Holiday Lake 50K++ 2007

As a kid I had heard strange tales of people running ultra-marathon distances, like 30, 50, or even 100 miles. I had imagined what it might be like to do such a thing, but never very seriously.  Until this year. I had worked my way up distance races to the marathon and it was finally time to try an ultra. My running friends strongly recommended Holiday Lake for a debut ultra, it is considered very run-able (due to its relatively flat forest service roads), and it is a David Horton event. I had read David’s book and saw his video, so I was very impressed with his running ability – but a little concerned with his familiarity with extreme suffering. Would Holiday Lake require similar pain?

David offered to anyone interested to run with him along the course loop on two weekends before the race. I joined him and others one Sunday afternoon and made the stupid mistake of running ahead of the group and eventually getting lost. Near dusk. In a winter sleet storm. In shorts. Pretty stupid. I had a course map, but it had fallen apart in the wet conditions. I was close to the finish, at the edge of the lake by the campground. But I didn’t want to get lost even more by continuing in the woods, so I decided to take my chances on the nearby road. I eventually found a house where the park ranger lived and got a ride back to the start. Somehow I was not the last runner to arrive. I decided I needed to join David again the next weekend and run it again, but this time stay with the group. I did, and felt a little more comfortable with the course. Now I was ready for the race.

I was mostly concerned with pace, eating and drinking enough, and what to wear. The consensus from the runners I talked to was that the course was 34 miles long (17 miles/loop). I had timed my run during the second training run and had an idea of how long each aid station was based on info David had provided about the course. (My best guess as to miles between aid stations: 3.5, 2.8, 2.7, 3.1, 4.9, 4.9, 3.1, 2.7, 2.8, 3.5). I used this info and thought I could finish around 4:40 if things went well and I didn’t stay more than about 30 seconds at each aid station. I wrote on my arm the times I should arrive at each station, so I would know if I was going too fast or too slow. The Trailrunner magazine that was given out before the race suggested that ultra runners consume between 100 and 300 calories per hour during events over 1 hour. I planned to run with a bottle filled with Gatorade and then refill it with Conquest when the Gatorade ran out. I also planned to try to eat around three cookies (~100 calories) between aid stations. For clothing, it was expected to be dry and in the teens at the start, then warm up to the 30’s by the finish. I decided layers made sense so I could remove the outer layer at the halfway point. Hat, gloves, shorts with long legged running pants over them, and a compression fit long sleeve shirt with a pullover long sleeve outer layer. I also pinned my race number on my running bottle belt so it would be visible but not attached to the outer clothing layer.

I started about mid-pack to ensure I didn’t go out too fast – which would likely result in a death-march at the finish (I had my share of those with other shorter races). I felt good at the start and slowly passed people at convenient locations. The start was quite cold, and runners’ facial hair and hats were covered with frost by the first aid station. I was a few minutes behind my pace goal at this point. I grabbed some cookies and was amazed at how difficult it was to eat while running. By the time I had forced the last cookie down, I had arrived at Aid Station 2 – where I was supposed to get even more food! This time I grabbed some grapes. They went down much easier. I had made up the lost time by then and was on schedule.

At station 3 I grabbed a handful of pretzels and refilled my bottle. I discovered pretzels are also quite hard to eat while running – they tend to be inhaled – which leads to coughing. I then somehow caught up with a woman who said she was the second female runner, only about 1:30 behind the first woman, according to David. David was leapfrogging in his truck between aid stations keeping up with various lead runners and giving them encouraging words.

At station 4 I was pleasantly surprised to see my family (who I did not expect until the turn around). I was ahead of my pace goal at this point, so I waved to my family and kept on going. I then caught up with the lead woman and started seeing the lead runners on their way back. It was about 2:01 into the race, so these runners were working on a sub-4 hour race! I counted runners that passed me and at the turn-around I was around 16^th overall. I started thinking if I continued to pass runners, I might be able to be in the top 10 at the finish.

I took off my outer shirt, headlamp, hat, and with some fumbling my outer pants with their frozen leg zippers. My wife gave me a Boost (chocolate, with the foil seal removed!) and I ran off to start the second half – at 2:12 – ahead of schedule by 8 minutes. I chugged the Boost down and threw the bottle in a trashcan before the course turned into the woods – I didn’t want to carry an empty bottle for 4 miles if I didn’t have to.

I continued to pass runners and continued grabbing food at each station. I was pleased to find that the cold stream crossings were not that bad, the water quickly drained from my shoes and dried from my bare legs. As I passed runners, I counted down and thought I was around 8^th. At aid station 2 I saw my family again and they cheered me on. I did not see another runner until the finish. I pushed hard on the hills and tried to keep up the pace. At this point It was much like a marathon, but lonelier and with trickier footing. I imagined runners catching up with me, but I never look back, so I kept pushing on. The run was quiet, interrupted occasionally by strange echoing creaking sounds from the frozen lake. Eventually I stepped out of the woods and onto the final down-hill paved section to the finish. I did my best to sprint to the end and was greeted by my family and David Horton himself – who personally cheered on each finisher. The clock said 4:27 and I was very pleased.

My friends were right, Holiday Lake is a great event, and the credit goes to David Horton, his wife Nancy, his race support team, and the Holiday Lake Park staff.  David is a great race director, personally involved in all its aspects, including judging the Best (and stupidest) Blood award. I was thankful not to have earned it. David inspires many runners to run ultras and I am looking forward to my next one.