I’ve been quite busy (and lazy) lately, but finally got a chance to do something I like a lot this weekend, and that is racing!
Last weekend (two weekends ago by time this is published): Helped out at the Reverse Ring 70. Nothing much to share on here. I loved to be out on the Massanutten trail. It was tiring but happy at the same time to see runners reaching their goals.
I helped out at the event for two years in a row. I needed it for my Vermont 100 volunteering hours. Hopefully, next year I will get to run the Reverse Ring. It is a hard a 70 miler in the winter with minimal supports. The only way to get a spot on the start list is first to finish the summer version called the Ring (from the movie/book the Lord of the Ring). It is exactly the same trail/course but in the opposite direction. Some say the summer version is the harder one. I think the winter one is harder because of the cold temperature.
This weekend, I did a relatively cold run of 40 miler called Naked Bavarian (see last year’s report 2024). This is a similar race I ran in December called the Naked Nick 50k. We ran on the opposite side of the Blue Marsh Lake at Leesport, PA.
February version is definitely tougher due to the distance, cold temperature and more elevation gains (4000 ft for the 40 miler). We had also shorter time being available, about 10.5 hours to finish. I did it in 09:42 hh:mm, meaning tighter cutoffs, and so required us to run a bit faster. I had my doubts if I could finish it.
While a 50k is a normal distance, a 40 miler is an unusual distance to race. I like to race in whatever the distance, usually the longer the better.
I am sure the race director could have made it a 50k (30 miles) or extend it to a true 50 mile race. But 40 it was. So it was a bit difference in term of pacing and timing.
It was a two loop course. My first loop, I ran in 4:30, a good pace for me, 13.5 min pace (and 7 mins faster than last year). My second loop was way slower coming in at 05:15 (hh:mm), at a 15:45 min pace, moving 2-3 mins slower per mile.
I was hoping to finish under by 4:44 pm, a play on my friend’s bib number of 222, but I knew it was not possible. At 2:22 pm, I was near 27 mile, maybe at mile 26. By mile 30, the time was 3:33 pm, and I had 10 miles left to do it in about an hour, I would have to run in a 6:66 (~7) min per mile pace. I was probably moving about 15 min pace by then. At 4:44, I was still about 2 miles away. So, 5:15 was a more realistic goal, no 5:55 or 6:06.
The whole day, I thought I was the last runner. And I was probably the last except people started dropping after halfway.
Then I was able to pass a few runners after the first loop. I became friend with Mark, whom I ran with for the last two hours after mile 10. I was not sure if I could finished the first loop before 12:30 pm (5 hrs), by the cutoff, and he predicted we we were on pace for 4:30 for the first loop. I came in exactly at noon. We went out together. Later, I passed Mark after two miles.
Other thing I like was the lake was frozen over, even though temperature wise was around 40-45. I ran in shorts. I saw a lot of male runners in shorts so I braved the cold and wore shorts. My upper body though I put on a long sleeves and a t-shirt. I packed a windbreaker and by second loop I had to add a second long sleeves because the temperature was dropping back to low 30s and wind was picking up.
My friend had the warm car ready when I finished so I did not shiver too much. But it was cold. What a joy. We stopped for a steak dinner at an Outback. Yay food. And afterward was a sleepy ride back home.
Then the next day, we ran the Reston 10 Miler. We (or rather I) planned exactly that to run fast on tired feet. Not sure if this is the correct way, but I felt fast through out the 10 mile race. I felt I was steady gaining on people. I was averaging 11:05 (mm:ss) pace, and finished at a time of 1:50:42 (h:mm:ss).
I needed more fast runs (fast but on tired legs) like this to train up for the Old Dominion 100.
Then also, we added maybe another 7-10 miles brisk walk at the Manassas Battlefield. My legs were too sore to run by then. We then had Pho for lunch and another sleepy ride home. I slept for 16 hours till the next day. It was an exhausting weekend, just the way I like it.
Some asked if I keep a daily record of my training plans for my big races. Nope, this blog is it.
Other news: my friend Jeremy finished Swammie Shuffle 200. It was a race I wanted to do myself for couple years back as my first 200. So possibly next year, we will see me there.
In awe 