Strolling Jim Race and postrace report

(This is part two of the Strolling Jim report. Start with the overview and prerace if you want to read this in order.)

Race morning was probably as easy as it could be. The parking lot was right across the street from the tent where we had to pick up our timing chip and the starting line was just on the other side of the railroad tracks. All of this was right in the square of Wartrace (photo above taken about 20 minutes before the start).

I made small talk with a few people while we were waiting for the race to start. Everyone was great. I overheard one older guy (yellow shirt on the right of the above photo) saying he had run this thing many times and the guy I was standing with said this older guy was a good steady runner pace wise. So the race director blew the Conch shell and we were off. I didn't actually see this conch shell because I lined up near the back. The light, skinny, fast runners were lined up near the start. I'm anything but light, skinny or fast so I lined up near the back. I fall without a problem into Clydesdale category of runners.

Just about everything I know about ultra running I have learned from listening to the 100mileUltraRunning podcast. This guy finished in the top half of the all people that finished the grand slam of ultrarunning. The grandslam is finishing 4 specific 100 mile races in just a few months. He would be the first to say he is not a guru of ultra running but that makes him one. Anyway, the two big things I picked up from him are it is important to have a plan and not to waste time in/at aid stations. I combined this into a singular plan of just to keep moving. It sounds simple but there are other plans. Walk and run at a set interval, resting at aid stations, etc. However, I picked the plan of moving forward.

So the pack of runners started out of town. It's uphill out of town. It's not an official hill (those are marked as such) but it was a hill. The old timer said fairly loudly that there were plenty of hills to run on the course but this was not one of them. So I didn't. This guy had run the course plenty of times and it seemed smart to listen to him. I walked that first hill out of town. I think it was a really smart idea, there were plenty of hills to run later on.

I've heard a big part of Ultra running is mental or even that the metal part is harder than the physical part. I think what they mean by the start of the race you are as fit as you are and that can't change (not including getting sick). However, how you deal with the metal aspect can change and so that is a bigger part once the race starts. The advice I did pick up from others that morning and at the start was not to think about how far we had to go. Don't think about it. So I tried not to and for the most part that worked. I broke the run up into 2-2.5 mile sections. Water was put out along the course about every 2.5 miles so it was easy just to think about running to the next water drop (below).

The other mental game I played was to pretend the run didn't start until mile 10. I had done three 30 mile training runs so I knew if I could really just start at mile ten I would be fine. I thought of the first 10 miles as just a warm up and didn't worry about pace at all. I was just trying to get to mile 10 feeling as good as possible. This worked because at mile ten I felt like I could start a 30 mile training run.

Food/water/aid stations:

I took my running pack with two bottles. Since I knew from the prerace directions there would be plenty of water I started without water in the bottles (why carry extra weight). I took the pack because I wanted extra socks with me and gels. A big fear was blisters. I changed my socks three times (so I wore four pairs overall). I changed them anytime I started to feel even the slightest hint of a problem. It may have been overkill but I didn't get any blisters so I'll take it.

I've read it's nearly impossible to eat more calories than your burn during ultras so I had a plan to have a gel at every 2-3 miles. For the most part I sticked to that plan. Near the end I stopped taking as many because I didn't want to risk feeling sick. I'm not sure exactly how many gels I had but it was around 14 (all Hammer gels). The aid stations also had food and I took a few handful of pretzels and about 10 fig newtons (a classic ultra food). I took hammer gels with caffeine (around mile 30 and 36). I used Trail Slammer's advice at the aid stations. I grabbed the food and ate it on the move instead of standing around to eat it.

This was the first race I did where I used drop bags. You could have up to three bags (one moved from the first to the last aid station after you past the first one). I used 3 of the 4 drop locations. I used them mainly just to see how it works and if it would work. I didn't put anything in them I couldn't live without (I took that stuff in my pack). However, I put a few extra gels and socks in the packs and extra sunscreen and anti-chafing stick.

I had plenty of water on the course. I probably had about 0.8 liters every 2.5 miles on average, sometime a bit more but less near the end. I took in about 8 endurolytes during the race.

Course:

The course was very hilly. I could not have run hills around here that matched the hills on the course. I think there were only 4 official hills but there were many more (marked with, "this is not a hill'). If you came across a sign on the road saying "this IS a hill" then you knew you were in for it.

This downhill (above) was marked quad killer. It was. The only place I am still sore 3 days later is my quads. I don't have hills like this one to run down around here. My quads were killed.

It was a very pretty course (see two below). I ran by myself but played leap-frog with a few others for at least 36 miles, mainly a group of two and later three girls from Florida that were using a set walk-run plan. They really must of had fun will the hills being from flatland. I was wearing a blue shirt and had a red pack. They gave me the nickname of Superman along the course (my favorite superhero by the way).

I felt good during the entire race. I never really struggled. It's possible I should have run faster but my main goal was to finish, I didn't really care what my time was and didn't worry about it.

The weather turned out to be great. I will always take cooler if I can but the forecast for tomorrow here in middle TN is for the lower 90s. I feel very lucky the race day weather was in the lower 70's and mainly overcast. A run in the upper 80's or lower 90's with sun easily could have added an hour or more to my time.

Around mile 30 I realized I had a good shot at beating my 10 hour goal even without pushing the pace, I just had to keep the same pace or not fall off the current pace too much. Around mile 36 I made the choice to pick it up. I had the energy to do so and the hills, even the not real hills, were over and so I did my best to push the pace but not push it so far as to fall apart. I ran the last five at a good marathon pace for me. I thought about "sprinting" the last few hundreds yards but didn't. The time saved would not have been worth the possible soreness from sprinting at that point. Plus I was not near a time point (hour or half hour) and had no time to beat. So instead of sprinting near the end I took out my iphone (while moving) and took a picture of the finish line while still running.

Post race:

There was a post race meal if you wanted it. I had some but didn't really feel hungry at that point. It was nice just to sit under the tent and chat with a few other runners. I left for home about a half-hour after crossing the finish line.

Post race plan:

I do have an interest now in trying a 50 mile run (no current interest in a 100). However, I think the plan for this next year will be improving my marathon time at the Philly Marathon this fall and then doing the Strolling Jim again next year and improving my time (assuming the weather is about the same). If I train again for the Strolling Jim the only thing I would do different is go out of my way to get in more hills (both up and down).

Up next: I plan to run/walk five miles Wednesday and Friday but otherwise take off. Starting next Wednesday I'll develop a plan to work on my marathon speed for the fall.