Mountain Mist
Mud was the theme of the day as 240 some odd runners prepared for the 16th Mountain Mist 50k. Every year it's something. Freezing temps, hotter than normal temps, whatever, but this year it was mud.
Mud, why does it have to be mud?
This 50k was the first ultra I set out to actually race as I had run this last year and knew the course pretty well. To avoid the inevitable conga line at the start of the single track, I started at a less than conservative pace to get in a good position. The first few miles of the Mountain Mist trail were mostly uneventful. I was introduced to the type of mud I would be experiencing for the rest of the day. The weather was about perfect. I started and ended the race in a short sleeve compression shirt and shorts and didn't have to change anything save for the removal of my gloves half way through.
Though the south plateau loop was my least favorite section (dizzy fifties ruined me for it) it was probably the least muddy. I opened up my stride a bit and passed a few runners. My game plan for the day was to allow some runners to pass me during the first half, and then reel them in in the second. I figure if I'm getting passed early on, my pace is conservative enough to have plenty of juice for the second half.
Down warpath ridge I went, after blowing through the first aid station. The windy powerline section hit me hard with straight line winds and thick, light colored mud. Eric Patterson and Eric Fritz pulled up behind me during this section and I ran with them until about the Stone Cuts section. Whenever I hit a hill that forced me to walk, I took that time to pop some s! caps. I was determined not to walk unless necessary.
Up the K2 ascent and I ate my second to last dried fig I brought with me in my race ready shorts. The first time I had ever eaten a dried fig was less than 6 days ago, but they are quite delicious and have lots of sugar. Plus they are a Biblical fruit. I'm not sure why that's a plus, but I think it's kind of cool to fuel yourself with that kind of stuff during a race.
Half way done. I had been spending minimal time at the aid stations so far and decided to let myself have a little respite here. I ate a pb&j quarter, refilled my handheld, grabbed some hammer gels and was on my way. Last year at this point, I really felt my second wind hit me as I took off. This year, the second wind was a little late. So far I felt like I'd been running consistently, as the split rankings show, but I didn't feel I had it in me to pick up the pace a whole lot. Certainly I could maintain what I had, but I started to feel a bit tired.
Not enough caffeine. I only carried with me two GU's that had caffeine and those were previously consumed. I pressed on to the next aid station after passing 2 more runners and finally my boost came.
I started picking up the pace. My conservation on the first half was paying off. In the next few miles I passed one other runner and eventually hit the bottom of the waterline portion. It seemed longer than last year. No one was waiting for me at the top like last time, nor were any other runners in sight. Apparently the climb was harder this year as well as my nose began to bleed. I bet you never knew you could get a bloody nose as a side effect from climbing. I made my way up to the dead tree field just past the end of waterline and was looking forward to hitting that second to last aid station across the road.
As always Fred and John were waiting there to see how I was doing. As I was checking myself over I realized that nothing was really hurting too bad, which is to say, everything that normally hurts at this point are the only things hurting at this point. So far so good I suppose.
10k left. I was in no mood to push the pace. In fact, as I descended into McKay's Hallow, I had this sudden feeling about me that I needed to lie down and take a nap. I wasn't really sore, I wasn't hurting badly anywhere, and thanks to my consistent intake of s! caps I wasn't cramping up anywhere either. I was just tired. Not enough sleep last night? last week? probably not. Thanks a lot, Army (jk). Maybe I just hadn't taken enough caffeine. I trudged onward nonetheless. The flat section leading up to the final climb to the rest shelter aid station was probably the muddiest section of the course. At that point, I couldn't care less how much of the stuff got on me. If I fell in a spectacular show of a dirty, dark, deluge of mud and grime, I really wouldn't be bothered by it now. I had enough terracotta caked on my shins and shoes as it was to construct a small kiln.
Up I went. Getting a bit more wind in my sails, I ran a few portions of this climb. Spotting the rest shelter I had already decided I wasn't going to waste a second at this last aid station, though there was a good chance they would've given me beer. I really wanted to finish in under 5 hours. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it but I might as well had given it my best shot. Off I went to complete the final 1.8 miles. If nothing else, I felt like I was going pretty quickly past the afternoon hikers that were making their way in the opposite direction. The finish came a little sooner than I expected but I bolted down that last few hundred meters and nearly passed another runner in the finisher's shoot, before finishing in 25th place 11 minutes and 42 seconds shy of sub 5.
After finishing, I didn't feel nearly as beat up as I did this time last year. I felt like I could keep going if I had to, though I was more than content to chill in the lodge by the fire chompin down on some moonpies and cookie cake.
Mud, why does it have to be mud?
This 50k was the first ultra I set out to actually race as I had run this last year and knew the course pretty well. To avoid the inevitable conga line at the start of the single track, I started at a less than conservative pace to get in a good position. The first few miles of the Mountain Mist trail were mostly uneventful. I was introduced to the type of mud I would be experiencing for the rest of the day. The weather was about perfect. I started and ended the race in a short sleeve compression shirt and shorts and didn't have to change anything save for the removal of my gloves half way through.
Though the south plateau loop was my least favorite section (dizzy fifties ruined me for it) it was probably the least muddy. I opened up my stride a bit and passed a few runners. My game plan for the day was to allow some runners to pass me during the first half, and then reel them in in the second. I figure if I'm getting passed early on, my pace is conservative enough to have plenty of juice for the second half.
Down warpath ridge I went, after blowing through the first aid station. The windy powerline section hit me hard with straight line winds and thick, light colored mud. Eric Patterson and Eric Fritz pulled up behind me during this section and I ran with them until about the Stone Cuts section. Whenever I hit a hill that forced me to walk, I took that time to pop some s! caps. I was determined not to walk unless necessary.
Up the K2 ascent and I ate my second to last dried fig I brought with me in my race ready shorts. The first time I had ever eaten a dried fig was less than 6 days ago, but they are quite delicious and have lots of sugar. Plus they are a Biblical fruit. I'm not sure why that's a plus, but I think it's kind of cool to fuel yourself with that kind of stuff during a race.
Half way done. I had been spending minimal time at the aid stations so far and decided to let myself have a little respite here. I ate a pb&j quarter, refilled my handheld, grabbed some hammer gels and was on my way. Last year at this point, I really felt my second wind hit me as I took off. This year, the second wind was a little late. So far I felt like I'd been running consistently, as the split rankings show, but I didn't feel I had it in me to pick up the pace a whole lot. Certainly I could maintain what I had, but I started to feel a bit tired.
Not enough caffeine. I only carried with me two GU's that had caffeine and those were previously consumed. I pressed on to the next aid station after passing 2 more runners and finally my boost came.
I started picking up the pace. My conservation on the first half was paying off. In the next few miles I passed one other runner and eventually hit the bottom of the waterline portion. It seemed longer than last year. No one was waiting for me at the top like last time, nor were any other runners in sight. Apparently the climb was harder this year as well as my nose began to bleed. I bet you never knew you could get a bloody nose as a side effect from climbing. I made my way up to the dead tree field just past the end of waterline and was looking forward to hitting that second to last aid station across the road.
As always Fred and John were waiting there to see how I was doing. As I was checking myself over I realized that nothing was really hurting too bad, which is to say, everything that normally hurts at this point are the only things hurting at this point. So far so good I suppose.
10k left. I was in no mood to push the pace. In fact, as I descended into McKay's Hallow, I had this sudden feeling about me that I needed to lie down and take a nap. I wasn't really sore, I wasn't hurting badly anywhere, and thanks to my consistent intake of s! caps I wasn't cramping up anywhere either. I was just tired. Not enough sleep last night? last week? probably not. Thanks a lot, Army (jk). Maybe I just hadn't taken enough caffeine. I trudged onward nonetheless. The flat section leading up to the final climb to the rest shelter aid station was probably the muddiest section of the course. At that point, I couldn't care less how much of the stuff got on me. If I fell in a spectacular show of a dirty, dark, deluge of mud and grime, I really wouldn't be bothered by it now. I had enough terracotta caked on my shins and shoes as it was to construct a small kiln.
Up I went. Getting a bit more wind in my sails, I ran a few portions of this climb. Spotting the rest shelter I had already decided I wasn't going to waste a second at this last aid station, though there was a good chance they would've given me beer. I really wanted to finish in under 5 hours. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it but I might as well had given it my best shot. Off I went to complete the final 1.8 miles. If nothing else, I felt like I was going pretty quickly past the afternoon hikers that were making their way in the opposite direction. The finish came a little sooner than I expected but I bolted down that last few hundred meters and nearly passed another runner in the finisher's shoot, before finishing in 25th place 11 minutes and 42 seconds shy of sub 5.
After finishing, I didn't feel nearly as beat up as I did this time last year. I felt like I could keep going if I had to, though I was more than content to chill in the lodge by the fire chompin down on some moonpies and cookie cake.
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