I didnt reach my goal of 50 miles but after rain , sleet , blood and the chills I was pleased with the outcome.
I am not going to make this a long race report but there are some things that happened on this day that I was not prepared for and that had NEVER hapened before. The Delano race is known for bad weather and this year would be no exception.This is my fourth year to run this race but the first year to do it by myself. The previous three years I had been on a relay team.
The morning started off with light rain that would be on and off the entire day.At one time it even started to sleet.I knew that if I was going to be able to last the whole 12 hours that I would have to mix in some walking.I have heard Robert Youngren say that if you wait until you have to walk that you were in trouble, so I tried to mix some walk breaks in from the start.I had brought several short sleeve tech shirts and I wore a long sleeve cotton shirt from home to wear until the race started to stay warm.I also brought my rain jacket.(BIG MISTAKE) I was chilly at the start so I thought that I would leave the long sleeve shirt on for a mile or so until I got warmed up.After the first mile (I think) it started to rain and I put on my rain jacket.I ran with it on for about 22 miles. It also helped knock the chill of the wind off.This race is one mile loops around a walking track on a crushed gravel surface.There is aid and bathrooms every lap. At mile 20 I had stopped for my third bathroom break and when I started to urinate it was almost solid blood.It really freaked me out.That had never happened before and I was scared! After that lap I stopped at the aid station and asked one of the race directors Eric Schotz if he had ever heard of this before.One of the guys with him said that it sounded like kidney failure to him...Please dont tell me that! Eric thought that one of the racers was a nurse so he asked them. One of the guys said that it happened to him all the time and that I was border line dehydrated.Eric said to take a couple s-caps and to start drinking a lot of water.I pulled off my rain jacket and water (sweat) ran out of it.After some more whinning I was off again.
Although the surface of the track was soft and comfortable to run on, my shoes kept getting those little pebbles in them that would hurt my feet and ever so often I would have to stop and clean them out.I shuffled on for several more miles and at 9:45 into the race I was out of energy. The urine had cleared up but I wondered if being dehydrated had anything to do with my lack of energy?? The only real pain that I had was my ankles and that was also a first.I told the race directors that I was done and went to the truck and took a chill, shaking all over.I went all the way home with my heater running on high. When I got home I took off my clothes and started shaking so bad that I thought that I was going to shatter my teeth. I ran the tub with hot water and jumped in and went to sleep for 1:30.Sunday I felt pretty good except for both my ankles are swelled so much that I cant even see the ankle bones.(another first)
I am pretty satisfied with my effort but I am dissappointed with my lack of toughness in this race. Quiting enters my mind on these long races but never in a serious sense.(anyone know what I mean)??? I still ran further than I ever have and learned a ton of lessons that I know will help me down the road.
Great job to Eric schotz and Jon Elmore for a great event and thanks for your help.
38 Mike McClellan 142 M/43 42 9:38:16.04 13:46/M 42.000
Lap 1 11:49.04 11:49/M 1.000
Lap 2 10:56.00 10:56/M 2.000
Lap 3 11:59.00 11:59/M 3.000
Lap 4 10:50.00 10:50/M 4.000
Lap 5 11:45.00 11:45/M 5.000
Lap 6 11:29.00 11:29/M 6.000
Lap 7 12:06.00 12:06/M 7.000
Lap 8 11:47.00 11:47/M 8.000
Lap 9 11:14.00 11:14/M 9.000
Lap 10 11:07.00 11:07/M 10.000
Lap 11 11:25.00 11:25/M 11.000
Lap 12 12:44.00 12:44/M 12.000
Lap 13 10:56.00 10:56/M 13.000
Lap 14 11:11.00 11:11/M 14.000
Lap 15 16:05.00 16:05/M 15.000
Lap 16 11:45.00 11:45/M 16.000
Lap 17 12:16.00 12:16/M 17.000
Lap 18 11:48.00 11:48/M 18.000
Lap 19 16:13.00 16:13/M 19.000
Lap 20 13:39.00 13:39/M 20.000
Lap 21 12:01.00 12:01/M 21.000
Lap 22 12:57.00 12:57/M 22.000
Lap 23 13:16.00 13:16/M 23.000
Lap 24 13:22.00 13:22/M 24.000
Lap 25 16:18.00 16:18/M 25.000
Lap 26 22:54.00 22:54/M 26.000
Lap 27 18:28.00 18:28/M 27.000
Lap 28 13:30.00 13:30/M 28.000
Lap 29 12:47.00 12:47/M 29.000
Lap 30 17:51.00 17:51/M 30.000
Lap 31 12:49.00 12:49/M 31.000
Lap 32 13:03.00 13:03/M 32.000
Lap 33 13:59.00 13:59/M 33.000
Lap 34 15:25.00 15:25/M 34.000
Lap 35 15:41.00 15:41/M 35.000
Lap 36 14:04.00 14:04/M 36.000
Lap 37 17:25.00 17:25/M 37.000
Lap 38 14:45.00 14:45/M 38.000
Lap 39 16:14.00 16:14/M 39.000
Lap 40 15:48.00 15:48/M 40.000
Lap 41 15:46.00 15:46/M 41.000
Lap 42 16:49.00 16:49/M 42.000
Here are my splits this weekend.
| 