2010 North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run

I don't know what (or if) I was thinking when I registered to run the NC24 just one week after IM Wisconsin. I blame it on peer pressure. That, and the RD constantly reminding me that the price was about to jump and if I wanted to save some dollars, I needed to register soon! Thanks Dan!
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So having not specifically trained for an ultra run, and having just completed my A race of A races, I came into NC24 just wanting to run and feel good. I entertained zero distance goals. I had no run/walk plan in mind. I was just going to conservatively wing it.
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We arrived early enough to allow ample time to set up our tent, organize our equipment, and socialize, but somehow I still found myself in the wrong pair of socks and shoes as I lined up for the start. I wore cotton socks and my B pair of shoes expecting to be walking across wet grass, which happened. But even with my A pair of shoes right there in my bag, I didn't have the time to change, and began my 24 hours in the wrong footwear. This wasn't a big deal as I was planning to walk the entire first lap anyway and I just extended that out to the first three.
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Walking at the start was nice. I was able to chit chat with folks and meet some new people. Vicky, one of the new runners I met, was in from New York and she and her husband were both running. We talked about a few different things, but I was intrigued by her description of their diets. FRUIT! Pretty much whole, fresh, raw fruits and veggies. They have a website that I still intend to check out. I don't think I'll ever kick my Reese's Cup addiction, but maybe I can incorporate some of their principles.
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After finishing lap three I stopped to change footwear, grab a quick drink, and began running. This would be where the rest of the day blurs into what feels like one long hour. Everything blends together: one hour into the next, one mile into another. A timed event on a short closed course just does that. I know I stopped to get food and liquids. I know I decided that at some point it was time to change into a full sun hat and reapply sunscreen. I know I began carrying my water bottle around the course with me and stopped multiple times to re-mix my Gatorade/Nuun concoction. I just can't remember "when" I did those things.


At some point I ran for a bit with Marsha. She was out to run 100K (62 miles). Her longest run to that day was 50K so she was making quite a leap in distance. The great thing about a 24 hour (or even a 12 hour) run is that it makes that jump easier to do. Everything you need is right there for you. If you need to stop and rest, you can!

Here I am running solo again. After running with Marsha I pretty much just did my own thing around the loop until after sunset. The others I knew were either running faster or walking slower. Even though I was aching already and super stiff I was still enjoying myself. I enjoyed watching the folks flying all the kites down at Edgewater, the families and smelling what they were grilling, and hearing the large group of drummers who were having a big drum-fest! I had brought my iPod specially loaded with new songs but didn't feel the need to put it on.

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As night began to fall, I switched back into my other hat, added a clip-on head lamp, and stopped carrying my bottle with me. I was getting very tired. Not just physically exhausted but need-to-sleep tired. I had a good idea I would stop running overnight and decided that after hitting 50 miles I would take a break and lay down. After getting a slice of pizza into me I joined Jr. P who was already asleep in the tent. It took me a while to drift off, but once asleep I was just fine. I remember being really cold because I just laid down in what I was wearing, sweaty and all. I didn't really care at the time.

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Having set no alarm I didn't really care what time I would wake up. If I woke up at 9:00 and the race ended that would be fine. I had 50 miles in. As it turns out, I woke up around 5:00 and found this out when I went looking for some breakfast food from the aid table. I ate two egg wraps that tasted fantastic. Thanks Shannon! Mrs. P and Tara had been walking all night and had almost caught my distance. They asked if I wanted to walk a lap with them, so I did. That one lap was enough to get me going. I changed back into running attire and added my vest because the wind was now blowing and it was chilly. My next goal? 100K!

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I covered most of the next 12 miles solo. I felt a little guilty at how good I felt for having slept and how bad most everyone else looked for having stayed out all night. But even for having slept I couldn't keep Connie's pace for even a lap! She was still hauling! My last few miles I ran with Frank and eventually John joined us. It was good company to have wrapping up that crazy run. I stopped after hitting 100K and went in search of Chef Bill's breakfast. I had been craving pancakes and guess what he was making? Pancakes!

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Final totals: Me - 62 miles, Mrs. P - 54 miles! She did more than she thought she could, but would pay the physical price for doing it. I felt good and was happy I didn't overdo anything. I was sore and tired but not hurt. Jr. P got to witness something that even most marathoners think is crazy: a 24 hour run.

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Congrats to Connie G. for winning the women's competition and finishing 2nd overall!!! As this was also the U.S. National 24 Hour Championship, she will be representing Team USA at the World 24 Hour Championship next year! Congrats to everyone else who ran, whether they hit they're goals or not. I won't try to name them all because there are way too many to name! REALLY BIG THANKS to all the volunteers who make an event like that possible! And congrats and REALLY BIG KUDOS to RD Dan H. for organizing a great event!!!

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I'm excited to think about running this one again next year and seeing what I can really do!

NC24

While I still have more posts to write about my Ironman experience, I must make a quick mention about this past weekend's North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run, which also served as the National Championship. What a fantastic event! It was a very well run event in it's inaugural year in 2009 and it has only improved! Aside from the restrooms at the main area being locked (not the race's fault) early on Saturday morning, I don't have a single gripe about the weekend. And that's saying something! Fantastic job Dan H. for organizing a wonderful event! Maybe next year I'll be sufficiently trained to put up some big miles!

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As for that, I'm happy with my results. Considering that just the week before I completed 140.6 miles in Wisconsin, that I could turn around and even attempt to do something like this was mildly astonishing. I felt good enough to start, so I did. I had no goal distance in mind. I would simply form my goals around how I would feel through the day and night. My final distance was around 62 miles, or 100K. Final results haven't been posted yet.

Big congratulations to Mrs. P for pounding out 54 miles! I don't think she even knew she had that in her! More details and photos to come soon!

State of Mind (and Body)

I've been called everything from inspiring to crazy for doing an Ironman. Yes, well there probably is something wrong with me, and I also hope to possibly inspire someone else to try something new or out of their comfort zone, but when it comes down to it, I just enjoy pushing my endurance. I get off on seeing how far I can go. I'm not fast. I won't win any races. But I can go just as far and for just as long as the people who do win the races. It's a healthy hobby I suppose.

I haven't really been called anything when I've told people what I'm going to be doing just one week after finishing an Ironman. I've just received confused looks and shaking heads. I'm not sure if it's because I'm doing a 24 hour run or because it's so soon. I haven't asked.

I'm feeling good one day before NC24. My foot is feeling much better, with no pain at work any more. My legs feel recovered. I'm still feeling them when I climb the stairs, but not as bad as on Monday or Tuesday. The only sore spot is my left hamstring where I cramped really bad in the water. I haven't gotten that far in the race report yet, but basically going out on the second lap of the swim, a woman appeared right in front of me. In my attempt to not swim right into her I pulled up so fast I triggered a massive leg cramp. It was so bad I needed to hold onto a kayak for a couple minutes till I worked it out. It feels like I may have had some minor tearing from that episode, and I can still feel it. So I'll be carefully monitoring it over the weekend.

Other than my leg I'm ready to go! I'm excited to be out there doing this crazy 1 mile circle running with a bunch of people I know! I have little to no game plan other than doing things completely different than in Morganton last New Years. I'm going to go out slow and take breaks when I need to. I may even take a nap! The rain went through yesterday and the weekend is supposed to be beautiful!

With so much to get ready for NC24, I don't know how much time I'll have left to finish my race report before next week, but I'll try to finish the story tonight.

Good luck to everyone running both NC24 and the YUTC races! And to all the volunteers working both! We can't run races without the volunteers!

2009/2010 Freedom Park New Year's Ultra 24 Hour Run

There are times when all the world's asleep,

the questions run too deep

for such a simple man.

Won't you please, please tell me what I've learned

I know it sounds absurd

but please tell me who I am.

-The Logical Song - Supertramp

This is but one of the songs that hit me like a truck sometime after 10 o'clock on New Year's Eve. That's when I decided it was time to put the iPod on, put my head down, and just force the run. And force it I did for about the next four hours or so. Until the pain in my feet became too much for me to run on at all and I was reduced to the slowest walk I've ever done.

Going into this 24 hour run I was prepared to both hurt and to face exhaustion. But I wasn't prepared for the pain of exhaustion. It wasn't the pain of a cramp, less immediately debilitating. It built over time, preventing me from recognizing what was happening. I'm absolutely sure the compression tights were a bad idea. Now. But at the time I didn't realize they were adding to my physical woes. The combination of the swollen and inflexible ankles, knee pain, tight hamstrings and quads, and the problem in the balls of my feet were tolerable, but the blister on my left foot was the proverbial straw, and I, the camel.

I had been looking forward to the dark, when the effort on my face would go unnoticed.

The day began nice enough, grabbing breakfast at the hotel before checking out, making our way to the park, finding a spot near the port-a-potties, and getting set up. Never mind that I needed to run the shower in our room for literally four minutes before the water got warm. Or that it had snowed overnight and temperatures were hovering at just over 30 degrees. We were all in good spirits, and that was the important thing.

Ladd putting the finishing touches on his supplies.

Dan, Mike, Ladd, and myself, four members of Team Ohio.

Looking from our base camp down towards the aid station and timing mats.

The construction of Base Camp Ohio went quickly with the four of us hauling equipment and erecting tents. Although it was cold that morning, the only part of my body that was feeling it was my toes. I was fine with that because I knew they would warm as soon as we began moving. My main worry was still the rain which was forecast to arrive during the afternoon and overnight. Running 6 hours in the rain is one thing. Spending 24 hours in it, completely different.

Dan and Ladd a few mile into the run.

One of many walking breaks.

With nervous energy trying to burst forth from within, the run began. Keeping the pace under control was the hardest thing to do at this point. We may have been better off just forcing a walk for the first few miles, but our conservative starting pace morphed into a comfortable 8:30 running pace. Too fast and we knew it. Dan was out ahead of us doing his thing, eventually making it to fourth place overall for a time, while Ladd and I ran our regular pace. I was of the mind to just stay comfortable, and the pace felt comfortable.

Never find, never mind, never peace God at least

give me strength just for one more try

Got to give, need to live long enough just to say

that I stayed to the end of the big time

-Default - Never Slow Me Down

Sure, I wanted to speed up even more. I would have liked to let go and RACE. But as much as I wanted to, I knew that this wasn't the place for me to do that. That was for guys like Dave James, who tore things up at the North Coast 24 in October. He was flying again here. Except this time I was a runner, not a volunteer, and getting passed!

Looking down the "hilly" stretch out by the road.

The lonely tree I noticed every lap until it got dark.

Each lap was nearly a mile in length, and we ran so many they all kind of blend together. We hit our first marathon in about 4:15 and our first 50K shortly after that. I made my only shoe change at that point, going from the Asics Gel Stratus to the Saucony Grids. What a difference! I had immediate support in the parts of my feet that needed it. All was well. For the time being, anyway.

Some drizzle in the morning amounted to nothing. The afternoon rain never materialized. Neither did the overnight precipitation. We really lucked out! What we did get was a steady temperature until the wee hours of the morning. And a fog/mist that seeped into everything. Food. Clothing. The 100% humidity made breathing difficult. Combine the moisture with mid-30s temperatures and it was pretty chilly unless you were moving.

I hit three low points during the run. They all came before midnight and were all due to low blood sugar. I am fortunate to have enough experience to recognize it for what it was and eat something. The great thing about ultras is the wonderful selection of food available on the course. A pair of hot dogs perked me right up out of one funk. A cheeseburger out of another. Chips, fig newtons, pretzels, nut bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas Trees, Gatorade, gels, Coke, Mountain Dew, grilled cheese, bananas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, all helped me out during the run. Each time I hit a new low, I grabbed some grub and walked a mile.

I was hoping to hit 60 miles by 8:00 PM and was darn close. Within a few miles. You can guess what kind of shape I was in to make it only another 18.8 miles in the second half of the run. The music came on after 10:00 and I phoned home at midnight. After downing a few glasses of sparkling grape juice, along with some other yummy things, I took full advantage of my second wind and ran until about 2:00 AM. Granted, the shuffle I was doing was far from my normal gait, but I was moving quicker than walking pace. This is important because I had earlier considered stopping after midnight. Just make it into the new year and make a decision then, I had told myself, and Ladd as well. Somewhere along the way I decided I wasn't going to step out for a prolonged break. I may have nodded off a few times while sitting in one of our chairs, but that didn't last long and I was back out on the trail.

Forcing myself to get moving after each stop at base camp or the port-a-potty was hard. Really hard. And had I not just gone through something very hard, I may not have been able to find the strength to keep pressing on. I was hoping for 100+ miles at the start, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I had a good chance to hit a triple marathon if I just kept moving. That became my goal. I couldn't run any more, so I walked. I limped. I was broken physically but not mentally. I was being passed by people walking at a pace I should have been able to maintain. It was like I was in someone else's body, or in a dream. I just couldn't get the thing to move the way I wanted it to. By this time I was in a rain coat, more for heat retention than anything else, the hood drawn down low, my eyes focused a mere few feet in front of me.

And that's how I finished my last lap. A far cry from how I began the previous day. I've run in pain before, but these pains were new. I had no solution for them. I think that without them I could have kept running. At least a little bit. As bad as I felt though, I didn't swear off doing it again. Which is good, considering I'm already registered for the NC 24 this September! And surprisingly, I'm looking forward to it.

What I've learned:

-I'm still stronger mentally than physically.

-A 24 hour run is right up my alley.

-I'm nuts enough to derive pleasure from beating myself into the ground.

-I need to go out a little slower in the early miles.

-I need to walk more early on.

-A hilly course is harder than a flat one.

-I need to take more photos next time.

-DO NOT wear compression anything on the lower legs for that amount of time!

-Try to get more sleep the night before.

-Hire a crew!

-Have more than a month of specialized training.

So, I'm happy with my 78.8 miles. I really worked to get those last few! And as bad as I felt, I had a great time down there. The Ohio group was great, I saw some familiar faces from North Coast, and met some new people as well. Congratulations are in order for everyone who ran, however far they went, and however long they went for. A small percentage of the population runs, an even smaller percentage of runners would sign up for something like this.

Finally, big thanks go out to BMRC for putting on a GREAT event. This was only the second time for it, and each one has seen it's share of less than ideal weather, but they still managed to put on a fantastic event. I felt very comfortable running there, like I hadn't even left Ohio. Nice job everyone!

Freedom Park 24 Hour Results

While I am still recovering from my 24 hour adventure in North Carolina, I feel MUCH better than I thought I would two days after finishing. I have some aches and pains and I'm still walking funny, but I've had more muscle soreness after running a hard half marathon than from running for 24 hours. I have some joint/tendon/ligament pain/swelling that I've never had before, but it's all slowly getting better.

I will post a more detailed race report soon, but since the official race results have been posted I wanted to make a quick mention of them here. Even though I was hoping to hit triple digits in mileage, I am very pleased with my distance of 78.88 miles. I completed 80 laps in 23 hours, 33 minutes, and 43 seconds. Granted, the "run" was a "run/walk" combination, but that's how these things are done. And who would have thought that I would decided to enter something like this anyway? I distinctly remember deciding that a 24 hour event wasn't for me while working the North Coast 24 back in October! But something has happened recently to make me decide that ultras as well as trail running ARE in fact for me! And my race number was all I needed to confirm that.

Congrats to the rest of Team Ohio: Mike K. - 56.2 miles, Ladd C. - 70.13 miles, Dan H. - 93.66 miles, and another Ohioan whom I didn't know Mark P. - 82.82 miles. The conditions were less than ideal, but could have been worse. I will try to get a full race report up before too long!