The week after the Holiday Lake 50k we started a Low Carb High Fat Diet.
03/19/16 - I ran and won the Terrapin Mtn half Marathon in 1:57.49
I had never considered the Terrapin Half and had planned to go and crew Gina. Then Alexis Thomas mentioned she was thinking about it and it hit me, that was a perfect idea. A "short" high intensity race that I'd never done before. A race that has a lot of elevation and technical running which is exactly what I love.
Doing some prior race recon, I had hoped I could accomplish a podium finish, but wasn't sure how the new diet and approach would work out. I did a couple HIT time trails to dial in the HR limit I was going to race under. I choose 162 and tried to keep it dialed back when the alarm rang out knowing that by not hitting the red line that I would be able to keep a high intensity pace longer and avoid the dreaded fade.
I decided to go without food or water for the race. I did have an "emergency" gel with me if things started to go south but I ended up not needing it. I got a handoff of water at the 4 mile point before heading up to the Terrapin summit and then some water at the 2nd water stop and that was it.
As a side note, I was told I was in 3rd place at 4 miles and only passed one other guy. No one mentioned I was in first place so I thought I was duking it would for 2nd with Josh Zealand and even shared this with him at mile 11.5. So after the finish I said to Clark, "so how far ahead was 1st place?" Which made him confused as he pointed to me and said, "you are first place."
Uh shocker! 1st place, that's cool!04/16/16 - I ran my first road marathon, the Blue Ridge Marathon in 3:17.28, finishing 8th.
Now for a real test. I had done some HR recon on the course and did a dry run a few weeks before and thought I could pull down a 3:18 but the goal was a top 10.
I set my HR alarm at 160 for the big climbs but planned on staying below 155 for most of the race. I planned to use the water on the course and had Gina hand off a baggie of a little race mix I had put together (1 banana, almond butter and a tsp of 100% cocoa. She's aptly named these shit bags, because of the way they look.) I took one of these at the Campground after Roanoke Mtn around mile 10 and then another at Peakwood which I carried with me until about mile 18.
I walked through a few water stops to drink water and walked around the water stop loop on Peakwood. Other than that, I didn't walk any of the course and really didn't feel like I needed to. The race went according to plan. Probably because I followed the plan.06/18/16 - Highland Sky 40M - 7:17 and 9th overall
I'm still working on the LCHF protocol and how to race in it. I've done the races above with very little food and water. This would be a little different. I started using UCAN as a drink mix and making some almond meal waffles that I add almond butter to and taking a few Artisana nut butter packets.
This is a race that I've done one other time and really lost out in the last half. The same thing would happen again. I ran the first half pretty conservatively and felt good, but when I sat down to change my shoes at the Big halfway aid station, I began getting cramps. I nursed things through the next miles of the Road Across the Sky and thought I was in the clear but somewhere in the boulderfield in the next section I started to get light headed and caught my toe a few times which set the cramps back in motion.
I could have used some carbs in the last section because I started to get light headed. So having some UCAN on hand or snacking on some banana chips would have been a good idea. Although no, or no carbs have worked in the non ultra races. I've since learned to incorporate a few more carbs during an ultra, rather than trying to stay so low carb during an ultra event.
This again, had me dial things back and under control until the section they call the butt slide. This is a mtn bike downhill trail that is a very steep downhill with tons of rocks and in some places a flagged path that follows no trail. I was doing good until I caught a toe again and started in with the cramps. So I limped along, stopped a few times, and thought for sure I'd get passed by a few runners. That never happened and I was able finish in a decent time but I know I left a lot of time out on that course and can do a lot better.09/02/16 - The Rut Vertical Kilometer - My first vertical race and it was painfully great. An abbreviated course didn't disappoint in regard to pain delivered.
I do love the pain of riding the red line. This was a rough uphill race that had me gasping for air the whole time. Some of the footing was very sketchy towards the top but it was a great time.09/04/16 - The Rut 50k - This was an abbreviated course due to snow.
I had hoped the VK race would take enough out of me to enjoy this event and it did help but the conditions had all of us going more conservatively. There was snow overnight and ice at Lone Peak so they took out the high elevation sections of the race. We were all bummed but you can't argue with the decision.
We were greeted with HUGE snowflakes at the high point of the race and we ran through the snow for about 30 minutes. The snow and rain caused much of the last 10 miles of the course to be nothing but mud, deep, thick mud. It was a fun day to run in such a large event with 400+ other runners from all over the US.11/12/16 - Richmond Marathon - The goal here was to run under 3:12 for a Boston Qualifier and at best run a 7min/mile pace. Finished in 3:03:42.
Somewhere after the Blue Ridge Marathon I decided I wanted to try to qualify for Boston. The Richmond Marathon seemed like a good place to do it. It's late in the year and I always enjoy heading for Richmond for the weekend.
The main issue with this is that I also wanted to PR at Hellgate which was a month later.
So to keep from blowing up my chances for a good Hellgate I decided to try to run a 7 min ave pace marathon at HR. I choose 152 and thought if I could keep it dialed in I would minimize the odds of this affecting my Hellgate time.
The plan was to run at a 152 HR until I knew for sure I could pick it up and hold on until the finish. I spent the early miles running with a few friends, just chatting and enjoying a race. I think at around mile 10 we got separated and each ran our own races. I think I stopped at a few water stops and walked through drinking some water and then picked up a baggie of race mix I had put together (1 banana, almond butter and a tsp of 100% cocoa). I eat that and then grabbed a second one to have on hand for later.
I think I slowed on the windy crossing of the bridge and then my pace slowed in the 18-22 mile section. It was at mile 22 I knew I could pick it up and bring it home. My pace went from around 7 min per mile down to 6:30 and below. I was cruising in the last stretch and felt good. Happy with my time and having plenty of room for a BQ.12/10/16 - Hellgate 100k - The goal here was to PR with running sub 12:30 and being in the top 10. I ended up with a 13:05 and 13th place in what was one of the coldest events I've ever run. Starting temp was at 23 and it bottomed out at 8 degrees. It took 4 months to regain the feeling in my big and second toe on my right foot.
This event went from a race against the clock to managing the body and trying to keep my water supply from freezing up and not doing anything stupid. It was a really wild event where the plan and goals were in a state of flux throughout. Things were constantly being adjusted as the temps dropped and the cold took it's physical and mental toll on the body. This was definitely a great race to have a crew and I'm thankful that Walker was there to help out.
I think things were going well until mile 47 or so, at the big aid station at Bear Wallow Gap. I tried to get refueled with some bulletproof coffee and I think that made my stomach go south. So I managed that and a few pity parties in the next 13 miles to Day Creek. Then, from there it was a big climb up to the BRP and then down to the finish. I hiked/ran with the 1st female in this section and then she left me behind.
As I finished up in 13 I wondered if I'd hear the same comment from Horton; 3rd loser! But then 1st Master. Yay! He always follows that up with, "your not the first finisher over 40, just the 1st over 40 outside of the top 10." See he gives the top 10 special prizes and then 1st 40+, 50+, 60+.It was a good year of racing and training. I'm happy with the LCHF effects and am trying to dial in some of the details. In general the major differences I've seen are;
- Have not been hangry at all and overall less hungry which equals much less time thinking about food.
- Can run up to 4.5 hours or 24 miles with only water.
- I do not get sore very often.
- Sleep better and need less
- Tired less often
