My alarm went off at 3:30 AM and I shut it off but I couldn't go back to sleep. I almost felt guilty not getting up. So I nudged my husband and told him I still wanted to run. He said he didn't mind so off I went. I don't really remember getting dressed or eating but obviously I did.
I left around 4AM and drove the hour to the park where the race was being held. There were no exact directions to the start so I just drove around until a shaggy hippy looking guy drove by in the opposite direction and asked if I was looking for a race. Turns out it was Peter, the RD, so I followed him around as he put out the rest of the signs and then made his way to the start. Another vehicle joined our parade and we found our way down a dirt and cinder road to the dead end.
We helped Peter set up a table and canopy that would act as registration, aid, mileage tracking, etc. A few more people began arriving and we chatted and ate some donuts. I noticed there were few women and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. We chatted and most of the runners had done many, many ultras. I got lots of good advice and insight on my upcoming fall ultras from people who have done them before.
Peter sent us on our way at 6AM almost on the dot. I got in the back of the line except for one guy who insisted on being behind me (turns out he had to pee and quickly passed me after a mile or two). I was directly behind another woman and we almost immediately started chatting. It was kind of hard on the muddy, rocky single track trail but we became quick friends and stuck together until she dropped out.
The first loop I was wondering if I would make 6 hours. I haven't done much of that kind of trail since I moved into our current house. I was constantly side stepping or leaping over mud puddles and trying to avoid roots, rocks and logs. There was a really steep muddy downhill that ended with two stream crossings. There was a short road portion and a few field crossings. The rest was forest and it left me with a good many scratches and whip marks from the foliage.
After the first 5.5 mile loop I grabbed some chips, gummy bears, and mountain dew (thought it was Gatorade!) and headed back out with my new friend. She told me she was going to stop after this loop and I was a little upset. I haen't enjoyed a conversation that much in a long time! I guess I was finally warmed up for the second loop because I didn't feel like I was working as hard and it seemed easier to avoid the puddles and obstacles.
At the end of the second loop my new friend decided she didn't want to ditch me yet so we headed out together for a third (and final for her) loop. We discussed everything from running to work to relationships and the loop flew by. It was on this loop that we were finally lapped by the leader. I really expected it to happen much sooner! The 5 mile (9AM start) racers started to catch us at this point too. One of the 5 mile racers is a local hasher and brought her dog along. She let him off leash and we spent half this loop with him at our heels. I was scared at first because he kept jumping on us from behind and then he calmed down and just hung out with us. I hope the owner got him because on the road portion I had to stop him from chasing a truck and getting smushed. After I took away his fun he would no longer stay with us and I didn't see him again. At the end of this loop I realized I had almost 2 hours to finish another big loop and then head for the smaller 1.6 mile loop to add as much mileage as I could.
I bid my farewells to my friend, refilled my bottle with Gatorade (the real stuff this time!) and headed back out. The fourth loop was really hard for me mentally. I felt great in the physical sense but I really missed the easy banter I'd been having with my friend and since I'd been following her the whole time I hadn't paid attention to the course. I had to pay close attention to the ribbons and be careful not to miss a turn. I almost got run over by a couple mountain bikers who didn't have the curtousy to yell before they were right behind me and I heard their bikes on my own. Luckily, I had foregone my iPod for this run.
I saw the leader again going the other way on the 1.6 mile loop and again when he decided he had time for a fifth big loop. I tried to stay with him but he was blazing and he was much braver in the slippery, sticky mud than I was. I lost him after about 3/4 of a mile. After that I was on my own until the last 1/2 mile or so. I enjoyed the scenery and the wildlife (2 deer, many chipmunks and squirrels, rabbits, crows, and something big crashing through the tall grass a few feet to my right). About a 1/2 mile from the end a man and a woman came tearing by me. I couldn't believe how fast they were going so I made up my mind to stick to them and see if I could finish this loop in time to do a 1.6 mile loop. On the last little bit, a BIG uphill along a powerline, to the finish they seemed to die. I was still feeling good so I asked to pass and ran the hill to the finish. I had 18 minutes left on the clock and I *might* have been able to get in a small loop in that time but I was happy enough with finshing 22 miles in 5:42.
Turns out the woman who passed me at the end was the one who took first place. She'd had the male pace her to get in one last big lap so she could overtake me. Guess that's why she was moving so fast! I was a little disappointed that I didn't get the award because it was a neat little handmade metal thing that had been welded together into the letters HHNH and Peter hand inscribed the 1st place male and females names and mileage on each. Very different!
The men's leader finished with 32.3 miles and the first woman with 27.5. The rest of the runners ranged from 11 miles up to 26.8. Overall I'm pretty pleased with my 22. I took second place and got a nice Mizuno shirt from the owner of the LRS. He told me pics would be up last night but they still aren't. I hope they go up soon because I look forward to seeing them for sure! We all chatted for a little while as we helped break down the tent and chairs. I scarfed down a PB&J before driving home and contemplating how much faster I would have to go to make 5 big loops next year!
Holy smokes! That is all. :)
ReplyDeleteGood work!
6 Hour Trail Run... Wow! You are awesome!
ReplyDelete