Holiday Lake 50K Trip(s and falls report )

“Friday night Highmaintennce and I drove out to Holiday Lake State Park for the 14th annual Holiday Lake 50K++...

We got there and I reported in receiving No 89.. As I had never even run in a 5 or 10K this in itself was pretty freakin' cool...

After a dinner of spaghetti and lasagne David Horton gave a brief talk to us newbies. This guy is amazing.. First of all he runs a great event, second of all he pretty much runs everything that there is to run... I was feeling very overwhelmed as to be honest my training had been pretty pathetic (almost non-existant)..

I was doing this thing mostly to see what it was like. My main goals where to complete the first 16.6 miles in 3.5 hours, the first 25.5 miles in 5.75 hours and the entire 33.3 miles in under 8.

I barely slept Friday night and awoke Saturday to temperatures in the mid 20's. After breakfast, I pounded some GU and at 6:30 in 28 degree weather, we took off.

The first .6 miles was up hill, so most people walked. I pretty much just got into my hiking pace and found myself mid pack..

We then entered the woods.. 5 minutes in, I found myself at the tailend of a pack of about 10 runners who were setting a pace I felt comfprtable with (I would later learn it was a bit faster then I wanted to be going)...

About 3 miles in I wiped out for the first time, but was quickly up again, a scraped knee and a bruised ego, the only effects.

We hit the first aid station at 4 miles in 45 minutes, a little faster then I had planned, but no biggie... HM was there with Gatorade and GU and I was back in the race in no time...

I was pretty much with the same group and since the track was now fire road for a lot we shuffled back and forth. They were a little faster then me on the level ground, but I made up the time on down hills and up hills..

8.2 mile brought the second aid station which we hit at 81 minutes... HM couldn't drive there. so I got the provided cliff drink and snickers, grabbed some pretzels and chips and headed off...

There were several temas in the race, from VA Tech, Longwood University and a few clubs and being a novice I tried to stay out of their way. At one of the hills one of the local teams caught me.. I pulled off the main trail to let them pass me and as I slid back into the trail I hit a stomp.. It was so unexpected I didn't have time to reacte.. What a freakin face plant.. The last guy in the group had turned around to thank me and saw the whole thing.. He helped me up, I thanked him told him that I was fine and that he should go on...

I slowed down for a little to regroup my senses and then continued on. A mile later I caught my group again and we continued on... We hit the third aid station 12.2 miles in 125 minutes. I was actually on a faster pace then I had 'trained' on.

HM was there and I told her that I needed to slow down... We had 4.5 miles to the next station, and I told her that I was probably going to drop back...

I was 13.5 miles into the race when the leaders passed me going the other way. (the race was 2 16.63 mile loops, one ran clockwise, the seccond counter clockwise).. I had run 13.5, they had run 20. The amazing thing was that they were encouraging ME.. (great job, keep going etc etc etc).. I can only relate the commraderie to that of being on the trail...

The problem now was that the trail went back to one grove with a steep drop off to the right. Since we were told to stay to the right, and since I really didn't want to interfere with the 'real' competitors I kept getting off of the trail to let them pass.. This was slowing me down big time, so when I could, I hustled...

At 16.1 miles one of the girls that HM had met the night before passed going the other way.. She told me I had .5 miles to go.. I looked at my watch (9:23) What?!?..

I hit the start/finish line at 9:29.. 16.6 miles in 3 hours... By now my hip and left knee were in some pain so I popped a pain pill and relaxed for a bit... I was 30 minutes ahead of pace and knew I had messed up...

At 9:36 I headed back out, tell HM It would be awhile before I got to the 5th aid station... I was now doubling back and was going to be moving mostly uphill against the runners still trying to finish the first loop. I had grabbed some sandwhiches and walk a bit as I ate... I paired up with two girls and we talked a bit as we ate.

We then started into a slow jog. It was rough going, but now I was the one doing the encouraging.. About 25 minutes out, I reallized that the people going the other way probably weren't going to make the time limit, but proabably like me, they were competing more against themself than anything else....

Some how, I hit the next aid station at 10:35.. 21.12 miles 4 hours and 5 minutes.. Not world record pace but faster then I had ever imagined...

By now my thighs were starting to pain.. It wasn't cramps but the feeling that they were tightening up on me... HM was at this station.. I had 1:45 to make the next cut-off which was in 4 miles.. I realized now that I would finish this thing...

Since HM couldn't get to the next aid station I wouldn't be seeing her for 8 miles.. I told her I was going to start pacing myself... I hit the 25.02 mile mark in 5:05.. My pace was slowing, but at 5mph it was still well above what I thought I would be at.. I had made the cut-off by 40 minutes... I grabbed some food and headed out..

A little more then 8 miled to go.. About the length of the Doyles River/Jones Run SNP loop that I have hiked a few times.

Unfortunatley there comes a time when your mind wants your body to do things that it simply can't.. And at about 27 miles mine did that.. I had been having thigh problems, but now they just tightened.. It wasn't cramping it was just this tightening feeling... Worrying about pulling a muscle, I slowed down and tried to masage my left thigh as that was the one that was really bad.. No good.. Fine I thought, I will do what I can. About 20 minutes later my left knee started to lock on me... For about 20 minutes more I walked (gimped) to get to the next station.. People were now passing me..

One guy caught me going up hill, and asked if I was ok.. I told that I was and we talked... He told me that the problem with this race was that since there were few steep up or down hills, you pretty much use the same muscles for the whole race..

He wished me luck and continued on.. I hit the 29.02 mile mark in 6 hours 15... I'm not sure how.. I was hurting, and popped a few more Vitamin I's.. Ate and took off.. What happened next makes me wish I had popped them 9 miles earlier...

I started off and about 1 mile in things just started feeling better again. I saw a sign saying (.7 miles to picnic area) I told myself 'run this .7' and I did.. I was now passing people...
A little later there in big letters on the ground was "1 mile to go".. I couldn't believe it.. With a burst of adrenalin I took off (I was still worrying about my thighs, but what the heck). Upon reaching the last .6 you were now visable to the people at the finish line.. You coudn't stop.. I was finishing 3 hours later then the winners and yet the poeple were still cheering for me...

I crossed in 7:04.. 4 minutes off of what I told HM that I wanted to achieve at the half way point, but 26 minutes ahead of my goal (realistically I was shooting for 7:30)..

Mr Horton was there to do what he always does... Greet every finisher and award them their finisher's Pantagonia Shirt...

I was pumped!!!!! I told HM that I wanted to stay and cheer the rest on (especially one guy whom I had recently passed) We had spent a bunch of time toghether during the middle stages and I wanted to see him finish... I was also really worried about one of the guys that I had passes, as he was really in bad shape

The first guy a few minutes behind me and abouit 8 minutes later the second gentleman arrived.. We waited for another 10 minutes.. and then left...

All in all it was a pretty neat time. HM had a blast talking to people at the aid stations, and at 44 I accomplished something that until last November I had never even dreamed of doing.. I am really pumped about the first half of the race, I just wish that the second would have gone better.

'32oz
last edited: 2/15/09 6:16:14 AM”

“Much Kuddos! Now that you know what it's like, imagine how much better you can do next time(pysically & time wise).
Did HM get pics? If so, let's see 'em.”

“Thanks.. She has a few... We will get them posted...

Yeah I have already been talking about the next time.. we shall see...

'32oz”

“Congrats on your finish!”

“AWESOME! Congratulations 32oz.”

“Great report and thanks for sharing. Congratulations and sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Here are the picts.. there aren't a lot of them.. thank God..

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570117950yFHhIC

'32oz”