Running Too Much

Posted byNicholas RadfordPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

In my last blog, I wrote about revisiting past attempts to improve, reevaluating what worked and what didn’t, to achieve a more favorable result. That blog was meant to hype me up for my second ultramarathon–my second 50K–so I could improve upon my previous race. I mentioned in that blog that one can look at earlier successes to see what worked or previous failures to see what can be improved upon. The good news is that I did look at my past victories and learned from them. The bad news is that it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t complete the Squak Mountain 50K and took my first DNF (Did Not Finish) after running 19 miles up, down, and back up the Mountain. 

The race started out going swell. There were two laps around a half marathon course plus another lap of a 5-mile course to round out the 31 miles, so I knew it would be hard, but I thought I had done sufficient preparation. I knew almost the entire course–I’d been doing a loop of it, or at least what I could navigate on my own, every week for the last few months. I’d also made a point to eat food that could help provide me with the proper energy in the days and hours leading up to the race. I made the first loop (a half marathon, or 13.1 miles) in decent time by allowing myself to walk on the uphill portions and run down the downhills. Unfortunately, there was one trail I never located during my training runs, and it ended up being one of the most difficult parts of the race. Why was I never able to find it on my training runs? Because it was barely a trail at all! We climbed over fallen trees, down valleys, and up steep mountain slopes to the Southeast peak and back to the main trail. 

The rest of the first lap was spent circling and hiking up to the summit (twice), before descending back to the starting line to start lap two. Just before my second visit to the summit aid station, I began feeling the wear and tear from the steep ascensions, but because it was all downhill after that, I pushed onward toward the snacks that awaited me at the base. Upon arriving back where I started, I filled my pack with water and my stomach with a quesadilla and applesauce, and began lap two.

That’s when my body started to give out. 

Moments (hours) before disaster

That secret trail that had given me some grief before became the bane of my existence. The logs that were much-maligned obstacles on lap one became my beloved allies, as I used them to sit for a spell and rest my weary bones. Despite the rest periods being an absolute necessity, they tanked my pace, leading to me pulling into the summit aid station for the third time at 1:13 PM, just two minutes before the cutoff time. The volunteers at the station informed me that I could keep going if I departed within two minutes, but–even if I filled up my pack in that time–I knew I would never make it back before the next cutoff time. I was drained and couldn’t climb to the peak one more time. So I took my first DNF and sat to await a ride back down to the parking lot, the longest walk of shame I can imagine. 

Though disheartened, I fully accepted my fate when I ran the numbers and realized that I had gained almost as much altitude in the first third of this race as I did in the full 31 miles of my first ultramarathon. There is no shame in DNF-ing a race. Marathons and ultramarathons are challenging physical endeavors that most people don’t even attempt. 

That said, I wasn’t satisfied.

I reward myself for each marathon (or longer) I complete by adding another grass starter Pokemon tattoo to the piece on my left arm, and I always make the appointment around the time I sign up for the race. The clock was ticking, and I didn’t want to cancel my appointment, so I made a rash decision: run a road marathon before my appointment.

One thing I learned during my ride of shame after the Squak Mountain race, was that trail runs are much harder than road races. In case it isn’t clear, train races are off-road and usually have more incline, since most trails go up hills or mountains, while road races are more even and tend to stick to paved roads, though they may have trail portions, especially on longer runs. The lady who gave me a lift back to my car informed me that I jumped into the deep end of trail runs by choosing this as my second 50K, and probably only my third trail race. She told me where to begin if I wanted to continue doing trail races, which I took to heart. But that is all information for future Nick. The day after my failed 50K attempt was reserved for finding a road race before June. 

It was a tight window, but there were a few races to choose from. Unfortunately, what held me back was my wrestling schedule. An annoying amount of races occurred on the same days I had wrestling commitments that I couldn’t give up. Through the process of elimination, I was left with one race: the Tacoma City Marathon. The only problem was that it was being held the very next weekend. Despite how drained I had felt after my botched 50K, I wasn’t as sore as I’d expected, so I went for it. I signed up on Tuesday, picked up my bib on Saturday, and was off to the races again early Sunday morning.

Crossing the finish line of the Tacoma City Marathon

This race went much smoother than Squak Mountain. I followed almost the same nutrition plan I used for Squak, which kept me running at a decent click for about twenty miles before I had to take some opportunities to walk, especially once it started raining on us. Fortunately, the rain stopped around my last mile and I crossed the finish line at 5:11:15, which, while not my best marathon time, I’m proud to say isn’t my worst either. 

Now that I’m set for my tattoo appointment in June, I don’t have another race on the books yet. I was encouraged to do some lighter trail runs–half marathons and the like–before I build back up to another ultra, so I will probably work on that. In the meantime, I want to sign up for another marathon soon, but I don’t have one in mind yet. If y’all have any suggestions, send them my way!

THE WORLD IS YOUR BURRITO!

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