Wednesday, April 13, 2011

LOL100 part 2.

Lap 3 - Mile 44-66: As Formulaic and I started off he was quick to point out that my transitions times at the check points were super fast, which is what I wanted on every check point so I was doing in that area. He had checked in with me on several nutritional items and just trying to figure out where and what I had been up to the last 10 hours, the required duties of a fresh pacer. I would imagine that the 2 or 3 pacers have it a little easier than the 1st because the others can get a debriefing from the 1st, but poor Form basically had to go everything he could think of to ask me to get a report.

My focus at this point was to keep moving and keep the pace as fast as I could. Being as we were on the Out section I had already told him it was going to be slower and expect mostly walking. After a couple of miles and the debriefing report I started to go into a funk zone in which I could feel my body wanting to rest and simple chat from Form was hard to focus on and reply. I noticed that after I entered the Funk Zone I started to become a little dizzy or more like a euphoric feeling but either way it wasn't something I wanted to feel and I chopped it up to being tired so I ignored it as much as possible and just kept moving. I remember at some point Form asked how I was doing and I said I was dizzy/euphoric feeling and had been that way for a while. He double checked with my in my nutrition and I was okay and I was still drinking although I do remember at times not wanting anything. Somewhere in this zone I had to put my head phones on and just focus on the music and keep moving, it helped me run at times in short bouts.

Formulaic had never been out to the LOL course so he was pleasantly introduced to the gradual ascent of the course and then the wonderful Biatch Hill, of which he would experience the downhill. As we started to get close to the RV, which you could see from the top of Biatch Hill, we started talking about the planned stop, its mile 49.5 and its time to get some food going, just then about a mile out, Antonette is driving towards us to see where I am at. She will be pacing later on from the 55 mile point but she is here to see about food and stopping. We discuss eating some soup and I guess some other things but I don't really recall. When I got to the RV the heater was cranking like the a Bikram Yoga studio, my soup was ready and I sat down to eat. I also ate some pizza and bread sticks I had brought and cooked the night before. Then it was cookies and grab some food for the road and off I went. The stop was less than 10 mins as I remember telling myself.. This ain't no rest home, so make it quick!!!...

As I left I said my see-ya laters to Dez and off I went. The RV was parked about 15 yards from the road and by the time I got to the road I was immediately freezing!! I knew the RV was too hot but I wasn't going to complain to my crew/pacers as they need to be comfortable too in there long wait sessions but I stopped at the road thinking I need more layers and if I am that cold I am going to freeze as soon as the Sun full sets, as it is, it is already going down and the back of the canyon will be colder. As I stopped Form immediately asks me what's wrong? I said I am freezing already I need more layers. He asks what to get me and I tell him which ones to grab. He quickly runs back to the RV and tells me to keep moving. I did but I didn't want to get to far ahead as it would just take longer to get my extra layers. He was really quick though and soon enough I was warming back up. As the Sun continued to set it was time to turn on the head lamps and soon this was the only thing I would see for the next 9-10 hours.

I remember just keeping my head down and moving as fast as possible and soon enough we were getting close to the 55 mile turn around. Antonette had passed us driving to the end to meet us and take over and Dez would soon be driving past to pick up Form and give him a ride back to the start/finish where he started.

Once arriving at the 55 mile make it was business as usual with a quick in and out, bathroom break and quick snack from the aid station. I always tried to thank them for helping out even if I didn't need anything from them, they are the best for being out there for us runners! I do remember asking Antonette if she had her Gourmet Red Bulls and she said no she had left them back at the RV.. Booo!!! Pacer #2 Check-Mark! haha. and we haven't even started. j/k.. I was feeling tired and wanted to start getting some boost going but without any it was just keep moving. As I left the aid station Dez was not there so Form kept moving with us and being as this is the Back portion I started running a little. Soon we saw Dez and she stopped to pick up Form, I remember she had the cooler in the back of my car and it had Red Bulls so I grabbed one, downed it as I kept moving. Once Form left it was now all in the hands of Antonette and she would have a tough section to deal with.

As we approached the RV I had given her some things that I was in need of, my Neuro1 that would help mental focus and wake me up, change of socks as I had been feeling a small hot spot on the bottom of my left foot while walking before the turn around and just wanted to change them as I didn't change socks when I changed shoes at mile 38.5 and this time I wanted to use the BlisterShield powder in my socks. As I rolled up to the RV Antonette had done a great job and everything was set to go. Changed the socks, grabbed my garmin energizer charger and my smaller ipod, some more food and off I went, Again.

This time the Bikram RV didn't seem to bother me as much and I just started moving because it was 3rd time up Biatch Hill. Once at the top I had some Neuro1, which was now renamed SmartWater because of my great way of explaining it to Antonette. I also just remember walking and starting to get really sleepy. I would talk randomly about things and then silence for what seemed like to me for hours. I was no longer experiencing the euphoric feeling and now it was plain sleepiness! I do remember chatting about how I was about to break my longest running record, as 62 miles was the farthest I had run at Javalina 100k, and now approaching mile 62 again. I told Antonette that this Lovell Canyon course holds a few of my running records... I was first introduced to ultra-runners here volunteering at an aid-station when she and Cynthia ran the 50k three years ago; I completed my first 50k training run here; last year when I ran LOL50k I won my age group!; and now, not only was I pushing past 62 miles I was going to run 100 here!

The 63rd mile came and went as I approached the start/finish at mile 65.64 I checked in at 17 hours 36 mins or a pace of 16:06/mile. This was more realistic and I figured I was losing about 1 mile per lap, but this was the start of lap 4 so I was doing good, I think, as I was pretty much out of it by this time, 12:36 am.

The morning/night only get worse...

rockon'

5 comments:

SWTrigal said...

The suspense is killing me JT! Looking forward to conclusion..
Hey what is "Gourmet Red Bull"..Sounds like something only ultra-runners can have..:)

Josh said...

great race report. sounds like you got in some nice suffering out there. Between the cold and the asphalt and the hills, I'm not surprised! keep the report coming!

S. Baboo said...

Breaking through those low points is what it's all about, it's the reason that not everyone can finish an ultra. You have done it, you reached the far shore!

Formulaic said...

Next time we need audio! I wanna hear the rambling, always the best part of ultra running!

Speed Racer said...

Some places just have good mojo, don't you think? I'm glad that there was a 100 for you to pick up in the Land of Luck (LoL).

I'm fascinated by this dizzy/euphoria feeling. I have heard of it, but never been there. Only dizzy and moody. Is it something that you've only experienced after some ungodly long run? Do you think you have to be running for it to happen, or do you think it can happen with other stuff too (cycling?). Teach me, wise one!