Creemore Vertical Challenge
Fortunately, there is little to report, mainly because progress continues apace with the plan. And yes, there actually is a plan, or more exactly, a Specific Action Plan. All the big projects at Honda (where I used to work before retirement) had to develop an SAP. When I first started the CVC race, I developed an action plan as a means of keeping track of tasks and their progress. My initial thought was that staging a race would be comparable to a minor project. Wrong! It is no where near as complicated as a large project, but more in line with a mid-sized project. Staging a race takes about 10 months. Yes, I will start working on the 2016 CVC race in October. There is little to do until March, but just getting ready for launching the online registration (which I strive to do by January) requires completion of about a dozen tasks. Those of you who are astute will have noticed that the Creemore race info page still shows the 2014 IAU Bronze Label certification. Yes, I did obtain Bronze for 2015, but I did so after submitting the updated race page to the OUSER (now OUTRace) website.
I have started preparing the trails, signage is complete, hard stock has arrived (magazines, pins, bibs, cups, Gatorade, Hammer Gels, tables, tents... it's a long list) and there is only one surprise. The surprise won't affect runners, but volunteers trying to get to aid station #2 are in for a detour! The bridge over the Mad river on Collingwood Street is being replaced. Collingwood Street includes the cute little Hill #1. There is a detour to get from the town of Creemore to AS #2.
The long range weather forecast for race day looks good (I told you I might lie); partly cloudy and a high of 22. Registration is down this year. As I write this, there are still 89 spots left. Hopefully there are a few procrastinators amongst the running crowd! I like signing up late when dealing with an injury. It allows for near-race day decisions. From a race director's perspective, late sign-up causes potential issues. I prefer to order T-shirts when I have a good indication of the numbers in terms of gender and size. This year is a wild guess. Those in the 25K might want to pick up your race gear early, or you might not get your shirt size.
Dirty Girls Race Report
I sort of envision 2015 as my comeback year. I am running more (being retired, there is little excuse not to...), I am injury free and I have some long runs under my belt, having run 4 ultras before Dirty Girls (DG). I am way more active now, then I was 2 years ago. I have lost weight, so running should be effortless. Yes, I am still an incurable optimist!
Heading into DG, I knew my A goal was unreachable. I would have to bag 50K in 6 hours, to have a chance at reaching 80K (my A goal) in 12 hours. My B goal; realistic, or so I thought, was to run 72K. Since I had already run 52.8K in 6 hours at Kingston, I saw no reason why I would ever have to stop before 60K, in 12 hours. Yes, it was a tough course, but please speak to the hand.
The first loop was slow, as traffic took a few kilometers to thin out. This is fine in a 12 hour race, as I would be walking before the end. The second loop is when I noticed how much I was sweating. It was very humid, although I did not feel the heat. I can normally run well in "mild heat", although there have been some spectacular exceptions. Although I was careful not to over-amp, I was hoping to put in 4 - 5 loops before resorting to walking breaks. Loop 3 was still fine, although my clothes changed from being drenched with sweat to... dry. Not a good sign.
At the end of loop 3 (24K) I was tired. This was very frustrating, as I had tapered well, with the exception of running 7.5K on Thursday. Here is my logic. Many runners run a slow, short run 2 days before a race, to stretch out the legs. Since my training was going well, I figured a 7.5K run would not affect my race. Perhaps I am wrong, but I should not have been tired after only 24K. On loop 4 I definitely felt the heat. My stomach was giving me a lot of grief, I was having trouble drinking enough, and dry clothes indicated that my hydration was off. I diligently stuck to my salt intake plan, although perhaps I should have reduced earlier, as I was not able to take in a corresponding amount of water.
Loops 5 was when I knew this was not going to be my breakout race... Okay, there is a modicum of sarcasm there, but I had prepared hard to run well beyond 50K. On loop 7, although the math indicated I could still reach 64K (8 loops), I had to pull the plug. I was nauseous and unsteady on my feet, even while walking. After only 56K, I packed it in.
After my race was over, Kinga and Stephan Miklos helped me to recover. I was very dizzy and close to passing out. They helped me to take in fluids (ginger ale) and eat some food. After a 5 minute struggle, I took off my shoes, hydration belt and socks. I went over to the hose and poured water on my head. Within 60 seconds, I felt much better! Although I was in no condition to start another loop (I think Kinga would have hog-tied me if I had suggested as much) it meant that I was experiencing heat issues. Had I used the hose sooner (after loops 4, 5 and 6), I might have made it to 64K.
Oh well, pigs cannot fly as yet... Come on CRISPR's...
So, once again I am disappointed with my race. Yes, it can be argued that factoring in the heat and humidity, 56K is not too bad. Others at DG had problems. I passed one fellow in the 24 hour race who was walking until it cooled down, a smart strategy for such a long race. The silver lining in all this is that although my distance was deplorable, it took me 9.5 hours to get to 56K. Much of ultra literature stresses that it is time on your feet that will eventually produce results.
I am hoping and waiting patiently... for results.
My next race will likely be Haliburton, hopefully the 50 mile distance. Before then, I have to prepare for the Creemore Vertical Challenge, then we are in Italy for 2 weeks, then I crew Lee Anne at the Race For The Ages, in Tennessee.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment