Photo Credit: Goat Factory Media/Ron Herkins Jr Photography
In the build-up to the Kodiak 100k by UTMB, this Summer has been focused on recovery and training. After running 76 miles in 12 hours at the Westfield ultra, pacing 40+ miles at Eastern States, I had the opportunity to run some great trails near and dear to my heart at Salt Springs State park just south of Binghamton, NY. It was my 6.5 years living in Binghamton that I really had the opportunity to develop as an ultra-runner and become a part of the local running community. So when Chris Cowden of Confluence Running asked me to be a part of the inaugural running of the 50k distance, I had to say “Yes” .
The taper week leading into the race, I had a string of late nights with early morning rising which left me feeling fairly tired and tapped-out. After a busy few days and then right into a 5 hour drive to Binghamton, I was definitely tired. But we often try to push away those feelings to get ourselves energized for the task at hand. This would be the first event where Chaos Crewing Company, my wife’s company would be managing a full aid station for the event. It was pretty dang exciting.
After an early morning wake-up, we headed to the start of the park just 30 minutes away. This course was not one that would come easy. With near 7,000 feet of ascent and about 7,000 feet of descent on rocky and rooting PA terrain, I knew the course would be a challenge and a great training race for the elevation profile of Kodiak. And so we arrived at the start about an hour before 7 am. Ashlee and her crew set-up the Chaos tent, as I chugged a Chocolate protein milkshake, ate a rice Krispie and drank down some water.
The course would be 5 10k loops with each loop totaling around 1,500 feet of ascent. The morning brought us a cool start with temperatures hovering in the 50’s! But soon would get in maybe the low 80’s. As we started the race right at 7:04 am, I immediately took to the front. The course goes across a bridge then straight up a nice long hill on double-wide trail then into rooty singletrack. As soon as I hit the first climb, I felt off. I like to think that I have become a pretty solid uphill runner over the years. It used to be a weakness but now I look at it as a strength. I love uphill because it is very much 1 dimensional in terms of the mental game. If you can move up the hill as fast and as efficient as possible, you will do the best. It is this limbo of energy conservation vs utilization that I love and only the best athletes I find can push uphill while still saving themselves for other sections in an ultra. Normally when I can kind of use my legs as springs to bound up the hill, each leg extension felt flat. It was as if I had NO POWER and was running in quick sand. After the first climb, the course enters a field where I was able to surge into the 6:50-7minute mile range. As I finished this half mile stretch, soon we would hit the up and downs of the course winding along the ridgelines of the terrain, moving over wet rock, roots, mud and technical footing.
I did not let how I felt dictate my race. I instead looked within to trouble-shoot and to see if I could turn this around. I focused on hydrating and eating. And so that became my purpose. Instead of pushing the pace, I picked a sustainable pace I could maintain the whole way through to ease the suffering. I worked my way through the course which is a beautiful course. It was after completing my first loop that I split a 59 minute 10k loop. I soon realized that my condition was not getting better and that today was a day that I would have to earn every mile out there, and suffer mightily. I still focused on trying to turn things around but by lap 2, I was already hurting. I still pushed the climbs as best as I could. By the time I hit lap 2, I split a 1:01 10k and realized that anything in the low 5 hour range would be a valiant run. I chugged my new favorite of a lemon Pelligrino, while taking in my Naak fuel, water in my bottles and Untapped Maple gels.
On lap 3, the steep climbs I had to run/walk and power hike. The small energy reserves I had were gone. Now it felt more about survival. The mud on the course took all of the more runnable sections and made them incredibly slow. I did my best to push 9-11 minute miles. With 2 laps to go, I asked Ashlee at the aid station if I had enough of a lead from second. I was told maybe about 10 minutes which I knew as long as I did not blow-up, I felt confident I could maintain that time spread. So I pressed onward.
I continued to slow slightly on lap 4 and lap 5 but did my best the whole way through. The steep uphills now became more hike than run. But throughout the flatter sections, I was still able to maintain a decent pace. The rocky footing underneath made some of my foot falls more difficult to hit without the occasional fumble.
Photo credits: Goat Factory Media. Pushing through the loops.
As I finished-up on my final loop, I knew that I would be close to about 5 hours and 30 minutes for a finish time. It was a relief that I was almost done. As I hit the final steep descent and then hit the field, I sprinted to the line. With a time of 5:33, it was a nice conclusion to a tough grind-it-out type of day.
The lesson to be learned here is that even when you do not feel great, even as early as mile 1, you can still get the deed done. This one hurt. And it hurt the whole time. But acceptance of living in that “pain cave” allowed me to keep pushing ahead. Usually a 50k race for me feels pretty relaxed the first 18 miles then becomes a little tougher the last miles. This go-around, it was living in that pain cave for the entirety of the 5 and a half hours.
When it was tough, I focused on fueling as best as I could. Taking in 300-500 calories an hour allowed me to keep going when my body was totally exhausted. The food spread at Chaos Crewing Co’s aid station was superb and I ate tons of fruit, Rice Krispies, Untapped Maple, Lemon Pellegrino and Coke for Caffeine. If there is any lesson to learn, it is mindset and fueling in an ultra are crucial factors in having a great day or sometimes just getting to the finish line.
If you want a beautiful and challenging course, Salt Springs 50k is just that. It is rare to find a 50k out East with 7k of vert and 7k of descent. A low-key event with great support, I could see this race becoming one of the top-contested 50k trail ultras on the East Coast.
So if you are looking for a great challenge, check-out the Salt Springs 50k.
Thank you to Confluence Running for the amazing race.
Chaos Crewing for one incredible aid station and your continued support of my race dreams.
Goat Factory Media for the amazing pictures. It was great to reconnect.
Thank you T8 for the amazing lightweight run kit
Aravaipa Running/White Mountain Endurance for your support of me as a team member in New England.
Untapped Maple for some of the most delicious run nutrition around.
Swiftwick Socks for making sure my feet are the least of my worries in ultras.
Squirrels nut butter for anti-chafe ointment that continues to keep me protected mile after mile.
Central Mass Striders run club.
Dion snowshoes for all the support in my winter running endeavors.
Cresting the Summit 