Today we were back at Quarry
Park for the third straight day, but we were running a different route through
the park. This course was all
gravel. That meant there were no roots
to trip on and no uneven footing that would be hard on my Achilles tendon.
I woke up early this morning
and couldn’t get back to sleep. I’ve
been going to bed early, so I’ve generally been getting lots of sleep. I think I’m still used to races with earlier
start times.
The weather was cooler
today. When I woke up it was 38
degrees. I expected it to warm up to 45
by the time the race started. I was
conflicted about what to wear. My legs
don’t respond well to colder conditions, so I usually wear tights when it’s in
the 40s. On the other hand, it was going
to get into the upper 50s by the time I finished. After thinking about it a little, I decided I
could always take walking breaks if I was getting too hot. I’d probably do that anyway.
For years, I’ve had a signature
look that included cheetah print tights and a matching hat. Last year, I added a shirt with a similar
print. The latest addition is a cheetah
mask that Deb bought for me. This outfit
was a big hit with the other runners.
During pre-race announcements,
Kevin Brosi, who always makes jokes, asked the group, “Has anyone spotted Dave?”
The route we ran the last two
days went around the perimeter of the park.
Today’s route ran through the interior of the park. That meant we got to see more of the park’s
features.
The longest series of marathons
I’ve done before this was five days. I’ve
done that a few times. Today’s race was
my sixth in a row, but I’ve been doing surprisingly well. I felt like I would normally expect to feel on
the second or third day.
To finish today’s marathon, I
needed to run 12 laps. That’s the same
as the last three days, but today’s course was easier. I was tempted to see if I could run faster
than yesterday, but I had to start running and see how I felt.
When I walked out to the car
this morning, my legs were stiff. I
assumed running would be slow and awkward until I got warmed up. Instead, I had no trouble keeping up with Tim
and Jessica, who took the early lead.
I’m also happy to say that I
didn’t have any injury pain. My right
knee and left Achilles tendon both felt fine.
There was a little discomfort in by big toe, but I think that’s going to
be irritable for at least a few more days.
The important thing is that it wasn’t a big deal.
During the first lap, Jessica
and I were both taking pictures, so Tim started to get ahead of us. After taking pictures, I hurried to catch up
with Tim. By the turnaround of the first
lap, I caught up to him.
Coming back from the
turnaround, there was a long uphill section.
I walked the steepest part of it, and Tim thought that was a good idea
too. In subsequent laps, I always took a
walking break on that hill. After the
hill, Tim and I resumed running, and we ran together for the rest of that lap.
Yesterday, I was averaging
23:28 per lap. As I left the aid station
to begin my second lap, I checked my watch.
My time after the first lap was about that same pace. That’s when I committed to running faster
today. It was an easier course, so if I just
put in the same effort as yesterday, I could expect to run a faster time. My plan was to run a consistent pace,
averaging 23:27 per lap.
In the second lap, I started
out running with Tim, but I eventually pulled away from him. After that, I was running by myself for the
rest of the race.
The laps we were running today
were the same length as the laps we ran yesterday. In my second lap, it seemed longer. It seemed like I was running forever before I
finally got to the turnaround. I suspect
it seemed long, because it was the first time I ran the whole way without stopping. On my first lap, I was taking pictures.
When I finished my second lap,
I was ahead of schedule. To compensate,
I started my third lap with a walking break.
For the rest of the race, I always started each lap with a walking
break. The length of my walking breaks
depended on how early I reached the aid station. For example, if I got there one minute ahead
of schedule, I would walk for one minute.
This pacing strategy of variable-length walking breaks is
something I’ve used effectively to manage my pace in 24-hour races.
If the lap seemed long in my
second lap, it seemed short in my third lap.
Maybe it’s because I started the lap with a walking break.
After my third lap, I needed to
make a bathroom stop. I wasn’t drinking
that much. I only took a couple of sips
of Gatorade after each lap. Cold
temperatures always seem make my kidneys more active.
I finished that lap so early that
even after a bathroom stop, I still had time for a short walking break to start
my fourth lap.
So far, I was having an easy
time running my desired pace, but I wondered if I would slow down as the race
progressed. After the fourth lap, I started
to mentally segment each lap into six parts.
The first segment was from the
aid station to the swimming hole. That
was about a third of a mile, so it seemed pretty easy.
The next segment was from the
swimming hole to an observation deck that was visible from the course. That segment was also about a third of a
mile, so it also seemed pretty easy.
The third segment was from the
observation deck to the turnaround point.
This segment was longer, but it was mostly downhill, so it seemed pretty
easy.
Coming back, we ran the same
three segments, but in the opposite direction.
In theory, running from the turnaround point back to the observation
deck should’ve been tougher, but I was walking a hill in the middle of that
section. That broke it up in a way that
made it seem pretty easy.
You may have noticed that each
of these segments by itself seems easy.
By focusing only on the segment I was in, I could keep running the same
pace without it ever seeming difficult.
By doing that, I kept up a consistent pace throughout the race.
When I finished my sixth lap, I
was half done with the race. I got there
about two minutes ahead of schedule, so I got to start the second half with a
two-minute walking break.
By the end of my seventh lap, I
was two and a half minutes ahead of schedule.
Then I was able to take my longest walking break of the race.
I was wearing a warm hat and a
warm pair of tights, so I expected to get too warm at some point. Although the temperature climbed into the
50s, there was a cool breeze that kept it from feeling much warmer. It wasn’t until my eighth lap that I started
to feel perspiration under my hat. Then
I finally took off my gloves.
I might have been warm under my
hat, but my hands immediately got cold.
For the next lap or two, I regretted taking my gloves off. Eventually they warmed up, but it took a while.
By the end of my eighth lap, I
had to make another bathroom stop. I still
wasn’t drinking much Gatorade, but I did have three cups of tea in the morning. Even after my bathroom stop, I had time for a
nice walking break to start the next lap.
Halfway through my second to
last lap, I finally thought about how many of these short segments I had
left. By now, it was only nine, and the
first one was done before I knew it.
When I finished that lap, I was
two minutes ahead of schedule.
Ordinarily, I would pick up my pace in the last lap, but today I didn’t
have to. By the time I was scheduled to
start my last lap, I had already been walking for two minutes. The distance I covered during that walking
break was like a “head start.” All I had
to do is run the last lap just like the others, and I would easily beat my time
from yesterday. Before I even knew it, I
was at the swimming hole. Just five
segments to go.
A few minutes later, I felt a momentary
twinge in the arch of my right foot. It
wasn’t severe, and it wasn’t persistent, but it was in the same location where
plantar fasciitis usually presents.
I have a history of plantar
fasciitis. At different times, I’ve had
it in both feet. For years, both of my
arches always felt weak, and they would start to ache if I was on my feet too
long. I haven’t had plantar fasciitis in
several years, but this got my attention.
Before I reached the turnaround
point, I felt another momentary twinge.
It made me nervous. For the rest
of the lap, I ran somewhat cautiously. I
didn’t actually slow down, but I was conscious of how my foot struck the ground. I was glad I was on my last lap.
I finished the race in
4:39:07. For the fifth straight day, I
ran faster than the day before. For the
fourth straight day, I won the race. Perhaps
more important, I finished a marathon for the sixth straight day. I’ve never done that before.
After finishing, I stayed long
enough to see Tim and Jessica finish.
They both broke five hours.
After getting back to the
hotel, I did my usual regimen of icing, stretching, and massage. Then I did one more thing. I taped my right foot to support my arch.
I came to this series prepared
for anything. In six days, I’ve run
157.2 miles. Over the next 14 days, I
hope to run an addition 366.8 miles.
That’s an insane amount of mileage.
I’ve never put this much stress on my feet and joints, and I knew I’d be
at risk of developing an injury.
When I was having chronic foot
problems, I learned how to tape my feet to support the arch. I brought a pair of scissors and several rolls
of ortholetic tape. Before going to dinner,
I taped my right foot, so I could be on my feet without putting any more strain
on that arch. I’ll leave the tape on
overnight. I’ll have to take it off in
the morning, because my feet sweat excessively when I run. I know the tape wouldn’t stay in place for
more than a few miles during a race.
I packed an assortment of supports
for different types of common running injuries, included supports for running
with plantar fasciitis. I plan to keep
them in my drop bag, just in case.
For the first six days, this
series has been easier than I expected, but that could change at any time.
Race Statistics
Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 4:39:07
Average Pace: 10:39
Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:
411
Minnesota Marathons/Ultras:
64
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