Event: IT100 50 Miler
Chain O' Lakes State Park (Albion, IN)
4/29/2017
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Spoiler alert: I FINISHED! Yep. I sure did.
Disclaimer: This report is more about my IT Journey that it is about the specific IT event. If you’d like to skip straight to the event part of this report, page down to the “Race Weekend” subheader.
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Spoiler alert: I FINISHED! Yep. I sure did.
Disclaimer: This report is more about my IT Journey that it is about the specific IT event. If you’d like to skip straight to the event part of this report, page down to the “Race Weekend” subheader.
The Journey Begins
My IT journey began in the summer of 2015. While training for my first 50k (Woodstock 2015), I ran a few times out at Chain O’ Lakes, and met several regulars in the IT training group (which eventually formed the core of the Ignite Ultra Team). I also ran into the Wild Bunch, a great group of people who were, like me, new to trail running. Without the help of these people, I doubt my 50k would have been so rewarding. As it turned out, my entire Woodstock weekend was glorious! The “trail bug” had bit pretty hard.
When registration for the 2016 IT100 opened, I wrestled with the idea of tackling the 50mi. The weekend I decided to go for it, I went out to COL for a run, slipped on some ice in front of the outhouse at the Rally Campground, and broke my ankle (yes, I know … I’ve mentioned this quite a few times.). I always feel obligated to say that this was not a running injury … the run was going fine. This was a potty injury. I would be sidelined for a while, but I was determined to rehab wisely and get back on the trail as soon as I would be permitted to do so.
My big post-op goal was to return to Woodstock and run my first 100k. I trained at COL throughout the summer and eventually made it back to Woodstock in September 2016. Conditions were harsh and I wound up with my first DNF. That was a bummer (which is a major understatement). I continued to struggle in several races following my less-than-desired outcome at Woodstock. I was particularly embarrassed by a poor performance as a pace team leader for the Fort4Fitness full marathon. With failures piling up like copies of unwanted Yellow Pages books on my doorstep, I struggled with many unpleasant thoughts about my future as a runner.
During November 2016, things started to turn around. I strung together a couple of solid runs (the WOOF, the Indiana Trees 10 Miler and Veterans Marathon). I started to think that perhaps I was turning a corner, so I started shopping for a redemption ultra before the end of the year. I wound up settling on the Jackson County 50mi in December. What a difficult course! While I finished near the very back of the pack, I did finish. It felt like a huge win, and I was satisfied with my effort.
Throughout this whole time, the IT continued to dominate my thoughts. I *had* to run it in 2017, but I wasn’t sure which distance. At one time or another, I waffled between the 50mi, 100k and 100mi … I just couldn’t make up my mind!
Eventually, I settled on 50mi because my Jackson County finish time was just a few minutes over 15 hours. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tackle a 100mi with a 30 hour cutoff before I could complete a 50mi under 15 hours.
Training
When registration for the 2016 IT100 opened, I wrestled with the idea of tackling the 50mi. The weekend I decided to go for it, I went out to COL for a run, slipped on some ice in front of the outhouse at the Rally Campground, and broke my ankle (yes, I know … I’ve mentioned this quite a few times.). I always feel obligated to say that this was not a running injury … the run was going fine. This was a potty injury. I would be sidelined for a while, but I was determined to rehab wisely and get back on the trail as soon as I would be permitted to do so.
My big post-op goal was to return to Woodstock and run my first 100k. I trained at COL throughout the summer and eventually made it back to Woodstock in September 2016. Conditions were harsh and I wound up with my first DNF. That was a bummer (which is a major understatement). I continued to struggle in several races following my less-than-desired outcome at Woodstock. I was particularly embarrassed by a poor performance as a pace team leader for the Fort4Fitness full marathon. With failures piling up like copies of unwanted Yellow Pages books on my doorstep, I struggled with many unpleasant thoughts about my future as a runner.
During November 2016, things started to turn around. I strung together a couple of solid runs (the WOOF, the Indiana Trees 10 Miler and Veterans Marathon). I started to think that perhaps I was turning a corner, so I started shopping for a redemption ultra before the end of the year. I wound up settling on the Jackson County 50mi in December. What a difficult course! While I finished near the very back of the pack, I did finish. It felt like a huge win, and I was satisfied with my effort.
Throughout this whole time, the IT continued to dominate my thoughts. I *had* to run it in 2017, but I wasn’t sure which distance. At one time or another, I waffled between the 50mi, 100k and 100mi … I just couldn’t make up my mind!
Eventually, I settled on 50mi because my Jackson County finish time was just a few minutes over 15 hours. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tackle a 100mi with a 30 hour cutoff before I could complete a 50mi under 15 hours.
Training
I had to make a lot of changes to my training schedule. There were several scheduling conflicts, but I was able to work it out most of the time. I wound up doing a lot more in-town road miles than I would have liked to do. I definitely would have preferred to have trained more frequently at COL with the Ignite group than I was able to do, but I had to play the cards I was dealt.
The value of training on the actual event course cannot be overstated. When you add in the the rolling aid stations and volunteer maintenance crews, I can’t imagine that any other event in the country exceeds this level of year-round commitment. Not only did I get to know the terrain better, but I got to practice nutrition with items that would actually be found at the aid stations on race day. I also got to run with experienced trail runners who also know the course particularly well. I am very grateful for the dedication, selflessness and generosity I have repeatedly experienced within this amazing group of people.
Additionally, I was tremendously blessed to glean a ton of valuable information through multiple Ignite clinics and the Ignite Facebook group. This is a great group of people who are always willing to answer questions and provide encouragement. They also set amazing examples for me to follow. I have benefited so much from these relationships!
Race Weekend
Pre-race
The value of training on the actual event course cannot be overstated. When you add in the the rolling aid stations and volunteer maintenance crews, I can’t imagine that any other event in the country exceeds this level of year-round commitment. Not only did I get to know the terrain better, but I got to practice nutrition with items that would actually be found at the aid stations on race day. I also got to run with experienced trail runners who also know the course particularly well. I am very grateful for the dedication, selflessness and generosity I have repeatedly experienced within this amazing group of people.
Additionally, I was tremendously blessed to glean a ton of valuable information through multiple Ignite clinics and the Ignite Facebook group. This is a great group of people who are always willing to answer questions and provide encouragement. They also set amazing examples for me to follow. I have benefited so much from these relationships!
Race Weekend
Pre-race
For a Saturday race, I do my big carb load on Thursday. My wife and I went to Ziano’s and it was a pleasant evening for the two of us. We bumped into a couple of friends and generally had a nice, relaxed evening. I went to bed early and slept well. I This is the most important evening of pre-race preparations., and it was textbook perfect for me.
I took the afternoon off of work on Friday and went to COL early as a volunteer. I was tasked for just a couple of hours helping arrange drop bags, which was a cool way to soak up the IT experience without getting jittery. Doing something meaningful kept me distracted and excited at the same time. I know that sounds weird, but I will try to do this kind of thing at future races … if I’d just been standing around, I would have started to experience rising levels of overwhelmedness.
I had my drop bags (one for Main and one for Rally) ready to go, so I took them up on Friday as well. I was worried that I might forget stuff and then panic about not being able to tweak the bags on Saturday morning. As it turns out, I had packed them really well and there no problems.
As a matter of habit, I skip the pre-race meals some events offer the night before a race. I would rather eat what I know rather than step into unfamiliar territory. I stuck around until the raffle was completed… no wins for me :( … and then went home, ate my dinner and unexpectedly sleep quite well. I toyed with the idea of camping at COL, because I live about 45 minutes from COL. The extra driving on race day was a small price to pay for the comfort of sleeping in my own bed. Going home for the night was a good decision.
Strategy
I took the afternoon off of work on Friday and went to COL early as a volunteer. I was tasked for just a couple of hours helping arrange drop bags, which was a cool way to soak up the IT experience without getting jittery. Doing something meaningful kept me distracted and excited at the same time. I know that sounds weird, but I will try to do this kind of thing at future races … if I’d just been standing around, I would have started to experience rising levels of overwhelmedness.
I had my drop bags (one for Main and one for Rally) ready to go, so I took them up on Friday as well. I was worried that I might forget stuff and then panic about not being able to tweak the bags on Saturday morning. As it turns out, I had packed them really well and there no problems.
As a matter of habit, I skip the pre-race meals some events offer the night before a race. I would rather eat what I know rather than step into unfamiliar territory. I stuck around until the raffle was completed… no wins for me :( … and then went home, ate my dinner and unexpectedly sleep quite well. I toyed with the idea of camping at COL, because I live about 45 minutes from COL. The extra driving on race day was a small price to pay for the comfort of sleeping in my own bed. Going home for the night was a good decision.
Strategy
My plan was to use a modified 16-4 run/walk interval. I set my watch to a 6-4 interval, and then I planned to ignore every other 4 minute walk. This means that I would do 16-4 then 6-4 then 16-4 then 6-4, etc. I came up with this idea the night before, and it worked beautifully. I will definitely do this again. For the most part, I was able to stick with this plan for most of the race.
I did make several exceptions to this interval plan. For instance, from the large wooden stairs to the schoolhouse is a relatively nice stretch for running, as is the stretch leading into Rally. I also made “on the fly” adjustments where I knew there were some ascents or around the aid stations. The value of knowing the course cannot be overstated. This gave me so much peace of mind!
The Course
I did make several exceptions to this interval plan. For instance, from the large wooden stairs to the schoolhouse is a relatively nice stretch for running, as is the stretch leading into Rally. I also made “on the fly” adjustments where I knew there were some ascents or around the aid stations. The value of knowing the course cannot be overstated. This gave me so much peace of mind!
The Course
Having been a part of the trail maintenance day a few weeks prior, I noticed several nice touches on the course I might have otherwise taken for granted. The fresh gravel in several areas was super appreciated.
The course markings are perfect. In addition to the many permanent markers, there were a ton of pink “sanity” markers (with a small patch of reflective tape, which is an incredibly thoughtful touch that I wish more races would use) along the way. There were even several special motivational signs along the way, and I’m grateful for those too. I’ve ran other events that are not nearly as well-marked. As a guy prone to getting lost (even on a course I know fairly well), I really, really, really appreciated this aspect of the race.
The Weather
The course markings are perfect. In addition to the many permanent markers, there were a ton of pink “sanity” markers (with a small patch of reflective tape, which is an incredibly thoughtful touch that I wish more races would use) along the way. There were even several special motivational signs along the way, and I’m grateful for those too. I’ve ran other events that are not nearly as well-marked. As a guy prone to getting lost (even on a course I know fairly well), I really, really, really appreciated this aspect of the race.
The Weather
There’s really not much to say about the weather. I know people like to complain the weather, but it just wasn’t a huge factor for the 50 Milers. It didn’t start raining until late morning and then it merely drizzly for a few hours, but never a concentrated downpour. I know the weather got worse when it got dark, and I’m thankful that I didn’t have to worry about that. Maybe I dodged a bullet on the weather … I’ll take it.
Garmin
Garmin
My biggest disappointment was that my Garmin Live Tracking feature didn’t work. This is completely beyond the control of race organizers, so I’m not complaining. I’m simply disappointed. My Garmin can be paired with my phone so my wife can get live updates throughout an event. At any given moment, she can see my distance, pace, heart rate, elevation, splits, etc. It gives her some peace of mind, which in turns gives me some peace of mind. Unfortunately, if you don’t have cell reception when you start the event, it won’t work at all for the entire event. As it turned out, I didn’t have a signal at the precise moment when the race started, so my wife couldn’t track me.
She did use the official IT event tracking feature, so she got updates at miles 10, 22, 30 and 42. This worked really flawlessly. I’m glad this was available. Additionally, whenever I pulled into an aid station, I asked a volunteer to text my wife with an update. I was able to keep her a little better updated, and that was a blessing to my wife.
Aid Stations and Volunteers
She did use the official IT event tracking feature, so she got updates at miles 10, 22, 30 and 42. This worked really flawlessly. I’m glad this was available. Additionally, whenever I pulled into an aid station, I asked a volunteer to text my wife with an update. I was able to keep her a little better updated, and that was a blessing to my wife.
Aid Stations and Volunteers
The coolest part about this is that I knew so many of the volunteers, I was merely asking friends (instead of strangers) to do me a favor. I have never race an event before where I knew so many of the volunteers! When I pulled into an aid station, volunteers addressed me by name. That was huge! I felt like such a stud when somebody like Kelly Cearbaugh, Christy Howard or Allison Brown would say that I looked strong. Being complimented by people you admire is priceless. Every time I left an aid station, I felt stronger than when I entered.
The aid station fare was diverse, but I pretty much stuck to what I knew. Race day should never be “try something new” day. Variously, I hit the Tailwind, Peanut M&Ms, PBJ, grilled cheese, Pringles, apple slices, pretzels, etc. I think I managed my nutrition just about perfectly. (TMI Alert > when I got home after the race and went pee, the color was perfect.)
Even better than the aid station was the proactive volunteers. As you approach the tent, they’re reaching for your water bottles, offering to bring your drop bag to you, etc. You get personalized attention while you are in the tent, which is amazing.
The Actual Run
The aid station fare was diverse, but I pretty much stuck to what I knew. Race day should never be “try something new” day. Variously, I hit the Tailwind, Peanut M&Ms, PBJ, grilled cheese, Pringles, apple slices, pretzels, etc. I think I managed my nutrition just about perfectly. (TMI Alert > when I got home after the race and went pee, the color was perfect.)
Even better than the aid station was the proactive volunteers. As you approach the tent, they’re reaching for your water bottles, offering to bring your drop bag to you, etc. You get personalized attention while you are in the tent, which is amazing.
The Actual Run
Over the first ten miles, I ran with couple of different folks in spurts. It was nice chatting with people and the miles fly by when you have someone to talk to. Over the final 40 miles, I was pretty much alone for most of it. That wasn’t a bad thing, as I enjoy the solitude as well.
The worst thing about running solo is that while running I will try to make a list of things to do when I get to the next aid station. I almost always forgot to do at least one of those things. For example, I meant to take my headlamp for the last loop, but I forgot it. As it turns out, I finished in the daylight, but that could have been rather big pile of poop to be without a lamp when you need it. This kind of forgetfulness would be easier to avoid if I was with somebody. If (when?) I do a longer race, I’ll definitely need a pacer to help me in this area.
Perhaps my biggest mistake was changing shoes at mile 30. I switched to a different pair of trail shoes that I’ve had for a long time. They’re good shoes, I like them, and I’ve worn them at COL several times. However, they weren’t the best shoe for mud. These particular shoes work much better in snowy conditions. Fortunately, the weather wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but this could have cost me dearly. In the worst of the muddy sections, my feet kept sliding out from under me and I was afraid of pulling a groin muscle or falling badly. I was not having the same problems with my first pair of shoes, which fare much much better on muddy terrain. I wasn’t wrong to change shoes at mile 30, but I didn’t change into the right shoes. Lesson learned.
Injuries
The worst thing about running solo is that while running I will try to make a list of things to do when I get to the next aid station. I almost always forgot to do at least one of those things. For example, I meant to take my headlamp for the last loop, but I forgot it. As it turns out, I finished in the daylight, but that could have been rather big pile of poop to be without a lamp when you need it. This kind of forgetfulness would be easier to avoid if I was with somebody. If (when?) I do a longer race, I’ll definitely need a pacer to help me in this area.
Perhaps my biggest mistake was changing shoes at mile 30. I switched to a different pair of trail shoes that I’ve had for a long time. They’re good shoes, I like them, and I’ve worn them at COL several times. However, they weren’t the best shoe for mud. These particular shoes work much better in snowy conditions. Fortunately, the weather wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but this could have cost me dearly. In the worst of the muddy sections, my feet kept sliding out from under me and I was afraid of pulling a groin muscle or falling badly. I was not having the same problems with my first pair of shoes, which fare much much better on muddy terrain. I wasn’t wrong to change shoes at mile 30, but I didn’t change into the right shoes. Lesson learned.
Injuries
Physically, I was fine. The front of my toes were sore about half-way through the race. I suspect it was due to some swelling in my feet which made for a tighter fit in the toe box. It wasn’t too bad, but my toes were the sorest part of my body by the time I finished. That evening, after I got home and went to take a shower, I stubbed my toes getting into the shower. I saw stars. That moment hurt far worse than pain endured during the IT race.
I’ve been a huge fan of 2Toms before, and am now an even bigger fan of their products. I put it everywhere (yes, I mean *everywhere*). No chafing whatsoever.
I did get some small blisters on the heels of both feet, but I was really surprised that it wasn’t worse. I’ve got far worse blisters before, and was cringingly expecting more of that in this race. By the time I wrote this report (five days later), the blisters have completely healed.
Goal
I’ve been a huge fan of 2Toms before, and am now an even bigger fan of their products. I put it everywhere (yes, I mean *everywhere*). No chafing whatsoever.
I did get some small blisters on the heels of both feet, but I was really surprised that it wasn’t worse. I’ve got far worse blisters before, and was cringingly expecting more of that in this race. By the time I wrote this report (five days later), the blisters have completely healed.
Goal
With only one other 50mi race under my belt, I wanted to beat that 15:06 time … significantly. The big factors in favor of a quicker pace included knowing the course, significantly less total ascent, and more personal experience. Those things had to be worth something, right?
I set an initial goal of a 100 minute improvement, i.e., 13:26. To get this, I planned to run each 10 mile segment in 2:40 (which would give me a little buffer with a finish time of 2:40 x 5 = 13:20). This also meant attempting to do even splits, as my splits in Jackson County were far from even.
My first ten miles? I was about 25 minutes ahead of schedule. I was following my walk/run plan, but I simply moving faster than I anticipated. It actually felt wrong to go much slower. After 20 miles, I was about 50 minutes ahead. I saw Steve Carr at Rally (22 mi) and told him I was really worried I’d crash hard because of my quick start. We didn’t talk long, but it was helpful. I felt like I’d been through confession … “forgive me, Father Steve, for I have sinned … I have ran too fast.” I was genuinely afraid that I’d screwed up big-time by starting out too fast.
At 30 miles, I was about 55 minutes ahead of schedule. By 40 miles, I was starting to give back some of that banked time and was about 40 minutes ahead. At this point, I was still just under 14:00/mi, which had me feeling pretty good.
When I got to Rally for the last time (42 mi), I knew I had a good shot at a sub-thirteen finish. This was not even remotely on my pre-race radar. My three pre-race goals were 13:26, 14:00 and finish. I had not even dared to think I could sneak in under 13:00.
I made my final wardrobe change: putting on my bright yellow Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner shirt. I love wearing this shirt at races. It reminds me of how far I’ve come and how many things I am now capable of doing. I feel like a superhero when I put that shirt on, and I had intentionally saved it for the last segment. With my bright yellow hat and my bright yellow tights, you could tell who I was from a mile away.
I had roughly 2:25 to cover the final eight miles, but I was slowing down. My overall pace dropped to 15:24 at one point as I had covered a few miles at 18:00/mi. As I approached the last aid station (schoolhouse at 47 mi), I knew I would have to pick it up a bit if I were going under 13:00.
I wound up covering the final mile in 13:41, which was my fastest pace since mile 22. I still had a little left in the tank! Mind you, it was very, very little, but there was still something there. I finished the IT50 with a final time of 12:56:20!
In comparison with Jackson County, I was two hours and ten minutes faster (or 130 minutes). I realize these are two different courses with different challenges and different cut-off times, but I still see this as a major improvement. When comparing percentages of cut-off time, Jackson County was 91.5% of 16:30, while IT50 was 86.2% of 15:00. That’s a 5.3% improvement! I’m very happy with that!
Post-Race
I set an initial goal of a 100 minute improvement, i.e., 13:26. To get this, I planned to run each 10 mile segment in 2:40 (which would give me a little buffer with a finish time of 2:40 x 5 = 13:20). This also meant attempting to do even splits, as my splits in Jackson County were far from even.
My first ten miles? I was about 25 minutes ahead of schedule. I was following my walk/run plan, but I simply moving faster than I anticipated. It actually felt wrong to go much slower. After 20 miles, I was about 50 minutes ahead. I saw Steve Carr at Rally (22 mi) and told him I was really worried I’d crash hard because of my quick start. We didn’t talk long, but it was helpful. I felt like I’d been through confession … “forgive me, Father Steve, for I have sinned … I have ran too fast.” I was genuinely afraid that I’d screwed up big-time by starting out too fast.
At 30 miles, I was about 55 minutes ahead of schedule. By 40 miles, I was starting to give back some of that banked time and was about 40 minutes ahead. At this point, I was still just under 14:00/mi, which had me feeling pretty good.
When I got to Rally for the last time (42 mi), I knew I had a good shot at a sub-thirteen finish. This was not even remotely on my pre-race radar. My three pre-race goals were 13:26, 14:00 and finish. I had not even dared to think I could sneak in under 13:00.
I made my final wardrobe change: putting on my bright yellow Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner shirt. I love wearing this shirt at races. It reminds me of how far I’ve come and how many things I am now capable of doing. I feel like a superhero when I put that shirt on, and I had intentionally saved it for the last segment. With my bright yellow hat and my bright yellow tights, you could tell who I was from a mile away.
I had roughly 2:25 to cover the final eight miles, but I was slowing down. My overall pace dropped to 15:24 at one point as I had covered a few miles at 18:00/mi. As I approached the last aid station (schoolhouse at 47 mi), I knew I would have to pick it up a bit if I were going under 13:00.
I wound up covering the final mile in 13:41, which was my fastest pace since mile 22. I still had a little left in the tank! Mind you, it was very, very little, but there was still something there. I finished the IT50 with a final time of 12:56:20!
In comparison with Jackson County, I was two hours and ten minutes faster (or 130 minutes). I realize these are two different courses with different challenges and different cut-off times, but I still see this as a major improvement. When comparing percentages of cut-off time, Jackson County was 91.5% of 16:30, while IT50 was 86.2% of 15:00. That’s a 5.3% improvement! I’m very happy with that!
Post-Race
Physically, I was exhausted, yet injury free. Other than a few minor blisters and bruises, I came out of the weekend in good shape. Mind you, I walked funny for a few days, and I felt like my quads were made of lead, but I was fine. It’s almost a week later, and I’m feeling far better than I would have thought possible. I was extremely grateful for my good health and good fortune!
For me, the race was a much needed final chapter in my recovery story. I had broke my ankle (you knew I was going to bring up it again, didn’t you?) while training at COL. Finishing the IT50 was the last thing remaining on my pre-injury “to do” list. I needed the closure that crossing the finish would give to me. This was as much a spiritual and emotional victory as it was a physical one.
I am thankful for this race in so many ways. It was the culmination of 16 months of both hard work and many unearned blessings. My family and friends supported me and prayed for me. God was good to me in so many ways. I have learned so much about myself throughout this whole journey, and it wasn’t just lessons learned during the race.
I’m not sure what’s next for me … and that’s the beauty of being challenged. I want to tackle something bigger and more challenging. What might that be? I don’t know … yet, but I look forward to figuring it out. I’ll be talking to friends, scouring the ‘net, and following the Ignite Facebook posts as I look for opportunities to dream big. This chapter of my journey is finally complete, but the story isn’t over yet.
For me, the race was a much needed final chapter in my recovery story. I had broke my ankle (you knew I was going to bring up it again, didn’t you?) while training at COL. Finishing the IT50 was the last thing remaining on my pre-injury “to do” list. I needed the closure that crossing the finish would give to me. This was as much a spiritual and emotional victory as it was a physical one.
I am thankful for this race in so many ways. It was the culmination of 16 months of both hard work and many unearned blessings. My family and friends supported me and prayed for me. God was good to me in so many ways. I have learned so much about myself throughout this whole journey, and it wasn’t just lessons learned during the race.
I’m not sure what’s next for me … and that’s the beauty of being challenged. I want to tackle something bigger and more challenging. What might that be? I don’t know … yet, but I look forward to figuring it out. I’ll be talking to friends, scouring the ‘net, and following the Ignite Facebook posts as I look for opportunities to dream big. This chapter of my journey is finally complete, but the story isn’t over yet.
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