Post by kyoung on Apr 20, 2007 11:13:26 GMT -5
APRIL 14- 50 AT 50
31 MILES SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS – 50@50, that has a nice ring to it. I arrived at the trailhead (uh, I didn’t know this was mostly a trail run) with a huge bag of everything I might possibly need: extra canteens, clothes, Heed, FRS, extra shoes, shirts, food. The only problem is, for the first time after entering 1000 races, I forgot socks. (Note to Mr. UltraMan Stu Sherman: I am not making this up. I really did forget my socks. We can’t all be Mr. Pro UltraMen). But No Problema, the race director had socks for sale. Only problem was, they were these little ankle socks, didn’t he have any real man calf socks? So I took the ankle socks and noticed the real pros, like SBAA runner Patty Bryant, had these cute little gaiters (Patty’s were leopard print). So I’m buying socks, filling canteens, getting dressed, drinking, when I notice a guy stretching. That looks like a good idea, so I sit down to stretch just as they call us to the line. (Note to Stu: see note #1).
The race starts and immediately we are single tracked and walking in the first of five 1100 foot climbs. (“This is perfect starting pace” I think). After this first steep climb of 3 miles we were high on a ridge overlooking the ocean. There was then 3 miles of gentle downhill through grass meadows surrounded by granite peaks. With the beautiful day and slow pace, it was lovely running, so far. The only thing was my left groin was twinging, which worried me since it was only the 10K, but when I stopped to stretch the pain went away, for a few miles. The last mile down to the start was down a steep rocky canyon where you had to walk. I dipped potatoes in salt and peanut candies in my mouth, refilled my 16-oz. hip canteen, and after a 4 minute ‘rest’ I was back on the trail. That 4 minutes was my longest of 4 ‘rests’. This first 12K took 1:46, 14.1 minutes per mile.
The second 1100 foot climb was next, walking all the way up to a ridge overlooking that camping beach with the big dune, then a long running descent to a food table at 21K. On the downhills you are always concentrating so you don’t trip on the sometimes narrow and rocky trail, walking uphill there is more time to look around. Near the bottom I slowly passed four runners doing the 30K, otherwise I was traveling alone the last 40K. There is good camaraderie in these trail runs, everyone has positive words and oxygen to use them. This 9K segment took 1:14, 12.8 minute miles, fastest average as it had the most downhill.
The third 1100 foot climb I again walked, and by the way, this is not strolling, meandering nor lollylagging, but rather POWER walking. I tried to walk as fast as I could, breathing a 2-2 rhythm. It was windy and fog was blowing in from the ocean at the ridge. We ran along this windy ridge for a mile and I was getting cold. The steep descent, jogging for 3 miles got me to 30K, where I spent just a few minutes to change shirts and refill the canteen. This 9K segment took 1:16, 13.6 minute miles. I could not get myself to eat at the rest stop, in fact I was a bit nauseous after all the Heed, Gu gels, and FRS I had been drinking. The leaders zoomed by me going the other way, already the 12K loop ahead of me. Marianne Thomas was at the finish, munching after her 30K. I was a little scattered and took off without my hat and glasses, rookie mistake number 3, but now it was overcast and a bit windy.
I repeated the 12K loop, first walking up 1100 feet in 3 miles, I noticed I was no longer peppy on my POWER walk. But for the first time, I started to feel like I might finish the thing. By now my legs were on autopilot, the slightest incline would cause me to walk but I was jogging the flats and downhills. I would stop occasionally to stretch. After 20 miles and 5 hours I was still able to jog down the 4 miles back to the start line, repeating this 12K segment in 1:53, just 7 minutes slower than the first loop, 15.1 minute miles. I still wasn’t hungry and could not get myself to eat any of the pretzels, candy, potatoes, etc.
Surprisingly to me, I still felt OK after 25 miles and 6.5 hours. I knew I could make it. After a short stop of about 3 minutes, I ran into Patty Bryant. Just before finishing her 50K, she stopped and gave me a sweaty hug, ‘happy birthday’ and ‘good luck’, which I thought was pretty cool. She finished exactly 9K ahead of me. My smile lasted about 2 seconds, because then I looked up at the trail rising above me, switchbacking up another 1100 feet in 3 miles. But I was on a mission: I power walked up that d**n hill. There were 3 people about 15 minutes ahead of me, I was in last place, but I didn’t care. Really I didn’t! At the turnaround at the top of the ridge I let out a ‘whoopee’. The last 3 miles from miles 28-31 I jogged most of the way, stopping to stretch regularly. I saw no reason to kill myself now. I was almost disappointed it was about to end. Just the groin was tweaking, I really was not otherwise sore or even as tired as at the end of a marathon. I crossed the line in 7:38 (my watch time). (Note: please do not figure out the pace per mile. OK, it’s 14:38). I turns out I wasn’t last and there was someone just 1 minute ahead. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first 50K. Driving home immobile for an hour I had a goofy smile on my face the whole time. I could not get the corners of my mouth to turn downward, I must have been on an endorphin high of ultra proportions, until I finally reached home and tried to get out of the car…
www.pctrailruns.com/SMM_Apr_Results_07.htm
1. Brent Teal, 33 4:45:36
10. Patty Bryant, 46 6:20:41
16. Kevin Young, 50 7:30:46
Marianne Thomas and Monica DeVreese ran the 18K:
31 MILES SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS – 50@50, that has a nice ring to it. I arrived at the trailhead (uh, I didn’t know this was mostly a trail run) with a huge bag of everything I might possibly need: extra canteens, clothes, Heed, FRS, extra shoes, shirts, food. The only problem is, for the first time after entering 1000 races, I forgot socks. (Note to Mr. UltraMan Stu Sherman: I am not making this up. I really did forget my socks. We can’t all be Mr. Pro UltraMen). But No Problema, the race director had socks for sale. Only problem was, they were these little ankle socks, didn’t he have any real man calf socks? So I took the ankle socks and noticed the real pros, like SBAA runner Patty Bryant, had these cute little gaiters (Patty’s were leopard print). So I’m buying socks, filling canteens, getting dressed, drinking, when I notice a guy stretching. That looks like a good idea, so I sit down to stretch just as they call us to the line. (Note to Stu: see note #1).
The race starts and immediately we are single tracked and walking in the first of five 1100 foot climbs. (“This is perfect starting pace” I think). After this first steep climb of 3 miles we were high on a ridge overlooking the ocean. There was then 3 miles of gentle downhill through grass meadows surrounded by granite peaks. With the beautiful day and slow pace, it was lovely running, so far. The only thing was my left groin was twinging, which worried me since it was only the 10K, but when I stopped to stretch the pain went away, for a few miles. The last mile down to the start was down a steep rocky canyon where you had to walk. I dipped potatoes in salt and peanut candies in my mouth, refilled my 16-oz. hip canteen, and after a 4 minute ‘rest’ I was back on the trail. That 4 minutes was my longest of 4 ‘rests’. This first 12K took 1:46, 14.1 minutes per mile.
The second 1100 foot climb was next, walking all the way up to a ridge overlooking that camping beach with the big dune, then a long running descent to a food table at 21K. On the downhills you are always concentrating so you don’t trip on the sometimes narrow and rocky trail, walking uphill there is more time to look around. Near the bottom I slowly passed four runners doing the 30K, otherwise I was traveling alone the last 40K. There is good camaraderie in these trail runs, everyone has positive words and oxygen to use them. This 9K segment took 1:14, 12.8 minute miles, fastest average as it had the most downhill.
The third 1100 foot climb I again walked, and by the way, this is not strolling, meandering nor lollylagging, but rather POWER walking. I tried to walk as fast as I could, breathing a 2-2 rhythm. It was windy and fog was blowing in from the ocean at the ridge. We ran along this windy ridge for a mile and I was getting cold. The steep descent, jogging for 3 miles got me to 30K, where I spent just a few minutes to change shirts and refill the canteen. This 9K segment took 1:16, 13.6 minute miles. I could not get myself to eat at the rest stop, in fact I was a bit nauseous after all the Heed, Gu gels, and FRS I had been drinking. The leaders zoomed by me going the other way, already the 12K loop ahead of me. Marianne Thomas was at the finish, munching after her 30K. I was a little scattered and took off without my hat and glasses, rookie mistake number 3, but now it was overcast and a bit windy.
I repeated the 12K loop, first walking up 1100 feet in 3 miles, I noticed I was no longer peppy on my POWER walk. But for the first time, I started to feel like I might finish the thing. By now my legs were on autopilot, the slightest incline would cause me to walk but I was jogging the flats and downhills. I would stop occasionally to stretch. After 20 miles and 5 hours I was still able to jog down the 4 miles back to the start line, repeating this 12K segment in 1:53, just 7 minutes slower than the first loop, 15.1 minute miles. I still wasn’t hungry and could not get myself to eat any of the pretzels, candy, potatoes, etc.
Surprisingly to me, I still felt OK after 25 miles and 6.5 hours. I knew I could make it. After a short stop of about 3 minutes, I ran into Patty Bryant. Just before finishing her 50K, she stopped and gave me a sweaty hug, ‘happy birthday’ and ‘good luck’, which I thought was pretty cool. She finished exactly 9K ahead of me. My smile lasted about 2 seconds, because then I looked up at the trail rising above me, switchbacking up another 1100 feet in 3 miles. But I was on a mission: I power walked up that d**n hill. There were 3 people about 15 minutes ahead of me, I was in last place, but I didn’t care. Really I didn’t! At the turnaround at the top of the ridge I let out a ‘whoopee’. The last 3 miles from miles 28-31 I jogged most of the way, stopping to stretch regularly. I saw no reason to kill myself now. I was almost disappointed it was about to end. Just the groin was tweaking, I really was not otherwise sore or even as tired as at the end of a marathon. I crossed the line in 7:38 (my watch time). (Note: please do not figure out the pace per mile. OK, it’s 14:38). I turns out I wasn’t last and there was someone just 1 minute ahead. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first 50K. Driving home immobile for an hour I had a goofy smile on my face the whole time. I could not get the corners of my mouth to turn downward, I must have been on an endorphin high of ultra proportions, until I finally reached home and tried to get out of the car…
www.pctrailruns.com/SMM_Apr_Results_07.htm
1. Brent Teal, 33 4:45:36
10. Patty Bryant, 46 6:20:41
16. Kevin Young, 50 7:30:46
Marianne Thomas and Monica DeVreese ran the 18K:
