Reflections on Laurel

Usually I like to reflect after a big effort to decide what worked, and what didn't. This is a summary of my race at the 2010 Laurel Highlands Ultra.

What worked:

1. Started conservatively. Did not blow up early. I remember conciously telling myself on the big hills early in the race, "Let the others go ahead. We are a short way into a very long race. Don't go out too fast." For the most part I did a good job of pacing myself early.

2. Knowledge of the race course. This is just an advantage of living so close by, but there were really no surprises about the course. I knew how to attack the different sections.

3. Ate pretty consistently. Once an hour for the first ???? miles (maybe 40 or 50). After that, ate smaller portions every half hour. Really did not bonk at all during the race.

4. Took care of blisters early. Had a pretty nasty one taken care of at the mile 47-ish aid station (by a Badwater veteran!). Had duct tape in drop bag so I was ready to go.

5. Ran my own race. Sometimes it is hard to not get swept up in the competition of those running close by you. However I had the Ipod to keep myself locked in, and really didn't worry about anybody else. This was my "B" race for the year so the pressure was off, which really helped me stay loose.

6. Carried a handheld bottle in addition to the bladder. This turned out to be invaluable on this particular day, since I was able to refill my bottle at many of the stream crossings, and get cold water.

7. Had a small handheld light in addition to the headlamp. Another spur of the moment decision that proved to be very helpful.

8. Overnight bike/run with a psychotic ultra-triathlon friend was probably as valuable as any of the long runs I did. It was grueling at the time, but during the race I was really able to draw on that experience and felt that much more comfortable running through fog and rain, in the middle of the mountains at 3 in the morning.

9. Finished strong!!! Passed four people in the final mile or two and had the gas left in the tank to power down a really rocky hill to bury them with a certain amount of authority. I have been on the other side of that equation many, many times. It is demoralizing to get passed in the final miles. On the flipside, the competitive side of me gets off on doing it to others. It is a competition -- we are all friends before the race and after it -- during the race, I will do everything I can within the rules to beat the competition, and if I can do it with a certain amount of gusto, I will leave no doubt as to who the better competitor is on that particular day.

What didn't work:

1. Walked some sections I should have run, especially on the detour. I could have run a lot more of that detour but I guess was feeling a little sorry for myself at the time, and just walked it. I probably could have shaved half an hour or more off my time.

2. Walked sections of the trail at dusk/night that were probably pretty runnable. Maybe at times due to the thick fog I decided to walk, but I think more than anything I was probably in that "I'm tired, close to being finished, and feeling sorry for myself" zone and ended up walking.

3. Not sure I would couch this as a weakness or a failure, but by the end of the race I just wanted to get done because I missed my wife so bad. I attribute this to some sort of male-pregnancy-hormone thing, maybe I felt very separated from my growing family at that time, but I missed my wife horribly and just wanted to be close to her more than anything. I only make note of this now because by the time Wasatch rolls around, this will probably come on even stronger.

4. Sat during aid stations. Some people find that the brief time off their feet does wonders to rejuvenate them. Decided to try it for myself. I found that I got real comfortable, easily burned ten minutes sitting, and seized up. Took a certain amount of extra effort to get the muscles working again once I started, and at the mile 64-ish aid station, I actually got very, very cold while sitting. Won't sit anymore at aid stations.

5. Probably did not have the best taper in the world. I think I peaked about 5 days before the race and was maybe on the decline by race day. Although not my fault, slept HORRIBLY 2 nights before the race (most important night to get solid sleep) due to stomach problems which still can't be explained. Was not nervous, didn't eat anything out of the ordinary. The night before the race, only slept maybe 3 hours as well. Probably went into the race tired, and a little dehydrated.

Overall

Overall I was pretty happy with the effort. In 2009, my pace was somehow faster, despite walking every step of the last 13 miles. My guess is that in 2009, I didn't have to deal with quite as much of that trail in the dark as I did in 2010 (due to the fact the race was longer). It was an absolute death march at the end though, and a blown race strategy. 2010 was a better year in terms of the strategy, and if it would have been a hundred, I feel I could have kept going. In 2009, there was no way I could have kept going. Despite that, I have to admit that it bothers me to be a "midpack" runner (I'm perhaps being generous even qualifying myself as midpack. Perhaps back of the pack?). I don't like to think of myself as being midpack at anything and ultrarunning is no exception. This really does not sit well with the competitive side of me. Perhaps time to throw in more (any) speedwork.