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December 19, 2004
Race Report
This is going to be a quick entry because I have a little bit of work to do before going to bed and I have to hit the sack early tonight because I am very sore and tired from my travels.
I am so so happy that I got to see my two friends Cindy and Carrie at the Huff 50k. They made me miss CA even more and made the trip seem like a mini reunion. My friend Cindy and I arrived to the race location a little early. We were searching for things to do and decent places to eat. Finding good food was a challenge but we did find a few places that were ok. Unfortunately, no great pasta - but I think the pasta deal is usually a lot of hype.
Cindy and I previewed the course on Friday afternoon. We just drove to the start and ran out and back on the first mile of the course. It was like a cross country course, through open fields of grass that were patted down, through narrow little trails, up and down little undulating hills. It was pretty fun but also very muddy and sticky in parts, some parts were icy, and some parts had thin layers of slick snow. I wore tights, a long sleeve shirt, a vest, and gloves and decided that is what I'd wear race day unless it was in the 40's and then I'd wear shorts. We went to the movies in the afternoon, then picked up our race numbers, and then went in search of dinner. We went to a local favorite for dinner - the Country Post. Everything on the menu except the steak, lettuce salad, and broiled chicken was fried. I had no idea what I would get. I have been a vegetarian for 10 years but last January started to eat fish. This Thanksgiving I ate turkey for the first time in 10 years. I decided to get the broiled chicken because I did not want to eat fried food. It was plain but a lot better than fried food. I also got a baked potato which was as good as potatoes can be. We went to our hotel and tried to go to bed at 10 p.m. I could not sleep most of the night. I went to the bathroom a dozen times but was not too worried about it because I got about 12 hours of sleep on Thursday night.
We got up at 6:00 a.m. race day and drove to the start at 6:30 a.m. It was so cold and dark. The sun did not really appear until 7:30 ish. I was surprised. We met our friend Carrie in the heated tent and all decided what to wear. I stuck with my plan of tights and long sleeve shirt, my friend Carrie wore the same thing. My friend Cindy wore shorts and a long sleeve shirt. The race started at 8 a.m. Cannon announced the start of the race. The sound of it and the feel of it were horrible. The smell was also horrific. My friends and I nearly jumped out of our bones. It definitely got us moving.
The mile markers were all posted on the course. It was a 10.8 mile course that we ran 3 times. I think the course is actually at least 32 miles but they don't officially post that anywhere but it definitely seemed long. The first mile we started on a road portion that we did not repeat in the 2nd and 3rd lap. The first mile was way off, I read a 5.47 first mile. The men who were around me thought they had actually run that time. I secretly laughed. I thought it was about 7 minutes so it was probably about 400 meters off. The first loop was really fun as I was running with a pack of 4 to 6 men. We were running about 7 to 7.15 splits for the first 10 miles. The first 2 miles were through fields and up and down little rolling hills. There was one pretty decent down hill that was steep and covered in snow followed by a short uphill. The third mile was on the road and pretty fast so I ran a good slit through here. Mile 4 to 6 was through corn fields and had a cross country feel to it as we were running on the border of big fields and navigating our way through piles of mud and big patches of ice. This for me was the hardest section to run because I never found a consistent path to run through. Each time around it looked different due to all of the feet that had run over the area. The region became slicker as the race wore on. Mile 6-7.5 was through the woods and was really fun as it meandered through woods on a single track that would make quick turns back and forth. There were slight up and downhills but nothing too taxing. There are some pictures of this section at this link:
http://runindiana.com/huffphotos.html
Mile 7.5 to 8.5 was half grass fields and half road again. It was pretty quick and there was an aid station at mile 7.5 ish and there was also an aid station at mile 4. The section from 8.5 to 10.8 was also really fun to run through. However, I was spoiled because there was no mile 9 marker so this stretch seemed extra long. This too was in a wooded section and had long switch backs and we crossed over a few bridges. It was relatively flat and little ups and downs. The turns were the part that tended to slow me down. The last 0.8 miles to the start always seemed longer than .8 miles.
I felt good on the first loop but was worried I was being too competitive and running too fast. I ran 1.18 for the first lap and decided to back off and run more relaxed the second loop. I refilled my bottle with warm water that was so nice to hold on this lap. On the steep down hill that was snowy on the second lap I took a huge spill, the type where you tumble after you fall and cut up my leg pretty badly. It turned out I was fine. I checked to see if anyone saw me and waved that I was fine and carried forward. The spill scared me a bit and I decided to run more conservatively. After the fall I stopped quickly to go to the bathroom to calm myself down. It worked and I felt more relaxed. I was running about a 7.30 pace and that felt good. I got a gu at mile 18 and was running pretty much with one other runner for this second lap. One relay woman passed me who I thought was in the 50k but she was in a 3 x 10.8 mile relay that was going on at the same time as the race. I was glad she was in the relay because she was running about a 6.40 pace and I knew I'd have no chance catching her in the 50k. I ran the second lap in 1.24 which was considerably slower than my first lap. Besides the fall I felt pretty good and relaxed in this lap. Since my time had decreased so much I was not sure I'd break 4 hours so I decided to stay relaxed during the third lap. About 2 miles into the third laps my hamstrings became really tight and I had a hard time opening up my stride. I was frustrated because I was not feeling too tired but my legs were so stiff and becoming sore. I took some Gatorade type mix on the third lap and used that the entire lap. I found someone to run with on the third lap and we took turns trading off the lead. It really helped to have someone to run with at the end of the race. He unfortunately out kicked me with 600 meters to go but my hamstrings did not have the ability to sprint by that point. I finished the last lap in 1.29 so it was much slower than my first lap. My hamstrings had really become a problem by the end so I was happy to finish. I finished in 4.12.38 and was happy with the overall time. I think the course was at least a mile long but I can't be 100% sure of that but most of the men agreed with me. I was the first woman overall and my friend Carrie was the second woman overall in about 4.45.
I spent most of the afternoon in the tent meeting people and eating warm soup. I got to cut a really nice cake and eat some of it. For dinner I went with my friend Cindy who finished in shorts and a jog bra in the 30 degree weather went to Fort Wayne. We had a greater selection of food here and celebrated with a delicious meal. I slept better on Saturday night but still not soundly. I am hoping to get better sleep tonight. My hamstrings are sore to the touch so I plan to take it really easy and not even think about running until I can't feel the pain anymore. More of an update tomorrow. A big thanks to Liz and all of my friends for the great support you have provided to me in preparing for this race. It was a lot of fun and I am glad I was able to run in Indiana.
Posted by mary at December 19, 2004 9:27 PM
Comments
mar--great update! wow i didn't know you had turkey in november and now chicken ! wow! thanks for the shout out... it sounded like it was so cold!!! i hope your hammies feel better soon. more later liz
Posted by: Liz at December 19, 2004 10:07 PM
wow nice job mary! good report too. i wandered over from a link that alison posted in a recent entry. hope the race recovery goes well.
Posted by: brent at December 19, 2004 11:00 PM
Mary, congratulations on an awesome race and win!! Wow, I admire your toughness - that fall barely seemed to faze you. Take care of those hamstrings. :)
Posted by: Leilani at December 19, 2004 11:15 PM
Yeah Mary! Congrats on a win in such a crazy race! I too admire your toughness. Hope the recovery goes well!
Posted by: Beth at December 20, 2004 5:42 AM
Nice job at the race! I've done the one loop run twice and my fastest finish was right around 1:27-I can't imagine doing three loops at or faster than this, it is a tough course! Good job!
Posted by: Karly at December 20, 2004 8:38 AM
Awesome Mary! I'm glad you updated your blog so soon after the race so that we could hear all about it! Hope your hamstrings are feeling better!
Posted by: Caitlin at December 20, 2004 12:24 PM
MARY FAGAN you are AWESOME!!!! don't forget to share the other GREAT NEWS....you are now a sponsored athlete...woo-hoo......they are so lucky to have you representing them. GO MARY! congrats. Love Stopper
Posted by: Kim at December 20, 2004 3:52 PM
Great job this weekend Mary!
Posted by: barb at December 20, 2004 4:17 PM
WOW! You ran more miles in one day than I ran the entire week - YOU ROCK! I loved your quick report and I do hope that you post more details later today. One of my best friends, Cameron Stuber, won the race overall. He has never even run a marathon so I am quite proud of him (he did not taper either....I think he used this as a "long" run for his upcoming marathon....I think he will break 2:25).
You are amazing...I would love to talk with you more about the ultra world - it is VERY appealing to me! Again, Congratulations on such an amazing race!!!!!
Posted by: bridget at December 20, 2004 4:35 PM
OMG -- if that was the short version I can't imagine what more there is to tell.... Except you didn't say what movie you saw. Good job on the chicken. Tom will have you on the sausage links and bacon soon.
Have a great break. Miss you Bethia
Posted by: Bethia at December 20, 2004 7:27 PM
Mary, two words: YOU ROCK! You are so tough. Take a very well deserved break. The human body can only handle so much...resting some will get you closer to your goal of breaking four hours. Enjoy this week to be a "normal" person and enjoy the holidays.
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at December 20, 2004 8:15 PM