It was a dark and stormy morning (really, it was). 2016 was the 4th year in a row I've run the ECDC 50K from Algonquian Park to Great Falls and back. 2013 was a muddy mess. 2014 was hotter than Hell. 2015 was perfect. And 2016 was cold, rainy, snowy, sleety and muddy.
My alarm rang out at 4:30am and I had my first crisis of commitment. It was cold, the forecast was bad and my bed was warm. I waffled for about 30 seconds, but mentally rallied and hit the shower. Yay me! Two eggs scrambled, toast, band aids on chest, Glide everywhere else, a shopping bag filled with almost every conceivable combination of running clothes and post-race dry clothes; and I hit the road at 5:15am.
A steady drizzle peppered my windshield as I drove up the GW Parkway from downtown DC to the start at Algonquian Regional Park. I went through various permutations of outfits in my head trying to gauge how the weather (high 30s with rain in forecast) would affect me. I finally settled on a long sleeve running shirt and a waterproof lightweight jacket that, if necessary, I was willing to abandon should I get too hot (that turned out to be some optimistic thinking on my part).
Crisis of commitment #2 occurred after parking my car at the Loudon Tech Center. As we waited for a shuttle bus, a downpour of sleet sent us running for cover. Listening to the steady rat-tat-tat of the icy rain drops, I thought of my warm car, right over there, of a pot of coffee, of anything other than 31 miles through freezing mud slick trails. I wavered, but held firm. The sleet abated after a few minutes, three busses arrived and I got a seat in the front row, so there's that.
The "sun" started to lighten the sky as we rode the 10 minutes from the parking lot to the drop off point. I say the "drop off point" rather than the starting area, because they are not actually that close to each other. While in the scheme of a 50K race, a 1/4 mile walk might not seem like much, it is, and it is how far away the bus drops runners off from the starting area. Good news, though, the rain stopped as the porta-potties came into view (quite a majestic image, I know).
By now it was about 6:30am and the race began at 7:00am. I had work to do. One aspect of this race I love is the fact that there are no lines for the porta-potties. Enough said. I returned to my bag, which I had left on a table under a tent (thank you random sponsor who stayed in bed and left your tent behind) and began prep for the start. I filled my handheld with Gatorade; strapped on my iPhone; put on hat, gloves, jacket. I stuffed headphones in a zipper pocket for miles 19-31 (music is my reward for making it that far) and a gel in the handheld's pouch.
With 5 minutes to go, I pulled off my sweatpants, stuffed them in the bag and handed it over to bag check. Dean Karnazes made a blessedly brief speech--have a good run, grab a beer when you get back-- and we were off. Having run the race before, I knew that even in the best conditions the first 1/2 mile takes you across a field that is always muddy. Sure enough, we were running through icy puddles within 5 minutes. Wow, that water was cold. I wondered if my feet would be freezing the entire race--not a good thought.
After the run around the soccer field, we headed onto pavement for about 3/4 mile and then onto packed gravel for another mile. This stretch helped dry out my shoes and my feet warmed up. Strategically, this is an important part of the run, even this early. It's your chance to position yourself with similar paced runner prior to the single track on the Potomac Heritage trail that starts at about mile 2. I found some open space and turned left into the woods with good space ahead and behind me.
MUD. As expected the trail was a mess. I honestly don't understand how the top runners could keep anything near an 8 minute pace in this slop. All together, there were probably about 14 total miles of wet, slippery, mud filled trails of the 31 (or so) total. I accepted the mud into my life and simply ran through it in a constant state of almost wiping out.
Even with the slickness of the trail (and a steady drizzle at this point), I made it through Trump National Golf course and over the first climb (about mile 3.5) feeling pretty strong and rolled into the first Aid Station before I expected to. I didn't wear a watch, so I'm not sure on my time, but I was averaging 10 minute miles when I reached Great Falls, so that's a reasonable estimate. Some PBJ and back to the mud.
The stretch from 5.5 miles to Great Falls (mile 12.4), which used to be one long stretch without an Aid Station in between, is I think the most challenging in both directions. Going out there are more hills than the early miles and coming back its right at the "hit the wall" mileage of miles 20-25. Still, heading out, I again came to the Aid Station at 8.4 ahead of when I expected to. I credit this to the need to focus so intently on each step that miles crept past without realizing. More PBJ and off to Great Falls.
I should mention that I considered removing my jacket during this stretch because the sun threatened to peek out and without any wind, it was actually feeling almost warm. I chose not to and that turned out to be a wise decision as snow, rain and wind were all waiting for me on the way back.
I actually enjoy this stretch as there are some nice flat stretches where you can run with fear of wipeout and some long gradual hills that can be run, if you're feeling good. The one near death experience is a steep hill down into Great Fall park that on this day was like a slip and slide from Hell. I do like the run into the Visitors Center at Great Falls as even in this weather there were lots of spectators cheering runners on (must be first timers, as my family was still snug in bed having come to the conclusion long ago that I was unlike to perish during these bouts of insanity and didn't need to be there to say good bye).
Once onto the Great Fall Park loop, the 50K runner catch up to the 50 mile runner who have been doing this for 2 more hours than any of us. It's actually kind of an energy boost when you realize you have to do one loop and these guys/gals are only on loop 2 of 3. Also, while there are a lot of ups and downs in the park, the trails are comparably dry and much easier to run on. Lastly, because there are several loops and out-and-backs, you pass a lot of runners and everyone is really supportive and encouraging. I find these miles (12.4 - 19) pass the fastest of any.
I think if I made one error in planning and execution, it was in not having enough to eat in the park. My ultra go-to food is PBJ and that's not allowed in the park, so I usually pack a gel and supplement with saltines and whatever else looks edible. I only brought one gel this time and as I departed the park I immediately regretted not having another. Sure, 110 calories probably didn't make or break my run, but with the cool temps, hydration wasn't an issue, so a little extra food couldn't have hurt.
Anyway, I left Great Falls (mile 19) slowly--not because I felt badly physically, but because the rain and my outfit were not cooperating with my plan to get my headphones out of a pocket, turn on some music on my phone which was under my jacket and be able to swipe and with wet gloves (hint: doesn't work). Eventually, I just stopped, put everything down and got organized (e.g. things one never does in a road marathon).
SHOUT OUT TO AID STATION VOLUNTEERS -- Thank You! Every volunteer I encountered (okay, except one who shall remain nameless and blameless, as its a tough, cold job) was friendly, helpful and encouraging!
Heading back to Algonquian Park, I felt the best I had all day. It turned out to be an illusion, but for the next 2-3 miles I entertained visions of beating my time from the previous year of 5:27 even in the terrible conditions. I passed a few runners, ran up the small hills and found my way back onto the Heritage Trail still picking off a runner ahead of me every 1/2 mile or so. But, it was not meant to last.
Similar to a couple years ago, as I stepped back onto the mud filled trails, I found myself having difficulty taking deep breaths and as a result could only maintain a running pace for a few minutes at a time before needing to walk to catch my breath. I had been battling allergies, so it's possible my lungs were just a little tired of nature coupled with dropping 22 miles of trail running on them, but regardless, as I approached the Aid Station at mile 23, my run had turned into a run/walk.
The beauty of the ultra mentality though is that this isn't defeat, it's simply an alternative path to the finish line. And, back at the Aid Station, there were PBJ sandwiches again, so there's that. Leaving that Aid Station was a challenge, though, as it is place at the bottom of two hills and by the time I was heading back the homebound route was so slick, I had to grab a tree and swing off to the side of the trail to escape.
Despite my comment about the ultra mentality, it was a bit of a blow to be passed by runners I had left behind during miles 19-22, but I settled into a nice pattern of running a 1/4 mile, walking for a minute and repeating. It probably meant a pace closer to 13 min/mile rather than the 10 min/mile I had managed earlier, but it kept me heading in the right direction and I stumbled into the 26 mile Aid Station just ready to have the race be over and glad the end was near.
One final hill to climb and then the golf course comes into view, which is a huge mental boost since the finish line is adjacent to the course. I had a brief conversation with another runner about whether the mud was less muddy on the way back, but we concluded we were both delirious and should stop trying to engage in complex thought. I'm pretty sure he was real.
Finally at mile 29-ish, I exited the woods and ran back onto relatively solid ground. Another terrific volunteer used her dry index finger to tap my phone and restart some music for the final push. Before the race, I told myself to skip the last Aid Station with 1.6 miles to go to save a couple minutes and count on adrenaline to get me to the finish line. That was stupid. If there were Aid Stations every 20 feet for the last mile, I probably would have stopped at each. I'm kind of an Aid Station groupie. Still, I did keep it brief and was soon back on asphalt heading to the finish.
I crossed the line to some polite cheers from strangers (thank you strangers) and glanced at the clock -- 1:00pm. A six hour run, 30 minutes slower than last year. Not bad given the conditions. I felt okay physically and was even able to eat half a hot dog. But, I was sooo cold. Thank God for the dry clothes I had packed.
Final thought -- Definitely recommend!
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