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Dances With Dirt Green Swamp - RunUltra Marathon


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Dade City, Florida
United States
Running Fit
79F / 26C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 23m 58s
Overall Rank = 55/72
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 1/3
Pre-race routine:

Stayed with Dad in Lecanto. Up at 3:50. Oatmeal, banana, coffee. (the usual) Drove 1:15 to race site. Dad came along as my support person.
Event warmup:

Picked up race packet, bought Dad an awesome Dances With Dirt hat, put on sunscreen, lip balm, and lube. Need to remember to lube under the front part of my sports bra next time. I suppose boob chafing is the female version of nipple bleeding. Made several trips to the potties.
Run
  • 7h 23m 58s
  • 31.2 miles
  • 14m 14s  min/mile
Comments:

Carried my small 12 oz. handheld with water. Took 3 Electrolyte tabs every 90 min (apx). It started off pretty chilly at a brisk 39 degrees, so I wore my light jacket for the first loop. Ran the first 6.2 mile loop non-stop and was very pleased with my time, but I knew it wouldn't last. Dropped the jacket, had a 1/2 pb sandwich a couple potato bites dipped in salt, and some Gatorade. Then gave Dad a quick hug and told him the pace was going to slow A LOT on the upcoming 20 mile loop.

Started out the 20 mile loop moving slow and trying to give the food a chance to settle. Aid stations were spaced out every 3-5 miles. Only once did I run out of water between aid stations. Ate and drank a little at each aid station. Things like: potatoes w/salt, M&Ms, Pringles, Gatorade, and grabbed a gel to go. Had I been trying to "race" this, I would have spent a lot less time at the aid stations, but it was all good. You had to be really careful on this loop to follow the course markings and it was a challenge. Once I got off the course, but another runner gave me a shout and got me back on track. Another time, I was all alone and ran probably 3-4 minutes before I realized I missed my turn. This time I had to backtrack and lost some time. It was warming up considerably on this loop and the sun was pretty intense for this Northern girl. My left knee gave me a few jolts of sharp pain around the 13 mile mark, but settled down after that. (I think a hilly course would have been a different story for my knee).

A friend was volunteering the the mile 18 aid station and it was nice to see a familiar face and get a hug before I made the turn for home. I few miles later I encountered a good sized box turtle along the side of the trail. I'm sure I heard him say, "Slow and steady wins the race!" Sage words! There was a short easy river crossing less than a mile from the end of the second loop. The cool water felt AMAZING, and I just stood there for a minute not wanting to go on.

Back at the start/finish again. I heard from a runner who was finished that the last 5 mile loop was entirely dry, so I took time to put dry shoes and socks on and grabbed my "reward"--my iPod. I gave myself permission to listen to music for the last loop and it was wonderful to have that distraction from the fatigue and discomfort. There were only a few runners around at this point to hear me singing to myself. I used the music to keep me moving. When a new song came on, I would walk for the first minute and then run to the end of the song.
What would you do differently?:

With the course being so flat I allowed myself to walk way too much. I should have used some kind of timer to limit the walk breaks. On the other hand, my only goal was to enjoy the day, finish the race, and set myself up for a good recovery.
Post race
Warm down:

Uh, drink beer and eat!! And, thank my Dad for sticking with me for a very long day. He said it was interesting to see the experience once, but next time he would just let me borrow his car!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My training for the last couple months has been very limited as I tried to heal from the knee and shin issues I'd been having. There was a two week period where I didn't run at all, and the longest run I did between my Dec 29th ultra and today's race was a 1/2 marathon. I'm really not sure how much of a factor the heat was for me. I had done some "heat training" using the sauna at the gym. I would get on the treadmill or elliptical for 20 minutes, and then the sauna for 10 min, and repeat that several times. I really think it helped.

Event comments:

Dances with Dirt is a great trail racing series. I'm looking forward to the 2nd race in the series at Gnaw Bone, Indiana. It's supposed to be a very hilly and tough course. I've got some work to do.




Last updated: 2013-03-12 12:00 AM
Running
07:23:58 | 31.2 miles | 14m 14s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 55/72
Performance: Average
Course: Three loops (6.2 mi, 20 mi, 5 mi.) Each loop ended at the start/finish where I had access to my drop bag. Very flat. Went through a section of deep mud just 25 minutes into the race. Much of the course was on fire trails with some loose sand. A few spots were deep sand. There were also single track trails and one river crossing at mil 25. The last 5 mile loop was entirely dry.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2013-03-12 9:38 PM

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Expert
847
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Brevard, North Carolina
Subject: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp


2013-03-12 10:55 PM
in reply to: #4657518

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Master
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2000500
Subject: RE: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp
So awesome, Jayne!! Love that you got to share the experience with your dad!! The boiled potatoes with salt were one of my fave treats during my long trail run last year. Yum!! I'm so glad your body held up and it sounds like you ran/walked it very smart. Better to play it conservative, what with what you have in store for yourself this year!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2013-03-13 5:22 AM
in reply to: #4657518

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Champion
7163
500020001002525
Verona WI--Ironman Bike Country!
Subject: RE: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp
Congratulations on another ultra in the bank!  I am really glad your body held up given the distance.   Your father is one dedicated dude to hang out for so long.  You're lucky to have him as part of your cheering squad!
2013-03-15 5:38 PM
in reply to: #4657518

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Veteran
291
100100252525
Subject: RE: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp

Great job, that was a very wise old turtle....glad the knee held up. Awesome that your dad was there for support.

If you need help with the lube next time let me know, I am always willing to lend a hand....just because that is the kind of guy I am

2013-03-19 7:46 PM
in reply to: #4657518

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Master
3486
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Fort Wayne
Subject: RE: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp

I see an AG WIN!!!!!!!!

Congrats on another ultra!  One of these day's I'll man up (like you) and do an ultra myself.

I love that your dad was able to share this time with you.  It had to have been kind of special to know he was there the entire time.

Given the lower volume of training you had, it would seem to me that you did quite well for this race.  Hopefully the knee problems won't persist and you can have an awesome 100 miler in a month.

2013-03-21 7:45 PM
in reply to: #4666901

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Subject: RE: Dances With Dirt Green Swamp
Nice job, Jayne! I'm glad it went so well for you! Very cool to have your dad to hang out and support you!


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