Bull Run Run 2019 - Mud!

April 12 



Before the start

It is early Friday morning when Amy, Tim, and I fly up to Manassas.  Who is Tim you ask?  He is a co-worker who is from Chantilly.  He is hitching a ride to see his parents for the weekend.  Amy, my daughter, is coming to crew for me.  We had to maneuver around a few storm cells early in the flight, but otherwise, it was a nice flight with a huge tailwind—up 40 knots pushing us!  At the Manassas airport, Tim’s mom picks him up; Amy and I hop in our rental car.  We grab lunch at Firehouse Subs and then pick up some groceries for the race tomorrow.  We check into our cabins at Hemlock Overlook before eating dinner at Carrabba’s.  I down some excellent Rigatoni while consuming copious amounts of bread.

April 13

Gathering for the start

In the morning, I am ready quickly.  I consume a bowl of granola and chat with the other runners in my cabin.  For one guy it is his first 50 miler.  I hope he is able to finish, but I have my serious doubts.  It rained lightly yesterday afternoon, and then there were a few showers overnight.  How muddy will the trails be?  We are about to find out.  I start the race with just shorts and a short-sleeve shirt.  It is in the 60s and humid.

Mile 7.2      1:20:54 (11:14 avg./mile) Centreville Road (1^st time)

This first section is all about sorting ourselves out.  I am fairly near the front so there isn’t too much walking with the early congestion.  I will forever be amazed at some of the people that start out fast for the first mile or two and then slow down to a walk.  The mud isn’t too bad on this first section, and I feel pretty good.  Kevin Sayers is at the bottom of the steps with his bull horn as usual.  I meet Amy and down a good gulp of CR01 before taking a chocolate chip roll with me.  I also lose the shirt at this point.

Coming into the Centreville Rd the 2nd time

Mile 11.6    55:50 (12:41 avg./mile) Centreville Road (2^nd time)

This lollipop section is a complete quagmire!  The name of the game is staying upright while trying to make good forward progress.  I do pretty well and am even inspired by the adversity somewhat.  However, with a mile or so back to the aid station, I try to pass a couple of people and end up slipping sideways and going down on my left hip. The is no harm except to ego and the coat of mud on my left leg and hands.  At the aid station, I gulp down some more CR01 and take another chocolate chip roll.  My time so far is slower than last year, but I feel like I have been pushing comfortably hard so far.

Mile 16.6    1:04:17 (12:51 avg./mile) Hemlock Overlook

With the large field it is surprising to find us very spread out at this point in the race.  It feels like I am not far from the front given the number of runners I didn’t meet until coming back from the lollipop loop.  My feet are doing okay given the mud, and I get them all cleaned off by the creek crossing, pylon jumps, which are covered by the rising water.  I think I have only seen those pylons covered by water once before.  As I know there is more good mud before the next aid station, I make the strategic decision not to change my wet and muddy shoes at this point.  I drink some good chocolate milk at the aid station and take yet another chocolate chip roll with me.

Mile 21.1    57:50 (12:51 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

On the way to the Marina, a guy decides to pace off me for a while.  His name is James, and it is his first 50 miler.  It is a wise decision to hold back at this point in the race.  We chat most of the section before getting to the aid station.  The muddy section after the soccer fields is a quagmire as I expected.  Surprisingly, there are no active soccer games; I guess the fields are too wet.  At the aid station, I change out my shoes and socks and then drink a little chocolate milk before grabbing some potato chips for the trail.  My time is definitely slower than last year, but I am not yet ready to concede an 11+ hour finish yet.

Mile 26.1    58:41 (11:44 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

Finally, I have a section that is slightly quicker than last year!  That being said, it is less than a minute faster.  The trail is now fairly dry for this part of the course, and I am still pushing it nicely.  At the aid station, Alex greets me, and then I hear a female voice behind me say, “Hello stranger.”  I turn around and there is Adeline!  I paced her at the Pinhoti 100 in November of 2017.  I had seen her since, and it is great to bump into her.  She is working the aid station and says she will be waiting on my return.  I grab a couple of PB&J sandwich quarters and head on down the trail.

Mile 28.1    37:52 (18:56 avg./mile) Fountainhead

Coming into Fountainhead

Shortly after leaving the last aid station, two ladies pass me, and I decide to see if I can hang with them.  I am now really pushing the pace while keeping up with them.  It is warming up, sun is out, and this might not be the best decision ever.  However, I feel good right now with my legs still relatively fresh.  My time on this now long section is five minutes faster than last year!  This section used to be two miles, but now is advertised to be 2.6.  After this stretch though, I am certain that it is well over three miles!  I think we were doing 10-minute miles, which would make it more than 3.5 miles.  By the time I get to the aid station, I know I have pushed things too hard.  I am hot, and my legs are starting to feel sluggish.  I chug some CR01 and get some potato chips from the aid station.  It is now time to see how my body can recover while still moving forward.

 

 

Mile 32.5    1:03:05 (14:20 avg./mile) Do Loop (start)

I leave Fountainhead with the idea of maintaining a slow, steady pace that will allow me to recover some.  I am successful with the slow, steady pace, but the recovery is not coming to my legs.  Early in this section, I pass a family out of a hike on this nice day, and the mom asks me if this is an ultra or something.  When I tell them this is a 50 miler, she says, “Told you!”  The dad just says, wow, 50 miles!  At the aid station, I get a popsicle and head into the do-loop.

Mile 35.5    43:50 (14:37 avg./mile) Do Loop (end)

The key to the do-loop is just to get through it and maintain any momentum.  Once through the do-loop, it is a fairly straight shot back to the Hemlock Overlook and the finish.  I eat the popsicle on the first half mile of this section and then settle into a good trot on the first half that is almost all downhill.  When the course bottoms out and turns back uphill, I make a focused effort to power hike with purpose.  When I make the turn towards the old Ford Fairlane, I notice something has been set up in front of it.  Last year, there was a life-size picture of Gary Knipling.  This year, as I approach I see a remembering friends display.  Eddie C. passed away just a week or so ago, and Bob Anderson passed away last June.  I ran many races with both of these guys, and I remember them both very fondly.  I stop at the display for a few minutes to take it all in, and I am overwhelmed with emotions.  All of the races and all of the years, come back to me.  I wish I could stay here and reminisce all afternoon, but that wouldn’t get me to the finish.  I pull myself together, and with heavy heart, press on to the aid station.  There I find a couple of other runners that were with me early in the race, but now are just getting ready to start the do-loop.  I grab a sandwich quarter and a couple of potato chips to eat and wash it down with a small cup of Coke.  Let’s see if I have a rally in my hot and sluggish body.

Mile 37.9    36:08 (15:03 avg./mile) Fountainhead

Fountainhead aid station

There is not much of a rally (if any), but I am able to maintain a steady pace.  There are scores of runners still heading out to the do-loop, so I feel pretty good about my position.  My time, on the other hand, is not going well.  My legs are still very sluggish, and it isn’t getting any cooler.  I get into the aid station and drink the last of my CR01.  For some reason, I decided to only prepare a quart of it and not bring more of the powder mix.  Due to the heat, I don’t eat much of anything, maybe just a few potato chips.

Mile 39.9    43:32 (21:46 avg./mile) Wolf Run Shoals

This section is still at least a mile+ too long, but it is good to see Adeline again.  A little girl is handing out 40 mile finisher medals, which I decline.  I drink some Coke and grab a sandwich quarter before heading out for the last 10 miles.  While it is warm, it isn’t overly hot.  It is just warm enough to discourage me from pushing the pace.

Mile 44.9    1:12:14 (14:27 avg./mile) Bull Run Marina

I slowly make my way to the last aid station.  Amy is waiting on me, and I promptly take a seat.  She tries to encourage me, but finishing ahead of any particular runner at this point is not motivating me.  Then Mike Campbell comes into the aid station, and I decide it is time to go.  How about a sandwich quarter or two?  Nope, they only have cheese and veggie—no meat to be found.  Oh well, I only have 5.5 miles to go.

Mile 50.4    1:32:53 (16:53 avg./mile) FINISH!

Coming into the finish

Mike, Eric, and a few other runners leave me behind as I maintain my slow, but steady slog to the finish.  This isn’t going to be pretty, but I will finish with plenty of time to spare on the 13-hour cut-off.  There are only a couple of runners that pass me in the last few miles.  I actually managed to get ahead of one guy who cramped up as we were crossing the soccer fields.  Not to worry though, he passed me back after he worked out the cramp.  I do manage to look good running across the finish line.

Official Finishing Time          11:47:06

77^th out of 324 starters (159 finishers under 13 hours)

This was a PW (personal worst) time today on this course.  However, the course is at least two miles (if not more) longer than it used to be.  This place is my highest finish since I ran 9:46 in 2008.  So, while I thought I was suffering out there on the course, clearly most of the field was suffering as much, if not more.  The finishing rate is less than 60%, which is terribly low for this race as well as most 50-mile races.

On Sunday, we fly back to Alabama, but not without a stop in Asheville, NC.  There is a terrible line of storms moving east.  We press as far as we can and then sit down for a couple of hours while the bulk of the storms pass.  It is not the most pleasant flying experience, and there is a 40-50 knot headwind for good measure.  Just in flying time, the trip takes twice as long as it did coming up on Friday.

My next race is planned to be the Kettle Moraine 100-miler on June 1 in Wisconsin.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

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