Recover from the Holidays 50K

RFH 50K and Year End Wrap-Up

Recover from the Holidays 50K is an annual Huntsville Track Club race held on the morning of New Year's Eve.   It's run on Huntsville's Cross Country Course, which is located adjacent to a golf course.  The cross country course starts on an open field, and then winds through a wooded area next to the golf course.   The trail offers 1, 2, or 3 mile options.   RFH starts with the 1 mile loop and then you run the 3 mile loop 10 times.

This three mile loop has a little bit of everything.   According to my Suunto running watch, the course has 3,388 feet of elevation over the 31 miles.   It's officially listed at a little over 3,500 feet for the distance.   The course transitions from open field running, to a trail that could be found on any one of our local mountains in north Alabama, to a brief gravel path section.  The furthermost section of the course flattens out and is more times than not, a little soggy, with a few muddy sections.

The logistics of the race are great.  There is one aid station and it is located at the start/finish line and you pass it with each three mile loop.  It's easy to get all the fuel you need during the run, plus you have a built in cheering section after each loop offering a nice boost.

The Race

The race started and we quickly dispatched with the 1 mile loop.   In past years, I always killed myself on the first loop for some inexplicable reason.  However, this year, my plan was just to run at an even pace.   I clocked my first mile at a 9:34 pace, For the first 10 miles, I stayed roughly within that range --- clocking my fastest mile at 8:53 and topping out at a 9:56.   Miles 10 to 20, were a bit of challenge,  I had a couple of falls, but still managed to hold roughly a 9:30-9:40 pace through mile 16.  For miles, 17-20, I slowed to a 10:20 pace, but I knew I was still on pace to set a new PR if I could just hold it together for the last 11 miles.  I'm always, glad to get the "teen" miles behind me on this course.  For some reason, once you get into the 20 plus mile range, the loops seem to take on a different feel; they have a little more purpose.   Without a doubt, this race is as much mental as physical.  I think all loop races have this quality.

There is an infamous hill on the course, that has become the point of discussion for all runners of this race -- it's the walk, power hike, or run conversation.   Given the 50K distance, running is completely out of the question for me, but I did power hike the hill for the first 10 loops or so, and then walked them after that.  I personally think that if you are going to set PR's on this course, you have to attack the hill for as long as you are able.   But, I'm sure the debate will rage for a long time concerning the best way to face "The Hill."

Because RFH is run on a loop, you get to see a lot of your friends coming and going throughout the race.  At one point, somewhere between mile 20 and the 31 mile finish, I was checking my watch to see what my current pace was, from behind me I heard, "Quit looking at that watch, and just run!"   It was DeWayne Satterfield coming up behind me and moving past me in a flash.   As usual, DeWayne has a way of making the challenging look easy.   He finished in 4th place with a time of 4:09:30.   He just keeps getting it done -- year in, and year out.

During the last 10 miles, I felt my hamstring tightening up.   This is an injury I have nursed since this past summer.   It reared it's head during the Rocket City Marathon, but I can usually manage it, by backing off my pace a little.   During the RFH, I handled it in the same way,  backing off my pace and increasing my electrolyte intake.

I finished with a time of 5:30:47.   This was a 50K PR for me.  My previous best was last year at the Dizzy 50K, when I came in with a time of 5:58:28.  Moreover, last year at RFH I finished at 6:08:12, so I really did feel good about my effort this year.  As always, I appreciate the efforts of Christy and Tony Scott.  They did a great job putting on this race.

After the race, I hung out in the big tent with a good bunch of my running buddies and had a good time kicking off a little early afternoon New Year's Eve revelry.   Needless to say our finisher's awards were put to good use.

2014 in the Rear View Mirror

2014 was a good year for me.   I finished my first 100 mile run at Thunder Rock, set personal records at the marathon and 50K distance, and came in second place overall at a 5K, and placed in my age group at a couple more 5Ks.  Of course none of these things could have taken place without the dedication and hard work of some great Race Directors and volunteers who make these events come to life.

I finished 2014 running a total of 2,164 miles for the year and ascending 97,051 feet during the course of those runs.

While the numbers are always fun to review, running does so much more for me, and for those that invest in it.  It's been said that running is a metaphor for life.  I agree.  I draw so many parallels between the challenges and rewards of a long distance run and the journey that is life.  However, for me it comes down to a mantra that is often used to keep an ultra runner moving through those long miles -- "Relentless Forward Motion" -- just keep moving and never give up.   In running or life, that philosophy is sound.  Have a great 2015; have fun and just keep moving!