Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Race Report: Running Ragged 20in20, Day 12


Today was day 12 of the Running Ragged 20in20 Series.  Today, we were running on the same course as yesterday.  I like this course.  It’s relatively easy, there aren’t any roots or uneven footing, and it has nice scenery.
Today’s weather was similar to yesterday.  Yesterday, it was 57 degrees at the start and got up to 80 by time I finished.  Today, it was already 61 degrees at the start, and it once again got up to 80.  I handled the heat yesterday, so I was pretty confident I could handle it today.  I just had to be careful to stay hydrated.
Last night, I woke up twice feeling unusually thirsty.  The first time, I just rolled over and went back to sleep.  The next time, I got up and drank a bottle of water.
I weight myself every morning.  My weight today was about the same as yesterday, but only because I drank a pint of water during the night.  I probably got a little dehydrated yesterday, but one bottle of water was enough to make up the difference.
Having run this course yesterday, I was looking forward to running it again.  I had no doubt I could easily break five hours again.  The only question was whether I could compete for the win.  That depended mostly on who showed up.  I didn’t know if anyone would be dropping in for a day with fresh legs.
As it turns out, nobody new was running today.  I took the lead as soon as we started running.  At first, I noticed some discomfort in my knee.  I may have started too fast, or it may have just been a matter of warming up.  Within half a mile, I was no longer noticing my knee.
A week ago, all the leaves were still green.  Now, they’re starting to turn.

In some places, you can see a difference from one day to the next.  These trees, for example, had much more color today than yesterday.

By the end of my first lap, I not only had no discomfort in my knee, but I realized the Achilles tendon that felt tight yesterday wasn’t bothering me today.  For the rest of the race, nothing hurt.  It’s possible I felt better today than I did on any other day of the series.
I finished my first lap in just over 22 minutes.  That’s about as fast as I’ve started any of these races.  I wasn’t really trying to go out fast.  I was running at a pace that felt comfortable, and I was taking walking breaks in the same places where I took them yesterday.
As I started my second lap, I didn’t see anyone else returning.  Where was everybody?

I made it almost to the first turn before I saw any other runners coming back.  At this point it was obvious that I would be the only one breaking five hours today.  I could just run the whole race at my own pace.
My second lap took about the same time as my first lap.  After that, I stopped paying close attention to my lap times and just enjoyed the race.
I usually carry a camera for the first lap or two and then put my camera back in my drop bag.  I wasn’t taking as many pictures today, so I kept my camera with me.  I wanted to have it just in case I saw a deer again today.
Most of the course is shady, but there was a long section alongside a meadow, where we were out in the open.  I was in my 4th lap when I first noticed the warmth of the sun as I ran by the meadow.  It wasn’t hot yet, but this is where I would feel hottest later in the race.

Yesterday, I had lots of opportunities to talk with other runners when we were running or walking at the same pace.  Today, it seemed like I might run the entire race by myself.  Toward the end of my 5th lap, I came alongside Jim, who was running the half marathon.  Jim and I are from the same suburb, but we haven’t had a chance to talk before.  I ran with Jim for the rest of that lap and all of the next lap.
By the time I was done running with Jim, I was already half done with the race.  I was on pace to finish in 4:30, but I expected to slow down in the second half.  I thought I would get hot and start taking more walking breaks.  In particular, I thought I might want to take a walking break next to the meadow, where it felt hottest.
It did get hotter, but that was partially offset by colder air on the lowest part of the course, where we run near a few different swimming holes.  As the wind blows over the icy cold water, the air gets cold.  Yesterday, there were a few isolated spots where I would feel cold drafts.  Today, that whole end of the course felt cold.  It felt refreshing.  By now, the temperature was in the 70s, but the air at this end of the course may have been 30 degrees cooler.
I certainly felt hot on other parts of the course, but it was never that long before I got back to the cool section.  That kept me from ever feeling too hot.
After eight laps, I realized I hadn’t taken any pictures in a long time.  I finally stopped at the aid station and put the camera back in my drop bag.  Why carry that extra weight if I’m not using it?
In the second half of the race, I probably slowed down by about 30 seconds per lap.  I wasn’t feeling the need to do any extra walking, but I wasn’t running as fast on the warm side of the course.  I was also spending more time than usual on bathroom breaks.  I was drinking more Gatorade today, and eventually it started going through me.
As I got into my late laps, I sometimes started to feel tired on a slightly uphill section next to the meadow.  I got through this section by reminding myself that after that soon, there would be a nice easy downhill section.  Then I’d be in the cool end of the course.  Thinking about the easy parts of the course made the difficult part seem like it wasn’t that bad.
I ran my 11th lap in 22 minutes.  That was as fast as I ran in the early laps.  I think I was already anticipating the last lap.  As I started my last lap, I realized this was going to be my second fastest race of the series.
Often, I’ll pick up the pace on my last lap.  People can always tell when I’m finishing, because they can see me accelerating.  Today, I didn’t do that.  In fact, I walked a little farther on my last walking break.  As I resumed running, I had no desire to pick up the pace.  Maybe I was finally getting tired, or maybe I was afraid.  I felt a hint of soreness in some of my muscles.  If they felt sore during the race, they’d feel more sore tomorrow.  I’ve yet to have a race in this series where I started with tired legs.  I didn’t want to start now.
I ran somewhat conservatively for the rest of that lap.  It wasn’t as fast as the previous lap, but I still had my second fastest race of the series.  I finished in 4:34:16.  I’m not sure how long it was before the next runner finished.  I was at least two laps ahead of everyone.
It was only after finishing that I felt really hot and thirsty.  I drank the rest of my Gatorade and then drank two cups of chocolate milk.  I was covered with sweat.
I went back to my car, took off everything except my shorts and singlet and put on a pair of flip-flops.  Then I walked to the nearest swimming hole.  It was about a third of a mile from the aid station.
This swimming hole has a beach on one side, and there’s a shallow section that’s roped off.  Beyond the rope, it drops off quickly.  The deepest parts are 45 feet deep.  I waded in as far as I could without getting my shorts wet.  Then I slowly walked back and forth in the cool water.
It wasn’t as cold as I was hoping.  Where the water was deepest, it probably felt icy.  In the shallow end, the sun was warming up the water.  It was cool, but not as cold as it could be.  I stayed in the shallow end, because I didn’t want to get my clothes completely wet.
I stayed in the water until my legs were starting to get pink and felt cool to the touch.  Then I put on my flip-flops and walked back to the car.
By the time I got to the car, I noticed a painful spot on the top of one toe.  It looked like a blister formed there and then tore open.  I saw an abrasion on the top of the same toe on the other foot.  I don’t know if it was friction between my toes and the flip-flops or if some grit from the trail got in there.  Going wading may have helped my legs, but it didn’t help my feet.  Hopefully those two toes won’t become trouble spots.
When I got back to the hotel, I also did all my usual icing, stretching and massaging.  I’m not currently noticing any soreness in my legs, so hopefully wading in the cold water helped.  If nothing else, it helped cool me down after the race.
Did I run too fast today?  Probably.  Will I have tired legs tomorrow?  I’ll have to wait and find out.  In the meantime, I’ve finished 12 races and just have eight more to go.

Race Statistics
Distance:  26.2 miles
Time:  4:34:16
Average Pace:  10:28
Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  417
Minnesota Marathons/Ultras:  70

Series Statistics
Races Completed:  12
Under Five Hours:  12
Average Time:  4:42:50
Wins:  8

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