(Finally) A Race Report: Newnan’s Lake 15k

One of my favorite parts of writing this blog used to be the race reports, as was evident by the number of those I used to post. Unfortunately in the last year or so, I haven’t felt much like doing race reports. A lot of that was because the races weren’t going well for me. Now sometimes when a race doesn’t go well, it can be entertaining (“I lost my left shoe in the mud at mile 10 but soldiered on to the end by wrapping a banana peel around my foot and securing it with duct tape”), but the type of bad races I was having don’t make for good entertainment. 

However, after some time off to regroup, I am feeling a little bit, just a twinge, like I maybe could get enthusiastic about racing again. When I recommitted to resurrecting the blog this year, I also committed myself to getting re-acquainted with road racing (while still keeping a hand in at the trail races I love so much).  One of my goals for 2016 is to run at least one road race a month for the year.  The only problem with that was that it was January, and I was woefully out of shape. 

So there I was, scouring the Internet late at night, looking for a race that was as close to the end of the month as I could get, preferably a 5k, when up popped “January 30 – Newnan’s Lake 15k – Gainesville.” Did I ever mention that 15k is my favorite race distance? Well, it is. Although I was nowhere near in 15k shape, I could not let a semi-local one pass me by. I clicked on the link.

“One of the prettiest 15k races in the state,” the site said. “Flat” it said. “Nearly perfect weather every year,” it said. Hmmmm.  It sounded promising.  “But wait,” the voice of reason in the back of my head said, “Hasn’t your longest run in like six weeks been only 6 miles.” “It is only three more miles,” my ultra voice said, “Piece of cake.” “Are you crazy?” my racing voice asked?  “I’ll think about it,” I said to the voices in my head.

To think about it, I went out for a run with a friend of mine from Michigan who is down doing the snowbird thing. He is also on the comeback trail and having similar ambivalence about both training and racing. You know what happens when you put two runners together, right? The next thing you know the race is entered and the plans are made. Nothing to do now but show up and hope I don’t die.

Race morning dawned cold (at least by Florida standards) and beautiful.  I bundled up in several layers and headed out at dawn to meet my friend Jim and head to the race site. We got to the site plenty early. The race was located at a boat ramp and park on Newnan Lake, which is outside Gainesville and close by the Payne’s Prairie Preserve State Park.  Headed to packet pick-up we got a taste of how pretty the race would be, as the sun was just rising over the lake.  

Jim and I met up with a friend of his and her friend. We did the obligatory selfie, and then we were off at a sprint for the last pit stop (the only warm up I did) and then the starting line. 

The race had that small race vibe that I love. The results show that there were 359 finishers this year, which for me is a good number – big enough that there are always people in sight, but small enough that it is not crowded. Even at the start, where the entire field had to cross the starting mats to activate their chips, there was not much of a bottleneck.

The course itself is an out and back, with a little connector section of trail included in the out section that you don’t have to cross on the back. The early part of the course is on the perimeter road for the lake, which made for a really pretty start and finish, just as advertised. It was a particularly enjoyable start, as we loped along the edge of the lake, with the sun coming up. The road was tree-lined, with Spanish moss hanging down from the trees arched over the roadway. Through the trees the lake, with the slight steam rising and the reflection of the orange and purple sunrise could be seen. It was enough to make me forget that I had not trained for a 9.3 mile race…

I was feeling good, running by heart rate and keeping things under control, right up until the time that we hit the trail portion around mile three and a half. We hit that sandy trail and my feet said “Whoohoo!”  I ignored the red flashing light on my heart monitor, picked up the pace, and let my happy feet take over.  I came out of the trail section breathing more deeply than I should have been (which is a polite way of saying I was sucking wind big time) and hit what was just a slight uphill to the turnaround.

And that is when the piper decided that he needed to be paid…  I definitely did not have the conditioning for that little stunt on the trail section. My legs started to feel like lead. Just then, the leaders started to come back down the other side of the road. That distracted me… for about 30 seconds. Then it was back to misery.  I wanted to walk. There was no doubt it was going to happen eventually.  “No… can’t let Jim see you walk.” That is what I told myself. So I focused all my attention on watching for Jim.  Did I mention Jim is fast? Even with him being out of shape, I was pretty sure he would be near the front. “Come on, Jim.”  I thought, as my legs got heavier and heavier.

Finally, I could make out Jim’s tall, lanky form in the distance. “Thank God.” I took every spare bit of energy left in me to pull my shoulders back, put a big smile on my face, and yell “Go, Jim,” as he went by. Then I counted to ten. Then I took a walk break. Finally!! But only 15 seconds – because despite how I felt, my time really wasn’t looking that bad.

By now the turnaround was in sight, and I got a pleasant surprise. Another friend of mine, John, from New York, who was also doing the snowbird thing, had come out to take pictures and cheer me on. Only problem with that was that he was at the turnaround, which was at the very tip top of what I had now decided was a substantial uphill grade (but which my lying Garmin says was like a 30 ft rise).  I managed a somewhat crooked and very fake smile for the camera, made the turn and headed back for the second half.

The second half was about survival. I put my ultra training to good use and did some strategically paced walking breaks of 15-20 seconds every .5 mile and managed to only lose about :20 seconds off my per mile average, which I was pretty satisfied with. I got passed by a few people, but I also passed a few back in the last half mile, where I had enough left to put on a final push.

The end result could have been worse. My goal was to try to run the race in a sub 9:00 pace, which I did (ignoring the fact that this used to be my long run training pace). I ended up 6^th in my age group (out of 24), which also I was fairly satisfied with. We ended up having to stay for the awards ceremony, though, because Jim (who claimed to be as out of shape as I was) won his age group.

Jim with his award and my photographer friend John in the background.

All in all, the race lived up to its billing. It is a really pretty 15k. I would definitely go back and run this one again – when I am in better shape, of course. 

Can The Patient Be Revived?

I just was showing the blog to one of my students last week, and I realized just what a crappy year 2015 was for me when I saw how little I have written. Two posts in 2015. Wow! That is horrible! It made me wonder if I could still call myself a blogger or whether I should just shut down shop and take off the site. Does anyone really care? Can the patient be saved?  After some consideration, I decided that I would try to revive the blog (and my running) in 2016.

That is not to say that I didn’t do much running in 2015 (I did), or that some of it was not good (some was). Honestly, though, a lot of it was not so good, especially in the latter part of the year.

When things are not going well, it is hard to write. I have had some very supportive comments when I have posted about the bad times in running, and I really appreciate that, but who wants to be a downer all the time? And, I still do have some positive things to say. There are some great races out there that I would like to report on, some great books I have been reading, products that I have been using, and ideas and observations that I have had that I would like to share.

So, let’s take a look at the positives of 2015. A year ago today, I started with a great run and a 2^nd place finish at BearBait Ultra. It was a great race, and I fully intended to be back there again this year. Unfortunately, that was probably the high point of the year for me race wise.

During the early part of the year, though, I did have the opportunity to make some great running friends that have become real joys in my life. I have met two ladies in particular who continue to add a spark of joy to my trail running (love you Terri and Maddie!). I also had some really fun times on the trail. One of those was a trip Terri and I took to a great little race called Rockin’ Choccolocco that I hope to do again this year.  

Leslie, Linda, and me at North Country Trail 

I also had a really great experience with my running BFFs, Leslie and Linda, at North Country Trail Run, which is an awesome race with equally awesome bling. I really should have written about that weekend because it was a fun one. 

Until it wasn’t…   On the way back to Florida from that trip, I got really ill – like curl up on the nasty airport carpet to sleep, wheelchair through the airports – sick. I thought I had food poisoning at the time, but I now think I might have been dealing with rhabdomyolosis brought on by a combination of dehydration and the downhill pounding of the hilly trail which my flatlander legs were not prepared for. In hindsight, to continue with my plans to attempt a 100 miler a few weeks later was probably not the best thing to do.

Despite the fact that I had some wonderful support and good company (thanks John), I crashed and burned at my first 100 mile attempt at Race for the Ages. I started very conservatively with a walk-run strategy from the beginning, but by 10 hours, my legs had completely given out. I was slogging around barely moving my legs. Yes, I did realize that most of the other people were slogging around barely moving their legs too, but really I had no desire to continue with that activity for another 20 or 30 hours, which at the pace I was moving is what it probably would have taken to complete the 100 miles. That is just not why I am running, and saying that I had done a 100 miler was just not that important to me. 

However, this did send me into an existential crisis that I am still dealing with. Why do I run? Where is the line between pushing oneself to achievement and just pushing oneself for no good reason? (I know suffering is part of achievement, but when suffering is just for the sake of not quitting, is it still noble or is it just stubbornness?) Is it important to me to just finish a distance, no matter how long it takes or what shape I finish in? Does speed matter, or is it all about the distance? If a goal/hobby is not bringing joy, should it remain a goal? And, do I care what other people think about my personal answers to these questions?  

These were the questions that I was struggling with through the end of 2015. Through on top of that a stressful job situation and a husband who was hospitalized twice, and the running kind of fell apart. In the past, the running would have been a stress reliever from these personal problems, but because of my running-related ambivalence, it was not even performing that function. So, I took some time off. I think I ran twice in November and maybe three times in December.

Thankfully, the job situation turned out very well (I got the job of my dreams!), my husband is recovering from his illness, and … the desire to run (and to write about running) is slowly returning.  I am optimistic about 2016!  

(Image from http://jessicabowsernelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/starting-over.jpg)

The Ups and Downs of Running

Today is the day that I didn’t run the Kettle Morraine 100. For most of the last year getting ready for a 100 miler and then this particular 100 miler had been a major goal in my life and in my running. For most of the time the training was going well, and by all indications it appeared that I would be ready as scheduled. Twice, once in the fall and once in the winter, I ran my fastest 50k times since 2003 (and my second and third fastest 50ks ever).  I was definitely on a running high.

Then I hit the 50 mile training race in April, and things began to unravel.  I had a DNF. After my second not-so-successful attempt at 50 miles, I realized that I was not ready to run 100 miles (and may not ever be – the jury is still out on that one). This put me into a bit of a tailspin in regards to my running.  As I sit this weekend and follow my acquaintances on Facebook who are running Kettle Morraine and other 100s this weekend, I am definitely at a low point.

At the same time, one of the runners I have been coaching for quite a while has been going through her own set of struggles. Life encroached on her running, as it does for all of us at time. She started missing runs and gaining weight, and pretty soon she was in a bona fide running slump. 

These events represent the ups and downs of running that we all encounter if we run long enough. Most runners start out experiencing mostly the ups. I mean there are always bad days and hard runs, but for the first few years running is usually a pretty exciting and motivating activity. There are new people to meet, new races to run, with the accompanying PRs, and all kinds of new gear to buy.  Life is good.

Eventually, though, things change. Sometimes it is injury, sometimes work or family, sometimes ill health (ours or that of someone we care about), sometimes it is achieving a long sought after goal and feeling at a loss for what to do next, and sometimes it is other interests, but if a person runs long enough, he or she will eventually experience the downs. 

Sometimes the ups and downs are short-lived.  Sometimes after a few weeks off from running, you think “Wow, I really want to get out there and run!” Other times they can last a while. If you checked out my race results on Athlinks and Ultrasignup, you would see that the years from 2005 to 2010 represented my longest running slump ever. I had some triathlons in 2007 and a few races in 2008, but most of that time I was not running regularly. I was in a slump that I could not seem to crawl out of. Every time, I would get myself going again, something else would pop up to push me back down. At times I was not sure I would ever get back to regular running again.

Whether or not a person continues running when faced with the downs has a lot to do with how they handle these downs. Many people just quit.  I meet a lot of people who say things like “Yeh, I used to run, but…”  These are often the people who were not able to sustain their desire for running through these down times.

A lot of whether or not a person continues running at this time is related to why a person runs. If the running was for extrinsic reasons (approval and attention of others or because someone they know talked them into it initially), it is not likely that the desire to run will survive. Usually this person just moves on to another activity. However, if the motivation was intrinsic (a real enjoyment of and joy in running) then the desire to run is likely to survive. It is not gone. It is just dormant for a while.

So what can runners do who are experiencing the downs of running. Well, first of all, be patient and know that this too shall pass.  Use the time to reconnect with some of the things that might have gotten pushed to the back burner while the attention was focused on running.

There is also trying new ways to enjoy running.  Train for a triathlon or duathlon. If you run on the roads, try the trails. If you have been doing trails, enter a few road races. If you have been going long, go short for a while.  Run without a watch. Run in new places. Volunteer to run with some kids or volunteer at a race. All of those things can help keep you in touch with running. I am using all these things to help me get through the slump. 

What about you? What do you do to get yourself past the “downs” in your running life? 

Race Report: Bear Bait Ultra (My Birthday Race!)

This past weekend was my 53^rd birthday.  I decided to celebrate by doing an ultra. It is not unusual to do a birthday run, but it is kind of rare that one’s birthday falls on a race day. So, late last summer, when I saw a posting about an ultra that was falling on my actual birthday, I jumped at the chance to sign up. Little did I know what a great decision that would be.

The race I found was a small one held up in the Florida panhandle, just out of Crestview, called Bear Bait Ultra. As I read about the race, I found that they had a 25k, a 50k, and a 50 miler. I immediately decided that the 50 miler would be a good choice, and that rather than the 50 miles I would attempt 53. My decision was solidified when I read about the course. It was 4 mile loops (I like loops, and 4 miles is a great distance for them) and in what looked like a really pretty place. I was marginally familiar with the area because my daughter-in-law and her husband live not too far from there in Baker, and I knew that the forests up there had some good running.

After I signed up, I joined their Facebook page where I was welcomed to the race by one of the race directors, Bo. Right away I was struck by how friendly he seemed and how helpful in giving information about the race and area. I learned that the race had been done in prior years but that the race had new race directors this year, Bo, Dan, and Dalia. It was their first time doing the race director gig, but they are obviously a bunch of overachievers because the race was awesome in all areas! I have never seen a race where the directors worked so hard to take care of all the details and to make sure that each individual had a great race experience.

 

Race Directors: Dan, Dalia, and Bo

I felt even better about my decision as time passed. They set up several training runs, which unfortunately I could not make it up to. With each run, more and more pictures of the area were posted, and the trails  looked great.  Training was going well, and I was looking forward to the experience. Then in early December disaster struck in the form of problems with my shoulder, neck, and upper back. Training came to a halt as I dealt with the pain. I immediately contacted the RD to ask about switching down. Again he was super pleasant and helpful. He made the switch with no problem, and I was back on track.

Somewhere during this time, they had also put a picture of the finishers' “medals” on the site. They were not medals at all but these absolutely amazing handmade amulets with a bear claw on the front made by Tracey Thomas who has a company called Marvelous Mud. She posted some pictures of the amulets, and on her Facebook page even showed pictures of the amulets and awards before they were fired. It was really incredible, and I knew right then that I was finishing the race no matter what because I wanted one of those amulets for my birthday present!

 

I am pretty sure that the black one on the right side is mine :-)

As the weekend approached, I was very excited.  I was planning to camp overnight. The race is at a campground at Bear Lake, but unfortunately it was first come, first serve. I was loathe to head up without a reservation, so I made one at the nearby Blackwater RiverState Park. I made the 5 hour drive up on Friday night and went to packet pickup.  I found the park pretty easily. Packet pickup was at the pavilion in the campground which would also be the start/finish area for the race and the location of the aid station on the course. Packet pickup went smoothly. I finally got to see the shirts for the event, and they were awesome as promised. Mine was a powder blue Pantagonia, women’s cut, with the very cool race logo on the front.

 

My awesome shirt along with my Performance Enhancing Runnopelli tattoo

I headed out to get a pre-race meal over in Crestview (for future reference, green Thai curry although delicious is probably not the best pre-race meal) and then headed back to my campground to hit the sack. I was car-camping (too lazy to set up a tent), which was a first for me. It was actually more comfortable than I expected, and 4:30 came quickly. It was cold outside, really cold, like 31 degree cold. I debated for a while the whole tights versus capris thing before settling on capris. Although it was in the 30s, it was clear, and sun was predicted. I compensated with lots of layers on top and headed out.

I arrived at the race course and met up with my friend John from New York who had stopped by to crew for me while on a snowbird escape from the subzero temperatures.  I checked in and did the usual pre-race messing around but somehow got off schedule a bit. The pre-race briefing came up before I was quite ready for it. Bo was sweet enough to announce that it was my birthday, but unfortunately I had run back to the car because I had forgotten my race number. I made it back in time for the tail end of the course information, but then decided to hit the restroom again before the start.

The restrooms were inside the building where it was nice and warm. I must have been enjoying the heat a bit too long because when I came out, John said, “They already left.” I was like “What?????” He said, “They already started.”  I was like “Oh shit, which way?” and off I went.  I had paid attention during the briefing (sort of) but I knew I wasn’t going to be leading the race, so I figured I would just follow. I had to catch the group!!! The first mile was pretty frantic. I ignored the numbers on my HR monitor that said that I was way over my target HR. As I crossed the campground to enter the trail section, I could see the groups of people spread out across the dam and disappearing off into the woods. I had no idea how many there were ahead, so I kept passing people until I got the first mile alert from my watch and then decided I needed to just settle down.

After the trail got into the woods, it had become a really nice single track. It was well packed with lots of pine needles in some sections and fallen leaves in others. There were some roots on the trail, some of which were a little hard to see because of the leaves, but it was not what I would call technical. I had been worried about mud on the course because it had rained heavily two days before the race, but there were really only two spots which were slightly wet. The rest of the wet spots were covered with a series of short wooden boardwalks. We had been warned that they might be slippery, but I did not find that to be true. I usually don’t like running on boardwalks, but I did like them on the course because they were landmarks to help me recognize where I was on later loops.  

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Another plus to the course was that it is about as flat as you get on a trail ultra with single track. There was really only one very minor hill out on the loop, a slight hill up to the finish, and a set of short up and downs to get from the campground to the dam and up to the single track. The rest was just really awesome, mostly worry-free, pretty running through the trees.  There were very few opportunities to get lost. There was one section on the far side of the lake where we had to cross a clearing, but the race director had told us to keep going straight and look across for the flags. It was well marked, and I don’t think anyone in the race had problems staying on course. One fun thing was that throughout the course the race directors had left us little signs to make us smile, with witty sayings like "You run better than the government" and "If ultras were easy, they would be called your mother," and what I thought was some very sensible advice:

The course goes around the lake, with glimpses of the water occurring quite often. We had started just at daylight, and as we went around the lake for the first time we were treated to a magnificent sunrise, blue and pink and orange skies. The cold temperatures made for steam rising off the lake. It was gorgeous!

Thanks, Bo!

After the race got going, things ticked along smoothly for the first couple hours.  I met a few people who I ran with for a while, including a really nice guy named Chris, down from Fort Benning, who was doing the 50 mile. The loop I ran talking with him was probably the most pleasant of the whole day. 

There was one aid station on the course, at the start/finish area. That meant 4 miles between aid, but it was definitely adequate for the course. It was a cool day, and the aid station was very well stocked. There was a slight hill across the finish mat and up to the aid station which was under the pavilion. On every loop volunteers and usually one of the race directors met me on the hill asking if I needed anything and offering to fill bottles. I was working mostly from my drop bag, with John as crew (thanks, John!) which was easy to locate because it was at the pavilion, but the aid table was well stocked with anything a runner could desire. For most people just carrying one bottle would be sufficient to have enough fluids to tide one over between aid stations.

Slight hill approaching the finish line

As I said things ticked along smoothly and partially due to the flatness of the course, I was rolling along way ahead of schedule. I had decided on a 9 minute run/1 min walk race plan, and after the second loop, I settled into that. The plan was working well, but I was surprised to be almost 20 secs per mile faster than I had planned to be, with my HR still within my acceptable range. It went that way until about mile 22. As I was getting close to the start/finish on loop six, I started getting the all too familiar electrical impulses in my calves that signal that cramping is imminent. I was pretty sure I had been taking in enough electrolytes, but had also been battling a wanky stomach for the last few loops, so maybe not.  Then BAM! Out of nowhere I was on the ground. That was fall #1.

I got up, with the required amount of cussing, walked to be sure I had no unusual pains in the spleen region, and headed on. Finally the aid station came into sight. These really great spectators had been meeting us at the bottom of the hill on every lap with signs. I did my best to smile as I approached them, and then SPLAT.   I was on the ground again. Fall #2. Right in front of the finish line. With all the spectators and aid station personnel looking on. DAMN!

As I went in to the aid station, I yelled at John to give me an electrolyte cap. I swallowed it down and stopped in quickly to see if Bull, the Active Release Therapy (ART) guy they had on-site, could do anything about my calf. He was out for a moment. Bo offered to get him for me, but I did not want to lose any more time.  I headed back out and hoped for the best. I barely made it another mile and my hopes were dashed. The cramping started in my right calf. The next four miles were a nightmare of walking, jogging, cramping, and falling. I fell two more times on that loop.  It just went on forever. Strangely, though, only two guys passed me during that time, so I wasn’t feeling too bad about anything except that my awesome finishing time was slipping away.

When I went into the aid station for the final time, I was feeling pretty crappy. My stomach was a little sloshy, and I was not feeling like putting any more in. It had warmed up some, and I felt like I was getting behind because of the lack of absorption/sloshy stomach. I could not stomach any more of my sports drink, so I grabbed some water: 5 cups to be exact. It was cold and went down well. I decided that it was either going to come back up or get the absorption started. I was cool with either change.

The last loop started like the previous one, with me doing a lot of walking and some listless running occasionally. Then somewhere around about 29.5 miles, I got passed. By a woman. As she went by, I said to myself , “Well, Lori, how many people are you going to let pass you like that on this loop? Get your butt in gear.”  I took off after the woman who was quickly disappearing in the woods. Surprisingly, I started to feel better. I think the water was just what I needed to get all the sugar and electrolytes going into my system again. I finished out the loop running and crossed the finish line without anyone else passing me.  

I crossed the finish line and knew exactly where I was headed. I went straight to get some ART on my calves and glute. I had a 5 hour drive home that afternoon and wanted to do all I could to make sure it would not be pure agony. I have never had ART at a race before, and I was amazed that he was there free of charge for the racers. He did an outstanding job of working on my knotted up areas, and I owe him big time for my comfort on the ride home. Thanks, Bodyworks by Bull!

I wandered out after the session with Bull feeling pretty good and headed down to the finish line to get my official time. I also had a chance to meet the other race directors, Dan and Dalia, and was standing there talking when Bo came down, tugged on my arm, and said, “Come on, we need you up here.” I was like “For what?” and then I figured he was probably going to announce my birthday again or something.

It turned out to be way better than that. It was for the awards ceremony. I had not realized it, but I had placed second overall for the women!!! I was surprised and shocked. I had no idea that I had been doing that well or that when that woman passed me it had been a pass for the lead! As my award, I received the most awesome handmade mug!

That was the icing on the (birthday) cake for me!! What a great day!

 

The podium for the 50k: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, left to right

The Bottom Line:

If you are looking for a nice, small, kind of old-school ultra on beautiful trails for next January, you should definitely put this one on the schedule. It is a really great bunch of people putting on a really great event. The course is flat and has the potential to produce some really fast times. It would be an excellent course for a first-timer at the 50k or 50 mile distance. My advice is to get in on this gem before the word gets out. A quality race like this is likely to grow. Thanks to Bo, Dan, and Dalia for a fabulous birthday!

So when I said "flat," I wasn't kidding. :-) 

Race Report: John Holmes 50k (aka My REAL Maffetone Test)

Finisher Glass and Tech Shirt 

I realize that it has been awful quiet over here lately. That is partially a function of the state of my running and partially a function of the rather quiet summer running season here in Florida. With the temperatures cooling down some I was able to do my first race of the season, the John Holmes 50k. This race served two functions. It got me back to the type of running I love (trail ultras), and it also gave me a chance to get an updated Maffetone test of sorts, which was long overdue (as one recent comment on the blog pointed out).

First let me give a quick recap. I have been training by heart rate since late January as I started on my quest to regain fitness after a move and layoff. I became intrigued by the method of Phil Maffetone, which I talked about in another post.  I spent the entire spring and summer training aerobically. Early in the process, I did a test and noted the slight improvement in fitness, but I did not do follow-up tests because the weather got hot, and my paces at the training heart rate slowed down because of this. Testing would have been pointless because it would not really represent what was truly happening in terms of conditioning. I just soldiered on trying to prepare for a September marathon. It was a disastrous failure because although I was aerobically fit, my quads and calves had other ideas about a severely downhill marathon that I was not prepared for.  Even before the DNF, though, I had already decided that would be my last road marathon. I just could not wait to get back to trails and ultras!

Fast forward to October and cooler weather in FL.  I was entered to run my first 50k since my streak of 50ks in 2012. The John Holmes 50k is on what can be considered a “local” course for me, as it was only about 30 miles from my house in the CroomWildlife Management Area. The course itself is a 7 mile loop, done four times (obviously) with short portions at the beginning and end to make up the mileage and get to and from the trail portion from the start/finish. I had not been down to the park to run, but I had seen pictures and read the descriptions. The course is pretty typical of this part of Florida: packed sand trails, mostly single track, pine and cypress trees, a few hills, a few roots here and there to keep it interesting, lots of sun by midday. The race was small. As per the site, the field is limited to 250 runners. The results show 79 in the 50k, with the rest spread over the 16 mile and 9 mile options.

I went to the race by myself, hoping to meet a few runners from the FUR (Florida UltraRunners) group on Facebook. My approach was very low key because this was just meant to be the first of several events used as training runs for a 50 miler (Bear Bait 50 miler) that I will be doing on my birthday in January. I was hoping to try out a few things to see things to see how they would work for the long haul. One was to try out racing by HR rather than pace. A second was to work on refining a run/walk strategy that would work to keep me going strong through the entire event. The third was to practice fueling and hydrating more effectively.

I got to the race early.  Start time for the 50k was 7 am, which is not quite daylight here right now. Unfortunately, for me “low key approach” is also a synonym for “didn’t bother to pack properly.” One of the things I meant to throw in our race morning but forgot was my headlamp. I stumbled around in the dark trying to get ready and use the bathroom, hoping that by the race start I would at least be able to see my feet. While I was waiting for the start I did manage to meet two FURs that were parked next to me. Goal one for the race completed. (That may not seem like a big deal to many of you, but I am pretty shy when it comes to meeting new people. I hate being the kid on the side of the playground who doesn’t know anyone.) As weird as it sounds to some who may already know me, introducing myself was probably the hardest part of the day.

By the time the race started, it was still a little dark, but thankfully the first ten minutes or so were on a flat packed sand (or maybe limestone) road that was nice and white. In the early light it was not difficult to see where we were headed, and there was not much to trip over.  I had decided for this race not to wear a pack. I knew it was going to get hot, and the aid stations were going to be close enough together (3 on each loop) that I did not think I would need more than a hand bottle. I was feeling pretty good at the start, with the cool temps.

I started mid-pack and just cruised along making sure that my HR was where it should have been. To keep my ego out of this equation, I had set my watch so that I could only see my HR and my lap time (so I would know when to walk).  I promised myself I would not peek at the other screens that showed pace, and even late in the race when I was wondering if I was going to break 6 hours, I resisted the temptation to check. (Okay, so I might have had a little bit of a time goal in mind, but I wasn’t chasing it. I was taking what the HR would give me.)

We hit the single track and the first loop went by pretty happily. I was just trying to get used to the terrain, noting where the hills were, the placement of the aid stations, and trying to keep my HR down. I was planning on keeping it right around 65-67% for the first half of the race, then letting it creep up to no higher than 75% for the latter part of the race. I had also decided not to use my run/walk schedule until after the first loop, just walking/hiking on the uphills for the first loop. That seemed to work pretty well. The uphills were typically :30 to 1:30 in duration, so I felt the strategy was a good one. The only annoying thing at this point was the number of people passing me because of the conservative start.

The second loop I settled in. I started my 10/1 run-walk strategy, with the occasional unscheduled uphill walk. I was eating off the tables for this race. This is a change in strategy for me, and one of the things I was testing. I had taken an Immodium as an insurance policy before the race (also something I had not tried before) and was anxious to see if it would really work to allow me to eat solid food without those inconvenient side trips off the trail. At one of the aid stations, one of the FUR runners who was volunteering had brought cupcakes!! I grabbed one of the mini chocolate ones, decorated in a Halloween theme, which went well with the ghoul who was guarding the aid station (pretty scary by the third time around), and decided to just go for it. Just in case that wasn’t tempting fate enough, I also grabbed a handful of M&Ms and headed off. For the next 30 minutes or so, I kept waiting for the tell-tale rumblings that would normally mean that my digestive system was not going for the eat and run thing, but they never came. I was ecstatic, and I took full advantage of the situation by making plain and peanut M&Ms my fuel of choice for the rest of the race.

Toward the end of the second loop I had a little scare. I had a stabbing pain at the top of my lower leg, below the knee and kind of on the inside: new pain in a new place. For a few minutes, I could not run. More people came flying by me. I asked how far to the aid station, and they said about a mile. Great. I pulled out my phone to text my friend Leslie that I was going to have ANOTHER DNF. I was beside myself. My fingers were sweating, and I could not get the touch screen to work. I heard runners behind me, shoved my phone in the belt, and tried to jog. Pretty soon I could actually jog.  It was still painful, though. As I approached the aid station I realized I was going to need to go a little further to get off of the loop and back to the finish under my own power. I grabbed some aid and walked out of the station, up and down a little hilly part. As I came off that section, I decided to try to jog again. Amazingly when I started going, the pain was completely gone! I could not believe it and thanked the running gods that I had not dropped at the aid station.

The third loop was the worst for me. It was getting hot, and I was running with the fear that the pain in my leg would come back. I  passed a woman who had lost her bottle and who was really suffering in the heat. I slowed down for a bit to give her a drink from my bottle. I could not imagine being out there without fluids. I drank my whole bottle way before the last aid station and was really thirsty by the time I got there. I filled my bottle took another electrolyte cap and drank, drank, drank.  The volunteers there were so great, making sure I had all I needed.

The fourth loop started, and I started to feel really good. My HR had risen a bit on the third lap because of the heat and probably some dehydration, but with only 7 miles to go, and with it still well within the aerobic range, I was feeling great.  I started to pass people, some of whom were women. That made me feel even better. My legs were tired, but I was not nearly as wrecked as I was afraid I would be at that point (with my longest run prior being the 21 miles of the DNF marathon).  The heat was not bothering me as it appeared to be some of the other people. I mean I was ready for it to be over, but I was not thrashed. The hardest part for me on this last loop was not looking at my watch. I was dying to know if I was going to be under my secret 6 hour goal. I thought about how much it would suck if I was 6:01 or something because I had not known and could have gone harder. But I didn’t look. I shook those thoughts off and just said, “follow your plan.” 

The final section of the trail, from the loop back to the finish line, is a booger. It is uphill and full of the most humongous roots. I was terrified of this section, not because I am not good on technical trails, but because ever since the fall where I ruptured my spleen, I am all too aware that another fall like that could actually result in death or at least a trip to the ER and surgery (either of which is such a horrible way to end a  good race). I ended up power hiking up a lot of this section, trying to get to the finish line upright. Finally the probably .5 mile section from hell was finished. The finish line was in sight. I looked anxiously at the clock, which for whatever reason was not showing a time. I crossed the finish, hit the stop, and anxiously pushed through the screens on my watch. HOLY COW!!! Not only did I come in under 6:00. I was at 5:45:48!!! That is my fastest 50k since 2004!!  I was amazed. About that time, they also told me that I had won my age group, which also was a super pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, also at about that time, the overwhelming soreness hit my legs. I was still walking, but it didn’t matter. The pain was overwhelming. I stumbled to my car, trying to cope with the pain. It was at that point that I realized that my "low-key approach" to packing also meant I had not brought a towel to wipe the dirt, sweat, mud off before changing clothes or getting in the car. I also did not have any ibuprofen. FUR to the rescue!!  Another woman at her car, also a FUR, and someone who obviously has a better approach to packing than I do, supplied me with the 4 ibuprofen I would need to be able to get in the car and drive home.

There was a fairly robust post-race barbecue and get-together going on, but I honestly was in too much pain to go over and meet the people that I was hoping to meet. I headed back to get a bit more diet Coke and a brownie, check the official time, and then decided I just wanted to see if I could manage to get myself folded into the car to drive home. (Amazingly, with all the post race pain, I was barely even sore the next day -- weird.) 

As a whole this race was a huge success and the best test of the Maffetone method that I could have designed. After 9 months of low HR aerobic running and with a race that was run by HR, which is the best measure of my true fitness level (rather than pace), I was able to run my second fastest 50k ever and my fastest 5k since the peak of my fitness in 2004!  I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish with more time training this way and with a higher training volume. 

Related posts:

Rebuilding My Aerobic Base: The Maffetone Method

Rebuilding My Base With The Maffetone Method: Test 1

Product Review: Mt. Tam Hands-Free Dog Leash by OllyDog

Bandit and me finishing up a run

Do you run with your dog? Have you tried a waist leash? If not, this is a product that you will not want to miss. I have been running with my dogs for over 10 years, and this is by far the best hands-free leash I have found. I do have two other hands-free leashes that I had been using for years, but when I got Bandit, I wanted him to have a new one of his own.  Now those older ones just hang on their hooks. The Mt. Tam has several unique features that make it work particularly well for smooth running and which have made it Bandit's and my favorite. Let’s talk about what makes it different from other running leashes I have had.

The first thing that you notice about the leash is the elastic bungee section. 

This is one of the best features, particularly if your dog tends to pull. Initially I did not think that this would be a big deal. I mean if a dog pulls, wouldn’t he or she just pull to the end of the bungee. However, this was not the case, at least not with my puller, Rio. For some reason he seems content to stay within the range of the bungee, and when he pulls to the end, tends to come back in.

The bungee definitely helps with a smoother running experience. It allows the dog to move around a bit on the end of the leash without it jerking like a traditional leash would. When I am running with Bandit, he is a little skittish sometimes about things off on the side of the road. This gives him a little leeway without jerking on my waist every time he moves. The bungee also gives him a little extra distance when he wants it but without having extra leash in to be a potential tripping hazard when he comes back close.

Another great feature of the leash is the handle down by the collar. This is great for when I need to pull Bandit close, either when other people are passing, when I get into a heavy traffic area or at a road crossing, or if another dog is approaching. 

This really helps give a better sense of control. On the leash, as I wear it, there is also another handy loop for my hand about halfway down the leash. I use this one occasionally when cars are passing, just to be sure he is not ranging too far out, or when people are approaching and I want them to see that he is under control without having to change my stride.

The leash is also well constructed. The band itself is only about an inch wide (as compared to about an inch and a half on my other waist leash). This is not really a drawback for me. It feels light around my waist. The adjustment buckles are plastic, and they work very well to easily adjust the length. They do seem durable, but I have to admit that I am on my second version of the leash. I left the leash attached to Bandit one day on the car ride home. He chewed through the waist buckle.(BAD DOG!!!) I think in regular use, and kept out of chewing range, the buckle would be durable. The clip that attaches to the leash is metal, and it works well. The stitching is heavy duty. The handle part down by the collar has a reflective strip to help make us more visible. The length adjusts from 5 to 8 feet, depending on the width of your waist.

The leash is available in a version with a running belt with pouch (for carrying pick-up bags and other essentials). 

I did not get that option because I already had a clip on pouch for that which I have clipped to one of the metal connectors on the leash. It is working well for me now (although I can see how having a pouch to put the full bags in until I find a trash can would beat running with a bag of poop clutched in one hand…). The running belt is also slightly wider, with a spot for the leash to clip on. This would add a little more distance to the leash, which could be a good or bad thing depending. I think the distance on the leash as it is now is perfect. I don’t think I would want it to be any longer, but perhaps if I had a larger dog this might be an advantage. 

If you are thinking about running with your dog, I do think this is an essential piece of equipment. If you run with your dog and have never tried a waist leash, do not wait! You will not regret it!