Thursday, November 15, 2012

Pinhoti Race Report and Pictures

100 Miles is a LONG WAY

Many things can happen when trying to run 100 miles.  I made it through all the training with no injury.    Unfortunately,  my day was cut short by severe right knee pain.  The whole entire experience was very rewarding and I learned a ton about how to run this type of race.  I wish my body was as willing as I was on this day.

Start to mile 28.  The start was in the dark for the first 45 minutes.  I started conservatively and felt really good. There were many people to run with and everyone was very talkative.  I was eating well and enjoyed seeing Kelli at 3 aid stations.  It was starting to get hot and the race was spreading out a lot.     From time to time some runner would come flying by and it would make you think what race they were  running.  I was in about 33rd out of the 190 or so starters at mile 28.

Mile 28 to 41.  The main thing that I remember about these miles was the heat.  It was over 80 degrees and thankfully we were in the tree cover most of the day.  I came upon a large creek crossing and several people were laying in the 18 inches of water just trying to cool off.  I was moving good still and passing several people especially on the uphill sections.  At mile 41,  I had  moved up to 28th place.

Mile 41 to 55.  There were some rough mile in here.  My knee started hurting.  At times, I felt like was trying to run with the flu and stomach virus all at once.  From time to time, I hurt just about everywhere and my stomach felt most unsettled.  I was still running pretty well on the flats and downhills, but all the pain began to all localize to the outside of my right knee. I was hiking the uphills really strong and amazingly was passing people really easy on the uphill sections.  As bad as i felt,  It seemed everyone else was just in just about as bad of shape.  Everybody that I passed, would say how good I looked and how well I was moving, but i felt terrible.

Mile 55 to 68. By now I realized that my knee was not going to get any better.  Walking was starting to get really painful and I realized that my time was limited.  I suffered through these last few miles but was in a lot of pain.  Amazingly, very few people were passing me.  I was in 24th place when I had to quit.  Except for my knee, I felt really good.




Start of the race and I was all smiles.
Aid station # 2 at mile 13 and still smiling.
Running the trail into aid station # 3 at mile 18.  Very smooth trail here.  Let me assure you it was not all this flat and smooth. 
Leaving #3 feeling great.
Aid station #5  at mile 28.  All that I could think about here was how hot it was.  Over 80 degrees and I was feeling it here at the sun exposed aid station.  Thankfully most all the trail was in the shaded canopy of the woods. 
Headed out of #5.  Not looking as fresh.

The boardwalk leading down to the overlook off Mt Cheaha -- the highest point in Alabama.  The race runs right up to the top of Mt. Cheaha and down the boardwalk to the aid station at Bald Rock Lodge.
Aid station #7 at mile 41-- Running off the boardwalk.  Really excited to see my family here.  Seeing them provided a lot of motivation to get to the top.
Trying to rest and fuel up.  I was here in exactly 8 hours and right on my goal pace.  

Avi was feeling a lot better than me.  She asked my dad "did he have to pay for this".  She got a good laugh out of everyone.
Aid station # 10 at mile 55.  Really starting to feel it here.  Still on my goal pace at right around 11 hours.


Aid station # 12 mile 65. Rubbing my knee and trying to figure out how to keep going.  I was using my hiking poles which really helped but the pain while walking was getting intense and it really hurt bad to bend my knee.
I changed shirts and tried to eat up. There was a 750 foot climb that awaited me in the first mile out of the aid station.  
Walking into aid station #13 and hurting a lot.
Icing my knee and contemplating my withdrawal.

Conclusion:  During the race, I said that I would never do this again.  Thank goodness for short memories as I am already planning for the next one.  I hated that I could not finish, but it has taken me about 10 days to even be able to bend my knee without pain.  I am feeling a lot better now.  I had diligently stretched, iced and rolled my left IT band to prevent this from happening again to my left knee.  I never expected this to happen to my right knee as it did.  At least I know how to rehab this injury although it did take about 6 months before I could run without limits again.  Based on how things went, I know that I can finish 100 miles and likely still be running well.   Thanks again to my wonderful wife for supporting me in my adventures.


No comments:

Post a Comment