So time approached and training had been going pretty well to this point, I got through Jemez. I had a small residual hamstring/ butt muscle pain since that race that never got better or worse and never hurt bad enough to go get it checked. It was a nagging pain that did not prevent me from running; it was just bothersome and sat in the back of my mind enough to make me a little apprehensive about the 50.
Flying to run an ultra is tricky. I don't want to check my bag for fear I lose my luggage, yet I cannot carry everything I need in a carry on. Liquids are a No No so I would have to purchase many of my supplies after I arrive.
I landed in Columbus OH and went to gather my rental car. A brand new Honda Accord, in blue and it had less than 180 miles on it. It was also an automatic transmission and the first thing I did was slam my left foot down into the floor board when I tried to start it. Trying to find ‘drive’ was tricky and when I stopped at a light, I instinctively shifted the car out of gear until I finally got the hang of driving an automatic again.
The hour drive to Loudenville was uneventful except that I could not find the Mohican River inn. I entered town and found the road, teaming with canoe rentals, camping resorts, kids running around in towels and bathing suits. I crossed the Mohican river and downstream there were lines of tubes and kayaks bumping over the rapids. This was a hot spot for river lovers here in Loudenville and the Mohican river would not disappoint. Apparently some people did not have trouble finding this place. It was packed with weekenders. I pulled off to phone the Inn and realized I did not have a lick of cell phone service. Question: How does a place that is not on the map and has no cell service bursting at the seams with vacationers? I was a little thrown off to not have any means of communication. I pulled into one of the canoe liveries to ask directions. I was told to drive 6 miles down Wally road, cross a bridge and around a blind curve I will find the drive way to the inn. Nice.
I do as told and there it was, on the top of a hill, a tiny 40 something room Mohican River Inn….not where I was expecting it to be. I check in and get my room….no phone, no wi Fi, not cell service. Fortunately I had borrowed a Verizon Hot Spot from my office before I left and was able to get connected and post to Facebook that I had arrived safely.
I settled in and the next day had breakfast outdoors where the Inn had set up a quaint continental spread for the guests. I think I'm liking this place. It was a lovely pavillion in the woods with bagels and coffee. Later I went into Loudenville to do a little shopping. There were antique stores, Amish Furniture, Native American shops. I had lunch at a diner called Hanover House and had the most delicious apple dumpling with vanilla frozen custard. Hey, I would need those carbs tomorrow, right?
That evening I drove to the Mohican Adventure Park to get my packet and partake in the obligatory pasta feed and race briefing. The place was packed and noisy. We were set up under a large pavilion with packets on one end, some limited shopping/expo items then an area for food service. Around 5:30 the dinner was served and after that we waited for the race briefing. The race director gave a few announcements then handed the mic off to an older gentlemen that had ultra runner written all over him. Long hair, facial hair, thin, khaki shorts and a tech shirt of races long past. According to him…the course was very well marked with ample confidence markers and arrows at every turn. They had an extensive race marking team that had been working or days to plant flags and paint chalk arrows on the ground. Of course it was noted that a large rain just passed through the area so don’t count on the chalk too much…. Nice. All in all, there was nothing out of the ordinary about any of this and the race team seemed well organized and well versed in how to put on an ultra-marathon. I felt like we were in good hands, and returned to the Inn to get my hydration pack filled and lay out my clothes for the morning.
When morning came, the inn had graciously laid out coffee for us early outside the tiny lobby area. I got a cup and fixed myself a bowl of Kellogs Special K High Protein cereal with Quinoa and loaded myself in the car. I did not pack a jacket, just at towel and some clean clothes for after the race if I felt like changing. My drop back contained a bottle of Ensure, and some pedialyte, nuts and some extra jells for the half-way point. I would leave that at the Mohican pavilion since we pass it at the Marathon point. I did not pack a bag for the covered bridge but later I would be wishing I had.
I took the short drive to the start area and I got there just in time to see the 100 milers taking off. I slowed down and pulled off to watch the long train of tiny bobbing headlamps stream off down the sidewalk and into the darkness. I wanted to cheer for them but the race director specifically said we must remain quiet in order not to wake the nearby campers.
I found a parking spot, gathered up my bag and followed the rest of the runners who I know, knew exactly where they were going! We marched under a bridge and followed a trail to the pavilion/start area. I stowed my bag and sat chatting with other runners. The sun was slowly rising, the sky looked cloudy and the humidity was high. We sat and waited. Finally gathering to the start area. I was standing in my usual, mid-back of pack start location and John Kent Leighton, a face book ultra runner friend came and chatted with me. I also chatted with Stacey Shaver, another runner from North Little Rock who found this race and decided to give it a try as well. And after a short wait, we were off, into the rising sun, down the sidewalk and into the Ohio Forrest.
This race takes place in the Mohican State Park in Ashland County. It is 1100 acres of forest just south of Loudonville Ohio. I knew the area was hilly but I was not expecting the climbs I was in for. The course was made up of two loops. The first was approximately 26.9 miles (the marathoners just ran that portion), and the second loop was slightly shorter at 23 miles. The trail was soft, pine needle covered mountain bike trail. I have learned that races on mountain bike trails were usually the most runnable races out there. There was not much technical running and most of it was smooth and shaded. During the first few miles of the race, the sky was overcast and the little bit of sunlight we had barely made it through the dense forest canopy. Under the tall trees there was a myriad of ferns, mosses and low growing, shade loving plants.
It seemed the first two aid stations came and went like a flash. After the second station, we began to descend deep into a gorge. There was a long steep stair case that took us down into the bottom of a 50 foot water fall. Then we traveled along the creek bed deep into the gorge. Finally at the end, we had to climb out of the gorge using the roots of a tree for a ladder. All the while the tree canopy created a rainforest effect that stayed with us the entire 50 miles. I don’t think I saw the sun once during the entire day. A few times there was a threat of rain. I heard it hitting the trees high above, but it never made it down to us runners far below. The towering pines shielded us from it.
After coming out of the gorge, I progressed to the covered bridge aid station. I stopped a minute to stretch my hamstring. I was really feeling the hills on my sore hind quarters. John Kent had caught up with me and I told him about it. “Here have a couple Advil” he said and handed me a small zip top back of the orang-brown tablets. I figured it couldn’t hurt so I swallowed a couple. We proceeded, slow and steady up the hill.
I had been doing pretty good with my nutrition. I was drinking plenty of water with Endurolite, eating the food I had packed and was feasting on the small turkey and cheese sandwiches at the aid stations so far. Feeling really good other than the nagging pain in my backside. I was keeping a good handle on refilling my camel back, but at the last aid station before the Pavillion- start /finish area I got distracted and forgot to fill it. I took off from the aid station, my leg feeling much better from the Advil without even thinking. It was about 6 miles to the next aid and half way through I realized I had finished off my water. This is the first time this had ever happened to me and it was hot. I began to worry I would become dehydrated before I was able to get to the next aid, and I was less than half way done. I kept plugging along and made my way back into the camp area and ran for what felt like an eternity passed the Mohican adventure park, and through the camping areas and to my drop bag. Finally I was saved. I got to my bag and drank the Ensure and the pedyalite which I mixed double strength. Refilled my hydration pack and went back out. I was continuing. I would complete 50 miles and my leg, or silly dehydration was not going to stop me.
Armed with the knowledge that the second loop was shorter I went back out with renewed enthusiasm.
I had been doing pretty well aside from becoming slightly dehydrated. I had been able to eat real food for most of the race, saving the energy/caffeine gels for the last 10 miles. My hamstring had stopped hurting as well, or was it that the pain in the rest of my body was catching up as to make it insignificant….either way I was still running ok going on 30 miles. It was still hot and muggy, like a rainforest in the Ohio jungle. I caught up with a 100 miler doing his second long loop. He was tall and thin and using trekking poles. I asked him if he thought we were getting close to the next aid station and he said “Well, I figure its close. I plan to be there at 1:15 and it’s 1:13….” I was like…really? He knew the course and his body that well to know exactly when he was going to hit the next aid station and he was dead on. I pulled in and refilled my hydration pack. He kept trekking right no along and did not even stop for water or food. The aid stations had started keeping buckets of ice water and sponges for us to douse our heads with. It was delightful as the volunteer squeezed a sponge full of ice water over my head, I almost peed on myself. I picked up a small turkey sandwich and carried it with me as I left toward the Fire tower.
At Fire tower I made a quick potty stop. They had a porta john set up for the folks working the radios there fortunately. I carried on and eventually made it to the covered bridge where the final solid food I could take was some potato chips and M&M's. The aid station people were great. After that it was again, up the big hill but the best part was after the hills we started to hit the camp grounds. I knew then I was going to make it. I crossed a bridge to a camping area and a group of young teenagers clapped and yelled for me. I wanted to cry. Other than my unhappy stomach I was actually feeling pretty good. Back into town I ran and made it to the area around the Pavillion armed with the knowledge I had less to run and got to cross the street and go to the finish. We crossed by climbing down into a culvert that drains water under the highway. cross under the bridge, then back up the other side, not a very elegant finish but when we climbed out, there was a large field to run around and the finish line was visible. The crowd cheered as we circled and finally passed under the finish. I was pleased with it. It was hard, steamy, muggy, hot and beautiful. There were no other words. I collected my things and walked to my rental car. I was so happy that I was only 3 miles from my hotel. I drove in and parked and the owner was there and congratulated me. After a hot shower I knew I needed food. But that could wait. I settled for leftover chex mix and ginger snaps to get me through until I felt like driving again.
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