2015 Harbison 50k Race Report

January 3, 2015 Harbison 50k
So this was my fifth straight Harbison 50k at this 5th annual event, held at Harbison State Forest near Columbia, SC. There were supposed to be a few other 5-time runners at the race, but I was the only one to show up.
Spent the night with my family at the host hotel near the race (both a first for me for this race), and had a nice group dinner with some other Greenville runners-Kerrie, Michael, Terri (and her sis!). Race day morning was pretty low-key...just hung around and talked with a few others I knew (Chris). Wondered where Viktor and some others were...
Very happy not to have driven down that morning.
Temps were nice just around 49° at the start, and had a new course this year as a true 2-loop design, bypassing the Lost Creek section, added the Eagle trail, and extended the Firebreak trail.
Started off on the gravel road and found my pace, not too concerned with anyone else then. Hit the trails toward the front of a group including Terri and Kerri. Dropped a Gu at some point and that whole line passed me. Good thing I didn't need to stop at the first AS (52min)...passed most of them back right there.
At some point - I joined up with Hilary, settling in right behind her, with Kerrie always within a few minutes of us. Hilary is a very strong runner and I was lucky to be feeling well enough to keep up with her. I was going to hang on as long as I could.
I was so engrossed with either our conversations, keeping up with her, or something - that I didn't even notice that we had already gone thru Spiderwoman the first time around. Guess that was a good sign!
Made it thru the Halfway point in 2:42. That was a good 10 minutes faster than when I ran my fastest Harbison in 2013 (half at 2:52). Going back to 2014 - I had not raced since January 2013 and ended up shuffling/hiking the last ~17 miles of the race. My finish time was 7:36. I was secretly hoping to take 2 hours off that time.

I stayed with Hilary thru the next AS (this time faster than lap 1, 49min) at mile 21. It was in the next few miles that she left me. Kerrie was still right there behind us (we had flip-flopped on and off for awhile) but then she also went ahead to stay. I moved well a lot longer than I usually did at this race and knew I was i for a good time, My left knee was nagging me some, and I did walk some, but my motivation was still high as I went thru the last section. Not having been down Eagle Trail before that day - I wasn't entirely sure how much further I had. A few other people passed me on that last section, but I was still thrilled as I came down the finishing stretch. My wife and daughter were there to see me finish, and the RD (David) shook my hand, gave me my finisher award, and called out my name as the only 5-time finisher of the race.

Finishing chute

Greenville 50k Finishers

2014 Wildwood Games 50k Race Report

This inaugural event was held Sunday August 24, 2014 in Appling, GA. It started at Wildwood Park and traversed the Bartram Trail towards the Petersburg section to a short 3 mile loop, then returned to the park. I wanted to do this as it was all along the banks of Clarks Hill Lake - near to where I spent a year and a half during high school while living in Plum Branch, SC. Although I was excited to run the Chattooga 50k 2 weeks later and compare my time to my 1st 50k (there) back in 2010, I decided I would do it anyway and see what happened. I'd run a 50k and followed that with a marathon once before - and that did not turn out well (IT band issues for the next 6+ months). But I had trained better this time, right?!

Always in my Harbison 50k shirt and visor)

We started as it became light and after saying bye to Drew, I tried to start off comfortably. Other than a cold just before I was to taper, I had a great lead-in for this event. I had four weeks in July of 40-47 miles, and I had Never had 2 weeks in a row before over 40. After that cold, I was in Minnesota for a week and did my last "long" run (of 15 miles) up there at Afton State Park with a group from UMTR - they were super-kind!
Anyway - I ran just behind some runners until the first aid station at mile 4.5. The grassy and gravel trail up to that point had taken us out of the park and soon looked to be more for mountain bikes. I call the short ups-and-downs "bunny-hops", and they were constant for a while. Used my momentum as best I could. There was one runner just ahead that I could barely make out, and another close behind me (Esteban) - he passed me at that first aid station (46:35).
Started running by the lake soon afterward, and we continuously wound our way beside every inlet along the lake. Still a few bunny hops, but felt ok as it wasn't that hot out. (The previous day was horribly hot, 110° heat index and they trimmed the 100k bike race down to 50 miles. Sunday only saw the temps get to the mid-80s). Snacked a good bit at the next aid station (mile 9.8 in 1:39)

Didn't see the girl (Devon) ahead of me after that, which is odd because she was in the marathon and should have come back toward me later on.

There was more aid a mile after the marathon turnaround (14.1 in 2:22) and I was happy to be doing around 10mins/mile. It was right thru here I saw the leader come by, about 3 miles ahead of me at that point.
The Bartram Trail does have mileage markers, so I tried to keep an eye on them as I ran. The single track trail was not very technical at all (maybe a few places), was rarely straight, and generally not much elevation change either. Total on someone's Garmin read 988 feet gain and 988 feet loss.
So I left one handheld at the AS as I ran the loop. I walked for the first time thru here as I was starting to feel a bit tired and my right calf became tight (and would continue to be for the rest of the event).

Back at the aid station (Mile 17.1 in 2:53), grabbed a small snack again and continued on. This was a day to be out in the woods alone. I saw a few runners here and there, either at an aid station, going the opposite direction, or passing them. not once after mile 5 or so did I run with anyone.
The trails were nice, and had some different areas throughout. Pine straw, dirt, some small fields, and of course the lake.

I made my way back to the next aid station and after some pringles and m&ms, had a treat - a popsicle! (Mile 21.1 in 3:40).

They were prepared and even refilled my water bottles! (Thank you!!!) After this - I was having more issues - my left sole became tender and my right hamstring was tight. I could still move, but I had slowed down to almost 11 minute miles.

The next section was the longest without aid coming back (5.3 miles), and it got a bit disheartening when I could see across the lake, the finish area of Wildwood Park.

I still had 7-8 miles left, but I just had to keep moving. Did come upon two female runners and passed them (after a little chuckle - private joke). My middle/lower back got sore next as I got into the last aid station - Mile 26.4 in 4:45 and up to 12 minute miles (but still moving!).
Back thru the bunny hops and away from the lake told me I was getting closer. I hoped I wasn't going to get passed near the end, but I wouldn't have really been able to do much about it.

I came back down the gravel road, across a coupe of roads, past the unmanned water stations, and turned the final corner to the finish. I was excited to see my wife and daughter, and my aunt and uncle who were there too! Staying with them the night before made the drive in that morning very easy.

Finished in 5:46:50! My 2nd fastest 50k.

Few notes: I would've been close to winning (or at least the Male winner) of the 10-runner marathon. (Devon) The girl just ahead of me at the beginning won in 4:45. 2nd place was 5:30. My 50k time was 4th in the marathon results. 50k winner was 4:45 out of 18 finishers. I was 6th.

2014 El Paso Marathon Race Report

Race Date: 23 February 2014

I had registered to turn this race back in 2013, but lack of training and a nagging IT band injury after the January Harbison 50k led me to skip that race. I would not do another race that year. This time around – things worked out. I had not thought about this race until I was making plans to go to Juarez for work. I checked to see the race date and it worked out perfectly. I could fly Saturday, race Sunday, and work in Juarez Monday and Tuesday. My training was only slightly better for this than the Harbison race 7 weeks earlier. Instead of one double-digit training run (10 miles), I had two! I had a 10 miler, and then a steady 15 miler 2 weeks before the race.  That was encouraging. Of course the week after my longer run, I had a cold and it snowed enough for it to be too slippery to run. My expected plan was to run as far as I could, then walk it in. I was only in it to finish and didn’t care about a time.

Race morning began with a short walk from the hotel to the expo center area/finish line where we boarded buses for the ride up the mountain. We began on top of Franklin Mountain (Transmountain Rd) and the 1^st 4 miles were downhill. It was brisk and breezy up top, but most people stayed on the buses as long as they could. Once the sun came up, it was just fine out.

We started right at 7am and got into our paces. The real downhills began about mile 2, but by then I could already tell I was working harder than I should have been. The views were nice, the road was wide, but cambered. I skipped the aid stations as I had my water bottle. Once we wound down the mountain and came into town, we still had a few hills before it flattened out completely.

1^st eight splits:

 1-9:27 2-9:28  3-8:40  4-8:27  5-8:05. Yeah – that last one was fast.

6-8:28  7-10:35 (uphill/water stop) 8-8:44

At this point, we were running thru the edges of El Paso past shops and stores. It was about to become flat. I was laboring already, the sun was overhead as it had been since we came off the mountain and there was no shade whatsoever.

Miles 11-17 were on the same road…mostly straight, with nothing but sand to the left, and alternating walls and (abandoned?) houses for much of it. I started taking walk breaks about mile 12 or 13 and had little enthusiasm or desire to run much at all after that.

Splits:

9- 9:31  10-9:35  11-9:58  12-10:14  13-10:53. I hit the halfway in 2:12:49 (and already my slowest ever).  14-11:56  15-11:04  16-11:23  17-11:47

So 9 more miles and I was at 2:47. We were just heading into Ft. Bliss for a bit and I was getting to the point where I was about to start walking the rest of the way. Mile 20 was the best mile – right beside the parade grounds and the officers quarters. As I grew up a military brat – I appreciated this area. Also – it was the most “green” area on the course! One wonderful volunteer (could have been a resident for all I know) was giving out frozen Gatorade slushies. I had low energy at this point and was hungry. I missed the aid station fare that ultras provide – and I missed the bananas at the previous aid station. There were a few hills, up and down thru here, and I was only walking by mile 22. The glazed donut gave me a little spike of energy just before then.

Splits:

18-14:31  19-12:31  20-11:37  21-13:29  22-13:00  23-14:10  24-14:12  25-14:25

It was good I walk as fast as I do as I knew going thru the base that I would end up with a sunburn. I had a couple to walk with for a little bit as we hit the downtown area. Nothing too exciting in terms of buildings, but we knew we were getting closer.

I was finally getting to familiar grounds near the hotel/expo center and I knew the finishing chute was around one more corner…so I started a jog. As soon as I crossed the first mat, I walked. I guess the photographer was taking pictures as you crossed the three mats (so the pictures look a bit odd as I went thru the chute).

Last 1.2 miles: 16:30.

Finish time: 4:51:37

Almost exactly an hour slower than my fastest time and 40 minutes slower than my typical time. But as I said – I was only in this to finish – and I did.

I was sore for a few days and walking up/down stairs was difficult, but I recovered and got right back to training. That's one other good thing from walking so much of the course.
PHOTOS:

BABY CECELIA!

Baby Cecelia was born 11-25-08 at 10:13pm. 6lbs 2oz, 20-1/4" long, all natural by my amazing wife! Everyone is great, we are back home and I am torn between giving up running completely and spending every second with my beautiful daughter! Well - actually - I will continue running - if things go well tonight - tomorrow for the last Paris Mtn training run, but probably only to the top and back, the 7.5 mile route as I have only run once in the last week or two (that ankle issue). Felt good for one mile on the treadmill at a good incline this Monday. More when I can write!