2018 Sybil Ludington 50K: Race Photos & Results

This morning was the 40th running of the Sybil Ludington 50K!  In the previous 39 editions the course had consisted of one big loop - essentially honoring Sybil Ludington's ride to warn the colonists - the "British were coming!"  Sybil was the female Paul Revere.


Today was the introduction of double loop course - two 25k loops, and the inclusion of a separate 25k race!  Logistically it was an easier layout - especially with the opportunity to use a drop bag (which I did to switch into a dry shirt) at the start/finish.  Also a new addition was the relocation of the start/finish to the Veteran's Memorial Park (from the traditional VFW Hall).


As for my race, it was my 8th Sybil finish!  This race has a special place in my heart because it was my very first ultra - way back in 2006!  At 5:29:44 it was one of my slowest Sybil finishes (if not the slowest - need to check that).  But I had a blast.  To put road ultras in context - even with over 2000 feet of elevation gain - I still finished a solid 2 hours faster than the 50K I ran at the NJ Ultra Festival 2 weeks ago (tough technical trails and lots of elevation gain)!


At the finish we received a great wine glass!  But the most interesting thing I took home was the Canadian $2 coin I found on the course (around mile 13.5 or so)!  I love finding things while running - but this coin was a first (and when I picked it up mistakenly thought it was a EURO, not getting to look at it closely until I stopped to switch into a dry shirt)!


Here are the official results from Taconic Road Runners.

2018 NJ Ultra Festival: Race Photos & Results

Be careful what you wish for - and be prepared for the consequences!  I had been praying for the end of winter and return of sun and warmth... little did I expect it would arrive all at once - yesterday, in time for the NJ Ultra Festival!  Despite all the miles of training (in 30 and 40 degree temperatures), it wasn't preparation for running in an ultra (or any shorter distance, for that matter) in 80+ degrees!


The heat took its toll in spades.  Not only did I drop down from the 50 Miler to the 50K, but my time for the 50k (roughly 7:32) was perhaps my slowest 50k performance - ever!  What I had hoped would be a solid 50 miler turning into a very tough 50k training run.  It would have been a much different day (goes without saying, obviously) had we run 50/60 degrees - but 70/80 was not fun :(


I'll write up a race report later this week.  Still, despite the heat (it was still 75 degrees when I finished up at 5:00!), I really did enjoy the day out on the trails. The double loop course (2.4 miles around the lake and 2.6 miles through the woods) was challenging - and filled with some spectacular views and "obstacles" - including a rope crossing!


Here are the official results from NJ Trail Series.

2018 Caumsett Park 50K: Race Photos & Results

It's been a few years since I last ran the Caumsett Park 50K (maybe back in 2011, or earlier).  One this that hasn't changed is the wind!  But this was the first time the I ran the loop counter clockwise.  By comparison, I think this direction made for a slightly less challenging trek - although the added distance to the dog leg portion was a mental challenge (so close, yet so far from the end/beginning of each new loop - and, of course, the finish)!


As for the event itself, it was excellent!  GLIRC and all the volunteers were great - especially the volunteers out on the course!  Post race, there was a ton of food (to get ahead of myself, I ate 2 slices from the hero sandwiches, a huge cranberry muffin, and - for good measure - a small Danish.  Wolfed down probably a more apt description since I ate all that minutes(!) after crossing the finish - before I changed out of my soaked running clothes).


My only mishap during the day involved missing the start of the 50K proper (despite having arrived more than a half hour before the start)!  The 50K went off at 8:30 - the 25K went off at 8:35 - and I somehow missed than announcement starting the 50K (not too hard with the 25k runners milling around the same place waiting for that race to go off)!  So my official (gun) time is overstated by five minutes from my actual (net) time - which, hopefully, will eventually be corrected (fingers crossed).


Either way, I was more than pleased with my 4:58:27 (official) finish (4:53:27 net)!  Even the official came in under my target of 5 hours for the race.  My marathon split (4:07 official/4:02 net) was a little disappointing because I had wanted to slip under 4 hours.  But either way, was more than happy with the entire day!  By way of comparison, it was almost an entire hour faster than my last 50K back in December (5:51:33 at the B.U.S. Trail Mix Up) :D


Next up is first training run for the 2018 edition of the TGNY - next Sunday.  Not sure I'll be up for the entire 35 miles (50K is my target), but I'll see a few runners from today's race there :D


Here are the official race results from JMS Racing.


Here are their race photos (of which my mid-race photo is taken!).

2017 B.U.S. Trail Mix-Up 50K: Race Photos & Results

Today's Broadway Ultra Society's Trail Mix-Up 50K in Alley Pond Park was challenging - and probably my last "long" run of the year (it is December, after all)!  What made this one especially tough is the 30K option - which is the siren song of cutting it short if ever there was one!  In fact, a few years ago, I exercised that option and bailed out of the 50K in favor of the 30K (and nice warm park house).

But this time around I managed to do all 10 of the 5K loops (the loop was roughly evenly split between trail and pavement sections).  Mile for mile, this was probably tougher than running the Knickerbocker 60K two weeks ago (if only because we could stop after 6 loops/30K).  However, given that we share a portion of the course with a dog run (and some decidedly unfriendly dog owners and their equally snarling pets) - this was hands down the most dangerous course I've run all year.  This is no creative exaggeration because I was right behind Grant when some obnoxious dog (thankfully on a leash) leapt at him during the 2 loop - forcing him off the path!

Aside from that adrenaline moment, the rest of the day was like any other ultra.  As for my race, I got thru the first 6 loops in under a 10 minute pace.  After that point I mostly ran, jogged, walked the remaining 4 loops.  Given how tough - mentally - the last 4 loops were I was more than happy with my 5:51:33 finish (11:19 pace)!  The best part of the day was the post-race food - which, just from memory, included, ravioli, eggplant parm., lasagna, veggie pasta, chicken marsala!, and, no ultra would be complete without - pizza! Not a bad way to recoup the 3,700+ calories burned getting the 50k done :D

As always, thanks Richie (and all the volunteers) for putting on another great B.U.S. event!

Here are the official results from New York Ultrarunning.

 

2016 Ted Corbitt Run Around Manhattan Memorial 50K

What a great day to run around Manhattan - and honor Ted Corbitt in the process!  Thankfully, Dave called an audible on Friday and moved up the run to Saturday, from Sunday, because of the forecast for rain!  It may have cut our numbers by a bit, but the fantastic weather more than made up for it.

This was my 3rd official Run Around Manhattan 50k - my last one was back in 2011 (it didn't come off in 2012, when that nasty chronic compartment syndrome snuck up on me mid-year - and derailed my ultrarunning for a while!).  I've also run this course a few times - unofficially :D

With our three planned stops - and a couple of other smaller digressions - it took just under 8 hours to do the entire loop of Manhattan.  What an excellent Saturday!

2014 sybil ludington 50k: race report

when i ran the 2012 edition of the sybil ludington 50k i had no idea it would be two years until i completed my next ultra!  in fact, my longest run since the 2012 race was the44 miles i logged at the greater ny 100 miler in june.  the pain in my right foot had become unbearable - a pattern that seemed to repeat itself as my mileage increased during races.  not only did i not run ultras during that period, but i only ran 2 marathons (it would've been 3 had hurricane sandy not led to the cancellation of the 2012 nyc marathon).

that's a rather long-winded introduction to this race report - but the point is, on friday night i had a case of pre-race jitters that would rival any newbie!  add to that the pouring rain when i woke up on Saturday morning, and the prospect of starting the race (much less finishing it) didn't seem very likely.  but the rain stopped, i signed up for the race, put the bib on - and lined up with everyone else(butterflies aside).  i had put in plenty of training miles during my recovery/base-rebuilding.  the issue for me was mostly about getting my head back into the ultra game.

as for the race, my goal was a sub-5 hour finish.  that may have seemed like a stretch, but my 2012 time of 4:58:26 was 5 minutes slower than my 2011 finish - and well off my pr for the course.  my plan was to string together as many 9:50 miles as i could - and brought along my ipod in case i needed some inspiration along the way.  in addition to the ipod, i carried an expresso lov gel, a packet of power gel gummies, my buff, a pair of gloves, and a headband in my fanny pack.

the volunteers carpooled the runners to the start.  tom drove hiroshi, emmy, mike and me in his car.  the best part of the start was the lack of rain!  not only wasn't it pouring (like when i woke-up) but event the light drizzle that followed along on the drive to carmel had stopped.  that itself was just the auspicious kick-off we needed.  my first mile was a 9:23 and felt good, although the humidity was thick - and would linger for a couple of hours.  the remaining mile markers (except for the half marathon and marathon splits) would come at 5 mile intervals.

i figured that 48 minutes 5 miles splits would get me under 5 hours.  but, that would probably be a stretch.  even so, i my first 5 miles came in at 47:46 and my second 5 miles at 48:21, for a 10 mile split of 1:36:17 - a solid 10 minutes off my 2012 10 mile split of 1:27:04.  still, it was on pace for 5 hours.  but by the time i reached the half marathon mark in 2:06:55 - still off my 2012 split of 1:56:08 by 10 minutes - a 5:10 became a more realistic goal. it was unlikely i'd be able to make up 10 minute during the second half.

as it turned out, my next two 5 mile came in at 49:33 and 49:36 - for a 3:16:27 split at 20 miles. that was a solid 15 minutes off 2012's 3:01:24.  but i was still feeling good.  i had started on my pack of power gel gummies (and some chips at eliot's aid station, then soda from richie's traveling aid station just past the half marathon mark).  for the most part, however, i was just drank water at the aid stations.  now i'd start drinking gatorade as well.

during the next 2 five mile stretches i slowed down significantly.  it took 53 minutes to reach 25 miles and almost 54 (53:57) minutes to reach 30 miles.  the split at 30 miles - just over the causeway - was 5:03:27.  there was not way i'd run a 6:30 mile to squeeze in under 5:10.  but, somehow surprising myself because of the annoying calf cramp i had in my left leg for the last 4-5 miles, i managed to run an 8:14:33 last mile!  that was a minute faster than my first mile (and probably my fastest mile of the race).  i was more than happy with the 5:11:41 finish :D

i was even happier back at the vfw post when i learned it was good enough for 3rd place in my age group - now that was a surprise!  the real highlight for me, however, was just covering the distance.  i've run a lot of 50k's over the years, but to finish this one, and finish strong - after such a long break - was incredibly satisfying.  i'm not sure what my next ultra will be, but there certainly won't be a 2 year interval in between them ;D

here are the rest of my race photos (the photo of me running was taken by eliot as i came into his aid station at mile 10).

2014 sybli ludington 50k: race photos & results

happy to report that i'm back to running ultras!  sybil was my first ultra in 2 years (and my last ultra back in 2012) before succumbing to chronic compartment syndrome - which is now, thankfully, a distant memory.  but the really big new was the retirement of the race directors and the possibility that the 36th edition of this historic event may, in fact, be its :(

i didn't have my camera at the start, so the first two photos are eliots - who not only took photos and manned the 10 mile aid station w/his son - but is running the lake waramug 50 miler on sunday!  way to go eliot :D

as for my return... i didn't break 5 hours (5:11:42) - but was more than pleases (ecstatic, actually) to have it in the books.  and getting a 3rd in my age group was icing on the cake :D

here is my race report.

here are the race results from taconic roadrunners.

here are the rest of  my photos (post-race) up on facebook.