Fall-Out From Hurricane Sandy

So I had signed up a month ago to run the Inland Trail Marathon, starting in the outskirts of Elyria, Ohio.  Elyria is a small city west of Cleveland in Lorain County.  The title of the marathon is a bit of a misnomer as the "trail" is a paved bike path. The race starts at a local school and veers quickly onto the bike path for 13.1 miles... where you turn around and come back.  Not much to see but usually the leaves are still on the trees and it is a pleasant enough race and is quite flat and fast.

I checked the website after the online registration deadline two days before the race.  Only 41 runners signed up. I was using the race as a training run but I was still hoping for a few more people to keep me motivated to run. 

In the meantime, Sandy hit with full force on the East Coast and a fair amount of destruction and prolonged power outages reached Cleveland. The Inland Trail Marathon coincided with the date for the New York City Marathon so on race day I found not 41 runners but instead 129 runners! A number of runners were wearing NYC marathon shirts and a few wearing NYC bib numbers.  As the race progressed, I gathered from the chatter of the runners that many of them had been signed up for New York but signed up last minute for Elyria when New York was canceled abruptly.

The race was uneventful although Sandy had blown all of the leaves off of the trees.  It was cold and cloudy so the lack of cloud cover didn't matter.

At the race finish, I discovered that the women's winner, Meredith Hale, worked with a friend of mine and we got to chat.  Meredith had driven to NYC, checked into her hotel and then found out that the race was canceled. She stayed overnight and drove back to Cleveland Saturday night and then came to Elyria to stretch out her legs.  Meredith managed a 3:12, impressive time to say the least.  It turns out that the men's marathon winner was also a canceled NYC marathoner, with a 2:47 time. Obviously the whole timing of the NYC Marathon cancellation was unfortunate but it was cool to see the impacted runners shake off the situation and tow the line at Elyria.  I'm sure this was happening at many other races on November 4th.  Runners have the best attitudes!!!

 Meredith Hale (women's marathon winner) and me after the race.

GOLD - Race Recap of the 2012 World 24-Hour Championship



Team gold medal and finisher medal

Wow!  Who would have thought the US women would have pulled off a Team Gold Medal.  I must confess that I did not harbor such illusions before the World 24-Hour Championship this past weekend in Katowice, Poland.  Looking over the roster before the race, I thought it was going to take a Herculean effort to get any team medal.  In my mind, the race favorites were surely Japan (with Mami Kado, 24-Hour World record holder at 158 miles), France (Gold medal team for the last several years with six very solid runners and Anne Ceclie Fontaine, who consistently hits 150 plus miles) or Italy (again a deep team with  Monica Casiraghi, recent best of 142 miles).  Talking over the prospects with teammate, Suzanna Bon, I predicted that we would need at least two US runners over 140 miles to have a chance at a medal….  Of course, I would not be running 140 miles so I told Suzanna that she would have to do it.  HA!  Suzanna has been running well at 24-hour events but had not yet cracked the 140 barrier.  I knew it was only a matter of time and told her she needed to do it in Poland!

Before I discuss my pathetic performance, I must congratulate Mike Morton (172.457 miles) and Connie Gardner (149.368 miles), both setting new American Records and earning individual gold and silver medals respectively.  Both Mike and Connie ran so effortlessly and it was truly inspiring to watch.  Suzanna Bon also PR’d with 143.5 miles, at least 5 miles better than her previous PR and good for 5^th place.  Anne Lundblad rounded out the US women’s scoring with 138.6 miles.  Not quite a PR but an impressive performance nonetheless and good for 9^th place.  Anne battled cramps and stomach issues early in the race but hung in there.  Way to go!

Now the race details.  The race took place in a very pretty park, with lush green trees, ponds and statutes.  I usually don’t notice these things but had a fair amount of time to look around when I was walking (more on this below).

Just one of many interesting sights at the park.

The race started at noon, which I thought could pose a problem with potential heat.  That did not happen as race start temperatures were cool and there was a smattering of rain.  Perfect conditions.  The race course was basically a rectangle, one long and short side was asphalt and the other long and short side was brick.  The brick on the long side was new but the short side was not in the best shape.  I kept thinking I might trip on that section but never did.



Interesting running surface

At the start, my plan was to run around 9:20 per minute miles for three hours, then run 9:45 for three hours, etc.  I hit my three hour pace and felt so good that I made the decision to keep pushing.  For the next three hours, I was at around a 9:30 pace and then between hours 6-9, I was at around a 9:45 pace.  I was at 50 miles a little after 8 hours.

Carilyn and me early in the race.

I'm still not sure if running too fast caused my demise or something else.  Around hour 9 my outside knee started hurting.  Almost at the same time, my quads started hurting.  I thought maybe a massage would help, went into the aid station but we really didn’t have anyone qualified to administer a proper massage.  My quads got pounded on for a few minutes and then I was pushed out of the aid station to keep running.  I ended up with bruises on my quads from this so probably was not a good idea….  By hour 10, quads still sore and knee hurting.  I again went into the aid station and was given 2 Ibuprofen, got another pounding on my quads and sent back out on the course.  This was now 10:00 PM and I think I was already not thinking too clearly.  I continued plodding along, the Ibuprofen did seem to stop the knee pain short-term but my quads progressively turned into cement.  By hour 12, I was at 70 miles but I had really slowed down and was incredibly stiff.  I continued plodding along, every few laps trying to stretch on the course but I think this was too late as the stretching could not get rid of the muscle soreness.  By this time, the US team had a few casualties.  Early in the race, Carilyn Johnson had tripped on the bad brick road, wrenched her knee and passed out from the pain.  She was only passed out momentarily but the race officials said she had to walk for an hour so she dropped, very disappointed.  Serge Arbona was running well early but was struck with GI problems and forced to stop.  Phil McCarthy and Jonathon Savage both suffered from severe foot pain from the brick road and alternated between running and walking.  In the middle of the night, I would periodically walking with them and then decide I need to “run.”  With about 7 hours to go, I started walking.  At this point, my running was not much faster than walking.  The four US women were looking strong so I didn’t feel too guilty being reduced to a walk.  With around five hours to go, I hooked up with Jonathon and we walked together for the remainder of the race.  It was a long five hours but enjoyable with Jonathon’s company.  We cheered every time a US runner ran by us hoping that our efforts were helping in some way.  I ended up with around 111 miles.

Harvey Lewis, Joe Fejes and Lana Haugberg all had PRs and Harvey and Joe helped the US men get the Team bronze medal.  Way to stay focused!

Oldest (me) and youngest (Lana).  Relaxing after the race.

I have now had a little time to try and analyze my problems.  After several e-mails with Dr. Andy Lovy, I have narrowed it to the following….  Maybe a too aggressive pace but the quad failure was most likely due to either low potassium or the Ibuprofen.  Once the quads starting giving me problems, I should have been eating bananas.  I should have also been stretching more frequently too.  I think I stopped for my first stretch break at 7 ½ hours.  Again, I was feeling so good that I didn’t want to stop.  In hindsight, I need to stretch when I’m feeling good so I can keep feeling good!

While definitely a disappointing race, it was an amazing experience.  My teammates were great and I am proud to be part of Team USA.  While I was the oldest runner on the team, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel on international competition.  I would still like to run a decent race this year and so expect to see me running a 24-hour race before the end of 2012…  

I like this spot!  On the podium with Team USA taking GOLD.

Packing for a 24-Hour Race

It can be tough to figure out what to pack when you’re traveling to a foreign country for a 24-hour race.  Luggage space is at a premium, given all the baggage charges and general hassle with multiple suitcases.  Besides the obvious stuff like team uniform, shoes, gels, and protein/carb powders, I do have a few must haves that will be in my luggage for the 2012 World Race in Poland:

1. Drymax socks. The USATF has provided us with uniforms emblazoned with the Nike swish.  We were given written instructions on how to pin our bibs to our uniforms so as to NOT obstruct the Nike swish (no such instructions on covering up the US flag on the uniforms!)  We are not permitted to wear anything but Nike products with the exception of our shoes and socks.  This is a good thing because I am packing my Drymax maximum protection socks.  These socks have gotten me through many races and Drymax was kind enough to ship me a fresh supply for the race.  Thanks, Drymax!

2.  Watch. You never know what information you’ll get during the race and so I like to keep track of my lap splits as well as my lap numbers.  It’s hard to find a watch that can record 150 laps that I CAN SEE!  Garmins don’t work for me because their display is too small.  I just bought a HUGE men’s Timex watch and will try it out for the first time at the World race.

3. Ginger chews.   I prefer Ginger Ale but if we can’t find any, these will due for mild stomach issues.

4. Cranberry pills.  General kidney health.

5. Bandana.  I only want one in a race when I don’t have one.  Good if the weather is hot to wrap around your neck.

6. Sponges.  Same as No. 5

7. Sunscreen.   It seems rather obvious to bring, but not to me.  I rarely run when the sun is up.  I feel like a vampire.  I’m either running before sunrise or after sunset.  I usually forget to put any sunscreen on during these 24-hour races and pay for it later.  

8. Duct tape.  You never know what you might need it for.  I’ll be marking all my stuff with it (a nice hot pink color) as the crew will be trying to keep track of 12 runners at once in a very small area.  I’m sure before the race is over, someone will need the duct tape for something else!

9. US Flag.  Good to hang in our aid station so it’s easy to find.  This year, there will be 36 countries, which means 36 aid stations.  Since the aid stations are set up alphabetically, the US is usually last IF the host country is using the English spelling.  In any event, it’s always nice to have a reference point every lap.

10. Good luck charms.  These change with every race but I have a few packed.  I will post pictures of them after the race if they bring me luck!

2012 World 24-Hour Field Announced

The roster of runners competing at the World 24-Hour Championship in Poland has been posted on the IAU website.  In spite of  being cancelled last year, the World race continues to grow in popularity.

In 2010, when the last World 24-hour race was held in France, runners from 30 countries participated.  The number of women's teams totaled 16 (a team must consist of 3 runners from a country).

This year, the field is currently set at  256 athletes from 34 countries and close to 100 are women.  Importantly, the women's teams have increased to 20 (there are 24 men's teams)!  Countries sending women's teams are: Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and United States.

In 2010, the French women took the Gold medal, following by Italy (Silver) and Australia (Bronze).  The current US women's team has four different runners from the 2010 team and we are all excited to try and bring home a medal.

The US men also have four different teammates from 2010.  In 2010, the US men finished in the medals, locking up the Bronze along with a 2nd place finish for Scott Jurek.  This year, Scott won't be running but the US men's team is super strong.  I am expecting them to secure a spot on the podium.

Good luck to all and see you soon in Poland.

Epilepsy and 24-Hour Training

I'm finally getting to the "home" stretch in training for the World 24-hour race with less than one month to go.  I have to admit I am getting a little bored with running so much and I am probably the slacker among all of my teammates.  My crazy team member, Carilyn Johnson, has been racking up 140+ miles a week.  I cannot even fathom that!

In order to keep some of my sanity while training, I've started listening to audiobooks.  I have learned that there is an art to picking the right audiobook book, not always the most literary book is the best one to listen to for hours on end.  My mind tends to wander as I'm running so if the plot is too complicated, I get hopelessly lost.  In the last few months I've listened to the following books that were good listening "reads:" The Double Bind and Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, Goodbye Columbus by Philip Roth, Wild by Cheryl Strayed and A Free Life by Ha Jin. 

When I am not wrapped up in audiobooks, I've been out running for the Epilepsy Association.  Again this year, we are sponsoring a program called "The Virtual Runner."  You can sign up at the Epilepsy Association website.  From August through October, you log your race miles (can be run anywhere in the World and any length).  At the end of the race period, the runner with either the most miles run or the most money raised wins a prize.  We are looking for more runners, so please sign up if you're looking for a way to give back to a charity through running!

We kicked off the Virtual Runner this past Saturday with a training run at Edgewater Park, the home of the North Coast 24-hour race. 

Enjoying cool temps at the beach at Edgewater Park 

Everyone ran some loops (some running 20 miles while I opted for 6-ish miles) and then we chowed down on breakfast.  It was awesome getting to meet new runners and get together for a good cause.  While listening to audiobooks passes the time, this is a much more rewarding way to run!

24-Hour Race As A Olympic Sport?

A lot of people have asked me, “Why isn’t the 24-hour race an Olympic event?”  Of course, I have no idea but I have a pretty good guess.  Politics.  We ultrarunners just don’t have “juice” with the Olympic committee.  How else can you explain such Olympic events as pistol and rifle shooting?  While it would definitely require skill to be any good at shooting at targets, in my mind it just isn’t a “sport” when a lot of who wins comes down to how good your weapon is.

I think a 24-hour race would be a fantastic addition to the Olympics.  Television coverage would never have a dead spot for an entire day and night.  Think of all the advertising the TV network could sell!  Think of all the tickets that would be sold (well, maybe that’s a stretch)…  My friends, however, who hang out at the North Coast 24-hour race, love to come to watch.  They say it is like witnessing a train wreck.  There is something about watching people implode that is fascinating and horrifying at the same time…. You want to look away but can’t.  I think it could be TV at its finest.

Running these 24-hour races for a number of years, I have seen it all.  The super-human running efforts of the leaders and the total collapse of others.  Something like the old ABC Sports mantra of “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.”

But, with the Olympics starting this weekend, I am cooling my heels in the USA, a spectator, not a participant.   I will have to settle for the World Championship put on by the IAU in Poland this September.  To prepare for the World race, the USATF has sent out our uniforms, hand-me-downs from the 2008 Summer Olympics.  That is as close to the Olympics as I will come, at least for the foreseeable future.

Bad to the Bone - Badwater Memories

Last week, as I was sitting in my air-conditioned office and swilling beers at night to keep cool in the Ohio “heat wave,” some of my US National 24-Hour teammates were tearing up the course at Badwater.  When the dust settled, Mike Morton had an amazing performance, missing the course record by a heartbreaking 76 seconds.  He covered the 135 mile course in 22:52:55.  Harvey Lewis was 4th overall with a time of 26:15:31 and Phil McCarthy was 6th overall with a time of 26:52:01.  Way to go guys!

The last place finisher’s time was a mere 47:08:14.  The field this year was super fast.  Each year, the times just keep getting faster and faster.  This takes me back to 2002 when I actually ran Badwater – 10 years ago.

I had only finished a few ultras before I decided to tackle Badwater, after first hearing about the race from an interview given by Kirk Johnson, author of a book about the Badwater race called To the Edge.  I thought the whole idea was so crazy that I had to see if I could actually do it, given that I absolutely hate hot-weather running.

Badwater poses many obstacles, the first of which is conning (I mean convincing) people to take vacation days and travel to the desert to be your crew.  My obvious victims were my boyfriend, Roger, and my sister, Sue.  Neither were runners so my crew was looking kind of bleak until I recruited two California runners I did not know from the Badwater message board, Kelly and Shawn.  This would be a very good thing.

At the start with my awesome crew, Kelly, Sue, Roger and Shawn

I, along with all the women and the “old” men, started at 6:00 AM.  Other male runners started in either the 8:00 AM or 10:00 AM waves.  The temperature was already unbearable.  The air was so hot that I could hardly breathe, and this was the cool part of the day.  As we started, Roger commented that he hadn’t taken a photo of the runner in a pink bunny suit (yes, someone had a full-bunny suit on like the Energizer bunny) but that he would get a photo when the bunny/runner ran by.  Now, the only way he would get a photo was if the bunny was ahead of me because a runner’s support team was always ahead of their runner.  There was no way a bunny was going to pass me, so that became my number one goal…. Beat the bunny.  And in fact the bunny dropped out before even getting to the first check-point at Furnace Creek.  My second goal was to run the race in under 48 hours so I could get a buckle.  My final goal was to be in good enough shape to hike up to the top of Mount Whitney after the race.            

For much of the race I felt like I was running in a blast furnace.  At some point, I actually put pants on because it felt like hot irons were being applied to the back of my calves.  But the scenery made up for the pain I was feeling.  I was surprised how beautiful everything was and strange to me at the same time.  I passed such locations as Devils Cornfield and Devils Golf Course and got caught in some Dust Devils.  According to the race report, the high temperature for the race was 126 degrees.

Running the the white line, coolest part of the road!!

Running up and down two mountain ranges was another new experience for me being form the flatlands of Ohio. My quads were trashed by the time I hit Panamint Springs about mile 72.  I took a shower there with all my clothes on and then started back out on the course.  My clothes dried almost immediately.  As I neared Lone Pine (around 120 miles), my crew calculated that I was actually way ahead of the 48 hour time goal and quickly had to arrange for accommodations in Lone Pine a day earlier than planned. 

As I hit the Portal Road for the last 13 miles of the race, for the first and only time in an ultra I started hallucinating.  This was actually entertaining because I knew what I was seeing was not real so it was a bit like watching TV.  There were people crawling along side of me (not really there) and flowers and plants jumping out at me along the road.  I had to quit looking at them because it was too distracting!  I had to finish the race!  I finally crossed the finish line in 42 hours and 21 minutes.  I ended up as the 5th female and the 16th overall.  Contrast that time to the 2012 race:  5th female time was 35:46 and 16th overall was 31:04.  In 2002, the race cut-off was 60 hours, now it is 48 hours. 

Things have definitely changed at Badwater from the runner in the bunny suit in 2002….. And while compared to today’s standards I wasn’t too speedy, I did make it to the top of Mount Whitney.