Bimbler's Bluff 50K ~ Race Ratings (CT-#43)

Tag line: "50k .... plus a little"

Ratings...

Bimbler's Bluff 50k ~ October 24, 2010

Guilford, CT~ Genesse Preserve/Guilford School
Type: 99%Trail... plus a little grass and crossings
Year Running: 3rd
Registration Fee: $45 Early ($55 late)
Charity Race? No
Runners:  103 Finishers (111 Starters)... 25 Females

Available Races: 50k, Relay (limited)
Average Finish Time: NA

BQ %: NA


Overall Race Ratings: 3.4/5.0

Average Calculated Rating: 3.5/5.0
~ Overall this is a great trail/ultra race and would be great for beginners as it's not very technical. There are a few challenges in the course, but it's easy to find your way through the course without getting lost. Don't go for the swag or expect anything great, because they're lacking there. It's either expensive or a long drive to get to this race... but the pretty course, great spectators and support on the course are worth the trip!

Race Director: Let's play race director...

~ The race website could use a little help. It's not just for this race, but all the races up on that trail and in a blog format so it's hard to find information. When you do, you need to download excel files to read it. The information needed for an ultra is very important, so maybe this race needs it's own separate site. If we know a race is long, take off the initial loop around the school yard so it's closer to 31. The swag can definitely use a LOT of help. A medal would be great... or at least a decent t-shirt! 

Event Organization: 2.5/5.0 (now broken into 2 parts, see below as well) As far as "event organization" we'll include things like Host hotel, website use, ease of travel to the event and to the actual race, etc.

Distance from Airport to Expo/Race: Closest (and most expensive) is 11 Miles. Most are 40+
Rental Car Required: Yes!
~ Getting to the race is a little bit of a challenge. The closest airport is very expensive. However, there are a LOT of airports within 100 miles so you have lots of less expensive options that you can drive from. The website is a little all over the place as it is more of a blog... so posts for specific information relating to this race are hard to find! Once you do find the pages you need, however, they give you quite a bit of information, including a full description of every single section of the course. They also warn you adequately about the distances between aid stations and the suggestion to carry a water bottle. Leading up to the race they sent out information by mail and they even gave us two suggestions for hotels. 

Race Organization: 4.0/5.0

Hydration Color/Type: Various/Various. They had both heed and gatorade in different colors. 
~ I loved that they had so many options for drinks. They ALSO had cola, mountain dew, water (duh), and I think some kind of sugary drink
Gel Type/Flavors/Availability:  Various! As per usual with trails, they had a mixed assortment that looked like we all pooled our leftover gels from races. Always fun!
~Post Race Food: .DURING the race the aid stations were freaking STOCKED with food. They had everything from chips, cooked potatoes and candy to PB&J squares and fresh grilled cheese sandwiches they were making right there. A-MA-ZING! Post-Race they had a tent with anything you could need. There was a lovely woman making burgers by request (yum). 

~ Loved the food at the stops. They warn you, but there are only a handful of stops. The longest you go is about 9 miles without a stop. No rest stops because... well there is the woods. The course was long, which they actually also warn you about! 

Course: 3.8/5.0

MarathonGuide Rating NA
Garmin Distance: 32.6

Type: Open Trail/Single Track Trail
~ Elevation Gain/Loss: NA

~ This course was probably a 3 on a 1 to 5 scale for difficulty. Only about 15% of the course was VERY technical and probably 30% was single track. The difficulty came from the constantly rolling hills and the inability to see the ground with SO many fallen leaves. It gets a little extra for being a little more than a 50K! I added an extra mile when we got lost, but the extra .6 is all on the course! There was one are... The Bluff... that was non-runnable. That was probably 2-3 miles overall. The course was pretty well marked and there was only 1 area where we got lost. There weren't too many split areas that were hard to miss turns either. The whole area was covered very pretty northeast fall  foliage! 


Spectators: 4.3/5.0

~ Trail races are hard to get spectators to, but this group put on a great effort. All of the aid stations had a ton of people there as well as any road breaks across the trails. Not just the volunteers... but also spectators out there to catch their runners. And boy were they excitable! Of course it's not like the big road races... but it's not quite the same type of race!


 Pace Group: NA/5.0
~ None Needed



Runner/Corrals: 4.5/5.0

~ No Corrals needed. The runners were all pretty nice. You could tell this group runs together/against each other quite often. There was definitely some competition amongst the leaders. Most of the runners stayed after the finish, chatting and cheering each other on. 

Expo: NA/5.0

Swag: 2.0/5.0

~T-Shirts: The shirts are pretty bad. They are BRIGHT Yellow with a very unflattering design. The design is the same as the logo up top with the question mark. It almost looks like the computer that printed these had an error and it printed out the error question mark or something...?? On top of that they are a really bad material, itchy, stiff and generally not comfortable. 2.5

~Medals: No Medals. "Unique Finisher Awards" were hats, a shoe bag, and a Poron (sponsor) water bottle. -.5


~ Goodie Bag: No extras

Results: Stephanie
Chip Time: 5:46:36
Place: Overall- 22/103, Gender- 5/25, A/G (F25-29)- 2/4


Happy Racing,
Stephanie 
"Run to Win" - Meb

CT Bimblers Bluff 50K ~ Post-Race Thoughts!!!!

This past weekend was the Bimblers Bluff 50K in Guilford, CT.  State #43 for me and marathon #46! This is a small trail ultra that isn't too highly publicized. I found it in attempts to find a marathon that works. Hartford is at a huge marathon time of the year and the mean nip-muck man wouldn't let me in his race b/c I'm not from the area-- I still haven't forgiven Nip-Muck Man! Outside that, there is 1 or 2 others in CT but they didn't work well with the schedule. I'm very happy we picked this one up because it was a great trail course, lots of fun and a great group of runners!


Pre-Race...
MB ran the race as well and our Pit Crew Chief was even able to come!  We didn't get a picture with him... but I promise, he was there holding the bags and taking the pictures! We found our friend and fellow Marathon Maniac, Brent, before the race and got a "Maniac" picture and then we were off...

The Race...

The race started and about a mile later it stopped! We came to a dead-end... yep a mile in and the first 20 runners were already lost! The first few missed a turn and none of us paid enough attention to realize we were offtrack. So we back tracked (adding on about a mile) and got back on course! 


The race a mostly an open trail (non technical) with a few short sections of single track tech. There were also some areas where we were running on a bed of rocks... and that did not feel too good! The course was full of rolling hills that added a challenge and a few areas of-- well climbing! We hit the "Bluff", which is a straight up climb. 


There were only a few aid stations on this course, but the volunteers (and spectators that made their way out to the trails) were so excited and helpful as we came through. I LOVE eating on trail ultras... unlike normal marathon they always have extra goodies: PB&J squares, candy, chips... they even had grilled cheese sandwiches! Not gonna lie... there is a good chance all the food slowed me down just a bit! Of course they also had mountain dew and coca-cola! 


And the Finish!
I was able to catch a bunch of guys in the last few miles (I couldn't find any women). I always find this to be the case in ultras... I run with guys (going back and forth) the whole race and in the last few miles I always have a kick of energy and they seem to fade out a bit. It's not just me-- I've noticed that this is pretty common for women once you get into the ultras. 

We had a surprise visit at the end of this marathon... CHRISTINE came to watch the end of the race! Christine lives in NJ and had a pretty quick drive up to CT, so she came to watch and hangout with me while we waited for MB to finish. I made her pose with one of the signs they brought down from the course. They had these fun signs at the aid stations and leading up to the Bluff. 

Thanks Christine for coming to cheer me on... You're the best!!!!

Coming Up!

We have a much shorter "recovery" period as this past race was on Sunday and the next one is this upcoming Saturday! This weekend is the Spinx Run Fest in SC. The next weekend is the Marshall University Marathon. 


Boston Watch 2K11
Still awaiting my confirmation from the B.A.A! I've started seeing MORE than a trickle of confirmed runners on the entrants page.. but no Stephanie :( Right now... the BAA and I are so NOT friends! Grrr. Don't worry-- I'll keep you all posted as soon as I hear!


Happy Running,
Stephanie 
"Run to Win" -Meb

Omaha Marathon ~ Race Ratings (NE~40)

Tag line: "Don't forget your wings... you'll fly through this course!!!"

Ratings...

Omaha Marathon ~ September 26, 2010

Omaha, NE ~ Downtown/Lewis and Clark Landing
Type: 100% Pavement
Year Running: 35th!
Registration Fee: $70-$80 Early ($90-$100 late)
Charity Race? Yes... Many, linked here
Runners:  608, 208 Females... where all the girls at??

Available Races: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K
Average Finish Time: 4:22:29 (Note: in prior years the avg time was lower... this was a 50-stater reunion year, so that might be altering the avg time)

BQ %: 14.97

Overall Race Ratings: 4.4/5.0

Average Calculated Rating: 4.3/5.0

~  This is a great race that is easy to get to and has an amazingly fast course! The organization is great with more than enough water stops, a free pasta dinner, and great support along the course. 

Race Director: Let's play race director...

~ This race organization can use just a little help. First the halfies and 10K runners need to wear bibs on their backs indicating what race they're in so we're not racing people running much shorter. If possible add 1 or 2 more GU stops along the course-- or at least have it available for purchase at the expo (possibly even in multiple flavors). Post-race food could use a little help but they have the basics you need and the medals (albeit unique) can use a lot of help! 

Event Organization: 4.5/5.0 (now broken into 2 parts, see below as well) As far as "event organization" we'll include things like Host hotel, website use, ease of travel to the event and to the actual race, etc.

Distance from Airport to Expo/Race: ~ 10miles
Rental Car Required: No... Shuttles are available
~ The website is pretty functional (albeit, you need to click through to find what you're looking for). But no worries... they send you a pre-race packet full of information on the race and Omaha weeks before the race. Travel to this race is a breeze. There is a major airport available and it's less than 10 miles from the start/finish/expo/host hotel. Getting to the race, there is a little traffic congestion with all 3 races going at once, but it moved really quickly. There is lots of parking available. 


There is also a FREE pasta dinner to all runners, at which Jeff Galloway was the guest speaker. The pasta was, well... pretty terrible, but hey! it was free and it was right at the packet pickup, so I can't complain. 


Also, their tracking system displays some pretty swanky results. They use MTec Results, which gives not only your time, but your place at the various points that they have check mats down. I thought that was really cool and different. Here is an example... My Results. It tells you how many runners you passed and that passed you as well. 

Race Organization: 3.8/5.0

Hydration Color/Type: Gatorade/Yellow
~ There were aid stations at LEAST every 2 miles... sometimes more. This was really good b/c race morning I realized that I forgot my water bottle I carry. Woopsie. 
Gel Type/Flavors/Availability:  GU/Various ~ Only available at mile 18!!!! BYOG! Bring your own GU. 
~Post Race Food: .The post race food was pretty basic... bagels, juices, etc. They DID add some chocolate milk as well as soup... which was good for the colder morning we were experiencing. 


~ It would have been nice to have more GU stations. I saw on the map that they only listed the 1 point at mile 18, but I thought "that can't be right... there has to be more." Besides that I was pretty happy. Port-a-johns were available when/wherever you needed them. Also, there were a couple points on the course with bands or a guy with an amp and a guitar. 


Let's talk multiple races! The marathon, half, and 10K all go off at once... this actually turned out to be much less congested than I thought, and it was nice to have their fast paces to push us. However, once again, the other races were not made to wear "Half" or "10K" on their backs, which is nice for racing purposes. I had no idea how I was placing until the marathoners were alone and there was a volunteer who let me know... by then it was too late to make any significant moves. 


I was pretty happy with the mile markers... but the course was definitely LONG so as we went along the mile markers seemed to stretch a 0.01 longer each mile. There are NO clocks available anywhere on the course. 

Course: 5.0/5.0

~MarathonGuide Rating...3.5

Garmin Distance: 26.32

Type: Pavement- City road

~ Elevation Gain/Loss: 
~ This course is FAST! Everybody I know (as long as they were feeling well) got a PR! Even with the mass of 50-staters running this race, the avg time was still one of the fastest I've seen this year. The course is set up for a perfect race! It starts out flat with a lot of quick turns. Between being caught up with the 10K'ers and all the turns you'll have to keep pulling yourself back. When you're good and warmed up and we've ditched the 10K runners, you start on the hills. From mile 6 to about mile 13 we have a series of LARGE hills, however they run in peaks and valleys. So if you can push yourself up a pretty long steep hill, you can rest as you coast right back down it on the other side. And you will push yourself because the halfies are heading toward their finish and picking up the pace... you're sure to get caught up. The end of the race is flat to a low-grade downhill with more quick turns for great racing. I'm definitely glad they changed the course around because this is an awesomely fast course! 


Scenery? If you're out for the sights you get a very quiet city type of a feel. The beginning is in the outskirts of downtown and the bulk wraps around huge ball fields, arenas, a zoo, etc. 


Spectators: 3.8/5.0

~ I was surprised there were so many spectators out there. At least once a mile you got a good section of people until about the last 3-4 miles. From what I've read that's better than most others. 


 Pace Group: 5.0/5.0
~ There were pace groups from 3:00 to 4:30 every 15 minutes. I had the opportunity to start with the 3:30's but I went ahead and ran a very consistent race so I wasn't able to see too many others. On the small turnarounds I was able to see a few pacers and they seemed pretty well on pace. The 3:30 pace leaders had a lot of information to share at the start which I found really helpful... he let us know that after mile 13 you're done with the big hills... that gave me a lot of confidence in my race. 



Runner/Corrals: 4.8/5.0

MB, Me and Dave Mari (Maniacs!!!)

~ There were no corrals and even with the large number of runners at the start (Full, half, and 10K runners) it never felt overly congested. The runners were VERY nice... esp all the maniacs I found. It was also a 50-state marathoner reunion so there were tons of maniac and 50-staters. I also found it nice to have the halfies run so much of the race with us as it really helped to push the pace! 

Expo: 3.8/5.0

My Omaha Shirt!

~ There was a small expo with just a few tables. I did find it nice that there was so much Omaha Marathon gear available for sale and their stuff was awesome. I even bought the yellow shirt in the picture. They had a few running groups tables (like the 50-staters) as well as a place to pick up discount shoes/clothes/etc. I was a little disappointed that they only had 1 pack of GU left and only in chocolate :(

Swag: 3.6/5.0

~T-Shirts: The T-shirts were very nice long sleeve green tech T's with the Omaha logo on the front and Omaha Marathon on the back. They are super comfortable-- light but still soft. My only issue? The smalls run very large and even though I ordered an XS, they ran out and didn't set them aside for the people that ordered them :( 4.2

Official Shirt Front

Official Shirt Back

~Medals: The medal was very similar to Erie's-- round and made of glass, however they shot various colors into the mold, making each medal unique (cool) but also very hard to read (uncool). The good part was that if you didn't like the medals give to you (by marines by the way) then you could go back and pick out a color you like. 2.8

~ Goodie Bag: The bag came with a packet full of area information and discounts. It also came with samples of Omaha made popcorn as well as some joint juice type stuff. +0.1

Results: Stephanie
Chip Time: 3:24:01
Place: Overall- 68/608, Gender- 6/208, A/G (F25-29)- 1/35

HURL 50K- Race Ratings (#37- MT)

Tag line: "Come Enjoy our 31 Mile Mountain Climb!!!"

Ratings...

2010 HURL Elkhorn 50K ~ August 7, 2010

Helena, MT ~ Helena National Park
Year Running: 15th
Registration Fee: $60 ($80 late)
Charity Race? No
Runners:  58 Completed (62 Started),  22 Females

Available Races: 50K, 50 Mile, 23K
Average Finish Time: NA

BQ %: NA

Overall Race Ratings: 3.7/5.0

Average Calculated Rating: 3.7/5.0

~ This is a very challenging race with a very organized race director. One of toughest trail ultras around that no amount of hill work can prepare you for. They're well stocked to help out the runners along the way and a tight knit running community makes it fun.
Race Director: Let's play race director...

~  Getting spectators out to these tough points has to be hard, but if there is a way it would definitely be a plus. Long stretches with so few runners makes for a lonely race. That combined with the many challenging climbs is a little defeating. With all the sponsors, give away less random stuff at the pasta dinner and opt for medals... after that mountain climb I felt I deserved at LEAST a medal. That or a shrine in my name :)

Event Organization: 4.5/5.0 (now broken into 2 parts, see below as well) As far as "event organization" we'll include things like Host hotel, website use, ease of travel to the event and to the actual race, etc.

Distance from Airport to Expo/Race: ~ 15 Miles
Rental Car Required: Yes
~ Being Montana's state Capital, the airport has plenty of hotel options around the airport. There is a 20-30 minute drive from the city out to the park where the race is run, so a rental car would be needed. The website for this site is definitely a little confusing as there are actually 2... each with incomplete information. There is no online registration... mail in only. Getting to the course wasn't too bad. Getting into the park, there were signs leading the way to the starting area.

The spaghetti dinner involved a raffle where they gave away a ton of prizes from their many sponsors. I wasn't able to make the dinner, but I won a water bottle waist pack.

Race Organization: 4.5/5.0

Hydration Color/Type: Heed powder, unmixed.

Gel Type/Flavors/Availability: Hammer Gels/Various/All Aid stations.
~ There were plenty of aid stations with great volunteers. Each aid station was fully stocked with candies, cookies, soda, gels, etc. At mile 28, there was a particular aid station that provided a cold coors light! Being in a very hilly (mountains) park, it wasn't possible to put out mile markers, but the actual markers pointing the ways were very good... this was the first trail race I didn't get lost on! There weren't any port-a-johns that I'm aware of, but we were in the woods so that wasn't too much of a problem.

~Post Race Food: .The had a lunch ready for when we got back including make your own sandwiches with cold cuts, cheese, etc. They had all kinds of chips, candies and cookies, and a huge bucket full of any kind of drink you may need from electrolyte drinks to sodas and beer.

Course: 4.7/5.0

~MarathonGuide Rating... NA

Garmin Distance: NA

~ Elevation Gain/Loss: 11,460/11,460
This is a VERY challenging course! I was told it was one of the top 5 toughest ultras... but not until I was halfway through (or I may not have taken on this race). There is a series of about 4 mountain passes you go through an extreme elevation gain and loss. The uphills are so steep, they're difficult to run at all and the downhills are mostly rocky switchbacks that are also very steep and difficult to run. The view from the top of the mountains is amazing.... slash combined with the high altitude and lack of oxygen to the brain, may make you feel like you have vertigo. I got very frustrated on the downhills because they were often too rocky to risk running quickly down, rather I was leaping from spot to spot trying not to trip and fall or sprain an ankle.

Spectators: 2.0/5.0

~ The volunteers had a very challenging time getting to us on the course, let alone any spectators. And there were definitely points of long uphill stretch where a spectator would have been nice. The volunteers did try to make up some for the lack of spectators.


Pace Group: NA/5.0
~ NA

Runner/Corrals: 4.0/5.0

~ No Corrals. Runners were very nice. This is a running group (vigilante runners) from the area that puts on these challenging runs year round. There is plenty of comrodery between them all and they're there until the last runner crosses the line. I was able to meet a few 50-staters and maniacs while there, but the bulk of the runners were from the local running group.

Expo: NA/5.0

~ NA

Swag: 2.6/5.0

~T-Shirts: The T-shirt was ok. It's a low key tech T with an elk on the upper left breast. Not the prettiest thing in the world... but honestly I'm surprised they had T-Shirts at all. Most ultras don't, especially these smaller ultras. 2.8

~Medals: No Medal (per normal for ultras) but they did give us nice certificates created by a local artist and had our names and times put on them. -.2

~ Goodie Bag: The goodie bags had a few odds and ends extras... nothing standout.

Results: Stephanie
Chip Time:
Place: Overall- 13/56, Gender- 4/22, A/G ("Open" 0-39)- 4/11

HURL 50K- Post Race Thoughts

Saturday was the HURL 50K in Helena, MT. Let me start by saying, this was by far THE most challenging race I've run (including the 50 miler a few weeks ago). The race was less a 50K run and more a "try and run up and down our giant steep mountains...he he" -- at least that was my take on it.

The Race Start... Who Stole the O2?
When I first got to the race site I thought "why can't I breathe? Where did all the oxygen go? I had not known how high the elevation was going to be at this race and I didn't exactly prepare for it. oh well... off to the start! We started on a mile rolling dirt road/path. As soon as we were on the first uphill grade I felt like somebody hit me in the lungs, but thought if I just tell my lungs to shut up and push through it, they'll adjust and we'll be ok. After about a mile of the rolling dirt path I thought "ok this isn't bad... we've got this in the bag." That's when we banked left into the trail... oh FML.

Mountain O' Death #1
We immediately went into a little more technical trail and switch-backed our way UP to the base of a mountain. Around mile 4 I saw it... the steepest, longest mountain I've ever run in my life. I tried to run at first then reminded myself that 1) I wasn't going ANY faster than if I was walking, yet I was expending way more energy and 2) Ultra runners don't run these steep hills so I would soon be the only one winded and we were only at mile 5. This "Mountain O' Death" continued to get steeper, even with switchback letting us wind up the mountain side instead of ascending directly up. This "hill" (as they call them out there) continued for 3.5 miles going as hard as I possibly could... at 25 Min/Mile pace. Oooh this is going to be a long day...

We did come back down the other side and had some nice steep, but good footing down for about 3.5 miles. Not too bad. This is when we went back up the stupid mountain... seriously?? As we ascended again, I was used to it, but we hit a patch that (for the first time in my running history) made me actually STOP, sit down (on a rock) breathe deep and take a GU. Around mile 13 I thought "There is no possible way I can finish this... but there is also no possible way for anybody to get to me to get me off this course" Onward ho...

Steph Gets Snarky... Apologies to the Aid Station Volunteers
The descent from this side of the mountain was not as wonderful as the first time. This time it was very steeply graded and covered in all sort of rocks. You couldn't run fast, instead doing the worst thing for your quads and pulling back as you reach forward with your legs. Somehow I managed NOT to fall to my death and made it to an aid station... mile 19! With 12 more to go I wasn't exactly in a great mood and had a little chat with the aid station people. It went a little something like this...

Aid Station Man (ASM): How ya feeling? (*smug smile on face*)
Me: HORRIBLE (*Look of pure horror, exhaustion, and anger on face*)
ASM: Well what hurts?
Me: EVERYTHING! You made me run a MOUNTAIN... that back there is a MOUNT-TAIN
ASM: (*laughs*) Well you're almost done
Me: (*Look of This is SO not funny... and now I hate you as much as the mountain*) And what? It's all downhill from here? (fairly sarcastic... yet somehow at the same time still hopeful)
ASM: NO! You still have this hill here behind me to climb
Me: (*Peeking around ASM and seeing only a mountain*) I don't see any hills
ASM: RIGHT THERE! (*Points to said Mountain*)
Me: THAT, again, is a MOUNT-TAIN, not a hill!
ASM: (*Laughs*) Well out here we call that a hill
Me: Well the rest of the world would call that a large mountain. And you people are nuts.
ASM: OH you'll be alright

Leaving ASM and moving on, I started running with another gentleman who I find out has done this course quite a few times. After about a mile and a half I say "Are we almost to the top" at which point he laughs and says "NO! We're almost to the base!" I explain that I had NO conceivable idea how hilly Montana, let alone this race was. To which he replied "Montana IS Spanish for mountain" in a "you're a dumbass" kind of way. A few miles later I look down across the valley we just ran through and realize that the "Hill O' Death" from the beginning of the race, was now LOWER than we were... and I still had a few more miles of climbing. Again, I find myself at point unable to keep moving and have to stop to catch my breath and squat down to relieve my legs-- at which point they start to numb. That can't be good.

The Longest 12 miles of my Life and Steph's Melt Down...
*Picture: The mountain described in the last paragraph. The start of the race is a little lower than where this picture was taken. See those tiny towers on the top? The following melt down occured as I approached those...*

The last 12 miles took about 2.5 hours. It continued with mountain climbing to the peaks, only to discover steep, rocky downhills that were incredibly difficult to descend. Toward the top of this last Mountain I look at an orange marker indicating I need to continue up and the following comes flying out of my mouth (yes, at the trail marker)...

"Oh really?? Well let's see... I can't go back DOWN the steep mountain with all the jagged rocks for 2+ miles only to go back to ASM who won't be any help. I can't go to the left and go directly DOWN the mountain side. I can't go to the right that would be an even steeper path up. So up? Is that where you want me to go?? AS IF I HAD A CHOICE???" ... I then realized I was talking to an orange piece of tape, and continued on my way before "Spanish for Mountain" man caught back up with me.

We ran into a few streams that we had to run through to continue the path and in the only mildly flat area, it was covered in weeds, leaving  you blind to your footing. On all the hills I had done SO well not to fall. So when do I finally bite it? On the flat... in the weeds... as a 50 miler is coming toward me. I land right on my wrist and wrench it inward (it still doesn't feel right) and jump back up in time for the 50-miler to ask me if I'm ok-- so she DID catch that spill, damn!

I get to mile 28 and find an aid station full of men who ask me what I want. I point at one holding a coors light and say "THAT... can i have one of those?" They think I'm nuts, but give it to me anyways. This is by far the BEST beer I've ever tasted in my life! They are very helpful (or so my buzz says) and push me forward to finish the last 3!

Finally, god has mercy on me and we're back on the initial dirt path/road thing. At this point I cannot believe I thought this was (to any degree) a rolling hill. I finish in 6:40 time. Not great at all... but I'm happy I survived. Post-race celebration can be found in the ice cold creek. "Spanish for Mountain" Man brings me to said creek, where my legs go completely numb from the cold and I fall in love with the 60+ year old man for bringing me there! (The buzz from mile 28, clearly hasn't worn off yet)

What I Learned
Usually, after a new distance or type of race, I do a little "lessons learned" for those interested in doing something similar. This is more of a "Lessons Learned about Montana Races"...

1) Montana is Spanish for Mountain -- thanks dude!
2) This is the 5th toughest trail ultra in the US (I find out around mile 20 from "Spanish for Mountain" Man)
3) There is no "hill work" that is adequate for this... unless you have a spare mountain nearby that you can run miles at a time.
4) Montana's trails contain more type and size variety of animal dung I've ever seen in my life...
5) These people love their mountain climbing... me? Not so much...

H.U.R.L. 50K - Race RUNdown (Montana)

Inspiration Points...
1. HURL! The name of the race has the word HURL in it... Mostly an acronym for the running groups name, but I'm also hoping indicative of the difficulty! I need a good solid challenging race-- it makes the normal ones so much easier.
2. New Distance! I've done well over 50K and I've done plenty of marathons, but I've never raced an official 50K distance-- that I can remember? Hmmm. BTW that's just a spit over 31 miles.
3. I <3 Trails!... Another trail race, and this one is part of the trail ultra series, so I'm hoping to get points!
4. O-H! Go ahead and say it... I-O! I'm the first runner from OH to participate in the race!

MT Race RUNdown...
H.U.R.L Ultra Marathons ~ Sunday August 7, 2010. (#37) 7:00am Start for the 50K, 5am start for the 50 Miler! NEW for this year@!!! There is a 23K (~14.25 miles?) and is low key on advertising. If you want to join, but don't want to go the full distance, check out the website and sign up! 
Helena, MT ~ Crystal Creek Campgrounds
Registration Fees: $60 early ($80 late) Availability in the 50K, 50M and 23K!!! Sign up now!
Year Running: These races have been going on since 1989, but have changed dramatically over time due to forest fires, and race re-organization. The 50K wasn't added until 1997. Recorded results (online) available back to 2006)
Races Available: 50K, 50 Miler, 23K
2010 Expected Field: 52 Runners signed up for the 50K by July 29, 2010.
2009 Field:  51 Starters, 46 finishers
... Females: 18  ... Age Group: 5 (0-39)
2009 Avg. Finish Time: N/A
Certified Course/BQ Certified?: Unknown.
Cutoff Time and Early Start Option: Cutoff time 9pm for all races. No early start.
Weather Update: They're been updating the weather forecast and they're expecting rain and thunderstorms throughout the week-- never good for trails. Current weather forecast calls for rain on Friday, making for a slippery trail! Saturday should start in the mid-50's and get up to 83. That probably sounds hot to the Montana runners, but after the 50-miler in the 90's I'll be thrilled at this!!!

Course:

MarathonGuide Rating: N/A-- not a marathon distance

This is looking to be a fairly challenging course with significant elevation gain and loss. The highest point of the course is 7,920 ft. Web description: "The current 50 K course consists of approximately 25 miles of single track trail and 2 miles of unimproved jeep road and 4 miles of dirt Forest Service roads."

Race 411:
~ Race Director is #1 Reading up on the race, this director is supposed to be great! From my experience he's pretty fantastic-- securing my marathon bib #37 (for my 37th state) and sending out email updates to all the participants starting this week. He also made sure to email me and let me know he received my registration, and was readily available for any questions I had before I signed up.
~ Hammer Products! I'm not a huge fan of the hammer gels, but I love HEED (their electrolyte drink)-- both of which will be on the course.
~Aid Stations- The air stations (as with most ultras) will be stocked with goodies-- chips, cookies, crackers, PB&J, soda... yummm-y!
~Dinner! Your entry fee includes, dinner at the post-race celebration at 7pm.

Race Plan:
There are a few plans I have rolling around in my head, but there are some definite goals I have...
1) Do NOT get lost!!! All of the trail races I've run, I've gotten lost and off track for at least a half mile, adding mileage onto my race. Not cool-- esp out here where it's a lot harder for them to find runners in such gigantic woods. Oh and there are bears... nuff said. 
2) Take it Easy- I have a road race in Alaska next week where I would like to do well. Hopefully I don't do what I do in all trail races and go out like I'm about to break the womens AND the mens records. 
3) Course Records? The open course record for women is 5:41:13... that doesn't seem so hard, or does it?
4) Do NOT get lost!!! Have I mentioned this already? Ok good.. just making it clear!!!

Throw Back! Bring it back now ya'll...
Reverse the Countdown!

This is my 37th marathon-state, meaning I have 14 to go including this race. What was going on around state #14!?!? I was running The Erie Marathon at Presque Isle  on September 13, 2009! Yep-- I'll have run over 23 marathon states (plus and extra OH) in 11 months. I traveled with the local galloway runners (pictured right).

This was the race I threw a little (ok major) tantrum in the middle of the race because I knew I wasn't going to hit a BQ time and I thought it would never happen. Poor Dave C. pulled me through the race... and the tantrum. We took the second half very easy and ended up with a time over 4 hours! :( No problem-- I'll be going back to PA for redemption this fall in the Philadelphia Marathon! Speaking of redemption... I DID finally make (and by make, I mean smash) my BQ time and have done so 4 times this year! :)

This time in 2009...
Last year was when I really started ramping up my marathon schedule and overall mileage. What was happening around this time in 2009? I was in between state #11 (San Francisco Marathon) where I paced, and State #12 (Park City Marathon). Doesn't that seem so long ago???

Meet up Info: I'll be meeting up with 2 maniacs (Jeff and Joni) who are both from Billings, MT. If you're in the area of Helena, let me know and come join us for one of the races!

Happy Racing!
-Stephanie

My First 50 Mile Ultra... Post-Race Thoughts!

Sorry for the delay... Yes, I'm alive, I've just been relaxing and resting up after the race!! This weekend was the Dawg Gone Long Run- 50 Miler and I'm happy to say I'm now officially a 50-mile ultra marathoner... and happier to say that the 50 is OVER!


First-- thanks to everybody who was following on facebook and leaving comments of support! I only had so much time to post my updates so I couldn't respond to all of them, but I got them and they helped so much! If you didn't know, on some of the big hills, while I was waddling up them, I posted updates on facebook on my progress for everyone to follow every few miles.


The Trail...
The race started at 6:30 and by the time we got to the start it was already pretty hot and humid. Throughout the race it continued to get even hotter. The trail helped to block the sun, but the trees seemed to help keep in the humidity.

The trail on this course was mostly single track and pretty technical with sections of endless roller coaster hills, tons of rocks and down trees. We started with a quick (1.2miles) out and back on road to get warmed up then we started up the trails. The first/third out-and-back section (we repeated it) was pretty tough and after finishing it the first time and knowing I had 30 more to go I was definitely a little worried. The second trail section (about 10 miles) was a bit easier but included a river we had to run through and a few more open spaces where the sun could catch us.

(Pic Left: Steps on he trail around mile 38... then again at mile 42).

The trail was very well marked with long orange ribbons, but of course that didn't mean anything for me as I can get lost in a paper bag. I did manage to get off the trail for a bit, but realized about a half mile later and back-tracked onto the course. Hey, what's one extra mile when you're already doing 50?
The People...
The aid stations were pretty well stocked and the volunteers at them were fantastic. In fact, the one station around mile 43 gave me an ice-wrapped towel and I just about asked him to marry me. At that point it was so hot and that towel made a WORLD of different in the last section of the run!

With a stretch of 50 miles and such a small race (as are most ultra races) there were very few people to run with. In fact, if there weren't so many out-and-backs you could go hours (maybe even the entire race) without seeing anybody at all! Fortunately there were about 3 guys I was going back and forth with over most of the race. Ultra runners are definitely different from marathoners. An ultra is a collective achievement and they tend to be there for each other to help get one another through the rough patches together. Toward Mile 46/47 there is a "big" (esp after 46 miles) hill that I was struggling to get up. One of the guys stopped at the top and was yelling for me to get up. I told him to turn around so I wouldn't be embarrassed if I had to start crawling on my hands and knees. haha Fortunately I DIDN'T have to crawl... but that was the first time I've ever been forced to physically STOP moving in a race.

The Finish!...

The race was finished without flourish as Jeff (one of the race directors) pointed to a spot on the ground and said you were finished. Ta-Da! No medals, no audience-- as is usual for an ultra. All the other finishers were waiting at tables next to the finish "spot" and said good job as you came in. We all compared battered feet and our marathon/ultra experiences. My finish time was 9:44:40. I would be very interested in seeing how I could do in better conditions-- road course and a cooler day-- maybe so much I'll do another one soon :)

Pic Right: My poor poo feet post-race. Not AS swollen as I thought they were going to be... so that's good.



That Night/Next Day...

Saturday night, after I showered, I was able to get a better look at my knees. During the race I fell over tree roots and rocks a few times and took a few very hard spills, nailing my knees on rocks. Ouch... I DID manage to squeeze my poor little feet into heels and make it out to a bachelorette party for my friend Alissa. I then proceeded to eat everything in sight. However, toward the end of the night I started feeling really sick to my stomach and a little feverish. I also noticed that I had spots of poison ivy popping up on my legs arms and (ew) face. Fantastic! The stomach sickness didn't go away through the night and part of the next day. I went in a cold cold pool which helped, but I think I got a little heat exhaustion and didn't do an adequate enough job at re-hydrating myself.

Sunday left me in a little bit of pain, but not much more than if I had run a marathon very hard. The upper part of my quads were esp sore, but I think a lot of that was from the impact of the trail downhills. I don't run trails often and they definitely trash your quads more than road. I went in a cold pool to create a sort of ice bath... that felt nice!

Lessons Learned!
1) Don't sign up for your first ultra in the middle of a hot spell!
2) Run Trails if it's a trail race! It will help ease the impact from the first few miles.
3) Be Prepared! Make sure to have your drops bags packed with anything you could need. Check my list from the below post. I never felt like I didn't HAVE something I needed.
4) USE your drop bags. I was so worried about wasting time at aid stations that I forgot to grab my ibuprofen TWICE and didn't get any until about mile 30.
5) Walk the hills. I was advised of this and toward the middle miles had no choice but to follow it. Any of the large uphills I had to walk/waddle up to get through them.
6) Learn to run downhill on trails! I had a hard time at first because of all the twist/turns and rocks. I held back and had a hard time letting myself fall. I think a little trail running would have gotten me more comfortable with this.
7) Eating: (I got this advice from Betsy and it worked well) I ate as if I were only running a marathon for the first 26 miles, THEN I started eating a little bit extra-- pieces of sandwich, gummies, etc. Also, I made sure to get salty foods for the heat!
8) Do EVERYTHING before you HAVE to. Make sure to be drinking water so you never get thirsty and eating so you never get hungry. Start including walk breaks before you need and take ibuprofen before you usually do. Once you start feeling any of that... it's likely too late to help.

More Ultra-Marathon Fun
After all the long-hot-tripping good times I would definitely do it again and would love to try a longer race! The most typical ultras are 50K, 50 miles, 100K, and 100 miles. I would like to do some 100K's (~62 miles) and maybe some 12-hour races to try and get 70+ miles in. I would like to do a 100-miler by next year!