Marathon du Medoc - September 7, 2013

Medoc Spirit

"Spoilsports, thugs and record seekers are not invited!"

This is part of the official Marathon du Medoc spirit, which consists of "health, sport, conviviality and fun." And wine.  Twenty tests oeno-sportifs (degustations de grands crus), better known in English as wine tasting stops. As well as oysters, ham, cheese, sandwiches, beef, oysters on the half shell, and ice cream.  And the usual runners food of cookies, crackers, oranges and the like at roughly 20 aid stations. Water and cola were also available at numerous locations as well.

Did I mention costumes and floats?  About 90 percent of the runners wore some sort of costume, most following the 2013 theme of Science Fiction, although there were also pirates, smurfs, French bakers, and numerous others.  Put 8500 fun-seeking runners on the roads of Medoc, tell them to run from chateau to chateau for 42 kilometers and you have a day-long moving party.

This is a story better told with pictures so I'll keep the narrative fairly short and follow it with plenty of pictures.

The Narrative

Rebecca, An and I took the bus from the center of Bordeaux to Pauillac for the start of the race.  An when off to pick up his rental bicycle so that he could intercept us at various places along the course.  The morning was a bit cool and overcast, but except for a stray drop or two, we had no rain.  Twenty miles south in Bordeaux it rained most of the day.

As I noted about 90 percent of the runners wore costumes, with the majority inspired by the 2013 "Science Fiction" theme.  Rebecca and I went with matching steam punk technical shirts, figuring it was the best combination of comfortable running gear while adhering to the theme. There were plenty of Princess Leias, both male and female, a full costumed Chewbacca, lots of blue Avatars, Martians, Supermen, space men and aliens.  There were also costumes that didn't follow the theme including French bakers, pirates, cave men, construction workers and others that were hard to identify.

There were also floats pushed the entire way.  I recall seeing a steamroller, pirate ship, hospital bed, UFO, sofa and winged wine barrel.  The steamroller float was sponsored by a local construction company, and its crew wore orange costumes and hard hats, which they gave away to children along the way.

The race takes place just a few weeks before the grape harvest and the vines are heavy with fruit.  Rebecca and I sampled some grapes (they were from a bunch that were on the ground, so we didn't feel like we were abusing the chateau's hospitality) and they were sweet.  The scenery was wonderful, with about 60 spectacular chateaus on the course, non-stop acres of vineyards, gently rolling country roads, about a dozen villages and occasional views of the Gironde River.

We met folks from all over during the run. There was a Canadian couple from Vancouver who had nothing good to say about the Quebecois.  A Scottish woman who immediately recognized our steampunk shirts and pointed out her own steampunk goggles perched on top of her hat with a picture of her brother and his two pet chickens. The French pirates who responded positively to my "Arr, maties!" call. (Apparently speaking pirate is a universal language.)   The peculiarly costumed French runners in yellow suits with what appeared to be red rooster combs on their head, but when asked about their chicken costumes, they informed us that they were "Super Shoe" (that's what it sounded like), from some French sci-fi cartoon TV show or movies of the 1980s.

The course consisted of roughly two large loops from Pauillac, the first going south, then returning to pass through parts of the town around KM 22 before heading to the north.  This allowed those who wanted to drop out at the halfway point the chance to do so.  Given that there were 7905 finishers out of 8500 entrants, not too many seemed to want the miss the second half of the course.

An met us at various random places on the course, depending on what back roads he could use to get from place to place. Rebecca would share her wine with him and as the band at Chateau Pichon-Longueville struck up a Cajun tune, the two of them broke out dancing.  There is video, but Rebecca has expressly prohibited me from posting it.

We did dial back the wine tasting during the second half.  The chateaus did not skimp on the pours and unless one had done some serious "drinking while running" training, it would have been a challenge.  We met a woman on the flight over who did practice that technique, however. At most chateaus we used a taste and dump strategy, but even with that, there were a few later in the course that we simply did not sample.  I did not however, "sip and spit" at Chateau Lafite Rothschild, one of the five premier grands crus of Bordeaux. That was all sip.

With one exception the wines were reds; not surprising given that we were in Medoc.  That exception was a white served at KM 38 with the raw oysters.  The Arcachon Basin, about 30 miles to the west of Bordeaux is noted for its oysters.  They were saltier than U.S. oysters, but that made them perfect for runners. Washed down with the white, and served on the bank of the Gironde River, they were a perfect treat.

The slogan of Marathon du Medoc is "Le marathon le plus long du monde" (the longest marathon in the world) and that was our approach to it.  I wore a 6:20 pace band, determined to spend as much time as possible on the course but still finish under 6:30, the official cutoff.  We succeeded, finishing in 6:13 gun time (6:08:54 chip time, 5718 of 7905). My time was over an hour slower than any previous marathon and nearly an hour and a half slower than my last marathon. Medoc my be my longest but it certainly is the best.

At the finish we received a finishers' medal, a backpack, a cup on a lanyard, and a bottle of 2002 Chateau La Tour De Mons cru bourgeois Margaux in a wooden box commemorating the 29th Marathon du Medoc.   Rebecca also received a rose.  On the box is the Medoc tipsy runner logo with him saying, "Le Medoc je l'ai fait!" (I finished Medoc!).  Yup, I did.

A non-runner's blog with plenty of good pictures of runners and floats is here.

Pictures are Worth Lots of Words

Supermen line up for express relief prior to the start.

Aerial acrobats entertain at the start.

And we are off! Rebecca wears our
steampunk shirt on the right.

A line of runners thru the vineyard toward Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste at KM 2.

The band at Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste strikes a tropical theme.

A view from the the road, maybe around KM 3.

Examining the wine at Chateau Larose Trintaudon at KM 6. . . .

. . .  and the first taste of the day!

Rebecca raises a glass
at Chateau Belgrave at KM 8  . . .

. . . or is it Chateau Lagrange at KM 9?

Another few KM and another chateau to visit.

The winged barrel rolls thru Beychevelle.

Approaching Chateau Branaire-Ducru at KM 13.

The sofa float leaving Chateau Branaire-Ducru.

Time for another wine tasting
at Chateau Beychevelle at KM 13.

Yes, another excellent Bordeaux!

Rebecca (2nd from left) runs on with varied costumed participants someplace around KM 17.

Rebecca and I toast each other
at Chateau Pichon-Longueville at KM 17.

A memorial to the soldiers of the village of
Saint-Julien Beychevelle killed in WW I.

An (2nd from right) celebrates with "Arthur Dents" from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
at Chateau Pichon-Longueville.

Rebecca raises a glass at Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande at KM 18. . . 

. . . and I do likewise.

Not every chateau served wine.  Only water here at Chateau Lynch Bages at KM 20.

Runners pass another war memorial after leaving Chateau Pontet Canet near KM 24.

A classic car display at Chateau Lafite Rothschild at KM 26.

Runners take a dip in the pond at Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

Approaching Chateau Cos Labory at KM 27.

In the background EMTs attend to someone down on the ground at Chateau Cos Labory.

Rebecca and I enjoy sandwiches at Chateau Pomys (?) at KM 31- ham and cheese for me; cheese for Rebecca.

Ice cream at KM 42

Our final snack on the course.

Swag: shirt, backpack, cup on a lanyard, medal, wine tasting cup, boxed bottle of wine.

TNF Endurance Mid-Atlantic 50K - June 1, 2013

Warm Day

Barry, Shirley and Rebecca (l. to r.)

Saturday promises to be a hot day, with temperatures close to 90 degrees for my second North Face Endurance Challenge 50K (TNF).  Emaad B. cites the hot weather as a  reason not to start the race.  I look at the bright side: with hot weather the choice of clothing is very simple.  I just need shorts and a short sleeve shirt. No need to worry about long/short sleeves, layers, gloves, tights or hats.

Barry and Rebecca show up at my house right on time to head to Sterling VA for the parking for the shuttle to Algonkian Regional Park for the start of the race.  Rebecca, who believes that no one should go hungry ever, brings a box of colossal-sized donuts. Barry eats one, or at least half of one.  The school bus shuttle gets us to the park in plenty of time to check our bags, use the facilities and get ready for the day.  We meet Shirley S. at the start and the four of us decide to run together, or at least to start together.  Given the weather no one has a sense of urgency or desire to push the pace.

Outbound!
To help spread out the field for the single track that begins a few hundred yards from the start, TNF starts the field in three waves a couple of minutes apart.  The race is chip-timed so there is no penalty starting in the later waves.  The four of us start well toward the rear of the the third and final heat.

It is a bit warm but not particularly unpleasant at the 7:00 a.m. start.  We are grateful that we do not have to deal with the shoe-sucking mud from last year.  We chat amiably as we go along and make sure to keep an eye out for golfers, and more importantly, golf balls, as the Potomac Heritage Trail makes its way across the golf course at the park.  We cross without incident.  After the golf course, the trail alternates between flat stretches near the Potomac and climbing and descending some hills that move away from the river.

Rebecca and I stick together through the first aid station with Barry and Shirley not far behind. A mile or two later Barry and Shirley catch up with us.  We go on together for awhile and somewhere around mile 13 I unwittingly pull away from them for the rest of the day.

Staying Hydrated
One drawback of TNF for the unwary is that several of the aid stations are significantly further apart than some runners are used to.  The first aid station is 5.7 miles from the start (there is an unofficial one about three miles from the start), and then the next aid station is 6.7 miles farther on. The 6.7 mile section has to be traversed on the way back to the finish as well.

Barry snaps pic of the Potomac

Especially on a hot day making sure one has adequate nutrition and hydration is critical.  Rebecca is carrying a handheld bottle, but the other three of us are all using camelbacks.  Later in the day, on the return, Rebecca will run dry. Fortunately she was able to get water from an emergency medical personnel who she met on the trail between aid stations.

After my experience at the Bull Run Run 50 miler in April where I lost track of when I last ate a gel or took a Succeed! salt capsule I'm determined today to set a schedule and stick to it.  I decide on a gel every 45 minutes and a salt tablet every hour.  I stick to the schedule the entire day, regardless of how those times coincide with the appearance of aid stations.  As an added benefit, Clif Bar is a sponsor of the race, and the aid stations are stocked with Clif Shot gels, reducing the need to start the race carrying a day's worth of gels.

I carry six Succeeds with me.  Someplace around mile 22 or so I spot a small plastic bag on the trail.  I stop and pick it up and it appears to have two Succeeds in it.  I can't be certain of that, but they are intact and certainly look like the kind of thing a runner might have dropped.  When it is time for the next Succeed I decide to try one of the finds.  With no adverse effects over the next hour, I take the second found one.  I hate waste.

Newbies
As usual, I chat with folks as we run along and observe the runners that I pass and that pass me. (I text the description of one runner with Emaad to emphasize what he is missing, but there is no need here to repeat my observations.)

The first thing that stands out is that there are a higher than usual number of first time trail and ultrarunners than at most races.  Perhaps it is due to the commercial nature of the race and the fact that The North Face is a prime sponsor of the race.  The series is actually managed by Hawkeye, a marketing company that "designs, develops, manages and flawlessly executes experiential programs"  for its corporate clients, including TNF and the NCAA.  From the number of participants who tell me that this is either their first ultra or their first trail run it is clear that as part of "The North Face Endurance Challenge" the Hawkeye "experiential team is planning and executing live programs for clients [like TNF] who want to bring their brands to their consumers in unique, relevant and memorable ways."  If TNF is a brand that is supposed to be for customers interested in outdoor adventures (suitably attired and equipped, of course) they are succeeding in bringing people out to the trail.

The second thing I notice is that the participants are appreciably younger than the usual group of ultrarunners.  There is a bit of a joke in the ultrarunning community that as one gets older and slower one runs longer and longer.  Maybe that is because we have more leisure time or are more patient.  But the TNF clearly attracts a younger crowd.

One of the consequences of having newer and younger runners is that they are not prepared as well for this particular race as veteran runners.  During the long 6.7 mile stretch between the first and second aid stations I catch up with two women running together.  One has a camelback, but the other is running with no bottle or water carrier of any kind. I gently suggest that staying hydrated today will be important.  Fortunately they are sisters so they have already been sharing from the camelback.  But the time is still before 10:00 a.m. and the day will be heating up.  I urge them to be sure to take gels or eat salty foods at the aid stations.

There is Always One of These
Some trail runners are tough. Some are nuts. Some are both.  All three types run trails.

The trail by Mather Gorge of the Potomac

While running the convoluted but well marked loops and out-and-backs in Great Falls Park I spot a 50-mile runner walking with her knee professionally taped up but a hint of blood staining it.

"Close encounter with the ground?," I inquire.

She answers in the affirmative. "I've had it taped twice," she says. "The paramedics told me I need stitches.  I told them I still have 30 miles to go to the finish."

On that note she starts running again.

Trail Discounts
Rebecca and I are going to run Marathon du Medoc in September.  This year's theme is Science Fiction so we have ordered Steam Punk patterned shirts.  I'm wearing mine to try it out.

As I pass a shirtless runner wearing a kilt (see There is Always One of These, above) he asks if it is from  InkNBurn.  When I say it is, he gets excited.

"I'm an InkNBurn Ambassador," he says.  "Take these cards and enter the code "Christoldme" and you will get a discount on your next order at InkNBurn."

He sees me glance at his kilt, decidedly not an InkNBurn product. "I'm also an ambassador for kilts for running," he adds.

Getting Hot
Running in Great Falls Park give us an opportunity to see the 50 mile runners who started two hours ahead of the 50K runners.  They have to run three laps of the Great Falls section, while we only do one loop.  Marathoners, who start two hours behind the 50K runners turn around at the entrance to Great Falls. Leaving Great Falls about 19.3 miles into the race the time is about 11:40 a.m.  The day is definitely heating up.  While much of the race is in the woods, there are some fields to cross and the mid-day sun adds another  ten or more degrees to the heat.  During this 6.7 mile stretch to the next aid station I'm repeatedly glancing at my watch and trying to figure when I'll arrive at it, based on the time it took on the outbound run.  I'm disappointed when an hour and 43 minutes rolls around (the outbound time) and there is no aid station in sight.  It takes another ten minutes to arrive at it.  The pace is almost 17 minutes per mile, barely faster than a walking pace.

The pace to the next aid station at mile 29.3 is hardly better even though most of it is on a flat stretch skirting through the golf course. With the end figuratively in sight, and marathon relay runners now on this section of the course, I pick up the pace to a 12:41 per mile.  Even that feels harsh in the sun, and I take frequent walks on flat, level surfaces that are otherwise easy to run.

I cross the finish in 7:49:19, more than 40 minutes slower than during last year's muddy trudge.  I sit down at a shaded table and An, Rebecca's boy friend finds me and brings me shaved ice cones, which are greatly refreshing.

Rebecca crosses the line in 8:01.  Either she is barely coherent or I'm incapable of comprehension. Neither of us can quite understand each other for a short while.  Shirley finishes in 8:19 and Barry in 8:27.

Nice Guys Finish Last First.  So Do Old Guys.
Reviewing the results the next day bear out my suspicions that the TNF demographic skews young. Barry finishes second in the male 60-64 year old age group.  I finish first.

Barry, Rebecca, Shirley and I show off our medals
(courtesy of Barry S.)

But that is not so remarkable, it turns out.  We are the only two males in the age group.  And at 62 I'm the oldest 50K finisher, male or female.

One other 60+ male runs the 50 mile TNF race. So a total of only three 60+ males out of 482 male finishers ran the 50M and 50K at TNF (0.6%).  Compare that to the 17 60+ males out of 287 male finishers (5.9%) who ran Bull Run Run 50 Miler in April. And there is no 50K option there.

Unfortunately for us, there are no age group prizes, just the satisfaction of knowing that we still are . . . tough? Nuts? Both? Like all runners over 21, we got to enjoy our complementary beer at the finish area, although Barry had to show proof of age to be admitted to the beer area!

TNF50K swag: shirt, medal, Smartwool sox and bib

Bull Run Run 50 Mile - April 6, 2013

Training?  I Don't Need No Stinking Training!

Jennifer W. and I set out to run Bull Run together.  We last ran a race together at the Black Hills 100K last June, where I dropped out just short of the turn-around and she went on alone to finish the race.

Gandalf, aka Mark Z, at the start

Due to a variety of reasons Jennifer has been a bit short of training this year.  Well, actually way more than a bit short.  Since Black Hills Jennifer has run one 14-mile training run and a couple of 12-mile training runs.  And some shorter runs.  I believe in the "Bare Bones Training Theorem" which holds that if you can run half the distance you can run the entire distance. But we are talking about running three and a half times the distance.  Jennifer is one of - no maybe the - toughest runners that I know, so if anyone can do it, she can.

We carpool to the race together and I tell her that I will stick with her throughout the day.

Championship Three-peat?

Team MCRRC Absolute Zeroes is back in an effort to win the award for the slowest team for the third consecutive year.  Jim D., Larry B., Caroline W. and I make you the team.  We expect a challenge from Team Rocket, put together by (disgruntled?) one-time Absolute Zero Mark Z and consisting of Mark, Jennifer, Mike E. and Stephanie F.  Jennifer and I will cancel each other out, so it will depend on how the rest of both teams perform.  May the slowest team win!

Beautiful Day for a Run

Ken and Jennifer in the bluebells
(courtesy of Aaron Schwartzbard)

The weather is pretty much perfect for the race.  A little cool at the start but a day that warmed up a bit in the afternoon.  Rain earlier in the week had assured that the course would not be dusty, but there was not so much rain that the course was muddy or that the streams were high.  All the stream crossings were navigable without the need to get one's feet wet.

Normal seasonal temperatures also assured that the bluebells were in full bloom when we ran through them.

Fields of Bluebells

Steady as She Goes
Jennifer and I start out slower than I have in my previous four BRRs.  This is partly to give her a chance to settle into a comfortable pace for the day and partly for me to avoid my typical BRR strategy of going out too fast and having a miserable final 12 miles.

Crossing Rocky Run with Jennifer following
(courtesy Mike Bur)

We enjoy our trip through the bluebells.  A runner tells us of a story during a 100-mile race of hallucinating a small girl sitting by the side of the trail.  His wife assures him that there is no child so he goes on.  He credits the training from his U.S. Navy chief for preparing him for such moments.

Too slow?
Our slow strategy works almost too well. Through the first 16 miles and back to the Hemlock aid station (which is also where the race starts and end) we are on a pace well above 12 hours.  It seems to me that leaves little margin for error to make the 13 hour cutoff if we have a tough last section of the course.  On the other hand, if we can stay steady we'll be in good shape.

Jennifer alongside Bull Run

At Hemlock I change my shirt and get rid of my hat.  Mike E. of Team Rocket is there also changing some gear.  Because of the out and back nature of the first part of the course, we have seen the other members of the two teams on the course, with Mark and Stephanie of Team Rocket behind, as is Jim D.  Larry and Caroline are ahead.

Jennifer and I head out on the second, and far hillier part of the BRR course.  With the exception of a few stretches, it is almost entirely uphill or downhill.  None of the climbs or descents are particularly long, but it does start to take its toll.

We settle into a routine.  Jennifer speeds down the descents, and I power walk and catch her on the ascents.  It makes both of us faster overall, as I try to follow her down, and she has to hustle as I overtake her walking the ascents.

Piratical crew at Wolf Run Shoals
(courtesy Anstr Davidson)

As usual, getting to the Wolf Run Shoals Aid Station (mile 26 and 40) is a special treat as it has a special and different theme each year.  This year it was pirates, and I give out a loud "Arr, matey!" to greet the saucy pirate wench checking runners in.

Jennifer and I continue our routine.  Despite having gone more than twice her longest training run by the time we get to the Fountainhead aid station (mile 28) outbound, she is feeling fine.  We keep moving along and are running sections at a pace that, should we be able to keep it up, will allow us to finish under 12 hours.

But I keep reminding both of us, especially me, that this is a run that get determines in the last 12 miles, after leaving the Fountainhead aid station on the way back.  I've got the experience and data to prove it.  My times to there in 2011 and 2012 were within 90 seconds of each other, but it took an hour longer to run the last 12 miles in 2012.

Spiderman at the Do Loop AS
(miles 32 and 35)

In the meantime we enjoy our run through the Do-Loop.  We head in to the loop sucking on frozen ice pops,  run past the pair of slowly decaying cars, spy the crew teams on the water by the Sandy Run Marina and stop to plant a kiss on Hello Kitty.  Since she doesn't have a mouth, she doesn't return the favor.

Every Year the Do Loop Cars Look Worse

Finishing the loop we refuel at the aid station and head back toward Fountainhead.

A Hello Kiss for Hello Kitty in the Do Loop

The Real Race Starts Now
We reach Fountainhead AS (mile 38) in 8:45.  That puts us within striking distance of a 12 hour finish.  There are 12.5 miles to go and we have 195 minutes to do it.  That is a pace of only 15:36 minutes per mile, barely above a moderate walking pace.

On the other hand, we have been going for 38 miles, the hilliest part of the course has to be re-navigated and the day is starting to warm up.

We are definitely slowing down, but we get to the pirates' lair at Wolf Run Shoals in an elapsed time of 9:21.  That means a pace of 15:09 for the last 10.5 miles and we break 12 hours. (In case you are wondering about the arithmetic BRR is 50.4 miles, not 50 miles.  It's like getting almost an extra half mile for free!)

The next five miles to the Marina aid station are tough going.  This part of the course has the steepest hills, one after another, and although we did them outbound, its hotter now and fatigue is setting in.  In addition, I've lost track of how many Succeed! salt tablets I've taken and when the last one was, and I've also started to lose track of my timing for taking gels.  And the miles are starting to take their toll on Jennifer.  We have abandoned our team work of running downhills and walking uphills and are mostly walking.

My tweet as we leave the Marina aid station (mile 44.9) sums up our condition, "Out of Marina at mile 45. Jennifer nauseous. My left knee hurts. But finish awaits in 5.5 miles.  Worst section over."  But I also recognize that our chance for a sub-12 hour finish is pretty much gone.

It's true that the final section is not as bad, but it does involve some careful climbing over rocks that we had little trouble with when we had gone over them just a couple of miles into the race.  Now it is a matter of careful placement of tired feet and legs and using hands to steady oneself. The last long hill away from Bull Run and up to Hemlock Overlook is brutal.  I have to stop a couple of times to gather my strength to go on.

The tables are now turned.  I tell Jennifer that she can go ahead, but she sticks with me and after my insistence that she step across the finish line first, we finish in 12:09.

Who's the Slowest?
Jennifer and I have canceled each other out in the team competition.  But what about the others?  Caroline (11:56) and Larry (11:52) finished under 12 hours.  Since every member of each team must finish under the 13-hour cutoff for the team to qualify, it may come down to who can make the cutoff.  At 12:28, the three remaining members of Team Rocket appear and finish together.  It turns out that Mike E had waited for his teammates just around the corner from the finish in an effort to improve their chances. Jim comes in three minutes later in 12:31.

Oddly, the race director tells us that Absolute Zeroes are going to repeat as slowest team, but may win the oldest team award instead.  That depends on whether 69-year old and 18-time BRR finisher Bill Wandel can make it to the finish line before the clock hits 13 hours. Finally, with just 12 minutes to spare, Bill appears and crosses the finish line for the 19-time to applause from the crowd. That team averaged 66.5 years old (an aggregate 40 years older than the Absolute Zeroes) with a combined 76 BRR finishes amongst them.

Team Absolute Zeroes is announced as the slowest team, and we chant "three-peat" as we collect our blue  blankets.

The next day the race director announces that the scoring was fouled up and that Team Rocket was actually the slowest team.  He tells us to keep our blankets and that the VHTRC will order more blankets for Team Rocket..  We do.

Swag: Two shirts, cup, bib, bottle opener, face towel, handkerchief, 5-year finisher visor
and (undeserved) team champion blanket

Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50K - March 2, 2013

The Course Turned Around

The 2013 version of the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail race was run in the opposite direction of the previous nine years editions, from Riley's Lock at the Potomac River to the Damascus Regional Park.  This is a mixed blessing.  On the plus side, it means that the one water crossing of the creek will come only three or four miles from the end, rather than three to four miles from the start.  On the down side, the race will be net uphill, although the net rise is only a few hundred feet.

After parking at the start I take the bus to the start.  Since all runners are pre-registered via an email all that's necessary is to hand in my registration form and a check for $15 to get my bib and chip.  Chip timing is a new innovation for the 350 runner race but it provides the race organizers a simple way to know who started and who finished.  Sweepers also keep track of stragglers.

The weather is a bit chilly - temperatures never get above the mid-30's - but there's no rain and the absence of snow or any significant amount of precipitation the previous week means the course is in fine shape, with no ice, snow and very little mud.

Happy Running Approaching Route 28

The race starts on time and I run at the rear of the pack with Mark Z. and Don L., who is attempting his first 50K.  Don has been having soreness in his hip and doesn't know how far he will get but he's starting out easy  as he doesn't know what to expect or what his pace should be.  We run easily up the gravel Tschiffley Mill Road, cross River Road onto Seneca Road before getting onto the trail after a mile.  I find the pace a bit to slow and leave Mark and Don.

The 5.7 miles from there to the Aid station at Route 28 pass pleasantly.  The footing is firm on parts of the course that were thick mud last year and the company is pleasant as I chat with runners I know.

Just past the aid station I come upon Stephanie F.  We exchange greetings and I move past her, looking for an opportunity to duck behind a tree for a moment of privacy.  I get what I calculate to be far enough away but I'm either a bit slower than I planned or she is faster than I calculated and I have to maneuver a bit to retain privacy.

Why Runners Have More Fun - Than Racers

Mission accomplished, I fall in with Monika B. as we head for Black Rock Mill.  She points out to me that this portion of the trial has been rerouted and was built by mountain bikers who were barred from the older section of the trail.  The bikers agreed to help build the trail if they could use it.

Jim D. Moving Along

We pass the mill, cross the road and follow the newer bike trail uphill rather than the blue-blazed Seneca Creek Greenway Trail that stays closer to the creek.  In a bit we catch up with Jim D., a teammate of mine on the MCRRC Absolute Zeroes, the two-time defending Bull Run Run 50 Miler holder of the slowest team title.  We are going back again this year and SCGT is a de facto training run for us.  He's doing the marathon distance today.

Up and Over

 Monika and I discuss various trail runs we have done.  She is beginning to embrace the idea of running for the enjoyment of the journey rather than the enjoyment that comes with winning races.  And she knows winning, having won the 2006 SCGT marathon distance and the 2006 Capon Valley 50K.  I tell her how much I like Capon, having run it five times.  She replies how much she disliked it, having raced it the three times she was there (with 6th and 8th place finishes to go with her victory).  Today she is out enjoying herself.

The Bone of Contention

Somewhere after crossing Route 118 I spy a bone near a tree.  I know a perfect prop when I see one and I promptly pick it up.  It appears to be a tibia (the larger of the two bones of the lower leg) and it is devoid of any soft tissue and appears to be free of any signs of having been gnawed on by scavengers.

As I pass some runners I exclaim "Caveman style running," waving my find.  There is a steel barrel alongside the trail and I merrily bang on it.  

Nothing Like a Snack on the Trail

As I approach the road crossing at Riffle Ford Road I stash it in the back of my shorts.  I approach the volunteer course marshal and tell her that my leg is bothering my and I may need medical attention.  A look of concern comes over her face.  Then, reaching behind my back and pulling the bone out I say, "but it fells better ever since I took this out."  Her worried look dissolves into a chuckle.

Getting to the Riffle Ford Road Aid Station I look over the cookies, candy and other things to eat, wave the bone and tell them that the food was better at the previous aid station.

Following Monika B.

 The bone provides hours of fun - at least for me - the rest of the day.  I try to get Monika to run ahead to the aid station at Clopper Lake and tell them a runner with an injured leg is coming.  But it turns out that the aid station has something worthy of my bone - bacon.  Admittedly it isn't warm, but it is the pre-cooked variety and to a bacon lover like me, it takes good.

Monika and I arrive at Clopper Lake at 11:20 a.m., ten minutes before the official cutoff to take the roughly three mile loop around the lake for the 50K distance. (A note here: according to those who use GPS devices the SCGT marathon is really 29.7 miles (not 26.2) and the 50K is 32.7 miles (not 31.1)). In fact, the cutoff is largely ignored as long as runners are making progress. Race founder and former race director Ed S. is handing out treats from the trunk of his car and I exchange some empty gel packets for a pretzel or two.

CSX Railroad Bridge over Seneca Creek Southwest of I-270  

After finishing the loop and returning to the aid station Monika starts to pull away from me.  I pause to take a picture of the magnificent stone arch bridge carrying CSX tracks over the creek and then get to see a westbound freight train cross it as I approach.

The Bone Collector

A little bit after crossing under the bridge I spy an animal skull on the ground.  I can't resist another souvenir so I pick it it.  Now I have a skull in one hand and a tibia in the other.  I have no idea what kind of skull it is.  It appears too small to be a deer skull but is clearly some sort of mammal skull.  The teeth and lower jaw are missing so there are no clues there.  Finally I decide that it is not up to my collecting standards and leave it balance on a post for others to admire.

The Bone Swings into Action at Route 355

 There is a photographer at the aid station at Route 355, around 22 miles into the race, and that provides an excellent opportunity to clown around with the bone as these pictures indicate.

The Bone Points the Way At Route 355

 Remarkably I catch up to Monika just beyond the aid station.  We go on a bit more together but this section of the course is hilly and she runs the uphills while I walk them.

Approaching Watkins Mill Road, about mile 25, I overtake a young man walking with a little bit of a limp.  He's a Naval Academy midshipman and tells me his knee is hurting.  I ask several questions and - non-medical professional that I am - diagnose his problem as an iliotibial band problem.  He is talking about walking to the finish but I tell him that he should drop out at the next aid station, or better yet, at Watkins Mill Road where there are course marshals.  I've had the problem and tell him that it isn't going to get any better today.

Go Navy!

A little bit further along I catch up with Larry B. another member of the Absolute Zeroes.  Larry is doing the 50K, getting ready for Bull Run.  He finishes five minutes after me.

Past the aid station at Brink Road I catch up with Zach W.  He's a plebe midshipman and this is his first attempt at a marathon or longer.  He tells me that he is doing it because he hopes to join the Seals or another part of the special forces branch of the Navy upon graduation and thinks that this kind of run will help his mental training.  I describe the remaining portion of the course to him and tell him that he doesn't have to stay with me as we walk up a hill.  He replies that his strategy during the day has been to stay with experienced runners and learn from them.

 Along Magruder Branch Trail approaching the final aid station at Log House Road (?) I spot a tempting treasure on the ground - a deer hoof with fur about the ankle and about six inches of bone protruding.  It clearly had been carried there by some scavenger.  But I reluctantly decline to pick it up, even by my lax standards of hygiene there is a bit too much risk of unpleasant surprises even with temperatures barely above freezing.

After the aid station I urge Zach onward telling him how most of the rest of the course is uphill and he can run it while I plan to walk the rest of the way.  He accepts the advice on the experienced runner turned walker and goes on and soon disappears from my view.  He finishes the last 1.5 or 2 miles more than three minutes faster than me.

Results 
I finish in 7:27:50 (4/6 AG, 135/180 overall) more than a half hour faster than last year's mudfest.  Mark and Don caught up with Stephanie and as she was not proceeding well they urged Don to go ahead.  He did and finished his first 50K in 8:16.  Mark and Stephanie finish in 8:57, but are only next to DFL, as someone else finished three minutes later.

Bib and Bone - SCGT is a pick up your own swag race.