Hello everybody. Thank you for coming to check out the review of my race day at the Niagara Ultra. I live in Virgil, just 10 minutes from the starting line of this race and have done the course many times in training and have the benefit of being able to visualise every step. You can read my other posting about the course itself in minute detail but this posting is more about how my particular race went and what I observed and felt during the race.
The Week Before
The week of training before the race went ok. I belong to a gym and we have had some scorching weather here during the week with record temperatures and high humidity (up to 43 degrees!) so all my final weeks training has been on a treadmill. There will be some of you that turn your noses up at this type of training and others who think it's invaluable. I personally have no issues with running on a treadmill. I like knowing pace, having the option to create a hill, being able to stop when I want and avoid extreme weather conditions. Additionally I have been having issues with Achilles Tendons most of the year and I find treadmills more forgiving than concrete or paved paths.
This week I did 8 miles on Monday, 7 on Tuesday and 4 on Thursday for a total of 19 miles. The Monday and Tuesday sessions were quite quick at 8-9 miles an hour with the final 4 mile session at 7.5 miles per hour. I hope to maintain 7.5 - 7.7 miles an hour for the race overall. Last week I did a 1/2 marathon and a total distance of 63 miles and the week before was 73 miles with a marathon in training so we'll see how this taper works and hopefully the mileage is ok.
The Day Before
I have been keeping a close eye on the forecast and thankfully it looks like although it will still be warm, it isn't going to be dreadful. I believe they are calling for a high of 24 degrees but at 7am it will probably be closer to 18 or 19 degrees. A 7am start means we'll have at least 1-2 hours before temperatures get too high. Tonight I'll drive over to the start and pick up my race pack a
nd drop off the car at the start line so I get the parking space I want and don't have to drive extra early on Saturday. I'll then get a drive home and have my kit all prepared for the next day. You can read my other posting for 'things to pack for a race' if you want - it's just some of the things I think are useful to have.
I have the day off today and am just going to 'chill' and relax - getting my kit ready. Last night I got a good sleep and they say that this is the more important one and that most of us are fairly sleepless and restless the night before a race and this is true for me also. I try not to concentrate on a race going to bed the night before but invariably thoughts turn to it and I can't stop them once they start.
2011 training for the Niagara went well. I ran the full 50km course in training sometime in April in 4 hours 17 minutes which I was happy with and I had hopes of finishing the race in 4 hours 15. Well, the best laid plans. . . unfortunately I made the mistake which seems to be plaguing me last year and this year so far. I go out like a bat outta hell, feel great (for awhile) and then pay for my stupid pace. Last year I went out too quickly and I didn't feel good. In fact after about 5km I wanted to throw in the towel and make a right hand turn to my house which is down one of the roads alongside the course (tempting). It was getting warm, I was running alone and could see about 4-5 people ahead of me as we all began to stretch out into the race.
I carried on and where I normally run up the extended hill at the Niagara Escarpment at 11km, this time I walked twice there as I felt the heat and the lack of motivation. It just was not happening. I got to the 1/2 way point - I'm not sure of the time because I didn't set my watch correctly at the start - but as I started my return journey one of the runners said I was in 6th place. At the 1/2 way point I knew I was finished and the hills going out of Niagara Falls wiped me out and by the 18km point I began walking. I tried several times to pick it up again and it was start/stop for awhile and then I just mentally gave up and the 'death-march' began. I figure I walked close to 9 miles in total on the way back with a final push from 2km. I walked with another guy for a number of miles whose name I can't remember but it was nice to have someone to push each other when we could. The race finished for me in 5 hours 11 minutes (finishing 60th of 160 runners) and I was really disappointed in myself.
I got some pizza and then headed out to the finish to cheer on others and that was enjoyable. I got speaking with one woman who had done very well, finished 5th overall I think and was going to be running a 100 mile race later that year. She told me about the Run For The Toad race in October and I think it was through speaking with her that I decided to enter that race - another one I hope to run in this year. That was how the 2011 Niagara Ultra went.
What do I hope for in 2012? Well, better than 5 hours 11 minutes would be nice. This year I did the full course in training, again in April when it was cooler (I do much better when it's cooler) in a faster time of 4 hours 7 minutes. I've definately been putting in more mileage than last year but I had a DNF at Sulphur Springs 50 mile in May (finishing 2 of the 4 laps) and that has made me worried about repeating my mistakes and going off too quickly. If I can reign myself in at the start and treat it like a training run in my head and get to the 1/2 way point feeling perky (ish) then I HOPE to finish in less than 4 hours 30 minutes. I would not be happy with that but I don't want to get cocky and predict a sub 4 hour (ain't gonna happen). If everything goes awesome then I would love a sub 4 hour 15 minute race.
I'll be wearing a sleeveless black Under Armour top which is body hugging, sunglasses, skimpy running shorts, Therlo socks, Asics Gel Fuji Racer with Spenco heel tabs for support, a white peaked cap, a Nathan belt pack with two 10oz. bottles (one filled with water and Hammer Perpetuem/Endurolyte powder mix (2 scoops of each) and the other just with powder mixture which I’ll fill with water after drinking the other one and filling with water at the turn-around point – that way not carrying around dead weight and the second bottle won’t get warm). I’ll put 2 Hammer Gels (Raspberry flavour) in the zippered pouch and carry a Nathan 20 oz. handheld for water. I’ll fill that up also at the turnaround point. I’ll apply a 50+ sports sun-block spray and use Bodyglide on privates, nipples and inner thighs. That’s it.
I drove to the Kinsmen Scout Hall about 6:30pm and quickly got my race number (232) and the nice fleece which is identical in style but purple this year (awesome - my favourite colour and will match my Fuji's nicely). There were people coming and going and I left after that. They have colour-coded the numbers this year depending on your race distance which I think is a great idea and also this year the chip is on the back of the bib number which also makes sense - last year you had to wait to pick up your chip until the morning of the race.
Post Race Review. . .
Wow. What a day. I don't know where to start but I slept quite well and had pasta for dinner along with strawberry rhubarb pie (love the pie season). I went to bed at 10pm and got up at 4:30am to have 2 pieces of toast with jam and honey and a banana and then went back to bed until 5:30. Then I had my morning constitutional and put in my contacts and had all my kit prepared so jumped in the car and a quick ride (10 minutes away) to the course. The 100km runners had gone at 6:00am. I got to the course at 6:15am and walked to the car I parked last night and got prepared. There were already people lined up to use the porta-potties and I got my camera and took a few shots of the starting area which hopefully I'll figure out how to post later - then I got in the back of the car and just chilled until 15 minutes to go. I applied sun screen and locked the car, put on my belt pack and then the race director, Henri, made his pre-race announcements. I lined up at the front with the first 20 runners and looked back to see if I saw any familiar faces which I didn't. Then it was a 3. . .2. . .1. . .and off we went.
The day was already bright and sunny and you could feel it was going to get hot. The grass was still wet and dewy but the grass part is over in 100 feet or so and then you are on the paved foot path. I kept it in my head that I was NOT going to go quickly and tried to reign myself in. I felt good and after crossing the road after The Commons my Mom was waiting there to see me. I ran over and gave her a hug, thanked her for coming and then ran back. That is the first race she's ever seen me at ( I lived in the UK for 18 years) and it was nice to see her when I felt fresh and keen rather than smelly and exhausted. Once we got past Fort George and out along the Niagara River we started stretching ourselves out. I was not running with anybody and passed a few runners over a period of time, just taking things easy.
It was a huge relief that I didn't feel like I did last year when mentally I just didn't want to be there and felt like quitting and was exhausted very early. Today I felt good and just tried to keep things ticking over. I had a Hammer Gel just before the start and kept up with water and Perpetuem drink (every 5km). We got to the 11km point and the climb was hard but I didn't stop. I passed a guy who said that put me in 6th place and I was thinking, oh no, not again (6th place last year at the 1/2 way point before I fell apart)! I got to the top at 13km where I always peak at my watch and I remember telling you guys that if I was there in 1 hour I should kick myself and there I was again, 59 min, 53 seconds. I don't know what my feelings were but I decided I'd try to slow things down a bit but for now the wheels were still on.
I just carried on running. I found it very hot by the Power Generation Station and was happy to get into some tree cover around 15km. I had not been stopping at the aid stations every 5km and there was one guy ahead of me who would always stop in there, loose some time and then pull away from me once he got going again. He was not wearing a shirt and had brown sort of khaki's on which I thought was strange running attire but I guess it worked for him. The km's just came and went and I still felt pretty good and we passed the marathon turnaround point. I had already started to pass some of the slower 100km runners and it was nice to actually be seeing people ahead of me - it felt like a race. The final km from 24-25 seemed to go on for ages and The Falls, while not packed, did have a few people so required some dodging. Unfortunately the race director didn't take my advice on putting a sign at the 24km point to indicate to people NOT to run into the chute for the Maid of the Mist tours and after the race I spoke to the guy who placed third and did just that. He told us all in the race briefing to hug the wall which isn't correct as you stay to the right past the traffic light and then veer to the left. Oh well, I knew what to do this time around. Hopefully you read my in-depth course description and didn't make that mistake.
I got to the 1/2 way point just past the Falls and topped up my empty powder drink container (having drained the full one to the 1/2 way point) and my handheld. I looked at my watch and was pretty shocked as it showed 1 hour 55 minutes. Holy Crap! I'm in doo doo. What happened to pacing myself. I was off quickly and it was interesting to see then the 50km racers and how close people were to the turn-around point. There required a bit more dodging of people on the way out and the open sun was getting quite hot. There is actually quite a long hill getting out of Niagara Falls and it's here that I started feeling it badly. I ran with another guy for a few minutes and then stretched ahead but I think he caught up to me later on. I found myself passing the marathon turnaround point and was then passing by many of the marathon runners that were coming up to their turnaround point.
I love the whole camaraderie as runners in the various distances wish each other well but sometimes it's hard to keep saying 'keep it up' or 'looking good' or whatever else. In the end I do some nodding or will hold up a hand or put it out a bit more to indicate an acknoweldgement of what they are doing. At some point the number of marathon runners grew less and I was back alone again with a few ahead that were amazing enough to enter the 100km distance.
At km 17 the wheels started coming off and I walked for the first time. I tried to get going again and did but walked many times over the course of the return from 17km. I did get from 13 to about 10.5 down the escarpment fairly quickly but again was having to walk once or sometimes twice each km. I filled up my bottles at the 10 and 5km aid station and tried pouring some nice cold water over my head which helped for a bit. I was feeling pretty shot by the end and would keep looking at my watch seeing the hopes of a sub 4 hour dissappear but was able to maintain my walk/run strategy to keep from grinding to a halt. I think in this time I lost 3 places but again there were other runners I was passing who were doing the marathon or 100km and then when I'd stop we'd trade places but there were not alot of runners around me at this point.
Knowing the course I was relieved to see the road crossing back infront of Fort George and walked one more time in the parking lot where I'd hugged my Mom earlier and I knew I had a chance to keep the time under 4 hours 10 minutes so didn't stop again. The legs were like rubber now and though I'd felt nauseous a number of times in the last 10km I was able to keep everything down. I can't say I sprinted the final 500m but I did hear the clapping ahead of me and saw the guy who had passed me earlier but I had nothing to give and he was a good 45 seconds ahead. I got to the finishing chute and I got a round of clapping which is really nice to have and then I dragged my sorry ass and weary legs across the finishing matt alone in 4 hours 8 minutes 56 seconds. Yippeee.
That makes a nice change from Sulphur Springs 50 mile DNF 3 weeks ago and my poor showing in this course last year so I was happy but things were 'foggy' as I accepted my medal and shuffled my way to the front of the car in the shade and collapsed on the pine needles and just was breathing deeply and heavily for what felt like 5 minutes. Then my right calf seized up terribly and I screamed out (what a wuss) in pain and tried to get the damn thing to let go and get the hell out of my kneecap! Ahhh, I hate that.
A few minutes feeling sorry for myself and then I hobbled into the Hall for my pizza slices and I sat down on a chair and got talking to some of the other runners as they came in and we contratulated each other. A woman had done her first marathon and had qualified for the Boston and she had a big smile on her face :)
After the pizza slices and water I grabbed a plastic cup with beer they serve. Really? Well, it was cold and sounded good to me so I walked sideways down the stairs and made my way to the finishing chute in the shade and spent the next hour clapping in many of the other runners whilst drinking my beer and talking to a guy who finished in 3 hours 38 minutes - and he was in 3rd place! There were some very fast runners out there today. I was very humbled by the guys and girls going out to do another lap in the 100km as it was by this point very warm and some of them looked really beat up. I knew there was no way I could do that again.
I spotted some sheets up against the wall of the Hall and saw people checking out their placings so I said my goodbyes and headed over and found my name. I placed 12th overall. I'm not sure of the total runners but I believe it was 170 or something but I'll know later when everything is official and we found out how many finished but I can't complain about that showing. I wish I had not gone out quite as quick as I did but I felt quite good for the first half and although I did alot of walking in the second half I didn't fall apart and got my caboose home.
I drove home smelling, um, definately not sweet but alone so nobody had cause to complain. I stumbled up the stairs, had a nice shower and then crashed for an hour. Stomach grumbling I made a nice big salad and here I am, giving you my impressions of the race almost while the press is still hot!
Thank you for following along with me. Once my calves stop their merry dance I'll think about my next race. It was nice to meet the people I talked with and I hope to see more of you at future races.
The End
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