Last weekend I completed my first ultra marathon in Bella Vista, Arkansas called The Back 40 Trail Race. Training had been going well since last racing in September and I wanted a chance to use it for a race before the dead of winter strikes. I looked up what trail ultras were in this end of year time frame between the 50K and 40 miles distances and relatively closely located. This one fit the description perfectly. I contacted my friend, Zac, to see if he had any interest in this event. He was on board so we registered and made the plans to go.
We drove to Arkansas the day before the race, 11 hours from my house and 9 from Zac's. It was a full day drive but didn't seem like it due to plenty of good conversation with a longtime friend. We got to Rush Running Company in Bentonville shortly before they closed to get our bib numbers and check in for the race. We found a pizzeria (New York style) and changed our plan of camping to staying in a cheap hotel due to the cold weather (about 28 degrees fahrenheit) and the logistics of preparing for a long race in those conditions.
The next morning we got to the starting line after our GPS took us through the scenic route. We got a preview and a sense that the hills and hollows in this area were no joke. The starting area had a heated tent which was a blessing to sort through and figure out our final kits for the journey. The sun rose at about 7:17am and it was 23 degrees. With the healthy sized crowd that showed up for the races (which included a 40, 20, 13 mile, and 5K on Saturday) we were sent off at 7:30am.
The first part of the race is run on the road going through Blowing Springs Park which takes you through their campground. This section might be about a half mile and then you start on the single track trail. The course is on a 20 mile loop built mainly to be for mountain biking. This made for a smooth surfaced (except small, loose rocks and an occasional small stump), flowing trail that was not too technical to run on. However, it was deceptively challenging. There was constant elevation change (my Garmin had me at about 4500 feet of gain on the day) broken up into small sections. Anything with a steep grade on the trail was softened by banked switchbacks, which are hard to keep running fast on. Also, there was a steady diet of "whoop-de-doos" which must be really fun on a mountain bike but are basically speed bumps for running, especially with tired legs. Basically, I underestimated how tough this trail would be and how much it would grind me down over 40 miles. I thought I could average around ten minute miles but I was slower than that even on just the first lap. The lesson learned here is don't worry about your pace in trail running, especially if you've never run the trail before. Go more off of your effort.
My goal was to run very conservatively, stay fresh as long as possible, and respect the distance. Ultimately, this helped me complete the race, but I still had to slow down significantly as time wore on. On most of the first loop I hung behind some folks who seemed to be moving at about my desired pace. I had to fight off the urge to press past them multiple times. I told myself to relax and enjoy the day. It was a very pleasant morning being cold, clear, and sunny. Dead leaves covered much of the trail, camouflaging the mostly smooth footing. This trail was never too far from houses or roads. We seemed to be running just down the ravine from the backyards of suburbia and almost always within earshot of a barking dog. There was a fair amount of road crossings, some of which had traffic to watch out for. Each loop had three aid stations roughly at 6 miles, 12 miles, and 16 miles that were staffed with great volunteers. They were very helpful and encouraging.
I finally moved past the group I was behind at around 14 miles into the race and pressed the pace a little until the end of the first loop. This probably wasn't wise because I wasn't feeling great at 20 miles. I checked in at the start/finish area and chatted briefly with Zac. He raced the 20 mile and was done. He offered help with any gear changes which I declined but I did take his unused gel. He didn't talk about his race except that he had fallen and he showed his bloodied wrist and forearm. I was wanting to keep moving and put some distance into the second loop so I set off again. On my way through the campground and back onto the single track I met many 13 milers coming in to finish. Mentally and physically, I hit a low point. Maybe knowing I had almost a whole loop left to run played mind games with me. A deep fatigue was setting in and my stomach was slightly nauseous. I was taking gels (Spring Energy) about every 45 minutes and consistently sipping on water from my 18 ounce handheld. I had started to dread when it was time to take a gel because I thought I might start puking. I was also taking an S-Cap salt capsule every two hours. Maybe I was taking in too many electrolytes. My stomach wasn't quite right for the rest of the race. Also, a very cold wind had whipped up and I seemed to almost always be running into it. When I took a deep breath my lungs kind of burned and the cold wind made it worse.
A little before the first aid station of the second loop (26 miles) I pulled out of the low point and was moving well. Pretzels hit the spot there, looking for anything that didn't taste sugary. I also ate a whole banana. The guys at the aid station told me I was in fifth but the runner in fourth was 8-10 minutes ahead. I got moving again and stopped to urinate at the exact same spot that I had stopped to pee on the first loop. I started walking some sections hoping my stomach would improve and I would get a second wind. I felt like I was slowing down a lot but I managed to catch the guy ahead of me right before the second aid station (32 miles). My walking breaks had gotten to be more of a habit than I would have liked so I was very surprised to catch up to 4th place. It didn't last long. I spent too much valuable time at this aid station and let another guy pass as well as the guy I had caught. To be honest, I didn't care at all about competition at this point. My main objective was just to finish.
At about 34 miles the cold wind, my lungs, my stomach, and deep fatigue put me in a place that I've never felt when running a race. The competitive juices were gone and I was just in survival mode. I coached myself to just keep puttering along instead of walking. Thankfully, quitting never crossed my mind. I forced down the gels at the needed intervals. Somehow, at about 37.5 miles, I caught sight of the guy who I pulled even with at 32 miles. He was probably a minute or two ahead of me walking the uphills and running everything else. I imagined he was fighting his own mental/physical battles to the finish line. It motivated me to keep moving and maybe get myself in a position to catch him. If he was close enough when we got to the campground road I figured I could muster enough of a sprint to pass him. He surely heard me rustling and crunching through the dead leaves on the trail behind him. I never saw him look back, but his pace increased with mine because I couldn't gain on him. I paused at a couple turns leading back to the road at the end of the loop. I was unsure about the markings and which way to go but finally figured it out. He knew I was coming and didn't want me to pass him! I found that he put a lot of distance on me at that point. He was still about a minute ahead of me and that never changed. I ran the last half mile at about 7:00/mile and finished in sixth in 7:41. It felt good to be done.
The finish line scene was much more sparse than it had been at the start. I parked myself in a chair in the heated tent and tried to eat a little. I learned that my friend Zac had won the 20 mile in a course record time. He had eaten, showered, napped, made a few friends, and eaten again. I was completely exhausted and starting to get really cold. My lungs hurt. Any deep breathing made them burn. But it was a good day because I ran my first ultra marathon. I took a shower at the campground and put every layer I had on just to stay warm. I nibbled on some catfish, chicken, and hush puppies but my stomach wasn't ready for very much. I took my complimentary beer to go and we headed off to the hotel. I had trouble with getting the chills for the rest of the night, almost like I was getting the flu. The chicken lentil soup that my wife had made for me to bring was the perfect post race food to feast on at the hotel. I fell asleep at about 8:30pm watching Tommy Boy.
It's been almost a week since the race and my lungs are just now starting to get better. I've researched what might have happened to them but have gotten no clear answers. Cold dry air dehydrating and damaging the lining of my bronchial tubes? Pneumonia? Asthma? Allergies? I'm not too worried about it as long as it goes away. At least my old fragile legs have seemingly recovered well.
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