#ultrarunning nakedbavarian uberendurancesports PAtrailultras missedthesnow palmerlakenext leftfootrightfoot RFP

[mubal4]

Race Wrap Up – Naked Bavarian 40 Miler

To start, thank you to Stephan Weiss, Race Director, all the folks at uberendurancesports.com, all the volunteers at the race, and to the participants.  You are an amazing group of people.  Each year since I began ultramarathon’s the beginning of my race season keeps getting earlier and earlier. This year’s start was to be the last weekend of March.  However, that is spring break week, and with our upcoming move to Phoenix, the family is using that time to head out there to do some house hunting, have meetings, and visit friends/family.  The race director, Stephan Weiss, was very accommodating in letting me switch my reservation to this past Saturday’s race.  When I did that, I become immediately aware that it was two weeks away.  Not a big deal but a very early start to my season, however, I trusted my training.  I was viewing this race as a test for my body.  For six weeks in November and December I didn’t run because of injuries sustained during my 100-miler in September.  I started training in late December and January/February were very good months to get me back to where I was back in September.  I felt good, healthy, and injury free leading up to last week. 

As I write, I am having many thoughts about the lead in to this race. I mentioned my perspective above, this was simply to see where my body was at and how I might be able to plan my race schedule for this year.  Another caveat, my mother-in-law was visiting to see her granddaughters compete in their gymnastics event on Sunday, the day after the race. What barring does that have? Well, my wife & daughter’s, who typically crew me for these local races were going to have other commitments and I was going to be running it solo. No worries, as my wife said, “it is only 40 miles, you got this.” For those in the Philly area reading this, you know that Friday, day before race day, we got hit with heavy winds, rain, and about 4-5 inches of snow. It took me 2.5 hours to drive home from work (typically 35 mins) Friday night and got home to no power in the house.  Again, no worries, got some take out to fuel up, lite some candles, started a fire, and we all played Monopoly.  Actually, it was a pretty awesome night.  Like everyone out there, we run and run, not usually taking the time to have a night where we just sit, in candle & headlamp light 😊 and play a board game.  It was a night that I will remember.  Around 930pm the power came back on and my thoughts of how I was going to get all my gear together in the morning before I left, in the dark, left my mind.  So, I went to bed with only thoughts of how the course conditions were going to be!!!

Those thoughts were put to rest when I woke up at 4am and read an email from the race director that the course was spared by the storm, no snow, 80% dry with just a few mud patches and down branches.  I packed up my gear, fueled up, kissed my girls, and got a last second pep talk from Robin.  I was ready to toe the line. 

This race consisted of two, 20-mile loops around Blue Marsh lake, near Reading, PA; about an hour drive from our house.  A lollipop trail around the lake with rolling hills and some flats; 90% runnable and 80% or so single-track.  A really nice course that provides a good test.  The first loop went well the first 10 miles.  I felt like I was running my pace, meeting some folks and having conversations with some people along the way.  I hit the 10-mile aid station about 30 minutes faster than what I typically expect.  This was right before about an 800-900-foot vertical incline where you are almost on all fours.  It was a grind and as I reached the top, I felt a twinge in both calves.  My calves were one of the areas that I injured in the fall.  This got into my head the next 10 miles leading into the halfway point.  Around mile 17 I was convinced that I wasn’t going out for the second loop. I was concerned that I was going to hurt my calves more and not be able to race for a while. I thought about not being able to run for another 2 months.  I thought about my first ever DNF and how that would suck.  I thought about having to tell my wife and kids, and my partner in crime in this crazy sport, Bryan, that I didn’t want to finish and all the bullshit excuses that would accompany it.  I didn’t want to go another 20 miles and potentially have it take me the rest of the day. 

Robin had hinted about bringing her mom and my oldest up to check in on me at the halfway point (our youngest was at play practice – likely another blog entry in the coming weeks 😊).  However, I wasn’t counting on it, except as I was coming into the 20-mile check point.  But went I didn’t see them immediately I got more defeated.  I then saw Isabella (daughter), then my mother-in-law, then Robin.  And for about 5 minutes I told her how much I dreaded the thought of going out there again and spent another minute feeling sorry for myself.  Then I took a little walk, breathed deep, downed some coke & pickle juice, changed into dry clothes & made the decision to head back out.  With the help of Robin.  She knows what to say, and MORE importantly, what not to say to me in these moments.  I had set some, what I believe, unrealistic expectations for myself leading up to this race as it relates to time, place, blah blah blah…….OUTCOME.  The last few races last year I was completely focused on gratitude, the moment, & what lead me to this point.  For some reason, the first 20 miles I lost that perspective.  Robin helped me realize that if it took me the rest of the day, that was fine, just keep moving.  Left foot right foot.

I gave my family kisses and left for my second loop thinking about them for about a mile.  The downhill I was on was pounding my quads and my legs were burning.  I thought, “these 20 miles will take me 5 hours to finish!!!”  Then I started talking to myself, rather than listening to my thoughts.  I spoke to me as if I was speaking with someone I was supporting in this race.  “Focus on what is around you, that you are actually capable of being out here, be grateful for the people putting on this race, volunteering, and participating.” I started thanking those volunteers, and talking to those I was running near and with.  I was running and I felt good.  Then I hit mile 10; right before the incline.  Fortunately, I met this great dude from NYC, named Ryan.  He and I talked for about 7 more miles and I didn’t have any trouble up that vert.  We ran, talked about life, his girlfriend, my family, and move to Phoenix.  It changed my whole perspective on the race.  I felt that it was the best 2nd half of a race that I experienced.  I felt fulfilled. 

The feelings I experienced throughout this entire race are typical.  No matter the length really!  You will have high points and low points.  There are no tricks.  Most likely, there will be spots that are not ideal and some that might truly suck.  It is a metaphor for life.  The easy thing for me to do after mile 20 was to pack up my shit, get in the car, and head home.  The hard thing, the really, uncomfortable thing for me to do was to keep running.  I didn’t want to but something, some reason compelled me to give it a shot.  Within 15 minutes of feeling like crap I was running fluidly with a clear mind and gratitude.

Over the weekend I took some time to rest and recover.  Now I am easing back into training, still a bit sore and tight but feel good.  There are no apparent injuries and my body seems to be adapting well.  That gives me confidence in my training to this point and in my healing from the fall.  It is a good thing because in less than 7 weeks Bryan and I have a the 24-hour Palmer Lake Death Race in CO.  This will be our 1st 24-hour ultra that we are both “officially” participating. 

I’ve followed this crazy, nutty, wonderful sport for the last 3 years. I’ve met some amazing people along the way and the culture is so welcoming. Gratitude is something you hear a lot on the trails.  I think that is what attracts me to it so much.  God is giving me the ability to train and participate in this sport.  Many times, the circumstances that we encounter in the sport are not ideal.  There are fears, low points, you will hurt, you will want to quit. But everyone out there is doing it for some specific purpose.  That purpose is what keeps people moving forward.  That mission is what keeps them coming back.  That feeling of fulfillment and joy they know they will find keeps them shuffling!!  Left foot, right foot.  Relentless Forward Progress.

“Hard decisions, easy life. Easy decisions, hard life.” - Jerzy Gregorek