Raccoon Revisited

If you missed the first brief about the RR trip, hit it up here. Rooftop camping, Dallas fun and in-car photography. Oh boy.

We pranced around our motel room like meticulous school girls while prepping for our race -- trying on clothes, packing bags, getting food ready for tomorrow. We got a early to bed start and woke bright and bushy tailed. A little food, last minute prepping, showers, smoking, shoe tying, and a lot of lubing. Gonna be busy for the next few hours so the 4 of us had to get all of our ducks in a line. There are four of us. Andy, Charlie, Kyle and I. We pile in the car and head to the course just South of Huntsville. It's 6 AM, and 60 degrees. Not ideal for this boy, that's for sure. But I stopped trying to control the weather when I was 14.


Now I can only account for myself for the next 5+ hours. Yep, that's just 5 hours. I didn't finish. Thought I'd say that now so you can all be disappointed.

Rocky Raccoon: 50 miles: 3 laps: 16.67 each: aid stations at ~ 3, 6, 9, 12, and 16 - where the race starts.

The race starts. Mile 1: 8:30, just a bit slower than my pace I wanted... the trail is really nice. Sandy, board walks, and good shade. Though the terrain is pleasant, it is not flat, but it is fast. There isn't really a flat spot, but the rolling trails are not bad at all. I feel myself at a steady conversation pace (a pace comfortable enough to hold conversation and not get tired.) and keep what I feel is steady. On one loop I start to see the 100 milers that started an hour earlier. I also see Charlie, then Andy and Kyle. Sweet.

Around 9 miles or so in, my hip flexors are kinda tight and bothering, but nothing I don't feel on other occasions. I don't worry about it and keep on. My toe is bothing me, it's rubbing the front o of my shoe. Wait, my second toe in on my left foot. I guess I have more than just one toe. I stop at an aid station to get it wrapped, but they are no help. Someone goes looking for tape and I wait -- then I see him screwing around with a BBQ grill. Screw it - I run on. I manage to get the toe wrapped at the next aid station.

A large part of the trail is through the woods. Easy footing, but there are many spots where I bound between roots on uneven ground. It's really fun. The other part are maintenance/ fire roads that follow fence lines. They are nice, but the hills are more rolling and larger than those on the trails. Still, nothing I am not used to in NE.

First lap complete. 2:10 or so? 8th place I later learn. I refuel and head back out nice and easy. I don't feel that bad, and I feel I am still taking it easy. I am taking in water and gatorade at every station and I am carrying 4.5 oz flasks filled with water, GU packet and a Vitamin I tablet. I encounter my first cramps about 23 in or so on up-hills. I begin to walk the uphills. The marathon mark comes up (actually about 25.5 miles) and I am at 3.10 and change. I take in a larger amount of fluids. I continue on. Calf cramps become more prominant. I get a cramp, I walk, It goes away, I run again. This goes on for pretty much the rest of my race.

My body is not happy. I am walking more and more. It's very aggrivating. I am not tired, but I cannot run. After hobbling along the best I can, I get to the next aid station. By this point, I am really shot. I decide to just start walking and see if that helps. It does not. My legs. They have left. My quads are so shot I cannot lift my knees. When I do try to run, I either cramp up or sieze up. I walk for the next 4 miles, trying to run on occasion, but I cannot. I literally cannot lift my knees enough to put them forward to bring my foot up. Now when I try to run, I get a few steps, then my knees lock up and I come to a hobbling stop.

I am overly amazed. Astonished. I have literally ran my legs into submission. I am mad, but laughing at the same time. There's nothing I can do. I have made my mind up that I am toast and I won't be finishing.

I eventually get back to the start for the 3rd lap. I stop my clock at about five and a quarter hours. Now in 16th. I eat, I drink, and I try to stretch. When I try, I cramp. I continue this for the next hour or more. Nothing gets better. Andy comes in and we chat. He changes shoes, refuels and tries to get me to start with him. I tell him I will catch up.

Shoot, why not? I grab my fuel belt and head out. I walk, slowly getting faster. I try with all my might to run... nothing has changed. I stumble off the trail and return to the start. I hand over my racing chip and call it quits.

I am stuck with my thoughts.

Senerio 1: I went out too fast and ran my legs off. -- I later find that my pace for the first lap was around 7:40 and then with all the walking, my second lap was still 9:30. That's with over 4 miles of walking. So much for pace.

Senerio 2: Due to my easier pace and terrain, my legs got beat up due to impact of not being used to the gait of my stride. Running too fast during training, I'd have been used to a longer stride and my muscles would be used to it, not the slower pace.

-- Others little things... It was almost 80 degrees. I was wearing some different shorts that my legs may not have been used to. I dunno. Still mysterious.

Some volunteer at the race also suggested to just go out and start walking, and then I'd feel better and pick it back up. This would not have worked, and I am glad I didn't try it. I came down to run, not to walk. Plus walking 16 miles would have taken like 5 hours or more. Not to mention that I could have hurt myself doing so. -- I later regretted not walking the last lap. I hate being labeled DNF. 

A short gallery of Andy and Kyle's finishes.

Andy finished just over 9 hours. Charlie dropped out with knee problems somewhere under 40 miles. And Kyle finished as well. It was great seeing those guys finish. Charlie and I hung out, both of us disappointed to not get to finish, but we were still satisfied with our performances and we didn't feel we left it all on the trail.

All finished, we showered and hit up a Chinese buffet. Walking was a challenge. Sitting was hard, getting up was bad. Andy and I crashed on the hotel floor. When I got up during the night to wiz, I nearly fell many times. So much leg pain.

Andy and I push back to OKC. I decide to stay the night. Driving back the next day, I had a monsterous tail wind. Just outside of OKC, I filled up. This would be the last time I do until just south of Bellevue. Around 410 miles on a 12 gallon tank of gas. I spent most of my driving time reading and listening to it rain sand on my car.

What's next you ask? Take at least a week off of running. Then in a few weeks, I am going to plot a 50 mile course up here and run it with EB giving me aid help by bicycle. After only finishing 33 or so miles, I don't feel I have a choice but to set up and do a full 50 on my own. Smart? No. Ambitious? Definitely!

A special thanks goes out to Eric, Chris and Nicole for all your help and support. Brady for the Fuel Belt. Andy, I owe you big time, thanks again bro. Also a shout out to the parents of course.

UPDATE: Check out Andy's post on his run as well.

I obviously didn't finish due to a lack of style. Wow... I should have been beaten with a shovel!