Maybe One-Off meant he runs six ½ hour runs? I bought a SPF (40-50?) long sleeve nylon sun protection, wicks perspiration, pull over at the Columbia ware house I wear now (walks, can‘t run any longer). Arms are getting better, I think.
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***The Official Running Thread***
- Thread starter One-Off
- Start date
No. I’ve been running once a week from 10am to 4:30pm. 26-27 miles. 3700+ vertical. I walk a lot of the uphill. Also walk mid day while eating a sandwich and apple.
This week I’m taking a break, but hiking 6-7 miles each day with family. Today in Kodachrome Basin, tomorrow in Bryce Canyon. Lots of snow here (Bryce).
Kodachrome-
This will be interesting.
Forecast calling for rain, hail, and lightning. Even if just on pavement, glad I practiced running solid distances in those conditions because I'm going to need that mental fallback for a long time.
With the amount of times I have been snakebit by rain, I guess I just need to embrace. No question that if I ever ran the Badwater race (unlikely), it would **** down rain. Which it would make it no joke, 6 out of 7 times that I have been to Death Valley and been rained on, all seasons accounted for. It's actually pretty funny when I think about it.
Forecast calling for rain, hail, and lightning. Even if just on pavement, glad I practiced running solid distances in those conditions because I'm going to need that mental fallback for a long time.
With the amount of times I have been snakebit by rain, I guess I just need to embrace. No question that if I ever ran the Badwater race (unlikely), it would **** down rain. Which it would make it no joke, 6 out of 7 times that I have been to Death Valley and been rained on, all seasons accounted for. It's actually pretty funny when I think about it.
Bought myself a new pair of lightweight darn tough socks on Friday so had two pairs of clean socks at the two main drop stations. Of course, my sinuses were going haywire and I didn't sleep at all Friday night, partly psyched anticipation, partly waking up a half dozen times to p*ss. My pre-race nutrition plan needs work - I did more desiccation than hydration.
Got so lucky with the weather. At first. It rained quite a bit Friday night so course was muddy but the rain held off for several hours. That first 2.5 mile uphill road run/walk warmed you up fast; actually did that stretch in 25 minutes, singletrack from there, the field spread out pretty fast a few miles in. This one guy from Connecticut and I paced each other well for first 15 miles or so, relaxed pace, power-hike the uphills and cruise the downhills. I was running really well at that point.
Those three large uphills in the middle of the course were literally relentless, even the approach to the aid stations was like, "where? Oh damn, up THAT hill? I took at least 5 minutes at each station, grabbing a chair, stretching leg muscles.
My primary goal was to finish but really, 11 hours was the barrier I wanted to break, 9 hours if I ran perfectly. Had to readjust those goals big-time as course conditions were really challenging. And oh man, I have nothing but props to give to the volunteers, lot of bridgework across the deeper streams and trail management they did in the weeks leading up.
I was at halfway point around 5:35 or so with the knowledge that back-end was easier (kind of). It didn't feel so bad going out but those aid stations felt so far apart on the back-end. My fitbit ran out of juice around mile 34 so I had no idea of time and distance after that point. That last stretch was very difficult, especially mentally. The rain started in early afternoon and there was a cold wind with it. I'm actually surprised it didn't hail - the wind chill in the high 30s did not help. I was very, very cold at that time. What also got hard was the additional rain combined with the people running ahead of me turned a lot of the trail into just a bit mudpatch, was laughing with this lady I ran with on back end for a while that we should also get a Tough Mudder medal too at the end. On the downhills, there were several sections which were just mudflows. I ran those pretty well though with no crashes - key is just gotta stay centered and have fast footwork.
Even though I knew it was home stretch, the last 5 miles were absolute hell. My left hamstring had started getting twingy at mile 5 but I managed it even though uphill mud was brutal on it. I had absolutely nothing on the uphills towards the end, had to literally stop and take short breathers before powering up. So exhausted that I was hallucinating, vision was getting blurry, especially at the corners. The straightaways and the downhills, I still could cruise but even then, towards the end, I just couldn't maintain the high foot turnover and I was on my heels, driving my already-splintered big toenails into the toe of my shoe even more. The last 1.7 miles were downhill thank god. My wife and kids stayed a lot longer than they anticipated as communication was spotty - so thankful they were there at the finish line.
End result: 12:05:31, 69th out of 300 (including noshows), 19th in my age group. The guy who won it (Francesco Puppo, a professional runner from Italy) did in 6:30. No one behind him for well over an hour. It's an out and back and I was blown away when he came the other direction. Dude was flying. Otherworldly.
Not quite the goal I was looking for but given conditions, it being my first trailrunning race of any kind, stock/elation doesn't even begin to describe. Overall, I ran very well and I had to overcome a lot of adversity. And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Things that worked:
Altra Lone Peaks/Darn Tough socks. There was no way around it - your feet were getting soaked. They dried out within 30-40 minutes, amazing. No blisters, no ankle tweaks, nothing. Only changed socks once.
Costco shorts/shirt: The shorts got a little soaked and they could wick better. But overall, they worked like a charm.
My downhill running: Even my cruise speed was fast. I wish I had the split on the 30.1 - 33 stretch because I smoked it.
Training: I put WORK in this year, close to 500 miles since the new year, and it paid off.
Things that did not:
Pinole cookies - they provide great energy but they're just too dry. So glad I had the GUs as a backup.
Uphills - I reeled so many in on the downhills the last half of the race but then had so many others pass me on the uphills. So rainy and muddy on local trails, I didn't practice on them at all. I should have, for the mud aspect alone. I got better at running in the mud towards the end of the race as I gained confidence.
Got so lucky with the weather. At first. It rained quite a bit Friday night so course was muddy but the rain held off for several hours. That first 2.5 mile uphill road run/walk warmed you up fast; actually did that stretch in 25 minutes, singletrack from there, the field spread out pretty fast a few miles in. This one guy from Connecticut and I paced each other well for first 15 miles or so, relaxed pace, power-hike the uphills and cruise the downhills. I was running really well at that point.
Those three large uphills in the middle of the course were literally relentless, even the approach to the aid stations was like, "where? Oh damn, up THAT hill? I took at least 5 minutes at each station, grabbing a chair, stretching leg muscles.
My primary goal was to finish but really, 11 hours was the barrier I wanted to break, 9 hours if I ran perfectly. Had to readjust those goals big-time as course conditions were really challenging. And oh man, I have nothing but props to give to the volunteers, lot of bridgework across the deeper streams and trail management they did in the weeks leading up.
I was at halfway point around 5:35 or so with the knowledge that back-end was easier (kind of). It didn't feel so bad going out but those aid stations felt so far apart on the back-end. My fitbit ran out of juice around mile 34 so I had no idea of time and distance after that point. That last stretch was very difficult, especially mentally. The rain started in early afternoon and there was a cold wind with it. I'm actually surprised it didn't hail - the wind chill in the high 30s did not help. I was very, very cold at that time. What also got hard was the additional rain combined with the people running ahead of me turned a lot of the trail into just a bit mudpatch, was laughing with this lady I ran with on back end for a while that we should also get a Tough Mudder medal too at the end. On the downhills, there were several sections which were just mudflows. I ran those pretty well though with no crashes - key is just gotta stay centered and have fast footwork.
Even though I knew it was home stretch, the last 5 miles were absolute hell. My left hamstring had started getting twingy at mile 5 but I managed it even though uphill mud was brutal on it. I had absolutely nothing on the uphills towards the end, had to literally stop and take short breathers before powering up. So exhausted that I was hallucinating, vision was getting blurry, especially at the corners. The straightaways and the downhills, I still could cruise but even then, towards the end, I just couldn't maintain the high foot turnover and I was on my heels, driving my already-splintered big toenails into the toe of my shoe even more. The last 1.7 miles were downhill thank god. My wife and kids stayed a lot longer than they anticipated as communication was spotty - so thankful they were there at the finish line.
End result: 12:05:31, 69th out of 300 (including noshows), 19th in my age group. The guy who won it (Francesco Puppo, a professional runner from Italy) did in 6:30. No one behind him for well over an hour. It's an out and back and I was blown away when he came the other direction. Dude was flying. Otherworldly.
Not quite the goal I was looking for but given conditions, it being my first trailrunning race of any kind, stock/elation doesn't even begin to describe. Overall, I ran very well and I had to overcome a lot of adversity. And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Things that worked:
Altra Lone Peaks/Darn Tough socks. There was no way around it - your feet were getting soaked. They dried out within 30-40 minutes, amazing. No blisters, no ankle tweaks, nothing. Only changed socks once.
Costco shorts/shirt: The shorts got a little soaked and they could wick better. But overall, they worked like a charm.
My downhill running: Even my cruise speed was fast. I wish I had the split on the 30.1 - 33 stretch because I smoked it.
Training: I put WORK in this year, close to 500 miles since the new year, and it paid off.
Things that did not:
Pinole cookies - they provide great energy but they're just too dry. So glad I had the GUs as a backup.
Uphills - I reeled so many in on the downhills the last half of the race but then had so many others pass me on the uphills. So rainy and muddy on local trails, I didn't practice on them at all. I should have, for the mud aspect alone. I got better at running in the mud towards the end of the race as I gained confidence.
Oh man the last half mile I was looking over my shoulder as a guy I reeled in 2 miles prior started gaining ground and finished 30 seconds after me. Funny that was the difference between 69 and 70; I had no idea where I was at place-wise.
Yeah, way to go! That’s hardcore. What was it, like three years ago you ran your first 10k and were too tired at the end to sprint? Do I see a 100 miler in your future?Bought myself a new pair of lightweight darn tough socks on Friday so had two pairs of clean socks at the two main drop stations. Of course, my sinuses were going haywire and I didn't sleep at all Friday night, partly psyched anticipation, partly waking up a half dozen times to p*ss. My pre-race nutrition plan needs work - I did more desiccation than hydration.
Got so lucky with the weather. At first. It rained quite a bit Friday night so course was muddy but the rain held off for several hours. That first 2.5 mile uphill road run/walk warmed you up fast; actually did that stretch in 25 minutes, singletrack from there, the field spread out pretty fast a few miles in. This one guy from Connecticut and I paced each other well for first 15 miles or so, relaxed pace, power-hike the uphills and cruise the downhills. I was running really well at that point.
Those three large uphills in the middle of the course were literally relentless, even the approach to the aid stations was like, "where? Oh damn, up THAT hill? I took at least 5 minutes at each station, grabbing a chair, stretching leg muscles.
My primary goal was to finish but really, 11 hours was the barrier I wanted to break, 9 hours if I ran perfectly. Had to readjust those goals big-time as course conditions were really challenging. And oh man, I have nothing but props to give to the volunteers, lot of bridgework across the deeper streams and trail management they did in the weeks leading up.
I was at halfway point around 5:35 or so with the knowledge that back-end was easier (kind of). It didn't feel so bad going out but those aid stations felt so far apart on the back-end. My fitbit ran out of juice around mile 34 so I had no idea of time and distance after that point. That last stretch was very difficult, especially mentally. The rain started in early afternoon and there was a cold wind with it. I'm actually surprised it didn't hail - the wind chill in the high 30s did not help. I was very, very cold at that time. What also got hard was the additional rain combined with the people running ahead of me turned a lot of the trail into just a bit mudpatch, was laughing with this lady I ran with on back end for a while that we should also get a Tough Mudder medal too at the end. On the downhills, there were several sections which were just mudflows. I ran those pretty well though with no crashes - key is just gotta stay centered and have fast footwork.
Even though I knew it was home stretch, the last 5 miles were absolute hell. My left hamstring had started getting twingy at mile 5 but I managed it even though uphill mud was brutal on it. I had absolutely nothing on the uphills towards the end, had to literally stop and take short breathers before powering up. So exhausted that I was hallucinating, vision was getting blurry, especially at the corners. The straightaways and the downhills, I still could cruise but even then, towards the end, I just couldn't maintain the high foot turnover and I was on my heels, driving my already-splintered big toenails into the toe of my shoe even more. The last 1.7 miles were downhill thank god. My wife and kids stayed a lot longer than they anticipated as communication was spotty - so thankful they were there at the finish line.
End result: 12:05:31, 69th out of 300 (including noshows), 19th in my age group. The guy who won it (Francesco Puppo, a professional runner from Italy) did in 6:30. No one behind him for well over an hour. It's an out and back and I was blown away when he came the other direction. Dude was flying. Otherworldly.
Not quite the goal I was looking for but given conditions, it being my first trailrunning race of any kind, stock/elation doesn't even begin to describe. Overall, I ran very well and I had to overcome a lot of adversity. And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Things that worked:
Altra Lone Peaks/Darn Tough socks. There was no way around it - your feet were getting soaked. They dried out within 30-40 minutes, amazing. No blisters, no ankle tweaks, nothing. Only changed socks once.
Costco shorts/shirt: The shorts got a little soaked and they could wick better. But overall, they worked like a charm.
My downhill running: Even my cruise speed was fast. I wish I had the split on the 30.1 - 33 stretch because I smoked it.
Training: I put WORK in this year, close to 500 miles since the new year, and it paid off.
Things that did not:
Pinole cookies - they provide great energy but they're just too dry. So glad I had the GUs as a backup.
Uphills - I reeled so many in on the downhills the last half of the race but then had so many others pass me on the uphills. So rainy and muddy on local trails, I didn't practice on them at all. I should have, for the mud aspect alone. I got better at running in the mud towards the end of the race as I gained confidence.
At first I thought you meant half way at 5:35 AM. I was thinking “Why would they run the race at night?” But then I figured out you meant elapsed time. We just got back from Bryce Canyon and we’d drive around at night (to go look at stars) and I was thinking how easy it would be to lose the trail at night when you’re alone and dead tired. Also how spooky it could be in bear or lion country.
On one of our hikes we were traversing a steep slope in the snow and having to be careful where to put our feet so as not to slip. Then this 20 something girl came running past like nothing. I know at this point in my life if I ever do a trail race it will be to finish, not really to “race.” Sounds like you’re going to be racing for some time.
Again, congrats
Stoked! Congrats !Bought myself a new pair of lightweight darn tough socks on Friday so had two pairs of clean socks at the two main drop stations. Of course, my sinuses were going haywire and I didn't sleep at all Friday night, partly psyched anticipation, partly waking up a half dozen times to p*ss. My pre-race nutrition plan needs work - I did more desiccation than hydration.
Got so lucky with the weather. At first. It rained quite a bit Friday night so course was muddy but the rain held off for several hours. That first 2.5 mile uphill road run/walk warmed you up fast; actually did that stretch in 25 minutes, singletrack from there, the field spread out pretty fast a few miles in. This one guy from Connecticut and I paced each other well for first 15 miles or so, relaxed pace, power-hike the uphills and cruise the downhills. I was running really well at that point.
Those three large uphills in the middle of the course were literally relentless, even the approach to the aid stations was like, "where? Oh damn, up THAT hill? I took at least 5 minutes at each station, grabbing a chair, stretching leg muscles.
My primary goal was to finish but really, 11 hours was the barrier I wanted to break, 9 hours if I ran perfectly. Had to readjust those goals big-time as course conditions were really challenging. And oh man, I have nothing but props to give to the volunteers, lot of bridgework across the deeper streams and trail management they did in the weeks leading up.
I was at halfway point around 5:35 or so with the knowledge that back-end was easier (kind of). It didn't feel so bad going out but those aid stations felt so far apart on the back-end. My fitbit ran out of juice around mile 34 so I had no idea of time and distance after that point. That last stretch was very difficult, especially mentally. The rain started in early afternoon and there was a cold wind with it. I'm actually surprised it didn't hail - the wind chill in the high 30s did not help. I was very, very cold at that time. What also got hard was the additional rain combined with the people running ahead of me turned a lot of the trail into just a bit mudpatch, was laughing with this lady I ran with on back end for a while that we should also get a Tough Mudder medal too at the end. On the downhills, there were several sections which were just mudflows. I ran those pretty well though with no crashes - key is just gotta stay centered and have fast footwork.
Even though I knew it was home stretch, the last 5 miles were absolute hell. My left hamstring had started getting twingy at mile 5 but I managed it even though uphill mud was brutal on it. I had absolutely nothing on the uphills towards the end, had to literally stop and take short breathers before powering up. So exhausted that I was hallucinating, vision was getting blurry, especially at the corners. The straightaways and the downhills, I still could cruise but even then, towards the end, I just couldn't maintain the high foot turnover and I was on my heels, driving my already-splintered big toenails into the toe of my shoe even more. The last 1.7 miles were downhill thank god. My wife and kids stayed a lot longer than they anticipated as communication was spotty - so thankful they were there at the finish line.
End result: 12:05:31, 69th out of 300 (including noshows), 19th in my age group. The guy who won it (Francesco Puppo, a professional runner from Italy) did in 6:30. No one behind him for well over an hour. It's an out and back and I was blown away when he came the other direction. Dude was flying. Otherworldly.
Not quite the goal I was looking for but given conditions, it being my first trailrunning race of any kind, stock/elation doesn't even begin to describe. Overall, I ran very well and I had to overcome a lot of adversity. And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Things that worked:
Altra Lone Peaks/Darn Tough socks. There was no way around it - your feet were getting soaked. They dried out within 30-40 minutes, amazing. No blisters, no ankle tweaks, nothing. Only changed socks once.
Costco shorts/shirt: The shorts got a little soaked and they could wick better. But overall, they worked like a charm.
My downhill running: Even my cruise speed was fast. I wish I had the split on the 30.1 - 33 stretch because I smoked it.
Training: I put WORK in this year, close to 500 miles since the new year, and it paid off.
Things that did not:
Pinole cookies - they provide great energy but they're just too dry. So glad I had the GUs as a backup.
Uphills - I reeled so many in on the downhills the last half of the race but then had so many others pass me on the uphills. So rainy and muddy on local trails, I didn't practice on them at all. I should have, for the mud aspect alone. I got better at running in the mud towards the end of the race as I gained confidence.
Thanks!Yeah, way to go! That’s hardcore. What was it, like three years ago you ran your first 10k and were too tired at the end to sprint? Do I see a 100 miler in your future?
At first I thought you meant half way at 5:35 AM. I was thinking “Why would they run the race at night?” But then I figured out you meant elapsed time. We just got back from Bryce Canyon and we’d drive around at night (to go look at stars) and I was thinking how easy it would be to lose the trail at night when you’re alone and dead tired. Also how spooky it could be in bear or lion country.
On one of our hikes we were traversing a steep slope in the snow and having to be careful where to put our feet so as not to slip. Then this 20 something girl came running past like nothing. I know at this point in my life if I ever do a trail race it will be to finish, not really to “race.” Sounds like you’re going to be racing for some time.
Again, congrats
Yep, just 2 1/2 years ago I ran that first 10K, barely been running for 3 years, and only getting faster/stronger. I know I'll level off eventually but right the improvement arc is way on the upswing.
Mountain lions, bears, and feral pigs are active in the area for sure but didn't see any sign. Towards the end, long stretches where I didn't see anyone for several miles.
I don't know about a 100 miler just yet. I need to work on getting better at the "shorter" distances and refine technique/strength.
As far as trail races go, finishing is an accomplishment in itself. One thing I loved was the high level of positivity from everyone. Everyone encouraging each other because just going 50 miles is an accomplishment in itself, sounds so cheesy, but yeah, everyone is a winner at that point. So damn hard.
Don't sell yourself short - you may not race but you'll do better than you think, especially given your running history. Trails are softer than pavement although holy crap, this race course was a little too soft in places with the mud.
Bonked my marathon today.
Usually I do my barbell day on Friday but we were in Bryce Canyon and on Saturday we drove home. So I did it Sunday. Whenever I delay the workout chances are I will get sore (because I only do it once a week). When I started the run I could feel the soreness but it kind of went away….until I hit the mountain. Who knew climbing worked the hamstrings? And who knew you use the hamstrings going downhill? And other stuff was going on. I tried sitting down to rest and my instep cramped bad. So I had to keep going.
I was worked when I came down the mountain (mile 20) and the made the mistake of drinking too much water (the Gatorade was not sitting well). The last six miles I had to run/walk because I kept getting nauseous.
I did see a 4 foot rattler cross in front of me. Cool. And this, which I’m 90% certain is a big feline track. There were tons of dog tracks and you could tell they were running with their owners. These tracks were crossing the trail. I learned the main difference is that dog’s tracks will have the claws visible in front of the toes (you can see one in the photo). And lions have the bumps at the back of the back pad. They’re out there.
Oh and this song came on as I summited and expressed how my legs felt.
Usually I do my barbell day on Friday but we were in Bryce Canyon and on Saturday we drove home. So I did it Sunday. Whenever I delay the workout chances are I will get sore (because I only do it once a week). When I started the run I could feel the soreness but it kind of went away….until I hit the mountain. Who knew climbing worked the hamstrings? And who knew you use the hamstrings going downhill? And other stuff was going on. I tried sitting down to rest and my instep cramped bad. So I had to keep going.
I was worked when I came down the mountain (mile 20) and the made the mistake of drinking too much water (the Gatorade was not sitting well). The last six miles I had to run/walk because I kept getting nauseous.
I did see a 4 foot rattler cross in front of me. Cool. And this, which I’m 90% certain is a big feline track. There were tons of dog tracks and you could tell they were running with their owners. These tracks were crossing the trail. I learned the main difference is that dog’s tracks will have the claws visible in front of the toes (you can see one in the photo). And lions have the bumps at the back of the back pad. They’re out there.
Oh and this song came on as I summited and expressed how my legs felt.
I have to take your word for it, but literally not one second of that sounds like fun.And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Sounds like absolute ball-ache that you put thousands of hrs of training into.
Could you possibly be deluding yourself about it being fun, or did the the words you use to describe it have opposite meanings to the ones you intended?
It sounds like a weird cult and I know people really lose their powers of judgement once they are surrounded by other cult members (all love bombing them with positivity for eg).
How's your recovery going? After yesterday's run my instep on my right foot kept cramping all night. I had to walk around with the toes curled back. If they pointed forward/down even slightly it would quickly turn into an excruciating cramp. The muscle in the arch would feel like a rock. This AM everything's back to normal.Bought myself a new pair of lightweight darn tough socks on Friday so had two pairs of clean socks at the two main drop stations. Of course, my sinuses were going haywire and I didn't sleep at all Friday night, partly psyched anticipation, partly waking up a half dozen times to p*ss. My pre-race nutrition plan needs work - I did more desiccation than hydration.
Got so lucky with the weather. At first. It rained quite a bit Friday night so course was muddy but the rain held off for several hours. That first 2.5 mile uphill road run/walk warmed you up fast; actually did that stretch in 25 minutes, singletrack from there, the field spread out pretty fast a few miles in. This one guy from Connecticut and I paced each other well for first 15 miles or so, relaxed pace, power-hike the uphills and cruise the downhills. I was running really well at that point.
Those three large uphills in the middle of the course were literally relentless, even the approach to the aid stations was like, "where? Oh damn, up THAT hill? I took at least 5 minutes at each station, grabbing a chair, stretching leg muscles.
My primary goal was to finish but really, 11 hours was the barrier I wanted to break, 9 hours if I ran perfectly. Had to readjust those goals big-time as course conditions were really challenging. And oh man, I have nothing but props to give to the volunteers, lot of bridgework across the deeper streams and trail management they did in the weeks leading up.
I was at halfway point around 5:35 or so with the knowledge that back-end was easier (kind of). It didn't feel so bad going out but those aid stations felt so far apart on the back-end. My fitbit ran out of juice around mile 34 so I had no idea of time and distance after that point. That last stretch was very difficult, especially mentally. The rain started in early afternoon and there was a cold wind with it. I'm actually surprised it didn't hail - the wind chill in the high 30s did not help. I was very, very cold at that time. What also got hard was the additional rain combined with the people running ahead of me turned a lot of the trail into just a bit mudpatch, was laughing with this lady I ran with on back end for a while that we should also get a Tough Mudder medal too at the end. On the downhills, there were several sections which were just mudflows. I ran those pretty well though with no crashes - key is just gotta stay centered and have fast footwork.
Even though I knew it was home stretch, the last 5 miles were absolute hell. My left hamstring had started getting twingy at mile 5 but I managed it even though uphill mud was brutal on it. I had absolutely nothing on the uphills towards the end, had to literally stop and take short breathers before powering up. So exhausted that I was hallucinating, vision was getting blurry, especially at the corners. The straightaways and the downhills, I still could cruise but even then, towards the end, I just couldn't maintain the high foot turnover and I was on my heels, driving my already-splintered big toenails into the toe of my shoe even more. The last 1.7 miles were downhill thank god. My wife and kids stayed a lot longer than they anticipated as communication was spotty - so thankful they were there at the finish line.
End result: 12:05:31, 69th out of 300 (including noshows), 19th in my age group. The guy who won it (Francesco Puppo, a professional runner from Italy) did in 6:30. No one behind him for well over an hour. It's an out and back and I was blown away when he came the other direction. Dude was flying. Otherworldly.
Not quite the goal I was looking for but given conditions, it being my first trailrunning race of any kind, stock/elation doesn't even begin to describe. Overall, I ran very well and I had to overcome a lot of adversity. And you know what, it was a ton of fun and I want to do another, just not today.
Things that worked:
Altra Lone Peaks/Darn Tough socks. There was no way around it - your feet were getting soaked. They dried out within 30-40 minutes, amazing. No blisters, no ankle tweaks, nothing. Only changed socks once.
Costco shorts/shirt: The shorts got a little soaked and they could wick better. But overall, they worked like a charm.
My downhill running: Even my cruise speed was fast. I wish I had the split on the 30.1 - 33 stretch because I smoked it.
Training: I put WORK in this year, close to 500 miles since the new year, and it paid off.
Things that did not:
Pinole cookies - they provide great energy but they're just too dry. So glad I had the GUs as a backup.
Uphills - I reeled so many in on the downhills the last half of the race but then had so many others pass me on the uphills. So rainy and muddy on local trails, I didn't practice on them at all. I should have, for the mud aspect alone. I got better at running in the mud towards the end of the race as I gained confidence.
I looked at the results. First of all, how do you run back to back 3:15 marathons in the mud and hills???? Like you said, the winner was otherworldly. All the runners with no times, were they DNF, missed the cut offs....or did they look at the conditions and bail? If I would have finished the race I would have had a top 5 finish as there were only 4 in my age category, only 1 guy older than me. Sounds like a young(er) man's game. As for your progression, I did not PR the marathon until I was 56. You're on the upward trend.
I fucking love this post. From the 20+ years I have been on here, have I not made it clear that Leroy ain't got sh!t on me when it comes to masochism? And good judgment? You must be trolling.
Speaking of masochism, you know what really takes the cake on that? Paddling out into large, channelless beachbreak 1/4 mile out that is sharky with fucked up, multi-directional currents and almost always being not just the icebreaker but the only one out. THAT has admittedly gotten to be a ball-ache, more mental than physical. Masochism yes, adrenaline no, more of a PITA that anything else. Especially the 9' @ 9 sec days. Spring surfing is very far from my mind right now.
SO I did need an alternate source of adrenaline/stupidity. And I have never bottomed out that adrenaline reservoir - being 12 hours in the moment literally running on adrenaline because you didn't sleep the night before clears out a lot of peripheral bullshit and your utter existence is 100% on point and focused with what actually matters. FTR, my record surf session is 13:15 at Uppers with no food/water replenishment so this kind of thing is nothing new for me. Training is less than 10 hours/week, even when peaking. Does get tricky balancing it with work/family, though.
Running full-speed down hills is so much fun, especially when they're obstacle strewn. It's like skiing/snowboarding moguls, maintaining fall line with no stops, no doglegs, never going even 1% on your heels (if you do, it's over). You have to have fast feet with short strides, adjusting constantly, and concentrating the entire time, just 100% locked in, and you can not eat sh!t because the consequences can be severe (injured with no cell service means you better figure sh!t out), and when it's steep oh yeah baby. Come to think of it, there were many times that running up and down the Goat Trail full-speed barefoot was just as fun as the actual session down at Blacks. Likewise the cobbled off-ramp Trestles trail, especially under the freeway in the pitch black with cars rumbling above you.
What other cult members? It's pretty vagabond. The race is first time I've ever trailran with others; most of the time it's just me in the hills around my house. It's also fun when you feel yourself getting exponentially better at a rapid rate. If I can build up strength to float up the hills like I fly down them. I'm getting fired up just thinking about it - need this toe to heal pronto; legs are getting antsy.
Glad you are back to normal. I hate that instep cramp where your toes splay out, it's even worse than the calf cramp you get from duckdiving and fighting the wave's desire to drag you backwards over the falls.
It was trippy. I had this huge muscle strain down the center of my back. Couldn't figure it out but yeah, it was so goddamn cold, that I had unconsciously drew my shoulders and obliques(?) slightly inwards and over that long a time, I guess they locked up. Never noticed until the next day. Fine now. But overall, yeah, just that huge blood blister under the now both-dead left big toenails; replacement one is also shattered. Left hamstring still tight but nothing I couldn't run several miles on. Been twingy for months, bright side was I got used to running long miles with it.
I am psyched with running. Granted I was a bodyboarder first which helped a lot, but within 3 weeks of learning to surf, I was getting stand-up barrels at Drainpipes (re: masochism). My progression in running is faster and it's crazy. It also gives me absolutely zero desire to drink because I am in way too good shape to screw that up. I need to make sure everything heals up and am back running well before I make any rash decisions but oh yeah, definitely looking at doing another trailrun real soon. Probably not a 50 miler but between 30 and 50K would be cool. There are many around here.
90 no-shows. I know it was because of weather but still, lame. What would Steamroller say? You quit your bitching and run what you brung. The 50ish DNFs were mostly because of being behind cutoff times. Tough day but props to them for muscling it as far as they could as fast as they could. Funny but I never really worried about making cutoffs, training was pretty good and I knew how I was running and where/when I had to be. But man, that winner smoked it. IIRC, we were going up a slight hill but took a few seconds to just stop, turn, and watch that dude just FLY down the course, no wasted motion. Incredible. Clean conditions, I think he breaks 6 hours.
BTW, speaking of hamstrings, it sounds like you might have been overstriding both on the uphills and downhills. Especially when they're sore, you just have to sacrifice speed for tightening your stride. You can make that up on the downhills, just need to lean forward to match grade and quicken that stride. As soon as you get too tired and start hitting the brakes and digging your heels in, that's the beginning of the end. Make sure that finish line is close.
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1. Jumping across slight stream at Mile 45, I jammed it hard into the other bank. Right quad was so unhappy. Felt the toenail lift straight up, eliciting a sharp grunt. Guy I was running with ahead of me said, uh you ok? Yep, just think I lost my toenail. But other than a dime-sized blood blister, intact. Dead but intact. The left one, though... and it ain't close to coming off yet. At least not naturally.1 Toenail report? Come off during the race or not?
2 Congrats on seeing it through.
2. Thanks! Nutrition is the primary thing I need to figure out. Gear is solid. And balls-out training the uphills because I now know what it takes to be good. I did literally zero strength training, not even one pushup or crunch since November (DST blew my rhythm), so yeah, incorporating that would be good. Oh I did do an hour of weeding in the garden and promptly re-twinged that left hammy two weeks before the race - other forms of crosstraining out there.
3./bonus: I have not even tried to incorporate rolled ankles into my training but it would be interesting to see if all this running has positively affected my vertical leap, i.e., eliminating my white man's disease. I bet hammering uphills will help this too. Am about 20-30 pounds lighter since I last played; would be fun to get some hoops going.
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Big ups, Kento! What a day to have that big of a run. I know you said the winner is unworldly, but honestly, doing what you did seems unworldly to me.
I have a paltry 4 mile race on the 28th. It's just a local first-responder fundraiser event and I'm doing a relay with a team of 4. Everybody does a 4 mile leg. I was feeling pretty good leading up to last weekend, and now I've destroyed my legs with 3 days of snowboarding. Gonna pick up the last minute training tomorrow, but I've been running some mile splits in the low 6s. Should be a fun event.
I have a paltry 4 mile race on the 28th. It's just a local first-responder fundraiser event and I'm doing a relay with a team of 4. Everybody does a 4 mile leg. I was feeling pretty good leading up to last weekend, and now I've destroyed my legs with 3 days of snowboarding. Gonna pick up the last minute training tomorrow, but I've been running some mile splits in the low 6s. Should be a fun event.