2018 Oil Creek 50k Race Report

Adaptation.

As humans, as animals, we have adapted over millennia to become the species we are now. We've done this because as our natural habitat has changed, we have been forced to change or die. This simple rule, this simple fact, is an underlying tenant of ultramarathons. As weather changes, as our body changes, as the course changes, we have to adapt to the changes or fall behind.

It was my ability to adapt that truly saved my race this year. My ability to recognize issues as they arose, address them as best as I could, and then carry on. But change isn't always comfortable and for this year's race, I walked away with some expected battle scars and some unexpected ones. But I finished. And I survived.

This year's race began, as it usually does, with a lack of training. But this summer, I took things to a whole new low. Despite having a good training plan in place and an awesome coach, I logged less than 15 miles since the end of May. Granted, I did bike and swim more than previous summers, but for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it on the run. So I didn't. And as it usually does, it meant I planned on walking much of the 50k course. As in years past, I stuck to that plan, only running a few short minutes in each section of the course just to feel better about myself.

This year was also marked by a mildly concerning level of forgetfulness. In past years, I've been known to over-pack when it comes to gear. Too many clothing choices, shoes, gear, etc. This year, I forgot a rain jacket and pants, two items that I normally have with me. I have no idea why I forgot them. Thankfully, I didn't need the pants. But man, that rain jacket would have been awfully nice to have.

Again, as usual, I arrived at my mom's house, thankful to have some good, old fashioned home cooking and some quality time with my mom. We did some shopping the next day and then I went to packet pick-up. This is when things drastically changed.

I've been doing this race for a few years now. Enough so that I've lost track of the exact count and have to look at my previous list.

• 2012 100k
• 2013 100k (DNF)
• 2015 100k
• 2016 50k
• 2017 100k
• 2018 50k

So as you can see, a good number of years over the race's ten year history. And I've loved every one of them. Over time, I've come to learn the course fairly well, how to get to Titusville, where to park, when to leave, etc. I've even started to recognize a few familiar faces, especially the Race Director Tom Jennings. But never in all of my years, including this year, never would I have ever expected him to recognize me. So when he came up to shake my hand and say hello during packet pick-up, I was floored. It's always an odd experience when somebody recognizes you and you don't recognize them, but more so when a rock star like Tom recognizes you and makes it a point to say hello. I felt thrilled, honored, humbled, and motivated all at the same time.

After eating my normal pre-race dinner, I headed back to my mom's to get some sleep.

The next morning, I was once again spotted by Tom and he once again said hello. I did my usual pre-race morning stuff in the bathroom, had some coffee, and chilled out. The race started and just like last year, I made sure I was the last one off the start line. Last year I finished a few minutes ahead of last place, aka The Wildcatter, in the 100k and what do you know, I managed to meet her as we walked down the bike path. Melinda was a joy to talk to and totally took my mind off that first climb into the trees. Made me feel good. We caught up to Julie from California who was moving slowly but still moving. I decided to move ahead and eventually caught up to Eileen. We chatted a bit but she gifted me with a surreal experience. Just like Tom, she said she recognized me from my YouTube videos of previous races. I was shocked. It totally made my day, made my race, and was probably worth more to me than the belt buckle at the finish.

As the race progressed, I slowly caught a few people and passed them. Not many, but enough to feel like I was making decent progress.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for my survival instincts to kick in. Within the first few miles, I developed a hot spot on my right heel. My socks, shoes, and lubrication hadn't changed and had been proven to work wonderfully in the past. I had no idea what was going on but I applied extra lube as needed. It didn't help. I continued to develop more pain and by the time I reached the halfway point and get to my drop bag, both heels and several toes were rubbing more than they should have. I had plenty of A&D Ointment on before the race but applied more. My socks were still fairly new but for some reason didn't give as much cushion as they should have. So I changed them. My shoes were rubbing quite harshly and I had never had that happen before. Loosening or tightening the laces didn't help.

All of these issues were small but over time they grew. I was able to adapt and change things as best as I could but without an extra pair of shoes to change into, I was stuck wearing the painful ones. So when I rolled out of the last water table in Section 4, just a few miles from the finish, my left blister popped. It's one of the worst feelings ever. But I toughed it out, slowed down, and dealt with the pain.

It was at this same time that a thunderstorm rolled in. It was serious enough to have lightening and thunder and pouring rain but not serious enough that I felt like I was in danger. In fact, I was more worried about the lightening out in the open than I was on the trail. But it stopped raining as I got to the power lines right before the end of the trail so I was able to dry off a bit before the finish.

Once again, Tom was a great race director, taking the time to talk to me, shake my hand, and hand me my buckle and sticker. Once again, I had a long but wonderful race. Once again, I was amazed that people could be so nice, so helpful, and so pleasant to be around.

And it really is the people that made this year's race so great. From Tom and Eileen recognizing me to the woman at chip pick-up and the finish who I knew from previous years but couldn't remember her name (I still can't. Sorry!). The volunteers at all the aid stations helping the runners. The volunteers at Aid Station 3 serving me food and fluids as I sat and chilled out. The fans and families cheering everyone on as they finished. The 100k and 100 mile runners headed back out for more but still willing to cheer me on. The other 50k runners in good spirits despite having their own issues (To the young lady at Aid Station 2, I hope Elvis eventually left the building, but only at a convenient time.).

So there you have it. Another year in the books.

Weather:
Temps were 70F to 80F. May have dropped a bit when the storm rolled through. Humidity was moderate to high. Overcast most of the day. Foggy in the morning. Rain in the afternoon and evening. Not much breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
I stuck mainly with GenUCAN Hydrate and food but also snacked on the aid station food when I could. I also had some NUUN here and there.

Aches and Pains:
The usual chafing/peeling. Heel blisters were unexpected. Might lose my right big toenail thanks to a couple of hard stubbing incidents.

Gear:
Wore my KR Endurance shorts, shirt, and Nathan hydration vest.

Splits:
Start to Aid Station 1 - 2:36:43
Aid Station 1 -  1:08
Aid Station 1 to Aid Station 2 - 2:33:55
Aid Station 2 -   12:11
Aid Station 2 to Aid Station 3 - 3:29:39
Aid Station 3 -   9:33
Aid Station 3 to Finish - 3:31:43
Overall - 12:34:54

Sex and Sinuses

A Comparison of Anal Sex and Nasal Irrigation

Caution: You read that right folks. Anal sex. Nasal irrigation. Lube. Snot. And more. If any of these things upset you or offend you, then you best leave now. I know I tend to post using some adult language and whatnot but today's post will go a bit beyond that.

My posts and workouts have been light over the past week due to yet another sinus infection. I get them on a semi-regular basis so I wasn't surprised when one flared up yet again last week. I fought through the first day when the symptoms weren't that bad. Usually in the first day or two I can fight the symptoms well enough to fend off a raging infection. I learned from a trip to an urgent care doctor awhile ago to use an NSAID to reduce inflammation, a nasal spray to clear things up, and to avoid dairy to reduce mucus generation. Since I've learned that, I've been able to keep a good 70% of my infections at bay. It may prolong the sinus blockages a few days but generally speaking it prevents most infections from grabbing hold of my sinuses.

Despite this great trick at early treatment and prevention, I still get a nice infection every now and then that just won't go away. That's how this one manifested and I was lucky enough to have some spare antibiotics on hand to treat the infection. Taking the antibiotics would treat the infection but I was still struggling to breath through my nose. Which meant I wasn't sleeping well. So after suffering through a few days of work, I decided to try out nasal irrigation.

I have considered nasal irrigation in the past by looking into Neti pots. Once I learned that you were literally giving yourself an enema of the face, I decided I wasn't too keen on having warm water go into my nose and snot come out of my mouth. Turns out I knew enough to scare me away but not enough to know how it actually works. When I did more research last week, I discovered I was wrong. Just like a virgin, I had no clue what was involved. Turns out the water goes in one nostril (that part I had right) and comes out the other nostril (I have no idea why I though it came out my mouth).

So Friday, again like a virgin, I stopped at the local drug store and purchased supplies. Unlike anal sex though, I didn't feel any shame in buying a sexy-time card for my wife and a nasal irrigation kit. I'm not sure if those months of therapy have helped, if the running has boosted my confidence, or if nose enemas are less taboo than enemas for your ass.

Saturday morning came about and I had yet another night of very little sleep. My antibiotics were kicking in and I felt better but still so clogged up that I felt like I'd never breath through my nose again. So I stepped into the bathroom and prepared myself. Little did I know that the adventure I was about to embark upon would lead me to not only clear sinuses but also a clear correlation between anal sex and sinus enemas.

Let me pause right here to set some boundaries. I know family reads this blog that that's fine. I wouldn't post this out here if I didn't want people to read it. And while I have pushed the envelope in the past and even crossed it a few times, I want to make it clear to those of you that have read this far that I will not be talking about my sex life. There are a few things that I refuse to speak about publicly and that's one of them. So from here on out, let's just assume I'm talking about anal sex in general. I may make references to giving or getting said sex but it's in a vague, third person way that I'm getting my point across. I'm not implying in any direction that what I'm talking about here involves myself or my wife. Hope that's clear enough.

Now, back to the bathroom. Like anal sex, I secluded myself in the bathroom and started preparing my tools. I had no idea what I was in for so I tried to take my time and lay things out. The last thing I wanted to do was have a mishap and come running out of the shower screaming for help. I opted for the first sinus flush to be in the shower because I didn't know how messy it would be. After I finished, I had visions of the anal sex scene from Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Like I said before, little did I know what I was in for. So, once I got the little bottle thingie unboxed and my shower started, I again laid things out in the shower. For those curious for the specifics, I used a NeilMed SinuFlo ReadyRinse bottle. It has 8 ounces of fluid premixed in there and came with two little packets for the next round of flushing. On a side note, I picked the NeilMed bottle because it has my name in it. I mean, can't go wrong with that, right!

With butterflies in my stomach, I began to embark upon my first nasal experience. As I would expect an anal virgin to react, I totally tensed up and held my breath waiting for the unpleasant experience to begin. I put the massive black tip up to my tiny nostril and gently squeezed. Nothing came out. At first. Then it was a like I shoved a fire hose up my nose and turn it on full blast. Oh god the pain! I immediately stopped and caught my breath. The saline solution burned the fuck out of my nose and I knew I wasn't even close to doing it right. Nothing came out of my other nostril so I knew I was in for more pain and suffering. Even though I was ultimately hoping for relief.

As I wound up for the second attempt at nasal entry, I tried to relax a bit and even managed to remember to bend over a bit and tip my head. This was about the time I thought of the anal sex analogies. From here on out, they just kept rolling through my head. I never thought flushing my sinus cavities out would make me think I was fucking myself in the nose hole with a giant dildo squirting a salty solution. Oh yeah baby, let's dive in for more.

So as I bent over to take another shot, I also remembered the warning on the bottle to squeeze gently. So with an only slightly better technique, I managed to squirt more inside my nose. Just as I was about to scream in pain and stop, a dribble of solution came out my other side. I tried to hold it as long as I could but only managed another second or two before stopping. If you've ever gotten water in your nose from swimming at the pool, you know that chlorine burns. Same goes for beach swimmers, salt burns. Well, this hurt worse. When you go swimming, you don't set out to deliberately cram water in your nose. It happens by accident, you splutter for air, you blow the water out of your nose, and you continue with swimming. This hurts worse because it's self-inflicted up-your-nose-with-a-rubber-hose kind of treatment. Thankfully it wasn't up-your-butt-with-a-rubber-nut treatment.

I thought my painful first experience was over. I knew in the back of my mind I'd need to repeat the process on the other side but I had that painful, first time, cherry popped. And then I blew my nose. Oh the agony. Is this what it's like when you fart or shit after anal sex? Holy fuck blowing my nose hurt. And then the real shit hit the fan. The first few blows were clear mucus. Then the snot came. That yellow, green, junky crap that you spend all day blowing out into tissues while your nose turns red. Then came the mother-load. I'm talking the deep yellow, dark green shit that lodges in the deep recesses of your sinuses and shifts from side to side when you roll over in bed at night. I swear to you I gave birth to an alien baby right there in the shower. I damn near shit myself at how repulsive it was. I quickly washed it down the drain and hoped it didn't back the plumbing up.

After some more nasal clearing, I was able to catch my breath and begin prepping for the other side. Why do people call it nasal clearing? I guess to be polite when you really want to say you're blowing your nose. Anyway, I had so damn many nose blows in there I thought my wife would come check on me. Thankfully she didn't and I was able to get back to business. It was time to make it rain on the other side now. I again practiced a better technique and position and gently squeezed some salty goodness into the left side of my nose. Thankfully it came out the other side much quicker and I was able to blow my nose yet again. All the time being thankful we don't have two assholes to get fucked in because holy shit, one has got to be enough.

Once both nose holes had been cleared for the first time, I began to feel the burn. That salty mix started to react with the steam and heat and like a chemical reaction inside my head, I began to burn from the inside out. It was like adding salt to Dr. Pepper or Mentos to Diet Coke. Things didn't fizz inside but I knew this lingering burn would reside deep inside my nasal passages for the rest of the day. I'd end up walking around town with a funny look on my face knowing that I just did the nasty in the shower that morning and nobody knew. At least I wasn't walking funny or sitting gingerly.

As I collected myself and worked at getting my heart rate down, I glanced at the bottle. I was in shock to see that I had used barely an ounce of the fluid. Barely an once. And there were eight full ounces of this stuff to pump through my nose. So, I dived in and tried to make good on my promise to at least try it. I wanted to give it a good try before I said yes or no to continuing further. I knew I could block the pain and just focus on the ability to breath when I was done. I knew this would be good for me in the end but I just had to work through the rough start. So I squeezed again. And again. And again on the other side.

I was finally left spent, shaking, and out of breath on the shower floor. I couldn't take anymore up my nose. I was done for the day. I cleaned myself up, turned the water down a bit since I was sweating, and began to clean my bottle. I had used two ounces. Out of eight. I knew I could handle more but I knew I needed to get things stretched out a bit and used to the burn before I could step things up a level. It was then that I knew I'd want more. You see, an amazing thing happened. I could breath. Sure, it smelled a bit like the ocean and felt like I snorted salt. Shockingly, I've actually snorted salt (and pepper) before. So yes, I know what that's like and yes, that's what it felt like. The bottom line though was I could breath. Clearly. Unobstructed. Like the scene above, I was cleaned out.

Since I was clean on the inside, I cleaned myself on the outside. I didn't want any mucus to hang around and contaminate things later in the day. Nor did I want any of that salty solution to hang around and make my hands smell like I did the naughty in the shower. After showering and getting dressed, I felt much better. Like taking a huge dump, I felt like I lost ten pounds. I felt refreshed. I could still feel the burn a bit at certain points during the day but I was glad I was able to give my first time a solid attempt. And I was surprised that I was willing to try it again.

Which brings me to the following morning where I'm again in the shower getting geared up to shoot a load into my nose. Like yesterday there was pain involved but I knew what to expect and was better able to handle it. While I wasn't a porn-star pro at taking it in the nose, I at least felt more comfortable in the process. Things felt easier and both my mind and body were better prepared for the experience. I won't say I enjoyed it but I hated it a lot less than the first time. Better yet, I was able to increase my capacity by using slightly more than two ounces and was even able to get to the nasal drainage point much faster.

I felt much better until I began blowing my nose. I expected some gross stuff to come out like the first time but this time things were oddly worse. They were more solid. If I gave birth to an alien baby the first time around, the second time it was the twin's full blown alien baby seed pod. Feeling like I had been implanted during the night, I horrifyingly inspected the expelled material. It was hard. Sure, it had a slimy exterior, but I could feel a solid mass within it. Like its twin from the day before, it quickly went down the drain.

Feeling better about my progress but violated by what came out, I cleaned myself up again and decided to even shave. After all, if the aliens thought I looked good enough on the inside to impregnate, I might as well look good on the outside in case they came back for more sexy-time that night. They didn't. Thankfully. Instead I had a normal night and slept like a baby. I was even content enough to snuggle with my wife, which she'll readily agree is quite rare.

In conclusion, where does this leave us? Is anal sex really that much like nasal irrigation? In a word, yes. At least to this virgin. So whether you're a man getting pegged by your wife or a wife getting do-me-in-the-butt-drunk before a night of ass play, taking shots in the nose isn't that much different. They both hurt the first time around but eventually become enjoyable. They should both be tried in the shower first to minimize cleanup. They should both be attempted gently at first before moving on to anything larger, faster, or harder. You won't get pregnant from anal sex and nasal irrigation prevents alien pregnancies. The salty fluids in both burn like hell but they both eventually come out in the end. Carnal knowledge of your body shouldn't be a bad thing so don't feel ashamed getting supplies for either activity at the local drug store.

Polar RS300X Review

I'll be straightforward up front in this review. Do. Not. Buy. This. Piece. Of. Shit.

Okay, now for the details on why I feel this way. First, a bit of back story. My employer has a fancy rewards program that allows employees (and spouses) to earn money by simply being active. We get a free pedometer to carry around with us during our daily routine and it tracks our steps and active minutes. Pretty low-tech stuff but it's a way to prove that we're moving and we get rewarded for it. While there are some flaws in the program and the pedometer, it's free, it's easy, and I get money. In other words, why not?

Enter the reward redemption. I got one for walking (or running) what felt like a million miles and debated long and hard how to spend it. And if you know me, that money sitting in my virtual wallet was just burning a hole. So I finally splurged on myself and bought two high-price items that I had only dreamed about. The first was a camera. I love it so far. The second was a GPS watch. I hated it so much I sent it back within a week.

And what was that GPS watch? It was the Polar RS300X and it came with a heart rate monitor strap and a G1 GPS sensor. After using it a day or two, I realized I needed the Flowlink just to download the data. That was the first problem. Nowhere was it made plainly clear that I needed the Flowlink to get to my data. It's really just a fancy USB device that reads the magnetic signals from the watch. And it looks like a coaster for a coffee mug.

Once I downloaded the data, I was ready to chuck everything out the damn window. Or into the toilet. Or into the toilet and then out the window. But I'm getting ahead of myself here so let me back track yet again.

The watch came and looked all sorts of pretty. I had to set my age, weight, time, etc. and that worked great. It was pretty easy to figure out without the instructions. And then things went downhill. The strap on the watch was not comfortable to wear. Too many loops, holes, and pegs to mess with. The heart rate strap was interesting and since I've never worn one before, I was intrigued by it. It fit comfortably and looked pretty easy to put on, take off, and take care of.

Then comes the G1 GPS unit. It was fucking HUGE! I had assumed (I know, a bad thing to do) the GPS unit was in the watch itself like a Garmin or Timex or something else. Turns out it was not in the watch but a huge thing you had to wear on your arm.

It doesn't look that big, right? WRONG! It's as big as my fist. The size of a coffee mug. Larger and heavier than two smart phones. And they expect you to strap it to your arm like it's a tiny watch-sized device. Oh but wait, there's more! I got this specific combination because I assumed (there I go again) that I could look at where I had run. As in, I run down a new trail and I can map it out later when I sit down in front of my computer. Nope. Not gonna happen. You see, the G1 GPS sensor only tracks your distance, not where you've gone, elevation change, and certainly not anything even remotely close to mapping.

Which means, it's like carrying around a fucking boombox to listen to a cassette instead of an iPod. Yeah, totally behind the times on technology and size. Oh, and the price for the watch, heart rate strap, and GPS sensor? $175+ on Amazon. Wow. Let's pay thousands of dollars for a damn cassette player. Oh, and don't forget the special Flowlink for another $50 just so you can see that your GPS unit didn't track shit.

Can you tell I was upset by this purchase? Sarcasm aside, I really try to be fair in my reviews. I really try to find the good in things and really try to be positive about new things I try. But this is one thing I've reviewed that I really could have taken a hammer to just for the sheer pleasure of destroying it. Even if it meant losing my money. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and I returned everything for a refund.

What will I be using to fill the gap left by Polar? I'd really like to say toilet paper but there really isn't a gap at all. You see, I picked Polar because they are the only devices that synch with my employers fitness program. So because I hated the Polar so much, I'll be sticking with the free (and cheaply made) pedometer they sent me. To keep track of my time, I'll continue to use my $30 Timex. That thing is a beast and works great. And to keep track of my GPS route, I'll use RunKeeper on my phone. While it isn't entirely accurate, it's easy to use and it turns my phone into a multi-tasker instead of a uni-tasker.

2012 Oil Creek 100k Race Report

It's been a full day since I've finished my first 100k race and I can only think of two words that completely summarize everything that has happened.

Horrifyingly beautiful.

Parts of this race were so beautiful that I wanted to stop and take a picture. In fact, I easily could have spent an extra hour or two on the course taking pictures. Thankfully I didn't have a camera with me.

Parts of this race were so horrifying, I just wanted to quit. To sit down on a rock and go to sleep. So rough and tumble, I wasn't sure if I'd fall down the mountain or fall up the mountain.

So in the end, it was horrifyingly beautiful.

And to that end, on with the details. I hope by now, I won't have to warn you that I'll go into explicit detail. About everything. So don't read if you don't want to know.

 For details on the course, you can go to the race website, oc100.org. But the course details don't give you the full story so I'll try to fill in some of the missing details. I'll break things down into sections from the start to the finish. I'll talk about the sections between each aid station as well as each aid station. I'm sure I'll miss some of the things that I thought of while on the course but I'll give you what I can.

Start
The race starts at Titusville Middle School. Get there as early as you can or you'll need to park a ways away. Which isn't so bad at the start but will really suck when you finish and need to hobble to the car. I was lucky enough to park close, get my chip, then find a spot even closer. At the school, you'll walk in the front doors, get your chip to the right (near a set of bathrooms), and get dinner to the left. Drop bags for Aid Station 2 will be in front of the front entrance. Drop bags for Aid Station 4 can be left around the left corner of the building or you can walk through the cafeteria out the side door and leave it. The start of the race is out the back doors.

Loop 1, Leg 1 - 7.1 Miles
From the Start to Aid Station 1, you'll have an easy first mile or so on a paved bike path. Take the time to look at the stars if the sky is clear. And don't mind the glowing eyes to the sides of the trail. You'll see more later. You'll go under a train bridge, across a road, and onto the trail. Keep this intersection in mind since you'll see it again. When you make your return trip to Aid Station 4 or the Finish, you'll take the same route back. Once you get onto the trail itself, you'll be directly across from the Drake Well Museum. You may hear the piston popping in the distance. The first few times you hear it, it's annoying as all hell. But when you hear it as you near the finish line, it's like smelling the hay in the barn.

The start for this particular race was cold. Cold enough that I had to scrape my windows before I left. Cold enough that I got two small hand warmers and a large body warmer out. They helped a little but not enough. I was under-dressed but lucky enough to avoid hypothermia. One side note though for the men out there, don't put a hand warmer in your shorts to keep your giblets warm. All you'll do is create a chafe point in an area that you don't want one. Trust me.

On the trail in this first section, things are pretty easy. Yes, easy. In fact, the first half of the loop is easy. It may not feel that way at the time but when you do the second half of the loop, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The second half is tough as hell and longer than the first half. I'd say it's pretty close to being split into one third of your effort being spent on the first 14 miles and two thirds of your effort being spent on the last 17 miles.

In Leg 1, you'll come to the Coming Home split for the 100 mile runners pretty fast. There's water here but I never used it. I was able to keep running to the first aid station. Granted, I had a hydration pack but I think many people skipped it. Be prepared to be passed by 50k runners in this first section too.

Loop 1, Aid Station 1 - Wolfkiel Run
Don't be fooled by the signs. When you see them, you're not as close as you think. In fact, it feels like there's still a mile to run (likely only half a mile). The first time through, it got cold coming into the hollow (or holler for you red-neck folks). Easily a 10 degree drop in temperature. This kinda sucked because I was just starting to get warm. Little did I know what was coming. The volunteers here were a bit sleepy the first time through. They didn't quite know what to do when it came to helping me. Don't get me wrong, they did help me, they just didn't wait on me hand and foot.

Loop 1, Leg 2 - 6.8 Miles
Switchback Hill will beat you senseless as you come out of the aid station. But it isn't as bad as it looks. I know, you'll think otherwise on your first go, but trust me, there are worse ascents coming. You'll slog along and eventually come to an unmanned water station. Fill up if you need to. I know I did at least once here, maybe twice. My first time through I was getting low on fluids and it was starting to get to me so I pushed fluids and needed more by the time I got here. After a few more miles, you'll come to the big oil derricks. Shortly after this you'll cross a road. You're getting close to Petroleum Center Aid Station but don't let that road fool you. It's just teasing. You'll carry on a bit more and eventually come to a small foot bridge that spits you out onto a gravel road. Now you can get excited. That road crosses the railroad tracks and puts you onto pavement. From there you cross a single-lane open bridge. On the other side is the aid station. But be warned, you don't run straight to it, you need to run through the trees a bit before you're allowed to get some aid. It was somewhere in this section that I started to play leap-frog with another runner. He was wearing fuzzy bunny slippers. He was also sporting a mohawk.

Loop 1, Aid Station 2 - Petroleum Center
This was a welcome aid station. The volunteers were more helpful and you have access to your drop bag. I got what I needed and ditched some gear here. I had thought I'd warm up enough to run in arm sleeves but I wasn't so I just left them behind. This is the only section out on the course that your crew and family can come out to see you. There's one other place, Drake Well Museum, but I'm not sure how easy parking will be during the race (since the park, trail, and museum are all open to the public).

Loop 1, Leg 3 - 8.8 Miles
This is a brutal leg. But not the worst. It's long and rough but doable. After leaving the aid station, you'll cross the road and parking lots and go up yet another big hill. Things get rocky and muddy in this section. You'll also chuckle at the cross-country skiing signs that say "difficult" when you've just slogged your ass up something even steeper. But I guess it would be hard on skis. There's another water-only stop here and my advice is to use it. Like in Leg 2, you'll need some fluids. But unlike Leg 2, you've got a longer road ahead of you. You'll also come through the Cow Run area where the Boy Scouts will have a camp. Avoid their fire at all costs. Enjoy their signs, they're hilarious. Read them in the daylight as you'll probably miss some of them at night. They go on for a ways so you know you're getting close. But ignore the signs that say you're getting close to the next aid station. You're not that close. Put your head down and go. It will feel like you're going forever. Then you'll need to go some more. Just keep going. And if you see train tracks through the woods, ignore them. You're not close. When you see the dirt road that you make a left onto, then you're close. Continued to play leap-frog with the bunny slipper runner. We'd chat on and off when were close to each other. I also started walking somewhere in this section. I'd still have spurts of running, but not many.

Loop 1, Aid Station 3 - Miller Farm Road
The dirt road takes you to the aid station. It's downhill and around a curve. Again, the volunteers were helpful but didn't wait on me hand and foot. The usual assortment of food and drink were there. This was the first place I had caffeine for the day. Be prepared for a long uphill when you leave this aid station. And another one behind it.

Loop 1, Leg 4 - 8.4 Miles
The first hill you'll come to is Death March Hill. Quite fitting as you hike past a cemetery (one of two on the course that I saw). After this hill, things level out a bit. Then you have another, longer, hill called Rockefeller's Revenge. While Death March Hill is steeper, this one is longer. Things are even rockier and muddier in this section. This is probably the worst section out there. Although Leg 3 was pretty rough and even a little longer. This one was tough mostly because of the mental aspect. When you start to hear the piston popping, you're close to Drake Well Museum. Close, but not there yet. Your exit from the trail onto the Museum loop sneaks up on you. You get dumped out at a bridge but don't go across it yet. You need to make a sharp left go to the end of the parking lot, go through the picnic areas, then come back to the bridge along the river. You'll cross the bridge and then get back onto the paved bike trail that is only a mile from the Start/Finish area. I was in full-on walking mode here, but was feeling well enough to move at a decent clip. Almost like a power hike. The bunny slipper runner had dropped behind me at the last aid station but I knew he was close behind and keeping nearly the same pace. As you near the school, ignore the finish line. Run (or walk) by it and round to the aid station.

Aid Station 4 - Titusville Middle School
This was by far the best aid station of the event. I feel sad that the 50k runners don't get to see this one. I hate to sound like I'm putting down the other aid stations, but this one was awesome. I had access to my second drop bag which was nice but the service I got was the best ever. I asked for food and drink and got it. The lady was even nice enough to put food in little bags for me to take when I left. Awesome. The bunny slipper runner came in right behind me but was looking pretty tired. I think he eventually dropped after a loop and a half.

My mom and Steve were there to cheer and take photos. It was nice to have family there to cheer you on and check on you. There aren't very many places for fans out on the course and I think I only saw one or two hikers out on the trail during the race. Guess only crazy people were out. I had my mom call my wife to tell her I'm okay and was continuing to move forward.

If you're still reading, congratulations! But I figure this is only a long race report because it's a really long race. So keep reading for the second half. If you dare.

Loop 2 - All of it
Leaving the school was hard. But I knew ahead of time that I needed to get out of there as fast as I could. So I hoofed it out and got back to my race. Even though I wasn't racing as much as walking. I grabbed my vest from my drop bag at the school and made the mistake of assuming I had my rain jacket at Aid Station 2. Turns out I left it at the school. I did learn an awesome trick though. Stick your grilled cheese sandwich in your cup of beef broth. It cools the broth down and makes the sandwich soft enough to eat. Oh, and beef broth is very hard to say when you're not exactly coherent.

The first section was easy enough to continue my power hiking. I was still feeling good physically, just tired. I was super-happy to come in to Aid Station 1 faster than my planned time. I came into Aid Station 4 slower than I expected but made up the time by the time I got back to Aid Station 1. I made up even more time by Aid Station 2. As I cruised into Aid Station 1 the second time, they were much more helpful. I got what I needed and left. Same goes for Aid Station 2 on my second loop. I almost voted for these guys as the best aid station since they came in as a very close second. My second time through there they had some awesome 80s music playing and everyone was super positive and helpful. It was also nice to talk to some people as I was spending a lot of time out there by myself.

Oh, I forgot to mention that as I left Aid Station 1, it started to drizzle. Very lightly. It started to rain a little more heavily as I got into Aid Station 2 the second time. It was also getting dark. I had my headlamp ready as I left Aid Station 1 but it took some time before I broke it out to use it. Once I did, it helped a lot. My entire time coming into Aid Station 2, I repeated what I needed over and over. Sometimes in my head and sometimes out loud. I did a lot of talking to myself out there. Some runners were polite and announce themselves when they came up behind you. Others were not so polite and I had one or two sneak up on me and scare me a bit.

Anyway, back to Aid Station 2. I dropped more equipment and grabbed more to take out on the trail. I knew I was getting cold and I wanted to make sure I had something to keep warm. It was also here that I learned that my rain jacket was all the way back at the school. Good thing I was headed back that way. And that was probably the best part of this aid station; the knowledge that you were headed back to the finish. Every step you took was putting you closer to a warm bed.

As I slogged through the horrid second-half of the 50k loop, I fell into a bit of a trance. I don't know how to explain it. If you've ever run at night, you may have an idea of what I'm talking about. Running by headlamp puts you into a tunnel-vision just by the very nature of how much you can see. This was great at times because you couldn't see the nasty hill in front of you or see the rough patch of rocks in front. You could only focus on the few steps in front of you. But at the same time, the course was marked so well that your headlamp would catch the reflective tape of every marker (and there were markers EVERYWHERE). This meant that even though you couldn't see it, you could see the markers on the huge hill in front of you. Or the switchbacks on the hill on the other side of the stream next to you.

Anyway, my trance. I basically blocked everything out and focused on the very moment I was in. Only the next few steps would matter. I'd get depressed when I started to think about getting wet or getting cold or how long it was taking to get to the next aid station. But I'd eventually just get too tired to think about it. I'd just keep going and going. And keep in mind, I had been up since 4 am so by midnight, I was pooped.

Coming into Aid Station 3 the second time, I had already planned to take my time. I planned to take a solid 15 minutes there. I knew there were some solid hills ahead of me and I knew I needed to put pants on. I also knew I needed fuel. So I just planned to sit down and relax a bit while I took care of things. And that's exactly what I did. I got to the aid station, sat down, and put my pants on. I ate some food. I drank some fluids. I chilled out as much as I could. Then I left. I didn't want to hang around too much or I wouldn't leave.

And leave I did. The best part about leaving, and probably what helped me the most, was asking about the next section. As I was getting new batteries in my headlamp, I asked how far to the Drake Well Museum. I knew from there I'd have two miles to the Finish so how much trail was left was all that mattered. The lady said there was only 6 miles of trail left. That made me feel awesome. I knew I could do that. Then she told me the hill in front of me, Death March Hill, was only 10 minutes to climb. I laughed at her. I told her I was delirious but I knew she was fibbing. And she was. I only needed 7 minutes to hobble to the top. Granted, the longer hill was shortly after it, but by then I knew it was "6 miles to Drake Well." And that became my new mantra. 6. Miles. To. Drake. Well. And then when I saw the sign that said 1.6 miles to Drake Well, that became my new mantra. Most of the second loop, I used an older mantra that I modified a bit to fit the conditions. Dig deep, grind hard, just run. Well, the second loop was "Dig deeper, grind harder, just walk."

Oh, almost forgot. Back to Petroleum Center Aid Station on my second loop. I grabbed my bear bell because I felt like I needed it. I had seen and spooked a pair of deer and didn't feel like having any surprises out there while I was alone. It got a bit spooky at times. Well, turns out, I forgot it at the aid station. As I left the last aid station, I began using both headlamps. I'd recommend this if it's possible. You don't get the tunnel vision and you get more of a 3D view of the trail. Plus you can shine one of them off to the side if you hear something.

Like the porcupine I saw just before the Boy Scout camp site. He was a bit angry that I disturbed him but he was off the trail and heading away from me so I was able to safely pass him. There was a runner right behind me so I gave him a warning and he stopped, heard the part about the porcupine, but was more concerned about why I was where I was. I think he assumed I had run off the trail when in fact the trail took a hairpin turn. So I was on one side of the U and he was on the other side of the U and the porcupine was at the bottom of the U. Anyway, two headlamps are great. And since I knew I was pushing towards the finish and had spare batteries for one headlamp, I was fine with blazing both headlamps full power the rest of the way in.

As I got to the Drake Well Museum, I felt so relieved. In many ways. First, I knew I'd finish. Second, I knew I'd finish soon. Third, I could quit pissing so much. About the time I started my second 50k loop, I started peeing. A lot. I wasn't worried because the color was fine. I was a bit worried when I took Ibuprofen at Aid Station 2 and 3 but I kept urinating and the color was clear so I didn't worry. Plus the meds helped ease the pain just enough to keep going.

About a mile from the finish, just as I started the last leg on the bike path, I had a few 100 milers pass me. Amazing that they could still run. About half a mile from the finish, I tried to poop. Nothing happened. This had me more worried than anything else. I went twice before the race started and not once since then. A bit concerning (don't worry, things work, it just took some time and solid food).

As I got to the finish, I began looking over my shoulder. I didn't want to share my finish with anyone else, so when I saw a headlamp right behind me, I began to hobble. I hesitate to even call it a run. But I finished before the other runner, who happened to win an age group award for his 100 mile finish. Again, amazing.

Even more amazing was that I didn't cry. I wasn't emotional at all. The thought of crying crossed my mind but it never happened. I don't know if I was too tired, too amazed, or just too far gone to even think about it. The race director handed me some booties to keep the school's floor clean, handed me a finisher's sticker, and a belt buckle. I was done. On many, many levels.

So, that's the gist of the race report. On with the technical details.

Weather:
Temps were about 30F when the race started. Slowly warmed up to about 55F or 60F by noontime. Stayed decent until the sun went down then it dropped to about 50F. Rain started around the time I got out of Aid Station 1 the second time. Heavy rain started around the time I got into Aid Station 2 the second time. Rain lightened up some later and the wind blew on and off the entire day. I did have some fog here and there which played havoc on me while trying to run with a headlamp.

Fluids and Fuel:
I had nothing for breakfast except a quarter of a bagel. I ran with plain water and Hammer Fizz the entire race. I supplemented my fluids with what I felt like at the aid stations. I had a Coke at Aid Station 3 on my first loop then more at Aid Stations 1, 2, and 3 on my second loop. I also drank food. Mostly Hammer Perpeteum in between aid stations but at aid stations I also had beef broth. I had about three grilled cheese sandwiches during the race, several fig newtons (these worked better than expected), several Oreos, several Pringles, and a cup of mashed potatoes. The biggest shock was the complete lack of perogies. I mean, there were none. Anywhere. Wow.

Aches and Pains:
Um, everything? Ha! I had some minor chafing on Loop 2. I think it started when I stuffed my shorts with a hand warmer on Loop 1. It wasn't too bad and I had Body Glide that took care of it. On Loop 1 I had to fix my right heel. It started to rub so when I got into Aid Station 2, I put some RockTape (KT Tape) on it. That helped a ton. Should have done the same on the left foot too. Turns out my left foot would slide a bit more and would eventually get a larger blister over time. But by the time it hurt enough that I wanted to fix it, I was past my drop bag on my last loop and just didn't care. I did fix the laces on my left shoe and that helped some. My left ankle was still gimpy from my cut but I could ignore it well enough.

Injuries:
Fitting to have this new section right here. My right knee is all sorts of stiff and sore. Nothing clicks or pops or binds but it feels like bone pain. Just sore from working so hard and taking a beating. This fits right in with my right calf and the back of my right knee. The muscles and tendons are insanely sore. Fully extending my leg hurts as does standing and sitting. Ibuprofen and massage helps but what I really need is just time. I also have a larger blister on my left heel. But it isn't too bad. The bottoms of my feet felt like I had blisters but upon further inspection had none. Just very tender and sore. I only had one bruised toenail (amazing!). It was my left toe next to the pinky toe. I had some minor chafing on my arms where they bumped into my hydration pack but not really worth mentioning. I also managed to score some rubbed skin on my right leg. Guess my left heel needed to whip it a bit.

Gear:
My best and worst piece of gear was my Salomon hydration pack. I loved that I cold put my Amphipod bottle in the pocket but the damn thing just couldn't carry enough gear for what I needed.  It could carry enough water for me, which was good. But when it came to the pockets for fuel and equipment, it was annoying at best. My shoes were awesome. Altra Lone Peaks. Loved them. Plenty of room for my toes. Not quite enough protection for the sharp rocks but enough to make it through 50k+ before really hurting. I also saw at least two other pairs out there. Oh, and I rarely slipped despite running through mud, wet leaves, and mossy rocks. My clothing of choice was a thermal shirt under my Lumberjack singlet. I wore calf sleeves which I think helped but began to be irritating after 30 miles. I wore my custom T-Star Running shorts. While I didn't use the pockets as much as I could have, the chafe-less design is exactly what I needed. I had plenty of compliments from both men and women. I think any other short choice would have ended poorly for me. I did need to put pants on over top for the last 8-ish miles. I was wet and getting cold and walking wasn't keeping me warm enough. My headlamps worked well. I started with one through the first leg then stashed it in my pack for later. I wanted to keep one on me at all times just in case it took longer than expected to get to a drop bag.

Codename - Buckle Fever
I've long been concerned that I've caught buckle fever. I've thought about this race for some time and the single point that swayed me into doing this race was how "easy" it was to get a buckle. I put "easy" in quotes because I knew it would be hard but there would be plenty of time to suffer. When you think about 31 hours to go 62 miles, the math works in your favor. It's the course that makes you pay the price and makes this race a real race. This isn't just something you wander into and "do." The course was technical in many section but also easily runnable (or walkable) in other sections. But I didn't know a lot of that going into the race. I just saw what I saw on paper and had no perspective. So looking at the cutoff times and the buckle, I knew I had to take my chance at getting a buckle. And now that I have it, I'm happy. And in case you have the same question as my aunt, I know exactly what I'm doing with my buckle. Wearing it. It won't be a trailer queen stuck in a display case. It's going to show the wear and tear it deserves. Just like the wear and tear I got earning it.

Splits:
I already posted these but I'm including them here along with some extra commentary. The splits aren't exact as I forgot to time them a few times. I guess 22 hours of work will do that to you. My original goal was to finish in 24 hours. My planned splits put me at a finish time of 23 hours. My secret goal was to finish in 20 hours. Overall, I'm extremely excited to come so close to my projected finish time, especially since I pretty much just guessed at my pace.

Loop 1
Start to Aid Station 1 - 01:48:54 (planned on 2 hours)
Aid Station 1 - 00:03:52 (I was in and out as fast as I could)
Aid Station 1 to Aid Station 2 - 01:50:07 (planned on 2 hours)
Aid Station 2 - 00:08:36 (took a little extra time to fix my right heel)
Aid Station 2 to Aid Station 3 - 02:37:56 (planned on 2 1/2 hours)
Aid Station 3 - unknown (forgot to time it but it was maybe 2 or 3 minutes)
Aid Station 3 to Aid Station 4 - 02:52:09 (planned on 2 1/2 hours - very disappointed that I missed my goal)
Aid Station 4 - 00:07:14 (a little slower here than I wanted but I wanted to make sure I had my gear and fuel in order before I left)

Loop 2
Aid Station 4 to Aid Station 1 - 02:39:20 (planned on 3 hours - very happy to make up time here)
Aid Station 1 - 00:02:43 (in and out as fast as I could again)
Aid Station 1 to Aid Station 2 - 02:51:04 (planned on 3 hours - again, very happy to make up time)
Aid Station 2 - 00:04:53 (this is pretty fast considering I dumped everything out of my drop bag and searched for different gear)
Aid Station 2 to Aid Station 3 - 03:32:28 (planned on 4 hours - never registered until now how much time I made up here)
Aid Station 3 - 00:14:18 (longer than my other aid stations but I planned on taking my time to fuel up and get my gear changed)
Aid Station 3 to Aid Station 4 - 03:48:15 (planned on 4 hours - amazing that I took only an hour longer than my first time through)

Finish - 22:41:53

That Moment

That moment when you realize you're going to be doing* 100k this weekend. OH FUCK! OH FUCK! OH FUCK!

*Note: I said "doing" not "running" and there's a reason for this. I don't even run an entire 5k race because I'm too fat, slow, and tired and have essentially trained my body to take walking breaks. So I'll be "doing" 100k. Not "running" 100k. Just to make that clear.

Dick in a Sock

Report:
Just a short run to get the heart rate up. And to keep the rust off. Been doing a lot of resting lately and it's driving me crazy. My left quad was still grumpy today despite my increased periods of rest but I still want to rest it just to play it safe. My A-Race is just a few days away and even though I know it's too late to train or do anything but I'm still minimizing my risks as much as possible. That damn pre-race walking on eggshells syndrome sucks. Every Lego in my house, every stool, every speck of dirt is a potential injury waiting to happen. I know, crazy, but that's how I feel.

So today's run was short and simple. I watched some sage advice from Sage Canaday and his VO2Max Productions videos. I said it was sage advice, I didn't say I followed it. I did just 10 minutes at about 95% instead of the 20 minutes at 80-85% he mentioned. But I threw in some of the strides he has talked about in the past. Will it help? Doubtful but at least I got something on the books for this week.

Weather:
Temps were about 50F, sky was overcast, a light wind, and light humidity from the early morning drizzle.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, iced latte, water, and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and finished maybe half of it. Recovery was the rest of my iced latte and a shower.

Aches and Pains:
Left quad was grumpy but not as much as before. Almost felt like it was asleep and too tired to give me crap.

Gear:
Wore gloves and a headband to cover my ears. Also wore my shirt. Felt a little chilly running through the section with fields on both sides since the breeze was blowing. Outside of that, my iPod Shuffle was giving me crap. Not sure if its the headphones or the iPod itself. I don't need it for my race but I'd like to have the option there if I want it.

Codename - Dick in a Sock
No, I didn't come up with that name because it was chilly out. I came up with that name because I was listening to the Dick in a Box song and some Red Hot Chili Peppers. You make the connection.

Splits:
Outbound - 5:01
Inbound - 5:09
Finish - 10:10

It's a Bonfire

Report:
First good run in a long time. Started out this morning wondering if I should just give up on running. Had lots of negative thoughts last night about running and they carried over into the start of today's run. Just lots of bad juju going on and somehow, someway, I kicked it to the curb around mile 2. I don't know what it was but it happened. Like a freaking light switch, I just felt great. Mile 3 was like running on a cloud. Mile 4 wasn't quite as carefree but it was certainly better than the first two miles.

Outside of the negative thinking, the run was about normal. I was tempted to turn down a different road but ended up just staying on the readily established route. Also thought about doing 5 miles but opted to just quit while I was ahead. Had some kids say hi as I ran by their bus stop this morning. Got a bit of an interrogation as the one asked what was I doing and was I exercising. That's right kid, you need to go to school. Just so you can learn to not ask obvious questions.

Quite a boring shot but it also shows just how urban a rural area can be at times.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F. Sun was out but there were also some clouds. No breeze. Humidity was low to moderate.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a glass of water. During the run I had a bottle of water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz (grapefruit - it's okay). Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by a breakfast burrito and an iced latte. Yay for me not getting hash browns!

Aches and Pains:
My left quad grumbled a bit for the first mile or two. Then my left glute started barking at the end of mile two. Miles 3 and 4 were calm and pain free.

Gear:
Wore arm sleeves (now I know why I don't wear the Nathan ones, they fall down). Wore gloves. Sleeves came off around mile 2 but the gloves stayed on. Also forgot my sunglasses but didn't have to deal with too much glare. As I closed in on the last quarter mile, I could feel something dripping on me. At first I thought it was sweat, which was a pretty normal occurrence this summer. After closer inspection, it was a crack in the bottom of my bottle. Which tells me I can't use the bottom to slam down on the top of my other bottle to close it. Damn.

Codename - It's a Bonfire
Childish Gambino strikes again. Sometimes I wonder how much of an impact music has on my brain when I run. Anyway, today was more rap because, well, I'm like a backwards Oreo. White on the outside and black on the inside. For some reason, this song struck a chord this morning.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:02 (felt too fast)
Mile 2 - 12:23 (felt too slow)
Mile 3 - 11:05 (felt awesome)
Mile 4 - 10:29 (felt a few degrees harder than the previous mile)
Finish - 45:00

Community's Freaks and Geeks

Not at all safe for work due to language. But absolutely worth your time. And in case you didn't know the song, it's by Childish Gambino. Also known as Donald Glover. Also known as Troy on Community.

NSFW Run

Report:
Don't know what NSFW means? It means Not Safe For Work. As in, don't click this link or look at this site when you're at work or HR might be knocking on your door in a few minutes. What does all of this have to do with today's run? Well, I run across (no pun intended) some interesting items when I run. Like a poker chip, a golf ball, a rap CD, you get the idea. Well, today I found a Bluegrass Christmas CD. I almost kept it but after thinking about it for a few steps I realized that I don't really like bluegrass. So I left it there in the ditch.

I know, you must be thinking about how that has anything at all to do with NSFW. It doesn't. But it's a good segue to what else I found. A dildo. And a butt plug. Now, that alone would make for quite an interesting run. Interesting enough to make for quite an amusing story on the 3NonJoggers podcast. Interesting enough to make me stop in my tracks and take a picture.

But that's not the whole story. These weren't little sex toys. These were HUGE toys. Like the size of my fucking arm. HOLY. SHIT. HUGE. Don't believe me? Well, thanks to the magic of cell phones and the internet, here's my proof:

Weather:
Temps were about 90F to 95F. Humidity was high. Sun was out. There was a slight breeze later in the route.

Fluids and Fuel:
This was a lunch run. Breakfast was a burrito, oatmeal, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run, I had one gel before I left, another at the turn-around point, and two bottles (one of ice water and one of iced Hammer Fizz). I finished both bottles by the end.

Aches and Pains:
My shins and calves felt tight for the first two miles. After that, things loosened up enough to be bearable. The heat was oppressive but again, bearable after a bit. I didn't get overheated like I usually do and did a much better job at managing my body's heat.

Gear:
Nothing special about my gear today. Wore my Hammer visor and loosened it up enough to not give myself a headache. Also took my iPod Shuffle to listen to an audiobook and some music.

Codename - NSFW Run
Yep, this pretty much explains it all.

Splits:
Outbound - 37:07
Inbound - 41:03
Finish - 1:18:10