Eagle Up Ultra 50k
Think of all the things you could do wrong in your pre race preparations, and I’ve pretty much nailed them all! I was in Columbus on a work trip and decided that an ultra was the perfect way to bookend the week. My trip consisted of working from 8am to 7pm, then networking (drinking) till midnight every night, whilst being incredibly jet lagged, and waking up at 4am every morning. In order to try and keep myself fresh I ran every morning, ranging from 5 to 15k, probably not ideal but don’t think i’d have got through each day without it.
I wanted to do the race in altras as the toe box is so much better than anything else, buy my road ones are pretty low cushioned, so ordered a pair of Torins, which didn’t turn up till wednesday, so just got the one test run in them.
It was a 2 hour drive from Columbus to Canton which I did the night before the race. There was torrential rain, and I was driving on the wrong side of the road, so I was using my full focus to get there safely. When I arrived at my hotel, I opened the curtains in the room and found the window looking out on a group of people in the jacuzzi, no more than a metre from the window (I wish I had the balls to take a picture rather than just shut the curtain)! I assumed the pool would close at some point, so headed out for some dinner.
Here I hit my next problem: There was nowhere you could walk to. America is crazy like this, massive roads and no footpaths, so I had to grab the car to drive 300 meters to a group of fast food joints. I plumbed for Five Guys; superb burger, but probably not what you should eat pre race!
When I got back to the hotel the Jacuzzi was still going, so I headed to the front desk to get my room changed. To be honest I was amazed they would rent a room like this. My next room had a great view of a brick wall, but was at least quiet so got a reasonable nights sleep.
I got to race HQ about 5.15 to rego and get myself ready. The race has a few options from 50k up to 24 hours. I would love to have done the full 24 hours but had a flight back to oz in the arvo so the 50 was all I had time for. The HQ is fantastically kitted out with food a drinks galore, I know a few runners who would love this. The course is a dead flat 5 mile (8kish) loop that you complete 6 times and finish with a short out and back to make up the 50k.
I did my usual self ceding, and positioned myself about 1/3rd back from the start line. The gun went and off went the hand wheelchair entrants, 30 seconds later the rest of us started. within 50 metres I came to the realisation that this is a proper community event, nary a gun runner to be seen, so ran around a load of people to head towards the pointy end (eek).
There was a group of maybe 5 runners that shot off ahead, and I fell into step with 3 other runners. I got chatting to them on the way round and found out they were all part of teams, so I really was at the pointy end. I figured I’d run at somewhere between and 5 and 5.30 k’s and just try and keep it up for the race. The conditions were warm, but overcast, so figured that should be OK.
The lap runs alongside a canal, very picturesque with good tree coverage to block out any sun too.
Halfway into the lap you hit a bridge and come back round the other side
The other side is a little further from the canal
and runs alongside a train line, exciting stuff!
The lap finishes by crossing another bridge and running through a field back to the start line.
I decided to ditch the hat, as it wasn’t sunny and in true american style one of the guys I was chatting to who was doing the relay gave me a fist bump on the way past, love it!
After the first lap, I started lapping people, I know ridiculous right! I was in fine spirits so decided to say good morning to everyone I went past. Over the course of the race I reckon this must have been hundreds of people. I was thinking how much my mate Joe would have loved this race, and was reminded of the CP ultra that we ran so strongly together a couple of years ago.
The second lap went by without issue. I was running at about 42.5 mins a lap which would bring me home in around 4:25. I decided to have a crack at beating my unofficial marathon PB, which I got during the CP ultra 50 in around 3:44. I was conscious of my first failed attempt to go sub 4 at Gold Coast. I felt the lack of elevation change had hurt me, due to my stride not varying, so took a minute or 2 on each lap to do some strides to stretch out my legs. This seemed to work quite well, as I didn’t have anywhere near the same problems.
The third and fourth laps were again uneventful, but it was starting to get really humid. I was wearing my naked belt, with a 500ml soft flask and gu flask in, with my number attached, so decided to ditch my dripping t-shirt and run au naturel. I was enjoying running in the Torins, but hadn’t pulled one of my socks up high enough, so the back was rubbing against my achilles, leaving a nasty cut which was stinging towards the end.
I was forced to slow down a bit on the fifth lap to throw cold water over myself at the drink stops but was doing ok. By the time I hit the 40k mark though I was really starting to slow. I managed to hold it together enough to sneak an unofficial marathon pb of 3:43, but my legs were now screaming at me to walk.
On the last lap I engaged my inner Luca Turrini, shouting at myself to get going, and was just about able to hold a sub 6 min pace. It’s amazing what the psychology can do for you, as with a couple of k to go and knowing I had the finish in sight I was able to speed back up to 5:20 pace.
I crossed the finish line with a net time of 4:29:43 I’d pushed myself really hard all the way to the finish, and was left a sweating breathless heap at the end, the humidity, lack of sleep, poor diet and copious alcohol had paid its toll!
Eventually I picked myself up off the floor to get my finishers medal only to find out that I’d finished 2nd male, and 3rd overall, get in there, my first (and probably only) podium ever, but how many other people can say they have one :)
