One week prior to this race, the area received more than a
foot of snow. Temps only became warm enough to start melting it within the last
few days, so this race was going to be interesting to say the least!
So on Saturday April 21, I drove the 50 minutes to Lake
Rebecca Park Preserve for packet pickup and the 8am start. Got my bib (one of
the nicer bib designs I’ve gotten), #38, and my shirt (cotton, bright green,
also not bad) and sat in my car until just before race time. Dropped off my
drop bag that we would pass after each loop. Four 7.75mi loops was a new one
for me, having done many double loop events.
(Writing this Well after the race, so I'm sure I'm leaving out some details - but here is what I recall)
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| Not a bad way to start |
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| Start Line area |
Aid stations were plentiful, at ~1.8mi in a wooded area, ~3.4mi in a clearing, ~6mi in the woods. I skipped the first two, and stopped at the third to re-toe my shoe (too loose and my right arch was tender. (it mostly went away after a few miles).
With the snow/melt - the only part of the course that was dry was the first 1/2 mile and the last .25 mile of each loop. It would get progressively worse as the day went on as each group went off (both team and solo runners for shorter distances, and then each loop we the 50kers were doing). I was basically on my own after mile 6 for the rest of the day.
I finished the first loop in 1:21 and dropped off my jacket - running the rest of the race in my gray Harbison shirt, along with my running vest, black hat, calf sleeves, and running shorts over compression shorts. For shoes I wore my Asics GT1000 4 G-TX (Goretex). I'd only worn them in one other race - the 2018 Harbison race when it was 17° at the start.
I had made it maybe a half mile on loop 2 when the 25k starters began to pass me and destroy the course even more! Nothing significant to note on Loop 2 - Slowed a little bit and ran 1:30 on loop 2 (2:51 total for halfway).
Refilled my bladder and headed out on loop 3. It was almost 50° at this point and the sun was out, reminding me I had not brought sunblock. There were enough open stretches for it to become an issue. Loop 3 was particularly wet and muddy and I was starting to feel my hip flexors early this loop - so I was slowing down on both accounts. My (right) toes were starting to get cold toward the end of the loop. Loop 3 finished in 1:50 (4:42 overall).
Refilled bladder again - I was drinking plenty, and had to pee five times the last loop!
My lower back was getting sore, I did run and talk with one female during the last loop - only noted because it was just me for the ~20 miles before that.
I was definitely getting a sunburn, watching the kilometer-signs along the trail as I continued to slow down in the mud. There was one little downhill that I did a somewhat controlled-slide down. Felt decent enough on the last stretch and ended in 6:49:57 (2:07 last lap).
Misc Info:
I finished 47 out of 75 finishers, with 98 starters.
278 ft of gain each loop (1112' total gain)
Photos below!
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| trail conditions |
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| Covered lake |
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| Starting stretch |
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| A little mud |
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| A little slush |
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| Some mud |
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| Did I mention Mud? |
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| Finisher! |
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| Mud! |
