tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16516930.post-61285778221354639872007-12-30T11:36:00.000-05:002007-12-30T11:44:56.557-05:00Josh Dillingham gives his 2007 race report on the weblog "<a href="http://joshdontherun.blogspot.com/2007/12/huff-50k-race-report.html">On the Run</a>." <br /><br />His goal was 25 ultras for 2007. The 2007 HUFF was his 25th ultra of the year. Goal met.<br /><br />He finished in a time within 8 seconds of his HUFF finishing time in 2006.<br /><br />Josh writes:<br /><br /><blockquote>I expected to feel pretty good going into HUFF because I hadn't run in two<br />weeks, so I thought I would be fresh. WRONG! I guess I really underestimated the<br />impact of the CrossFit workouts I've been doing. With the squats, burpees,<br />rowing and snatches I did this week, my quads were toasted before I even started<br />the race. Not to mention the 5k I ran yesterday, probably not one of my smarter<br />ideas.<br />HUFF is a 10.8 mile loop course repeated 3 times (you're correct if you<br />think that doesn't add up to 31 miles.) It is run around J. Edward Roush Lake in<br />Huntington Indiana. It's a pretty flat trail run. The course is usually either<br />muddy or snowy. This year it was muddy.<br /><br />At the start of the race my quads felt heavy and a bit fatigued but I<br />didn't think it would be a big deal. I ran HUFF last year so I knew what to<br />expect as far as pace and terrain. My rough game plan was to run the first loop<br />in a comfortable time, something around 1:45, then pick it up on the final two<br />loops to run negative splits and finish with I time somewhere between 5:10 5:30.<br /><br />That worked pretty will for the first loop.<br /><br />I came in at 1:48, but I knew I was in trouble. My quads were already<br />completely fried.<br /><br />If it wasn't for the fact that I was trying to keep up with Mike, I would<br />have ended up walking most of the 2nd and 3rd loops. Every time I slowed down,<br />he caught up to me and cracked the whip.<br /><br />We ended up running the entire either together or within a minute of each<br />other, not by design, that's just how it happened. Believe me, I was trying to<br />drop him, It just wasn't happening today, he was strong!<br /><br />At the beginning of my third loop I started re-tooling my game plan. 5:10 -<br />5:30 was way out of the picture. Now I would try to beat last years finishing<br />time of 5:56 (I couldn't remember the seconds. Not a big deal right? You'll<br />see.) But as I started the third loop that goal began to slip a way steadily.<br /><br />I felt so bad during the second loop, it really didn't get any worse for<br />the third.<br /><br />My quads were useless, and something weird was going on with my ankles (I<br />was worried about it during the race, but afterwards I notice both ankles hurt<br />in the same spot so it most be due to the two week running break.)<br /><br />I kept plodding away until I got to the last aid station, with about 3.5<br />miles to go. I looked at my watch, which said 5:23. That meant if I could<br />maintain 10 minute miles I could finish under 6 hours. That would be easier said<br />than done, seeing as how I hadn't been maintaining consistent 10 minute miles<br />since the end of the first loop. They were now hovering anywhere from 10-14<br />minutes depending on the muddy sections and the road sections.<br /><br />Regardless, I thought I would give it a shot.<br /><br />Mike was right on my tail at this point. I tried to get him to follow me,<br />but we were both giving it all we had. I decided to make my final move. when I<br />got to the 1.8 mile to go point, I looked at my watch: 5:39.<br /><br />I was keeping a steady pace. This is when I started thinking again about<br />beating last years 5:56. It would be tough but I though I had a chance.<br /><br />I kicked it into gear. I reached the final .8 miles with 7 minutes to go. I<br />kicked it into the highest gear I had left and speed to the finish. The final<br />.25 miles is on pavement. When I hit the pavement the clock read 5:55, I crossed<br />the finish line in 5:56:41.<br />S<br />till unsure if I had beaten last years time, but pleased with my effort on<br />a day when I had far less than my "A" game.<br /><br />I really only had one running goal for 2007. That was to complete 25<br />ultras. The Huff was number 25. I'd call that a successful year.<br /><br />Congrats to Mike on a fantastic gutsy run. I'll let him tell you the<br />details.<br /></blockquote>Mitchnoreply@blogger.com