50-mile Ultra-marathon Race Recap

This entry describes my 50-mile Ultra-Marathon ran October 22, 2011 on the Des Plaines Trail in NE Illinois.  This is a long blog entry, but remember 50 miles is a long race!  You will need 10+ minutes to read it. ............

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Yesterday, I competed in the Des Plaines Trail 50-Mile Ultra-marathon held in Lincolnshire, Illinois.  I began training for this endeavor exactly 10 weeks prior on August 13th.  That day was the first Saturday practice of the high school cross country (XC) season.  I woke up at 4:30AM to run 14 miles before practice started and ran another 7 miles with the team for a 21-mile non-stop run.  I had shared with the head coach, Schmaltz, why I was up so early and had asked if I could miss one practice to run the race.  After the run, we had a huge kickoff breakfast and Coach Schmaltz announced my goal to our 75 athletes and roughly 75 parents.  I hadn’t told my wife yet, but from that point I was 100% committed.

The next day, I ran another 16-mile long run for a 21mi/16mi weekend.  I deliberately punished my body so I could handle my race.  At one point, I did back-to-back-to-back weekends of 20mi/19mi, 28mi/18mi, and 31mi runs all at times faster than goal race pace.  Yet, in the middle of that I ran three 5k races, which were my fastest three 5ks ever.  I battled through a knee injury that lingered for 5 weeks.  It needed multiple sessions of icing daily, physical therapy prescribed by a rehab specialist, some ibuprofen/Aleve at times, and I even took two days off completely.  However, it never once crossed my mind to back out of the race.

How does one get the motivation or desire to do an ultra-marathon?  I honestly do not know, maybe you should ask my brother.  Our first ultra was 10 years ago almost to the day.  My brother Jason was in his second year of medical school and apparently wasn’t busy enough.  I was in the middle of a 19-credit semester as a junior at Iowa State while also working 20-hours a week as a computer science teaching assistant.  Apparently, I had oodles of free time as well.  He decided we should do a 6-hour “race” in Des Moines together … and it was in 8 weeks.  The rules were simple, furthest distance wins.  I had just recovered from a horrible injury in which I had to completely stop running for 6 weeks, so I was reluctant to do it.  Also, the longest I had previously run was 15 miles.  But, I could not remember our last bonding moment, so I agreed.  The goal was for each of us to cover 45 miles. We ran side-by-side through 4 hours until Jason’s body had taken enough.  Ultimately, I ran 45.21 miles and still hold the course record today.  I executed our game plan perfectly and I only struggled the last 30 minutes or so.

Whenever, I told that story, people were amazed.  A former co-worker’s dad even insisted that I should pursue my ability.  Now, ten years later, I am in the middle of my most consistent stretch of running.  I have set new PRs at every distance and recently conquered two marathons.  I even earned USATF All-American status at 1500 meters for my age class.  I was starting to believe that I did have something worth pursuing.  Coaching Courtney, a high school XC runner, this summer provided the final motivating factor.  She competed in the USATF national track meet and in the process of getting her paperwork together I noticed there was a multitude of National Championships and I felt my times could be competitive.  For example, my 1500M time on the track would have earned 1st, 2nd, or 3rd for 30-34 year old men.  The ultra running scene looked especially enticing.

So, I decided I should try running a USATF Championship ultra.  I was very confident I could place in the top 5, possibly earn modest prize money, and maybe even be selected to run internationally on the 6-man Team USA ultra marathon squad.  In general, I am overly confident but fortunately, I’m not stupid.  So, before traveling the country for a championship race, I felt I should do a local race to prove to myself where I belonged.  So, I was off to Illinois.

One of the many positives of coaching high school athletes is that all the time, motivation, and caring is often returned.  Prior to the state-qualifying XC meet, we came up with a mantra of “Fast, Strong, Tall, Confident” to help the girls through the difficult times.  I was thrilled and surprised when loading my car to see that the girls had decorated it with those words.  The messages on my facebook stating that they would be out there with me on the course were also very motivating.  Both were things that I thought about during much of my run.  At the packet pickup, I proudly stated “50-miler … Cogdill” and the race director finding my name asked, “Ed?”  I knew then that dad would be with me on the course too.

I had set a goal of 6 hours to run the 50 miles in, which worked out to 7min-12sec per mile.  For reference, a pace of 6:48/mi places a runner on the list for Team USA consideration.  My research showed that only 8 men attained that status a year ago.  I also had my sights on being the overall winner.  That second goal changed two days before the race began; one of those 8 men (Zach Gingerich) had just signed up.  His ultra resume is as impressive as any superstar athlete or hall-of-famer.  He’s won the Badwater Ultra, which is 135 miles starting in Death Valley and ends atop a mountain.  He has more course records than I have pairs of shoes.  I considered trying to stay with him, but ultimately decided to run my own race so as to avoid having any regrets.

The race began at 7AM on a crisp, cool morning on a serene crushed-gravel trail overlooking a river valley.  There was coffee and hot chocolate to go with the 37-degree temps.  There were bagels and bananas as well.  I ate a banana and avoided everything else.  One thing about ultras is to practice not only the running but also the caloric intake.  A cardinal rule is to never try something for the first time on race day.  I had read enough to understand that the body runs out of glycogen after about 2.5 hours.  After that, it burns fat and muscle unless those calories get replaced.  Since I only have 5% body fat and I didn’t want to lose any muscle, I had to consume roughly 3000 calories along the course to adequately replenish.

I approached the start line at 6:57AM and turned on my Garmin GPS watch so I could keep track of time, pace, and distance.  It synced with the satellites with only 20 seconds to spare.  Moments later an air horn signaled our start.  I can proudly say that I was briefly in first place since my reaction time was recorded at 0.4 seconds compared to Gingerich’s 0.5 seconds.  First place was established shortly thereafter when Zach ran his first mile in 6:10.  He crossed the first checkpoint (2.6 miles) a full minute ahead of me.  He was running 6:09 per mile and my pace was 6:32 per mile.

I felt I was going fast, I knew I was going fast, but it was effortless.  I even tried to purposefully slow down, but my body wanted to travel at that speed, so I chose not to fight it.  Some of my priorities early in the race were good form and comfortable breathing.  I also planned on pre-loading my body with calories and liquid so I would avoid issues later.  I ate two Nutri-Grain bars in the first seven miles and drank 6 cups of Clif-Water (2 per aid station).  Around 10 miles, I started to feel a tinge of fatigue in my quads.  This was much sooner than I anticipated, but I repeated my mantra and used lots of positive thinking.  The first aid station with food was station #4 around 11 miles in, so I planned on having a calorie packed PB & J sandwich as described on the race website.  Apparently, I got to the station too quickly because they “had not been delivered yet,” so I had to do without.  This put a huge sense of fear into me because those missing 300 calories would likely come back to bite me.  I’m still bitter.

I just as well get all the bitterness out of me right now and describe more negatives at once.  I’ll start with the aid stations.  The food offerings were severely lacking compared to what the website described.  Fortunately, the Clif-Water turned out to be very good which I supplemented with Gatorade from my drop bags.  Also, the volunteers were incredible, but it wasn’t like I could eat bark to replace the calories that were lost at the aid stations.  Another complaint was the mile markers.  The course also held a half-marathon and a full marathon.  Once reaching the full-marathon turn-around, there were no more mile markers.  So, miles 14-37 were unmarked.  Sure, I had GPS but a visual marker adds a lot.  The race also had a live webcast with 8 timing mats to provide tracking of the runners as the progressed along the course.  My wife was very reassured by this and was going to run a play-by-play on facebook.  The system only worked live for the 2.6-mile mat.  Even today, it is still missing results from 3 of the 8 mats.

Still, the race continued to go very well for me.  The 7th aid station was at 21 miles, which put their spacing at an average of 3 miles thus far.  The next station was an absurd 5.3 miles away!  Then, we turned around for another 5.3-mile gap.  Those 10.6 miles could be very critical.  So, I spent extra time at aid station #7 eating and drinking much more than at the others.  I also was carrying a bottle of Gatorade with me since the 14.4-mile checkpoint.  At station #8, our second drop bags were available.  I ate another banana, grabbed a new Gatorade, and fished for an Aleve hoping to relieve my quads.  I was told Gingerich was hurting and he took Motrin.  I also grabbed a couple of Stingers (which is basically a gooey sugar solution).  I prefer using the brand Gu, but they were not on the course and I didn't pack any.  These packets deliver 130 calories in about three easy swallows.  I had one a chocolate one at the 14.4 checkpoint.  These were banana-flavored and upon hitting my tongue, I gagged and nearly threw up.  I forced down one swallow and opted out of the rest.  So, I lost another 200 calories there.  I later gagged multiple times on PB&J, but had to work those down.  I settled on bananas and liquid calories for the rest of the run.  This will be one kink to work out in the future.

Another big concern of mine was that around mile 21 in a prior marathon my body decided to start falling apart.  I was thrilled to cross that milestone without that occurring.  In fact, I felt fantastic for several more miles.  I passed the turn around just five minutes and thirty seconds behind Gingerich.  He and I were both still running the exact pace we started the race.  So, my marathon time was roughly 2:53:20 (6:36/mi), but we still had 24 miles to go (the race was actually 50.2 miles long).  I have to admit that in P.E. my freshman year of high school, I managed a 6:40 mile.  Today, I would string more than 30 in a row faster than that.

Through about mile 33, I met several other 50-mile competitors heading in the opposite direction.  Since this wasn’t the Chicago Marathon, these sporadic encounters were the only support on the course and I found it fantastic.  Several runners offered enthusiastic cheers and some even told me how close I was to the leader.  I heard on multiple occasions that the gap had closed to 3-4 minutes.  I wonder now if they did not take into account their own displacement of running towards me, and therefore the gap was probably closer to 6 minutes.  Nonetheless I ate it up, and besides my thoughts weren’t very clear at that time so I believed them.  I’m hoping the other 3 timing mats eventually are updated so I can know for sure.

One thing I do know is that at the last drop bag point (38.4 miles), my time was 4hrs17min.  I was still running 6:42 per mile.  So, with less than a quarter of the race to go, I was still on pace to qualify for Team USA consideration with 5 minutes to spare and I had built up a 25-minute cushion to meet my goal.  But, I was slowing down.  At this point, the conditions had changed quite a bit.  It had gone from 37 degrees with the sun peeking over the horizon to 55 degrees with the sun overhead and a breeze in my face.  It was here that I took off my XC gloves.

I wonder if I left my wheels with my gloves because they definitely fell off the truck before I finished.  Fortunately, and unfortunately, I had been there before and had a survival plan.  I started adding walking breaks and not just those at refueling stations.  I started out with running 2 miles, walking 40 seconds.  The next time it was run 10 minutes, walk 40 seconds.  Eventually, I was down to struggle through a half mile, walk a full minute.

My miles, which had been 6:30 for the first 30+ miles and 7:00 for the next 10 miles, were now 8:00 each.  I started calculating time and distance if I slipped to 9-minute miles and still knew my goal was going to happen.  I do regret walking a lot over the last mile.  I could have ran more of it, but I wanted to cross the finish line looking strong and fast, so I built up an energy reserve.  My last mile was about 9:30.  None of the others dropped slower than 8:10.  My last 12 miles averaged 7:50.

Ultimately, my final time was 5hrs 50min 58.9sec.  I was 9 minutes faster than my goal and had averaged 6:59.5 minutes per mile.  I give my race performance an A.  It would be an A+ if I hadn’t been so easy on myself for the last mile.  I learned a lot from this race and feel I can go faster in the future with only minor changes necessary.

If I had ran 2.8% faster (11.5 seconds per mile), I would have made the list for potential Team USA selection.  My time on that day and course would have won four of the past six US Championships and would have been second the other two years.  This course was pretty easy, so I certainly would have finished somewhat slower, but my time sure looks good among the elites.

Several people far more entrenched in running ultras than I am were in awe.  The director or the official timer (I don’t recall) told me that a sub-7 hour performance will get noticed in the Midwest and anything under 6:30 would be noticed nationally on the running scene.  So, maybe my name is out there.  It’s kind of creepy to think about actually.

I do have a big regret and I have to own it.  There was no one for me to hug at the finish line.  This will be the last big event I will do without bringing a family member with me.  I felt with our 9-month old still dependent on my wife for milk, it just would not work out.  The time on the road and the time waiting seemed far too much.

Afterwards, I grabbed a post-race meal and worked my way to my car.  I think the 2-block walk took 8 minutes.  I sat in my car to eat and make phone calls.  Strangely, there was a buzzing/humming in my head.  It was so bizarre.  I wonder if it was blood flow returning or just being in a sound proof area after so much time outside.

It was then that began the biggest highlights of my day, sharing my race.  First, I called my wife, who was tremendously enthusiastic before describing her frustration with the timing mats.  Then, I called my mom, who was equally ecstatic.  Next, was my brother Todd who was really into the competition with Gingerich and slightly annoyed that the “just a marathon” winner only ran 2:52.  Next were XC runners Courtney (w/Lauren) and Martha whose screams of excitement made me want to do it all over again.  Finally, was Coach Schmaltz, whose call would last the longest as we went through the race in detail.

Earlier, I pointed out some negatives about the race and there were a few I left out like getting drop bags delivered back to the start and garbage cans too close to the aid stations, but I also want to point out the many positives.  It started with my first impression at the packet pickup.  The race had received over 100 last minute entrants in last two days.  That volume would put any crew into a scramble.  Yet, the directors were extremely nice, personable, and actually at the packet pickup.  They put together my packet, told me how I was going to have an amazing race the next day and even took time to help me read the maps to the starting area.  After the race, they had arranged for ART-trained massage therapists, a post-race meal, and nice finisher and age division awards.  The trail was pristine.  It was less of a race and more of a run with God, nature, and one’s thoughts.  In just its second year, the race grew from 160 participants to 650 participants.  They are clearly doing many things right.  I anticipate returning for a future race.

Today, I feel great, with the exception of my legs.  They are a train-wreck.  They have more knots than a 200-year old Oak tree.  This morning, I was walking like a penguin.  Tonight, I’m walking more like a Barbie doll.  I don’t know which is worse, but at least I can pick me feet up.  It hurts tremendously to walk downstairs.  Yet, I decided this evening to go for a 3-mile run to loosen my legs up.  I made it 27 feet.  Seriously, my Garmin had me at 27 feet.  I stopped and turned it into a 1.5-mile walk instead.  This race has changed me.  I feel tough and rugged; cue the Ford Truck theme song.

Ultimately, my test run was successful.  I do anticipate pursuing ultras further, but first comes Boston!  By the way, this took over 4 hours to write.  Do I get a finisher medal for that or a belt buckle too?  I’ll explain this in my next blog entry.