2011 Umstead Marathon recap

2011 Umstead Marathon Report – Bill Bass 3/7/11


This report would not be complete without some narrative of the training period leading up to the race. Having done this same race in 2008, I was familiar with the terrain. I have raced three more marathons since (and bandit-ran 2009 City of Oaks full with Lainey). So, this was technically my 5th marathon, but 6th marathon-distance run. I ran Boston in April 2010, and achieved a BQ-time of 3:15:09. Sadly, it was a wasted time, as I was on a job interview the day Boston registration opened (and closed!), and I was unable to enter. Thus, I decided to return to my roots, and run Umstead again. I love Umstead. I would run there every day if I could. I prefer the single track to the bike and bridle trails, but that’s just me I suppose. I figured, “heck, I’m unemployed, I can train well, and have a chance at really improving my 2008 time of 3:55:22.”

That was a great plan, and things were going along really well. I was running injury-free, my times were looking good (not as fast as pre-Boston, but good enough). And then it happened. I got hurt. Week 12 was scheduled for 50 miles total, and I only got ~40 due to a mountain trip. Week 13 was a scheduled 51, and I got it, running a long 17 at a 7:38 (in Umstead!). On the afternoon of February 1, I did 8 on the treadmill at work, and thought someone was firing rounds into my hamstring with every stride forward. Feb. 2 I did not run. Feb. 3 was 4 miles, of which the first 2.5 were good, and the last 1.5 were torture. I did not run for a week after that. Right where I needed to be getting in 99 miles over 2 weeks. I got 26. The week of 2/14, I felt better, but far from healed. I saw the PT on 2/10 and 2/17, and he confirmed a pulled right hamstring, and said “you can run and keep aggravating it, or you can stop and let it heal; your choice”. I put in 34 of my planned 39 miles that week. The week of 2/21, I put in 30.5 slower (of the planned 32) miles. Marathon week I dropped one run. I was hobbling to the line.

Race week was upon me, and I felt awful. There’s no way I was not going to start the race, but I surely did not know how far I could go before having to stop. Race morning, I convinced myself that if I did a short bike ride from Bridge to Nowhere to Race HQ, and then gently jogged to warmup, I might be okay. So that’s what I did. The jog up to Reedy Creek b/b from Lapihio was comical. I was hurting everywhere; feet, legs, hips, arms, teeth, it was awful. But once I got back, got warm by the fire, and got into the moment of what was about to happen, I felt a wave of confidence rush over me.

So I ran.

Mile 1: 8:21 Started innocently enough. I was near the back of the field at the start, hanging out with Dusty, David, and Heidi. The race started, and I eased into it. As I got a bit loosened up, I started moving up in the field along the outside. By the time we got to the gate at the top of the trail, I was where I wanted to be. This year, the course changed; it did not go very far on the bike/bridle, only up to the Airport Overlook, before u-turning. Nothing special here. Recall I’ve had a pulled hamstring since February, so I was not in running form for this race. I carried my Gu Grip hand-bottle, with 6 Gus aboard. My plan was to only stop at aid stations if I needed to refill the hand-bottle, or throw water over my head.

Mile 2: 6:58 The course turned into the woods at about 1.5 miles. I was feeling pretty good here, and was running behind a few guys as we entered the single track. I must’ve really picked it up through here, as I went sub 7:00. Not good.

Mile 3: 7:42 This section is largely downhill on Company Mill, with just a kick uphill after the turn up Company Mill Spur. I picked it up a little here, just to push my competition a little. Probably not the smartest move I made all day.

Mile 4: 7:44 Mostly uphill at the beginning of Mile 4, then it turns down Graylyn, finally turning onto Sycamore and following the creek for a ways. I felt really good through here, and just started to focus on getting in a rhythm for the real climbing coming up on Sycamore.

Mile 5: 8:15 This is way too fast for climbing up Sycamore. I’m normally in the 8:45/9 range in this section. I wasn’t really chasing anyone, was just running, but I started to notice my breathing more here. Took a GU at mile 5.

Mile 6: 8:22 Part still on Sycamore, but mostly out on Graylyn. I took a portapotty stop in this mile, at Graylyn gate, so this was probably a sub 8:00 pace.



Did I mention the COURSE CHANGE??

 Mile 7: 7:27 Part on Graylyn, but mostly on the new section of the course, the other side of Sycamore. I bombed down those hills and was just having a blast on this section. I passed 4 runners minimum on this section. Of course, they all repassed me later on…

Mile 8: 8:09 This was the second half of the new section of the course, and it contained the two pretty good climbs. Still, I should’ve been going slower here. I let my climbing ego take root.

Mile 9: 7:45 This was the short climb up Graylyn to Reedy Creek, then the downhill to the bridge over Crabtree Creek.

Mile 10: 8:06 This is where I saw Paul, Cassianne, and Ashtyn for the first time. This was a good pace for that climb up to Trenton Gate. I took a GU at mile 10.

Mile 11: 7:56 Took in 2 cups of water at the Mile 10 aid station, so I was probably more like 7:40 through this section. Feeling great at this point.

Mile 12: 7:56 Saw Mom and Dad, and Jack and Charlaine just before entering the woods on North Turkey Creek. It was really neat for them all to come out and spectate!

Mile 13: 8:16 Made it through the major climb pretty well, no ill effects immediately felt, but the damage from going fast early was starting to rear its head.

Mile 14: 8:11 I still felt pretty good about pace in this section. I wasn’t going so hard that I felt pushed, but was still moving along briskly. Took a GU at mile 14.

Mile 15: 8:40 My climb up past the Creosote Bridge was slower than planned, and I noticed I was breathing too hard, heartrate was elevated, and things weren’t feeling right. Took 2 cups of water to refill the hand-bottle.

Mile 16: 8:35 I was feeling a little better after the flat portion of Graylyn, and a little downhill to start the return on Turkey, when I got a bad pain in my left ribcage. Worse than a side stitch, really weird. HR was flying. So I stopped moving completely for 15-20 seconds.

Mile 17: 8:34 This should’ve been faster through here, as it’s mostly downhill/flatter, but I was hurting.

Mile 18: 9:38 I came back past where the parents and in-laws were, and Lainey and the boys were there too! I stopped for a bit to chat with them, catch my breath, and generally take a gut-check to see if I wanted to continue. It was looking pretty grim already. I took a GU going up the hill starting South Turkey.

Mile 19: 9:11 There was quite a bit of walking in this stretch already, but I wasn’t dead yet.

Mile 20: 9:33 This is where I started dying. Saw Paul and the girls again at Trenton gate, and I told Paul it was not going well, but that I would finish this. Miraculously, this is where the tranny prom queens were, and they had Red Oak in cups on the back of the table. I’ve never shotgunned one so fast, and that seemed to help my pain quotient. But it didn’t help my slowness.

Mile 21: 10:32 I saw the wheels roll by here. A lot of walking here to try to convince my heartrate to come down, my calves to loosen up, etc.

Mile 22: 11:28 I spent a bit at the 21.5 aid station with a cup of Gatorade and a cup of Fritos. I spoke with Brennan briefly here and told her things were not going well. I told her I would finish however. I took a GU shortly after the 22 marker.

Mile 23: 11:43 Death march downhill. Being passed left and right, but encouraged as well. I’d get the “let’s go” every few runners. I had not much fight left in me.

Mile 24: 12:25 I missed the mile 24 marker, so I split 24:49 for these two miles into 2 almost equal halves. No matter what, they were ugly.

Mile 25: 12:24 This was tough. This includes Cemetery Hill. I told myself I’d run up Cemetery. I made it about 1/3 of the way up, then walked for a minute. Oh well. Ran up the rest.

Mile 26: 9:48 Once I got to the 25 marker, I buckled down, and tried my best to run it in. I started thinking however that I wanted to look strong for the finish, so I rationed what I could on the slight uphills in this section. When I got to the 26 marker, I poured it on.

Mile 26.2: 1:24 (7:00/mile pace) This is honestly about as good as it could get. I was looking at my watch when I started my sprint, thinking about just how much I needed to push to get across the line under the 3:55:22, my previous finishing time in ’08. I cut it too close for comfort. Total time: 3:55:14. And happy with it all things considered.

Post-race thoughts:

Did not drink enough water. Did not consume enough calories. Not enough salt. Poor conditioning. Pulled hamstring. No sense.

I’ll do another marathon. Running/walking/crawling up Corkscrew, I said out loud that I would not. But, there is a good Umstead in me somewhere. I’ve seen it come up once in a while, and with smart training, it can come up again.

Plus, I want to be top-15 the year they hand out the possum plaques.