Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50K - March 21, 2015

Preliminaries
Rain and snow on Friday promise to bring challenging conditions to the already once-postponed Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50K and Marathon. But there isn't too much of either; just enough to assure that SCGT will stay true to its reputation for having early spring mud or worse.

Don has warned us that the ironically named Dry Seneca Creek will not be dry and that the water may be high enough to cover the rocks that would otherwise allow one to cross it with feet. The night before I recall a trick that Gayatri once mentioned to keep feet dry.  I pack the secret supplies for it in case it is necessary.

The morning of the race is cool - in the 30s - but the forecast calls for highs to reach the 50s with partial sunshine and no precipitation. Pretty good weather conditions for a day of trail running.

For the first time in the history of the race there is no need to drive to the finish to be bused to the start as the race will start and end in Seneca Creek State Park, greatly simplifying logistics. With the completion of the Seneca Bluffs trail the course now can run outbound on the west side of the creek and inbound on the east side with a minimum amount of overlap, particularly for the 50K runners.

There are fewer runners at the start than in previous years, probably due to the race's postponement as it is on the same day as the HAT50K. In fact, participation is significantly depressed and there will only be a total of 173 finishers in both distances (106 50K; 67 marathon) down 40 percent from last year's 289 (206/83) finishers. Although the website said transfers were not permitted, the postponement led to a little-announced change of the policy.  I get a transfer from Barry who is running HAT.

Early in the day with Monika just behind.
(Photo by Conroy Zien )

Running Versus Racing
Milling about at the start I greet Jim and Monika.  Both are planning to do the marathon distance.  Monika is coming off running a 100K last week in Charlottesville so today is a bit of a recovery run for her.  For me on the other hand, it is a chance to begin some earnest training for Bull Run Run 50 miler on April 11. Since Potomac Heritage 50K in November my longest run has been 14 miles, so I need some serious long runs. 

Monika and I start out together. The race starts with a bit of a loop on the park road to spread out the runners before heading onto the single track of the Greenway Trail.  In some spots the road is slick with ice from previous day's rain and footing is better on the light coating of crunchy snow at the side of the road.

Billabong Bob's Tiki Bar and Aid Station at Riffle Ford Road.
(Photo by Conroy Zien )

As is usual for trail runners, or at least for those who are running and not racing, we chat about myriad topics.  Monika won the 2006 SCGT Marathon but now she says she just runs rather than races and finds it is less stressful and allows her to enjoy the day more.

Southbound
The trail is in generally in very good shape. There is no snow on it - at least for those of us towards the back of the pack - and the previous day's precipitation has made the ground soft.  That's the case on the higher portions of the trail, but there is still plenty of mud in low-lying areas and where water drains across the trail.

Through Tiki Bar-themed aid station at Riffle Ford Road, across the road and onto the trail.  It has been several years that I have run on this part of the Greenway Trail but the memory of it comes back with every step on what seems like an old friend (were one to run on an old friend). It is mostly flat to Germantown Road where we have to wait for several cars to pass on the two-lane road before the course marshals allow us to go on.  Then some up and down and we reach Black Rock Mill, which will be the decision point on the way back for choosing between the two distances.

On Seneca Bluffs trail just south of Route 28.

In a bit over a mile we reach the Route 28 aid station (about mile 8).  I refill my water pack and grab so potato chips, M&Ms, trail mix and cookies. One of the great things about trail running is eating junk food without guilt all day.  It isn't even 9 a.m. and I'm gorging on snack foods for the second time today - I did likewise earlier at the Tiki Bar when the time was barely past 7:30 a.m.  I  look around for Monika, but she is already gone. Crossing Route 28 to get to the Seneca Bluffs trailhead on the other side of the creek I see her back in the distance. That's the last that I see her.  For someone running and not racing she still manages to be fourth in her age group in the marathon.

Poole's General Store at Old River Road.
It's all northbound from here.

This is my first time on Seneca Bluffs Trail, which was built by bikers who are not permitted to ride on the Greenway Trail on the other side of the creek.  It is nice to run on a new trail. Without having run on the trail and without mile posts as on the Greenway Trail it is a nice timeless, distance-free run. Just run. Don't worry about where you are, how far you have gone, how far you have to go.  Live in the present.

Finally I reach the inaccurately named Dry Seneca Creek,.  There are large rocks in the stream but the water is up to them and one is under water.  I briefly consider employing Gayatri's trick, but fear the water may be moving too swiftly and the rocks too slippery to be effective.  Instead I resign myself to cold wet feet for awhile.

Northbound
Soon enough I reach Old River Road, turn left, pass Poole's General Store, cross the bridge over Seneca Creek and head north.  Race Director Paul drives next to me and inquires about course conditions and offers a ride on his roof.  I decline the offer.

Paul drives on and stops to chat with the course marshal directing runners back into the woods and onto the trail.  Catching up to him I ask if he would like me to carry the car.  We both chuckle.

"One Amazing Trick for Crossing Streams!"  
I'm now back on the familiar Greenway Trail. Some up and down, then past a sign marking mile 15, then up and a steep down to a stream tributary.  No way to get across dry-foot, so now it is time for the "One Amazing Trick for Crossing Streams!"  I reach into my pocket and pull out two newspaper delivery plastic bags.  But I can't find the rubber bands that were going to secure the tops and I neglected to try pulling them on over my running shoes at home.  I struggle and finally get them over the shoes and the trick works! I get across with dry feet!  The Berryville aid station (about mile 16) is on the other side of the crossing and I discard the bags.

Route 28 in the background and
the AS just beyond

The trail on the way back to Route 28 has some muddy but also has some runnable sections.  About five or six of us form a convoy and keep each other company along this stretch with subgroups occasionally leapfrogging one another.  Soon enough we can spot the Route 28 bridge ahead just past the 20 mile sign.  By now most of the light coating of snow that lay on the grass and leaves is gone.

At the aid station on the other side of Route 28 I grab a handful of the usual snacks and walk the trail while eating.  It's still not noon and I've been eating junk food all morning without the slightest sense of guilt or remorse.  That freedom from self-nagging is reason enough to run these races.

In a little over a mile I approach Black Rock Mill, where runners get to choose whether to run the marathon or the 50K. I'm with a woman runner and I ask her which way she is going. She says wants to think that she hasn't made a final decision yet. I press her a bit and she admits that she came to run the 50K and that is what she is going to do, but like the idea that she can pretend that she has not really decided to go the longer distance.

Looking back toward Black Rock Mill and heading onto the 50K course. 

Reaching the mill we both head right onto the Seneca Ridge Trail rather than left where would retrace our steps on the Greenway Trail.  Like Seneca Bluffs Trail the Seneca Ridge Trail was built by bikers. Oddly enough I don't see any bikers or either trail all day.

The trail is hillier and longer than the Greenway trail, but is nearly devoid of mud. I leapfrog a younger man who has a woman running with him. He tells that it is her first 50K and she says that he talked her into it at the mill.

" Did he tell you this is more like 55K?" I ask.

Mile 25 somewhere on Seneca Ridge Trail.

"No," she replies, casting a glance at her companion.

"No worry," I say, "the marathon is closer to 29 miles anyway."

We cross Germantown Road and after a few more miles return to Billabong Bob's Tiki Bar aid station. After exchanging mildly ribald exchanges with coconut-bra wearing Bob and some other volunteers I'm on my way with a green plastic lei.

A Mom, A Son and A Dog
I come across a woman carrying an SLR camera together with a young teenage boy and a large friendly dog.

"Get any good pictures?" I inquire.

"Some," she says.

"Any interesting birds?"

"I've been taking pictures of my son and our dog," she admits.

Trying to stay dry north of Riffle Ford Road.
(Photo by Conroy Zien )

"So based on your picture taking, who do you love more?" I tease.

The son points to the dog.

The End Is Not in Sight
The 30 mile sign looms nearly a half mile before the final aid station where the trail intersects the park road.  Motown provides the musical background for more snack food and a topping up of the Nathan as I head to the right to run around Clopper Lake on the 50K course.

Mile 30, wearing a lei, and not even to the park to
start the 3 mile Clopper Lake loop.

It's about a three mile loop around the lake to the finish. From the south side of the lake, which one runs around first, one can see the boat center on the opposite shore. Frustratingly, it seems like one is making no progress in coming abreast of it. The lake has a heavily indented shoreline, and running around the inlets and coves take time without make much forward progress.  Once the boat center is finally passed another frustration arises - trying to spot the end of the lake.  Again, the meandering trail and the geography of the lake create frustration and impatience.  But finally, finally! the end of the lake is reached, and transited and I'm on the side where the finish lies.

Two women have been leapfrogging me around the lake.  One had a device in her pack playing - moderately loudly - a Pandora-selected set of running music. She senses that it isn't my style- could our three decades of age difference have anything to do with that? - and offers to turn it off even though I have not said anything about it. I tell her no, that if it works for her keep it going.

The view from the far end of Clopper Lake. Finally!

Finally we crest the final rise and the boat center is not only in sight again but we are running past it. A little more trail, a couple of right turns and across the finish.

The Stats
As is the tradition of SCGT the 50K is "at least 31.1 miles." This year it is about 33 by my estimates.  Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less, but definitely well more than 50K.

I finish in 8:09:47, good for 94/106 overall, 2 of 3 in my AG. My official pace is 14:51 per mile. It is my seventh, all consecutive, SCGT 50K.

Training is Bunk
On November 2, 2014 I ran the Potomac Heritage 50k. That was about 20 weeks prior to SCGT. During that period I ran ten or more miles exactly seven times and no run single run longer than 14 miles. I'm not fast and I don't try to be. But if you think you need to do incredible numbers of long runs in order to do a trail ultra, think again. As Nike advertises, just do it. Training is bunk.

Swag: bib, lei (from the Tiki Bar), snood and optional shirt.