Tim Cronk 2015 Old Pueblo 51 Mile Ultra Race Report
Below is the Race Plan... Highly recommend reading , not so much for the plan itself but for the comments/ideas from the team... Yet another example of the tools/knowledge available to us....Made me think, refine, and adopt several additions to the plan. Thank you all.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/18081/Default.aspx#200558
Results- 51 miles , 7000' elevation gain , In - 9:30:40 , Avg Pace 11:10 , 2nd in M50-59AG , 14th OA out of 154 registered...The Garmin file below is more correct than Strava since Strava removes the non-moving time. BTW winner was under 7hrs....
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/713746099
https://www.strava.com/activities/264564367
Amazingly close to the ultrasignup.com estimate of 9:18:22 they had for me based on the Pemberton 50k results... I believe that estimate was for 50 miles(not 51) @ 11:10 pace and I logged 51 miles so if you deduct 1 mile at 11:10 pace you get 9:19:30 or within 1:18 of the estimate....
Race Day Weather was perfect... As predicted low's in the 30's and highs in the 60's, some clouds, lightish winds on most of the course with some strong winds in some of the canyons... Being in AZ this is what I would expect but they have had some brutal weather in past years... Leaving my house in Oro Valley at 3:30 AM it was high 50's , driving thru Tucson it went as high as 60, I started to rethink my clothing choices, but arriving at the race it was as low as 30 in some of the low spots so stayed with the plan.
The Race - Arrived just after 5am , picked up number and a wrist band (new this year, no chips but they collect the wrist band at the end). Heather was volunteering so I just stayed bundled up with hat, gloves, long-pants, and down jacket until around 5:45...Just gotta love the low key Ultra start... After a 1 minute brief, they blew a horn , nobody moved , then the RD's wife very calmly and quietly said GO... Was still dark but full moon helped , kept my headlamp on for the first hour , I could see fine but still had some difficulty with the 3d dimension of the obstacles on the ground , just ran carefully and not too close to the person in front of me... Run/walk/REN begins.... 1st aid station @3 mile no food out yet but thats ok since I was still full from breakfast, 2nd aid station @ 7 mile , couldn't find my bag, got it at the far end , dumped jacket, hat, gloves, and before I knew it I was moving again, forgot to eat , wow I never do that , so I ate some blocks , settled in after that kept the pace at the right RPE and stuck to my eating and drinking.... Potatoes/pretzels until mile 25 , fluid performance sports drink was served on course and I liked it quite a bit... The course was well marked with ribbons, different colors at major turns with white powdered arrows.. The long steep downhill from mile 15-20 absolutely trashed my quads just like running the Boston Marathon except on loose chunky rocks.... Aid station mile 25 I took off my thicker base layer shirt and put on a light long sleeve (thanks Doug) grabbed my Toffee Peanut Buzz CB ate that leaving the AS... miles 23-33 was a steady up hill but mostly hard packed dirt road , was hard work but felt better than going down... at mile 29 was my first trip/stumble, and then another and another... I'm like WTF feet? I actually fell twice between 29-33 and also got some cramps under the ribcage... Slowed down even more. The cramps went away after that CB digested some more... The stumbles also disappeared probably as the caffeine started to work... At mile 33 I picked up a 12oz handheld to add to the 2 x 10oz bottles on my belt (Thanks Al) this was a brilliant move as I drank all 3 bottles between 33-40 and again 40-46... There were 2 more hateful downhill sections with lots of loose rock, I think I went slower down than up...I feel like a bit of a hypocrite as I admit to this as I have always been so anti-pain killer while racing but I had 1 Achilles and 2 quads that were absolutely killing me so I did break down and take 2 advil at mile 40 (woulda used tylenol if I had it) I do think it helped about 45 min later.... The slight cramps and case of the stumbles returned at mile 45ish but seemed to go away by mile 49 again.... Passed maybe 5-10 people total from mile 25-45... From 45-51 I never saw a runner in front of me or behind me... The best I can figure I ate something every 3-4 miles starting at mile 7 and I drank 170-180oz of perform/fluid sports drink (probably 250-280 cals per hour)...I weighed 127 when I got up and weighed 123 when I got home....Very happy with results, pacing, effort and decisions(except maybe the advil)... There is no DOMS here, it was immediate, my quads are trashed and my achilles hurts, 1 tiny blister in a new place, but all in all a good day....As many in my Race Plan mentioned you really need to Keep Moving Forward as stopping just makes it worse...
What I learned? Same thing I did when I ran Boston- run more downhills! Was it harder than IM? Hard to say its just so different.... Depends on if your finishing or really racing... I didn't feel like I was racing yesterday, felt more like just keep moving.... Even though the pace and effort was pedestrian my lungs still feel worked and the legs are worse than if I did an IM.
Whats next? I'm done playing runner for now... Moving on to the bike focus... Signed up for the Fat Tire 40 mile MB race in Fountain Hills next weekend and following it up with a 5k the next day for ALS with no expectations on either!
Thanks for reading!
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/18081/Default.aspx#200558
Results- 51 miles , 7000' elevation gain , In - 9:30:40 , Avg Pace 11:10 , 2nd in M50-59AG , 14th OA out of 154 registered...The Garmin file below is more correct than Strava since Strava removes the non-moving time. BTW winner was under 7hrs....
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/713746099
https://www.strava.com/activities/264564367
Amazingly close to the ultrasignup.com estimate of 9:18:22 they had for me based on the Pemberton 50k results... I believe that estimate was for 50 miles(not 51) @ 11:10 pace and I logged 51 miles so if you deduct 1 mile at 11:10 pace you get 9:19:30 or within 1:18 of the estimate....
Race Day Weather was perfect... As predicted low's in the 30's and highs in the 60's, some clouds, lightish winds on most of the course with some strong winds in some of the canyons... Being in AZ this is what I would expect but they have had some brutal weather in past years... Leaving my house in Oro Valley at 3:30 AM it was high 50's , driving thru Tucson it went as high as 60, I started to rethink my clothing choices, but arriving at the race it was as low as 30 in some of the low spots so stayed with the plan.
The Race - Arrived just after 5am , picked up number and a wrist band (new this year, no chips but they collect the wrist band at the end). Heather was volunteering so I just stayed bundled up with hat, gloves, long-pants, and down jacket until around 5:45...Just gotta love the low key Ultra start... After a 1 minute brief, they blew a horn , nobody moved , then the RD's wife very calmly and quietly said GO... Was still dark but full moon helped , kept my headlamp on for the first hour , I could see fine but still had some difficulty with the 3d dimension of the obstacles on the ground , just ran carefully and not too close to the person in front of me... Run/walk/REN begins.... 1st aid station @3 mile no food out yet but thats ok since I was still full from breakfast, 2nd aid station @ 7 mile , couldn't find my bag, got it at the far end , dumped jacket, hat, gloves, and before I knew it I was moving again, forgot to eat , wow I never do that , so I ate some blocks , settled in after that kept the pace at the right RPE and stuck to my eating and drinking.... Potatoes/pretzels until mile 25 , fluid performance sports drink was served on course and I liked it quite a bit... The course was well marked with ribbons, different colors at major turns with white powdered arrows.. The long steep downhill from mile 15-20 absolutely trashed my quads just like running the Boston Marathon except on loose chunky rocks.... Aid station mile 25 I took off my thicker base layer shirt and put on a light long sleeve (thanks Doug) grabbed my Toffee Peanut Buzz CB ate that leaving the AS... miles 23-33 was a steady up hill but mostly hard packed dirt road , was hard work but felt better than going down... at mile 29 was my first trip/stumble, and then another and another... I'm like WTF feet? I actually fell twice between 29-33 and also got some cramps under the ribcage... Slowed down even more. The cramps went away after that CB digested some more... The stumbles also disappeared probably as the caffeine started to work... At mile 33 I picked up a 12oz handheld to add to the 2 x 10oz bottles on my belt (Thanks Al) this was a brilliant move as I drank all 3 bottles between 33-40 and again 40-46... There were 2 more hateful downhill sections with lots of loose rock, I think I went slower down than up...I feel like a bit of a hypocrite as I admit to this as I have always been so anti-pain killer while racing but I had 1 Achilles and 2 quads that were absolutely killing me so I did break down and take 2 advil at mile 40 (woulda used tylenol if I had it) I do think it helped about 45 min later.... The slight cramps and case of the stumbles returned at mile 45ish but seemed to go away by mile 49 again.... Passed maybe 5-10 people total from mile 25-45... From 45-51 I never saw a runner in front of me or behind me... The best I can figure I ate something every 3-4 miles starting at mile 7 and I drank 170-180oz of perform/fluid sports drink (probably 250-280 cals per hour)...I weighed 127 when I got up and weighed 123 when I got home....Very happy with results, pacing, effort and decisions(except maybe the advil)... There is no DOMS here, it was immediate, my quads are trashed and my achilles hurts, 1 tiny blister in a new place, but all in all a good day....As many in my Race Plan mentioned you really need to Keep Moving Forward as stopping just makes it worse...
What I learned? Same thing I did when I ran Boston- run more downhills! Was it harder than IM? Hard to say its just so different.... Depends on if your finishing or really racing... I didn't feel like I was racing yesterday, felt more like just keep moving.... Even though the pace and effort was pedestrian my lungs still feel worked and the legs are worse than if I did an IM.
Whats next? I'm done playing runner for now... Moving on to the bike focus... Signed up for the Fat Tire 40 mile MB race in Fountain Hills next weekend and following it up with a 5k the next day for ALS with no expectations on either!
Thanks for reading!
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Comments
I was staying in Scottsdale with friends last week and we ran out their back door and onto the Pemberton trail. It's beautiful!
PS...I miss all that sunshine and warm!!!
I always enjoy reading your race plans and race reports as I learn so much from them!
We hope to see you and Heather at a race this year.
Oh, and a testament to what level you operate on, is that the only thing you're not happy with is that you took two Advil!