I know the loyal fans (thanks Caren!) are eagerly awaiting the full Promise Land report and pictures, and we'll post them soon. But as I filled out the application for MMTR (Mical made me. And I've been drinking homemade wine.) I came to an important realization. Ok, 2 realizations:
Realization 1: Way back in the fall of 2002, my friend Natalie (who just had beautiful baby Sicily on the 24th), asked me to train for a spring marathon with her. I was trying to quit smoking, and a marathon seemed like just a big enough hurdle for me to finally get serious. This was for the March 2003 DC marathon, that turned into the Unofficial DC Marathon after it was cancelled (but we ran anyway). Then Joe wanted to train for a marathon. As we trained for the 2003 Marathon in the Parks, I made a promise to myself that I would run a marathon for each year I smoked: 16.
Then I found ultras. The MMTR application asks number of marathons/ultras and as I tallied them up, I realized I was already at 17. I made my goal, something I originally thought would take a decade, in just 4 years! (And that's not even counting the 50-miler twice.) The best thing is that I very, very rarely crave smoking now. But I better keep running...
Realization 2: What is wrong with me that I sign up for MMTR when I can still barely walk down the steps to the mailbox?
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
A few pics from Promise Land...
Before (5:00 AM, we have no idea what we're getting into):
After (3:30 PM, sore but happy!):
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
BRR- Part II
Over a week has passed and now our thoughts are turning to Promise Land, but I thought I'd do an update of my BRR race report. First: everything went just about as perfectly as could be expected/planned. We had awesome weather and an international crew to serve our every needs! I still owe some deities some odes & libations.
Here's my comparison of my training for the 2006 Bull Run compared to the 2007. I think with the hindsight of such a tough, tough rainy course, I worked hard to 'over prepare' for the race this time around.
2006
Seneca Greenway 50k
HAT 50k
2007
Maryland Challenge 40M
Holiday Lake 50k
Mount Mitchell Marathon
Seneca Greenway (marathon)
HAT 50k
I am posting my splits because I am amazed that I could run like this! I would not be surprised if any portions of this pace chart have serious math flaws. (note: I hit the split button AFTER I left an aid station). For pacing, Mical thought 13:10 was realistic. I was unsure if I could go that fast, but I took my HAT average (12:47) and decided to go for it.
The first part of the course, being the more 'flat' section, I was eager to push it in anticipation of the rain starting, which I knew would slow us down. Luckily, Mical was able to restrain us at this point, but I was worried when her knee started bothering her. I kept going, and even though I felt a little guilty leaving her at Hemlock, I knew she would eventually catch up!
We pinned/taped our splits to the water bottle, which really worked out for me, so I could glance down and gauge distance/time easily. I think being aware of the times helped me keep pushing the pace to stay on target. The only time I had a problem was coming out of the Do Loop I thought my 30 min. lead had dropped to 30 min. in the hole, but I was just delirious and was looking at the Fountainhead expected time. For a lot of the course, we were 10-20 min. up until after leaving Wolf Run Shoals, where for me the nausea started to take its toll (more about that later).
I kept to my schedule of gels or clif bloks every 45 min, supplemented by aid station food, tried to avoid eating too much, and have an empty bottle to get a full refill each time. My nausea, however, came from what I now think is a salt management problem exacerbated by oranges. I normally take Succeed, but we were out, so I took Thermotabs -- couldn't be much different, right? HA. They say take 2 - 3 per hour, but I was only taking 1, then I tried to 'catch up' after I felt a BIG cramping pain in my calf. Then I ate about 3 oranges slices into the Do Loop, and 4 more going out -- I think this may have been too acidic. Needless to say, I felt 'puky' as we got to Wolf Run Shoals, and Pam Gowan gave me ginger ale. yay! But being able to eat anything at this point was over. So I made it to Marina where Jeff Reed seemed worried I would stay on the bench! HA! But he gave me some soup, and I drank the broth and having the security of knowing I had a few calories to finish on helped.
Marina to the finish was a really laughable experience in that my legs felt ok! but I wanted to puke. Mical & Erin pulled ahead at one point where I paused in the soccer fields to 'lean against a tree' and see if I could, um, relieve tension, but no go. I even went into the port-a-potties to see if the smell would, um, encourage me. I finally gave up and decided I was just going to have to feel bad and I didn't want it to impact my time any further. So I think without the nausea, I probably could have broken 11 too, but who knows!? But lessons learned and I will probably carry a little crystallized ginger for the future.
Here's my comparison of my training for the 2006 Bull Run compared to the 2007. I think with the hindsight of such a tough, tough rainy course, I worked hard to 'over prepare' for the race this time around.
2006
Seneca Greenway 50k
HAT 50k
2007
Maryland Challenge 40M
Holiday Lake 50k
Mount Mitchell Marathon
Seneca Greenway (marathon)
HAT 50k
I am posting my splits because I am amazed that I could run like this! I would not be surprised if any portions of this pace chart have serious math flaws. (note: I hit the split button AFTER I left an aid station). For pacing, Mical thought 13:10 was realistic. I was unsure if I could go that fast, but I took my HAT average (12:47) and decided to go for it.
The first part of the course, being the more 'flat' section, I was eager to push it in anticipation of the rain starting, which I knew would slow us down. Luckily, Mical was able to restrain us at this point, but I was worried when her knee started bothering her. I kept going, and even though I felt a little guilty leaving her at Hemlock, I knew she would eventually catch up!
We pinned/taped our splits to the water bottle, which really worked out for me, so I could glance down and gauge distance/time easily. I think being aware of the times helped me keep pushing the pace to stay on target. The only time I had a problem was coming out of the Do Loop I thought my 30 min. lead had dropped to 30 min. in the hole, but I was just delirious and was looking at the Fountainhead expected time. For a lot of the course, we were 10-20 min. up until after leaving Wolf Run Shoals, where for me the nausea started to take its toll (more about that later).
I kept to my schedule of gels or clif bloks every 45 min, supplemented by aid station food, tried to avoid eating too much, and have an empty bottle to get a full refill each time. My nausea, however, came from what I now think is a salt management problem exacerbated by oranges. I normally take Succeed, but we were out, so I took Thermotabs -- couldn't be much different, right? HA. They say take 2 - 3 per hour, but I was only taking 1, then I tried to 'catch up' after I felt a BIG cramping pain in my calf. Then I ate about 3 oranges slices into the Do Loop, and 4 more going out -- I think this may have been too acidic. Needless to say, I felt 'puky' as we got to Wolf Run Shoals, and Pam Gowan gave me ginger ale. yay! But being able to eat anything at this point was over. So I made it to Marina where Jeff Reed seemed worried I would stay on the bench! HA! But he gave me some soup, and I drank the broth and having the security of knowing I had a few calories to finish on helped.
Marina to the finish was a really laughable experience in that my legs felt ok! but I wanted to puke. Mical & Erin pulled ahead at one point where I paused in the soccer fields to 'lean against a tree' and see if I could, um, relieve tension, but no go. I even went into the port-a-potties to see if the smell would, um, encourage me. I finally gave up and decided I was just going to have to feel bad and I didn't want it to impact my time any further. So I think without the nausea, I probably could have broken 11 too, but who knows!? But lessons learned and I will probably carry a little crystallized ginger for the future.
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