Lessons Learned
This will be a brief entry. I hope it will help future runners of the Pinhoti. It is a fantastic course (for the 30 miles I saw of it, and it is challenging.)
I had trained for months for Pinhoti -- seeking out elevation wherever I could find it, because I knew the elevation profile of this race was going to take its toll.
When my crew and I arrived in Sylacauga for the pre-race briefing, I was feeling very confident about what tomorrow would bring. After the briefing, we headed back to Oxford to meet some fellow runners for dinner. It went a little long, but I got back to the hotel with time to get things put together for the next morning.
I had a good night's sleep, and got an early start the next morning. However, the next couple of hours are when the wheels began to fall off. Several of us had discussed meeting in the lobby at 5:45. We were there around 5:40. However, it became evident that everyone had already headed out. So, at 6:00 am, we hit the road for a 7:00 am race start.
We followed the directions to the start and here is where we made our BIG mistake. The directions for the start are as follows:
Turn left and line up on right side of FS531
Wald back to stop sign and turn left in direction you were originally driving and continue downhill .5 miles to Pine Glen Camp (Race Start) No cars to drive down to Pine Glen.
So we got to FS531, and saw several cars parked on the side of the road. We pulled in behind them, parked and followed a sign on the main road, adjacent to FS531 that pointed to the start. After walking for awhile, we looked behind and saw another group of runners walking down the road behind us. So, we figured we were just around a turn from the start. As 6:30 turned into 6:45 and it seemed we were not getting any closer to the start, I started to get nervous, but then buses, which had carried runners to the start passed us, along with a few cars, I thought to myself, we are getting close. 6:50: We don't see a starting line. I flag down a car and ask how far is the starting line. She said, you're about 3 miles from the starting line. At this point, I tell my crew to head back, but I knew they could not get back in time, they just needed to head to the first aid station. I started running like crazy!
I asked the lady in the car if there was any way she could turn around and drive me to the start; she said she had kids waiting for her in her hotel and had to get back. I flagged down a guy in a truck, he said he was about out of gas and could not help. Finally, a group of runners, who had made the same mistake as we had, came barreling down the road, they stopped and said, hop in! -- talk about a good Samaritan, one of their crew had to hop out to make room for me. They picked her up on the way back.
I realized later that FS531 curved down to the start line. The cars we parked behind must have been crew cars that had positioned themselves at the top of FS531 for a quick departure.
So, long story short, I started the race late -- at 7:05. Instead of keeping my cool, I overreacted and went out too fast. I was in a group of four runners, who started late as well, and we caught up with runners, but instead of falling in with them, we started passing one conga line after another.
At the second aid station, my crew informed me I was on pace for a sub-24 finish. I knew the end was near at that point. I didn't say anything to them, but I knew I shouldn't be on that kind of pace. I just got it in my head after the late start that I had to run like crazy in order to make the cutoffs. The truth was, if I would have just slowed down, I believe my training would have kicked in, and I could have finished this race.
100 miles is a long way, and I've covered the distance before. There are plenty of opportunities to make corrections. I lost sight of that, and by mile 30, I was spent. Moreover, I was facing the reality of having to make my way up the side of Mt. Cheaha, without a headlamp, in the dark. Thankfully, a volunteer gave me and another runner a lift to Bald Rock to meet our respective crews.
Final disclaimer: The overwhelming number of runners got it right. There were only about 10 of us who made the "Top of FS531" mistake. So, this is no one's fault but my own.
Again, if I can leave the reader with any advice. Keep your head; trust your training. Keeping those two things in mind will help you get out of most setbacks in an ultra.
When my crew and I arrived in Sylacauga for the pre-race briefing, I was feeling very confident about what tomorrow would bring. After the briefing, we headed back to Oxford to meet some fellow runners for dinner. It went a little long, but I got back to the hotel with time to get things put together for the next morning.
I had a good night's sleep, and got an early start the next morning. However, the next couple of hours are when the wheels began to fall off. Several of us had discussed meeting in the lobby at 5:45. We were there around 5:40. However, it became evident that everyone had already headed out. So, at 6:00 am, we hit the road for a 7:00 am race start.
We followed the directions to the start and here is where we made our BIG mistake. The directions for the start are as follows:
Turn left and line up on right side of FS531
Wald back to stop sign and turn left in direction you were originally driving and continue downhill .5 miles to Pine Glen Camp (Race Start) No cars to drive down to Pine Glen.
So we got to FS531, and saw several cars parked on the side of the road. We pulled in behind them, parked and followed a sign on the main road, adjacent to FS531 that pointed to the start. After walking for awhile, we looked behind and saw another group of runners walking down the road behind us. So, we figured we were just around a turn from the start. As 6:30 turned into 6:45 and it seemed we were not getting any closer to the start, I started to get nervous, but then buses, which had carried runners to the start passed us, along with a few cars, I thought to myself, we are getting close. 6:50: We don't see a starting line. I flag down a car and ask how far is the starting line. She said, you're about 3 miles from the starting line. At this point, I tell my crew to head back, but I knew they could not get back in time, they just needed to head to the first aid station. I started running like crazy!
I asked the lady in the car if there was any way she could turn around and drive me to the start; she said she had kids waiting for her in her hotel and had to get back. I flagged down a guy in a truck, he said he was about out of gas and could not help. Finally, a group of runners, who had made the same mistake as we had, came barreling down the road, they stopped and said, hop in! -- talk about a good Samaritan, one of their crew had to hop out to make room for me. They picked her up on the way back.
I realized later that FS531 curved down to the start line. The cars we parked behind must have been crew cars that had positioned themselves at the top of FS531 for a quick departure.
So, long story short, I started the race late -- at 7:05. Instead of keeping my cool, I overreacted and went out too fast. I was in a group of four runners, who started late as well, and we caught up with runners, but instead of falling in with them, we started passing one conga line after another.
At the second aid station, my crew informed me I was on pace for a sub-24 finish. I knew the end was near at that point. I didn't say anything to them, but I knew I shouldn't be on that kind of pace. I just got it in my head after the late start that I had to run like crazy in order to make the cutoffs. The truth was, if I would have just slowed down, I believe my training would have kicked in, and I could have finished this race.
100 miles is a long way, and I've covered the distance before. There are plenty of opportunities to make corrections. I lost sight of that, and by mile 30, I was spent. Moreover, I was facing the reality of having to make my way up the side of Mt. Cheaha, without a headlamp, in the dark. Thankfully, a volunteer gave me and another runner a lift to Bald Rock to meet our respective crews.
Final disclaimer: The overwhelming number of runners got it right. There were only about 10 of us who made the "Top of FS531" mistake. So, this is no one's fault but my own.
Again, if I can leave the reader with any advice. Keep your head; trust your training. Keeping those two things in mind will help you get out of most setbacks in an ultra.
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