01 JUN -- 14:29 -- 1.30 miles -- 13 elevation gain
-- 15:24 -- 0.32 miles -- 1200 elevation gain (stairmaster)
-- 10:08 -- 1.29 miles -- 4 elevation gain
02 JUN -- 1:16:20 -- 10.03 miles -- 45 elevation gain
-- 7:54 -- 0.16 miles -- 605 elevation gain (stairmaster)
-- 9:25 -- 1.28 miles -- 4 elevation gain
03 JUN -- 11:54 -- 0.27 miles -- 1000 elevation gain
04 JUN -- 19:46 -- 3.01 miles -- 32 elevation gain
-- 22:18 -- 2.98 miles -- 13 elevation gain
05 JUN -- off -- played slow pitch softball
06 JUN -- 1:43:54 -- 13.51 miles -- 70 elevation gain
07 JUN -- 37:12 -- 5.09 miles -- 20 elevation gain
TOTAL -- 5:28:44 -- 39.24 miles -- 3006 elevation gain
I'll continue to track my runs to the gym, the stairmaster workout, and the run home afterwards as separate workouts on here, but I'm tracking them as one continuous workout in my statistics for the year. Although I stop my watch and reset it while I'm on the stairmaster, the whole workout is really just one run separated by a few doors and a flight of steps to the machine. I don't want my total number of runs for the year to be inflated, which would happen if I counted each Stairmaster workout as 3 separate runs. That's not confusing...
I'm finding that running around here continues to get more and more boring. It will be a constant struggle to find happiness in running on flat, long, boring stretches on base. There's a park outside the gate (Croatan National Forest) which has some cool trails from what I've seen and read online, but it's an hour and twenty minutes away - longer than my drive was to Shenandoah from our house in Fredericksburg. I've been aimlessly running down dirt roads and through tall grassy fields looking for some type of new adventure, but they almost always lead to concrete or one of a thousand dirt tank trails on base that all look the same. It's no use.
This week, I'm going to start training hard for elevation on a treadmill. Like many times in the past, Microsoft Excel has saved the planet by allowing me to plug and chug some simple numbers from the treadmill post-workout to tell me my elevation gain. Microsoft has my vote for President, but don't tell my iPhone...
I'm still thinking hard about signing up for some timed events in the summer or fall. I'd really like to do a 12-hour event - I've never done one and I'm curious to see how many miles I can cover. But I'm still not mentally comfortable with registering for any races. My work schedule will largely dictate my race schedule over the next few years anyway. Likewise, I'm still not keen on racing towards a finish line - those races aren't fun right now. If the Marine Corps would give me 3 months off then I'd already be in the rental car heading south to Springer Mountain in GA to tackle the Appalachian Trail...
Showing posts with label Appalachian Trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appalachian Trail. Show all posts
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
13-26 Apr
13 APR -- 26:10 -- 3.03 miles -- 16 elevation gain (another Physical Fitness Test)
14 APR -- off -- rest
15 APR -- stationary bike 5 miles
16 APR -- swim 1600 meters
17 APR -- stationary bike 6 miles (morning)
-- upper body weightlifting (afternoon)
18 APR -- off
19 APR -- off
TOTAL -- 26:10 -- 3.03 miles -- 16 elevation gain
A total of 16 feet of elevation for the week is an all-time low! Took a full week to recover from Bull Run, except for the 3-mile PFT on Monday morning.
20 APR -- 10:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 145 elevation gain
21 APR -- swim 1600 meters (morning)
-- upper body weightlifting (afternoon)
22 APR -- 31:21 -- 4.08 miles -- 192 elevation gain
23 APR -- 9:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 75 elevation gain
24 APR -- off
25 APR -- 9:08:17 -- 58.71 miles -- 884 elevation gain (C&O Canal 100)
26 APR -- 45:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 89 elevation gain
TOTAL -- 10:43:38 -- 65.79 miles -- 1385 elevation gain
So, another drop from C&O Canal 100 on Saturday. I hit the 50 mile mark at 7:40:00 and was feeling great all the way to the point where I dropped. I should have kept running - I felt really good, my legs were feeling good, I had a lot left in the tank, I was in third place, and I was on pace to break 16 hours if I kept my pace below 9:30 per mile. I just didn't care whether or not I finished the race, so I stopped and went home...
I believe I've hit a point in ultraRACING where it isn't fun anymore, but ultraRUNNING still has my deepest interests. It really bothered me to know that I would (most likely) have finished under 17 hours, possibly even under 16 hours, and there's no fun in that. Most of you, as you read this, are thinking I'm an idiot for giving up such a great race with a great time, and you're right. But I just don't care to say "I did it." Also, an overwhelming feeling of guilt swept over me the last few miles that I did run, and I felt that I needed to be home with my family instead of being selfish and chasing meaningless goals all weekend. I hope you don't take offense to that. It's how I feel about ultraRACING at this point. Simply put, my racing hobby isn't aligning with my personal interests right now.
Maybe I raced too much over the past few years and sucked all the fun out of it. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself to beat my watch every race. Who knows. But what I do know is that I'm done racing for awhile. I still really enjoy testing my body through endurance running and I don't intend to stop training, but I'll be training only to satisfy my personal curiosities about pushing my body to the limits. I might race once in awhile with some friends or to keep my ultraracing flame burning, but I won't be racing every month anymore. Right now my priorities are spending time with family, preparing to change jobs, finishing my MBA, and watching my son discover the world.
I have aspirations of finding new limits and finding new ways to incorporate endurance running in my life. I want to run across the country one day, the long way, not the short way. I'm talking San Diego to Boston, or Seattle to Miami. And I won't be finishing in Times Square with a hoard of media and cameras. I'll probably walk the last day with my son on a skateboard and my wife dragging my ass the rest of the way to the coastline.
Maybe I'll run the entire Appalachian Trail. Or, maybe I'll make my own damn challenge and run wherever I want. I'd really like to be a college professor one day and take a sabbatical to complete some nonsensical running challenge for 6 months and call it "research."
I also wouldn't mind having my own television show where I travel around the globe running the best trails and eating the best foods, all while giving viewers a glimpse of the life of an endurance athlete. As popular as ultrarunning has become over the past few years, there are still masses of people around the world who can't fathom that someone could run 50 miles in one day, let alone 100 miles in 16 hours. Those folks should be exposed to our culture. Maybe this show would be inspiring to people. Maybe it could show people that they can go almost anywhere and do almost anything with just their two legs. Or that people can do something amazing with nothing more than a pair of shoes and a little desire to push the limits of what they thought was possible. I'd give Anthony Bourdain a run for his money.
My high school baseball coach used to say that it takes no talent to hustle, and he couldn't have been more right! It really doesn't take any talent to run, only the motivation and desire to do so. You don't need to be fast or look good while you do it, trust me. I ran my first 50 mile race in basketball shorts and basketball shoes, and I was unaware that I looked like a clown in my headband and cotton t-shirt. I'm telling you...anyone can go run 50 miles today, right now. It might take you 20 hours, and you might have to walk the last 40 miles, but you can go cover 50 miles of ground right now!
For me, I'm doing some searching deep down to find a new challenge to test my personal limits. My 10,000 hours study will continue, without a doubt. I'll continue running because I truly enjoy the sport, but I'm done racing and done executing race-specific training until I can find new ways to challenge myself. I have no interest in achieving new PRs at any ultra distances, and I won't be trying to win any races anytime soon. I am, however, intrigued about where else my feet can take me. I look forward to new trails, new locations, and new opportunities to test myself when we move to North Carolina in a few weeks. I'm going to really miss Shenandoah National Park, Buck Hollow trail, Hazel Mountain, Prince William Forest, Quantico base trails, and all the other places I've been running around in VA since 2012, but it's time for a change and time to find new places to run (not that I had a choice).
Lastly, I'm honestly amazed that over 1,000 people have read my most recent post about 10,000 hours of ultrarunning. I hope that all of those readers enjoyed it and that it stirred up conversations within groups of runners. It's a shame that NOBODY left a comment though. Strange. I was really hoping to create some dialogue and that someone would call me out for something so that we could continue with an academic and professional discussion about an interesting topic. I've heard that a few folks left comments on Facebook somewhere - it's unfortunate that I don't have Facebook... I suppose I'll never know whether I'm onto something or if I have tunnel vision and I'm lost somewhere out in right field.
14 APR -- off -- rest
15 APR -- stationary bike 5 miles
16 APR -- swim 1600 meters
17 APR -- stationary bike 6 miles (morning)
-- upper body weightlifting (afternoon)
18 APR -- off
19 APR -- off
TOTAL -- 26:10 -- 3.03 miles -- 16 elevation gain
A total of 16 feet of elevation for the week is an all-time low! Took a full week to recover from Bull Run, except for the 3-mile PFT on Monday morning.
20 APR -- 10:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 145 elevation gain
21 APR -- swim 1600 meters (morning)
-- upper body weightlifting (afternoon)
22 APR -- 31:21 -- 4.08 miles -- 192 elevation gain
23 APR -- 9:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 75 elevation gain
24 APR -- off
25 APR -- 9:08:17 -- 58.71 miles -- 884 elevation gain (C&O Canal 100)
26 APR -- 45:00 -- 1.00 miles -- 89 elevation gain
TOTAL -- 10:43:38 -- 65.79 miles -- 1385 elevation gain
So, another drop from C&O Canal 100 on Saturday. I hit the 50 mile mark at 7:40:00 and was feeling great all the way to the point where I dropped. I should have kept running - I felt really good, my legs were feeling good, I had a lot left in the tank, I was in third place, and I was on pace to break 16 hours if I kept my pace below 9:30 per mile. I just didn't care whether or not I finished the race, so I stopped and went home...
I believe I've hit a point in ultraRACING where it isn't fun anymore, but ultraRUNNING still has my deepest interests. It really bothered me to know that I would (most likely) have finished under 17 hours, possibly even under 16 hours, and there's no fun in that. Most of you, as you read this, are thinking I'm an idiot for giving up such a great race with a great time, and you're right. But I just don't care to say "I did it." Also, an overwhelming feeling of guilt swept over me the last few miles that I did run, and I felt that I needed to be home with my family instead of being selfish and chasing meaningless goals all weekend. I hope you don't take offense to that. It's how I feel about ultraRACING at this point. Simply put, my racing hobby isn't aligning with my personal interests right now.
Maybe I raced too much over the past few years and sucked all the fun out of it. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself to beat my watch every race. Who knows. But what I do know is that I'm done racing for awhile. I still really enjoy testing my body through endurance running and I don't intend to stop training, but I'll be training only to satisfy my personal curiosities about pushing my body to the limits. I might race once in awhile with some friends or to keep my ultraracing flame burning, but I won't be racing every month anymore. Right now my priorities are spending time with family, preparing to change jobs, finishing my MBA, and watching my son discover the world.
I have aspirations of finding new limits and finding new ways to incorporate endurance running in my life. I want to run across the country one day, the long way, not the short way. I'm talking San Diego to Boston, or Seattle to Miami. And I won't be finishing in Times Square with a hoard of media and cameras. I'll probably walk the last day with my son on a skateboard and my wife dragging my ass the rest of the way to the coastline.
Maybe I'll run the entire Appalachian Trail. Or, maybe I'll make my own damn challenge and run wherever I want. I'd really like to be a college professor one day and take a sabbatical to complete some nonsensical running challenge for 6 months and call it "research."
I also wouldn't mind having my own television show where I travel around the globe running the best trails and eating the best foods, all while giving viewers a glimpse of the life of an endurance athlete. As popular as ultrarunning has become over the past few years, there are still masses of people around the world who can't fathom that someone could run 50 miles in one day, let alone 100 miles in 16 hours. Those folks should be exposed to our culture. Maybe this show would be inspiring to people. Maybe it could show people that they can go almost anywhere and do almost anything with just their two legs. Or that people can do something amazing with nothing more than a pair of shoes and a little desire to push the limits of what they thought was possible. I'd give Anthony Bourdain a run for his money.
My high school baseball coach used to say that it takes no talent to hustle, and he couldn't have been more right! It really doesn't take any talent to run, only the motivation and desire to do so. You don't need to be fast or look good while you do it, trust me. I ran my first 50 mile race in basketball shorts and basketball shoes, and I was unaware that I looked like a clown in my headband and cotton t-shirt. I'm telling you...anyone can go run 50 miles today, right now. It might take you 20 hours, and you might have to walk the last 40 miles, but you can go cover 50 miles of ground right now!
For me, I'm doing some searching deep down to find a new challenge to test my personal limits. My 10,000 hours study will continue, without a doubt. I'll continue running because I truly enjoy the sport, but I'm done racing and done executing race-specific training until I can find new ways to challenge myself. I have no interest in achieving new PRs at any ultra distances, and I won't be trying to win any races anytime soon. I am, however, intrigued about where else my feet can take me. I look forward to new trails, new locations, and new opportunities to test myself when we move to North Carolina in a few weeks. I'm going to really miss Shenandoah National Park, Buck Hollow trail, Hazel Mountain, Prince William Forest, Quantico base trails, and all the other places I've been running around in VA since 2012, but it's time for a change and time to find new places to run (not that I had a choice).
Lastly, I'm honestly amazed that over 1,000 people have read my most recent post about 10,000 hours of ultrarunning. I hope that all of those readers enjoyed it and that it stirred up conversations within groups of runners. It's a shame that NOBODY left a comment though. Strange. I was really hoping to create some dialogue and that someone would call me out for something so that we could continue with an academic and professional discussion about an interesting topic. I've heard that a few folks left comments on Facebook somewhere - it's unfortunate that I don't have Facebook... I suppose I'll never know whether I'm onto something or if I have tunnel vision and I'm lost somewhere out in right field.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
29 Dec-04 Jan
29 DEC -- 41:02 -- 4.12 miles -- 213 elevation gain (road run with my brother)
30 DEC -- 33:44 -- 5.02 miles -- 268 elevation gain (road run without my brother)
31 DEC -- off -- rest
01 JAN -- 4:39:08 -- 30.87 miles -- 2001 elevation gain (Red Eye 50k, finished 3rd overall)
02 JAN -- off -- rest
03 JAN -- 2:24:34 -- 6.85 miles -- 2013 elevation gain (Shenandoah was covered in ice!)
04 JAN -- 1:12:31 -- 10.08 miles -- 328 elevation gain
TOTAL -- 9:30:59 -- 56.94 miles -- 4823 elevation gain
All in all, not a bad week. The Red Eye 50k was great! Perfect weather, good friends, great course, and Gary did a great job as the Race Director, as expected. The run on Saturday in Shenandoah was kind of a bummer. It was raining at the trailhead at the base of the mountains but the trail got more and more slippery as we climbed towards the top. Eventually, freezing rain and sleet stopped us in our tracks and we expended most of our energy simply trying to stay on our feet. Gary and I started at 0530 while the rest of the pack (Alex, Jack, Dave R., Bruce, Paul, Dave Y., Bernard, and Eva) started at 0600. Some pictures:
To even my own surprise, I threw my name in the lottery for the Massanutten 100 this year. I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to register for 3 Days at the Fair or MMT again, so I'll let the lottery system decide for me. Other potential races: Thomas Jefferson 100k, Bull Run Run 50 (lottery dependent), and a FKT attempt at the entire length of the AT through Shenandoah (roughly 110 miles). Grad school classes start up again 12 Jan, work continues to be demanding, and Elijah is simply too fun to be around - but, somewhere between all those competing requirements, I'll squeeze in time to train. For now, time to fold laundry and read.
30 DEC -- 33:44 -- 5.02 miles -- 268 elevation gain (road run without my brother)
31 DEC -- off -- rest
01 JAN -- 4:39:08 -- 30.87 miles -- 2001 elevation gain (Red Eye 50k, finished 3rd overall)
02 JAN -- off -- rest
03 JAN -- 2:24:34 -- 6.85 miles -- 2013 elevation gain (Shenandoah was covered in ice!)
04 JAN -- 1:12:31 -- 10.08 miles -- 328 elevation gain
TOTAL -- 9:30:59 -- 56.94 miles -- 4823 elevation gain
All in all, not a bad week. The Red Eye 50k was great! Perfect weather, good friends, great course, and Gary did a great job as the Race Director, as expected. The run on Saturday in Shenandoah was kind of a bummer. It was raining at the trailhead at the base of the mountains but the trail got more and more slippery as we climbed towards the top. Eventually, freezing rain and sleet stopped us in our tracks and we expended most of our energy simply trying to stay on our feet. Gary and I started at 0530 while the rest of the pack (Alex, Jack, Dave R., Bruce, Paul, Dave Y., Bernard, and Eva) started at 0600. Some pictures:
To even my own surprise, I threw my name in the lottery for the Massanutten 100 this year. I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to register for 3 Days at the Fair or MMT again, so I'll let the lottery system decide for me. Other potential races: Thomas Jefferson 100k, Bull Run Run 50 (lottery dependent), and a FKT attempt at the entire length of the AT through Shenandoah (roughly 110 miles). Grad school classes start up again 12 Jan, work continues to be demanding, and Elijah is simply too fun to be around - but, somewhere between all those competing requirements, I'll squeeze in time to train. For now, time to fold laundry and read.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Recount #8: JFK 50 Mile
Way late on this one...my bad
The JFK 50 Mile marked my entrance into the ultrarunning world in 2007. I had no idea what I was doing 6 years ago. I ran the race in basketball shorts because they had pockets for which I could store M&M's. My red, white and blue headband kept my head somewhat warm, along with my fancy cotton t-shirt. I didn't carry water because I thought I'd be good. I didn't leave my Dad with a map or any information about the race.
(God bless my father, by the way...he found every aid station. He probably used his handy Rand McNally trucker's edition atlas to get around. I would imagine he made a lot of new friends as well, since he had to ask where the aid stations were located. I'm sure he got in a nap or two, but he was there every time. Once he found an aid station he would walk backwards on the course to find me. Once I caught up to him, he would run with me to the aid station...in works boots, blue jeans, a Carhartt jacket and a Nascar hat. He never even bitched about how slow I was, how long he was waiting, or how far he had walked just to find my sorry ass. I love you, Pops.)
Back to the crappy story I was telling...In 2007, I sprinted the first 3 miles up the hill to the AT. I managed to stay on my feet along the AT, but I was pretty gassed once I hit the C&O Canal. I was unfamiliar with the route, so I didn't realize I ran past two major battlefields (Harper's Ferry then Antietam). I didn't know I needed food or salt, so I obviously didn't have any of either. I didn't have a jacket. My basketball shoes held up until my knees started aching. Luckily, I ran into a guy named Dave Snipes who "saved my race." After knowing Dave for 6 years now, I've discovered that he "saved someone's race" every race...But that time, to his credit, he actually did save my race. He picked me up on the AT around mile 9 and stuck with me until mile 35-ish when I decided to wait in line at a port-a-jon in the middle of the woods. At some point he handed me a little pill and told me it would make me feel better. I was in a bad place, so I asked no questions as I swallowed it with some of the delicious tea he carried. What kind of idiot carries a bottle of tea all day? Whatever...down the hatch. After I took my turn in the jon, life got better. My quads felt better and I wasn't struggling as much. Naturally, I took off sprinting. After 3 miles I waited in line at another jon, cursing Snipes and his dumb pills aloud to a girl named Summer. She was also struggling and waiting in line for the jon. I would run the last 20 miles with her.
In any event (this is a classic phrase my grandfather uses routinely, had to fit it in), Summer and I did the walk/run shuffle and finished around 10 hours.
In 2013, I was a little more experienced. I knew that those pills were called Endurolytes, and that they are key to a successful race. Also, I knew that M&M's provide the wrong type of sugar needed to get through 50 miles of running. Basketball shorts were replaced with a comfortable pair of Adidas running shorts (still, they had a pocket). Basketball shoes don't even exist in my house anymore, so I wore my Hoka One One Mafate 3's. No headband - they serve no purpose. Instead, I wore my trademark "I Like it Dirty" snap-back I picked up at Spencer's as a gag gift to myself. Of course, I had to sport my VHTRC, baby blue, long-sleeved technical shirt to represent! And...my photographer had maps, course information, driving directions, extra water bottles (since I'm an "idiot" and carry those now), and a $4 tote from Wally World full of Endurolytes and gels and such. In 2013, I was ready to set a PR at the 50 mile distance...
We left from home in Fredericksburg around 0430, knowing traffic wouldn't be too bad that early in the day. However, I-95 can never be trusted - we still tapped the breaks once or twice as we neared the nation's capital. We arrived early, though, with plenty of time to check in and get to the start line. I knew check in would be crowded, so I had my photographer park by the exit of the Boonsboro High School parking lot. Most people walk from the school to the start line downtown, but I wanted Kari to be able to stay warm as long as possible, so we drove down after I had my race packet in hand. Front row parking was available 30 minutes before the race, so we took the closest spot and watched everyone else walk through the field and flood the streets.
Staying warm in the car
Downtown Boonsboro
Just waiting...
Apparently, there was a national anthem and a count down, but we never heard either. All we heard was "Go!" followed by cow bells and hoots and hollers. After a kiss and a few selfies my photographer dismissed me for the day:
The race had already started...
It was also during my time with Ian that we saw a full-frontal of a female runner squatting to do a #1 on the side of the trail. Her and I were chatting a bit as we climbed the road to the AT earlier in the race, but I won't disclose her name. It's not like she had a choice anyway - November in Maryland means leafless trees with no concealment to do your business. I didn't even mean to look, but some things just catch your eye, ya know?
My journey down the tow path started out just as I had expected - boring, uneventful, yet fast! I was knocking off 8-minute miles and working towards a strong finishing time. Just after the bridge into Harper's Ferry I ran into Mike Campbell, a seasoned vet in the ultrarunning community and a fellow VHTRC-er. Mike - you need to sport your baby blue next year. After we exchanged pleasantries I pressed on. He would finish strong in 9:36, not bad for 63 years old.
Kari and I planned out the day in the morning, so I knew I wouldn't see her until the Antietam Aqueduct aid station at mile 27. Here is her map, drawn to scale, of course:
Her plan was to tour the two battlefields to take sweet pictures; Harper's Ferry in the morning, Antietam in the afternoon. Here are some pictures she took while I was running:
Dang selfie
Near Bloody Lane
Bloody Lane
Burnside Bridge
The plan went accordingly and she met me at mile 27 with goodies and a kiss, as always.
I thought I wouldn't see her again until mile 38, but she surprised me at the next aid station with another kiss. During the short 4-5 mile stretch between those two aid stations I hit a low patch and started dragging my feet, almost literally. A kiss is expected, but it's always the pat on the butt that increases my morale and gets me moving again.
During the next stretch of boring nothingness along the canal, I chatted with anyone willing to converse with a man wearing a hat that says "I Like it Dirty." Chatting with other runners always takes your mind of running. For a mile or so, when my knees and ankles were screaming, I would walk/run and simply try to keep moving. Eventually, I came upon a gentlemen running his 11th JFK 50 miler. He knees were hurting equally as bad as mine. I asked him why he didn't stop at 10 finishes, and he explained that Mike Spinnler (the race director) makes 10-time finishers attend the race one more time in order to pick up their 10-time finisher award. Really? I mean, that's a good marketing technique to ensure people keep coming back for more canal path torture, but this gentlemen came down from Canada! Maybe he didn't want to run it again...does that mean he wouldn't get his 10-time finisher award? Are FedEx shipping prices that outrageous these days, that he couldn't ship it to the guy? Interesting.
At the end of the tow path I took a right and headed up a hill into a residential area. The first house I came upon featured a dedicated JFK fan. He was chilling in his driveway and had erected a table full of Bud Light. He offered me a pounder and it was so hard to refuse. If it would have been a 12-ouncer I might have been willing to carry the lighter load...
Despite the fact that my Mafate 3's are tough, rugged trail shoes, they held their own during the final miles on the roads. Whether it be trail, asphalt, sand, gravel, grass...it's still like running on little pillows.
I saw my photographer one final time at mile 46:
By then it was roughly 3:00 in the afternoon and the wind was howling. I grabbed my $5 Nike Golf jacket I found on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx a few years ago. Yep, I'm a Maxxinista.
The trifecta of struggles
It did the trick and blocked those cold gusts coming across the corn fields and cow pastures towards the end of the race. Kari drove past me just after the aid station and snapped a quick photo:
Mile 46.5-ish
The last few miles were tough, as they generally are in a 50-mile race. Although my core was staying warm, the cold wind was ripping through my gloves which made holding my water bottle a challenge. The sun was bright and squinting made my head pound. I should have taken that dang Bud Light. Around that time a shorter female runner, about 5-feet tall, blazed right past me at a pace equivalent of Mach 7. At mile 46 you're only racing yourself, but that really ticked me off. I tried to catch her but she was way too fast. I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. A few minutes later I came into the last aid station and the upbeat volunteers allowed me to forgot it ever happened. Those kids couldn't have been any happier. I think they were a local high school cross country team. The music was loud so dancing ensued. I think the song was "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Man...music had never sounded so good. Headphones pretty much constitute jail time at JFK, and singing to yourself only goes so far. These dudes had it going on. Dangit, I wanted to stay and hang out but I knew I only had 2 miles left. Also, I couldn't see anyone behind me, and I wanted to keep it that way. I pressed on.
To my surprise, the final 2 miles went by in a blink. I came across a guy who started @ 5:00 am and I decided to run alongside him for a minute. Again, I won't use names, but this gentleman spilled the beans to me about some personal issues going on in his life. He explained how he recently caught his wife cheating on him and that he was in the middle of filing for divorce. Only ultrarunners experience such emotional highs and lows. This is something marathoners get introduced to if they survive "hitting the wall," but never really understand because they haven't quite left their comfort zone and stretched the limits of their bodies. In any event (there it is again...), he slowed down and I pressed on to a finishing time of 8:38 - a new 50-mile PR by 33 minutes, and 1:30 faster than 6 years ago. Not really lightning speed by any standards, but it feels good to know I've improved. By the time I'm 70 I should be breaking 4 hours on this course...
My photographer and I hung around a little bit and talked to some folks, but we were both getting cold and restless, so we headed to the CRV to get dry and warm. I sat on my camp stool in the trunk and changed my under garments as I watched fellow runners struggle in the cold wind outdoors. Soon enough, I was wrapped in my sweatpants and sweatshirt. We headed home while it was still light out.
After JFK, I am grateful for trail running, plain and simple. JFK is a fun race with great volunteers, but the canal path can bite the big one. It's the ideal course for PR-setting times, but it is very boring. I spent Dec and Jan running in Shenandoah with Alex P. to help him get ready for HURT - which he finished two weeks ago! Congrats, Alex! Also, I am grateful to be a member of the VHTRC, the country's greatest trail running club (who cares what Trail Runner Mag says). Lastly, I am grateful for my photographer/wife/crew/biggest fan. She continues to tag along with me for these things. She even cleans my dirty underwear afterwards.
End of recount...
Photo credits: Kari Cillo, www.kcillophotography.com, facebook.com/kcillophotography
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