew at least I got to make it there. The time then was about 2:20 pm. I felt much better physically when I left the station. Aaron asked if I wanted to run with him as he would sweep the rest of the race. Hell no. Any day would be fine but not today. It was kind of a joke at the beginning of the race we made – I said I would see him out on the course and we know probably not likely since sweeper means being the last person, and we know I wouldn’t be that slow to able to meet up – but we did anyhow.

    The next section had one of the steepest climbs and descends. We climbed to the top of a ski slope, ran to the bottom and climbed back up and ran to bottom again and guess what, climbed back up the third time all within the two miles. I believe we might have done half of the course 6000 ft of elevation within the two miles. So it was mostly walking for me and very slow walking. Time flew by.

    I had part way with Jenn for maybe couple hours earlier or even 3 hours since the Beaver’s Dam but on the way up on the final climb after “I need a sherpa”, Jenn showed up at the foot of the hill. I caught my breath and waited while she caught up. Of course I was suprised to see her again because she should have been miles away by now. She explained that she and a friend (Carrie/Careen) had wandered off the trail the last mile and only finally found the course again. She was dispirited (and frustrated) and wanted to quit and was going to if we get to the next Aid Station aptly named the “quitter row.” She surely can run, so it was mostly a mental thing.

    This was her second marathon and I don’t blame her for quitting. I was thinking of the same too. Though physically I think she was doing fine. She was just in an emotionally turmoil. Running or not running at this point in time did not matter to me. I felt I did my best. We were 5 minutes from the cut-off by then (I didn’t know at the time but Jenn did and might have felt pressured by the deadline). My body had recovered enough to run by now and I was able to keep up with Jenn’s quicker pace. I did not try to convince Jenn to go on or to quit. I felt I should give her room to sort it out at the Aid Station. It was her decision either way. Ultra/trail races can be dangerous and if the runner doesn’t want to be out there it is many times more so. I didn’t want her to get stuck out there and be miserable.

    Even without Jenn I believed I could make the last 6 miles in two hours to finish the race. Jenn seeing me prepping when we arrived at the Aid Station and asked if I was going back out. Sure I said. She decided not to quit as well and rushed me through the Quitter Row.

    What so tempting to quit at the Quitter Row is that was conveniently located next to the start and finish line.

    Our friends though wouldn’t let us quit. We too wouldn’t quit. The final 6 miles were just one long descend of maybe a mile or two to the bottom and then a last scary ascend. It was a section I truly enjoyed in this race because I finally felt like I was in my element again. We were greeted with the last and final aid station at the bottom. There was no time cutoff at this station. Then we had couple almost impossible climbs back up.

    This was the Cadillac Alley because a Cadillac was found here a week before the race on a narrow trail where it was impossible for car to get there since we are miles away from any roads. The Cadillac was still stuck there on race day. There is a lore passed down of what actually happened.

    I was pretty strong at this point in time in my opinion but my legs were cramping occasionally if I was not careful at the way I bended them when crawling. We literally crawled our way up on our hands and knees up. Several times I slided back down as I climbed and it was frustrating. I just couldn’t get good traction.

    Jenn started showing signs of fatigue too. She felt at mile 5 earlier in the day (I wasn’t present at the time) and her knees were hurting she said. She took several breaks during this final climb (I felt I didn’t need to stop) – and she apologized to me repeatedly for her delays. I did not rush her nor leave her behind this time. Her boyfriend charged me to get her through this section at the Quitter Row and I felt a bit responsible because of that, also by now I was pretty sure we would finish the race, and there was no rush to finish quickly or beat the cutoff (I might have saved 5-10 mins if I went on ahead without her but so what). In my mind we had to go slower than half a mile an hour to not make the 5 pm closing. Jenn and I were pretty much hitting a 4-mile an hour pace (This is fast for ultra). However, I think time was mostly on Jenn’s mind as every so often (like every half mile) she would update me on the mileage and time, which I didn’t ask her to do it. Her watch was still working. For me, my watch died at mile 18 so I was no longer fixated on the time or distance (because I forgot to charge my watch the night before), but in general I was kind of aware the pace and distance – it just comes instinctively having done so many races even without someone telling me.

    The last mile was flat. I was already basically in my celebratory mood. I was strong and was getting stronger with every passing mile. I ran and led the way here. We caught up to a few people. I told Jenn we are not taking prisoners – basically we are to pass them as quicky as possible. We finished strong at 8 hrs and 25 mins. I think the guy who encouraged me to rest did not make the cutoff as Jenn later told me we only had 5 minutes to make it to the Quitter Row and he was like 10 minutes behind us. I did not see him again even at the finish.

    I think a dozen or so dropped from the race. (90 ish people signed up, about 60 or so finished). I don’t think the friend from Laurel Highland finished either. This was kind of sad. I saw the last person came in.

    This was one of few races my friends were there and we relaxed and enjoyed the food. They exchanged stories and jokes. I had a great time winding down – like did you know a game trail runners play called hashing? It was a game to get a bunch of friends into the woods. Someone would leave behind signs using chalk/flour and the group would follow and leave new signs. Basically I think you get lost in the woods together. We talked about stuff like that. I felt so good to be in the company of runners.

    It was a good hard race. I always love a tough one. My friend compared it to a mini 100 miler of the Eastern States. I can see why. It had many climbs and technical challenges. Jenn too was a good trail buddy and I was glad to met up in the final portion. We finished it together.

  • Day438 Lake Ridge 12 hrs Run

    Call it a lack of discipline on my part when I signed up for a race I know I shouldn’t since it was so close to my marathon date. But I am an addict to running, I confess.

    I had a free weekend and it felt weird of not running in something officially sounding event. I want to go somewhere far since the pattern has been to drive couple hours way each week to run.

    The race Lake Ridge Endurance Run was held at Lake Claytor this year. It was their inaugural event. They had it last year but it was low key due to the pandemic (officially it was canceled/probably for insurance- liability issue) and was a fatass event for people who were willing to show up.

    This year was for real. I drove down to Lake Claytor in Dublin, Virginia. I had a camp site reserved but there was very to no sleeping to be had. In the end, I didn’t sleep.

    I could pick my start time at among the four choice 1 pm, 7 pm, 1 am the following day, or 7 am the following day. The race ended at 1 pm Sunday, so the 6 hours had more choices and no choice of start time for the 24 hour people. Almost all picked 1 pm since that was the most logical choice. No one wanted to run at night if they could help.

    I originally chose 1 pm for sanity’s sake. But I accidentally/incidentally woke up late that race day morning and arrived to the race just 5 minutes after it started. I blamed the hour long traffic I encountered while traveling to the race site or the side stops to get breakfast and lunch, or partially gotten lost when I didn’t check what I entered into the GPS and it took me to another part of the Lake Claytor that was 5 miles away from the actual race site. It was not a good morning. I packed on the morning of too hence a bit late getting started on the road. The trip was 5 hours drive away. I was lucky that I was only 5 minutes late! But late is still late and missed the start.

    There were not a lot of us, about 20 ish. Many were signed up for the 24 hour event. I signed up for the 6 hours but felt the distance might be too short, so I switched to 12 hours. This meant I would be running from sunset to sunrise. I always wanted to have a night time training (without sleep) for my upcoming 100 miler. This was a perfect opportunity to do it.

    By midnight, the wind picked up a bit, not strong but soothing. The temperature was supposed to drop to around 50 F, but I felt hot though. I picked up my long sleeves when I arrived back at the aid station but didn’t wear it.

    The adventure started. It was not much to be said. Time flew by. I did loop after loop. Sometimes I passed people during my loop, other times I was by myself. It was lonely when I didn’t see anyone. There were only 20 of us. Actually by night fall, half of them were already finished (The 12 hr people who started at 1 pm were done and so were the 6 hour). I was the only one who started at 7 pm. My chance of seeing anyone was slim. One was attempting a 100 mile, and I was hoping to get to see him on the course. I ran pretty much at his pace. In the end, didn’t get to see him – I think at one point he was at the station when I was there.

    I like night runs due to not able to see things clearly. I like the sensory deprivation. I sometimes tried to close my eyes and run, except that I would trip on rocks and roots. I called them branches because they were like branches laying across the path. I tripped on the same root on every lap! Luckily each time, I didn’t fall. Only in the morning after the sun came up did I see what I have been tripping on. They were wickedly big roots.

    One point at night around 3-4 am I got spooked. I don’t usually afraid of ghosts or creepy stuffs. But earlier in the night I was scared by some deers and some smaller critters, probably a raccoon. I saw their shining eyes staring at me. I jumped. I knew they were deers in my head but still the hairs on my back did not believe me. It was an auto response. At 3-4 am, there were no animal but the cool wind blew on my back. I felt like it was a spirit. It was a section of the course that the temperature noticibly dropped a few degrees and it was especially windy. I was genuine scared. I did not want to be out on the course any more.

    Then came 5 am and 6 am. I knew the night had passed. I was uplifted. I knew I was out of time to do one more left. My race would end at 7. I tried very hard to get back by 6 so I could do one more lap. I came in at 6:24 am. It was not enough for one more lap unless I run at a 7 min pace. (Sun rose around 7, probably like 6:45). I went back out for one more lap even though I know it wouldn’t make it. It was the best lap – mostly because I was happy.

    I finished strong. People congratulated me on finishing. I love the race a lot especially seeing the sky getting brighter and everything was alright on the last lap. I put in 52 miles (only 48 miles were counted, the other 4 miles were done beyond the 12 hours so they were not counted). It was my first time doing a 12 hour race so I was not very good at managing my time. Looking back, I could have squeezed in that last lap if I had spent a bit less time at the aid station.

    This post is not much a traditional race report. The course is 4 miles long. Mostly runnable trail. Some sections had a bit of root and rocks. I ran on all. Those who were not used to the distance or the trail complained about it being rocky. A few ate dirt. I almost did many times but my balace was good (I trained myself by running on a balance beam or road curbs). The elevation was not much but over 10 loops it started to get to me. I think I had done over 3000 ft change overall. Aid station was at the start. I was able to keep the pace of one loop every hour. People volunteering were nice as always. We had people serving us through out the night (I told them to sleep, we runners can help ourselves). We could set up our own station too. I did but did not use it. Their food was better than mine. I stopped at every lap and that might have been way too much. If I do it again, I might stop only every 3 laps.

    It was a small event so everyone would know everyone after the first loop.

    suggestion to self. Prepare a whiteboard/and (own) extra dry eraser makers to count loops. They had electronic tracking, but for sanity sake, I like something visible and tangible. RD gave us some markers but their markers dried up by middle of the night due to usage/exposure.

  • Day437 Iron Mountain trail run/race

    Be thankful, I say. I ran and finished the Iron Mnt Trail Race (IMTR). I did the 40 miles this time. Actually it was my first time though probably won’t be my last. I signed up for the race in 2019, but I got sick that year (caught Lyme Disease) and did not make it to the start – I could barely walk a mile at the time. Last year, the race was canceled due to Covid19 pandemic. Finally, here I was I ran and crossed the finish line in decent time. It was an almost perfect race.

    I like races where I struggle and overcome what seems to be unimaginable challenge. I guess readers would like such stories too. This one was not like that

    For me the IMTR was too perfect, like a fairy tale. I did not struggle much. It was too easy and I was a bit underwhelmed when I crossed the finish line. It was like that is it? That is the end?

    Granted I did not run the 50 mile event but the 40 miler. It might have been different if I had done that. 40 though was a magnitude easier, at least for me.

    In the end I have to be thankful. This race has been something I dreaded. It has been on my schedule for so long. I actually wanted to test myself on it. I have been good at marathons. This year I have done a few 50 mile distances. However, when it comes to trail running, I am still a pretty poor runner, meaning I usually finish near last. Placement does not bother me, but I want to do better and I also do not want to be cut from a race. IMTR was to face that fear of doing a race on a technical course in a longer distance event than I am comfortable with.

    To tell the truth, I enjoyed the two training runs (hosted by the race director) more than the race itself. Maybe, during the training run, running in the hot sun was much harder (and I did not finish my distance that time but had to cut short the training). Also, I had to keep up with the faster people who came out to the training. Lastly, it was a smaller group, and we were kind of know each other, having been on the trail for 5-6 hours together, whereas at the race, there were couple hundreds and everyone was too intensely focused in their own race.

    The race though was like strolling for me. I was not in a hurry. The weather was nice and temperature was like 15-20 degrees cooler. Most people run better in the cold than in the heat.

    I ran a fast start since the first portion was flat and on a paved bike trail (the Virginia Creeper Trail). It went rather well. It was probably a little too fast that had me bonking a few miles later when I hit the mountain. I’m not blaming it, it just turned out that way. I did not really come into a race with a strategy except to run and finish before the cutoff. I was pretty sure I would make the cut.

    The next 10 ish miles were truly on the mountain – mostly climbing on a single track trail to Iron Mountain (?). There were quite a few climbings. My body became a bit exhausted. I was out of breath, and people then were passing me right and left by then.

    One of the runners (E/moon, her trail name) caught up to me. We were on the struggle bus. Mostly she was one telling she was bonking. As a competitor, we (I) shouldn’t share about our weaknesses while on the course. But sometimes, it helps to admit the reality. I told her too I was having trouble with my race, though giving up on a race was out of the question for me, but apparently it was a real possibilty for her. When we reached the Aid Station at mile 15 (Skull Gap), her face was green and she almost turned in her bib. She later credited me for getting her through and back out the station. I didn’t know if I said anything encouraging. I was just waiting on her – like hurry up lady.

    We pretty much hang together to the next station. By mile 21, I knew I got the race in the bag. there was no way I would be cut and not finish. We were on pace to finish within 10 hours even though we were not moving that fast (and 1 hour ahead there and I was expecting 2 hrs ahead of the final cut off). We mostly walked all the hills and gently ran all the flats and downhills. E said she would be moving slower in the second half.

    She shared about her last 41-mile run she did couple months ago and it took her 14 hours, she thinks this race would be the same as that. She and her friend were attempting the Scar Challenge at The Smoky Natl Park. I told her I was there too that July 4th weekend. I did 65 miles over like 3-4 days. They were attempting 70-ish miles in 24 hours, but she dropped about 41 miles into the event. We got excited sharing our past adventures – at least I did. We might have passed each other at Smokies.

    She was very strong in attacking hills. I was more a downhill specialist as a city boy. I love flying downhills. Well, I tried to run as fast as I could – because going downhill is easy for me – you just have to watch where you step. It is like water flowing down the hill.

    We pretty much ran the rest of the race together. There were probably only 60 of us on the whole course for the 40/50 mile distance. We did not see anyone else after the start until halfway when we finally were able to pick people off. We were able to pick up speed in the second half and caught up to a few other runners. This was a relief to me because it meant we were not lost or last. This was the kind of racing I like – to catch up to people and passing them as fast as possible. I did not say that to E but she was good at passing runners. I didn’t check, but we might have done a reverse split on this ultra – the runner’s holy grail to run the second half of a race faster than the first half.

    For her though, she likes the views. There were not any vistas but she likes the foliage and the moss and the ferns, and the light and shadows on the trail. She pointed those out to me as we passed them and indeed it was a very nice day for running. The course is beautiful if only you know where to look (and appreciate) otherwise it is like any other trails. The weather was much better than when I did my training runs there couple weeks earlier.

    The rest of the race was uneventful. E/moon asked me to pass ahead of her a few times. In the end, on the final 8 miles, I did. No longer holding back, and it was downhill. She hinted that she was not going to die and risk her life running down the hardest part of race. I trained there before and by now I was not afraid of the last few of the steep hills. In fact, I love it. I reached the finish line and was about to go back out looking for her but she was only just a bit behind me and finished it under 10 hours too, reaching her goal. Her goal became my goal as well.

    One benefit of the race was to prepare me for the next one. I will have a big one in November. I need some technical hard trails to train on. This race was perfect for that. As advice to future runners of IMTR, go to the trainning runs. The race was not hard with some practice, but the weather plays a big part. Finally, there was a cookout at the end. I see myself doing this race year after year.

  • Day436 Moonlight Marathon

    Blackwater Falls – The sunset had set and moon had not risen yet. It was a bit cloudy and the forecast was 10% chance of rain. The breezes were nice after couple weeks of extreme hot whether. I felt a few drops of rain but the atmosphere was like any big marathon. There were 700 of us. The band just finished their performance and the Race Director gave us our final instructions. This was the inaugural race of Monlight on the Falls Marathon.

    We social distanced behind the starting line. People had various neon glow lights on their body and everybody had their headlamp/shoe lamp/waist lamp. There were a lighted arch for the starting and finish line. Yes it was out of this world and alien feel – maybe a rave like atmosphere. We couldn’t see faces and everyone was just a shadow.

    This was my first marathon for this year. While I have done several A+ races (ultras) already this year, marathons are something special to me. My last marathon was a year ago. I felt like ages.

    So standing at the starting line I was giddy, jumping/bouncing up and down. I found my pace group and gathered with them. We had the Beast Pacing as the race official pacers.

    The 10:00 pm start was for the distance challenge runners – this group of runners could run as much or as little as they want. Their goal (well most of runners who did the challenge) was to run all night until 7 am in the morning. I originally wanted to do that and really tempted even at the last moment (we could switch our race distance at during the bib pickup). However, wisdom had it for me to go with the marathon distance, since I will be doing an ultra the following weekend and I did not want to mess that one up by over-exhausting myself on this one. Not good to double up. But the marathon distance should be just fine. In fact, I already did around 20 miles that morning hiking and running around the park. A night marathon is like something cool to do before going to bed.

    Marathon distance started at 10:05. There were at least a hundred of us. I started way back of the group, not planning to set any record here. I ran through my final mental checklist – like what am doing here? There always that doubt like that, e.g., can I do this? Marathons are no joke. Sure, I have done like 20+ marathons already, but this one was in West Virginia. The guy next to me quietly said that this was his first. Our pace group (I too) assured him to have fun out there – and wished him good luck (good- luck-have-fun, GLHF).

    I did not specifically trained for running a marathon this year. I had been busy during spring with training for the two ultra distance marathons, but not a normal marathon. They are almost whole lot difference. Sure, running anything is running in the end. Ultras are much slower (‘easier’ some would say) than a regular marathon. Most of my recent training has been like 13-15 miles and there were doubts rising in me – 26 miles are whole lot tougher. Silly me right? I had no clue what pace I should run.

    pace: I know definitely I could finish within 6 hours, that would put me at 4 am finish. However, they did not have 6 hour pacer. The last pacer was 5:30 (5 hours and 30 mins). So though I didn’t know if 5:30 was appropriate, I decided to try it.

    The course was almost an out and back with a little variation on the way back by going a detour to the waterfall. It was dark but we could hear the fall whenever we passed by it. It was an exactly quater-marathon distance (a little over 6.5 miles). This would mean I would run the same course four times.

    It was easy to settle into pace. 5:30 pace was just right.

    Of course, even with wearing a head light it was hard to see the course ahead. Everything was dark and it was like running blindfolded. Those who had not trained for night runs might be a bit disturbed by the sensory deprivation (for me it was an ASMR delight). I was going strong. Typically, I do my runs at night, so night time my body naturally responds well and ready for running. I counted it as my strength.

    The course had several inclines (at least 4 going out). I hit each hill well. Sometimes I walked but mostly I could run up on them. Many people later said this course was one of the most hills they have done. For me, it was pretty typical. I had done ultra races that had steeper and longer climbs. I told myself to go slow. I had four laps to go. It would be a long night.

    Not long later, the quarter-marathoners and half-marathoners who started later caught up to us. They were an excited bunch. They quickly passed on ahead. The road was wide and we could use both sides. Also not long after, we reached the turn around point and the horde came rushing back. The first couple hours were festive since constantly there were people around going in either direction. As the night wore on, there would be less and less runners as those who ran the shorter distances finished.

    I was one of the few who carried a camel pack. I did not need to rely on aid stations, though there were plenty chances to stop by one (like a mile apart). I only filled about a liter of water. It was enough almost for the whole night. I had some gels and gummies as well. I also packed a peanut butter sandwich. I started eating that bit by bit not long after into the run. You get hungry by midnight. Unlike in ultras, aid stations for marathons have no food. Smart ones carry their own.

    I got to say – I was irked by many runners who went to the aid stations picked up a water bottle, took a slip and then dropped it on the road. So the whole side of the road was littered with gels and half filled bottles. I ran too many trail ultras and am used to not to waste food or litering. Gosh, we would be DQ (disqualified) for doing that. So it irritated me when I see runners doing that – but the Race encouraged the mass to run this race and so this was the big marathon culture. I understand if 1st or 2nd place runner doing that, but 700 hundred of us? How much time does it take off the clock of just throwing the used bottle in the trash bag?

    My take away was I ran a steady lap. My second, third and fourth lap hit an exact pace. It was amazing though. I ran mostly by feel too! I looked at my watch now and then. I walked when I felt like walking and ran when there was an easy section. I finished 15 minutes ahead of my pacer. She stopped for bathroom, so I got a little carry away and got 15 mins ahead of her. Not upset but thrilled.

    My thoughts? I like the race. I was reaffirmed that I still got what it takes to run a marathon.

    I finished and then walked a mile back to the camp. The moon was up. The night was quiet. The best time to run I think was now when it is just you and the pavement and the moon. I like the feeling of being minimal.

    There were a few people on the course still. Some wanted to finish when the sun is up, so they started a little late to time the sunrise. I don’t really care about waiting for the sunrise. I was not sleepy, but knowing I should still sleep because I still had a long drive home in the morning. So I showered (camp has a nice hot shower place) and crawled into my tent. I felt asleep no long after.

  • Day435 ACE Resort Half Marathon Part 2 and more

    Continuing from last week blog, I went to Thurmond, WV, and ran the inaugural New River Gorge Half Marathon Trail Run. I think that what it was called or it could be ACE Adventure Resort Half Marathon since the whole course was on their property and we had a free night of camping.

    I went mostly for checking out the trails for the November River Rim 100 Trail Run. I did not focus so much on my time. I only ce across this race at the last minute, when the River Rim 100 Race people did some promotion for them – mainly indicating that the River Rim would use the same trails for the starting and finishing portion of the race.

    I had expected the River Rim to be difficult. It might still be since I haven’t run it yet. However, after doing the half marathon, I don’t think I would sweat it too much.

    Basically, the trail for the half marathon were super easy. There were some hills but nothing over 1000 ft climb, I think at most was 100 ish. Most of the trails were wide and the grade was smooth and gentle.

    The trails were fairly newly made and they made it by bulldozing them. They were like roads and most of them were wide enough for a car to go through. The point is, they are not technical trails. I believe they were made for cars/bikes.

    As for the race, I did finish. They ran it like a city race. I think a lot ‘city’ people came out to support it. They had several different events, 5K, 10K, 10 miler, and the Half. I chose the longest distance. There were some ‘elite’ trail runners and they disappeared immediately after the gun. While the bulk of us slowly moved along the trail.

    The first mile was mostly walking. I didn’t mind because I was stuck behind a long train of people going up the mountain. The first mile was more technical – not so much something I couldn’t able to run on, but it was maybe too much for the city people. I overheard many were their first time on the trail or doing a run. For them, indeed it was a struggle. Later I passed many of them.

    We had 4 aid stations. I skipped the first since most people stopped there, I decided to get ahead of the slow group. I think I did the climb pretty well.

    We almost reached the top, when I saw a bunch of people stopped ahead. 10-15 of so runners. They said there were a bee hive by the trail and many were stung by the bees. One guy was stung six times on his back. A lady was squatting on the trail crying. She was stung in her twice attempt of getting across the hive. The sting was too painful and she decided to quit. None of us carry medicine on us that we could offer to her.

    The rest of us decided to go off the trail to go around the hive. That might have costed us 15-20 minutes. We had to bush wack and it was not easy. Some decided to turn back (and quit the race) because they feared getting poison ivy by going off trail. That was only two miles into the race. I wouldn’t blame them. Each had to decide whether it was worth it.

    I got past the hive. The rest of the run was uneventful. It was a hot day. We started late in the morning at 10 am – which is not a usually race starting time. I prefer 8 ish to avoid the heat, but hey, the organizer was trying to attract city people to the event I think. I could handle the heat. Note, on their event website, it was posted that the race starts at 8:30, but we later receive the pre-race email, that 8:30 would be the check in time and 10 o’clock would be the official start. The shift to a later start kind of irk me.

    I was not running so much for time. Normally if I do it for time, I would finish around 2 hours. But I mostly was at a jogging and walking pace, so it took me about 3 hours.

    They offerred us all you can eat tacos after the race. That was nice. I ate and fueled up. Then after hanging out a bit as there were still people out on the course. I spoke with one who finished around 4 hours. It was like a marathon for him. He was cramping up etc. It was his first half marathon. It was also during the hottest part of the day when he finished and he was soaked through by his sweat. Felt bad for him, but he did finish. There were others who took a tumble on the trail. I saw one with a bleeding knee.

    In the afternoon, I decided to explore a part of the trail that would be my November race but wasn’t part of this race. That was my whole purpose for coming here. Even though the sun was hot and I didn’t feel like doing more running after the half marathon, I urged myself to go do it. I found at least the trail I ran on was nearly flat! I think it was called the South Trail. I ran maybe 20 miles to Cunard and back.

    I also found that one of the trails had a water crossing. I was trying to keep my feet dry and tried to use a fallen tree and some rocks to cross it. Unfortunately the moss there were slipery. Even though the water over the rock was not that deep, I fell when I stepped on it. I tried second time and fell a second time. My gatorade bottle popped out on the second fall and floated downstream. I was not quick enough to recover it. I was fuming. I needed that water. I had a water filter on me, but there were signs from the park service indicating the creek water has high level of batteria from human feces and and we shouldn’t drink it. I had some water on me besides the Gatorade, so I rationed carefully to make my water last for my entire run.

    My lesson learnt was next time, just get my feet wet and cross the creek the most direct way instead of trying to do the extra effort of balancing on tree logs or rocks. It was too dangerous. Fortunately I didn’t seriously hurt myself except for falling into the water and had my shorts wet. I could have cracked my head or broke my arm (since I was trying to brace myself as I fell). I was grateful that only my butt was hurt.

    The rest of the run was uneventful. It was an out and back course. A portion was on the road. I tried to avoid the Waterfall Trail on the way back. I thought I found a side trail. I followed it and it led to a trellis. However, the trellis crossing was closed due to it being structural unsafe. Luckily I backtracked back to the Waterfall Trail because, later after getting back to camp, I checked the map, the path I was going to take would not have taken me back to my campground. I was glad, I had enough sense to turn back when I should.

    My purpose going there was to check out the course for the 100 miles. I reached my goal. I did not get to explore the entire course but I am happy nontheless because I think even the part I did not get to, would be easy. Basically, I shouldn’t worry about it.

  • Day433 brain dump2

    I had some ideas earlier this morning how I should write. Unfortunately, I can’t recall them.

    I enjoyed my runs. I have been doing some big runs/walks to finish the Virtual Race (Back) Across Tennessee. There are about 250 miles left, and I’m kind of on target to finish (ETA 9/5). I have to finish by 8/31 for it to be counted. So I try to run about 90-100 miles each week. So far, I am on target though it will be hard.

    Long story short is I spent a lot time on the road running the last few weeks and I was usually doing some late night runs. Safety stand point is not good but I enjoy the cooler runs and kind of like being alone.

    Was it tiring? Yes but I am better at it than last year. Not complaining much. The weather was generally more cooler this summer than last year. This week we had couple days of near 100F – hot. Even at midnight, it still felt extremely hot (hovering near 90F). Yes so hot I couldn’t run but only walked. It was only lasted couple days. Generally it was cooler. I got my miles in regardless. No rain so far on my run.

    The first week when I started to ramp up my miles, my feet were swollen after putting in 110 miles. I couldn’t wear my normal shoes. Just want to put it out there. Not complaining. Slowly, my feet adapted to the high mileage. There are nuggets of truth somewhere.

    Why I am doing this? Hard to explain. Those who are not in it can’t relate. We who are running the GVRAT are like fanatics. We love the race. We love going back out every day and get the miles in. Many did finish already and we are excited for each other. A few like me are still struggling.

    What is next? Summer is drawing to a close. Time flies. I am happy even though I was not racing much this month. I did a 5K – the Birthday Bash (Potomac River Running – Shoes store’s birthday). But my long runs have mostly filled up my racing craving! I wrote some about running to the Airport one night, or being chase by a storm on another, or this week – I had a close encounter with death to run right after a storm (by going through a fallen tree with a downed wire underneath). Sorry no space to write about that.

    Oh what’s next? I will be doing the midnight (moonlight) marathon in West Virginia in two weeks. I am hyped! Also hoping to finish the GVRAT by then! After that on Labor Day weekend, I will be running the Iron Mountain Trail Run (40 mile race). I have been waiting to run this race for 3 years. It is happening. With all the training and anticipation, oh I am giddy. Did I mention I signed up for the Devil Dog Ultra – I think I did. Wow, it means much.

    What does this mean? I look toward races like going to a retreat. It is a religious experience for me. I am shaken in a religious sense. I get goose bumps and electric feeling running down my back whenever I go for these long runs. I wish I can really explain or show how that is. Yes, probably I am a fanatic/maniac. I’m just somebody who enjoys running a lot.

    Presently, I am on a trip – a training run for the Iron Mountain Trail. I wish I can share all the high points! Yes, I feel I am on top of the mountain. Literally I was on one. Emotionally too.

    I don’t know how to close this entry without writing more. I looked into my Rim to River 100 Race. And I looked into the Annapurna Trek. All within this week. Basically I did the research that I said I should be doing. I am at a point in life – I wanted to do something big – like how am I different this year compare to before – and I am in a holding pattern at the same time. I need to push myself to the ‘next’ level. I can’t be comfortable at where I am. These trips are kind of like that pushing me higher.

    I have been trying to readjust my blog for transitioning to this new ‘phase’ such as posting only once a week. I changed blog name. I had a new tag (almost is my vision statement). I had a new mission statement. I kind of know what I want to be. Soon I will renumber my blog (starting from Day1 again but Vol 2) – still debating on to do it or not. Obviously I like numbering. I am very anal, but I also seek a new start.

    So I have been day dreaming on what it will take to hike the Annapurna (in Nepal). Who is with me?