Ghost Train 2013

Well... a year has passed and now it is time for the Ghost Train. It is quite cold on Saturday morning, a cool 26 degrees. As the morning rolls out it gradually warms. I start strong despite concerns about my sore knee and run the 1^st lap quicker than planned in 3:07:00. I slow down a bit in lap 2… struggle with some nausea, but manage it with Pepto-Bismal tablets which is very encouraging. However, while descending a technical stretch at mile 21 my left foot lands and skids forward on loose pine needles and slams into a protruding rock. I’m in comfortable, lightweight road shoes (no protection) and crunch my toes… very painful. I walk for a while until the initial pain subsides a bit. Slowing, I finish lap 2 in 7:08:00. I had visualized this race in four hour blocks... 15 miles to each block, that would deliver me to 90 miles in 24 hours if things went well.  At this point my knee was hurting, now I have a toe issue... but I'm ahead of schedule. I stop at my support tent, see Kristine, Shelby and Oriel which lifts my spirits. I change shoes (planned) and reveal a blood soaked sock. I don’t dare look and leave the sock on. I'm in heavier more padded shoes and also tights and a fleece (nightfall is coming). Oriel joins and paces me... it is dark when we arrive in Milford. We return with headlamps, the many jack-o-lanterns along the course are lit... very cool. Lots of walking on lap 3 (slower) and the pain continues to increase in the knee and toes. Although I hate to do it, I call it after 3 laps. I probably could have finished 4 laps, but I chose to stop at 3 so as not to wreck my knee… the pain is pretty intense. I have learned the hard way in the past that if you push an injury too hard you can easily end up not being able to run for weeks to months afterwards... it's just not worth it. Interestingly the knee pain masks the toe pain... I didn't think the toe was all that bad. When I get home I discover my middle toe is completely smashed, totally purple even after the blood is washed off, and the nail has lifted and is milky white… the toe is obviously broken. I finish 45 miles, a lot less than planned in 11:50:00. The race in some ways is a disappointment, but I did successfully manage a few bouts of nausea, my old nemesis, I ate and hydrated well. I am learning with each new race… and in this sport there is much to learn, far more than I ever imagined. Although I didn't run 60 miles in this race as planned, I did do it back in July. In my first year of ultramarathoning I have run three races… 30, 61 and 45 miles. Not as much as I had hoped, but not too bad for an old guy! I took Sunday off, but walked several miles with Bobafett yesterday. The training has begun for next year!

11/01: The official results are now in... each complete 15 mile lap over 30 miles is listed as a separate race on UltraSignup. So... in the 45 mile race there were 38 finishers, I was 25/38. There were only 2 of us in the 60-69 age group and I was first. Go figure... probably should break my toe more often... not! Make no mistake, I have no illusions about this, it's always fun to win but the field was not exactly deep. Nonetheless I'll take it. Now I go back to work... the real goal is a 100 miles in 24 hours, I'm a long way from there. 

Three Days to the Ghost Train

Well... I'm sixty, turned it last week. After the Lakes Race in July I experienced a kind of post race let down. I backed my mileage off a bit, not because I was injured... I was just sick of running 70 miles a week. So I took it easy during August. No biggie, I started ramping it up in September and then a bad thing happened. On the 16th I was descending a steep rocky section of trail, it had rained earlier, and I slipped and fell smacking my left kneecap on a boulder. Ouch! I didn't break anything but I was a hurting unit. Again I had to back my mileage way off or risk not healing in time for the Ghost Train. What a mess! So my mileage is off, my fitness reduced and instead of tapering the last two weeks... I had to increase my mileage to get ready for the race. I ran 68 miles last week... one week before the race. My preparation is completely ass-backwards. The good news is my knee is somewhat better, the bad news is my fitness is not where it should be. Oh, well... welcome to life. So, to the Ghost Train I go on Saturday... I have no clue what will happen. The original goal was sixty miles, having done that in July I was of course hoping for more now. We shall see. All Aboard!