Green is elevation
Blue is my pace. (big spikes are stops at aid stations and cramping walks)
I had some goals: none were better than others, they were simply different goals I hoped to hit:
- DO NOT get caught up with what others are doing, and instead run my own race, with the paces I felt that I could hit. RESULT: Best managed trail ultra I've ever run. Kept the pace where I wanted it instead of getting caught up with the fast crowd at the start.
- Improve on my personal course record of 4:59. RESULT: Finish time of 4hrs50min
- Finish Top 15th: RESULT: Finished 13th
- Finish as close to 4hrs30 as possible. FAIL
- Finish Top 10: FAIL
Race report:
I was feeling good. I immediately counted 15 or possibly 16 people take off ahead of me at a faster pace than I was determined to stick to. I then had another clump of 4 pass me about 2 miles in, so I figured I was about 20th.
My goal was to keep it between 8:20 and 8:45 mins per mile (which is my cruising speed these days between roads and flat trails) and the aid stations and climbs would add some time to that to get me in around 4 hours 30 to 4 hours 40.
I got to 15.5 mile (my half way point) right at 2 hours 14 which was exactly where I wanted to be (8:40 pace) Especially with the major brunt of climbing being out of the way.
I slowly and methodically reeled about 12 of those overly excited runners back in, so I now figured I was maybe about 8th place. And I was feeling great and really fresh. At the mile 22'ish aid station i had my ipod waiting, which I knew would give me the music stimulation I would want for the last 9 miles, or 80 or 90 or so minutes. Things couldn't look any better.
But by mile 23-24ish, my race time decision to not carry two water bottles from the start caught up with me and I cramped on both calves really bad even though I was drinking tons of Gatorade at every aid station, got salts from gels, and acted like a crack addict popping salt pills.
Initial discussions with Mer, leads to simply not getting enough water in, and needed more salts.
I limped in for the last 7-8miles and lost about 5-6 spots to finish 13th in 4:50 instead of around 4:30-4:35.
So despite very bad cramping over the last 8 miles that slowly reduced me to a jogger/walker, I achieved three of my goals, which I'm pleased with.
Scientifics:
Click here for my Garmin data. (splits bottom left)
(disregard anything past mile 31 as I inadvertently restarted the timer for almost an hour!)
How would I reach 4hrs 30?
My goal was to run smart, keeping it between 8:20 and 8:45 pace, then have time added for hills and aid stations:
- 5 aid stations + 5 "major" hills = 10-12 additional mins. (rough math)
- 8:20min/mile pace is a 4:18 (+ 10mins = 4:28-4:31)
- 8:45min/mile pace is a 4:31 (+ 10mins = 4:39-4:42)
- Mile 6, 10, 16 and 22 are in the high 9's and 10's from aid station stops leading up to crossroads aid station at mile 22.
- Mile 1, 3, 7, 24, 25, 29 are hills. Mile 8 is ice cream hill where i really took it extra easy. (longest climb)
Rough estimation is that I lost 12-14 minutes from the cramping, which would have put me in at 4:36-4:38 range. Had I not been cramping, the idea was to have run these comfortable paces, so I would be fresh enough to give it all i had for the last 4 miles, shaving maybe another 2-3 mins. which puts me around 4:33 or 34. (Ideal world, or course)
Overall I'm happy, as I improved my course best, but I'm competitive so the cramps are still a major source of disappointment, as I know I had plenty in the tank.
Oh well, we'll get it done next year!
But dang... my splits through Mile 23 are a thing of beauty!!
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