Race Report - Deception Pass 50K Trail Race
What:
50K trail race with 4500’ of climbing.
Where:
Deception Pass WA isn’t a mountain pass, but a narrow straight between Fidalgo Island to the North and Whidbey Island to the South. A pair of bridges known collectively as the Deception Pass Bridge cross Deception Pass. The 50K course started on Whidbey Island and ran through the trails of the 4000 acre Deception Pass State Park which includes large areas on both sides of the bridge. The 50K course crossed the bridge twice. The view from the bridge, and surrounding cliffs and hilltops, is spectacular!
Why:
One of the stated goals of EN is to “have some fun with your fitness” and this sounded fun. Also, I wanted to do more trail running to, hopefully, reduce the repetitive stress injuries (niggles really) I’ve been getting by running on sidewalks and paved paths. Signing up for a challenging trail race was a good incentive to spend more of my running miles on trails.
Weather and trail conditions:
The temperature started the day in the high 30’s and increased to the low 40’s in the afternoon. Most of the day was dry or light drizzle, but there was an hour of hail/snow/rain mix around noon.
The trail conditions were a real mix. On Fidalgo island they were a collection of rocks and roots with a few sections of exposed granite. Some of that granite had sharp crags. A fall on one of these crags is a good way to slice open your arm or break a bone. Since the roots and rocks were wet, some of these areas were slower going than I would have preferred. In other areas, especially on Whidbey Island, the trail was packed dirt that allowed fast running. There was a couple short sections of the trail that were very muddy – especially after the mixed snow/rain shower.
Course:
The course and elevation profile are shown above. The final course had a short re-route, to avoid a landslide, that shortened the run by a fraction of a mile and increased the elevation gain by a couple hundred feet. Ultrarunning.com rates the race as a 3 out of 5 for both Elevation Rating (hilly) and Surface Rating (some rocks, roots, and/or ruts).
Race:
My plan was to power-hike the steeper climbs and to run everything else. In the last few weeks I practiced power-hiking hills to build both speed and strength, but I wish I had done more. I was maxing out my heart rate on the longer climbs. If I was in better condition for climbing, I think I could have finished a half-hour faster.
Since it was a winter race, I was wearing running tights and several layers on top (long-sleeve tech shirt, short sleeve tech shirt, light water-resistant shell, arm warmers, gloves, stocking cap). I was also wearing an Ultimate Directions ultrarunning pack with a bottle for hydration and pockets for nutrition. As it warmed I removed most of the layers and put them in the pack. When the mixed snow/rain storm hit, I put all the layers back on and wished I had more. I was running hard, but was still socked and shivering until the shower stopped and I was able to dry out a bit.
For nutrition I used NUUN hydration like I do in triathlons. Fortunately, they had NUUN hydration at the aid stations, so I didn’t need to carry a second bottle with concentrated NUUN. I supplemented the NUUN hydration calories with gels (honey stinger) and real food (bananas, potato chips, chicken-noodle soup) from the aid stations. Unlike my experience at either of my two IM’s marathons, I’ve had no GI distress at any of the three trail races I’ve run this fall? Is this because I’m eating real food in the trail races? Or, am I entering the IM marathon dehydrated or otherwise depleted? Or, do the power-hike climbs allow time for digestion that my stomach doesn't get during the IM?
For the most part the race went as expected. The mud made for an interesting challenge. On of the muddy sections was a narrow trail with a short/steep climb. There was a big backup in this section as runners would make it partially up the climb and then slide back down – often on all fours. A second section of muddy trail was flatter, but had roots and rocks buried under 2-4” of mud. I went down a couple times when I stepped on one of the hidden roots or rocks.
I faded quickly in the last couple miles as my leg muscles started giving out. I finished in 149th place out of 204 finishers, with a time of 6:58:49. There was another 54 runners that didn’t finish the race. At 61, I was the oldest runner in the race.
What I learned:
- A hilly 50K is very difficult for me at this time! My legs are in worse shape today than after either of my IRONMAN finishes.
- Hills are a significant workout. My highest heart rate was during the 500’ power-hike up from sea level to the top of Goose Rock.
- I need to carry a more water-proof jacket/shell if I do another winter race. I was at risk of hypothermia for a short time.
- Based on this race (N=1), trail ultras seem to attract a younger crowd than IRONMAN. Being the oldest guy in a race was a new experience for me.
- Ultramarathons are fun!
Comments
@Scott Imlay congratulations on your 50k, so glad you enjoyed yourself, pics looks beautiful on a sunny day, maybe not so much on your race day LOL, I think the answer to your lack of GI stress is C. All of the above (real food, not depleted yet, and walk/hike sections). But just like IM if you go hard enough or long enough it could become a problem. So far its a win . Yes the hills can trash those legs, key word is water PROOF jacket and not just water resistant, seems to me quite a few 60-65 yr olds still out there tearing it up, but it drops off quickly after that!
Thanks @tim cronk! It makes sense that going harder/longer would lead to GI distress.
Glad to hear there are other 60-65 yr olds out there! I was beginning to wonder if I belonged in the game.
@Scott Imlay as far as I know, you've not only done more ultras than most of us, you were almost in the top 50% of the race. Seems like our Masters athletes continue to dominate the FUN and FAST part of the endurance world! 👍
Thanks @Coach Patrick! I hadn't thought of it that way!
Good job Scott. It's a great feeling to be the oldest finisher. Sounds like you're going to do more of these.
Did you use hiking poles on the run? If not do you think they would help with the climbs? I used them for the last 7 miles of the Alaskaman and found them useful in the steep sections.
Congrats @Scott Imlay such fun. Practicing hiking will make all the difference. When I became a better power hiker and quicker walker it made a world of difference.
Thanks @Mark Maurer. I didn't use poles. I don't remember anyone else using them, so they may not have been allowed.
Thanks @Patrick Large. How did you improve your power hiking? Did you do some structured workouts like hill repeats? Or, did you just get out and hike more?
@Scott Imlay yes and yes. My "speed work" on my schedule turned into "power hike work". @tim cronk told me once that "hill work" is actually speed work in disguise. Holland is vertically challenged so these often turned into "stair climbing" workouts. I also spent time on the treadmill at max incline just slowly grinding it out. Lastly, I just didn't feeling bad about hiking / walking. In my long training back to back sessions, I though of it as a "skill set that I needed to develop" rather than, "shit my legs are trashed I've got to walk."
That mindset turns a shitty 5 hour run with lots of walking into a 5 hour session of "all work."
I found it interesting that you thought ultra was a "young mans game". I think it is balanced and actually favors the old diesel engines... "slow and steady" vs the flashy snappy young gun.
Way to go, @Scott Imlay ...Get it any way you can!
This is perfect for you @Scott Imlay !! I think with the lower intensity and ability to eat real food suits you. And you had fun! Congratulations.
@Scott Imlay I forgot to ask how your 6+hrs wet feet faired?
@Patrick Large thanks for the tips! I love the idea of a "mindset shift"!
Thanks @Al Truscott!
Thanks @Sheila Leard! Eating real food is better for me, though I'm not sure potato chips qualify as real food. 😉
@tim cronk my feet did really well. I think I might lose a toenail, but I was expecting far worse. My feet were coated in mud when I removed my socks. I'm using Drymax trail socks and Brooks Cascadia shoes. I think the socks did a good job, but I wished I had larger lugs and better grip on slipper roots with the shoes. Do you wear different shoes for different trail conditions?
@Scott Imlay that may be the single biggest factor to me being a "middle of the packer" enjoying going longer (but slower). The mindset shift, that a 5 hr "run" with 2 hours of working is all solid work.
Anyway, my thoughts from a super newbie ultra guy. Enjoy it for as long as you want. It's all there for you.
@Scott Imlay I do wear different shoes for different conditions, most companies make a very aggressive tread shoe for mud, I have not had the need to buy a pair yet. Recommend the book “fixing your feet” to see if there was anythin* that you may have been able to do to avoid losing that toenail, usually it’s shoe fit and clipping your toenails, or something as silly as not lacing shoes tight enough when descending. Love Desitin for a known wet foot race. To keep the skin of your feet cleaner and perhaps avoid issues from that , try a two layer sock approach one thin liner and one regular sock, also try gaiters.
Congratulations @Scott Imlay! Way to get it done! The mud and sliding/falling sounded mentally tough but maybe added to the "fun". :-)
Congratulations @Scott Imlay ! I love that location. Trail hills are tough and mud and rocks make it harder. I’ve found biking helps with the hills as well as hill work, stair machine or TM cranked up. Eating real food in trail runs is great. I’ll eat anything that sounds good to me. I’m glad you did it to have fun. Why else would we do this if not to have fun :). And you may have been the older in that race but I see lots of older runners in the trail races I’ve done. Way to go
How are the legs feeling now that you’ve had a little bit more time to
recover? Super curious…
~ Coach P
My legs are feeling good @Coach Patrick! The low point was 2 days after the event. I could barely walk. By the end of last week I was walking normally but stairs or hills were still painful. By early this week the legs were feeling mostly normal.
I've been doing the bike workouts all this week and yesterday was my first run since the 50K two weeks ago. It went well so I'm doing a long TRP run today.
feel good now it doesn’t mean that you will always feel good. Keep an eye
on your ability to recover as you re-integrate the run.
@Scott Imlay - congratulations bro! Hope the healing and recovery is going well.
Incredible work getting it done and crossing the finish line!
sounds like fun and a neat race.
will keep it on the radar as i live locally too.
see you at our common races.
Thanks @Coach Patrick and @Shaughn Simmons!
@robin sarner the race is on December 12 next year. It's popular, so they use an ultrasignup lottery (open Apr 2 - 9). About half the entries were accepted last year. It looks like we are both doing IM St. George and IM Arizona next year!
Congratulations Scott!! I love doing "out of the ordinary" races as well. The area looks absolutely spectacular!
Congratulations on your 50k! Sounds like you had fun and learned a lot. Happy to see more ENers going ultra!