2024 Black Hills 50k Race Report

 Black Hills 50k Race Report

Held Saturday June 29, 2024 in the Black Hills of South Dakota, my first race in SD and my 2nd time to the Black Hills. After my initial visit and hike there on this exact day in 2017, I knew I wanted to come back! 

Training had gone very well - maybe my best training cycles for a 50k I've ever had...made it out to Afton State Park (MN) 9 times in 10 weeks (after not going there for a run in 4 years), site of the Afton Trail Run 50k which I've done twice. Good hills to train on, and seeing the elevation profile of the Black Hills, I would need it. 

Total Climb: 3891', ~5000' descent

I did 4 runs of over 19 miles and all of them felt good. I was ready....except my week-of phantom injuries showed up again. The week before the race, my foot was sore, enough that I was limping a little at work. Didn't feel it during my 2 weekday runs, but even up until the night before walking to dinner - it was there.

With the start of a family vacation, I drove us the 9 hours to Sturgis on Friday, where we would leave from Sunday for the Rocky Mountain National Park area for a week. Made it to the campground for packet pickup, and bought a couple older shirts for $5 each, had dinner downtown, and settled in for the night in Sturgis, about a mile from where the buses would drive us to the start. Because of my foot issue, my wife offered to drop me off and I took her up on it.

Got the bus at 6am, arrived at Dalton Lake Road around 6:45 for the for the 8am start. I had 2 Gatorades in a bag for the halfway drop bag, saw a few 100 milers come through who started Friday morning, spent half an hour in line for the toilet, coming out in just enough time to walk down the road for the start, in a very nice 51° temp.

 

I began not near the front, but towards the front, and after a hundred yards on the road, we turned off onto the trail and almost immediately started the first climb. I ended up in a good position after allowing a few people to pass me, so there was a decent gap back to others. I was still pushing hard and my heartrate rose quickly. Much of it was runnable, but at ~4 miles log, I walked plenty and needed to just to get my heart back down. It takes a while to get my legs, and after maybe an hour, I started to feel better, maybe coinciding with about 2 miles of downhill. Had a little company on this section at times along single track and logging roads.

 

 

It was 7.5 miles to the first aid station at Crooked Tree (no crew access), and I hit it in 1:20. Others had stopped but I moved right on as I had my UD vest bladder filled with water. I was taking a vanilla GU gel between every aid station, so every 45min or so. I ended up flip-flopping with mostly the same people every aid station for the whole race.

No sign of the foot trouble leading up to today, and it never would materialize...go figure. Headed in to some rolling hills, and more climbing, passed the 'crooked tree', and headed toward the 5 stream crossing in less than a mile.

 

The Crooked Tree!

The water was non-existent on the first four, just rocks. 

The last of the 5 had just a bit of water...

Made it to Elk Creek Aid Station in 1:13, and in 2:33 overall (6.5mi split, 14mi overall). I had a drop bag of just Gatorade (grape) that I filled my bladder with, Took about 6 minutes there and grabbed a few bites to go. There were a good number of runners there, but quite a few would pass me back (again).

The biggest/longest climbs were behind me at this point, and there was more running under the sun on the 2nd half as well.

 

The next section to the Bulldog Aid Station (no Crew access) was 6 miles, taking me to mile 20. The last 2 miles were uphill, and I got there in 1:36 (4:10 total) and I did not stop. It was super quiet there as I grabbed a PB&J quarter, a cookie, some M&M's and some chips. 

Legs were getting tired from mile 20-24 but I was still running downhills. Took a minute to get a rock out of my shoe along the way. Legs wanted to cramp up as I did, but it was fine. Texted with Elenia some so they could meet me at Alkali Aid Station at mile 24.5.

Overlooking the Black Hills National Cemetery

Got to the Aid Station after another 59 mins for the 4.5mi section (24.5 mi total in 5:09) and met up with Elenia and CeCe. Had some cookies, coke, added some more Gatorade to my bladder, and left after another 6min break.  

Stuffing my face at the Alkali AS

Headed up the next hill with someone and eventually met up with a 100miler and their pacer that was moving well and knew the course. I passed them once we hit the bike path for the last mile toward the finish line.  

Continued as I had been for the last few miles with a walk-run, and CeCe ran into the finish with me! 

I had been pushing to finish under 7hrs and I knew for the last 5 miles or so it would be close, but I did it: 6:56! I was very happy with my time and sat nd watched some more finishers come in.

Other random notes:

I picked up a decent amount of trash for a race. I was concerned about poison ivy as I do have a sever reaction to it, but it never materialized. I did treat myself with Technu post-race. Toes were a little tender as I kicked at least a dozen rocks the last 5+ miles, but never fell - so that's something. Right heel was a lttle tender also on the sides, but that was also minimal. I recovered well - walked fine Saturday night, and even with a 6 hr drive Sunday to Colorado, felt 90%. Our week ahead ended with about 20 miles of hiking, with good elevation change, some at 10,000+ feet) in the Rocky Mountains was a perfect was to recover!