12-HR Adventure Trail Race
Prince William Forest Park was the venue for my fourth Ultra event of 2011 – the 12-HR Adventure Trail Race, directed by the excellent Athletic Equation guys. The course was slightly less challenging than the 24-HR ATR earlier this year, and featured a 6.5 figure eight loop made up mainly of single track and fire road. The terrain was a mix of rocks, roots, dirt with a few muddy spots thrown in for good measure. There were plenty of ups and downs to “keep the runners honest” throughout the race.
The race was due to start in darkness at 6:15am. Parking was quick and easy at the Telegraph Road picnic area – very cool to get a spot just 50m from the main aid station and start/finish clock. I spent the next 20 or 30 minutes getting my gear organized and reviewing race fuel needs with crew-Ally. After a short pre-race brief and a quick chat with some familiar faces from the 24-HR ATR, we were off.
Headlamps were definitely a good idea for the first loop, and we were also advised to take things easy and get to know the trails which would stand us in good stead for the rest of the day. I settled in to about 8th slot early on – keen to follow people who knew where they were going, and also wary of a fall or a trip on the many exposed roots and rocks on the course. After half a loop it was light enough that I could switch off the lamp.
The early pace was brisk, and I enjoyed chatting with eventual joint-female-winner Megan McGrath who, as a previous entrant, had good knowledge of the course. Somehow I managed to miss a turn on the way back to the main station and ended up looking at a grassy field with no orange streamers to indicate which way to go. I was in good company though, as eventual 3rd place guy Thaddeus Meyer also made the same “mistake” (he was ahead of me at the time), as did Megan and race winner, Olivier Leblond. We didn’t run much extra distance, and it was an easy error to fix.
I forgot to make a note of my lap time for the first loop, but know it was too quick, even though it felt ultra-comfortable. I breezed over the timing mat and through the main aid station, swapped out my Perpetuem for a bottle of HEED and hurriedly set off for loop number two. The next couple of loops are a bit of a blur, but I do remember chatting with Olivier for a fair amount of time. Turns out we’d both done our homework – he knew all about me and had found this blog detailing many of my race recaps and other posts. I knew he’d won the recent North Face 50km in DC, and also had a very impressive road marathon resume. Along with Thad, Olivier was my pre-race pick for the win. Gotta love the internet, right?
So, in true ultra-novice style, I finished loop two in 1 hour 52 minutes, knew the average 8:51/mile pace was a bit quick, but still managed to speed up to 8:30/mile pace in the third loop. How stupid?! I wasn’t overly concerned with the pace at this point, but was feeling a bit bloated from taking on a bit too much fuel in the first three hours. I decided to just carry water for a loop or two and ease off the pace to allow the fuel to flush through my system. It was also getting rather sticky out there with the temperature rising and the humidity level pretty high. Still very much early days though…
With a lap time of just over 56 minutes, loop four felt a lot more comfortable, and definitely more in line with my pre-race goal of one hour per loop. However, despite still feeling good, the old strategy of banking time early on in an ultra would come back to humble me later in the race. Loop five was more of a struggle. Olivier had already pressed strongly ahead, and somehow I succumbed to walking parts of the fire trail leading up to the halfway aid station. It was one of those weird “I’m not really tired, but think I’ll walk anyway” moments. The trail wasn’t unduly steep, so, other than a tight glute and semi-sore groin, I’m still not sure what happened.
Back at the main aid station I decided to stick with plain water and an Espresso Hammer Gel per loop. Not sure if it was the heat/humidity combo, but I couldn’t get excited for my staple Hammer supplies and the Perpetuem, Sustained Energy and HEED stayed in the cooler. I was careful to take in 3 Endurolyte capsules each loop though, and this definitely helped keep my electrolyte balance in check on a very swampy day.
Average pace per loop soon dropped to over 10 minutes/mile and to be honest the next five laps turned into a mental game of “playing it safe to achieve my 10 loops and complete 65 miles within the 12 hour time limit”, which was my main goal heading into the race. I’m a little disappointed that I opted to play it safe, and not push slightly harder to go for the 11 loops. Looking back, I think I knew Olivier had the win wrapped up (he was at least 20 minutes ahead of me at the 7 loop stage), and with a busy fall/winter race schedule lined up there was no real reason to kill it for the sake of an extra 6.5 miles.
My last lap was a fun one. As I headed out to cross the suspension bridge, Thad was coming back to end his 9th loop. It was cool to exchange a few words and wish each other well. He’s had a monster year of ultra running with at least a couple of 100 Milers in addition to the 24-HR ATR in May where he logged an impressive 103.25 miles. He told me he also has the Grindstone 100 coming up next month, so there was really no reason to bust out another loop on this hot/humid day.
I finished loop ten in 10 hours 48 minutes (at the time I thought I was much closer to 11 hours to be honest). I guess with 1 hour 12 minutes left on the clock there was a chance to run an extra loop, but the appeal of kicking off my shoes, sitting in a comfortable chair with a cold adult beverage was way too tempting. It was also very cool to watch other runners finish and to cheer them on. Olivier crushed the overall win with an impressive 71.5 miles in 11 hours 11 minutes. Despite what he tells me, he still looked really strong at the finish. Very cool!
So, to sum up the 2011 12-HR ATR:
- I went into the race with a ten loop goal. I comfortably achieved the goal with plenty of time to spare, and as with most ultra events that I’ve run, I’m still shocked at the distance I was able to cover – 65 miles is a LONG way on foot.
- I finished the race with only moderate muscle soreness and minor feet issues (just a weird blister on the end of my little toe) – definitely much better than the 24-HR event which really beat me up.
- I made several new friends but also met up with some familiar faces from the 24-HR ATR – great people who love to challenge themselves just as much as I do.
- I thoroughly enjoyed the event and can take away many lasting memories, which is one of the things Race Director, Alex stressed at the pre-race briefing.
- I challenged myself and learnt a lot, which will definitely stand me in good stead for future races.
- Very happy with the 2nd place overall – it’s been quite a year for solid Ultra performances!
Speaking of future races, I have a typically heavy schedule lined up for the next few months. Basically this means I’ll be taking it easy this week as I regroup and switch priorities to the Cardiff Half Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon and Cayman Islands Marathon which all take place before the end of the year. Good times. Happy Miles.
SKINS Apparel on Sale – More Compression Bargains at The Clymb
For all you training, rest and recovery compression lovers out there, a selection of men’s & women’s SKINS apparel is currently on sale over at The Clymb with savings of up to 50%. Sale ends 8/22/11.
SKINS products available in the exclusive 72-hour sale include short-sleeve/long-sleeve sport tops, full tights, half tights and the popular sport sox.
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The Clymb is a member-only site, but sign up is quick, easy and free. Happy shopping!
Background: The Clymb inspires human-powered adventure by delivering member-exclusive 72-hour sales on premium brands and experiences, hand-picked by our team of fellow enthusiasts and experts. Membership is free, allowing users to shape the community by inviting like-minded friends. The company is based in Portland, Ore., and was founded in 2009 by a seasoned team of outdoor and sport industry veterans.
A Crazy Idea – James Murray and the 100 Mile Run around Grand Cayman in aid of CI Diabetes.
How about this for a crazy idea? Running 100 miles around the beautiful island of Grand Cayman to raise much needed funds for the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association. Sounds pretty crazy, huh?
Well, this ambitious athletic endeavor is exactly what James Murray is aiming to do on November 26th, 2011. James has been planning the crazy idea for the last 14 months, and has recruited ultra runner extraordinaire Lisa Smith Batchen to be his coach and running mentor. If you’ve never heard of Lisa (shame on you), she’s a two-time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon and the only American to win the Marathon des Sables!
James is also hoping to inspire both the people of Grand Cayman and beyond to participate in their own “Crazy Idea”, either for personal satisfaction or in order to raise money for a worthy cause.
Check out the brand new video from James in which he talks about his dreams, ambitions and expectations for the “crazy idea”. Cool stuff!
Full details of the run, including health & fitness tips, CI Diabetes Association information, a list of current sponsors and info on how YOU can donate can be found on the “A Crazy Idea” web site.
Please consider helping spread the word, and to keep up to date with all the latest news be sure to “Like” the “A Crazy Idea” Facebook page. You can also follow James and his training via the regularly updated Twitter page.
Good luck, James. Happy miles!!
Great Deals on 2XU Gear and GU Products over at The Clymb
The Clymb has some great deals going on at the moment – Men’s & Women’s 2XU gear is selling for up to 70% off the regular retail price!
On sale products include both men’s and women’s long sleeve compression tops, run singlets, run shorts, compression tights and more. Looks like some of the gear is already sold out, so click on the 2XU logo to sign up and get instant access to numerous limited time sales.
In addition to the 2XU sale, GU Products are also being offered for crazy prices – up to 55% off in many cases. GU Brew, GU Chomps, GU Roctane and GU Gels are all heavily discounted at The Clymb right now. Where else can you buy a 6 pack of gels for just $3.98?
Just like the 2XU products, GU items are selling fast, and with the sale ending in just over 2 days time (August 18th), you’d better hurry if you want to take advantage of the special offers. Sign up for free and be sure to check out the other great deals too!
Background: The Clymb inspires human-powered adventure by delivering member-exclusive 72-hour sales on premium brands and experiences, hand-picked by our team of fellow enthusiasts and experts. Membership is free, allowing users to shape the community by inviting like-minded friends. The company is based in Portland, Ore., and was founded in 2009 by a seasoned team of outdoor and sport industry veterans.
Danger: Big Month Ahead!
The month of August is almost upon us, and I’m looking for it to be a big month. After an aggressive start to 2011, its taken a long time to re-find my legs. P.F. Chang’s Marathon in January (PR), Ragnar Del Sol Relay in February, HAT Run 50K in March (3rd overall), Boston Marathon in April (PR), 24-HR Adventure Trail Race in May (winner with 106.25 miles) and the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler in June (12th overall/1st age-group) was quite a race line up, and I probably underestimated the toll they would take.
Thankfully August brings hardly any races, but I need some big miles and quality workouts to give me confidence heading into the last four months of the year.
September will soon be here with the perennial Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon right here in Virginia Beach, followed closely by the 12-HR Adventure Trail Race just six days later.
October features a family visit and a return to the Cardiff Half Marathon, and one of my favorite races – the Marine Corps Marathon.
November *should* be fairly quiet from a race perspective, but I’ll be keen to regroup and prepare for the Cayman Marathon and Seashore Nature Trail 50K in December.
Quite a daunting schedule to be honest, but one which I’m really looking forward to. Hopefully August will see a record amount of training miles and at least one 100+ mile week. With the heat and humidity of a Virginia summer to contend with, I know it won’t be easy to achieve my goals, but I do know I’m willing to train harder then ever, and to give it everything I have. At least I want to be able to look back and know I gave it my best shot.
Here’s to a new month. Happy Miles!!
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