Frozen Sasquatch 50K Race Report

It turns out January is a great time of year to visit West Virginia for a little trail running, sightseeing, and some good eats.

Last weekend my wife, mom, sister made the 6 hour drive down to Charleston, WV to support my efforts in completing my first ultramarathon, the Frozen Sasquatch 50K.  In fact it was a weekend of quite a few firsts:

- 1st ultra
- 1st race in WV
- 1st race of the year
- 1st race with my new Christmas present: Garmin Fenix

We got into town on Friday just in time to pick up my packet at the local running shop, being certain to get some restaurant recommendations from the friendly staff.  That immediately led to lengthy, but tasty dinner at Bluegrass Kitchen.

Later that night in the hotel, I spent the better part of an hour organizing all my race stuff.  Being my first race of this distance, I wanted to be sure I had everything laid out beforehand (literally).

Gear organized in 3 sections, before, during, after.

Race morning went smoothly and we found ourselves at the pool area in Kanawha State Forest around 30 minutes before the start.

Right away, I got a glimpse of how pure and intimate a trail race like this can be.  The field was small (around 200 total) and everyone enjoyed conversation before the race, huddled in the heated luxury indoors.  Even the bathrooms were heated, which was an extremely welcome refuge on this West Virginia morning in the 20s.  After a short briefing (Blue ribbon good...yellow bad) we were off for a few hundred meter road run before we hit the trails.

We're off!

Up...slowly.  That's pretty much how the first mile went.  I should have known but I didn't realize it until we hit the trail: I'd started a little farther back than I wanted and I'd soon be caught in the never ending "conga line" up the first climb.  Being my first ultra, my strategy was to take it easy and in hindsight this slow start probably helped.  But during those first 20 minutes, all I wanted to do was run!

Conga line

The course was about half single track, and the other half forest roads, with a couple of short pavement sections sprinkled in.  The 50K was two 25K loops and only about 50 participants were signed up for the second go around.

Once we hit the forest roads around mile 2, it was time to start passing people and even surprised myself with one mile under 9 min!  By the time we got back on single track for an aggressive descent, I was in a group moving at a pace I was comfortable with on the still (mostly) frozen ground in the western portion of the state forest.

We hit the first of the well stocked and well staffed aid stations at mile 5.  I honestly couldn't believe my ears when approaching several stations hearing "What can I get for you?"  I've never encountered this type of amazing hospitality during a race before; each was such a welcoming oasis after each 4-5 mile lonely stretch in between.

At one point during a paved "rail trail" like section about half way through the course, I remember thinking..."If I feel good during the second loop around, I could really open it up here".  Yeah...that definitely didn't happen.  The way the legs feel at mile 7 is a far cry from how they feel at mile 22.

Paved section around mile 7

There was a tough 500' climb coming out of the second aid station which proved to be the emotional low point of the day during the second loop.  It was slow going, but once we hit the fire road at the top of the ridge, it literally was "all downhill from here".

The next portion was a playful section of single track known as the Middle Ridge Trail - my favorite part of the course, featuring some zigs and zags, but nothing technical or taking on much elevation change.  It was also extremely well marked and easy to follow despite having no other runners around me on either time through.  And it was during this section when I felt most comfortable, having the peace and freedom I feel in the woods (minus the AS3 dog barking every few seconds and the fellas in the valley below enjoying some high powered target practice).

The final downhill mile was the most technical of the entire 15 mile loop, surely to test our agility after 30 miles of running.

Coming through the half way I greeted my family, got a refill on water and grabbed a single Clif bar out of my drop bag and headed out for a second loop.  That's right...after all that crap that I shoved in my drop bag, I only needed a Clif bar...better safe than sorry I guess.

Coming through the half way point - feeling good!

"Crunchy" trails

The second loop was, well basically the same as the first except: lonelier, slower, muddier and much much more difficult.  I walked most of the climbs on the second half, and it was nice to not really care about my pace.  It was difficult enough already, ya know...running 31 miles and all.

After coming down the final sketchy descent unscathed, my wife ran alongside me for the final 200 meters through the parking lot, with words of encouragement like "run faster and get in under 5:53!" all while wearing her winter boots!  A short sprint meant that I made it in as she directed, with 6 seconds to spare.

A full, detailed view of my race can be found here.

Wow - I look thrilled to be done.

It was an extremely rewarding experience that couldn't have gone much better, especially given that it was my first race > 26.2.  My nasty ankle sprain from two weeks prior barely bothered me, I didn't have any stomach issues, and I left with nice handcrafted artwork as my finisher's award.  Later that night we took advantage of the other recommended restaurant: Pies and Pints, both of which were enjoyed to the fullest.  Leaving the Mountain State with full stomachs, good memories, sore muscles, and smiles all around is the best and only way to do it.

A big thanks goes to all who made the race possible, and providing the opportunity for me to really enjoy my first ultra!

I rigged up the finisher's award as a medal!

Jingle all the way

Since I began running in 2010, I haven't missed a Jingle Bell Run (I know...it's only 3 years, but it's somethin').  This year I had a goal of achieving a 5K Personal Best by going sub-20 minutes, which would annihilate my previous record of 23:23, set in last year's edition of the Harrisburg JBR.  The whole gang showed up with their best holiday socks and hats, joining around 1200 other participants on a mild December morning.

The whole gang!

We were surprised to hear that the course was changed from previous years and as we gathered near the starting line, I began to question whether I'd be able to achieve a sub-20 time with a 100' climb staring right back at us.  The worst part was, the course was two loops!  Regardless of how I felt about the course, the horn blew and we were off.  My wife and friend Ben started near me, but then it began to spread out after the first hill.

I had the Runkeeper audio cue set to give me feedback every quarter mile, so prompt adjustments could be made to my pace to keep my PR in sight.

All went pretty well until the second loop, when on the straight section around mile 2.5, where there were "four lanes" of runners on a two lane road.  For the most part, the slower runners and walkers (who we were lapping) stayed to the right on either side and the quicker runners took turns passing in the middle, but it was a mess...kinda felt like trying to run through the mall the weekend before Christmas.  Compounded by the fact that there were dogs and strollers, it was dangerous, and I hope they figure out a solution for next year.

Course Map.  See all the squiggly criss-crossing lines in the middle?  Yeah, that's pretty much what it was like.

Lucky for us, the last quarter mile stretch was less crowded and we were able to open up and really push for the finish.  I officially crossed the line (as one person in the crowd stated) as "the first antlers".  I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty happy to be one of the first "dressed up" finishers.  Couple that with my finish time of  19:33 and 17th place, I was ecstatic.  Ben and Bree also finished with amazing times, both PR'ing and Ben actually pulled out 34th place.

Checking our race packets afterwards also revealed a nice touch this year: long sleeve tech shirts in place of the normal cotton shirts.

This will be my last 5K for a while, maybe for an entire year.  Like I stated in my previous post, I'm focusing on some longer distances in the near future: 50K in January, then a Marathon in March.

Happy Holidays!

What lies ahead

I don't believe in new years resolutions.  I mean: who says you have to wait until January 1st to make a change or create personal goals?  In my case for 2013, I don't have time to wait for the new year to establish some goals and plan for new heights in personal achievement.  Next year is going to be jam packed with weekends of pushing myself to places (and paces) I never thought possible.

So what are the goals?

#1: Qualify for the Boston Marathon
yep, it's in writing...now it's official...no turning back now.

It's going to be hard, but I wouldn't set the goal if I thought it was unachievable.  Being a 4:53 marathoner at my first (and only) marathon back in May of 2011 might lead you to believe that I have absolutely no shot at attaining the required 3:05:00 for the Boston Athletic Association's standard for my gender and age group.  But hard training (and 20+ pounds lost) this past year has worked magic on the fitness of this formerly fat runner and I'm confident that if I continue on this path, it's within reach.

#2: Run an ultramarathon
I just want to get my feet wet in the sport of long distance trail running with no particular pace or finishing time in mind.  It's an entirely different animal than road running and I'm looking forward to challenging myself at these greater distances.

#3: Complete the Appalachian Trail in NJ and NY
This section is roughly 160 miles and while that may not seem like a whole lot to cover in an entire year, I'm going to have to carefully plan backpacking weekends into my running schedule.


So what's the plan?

Well, #2 is only a month away: The Frozen Sasquatch 50K in West Virginia on January 5th.  I haven't had a training run over 10 miles since November 3rd...so we'll see how this goes!

As for the Boston Qualifier, the obvious choice for me is the Harrisburg Marathon with its extremely fast course and starting line less than 10 miles from my front door, but the timing doesn't work out the way that I'd prefer.  If I run a qualifying time in Harrisburg in November of next year, I'm looking at running Boston in 2015...and quite frankly that's a long way off.  I'd rather do a spring marathon and try to get in to the 2014 race; that's why I registered for the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach in March.  While it's not listed on any of the "Top Boston Qualifying Race" lists put out there on the web, it's flat and as long as my training is solid, I should be able to achieve my goals.

The schedule for the rest of 2013 will sort of depend on how my race goes in Virginia Beach.  If I qualify, then the doors are wide open for some even crazier adventures like the JFK 50 Mile in November.  If not, then there are many options for fast fall marathons.


I've also got some secondary goals that are listed below in no particular order.  These are just some fun things I've been thinking about or working on already, and would be great if I could get them accomplished in the coming year.

Running:

• Run at least a half marathon distance in 3 new states
• Travel (run) as far as I possibly can one day (just for fun, not in a race)

Hiking:

• "Thru Hike" the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in Western PA

Geocaching:

• Find the remainder of the virtual caches in PA that I haven't yet found.  There are only 13 left out of 99, but a few require long hikes or special equipment (e.g. kayak)
• Finish MD/DE Delorme and County Challenges
• Visit Remaining Webcams in DE, MD, and DC (there are only 4, and 3 of them are on the coast so I should probably go in winter or spring to avoid crowds and traffic)

Misc:

• Take better pictures

The FOCUS for the next 4 months will be the Ultra, then Boston Qualifying.  We'll see how it all plays out after I cross the finish line on March 17th, but the journey's going to be fun and I'm very much looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

New Down Jacket!

I've been in the market for a new packable insulating layer for winter hiking for a couple months now, but just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on a couple hundred dollar down jacket.  Well, it seems my procrastination paid off.  Last weekend I spotted a rack of down jackets at BJs Wholesale Club...the price listed? $49.99!  The brand is Hawke and Co. and it seems they're on sale at Macy's too (but not quite the price I was able to procure).  As one would expect, the quality isn't Arc'teryx territory, but you really can't beat this packability and warmth for the price.  Did I mention it weighs in at a slim 9.4oz?!  Yeah....total steal.

It's definitely done the trick for evenings walking the dog in wind chills down in the low 20s, but I'm anxious to see how it performs on the trail.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure when my next backpacking trip will be, especially given my upcoming ultramarathon in January.

Chilly Philly Run

While we were in town for Thanksgiving, my wife and I had the opportunity for a little sight seeing / running around the City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia.  We were staying in University City, right in the heart of University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University so we had a good warm up before we made it over to downtown Philly.  It was a nice 5 mile jaunt around the city, with the route planned around some virtual geocaches.  The weather was breezy and in the low 30's, but we really enjoyed exploring the city as "running tourists".

Over the Schuylkill River looking towards downtown

The big kitty wants in!

Dry fountains in Rittenhouse Square

LOVE Park

Giant noodle in LOVE Park

"Rocky Steps" way down in the distance

Quaker Memorial

Ben Franklin metal sculpture over the Vine St Expressway

Almost home

2012 Carlisle Turkey Trot 10K Race Report

I believe a new tradition has started.  As I've posted before, I've only been running since Spring of 2010.  But in the previous two years, never participated in the annual Turkey Trot, held in cities and towns all across the country on Thanksgiving day.

My wife and I ran the CenturyLink Turkey Trot in Carlisle PA, a city known to many for its Army War College, Car Shows, or simply a stop along the PA Turnpike or I-81.

10K, 5K and 5K walker divisions were offered, winding through the sleepy residential streets southwest of the city center.  Around 2000 participants joined us on the chilly (around 40F), but beautifully sunny morning to get their pre-turkey workout in.

Warming up on the alleys of Carlisle

I had actually never run a 10K before, so I knew this would be a "PR" and I just wanted to average around a 7:00 per mile by breaking the race into 3, 2 mile stretches each progressively quicker.  My pacing didn't turn out that way, but in the end I did manage to average exactly a 7:00 mile based on my RunKeeper activity.  I was happy to cross the finish line after the seriously flat course and get to stuffing my face with Thanksgiving food yumminess.

But the chip timing on the course was a different story, clocking me in at 42:01 earning 33rd place and 5th in my age division.  As I punch the numbers into the handy dandy Cool Running Pace Calculator, I actually averaged a 6:45 pace....what?  I don't know exactly why there was such a big difference in measured distances, but I'd like to attribute it to my constant attention to my chosen line during the race, in a effort to run the shortest distance possible (tips from a recent read of an old DC Rainmaker post must have been bouncing around in my head).

Coming down the homestretch

Along with the flat course and fun holiday atmosphere, the race was an amazing value: providing a long sleeve tech shirt and chip timing for only 23 bucks!  My wife also PR'd it, knocking 5 minutes off her time from the Hershey 10K back in April.

Our next race is our already established tradition of the Jingle Bell Run 5K, and I'm hoping to clock in sub 20 minutes in this year's edition.  Hopefully I won't gain too much weight over this holiday weekend; I've got a time to hit in 2 weeks!

Race over...let's eat!

Double the pain, double the fun!

 As I sit here after the second day of pushing my body to the limits, everything hurts.  I'm not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for a Crossfit workout on Friday night, then a 6K race on Saturday morning.  And as I'm here typing while SNL is on the TV screen, I can't believe that only 34 minutes for working out over two days could make my body as sore as it is.

I had never done Crossfit before, but my wife goes regularly and we had the opportunity to participate in an evening workout session / party to benefit the Susan G Komen Foundation.  Everyone donned their best pink wear and did some CRAZY workouts.  I can't express in words how unbelievably fit these people are; you'd just have to see it to believe it.

The Novice (read: "me") workout consisted of 8 minutes of as many reps that we could do of 8 dead lifts and 8 burpees.  Before I did the workout it didn't sound so bad, but I'm wiser now.  I just barely squeaked in 7 reps before the 8 minute mark, and I was almost ready to puke when it was over.  I'm glad I didn't, cause I was hungry, thirsty, and they had plenty of beer and Paleo food on hand.

I had a few hours for sleep and downtime before the 6K race, which didn't start until 10AM, roughly 45 minutes away from home.  There were about 200 participants in this years edition of Sophie's Six, including my wife and a few of her friends.  I was aiming for around a 6:30 pace, but with the previous night's workout, had no idea if I could achieve such a goal.  One thing we did know though, was that we were staying till the very end of the awards ceremony, because they were giving out 40 door prizes...I liked our odds.

Nice spread of door prizes

At the start line

This year's beneficiary for the race proceeds was Camp Koala, so of course, they had a mascot:

So about the race...

It was an easy course and amazing weather, but difficult given the circumstances.  I struggled to keep a 7:00 per mile pace and honestly had no idea what place I ended up in just after some kid smoked me in the final strides before the finish line.  I was happy with my time of 26 minutes and some change and waited for my wife and her friends to come rolling in with amazing times of their own: all at or under 30 minutes!

It was about an hour till the awards ceremony began, and I was absolutely flabbergasted when I heard my name called - I WON MY AGE GROUP WITH A 26:12!!!!  After 2 1/2 years of running, this is my first award and I just can't believe it!  I guess a 7 minute mile was good enough for today, but I won't be happy with that pace at my next 5K: The Jingle Bell Run in Harrisburg on 12/8/12.

After two days of pain (and counting...), this was a perfect finish, and good motivation for my next race: the Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving, only 5 days away.