The Batona 50K: My First Ultra Finish

 

Well it’s been a few months in the making; but, I can finally call myself an Ultra-trail runner! I just finished the Batona Trail 50K; but, before I tell you about the race, here’s how I got to this point. I’ve been interested in ultra-marathons for a few years; but, I really didn’t get the urge to run one until my friend Jon asked me to pace him at the Burning River 102 Miler this past July. I was surprised he asked me since other than running in the mountains near Colorado Springs in February and the Santa Monica Mountain Range in March my training, if you want to call it that, had consisted mainly of 3-5 mile Hashruns (still does). I’m glad I was quick to say “Yes” because if I had really thought it over I should’ve said no, I just wasn’t prepared. Jon said he needed me to run through the night with him for the final 26 miles. Now in my mind I remember thinking wholly crap I haven’t gone that far in years; but, I shrugged off my doubts and agreed. I did warn him though that I couldn’t promise anything other than I’d try. I’m so glad I did. It was a great experience. I monitored his food and hydration intake as we went, made sure he urinated regularly, and tried to keep his mind off the miles with stupid jokes and stories. I’d refill his bottles at the aid stations and send him on his way before filling mine and then sprinting to catch up. Mile after mile I observed and learned from Jon and the others runners we came across. When we arrived at the finish line I peeled off to the side so he could cross the line on his own. Although other pacers went across with their runners, I didn’t feel right as I had only ran the last 26 miles not the full 102. That finish line was his, not mine. My finish line was yet to come.

 (Leaving the last aid station at Burning River)

 (Immediately after finishing 102 miles. How can he look so fresh?)

After that weekend, Jon and another friend, Dong, kept encouraging me to sign up for an ultra, filling my mind with visions of my own finish line experience. So, on a whim I signed up for the hilly Mountain Madness 50K being held on September 23^rd in Ringwood, NJ. It’s part of the NJ Trail Series found on https://sites.google.com/site/njtrailseries/. I set up a training plan to prepare for the race and everything. Then along came Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that put an abrupt stop to that as I began pulling 12-16 hour response shifts. I ran a grand total of 22 miles spread over three runs prior to race day. Being the stubborn male that I am, I ran the race anyways. I figured its only 50K, right? I felt great on race day as I toed the starting line. The race director, Rick McNulty, briefed us on the race markings, said go and off we went. The Mountain Madness 50k is a three loop course, with the middle being the longest. I finished the first loop feeling great and running strong. I grabbed some snacks and refilled my bottles quickly getting back on course in just over a minute. Everything was going great until around mile 16 or 17 when I fell on a short but steep downhill and jammed my left Achilles. I felt a pain I hadn’t felt since I tore the tendon a few years back so I made the decision to walk the remaining few miles back to the start. I told myself there would be plenty of other days to run. So I took my time limping back and taking pictures of my beautiful surroundings. Even though I dropped at mile 24.7 I had a great time there, experienced some great trails, and gained some humility along the way. In the past the idea of dropping from a race had never crossed my mind but I knew that I had made the right decision. I’ll return to Mountain Madness next year and I will have my redemption.

 

 

 

So this brings me to this past weekend’s Batona 50K/50M. The Batona 50M is a point-to-point, mostly single-track trail that runs along the entire 53.4 miles of the Batona Trail from its northern trailhead at Ong’s Hat to its southern most terminus in Bass River throughout the New Jersey Pine Barrens. I opted to run the 50k option that ends at historic Batsto Village. Due to this being a point-to-point race the distances are slightly longer due to available parking locations. The Batona 50K is actually 34 miles and the 50M is actually 53 miles. It was a frigid 20 degrees as we gathered at Ong’s Hat for our 6am start. With headlamps on we headed immediately into a thick single-track windy section. I run and hike the Batona a lot so I was able to warn the group I was with when a couple tricky turns were about to come. While the Batona is very well marked with pink blazes the entire length, it’s very easy to be memorized by the surrounding beauty and miss many of the turns. I heard after the race that a bunch of runners had missed turns along the way and had to back track. The group I was running with arrived at Pakim Pond (mile 8) in 1:20:00. I knew that was too fast but it felt really good. Plus, if I followed logic I wouldn’t had been there in the first place with such little training (actually none). I reached the half-way point (17miles) in 3:03:07 still feeling really good. I remember thinking, “This 50K stuff is easy”. I arrived at the Carranza aid station (21.5miles) in just over 4 hours still feeling great. I stopped to refill my water bottles and have a couple cups of warm chicken noodle soup. That’s when the lack of training hit me. Around mile 22 my right hamstring knotted up and from that point until Quakers Bridge area around mile 28. Even though I walked nearly 6 miles my slowest mile was 18:10. After replacing my front water bottle with the one in my pack and a quick snack I was able to combine a slow run with the walking for the remaining 6 miles arriving at the finish in 7:26:10 (13:14/mile pace). According to my Garmin my total moving time was 7:13:36 (12:52/mile moving pace). I placed 6^th out of the 12 that completed the 50K. The funny thing is that neither the time nor the place actual matter to me; I finished and that was my primary goal. I did have a secondary goal of finishing under 8 hours so I actually achieved both goals! So after 2 attempts I finally got my own finish line and like Jon at Burning River a huge smile of achievement and relief came across my face. After warming up in my car I drove over to the Evan’s Bridge aid station at mile 43.1 and then to the finish so I could cheer on my fellow Pineland Striders who were running the full 53 miles. I like to thank all the wonderful volunteers that came out to shuttle runners to the start so our cars would be waiting for us at the finish as well as all their support at the aid stations! The biggest lesson I learned that day was that although I can finish a 50K in a decent time without training it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if I had. Maybe I’ll train for my next one…probably not. And for my hasher friends, this is FLaT On-out.

(8 miles down, feeling great!)

 (34 miles down, happy it's done!)

 

(Pineland Striders: Skip, John and Mike)

 

 

Nov 2016: 43 Hashruns in 2016 and Counting

November 2^nd, NOSE Hash #138 at the Hilltop Preservation in Verona, NJ: I arrived early enough to get an extra 3-4 mile run in before the other hashers showed up. The Preservation has some beautiful rolling trails full of rocks and switchbacks and a whole lot of wildlife; and, is the site of the former Essex Mountain TB Sanitarium from 1907-1977. Eleven hashers took part searching through the darkness for marks of flour on the trees and ground on our way to the awaiting beer stop. We all went to the Verona Inn for food and beverage after.

November 9^th NOSE Hash #139 in Mahwah, NJ: The nights hare, Semper Feline, had laid what he described as a “Great 5 mile trail” in the woods for us; but, local law enforcement decided the park would close early that night so he quickly set a new trail of flour along the nearby roads. Since it was raining very hard the shorter course was well received by a few of the hashers since it meant an earlier trip to the Mason Jar Pub for the On-after and food and beer.

 

November 13^th MDL Hash #9 “I Survived the Elections Hash” at Loveless Nature Preserve in Lawrenceville, NJ: I set a trail through approximately 6 miles of forest, streams, fields, powerlines and up over Rider Mountain, the highest point in the area which a whopping 40 feet above the rest. The trail also took the 4 hashers past a homemade survival shelter, through Rider University, around Centennial Lake and approximately ¼ mile of very thick thorns and brush that had them crawling to get through. I also included 2 well-received beer stops.

 (Wild women of the woods)

 (True trail)

 (Just a little shiggy!)

November 16^th NOSE Hash #140 “Making Hashing Great Again Hash” on trails in the Mills Reservation in Cedar Grove, NJ: Douche Brag set a very nice trail full of rocks, brush, and lots of false trails to slow down the front runner keeping the pack of 17 close together. We all went to the Alexus Steakhouse & Tavern for the On-after.

November 19th Hockessin H3 “PubeHeAteHer’s 40^th Birthday Hash” in Newark, DE: Approximately 30 showed up for the hash which included 2 beer stops and 2 shot-checks. The weather was great to start with temperatures close to 70 degrees but a cold front quickly changed that with temperatures dropping to low 30s by trails end. The On-after was at Pube and Necro’s house where about a dozen musicians jammed the night away in the basement.

 

(The birthday boy bang'n out the beat)

 

November 20^th MDL Hash #10 “Roller Girl’s Pool Party Hash” in Browns Mills, NJ: On this day my daughter, Roller Girl, was to set her virgin trail in the woods near her house; but, she didn’t show up so I ended up setting trail for her. I set a 6 mile trail with plenty of stream crossing, swamp, roots, thick shiggy, firebreaks and sand. The trail also took the runners completely around the “Lake of the Woods” on Fort Dix, past the wreckage of the Tit-anic, and through the Deborah Hospital parking deck. I included 2 beer stops and 1 Jameson shot check along the way. Roller Girl staggered out of her door about 30 minutes late but since we hadn’t yet started we waited for her to get her running gear on. She achieved what I believe to be a hashing first; she was DLF “Dead F’n Last” twice in one hash being last to the hash and last to the finish. She paid dearly for that during the post-run accusations. The On-after was at Roller Girl’s house with plenty of pizza and beer. Did I mention she was DFL twice? I will not let her live it down!

 (Minus Roller Girl who was still sleeping at her own hash!)

 

(She finally woke up!)

 (The crash of the Tit-anic)

November 23^rd NOSE #141 “Thanksgiving Eve Short Beer Mile Hash” in Tabor, NJ: It was held at the house of T&A. About 25 showed up for the hash and the beer tasting that followed. Everyone had to bring some type of beer they wanted to share with the group, the stranger the better.

 (Guinness on trail...best trail ever!)

November 27^th Summit Hash #1765 “The 23^rd Don’t Be a Turkey Hash” in Westfield, NJ: Dog Meat and Milk Bone set a very nice trail around Westfield which included both road and trail. This was a kid-friendly hash and there were about a dozen “Future hashers” in attendance. The On-after was at the Station Bar & Grill in nearby Garwood, NJ. Dog Meat and Milk Bone arranged for a great buffet dinner for everyone and I got to watch my New England Patriots beat the New York Jets so it was a truly great night!

 

 

 

November 30^th NOSE Hash #142 in Morristown, NJ: Lumber set a trail which took the 12 hashers through some very rich neighborhoods, through thick forest, past a lit Christmas tree in the woods, and over the nearby hills before finally returning to our cars. She also included 1 beer/shot check along the way. The weather was not nice. It was cold and raining very hard. Luckily there was a gazebo in the parking lot where we held circle and got into dry cloths. The On-after was at the Revolution Bar where we ate dinner and tried out many different craft beers.

 (Not the only wet balls on trail that night)

I also ran my first race in months. My team, the Pineland Striders travelled to Wilmington, DE on November 26^th for the Delaware 5K Cross Country Championships. This was the last race in the USATF Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Series. I ran alright for not doing any speed work this year nor really having any desire to race; but, it was great to be back out with the team. There were four races on this day including a 1.1 mile kid’s race, the Women’s 5K, Open 5K, and Men’s Master 5K. Our team placed 4^th  which put us 4^th overall for the series.   

So there we have it, 43 Hashruns down, 7 to go to hit my goal of 50 for the year. In the words of my high school cross country coach, Russ Pickering, I will "Get It Done"!

December 2015 (part 1): The Post-op Trail to Recovery

30Nov – 6Dec (Week 6 post-op):

Tuesday, 1Dec15: I had a great run in the rain on the Monmouth Battlefield State Park trails. I ran the Yellow, Green, White, Red, and Green trails all end-to-end. I didn’t see anyone else on the trails but I did see 5 deer. This was my first run without the knee brace and, at 5.6 miles, it was my longest outing since my operation and everything felt great.

Wednesday, 2Dec15: After yesterday’s test of my knee without the brace I chose to rest my legs and spend an hour doing yoga. I followed along with my favorite yoga DVD (Yin Yoga) by Travis Eliot which gets deep into the connective tissues by holding each stretch 3-7 minutes. This is part of the Ultimate Yogi series of DVDs. I always feel so good after doing this workout.

Thursday, 3Dec15: With my body’s great response to yesterday’s Yin Yoga session I chose to do the same tonight.

Friday, 4Dec15: I had planned to run this afternoon but my dog Sparta was sick so I stayed in with him and continued to work internally. I started with the Ultimate Yogi Mountain Pose series followed by some Pranayama (breathing) techniques and finally 20 minutes of meditation. While I still wish I had ran I do feel really good.

Saturday, 5Dec15: Sparta and I ran the Whites Bog inner 4.1 mile loop after work. This was my second run without the knee brace. Everything felt great, I think the yoga the last couple days helped. The water in the bog must be getting cold because Sparta only jumped in twice. .

Sunday, 6Dec15: Keeping with my focus this week on muscular health, I finished today off with the Ultimate Yogi Mountain Pose series and 36 Sun Salutations. This was a good week and my body truly feels good after all the yoga.

 

 

 

7-13Dec (Week 7 post-op):

Monday, 7Dec15: Took the day off, no training.

Tuesday, 8Dec15: I ran the 4.1 mile Whites Bog inner loop with my dog Sparta after dark. After returning home, I added P90X Stretch (1hr) and AB Ripper X (15min) followed by the Ultimate Yogi Mountain Pose series, Pranayama breathing and finally some meditation. Tonight was a great night.

Wednesday, 9Dec15: Today I walked 4+ miles after work on the Lawrenceville dirt track. Then later in the evening I did 36 Sun Salutations and ended with my Ultimate Yogi Gentle Yoga DVD (1hr).

Thursday, 10Dec15: I was going to run but I was really tired so I took a nap after work and decided to just workout inside. I worked up a great sweat with my Tapout-XT Muay Thai DVD and then cooled down with the Ultimate Yogi Mountain Pose series.

Friday, 11Dec15: Today I just worked on a lot of stretching, no structured workout. I finally got to the last of the blue berries I picked this year so I added them to my peanut butter and onion sandwich for some extra flavor. I used Vermont Peanut Butter Co. chunky because it's all natural and it's made in Vermont like me so you know it's good!

Saturday, 12Dec15: This morning I ran with Ted and Diane Hardies on Black Run Preserve trails. This was my first time there. They have some great trails there consisting of single and double track as well as dirt roads and they are very well marked. After Ted and Diane left I ran on the trails and sand fields around the superfund site just south of Black Run Preserve. The trails were nice but it was the sandy fields that made me work. It was like running on the soft sand down the shore; a lot of effort for not much speed. It was a great morning. Then I got a long-needed massage in the afternoon and finished the day with an hour of Yin yoga just before bed.

Sunday, 13Dec: Today I hiked the Batona Trail leg 1 (8.1 miles) from Ong’s Hat to Pakim Pond with my kids Asia and Kriss and our dogs Sparta and Honda. While I have ran this many times it was the first time I had ever slowed down to hike it. It was a nice change of pace and a great time for the family to bond. This was Kriss’s first time on the trail and Asia’s third time on this section. The trail was mostly dry and the unseasonably warm weather felt great at nearly 70 degrees. I don’t imagine it will be anywhere near that warm when we hike the next sections.