race report
Black River Trail Classic - 2019
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Millston, WI
About the Race
The Black River Trail Classic is put on by nurun co., a local racing company dedicated to “sharing the unique experiences of trial runs” while dedicated to the midwest way of life. The course runs through various segments in the Black River State Forest. The course is composed of various sections of grass, gravel, dirt, and sand. This is by far one of the most scenic races I’ve run so far. Winding through the forest in mid-October, peak fall colors for this part of the state, you can’t help but stop and stare in awe at the various peaks throughout the course. The sounds of artillery rounds from nearby Fort McCoy pepper the background. The race offers 50k, 25k, and 10k options.
Race Stats
50 Kilometers
47 Finishers, 0 DNF’s
Winning Time: 4:22:00
Average Finish Time: 6:27:48
I woke up at 3:30 to ensure I could leave by 4:00. I packed up a breakfast of StōK cold brew coffee and an Epic Provisions Bar then hit the road for my 2 hour drive to the trailhead. I arrived at 6:00 and had some time to squeeze in a quick nap before the 6:30 packet pick-up. After I got everything situated I did my typical routine, an hour or so of nervous pacing while slowly getting ready for the 7:30 start time. With 45 minutes to go, I put down a preworkout drink and a few cordyceps mushrooms pills. Luckily, I ran into a friend at the start line. We talked for a bit, and I was able to occupy my mind until it was time to get going. I didn’t know it at the time, but today I was going to get a real lesson in the community of trail runners. Ultra-running has a unique ability to unite total strangers, from all walks of life, and form real friendships centered around a mutual adversity and admiration. The community that forms around the sport is incredible.
A quick pre-race photo with a new, old friend. Alyson intended to run her first ultra event today, but through a series of unfortunate events decided to pull out. I look forward to racing with her in the future.
At 7:15 we were called to the start line for the pre-race speech and at 7:30 we were off. The race opened up with a nice downhill section where I fell into place with two other runners. We ran together swapping stories and talking about our race history, where we were from, etc. We slowly made our way to the front of the pack and settled into an easy pace with only a few runners ahead of us.
The front half of the race started out with pretty level terrain and easy runnable sections. The only thing that really made running difficult were the sections that had just recently had new sand put down. It had not yet had time to be compacted, and to anybody who has ever run on a beach, this wears you down quickly.
I started off with my normal nutrition plan, after mile 5 I started on Epic Provisions Performance bar and an ATH Organics Lytes drink. Admittedly, I went into the race with less than optimal training, so by mile 7 my legs were already feeling a little bit heavy. My only goal was to finish the race, that was all. I was prepared to run my own race and walk as much as necessary. So I pushed on.
I was still keeping pace with one of the runners who I had by now learned to be named Kelly, but our other friend had dropped off around mile 10 when the course started to add a bit more vert. Kelly and I had been continuously chatting almost the entire time to this point. He was primarily a marathon runner and triathlete, but he had run several trail events before. He only really got into running after he had turned 30. We covered the superficial details and moved on to more personal details. We cover why we started running, I tell him how running helped me with depression and anxiety. He shares stories, but it is not my place to tell them. Ultra-running is interesting in that it allows for a certain level of vulnerability that is respected by all the participants. It’s accepted that we, as ultra-runners, often have demons, things that we would never share with strangers. But other ultra-runners aren’t strangers. We have this shared experience, a mutual struggle that bonds us together. And in that bond we expose a part of ourselves that we often keep hidden. By this point Kelly was no longer a stranger, he was an old friend.
At mile 12 I reached my first and only drop bag. Keeping with my nutrition plan, I put down a few more cordyceps mushrooms pills and an Epic Provisions Salmon Bar. But by mile 13 I started experiencing stomach issues. Stomach issues are something that has only started to plague me in my last few races. I don’t really know what’s been causing them or how to handle them yet. So I took the most sensible approach, I decided to be done eating. I know many runners who had run 50 milers on only water and electrolyte drinks, so I figured I would be fine for the last 18 miles or so.
By mile 18 I was really starting to fade. The second half of the course is continuous hills and they were starting to wear on my already heavy legs. My normal strategy is to walk up hills and fly down them, letting gravity do the work. But I quickly realized, that with all of the up’s and down’s, I would blow my quads if I took this approach. This course required a change of plans. So taking notes from Kelly I walked up and took the downhills at an easy trot.
Kelly and I would roll into an aid station together, but while I had to stop to refill on water and electrolytes, he just blew through them. He was an animal, and I knew keeping pace with him would push me to run harder. So after stopping, I sprinted out to catch up with him making sure to never lose sight.
By mile 20 Kelly and I were locked in. We matched each other step for step for the next few miles, but by this point we had covered most of the typical topics of conversation. There were long periods where neither of us spoke. We were only two or three feet apart, but mentally we may have been a million miles away. I was doing everything in my ability to battle my mental demons, and I suspect he may have been doing the same.
Running has a strange ability to warp space and time. I call it meditation in motion. When I get into the right grove, everything else around me fades away. Time ceases to exist and distance becomes irrelevant. I am left alone with only my thoughts for company. Sometimes my thoughts are welcome company, but other times they are not. This state is where I spent miles 20-24. Thoughts of doubt had been creeping in my mind all race. I should have trained more. My body was worn down. My legs were heavy. I was developing a pain in my hip. I wasn’t strong enough to keep going. I was entering the “pain cave”. But the beautiful thing about the pain cave is you find your way out if you keep moving.
The tail end of the course is merciless. There is a large climb composed of many smaller hills. But if you’re like me and don’t study the map beforehand, you don’t know exactly where that big climb is. This means topping a giant hill and starting on your way down thinking you have the most difficult part of the course behind you only to be heartbroken when the ground in front of you begins to rise again. Every peak gives false hope. And Kelly and I were about to enter it.
At mile 26 Kelly and I rolled into the last aid station. But my time in the “pain cave” had paid off and I was feeling like I had just began running. I knew the most difficult part of the course was still ahead of us, but I was ready to embrace it! Kelly on the other hand, I could tell was beginning to fade. But like I mentioned before, you can develop close bonds with other runners during a race, and I wasn’t about to let Kelly struggle through the last 5 miles alone. I ran up the hills, but once at the top, I walked it out until Kelly caught back up and began running with him until the next hill. Again I ran up, and walked until he caught up. At one point around mile 28 I reached the top of a hill, stopped, and turned to see where he was at. “What are you doing?” he called from the bottom. “We’ve run this whole fucking race together, I’m not leaving you behind now,” was my response. I fed off his energy in the middle and now it was time to return the favor.
By mile 30 I knew we were both going to make it just fine. We had just finished the final climb, and the rest of the course was downhill. We passed a runner from the 25k who happened to be a friend of Kelly’s. So at this point I took off. I knew Kelly would have the moral support he needed to get through the last mile, and I was itching to go. I clocked in at 5:00:09 and Kelly finished at 5:00:43 taking second and third place. After the race we congratulated and thanked each other. I know we both drew motivation and support from the other at different points whether we verbally acknowledged it or not.
I sat down in the grass and let myself breathe. I laid for a minute, then got up and went on my way. But as I headed out a rush of emotion overcame me. That experience in the “pain cave” cave is what started me on my running journey. The sense pushing through such a difficult space both mentally and physically is rewarding. And I was thankful to have experienced it once again.
Shoes: Saucony - Xodus Iso 3
Gear: Saucony - shorts and tank, Inov-8 - pack
Wearables: Garmin - watch, Oura Ring
Nutrition: ATH Organics - supplements and electrolyte drink, Epic Provisions - bars
Recovery: ATH Organics - Post, LifeAid - FitAid Rx