The race was supposed to start at 6:15 am but I think they started it about five minutes early. We were walking from the car when we could hear the announcer counting down from a minute. Shit. I fiddled with my headlamp to get it to the setting I wanted as I trotted toward the start line. I can never get the headlamp's setting right on the first try and I've owned it for over a year. Then I had the realization that I hadn't turned on my Garmin GPS yet. I turned it on as Erin, Chris,and I got to the group of runners waiting for the start. The race started just as we got there !!! We were off and running while I kept checking the GPS to get the satellites for me. The first and second bars kept alternating between full and empty. I then made the decision to just step off the course and stand still til the signal locked in. After about ten seconds (or forever) satellites were locked in and I was off.
Then after the first incline my heart rate buzzed for me to slow down. (I set my heart rate at a higher level for race day....or so I thought) So I ran a little ways up the hill and stepped off the trail again. I scrolled through the menu and got to where I needed to change things, except the number I wanted was correct. I would find out much later there after the race that there is a separate function that I needed to change also. So I said "fuck it" and just figured I would just go on.
I started out a little too fast. I was trying to move up the hill by slightly running past people who were walking up. Between the early start, not finding my satellite signal, and the HR thing I felt that I had to make up for lost time. I tried doing that but then some common sense came in to remind me that I was running in the dark on a trail with a headlamp on. Dodging tree roots and other debris while three feet behind another runner was new territory for me. Yet kind of awesome !!! I instantly thought to myself "Holy crap. I can totally do running like this in the fall and winter !!! ADVENTURE !!!"
Things were going well for a couple of miles. I was pushing my pace a little harder than I should have but I was starting to settle in. I was getting used to the headlamp and found that using it wasn't going as treacherous as I imagined it would be. Then at about the three mile to four mile mark I settled in the back of a line of runners with a loud, not saying anything interesting chatterbox of a girl. She wouldn't shut up or say anything of any interest to anyone except her friend who shared and encouraged her use of uninteresting subjects to talk about. The line of runners was about ten or so deep on an almost impassable single track trail in the dark. I was in Hell !!! We came to a flat part between inclines and the pace picked up until we came to another incline. I immediately decided to pass the group and the girl's friend said "We usually save that kind of burst for the last mile" to me as I passed them. Remembering the phrase "My mother always said if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all" I laughed it off and launched up the incline looking forward to the promise of a peaceful run.
This was the first time I had to run with the headlamp without anyone in front of me. It wasn't any different than running in the daylight. I could see debris, roots, and rocks on the trail just fine. I had no idea what the forest looked like beyond the range of my headlamp, except dark. Though the sun was rising and natural light was becoming more plentiful. The trail came to a road and the first aid station was there. I didn't need anything at this point and the course continued onto another incline. I chose to walk up while I stowed my headlamp into my camel back. My heart rate was too high anyway so this would give me a chance to calm down.
The course continued through some inclines and declines. There were even some boardwalk parts that were mildly slick from the week's rain. After a couple of miles I came upon a group of four guys and kind of settled in behind them. After about five minutes of being behind this group the trail crossed a dirt road. There were no flags marking the course. No flags anywhere. We all came to a stop. I figured it would make sense that the course would continue on down the trail we were on. We got about three hundred feet in and two runners were coming towards us. "This isn't the way" one of them said and we turned around toward the road. When we got to the road a group of three runners were coming up from a bend down the dirt road. They met up with us and said there weren't any flags that way. Another guy and I went back the way we came to see when the last marker was. We found it about a hundred yards back so we knew we hadn't missed a turn. Then we decided to continue down the only way nobody had gone. I thought about staying at the junction for my wife. I didn't know if she was with anybody or where she was. The guys continued down the road and I reluctantly went with them. The road went down a way and then came to a T. Another runner came and he had a map. He and another guy figured out where we were and we ran down the dirt road. We were clicking at a decent pace when the road took a bend and we followed that to where there was a small parking lot with a trailhead. A trailhead that wasn't marked with any course flags. Adventure !!! I then decided that I was going to really break that distance PR. Maybe even make it a self-supported fifty miler if we stay lost enough.
So the map came out again and someone decided to back track the way we came. We got about a half mile up the road when a truck came by and told us the course was back up the road. We thanked the guy and continued up the road. Then another truck came. One of the guys from our group knew him and he told us to get in. Myself and two other guys jumped on the lowered tailgate while the other guy rode shotgun. We sped down to the road where we should have taken a turn. (Later I learned that the driver was Randy the race director aka The Head Goat. So catching a ride wasn't illegal !!!)
We clicked along for a bit and I kind of felt a pressure lift off of me. I was relieved that we were back on track. I was also relieved that some subconscious pressure I was putting on myself about getting a "good race time" was gone. Now I just had to worry about if my wife was still on course or if she got to the junction after it was remarked.
We thanked Randy for the ride and we started moving at good clip down the road. My garmin was set to vibrate and I could feel it on my wrist warning me that I was above my desired exertion. (I was so grateful to have this new model. Normally the deedle~deedle~dee ring of the old HR would have driven me into a fit of Incredible Hulk rage by this point.) Up ahead I saw a runner that I thought was my wife. As we got closer I shouted out her name and was right !!! She turned around and said "Oh, did you get lost?" I sure did !!! I asked her what mileage she had and she was about 3 miles behind what I had. Three mile detour !!! She was running low on electrolyte pills and asked how I was doing with my supply. I hadn't even touched mine so we switched containers since I always forget to take the electrolyte pills anyway. We ran together for a little bit and then I said goodbye as I started to pick up my pace to rejoin the rest of the "Got Lost Boys".
The course went from road to trail and came upon a horseman's camp where there was an aid station set up. I grabbed some orange slices and some water and headed up to a trail. Then I saw Ben and Stephanie waiting up the hill with their dog, Toby. Ben rode up with us while his wife drove to meet us in Hell. They were there to hang out and offer any help the three of us may need on the course. I told them about getting lost and how I was just gonna concentrate on having fun and working on a now 34 mile personal record distance run. They had asked where Chris was and I had said that I hadn't seen him. Then I was wondering if they missed him or if he got super lost at that junction.
I came out and hit the horseman's camp again and reaffirmed which flags I was to follow for the rest of the race at the aid station there. There were more inclines but nothing bad. I took my second vespa and electrolyte pill as I power hiked up a hill. The pace and the terrain of the last few miles were starting to push my calves a little much. I didn't want to risk another calve seizure like I did at the Eagle Creek Marathon so I knew I had to power hike the hills for awhile. (Something I should have been doing anyway) More miles went by, the course turned to some bushwhacking, went down a steep incline (which took its toll on my quads) and then up the climb known at "the stripper pole". It was steep but not very long. I got to the top and started to laugh at the awesome absurdity that the climb was. Adventure !!!
The course continued and along the way I started running with an older mustached gentleman doing the 50 mile race with his wife. He offered me the advice that you want to walk the uphills, run the downhills, and run the flats. This strategy was saving my calves from cramping up. We were soon joined by another runner who was also an experienced distance runner. The two of them chatted while we ran and I gladly ran along with them. We would come to an incline and power hike up and then cruise down. At one point the mustached man stepped off the trail and said that this was a good spot to wait for his wife. I thanked him for his advice and said goodbye.
I ran along behind the other guy and we encountered the first water crossing. I got in and the cold water felt awesome on my pounded feet. We crossed and the trail turned into a slight high grass bushwhackesque part where we were gaining ground on a lady. She stepped aside to let us pass and my running buddy kind of slowed his pace with the lady's. I said a brief goodbye and continued on alone. I came to another water crossing, plopped in, and came out to pass another lady emptying stuff out of her shoe.
Just after that the course took me into a creek where it had us running up it. Not only was I running through it, but also hopping over downed trees and other shit. There was a bend in the stream and the course kept going with the creek. It fluctuated between being ankle deep, to knee deep, to waist deep. I'm six foot three if that gives any idea of depth change. At one point I passed a runner who was gingerly going through the water. I passed him and turned around to look at him and he made an odd sound. Turns out he was deaf and had a confused look on his face and was pointing at the bank of the creek. I went to where he was pointed and gave him a thumbs up. He started my way and then I turned and took some steps in the knee to thigh deep water. Then I stepped on a rock and lifted up about six inches. When I put my foot down I hit a hole and my right shin crashed into a sharp rock and I fell in the water. Holy shit did it hurt !!! I just got up and continued toward another bend in the creek and then diagonally toward a pink trail marker with a photographer. I headed up the bank and saw Satan !!! He welcomed me to Hell and there was an aid station there !!!
My calf was killing me so this caused me to have no use for any water or food. But there was some sort of festival going on. There was a cool rockabilly band playing. Not only were they a rockabilly band but they were some sort of evil lyrics of death rockabilly band !!! Totally fucking awesome !!! The course took me by this event (Which I later found out was called "Hell Fest".) and there were all kinds of pimped out hearses in the parking lot and goth type people everywhere. Cool as shit. My shoes had managed to pick up every sharp piece of debris while I was in the water. I stopped, untied them, and dumped water and other torturous devises out of pain out of them.
Then the course turned uphill on a dirt road and I power hiked up. I could tell that I was starting to compensate for my bashed shin. I think I had nine miles to go at this point. The course turned from the dirt road to more trails and slight bushwhacking. I could still hear the psychobilly band playing off in the distance as I maneuvered through fallen limbs and trees on this stretch of the course. My lower back also started to cramp up from having to constantly duck from the foliage. After about four or five miles the back of my right knee started to get a sharp pain in the tendon. I knew it was from compensating for my bashed shin. I had also realized that I tied my right shoe lace too tight and it was squeezing the top of my foot to the point of discomfort. I stopped to loosen it up and the pain relieved instantly. Despite all this discomfort: We must keep going.
The terrain was still quite pretty. There were pine groves, abundant hardwood trees, and great wetland areas. The boardwalk sections of the trail had great views of marshes and ponds. After one incline the trail came upon a section of the forest that suffered a fire in the recent past. There were new growth smaller trees whose leaves were starting to change colors. Towering over these were older, taller trees that survived the fire but were proudly showing off their scars. The sun was coming through the field and it was probably one of the most amazing scenes I have come upon. (I wished I would have brought my camera, but I got the feeling the fall in the water would have ruined it. But really, I doubt a photo would have done any justice)
Not too long after this I came to the trailhead and was at a road. The lady there said "Just follow those flags there. Just a half mile to go." I thought that couldn't be right. I should have about three miles to go according to my GPS. But what did I know. The course was now on grass and heading slightly downhill !!! I got my second wind and pushed through all the annoying little niggles from my lower back all the way down my right leg and kicked it into gear.
I was chugging along and almost overran the chute. As I went through my GPS read that it was just over 30 miles for the event. Not the 34 I was hoping for, but I finished relatively unscathed !!! I walked through and people were handing me shit left and right. Banana, bottle of water, heavy ass finishers medal. A lady with a clipboard asked my age. When I told her she said I placed fifth in my age group. "Are you shitting me?!?!?!?" I asked.
"When have I ever shitted you?" she asked back. She had a good point and I didn't have the energy to argue. The she handed me a pretty nice pint glass that was my age group award. Yay for me. More shit to carry !!! Placing in my age group didn't even seem like a reality the whole race. That was a cool bonus.
As I exited the area Ben and Stephanie came running up with a giant fat head picture they made of me and my dog. This was the most awesome thing ever which made me love these two even more. What great friends !!!
I checked out my shin and I could see blood coming through my calf sleeve. The others could see a raised bump on the profile of it. I could feel muscle groups starting to unnaturally contract so I walked around as a form of a cool down, took off my shoes, and waited for Erin to come in.
She came in and we found out that she placed fourth in her age group !!! All three of us were winners !!! (If you'd like you can read her race report at her blog here: http://persistentrunner.blogspot.com/ She's a lot better than me at this so it's worth your while.) .
