Sunday, November 16, 2014

Paris Mountain 50k - 2014- The Inaugural


November 7

I was looking for a 50k or 50 mile race on November 8, which is five weeks before Hellgate.  There was one in Huntsville, but there was also one in Greenville, SC.  Our best friends from the Marine Corps just happen to live in Greenville.  A quick email confirmed that they were going to be free and invited us on over—road trip!

Of course, for us, road trip means driving five miles to the Madison County airport, flying 1.5 hours east, and getting picked up at the downtown Greenville airport by Bradun and Elise.  We had a nice tailwind and perfect weather—fall beauty at its height.  We stopped by Paris Mountain State Park and picked up my race packet and then spent a wonderful evening with the Dunbars eating pizza and catching up.

November 8

Since the Dunbars live less than 15 minutes from the start and the race doesn’t start until 8am, I sleep in until almost 6am.  I have a bowl of homemade granola with heavy cream, and then Bradun and I drive to Paris Mountain State Park, arriving a little after 7am.  I quickly realize that I do not have my race bid with me, so we drive back to their house and then back to the park, arriving for a second time around 7:40am.  The race is small with less than 50 runners divided between the 50k, 50m, and 50m relay.  After a few final words from the race director, we are off.

Mile 7.5      1:20:06 (10:41 avg./mile) Start/Finish area

Right after the start, Byron Backer says something to me as we have seen each other at many ultra races in Virginia, but had never really talked before now.  So, for the first couple of miles, I stay close behind him as we chat about Hellgate and other races that are coming up.  Then I let him go on ahead as he is running faster than I care to at this point in the race.  This course is a fairly simple lollipop loop course.  We run out a mile or two, and then go around a loop that is several miles long before rejoining the out portion back to the start/finish line.  Going out is all uphill, becoming steeply uphill for the last mile before topping out and heading back downhill.  I think each loop has about 1,400 feet of climb and descent.  The first loop climb doesn’t feel hard at all, but I figure it will still be a good workout for me.  All is going well—I feel full of energy and the legs are fresh—until less than a half mile from the end of the first section when I roll my right ankle.  My right ankle is chronically weak for me as I typically twist it several times a year, often a couple of times in a race.  However, I hadn’t twisted it badly in quite a number of months.  This is a bad twist.  I go down not wanting to do any further damage by trying to save from hitting the dirt.  The slide is mostly on dirt (Pete Rose would be proud).  I only scrape the heel of my left palm, and my right knee.  But, the significant pain is in my right ankle.  I hobble into the aid station, wondering if maybe I should call it a day.  I quickly push that idea out of my mind, drink some of my chocolate milk, and head out for the second loop after shedding my outer layer of a long sleeve shirt.

Mile 15.0    1:38:52 (13:11 avg./mile) Start/Finish area

It takes the better part of this second loop before the pain deadens in my ankle.  Then I can carefully run decently.  I feel like my ankle has caused the majority of the time slowdown from the first loop.  Even so, I finish the second loop—almost halfway done—in a little under 3 hours.  I drink some more chocolate milk and trade out my Camelbak for a full one.

Mile 22.5    1:43:19 (13:47 avg./mile) Start/Finish area

Starting the third loop, I am sure that I am making better time now that my ankle is not hurting as badly.  However, I reach the top of the climb one minute slower than I did on the previous loop.  The slowdown continues as I complete the loop.  I am feeling okay, other than the ankle, but I am obviously slowing down.  Oh well, there is only one more loop, and I am leaving the aid station before Bradun, Elise, and Martha have shown up to see the finish.  Have I mentioned that the weather is absolutely perfect?  The temperature started around 40 degrees, and it has gradually warmed up into the 50s.  I was thinking earlier that I might take my t-shirt off for the final lap, but wisely decide to leave it on.

Mile 30.0    1:47:39 (14:21 avg./mile) Start/Finish area

The climb on this final loop seems to have gotten steeper!  There are many hikers out in the park on this beautiful day, and I have to work my way around each of them on the single track trail.  I finally reach the top of the climb and start heading across the ridge when I meet Bradun walking towards me.  They got to the park just after I started this loop and have driven to the top to see me halfway through my final loop.  It is motivating to see them, and it is all downhill from here.  I catch two people on the way down the hill.  One of them is a lapped runner, and the other runner was in fourth place.  I get into the start/finish area, drop off my Camelbak, and quickly head out for the last section of the race—a short loop around the lake.
Darin with 3rd Place prize

Mile 31.2    11:32 (9:36 avg./mile) FINISH

Feeling great now that the finish is almost in sight, I pick the pace up significantly.  I end up sprinting the last quarter of a mile.  It is a good thing that I did because the guy I passed a couple of miles earlier is only 2 minutes behind me.

Official Finishing Time          6:41:27 (race website says 6:29:35)

4th out of 20 finishers (3rd male)

This was a really nice, low-key race that made the perfect final tune-up for my next race.  If only I hadn’t twisted my ankle, it would have been perfect.  Fortunately, I have 5 weeks until my next race, and the ankle should be fine.  Finishing 4th was just a bonus, and I got a “trophy” for being the 3rd place male finisher in the 50k.

The climax of my running calendar year is the Hellgate 100k race.  The 12th running of this special race will be December 13.  The very cool early fall weather points to a cold race this year, but one never knows what the weather will be like until a couple of days before.  Last year there was snow, drizzle, rain, and temperatures between 30-34 degrees during the race.  I would say it can’t be worse this year, but I know better.

Never stop running,
Darin