My First 50 - White River 2013 Race Report

Race: White River 50

Location: Crystal Mountain, WA
 
Date: July 27, 2013
 
“You’re going to finish this race” I thought to myself as my eyes started to tear up. My emotions were pretty raw at this point as I thought to myself how lucky I am to be able to play around in the mountains with Sam (my fiancée) and friends crewing for me. The only problem was that it was only mile 40 and I still had 10 miles and a couple more thousand feet yet to descend with a back that was tightening up with every step. However, for some reason I knew that I was definitely going to finish and perhaps even still hit my makeshift ‘A’ goal. But let’s rewind first…
 
Here is a view of the course for context:
 


Start to Camp Sheppard Aid – Mile 3.9
 
About 375 of us lined up at 6am in Crystal Mountain, WA with Mt. Rainier looming in the background. It was an absolutely perfect race morning with temps hovering around 50 degrees and a crisp, cool air. I was completely relaxed and excited to take on my first 50 miler as I wished my buddies Ryan and Matt good luck (who were also running their first 50). One last look over at Sam and a feeling of calm enveloped me. I’m ready for this…let’s go.
 
Having never raced 50 miles before and only three 50ks to my credit I didn’t really know what to expect the second half of the race. This fact combined with the almost 9,000’ of vertical gain and an equal amount of descent in “only two hills” as the race director likes to say told me I should start conservatively. So that’s what I did.
 
The first four miles consisted of a flat, first mile on a gravel road leading from the start to the single-track we would encounter for the next 36 miles. I found myself somewhere around 30^th place I would guess by the time we hit the single-track. Now the trail would start to get a little technical with roots on our path. Not overly so but just enough where you had to watch your foot placement now. That’s fine with me as it gave me a chance to slow down ever so slightly and do a quick check of my HR which was already starting to approach 160. I normally train by perceived effort but just before the race I decided I was going to race by HR. Using a guesstimate of 200 as my max HR I decided I didn’t want to exceed 160 at any point in the race so that was my plan. “Keep it sustainable” I thought to myself. “You have a long ways to go – remember the plan.” Whether it’s true or not I am starting to believe that in races of 50 miles or longer you can’t let your HR get over 80% of your max – your body just can’t work that hard for that long.
 
At mile 1.5 the guy who was running immediately in front of me suddenly jumped off the side of the trail clutching his ankle and shouting obscenities. As I passed I could hear him say that he got stung by a wasp. Yikes, that sucks. Shortly after 1.7 miles we crossed back over the gravel road near the start and started some small climbs towards the first aid station. It was a pretty narrow single-track which made it impossible to pass anybody so I just had to fall in line. No worries I just kept telling myself – this will be a blessing in disguise.
 
We dropped down to Camp Sheppard and I quickly refilled my handheld as I saw Sam for the first time. I barely had time to say hi to her as 15-20 runners flew past me without stopping. Argh, back to the conga line. The only things I carried in terms of hydration was one 20oz handheld and two 4oz gel flasks. I just don’t like running with a backpack bladder if it can be avoided.
 
Camp Sheppard Aid to Ranger Creek Aid – Mile 11.7
 
Now we encountered ‘the first hill’ for the next 10ish miles that climbed 3,300’. Leading up to our first stop at Ranger Creek I just tried to keep it sustainable. Anytime my heart rate started to creep over 160 I backed off and hiked. I’m becoming a pretty strong hiker even though it felt silly to be hiking so early in a race. But my main goal was to finish today and I wanted to give myself the best chance to do just that. So that meant keeping the HR below 160 I decided. However, hiking up pretty steep inclines also meant that I had to keep an eye on my form. I think the reason my back gave up on me the last half mile eight weeks ago at the Auburn 50k was that during the last two mile hike out of the canyon I actually leaned in to the climb too much and spent too much time with my hands pushing off my knees. So a quick form check was to roll my shoulders back occasionally while striding uphill. This kept me a bit more upright early – which helped I think.
 
At some point here too the trail opened up to a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier off to our right side along a ridge. It was a perfectly clear day too, which is somewhat rare I hear in these parts, which made it that much better. I paused for about 5-10 seconds to take it all in. What an absolutely beautiful mountain.
 
Ranger Creek Aid to Corral Pass Aid – Mile 16.9
 
After topping off at Ranger Creek we encountered rolling single-track leading up to Corral Pass. It was a ridgeline trail at this point and man was it pretty as we topped out at 5,600’. Somewhere around halfway in to this section the leaders started coming back at us for their second stop at Ranger Creek.I got to see the first five guys during this stretch and man were they flying. Very impressive to witness guys who can run that fast on this type of single-track at almost 6,000’. Corral Pass was a full aid station so I took the opportunity to sponge off, put some ice in my hat, eat a few pieces of watermelon and chomp down on a couple of pieces of boiled potatoes dipped in salt. My stomach and energy levels were great all day.
 
Taking an educated guess I thought I needed to be at Corral Pass just shy of three hours to give myself a chance at finishing under nine hours. Now I know I said the focus was simply to finish but it’s easier said than done for me. Unfortunately I think I rolled in to Corral Pass somewhere between 3:05-3:10 after being possibly overly patient the first third up the first climb. I was still holding on to the nine hour goal though if I could hold it together the second half.
 
Corral Pass Aid to Ranger Creek Aid – Mile 22.1
 
This was the only out-and-back section in the race. Aid #2 and #4 are in the same spot so after topping out at Corral Pass we headed back down to the Ranger Creek aid station. I’m guessing I was somewhere around 50^th place at this point in the race which meant I had a lot of oncoming traffic heading up to Corral Pass. The vast majority of runners were yielding to those of us coming back down but not everyone did which made for a few close calls. But nearly everyone I passed I congratulated and wished well which also helped lift my spirits. I made a point to try and stay as positive as possible today and it was working. For 98% of the race I was in really good spirits which made for a really enjoyable experience I gotta say. This was one of my biggest lessons learned today – tell yourself you are happy, smile, laugh out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of what you are doing – and your body will respond. It works.
 
Ranger Creek Aid to Buck Creek Aid – Mile 27.2
 
The two miles before Ranger Creek aid and the five miles from Ranger Creek to Buck Creek aid are a descending single-track that drops back down the 3,300’ you climbed up to Corral Pass. This occurs during a 6.8 mile stretch of trail. I really held back during this stretch to save my quads for the ‘second hill’ and descent. But it was really easy to get carried away as this section was super runnable as it switch-backed down the opposite side of the mountain and faster downhill runners were pushing me from behind. But I think I kept it pretty sustainable as that was my key mantra during this section – “just keep it sustainable, you’re only halfway there”. In a few instances I also felt like I was getting close to cramping in my right calf so I tried to keep it fun and go back to smiling, laughing out loud and really just enjoying the moment.
 
I’d love to run this section again on fresh legs because it’s fast, soft and just a little technical. My favorite kind of trail.
 
After bottoming out at Buck Creek I was rewarded with another fully stocked aid station and my next check-in from Sam and my friends Shelley and Becky. They were my crew today and were really helpful as they got to every aid station they had access to visit. After my usual top off of fluids and gel flasks I was about to jump back out when Sam told me the next aid station she could get to would be at mile 43. So I decided to have a quick sit down to reapply lube all over my body, on my feet and change socks. Very proud of myself for this quick decision as I didn’t end up with any blisters whatsoever and only minor chafing that never slowed me down. As I exited the aid station I told Sam I would see her at mile 43 but to get even more excited because we were getting married in 42 days! Yeah, I had plenty of time to do that math in my head the first 27 miles.
 
Buck Creek Aid to Fawn Ridge Aid – Mile 31.7
 
After some rooty woods running for the next mile or two we started the second and final major climb of the day. This time it would be an 8.5 mile section that climbed ~2,800’. I was still in really good spirits but my legs were starting to slow me down. I wasn’t able to hop around the roots nearly as well as the earlier sections. But I like to think I can grind it out when needed so that’s what I did. I just kept on plugging along and watching the HR on the steeper stuff. Another great decision I made was to turn off my GPS at Buck Creek to conserve my battery for the HR monitor. The GPS was pretty useless in the woods and on the switchbacks as it had me at least 2.5 miles behind the actual distance covered by this point so I focused much more on my HR. But to be honest my legs were now the limiting factor in the race and now my aerobic system. I could barely get my HR back up to 150 by this point without feeling like I was overexerting myself.
 
Fawn Ridge Aid to Sun Top Aid – Mile 37.0
 
I had to hike the majority of this section. I didn’t want to but my body was starting to let me down. However, I was still able to keep a pretty good hiking pace as I passed a handful of people during this uphill stretch with only one or two passing me I believe. Similar to earlier when we topped out on Corral Pass we were again afforded with great views of Mt. Rainier. But I didn’t take the time to enjoy them very much as I was mostly focused on topping out for the last time today. This was the only section were I ran out of water earlier than I wanted. So it made for a challenging last 15-20 minutes in the clear cut.
 
The aid station on Sun Top was awesome though. Like all of the full service aid stations on the day I was able to top off fluids, sponge off, put some ice in the hat, eat some watermelon and boiled potatoes and for the first time today drink some Coke. That caffeine was a shot of life at this point in the race.
 
Sun Top Aid to Skookum Flats Aid – Mile 43.4
 
The caffeine boost was short-lived though as this was my most challenging section of the race. From Sun Top we descended over 2,500’ down a fire road which would normally be super chill to run at 7 min pace. Sadly though my quads were pretty hammered and my back felt like it was one step away from spasming when I tried to push harder. So I probably just cruised along in 9 something pace and got passed by 3-4 runners and only passing one myself. This was the only section when I felt a little out of it mentally. Looking back on it I probably gave back 15 min during this stretch. SOB.
 
However, despite the mile or two of feeling sorry for myself I also got a little emotional in a good way I guess. I realized if I didn’t overexert myself here I was definitely going to finish my first 50 miler. I think I even got a little teary-eyed thinking about it. It was a strange outpouring of emotion when you still have over 10 miles to go. Man, I’m such a wuss.
 
Pulling in to Skookum Flats aid I got to see Sam again. She helped me refill one gel flask and handed me one of my ice bandanas which helped re-energize me. That along with two more small cups of Coke. She said I looked great and she was really proud of me. It was exactly what I needed to hear to finish the race. Just over six and a half miles to go – I got this.
 
Skookum Flats Aid to the Finish – Mile 50
 
Mentally I was completely back and feeling great. Physically I was doing OK but the leg fatigue was the limiter again. I was struggling to keep my HR up to 140 now. I’m sure it was mostly in the 130s or lower. I ran nearly this entire stretch but pretty slowly as I had to quickly walk over a few of the somewhat technical, rocky and rooty sections. I was able to catch and pass one guy and never get passed myself so I guess that is an accomplishment. Nine hours came and went but that was OK with me. I was going to finish and I was pretty happy about that.
 
With less than half a mile to go the trail crosses back over the highway and pops up onto the Buck Creek gravel road we started. Getting near the finish line I could see Sam waving at me. She jumped along side of me and ran with me for a 100m. Again, I was getting pretty emotional as the magnitude of everything hit me. Geez, looks like I’m going to be crying at our wedding.
 
I hit the finish line in 9:34 and change. Well off my guesstimated 9 hour time but in way better condition than I thought I would be. My legs and lower back were certainly not happy with me, and emotionally I was spent from all the solitude in the woods, but I could have kept jogging along if I would have needed to I bet. Overall, I was really pleased with my effort today. I’m going to try and not get too hung up on time as this was my first 50 but I know I can run under 9 hours on that course now. Hell, I just might be back next year to target 8:45.
 
Results:
 
Time: 9:34:29
 
Place: 57^th (~400 signed up but only 286 finished; 9 hours would have put me in 30^th place – SOB
 
Positives and Lessons Learned
 
Nearly everything went right today, including:

• Run Happy – Laugh out loud. Smile. Just enjoy doing what you are doing. It’s not a ‘sufferfest’ or a ‘death march’. Trick your brain at the very least! I realize more and more how lucky we are to get to play in the mountains and I’m trying to enjoy it as much as possible.
  
• Nutrition – no stomach issues whatsoever. I was fanatical about taking in one gel every 20 minutes without fail. I even set a reminder on my watch to tell me to do so. And I did so nearly the entire trace. I probably ate 25 gels today. I probably burned 6000 calories and was able to consume 3000 during the race when you include the watermelon, potatoes and Coke. I kept it very simple and this worked perfectly.
  

• My feet – Perfect sock and shoe choice. And the blister glide and re-application was great too. I was most nervous about my feet holding up before the race but the time I spent filing down my calluses in the weeks leading up to the race paid off well. And the pit-stop at mile 27 to dry them off and re-apply blister shield was very smart it seems.
  
• Wearing a HR Monitor and Ignoring Pace Splits – This forced me to keep an eye on my effort which was crucial early in the race when I usually want to push harder. It forced me to back off the first climb which probably allowed me to finish today (or maybe it prevented me from running under nine hours
  
• Still gotta work on my downhill legs and my core – Quadzilla and Lowerbackzilla won the battle again today but I improved. My main lesson learned is to spend more time running fast on sustained downhills in training leading up to my next ultra. I did some of this but never more than 1,000’ of descent in any one section of trail I bet. I think you have to beat up your quads pretty bad in training every now and then. And I’m thinking that means ~3,000’ or more of pretty fast downhills at certain points in a training cycle.
  

 
Gear
 
Just wanted to highlight what I used again because everything worked flawlessly.
 

• Pearl Izumi EM N2 Trail Shoe – I used the N1s for the 50k but opted for the extra cushioning of the N2s for the extra miles and sustained downhills. It’s a perfect ultra shoe for me.
  
• Injinji Run 2.0 socks – I won’t be using anything differently going forward. Perfect for my feet. No blisters.
  
• CEP Compression Sleeves – I tend to only wear them in really long training runs, races and when traveling but they worked great today.
  
• North Face Better Than Naked Shorts – Still the Best. Shorts. Period.
  
• Mountain Hardwear Way2Cool Shirt – For the first time in a race I wore a shirt the entire way. I never felt like I was overheating and no chafing issues. Love this shirt. I’m buying a second one tonight now that it’s on sale for nearly half off online.
  
• Ultraspire Quantum Belt – Just like in the 50k eight weeks ago I wore it and it worked perfectly. It was a trash pocket and supply pocket in front in case I need vaselline, sunblock, etc. and a gel flask holder in back. I almost exclusively used the gel flasks for nutrition.
  
• Amphipod Hydraform 20oz Handheld – Really wasn’t sure if one handheld would be enough but it was fine. Very glad I didn’t carry the extra weight of a pack and bladder.
  

 
Happy running everyone.

Wow awesome job! What an accomplishment:) , I really like the advise smile and act happy I need that during races. Rest and recover you have a wedding night soon:shock: 

Bravo on a great first 50-miler, Ben! You didn't succumb to temptation to push harder early on, giving you a (possibly) slower time but (most likely) a better overall experience. In the overall scheme of things, that's what counts.

I think relying on the HR monitor to manage your effort level was a great example of race management. And keeping the mood light and happy? Brilliant. You sounded like a kid out playing in the woods, having the time of your life.

Mark B wrote:Bravo on a great first 50-miler, Ben! You didn't succumb to temptation to push harder early on, giving you a (possibly) slower time but (most likely) a better overall experience. In the overall scheme of things, that's what counts.

I think relying on the HR monitor to manage your effort level was a great example of race management. And keeping the mood light and happy? Brilliant. You sounded like a kid out playing in the woods, having the time of your life.

 Thanks amigo. I appreciate the encouragement along this whole journey of ours as well.

Congrats Ben on completing your first 50 and in fine style!  Loved the attitude and the fun lessons learned.  And congrats on the upcoming wedding!

I really enjoyed reading this. It helped to have a course map open in another tab for reference. You obviously planned well and managed to be disciplined, and it paid off.

Very interesting to measure yourself by HR as a way to set how hard you would work, particularly during the early parts.  Seemed to work out extremely well and if you had blindly followed your instincts early on, you probably would have been working harder to stay with those early people who passed you and it might have ended badly with a bonk late.  You managed a distance you had never done extremely well.  Pretty impressive all around!  I'm searching around for the shirt you mentioned but only see them full price at $60 and no sales.  Still gotta get one after reading this report!

Chris M wrote:Very interesting to measure yourself by HR as a way to set how hard you would work, particularly during the early parts.  Seemed to work out extremely well and if you had blindly followed your instincts early on, you probably would have been working harder to stay with those early people who passed you and it might have ended badly with a bonk late.  You managed a distance you had never done extremely well.  Pretty impressive all around!  I'm searching around for the shirt you mentioned but only see them full price at $60 and no sales.  Still gotta get one after reading this report!

 Here you go Chris: http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/MHWWSTM.html?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=MHWWSTMSMBL

They have the tank too on sale.

congrats Ben.  Awesome run.

mountandog wrote:congrats Ben.  Awesome run.

 Thanks!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Congrats Ben on completing your first 50 and in fine style!  Loved the attitude and the fun lessons learned.  And congrats on the upcoming wedding!

 Thanks Michelle.

Congrats Ben, a great read and a race well executed. I particularly liked the positives and lessons learned and the gear reviews. Hope the recovery is going well. What's next ?

RobA wrote:Congrats Ben, a great read and a race well executed. I particularly liked the positives and lessons learned and the gear reviews. Hope the recovery is going well. What's next ?

 I've got my eye on the North Face 50 in Marin in December and (hopefully) Western States 100 next year if I can get in via the lottery. Big if as chances of a first timer are pretty slim. 

But I'm trying not to plan too much for what's next just yet as I want to really let my body heal. I haven't taken 1-2 weeks off of running since I started marathon training in 2006. So far I've been able to not run since Saturday. That's a big accomplishment for me.

Ben Z wrote:

Chris M wrote:Very interesting to measure yourself by HR as a way to set how hard you would work, particularly during the early parts.  Seemed to work out extremely well and if you had blindly followed your instincts early on, you probably would have been working harder to stay with those early people who passed you and it might have ended badly with a bonk late.  You managed a distance you had never done extremely well.  Pretty impressive all around!  I'm searching around for the shirt you mentioned but only see them full price at $60 and no sales.  Still gotta get one after reading this report!

 Here you go Chris: http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/MHWWSTM.html?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=MHWWSTMSMBL

They have the tank too on sale.

Nice sale! Nice shirt, too. Mine just arrived in the mail yesterday.

Mark B wrote:

Ben Z wrote:

Chris M wrote:Very interesting to measure yourself by HR as a way to set how hard you would work, particularly during the early parts.  Seemed to work out extremely well and if you had blindly followed your instincts early on, you probably would have been working harder to stay with those early people who passed you and it might have ended badly with a bonk late.  You managed a distance you had never done extremely well.  Pretty impressive all around!  I'm searching around for the shirt you mentioned but only see them full price at $60 and no sales.  Still gotta get one after reading this report!

 Here you go Chris: http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/MHWWSTM.html?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=MHWWSTMSMBL

They have the tank too on sale.

Nice sale! Nice shirt, too. Mine just arrived in the mail yesterday.

Awesome. Let me know what you think Mark. I gave back a few running shirts and shorts to Goodwill today. Time to stock up again!

Here are some pictures from the race. Yup, that's me walking just before topping out the second time at Sun Top

Congratulations, Ben. I think it's a very impressive debut. Smart and strong, the best possible combination. It will be fun to follow your progress with more experience.

Fantastic, smart race, Ben! first 50! How you feeling now?

Good luck if you apply for Western States....lottery entries keep increasing every year and chances get even slimmer (I think 8% last year). BUT, I have a friend who got in last year on his first entry so you never know. Could you go to the live lottery drawing? They pick 10 or so runners who attend the live lottery drawing at Placer High Auditorium in December. 

Those pictures are great - looks so beautiful....and challenging  I would be doing a lot of walking up those hills too! You're not in Chicago anymore...

Awesome race for you Ben! Congrats on the achievement! Stunning "wish i were there" pics, too!

Great photos, Ben!

So, the compression sleeves on the calves.... what's the benefit from them? Do you think they helped?

Perfect lunch time read!  Awesome!  When I read that you felt mentally great for 98% of the time, I thought...wow...now that has to be some fantastic discipline or your training was so right on that you didn't really struggle.  It's that darn devil on our shoulder that feeds negative stuff that ruins a perfectly good race.  Somewhere in there was  the other 2% but I don't recall.

25 gels? eeek!

Congratulations!

Dave-O wrote:Congratulations, Ben. I think it's a very impressive debut. Smart and strong, the best possible combination. It will be fun to follow your progress with more experience.

 Thanks Dave.

wrichman wrote:Fantastic, smart race, Ben! first 50! How you feeling now?

Good luck if you apply for Western States....lottery entries keep increasing every year and chances get even slimmer (I think 8% last year). BUT, I have a friend who got in last year on his first entry so you never know. Could you go to the live lottery drawing? They pick 10 or so runners who attend the live lottery drawing at Placer High Auditorium in December. 

Those pictures are great - looks so beautiful....and challenging  I would be doing a lot of walking up those hills too! You're not in Chicago anymore...

I'm feeling good. I took five days completely off which was tough but my body needed it. I ran four times last week and both days so far this week with my first run yesterday where I got the legs moving a bit faster. I've been doing a lot more core / strength work too to get my body prepared for longer, long runs again this training cycle.

Depends on where I'm working in November, but yeah, hoping to head up to Auburn for the live drawing. Or I guess I could just finish top 2 at a Montrail Ultra Cup race later this year!

Mark B wrote:Great photos, Ben!

So, the compression sleeves on the calves.... what's the benefit from them? Do you think they helped?

I don't buy that they really increase bloodflow while running. Your heart is working just fine already. But I do feel there is some benefit in wearing them while running for three reasons:

1. It keeps your legs from bouncing around as much (does that make sense?) which I think keeps them fresher
   
2. It's a guard against things like poison oak, poison ivy, brush, etc. should you ever brush up against that
   
3. I could also see getting them wet during a really hot race to help with evaporative cooling and/or shoving ice cubes in there
   

So yeah, I think it helps me. However, I am very picky and only like the material used in the CEP brand socks and sleeves. I won't wear anything else.

However, I absolutely think they work post run/race and I usually keep them on to aid in recovery or throw on some compression socks or tights.