Flatlander 12-hour

September 3, 2005

Although I've covered ultra distances in Orienteering and Adventure Races, the longest pure running I've tackled prior to this race was the standard 26.2 mile marathon. So it was with some caution that I approached the Flatlander 12-hour. I set what appeared to be a reasonably conservative goal of 50-60 miles.

The course is a 1.4 mile loop, following a bike path around Fenton City Park. The course is nearly flat, the largest "hill" being a gentle rise of about 15 feet vertical. There is one well-shaded section about a quarter-mile long. The Start/Finish and feed zone is in the middle of this section, making a pleasant spot for the race volunteers. The rest of the course gets good shade in the morning and evening, but is fairly exposed at midday.

In the week leading up to the race, I've been nursing a cold. I take some cold medicine to help me sleep the night before the race. This works a bit better than planned and despite getting to bed by 9:30, I don't wake up until after 7. Fortunately, my habit of getting all my gear together the night before means that I get out of the house by 7:15 and arrive at the park shortly after the 7:30AM start. After a quick sign-in, I'm on course, less than a mile behind the leaders. Embarassing, but not really a big concern in a race of this length. (Note: all times noted are from when I started running - sticklers for official times can simply add six and a half minutes).

I settle into what feels like a ridiculously slow pace, completing the first loop in just under 14 minutes. That's actually a little faster than desired, but on the second loop I begin my pre-race strategy of walking the shady section by the start/finish and running the rest of the loop. As well as giving a slight break, this lets me eat and drink as I pass the feed zone without having to jam things down my throat while running. This increases my lap time to closer to 15 minutes - still faster than needed to get in 60 miles, but I can't run any slower and I don't see the need to walk any further. I decide to simply hold this pace and see what happens.

Marathon distance comes at 4:31, barely beating my slowest marathon ever. At this point I'm feeling quite comfortable and am confident I can hold this pace. I'm running at roughly 9-minute pace, but with the walk breaks and a few brief stops to change shoes and socks, I'm averaging 10:22 miles. I stay on that pace to hit 35 miles in 6:03. With the 6-hour runners off the course and the recreational users thinning in the midday sun, the path suddenly seems quite barren. I ask how I'm doing and am surprised to find I'm in third place.

Despite the whetting of my competitive appetite that urges me to start cranking out 8- minute miles (not that I could at this point), I'm mindful of the fact that very little of the course is shaded now and the temperature has shot into the high 80's. I instead add a short shaded section on the far side of the course to my walking. The change only adds about 30 seconds per lap.

Quick snack break at 40 miles

At 7 hours, my wife Kate comes by to offer some encouragement. I don't really need any cheering up as things are going as well as I could possibly have hoped. She does address a more practical problem by putting some sunscreen on my back (a detail overlooked in the morning rush).

Shortly into the next lap, things take a turn for the worse. My legs still feel OK, but my upper body feels cold. As it's now nearly 90 degrees and sunny, this is clearly a false signal; most likely the start of hyperthermia. I increase my walking and start taking ice in my water. My lap times increase by another few minutes, but I'm not concerned about that. I figure that if I can just keep moving, the shade will return in time for me to salvage a good mileage total.

In fact, I don't have to wait long. Shortly after 8 hours (3:30 PM) the shadows have again hit the bike path and my feelings of chills have passed. I return to my earlier pace and knock out a few more sub-15 laps to hit 50 miles in 8:53.

Breaking nine hours for 50 qualifies as a successful ultra debut. I now turn my attention to recovery. While I think I caught the overheating before any real damage was done, I don't want to take any chances. I get off the gas, walking most of the remaining distance and taking some brief stops to get a little more food and water. I finish my 43rd lap at 11:44 to put my total at 60.2 miles and decide to call it a day.

Taking it easy the last three hours drops me all the way to tenth, but I never really cared about my position. One of the best pieces of running advice ever given me was that every time you shoot for a new distance, just be happy to do it and don't worry about how you place.

My real motivation for running was to raise money for the MDA. They helped Carol and this was a small way to thank them. In that regard, the run was a complete success. My mileage puts the total raised at $1,213.20. Many thanks to the generous sponsors who backed my effort.

Thanks also to the SLUG's for putting on yet another great ultra. It is a pleasure to "officially" join your ranks. I won't say I have newfound respect for ultrarunners, because I've always respected them. Let's just say that the basis for that respect is no longer in the imagination, but in actual experience. A difference that matters more than I thought it would.