Is Less Better? War Eagle 50k Race Report

Posted on June 8, 2013 by 1inspiredidiot

I woke up to the sound of birds and thunder. Checking the clock it was only 1:20 AM, still a few more hours until I had to be up. The birds, it turns out, were the noises coming from the air conditioner. The thunder was from a massive storm that would greet us all later that morning. Not knowing whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, I went back to sleep…

The War Eagle 50k near Bentonville, Arkansas started, as most do, with packet pick up the day before.

Great Shirts!

Great Shirts!

I drove down from St. Louis, checked in, met RD Jeff Genova (great guy, dedicated to the sport and his race) and asked about the presentation that was being given by Luis Escobar. Now I know what most of you are thinking and no, it’s not THAT Luis Escobar, the 7th Marquis of the Guadalquivir Marshes, he died in 1991. No, I’m referring to the famous runner (anyone who’s read “Born to Run” (not the Springsteen Autobiography) will recognize him), photographer (he’s photographed runners all over the world, including the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico) and Race Director of the Born To Run Ultra Running Extravaganza. I was excited because the book had completely changed my attitude towards running and my form and was what got me started doing ultras.

So we kick off with a great presentation by Luis, complete with stories about Micah True, Luis’s Badwater races and, of course the Tarahumara. http://www.norawas.org/ The glimpse Luis gave us was inspiring. They run, but not for medals or buckles. They run for pride and they run for bags of corn to feed their families. Near the end of the presentation, Luis, who’s been down to Copper Canyon to run with them a number of times, translated the mantra they use in preparation for the race:

Earth is my body

Wind is my breath

Water is my blood

Fire is my spirit

He urged us to simplify our running. The Tarahumara run in sandals and loose clothing. That’s it. No GPS, no watches, just feeling the run. I resolved to not wear my GPS for the race the next day and just run by feel…

Ok, that didn’t happen. I’m way too analytical and after a sobering discussion with my wife, she pointed out that I would probably lose my mind if I didn’t have it. So, I resolved to wear it, but not to look at it too much. I should be able to do that.

So after a fitful night’s sleep and a re-taping of my toes (less learned- don’t tape your toes the night before, then go to bed without your socks on. The tape edges tend to peel away in the night) I was ready to go.

IMG_1884It was pouring rain as we got to the visitor’s center and the start of the race. The parks department was incredible, opening up the center to allow us to get in out of the rain and cold. IMG_1886I was surprised by the number of people there for the 50, 25 and 10k races despite the weather, but I shouldn’t have been. As I was learning, the respect for RD Jeff Genova and his team to run a safe race meant that just about everyone who signed up showed up knowing that if Jeff said “Go”, there was nothing to worry about. Because of the lightning in the area, we delayed about 30 minutes, but then got going a little after 7. My goal was to run the 1st half in about 13 minute miles, and run the second half in 14 minute miles to knock another 30 minutes off my PR. The rain stopped after about an hour and the sun didn’t come out, so the temps stayed in the ideal range. IMG_1891In addition, the aid stations were so well stocked and thoughtfully placed (about every 3 miles- and they included the INGENIOUS Peanut Butter Oreos! (NFI)), that after 8 miles, I dropped my race vest off at the Piney Road aid station and opted to run the rest of the way with just a handheld bottle. Losing that weight really helped.

I cruised into the Piney Road aid station at mile 15 averaging 12:35 (I had only looked at my watch a few times- I felt that showed INCREDIBLE discipline), so felt good about my plan and how things had been going. I had gotten behind a woman about a mile back and we had been chatting (narrow single track gives you three choices- hang on someone’s heels, pass them when possible or get to know them). Deb (not Bev as I previously reported. I think I was suffering from trail ear) from Kansas City (as I later found out) was running this race after completing much longer distances. We were running about the same pace, had a good conversation and I asked her if it was OK if we ran together a bit more. Running trails is very different than road races. In my experience, more people talk and help each other out. We both agreed that talking kept our minds away from the demons convincing you to slow down, so on we went. Out of the rocking Pine Road aid station and on to the second half of the race. Little did I know, but the GPS was acting up and it was not recording the full distance. So, as Deb and I hit an aid station at what I thought was 21 miles, we were actually at 23 miles and moving quickly. At aid stations, and at a couple of places along the trail, we passed other runners and it was Deb’s pull that kept me moving. As we hit the last aid station, I risked a glance at the watch and couldn’t believe our time. We were on pace for sub 6 ½ hours and only had a few miles left to go! The last mile climbed 200 feet, the first 100 of which was in .2 miles (10% incline) (thanks for that Jeff), but we motored through it. Deb and I finished in 6:15 and some change and then sat down for a bit. In the ensuing raffle, I missed out on the camouflaged doormat, but managed to score a nice timex sports watch!

What began with ominous skies turned out to be my best race yet, both from a time and an experience standpoint. Luis reminded us to “run gentle” and I was able to enjoy a run with minimal gadget use (did I mention I also ran the entire time without music? that for me is tantamount to torture normally, but I found I didn’t need it). Jeff and his volunteers made it so that we could all focus on the run rather than on what we needed to carry or measure. I’ll take these lessons with me as I go forward, and who knows? If less is better, maybe running free of the gadgets may be best? I’ll have to get back to you on that. By the way, here’s the elevation profile, etc if anyone needs it going forward: URL:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/322131126

By the way, You probably knew Bentonville is home to WalMart,IMG_1882 but did you know it was also home to the Waffle Hut?

Not big enough for a House

Not big enough for a House

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Disaster in Perspective and Finishing in Your Age Group- DWD Gnawbone 50k

Posted on May 14, 2013 by 1inspiredidiot

I cried because I had little sleep because of a backed up toilet and what I think was a rabid deer, until I met a man who had driven 10 hours and slept in his car with his family to run this race….

That being said, the other lesson I learned was that sticking to a plan actually worked.  First, on training: I knew there would be hills and I knew it wouldn’t be as bad as Louisville, but my hill and strength sessions seems to have paid off.  Even the steep hills (the worst coming later in the race) didn’t have me gasping for air or pausing every few steps like fish at the Eiffel Tower (metaphors aren’t my strong point).  But enough about me, here’s my report.

IMG_1828We started at 6:15 am in what I’ve always known as “blue-dark”.  Just light enough to see the person in front of you, not so much every root and rock.  After my DNF, I was determined to be prepared:

  • Sleep? Check (kind of).  The family came down and we stayed in a “cabin” rather than camping.  However, we had to move rooms due to a rodent incident and then the toilet backed up in the second room.  The net result was about 5 hours of sleep (about 4 ½ more than the last race, so I was loving it!)
  • Water/Fueling? Check.  I would only drink water, eat at the aid stations and drop an S-Cap an hour (it was pretty cool outside, so I didn’t need to overdose on sodium).   I also used the Camelbak Octane XCT (NFI) with a 3 liter bladder so I would only have to stop when I wanted to.  I also carried a few waffles in case I got caught starving between two aid stations.
  • Drop bags? Check.  We had the opportunity to have two drop bags, one at 10 miles and one at 20.  Since it was going to be wet and muddy, I had a pair of socks and shoes in the 10 mile bag and the same in the 20.  My Hokas were in the 20 mile bag just in case I felt I would need the extra cushioning to help me through the last 10 miles.

So, back to the start.

Leg 1- 3.8 mi- “I’ve Been Slimed” My plan was to take the first hill (mud and 500 feet of elevation gain) slowly.  I planned 20 min miles, I did 14 ½. The mud was pretty bad, but having run the ½ marathon here in 2011, I knew what to expect.  From there, I finished off the first 4 miles in just under an hour. Ahead of my schedule, but not killing myself.  The aid station had bananas, so I picked up my first meal of the day.

IMG_1829Legs 2-5 14.1 mi- Various ups and downs, some nice views as we ran around a lake.  Walked the hills when they got a bit too steep, ran the downs.  My plan was to be at a little over 4 hours through 18 miles.  By the 18th mile, I was at 4 hours, 13 mins.  It was like I planned it! I will admit that about mile 15, I started focusing on the drop bag at mile 20.  I had passed up the 10 mile drop bag because my feet weren’t too wet, but a few dunkers and some rocks had me fantasizing about the Hokas.  It became the vision pulling me forward to mile 20.  Little did I know that sometimes dreams can become nightmares…IMG_1831

The last 3.4 miles to the aid station is called “Devil’s Daughter”.  A lot of water, mud and muck with a  few hills thrown in.  IMG_1830It’s evident in my times (16, 14 and 20 min miles) that running was not an option because of the terrain and having to pick your way through the fun.  Because I felt good, though, and had pace myself I did something I’ve never done- passed people.  It was a strange feeling, and one I hope to repeat! IMG_1832

I hit the aid station/drop bag point, changed into the Hokas and bounded off with dry feet and renewed cushioning.  Mile 22 slightly changed that perspective.  The leg is called “Stairway to Heaven” for a reason.  There are two hills, one short, one longer, both “fun”.  The first hill is a hands and knees, grab what you can, pray you don’t slide, uphill struggle.  It’s only about 200-250 feet, but it was slick and I passed some people as they slid by me (I was going up, they were on their way back down).  The shoes I had changed out of had much better grip than the Hokas, but there was no going back.  Handhold by handhold, I scaled the hill.

What waited for me next was at mile 24.  The “Stairway to Heaven” itself.  A staircase that seemed to go on forever, but in reality a 400 foot high hill that someone thoughtfully built a staircase into. 17 minutes and 43 seconds later, I was through that nightmare and into the 2nd to last aid station.

I then settled into horse trails (behind a few horses churning up the mud even more) and was caught by the guy from the beginning of my report.  We kept a decent pace and chatted through the last 5 miles, slipping here and there, descending the extremely muddy ski slope near the end and then wading in a waste deep stream while his daughter paced us for the last mile.

Ski Slope Hill- Muddier than it looks!

Ski Slope Hill- Muddier than it looks!

He had come down from Michigan the night before, slept in the car with his family, they had run the 10k and they were going back later that day.  People I know call me crazy, but there’s always someone out there that will outdo you!  Our great conversation kept my mind off of the last 5 miles, and I finished with a PR at 7:26:52.  The time was good enough to finish in my age group, but not in the top 5. :)

Overall, very happy and it got my head back into things after the DNF.  Dances With Dirt is a great organization.  Aid stations were stocked and friendly and apart from the accommodations the night before, a great time was had by all.

War Eagle 50k in less than 3 weeks!

Filed under: About my training | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

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