Leading up to the SR50 my training is far ahead of last year at this point in the season. My endurance levels are exceptional as is my overall fitness. In 2010 I finished the SR 50 in 10:04, which should've been closer to a 9:40 as I took a wrong turn and ended up go a couple of miles out of my way. Yesterday, in finished at 6:15PM which was a 12 hours and 15 minutes, or 2:11:00 longer.
It was a beautiful morning with clear blue skies and temps in the low 50's. I should've taken precautions at this point but ignored the potential impacts of heat, sun and altitude combination. I was dressed in black shorts, black shirt and black visor.....real smart. The day before the race I rested well back at the hotel, stayed off of my feet, hydrated, ate a nice plate of plain spaghetti and got to bed early..this was actually smart. During the week before I stuck to light runs nothing major, other than 21 miles 7 days before the race, but I felt recovered from it, albeit a little tired entering the race...or more just a little wore out...but nothing too bad.
On race morning I got up at 4AM, showered and headed downstairs for a light breakfast at the Delaware Hotel. Tim joined me 15 minutes later and we made it the the race start at 5:45AM, in plenty of time to get our chips and say hello to our friends racing that day. When the gun went off at 6:00AM, Hawaiian Shirt Ray, sprinted up the hill as we hooted and hollered and cheered him on as a kid 10 years younger attempted to keep pace with him. Ray crushed him in this sprint up the hill to claim the lone silver dollar waiting at the top of the hill. To really understand just how difficult a task this is...imagine running up 10 flights of stairs (25 degree slope), without the stairs, but on loose rocks and gravel....oh and don't forget at 10,250 of altitude. Very very impressive.
So the race begins and the first several miles are very uneventful. Conversations are being carried on by many of the runners as the pace is a fast hike, slow jog as the first 10 miles are uphill....which means the last 10 miles are downhill...almost. I met OJ from Nashville a nice younger guy that is friends with Brian Waller and Greg Greenwell. We chatted for a few minutes and he dropped as his pace was faster than I had wanted to go out at.
Goals for the Day
1. Finish the race before the 14 HR cutoff
2. Do not get injured
Mission accomplished...well sort of....I did complete the race under the cutoff and I also did not sustain any physical injuries. I did however suffer significantly throughout the race from an overall electrolyte imbalance...which caused extreme nausea....elevated HR...inability to easily digest anything I consumed. Fortunately, nurse Nancy, passed me and diagnosed my condition in about 2 seconds and offered up some sodium tablets, which remedied my situation in about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I only had enough sodium to last me till about mile 34...which meant another bonk on the horizon.
Nutrition
1. Packed 8 Shot Blocks...consumed 6
2. Packed 8 Hammer Gels....consumed 8 plus 2 Gu gels picked up at last aid station 7 miles from finish
3. 90oz of H2O with Gu Brew mix......big issue as the aid stations only had Herbalife to refill other than last aid station.
4. 2 slices of pizza, plain chees, which I was only able to eat one slice at the mid point turn around
5. Chips, 1/2 Chocolate Chip Cookie, bite of a banana, coke at all aid stations except #1, 1 slice of an orange and piece of watermellon with salt...yuk..but needed sodium bad at last aid station.
Overall assessment.....heat and altitude were an issue that I underestimated. Thought that I could get enough sodium from drinks and food so abandoned my endurolytes...big ass mistake!!! Should've recognized all of the symptoms...elevated HR and Nausea...sloshing stomach...meant electrolyte imbalance. Clothes that I had on exacerbated the heat factor...a rookie mistake and lack of respect for the sun....this will never happen again.
I will be downloading from my Garmin my HR over the 12:15 period of time...I know that it'll not be good. What will be good is that it was a good but painful learning experience.
More to follow.........
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