Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K

Saturday, 11/2/2013: Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K, 31.61 miles, 6:34:37, 12:29 pace, 46F, overcast, light mist to heavy rain and back, calm.

I woke up at 5:50AM and quietly got ready. My darling Christine had a sinus infection and elected to stay home. The temperature was 48F so I dressed in my CW-X tights, Brooks Racing Team t-shirt and arm warmers. Luckily I had another tech top, hat and Sehgahunda hoodie in my bag. It was dark when I got down to Mendon Ponds Park at 7:15AM. Someone was parking cars using a flashlight. I got my bib and got set up. I put my bag in the shelter and tried to decide what to wear.

Before the race.

I chose to add my Brooks jacket, beanie and a pair of mittens. I remembered to take 2 Endrolytes and to apply BodyGlide. I had my Salamon/Camelbak hydration vest along with a 5 ounce gel bottle of Hammer Gel. I put my iPhone in a upward facing pouch and kicked off my RoadID eCrumb so that my wife and kids could track me. The sun had come up by 8AM for the start.



Lap 1 - 1:05

I met up with Chris Washburn from Newark before the start and ran with him for the first mile. He told me that if I started out too fast that he would "kick me in the ass". So ... I hung with him until I stopped to take off my jacket. I ran pretty steady. The course was a bit moist, leaf covered with the usual roots and rocks. I found that taking Hammer Gel from my bottle was a lot better than ripping open a gel packet. You do get a lot in your mouth. It's a bit tough to swallow it all at once but it's a lot faster and easy to do while running than trying to open a 1.25 ounce packet of Gu.

Lap 2 - 1:10

I ditched my jacket, beanie and mittens when I came into transition. I changed to my orange Fleet Feet hat and went gloveless for lap 2. My recollection is a bit fuzzy but I think it started to sprinkle during this lap. I remember that a couple of does cut across the trail about a hundred feet in front of me at one point. I started to get passed by faster runners at the 2 hour mark.

Lap 3: 1:19

I put on my Brooks light gloves when I came through transition. It started to sprinkle harder. I was still pretty dry ... I think. The footing on the trail was starting to get a bit muddy.

Lap 4 - 1:30
I ditched my empty 5 ounce bottle of Hammer Gel for a 10 ounce bottle and remembered to take 2 more Endurolytes. The miles started to add up. It started to rain ... OK, pour, during this lap. I couldn't just say that it was just sprinkling anymore. I could hear the rain in the trees. I was drenched and got pretty discouraged. I walked a lot of this lap in the mud and struggled to get up to a run even on the downhills.

Lap 5 - 1:29
I thought about just quitting ... for a second. Not today! I was going to finish even if I had to walk the final lap. I was cold and wet when I came into transition. I took off my Brooks Racing Team top and gloves. I changed into my dry tech top, Sehgahunda hoodie and Brooks hat. A woman let me borrow her gloves. They were tight but I was glad to use them. Now I have to find her again sometime to give them back. I spent a bit more time in transition trying to psyche myself to head back out. I told the guys at the finish tent that I had changed my shirt and would have to tell them my number. I noticed that My Garmin 310XT was on low battery.

The rain let up just a bit as I headed out. I passed Wilt Alston around 1 mile in. He was walking because of his knee. He said he was going to finish even if he had to walk the last lap which he did. I gave him encouragement and continued on. I picked up my pace a bit. One more lap. I passed Carl Camille around mile 3. He said that he had some stomach issues early and was wet. I told him that changing into some dry clothes might help, wished him encouragement and continued on. I stopped at Carol's Cafe, the rest stop at mile 3.5, and had a half banana, 2 chocolate Oreos and some water. I thanked them for being out there in the rain all this time and continued on. I passed Tom Butler around mile 5. He said that he had put his top on after lap 3. I wished him encouragement and continued on. I found that once I walked that I had a tough time getting back to a run. The footing was wet, sloppy and slippery on this lap. I was careful on the downhills so I would keep up on my feet. My shoes were soaked and covered with mud ... I continued on trying to keep out of the mud but there was no avoiding some of it. I came down to the finish ... no need to tell them my number. Done in 6:34:37. My Garmin died from low battery five minutes later. The top three 50K finishers were under 4 hours ... but I finished my first 50K. It felt good to stop.

Crossing the finish line! Thanks for the pic, Stacy Maier!

Yep ... I'm special!

I was 57th out of 91, link here, and 8th out of 14 in my M50-59 age group. Chris Washburn finished in 5:49:15. Wilt Alston finished in 7:30:32. Tom Butler finished in 8:35:05. Carl Camille finished in 8:48:30. There were 70 finishers in the 20K, link here. There were 60 finishers in the 10K, link here. There were 17 finishers in the 5K, link here. I didn't catch up to any of these other finishers that I knew. That was kind of weird.

End of race
I wanted to take a picture of my muddy shoes and the finish line but I found that my iPhone was dead. I figured that it was either dead because it got waterlogged or a dead battery. I was just a bit tired ... OK, a lot tired. My legs were sore. I drove up to the East Lodge and borrowed someone's phone so I could call my wife and 2 of my 3 kids which I remembered the phone numbers. I left voicemails that I was done. I found out later that my eCrumb died at 12:05 during lap 4. My oldest son was watching it and got a bit worried. I had a banana and some water and headed home.

My muddy shoes 

A well earned finisher's medal!

I found that a lot of people know me ... but I don't know them by name. I am not too good at names but I recognize faces. A lot of people encouraged me during the race and congratulated me after the race. I thank them all.

I lazed around the rest of the day. A nice hot shower and bath did help. All in all, I survived with no ill effects.

Oh, I put my work iPhone in a container of rice. Hopefully that will suck any water out of its innards. UPDATE from Monday, 11/4/2013: my iPhone survived!

Sunday, 10/27/2013 to Friday, 11/1/2013

I ran 3 times in 6 days, 18.0 miles.
I ran 23 times during the month of October (6 were warmups or cooldowns), 101.2 miles, 4.4 miles/run
I have run 191 times in 304 days so far in 2013, 1086.7 miles, 5.7 miles/run

Sunday, 10/27/2013: Rest day.

I decided not to run in the morning. My left hamstring was a bit twitchy during yesterday's Pumpkins in the Park 5K. Christine wanted me to stay home but I set forth to head out to Wayne county. First, I saw my daughter, Karen, in Newark. I hung about 8 pictures for her in her apartment. She paid me with cookies ... which were yummy! Then it was on the Wayne County Nursing Home to see my father. Next, I went the Finger Lakes Racino to see my youngest son, David. He took a five minute break from work to see me. Then I left a voicemail with my oldest son, Michael. I stopped by Rochester General Hospital on the way back to drop off some clothes to my ex's mother who just had a pacemaker put in. My ex didn't want her coming back to the Terrace at Newark in just a flimsy nightgown. It was no trouble since RGH was on my way back.

Soon enough, I was back home. My darling Christine was happy to see me.

Monday, 10/28/2013: Rest day ... along with doing 4 loads of laundry.

I received an email that the Mendon Ponds Run on Saturday are sold out. That means that 300 runners will out there between the 5K, 10K, 20K and 50K. So ... us 50Kers will have the trails all to ourselves at 8AM for 90 minutes and then will be joined by lots of other runners of varying speeds and abilities for a while.

Tuesday, 10/29/2013: 2 runs of 6.2 and 5.2 miles, 43F, 54% RH, dusk and night, calm.

I had to get out but more laundry needed to get done. What to do? Combine the two, of course. I put in one load into the washer and then had the usual pre-run bowl of cereal. I transferred the first load to the dryer and put in the second load into the washer. I knew I had 50 minutes before the dryer was done so I ran 10K on my usual route at a nice and easy 8:22 pace, nothing difficult.

Garmin Connect Activity for Usual 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

When I got back I took out the first load from the dryer and put the second load into the dryer. I knew I had another 50 minutes so I went for a really nice and easy 5.2 miles at 8:51 pace, very relaxed but a very boring route.

Garmin Connect Activity for 5.2 ladder miles around the streets of Irondequoit

My darling Christine was kind enough to fold the first load of laundry while I was out on the second run. She was also making some leftover chicken along with some zucchini for supper ... kind of yummy! Only kind of because it was kind of cold when I calmed down enough after the second run to eat it.

Wednesday, 10/30/2013: Rest day.

My darling Christine made some pasta so I ate a bowl, took a nap and then ate another bowl. Carbo-loading for Saturday's Mendon Ponds Trail Run, baby!

Thursday, 10/31/2013: 6.6 miles, 54:31, 8:15 pace, 66F, dusk to night, light mist and wind at the end.

Garmin Connect Activity for 6.6 miles on Halloween

I needed about 5 miles to go over 100 miles for the month of October so .... what to do? Since it was 66F I decided to go for a run. I set out around 5:40PM while it was still light. There weren't too many Halloweeners out during the early parts of my run. But as soon as it got dark .... boom! There were Halloweeners everywhere as I was coming down Seneca Ave. Plus the wind came up and a light mist started to fal ... sweet! I stopped and took a picture of a house on Collinwood Ave that always is decked out to the nines on Halloweeen.

Friday, 11/1/2013: Rest day.

I went to Park Ave Bike in Henrietta and bought a bottle of orange Hammer Gel and a 5 ounce gel bottle. I used most of the $25 gift card that I won at the Heather Boyum 5K. I unloaded my gear bag and looked through it so I wouldn't have to do it tomorrow morning ... good thing. I loaded up my 5 ounce gel bottle and another 10 bottle water bottle. All ready. I tried to go to bed early ... didn't happen.