Did my 5th 50K Ultra of the season today , the Creemore Vertical Challenge.
The race plan was to go out at an easy to moderate pace keeping hydration and heart rate in check.
The first 25K loop was amazing , I felt like I was in total control and everything was 100%. So often its the course that dictates what happens but I knew what to expect running 25K two years ago and the 50K last year, I was calling the shots on the first loop, 2hrs38min!
Second loop was a different story! A solid sleep the night before the race , the near 30C temps forcasted and receiving Bib #13 were all omens that I wasn't going to have a good day. I felt amazing passing the start finish , did two gels washed down with water and heed! Off I went along the river for about 2Ks ... one of the few flat sections BUT its like a switch went off. Air by the river was much warmer , the sun was beating down and the humidity was building and I over heated with 23K left in the race. At the first aide station they had Ice , I filled a small bag I brought with me and grabbed a glass to eat. Decided to walk the first big one at around 32K , took advantage of the pace to balance the Ice on my head and continued to cool. When I over heated at Sulphur I couldn't even run down hill due to legs that felt like cement , I wasn't about to let that happen with a 2K downhill at the 37K mark! Core temp cooled I managed the 37th and 38th Ks in 6:22 and 7:10... a significant improvement! After the long downhill came a very tough uphill know as o2 ...this is where things really fell apart. It took 24mins49sec to do the 40th K. I sat twice ...first time for 3min30sec , the next time for 6min15sec. I just didn't have it in me to keep going, my heart was pounding , I was breathing heavy and I had a pain across the top of my shoulders. For a moment I thought about packing it in at the next aide station but then I thought 10K to go .... its going to be slow but I can just walk , the new objective was to just finish! The last 10K was walking on the flat and uphill sections and trying to run downhill! Prior to dropping into "Valley" there is a generous 1K down hill at the 47K mark ... best I could do was a 7:21 pace!
Finished up with the Garmin time of 6hrs43min32sec, an hour slower then last year!
It was hot, 28-30C and Sunny with a Breeze here and there! I was drinking lots, gelling as prescribed and took 4 Eload caps at the 20, 30 and 40K mark One of the greatest contributors to my demise was running without a shirt or something on my head. Shade on the course was the exception! I was more or less totally exposed to the sun for hours! I believe that a properly fitted tech T with a white cap would have helped. I am sure that I would have slowed down but I would have been done allot sooner!
