Willis River 35K Race Report

I must apologize for the delay in reporting on my last race. I had been waiting for the full results to be posted but that has not happened yet so I am moving forward with my story and will include the preliminary results.

Before I get into the specifics of the race and race results, I have to mention that in the couple of weeks leading up to the race, my right IT band had become very tight. During the winter break, I continued to train but we had a break from our usual weekly yoga class. I think it was the combination of high mileage and lack of yoga that lead to my condition. I worked the foam roller although maybe not as much as I should have. It is hard to make a habit out of finishing each workout with a bout of foam roller action. After all, it is not exactly comfortable nor very exciting.

Based on my issue, I decided to take it extremely easy during race week and I skipped a couple of runs and worked on trying to get my IT band to relax. I also decided that on race day, I would run with an IT band strap to help alleviate any knee pain that can occur when running with a tight IT band. The iliotibial (IT) band is a tough group of fibers that run along the outside of the thigh. During the repetitive motion of running, the fibers can sometimes rub along side the knee and cause pain as a result of the friction.

On race morning, I woke up and had my typical smoothie of almond milk, bananas, frozen berries, Udo's Oil, chia seeds, and a plant based protein powder. On my drive to the race, I also had another banana and a Lara Bar. Finally about 15 minutes before the race started, I had a package of vanilla Hammer Gel.

Based on a quick estimation at the starting line, there were roughly 100 participants lined up to run the race. It was cold and most people were wearing hats, gloves, long sleeves, and most had long pants. I also wore a hat and gloves but went with shorts instead of long pants as I knew I would warm up plenty fast. It was a below freezing start but the temperature would climb into the mid to upper 30s during the race and I knew I would prefer shorts. Plus I can easily stow my gels in the pockets of my shorts and stuff my hat in a pocket once I start to warm up. Most people I saw had either CamelBak Hydration systems or hand held water bottles with little hand holds to make the bottles easy to carry. I went with my Fuel Belt which held about 24 ounces of water total between 4 small bottles. I think I was the only one out there with a Fuel Belt which is something you are more likely to see during a road race. I am not into excessive gear so I use what I got.

I really did not know what to expect other than mud. I had been told that the course was going to be muddy and that streams would be ankle and calf deep. When the gun went off, the pack slowly started trudging through the woods. I passed a number of people at the beginning until I settled in behind a group that seemed like they were going at a pretty good pace for me. I was intent on not going out too fast so I took it easy and simply ran with the folks in front of me.

The course was not excessively hilly. There were hills for sure but there was also lots of mud. In fact there were quite a few sections that were boggy. As I slopped through the cold mud, I could feel the very cold water seeping into my shoes. The cold from the mud surprised me. After a while, I got used to it and it really did not bother me too much.

As I ran through woods hopping over trees, dodging rocks, and roots, and running through the bogs, I was struck by a thought. My friend Chris likes to come up with little nicknames for certain parts of a trail we might be on when riding mountain bikes or running through the woods. The names he comes up with are usually silly but also convey a particular feature of the terrain. Sketchy bridge in Forest Hill Park, Gravel Road and Gravel Road II at Poor Farm Park, Snake Bridge and Clay Hill also at Poor Farm Park. These are just some of the names he has come up with in the past to describe certain parts of a particular trail. For some reason, I thought he would call these muddy parts of the trail, "Downtown Bogdad."

At mile 6 there was an aid station. In trail races, they don't have water stops. Instead they have what are called aid stations. There is usually self serve water, food, and other goodies and many runners will briefly pause and take on fluids, readjust equipment, chat and relax. It is quite a different vibe from a road race. I did not hang out long at the aid stations. I consumed a gel and two cups of water to wash it down but then got on my way. I would follow this pattern at the turnaround and again on my way back.

Since the course was an out and back, at some point in the race, as I got closer to the turnaround, I started seeing runners coming towards me through the woods. For the next half hour or so, it would be two way traffic on the trail. It takes skill to race along a narrow trail with two way traffic and not run into anyone. At this moment in the race, I was still heading towards the turnaround so the people coming at me had the right of way. Once I made the turnaround, those people who were behind me in the race would presumably yield to me if there was a part of the trail that was too narrow to accommodate runners going in both directions. I took a rough estimate of how many people were in front of me before I got to the turnaround. It seemed like I was in the top half of the pack.

At the turnaround, I took a little fall but luckily landed in some soft mud. I was not hurt at all and the little shot of adrenaline and embarrassment had the effect of making me take off out of the aid station a little faster. I distanced myself from most of the guys I had been running with. Up until the turnaround I had been running with a group. Running with a group makes navigating the obstacles much easier because you can see the runner in front of you making his way over trees and other obstacles. Seeing what is coming from that perspective makes running the trail slightly easier. Now however, I was on my own. I decided to kick it up a notch and run slightly harder for the second half of the race. As I ran, I picked off a few runners here and there but mostly I was by myself. It was kind of a nice change of pace really. Occasionally I had to stop and find the trail but overall, I was able to keep moving at my preferred pace.

Around the 3:30 mark, I started to get a little hungry. I consumed another vanilla Hammer Gel and washed it down with water. Gels can get old after a while and sometimes I get tired of them. At this point it is a mental game. I know I need the gel and I know the gel will give me the biggest bang for the buck. They are easily digestible and contain the energy and electrolytes needed. So sometimes you have to use mind over matter and just eat the darn thing. This was my 5th and final gel of the day because around 3:38, I could see the finish line. I had a nice little kick at the end so I could try to beat 3:40. When I crossed the finish line in 3:39, the race organizers asked if I was done. I assured them I was done for the day and the half a dozen volunteers clapped for me. Some people would answer no and continue on to complete the 50K option of the race. 35K was enough for me on that day.

While the final results have not been posted yet that break down everything by age group and gender, the bare bones results have been posted. I was 24th overall out of about 80+ finishers. I was quite pleased with that finish and will likely do the race again next year. I think I can improve on my time and placing. Of course the weather is always a factor in a race like this. The mud definitely slowed us down but not as much as snow would. I have to thank Coach K at ProKRacing.com for helping me be so successful at this race. Also, having the support of Melissa makes it all possible.

Overall, I had a great experience doing this race and will likely do it again next year. Now I just have to work on relaxing my IT Band with ice, stretching, foam roller, and massage. In fact, tomorrow I am going to get a therapeutic massage to help with the situation.

Willis River 35K Trail Run

On January 14th, I am running the Willis River 35K Trail Race. The race takes place in Cumberland County, Virginia at Bear Creek State Park. As you may recall, I ran the Bear Creek 10 Miler at the same park on December 4th. The terrain is likely to be very similar although I won't know for sure until I run the race. Here is a video from the park's web site showing a little bit about the Willis River Trail. In the video, you don't really get to see too much of the trail but you sort of get the idea that the trail is on the wild side.



This race will be slightly more than twice the distance of the Bear Creek 10 Miler. I am not sure how long it will take me to complete the race. I am guessing around 4 hours. I have been running trails for the last month or so in addition to tempo runs, hill work, and other runs. Plus I have been keeping up with my cycling and swimming.

My goal for this race is to run hard and have fun. Running trails is a great way to gain fitness as well as strength. This particular race features lots of "blow downs" which means I will be leaping over downed trees as well as jumping around and through several creeks. A race like this will force me to use different muscles than a straight road race which will help me in my overall fitness. I am also hoping that training and racing this event will help build a strong running base which is something I have not really had for many years.

In preparation for this race, I have been running the trails downtown. Seems funny to link "trails" and "downtown" in the same sentence but here in Richmond that is exactly what we have. In the heart of downtown Richmond we have the James River Park with miles of single track trails that parallel the James River. There are several races each year on these trails and I have both ridden and run them many times.

For me, running trails is so much more interesting then simply running around my neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, the streets around my house are great for running but there is not much to inspire me. It is the same old parked cars, houses, lawns, fences, dogs barking, etc over and over again. When I run downtown, I have to concentrate more on my footing and there are always surprises in the way of other bikers and runners as well as wildlife and great scenery. Running through the woods seems more primal to me and thus more motivating.

For today's Saturday morning run, my training plan called for a 2 hours and 30 minute run nice and easy. A few of my friends from church met me downtown at 8AM to run. They would end up running one loop with me. I continued on after a brief stop at the cars to say adios for a second loop by myself. Running with friends definitely helps break up the monotony of a long run. But it was nice to also get some time by myself to ponder my training and upcoming races. Running alone on the trails can be meditative. I think my run this morning was a perfect mix of social running and running with my thoughts.

I ended up seeing a coworker and her children on the tail end of my run. I love seeing people I know exercising and it was great to see them running together as a family. I stopped to chat briefly before continuing on my last mile back to the car. I ended up running 2:45 at a very easy pace. I think I accomplished the goal of the workout by keeping my heart rate low. In fact, after getting home and analyzing my GPS data, I could see that my heart rate stayed in zone 1 and 2 for the entire run.

Tomorrow I have a 1 hour pace run to complete. After that run, my long runs will mostly be over for now. The rest of my preparation for the race in two weeks will involve shorter but faster workouts. I am not sure exactly what the coach has in store for me but I will likely find out tomorrow. Coach K seems to consistently update my weekly training plan on Sundays.

In general I feel pretty good about my preparation for the 35K. It will be the farthest I have run since my marathon training in 2007 but I am confident I will enjoy the race. I have learned a lot since the training I did for the marathon and I think I train better now. Plus I have been doing lots of cross training which I think will pay off when I run the trail race.

Until next time, thanks for reading. Comments appreciated but not required.