Abstract: 3.5 hrs sleep, wake up groggy. Missed a turn, lost 5 minutes.
Second lap hot and dripping wet (temp was 100 at the finish). 60 oz/hr
wasn't enough, by a long shot. Camps at 24 miles, tactical blunder? A
frustrating downhill 5 mile shuffle. Comical attempt to race the lasts 2
miles, with numerous freestyle cramping variations. Bridesmaid by 23
seconds.
Bulldog 50k 8/27/05
This 50k runs through the beautiful Malibu mountains, and has about 5800' of
climb, in two loops. I'd finished 2nd in the 50's behind the same guy the
last couple of times I'd run this, first by 18 minutes, then 4, and I hoped
to break the spell this year.
I only got 3.5 hours of sleep and awoke groggy and a bit dizzy.
Nevertheless, I was well trained and tapered, and my legs would be doing
most of the work today.
I didn't feel good at the start, but settled into an easy rhythm in about
20th place (of 130). I was able to maintain 150-155 HR without much effort
up the first 2000' climb to Bulldog Mt., and kept it just below quad-loadup.
When that happened, I switched over to power-hiking, and maintained my
heartrate. As usual, I ended up hiking with, and sometimes passing others
who were jogging up the steep stuff.
A couple of guys threw a moves at me, but I let them go. The real race
starts on the second lap.
At 12 miles, I missed a turn. It was marked; a singletrack branching off of
a fireroad on the inside of a sharp hairpin, and easy to miss. I blythly
continued down and saw the pink trail tape marking an open gate a quarter
mile down the road, now reassured I was on course. A minute or so later, I
saw a runner walking up in my direction -- he said there was a closed gate
ahead. We were off course, despite the apparently marked gate. I figured
it out after losing about 5 minutes backtracking. The 4 of us were not
happy as we resumed the regularly scheduled event.
I reported the problem at the next aid station and started on the second
loop, having put a lot of ground between me and the 3 other lost-ees. I hit
the half in 1:28 (1:23 after wrong-way adjustment, about 7 minutes ahead of
plan). Now I was feeling the heat. It was 70 at the 6am start, but in the
80's now at the bottom of the climb. Grind up to the top, to the ridge
trail 2500' above the blue Pacific. Now it's 90-something, exposed, and the
air is still. I'm soaking wet, so it's humid to boot. No one out here but
me, a shimmering ribbon of road ahead, and billions of hot photons pouring
down.
On the downhill just before the 22.5 mile aid station, I felt the first
pre-twinges of cramps, and I made a tactical mistake. I should have stopped
to drink 40 oz of water and a salt capsule, but I bulled ahead and just
filled my two 20oz bottles. I had upped my fluid consumption to 60 oz/hour
on the second lap, but that wasn't nearly enough. Four minutes above the
aid station, I got sudden and breath-takingly painful cramps in both legs.
I winced, massaged, and quickly drank all 40 oz I was carrying -- the water
that was supposed to get me through the next 5 miles. Should I backtrack to
the aid station, refill, and continue (losing 12 minutes), or shuffle
through the next 5 miles (losing 10 minutes). I decided to limp ahead. The
cramps subsided after a few minutes, and I could finally jog, but it was
touch and go. I had to barely shuffle, keeping my stride as smooth as
possible to keep from cramping. I wasn't out of gas, and sans-cramps I
would have run strong on this mostly downhill leg. Amazingly, as slow as I
was going, I passed a younger guy (who made a very strong uphill move on me
in lap 1) who was in even worse shape.
Roger, another 50+ year-old glided past me a mile before the last aid
station, and I tried to match him, but locked up again. Very frustrating--I
had plenty of energy, just couldn't deliver it. At the last aid station, I
quickly downed 25 oz, some salt, and ran out of the aid station with Roger,
cramp-free for only a few minutes. After a nightmarish 1.5 miles, where I
cramped up, fell behind, then eeked my way back, Roger made a move about 3/4
mile from the finish, and when I tried to match it, my calves locked up. I
ran as hard as I could with an altered stride, but just couldn't deliver.
I was a nice round 100 degrees at the finish. I finished in 5:30. I Pulled
a nasty positive split, but accounting for the heat and the time lost to
cramps, it wasn't too bad. Only Roger passed me in the second loop.
And that is how I came up with my third 2nd place 50+ finish at Bulldog.
But I did beat my former nemesis for the first time, and by 15 minutes.
Took 16th overall/130.
No soreness the next day, can even run down stairs, so my training was spot
on.
Lessons learned:
1. When pre-cramps occur, stop and drink an extra 40 oz. The time lost
will be more than saved later on. 60oz/hour doesn't isn't enough when it's
90-100 and humid.
2. To quote Robert Frost (somehow I don't think he had this in mind :-),
don't get lost:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20
Factoids:
Weight: 150 at start, 142 at finish.
Calories used: 4700 per hrm.
Avg pulse: 151, 83% max hr, 10 minutes above 160.
Fluids: 280 oz, 17.5 lbs.
Temp: 70 at start, 100 at finish.