I was a Masochist today. New PR for this race!
I ran this race back in 2006 with a time of 9:56, finishing in 67 place. It was my first 50+ miler and I didn't have much trail running exprience back then. I have since run many ultra's of varying difficulty, but this race remains on the top of the list for me and many others as the most difficult 50 miler around, mainly for the fact that it is a cumulative uphill race.
*Garmin numbers- 16840 ascent/14642 descent*
I came into this years race with an adequete build up of miles and some good quaility hilly long runs and trail runs. But nothing can really prepare you for the race unless you have the opportunity to actually train on the course itself. We just don't have trail climbs that go on for 2-3 miles.
*7 miles in 50 min*
A 5:30 am start time meant an early wake up and 40 min drive to the start. I was joined by fellow ultra runners Eric C, Eric F, and Joey B. We stayed at my Dad's house in Lynchburg and had him for our driver and crew for the race day. The first 7 miles are on the road in the dark and the top guys took the pace quickly. Dink T had also come up from Alabama to run his 15th instalment of the Masochist (all top ten finishes, 11 sub 8hr). I found myself running along with him for the early portion of the race. I was enjoying the history lesson I was getting from Dink about the race and it made the miles go by smoothly. We were running steady and holding in the top 20. At mile +/- 17 there is a long steady climb where Dink proved his many years of experience and skills and pretty much ran away from me. I kept steady and was happy with my 8:30/mi. hill climbing pace and was even happier to get to the aid station at the top and enjoy an nice long downhill run. I ran completely alone for the next 45 mins.
*26.2 in 3:48*
I've always had a mental and physical block in any long race around mile 23. It is my wall. During this race I continually pounded on it for 6 miles. Taking aid doesn't seem to have an effect, it is just something I have to will myself to fight through. The unofficial half way aid stop is at 26.9 miles ( my garmin had it closer to 29). You are supposed to take your elapsed time at this point, double it, to get your hopeful finish time. Mine was 4:15, which was right on for my realistic goal of a 8:30 finish. I had pushed thru the wall and was now headed into the shorter but definately more challenging 2nd half.
*50K in 5:07*
Right after the half way aid stop comes a punishing 3+ mile climb on rocky uneven jeep road which proved to be mostly unrunnable for me. I posted a 21 min. mile during this section, my slowest mile of the day. After this section there is a short downhill before another climb to the infamous 5 mile loop. Only the first 3/4 mile of this single track trail is runnable in my opinion. Although the winner burned thru this section in 37 min! I was in the loop about an hour, but it felt longer.
*11+ miles to go*
After the loop there is some good wide down hill trail for about 2 miles before the climbing starts again. I posted a 19:50 slow mile in this section. The "4 mile" trail awaits to demoralize any thoughts of making up some time in the closing miles. This trail is very rugged single track that would be impossible to follow were it not for the course markers. It was leaf covered and rocky, and forget about switchback climbs, this trail just went straight up the side of the mountain. There weren't switchbacks on the steep descents either, and many a time I almost face planted. I made it thru this section in 55 mins. I came off the 4 mile trail to an aid station and fueled up and habitually asked the worker how long to the next aid. He looked at me kind of funny and told me I was at was the last one, I only had about 3 miles to go and it was mostly downhill. I asked him what place I was in and found out I was in 35th. I tried to keep track of the number of runners that had passed me since Dink gapped me and thought is was 20-25. I was pleasently surprised to still be in the top 40. I thought I would run alone the last 3 miles as I had not seen or heard anyone in front or behind me on the 4 mile trail. As I picked up my pace to a scorching 8:10/mile I was able to spot and over take 1 runner in front of me. It was one of very few passes I would make all day and it felt good to gain some ground instead of loosing it as I had been for the last 30 miles.
*.9 miles of roadway to the Finish*
It's an initially awkward feeling running on smooth flat roads after traversing 42+ miles on every kind if trail surface there is, but it was truly fun to run "fast" again. My first 3 miles were in 21:05 my last 3 were in 24:30.
The double the halfway point time didn't hold true for me, as the second half beat me up pretty well. Overall though I am happy with my effort, a new PR and a big jump in the standings from 2006. All my fellow runners also ran well for their first 50 milers. I will run this race again, but probably will take 1-3 years off from it. There are so many other great races out there during this time period and I need to test myself on them as well, but I will always be a Masochist. | 