Quickly Touching Base

Today marks one month since I finished the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run, but I have yet to write anything about it. That will change, in time, when I find enough time to do the whole experience justice. Until then I will just note that my finishing time was 27 hours, 6 minutes, and a handful of seconds.

I should also note that I haven't been doing nothing in these four weeks. I recovered for a week, went on vacation to Bar Harbor, ME for a week, and have raced two 5Ks, one cross country and one road. The cross country race was held at Buckeye High School here in Medina. I finished in 22:43 and was the 2nd male in the Open Division. The road 5K was this past Sunday, also here in Medina. I finished that in 20:40 and was 2nd in my age group. Afterward I ran with a group back into town for nearly 9 more miles.

I've been battling some aches and pains since BR, but they're slowly getting better. NC24 is 2 1/2 weeks away and I'm hoping to be healed and ready to go by then. Time will tell.

It's Almost Time

In less than 3 1/2 hours we're starting. All the gear is packed, except for the coolers. I slept pretty well considering the usual night before race jitters. I'll be making breakfast soon, something big to keep me full for a while. This is going to be a long one.

The LIVE race day Webcast can be found HERE. As of right now, before the start, it looks like I'm in 12th place overall! And I haven't even begun sweating yet!

Hopefully I'll have some good news to post sometime tomorrow about finishing, but until then, I'll see you on the trails.

And Then There Were Four

Four days, that is. Race day is almost here, tapering is coming along nicely, and I'm ready to just get out there and get this one started. I feel good. Not perfect, but good. No aches or pains save one: a painful area at the front of my left heel nearest the arch. This is a new one and I'm not sure if it's my first case of plantar fasciitis or maybe just a bruise from some hard trails in the recent weeks. It mostly hurts to touch, not while standing, running, or walking. If that's my only problem this weekend, I will be thankful!

It's gotten hot recently too. REALLY hot. And humid. So I've been trying to get in some heat runs. They've not been terribly long, or comfortable, but I've felt decent, and they've given me a chance to nail down my hydration.

I've also found some new shoes in the last two weeks: Hoka One One. They're fairly new to the market and are the anti-minimalist shoe to end all shoes. These things have some cushion! And the comfort! Don't get me started about how comfortable they are! It's like riding in a Cadillac. Not one of the new one's, but one of the old boats from the 70's or 80's. My feet have been the weak point during my super long runs and I'm hoping these shoes will help me solve that problem.

My last run will most likely be tonight, just some easy miles at the track. Then it's just a matter of getting all my gear together and organized. That's a job in itself. So much stuff. I'm glad this is a summer race and I won't have to worry about cold weather. Lots more gear involved with cold weather running. But right now I'm focusing on the heat!

Mile Repeats

Just a quick one tonight. I had a decent outing back to the track last night. The running club was meeting for possibly a 15K relay but with Heather out of town, I had too much going on to spend that much time away from home. So... I went to the track instead.

It was still warm, about 80 degrees, full sun, but less humid than Tuesday. The run would still be a warm one though. As I arrived at the track I still wasn't decided on what workout to do. I had been toying with the idea of mile repeats on the drive over, and that's what I decided on.

There was a group of either USMC recruits or ROTC students having a workout on the field when I arrived. And let me just say, I was glad to be running. I don't think I would have lasted very long with the drills they were doing! After a mile warm-up I was ready to get started.

Cutting to the chase, I did 3 X 1 mile with 400 meter recovery between. I felt good, to a point, and pushed when I felt I could. I was hoping for sub 7 minute miles and that's what I hit: 6:42 / 6:37 / and 6:32. I wasn't planning on the progressively faster thing, but that's a good sign. With about a mile and a half cool-down, I was done in 46 minutes. Much faster than going to the club run.

Running fast mile repeats has nothing to do with Burning River. I'm thinking beyond already to Columbus. I was hoping to run super-fast there so I need to work some speed back into the high mileage base I have prepared. Running in the heat was good training though. It should still be hot at the end of the month.

Good luck to everyone running the Buckeye Trail 50K tomorrow!

50 Mile Weekend

Originally, I had 4 to 5 of these really big weekends planned, but somehow I managed to miss each and every one of them. Except for this past weekend. On my last high mileage weekend before beginning my taper, I got my 50.

I was thinking of 30 Saturday and 20 Sunday, but as I was running Saturday, I was thinking about the possible routes in Hinckley, and how they are all divisible by 3 not an even number. So because of that, I modified my mileage to 29 Saturday and 21 Sunday. A mile easier one day and a mile harder the other.

For Saturday's run, I wanted to get back down onto the course and run some sections that I haven't yet. I wanted to see what the trail conditions were like and begin to fine tune my race-day strategy. Parking at the Boston Store, I headed north on the Buckeye Trail, the reverse direction of the BR course. What I noticed immediately was how dry the trails were. Completely recovered from the sloppy mess I encountered on Mother's Day.

I made my way up to the Piano Keys and made a mental note that climbing these steps is going to really suck at nearly 50 miles into the run. At least there's a handrail!

The Buckeye Trail was a busy place early on in my run. Now, granted, I did get a late start and the folks I met had been out there for a while already. My 10:00-ish start time wasn't intentional, but it would put me out there in the heat of the day. Good training.

Blue Hen Falls was relatively quiet, with no one climbing around and getting in my photo for once. The lack of rain has caused the creeks to become tiny little things. I didn't encounter any difficulty at any of the water crossings and the muddy patches were merely soft spots. No trouble at all. I could go for some softer trails for race day, but I'll take them dry over wet.

The day was hot so I carried three 16 ounce bottles with me. I had a rough plan of where I wanted to run and the route I wanted to go. I knew where I could refill my bottles. My only regret is not carrying Gatorade mix with me. I took only Nuun tablets. They worked for hydration, but I could have used the extra calories. In the heat I didn't have much of an appetite for the Clif Bars I was carrying.

I followed the BT into the Brecksville Reservation, through Ottawa Point, eventually picking up the APT. Stopping at Oak Grove I refilled a bottle before continuing on my way. I jumped back onto the BT before the last big descent along the parkway and popped out of the woods at Riverview Rd.

Passing quickly through Station Road, I was on the Towpath still heading north. This section is race course, and will be hot on race day. Fortunately for me, it was hot this day too. At the Frazee House, I turned back onto Buckeye trail and had some real peace and quiet. I didn't take the trail all the way to the Bike and Hike, but for the time I was on it I didn't see another soul. I decided to turn around when I hit an overgrown field and I didn't feel like pushing through more leaves and grass.

Reversing course, I made my way back down to the Towpath and eventually back to Station Road. There I refilled more empty bottles and had something to eat. I had a few miles of hot Towpath ahead of me and I wanted to be prepared. It was hot. And crowded. The cyclists were out in force! For the second time this year, I couldn't help but wonder how many of those bikers weren't going to ride as far that day as I was going to run.

I stayed focused and survived the heat with no problems. I even managed to notice some of the sights along the way! As I was pushing through the heat, I had two things on my mind: 1) I would need to go back out for a little bit after getting back to the Boston Store in order to get my 29 and 2) I needed the can of Coke I had in my trunk! I could taste it and I intended to down it before finishing my run.

The Coke was one of those small cans and didn't take long to empty. Then I was off for a short mile and a half out-and-back. This time I went south along the Towpath, took the left where the Valley Bridle Trail veers off, and climbed back onto the Buckeye Trail. More uphill. This section was pretty quiet with only a few others out there with me.

It was just me and nature. And this little guy I managed to hear rather than see. I know one of these days I'm going to run into one a little larger. After what wasn't too long it was time to turn around and head back. I was very tired and dehydrated by the time I finished. And it was nearly 5:00. That's a long time in the woods. My complete run data can be found HERE.

Sunday's run was much less adventurous, was harder, and had more company. I met up with the Sunday morning Hinckley group at 7:00. I just wasn't going to make the 5:30 start. I had no soreness or foot problems so I started out with the hopes of having a decent run. It didn't take me long to realize though, that my legs were pretty shot and I wouldn't be able to maintain a very fast pace. But that's kind of what I was hoping for. That was one of the possibilities for Rite Aid: Run Saturday and then run the race tired. Not only would Sunday's run be a physically training run, but a mental one too.

The big 9 mile loop kicked my butt and I walked the major climbs, including Effie. I really didn't want to go back out on that loop again, so for the rest I stayed in the park. Ladd ran with me for the first of my four 3 mile loops, then I was on my own. Two more loops on the APT and then I switched to the Lake Trail. 21 miles done! All the Hinckley data can be found HERE.

A big weekend for a big race. I hope it will all be enough to get me to the finish line in under 30 hours. Tapering has begun. I'm reducing mileage but maintaining intensity. As an example, we were at the track last night running 800 meter repeats in the sun and heat. I pushed hard and managed to be only a little slower than what I would have liked.

Race day is getting close. Less than 2 1/2 weeks now.

2011 Twin Sizzler 5K and 10K

After running Friday night/Saturday morning, I didn't know if I would be capable of turning out a race-worthy performance for either of the pair of July 4th runs. I rested the entire day on Saturday and took Sunday off to recover as well. When we began making margaritas late in the day on the 3rd, I began to doubt if I would even be able to get up early the following morning. But while watching Medina's fireworks display from the sidewalk around our little development that night, I felt pretty good. Good enough to go straight to bed afterward, get up early, and give it a go.

I ran up to the Square from home with money to register because it was a nice morning and I didn't feel like driving such a short distance. The 1.8 miles made for a very nice warm-up and I was literally dripping sweat as I struggled to fill out the registration form. I must have looked quite the mess. Soon enough I was back outside to bide my time until the start of the 5K. I would be running both, with the 5K as another warm-up. I wanted my miles!

Rather than race all-out in the 5K, I started very slow and way in the back of the pack. The start was downhill and I wanted no temptation to go out too fast. My 10K PR was 20 years old and if I were going to make an attempt on one of the two times, it would be that one. Once the field spread out, I settled into a comfortable pace and concentrated on maintaining good form and breathing. It wasn't really hot out, and we had solid cloud cover, but the humidity made for harder breathing.

The race was uneventful and I saw a few people I knew. We wound our way back to the Square and had a nice uphill finish in front of the Courthouse. My official time was 23:46. Not horrible, but not that good either. But it didn't bother me as I wasn't running hard. Race data for the 5K can be found HERE.

After finishing, I had about a 45 minute wait until the start of the 10K. I took this time to rehydrate and consume an entire pack of Clif Shot Blocks, a gummy version of a sports drink. I also took a gel to help with calories. I found an empty park bench and relaxed for a while. Yes, I had a good shot at beating my 10K PR because it was so old, but I didn't want to dwell on it. No pressure. Just a 6.2 mile run with effort.

The start of the 10K was the same as the 5K only a little smaller. Fewer people wanted to run the longer distance. I also lined up further forward, but not far enough that I would get caught up with the fast guys. Downhill we went, turned, and the long climb up Rt. 57 began. I settled into a solid pace and found myself working my way up through the field. "Not too fast," I would think to myself. I wanted to save any speed for the second half.

I didn't know the course, so I was in for a treat when I saw that we would run up the big hill off of Lexington Ridge. It's a great training hill so racing it would be even better! Again, I just maintained a steady pace and climbed. Pretty soon it was over, we leveled out, and then it was time to descend. This was the first real downhill with open space, so I just let the legs spin. Not pushing, just cruising downhill. At the bottom would be a turn, followed by another large uphill. I knew there was another downhill coming so again, I pushed just hard enough going up. The rest of the race would continue like that: pushing conservatively on the uphills and nearly hammering the downhills. And my mile splits were getting faster!

Pretty soon we were at the bottom of the hill to the finish. Time for one final push, so I switched into a faster gear. I like to kick at the end, but I wasn't too worried about getting the best possible finish placement. If someone wanted to kick and pass me going uphill, they were going to have to hurt and earn it. I was catching up to two men ahead of me, but we were so close to the finish chute, only an all-out sprint on my part would have put me past them. I had it in me, but decided not to pull the trigger. We finished one behind the other going into the chute. It would turn out, the first fellow was in my age group and took 2nd. I took 3rd. I didn't find out until Tuesday about placing, and just today about the placing. Anything can happen in a race. For me, I am happy with my performance. I had a good, solid run and achieved a new PR at 45:39, but left TONS of room to beat it again in the future. 10K race data can be found HERE.

I am 23 days out from Burning River and I'm racing short stuff. And it was FUN! That's what I've been hoping to experience. 100 miles is a long way and needs to be taken seriously or it will mess someone up. But for me, it needs to be fun or it's not worth doing. I hope I can continue in this direction and show up ready to have a grand time for 100 miles!

Firecracker 40 FA

Big thanks to Cyrus for forwarding the info for this run to me a week ago. I was aware of it's existence, but didn't know it was going to be this weekend. What it is, is a loosely organized group night training run on the last 40 miles of the Burning River course. Was it something I needed to do? Yes!

I was familiar with the BR course from just past Shadow Lake to the Perkins Loop with just a random hole here or there. Now I'm familiar with the entire course with the exception of the road section at the start and the trails (which I've heard are mild) leading up to Shadow Lake. And not only that, I've done the night sections in the dark. And they weren't too bad! Granted, the Perkins Loop is much more scenic and enjoyable by day, but I was expecting it to be a nightmare in the dark. And although I had company for the entire run, my concerns about what I might run into in the CVNP at night have been allayed. If it came down to it, I could push on down the trail by myself without hesitation.

Most of us met down near the finish line in a parking lot across the street from the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls. Thanks to Zack for offering me a lift to the start at Lock 29 in Peninsula. We had a large group, well over the 43 that were definitely attending, which made for an almost party-like atmosphere. There were a few people I knew, many faces I recognized, but mainly lots of new people to meet. We must have been some sight running down the street to 303 while everyone else was trying to either get to the Winking Lizard or returning home from a day at the Boston Mills Artfest.

On race day, there will be an aid station at the Pine Lane Trailhead, so that's were we ran to get onto the course. We take an old brick street to get there, paralleling 303, up and out of the Valley. Eventually it narrows down to a single wide path through the brush as nature reclaims another section of abandoned road in that area. A photo of the street is HERE from a previous run. Now, I've been through Pine Lane quite a few times, and I've never known there is another trail there. It's a section of the Valley Bridle Trail and it was awesome! Hilly, scenic ravines. It was great to run it with the sun still breaking through in spots. I will return there again for photos.

We followed the bridle trail until we hit an old section of Akron Peninsula Rd. Then it was some road miles until we joined up with the Bike and Hike Trial. While on the road section, I met a fellow named Mike. Our paces were very similar so we decided to stick together. From the Bike and Hike, we took a short path to join up with the Boston Run Trail, which we almost missed. Once on the Boston Run Trail, we had a decision to make: right or left. As that trail is a loop, it didn't really matter which direction we chose. We would eventually end up in the same spot. I suggested left because I had studied the map section earlier in the day and I thought we ran for a bit along 303, which would put us running clockwise.

The Happy Days aid station would be in the parking lot on race day. This night Dan B. was crewing us and had a roving aid station waiting for us. I was carrying much of what I needed on me, not wanting to have to depend on anyone else. All I would technically need was water, but I couldn't pass up a cookie or two. After Happy Days we looped around the east side of the Ledges, where the shadows were long and deep. Bats were already out and about in the darkness and I considered turning on my headlamp. We both waited on the additional light and enjoyed running in the restricted light that is sunset under a heavy tree canopy. There was one fork in the path where the Pine Grove Trail loop splits from the connector trail. Both Mike and I thought the loop was part of the course so we ran it. I'm not sure if everyone else ran it though. Once we were done and back on the main course we had a groups of runners "materialize" both in front and behind us.

Crossing Truxel Rd., we made our way around Kendall Lake and onto the Cross Country trail. I think it was along this section that we met up with the four other runners we would spend nearly the rest of the night with: Kyle, Mikaila, Suzanne, and Tim. A great group of runners! Every one's lights were on as we climbed the Sound of Music Hill on our way to Pine Hollow. Dan was there waiting for us with food, water, and Gatoraid. Good Gatoraid too! I'm usually leery of drinking sports drink that I don't mix myself, having had bad experiences doing so, but Dan did a good job mixing up something that was more than tolerable.

The Salt Run Trail loop was next on our journey. It's a hilly, rooty course by day, with long sections of steps going both up and down. By night, it really slowed us down. I could really understand how it defeated people so badly during BR as it falls around mile 70. We all made it through just fine. The Cleveland Orchestra concert (I think) at Blossom was just finishing and their fireworks going off as we wound our way through Salt Run. I'm curious if anything could be seen from up above because we could barely see the headlights of cars driving by on Akron Peninsula or Quick Rd the foliage was so thick.

After re-fueling again, we were off to find the Wetmore Trail to make our way to the Covered Bridge. I've gotten turned around on this section by day and was worried we might have problems in the dark, but Tim and Suzanne were up front leading us forward. It looked like the Lagnes Run trail was closed for re-building so that helped us have fewer decisions to make. I couldn't help but let my imagination do it's thing as we made our way back down into the Valley. My thoughts would range from what I would like to be eating, to how nice a margarita would taste, to "when will I see some coyotes", to "I wonder what would happen if a minotaur popped up in front of us". I was getting mildly delirious due to the late hour and that was just fine with me.

We reached the Covered Bridge and Dan was there, all set up. I've been around the Perkins Loop many times. It was the location of my first 50K just two years ago at Bills' Bad Ass. This would be my first time around in the dark. Surprisingly, I could recognize most of where we were, only getting disoriented in a couple spots. It definitely took longer to run at night, but we all made it through OK. Stubbed toes on tree roots being the worst injuries. When we returned to the Covered Bridge we learned the "sweeper" group had bypassed Perkins and was ahead of us. This was for the best as it allowed Dan to move on sooner and get set up for more runners. This also meant we were now the sweeper group. We would need to pick up anyone we might come upon and make sure no one got left behind. Safety first.

As we made our way down Oak Hill Rd at 2:30 in the morning, I would be on all new terrain, except for a couple sections of Towpath Trail. The road was deserted so we spread out. Mike even took his shoes off and ran barefoot, as he had done a little earlier on Akron Peninsula and Bolanz Roads. As the night wore on we took more walking breaks. Not everyone was feeling good either, so our progress slowed. The section of Buckeye Trail into O'neil Woods took it's toll. From that point we did a lot of walking. Stomachs were acting up and blisters forming. Things were really beginning to hurt.

Dan was again waiting with aid at Botzum. I had to use the restroom here. It just wasn't going to wait. I felt better but not everyone else did, so we still made slow progress. There was much humorous speculation as to why the City of Akron needed to build a barbed-wire-topped-ten-foot-tall-concrete-wall around their composting facility. Was it to keep people out or to keep something in?

As we kept moving south on the Towpath the birds began singing. 4 AM already? Sure was. And with that the sound of something moving toward us through the heavy vegetation to the side of the Towpath. My brain slowly tried to think of what it could be and decided upon a deer. I hoped it wouldn't hit one of us as runners seldom come out on the winning side of human VS. deer collisions. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was no animal. It was the sound of big ole fat rain drops beginning to fall. Just lovely. They let up but the lightning and thunder began. Something was brewing and I really began hoping we would be done before it hit. The only problem was I didn't know the remainder of the course or exactly how much further we had to go.

It was light out as we left Dan's aid station for the final time at Memorial Parkway. This is where we left the Towpath, following some streets to Cascade Valley Metropark. As the rain returned I was glad to be in the trees and on a trail. We followed the trail along the banks of a still small Cuyahoga River, making mostly correct course decisions. By this point our group had split with Mike, Tim, and Suzanne going ahead and Mikaila, Kyle, and I bringing up the rear. We missed only one turn, having to double back when the trail we were on ended.

Through slow but relentless progress we eventually made our way back to the parking lot across from the Sheraton. We had been out there for over 12 hours. Slow? Yes. But it was good training to just be on our feet for that long. We covered 43 miles by my Garmin. Data HERE. This will be the hardest part of the course due to it being the second half of the run. Hopefully I will be able to run that section at Burning River.

I did learn some things while out there. Like, I can't wear compression tights or calf sleeves for long runs. The lower elastic band rests right on my retinaculum, causing me swelling and pain. This is probably what caused my left leg problems earlier this year. My right leg was aggravated during this run. I combined bottles of my Gatoraid/Nuun mixture with a bottle of just Nuun and my hydration was not a problem. No dehydration. I ate three Clif Bars and could have used some more. I need to learn to eat before I get hungry. I ate most of the energy chews I brought with me. Not only were they beneficial nutritionally, but they gave me something to snack on. I like to think of them as "Energy Candy"! I think I've made the decision that I can't run long in the Brooks Cascadias. I wore less constricting socks, but my feet still got beat up. I think multiple shoe changes, including road shoes, will be a necessity on race day. And I still have an unanswered question: How the hell did I get ants in my gaiters? I couldn't feel it at all, but when I changed into clean socks and shoes for the drive home I saw ants and that they had decided to bite me all over my ankles. Stupid ants.

So, a fun time and a great run. I'm glad I went as I got to meet some new people. And most everyone there will be running the race, so I will get to see them again. HUGE thanks to Dan B. for crewing everyone all night long and for his concern that every runner be accounted for. I don't know how he fit all that gear into his Honda Fit! We're less than a month out now and I think that will be my last super long training run. Now it's time to heal up and taper down.

Burn-Out

I was going to write about how change is the only constant and all that stuff as my training has fallen apart the last couple weeks, but the real culprit hit me last night: I am burnt out. No motivation. No drive. No desire to run or compete in anything. I fight with myself about what I should be doing and running doesn't fare well.

Now that I actually think about it, REALLY think about and analyze it, I think Ironman and all it's training caused this. I had high goals for this year and my winter training never happened. Spring fell flat. And now summer isn't materializing the way it should have. My fitness level is well below what it should be by this point. And the more I dwell on that fact, the worse my motivation gets.

It's time for some goal changes because of this. What I need is zero pressure and to just enjoy running again. So, because of that, I'm changing Burning River from an A race to a B. That means I'm not setting out to finish. I think finishing is going to be beyond me. I hope to just have a decent run through the woods for as long as possible. No goals. No expectations. I'm not going to continue tracking my weekly mileage here in specific posts, although I will continue to tally my mileage on the sidebar as I always have.

This change will help me adjust the remainder of my 2011 schedule. I was at one time hoping to try for a 3:05 in Columbus. That's not going to happen this year. If I can run a sub-3:30 again I will be happy. The Northcoast 24 Hour, however, is the race I think I will focus on. I think I can still approach the 100 mile mark during that one in September. I think I will look at some 5K's too. Just some short fast races. Maybe that will help to get me back on track for next year.

I knew the magic of the 2009 season wouldn't repeat, but I didn't expect to become so dis-enchanted with everything. Kudos to those who can do all these big events repeatedly and not lose their mental focus.

2011 Yankee Springs Double Trail Marathon

The plan was for me to come into this trail double marathon with a 50 miler already under my belt. That plan wasn't to be. Yankee Springs would be my first test of this type of distance outside of a 24 hour format.

We left for Grand Rapids, MI on Friday afternoon after everyone arrived home and as soon as the car was packed. The drive up was relatively swift and incident free. Knowing we would be arriving late at the hotel, we planned to have a decent dinner on the road. As we are not strangers to Rt. 23 in Michigan, we thought we remembered seeing an Olive Garden around Ann Arbor. We were almost right. It was in Brighton. The parking lot was full (go figure) but we were seated immediately. Dinner was tasty and filling and we took a piece of tiramisu to go for later.

The drive was going just fine until we hit a stretch between Lansing and Grand Rapids. That's where we hit a 40 minute delay as 3 lanes of traffic merged into 1 and we exited and re-entered the highway as a bridge overpass was being constructed. We were sailing smooth again after that point. We found the hotel, the Hilton Grand Rapids Airport, easily enough and checked in. I began to suspect something was up when I had to sign a noise policy agreement. And there were an awful lot of high school age girls hanging around. It turns out there was some girls volleyball tournament going on and the hotel was booked. It also turns out the hotel was old and needed to be upgraded. Badly. The doors were steel but not insulated for sound. Every sound from the hallway and from the connecting room next door was transmitted. Heather and Bailey seemed to sleep OK that night, but I only managed about an hour. That's OK. I'm only going to try and run 52.4 miles in the morning. An hour of sleep will be just fine.

We arrived at the park early Saturday morning, giving us enough time to find where we needed to go, pick up my packet and bib, haul my gear in, and get the car parked in the appropriate area. First, it was DARK! I mean pitch black dark in the trees. Second, there were bugs. LOTS of bugs, mostly attracted to the headlamps of both the car and me. Third, were the mosquitoes. I didn't notice them right away, but I have 15 - 20 itchy bites to prove they found me.

The race was small and personal, much nicer than a big city marathon. We pulled up a picnic table and set up right at the start/finish area. Time passed quickly and I was nearly caught unprepared to start. My bottles still needed mixing. Heather helped get that solved for me with about 3 minutes to go while I listened to the pre-race instructions.

Nearly two dozen runners lined up for the 6:00 start of the double marathon. There would be many more starting an hour later running the half and full marathons. I didn't expect to see many of those runners. In fact, I was hoping to finish my first loop without being caught by any of those runners.

With a simple count down, we were off and on our way. Who knows what the day would bring. I was unfamiliar with the course and the shape it was in. How much elevation change would there be? How hot would it really get? The forecast high for the day kept creeping upward. Anything over marathon distance really puts a runner at the mercy of the elements. I would just need to stay aware and make adjustments as necessary.

The field spread out immediately. I never saw the fast folks again. I settled into a small group, which also slowly spread out. I didn't want to start too fast, but I felt good, so when I could get a pass in going up a hill, I did. That put me in front of a couple running together and behind a fellow in a blue shirt. As the sun wasn't really up yet, I had a hard time seeing the course markers, so being able to see the blue ahead of me reassured me I was staying on course. I made a quick stop at the first aid station for water and passed the fellow in the blue shirt. For the rest of the first loop, I was pretty much running solo. In the woods. In the quiet. Just how I like it.

I really enjoyed running along in the solitude of the early morning. The course was variable and scenic. The hills weren't bad at all. There were some walkers, that's for sure, but nothing too extreme. What I wasn't prepared for was the sand. I'm familiar with how sandy the land is in Michigan, but didn't expect it this far south and west. Running in it wasn't bad, it only slowed my pace a little in spots, but it was getting into my shoes despite my gaiters. As it would turn out, the sand was sifting in through the mesh on the tops of my Cascadias. It was then going through the thin tops of my Balega trail socks and getting stuck under my toes at the thick bottoms. That was new. I've never run in sand before to find out this problem.

I felt really good on that first loop and just ran. Not racing, but not running cautiously. When I came upon a section beckoning me to run fast, I ran fast. And there were some fast sections, especially on the mountain bike trails.

What I was really enjoying though, was running on DRY trails! The northeast Ohio trails have been so wet and muddy they ceased to be enjoyable to me. I don't know if I will do much on trail training until they dry out. But these Michigan trails were a dream to run on. Not too rocky, soft and without many roots. We ran through forest and grass. There were only a couple muddy sections, and they were mostly a soft dry, though thick, mud.

In fact, the wettest spot on the whole course was just before finishing each lap on a spur that was added to get the course mileage up. Two spots that needed to be leaped over to avoid wet shoes. And after running almost the entire way around with dry shoes, I wasn't going to let two little spots get me.

The bugs on the first loop weren't too bad, until the deer flies woke up, that is. They were horrible. I made a mental note to switch to my curtained hat when I reached the start/finish. I've had good results defeating deer flies with that hat.

Refilling my bottles was also on my mental to-do list. I had to stay on top of my hydration. My Gatorade Endurance + Nuun combo would be put to the test this day.

The only non-trail section of the course was along a dirt road. I was thinking "country dirt road" but it turned out to be "dirt access road" and eventually "jeep trail." That was fine with me. There were a couple climbs on this road, allowing me time to rehydrate, and this low spot that was flooded. There was a narrow trail on the right side we used to get by.

I was worried about being in the sun, but almost all the course was shaded, even the road section. That was a very good thing as the temperature just kept climbing all morning.

While I was out running my first loop, Heather managed to get some additional photos of the course. We had bought a canopy tent just for this race, but decided not to use it because were were under all these large shade trees.

The course was marked with these little orange flags at all the turns and along the trails. I thought the course was very well marked, but I heard that a few runners ahead of me managed to get off course. I guess it happens.

One of the few mud sections, this one shortly after the start.

Yes! Please! Thank you! Although I did see many shotgun shells along some sections of the trail.

I actually snuck up behind Heather as she was walking back to base camp. She had been out waiting for me and I must have took too long to return.

Potty break. I didn't see many other facilities out on the course.

Smiling here because I was feeling good after my first loop. Not too hungry yet, just thirsty.

I have to run how many loops? (Don't know what provoked this look)

Going out on loop #2.

A section of twisty turny boardwalk awaited us shortly after the start area.

Some of the sand. And roots.

With all the things on my mental to-do list, I neglected to switch hats. So I got my bandanna out and put it on under my hat to make a curtain. I got the coverage I wanted, but the flies actaully got worse. To the point that I was fighting off a small swarm of them for a few miles without a break. It occurred to me that my BLACK bandanna was contrasting with my WHITE hat and shirt and actually attracting them more. After removing the bandanna the flies became tolerable again. From that point I used the bandanna as a fly swatter of sorts, flapping my shoulders when necessary.

The wildlife of the area was mostly heard and not seen. I saw this little garder snake and got a photo for Shannon since she loves snakes so much. There were many flutterbyes (butterflies) and tons of ants. The occaisional lumbering bumble bee would make an appearance as well.

I thought I saw a pack of groundhogs running through the woods at one point, but that could have just been a halucination. This guy was just sitting in the middle of the dirt road as I was approaching. He took off with enthusiasm when he noticed me.

Bailey ventured out on the course a bit to explore to pass the time while I was away. He said the flies were annoying.

Here I come in after loop #2. I slowed down quite a bit as the heat was beginning to take a toll on me. I had a decision to make too. Do I drop down to the full marathon and finish? Or do I go out on loop #3 and see what happens. If I didn't switch races at this point and I couldn't finish, it would be a DNF. After getting some fluids and food, and being talked to by my crew, I went back out. I would walk more. LOTS more. I told them to give me up to around 4 hours to finish this looop.

I pressed on. I began to get very uncomfortable on this loop. Nothing was cramping but my legs were just exhausted. My feet hurt, from my toes through my arches. I don't know if that was a sock or shoe thing. I might have to have more shoe options for BR. I knew that when I finished this loop it would be my last. I was done. Even if I went out for #4, I don't think I would have finished within the time limit of 15 hours.

I was able to thank the aid station workers on my last time around. The potato at aid staion #2 tasted really good, though I put too much salt on it. A handful of animal cookies at aid station #3 helped get me through the final 3 miles or so. I was going from not hungry at all to starving and back again. I knew I was dehydrated. Just how bad was the question. My sweat rate had slowed down and when I would run a section my heart rate would jump too much.

So I just took my time coming in. The day was nice and I would just enjoy my time out in the woods.

I did try to pick up the pace as I got close to being done. I didn't want to look like too much of a slacker. I could at least finish running.

With only a few runners still out on the course at 10 hours + into the race the crowd had thinned considerably. I finished loop #3 and officially withdrew from the race. The day had beaten me and I felt like I had been beaten. I hurt.

Back at the hotel I peeled off my shoes, socks, and gaiters to see the damage. Just dirty toes and the usual sore spots on the bottoms of my feet. Not bad at all.

Note to self: Don't wear those Balega trail socks in sandy conditions.

After a nice shower and sitting in some air conditioning I felt much better. My worst injurie was some chaffing in spots. A little Aquaphor helped me get around the rest of the day. We went to dinner at the Grand Rapids Brewing Co which was down the street. We should have known something was up when the place was nearly empty. The beer and food was sub-par, the AC wasn't working right, and there were fruit flies everywhere.

If you ever go to Grand Rapids, don't eat here and don't stay at the Airport Hilton. Aside from those two disappointments, the rest of our trip was enjoyable. I would like to return to this race in the future, as I now have unfinished business with it. For an innaugural race, I thought it was very well run. It's the kind of low key small race that I prefer these days. Congrats and thanks to the race directors for putting on a great event. I hope it becomes an annual thing. And thanks to Heather and Bailey for crewing me and sitting in the woods all day for me. While their job probably wasn't as tiring, I'm sure it seemed to last longer than mine. Anyone intersted in viewing my Garmin data can do so HERE.