Tag: IAT50

…in which Dan emerges heroic after his recent DNF in New Jersey and starts this year’s ultra trail running journey on a high note…

…or not.

After coming home from the Spartan Iceland event in December, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted to accomplish in 2018 and how I would construct a schedule of events that would be more focused than 2017. My list of possible events for this year numbered almost 150 and from there I started to make some choices to come up with a final list that was challenging yet realistic and also fit within the budget guidelines I set for myself.

One of the big choices that I needed to make was determining if I wanted to focus on long distance running or on the rucking endurance style events. Both of these were new to me in 2017 and I knew that success in either would require dedicated training. I’m certain there are many athletes who can successfully manage competing in these events simultaneously but I don’t feel like I’m currently one of them. As I pick events which involve a legitimate chance of not finishing, I know it’s critical that I train for the specific demands they present. Looking back on 2017, my DNFs in the Spartan Endurance 12-hour Hurricane Heats were due in large part to not spending enough time moving under load with a ruck.

With hopes of building upon my experience at Mosquito Hill last year, I decided that I wanted to focus on ultra running. I built three key events into the schedule for this year: the Ice Age Trail 50 mile race (IAT50) on May 12, the Titletown Ultra (a 15.5 hour event on a 4.75 mile loop course) in Green Bay on June 30, and the Burning River 100 mile Endurance Run on July 28. This sequence offered me a ramp to the most difficult event with time to recover and train any discovered weaknesses.

Leading up to the IAT50 I spent time studying the map and I knew this was going to be a challenge. Setting aside the 50 mile distance, the race had a hard 12 hour time cap. If I was going to complete the race, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of time for walking. When tired I can maintain about a 17 minute mile but that is slower than the roughly 14:30 minimum required pace needed to complete the event. Pacing would be really important. I needed to log enough miles early to give me a cushion against the clock but not push so hard in the first section that I would blow up later in the race. I suppose this is a key in all ultra running but it’s the first time that it really struck me in advance of an event.

After the Tri-State Spartan Ultra DNF, I had two weeks to get ready for the IAT. I spent most of the first week recovering my trashed quads and the second week making sure I felt as ready as possible.

A few days out from the event, I started paying attention to the weather forecast. It looked as though it would be both cold (highs in the low 40s) and wet for much of the day. Not wanting to be chilled and soaked for 9+ hours, I decided that I would pack and use my lightest waterproof shell jacket. It had served me well in the Iceland training and during that race, keeping me warm and dry.

As a newbie to ultra racing, this was the first time that I needed to deal with multiple drop bags. In Spartan ultras, you’re allowed to have a drop bag that stays in the festival area which you can access between laps of the course. In the IAT50 we were allowed three drop bags! One would be available near the start line after completing the first nine miles, one would be available at an aid station on the 50 mile leg which we would visit at mile 17 and again at mile 26 and the final bag would be available at an aid station on the 50k leg which we would visit at mile 37 and 43.

Here’s what I decided to place in each:

Drop bag 1: Change of clothes for post-race, trail sunglasses, wide brim hat, a few gels and bars, headphones and iPod.

Drop bag 2: Dry shirt, change of socks, second hat, second hydration pack bladder pre-mixed with Gatorade Endurance blend, gels and bars. 1L water bottle.

Drop bag 3: Dry shirt, 1L water bottle, gels and bars.

When I arrived at the start area, there would be tarps for bags #2 and #3 which would be transported by the volunteers to the aid stations and at those aid stations there would be tarps to indicate that the bags could be returned to the finish line.

The morning of the race I got up around 4AM, ate some oatmeal and had some caffeine while getting dressed, double checked everything, packed up the suitcase, checked out of the hotel and headed to the start line around 5:00. With limited parking near the start line it seemed like a good idea to err on the side of being early.

I decided for the start that I would wear shorts, Merino wool socks, compression sleeves on my calves, a dri-fit shirt, the shell jacket and a wool beanie. I opted for the Saucony Peregrine 7 shoes that I first raced with in Iceland. They’re wide enough that my feet would have some room to expand if they swelled up, have good grip and have a little more cushion than the other shoes (Merrell All Out Crush Light) that I usually race in, which I figured was a decent idea for an event this long.

As expected, it was chilly prior to the start with temps in the upper 30s but there were only some slight sprinkles, no real rain. Brr. I didn’t figure there was a lot to be gained with an extensive warm-up so I just focused on moving around enough to get loose.

About ten minutes prior to the start of the race, the race director gave a few announcements including recognition of runners attempting their 20th (or greater) IAT50 with one racer attempting #25. That’s an impressive feat and I thought a real testament to the condition that a person can maintain as they age. There was a nice rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and then with a ten-second countdown at 6:00, the race was underway!

I know based on my training that it takes me anywhere between 10-20 minutes to get really warmed up and on colder days it’ll be that long before I warm up enough that my fingers aren’t cold so the first few miles were focused simply on maintaining a comfortable pace and being courteous to other runners. Thankfully this first section of race is on a pretty wide section of trail, allowing for the pack to spread out and to avoid getting in each other’s way.

Most of the first section on the Nordic Trail felt pretty good. I was able to hold a 9:30 pace which is a pace that I was able to sustain in training and still keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone. There were a few hills that made more sense to hike (walk) than run to preserve energy for later in the course and a number of downhills that I was able to attack pretty aggressively. One of my major focuses for trail running this year is getting more comfortable on those downhills to avoid issues with cumulative quad fatigue similar to what happened in New Jersey and I really felt like this was working well.

As I worked through the section, I kept a running tally of time that I was “putting in the bank” against the minimum time cutoff, using 15:00 miles for easier math. If I completed a mile in less than 15 minutes, whatever that difference was went into the bank. It felt really good to be “making deposits” of roughly five minutes per mile in this early portion of the race.

The rain in the forecast for early morning never materialized. It was cool and breezy with some wet sections on the trail from the previous day’s rain, but we didn’t have to contend with any showers.

I noticed around mile 5 that I was getting warm so I took off the beanie. It was soaking wet. I also unzipped my shell jacket which helped me cool off a little. I didn’t think much else about it and kept on running. I made it back to the start line in roughly 1:36 and made a three minute stop to switch glasses, grab my wide brim hat, drop off my trash, and restock the gel and Clif pouch that I had consumed at hour 1. I was feeling pretty good at this point.

The second section of the race featured a repeat of the first mile before taking a turn towards the third aid station and then to Confusion Corner, the intersection that connects the 50 mile spur, 50k spur, and the Nordic Trail loop. I was glad that I had watched the video on the race’s website the night before explaining how this was laid out and there were some super helpful volunteers who helped all the runners make the correct turn. At this point we were on the Ice Age Trail and would be until the very end of the race when we returned to Confusion Corner for the third time and headed back towards the finish line on the final 2-3 miles of the course.

Shortly after making this turn the trail changed and there were frequent single track sections. Somewhere between mile 12 and mile 15 I noticed my pace was beginning to slow. Some of this was inevitable due to the more technical terrain but it felt like more than that. The miles just felt…harder…than I expected. I started wondering if I really hadn’t recovered from the New Jersey effort two weeks before but just as quickly brushed those thoughts away, telling myself to focus on the task at hand.

I made to the Highway 12 aid station at about 9:33 AM, about 40 minutes ahead of the cutoff. My wife Timberly was there and had located my second drop bag. The positive impact of seeing someone you know and care about in an event like this, especially when you’re struggling, cannot be overstated. I made another very quick three minute stop to simply replenish what I had eaten along the way. I planned to take advantage of the rest of that drop bag when I returned to the aid station. That would mark approximately the halfway point in the race. I did think about ditching the shell jacket but was a little worried about getting a chill, especially if (when) I needed to walk.

During the next section out to the Rice Lake aid station, I met the lead runners on their return leg. I’m always impressed by elite performance and this race was no different. The lead male runner flew past me looking like he was out on an easy afternoon jog, not looking like he was 23 miles into an endurance event.

Just before reaching the Rice Lake aid station, one of the volunteers waved and said “Hey! Mosquito Hill, right?” Turns out that it was the gentleman that took first place in that 24 hour event. How cool. I’m an absolute nobody in the sport and yet he recognized me. That was worth a big smile. I quickly said hi and gave him a high five as I headed the last half a mile to the Rice Lake aid station.

Another smile awaited at the Rice Lake aid station as Timberly was there waving. I took two very quick minutes to get a couple glasses of water and I let her know I was struggling. I had brushed the back of my shorts with my hand in the last few miles and noticed they were soaked, seriously like I peed myself. It hit me that the shell jacket (which does not breathe….at all) was making me a lot warmer than I expected and was driving my heart rate up. I was sweating more than planned and was likely not replenishing fluids adequately. Thanks to the magic of Garmin Live Track, Timberly had been watching my pace and told me that my heart rate was way higher than she expected, spiking up to 178 bpm during portions just before and since Highway 12. Not good.

I still had about 30 minutes in the time bank but I was making some serious withdrawals from my gas tank to do it. Again I thought about ditching the shell but knowing I’d need to walk I was worried about getting cold. At this point I just needed to make it back to the drop bag at Highway 12.

I made it back there at 11:51AM, 26 minutes ahead of the cutoff. I lost the shell, put on a dry shirt, swapped hats, switched out hydration pack bladders, and downed about 1/2 a liter of water and some dark chocolate M&Ms. Knowing I was towards the back of the pack and likely wouldn’t see a ton of other runners I also grabbed my headphones (it’s horrible etiquette to be out on the trail and unaware of runners trying to pass you on narrow sections). It was time for some tunes. I thought about dry socks but didn’t want to lose the extra 3 minutes changing them. In hindsight this probably wasn’t the best idea. Merino wool is amazing but once it’s wet, it doesn’t dry all that fast and the constant exposure to water makes it more likely that you’re going to have foot troubles or blisters.

I noticed that the aid station was listed as mile 26.2 on the course map but showed up as 25.6 on my watch. This may not sound like a big deal but when you know you’re going to be racing with mere minutes to finish the event under the time cap, a half mile could represent anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

Feeling like a new person with a fresh shirt and some tunes, I was able to turn in an 11 minute mile from 27 to 28 and that was a huge confidence boost. After chipping away at the “time bank” since mile 10, I was finally giving myself some additional cushion. Without trying to push into the limited reserves I had left, I started working on catching up with other back of the pack runners that I came upon and passing them. It might seem silly but it helped me focus on something other than the pain in my joints and muscles.

I made it back through Confusion Corner and arrived at the Young Road aid station at 1:37 PM. After 7 1/2 hours of grinding away on the course, I had reached the 33 mile mark with 20 minutes to spare. Along the way I passed through the 50k mark and compared to my performance at the Hixon 50k in late October 2017 I traveled this distance roughly 30 minutes faster. I figured I just needed to keep grinding so I grabbed a quick cup of water and pressed on. I continued to note that the map mileage was a bit longer than what my watch was recording (at this point I was at 33.1 on the course map and 32.2 on my watch) and knew every little bit would help.

The section from here to the next aid station at Horserider’s Camp, where my third drop bag was located, pretty much broke me. Most of the terrain to this point included some minor hills, but this section had some challenging climbs. Some of them felt like 30-35% inclines or worse. Maybe they were or maybe I was just gassed but there were areas in here where I struggled to hold a 30 minute mile. I was positive my race was going to end at the next aid station but I kept pressing on. Barring injury I’ve told myself that quitting is unacceptable. It’s OK to fail, it’s OK to suck, it’s not OK to just give up.

I arrived at the Horserider’s Camp aid station (mile 37.2 on the map, mile 36.1 on the watch) at what I figured was 2-3 minutes after the cutoff time (and I had been mentally preparing for getting pulled here) but the volunteer said I’d made it by 5 minutes. I was equal parts excited and “oh shit”. It had taken me 1:18 to navigate the last four miles and I knew if I was going to have a chance, I needed to give myself as many advantages as I could. I grabbed my last dry shirt and the liter of water I had in the bag. I tossed the bag on the return tarp and after a six minute stop I got back on the trail.

I knew I needed to run when possible but my legs had nothing left. I walked as briskly as I could towards the Emma Carlin turnaround. I thought that if I could make it there, maybe I’d have a chance on all the downhills heading back into the finish line.

Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. About 1/4 mile from the aid station I ran into one of the volunteers who had started the course sweep and let me know that the timing mat had been pulled. I thanked him and made my way into the aid station and that was that. I was super grateful that it was an aid station with parking and that Timberly was already there. After thanking the volunteers for being there, I grabbed my post-race clothes and changed. We then drove back to retrieve the last drop bag and head for home.

I can’t say enough about how well run the event was. The aid stations, volunteers, signage, start/finish area, website and generally everything about the event was top notch.

As much as it sucked to log a second consecutive DNF, I felt that I gave everything I had to give on the course and simply made a few mistakes that cost me the day.

The first and most significant was picking the wrong attire. The warmest day that I’d used the shell coat in training was around freezing and in those conditions it was warm with just a t-shirt underneath. I should have worn a long-sleeve thermal top and some gloves and then switched those out later in the day. Looking at my heart rate data from Confusion Corner (mile 11) to the second stop at the Highway 12 aid station (mile 26) I saw big chunks of time where I was at 155-175 bpm. Considering that the top of my aerobic zone is around 140 bpm I was fighting a losing battle. The elevated HR increased the rate at which my body consumed glycogen and there was no way I could eat back what I was burning or anything even close. If I believe the calculations from my watch, I burned 6500 calories on this run.

The second mistake was hydration and it was related to the heavy sweating caused by that shell jacket. Since Iceland I’ve been running my longer races with a Gatorade Endurance blend in my hydration pack. I figured that the extra sodium and potassium in that blend would serve me well.  In practice it hasn’t worked out very well for me. I’ve found that drinking it leaves me with a dry feeling and slightly sour taste in my mouth that makes me want to drink less. I also learned recently that it likely has an impact on digestion since each gram of carbohydrate ingested requires three grams of water to fully digest. It was amazing how much better I started to feel after drinking a full liter of water from mile 37 to mile 40. I think this also played a big part in not feeling any massive, crippling soreness after the race.

I think if I would have handled those things differently I would have finished but it ended up being a great learning experience and helped prep me for some of my upcoming events. Being a relative newbie at this ultra running thing, there’s going to be a lot of learning before I’m going to feel confident and can consistently avoid mistakes but if we only ever did what we’re good at, how would we grow?

I’ll be back in 2019 to improve my performance, finish all 50 miles and secure that finisher’s buckle. Along the way I certainly hope that the things I learned here allow me to be more successful in the list of endurance events I’ve got planned for the rest of this year.