Dirty German 50K Race Report

The inaugural Dirty German 50K... So much to tell, so little time. I guess the beginning is the best place.

I started training for this race about 3-4 months ago. I searched the internet for 50K races and was surprised to find one so close to home. The website boasted almost 90% trails for the entire race, with the remaining portion to be run on paved bike trail. No roads, no traffic, no worries. It seemed like a good option and the entry fee was very cheap ($60). With this came a tech shirt and a cap and pint glass for finishers. Seemed like a good deal. Plus I would get a chance to explore PennyPack Park, a relatively huge park within the Fairmount Park System in the Northeastern section of the city.

My training plan was based solely on mileage. I sprinkled in a few 800m intervals and hill repeats throughout the training cycle, but by no means did this become regular practice. I tried to incorporated 1-2 days of strength training and participated in the CrossFit Open for several weeks, which usually took place on a Friday night. I began training in January tipping the scales at 205lbs, which is pretty heavy considering my past as a lightweight rower. I never did take a starting body fat percentage. I ended training in the week before tapering at 190 pounds and ~13% body fat. Not necessarily the optimal weight for someone to looking to run a 50K, but I'll take what I can get. Even though I had been feeling pretty slow in the weeks leading up to the taper, I attributed this to all the miles I had been accumulating. There were still some small glimpses into my true fitness improvement: 800m repeats consistently below 2:50 and closing in on 2:40. Three solid legs at the AOR relay at a fairly consistent speed. I took two days before the race to rest completely and it seemed it seemed to work well. My legs were fresh and almost jumpy the night before the race.

I woke up around 545AM on Sunday morning and felt well-rested. This is an anomaly. Typically for other races I have a hard time sleeping or I get to bed too late and only get 6 hours of sleep. I had laid out most of the gear I was planning on bringing to the race the night before: waist pack for a 20 oz bottle and some gels, tech hat, a few bandannas, Wave Precisions (with the MT-101s in the drop bag just in case), an extra shirt and socks, couple of granola bars, a bottle of Gatorade, and butterscotch Krimpets (you never know). I had spent the week caffeine free so as to give myself a little extra kick in the morning and to help move my digestive track along. It worked several times. When I got to the starting area, I found it wasn't nearly as congested as many other Philly races are. I picked up my race number without issue, used the restrooms once more (no lines), prepped myself and was ready to go for the start. Nobody seemed to know where I could leave my drop bag, so one of the registration folks offered to keep it behind her desk for me. After giving a quick list of instructions and last minute announcements, the gun went off.

There were three race distances offered today: 25K, 50K, and 50 miles. I would guess there were about 500 people at the starting line at most. The course quickly progressed into tight single-track, so the first 2-3 miles were pretty slow going. It opened up in various places where the trail made its way under bridges and ultimately the field thinned out pretty well by the time we hit the first aid station (AS1) at mile 3. I grabbed a Gatorade and kept moving. I had set my watch alarm to beep at 15 minute intervals to remind myself to drink water and I kept to this regimen pretty well. It was right about this point that I began chatting with another runner who was doing the 25K. The conversation made things much easier and eventually we picked up another girl from Washington DC. We were all moving along at a pretty decently clip. I really had no idea what the pace was, since the aid stations served as the only mile markers, but I felt light and strong. We shared the pacing responsibilities for the most part, but I found myself in front for a majority of the time. From AS1 to AS2 was approximately 4.5 miles. We rolled in at the farthest point from the starting line in good time. The course was essentially in a Figure 8 with AS1/AS3 in the middle and the start/finish area serving as an aid station as well. For those of us doing the 50K, we would complete two loops. I think it was about this point in the race that we picked up another two guys and I kept the group cruising along on the route back to AS1/AS3. I saw another runner up ahead of us and slowly started reeling him in. As we approached the rest area, things got real dicey. The runner ahead of us immediately made his way to the left, whereas we were given instructions to head right, followed by instructions to make another right. I voiced my concern to the group, but one of the guys asked if this was the 11.5 mile mark for the 50K and the response was "Yes!" Soon we found ourselves on the route back to AS2. It was hard to distinguish this at first, being all trail, but something didn't seem quite right. The two folks running the 25K gradually pulled away (I never did get their names) and our group shrunk to three, with two of us hoping to finish 50K. I felt queasy with confusion at this point and was getting very nervous that we were off course, but continued blindly forward. There seemed comfort in the fact that there were five of us in the same boat, which abated some of my anxiety. This came to a screeching halt when we turned a corner and found ourselves back at AS2 and saw the deflated looks on the two 25K runners who had arrived moments earlier and gave us the bad news. Turns out we should have followed the lone runner at AS1/AS3. I should have been furious, dejected, resentful, all of the above. But for some reason I seemed oddly unperturbed by the news. We had gone off course. Big deal. It didn't even matter that we were cruising along at sub 8:00 pace over some fairly technical terrain, through more creeks than anticipated and a course that was filled with mud from the past several days' worth of rain. I was at peace. The three other runners who had signed up for the 25K took the offer of a fellow spectator to drive them back to the start. I wasn't sure how things progressed from there. The other runner (I would later learn his name was Mike B.) and I decided we would press on and conquer. Never mind that we had gone 8 miles out of the way and would have to finish 40 miles to finish. It took us almost 45 minutes to realize that we could easily adjust our course and would allow us to come much closer to 50K, a revelation we were both ecstatic about. Even though we were feeling confident at the time we considered the 40 mile option, we slowed our pace considerably.

The rest of the race is history. Soreness and lethargy started creeping in around mile 18. I made a valiant effort to keep my fluid intake up and for the most part I was successful, nearly finishing my water bottle by the time we reached the next aid station and taking in some gatorade and pepsi as well. Even though I didn't feel the effects of bonking, I could have been more diligent about taking in food. I downed about 3 gels, a small handful of Cheez-Its and potato chips, and a quarter of a PB sandwich. Seems like a lot now that I'm writing it down, but Mike had downed at least two gels an hour for the duration of our run. He seemed a bit more fresh towards the finish, although he was complaining of some ankle pain. I think I would have finished much slower without him. There was a good sharing of the lead and I wanted to walk or rest too many times to count, but I trudged along because I didn't want to hold him up. I hope I did the same for him.

As we started our last mini-loop, we explained our dilemma to the race director, who graciously agreed to record our finishing time but admitted he couldn't give us an official place. I was OK with that. After a what seemed like seconds, we were off again. I caught sight of Brigid arriving just as we were headed out and stopped for a hot second to say hi. She was visibly shocked when I told her we still had eight miles left to cover and honestly it felt like an eternity. Now I am amazed at how much her reaction shook me at the time. It didn't really seem like eight miles was a lot but suddenly it felt like a whole different race. I tried to push it further back into the depths of my mind. Mike and I hit the trail and everything was a blur until we hit the final aid station before the finish. Grabbed some chips and some pepsi (like I was watching the Superbowl or something) and we peeled out. This was the darkest part of the race. I remembered from the first loop that out of nowhere we would emerge from the trail and into the final quarter mile of the race. The problem was that it seemed to lurk around EVERY turn. Mentally, I was scraping the bottom of the barrel and, like the ivory tower, there it was. I tried to pull my form together and make myself at least somewhat presentable for the final portion of the race. Mike and I crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 5:19:43. It was sheer ecstasy.

I didn't feel as sore as I thought after the race. I felt bad that Brigid was waiting for so long at the finish area, so we split soon after I changed into some dry clothes. All in all, it was a good race. The weather could have been much worse, but I would have liked to see my result if we didn't hit that little hiccup in the middle of the race. One of the biggest changes I would make for next time (if there is a next time) is to cut some weight before the race. It seems the little aches and pains that creep up on me after 15-18 miles are a direct result of carrying 190 pounds over that long of a distance. There is simply no way around it. Mike was telling me he used to train as a power lifter at a solid 220, but dropped 40 pounds during his running training and the aches magically disappeared. I had a suspicion that this was the case, although I thought I could remedy it with increased strength training, which would help joints, bones, and tendons become much more durable. But it didn't work the way I thought it would. I'm pleased with the way things went, although I already started compiling a long list of things I would do differently.



Race start/finish.

Taper

May 18th- An easy 5k today with the group: Erik, Minhong, Chris, Becky, and Laura. It was a pretty easy route, but I lagged behind to chat with some of the folks I don't get to talk to much. Erik and I went back and forth on the pros and cons of eating organic and the various ways big companies trick you into thinking their food is healthy. We could have went on for hours. The weather was great. Just a light drizzle to cool things off.

May 19th- Another easy day on the same 5k route as yesterday. Legs were feeling unexpectedly heavy, so I took it slow on the grass for the first two miles of the run. I must not have been running as slow as I expected, but decided to throw in some "easy" tempo work on the final mile home on Flat Rd. Felt like I was moving at 8:00 min pace, but it turned out to be 7:00 min. I could have held that pace for hours. Hopefully, that's a real good sign.

Das Cut

Somewhat easy loop with Brian at lunch today over to the Cut. I haven't gone straight up this route in a while, always looking to tag on a few extra miles and taking the long way up. There are arguments as to which route is harder, but taking it on straight up is definitely tough no matter how you slice it. You break into a long narrow valley about 3/4 mile long, with a looming hill in the distance. Staring this thing down is enough to get your heart rate up. The rain we got yesterday and today didn't help with traction on the early portion of the climb, and although the baseball-size rocks kept the mud to a minimum, they didn't help out my ankles at all.

I remember this route as one of my first runs with the lunch group when I started in Malvern a little over a year ago. I was still recovering from my ankle injury then and had lost a lot of fitness over the subsequent months. By the time I got to Malvern, I was in pretty bad shape and this run nearly broke me. I'm glad to say that now, while not much easier, it somehow doesn't seem as daunting as it once did. This just proves how perception can change over time and most of the reasons for not trying something in the first place is fear. Thrust yourself into the thick of things and pretty soon it becomes the norm, not leaving much room for doubt.

As an added bonus, Brian and I happened across a solo jogger heading in the opposite direction from us on the way back. As we got closer, I heard him yell out my name and quickly recognized him as my neighbor in Conshohocken. When we first moved in, I remembered he told me that he worked for JCI in Spring House, not far from where I worked. Now I'm wondering if his company doesn't do contract work for JNJ. I'll have to find out. Maybe I've just found myself another running partner.

About 5.5 miles. Untimed.

Week of May 9th...

May 9th: Since I put off my run on Saturday, I had to pay for it today. I kept telling myself I was going to experiment with the Wave Precision shoes on a long run and somehow seemed to put it off constantly. I also told myself that I was going to experiment with a CamelBak while running and see if it was too cumbersome on the trails. Today seemed like a good opportunity for both. When I first got the Wave Precision shoes, I was a little apprehensive, especially after the first few weeks. My calves were consistently sore and it was taking me longer and longer to warm up. I've since realized that this is probably due to the frequently switch between the minimal sole MT-101s and the Precisions. Even when I was running consistently on trails with the MT-101s, I was still experiencing some soreness and tightness in my legs following a run. They were still a blast to run in and I didn't want to give them up so easily. However, running in the Precisions on a more frequent basis has correlated with stronger long runs. I also gave the Camelbak a try and after getting over the initial annoyance with the constant sloshing (the pack is a little bigger than I would like) it was actually good to run with. It's difficult to get used to drawing water from the tube, but I can't imagine I'll be tapping into anaerobic stores too frequently during the 50K. Game time decision on whether I'll use this or not.

The run itself was great. I did an identical run yesterday in about 1:44 and shaved off about 12 minutes during the run today. At several points in the run I came across mountain bikers and other runners, all headed down the same trails for sizable portions of the run, which gave me a little more motivation to crank my pace up. I felt good at the end too, turning it up an extra notch for the last 3/4 mile down Forbidden Drive.

May 10: My legs felt better than expected, although still a bit sluggish after the run yesterday. Paul and I tackled a quarry/Nature preserve loop. The rain over the past several weeks, along with the increase in temperature, has squeezed most of the running trails from all sides. Trail blazing becomes a key part of every run, at least for the leader. I'm always amazed at how fast these areas can grow in a week given the proper conditions. Paul said he was feeling slow today because of his recent spinal injection to help repair a lower herniated disc, but of course this still means that he was striding along 100 or so yards ahead of me. I wonder if this is a sign of his increased fitness, or the lack of mine. Bad thoughts to have during taper week.

May 11: Just an easy run at lunch with Becky and Raph. Raph is getting ready for the Pittsburgh marathon this weekend, following a self-devised training program that mirrors what Crossfit Endurance preaches. Intervals and moderate long runs done at tempo pace. I think his longest run was the week before the marathon at 16 miles. Last year he almost broke 3 hours with this type of training. If it works out for him, I might consider working more of this into a regular program. I think the harder effort during the longer run trains muscles not usually worked and leads to stronger finishes at the end of the effort.

4 mile Aegon loop. Untimed.

May 12: Decided to finally take part in one of those Wissahickon Wanderers informal trail races. It's funny how Thursdays in May can get so quickly overrun with things to do. And September Thursdays for that matter. I've got class tonight, somebody wants to play basketball, go to happy hour, etc. I've gotten use to the act of crossing running off my list of things to do by lunch time, because something always comes up to throw me off track by the time I get home. But not today. Their website says these races are 3-5 miles in length and I've gotten pretty adept in the past few months at navigating my way through the Wissahickon. For once, I won't be wondering how much farther it will take to cross the finish line...

I was wondering how much farther it would take to cross the finish line after the first mile. I must have some inability to pace myself during the early section of ANY race. The gun goes off, the faster runners shoot out towards the front and I foster some disillusioned notion that I can hang with the front runners. Happens most every time. The race started from Valley Green and immediately crossed the bridge and headed southeast. A steep hill or two on this section and the creek crossing in valley between the two. Some of the faster runners were tip-toe-ing through the creek, looking for the good rocks to land on and it made me chuckle. 3-4 inches deep at best, I plunged right through and some people stared at me like I had violated some trail runner etiquette, although I did hear several splashes from the several people behind me. The route crossed down over the bridge about a mile south of Valley Green and made the slow and steady way up the western side of the creek. It was a torturous climb as I was not fully recovered from the downhill yet. I stopped briefly at the top and a female runner behind me encouragingly urged me to keep my legs moving, which invoked a mixed response. On the one hand, I wanted to heed her advice. On the other hand, I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, if I could stop sucking air long enough to regurgitate any understandable words. I guess this is what I get for not having raced in such a long time. The remaining portion of the race carried me across the top of the trails thankfully, with some moderate climbs on routes I was not all too familiar with. But soon I came to the steep downhill I knew would bring me to the finish and almost instantaneously, my lungs opened up again. I caught another runner who had passed me on the previously mentioned climb, but gave way to a younger runner (maybe 15?) who was downright flying through this latter portion of the course. Good for him.

At the end of the day, it measured maybe 3.3 miles and I finished in 27:15. Not lightning fast, but I think it's as good as you're going to get with the climbs included today. I could lie to myself and say that the course was a bit long, but that's why they have races. Everyone is running the same distance. Next week I'll be tapering for the 50K, but hopefully I can squeeze in another of these races on the last Thursday of the month.

May 13: Just a strength day today. I fell off the Pullup regimen I was on a while back and wanted to get back into the swing of things. I kept the workout easy on the legs since this is supposed to be a taper week.

Bench Press 5 X 4 (195)
Pullups 7, 10, 6, 6, 10

Clean and Press 4 X 3 (120, 140, 140, 140)
Incline DB Press 4 X 5 (120)

Bicep Curls 3 X 10 (30)
Dips 3 X 10

May 14: An easy 5 mile loop through Conshohocken on a cloudy morning. Untimed, but I think it felt pretty fast. The decrease in mileage is definitely having a positive effect on the constant "heaviness" in my legs. Recently, I complained about the difficulty of running in Conshohocken if you hate running on congested streets and jagged, pedestrian filled sidewalks. I've managed to string together a few portions of a run together that allow me to get almost 3.5 out of the miles on grass or unpaved trail. Starting with a small loop around Sutcliffe Park, I can make my way down the SRT, with a mildly worn dirt path next to the main bike path, which stretches for about 1.5 miles. I could always lengthen this in either direction. A few weeks ago I managed to fore go instinct and venture up the tall hill under the Peco power lines that stretch from the river and almost up to Fayette Street. I hope anyone that catches me realizes I'm not causing any damage and not looking to vandalize anything. I worry about any effect of running under power lines, but I guess there is no real way to avoid them in today's society, short of moving to Maine. Untimed run and felt good. A wedding tonight for my high school friend Carrie. Probably the first time in years that all of my high school friends have been together. Should be a good time.

Catch Up

Probably like a week's worth of workouts to record. Here goes...

May 1st: While the rest of Philadelphia was running Broad Street today, I was gearing up for another long run. Target today was somewhere in the vicinity of 15 miles. Going to be pretty tough to accumulate that many miles after AOR, but even though I was tired I wasn't feeling very sore. I dropped Brigid and her sister off at the starting line of the Broad Street Run and then headed home to get some housework done. They got back around 1230ish and I left promptly, having delayed long enough for the day. I could tell from the beginning that it wasn't going to be pretty. I started to feel somewhere sluggish on the SRT, took a few walking breaks and told myself the lethargy would pass. Eventually, I got into a slow, steady rhythm up Shawmont and into the park. After about 1-2 miles on trails, I quickly opted to finish this part of the route on Forbidden Drive. As soon as I descended toward the drive, I had to take another break on a park bench for a few minutes. At this point, I could feel some sharp pains in my right calf/shin area and didn't think any records needed to be broken today. I told myself I would finish the run, but half way down Barren Hill I ended up calling Brigid to come pick me up. Pretty miserable all together, and I was frustrated that I had to throw in the towel that close to home. But it wasn't worth any injury this close to the race. 11 miles total.

May 2nd: Rest day

May 3rd: Easy 5 miles today with Brian through the quarry and the nature preserve. We both admitted that the relay was still fresh in our legs, but he seemed to have a little more pop in his step that I did. Weather has been holding up great lately: Low 70s with no humidity. I guess we are going to get a spring season after all. 5.5 miles.

May 4th: Strength in the late afternoon.

Squats 4 X 3
Pullups 60 for the day
Bench Press 4 X 5
OH Squat 4 X 3 (95)
Incline DB Press
Cleans

Short run as soon as I got home. 2.7 miles through Conshy.

May 5th: Another easy 5 mile loop via Church Road and the Chester Valley Trail with Brian and Becky. Brian was a little more sluggish today than he seemed on Tuesday, although I think it was because Becky was pushing the pace. I've done this route several times with the group, but I think it's one of the remaining routes that I'm not too familiar with. It's all paved, with a 1-2 mile section on the paved CVT. A pretty nice route. 5.2 miles.

Later on in the day...some basketball with co-workers after work. ~2 hours

May 6th: Some more basketball in the PM.

May 7th: Unscheduled rest day.

May 8th: 10 miles in the Wissahickon, on the Northwestern loop of the four corners run. Great day, great weather, great run. Got off to a later start as usual, probably around 1145. But the weather was great and I was thankful for the crowded trails. Breaks up the run nicely to see other people out enjoying the park. I think it was a record day for mountain bikers. I tried the route in reverse in order to figure out my bearings on the meadow section adjacent to Northwestern Ave closer to Ridge Ave. I found a trail that was freshly bulldozed to keep runners and hikers off the grassy portions. The route didn't bring me quite exactly where I was hoping it would, but a few more times through here and I should have my bearings down. I used the MT-101s and my legs were feeling more sore than I would have thought. I'm going to make it a point to try the Wave Precisions tomorrow and a CamelBak and see how I feel with both.