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
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
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)
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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