Race info at a glance

Location:  Blue Ridge Mountains.  Blue Ridge Parkway KOA campground to Montebello, VA. (South to North)

Participants:  Max 400.  This year they had 277 entrants, 238 starters, 210 finishers (202 before cutoff)

Course info:
•    Roughly 60% doubletrack/dirt roads, 40% singletrack (my estimation…not official by any means).
•    9200 ft total elevation gain, 7200 ft total elevation loss.
•    630am start
•    12 hour cutoff

Weather:  Beautiful on raceday (lucked out again!).  About 40 deg at the start, 70 at the finish.

Pre-race goal:  8 hr 30 min

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Ok – got the stats out of the way.  A little background:  I signed up for this race in late August, as I was still working up for the Run Rabbit Run 50 (RRR) in Colorado.  At that point it had been 2 months since my last ultra (Eastern Divide 50k in June), and I realized that 3 months between races just felt too long.  I was already planning to apply for Hellgate 100k as my end-of-year race (in December.  More on that later), and wanted something to fill the 3 month gap between RRR and Hellgate.  MMTR fit perfectly – it’s an east coast classic 50 miler that held its inaugural race in 1983.  I had heard plenty about it, but it wasn’t till my confidence started growing in August that I decided that I should sign up.

As the name suggests – it is known as being mountainy.  9200 feet of gain isn’t necessarily uber-gnarly, especially over 50 miles, but it definitely implies that there is a lot of climbing.   For reference, RRR had 8150 ft of climbing – 3500 of which are in the first 6 miles.  The beta I was consistently getting was that the first half of the course is pretty mellow, and it hits you hard in the second half.   Knowing this, and seeing the course profile (see below), I went with the race strategy that worked for me at RRR and Eastern Divide: go out conservative, stay with the main pack, and move up late in the race.  This was especially pertinent against this course….blowing up your legs early would make for an epic sufferfest from mile 25 on.

MMTR Course Profile

My buddy Carter signed up for the race too, and it was good to train with him the month prior, as he had run it twice before and knew what to expect.  Also, and more importantly, his wife Susie took care of the logistics for us by renting a cabin right at the starting line, crewed both of us, and provided post-race transportation.  I caught a ride up to Lynchburg with Carter & Susie on Friday afternoon and we checked into the cabin around dark and got to bed early.

Awoke Saturday morning at 430 feeling like ass.  My cold/cough was peaking, and I’d spent a good portion of the evening trying to cough up my lung.  I felt bad for Carter and Susie, as the cabin was small and I’m sure my coughing kept them awake.   My voice was hoarse and I had a headache, and running definitely wasn’t what I wanted to even think about as I crawled out of bed.   Enter coffee.
A quick aside about coffee – it is a wonder drug.   Surprised it’s legal.  I went with the standard progression – a cup of black followed by a cup of bulletproof (blended w/ butter, MCT oil, and a pinch of chocolate protein powder).   Enough caffeine to kickstart the system and enough fat calories to fill the gas tank for the run…and it ensures a good pre-race poo…and it temporarily cured my cough and cold….and it tastes good.   In short, I feel bad for people that don’t drink coffee.

Now that my veins were pumping with caffeine, butter, and oil, I felt good about the day and walked over to the start line at about 0620.  Said hi to a few folks there, and then just like that the RD (race director) gave us the go and we were off.  The daylight savings time shift wouldn’t be until the next morning, so it was still dark for about 75 minutes after the start.   Only things worth mentioning about the first 15 miles were:  1) feet got wet at a creek crossing early, 2) I had to pee twice in the first hour, which put me pretty far back in the pack during a singletrack section where passing was difficult, 3) this was ok…cause I didn’t want to go fast at this point yet anyway, and 4) the Princeton Tech Remix headlight is solid.   I ran with Carter for a few miles of this early section, and we talked about books.   At the 15 mile point was an aid station with crew access, so I handed off my windbreaker, headlamp, and gloves to Susie here, threw down a Vespa (more to follow on this), and went on my way.   I noticed around this point that my left knee was hurting on the downhills, just under the kneecap.  There were a few long downhill sections in the following 10 miles where it started getting annoyingly painful, but not quite to the point where it altered my stride.  I was nervous though…how would this play out as the day went on?  It felt like it was a few bad steps away from flaring up and really becoming an issue.  The good thing was that it felt absolutely fine on flats and uphill sections, and each time it felt like it was on the cusp of really getting bad, we’d hit a flat or uphill section.   At about mile 22 I started a long uphill slog that I think took the pressure off it for long enough to subdue it for the rest of the race.  It wasn’t a factor after that point, but it was definitely a concern early on.

I was staying conservative but still passing folks as we ticked off the miles.  By about 1000am (3.5 hrs in) the sun had come out and it was a gorgeous day.  I specifically remember one mile – mile 24 – as being one of those moments that removes you from the immediate situation and you can really appreciate where you are.  It was flat – which was rare – and we came out of the woods and ran through some open farm fields in a valley surrounded by mountains and fall foliage.   I was engrossed enough in my surroundings that I kinda lost track of my pace….when I looked down at my Garmin I was at a 7 min/mile pace during that section.    Amazing what a little scenery will do.

The essential, if not actual, halfway point of the race is at the Long Mountain Wayside aid station at mile 26.5, the next crewed aid station.  I pulled in here at a little over 4 hours, took in another Vespa, ate some goldfish, and stuck some salt pills in my pocket in case I needed em later (the day was getting warm).   I asked Susie to find out where I was in the field – a race volunteer tracking numbers told her I was in 21st.   I had deliberately waited until this point to even ask, cause I didn’t want to worry about it during the first half.  21st – “ok,” I thought “that’s doing pretty good, and I should be able to move up a few more spots.”     What was very palpable and most surprising to me at this point was how strong my legs felt.  Earlier knee pain aside – my legs felt very fresh and strong.  Also, I felt good on calories and nutrition, only drinking water and taking in salt (via pretzels, saltines, or goldfish) at aid stations.

I left long mountain wayside and headed up the trail.  Literally, mostly up for the next 6 miles or so.   Now that I knew my place, I started keeping track of it.  I was passing folks slowly but consistently, who by this point in the race were spread out pretty well.   I entered what was known as “The Loop” a 6 mile loop that goes in at mile 33 and out at 39, around a peak called Mount Pleasant.  At the 33 mile mark going in I passed two guys who had stopped at the aid station for snacks.  I blew through, only stopping long enough for a guy to fill my bottle.

The initial several miles of the loop were fast – flat buffed single track on which it was easy to open up.  Then some technical climbing.  Then an intersection.  White tape left, white tape right.  Hmmm, this can’t be right, let me check again.  Yep, sure enough…..there were course markings going in both directions.  A decision was in order – I had 3 options: a) go left, b) go right, or c) wait for a runner behind me to catch up and ask him.   I decided on option C, having tried option B in a similar situation at RRR without success, losing not only time but energy in the process.  At least with option C I’d get a quick rest.  I waited for a few minutes – felt like forever – for the next runner to catch up, a young guy in a white shirt that I’d passed about a mile back.  “Have you run this race before?” I asked him.   The answer in this guy’s case was no.   I explained the predicament quickly.  He was confused as I was, but for some logic unknown to me, jumped right to option B.   I called out to him as he ran out of sight “but there’s markers going this way (left) too!”  He called back, “I see markers over here”.
As you can see, not a lot of depth to either side of the argument, and not a very intellectual debate.   I decided to exercise a little more patience, and continue to wait for the next guy.   Thankfully he came a little quicker, only about another minute, and happily it turns out he was a returner.   He explained to me that this was a quick 1.5 mile out and back section of the course, that I should go right and on the return trip go left (or…I guess right…since I’d be coming from the other direction.  Irrelevant).   So – now that I had a solid 3-4 min of rest, I took off up the trail, caught the guy in the white shirt.  “You chose wisely” I said as I caught back up to him and we power hiked up some steep technical rocks.  A few pairs of runners passed us going the other way, coming back down the spur.

I hit the turnaround at a peak-like outcropping, with big vistas of the surrounding valleys.  I only stayed there long enough to confirm it was the turnaround, during which time white-shirt-guy arrived too and told me that I had to punch my race number with a little hole-punch thing hanging from a dive-buoy off the side of the rock.  Definitely wouldn’t have done that had he not told me.   Point – if you’re going to skip the pre-race briefing, do a detailed course study.  However, even when I got home after the race, I reread the course description that was sent out pre-race, and it didn’t give specific instructions for either the intersection or the turnaround point.  This is my only negative review point for the race:  this out-and-back section wasn’t very clear, something that a simple cardboard sign could have solved.

Coming down off the peak, I felt like I had to make up lost time, but this was not a great section to do it.   A very technical downhill section covered in 6-12 inches of brown leaves, hiding the ankle breakers underneath.  Note – technical downhill, though easy on the lungs, is very tough on the legs, and coming out of the loop at mile 39 my legs were feeling fatigued.  Really though, it was the first time all day my legs were hurting, which I can appreciate as not being bad for 39 miles in.  I was out of water and pretty thirsty, also a first for the day.   As I left the loop I saw Susie again, had a quick couple pretzels and my first shot of coke.  And I learned I was in 11th place.  The thought of a top-10 finish hadn’t really occurred to me up until this point, but now it was just within reach.  The next guy up was 4 minutes ahead of me.  New race goal:  pass one more guy and get top-10.   Also, I was about at 6.5 hours at this point, I knew that if I could average a little better than 9 min/mile I could break 8 hrs, which I hadn’t anticipated even being close to.   9 min/mile is extremely doable – even easy – if the terrain cooperates.

The next couple miles were dirt road downhill so I was able to open up my stride and get some juice back into my legs.  I moved into the #10 spot probably around mile 41, then to my surprise saw another guy ahead of me about a mile later.  I passed him while power hiking a steep uphill section, we exchanged cordialities and then I pulled ahead of him into 9th.   The last 8 miles after this were a little lonely, as I didn’t see anyone else, and much of it was very deep leafy single track.   Through this stuff I was essentially shuffling in an effort to keep ankles and knees intact.   I couldn’t manage much better than 10 min/mile, and there were some steep uphills that were slower still than that.   There were a few switchbacks on the trail where I could get a view behind me, and the two guys I had passed were nowhere to be seen, so I was at least assured that I wasn’t about to lose my position.  I hit the last aid station at about 7 hr 40 min, with 4 miles to go.    The last 4 miles were easy gradual downhill running, and I was able to pick up the pace and run it in pretty quick.  I developed a little side-stitch the last mile, which I thought was strange because the exact same thing happened to me at RRR.  The last half mile is on the shoulder of an asphalt road, and then I saw the finish banner off the left side in a clearing.
I crossed the finish at 8:06:52 and stopped my GPS watch.  I spoke shortly with Clark Zealand (MMTR race director) and Dr. David Horton (Hellgate 100k race director).  I thanked Dr. Horton for my Hellgate spot….he let me know that I was one of the very last – if not the last – names selected to race.  He gave me kudos on the run, which was a nice compliment coming from him.

I will say that the somewhat euphoric feeling of the last 500m of RRR wasn’t there for this one, even though I felt I ran overall a better race and placed in a more competitive field.  Maybe it’s because it wasn’t my first 50 finish, so I wasn’t breaking new ground as far as just completing the race.  More likely though I think it has to do with the terrain and the environment.  The high open country of the Rockies is just an atmosphere that lends itself to awe and moments of grandeur.  Also, RRR had a high-energy festive atmosphere around the finish line area at the Steamboat Springs base.  The finish line at MMTR was relatively small and quiet and in a somewhat random spot on the side of a backcountry road deep in the Appalachians.  Kinda cool in its own right, just different.

All done – I sat in the grass for a while, drank a Sierra Nevada, changed out, and watched the runners come in.  Carter came in at 8:55, a solid time for him as well.  We hung out for about an hour then hit the road for the drive back to VB, courtesy of Susie’s driving.

Looking forward, this next month will be focused on Hellgate 100k prep.  Now that I know that I was essentially the last pick for the race, I feel a little bit like I have something to prove.  Also – it’s the last race of the year for me, prior to taking a planned 6 week break from running, so obviously I want to end on a good note.

The environmental factors at Hellgate (leaves, weather, etc) could be a big equalizer, for good or for bad.  Also, the midnight start will throw me off my natural biorhythm a bit….I’m going to do at least one midnight run prior to see how my body feels at that hour.  I will continue to hit the treadmill incline workouts regularly during November, and try to keep my weekly mileage at 60-70 miles through 05 Dec (after a down week following MMTR).   Priority though will be feeling healthy, so I’ll double down on stretching, icing, and making sure all joints are in working order.

Takeaways/Reflections

The good:
•    Treadmill incline training works.  I hit it hard in October, and I think it had a lot to do with my legs staying fresh throughout the long uphill slogs.  Plus it adds a new variable (vertical feet, as opposed to just time or distance) into the training equation.  It’s inherently boring, but I’m able to offset that by listening to long podcasts on the treadmill without distractions.
•    I’m a believer in Vespa, combined with a low carb / fat metabolism diet.  I took in relatively few calories for an 8 hour race – a total of 2 x powergels, a handful of blueberries, and a few saltines, pretzels, and goldfish at aid stations.  I tried some Gu electrolyte drink at the first aid station but dumped it out after one swig – it just didn’t feel right.   I took a packet of Vespa each at 15, 26, and 40 miles….if this had anything to do with how I felt throughout the day then I’m sold.   I had used it on a few training runs, but really just to make sure I didn’t have a bad reaction to it.   I think that the pseudo-ketogenic diet that I’ve tried to maintain in the month+ leading up to the race probably helped too.
•    Altra Superior 2.0 shoes.  Nothing new here, but the more I run in them the more my feet get used to them and like them.  They fit well with my stride.   Relatively lightweight and low stack weight for a trail shoe….but some people like more cushioning.  I had almost zero foot issues over the 50 miles (I kicked a rock and dinged my toe once).

The bad:
•    Left patella (kneecap tendon).   As of today (Tuesday after the race), it feels pretty good but I can still feel it.  Almost feels more like a bruise at this point.   This morning I did 40 min of treadmill incline and then 5 miles easy with no pain, so I’m optimistic that it is healing.  I have the Richmond Marathon this weekend though, which will be a good litmus test.
•    Downhill training.   In Virginia Beach I can replicate uphill and I can do speed work and distance.  I do not, however, have a way to train to long extended or technical downhills.  Once monthly trips to the mountains are tough, and once a month isn’t really enough to make a significant difference.   I may just have to accept that until we move out west, the downhills are going to thrash my legs.  Maybe I could find a long staircase to run down, but even that doesn’t simulate the randomness of an uneven, rocky trail.
•    East coast fall/winter leaf cover.  Brutal trying to run through 1 ft+ of leaf cover over rocky trails.   Hey – that’s part of the deal though.   Plenty more of that coming up in Hellgate in December.