It all started with an olive. Okay it actually started several years ago when I fell in love with Maryland's nastiest race - The Catocin 50k - CAT. CAT is a throwback to the old days of ultras- not thrills, no shirts, no give aways and no whining. Just finish the race - in under 9:15. The first year I didn't no that. The last two years I did. I'm planning on 10 more finishes - at least. And on being faster. Kevin Sayer is the Race Director and he's old school too - the race reflects his sensibilities - get out and run and do you best, finish and party, if you don't finish - enjoy the party anyway. This is reflected well in Kevin's pre-race instructions (don't get lost, if you do, don't whine about it) and simple shout of -go! And abut 160 or so runners go and they go on a really nasty course. Many complain about the hills (small mountains actually in the Appalachian Range) but this year for me it was the rocks. There just seemed more of them. And there was a lot last year. It's a rocky, rooty, hilly trail - with a few nice runnable sections that never seem to last long. Anyone who has hikes the Appalachian trail through Maryland will know this well. It's known and the place where shoes go to die. And mine nearly did - New Balance -110's neatly shredded with less then 200 miles total on them. New pair soon. My feet were already beaten up from the Maryland Heat 25k two weeks prior and every ache and broken toenail came back to haunt me with a vengeance. That soon became the least of my worries.
I ran the first half (16.55) in just about 3:20 which put me way above pace for the sub 8 hour finish I really wanted. So much so that I figured even with the slight chance something went wrong I could cruise it in for a 7:30. I didn't count on the Death March. My fueling and hydration were on the mark - dates, watermelon, S-caps, and water - not too much. I was following Timothy Noak's instructions in his new book Waterlogged about drinking to the dictates of thirst and not overly hydrating and it was working fine. And then came the olive. Okay, maybe it wasn't the the olive's fault but something cued a stomach misfire and with six and half miles to go I suddenly became extremely ill - vomiting several times every few miles. I guess the big question is why did I say to myself - "hey look, they have olives" and then try one? I have no answer.
With the stomach distress I couldn't take in any fuel or water for the last six and a half and that's when the dehydration started. It was also the rockiest part of the race and the fact that there was a lot of downhill made it worse - mentally and physically. You NEED to run the downhills in CAT and the fact that I couldn't do so caused me a lot of mental anguish. I watch my great time erode and then my goal time follow along with it. I still got a PR though damn it. 8:04:33. Of course this is torturing me as I'm thinking if I could have just found a few extra minutes of running I could have sneaked it in before 8. But I know I ran when I could - you run with what you have on race day from moment to moment and my first 3/4 gave me strong legs and some decent speed. The last 1/4 took them away. I finished and I'm happy. One more year until sub 8 and training starts today.
A death March teaches an ultra runner to persevere though and it was a valuable lesson for longer races. Be prepared for this and don't count on always having an iron stomach - it can disappear in a heartbeat.
After the race the nausea and vomiting continued and I could still not take in any liquids or food. And that ended me in the ER where I sucked down 5 bags if IV and they gave me something for the nausea. 10 minutes later I wanted to leave - hell 10 minutes later I wanted back on the trail and those 4:33 minutes back. That damn' olive.
As always a big thanks to all the volunteers (great seeing you Nick!) and a thanks to Kevin Sayer for once more keeping the spirit of ultras pure and torturous. You do it well.
Peace,
Eric
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