I have been recovering well the last two weeks. I just have nothing to blog about. I was thinking of doing some kind of highlight reel of my 2022, so here it is.
It is also a time to pause, meaning what am I doing next. I know I have a bunch of races for next year. Nothing truly is challenging me except for the MMT 100 and possibly Teach’s Revenge 100 (OBX), though what I am excited about is the Toronto Marathon! Yes, I am thinking about racing all the time. I guess more to be revealed in future posts. Plus, I have a few vanity races such as Lake Tahoe, and maybe will do the CIM (California International Marathon).
So much have happened in 2022. I had a great fall season! Nothing new here for those who kept up on my blog.
I started up the year slowly, with a bunch of baggages. I was injured after last year Devil Dog, and I believe it sidelined me for at least 8 weeks. My mom was sick during November-December time frame that created ton of pressure in my family, resulted in a big dispute between me and my sister. I had hard time focusing as much as I tried to ignore the distractions. I tried to focus on the issue and not so much the emotional turmoils. Less talk/cry more work should be my motto. All in all, my spring training was delayed.
Then I did manage a couple marathons in the spring, Newport News and Salibury. I was happy with my results though they were not my best time. I love those two races and they were on my list for a long time and finally was able to run them. I linked to their reports. Then I ran the Massanutten 100 (MMT) as I was returning to a good running shape. Though I did not finish the race, but it was the high point because it was a hard race and I gave it my best shot. It helped later in the year. MMT was supposed my A+ race.
After MMT, I tried to reset quickly. During the summer, I trained and ran the Iron Mountain 50 (IMTR). It was also another high point to see if I could beat the course 12 hour time limit. I did not succeed but it was also a valuable lesson that I need to be better. And it propeled me into a strong fall season. I also ran Grandmas in Minnesota for fun. I had fun.
There was no time to be upset about Iron Mountain. I was not much upset by it. A failed attempt is a failed attempt. Do better next time. Yes, I waited four years to run it, but there is always a next year. Iron Mountain was not an A race, but it was very close there, like a consolation prize. (I don’t really plan for B races).
Things picked up fast in the fall. It was like I got an extra boost. I did a race almost every weekend. They were not hard per se but many were adventurous. I traveled to places like Ann Arbor and Atlantic City. They were places I have never been to. It is one of the reasons I like doing the 50 states marathons, to visit different places. There were many other races I did and they were all great, but they are just too many for me to remember and name them here. (I will try to find links to my spring plan, summer plan, and fall review and plan, where I mentioned some of them).
A few of the races that stood out were the Stone Mill 50 and then JFK 50 and of course the Devil Dog 100. They were my biggest races. I could not imagine of even doing one, even last year much less all three together. I trained a whole season just for one event in the past.
Devil Dog was the best because it was last and is in a league of its own. I can’t say enough. It was the most intense and most gratifying. My mind is blown away by it. I did finish and that probably made it a great year. It was as if I came back with vengence to redeem my last year failed attempt and the two earlier races of this year. I want to prove I can do it. It was a risky plan because the implication if I have failed again is huge and that was a reason I did not say anything about either the JFK or the Devil Dog, but I made a lot of noise about Stone Mill as a diversion.
I still wish though to give a list of marathons I ran this year. Originally, this post was going to do it, but I got bored when I was about to get started. Maybe will leave this for another time. I ran maybe 5 or 6 of them. The list of all my races is somewhere on here or the internet, but I like to make some comments and reflection on them.
Marathons do get easier now (this year). I did feel nervous when I ran Newport News, and other marathons but by the time I did the NCR (last one of this year), I was completely confident that I could finish. Even running a 50 mile is easier for me now at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year. My perspective shifted after completing the Devil Dog. I guess with trainings, the body can be conditioned to make the run seems easy.
I still remember not long ago, I was thinking how could people run a two marathon distance in one day and I was amazed by that at the Roanoke Marathon where some runners signed up to do just that. I get exhausted just doing one. I know it is all about pacing, but still to my early days, it was impossible. I want to say 100 miles too is the same but I think, a 100 mile is a different beast. Spoiler: I will finally attempt doing a double marathon in Roanoke next Spring (already registered).
Anyway, this weekend, if weather holds up, I will be doing a 50k “recovery” run (Naked Nick) in Pennsylvania. Should be an easy run. A race report will be available later. Question is can I do it? I don’t know. I only had two “runs” since my 100 mile race. When I said runs, they were more like a walk. OK we’ll see. Don’t ask why I signed up a race so close following my one hundred. I agree I am out of my mind sometimes.
ps. or fyi. Seneca Greenway 50K registration opened two days ago. This is my favorite. Also I am thinking of fitting Shamrock Yuengling Marathon in my schedule. Yes, time for signing up more races when I have nothing to do.
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.
The Devil Dog is so much for me to debrief in a go. I might need some time, maybe some weeks later. It was a good race is all I got to say for now. Here below is an entry I wrote probably back in October (the airport trip) but did not get a chance to post.
I am at the end of a long series of blog posts that started around at the end of summer. At first I did not mean for it to be a theme for the fall, but now fall is over, so I like to close it with this entry, to put a lid on.
It all started when I had a lot of thoughts prompted by a friend of exactly why I love running (day502) and a lot of things were going on at the same time because I entered one of the busiest race schedule I have ever done my life. I tried to write them down as much as possible and saved them for later postings because I did not want to overwhelm the site with too many postings at once. There was a time I posted evert day, though now I try to keep to usually 2 posts, and maybe a third very short post, which usually announcing something I am very excited about, e.g., like the Waterfall 50K at the beginning of the year (WTF50).
I entered the fall season with a bunch of races. There were too many for me to remember. I enjoyed going to Ann Arbor. And recently I went to Atlantic City. This reminded me that I should do a post, listing just all the marathons I did this year. I think I did about 6-7 marathons.
I did a couple 12 hour/ 24 hour runs. I did the Iron Mountain and Rock n the Knob race. I love both of these races.
Then there were a bunch of training runs for the Stone Mill 50. The final report already posted. Originally, this post was to be published first before that one. However, I was too excited about that race, and posted that one first.
If you ask is there is a crescedo from all the races to a finale, the answer is maybe. This fall season is definitely something, unlike any previous year and I am not exhausted yet, and I hope I won’t burnout again like last year. I clearly remember by this time of year, I was. I have the Devil Dog coming up still but I am not sure if that will be the highest peak of this season. It will definitely be my hardest race this year other than MMT or Iron Mountain. These three races are the high points of this year (MMT in the late spring, Iron Mountian in the end of summer, and the Devil Dog at the end of fall (if we can still call it fall!) Maybe it will be a finale. I want it to be, but then who knows.
If readers did not see the hypes leading up, that is fine. I have not been focusing too much on the Devil Dog. I was kind of keeping it at a low profile and hiding it in plain sight. That’s right. Because, I am afraid of running in this race.
Now to the main topic, a few weeks ago, I asked myself whether there is a lesson in any of this. I kind of seeing a pattern from my running and writing reports of them.
I had reread some of them whenever I write some reports that referencing to some earlier posts.
In a way, I do know all what I have written but I am also so forgetful. To me, I am felt like drowning in the water called life, and from time to time I resurface and am able to breathe again. It give me a moment of clarity. Then I resubmerge in the world of forgetfulness again. This is not a lesson but an observation.
I also note my work and recreation is also similar. Work is killing me. My weekend is what restore me. I do enjoy my work but often time it is a part of my life I don’t want to talk about. We work maybe 5 days a week and we have two days of rest. My weekend is like when I feel alive again. Specifically, running makes me feel alive.
It is my fear that I will forget something like who I am and what I was doing. I have to write then down. There might be a brief moment of clarity in the middle of this. I tried to capture that. When I reread my own blog, I said yes, I remember now, that was what I was trying to do.
It is funny how fast I forget thing. Sometimes when I reread my blog, it was like seeing things for the first time. And then the memories from the event start to reform.
Also the stuff I write, sometimes they are repetitive. Maybe life is like that. We do things again and again. Maybe we go through a cycle. We often do not realize that. We have been there done that.
When I reread my blog entries, I noted that I want every race to be uniquely special. And Yes they are. Sometimes, it is not really so significant, but I make as if they are the best race in the world. They were to me. This is my sixth (and maybe 7th) year since I started running (I lost count).
This season, some races I have done them for the third time, like Rock-n-the Knob and many other races. There’s got to be some what different this time. I don’t know. Usually, I forget immediately after I have done them. I retain some vague memory. If a race is a repeat, the memory gets overlapped. I might mess up recalling which year is which. But thank to WP, my blog, things get recorded. It is fun for me to pull up a prior year race to do a comparison.
Couple days ago I was thinking what all my races could teach me or improve me as a person. I threw my hands up. They don’t teach anything. Maybe I could beat them into something of a life lesson. Because I spent so much time thinking about races, I see my life too as a racing event. But I don’t like to think like that.
Life is a race. We all running to somewhere trying achieve something. My bucket list items are like the Aid Stations on the course. Do I want to stop and get help or do I bypassing them? I hope I stop long enough to smell the roses.
I feel my 9-5 job is like running too. I work without seeing the end of it. My weekend is my break or my aid station.
I have been learning how to balance work and recreation. The time I spend at work, I don’t remember much. But the time I spend away from work is something I like to write about. All these posts here are what I do on the weekend.
I don’t know if that makes any sense. Sometimes I run without reasons but when I read my blog, I then remember oh that is why I am doing it. I think when I write my blog, I try to give meaning to my races. It is part of story telling, but in truth, a run is just another run. I could do them mindlessly.
Kind of an addentum: Other things that happened but I won’t write a post on, at least for now – I spent a weekend cleaning my room. Yes, I should do this every weekend. My roommate has moved out, and I kind of spending the time to rearranging the house and stuff. There are some long stories like we discovered a bee nest outside. I haven’t taken care to destroy the nest yet (I hate doing it because it didn’t bother me and bees are good insects, but my neighbor didn’t want the nest around).
Yes, meh, I don’t like doing chores. Getting my room to be what I want it to be is a big deal to me. I felt I like ran a marathon.
Second, the artists I supported on twitch have gone on a hiatus. This did affect my fall training in a good way. I guess I had more time to train. Why I brought it up is it has been a significant time and money sink. I was thinking to get some art for the house. This is open ended. I got some already but haven’t put them up.
Third, my car has a recall where the gas tank could fall off. Yes I should have taken care of that during the last few months, but had not. These are the stuffs that were on my mind, yep, nothing related to running, but real life stuff.
I guess I have to conclude the post somehow. Yes, these are real life stuffs I don’t want to deal with. Real life is messy. I like running and did a lot of them. Running is fun and simple. It was fun for the past season. There were a lot going on. We got through the fall season. The first post (on day 502) I had, I thought it was going be a brief interlude but many things since happened. Here we are.
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.
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 2018report. It offers an interesting perspective of my early days marathon run.
At Mile 19 Aid Station, the Frederick Steeple Chasers
Happy thanksgiving! I know Canadians had it last month and other countries probably have it on a different date or some don’t have it at all.
This day always slips by me so fast and that I am not quite ready to answer. The question is of course, what are we thankful for this year. It might be different for you.
So much have happened! I have done a few looking back year end entries already such as my blog aniversary not long ago (link if I remember or not too lazy).
Truly, it should be a day to pause and be grateful to our Creator — first of, a reason for being alive. Also it should be a time look at the meaning or purpose for our life. Further, we should be appreciative of life and the bountiful harvest of the year. I do acknowledge our pluralistic society. One can show appreciation toward life in other ways.
While running the JFK the past weekend, it occured to me, I was able to run it and I should not take it for granted. It was so simple. I was able to enjoy my run and that was a blessing.
The purpose of the race was not to see how fast we could do a 50 mile – I think the first place finished it in 5 and half hours. It took me almost twice as long. Time is important, but simply to be able to run it was an honor. I know a friend who ran this 8 times but this time did not finish under the time constraint, still it was an achievement for her to finish it regardless if it is under 13 hours or not.
The reason I was able to run it was a testament of being healthy. I wish I could run even faster, but they were saying how many people out there can run a 50 mile in one go! I did two 50 mile races on a back to back weekend. And I hope to do more this weekend and the next! I’ve reached a level a few years ago I would only dream of. I know I won’t be here at this peak for long.
Yes I am being thankful for good Health. Also during the run and it was such a long run. It brought to mind, like I wish I could get to heaven where everything is well and not more problems and such. Then I quickly came to realize that it is impossible. We can’t rush the divine time table. Like with my race, I know I would eventually get to the end. All I got to do is run my race.
Of course, we should be thankful for being able to breath, and do the things we enjoy. Things we can only do when we are alive!
Also, I had few friends who came out to support me! The first year, they were spectators and this year they ran along side of me. It was such a joy when they could come along and got the full taste of the ultra running experience!
There were a few other people I know on the course. Caroline, Trevor, Billy, Gretchen and so forth.
I was not trying to be mr. popular, but having people recognized me gives that validation, that I exist and I mean something to them. Caroline is a great friend who always reaches out to me and sharing with me her life story! There were a few others from the MMT community who are also very personal and endearing!
Similarly during the race, when I saw a runner in a funk, I told them, I see them and I am running with them through their lows.
I know someone who one said to me “I appreciate you!” and it just made my day. I can’t make a worldwide impact at once, but I if I can make a person cheer up, that will be enough! I told the runner, I see you! I don’t care if the runner then suddenly catch a second wind from my encouragements and then beat me to the finish. I have been in the lows too.
The year was not without troubles. I had setbacks, setbacks in my relationship with others, with my career, with my finance, and with my running. Especially with my running! I DNF’d three times (Devil Dog, MMT, and Iron Mountain). They left a hole in my heart. Oh, I am being dramatic! But it is true, sorrow does leave it marks. I compared myself to others. Why did that person is able to do it and I couldn’t? I can tell myself I will get stronger next time, but what if I can and won’t? Oh big woof, and too bad, some people tell me to get over it. I am thankful for the harsh critics too.
I guess, I have to be thankful for setbacks too. It humbled me. I am not always strong. I couldn’t always win. When I do and when I finish the race, it made it all so satisfying.
Because it means qualitative growth! I sometimes ask myself, have I improved at all? I could speak of running! I am getting slower and slower each year and it is heartbreaking to ask have I improved? JFK50 shown how my experience in my ultra running helps me finish the race. I was lucky to get a PR, but what more satisfying was realizing the experiences I gained from my previous failures.
There will be many more reasons to be thankful of and I will ponder them as I spend time with my family over the holiday. Yes, some will ask, why I am always talking about running even with the thanksgiving! it is because…well let leave it at that.
“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.
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.
Things are kind of out of order. This post comes before my Stone Mill report. I tried to keep my November schedule simple but things are getting complicated. Not due to any outside factors but completely this is my own doing.
You see, I got a couple secret agendas going on.
Yes these are all about races if anyone chooses to guess. I don’t know why I do this to myself.
Initially I have only one race. Stone Mill 50, that was set in stone (pun intended), back in March or something. Nothing would change that. My fall schedule has been quite empty except for training runs.
Then you know I started to get trigger happy. I signed up for MMT on Halloween. That was no secret I wanted to redo that race.
Then, I also have Richmond Marathon that was supposed to take place on the same day of Stone Mill 50. I got a problem. I couldn’t be in two places at the same time. I knew this when I signed up for Stone Mill. I decided to ditch the Richmond Marathon for Stone Mill back then.
But the wheel in my head started turning. What if I run Richmond as a virtual race. I will still do 26.2 miles but I will do it on another day. I had it set to be the first Saturday of November. I would go down to Richmond to run it on the actual course. It would be fun. That was suppose to be a secret and after the run I will break the news.
Because I am writing this, so it did not happen. I signed up at last minute to run The Bobcat 11 mile run at the Catoctin Park (I don’t remember the actual name, might have been Cunningham Falls State Park or something). It was on the trail I did the Catoctin 50k, one of the hardest 50K I’ve ever done. As readers know, I love hard races. So I signed up. I said I will take care of the Richmond Marathon in another day (the following day was the plan). Bobcat was as amazing as it could be. It was probably the hardest 11 miles I ever did. I really wanted to write a race report for this, but life happened. Sunday came around and I was dead tired. There’s no time now.
Anyway, I still got the Richmond problem. Only weekends left are this coming weekend and the following, Thanksgiving. I don’t want to go away on Thanksgiving, you know because everything will be closed.
But guess what! I signed up for another race for this coming weekend. It is also a long story. I signed up after finishing Stone Mill. By the way, Stone Mill race report is coming out soon. I just can’t wait to post this big secret of mine. I will be running the JFK 50 miler this weekend! And I just signed up possibly to avoid going to Richmond.
So I am in between a rock and a hard place. I think I can do the JFK. I am healthy. I will finish. I am 90% confident I will be able to pull it off. Yes, I still have the Richmond problem. For now, I kick it down for couple more weeks.
I am both excited and it will be a challenge to run two 50 mile races on a back to back weekend. This race will be epic! I just don’t have the time to lay out why so. Just take my words for it. This is my first time to do an impulse race sign up. No no, my second time. I signed up last year Stone Mill at the last minute and this year I am doing it to JFK. I have gone out of mind. I need help!
Did I foresee this? Yes, totally, back in Spring, but I just did not have the gut to put them on my race schedule.
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.
In awe 