Alien Escape from Area 51 Marathon

This past weekend, Sara and I were in Las Vegas and decided to take in a race. We were originally scheduled to be running the Rock n Roll Las Vegas, which runs on the Strip at night. That race was cancelled way back at the beginning of the Pandemic. We decided to go to to Vegas anyways, since we had our tickets and a hotel reserved and happened to find a small race outside of Vegas in Rachel, NV.

If you’ve never heard of Rachel, NV, you’re likely not alone. It’s a very small town about 2 hours from Vegas. Not much is in Rachel, except one hotel and a restaurant. Perhaps the most famous thing around Rachel is the (in) famous Area 51, supposedly.

On race morning, Sara and I were up early, around 4:45am. We had to take off early to ensure we could get to packet pickup at 7:45. The drive was pretty uneventful, but we did need to stop for gas on the way as there aren’t many services between Vegas and Rachel. After our brief stop, we finished our drive and arrived at packet pickup at 7:50am at an area known as the Black Mailbox. We picked up our packets and made a trip to the restroom and got ready for our races. I was running the marathon which would start at 7:30am and Sara would be starting the 10k at 8:30am.

Before my race started, I got a quick picture with a few other Marathon Maniacs. After the picture, I headed to the start line. The marathon and 51k (for Area 51) both started at 8:30, but there were only about 40 people registered between the 2 races and we kept our space, so there was plenty of social distancing.

The race started off relatively flat, running into the desert. There were aid stations approximately every 5k. The weather was relatively cool in the morning, but would heat up later. I took off at an easy pace and chose to enjoy the day. I got to the first aid station and felt good.

The next few miles, the race started to climb. It was easy at first, but the run would continue to go up all the way until the turnaround at mile 13.1 I noted the mountains off in the distance and knew we would be going close to the top. It would start to get warm, but I was still taking it easy. I had to walk from about miles 12-13 because it started to get to steep for me to keep climbing. We hit the top of the mountain and had a very short downhill section before we hit the turnaround at 13.1

After the short uphill at the turnaround, the race was pretty much all downhill back to the start. The course was an out and back and the roads were open to traffic. Since the race is more or less in the middle of nowhere, we ran on the only paved road around. There wasn’t much traffic on the course and only occasionally would a car pass. When I made the turnaround, I was able to run the section I had walked before because of the nice downhill. I felt great and was cruising down the mountain. There was also a nice breeze when I turned around.

I realized when I turned around that most of the people in front of me were running the 51k and only 5 or 6 people were ahead of me that were doing the marathon. I kept moving as quickly as possible, throwing in my fastest miles of the whole marathon. I started passing a few people and decided to keep moving as quickly as a could in hopes I would be top 5. I felt pretty good until mile 23, when I got a bit of a headache. I am pretty sure I was dehydrated, but I kept moving. I took a look behind and saw no one behind me, so I decided to walk a bit and give myself time to feel better. I would walk and run the rest of the race, only sprinting towards the end when I saw another runner for the first time in miles. At mile 25.5, I turned around and saw this runner closing the gap, but I did not want to risk not finishing as high as possible. This runner ended up passing me, but I found out he was in the 51k (though it is disappointing to be passed by someone running several miles more, at least he was not in my division. I finished the marathon in 4:50 and received my medal. I found out I was 6th overall, but I did finish 1st in my age group.

In all, the race was very fun. I do not mind running out and back races. The aid stations were nice with enough water to always fill my bottles. The race was very small, with maybe 200 people total between the 51k, marathon, half, 10k and 5k. I enjoyed some post race food and Sara and I headed back to Vegas. I would recommend races done by the race company, Calico.

Canal Corridor 100

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post. Since my last post about the Sprouts Mesa Marathon, the Covid19 Pandemic has spread throughout the world and races worldwide have canceled. I was thrilled to hear that a race somewhat local to me was given the go ahead back in May to go on in July. With the understanding that things could change at any moment, I signed up when I saw how nice their pandemic contingency plan was going to work, should the race have to cancel last minute. I was going to get a chance to race this summer, at the Canal Corridor 100.

I hadn’t specifically started training for the 100 mile race until about 2 months prior, but my spring mileage was decent enough that adding the miles wasn’t much of an issue. After signing up, I had my highest mileage months ever in both May and June. I was feeling good.

Since the pandemic has changed the way many things operate, this race also had to make a handful of (minor) changes to allow to continue. One of the changes made was that the race mailed both my bib and my chip (and swag) to me, which arrived the Monday before the race. Only thing I had to do now was remember to pack them both. On the Friday of race weekend, Sara (my fiancee) and I picked up the other crew member coming, my buddy Alex. We drive the 3.5 hours to Akron, OH and made a quick stop to the start line to get a feel of things to come. We decided to eat dinner right there at the start line where there were 2 breweries to enjoy. Afterwards, it was a short drive to the hotel to prepare the race gear for the morning and to get to sleep.

Race morning also offered a slight change to the usual, a social distancing start line. Three runners were allowed to start at a time with times assigned by estimated finish times, the fastest runners started first (to help ensure there would be no bunching). My start time was 5:36am and I was off.

The race start had no usual fanfare. Sure there were some people around to cheer, but not anywhere near a usual race, but no issue. I started off with a nice run down to the towpath where the rest of the miles would be run. The morning was a bit misty, but the temps were very much to my liking. The first few miles just sort of flew by. I would pass a few people and was passed by a handful of folks, but it was a bit of a weird feeling not being in a huge pack so early.

The aid stations also had a small change, the volunteers were all masked and instead of the usual “buffet” of options, each aid station had several prepackaged items that the masked (and gloved) aid station was to hand to each runner. There were still plenty of options.

Somewhere around mile 25 maybe, we hit a wide open levee section. Thankfully this section was still shady and a bit windy on the first time through as it was very exposed, with the river on one side, and a highway on the other. There was nowhere to hide from the sun. This section also shared a little surprise as we suddenly had to climb onto a highway overpass to continue on the towpath. This was an unexpected climb.

The course is 2 out and backs, with the first out being about 35 miles, in the area of Navarre. Once at the turnaround, I was still feeling pretty good. The rain had stopped, so it was starting to warm up, but still not bad. When I hit the levee section, that’s when the sun really hit hard. I knew I’d slow down here, so I planned to walk when the sun was out and run when the sun was behind some clouds. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite work to plan and I was starting to feel the miles.

The rest of the first out and back had me slowing down and my legs got stiff. I stopped for a brief bit at mile 50, Canal Fulton, and stretched in the shade. This helped me feel a bit better. I picked up my pacer, Alex, for a segment here.

Mile 50. I promise I was not mad, but I made this face anyways.

I got back to the start finish area at mile 70 ish just after dark. I still had plenty of time to finish the race, but I was falling off my goal of a 24 hour 100. I did a change of pretty much all of my gear at mile 70, shoes, shirt, socks as the temperature was falling. It wouldn’t get cold, but it was cooler, so I didn’t want to get to cold wearing a sweaty shirt After the change, it was time to head north.

The north section was a 15 mile out, 15 mile back. The first mile or two are straight through the downtown area of Akron, but then you’re suddenly running down a long hill. I know the tow path isn’t totally flat, but this downhill was more than I realized. It felt like I kept running down and down and down. When I finally hit the bottom, I was rewarded with a nice, steep incline. The towpath in this particular area was currently closed, so they set up a temporary detour up the very steep hill nearby. Once to the top, you go straight back down the other side to rejoin the towpath. It was not the most fun when tired.

When I entered the last aid station before the turnaround, I had some confusion as to where to go. I do not know if there was a sign I missed, or what, but I assumed I kept going past the aid station. I walked up to a street, but didn’t see the towpath. I backtrack and see what I think is the towpath down the other parking area. No luck. I ask the aid station workers where I am going and she seems to say I go back where I came in from. I think I was tired because I recall saying that I was not headed to the finish, but trying to get to the turnaround. She reassured me I needed to go about a 100 yards and I’d see the sign pointing me in the right direction.

Out of the aid station and into the turnaround was about the only time I ran with anyone for any extended period of time. I talked with a younger runner about many different types of running. I was not much of a conversationalist, but it was a nice chat. We did think we had somehow missed the turnaround because this section just seemed to go on and on in the night. Eventually we made it. Another runner had caught us at this point, so the two of them took off while I still hobbled along. Once I got to the 2nd to last aid station, Sara joined me as my pacer. She helped me walk the last few miles at a steady pace. We had one last (literal) mountain to climb. Somehow that detour from earlier was even steeper on the way back. I was practically crawling to make it to the top. When we finally get to the top of both climbs, it’s just short of 2 miles to the finish. I made the final turn into the brewery parking lot and crossed the finish.

After crossing the line, I talked briefly with the race directors and thanked them for a fun event. I was done. Alex had decided a reward of a beer from the brewery we finished at seemed appropriate, so I had a small beer and relaxed. I had completed the Canal Corridor 100.

Sprouts Mesa Marathon

This past weekend I headed out to Mesa, Arizona. I have never been to Arizona, so an opportunity to visit a new state and run another marathon always makes for a good weekend; this time would be no exception.

Sara and I took off from Cincinnati bright and early Friday morning, catching the first flight out of the day and just as the snow arrived. After the plane received a quick de-icing, we were in the air. We arrived a few hours later into Phoenix, where there was no snow, but it was cold. Picked up our rental car and decided to check out the expo.

The expo was in a large parking lot of a shopping complex. There were large tents sent up with many vendors, like many marathons. We quickly grabbed out packets and swag and checked out a few of the vendors. Since the sun was up, it warmed up quickly.

Sara and I had lunch and then proceeded to check out the area a bit. We kept the walking to a minimum as Sara wanted to make sure she was well rested for her half the next day. Downtown Mesa was a nice area and we checked out a few local restaurants as well as a Cider place to relax.

Saturday morning we were up early to catch a shuttle bus to the race. Having had some issues with races requiring shuttle rides to the start line before, Sara and I got to the parking lot first thing, about 4:15am. The race has different shuttles to take take you to the full, half, and 10k start lines as all the races are point to point. We parked in between where her shuttle bus would be and where mine would be, needing to walk about a quarter mile each to get there. My shuttle ride was about 30 minutes into a nearby park where the race would begin. No shuttle issues this time.

The full marathon start line truly feels like the middle of nowhere. Since it was still very dark when my bus arrived, I could not see that the area was a beautiful state park. What I could see where a handful of very tall cactus. The race had heater lamps and fire pits set up to keep runners warm, prior to the start (the desert can get very cold at night and only warms up once the sun rises). After a bit of waiting around and staying warm, it was time for the race to start.

The starter gun sounded and we were off. It was still dark when the race started, but there were no issues seeing. The full moon and the rising sun provided just enough light. I had heard a few runners say to stay off the center line of the road because there were some slightly elevated reflective markers and that they could be tripping hazards. I heeded the warning. The first few miles were some of the steepest downhill miles of the whole race (though not overly steep).

As the sun rose, I was concerned the race may start to heat up, but it was a non issue for many miles. The surrounding mountains helped shade the course early on, which made for a nice, comfortable run. At mile 5.5 or 6, the only uphill on the course appears. It’s about a mile long and definitely noticeable. I had to make a quick stop as I thought my shoe had come untied, despite double knotting it; it was not untied. When I restarted my run, my knee had a shot of pain, not general soreness from fatigue, but pain. I was able to loosen up the knee and felt fine after that.

Just before mile 13, the sun had risen above the mountains enough to be noticeably warming up the course. At the halfway point, the full marathon runs right underneath the half marathon starting arch and then continues to follow the route the half marathons have been running all morning. Shortly after going under the arch, there were citrus farms lined up next to the road. I didn’t get close look at any citrus in particular, but I believe they were oranges, lemons, and maybe some grapefruit. No, I did not take any as these appeared to be working farms. It’s about this time the race starts to flatten out and start running through more of the town areas.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 15, I heard another Marathon Maniac come up to me and ask me how things were going. Turns out it was another ambassador, JC, who I have been friends with on Facebook for sometime. We started talking and the miles ticked away. At mile 20, however, my knee started acting up. I slowed down trying to keep up my run. Eventually my knee didn’t want to run as much. I started to do a walk/ run as I didn’t want to do any real damage. Since this race was meant to be an enjoyable one, and not one I was shooting for a PR, I had no concerns over walking and running the rest. The course continued to meander through town and eventually the finish line comes into site. The finish is at the same spot where the expo was the day before. I came across the finish in 4:37 and received my medal. I did not stick around the finish line celebration long as a lot of the post race food areas had large lines, but it did look like a nice celebration area.

After the race, Sara and I spent more time exploring the area and even drove out to where the full marathon started to get a glimpse of what the area was like. The park is a beautiful area, surrounded by cactus and mountains. I wish the race had started a bit later so you could truly see the area before starting, but I understand they may be limited in doing so. In all, the Mesa area was a very nice area and we really enjoyed our trip.

Tunnel Hill 100

Tunnel Hill is one of my favorite races to be a part of. I have run or crewed at this race every year but 1 since it has been around. The runners, the volunteers, and the race director really make this race a fun one for me. As such, I find myself coming back year after year and this year was no exception. This year I was back to take on the 100 miler.

Tunnel Hill takes place in a small town called Vienna, IL. It is pronounced with a hard I sound, and not like the city in Austria. It’s roughly a 5 hour trip from my home in Cincinnati to the race, which makes it a nice race to get to since it’s not to far. I arrived early, with Sara, so we could get to packet pickup, enjoy the spaghetti dinner, and listen to the guest speaker, Pete Kostelnick (fun fact, Pete holds the record for fastest run across the US and is probably the only person who has ever run from Alaska to Key West, FL, some 5000 miles). I saw a bunch of friends while waiting in line for my packet, to many to remember them all, but I did make sure to say hi to Terri and Steve Durbin, the race directors. After picking up my packet and goodies, it was over to the dinner held in the local high school’s cafeteria to listen to Pete. His presentation was pretty interesting, though I am not sure I can relay what he spoke about well here. After dinner it was off to the hotel, about 30 minutes away (I did mention Vienna was small, right?) to prepare my gear and rest.

I slept pretty well through the night, only getting up once. It’s sometimes hard to sleep on race night, so I was happy to sleep pretty soundly. I woke up at 4:30am to grab a quick shower (helps wake me up) and eat some breakfast. Sara and I took off early from the hotel to ensure we would arrive early enough to find parking. No issues there. After placing my drop bags at the start line, it was back to the car to keep warm prior to the start.

The race started at 7am, central time. It was a cold morning, probably low 30’s, but it would warm up nicely. I had met up with my friend Leanne and we planned to run the race together and shoot for a sub 24 hour run. We took off, but were running just a bit faster than we probably should have been because of all the others around us and we got to talking to another runner, Walter, who had just broken the world record for most 100 milers in a year (as of this writing, he has completed 43 and is on pace to hit 50 in a year – almost 1 per weekend). After a few minutes, he noted he was running a bit to fast, and Leanne and I agreed, though we didn’t slow down quite as much as he did. The first 5 miles were all about finding the right pace for the day.

The first aid station came and went pretty quickly. I filled up with SWORD (my electrolyte drink of choice and sponsor of Tunnel Hill) and had half of a banana. I was feeling good. Leanne and I continued to knock down mile after mile going into aid station number 2 (Karnak), where I saw Sara. I asked her to have a small bit of food ready for me and a Ziploc of Sword ready to go (even though it’s on course, I like to carry some dry powder form, just in case) when I came back through the aid station, in about an hour. I refilled on SWORD and grabbed a small bean burrito and started walking. Leanne took a few extra minutes at the aid station, but we began running as soon as she caught up.

A brief mention about the course, it is set up as a double out and back for 50 miles, then repeat for 100 miles. Leanne and I hit the first turnaround and headed right back to the aid station where I saw Sara. I grabbed a thing of gold fish crackers she had ready for me and the baggie of SWORD and off I went. She mentioned to me that I was moving well, but ahead of my pace and should probably back it off a bit to save some energy. While I did slow down, it was likely not enough, but more on that later. I was still feeling good and was now at mile 16. The sun was shining, but the weather was still nice and cool. It was a great day for a run.

Leanne and I continued to push mile after mile, coming through the Herron Pond Aid station and mile 21 and continuing into the start finish area at mile 26. I believe it was when we got back to Vienna that we picked up another runner, Mary, and ran with her for the next several miles. I was still feeling really good, but I was having some soreness in the legs. Quick note, Tunnel Hill is a mostly flat race, however, heading out from Vienna toward the races name sake, Tunnel Hill, an old train tunnel, there is a long climb, though it’s maybe 2% incline at it’s steepest. Somewhere during this stretch, my legs were feeling fatigue and I told Leanne and Mary I was going to walk a bit and stretch. They also slowed down, but were walking much faster than I was. We made it to the Tunnel Hill aid station where I again saw Sara. I asked her to get my warm clothes ready and my Headlamp. Even though it was only around 3pm, I knew night would fall around 5pm, which would be before I got back to Vienna.

After leaving the aid station, we ran the short section to the northern turn around and came right back. Sara had my flashlight ready and I strapped my long pants to my packet and tied my jacket around my waist (I wasn’t quite cold enough to put them on, yet) and changed my shirt and quickly took off. Made it back through the tunnel and began running down the not so steep descent. Somewhere during this time, Walter had caught up to us and Leanne and Mary began chatting with him. He was still moving strong (as were Mary and Leanne) and they began to pull away. After a few miles, I wasn’t really able to keep up any more, though I was still running decently well at this point.

Back at the start/ finish line, now at mile 50 (10:33 elapsed time) I grabbed a bit of food, refilled on SWORD, and proceeded to take off to repeat the course. No sooner did I leave the aid station did I get sick. Seems I scarfed down my food to quick in an attempt to catch back up to Leanne. I recovered quickly, but my legs decided to disappear. I do not know why they decided right then and there to give out, but they did. Suddenly I was struggling to find any power in them. I was able to run a bit, but much of the next 50 was a walk, not because I was tired or felt like I was lacking energy, but simply because my legs had no strength. I knew I had plenty of time to finish, so I was not so worried about that and as long as I proceeded to move forward, I would be ok.

The sky was beautiful on Saturday. The moon was almost completely full, so I occasionally found myself turning off my headlamp and looking up at the sky to see the stars. The wind had been present all day, but after night came and I started walking more, it really became noticeable. Somewhere around 3am, I had to put on my jacket and my running pants and put some hand warmers in my gloves. I moved aid station to aid station, filling up with SWORD and taking some caffeine when needed. I would also partake in warm soup when it was available. Because I was doing mostly walking and it was night, the next several miles were pretty uneventful, other than being cold.

As day broke, I was headed back from the north turnaround at about mile 88. I had text Sara that I had roughly 12 miles to go (she had gone to the hotel to rest so she could drive us home), but that I had been walking and it would be a few hours before I finished. I continued to march back from the tunnel and the sun slowly rose. After about 3 hours, I hit the final aid station and saw Sara waiting to pace me in. She encouraged me to run, but my legs couldn’t find the strength and my mental capacity to will them to do so had dwindled. We walked and talked the last 2.5 miles into the finish. When I came across the finish, I saw Steve the race director there and he gave me a handshake and I was presented my belt buckle. The race was done! 26:52:19. Second fastest 100 miler.

After the race, I didn’t have much time to hang around. Sara and I had to head home. I thanked Steve and his wife Terri and Sara helped me back to the car. I was able to get a quick shower at the high school and we headed out. I slept most of the way home, only waking up long enough to ask Sara to stop for food or restroom breaks. It was a great weekend.

Pacing the Columbus Marathon

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to pace the Columbus marathon. I’ve always enjoyed this marathon as it was my first and 50th full marathon or ultra marathon. Just one week earlier I was asked to pace the race, something I was happy to do.

Prior to the race I headed up to Columbus and did the usual pre race expo and then had a short shift at the expo. I answered some general questions about the race and pacing and met some runners who were shooting to stick with me (I was the 5:30 full pacer). Later, I went to dinner with my fellow pacers and generally took it easy.

Race morning came and I was feeling good. I got my gear ready and met up with my fellow pacers bright and early. We headed over to the start line so we could be easily found by runners looking to stick with us. The race started at 7:30, but my corral didn’t start until closer to 8am. I had an eager group with me, ready to conquer the day.

The first few miles were about finding a groove. Columbus marathon and half marathon both start at the same time, so there were lots of people around. I had told those wanting to run with me that we would do a walk run with a 5 minute run, followed by a 1 minute walk. After about 2 or 3 miles, everyone was settled in.

The course itself is mostly flat, but a few ups and downs throughout the course. I kept the group encouraged and many were feeling pretty good as we started to hit 10 miles. A few miles after, some of the folks who had been running with me turned off, thanking me just before they did, so they could finish the half. The course runs together (half and full) for about 13 miles of the 13.1 for a half marathon.

After the half split off, it got a bit quiet as many of the runners with me were running the half. I kept encouraging the remaining runners as we pressed out to the full marathon. For the next several miles, it began to heat up as we ran around Columbus. By mile 18, it had started getting quite warm. To top it off, the only “major” climb for the whole race is right at mile 18. Sadly, I lost quite a few of my remaining runners here, many of whom were trying to finish their first marathon. This was a tough stretch for many runners as I saw many walking slowly up the hill or struggling in the sun.

The last few miles level back off and I picked up some new runners who had struggled up the hill. They decided to join me for the last few miles so that I could help motivate them. Miles 18-24 went by quickly and many runners had joined our group.

At mile 25, a handful of the remaining runners ran ahead, and a few dropped back. I would pick up folks and lose others as I ran the remaining 2 miles into the finish. It was great to see so many first time marathoners finishing.

Ironman Louisville 2016

Note: This recap was one I wrote immediately after my 2016 Ironman Louisville race. It was posted on Facebook. I am resharing here.

Ironman race recap:

Went to bed Saturday about 8pm, woke up at midnight and was awake until 2am. Thankfully, I went back to sleep until 4, when I was finally up for good.

Grabbed a quick shower (to help me wake up). Grabbed some breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt, got my swim suit on, dressed in some warm clothes and headed out the door with my special needs bags in hand ( I packed them the day before).

Got parked about 5am and walked over to transition. (plan was to get to transition about 530, but I stayed across the river in Indiana and they had been doing a lot of construction, figured I better leave early just in case). Transition opened at 5:15 and I was in shortly after. I placed my water bottles onto my bike and checked my tire pressure. Once I was satisfied with my set up, I dropped off my special needs bags, and left transition.

After getting my bike ready, Sara and I walked toward the start line. We were stopped about 500 yards from the start because the line had already started forming. We grabbed a spot in line and sat down to save energy. While waiting at the start line, I ate a bit more, cheerios this time. I also sipped on some water to make sure I was hydrated. I wanted to make sure I had about 800-1000 before the race.

About 7:00am, the line started inching forward as the final race prep was finished. I figured it was time to do my final prep as well, so I stripped off the warm clothes and put on my wet suit (a sleeveless Xterra), sprayed some tri slide to any hotspots to avoid any blisters. Put my goggles on and my cap, and kept moving forward.

At 7:30, the race was under way! I was still a couple hundred yards back, so i had a few minutes to double check everything and say goodbye to to all my friends and Sara, before I got to the “no turning back” point. Then, it was on.

I got to the dock about 15 minutes after the first person entered the water. Note for all you considering Ironman Louisville, the “water” on the dock is not water. I crossed the timing mat, but there was a short line to the end of the dock as someone was debating jumping in. Realizing I crossed the mat, I verified with the volunteer o was good to start and jumped in. I was off!

The water felt great! Air temp outside was maybe 51, but water was a nice 73+. I started swimming up river with a few thousand of my newest friends. I made to sure to breathe every stroke because I knew it would help slow me down and save energy. The current up river wasn’t difficult to push through because the island surrounding the dock helped keep any current away.

About 1000 yards of swimming, we reached the turn around. We made the turn, and down stream we went. At that point, the swim became even easier. The current made it easy to move. The course runs under two bridges. When I hit the bridges, I knew I was home free. I got to the exit and the volunteers helped me out of the water and helped me get off my wetsuit.

After finishing the swim, (1:13), I was handed my transition bag by one of the volunteers, and entered the changing tent. I changed into my Newton Tri Kit, put on my bike shoes and helmet, put in some compression sleeves, arm warmers, and sprayed some more Tri Slide in any hot spots. One of the volunteers helped stuff all my swim gear back into my transition bag so I could get on my way. After grabbing a small bit of water, I headed out of the tent, I grabbed my bike, and headed towards to the bike course. I saw a bunch of my team RWB teammates out in transition, which was awesome, and then I saw my Buckeye running team members and Sara. Gave Sara a kiss, and went on my way.

First 10 miles of the bike were nice and flat. I used those miles to loosen up and get in some nutrition. At 10 miles, we started climbing. It was a nice, long, climb to the top. Once there, the rolling hills came. Up and down the whole way. There were some hard climbs, and some really fun downhills. Course is very nice and enjoyable. A little after mile 30, you come into La Grange, a small town that has a big party for Ironman. I again saw my friends as I powered through the town. I was out of town before I knew it.

I kept taking in my nutrition on regular intervals to make sure I had my energy. That said, mile 75 or so, I lost a bit of my energy and slowed down. I struggled about 15-20 miles, but focused on nutrition and regained my strength. At some point, I had to get off my bike to stretch. When I attempted to get back on the bike, I bashed my knee. It hurt for a few minutes, but I was ok.

At mile 95, we headed back down the climb we originally came up way back at the beginning. That was a lot of fun. I pushed hard til the end, feeling great. I hopped off the bike a little bit after and got ready for the run. (6:42)

I hit the transition, handed my bike to a volunteer, was handed my run bag by another, and reentered the changing tent. I took off my helmet and bike shoes, and changed into my Newton Distance V’s. I grabbed a bit of water, and off I went. Again I saw my team RWB members and my Buckeye friends.

The run felt really good for the first few miles. I grabbed some water from the aid stations. Unfortunately, my knee started bothering me about 5 miles in. I started walking a bit, but was still maintaining around a 13 minute mile. I was able to maintain for some time.

The course is a double loop course. At the end of the first loop, you run dangerously close to the finish line. It’s a bit hard to make that turn, seeing others running towards the finish. I made my turn, saw my Buckeye and rwb friends, and kept moving. I passed by U of L and Churchill Downs for the second time and came towards the finish. At that point, I saw my RWB teammates and they handed me an American flag to finish with. I held the flag up high and finished strong. Thousands of strangers were cheering for me! It was an awesome feeling. You finish under the 4th street live awning and it’s amazing. I heard my name being announced and a step before I finished, I saw my Buckeye friends and Sara. I crossed and was told, “Andrew, you are an Ironman!”

I crossed and was given my medal and a hat and finishers shirt. I met up with all my friends and just couldn’t stop smiling. It was awesome. All in all, it was an awesome day. I had very few issues during the race. A few aches and pains and a slight misstep with nutrition, but all in all, it was fantastic.

Steel City 12 hour race

This past weekend was the 3rd annual Steel City 12 hour race, and I had a chance to participate. As with other timed races, this one challenges runners to complete as many miles as they can within the time limit. This one, however, is a bit of a unique sign up as the race itself is more geared to helping the local community, not by signing up and paying race fees that will partially go into the community, but by actively mandating the race fee be paid in the form of socks, shirts, slightly used shoes, etc, for donations to the homeless in the area. Billed as a fat ass style race, there is no traditional registration fee, but each participant must bring at least a much needed donation in order to race, which includes chip timing, swag bag, and aid station fare.

The race itself takes place in Middletown, OH, in a park near a local air strip. The 1.52 mile paved path around the park acts as the race course. It’s fairly flat, with only a few small hills per loop. The race starts at 6pm and runs through the night, ending at 6am. This years race kicked off with a parachute jump complete with American Flag! Other races take note, every race should start with a parachute display complete with American Flag.

At 6pm, the race was off. I focused into settling into a groove. I took off a bit fast, mainly because I was talking with a few folks about upcoming races, but quickly realized it and told them I would be slowing down. I found my sweet spot and enjoyed mile after mile. It was a bit on the hot and humid side while the sun was up, so I tried to stay as cool as possible, since I was just planning to enjoy the evening.

Before the race had begun, I had already run 16 miles on the day with my training group, so my goal was a 50k, with a stretch of 50 miles. After about an hour into the race, I started not to feel so great. I am not sure if it was my dinner, or the heat/ humidity, but I was not feeling great. I started to do some walking with some of my friends at the race, in hopes that would help me feel better. The legs were feeling ok, but the walk break was nice, and did settle down the stomach. I was able to do a nice walk/ run for a good portion of the evening.

Once the sun set, I really started feeling better. I was able to do some good running here and took down quite a few miles. I even saw some skydivers doing some late night jumps, which was pretty neat to watch. I clicked off mile after. At some point in the evening, the race had some nice vegan soup, which tasted good and kept me feeling pretty good, combined with my usual nutrition.

After hitting a marathon, I started feeling not so great again. I began to walk quite a bit here in effort to just keep ticking off miles. I began to talk with some of my friends who were also running again, and sharing stories with others. I talked to folks who were hitting their first marathon, or working towards their first 50 miler. I even walked a loop with someone who had just hit his first 50k after just hitting his first marathon. He was feeling pretty exhausted, but we were only 6 hours into the race, so I told him that even if he kept walking, he would likely hit 50 miles and maybe he should just walk a loop or 2 to reevaluate, before calling it a day. (Spoiler alert – he ended up hitting 50 miles)

After hitting the 50k mark, I decided I would just continue to walk until time was called. I started walking slower and slower and was barely making progress. I took several rest breaks, but I had planned to finish the full 12 hours. I ended up stopping for about 30 minutes at the 9 hour mark I had mentally decided to stop when a friend finished one of his loops. He was 1 lap short of 50 miles, but mentally out of it. I told him I would walk the last loop with him to get him to his first 50. We got it done, but it was very slow. Afterwards, I called it a day at 10 hours and 38 miles. I was drained and felt the 16 miles combined with the 38 and the sleep deprivation made for a pretty solid day.

In all, the race was very nice. Since there is no registration fee, all the foods at the aid station are donated by local business. There was plenty of food, cookies, soups, etc. The race directors did a great job of trying to keep us all motivated and the other runners were really pushing themselves to hit their own limits.

Badwater 135 2019 – A crew members perspective

Badwater if often considered one of the toughest ultra marathons out there. A combination of the length of the race, the extreme heat, and the 3 mountain ranges one must conquer certainly help lend credence to this claim. The race starts at Badwater Basin, one of the lowest spots on earth, at 282 BELOW sea level, and ends 135 miles later at the Mount Whitney Portal at roughly 8500 feet above sea level (side note, the peak of Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48 US states). The race also offers no traditional aid stations. Each runner is responsible for having at least 2, but no more than 4, crew members. These crew members must provide their runner with everything they may need to conquer the heat and distance. I was lucky enough to be on one of those crews for my friend Mel. This report is from my perspective of the event, as just one of the 4 crew members on her team and has no insights from the others or her (though I may add that later) as I want to recount my experiences.

Myself, the other crew members (less 1) and Mel all flew into Las Vegas Friday evening. We picked up our rental van (vans are almost a must) and found our way to our hotel. We would pick up our final crew member, Brandon, Saturday. Saturday was also the day that the crew spent most of the day shopping. As mentioned, all the supplies needed, must be brought to the race and our crew let Mel rest at the hotel while we spent hours in various Walmarts and other stores picking up all the needed supplies (except for ice, which we would get later). The trick with Badwater is that because it’s such a long race and in such hot conditions, you never know what you might be able to stomach. We picked up everything from water, to soda, to coffee, even some hot chocolate. We had chips, hummus, salsas, deli meats, vegetarian deli slices, cheeses, eggs, ramen noodles, etc etc. I even brought my own supplies in my Sword hydration. You just never know what you will want out there. After gathering all the supplies, we had a nice team dinner in Vegas.

Sunday morning we got the few remaining supplies we needed, which was mostly ice, and organized the van. Since we were headed to Death Valley, the car was loaded with ice. One large cooler, which would act as a freezer, was filled with dry ice and regular ice. Two regular coolers contained food and drinks and were also loaded up with ice. Two more water coolers were also filled with ice. In all, we had more than 100 pounds of ice, and this would only get us through probably half the race, if we were lucky. The rest of the morning was spent traveling to Death Valley so Mel could get checked in, get her race number, and all the other usual pre race things. We did stop at the Death Valley sign on the way in, as well as Zabriski point to check out the sights. We also checked out the Badwater Basin, the start line of the race.

After seeing the sites, checking in, Mel and Jack (the crew chief) attended a pre race meeting and the other crew checked out other parts of the Furnace Creek area (desert oasis which would be mile 17 of the race). We then drove the remainder of the course to where we would be staying for the evening, the town of Lone Pine, which is mile 122 of the race. We got in a little on the later side, so it was pretty much straight to bed.

Monday was race day. We all tried to sleep in a bit as the next few days would mean almost no sleep. After a nice breakfast in town, the crew spent more time organizing the van and making sure we each knew where everything was. We noticed a few items we needed to get last minute, so we headed to the store in town. We even bought a little extra ice. After a busy morning for the crew, we had a quick lunch with Mel and it was time to head to the start line. The nice thing about being in Lone Pine meant that we would have to drive the course backwards to the start, which allowed Mel time to visualize where she would be at certain points. Unfortunately, however, it also meant driving the mountain roads, which are up and down, with lots of tight turns, and Mel started feeling less than great.

Once at the start, Mel went to weigh in, and the crew set out to once again verify the van was ready. We added water to our 5 gallon water cooler, prepped some ice bandannas, got Mel’s headlamp, reflective vest, and blinky lights ready, as well as our own. (Note, the race requires reflective gear for crew at all times and runner during night, which is 7pm to 6am). At 8 pm, she was off. Temps were around 118 at this point. The crew worked to get into a groove in the early miles, keeping Mel cool would be a top priority. More ice bandannas were prepped and we would fill her water bottles with ice and water at each stop (always have a few prepped in advance so the runner has to stop or slow down as little as possible). Within the first 4 miles, Mel said her stomach wasn’t feeling right (remember that drive on the mountain roads?), but the crew noticed she was moving a bit faster than anticipated, so we told her to slow down. We also had been giving her her nutrition of choice, which contained caffeine. We stopped with the caffeine for a bit and she seemed to start feeling better.

At the mile 17 Oasis, Furnace Creek, Mel hit her first checkpoint. The crew got busy buying even more ice (always take ice in the desert), only 4 bags as not much of the ice had been used/ melted yet. I believe we also bought ourselves some ice cream here to help us stay cool. Mel came in and was feeling better, but took a few moments to cool off and prepare for the next stretch of miles.

Miles 17-42 are a bit of a blur to me as we were busy keeping Mel cool, it was late, and the miles seemed to tick by. Mel was having trouble eating food, so she had a few ups and downs, but was moving decently well in the later miles of that section. The sun also began to rise during this stretch, probably around mile 35 or so. She made it into StovePipe Wells shortly after sun rise and would be able to pick up a pacer here, me. I cannot say for sure if we got ice or not at this stop as I was preparing to pace Mel. She checked into the station, quickly used the restroom, and we were off. I was caught off guard by something Mel said to me at this point, but worth a note, I tried to hand her a water bottle, forgetting that, unlike most ultras, pacers are allowed to mule (carry gear for) their runners. When I tried to hand her her bottles, she reminded me, “Andrew, you’re allowed to carry my gear now. I am not carrying my water up this hill.” This is something I should have remembered, but in the moment, I had forgotten. I would remember this the rest of the race, however :). We were off.

Sunrise is both beautiful and ominous as it means temps will rise quickly

The first cut off is at mile 50.5. The next 8 miles would be up the first mountain pass. Mel would do a lot of walking on this stretch as it’s a very steep grade. We knew she would make the cut off, but she didn’t have a huge amount of wiggle room so we needed to keep her moving. We could let her rest when she hit the cut off. As we power hiked, I would hand her water when she needed it, as well as use a spray bottle to help keep her cool. She worked hard to get to the cut off. After 2 or 3 miles, I handed over pacing responsibilities, but I don’t recall who went next. Mel made the cut off with time to spare, and wanted a change of clothes. Remember when I mentioned we had gone over where everything was multiple times? Well, apparently none of us could remember where we put her short sleeve shirts and she wanted to switch into short sleeves. (Note, even in the sun, many runners wear long sleeves to help keep the skin from being burnt as well as allowing their arms to have some cool water poured onto the sleeves). As she dealt with some feet issues, the crew tore the van apart, but never found the shirt. We also had another snafu in her socks. We had pulled out the pair she requested, but somehow they ended up in some water. I attempted to dry them out, to no avail (why is it that everything, but the thing you need, dry incredibly fast in the desert?). She ended up changing into other gear and would continue on.

The next set of miles from 50.5 to 72 were tough on Mel. She would struggle to finish the remaining miles to Townes Pass. Mile 50.5 is at roughly 2,000 feet above sea level, but the top of the mountain isn’t until almost 5,000 feet, which meant she had 3,000 feet to climb still. The crew also had its share of issues during this stretch. The van we had rented had decided it no longer liked us. We could no longer get into the trunk. During one stretch, Mel took a rest and we worked on the trunk, trying to get it to open. After many minutes without luck, we decided we would crew out of the side of the van for the rest of the race. During some point of this stretch, a fellow Cincinnati runner caught up to Mel and gave her a pep talk. That got her motivated and she kept moving. After awhile, she reached the summit.

During the descent, Mel was moving pretty well and the crew kept working to fix the trunk. Mel was still not eating a lot and we did what we could to keep getting her calories. At some point, the van’s trunk opened, but wouldn’t stay closed now. The crew took some bungees and tied it down, but at least we could use it again to crew from, which made it easier on us. As she made the long descent, she was moving better, but she would make a few stops to work out some minor issues. At some point a jet buzzed the mountain, a fairly common occurrence in the area and our adrenaline started pumping. As she got most of the way down the mountain, the heat began to climb. I took over pacing duties for a bit and worked to keep her moving. She did some more walking as the temps and the grade were tough to run. After a few more pacer swaps, I was tagged in again at the bottom of the mountain, in the Panamint Springs area. This was probably the toughest spot for Mel. The heat was high, there is absolutely no shade, and there was a very strong wind, probably 30 miles per hour sustained and strong gusts. This whole area felt like being in a convection oven. I paced her through a sandy area and the strong winds pushed the sand around and created a small dust storm. I tried to offer her a buff to cover her face, but she did not take it. I had mine on and still got sand everywhere. At one point she was told it was about 2 miles to the next check point, but she saw a sign a few moments later indicating it was 3 miles. She was less than thrilled. I tried to convince her that no matter what the sign said, we would get her to Panamint, but it was a tough go. Eventually we do make it to Panamint, about 30 minutes before the cut off. Also worth noting during this stretch, a truck driver had come down Townes Pass and had seen Mel and I walking. He was concerned we were in trouble and offered us a ride. She had been the first runner he saw coming down the pass, but I told him we were ok, thanked him, and off he went.

Once at Panamint, runners are allowed to take as much time as they need, as long as they make the next cut off at mile 90 by 5am. It was 730pm when Mel rolled into Panamint and it may sound like it would be easy to go 18 or so miles in 9 or so hours, but these next miles are some of the toughest on the course. She took a quick shower and had some blisters worked on while the crew ordered her (and ourselves) some “real food” – pizza, hamburgers, pasta, and chicken noodle soup. In all, we spent about 1.5 hours in Panamint. Mel was feeling a bit down and was considering dropping, but some interactions with various individuals had her realizing it was time to move forward.

The next stretch is very tough as it comes when runners are very tired, and it’s incredibly steep. To top it off, because the road is so narrow, the crew can only stop at designated areas, roughly 2 to 3 miles apart. This can be mentally tough on runners. Mel started the hike with Jack while the rest of us went up to the first stopping point and prepared all the stuff they would need for the next set of miles. After Jack and Mel got through the first point, the crew quickly moved on to the next stopping point, but we realized in the rush to get Mel going (even though we had 1.5 hours, Mel surprised us by how quickly she got moving) we had forgotten to buy ice! Myself and Joe decided to take the water coolers out of the van and leave that, along with a few other supplies, with the 4th crew member, Brandon and quickly went back to Panamint to get ice. We returned to find Jack had been relieved of pacing duties and was guarding the gear. We loaded up the van again and headed up the mountain to catch Mel. Since our ice trip was fairly short, we were able to get to the next stopping point well before Mel arrived. Right before the toughest climb in this section, Joe took over pacing duties. The crew drove the 2.6 mile stretch up the mountain and estimated we had about 1.5 hours before Mel reached us, due to fatigue, etc. We all took a short nap, but were surprised when Mel showed up in about an hour! She had crushed that section! She tried to grab a quick nap, but Jack had none of it and sent her on her way, promising her that if she got to Darwin quickly, she could nap there. She was determined to get that nap and ran well through this section to mile 90. The temperature had also dropped significantly here and had fallen all the way to 53 degrees.

At some point she started running with Nick, the fellow runner who gave her a pep talk earlier. They had seen each other a bit here and there and even exchanged places a time or two, but they were a team for a bit through here. After checking in at mile 90, both runners were rewarded with their naps and both crews also got some shut eye. After 20 minutes, all were up and getting their runners out the door. Nick took off first and Mel followed. I was pacing at this point and it seemed Mel wanted to catch Nick, who seemed to be moving well. I am not sure if it was the cooler air, or her wanting to catch him, but suddenly we were running and running strong! She was knocking down 13 minute miles like they were nothing! We cruised along and passed Nick at some point, but Mel didn’t realize it. I didn’t tell her that we had because it seemed like she was using the need to catch him as fuel. She kept cruising, faster and faster!

As day broke, Mel didn’t slow down. She kept ticking off mile after mile. She eventually hit mile 100 and the crew celebrated with her, but she just kept pushing through the miles. As the sun rose for the 2nd time, the heat came back. While she did slow a bit in the heat, she had strong determination to keep moving. She started a walk run and maintain a very steady pace. Mile after mile ticked by and she never seemed to slow. Coming into a stretch through a dry lake bed, flies became a huge issue, so she did stop for a quick break to get some bug spray and some soup, but stayed strong.Lone Pine had come into view, but it seems to take forever to reach, though this didn’t seem to discourage Mel. In the afternoon, the heat had really turned up and was getting to her, so we kept her loaded with ice, though she continued to move well. At some point her coach, Harvey, had stopped to see how Mel was doing. We told him she was moving well and he asked if we needed ice. I initially told him that I didn’t think we needed any as I was pretty sure we would make it to the end with what we had. His crew chief came over and talked to me a bit and reminded me that we were in the desert and never to turn down ice/ water, even if you think you have enough. If there is room in a cooler for ice, take it. Lesson learned.

I ran again with Mel for a bit as we headed to the turn that would take us into Lone Pine. She had made up quite a bit of time during that stretch from the mile 90 checkpoint and had passed several people during those miles. A small helicopter flew right over our heads and gave us a friendly wave. Mel made the right hand turn towards Lone Pine, only 1.7 miles until she reached town. I exchanged my pacing duties to someone else (I forget who took over) and I went into town with other crew members to get her a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. She had told us prior to the race “Get me a happy meal and large coke. Even if I don’t eat it, it will help me feel better.” We also got ourselves some fries and a milkshake. Mel checked in at mile 122, had some of the coke (she would later not even remember we gave her coke), changed socks, and quickly got on her way. The next 13 miles to the finish would be up a mountain.

Mel was determined to finish and finish strong. She was back to hiking as she pushed up the mountain, but she pushed herself hard! The crew exchanged duties every mile. At one point, Mel requested several items, but kept moving up the mountain, quickly (which is a good thing!). I was pacing at the time, so I grabbed what she needed and sprinted up the mountain to catch her! That hurt, pushing hard to catch her, but no time to rest as she was close and needed her pacers. Miles ticked away. As she hit the steeper sections, her pace slowed, but she was still moving. She actually passed several people up the mountain. She pushed around every switchback and finally saw the finish line! She had done it!

Mel got her belt buckle, her finishers shirt, and got her picture taken. She spent time thanking the race director, her running coach, her friends that were running the race, and her crew. We celebrated by having a beer and she shared some stories. It had been a goal of hers for some time to get to the finish and she was done!

For crew, the fun isn’t over quite yet. The next day, after a celebration the night before, the crew would go out to the van and start to clean up. The car was still full of food, water, and dirt. We emptied out what we could, donated some items we no longer needed to the local community, and washed the van. After all of that, it was time to listen to the stories Mel had over some food. She thanked each of us for helping her get to the finish line. It is such an awesome feeling to help a friend achieve such a goal.

Run Under the Stars – Corydon

If you’re not familiar with the Run Under the Stars races, they’re a series of races put on by the Durbin Race Management group. There are 3 in the series and runners can do any or all of them. I had been busy the last 2 races, but was able to get down to Corydon to run this past weekend. The race itself is on a 1/2 miles horse track (the Paducah version is also on a horse track, while the Oak Ridge run is in a park) and is a simple enough concept, run as much as you can in 12 hours.

Since the race itself is straight forward, the weather was the big factor this year. The race started at 6pm, so the sun hadn’t set yet and it was still hot from earlier in the day and the humidity was quite high. The race started off well for me, finding a groove, and just trying to stay hydrated. A brief bit of rain moved in after about an hour and soaked my shoes pretty good.

Bit of rain, but feeling good (photo from the official race photographer)

At about the 20 mile, my hip was bothering me. I took about 20 minutes to try and rest and stretch. I also took the opportunity to change my shoes. The run made my first pair of shoes and socks a bit more damp than I’d care for and I knew I’d have feet trouble if I didn’t dry them off and keep them dry. I was doing a bit more of a run/ walk at this point and wondered if I needed to call it a day at the 50k mark.

I continued to do a run walk and at the 50k mark. I took a bit more time to rest and stretch in hopes to keep moving forward. Another 20 minutes or so, and I started to run/ walk again. I kept moving as well as I was able and at some point I realized I could still hit 50 miles in the race, but I’d have to push myself a bit. I think this was around mile 40 or so. I started to run a lap (1/2 mile) walk a lap. I kept ticking off mile. I also began to watch my placement. I am normally not worried where I am in the field, but I had placed top 10 at this race last year and I was curious if I could pull that off again. I noticed I was in 12th, so I made the decision to try and make sure I could at least hit 50.5 miles (The thought process was this – 50 miles is a big goal and maybe, just maybe, runners 10 and 11 would stop at 50 and I’d sneak into the top 10 by doing 1/2 mile more). I maintained the run/ walk about the last 2 hours of the race, just doing my best to tick the miles down. I came across for mile 50 with 10 minutes to go on the clock. I pushed hard to get the last loop done. I saw my girlfriend, Sara, on the back half of the loop and she followed me in to the finish line (she did the 3 hour race the day before and won!). I finished up with 50.5 miles in roughly 11:58 minutes, just moments before the 12 hour cut off.

The race itself is great. Volunteers are great and having aid every 1/2 mile really makes for a fast course. The hot and humid conditions made this year’s version a bit of a challenge, but I hit my goal of 50 miles. I always enjoy Durbin Race’s as they do an excellent job and many runners come back time and time again, so I get to see many runners that I know and have become friends with.

Some of the friends I’ve met through running

Eagle Up Ultra

Eagle Up Ultra is a 24 hour race in Canal Fulton, OH, a little bit outside of Canton, OH. It’s a smaller town that has a nice canal running through town (hence the name) and the canal has a nice running path on it. The race would take place on 2 of the limestone paths that run next to the canal and the river, with only about 25 feet of road per loop. The loops are 5 miles exactly, and the goal is to run as many as you can in 24 hours (Eagle Up is a bit unique for a 24 hour race as it’s designed to help folks achieve a distance PR so racers select what they’re aiming for when they sign up, though they are allowed to stop early or exceed that distance).

I went out to Eagle Up with some friends, all of which are preparing to go out to the Badwater 135 (more about that in later posts). My friend Mel was going to use it as training (she is the runner) and the rest of us, Jack, Joe, and myself (we will be crewing Mel, along with one other member, Brandon, who couldn’t join us), would be working towards our own goals. The race itself had plenty of space for camping, so we all set up camp the night before, and were able to walk right to the start line.

The canal is beautiful, especially through town

Woke up on race morning about 4am, not necessarily out of a need to get ready then, I just couldn’t sleep anymore. At 4:30, I decided it was time to start getting ready for the race. It was a nice morning, cool, almost cold. I grabbed a small breakfast, filled my water bottle with Sword, and got my gear on. I was ready for a nice day of running.

For the first few loops, I kept a steady pace and tried to enjoy the cooler morning air to get some good miles under my feet. I knew it would warm up later, so I estimated I would be slowing down by around lunch time. I felt mostly great the first few laps. Energy wise, I felt great, and my feet felt mostly good. The flat course helped the miles tick away, as did the shade an cool breeze. I ran most of the first 50k with Joe and we talked and mostly dialed in our pace. Mel was also coming in for her loops as Joe and I would get food and water at our aid station, so we spent a lot of time talking and enjoying the morning.

After 50, it started getting warmer, but never felt overly hot. Joe and I had picked up another buddy of mine, Jeff, and we ran for part of the next loop together. I had to make a pit stop halfway through and told them to continue on. After I took care of my minor issue, I started to run again, but my left leg started to have issues. I have been having some on and off issues with the left leg since Umstead, so I slowed down to try to rectify. After being able to run most of the morning, I had to walk more due to the leg issue, but energy wise I was still feeling good.

At 35, the leg felt worse and I stopped to try and stretch. I was able to loosen it up a bit and was doing a walk/ run. I ran most of this loop with Mel and we kept a good walk/ run ratio. After the loop, the leg felt tight, so I tried to stretch again. I decided to walk the next lap hoping to loosen it up, but I believe it did the opposite. I made it through an additional, slow 2 loops to hit 50. I decided to stop and rest a bit and stretch some more. I planned to rest for about an hour, eat some food, stretch, and continue on. I took a short nap, woke up, and the hip just wasn’t feeling right. I decided to call it a day at 50 as I have many other races and this wasn’t an A race.

The itself is very well run. The main aid station is well stocked with plenty of food including pizza, donuts, soup, plenty of vegetarian, etc. The other aid stations have water and the one at the halfway point had some snacks and other items. The race director is out the entire race to congratulate runners as they come in. The course can be flat and fast, but you need to be ready for flat. This race is definitely worth checking out if you’re wanting to do a 24 hour race, or want to go for a distance PR. Worth noting, once you’re done for the day, there is a pool, some hot tubs, and a beer garden (for those of age) that one can enjoy, which gives the race an almost family like feeling.