Ben's USATF 50k race report

The CMS assault on the USATF 50k Road Championship was unlike any other race. The excitement began when we went to preview the course the day before the race and learned two things:

1. There would be no mile markers.

2. There would be golf carts on the race course.

Although the race was six 5.18 mile loops and you could get your time at the end of each loop, if you are running a bit too hard for five miles, slowing down at that point might be too little too late. Since we were running the entire race on cart paths, and the city of Peachtree relays on these paths for everyday transportation, we were going to have to dodge golf carts during the race. After struggling the find our own way around the course, which was unmarked during the preview, we dined at the Macaroni Grill while being seranaded by our waitress.

With the gun going off at 7:30 am, there wasn't a lot of time to waste prior to the start. Due to the small number of competitors and laid-back attitude of the race organization staff, I didn't think the race was going to actually start on time. I was wrong, and had to quickly shed my warmups to avoid giving everyone else a head start.

I started at 6 minute pace and, to my surprise, suddenly opened a lead. Kevin and about 5 others loitered a few steps back, and I waved to Kevin for him to join me. Before long, we all went through the half mile in 2:57. I did not lie when I said there were no mile markers for the race. The markings that we used were placed by a local women who did her training runs on the cart paths. Since her route was about .6 shorter than the race course, Kevin concocted a complex mathematical formula to figure out our mile splits for each loop. Instead of looking at my watch, I just asked Kevin for splits from time to time. Usually I was not asking for my own education, it was meant to serve as a passive suggestion to slow down.

The first loop was great. It was a bit faster than the six minute pace I wanted to run, but not fast enough to do any harm. The race loop had some gradual uphills in the first 2.5 miles, and the second half was quicker due to some gradual downhills. Kevin, Mike Dudley, and I traded the lead from time to time as we dodged some early morning traffic, which would increase as the day progressed.

I was hoping we might slow about 20 seonds during the seond lap, but whenever I would assume the lead and run at 6 minute pace, I was immediately passed. This is when I would loudly ask Kevin for the split on the last mile. On the downhill miles we tossed in a 5:38 and a 5:40-something. I was just glad that Kevin was keeping track, because the problem was not that it felt hard, it felt too easy. I am sure we would have been running faster if no one had been checking our pace. After running the exact same split for the second loop, Kevin again agreed that we should relax on the third loop.

We relaxed about 3 seconds. I knew the pace was likely to make the second 15 miles somewhat unpleasant, but I didn't want to abandon the benefit of having Mike and Kevin to pull me along. After trying to do my part at the front for 1.5 loops, I felt no shame in drafting. I was willing to take the lead, but they weren't really interested in my pace. Mike began to insert surges towards the end of the third loop, and Kevin and I agreed to let him go. We were all still quite close after 15.6 miles.

Mike began to stretch his legs early in the fourth loop. Kevin began to gradually pull away from me as he tried to stay in contact with Mike. I was hoping to conserve some strength for the last two loops, and decided to let Kevin go. As he was cutting a tangent on one of the many turns on the course, he was nearly run over by a couple of kids in a golf cart. From my vantage point, it was a pretty close call. There were several such incidents during the race, but Kevin's encounter was the most dramatic. He swerved, the cart swerved, and Kevin uttered some lively comments. I actually caught up with Kevin about 3 miles into the fourth loop, but he soon passed me back and increased his tempo. He was well ahead by the end of the loop, 20.8 miles into the race. During these middle miles, my hamstrings started to tighten as the pavement was taking a toll on my trail running muscles. In training for the race, I knew I should have done more road running, but was unwilling to give up the 90% of my mileage on the trails. I did get in a few runs on the roads in Foxboro, but the fall weather was just too good to waste on pavement.


By this point in the race (21 miles), I knew Mike and Kevin were out of my reach unless they slowed down. I asked Kevin to drop back and hang with me, but he wasn't interested. My stride was shortening, and I tried to simply focus on staying relaxed. Considering how sheltered the course seemed, it was quite windy over the last two loops without Kevin and Mike to hide behind. I was shocked to see that Kevin was right behind Mike when the three of us were on the out and back section of the fifth loop. I later learned this was due to Mike's foray off the course. Although I was obviously slowing, my legs felt somewhat better after about 24 miles.

I ran harder on the last lap, but it was only damage control. My knee lift was gone, and I couldn't compensate by increasing my stride cadence enough to prevent my pace from slowing. While my 3:11:14 was a substantial PR, my summer and fall racing suggested that I might be able to run a few minutes faster. In hindsight, it is possible that running easier during the early miles would have led to a better time, but it could have also led to a slower time. I think that I saved a great deal of energy by drafting off of Kevin and Mike for 20 miles, and I attribute my late race fade more to my lack of road running than premature glycogen depletion. In contrast to my training, Kevin does much of his running on roads, and this seemed to be refected in his ultra-steady race and vastly superior post-race walking ability.

I would like to thank Dave, Dan, Kevin, and Eric for a great time down in Peachtree City. I am not sure if the locals appreciated our cynical Northeastern humor, but we sure did amuse ourselves. I wouldn't have run as well without Kevin's help during the race, and Dave was his thorough self in making sure we were all ready to go by race day.

On a final note, I would like to dedicate this blog to my dwarf lop eared rabbit, Choca, who went to the meadow in the sky on Tuesday after six years in our family. Choca would regularly keep me company while I wrote my race stories late at night. Just last year, Choca launched his own line of Christmass cards, and was hoping to expand his business to other holidays, such as Easter. He is survived by his parents, Ben and Stephanie Nephew, and a brother, Precious, who hops wild in the Fells. He was a good bunny, and was admired by all who knew him.

Rest in peace, little buddy, you'll be missed.

Ben