Run From The Ducks - 38.45 Mile Run In 8 Hours... RACE REPORT
Before I dive in to the report, just a quick background on the race itself. This was a DISTANCE race, NOT a TIME race. What I mean by that is this was a .845 Mile loop that you tried to complete as many times as you could in 8 hours, and this was the races 4th year in existance. EVERYONE had the same time, but distances varied. This was an event that helped honor and contribute funds for the Veterans of The Vietnam War Museum in Weatherford, TX. With that, on to the report...
On Thursday evening, as I contimplated the 30 mile run I needed to knock out for training, in preperation for the 100 Mile Endurance Challenge in So Cal next month , I logged in to the North Texas Trail Runners (NTTR) website to see what was going on... I saw an 8 hour Ultra Race that sounded PERFECT and was only an hour from my house. I have to admit that at the time, a .845 mile loop that you run for 8 hours did NOT sound very appealing, but it was well supported, and you would have constant flows of people to run with, so I signed up. The forecast called for cooler temps on the weekend, and given the fact that I have been training in 100+ degree weather all summer, the coolness, with a supported run, not too far from home sounded perfect. I was hoping for about 30 miles or so, but decided I would push as far as my body would let me without pain...
I began my race preperations Friday night as I bought plenty of ice for my cooler, plenty of Gatorade G2, Recovery Protein Drink, and had it ready to go before bed. I slept pretty good Friday night but was VERY anxious to race so it was interupted sleep, but good none-the-less. The alarm rang at 3am and I bounced out of bed to start getting ready. I shower, eat 4 waffles with Peanut Butter, a Whole wheat Baggle, 32OZ of Gatorade and a yogurt and was feeling pretty good. I load up the car, notice the coolness and slight breeze in the air, and see the clouds looming off to the west, where the race was. As I head down the road, a couple of sprinkle**** the windshield after 10 minutes in the car... UH OH! I keep driving and it begins TO POUR!!! BUCKETS!!! I had my windshield wipers on full speed and it wasn't doing the job... So, I knew this is going to be a fun day! As I approach the race site, the rain did let up, but that would prove to be short-lived. The race was at the Botanical Gardens just outside of Mineral Wells, TX, and was about as gorgeous a venue as one could ever ask for. Amazing plants, beautiful swans , geese, and ducks, and a lightly graveled / grass covered trail the whole way. Does it get better? We even saw a couple Albino Pea****s. Check out this one on the roof of the shed!
As a few other racers arrive to the start / transition, we are pleased to see a HUGE tent there filled with tables and chairs for us to set all of our stuff on and as we started to feel a few more raindrops, we all agreed we should set up inside to keep our things dry "IF" it started to rain again. About 5 minutes after that, the skies absolutely opened up, and it POURED down rain in buckets! Then the lightning and thunder started and we got word that the start was going to be delayed as a result of close lightning strikes. About 45 minutes beyond the original start time, the Race Director calls us in a huddle (we had to do this because we could barely hear his voice over the pounding rain on the tent top and thunder) and he gives us the lay of the land and tells us to get ready to do a practice run around the loop to see all the twists and turns. The course was absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking with it's natural beauty, but the immediate ankle deep water and mud that penetrated my shoe on the first step outside of the tent sent a "Shot across my bow" as to how this day was going to be. After we complete the practice loop, the director announces there would be a short devotional out by his car, again in the rain. He proceeds to talk about how his life was changed 8 years ago as a result of Ultra Running, and began to talk about how a passage in the bible talked of Jesus Running to us. It was a great moment and he played a minute of a song that talked about that very thing. A peace came over me and I knew this was going to be a great day, rain or shine, because I have air in my lungs, feet under my body, and a strong desire to do my best. Shortly after, the race director announces we will be getting started...
As we make our way to the start, the race director announces that he is going to keep with tradition, and draw a line in the mud which will signify the official start. He then counts down from three, and we are off. From the beginning of the race to a covered Gazeebo where the timing mat and official finish is was about .10 mile and from there, you head out on to the loop. Again, the beauty of this run was incredible, and while I fully admit that running a .845 mile loop for 8 hours did NOT sound appealing, I now have to admit, this was probably THE MOST enjoyable run I have ever had. Pouring down rain, tree branches hanging low because the weight of the rain so you have to duck under them, mud up to your ankles every step of the way all were muted by the sheer beauty of the surroundings and the fact there was a bathroom (Not port o pottie) on the loop and a fully stocked aid station with the typical Ultra Fare (M&Ms, cookies, chips, pretzels, soda, etc) that you would hit every 10 minutes or so. I was feeling incredible! My pace was right around 10:30 miles for the first long stretch of miles. My fuel mainly consisted of chips, chips ahoy, oranges, bananas, and water & Gatorade G2, which was awesome. I don't EVER eat sweets so I look forward to ULTRAs where I can kind of pig out and it is for fuel!!!
I held third place for the first 20 miles or so, and everything was going great. I hit 20 miles at the halfway point of 4 hours, at which time I decided to change my mud-soaked shoes and socks out. As I headed to the tent where my stuff was stashed, I remove my sock and see HUUUUUUGE blisters on my toes that were bright red. I ignored them, and put on my fresh socks and shoes, took in a few salt tabs, pounded a Snickers marathon Protein Bar, chug a Gatorade Recovery Protein Drink, and head out again.It rained hard all the way up to about hour 5 or so, and it was nice to keep my core temperature realatively low for a change. Again, the second I stepped out of the tent with my freshly changed shoes & socks, they immediately pooled with cool water and mud, and on went the challenge. Everything was going great, my pace was holding pretty steady, however I did take a few walk breaks. As I finish mile 32 and head into the Gazeebo where the timing mat was, I see my beautiful family there chearing me on! WHAT A TREAT!!! I knew my wife had talked about coming but this late into the race and with the horrendous weather we had, I figured she would stay home. NOPE, Christie is such a trooper, and it made my day to see them. Here was a picture she shot when she saw me...
I knew I had slipped in the rankings a bit, but I didn't care! I was running my own race, and would continue to give it my all. I had some great conversations with many people out on the course, and again, had an INCREDIBLE time running this race. As I continue to rack up the miles and loops, I feel the fatigue kicking in, but still keep pushing forward. As I clear the Gazebo with only 12 minutes left, the race director yells "Dan, can you be back here in under 12 minutes?" I say, YES SIR, and begin kicking it in gear. I run at a pretty good clip and ended up getting a HUGE clump of mud in my shoe that I had to resolve. So, I find a hose, squirt off my sock and shoe, and make my way towards home. As I round one of the last turns I hear the director yell out "3 minutes Dan"... (I guess I was the last one out on the course) So I kick it with everything I had left, EVERYONE is screaming for me to finish, and I round the turn and into the Gazeebo with over a minute to spare! It was awesome to be the last one done, and even more awesome to come to the finish line with all my new-found Ultra friends and Family cheering me on. Here are a few pictures 3 hours AFTER it stopped raining, to give you an idea of the conditions...
At the end of the day, I ended up finishing 45 loops for a total distance of 38.43 miles in 7:58:30. I took 2nd in my age group and ninth overall. The 7th and 8th place finishers completed the same distance as me, just a little faster. Again, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this race. A great event, gorgeous surroundings, a pretty sweet loop, great support, a great cause, and this solidifies the FACT that I love trail running / Ultra running SO MUCH more than road running. The people involved in Ultras are INCREDIBLE people from the #1 finisher to last finisher, all GREAT people, and I was so thankful to have had this experience. On to the aftermath (Which I will not be posting pics of)
As I got home from the race, I was so cold, and I couldn't imagine anything more meaningful to me than a nice warm bath!!! So I walk in the door, and start filling the tub! It is not until I sit down in the water that I realize that a warm bath WAS NOT pleasant! I didn't realize that my "Man Parts" were being chaffed raw during the run, as well as my thighs (Even though I covered myself in Body Glide & Vaseline). I didn't feel any of it, probably due to the fact it was cold and numb, but man, when I hit tha****er, I screamed and cried like a baby!!!! That was the worst! But, I am better now and again, NO PICS!!! :) The blisters I had on my toes popped on the second half of the race and while my toes are VERY tender, I am feeling OK! I greatly exceeded my goal for this race, had a great result, felt strong the whole way, and was so happy to see my family.... THAT REALLY MADE MY DAY! 14 weeks ago I had majory surgery to remove 11 pounds of excess skin, and to go from 8 weeks of no training to a 38.4 mile training run is really beyond belief to me. I know I am being watched over, and I can't thank all of you for your continued love, support, and encouragement. I am looking forward to my next race... The 100 Mile Endurance Challenge from Corona, CA to The Santa Monica Pier on October 23rd. I KNOW I will be ready!!! Thank you for reading this long report of an awesome day! Another chapter in the book of my life! As I have said before... What good is adding years to your life unless you add life to your years! Get out there and live!!!
On Thursday evening, as I contimplated the 30 mile run I needed to knock out for training, in preperation for the 100 Mile Endurance Challenge in So Cal next month , I logged in to the North Texas Trail Runners (NTTR) website to see what was going on... I saw an 8 hour Ultra Race that sounded PERFECT and was only an hour from my house. I have to admit that at the time, a .845 mile loop that you run for 8 hours did NOT sound very appealing, but it was well supported, and you would have constant flows of people to run with, so I signed up. The forecast called for cooler temps on the weekend, and given the fact that I have been training in 100+ degree weather all summer, the coolness, with a supported run, not too far from home sounded perfect. I was hoping for about 30 miles or so, but decided I would push as far as my body would let me without pain...
I began my race preperations Friday night as I bought plenty of ice for my cooler, plenty of Gatorade G2, Recovery Protein Drink, and had it ready to go before bed. I slept pretty good Friday night but was VERY anxious to race so it was interupted sleep, but good none-the-less. The alarm rang at 3am and I bounced out of bed to start getting ready. I shower, eat 4 waffles with Peanut Butter, a Whole wheat Baggle, 32OZ of Gatorade and a yogurt and was feeling pretty good. I load up the car, notice the coolness and slight breeze in the air, and see the clouds looming off to the west, where the race was. As I head down the road, a couple of sprinkle**** the windshield after 10 minutes in the car... UH OH! I keep driving and it begins TO POUR!!! BUCKETS!!! I had my windshield wipers on full speed and it wasn't doing the job... So, I knew this is going to be a fun day! As I approach the race site, the rain did let up, but that would prove to be short-lived. The race was at the Botanical Gardens just outside of Mineral Wells, TX, and was about as gorgeous a venue as one could ever ask for. Amazing plants, beautiful swans , geese, and ducks, and a lightly graveled / grass covered trail the whole way. Does it get better? We even saw a couple Albino Pea****s. Check out this one on the roof of the shed!
As a few other racers arrive to the start / transition, we are pleased to see a HUGE tent there filled with tables and chairs for us to set all of our stuff on and as we started to feel a few more raindrops, we all agreed we should set up inside to keep our things dry "IF" it started to rain again. About 5 minutes after that, the skies absolutely opened up, and it POURED down rain in buckets! Then the lightning and thunder started and we got word that the start was going to be delayed as a result of close lightning strikes. About 45 minutes beyond the original start time, the Race Director calls us in a huddle (we had to do this because we could barely hear his voice over the pounding rain on the tent top and thunder) and he gives us the lay of the land and tells us to get ready to do a practice run around the loop to see all the twists and turns. The course was absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking with it's natural beauty, but the immediate ankle deep water and mud that penetrated my shoe on the first step outside of the tent sent a "Shot across my bow" as to how this day was going to be. After we complete the practice loop, the director announces there would be a short devotional out by his car, again in the rain. He proceeds to talk about how his life was changed 8 years ago as a result of Ultra Running, and began to talk about how a passage in the bible talked of Jesus Running to us. It was a great moment and he played a minute of a song that talked about that very thing. A peace came over me and I knew this was going to be a great day, rain or shine, because I have air in my lungs, feet under my body, and a strong desire to do my best. Shortly after, the race director announces we will be getting started...
As we make our way to the start, the race director announces that he is going to keep with tradition, and draw a line in the mud which will signify the official start. He then counts down from three, and we are off. From the beginning of the race to a covered Gazeebo where the timing mat and official finish is was about .10 mile and from there, you head out on to the loop. Again, the beauty of this run was incredible, and while I fully admit that running a .845 mile loop for 8 hours did NOT sound appealing, I now have to admit, this was probably THE MOST enjoyable run I have ever had. Pouring down rain, tree branches hanging low because the weight of the rain so you have to duck under them, mud up to your ankles every step of the way all were muted by the sheer beauty of the surroundings and the fact there was a bathroom (Not port o pottie) on the loop and a fully stocked aid station with the typical Ultra Fare (M&Ms, cookies, chips, pretzels, soda, etc) that you would hit every 10 minutes or so. I was feeling incredible! My pace was right around 10:30 miles for the first long stretch of miles. My fuel mainly consisted of chips, chips ahoy, oranges, bananas, and water & Gatorade G2, which was awesome. I don't EVER eat sweets so I look forward to ULTRAs where I can kind of pig out and it is for fuel!!!
I held third place for the first 20 miles or so, and everything was going great. I hit 20 miles at the halfway point of 4 hours, at which time I decided to change my mud-soaked shoes and socks out. As I headed to the tent where my stuff was stashed, I remove my sock and see HUUUUUUGE blisters on my toes that were bright red. I ignored them, and put on my fresh socks and shoes, took in a few salt tabs, pounded a Snickers marathon Protein Bar, chug a Gatorade Recovery Protein Drink, and head out again.It rained hard all the way up to about hour 5 or so, and it was nice to keep my core temperature realatively low for a change. Again, the second I stepped out of the tent with my freshly changed shoes & socks, they immediately pooled with cool water and mud, and on went the challenge. Everything was going great, my pace was holding pretty steady, however I did take a few walk breaks. As I finish mile 32 and head into the Gazeebo where the timing mat was, I see my beautiful family there chearing me on! WHAT A TREAT!!! I knew my wife had talked about coming but this late into the race and with the horrendous weather we had, I figured she would stay home. NOPE, Christie is such a trooper, and it made my day to see them. Here was a picture she shot when she saw me...
I knew I had slipped in the rankings a bit, but I didn't care! I was running my own race, and would continue to give it my all. I had some great conversations with many people out on the course, and again, had an INCREDIBLE time running this race. As I continue to rack up the miles and loops, I feel the fatigue kicking in, but still keep pushing forward. As I clear the Gazebo with only 12 minutes left, the race director yells "Dan, can you be back here in under 12 minutes?" I say, YES SIR, and begin kicking it in gear. I run at a pretty good clip and ended up getting a HUGE clump of mud in my shoe that I had to resolve. So, I find a hose, squirt off my sock and shoe, and make my way towards home. As I round one of the last turns I hear the director yell out "3 minutes Dan"... (I guess I was the last one out on the course) So I kick it with everything I had left, EVERYONE is screaming for me to finish, and I round the turn and into the Gazeebo with over a minute to spare! It was awesome to be the last one done, and even more awesome to come to the finish line with all my new-found Ultra friends and Family cheering me on. Here are a few pictures 3 hours AFTER it stopped raining, to give you an idea of the conditions...
At the end of the day, I ended up finishing 45 loops for a total distance of 38.43 miles in 7:58:30. I took 2nd in my age group and ninth overall. The 7th and 8th place finishers completed the same distance as me, just a little faster. Again, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this race. A great event, gorgeous surroundings, a pretty sweet loop, great support, a great cause, and this solidifies the FACT that I love trail running / Ultra running SO MUCH more than road running. The people involved in Ultras are INCREDIBLE people from the #1 finisher to last finisher, all GREAT people, and I was so thankful to have had this experience. On to the aftermath (Which I will not be posting pics of)
As I got home from the race, I was so cold, and I couldn't imagine anything more meaningful to me than a nice warm bath!!! So I walk in the door, and start filling the tub! It is not until I sit down in the water that I realize that a warm bath WAS NOT pleasant! I didn't realize that my "Man Parts" were being chaffed raw during the run, as well as my thighs (Even though I covered myself in Body Glide & Vaseline). I didn't feel any of it, probably due to the fact it was cold and numb, but man, when I hit tha****er, I screamed and cried like a baby!!!! That was the worst! But, I am better now and again, NO PICS!!! :) The blisters I had on my toes popped on the second half of the race and while my toes are VERY tender, I am feeling OK! I greatly exceeded my goal for this race, had a great result, felt strong the whole way, and was so happy to see my family.... THAT REALLY MADE MY DAY! 14 weeks ago I had majory surgery to remove 11 pounds of excess skin, and to go from 8 weeks of no training to a 38.4 mile training run is really beyond belief to me. I know I am being watched over, and I can't thank all of you for your continued love, support, and encouragement. I am looking forward to my next race... The 100 Mile Endurance Challenge from Corona, CA to The Santa Monica Pier on October 23rd. I KNOW I will be ready!!! Thank you for reading this long report of an awesome day! Another chapter in the book of my life! As I have said before... What good is adding years to your life unless you add life to your years! Get out there and live!!!
Your Friend In Health & Sport,
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
impressive race, Dan!
Making me look forward to my first trail race at the end of October.
Making me look forward to my first trail race at the end of October.
Read my blog, BARIATHLETE I run because I can.
First 5K race October 4, 2009 (34.59) PR 5/22/11 (27:26)
First 5 Mile: January 1, 2011 (50:30)
First 10K: July 4, 2010 (1:03.26) New PR 4/10/11 (1:01.14)
First 10 Mile: April 11, 2010 (1:46.15)
First 1/2 marathon: June 13, 2010 (2:22.21) PR: 5/1/11 (2:17.30)
First Marathon: October 16, 2011: 5:47:20
Goofy Challenge: January 7-8, 2012
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right. - Mary Kay Ash
First 5K race October 4, 2009 (34.59) PR 5/22/11 (27:26)
First 5 Mile: January 1, 2011 (50:30)
First 10K: July 4, 2010 (1:03.26) New PR 4/10/11 (1:01.14)
First 10 Mile: April 11, 2010 (1:46.15)
First 1/2 marathon: June 13, 2010 (2:22.21) PR: 5/1/11 (2:17.30)
First Marathon: October 16, 2011: 5:47:20
Goofy Challenge: January 7-8, 2012
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right. - Mary Kay Ash
Sounds like you're going to be well-prepared for your 100 mile challenge next month. Congrats on making such amazing progress after your plastics.
Cassie
Cassie
"Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer."
so inspirational!
Thanks for the report, Dan. I always enjoy your posts and pics.
Jenny
Jenny
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