Mountain Masochist 2013 - Close Calls

The race that almost wasn’t. That is how I can describe MMTR this year. I had signed up quite a while ago but due to a soccer tournament my daughter was playing in and I was coaching in I almost did not go. As it turned out the tournament was downsized to one game and the forecast called for a lot of rain. I jumped on the idea the game would be canceled due to the rain knowing that if it was not the head coach was going to be there, so coaching was covered. On Wednesday I decided to go. Earlier in the week I had asked a good running friend Jon if he wanted to tag along and crew for me. As always he said yes. Race On!

We left on Friday afternoon for the drive to Staunton, VA. All the hotels in Lynchburg were booked or overpriced due to Liberty homecoming. Staunton was less than an hour from the start. It would mean skipping the pre race festivities, but that was ok with me. After a stop at REI and some Chipotle for dinner we arrived at the hotel and I got organized and was in bed by 10.

The alarm rang at 4 and I was up with no problem. We pulled out of the hotel by 4:30 and made a quick stop at Sheetz for some gas, coffee, and food. I have been really focused on low carb and high fat nutrition. This really seams to work well with my body. If I eat a bunch of carbs even 2 hours before running I have been getting a micro bonk 30 minutes into my runs. This led me to purchasing a cheese stick, 2 hard boiled eggs, and a giant cup of coffee. Jon thought I was crazy as I chewed down my first egg. It was pretty bad, so I left the second one. We quickly were back in the truck driving down I-81 towards the start. A few miles down the road there was a car on the right berm with its blinkers on. I drifted into the middle of the road to avoid the car. I failed to see the other car directly across the road blocking half of the left lane. It it had its blinkers on I did not see them. Luckily I was wide awake, see coffee above, and quickly reacted to not hit this car. I called 911 to report it as someone else might not be as alert and have a major accident. The operator informed me that they had multiple calls and police were inbound. I hoped this close call was not an omen for the rest of the day. All I could do was hope that more close calls would not have this type of potential danger involved.

The race started on time and 300 runners ran off into the predawn morning. I noticed many first timers around me. I wore a heart rate monitor and wanted to take it really easy early on. This is hard to do when 300 people are bunched together on a paved road. After we hit the single track I settled in for the long day. I took it really easy on the initial sections of the course. I know I needed to have fresh legs for the climb out of Parkway Gate and Long Mountain. I might be the worlds slowest downhill runner so the climbs are where my day is made or lost.

I ran the entire climb out of Parkway Gate by Heart Rate effort. I had in my head that I could not let it get above 160. I knew this might be pushing it a bit, but I was pretty confident I could manage 160 for some time, as long as I took some recovery. If I allowed it to creep up above this the wheels will start to fall off, at least that was my theory. During the climb there were many people around sprinting ahead and then walking. I wish I knew what happened to them. Many were very much out of breath after the sprint interval. Personally getting out of breath like this would have put me in a hole that would be difficult to get out of.

The run down to the reservoir was relaxed. Many of the people I passed on the climb blew past me. This was my recovery time. I have ran this race enough times to know what lied ahead. The road section up to Long Mountain Wayside is my personal Crux of Mountain Masochist. Never have I run this race and not had this section determine the outcome in some way. Back in 2008, my first MMTR there was an aid station half way up. After this aid station all I could think about was a truck driving by and me hitching a ride, ending my suffering. In 2009 the aid station was gone and my mind was focused on how hard it would be without aid. I ran a big PR in 2011 when I ran most of this section and felt great the entire climb. In 2012 I walked the entire way up and the rollers at the top. I think I must have been passed by 50 people and this ended my day. I know that if do well here and manage to not blow up I will have a good race. If I push too hard the second half will be a suffer-fest. If I take it too easy I will risk running against cutoffs the rest of the day.   For this reason I took it easy and fueled up on the run down to the Reservoir. I need to be prepared both physically and mentally to face this climb.

In reality my Crux is not much of a climb. It is all on a dirt road and climbs a little over 1000 feet in 4 miles. This is an average of 5% grade. It comes around 23 miles into the race. By Ultra standards there is nothing special here. Do not let these stats fool you, something about this section makes it formidable. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but trust me, do not underestimate it.

As I started the climb I know that I need to stick to my 160 BPM effort. I know if I could run all but the steepest parts at this effort it would be a good day. Half way up things were going well, but then I let me ego take over and I soon was hitting the high 160s and even 170 on the monitor. I had to slow it down some, but I had to push at the same time. Cutoffs were not an issue, but something inside of me said push. Luckily for me I soon hit the rolling hills at the top and my heart rate was able to settle back down under 160. I could feel some exercise induced asthma coming on. Did I push too hard? Would this slow me down to chasing cutoffs or even not finishing? It turns out this was just another close call on the day. Not as dangerous as the first one, but still could have wrecked my race. I think the few minutes that I gained by pushing hard were lost in the next section where I had to take it easy to recover. I do not think the overall outcome of my race was impacted much by this effort. 5 or 10 minutes, maybe, but who knows, not me.

The second half of the race was spent picking people off. My slow start was now paying off. Starting slow gives you the advantage of catching people as the day wears on. This can be a big mental high and is a strategy I recommend. This would be my first time running the new loop. Overall the loop was not as hard as I remember save the climb up to the top. It is not a hard climb, but it becomes more technical because you are passing people going the other way. It is well worth the effort as the view is spectacular. On a different day I could sit up and gaze for hours, but today was not that kind of day.

I always feel the race is winding down after exiting the loop. The run to Salt Log Gap is all rolling hills on a dirt road. The climb out of Salt Log up the road is steep, but short. As I climbed up this road the skys turned dark and it started to rain. I was regretting not grabbing a long sleeve shirt from Jon. I knew I would by pretty bad off it the skies opened up. Luckily the storm blew over, hypothermia avoided.

The section of trail to Porters Ridge is tough. It comes 40+ miles in and always seems to take at least an hour to complete. There are two short but steep trail climbs. Steep enough I was gasping for air. After you climb the second one there are rolling hills to the aid station. I remember back in 2009 I thought there was a cutoff at Porters Ridge. I also though I was not going to make it. I pushed this section hard with the fear of a DNF at the forefront of my mind. When I got to the aid station I learned there was no cutoff. I finished that race with 15 minutes to spare. This year I just wanted to get to the final section.

I love the final section of MMTR. It is a place where I could finally run with a little reckless abandon and not worry about effort level or pain tolerance. 3.6 miles, all downhill. An old logging road transforming into an old gravel road, transforming into an old paved road, transforming into a state highway, transforming into a finish line. I have always finished this race strong and this year was no different. I ran the entire way down and was thinking I could maybe break 11:15 if i ran really hard. This would take a 3+ minute record for this section, but why not go for it. I passed some racers walking it in. Most perked up and ran after me for a while. One guy took a hard fall, but hopped back up and was ok. My lungs really started to burn as I searched for the one mile to go marker. It did not come. My 11:15 goal had slipped away. I not set my mind on 11:20 and continued to push. I finally hit the 1 mile to go. A quick glace at my watch read 11:12. I would need to run an 8 minute mile to reach my goal. Normally this would be no big deal, but 50+ miles in it would be a big challenge. I had not run a mile this fast all day. I dug a little deeper and began to push it. As I passed the fish hatchery I felt it was going to be within reach, but not by much. Why do all mountain races have fish hatcheries? I made the turn on the the main road and could hear the finish line. I dug even deeper. I could see the clock and it was not good. I dug even deeper and did my best 100 meter sprinter impression to cross the line at 11:19:56. My final and most rewarding close call of the day.

This was not my fastest MMTR by any means, but it was my best effort. The new course is harder, more single track up front and the extension on the loop. The road section to start the old course allowed runners to bank a lot of time. I am not sure how much different this course is, but I think for a mid to back packer like me it is at least 25 or 30 minutes longer. Keep this in mind as you plan to run this race.

Lastly I want to think my Family for giving me the time and grace to train and participate in ultras, Jon for coming along and crewing me, Clark for putting on another great MMTR, and God for giving me the will to try and the ability to do these things.

2011 Holiday Lake 50K++

Three long years ago Holiday Lake was my first ultra. I remember that weekend vividly as I packed up my wife and 5 month old daughter for a weekend journey into the unknown. I had no idea the adventure, pain, struggle, will power, and pure joy that day would be the catalyst for. People often ask me why I want to run such long distances by myself in the woods. I honestly do not have an answer for them. I don't know if you are born with it, or if it is like a healthy virus that infects you when you are around other like minded runners. Once ultras get their hooks into there is no turning back.

Much has changed since that cool and sunny February day back in 2008. My little girl is now 3 and refuses to give me a hug when I come home from a run if I am sweaty (she asks if I was racing and says "Daddy, your all wet!"). My fitness level and race knowledge have also grown through training and race experience. So I decided to come back to Holiday Lake once again to try and quantify how much things have changed.  
    

Laurel Highlands 2010

On June 12th, 2010 I towed the line once again at Laurel Highlands. I ran this race in 2008 as only my third ultra and finished, but just barely. I was hoping for a much better day. The course was longer this year due to a detour around a bridge that had been removed. I knew I was up for it mentally and physically, the only question mark was my feet. They still were not fully recovered form Umstead and Promise Land.....

This report is taken from a writeup I did for my personal use. After each race I write up Race Knowledge for the race. Here is the narrative of my race from that document. It is broken up in from aid station to aid station.

Hellgate 2009

I had run my first Ultra (Holiday Lake 50K) just 22 months ago. Prior to that my only running experience was training for and running 3 half marathons. Now I found myself standing among 116 elite runners. This is company I probably did not belong in, but I was determined to prove to myself I could and would finish Hellgate. It was like a moment frozen in time, well maybe time was not frozen, but everything else certainly was.
My friend John had volunteered to come and crew/pace with my Dad. Dad is always the first to volunteer to help and is an awesome crew captain. We met my Dad at camp Bethel and sat down to a filling pasta dinner. We then attended the brief and I headed off to my Jeep to try and catch an hour or two of sleep. The next thing I know John and Dad are in the car and we are driving to the start. I quickly got dressed for the cold and we all walked down to the start together. We prayed and sang the National Anthem and without much fanfare we were off.

Dad and I at the Start

Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Race Report 2009

I knew in the back of my mind that sooner or later I would have my first DNF. Going into MMT I was 6 for 6, but I had never attempted a 100 miler and certainly had never faced a beast of a course like MMT. I was confident going into the race, or at least I thought I was. My wife confided to me after the race that she had a bad feeling going into it because when I talked about MMT I would always say I would give it "my best shot" and "if I finish". I guess subconsciously I had given myself an out if it got to hard out there.



My longest race going in was Laurel Highlands in 2008. I gutted it out and did not quit when it hurt bad and I was mentally drained. I thought that experience would prepare me for MMT, but was wrong in that assumption. If I can describe MMT as another sporting event it would be a heavy weight fight. This course just keeps coming after you, body blow after body blow after body blow and then finally a hay-maker meant to knock you out. The experienced fighter/runner survives the hay-maker and suffers through the night to the hope that Sunday morning's sunrise must bring. My hay-maker came in Duncan Hollow on my way from 211 back to Gap Creek/Jawbone II.

My MMT story begins back in 2008 on the Laurel Highlands course somewhere around mile marker 32. I was really down at this point and an older gentleman caught me and I muster the strength to keep up with him. We talked and I learned that he worked the Edinburg Aid Station at MMT. He said it was a hard long slugfest of a race and not to run it. Of course I took this as a challenge. After a few miles I was feeling better and moved out past this man, never to see him again. I wish I would remember his name to thank him for helping me get to the start of MMT.

Promise Land 50K 2009 Race Report

As I was driving to Promise Land Friday afternoon I pondered how far I had come in a short period of time. One year prior I had only one ultra under my belt (2008 Holiday Lake) and was really wondering if I would be able to make the cutoff time and finish. The elevation profile had scared me and I had contemplated not running the race for fear of failure. Now I was not thinking about finishing, but how much time I could shave off last years time. My only concern was the weather forecast, HOT HOT and more HOT.

I pulled into the camp around six and set up my tent at the bottom of the field by the stream. What a great spot to camp. I went to check in, got some pizza, and talked to some friends that I have not seen since past races. After the pre-race brief I crawled into my tent, made final preparations for the morning, set my alarm, and was off to sleep. I slept pretty well and was up before the alarm went off at 4:40. I walked to the start while eating pop tarts and drinking mountain dew, ready for this adventure to begin.

We sang the national anthem and were off. I forgot how steep the road section was and after a mile or so was walking with a pack of runners. As we reached the first aid station and hit the trail I was warmed up and ready to go. I remember running a great deal more of this section than last year. I hit the turn at the top of the mountain in 1:06 and was off down the hill. I ran pretty hard on this section, including running some of the moderate hills. I heard the water rushing below and knew that I was near needed aid. I had only brought one bottle on the course and wished I had two as I found the bottle dry numerous times during the day.

Laurel Highlands Ultra 2008 Fact Sheet

• Temp: 60 - 70


• Weather: Rained for 12 hours straight, heavy at times


• Weight: 183 lbs. pre taper and eat week


• Health: It all feels good going in


• Trail Conditions: Course was wet before it rained, very wet and muddy afterward, my feet were wet for all but miles 19 - 23, I changed shoes at 19 and it started to pour at 23


• Injuries: I fell once - it did not hurt anything
  
  
  
  • IT Bands - Both knees hurt when running down hill in the middle miles, this went away, I took advil and did not run so much, did not hurt at all after race
  
  
  • Left Ankle - hurt from wearing hardrocks, not to bad in race unless I landed awkward on it, really hurt next day - I was on crutches until wed after race
  
  
  • Blister on the heel of right foot - hardrocks (maybe, new socks could have also caused it)
  
  
  • Feet - as beat up and sore as to be expected
  
  
  • Toenails - right big one is very black and sore, I may end up losing it soon
  
  
  • Overall soreness - very sore for 2 days, muscles felt ok after that
  
  
  • Fatigue - Very tired entire week after the race, still tired 8 days out
  
  
  
  


• Equipment - ASR4s and injini toe socks rock - I wore these for majority of the miles with soaked feet and no blisters, this is the winning combination from now on. I love this combo


• Food - Shot block every 10 minutes for the entire race - 200 cals per hour + gator and some food from aid stations


• Hydration - 2 to 3 nuuns every 8 miles, carried hpl 020 for entire race and one hand bottle for 40 miles or so, could have got buy with just hpl 020 I think and nuun


• Lights - Petzil tikka headlamp (sucked) and princeton tech led hand light (rocked

Laurel Highlands Ultra Race Report

The Laurel Highlands Ultra is a 70.5 trail race that takes place on the Laurel Highlands Trail. The trail's southern terminus is located in Ohiopyle, PA, with the north end completing just outside of Johnstown, PA. The trail is single track for all but 1 mile that follows an old dirt road. It runs across the top of the Laurel Ridge in the Appalachian Mountains. Its highest point is located at Seven Springs Ski Resort.

This race had been my focus since reading the book Ultra Marathon Man. I had just run a poor race at the Rock and Roll Half Marathon and was pretty down on running. I had no desire to run any distance over the half. I was in Barnes and Noble one day and picked up The Book. It changed my life and after reading it I decided to run the Laurel Highlands Ultra. I trained hard and ran 2 50Ks in preparation. I, like many others had my life changed by ultra running and Ultra Marathon Man was the catalyst that started the fire burning.


The Friday before the race Kathy and I headed to her Moms house to meet up with my brother in law who would also complete the race. We arrived and I prepared for the day ahead. Luckily my Dad and Kathy were going to crew me and I gave them last minute instructions and directions to the areas they could meet up with me to lend moral , equipment, and nutritional support.

Laurel Highlands Ultra 2008 Race Report Preview

The Laurel Highlands Ultra is a grueling 70.5 mile ultra-marathon. The race takes place in SouthWest Pennsylvania along the Laurel Highlands trail. The course consists of rocky, rooty, hilly, muddy single track for 95%, with one small 1 mile section on a dirt road with pot holes large enough to swallow up a Jeep. For some reason I ran this race last weekend. I finished in 21:43. I have a new respect for this trail that I grew up backpacking on. I am going to post a full up race report soon. I promise......

Promise Land 2008 Fact Sheet

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  Distance: 32 - 34ish Miles or 31 Horton Miles

  
  


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  Time: 8:39:15

  
  


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  Temp: 65 at start, 80 at finish

  
  


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  Humidity: Normal

  
  


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  Weight: 184 lbs

  
  


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  BF%: ?

  
  


• 
  

  BMI: ?

2008 Promise Land 50K Race Report

How I arrived at Promise Land

How did I arrive at the start of the 2008 Promise Land 50K? I was pondering this question as a drove home after finishing the race. The short answer is that I drove to the Promise Land Youth Camp on Friday afternoon, but that is not how I arrived. It all started back in September of last year when I read Dean Karnazes book “Ultra Marathon Man”. I know it sounds like a corny movie script, but that book ignited something off deep inside of me. Up to this point I was a 2 hour 1/2 marathon runner. I had always loved backpacking and hiking in the mountains so this Ultra Marathon thing seemed like it would be a good fit for me.

Holiday Lake 50K++ 2008 Race Report

Friday evening I loaded up my wife and 5 month old daughter and we headed to Farmville to spend the night at a Super 8 motel. We arrived with no problem. I tried to sleep but the race was dancing through my head and the person in the room above us was watching a loud tv and jumping around. Finally around 2AM I fell asleep only to be woke up by my alarm at 4:30. I woke Kathy and Sydney up and got dressed. It was 10 degrees warmer than I first thought it would be, a great sign. We drove the 40 minutes to Holiday Lake and Kathy dropped me off in the parking lot. I was very anxious and nervous. This was my first Ultra, I have never even run a marathon before, but I had trained hard and was 100% injury free. I walked to the dining hall to find a busy scene of strong looking athletes. I remember feeling a little out of place at that moment and not sure about what I was getting myself into. I checked in and got my race number. Then I prepared for the run. I started talking to a man named John and he eased my nerves. We all went down to the start line and Dr. Horton called out names of those people who had not signed in yet. One lady yelled from the parking lot "I am coming". Then without any fanfare we were off.

We ran up the road and hit a large bottle neck were the course turned into single track. It was slow going until we crossed the dam. Then things opened up a bit. I was feeling good at this point. I was carrying two water bottles, which was one to many. This gave me the luxury of skipping the first aid station all together. I ran hard down the hill after this aid station and into the woods. I was taking an occasional walk break, mainly on the uphills. This was all part of my race plan. As we hit the pavement I was running hard again downhill. I was thinking about how much fun it was going to be coming back up all these hills in lap 2.

I arrived at the second aid station and filled up a bottle. I quickly ate some food and continued on to the first water crossing. I crossed on some rocks, next time I will just run right through. We ran down a long hill and then back up the other side. Aid station 3 was more of the same, fluid and food. I was still feeling great. I was at 12.3 miles when I passed Bradley Mongold, the eventual winner. Of course he was going the other way! I was announced as I entered aid station 4.

I was feeling good about making the first loop in 3 hours and hopefully on pace for a 6:30 finish, but the extra distance I heard rumors about had other ideas. The last few miles of the first loop was difficult as I was passing other runners on steep and narrow single track trails. I finally hit the start finish and had plenty of time to spare. I dropped a water bottle and continued into the second loop.

The second loop was like a late round heavy weight fight. I was on the ropes for a while, but as they say things do not always get worse. The trip back to aid station 4 was long and brutal, but I fought hard and made it. On this section I saw a lady running in a long heavy dress. She looked like she belonged in another era. I thought I was seeing things for a while, but my wife and I saw her on the road as we were driving away from the race. Very strange experience.

After I saw the lady in the dress I tucked in behind an experienced runner named Pete and struck up a conversation. We ran together to the next aid station. Soon after this he passed me and I never saw him again.

The trip from aid station 3 to 2 was almost all uphill and I walked a lot of it. Pete had told me not to walk to much because it gets addicting and before you know it you will be walking for 10 minutes. This section is where it began to feel better running than walking. Aid station 2 to aid station 1 was another struggle, but overall I was feeling better. I stopped at one point to clear the debris from my shoe and then continued on. I heard the cow bell ringing as I approached aid station 1. Only 3.5 miles to go!

Everything was feeling good now. I had weathered the storm and made it to the last round. I realized that I could make it in under 7 hours if I picked up my pace a little. I started to run as hard as I could. I was not going to walk, I wanted 7 hours bad. I dug deep inside myself. I wish I could of found this inner strength 10 miles ago, but at least I had it now. As I neared the dam a lady passed me. She looked fresh and was moving very fast. I crossed the dam and soon could hear the finish line across the lake. I was running hard now. I passed another runner named Sam who had been leap frogging me most of the second loop. He said "looks like you get the last pass". I told him to follow me and we can make it in under 7 hours. He started running hard behind me down the trail.

I pushed hard up the last hill and onto the road. I knew I was going to make 7 hours. As I sprinted down the hill I saw my wife and daughter, video camera in hand cheering me on. What a great way to end the race. I finished in under 7 hours and Sam finished right on my heels. We had done it. It was a great feeling to shake Dr. Horton's hand as I finished and congratulate Sam. It felt great to hug my wife and hold my daughter.

Thank you Dr. Horton for putting on a great event. Thank you to all the volunteers for giving up a beautiful day to make this possible. Thank you to Kathy for always being my number one fan. Lastly and most importantly thank you Jesus for giving me the ability to complete such a task. I now have the Ultra bug. I could not have asked for a better race or better weather (50 and sunny) to run my first Ultra.



Full Photo Albumn

Results
Professional Picture

 

Race Report Rock and Roll Half Marathon, VA Beach 2007

Sunday September 2, 2007 is a day I will remember forever. This day marked the 1 year anniversary of my first road race, the 2006 Rock and Roll Half Marathon. That day I ran the race in 2:17. A PR simply because it was the only half I had ever ran. One year later I thought I was wiser and faster. I have completed 3 Half Marathons with a PR of 2:00 flat. I ran this time in both of my previous two marathons. I was hoping to set a PR in this race, but that was not the case.

The day started early as my wife and I arose at 4 AM. We met up with our friends at there house, near the start of the race. My friend Rex and I were dropped off at the shuttle bus. When we arrived at the start we had some time to kill. It was a cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit that morning. This is a large race with 20,000 entrants and I watched in amusement as peope in costume milled around the staring area. The best costumes were two Geico Cavemen, and of course Elvis. As we lined up to start the race I chugged a gatoraid. I had not eaten much this morning and that would turn out to be one of my larger mistakes of the day. As I awaited the start I had the urge to go to the bathroom, it was too late now and I would have to go during the race.

The race started and we hit the line at around 7 minutes on the clock. I ran hard the first mile and was feeling ok, but not good. I hit the first set of bathrooms and lost a good 45 seconds right at mile one. I then fell in behind the 1:52 pace group. This is where I would stay for the next 3 mile. I got a huge boost as I ran past my wife cheering for me. She is my number one fan. Over the bridge I ran. Then I started to tire. This ended my hope of running with the 1:52 pace group for the entire race.

At mile 5 I fell off the pace and began to slow down. Clearly I had not eaten enough that morning and now I was paying for it. For some reason I waited to eat a gel that was in my pocket. The long trail run I ran the past weekend was taking a toll on my legs as they felt like lead blocks by mile 6. I started walking through the water stops. Not a way to set a PR. I was quickly revising my goal to just finish in 2:05.

As I ran mile 9, back over the bridge I knew I would soon get a boost from my wifes cheers again. This kept me going as I counted streets along the Atlantic Ave. Street by street I ran, quickly realizing that 2:05 may not be achievable. It is fascinating how you can revise goals so quickly while on the run. My mile 10 goals was now 2:10. I got a huge boost by all the cheering people from miles nine to the end of the race. They really kept me pushing towards 2:10.

I felt pretty good physically. My legs were heavy, but nothing was hurting more than usual. I sped up as I made the turn onto the boardwalk and ran hard for the next 1/2 mile. Then I had to slow down again. This process repeated itself for the last 2 miles. When I was within 1/2 a mile of the finish I sped up and started to sprint with 2/10 to go. I almost ran out of energy, but was able to cross the finish in 2:07. This was a PR for the course, but not anywhere close to my pre-race goal.

I love the crowd and the noise and the other runners on the course. It feels like a big happy family out there with everyone pulling for everyone. Before I ran I did not know what I was missing. The feeling I had when I crossed the finish line was amazing. Such a feeling of accomplishment. It is strange what goes through your mind while you are racing. I went through a lot of lows in this race and never really hit a high note. I was not able to reach that place where you push yourself beyond your known limits. I just never got my mind to that place. This race is quickly becoming my rival. I just have not been able to perform up to the level I have in other races. Maybe next year I will be able to conquer it.....