Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Bull Run Run 2014

April 13

It is Friday afternoon, and I am driving myself up to Northern Virginia to run the Bull Run Run 50 miler tomorrow.  This will be my 10th finish at this race.  I don’t have a crew this year, but I am totally fine with that.  I check in and find my bunk.  Then I go to dinner with Snipes and a couple of other people at Carrabba’s.  I have beef marsala with garlic potatoes, and I also have several pieces of their wonderful bread.  I have been eating a low carb diet since the first of January.  I am “sneaking” in a few carbs the day before the race.  I will eat some more during the race.

April 14

I get up at 4:45am so that I can get in and out of the restroom without feeling rushed.  After taking care of business there, I grab some pastries and a small glass of OJ.  I wash everything down with a pint of chocolate milk.  I get my drop bag positioned and then just relax before the race starts.  This is always such a fun race because everyone sees everyone else a couple of times and I know a portion of the runners.

Mile 7.2      1:18:39 (10:55 avg./mile) Centreville Road (1st time)

I start nice and conservatively while still getting out ahead of most of the crowd.  I really just want to enjoy things today, although I am sure I will try to push things later.  It is a beautiful day, and the blue bells are just starting to come out after our extended winter this year.  I talk with Rande Brown and then later with his wife Kari as they pass me during this section.

Mile 11.6    44:20 (10:05 avg./mile) Centreville Road (2nd time)

The pace picks up for me, but I still have a good feel about things.  I feel like I am not pushing hard at all while I am making decent time.

Mile 16.6    58:55 (11:47 avg./mile) Hemlock Overlook

After the quick start, it is tempting to maintain the pace that I have set.  However, the temperature is starting to climb, and this is a fine pace for this stage in the race.  At Hemlock, I find my drop bag and take off my shirt.  I trade out my Camelbak for a full one.  Then I drink the pint of chocolate milk that I have stashed in my drop bag.  It tastes great, but I usually don’t drink a whole pint at one time.
                                                                                                                                  
Mile 21.1    53:49 (11:58 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

My pace slows a little as my stomach is full of chocolate milk.  I also want to remain conservative in the first half of the race.

Mile 26.1    57:19 (11:28 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

I pass Jaret Seiberg during this section.  Usually I am ahead of him, and he passes me later in the race.  The weather is really warming up.  I guess it is in the mid-70s by now, but I feel good still.  At this aid station, there is a Christmas theme with all of the volunteers dressed as elves and such.

Mile 28.1    28:30 (14:15 avg./mile) Fountainhead

Jaret passes me back on this section.  I guess he was just having a down period.  After all, my pace is remaining constant—right?  Well not exactly.  I am still feeling strong, but trying to ready myself for the last 20 miles.

Mile 32.5    56:28 (12:50 avg./mile) Do Loop (start)

It is now officially hot!  I ran pretty well on this section, but it is hot and dry.  When the wind isn’t blowing on me, it is starting to feel pretty warm.  I feel okay, but sweat is pouring out of me in buckets.  I grab a popsicle from this aid station, and head into the Do Loop.

Mile 35.5    34:56 (11:39 avg./mile) Do Loop (end)

The popsicle seems to give me a boost.  In hindsight, it was probably the sugar, but at the time I am thinking it is the cooling effect.  I start pushing the pace in the Do Loop and come out with one of my fastest times on this section.  I am feeling good, and now I only have a mere 15 miles to the finish.  I am surprised to see Frank Probst entering the aid station when I am finishing the Do Loop.  This means he is only 40 minutes or so behind me.  However, he usually melts in the heat, so we will see where he ends up.

Mile 37.9    32:12 (13:25 avg./mile) Fountainhead

About a half mile out of the Do Loop aid station, I meet Gary Knipling.  The ironic part is that it is nearly the same spot I met his son Keith about an hour earlier.  It is always good to see Gary, and I tell him that Frank is about 10 minutes ahead of him.

Mile 39.9    28:40 (14:20 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

I catch Jaret again and ask him if he thinks sub 10 hours is still a possibility.  He says no, so I pick up the pace to see if my legs have a strong finish in them.  For some reason, this section is always one of my slowest.  I grab another popsicle from the aid station.

Mile 44.9    1:03:27 (12:41 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

This popsicle doesn’t have the same effect as the first one.  My legs are starting to cramp some, and Jaret passes me back.  I try to hang with him, but he is moving very well now.  Liz Nickle and I have been trading places the whole race, and now we are both struggling to get to the end.  The heat is taking its toll.  However, I won’t give up, and I keep pushing as much as my body will allow.

Mile 50.4    1:20:09 (14:34 avg./mile) FINISH!

It is a slog all the way to the finish.  The only thing I can claim is that I manage to get back ahead of Liz and finish almost a minutes ahead of her.  The day is a beautiful spring day—the first 80+ degree day of the year.  Unfortunately, very few of us are acclimated.

Official Finishing Time          10:17:24
98th out of 321 starters (272 finishers)

I was hoping for a sub-10 hour finish, but it wasn’t to be this year.  My time is faster than last year, so I will take satisfaction in that.  It has now been two years since my ACL surgery, and my right knee is the least of my concerns.  My fitness is nearly all back, but it still takes time to regain everything.

After finishing, I see Snipes, who had a bad day and dropped at mile 16.  I hurry up and get showered and changed so that I can see Gary and Frank finish.  In the end I didn’t need to rush as Gary finishes in 11:40 and Frank in 12:55.  Not bad for a couple of 70 year olds.  My plans this year are to not run a 100 miler.  My next scheduled ultra at this point is the Barkley Fall Classic in September.  I might be able to squeeze in Catherine’s or Catoctin.  Until then…

Never stop running,
Darin

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