Green Monster 50K

I'm still filled with so many thoughts.  Just not sure how many I remember at any one point!

Let' see...

Well in recovery from Wineglass the week before, I hadn't done too much.  Took a little gentle 4 miler on Thursday and things felt pretty reasonable.  Seems to be about a 2-3 day recovery with the quads being the main items to get back in line last.
Sleep was decent, not great, I'd kinda hoped for some sleeping in, but nerves or otherwise, I got about 8hrs a night.

But Saturday night going into Sunday morning, I woke up around 1 and just couldn't really get back to sleep.  Got a few bits and pieces with some weird dreams and didn't feel real good at around 4 when it was time to get up.

I got up though, made it downstairs and tried to eat whatever I was going to have for breakfast by 4:30 since I'd be running in a few hours.  Mainly fruit and Yogurt I believe.

Otherwise got ready and out the door just after 5:30 I believe.

Decided on the way down that I'd stop at the welcome to PA visitor center to use the bathrooms.  Though it's not my first preference given that I'm in running attire and probably look a bit odd to the norms.  Also, my key was semi-buried in my Orange Mud pack, but I got the key out and was ready.  But...  Apparently it was so foggy in that area that I never actually saw it.  I was thinking there would be signs for it, but I guess normally it's just obvious where it is.  When I went past I'm pretty sure it was just fog and a bunch of extra lights out on the highway where the welcome to PA sign is.  Oh well.  I ended up making a roadside stop in the dark near a barn when I was down past Tioga.  Also realized I had yet another marker light out on the Prius.  Apparently around 12 years/200K miles is when they go...

Got on site just before 7 I think which was just about perfect.  Got any last minute things attached and headed up the road to the starting line.  It was right around sunrise, pretty low key(there were only about 70 runners for the 50K and the 25K didn't start for another hour and a half).  Had the starting line clock ticking down until the start time which I liked.
I had already gotten my swag bag Friday night but hadn't realized that I needed to check in Sunday morning to get my bib.  So got my bib attached, dropped in my ticket for a prize entry, one last potty break, and stood over by the fire for a few minutes before the pre race meeting. Which mainly told us to follow the yellow, blue or pink blazes and ribbons and to not go towards orange markings.

Then we all kinda meandered over to the starting line and we were off at 7:30!


Overall feeling of the course was just beautiful.  The sun was out, yet being filtered by the trees, the wind was blowing through the trees and it was just out running or hiking through the woods with the leaves falling and already on the ground and just beautiful.  Temperatures were perfect.  It was cold to start, but within a couple miles the gloves weren't needed and the sleeves and buff shortly after that.
Whole course was also fairly rocky.  Not horribly so, but my feet in my Fivefingers were feeling it after so many miles.  Especially towards the second half and when the leaves were hiding most of them so it was hard to know where to plant my feet even while walking.

But it was about like the course description read.  A nice mile of mostly flat, then a real serious uphill, then there must have been a pretty good downhill in there...  Actually that might have been the one I flew down in the zone when my legs were fresh.  Next hill must have been close to 40 degrees, Very steep and rocky.  Just go straight up!
Hmm...  I think maybe then was more downhill, but I was having a harder time finding my groove to get much speed...

I think we came down Frankenstein's forehead after that...  That one someone did tell me was 40 degrees.  It's definitely another straight down hill, and it was the one that really hurt my feet/legs by the time I was back down it.

Shortly thereafter was the 25K/50K split and I was happy to see I hadn't been passed by any quick 25K people.
BUT, that was only mile 13...  So kinda a misleading feeling with another 3 miles to go before reaching the halfway point...

But I continued on the 50K path and through the first of some stream crossings, then on to some more hills.  Was feeling pretty good and making pretty good time I felt.
And then around 13.5 miles I was climbing a hill and woah...  The left thigh had been coming and going with pain as it's done before.  But the right one suddenly kicked in with a full on cramp.  I decided to just try giving it a minute.  After a minute I decided to take off my pack and dig out the mustard I had put in there for this reason.  Thankfully before I actually got the mustard the cramp was subsiding.  But I put 3 packets in my shorts pocket just in case.
So I continued up the hill, but pulled my pace back considerably.

I think it was about another 5-10 miles before the cramping really wasn't giving any more hints that it was going to bite me again.

And yeah, around mile 14 or so, it was getting pretty tiring and my body was largely saying it would just as soon be done with this.  It was a definite mental push for the last 18 miles!

Made it to mile 16 and the halfway point and looked like we'd done 4400' of ascent, so that should mean we were a good bit beyond the halfway point as far as that went.

Made it to the un-manned aid station at 17.5 miles and talked for a moment with 3 other runners who had just passed me.  We passed each other several times over the next number of miles.  I only passed them when I left the aid stations sooner than they did.
One memorable moment was when I mentioned that it probably wasn't the best bet to have just done the Wineglass marathon the week before and one of the runners said that Wineglass was a lot easier than Monster, and I said I didn't think so.  But then I was thinking about it in the miles till I met up with them again one more time, and it occurred to me that Yes, Green Monster is indeed harder physically(though not in every way), but mentally not really(but kinda)...

I don't really like the way my body feels towards the second half of Wineglass, but I do rather like the course.  That said, Green Monster is SOOOO much better...  Wineglass is paved roads and it's nice scenery, but you're still out on a road.  And there's lots of spectators and so there's a lot more pressure to be running the whole way.  Monster is just a hike out in the woods.

And as far as aid stations go, I've never really ventured out into some of the more interesting food options.  Just pretty much stuck to the gels and water.  Well, at the second aid station I tried M&M's.  Eh, I kinda regretted that.  They were fine, but just didn't push any buttons.  (I mean I'm getting plenty of plain sugar in the gels I'm eating).  Then around maybe mile 20 I did NOT take a pierogi and almost immediately regretted it.  I think I had some gas pains and I was just being a bit cautious, but I was like, Oh I wish I had taken one!

I believe it was mile 21(and these numbers are a bit  iffy since my watch was losing signal and I was behind by at least a mile towards the end).  I tried a boiled potato.  That was fine, though they were seriously missing out as it should have been a SALT potato!  It was also the aid station at this cool rock formation which normally would be a ton of fun to run/play on.  Indeed, the course went through it and you had to like step over big, deep cracks, and then obstacle course your way over some big stuff.  Unfortunately, at that point my legs were not real happy with me, so it was a real concerted effort not to hurt myself there!

Somewhere around there I had my first corn chips of the race as well...  OMG...  Those are the bomb.  Normally I just find corn chips OK and never buy any myself.  But, they were apparently what I was craving during the race!

Yeah, LOTS of just keep going for those miles ahead.  Don't remember any huge hills there at least as far as steepness.  Some more flat-ish sections and generally a bit easier.  More cool rocks to look at.  Lots of stream crossings, some close to half way up my knees.  Well, I could have avoided the water more, and initially I was trying to stay dry, but then I had to go in a bit and then realized that the cold water felt great on my feet.  At one point I found a nice deep spot and just stood there for a minute soaking.  Ahhh...  Got going again and gave a brief though to just laying down in it...  But it wasn't really that hot at all, just looking for a refresher.

Hmm, oh there was some muddy sections as well...

I think maybe around mile 23 I pulled out my phone/music and headphones.  But, eh...  It just didn't do much for me at that point.  Which must have meant I was pretty tired cause usually that's good for a bit of a boost.

The next thoughts that come to mind were near the end.

Somewhere around maybe mile 24 the person behind me caught up as we hit the 2nd to last aid station.  I hadn't seen anyone for hours at that point I think.  The lady there was great.  I enjoyed some chicken noodle soup and pierogies!  And after a few minutes, I continued on, more medium uphills.
I think it was like 3-5 miles to the last aid station.  Oh yeah, somewhere around there were more downhills of decent steepness.  MAN even the downhills were really grinding on my legs and I don't generally have any trouble with those.

So, last aid station, mile 28.5.  Except that's not what my watch says.  It's only reading 27 something.  I confirm.  This is 28.5?  Yep.  And it's only 4 miles to the finish?  3.75.  WOOHOO, I'm a mile or so ahead of what my watch is telling me!  I think I can make it!  Except they tell me there is another hill to go up.  And that's what I thought I remembered from the elevation profile.  Another full climb?  Yup.
So, I took quarter piece of PB&J(I regret not taking another), and another cup of corn chips(oh yeah) and off I went for the last section.

And oh my was it...  As soon as I left the aid station it was up hill.  And it was not gentle.  It was pretty steep.  Look up...  Uggghh, it goes just about full on steep.  And it just keeps going.  Yep, about another 1000' foot climb.  I've no idea how I managed to keep 27 minute miles up that thing.  Every step was labored and slow.  But another hour  maybe and I had reached what I had SOO hoped and turned out to be true was the LAST top of a mountain.  Still more or less walking/power walking when one lady surprised me(again, no one had been around for so long) and passed me in full on power hiking mode.

Then on another descent of medium grade.  Legs were shot, but not near as bad as some of the other recent descents.  I'd find myself starting to get into a slow run down the hill and thinking I was just about there, but then nope, I wasn't.  So it was still another hour maybe of off and on again walking/running.

FINALLY got to the bottom...  And there had been quite a number of "Am I on the right path?" times where the markers or blazes were spaced out, but this time I was pretty sure I was supposed to go straight to the road, but then which way?  After a minute, I finally saw the flags down the road and was pretty sure that was the finish.  Sure enough!

10 hours and 2 minutes!

They were kinda working on closing up shop, but I got some applause from the remaining people and they still had some pulled pork and mac n cheese for me.  So I sat for a little bit, ate my food, and then made some painful steps to the portapotty and back to the car.  Back home around 7:30!