Ran It With Janet 50K - DNF - June 5, 2021

Plan A or Plan B?

There are two philosophies when it comes to running a race: go out fast, book the time and hang on or go out slowly so there is strength in reserve later.  Both have drawbacks: the former can lead to "fly and die;" the latter to the risk of missing cutoffs or finishing more slowly than one have run.

Emaad and unicorns at the start.

This year's edition of the Ran It With Janet 50K presents me with that quandary; or more specifically, with the strategic puzzle of balancing the two.  The race is three 10.3 mile loops around the Manassas Battlefield Park.  There are two cutoffs - finish the first two loops in five hours and reach the first aid station on the course (about 4.5 miles around the loop) in six hours.  There is also an overall eight hour limit, but that is almost academic - once you have made the second cutoff you don't really have much choice other than to push on to the finish.

Unicorn Janet gives
starting instructions

Starting Off

I meet Emaad and Gayatri at the start. They both plan to go only two laps; Emaad because his foot is bothering him and Gayatri because she is feeling undertrained.  We start off together but Emaad and I shortly pull away.  It is a hot day and while the race is on trails around the park, a significant portion of it is unshaded.

The course is largely the same as when I ran the race in 2016 and 2017, with the exception of a stretch on Chinn Ridge, which now omits passing the Webster and Texas Monuments (both from Second Manassas) and instead follows the ridge to the Sudley Road before crossing it to Henry Hill (a key location for the Confederates at First Manassas and for the Union at Second Manassas).

After passing through the first aid station at the Stone Bridge (mile 4.5) we catch up with Mark and a pair of companions.  They had taken an unannounced early start as Mark has a chronic injury that has slowed him down. 

Emaad and I push on and finish the first loop in 2:12.  I'm pleased with this as I change my shirt.  My plan is do the first loop in 2:15 and the second in 2:30 or so, and that leaves enough of a cushion to make the cutoffs for the second loop and the Stone Bridge aid station and finish within the 8 hour time limit.

Second Loop

Since Emaad is only going to do two loops and I have to make it through the second loop in under the five hour cutoff, I take off at a faster pace in the second loop.

Confederate cannon on Henry Hill
(First Manassas)

The day has gotten hot and the sun is alone in the cloudless sky, so heat is becoming an issue. I walk the uphills, and run the flats and downhills as much as possible. 

At 10:30 I text Sandy, "Halfway done in distance but not in time."  About 15.5 miles down in 3:30, giving me four and a half hours to cover the same distance. "Doable," I think.

From the Sudley Road crossing (mile 7) and to the aid station at Featherbed Lane I leapfrog with Anna and Vivian who are running together.  A bit further, along the unfinished railroad deep cut and approaching the site of the Rock Fight Vivian catches up to me and asks if I'm planning to do the third loop as Anna has decided to drop out after completing the second loop.  I reply in the affirmative and we go on together.

About mile 7 after crossing Sudley Road.
Second Manassas Trail follows woodline.

But after crossing Route 29, and heading the last half mile toward the start-finish I tell Vivian that I'm having second thoughts about it.  The heat has been steadily taking its toll on me.

We finish the second loop in 4:48, comfortably under the five hour cutoff and pretty much according to the 2:15 lap 1; 2:30 lap 2 plan. 

Start and Stop

One lesson I learned from my Elephant Mountain DNF is that it is important to slow down time before making a decision.

I tell Vivian that I'm going to sit for awhile before deciding to quit or go on. I decide that I will sit for five minutes before deciding. I change my shirt so I'm ready to go, but otherwise I just sit in the shade to regroup and take stock. Since I have 12 minutes before I have to head out that isn't pushing the cutoff, but I also realize that time spent sitting is taking away from the time available to make the next cutoff. Vivian, too, sits and gets ready to go on but she has already decided to keep moving.

She gets up and heads back the few yards to the start line. She looks back to me, as does Janet.

I've made my decision.  The 5 minute rest was good and I walk toward them.  "I'm going on," I say and they express approval.

Vivian and I head out. But the third of a mile through the parking lot and along Groveton Road in the mid-day sun saps me.  We turn onto the Second Manassas Trail and I tell Vivian to go on as I can't keep up.  I'm certain that I won't be able to make it to the Stone Bridge aid station in the hour that I have, and besides, it is no longer "fun."  And Vivian and I had earlier discussed how running in 2019 during the pandemic had impressed on her that running should be fun.  

I feel no guilt or shame about turning around and walking back to the start/finish.  I assure the five runners heading out for their third lap that I'm alright and wish them luck.

I get back to the start/finish and tell Janet I'm dropping just as Emaad finishes his second lap. 

Results

The hot day took its toll on the runners.  According to the official results, only 18 of 37 (49%) runners finished within the eight hour time limit. Seven more finished in over 8 hours. Vivian made the Stone Bridge cut off in exactly 6 hours, but then dropped at the Featherbed Road aid station (mile 28.6). Eight of us finished two loops, and three, including Mark did one loop.

The next day, I made my donation to CornerstonesVA to support the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, which provides safe, emergency housing for families and single men and women in Reston, VA.  Janet does not charge for the race but asks participants to support this very worthwhile charity.

Swag: Only a bib for a DNF.