Sunday, February 26, 2017

Cowtown 50k 2017/02/26--


I signed up for the 6th time.  Every year I felt unready.  It’s a battle between experience accumulation and declining fitness.  My excuse last year was jetlag and fatigue from a Taipei 50k 6 days prior.  That was the last time I saw dad.  He was happy at Chinese New Year eve.

_goal—5 hours
I arbitrarily pick the whole number as a target.  It’s 30 minutes slower than my theoretical ability based on VO2max.  In 2014 I missed 5-hour goal by 25 seconds due to a pee break.

Strategy this year: stay in Maff heart rate for 3 hours then run by feel.  Don’t challenge the hills.  Minimize bathroom activities.  If body had a good day, 4:50:00 was realistic.  Focus on even split.

_CONQUER THE HILL
Official email Thursday night:
“The infamous Main Street Bridge (.344 mile [554 meters]) ….  The fastest non-elite female and male runners to ascend the hill in each of the three distances (Ultra, Full, Half) will win a free entry into next year's race!”
I calculated elite speed vs. my Windhaven data.  5:30 pace had a realistic chance to win.  Surely no other 50k’ers are dumb enough to sprint with 22 miles to go.

_Raluca
We started from back of corral 4.

[photo: last second advice on posing finishing photo]

I adjusted speed based on her breathing.  The sun came out.  We tossed the T shirts at mile 6.  Raluca got good at judging hills and running tangents.  We let tens of runner passing us then overtook them quickly after cresting.


_mile 7
I ran pass the rest stop but decided to walked back—this could be the final toilet before the climb.  I stood in line for mid-race toilet for the first time since Ironman 2007.  The bridge loomed.  5:30 pace didn’t feel realistic.

_mile 8
I stopped to lower my HR and consumed the final and 3rd gel, visualizing little ATP’s saturating quad cells.

_top of mediocrity
The bridge looked flatter up close.  I walked to the timing strip, watching some guy going hard half way ahead.  I took off, focusing on the struggling sprinting man.  I heard reactions from the crowd --mostly positive—all females.  I passed the fading dasher.  I accelerated.  I ran out of juice before the end--neurons fired like crazy, muscle fibers twitched halfheartedly.


I walked after 2 minutes of fun.  Lots of hands patted my backs as they passed me—all males.  I power-walked at 15:00 pace.  I started running.  22 miles to go.  I laughed.

 [GPS screenshot]

My 554-meter sprint averaged 5:20 pace.  30-year-old Manton Willoughby beat me by 5 seconds.  At end of the day he finished 50k 99 minutes behind me.  The only other non-elite runner climbed faster was from half-marathon.

[half marathon finisher]

_IRC runners
At mile 15, a runner stopped in distress.  I slowed to see if she was OK.
“I just need to work kinks out of my knees.”
It was Rachel.  It broke my heart knowing how hard she worked for this day.  She started with the 5-hour pacer.  I knew nothing about the pacer but was unhappy seeing his mile splits on Strava.

[pacer posted his split on Strava]

He contributed to Rachel’s failure.

Couple miles later I caught John and Valerie—slowing but having a good time.
“Casey is up there”
I looked up the road but found no familiar figure.  I went into another porta potty to piss more time away.  I didn’t project finish time.  I abandoned 5-hour goal.  I squandered too many minutes for the hill.  I looked forward to beers.

_4 stops
I failed at minimizing stops.  GPS recorded 4:44 of non-moving time.  Over-hydration lead to 3 pee stops.

_hope
My legs stayed bouncy at 26.2-mile timing mat.  It was hard to contain my excitement.  I took care not to go sub-9 pace but started to fantasize sub-8 pace final 5k.

[photo reveals stiff quads]

I saw Casey then the 5-hour pacers with the turnaround BBQ in sight.  I visualized overtaking them at the line.  I overtook runners like an arcade game character.  The legs were sore but firing.  This was the best day.

_reality
Bounciness left me at mile 29 against head wind.  I used an old guy as shelter.  The slowest quarter mile—11:08--happened at mile 29.25.  The 5-hour pacer was minutes ahead.  The day turned out 100 times easier than I anticipated when I decided to sprint up Main Street Bridge.  I felt blessed.

_Casey
He finished strong 7 minutes in front of me after previous weekend’s trail marathon and Saturday 10k.  It’s gratifying to watch him develop as an endurance athlete.

I passed my windshield then willed the legs to overtake other runners.  I swung my arms and rotated my pelvis looking as dignified as Olympic speed walkers.

I didn’t change GPS view elapsed time to minimize chance of losing data.  I came to peace with 5+ hour finish, not knowing the pacer was 5 minutes ahead of schedule.



_#
GPS Garmin Forerunner
Distance: 31.10 mi
Elapsed time: 4:59:59
Moving time: 4:55:15
Avg pace: 9:35/M
Best pace: 5:04/M

Chip
Distance: 50k
Time: 4:59:55
Pace: 9:47/M
Place: 82/345

Hill Challenge
Distance: 554 meters
Time: 1:50
Pace: 5:20/M (winning pace=5:05/M)
Place: 2

Winner Calum Neff: 3:09:35
TNSR’s Brent Woodle finished 2nd over all!
Josh Cox’s US record: 2:43:45

participant count
half: 5873
marathon: 1269
50k: 345