Mt Master's 16 Mile Trail Run -Ad Nauseum

JJJessee · Nov 25, 2007

3rd Annual Mountain Master’s 16 Mile Trail Run Harlan, KY November 24, 2007 What a day. The Thanksgiving Feast 2007 ended for me about 4:30pm yesterday when I decided that I simply could not hold another morsel or tip another flute of bubbly. My kids and DW were more resilient -or imbibed less- took the carnival to town for extended play, graciously leaving me to kick back, pack my race bag, and take the dog for a walk as desired. Perfect. Perfect. Everyone had an enjoyable evening, even DD’s dog who scored a crisp and brisk walk around the block under a bright full moon. An 11pm lights-out led me to the world of dreams without resistance, drifting inevitably toward a 4:30 alarm. Harlan is over a two hours by car, and the shuttle bus to the race start on the mountain ridge top leaves the staging area at 8:30am. I don’t want to miss that bus. The alarm was just a precaution. I woke at 3:00, my mind evidently needing to think about something that it thought simple dreaming couldn’t handle. I continued to recline unmoved until the appointed half-hour then engaged bodily. System check, stretching, and fueling went smoothly and left me with leisure before runnerBeth was to arrive to pick me up. She had already arranged to carpool with Nick a running buddy of hers whom we would ride with -meeting about 30 minutes along the way -across the mountain in the Clinch Valley. We met at the Hansonville Exxon, I was introduced to Nick, we transferred our bags and headed down the valley toward Kentucky with lively running and racing banter and occasional forays into our domestic backgrounds. I’m in the backseat -not my best mode of travel as mild to moderate motion sickness occasionally rears its putrid green head. This morning was just such an occasion. As long as the road is fairly straight I’m OK. But we missed a turn and drove several miles out of the way before we all concurred things didn’t look right and Nick consulted the map. "No problem, here’s a short cut". Perhaps it was a short cut on paper. As the road wound tighter and deeper into the compound curvatures of the mountain hollers I grew less and less gastronomically stable. This was a bad opening for the day, but we finally made it to the registration area parking lot with my all my cookies –but just barely. It didn’t subside just because I was on terra firma. Inside the Village Mall I register, strip down to my running garb and hastily return to the fresh air. I’m only getting on that bus with the barest essentials - A hand held of plain water, salt, IBU, a coat to leave on the bus for the return trip, and a barf bag for the trip up the mountain to the starting line. Fortunately my cookies were better travelers this go round. At the trailhead about 60 or so runners disembark, mark the tree of their choice, and warm-up a few minutes. Due to the 20 –something degree temps and many of us standing in shorts, the RD fortuitously kept instructions brief and ends with "GO!". With a seemingly endless supply of hills we start up the first one. Nick in front, Beth toward the middle and me toward the back. I’m still dizzy but getting some color back in my cheeks. The hill keeps me honest and prevents my inevitable "finishline start". Most of the pack disappears across the first crest. The trail is actually a dirt and gravel road near the ridgeline. This is really the first cold air of our running season and its taking a sharp, liberal bite into my lungs. On the second or third hill, I pass a man who has taken the liberty to walk. A mile or two further and no one of the few that are behind me are seen and I only infrequently see a lone man nearing the top of the current hill in front of me. The first water stop is at 4 miles. By now I’ve finally started to warm up. My left foot does not like the strong down hills, which seem to be steeper than the up sides. I’ve only drunk 10oz probably because of continued queasiness. At about an hour out, I take an S-cap. I figure it will settle my stomach or pump it -no more coddling. It settles and my natural ration of dopamine perhaps puts my foot in a better mood too so things generally improve. By the water stop at mile 8 I’ve sucked down another 20oz and the overall downhill nature of the course is more dominant. The vistas are plentiful and serene, but the rutted steep downhills are demanding focus. By about mile 10.5 Garmin abruptly stops tracking. The downhills are longer and steeper. I’ve passed one DNF with a turned ankle. The runner I’ve been following is losing steam or maybe I’m gaining steam. I catch him, we talk and I get his second year experienced view of what is to come. I catch another 20oz at the water stop before twelve. We come to the end of the unpaved portion and make a sharp left onto a section of two-lane highway. He’s on the right -I’m facing traffic and two vehicles approach each other between us. The shoulders are only 18"; yikes that’s a little close for comfort. Soon we turn off into Kingdom Come Park on a narrow paved steep hill. My goal time for this run was to stay under 3:30. If things went smashingly and the trial was friendly, a stab at breaking 3:00. All I had to do was run 11:00 miles 15x and a generous 30 on The Hill to hit 3:16 -a fair compromise. At about 12.1 miles my time is 2:11 and we start to walk the hill. My compadre falls behind, and I hunker down for about a mile of 11-12% grade. I keep pushing and pushing, fairly hard, but not hard enough to keep my HR from falling some. I crest the top in 15 mins at 2:26 with about 3 miles to go. I have one more short section to walk and it’s mostly downhill from there. Actually, I have a chance to break 3:00. About half a mile out I see a walker ahead, but a pedestrian shouts out something to encourage me. The walker perks up to a brisk jog. I catch him easily but it could have turned in to a real battle for something like 54th place. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile"> My run finished on a slight uphill in 2:57:07. (Only 2 or 3 in my AG I think). Beth finished about 2:35ish, a few minutes better than last year (2 AG). And Nick; well Nick won the whole shootin’ match. I forgot the exact time but well under 2:00. He competes with wild abandon. Nick said his nearest competition had caught him at mile 10. They battled the rest of the way. Last mile, they were elbow to elbow until Nick kicked it about 30m out. He said he blacked out at the finish line and hit the ground scrapping his arm. That’s wanting it. A DL runner-spectator gave us an early ride back to the Mall. We changed, ate some pretty good Mexican food, collected some swag and drove home. They let me ride in the front seat. Thanks for reading, JJJ

Johnny · Nov 25, 2007

Well hot dog man!!! Thanks for staying up till one in the morning writing this thing for us. As usual, an excellent and entertaining narrative. I felt like I was right there. Congrats on the sub 3 hour finish, and on 4 hours sleep <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_salut.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="salute">, but what happenned to the wrist cam?? We need pictures.

GOLFNSKI · Nov 25, 2007

Way to keep your gut in check! Nice running. Great Report.

gin79 · Nov 25, 2007

Congrats JJJ!! What a wonderful read! I too, felt like I was right there. I'm glad your tummy troubles stopped and you were able to finish so strong! And enjoy mexican food too! Way to go!

Hippo · Nov 25, 2007

Thanks, JJJ! I have to say that I resonate with your motivations more than Nick's. I only wish I could transfer some strong stomach mojo over: it sounds like that was more difficulty than the trail was.

JJJessee · Nov 25, 2007

Thanks folks, 
Sorry about the pictures, I was just to ill to focus on much of anything before the start.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Sad"> 
Thanks Hippo, At least it was good practice. I hear stomach can be half the battle in the long ones.

Pie Jones · Nov 25, 2007

good job tripleJ.......enjoyed that report very much.....sorry you had the stomach issues but you handled it and finished well...sounds like a good running adventure to me

millbot · Nov 25, 2007

Zowie! That's a great race, JJJ, and very well reported as usual. Congratulations on beating your stretch goal in spite of an uncooperative tummy. Here, have a <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/banana.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="banana"> 
It sounds like your foot is on the mend. That is good news indeed.

Pink · Nov 26, 2007

Wonderful report per usual! Nice sub 3 hour trail run! That's one heck of an incline during mile 12! 
I'm glad you stomach toughed it out. I love Mexican! I usually go out for a Mexican for dinner with my family after I run the full or 1/2 marathon in Hartford every fall.

Nettie · Nov 26, 2007

Is the barfing due to the altitude change?

dg1 · Nov 26, 2007

Great job JJJ!!! 
Sounds like a great course! 
Congrats on the strong performance.

ksrunr · Nov 26, 2007

3J - really enjoyed your report. sounds like a fun course to race on. Congrats on meeting your goals. My wife suffers from the motion sickness you so eloquently described, so I can sort of identify with that. 
ksrunr

JJJessee · Nov 26, 2007

uuuerpf, uh no thank you, Mill. How'd you know?<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/surprised.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Surprised"> 
The last one I had was still dancing a coupla hours after I ate it. 
Nettie, no we don't get much altitude around here. Just moving in one direction will focusing on another I think.

Sans Souci · Nov 26, 2007

JJJ, I am sans mots after compiling the Weekly. You just plain ol' rock. 
Speaking of putrid green <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy">, I am green with envy over your trail adventures. Keep doing them and sharing, as you do.

runinbehind · Nov 26, 2007

JJJ, awesome report and awesome race! I've said it before, but I'm envious of all the trail races you have so near you. 
As for the motion sickness, I'm glad it didn't ruin the race for you. I'm a fellow sufferer, so I totally understand how awful it can be. (I know it's going to be bad if I break out in a cold sweat...that's usually the point of no return.) FWIW, I've had excellent luck with the new nondrowsy formula Dramamine.

Moment's Notice · Nov 26, 2007

Great run and report....thanks!

FlyingFinn · Nov 27, 2007

Great report, JJJ. Love your adventures. Thanks for sharing.

Opie · Nov 27, 2007

You know I like trail running, and this RR cracked me up. Especially lines like this, "At the trailhead about 60 or so runners disembark, mark the tree of their choice..." I have a different view of Harlan now because all I could think about before was that documentary, "Harlan County U.S.A." about the coal miners. Good running.

JohnnyB · Nov 27, 2007

Nice report Jesse. You done good and beat your goal time. Sweet.

Mt Master's 16 Mile Trail Run -Ad Nauseum

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