The Straw that Broke the Camals Back You choose a race, register, get your training plan together, make hotel/car rental plans, bribe a friend to crew:), and put it all together.(cross your Ts and dot your Is) and of course put together the countless hours of training necessary to carry out your race goal. So, you put in all these hours of preparation AND you find there is no amount of preparation that could prepare you for what you will ultimately encounter on race day...good,bad, or in different:) This was Spartathalon 2014. As many of you know, I registered for Spartathalon in April and started my training immediately after that. I hustled April and May to establish a training base then used my summer months(June, July, and part of August) to build the miles necessary to prepare for the 243km stroll through the Greek country side:) The training during the summer also included a couple tune-up races to focus on speed.(San Francisco Marathon and the Santa Rosa Marathon) The plan went to schedule except for a heel pain issue that arose in late June and did not get any better by race day. Because the heel issue got worse when I would heel strike, I didnt do as many training runs in hilly terrain(uphill=low impact and downhill=maximum impact) like I had previously planned and because speed work forces you to heel strike more, I did a very limited amount of speed work, when I would normally do two speed workout sessions a week....I probably did a TOTAL of ten in preparation, but that is why the marathon races were so important. They allowed me another opportunity to work on my speed. And those results told me that my speed WAS where it needed to be, even if it WASNT where I wanted it to be. In general, I put in between 100-120 miles per week during the summer months with no loss of training time due to injury. The only losses were in the QUALITY of training as I had to alter to allow for recovery and NOT lose training time. However, when September hit....the week following the Santa Rosa Marathon....my heel pain turned to heel pain/numbness in my shin and training time had to be put on hold. In all....I ran less than 100 miles from September 1st to race day September 26th. ZERO runs involving hills or speed. But, what September lacked in training, it didnt lack in therapy visits. I saw SEVEN different massage/chiropractic/physical therapists a total of 11 times in the month of September! That included three visits in Athens with Mike Kalenderis a chiropractor/massage therapist the three days leading up to the race. And on a side note, Mike was a God send and Im not referring to his occupational skills even though his work helped get me healthier to run this race, but just the quality of person he is. I made a friend for life! Well, I awoke pre-maturely race morning(4:25..alarm set for 4:50)...race start 7am)and new I couldnt fall back asleep, so I woke up and started my morning preparations which included a quick body diagnostic check....all systems were ready to go. My mentality about my heel injury remained the same all week long, it would not be an issue race day. Why you might ask? Because everything was going to be hurting after about 30 miles, so I wouldnt notice a thing:) I had been preparing myself, as much as possible, to mentally deal with that for seen pain during the race. We load the bus and with help of my IPod Shuffle, I begin to mentally prepare for the journey ahead. I also had a long prayer session on the bus and felt I was in a good place mentally to run this race. For months I had been trying to prepare myself for the pain I would feel and for the doubts that may cross my mind....trying to focus on those thoughts/pains that are significant/insignificant. This wasnt my first rodeo, so I was pretty well in-tuned with dealing with those thoughts when they arised. The bus unloads to a pattering of rain outside which is ironic because this race is known for its humid hot conditions. We make our way up the paved hill to the Acropolis in Downtown Athens. It was a serial scene as the runners gather outside the lit Acropolis in the morning darkness with rain drops falling:) I was pleasantly surprised to see my American/Greek Crew Team at the start of the race David Adkins and Lydia Tyraki right before the start. We exchanged hugs and of course a selfie before the storm of the race would begin. The countdown began and the gun went off and the race began. In the beginning of the race I just didnt want to skip/fall, get out of the big crowd, and settle into an easy rhythm. See the first miles of the race meander through the heart of Athens the typical Friday morning work traffic. Ingesting exhaust fumes was a requirement on race day:) With the help of fellow American Dave Krupski accomplished just that. We settled into an 8 minute per mile pace(his splits came out faster because he has a better GPS watch:) for the first 15-20 miles. But more importantly, we were able to share some lite conversation and comfortably paced miles before the teeth of the race would develop. When we rolled into an aid station together and one took longer than another, the other would wait. However, as we were closing in on Megara, the first major check point(26.2 miles), Dave and I came into an aid station together and as I waited he waved me on to go ahead. It was kind of a symbolic gesture because it was almost like he was giving me permission to go race....letting the leash off of the tiger so to speak. I know this isnt what he meant, but I felt warmed up and now ready to get into a position to race. The only downside was, I may have to run the remainder of the race with no company. Just me and my thoughts and for those that know me well, I typically dont mind that. Character flaw I suppose:).....racing advantage however:) See, thats why I was here. Not just to be a participant, but compete. See, I know I have a short time to compete at this level, so heal pain or no heal pain, I was going to race as best I could. I just didnt know if my training would match my desires. Well, I pushed the pace a little heading into Megara because it would be the first time I saw my crew and I wanted them to know my intentions for the day:) Unfortunately, I arrived sooner than they expected. Lydia caught me in the aid station out the corner of her eye and she yelled to David, as he was at the car mixing up some instant mashed potatoes. I improvised and grabbed some food from the table. By this time David met me with a fresh water bottle with cold water and a ziplock bag of food for the road. Shocking to David, he grabbed the wrong bag and was holding a bag filled with left over bread crumbs a from sandwiches he and Lydia had eaten and a fork. In his haste he grabbed the wrong bag:) No worries though as I had enough food and I was on my way. However, as I was running out of the aid station, I looked back and distinctly saw David make a gesture of frustration as he didnt have the correct bag of food. Well, a short time after that they drove up next to me on their way to the next aid station. We exchanged a few encouraging words which included me telling David not to worry about having everything I need each stop. There is no expectation on my end that him and Lydia do so. See, this is a man who had sacrificed 8 days away from his life/wife/work to help me fofill my dream and Lydia, who has spent countless hours in preparation for this race, which included a Wednesday pre-race drive of the course with David(13 hours total) and two days away from her son and all the other behind the scenes work she did in preparation to drive David around this crazy country:) However, I had a few requests for their next major aid stop in Corinth(81km)a ice water soaked buff and chicken soup:) And for the remainder of the race, things went seamlessly. The stretch from Megara to Corinth was comprised of a long stretch of running along coast on the Old Highway of Greece. Absolutely gorgeous! And to my surprise, the calm mostly cloudy conditions turned into a steady welcomed rain. I was getting into a grove and I could see runners ahead on this open stretch of highway. I had no idea how many runners were ahead and it was too early to worry about that. In this approximately 40km stretch, I was making my way up the field, passing a number of runners while being able to run within myself. The rain quickly dissipated but the combination of wet feet and hilly winding roads would lead to some uncomfortable blister situations later in the race. Corinth(81km) approached and we made our way off of the coast. The sun was out and it was beginning to get warm. But before that, I was joined by two time Spartathalon Champion Ivan Cudin from Italy. We shared a mile or two together and talked for a while. Then, he moved ahead and decided to pish the pace. no one went with him but the race at this point had begun to take shape. The contenders had their way to the front and everyone, including last years Spartathalon winner from Portugal, was jostling for position. The hills and the teeth of the race were off in the distance...we all knew that. I came into Corinth, saw my crew, grabbed my supplies, and I was on my way.....very quick and to the point:) Soon after exiting the aid station, the runners run over the walkway that overlooks the Corinth Canal. What a sight! When you are in a race mindset you sometimes dont take the time to enjoy these moments. But that is a view I will never forget. The race leaving Corinth heads into Greek wine country for a number of miles. That included about 20km of climbing leading into Nemea(125km) this signaled the first low point of the day for me. The heat, hills, and the battered and blistered feet from the relentless rolling terrain we covered from Athens to Corinth took its toll. My feet/quads were already showing signs of fatigue. No surprise due to the lack of downhill training the last two months. And as the feet and quads go, so does my stomach. The first signs of this is when water doesnt taste good and I can tolerate less sweets. This was a problem because cookies, gels, gummie bears, and chocolate were a mainstay in my racing diet. And with roughly 90 miles to still cover this wasnt a good sign but I wasnt discouraged. I just had to improvise. But even as I was fighting through this low point, I moved into second place during this stretch leading into Nemea, one of many small villages/towns along the route from Corinth(81km) to Tegea(195km). It was exhilarating to enter each of these small towns. Kids on foot or bike from the town would generally meet you first then parade you into the aid station. I was asked numerous times what country I was from or what my name was and I was even asked by two boys for an autograph, however, I had to decline on that request as I didnt feel the stop would be beneficial to my legs at that point:) The picture Im trying to paint is that I was like Lebron James walking into their living room. These small towns arent visited very often as they are difficult to get to/off the beaten path. The circus was coming to town and the whole town was out to watch and take in the moment. So, I would arrive to an aid station to a thunderous applause and as I was barking out my demands and getting all my supplies, you noticed the on lookers were hanging on every word you said and trying to read my body language, like I said, take in the moment. It really was unbelievable! Nothing like I had ever experienced. Along with enthusiastic towns people, there were numerous television/media outlets covering the race at major check points and out on the course. There were a number of times that the crew from endurance.net would pull up next to me out on the course, take pictures and then talk with me to get an idea of how I was doing. We became friends because of all the encounters during the race. I even exchanged words and handshakes from the crew after the race. Moreover, they would be set up at most of the aid stations taking pictures and posting to Twitter as I later found out after the race. You would turn around the blind corner of the aid station and be greeted with photography flashes. I felt like I was running down the red carpet:) And all the while there was a second media crew filming the race as it unfolded. They would pull up in front of me, a man would get out of the passenger seat, open the back of the car, hop in, and begin shooting Footage as I ran behind them. i would make comments in the direction of the camera not knowing if sound was even being recorded. In all reality, it all seemed very glamorous and to the outside viewer it might have appeared this way but I was focused on the task at hand and never allowed these distractions to alter my focus. So, I headed into Nemea getting through a rough patch and beginning to feel strong. Ivan had opened up a big gap but I was starting to open up a gap of my own on third and fourth place. The message to my crew was chicken noodle soup/broth/Vespa for some extra fluids and mashed potatoes as my main food sources. As I said earlier, water wasnt tasting good, so I wasnt getting enough fluids in with water alone. However, I thought if I supplemented some chicken broth, I might be able to hold off the dehydration. Moreover, I went to the Yoannis Kouros idea of a bite of food every 10-15 minutes. I would take a spoonful of mashed potatoes every ten minutes on the dot and unbelievably it worked....sort of. To this point of the race I hadnt walked a step except in an aid station and that continued from Nemea(125 km) through Lirkia(150 km) and to the base of the mountain(158 km). In that stretch my energy levels were good but I was naturally slowing to an 9-9:15 average pace per mile. But, I had one of my strongest stretches of running during the race from Lirkia to the base of the mountain. It was a 8km stretch that included about 2000ft of climbing. I maintained a steady 10 to 10:30 pace the entire climb. No wonder my crew reported after the race that I was a little wobbly when I arrived to the aid station at hr base of the mountain:) After changing my singlet and grabbing a windbreaker for the climb up and over the mountain, I forgot to grab my mashed potatoes from David and made the climb and descent without my fuel. No worries. I grabbed a small bite of something and some coffee at the aid station at the top of the mountain, where I arrived at 15 hours exactly for 100 miles or 160 km. 30 minutes behind Ivan but 25 minutes ahead of third and 50 minutes up on fourth. I was very fortunate to have an aid station volunteer accompany me on the hike up the scree infested mountain trail:) He entertained me with his conversation. It was a much needed break from the intense mind set I ran with for much of the race. See, besides the small conversation with media crew on the course or words exchanged between me and my crew, I had been on my own for the last 100km. I finished my coffee quickly and I made my way down the steep scree infested switchback downhill on the backside of the mountain. This did not feel good to the blistered feet I had been carrying around for the better part of 80km. On top of that, my quads were shot. Not a good technical downhill combination. I was also staggering at this point as night fall had set in, 10pm. And for whatever reason no amount of caffeine would do the trick. But I held it together for the long switchback decent without one stumble or fall:) After coming off the mountain, I went through my second low of the day. This low produced much worse results because I had to begin to walk short sections. The decent proved too much for my stomach and I became exhausted very easily. I come only run 30-40 seconds before I was short of breathe. This continued into Nestani(171 km) the next major aid station. My crew welcomed me with a cup of milk. I had just got passed by Floria Reus from Germany and now was in 3rd place. The run/walk strategy continued to the next major crew station at about 181 km. This section of the race was in very dark unpopulated sections of the course. Run to a tree, walk for ten seconds, run to a road sign, walk for ten seconds. It was survival at this point. But I could detect my body was making a comeback. I endure longer stretches of running without getting short of breathe and when I reached Teagea(195 km) I ran the previous 8km to the aid station. That didnt prevent me from getting pasted by the Latvian runner and now I found myself in fourth place. I came into the Tegea aid station as the Latvian runner was leaving. I grabbed some coffee and a few spoonfuls of yogurt(provided bu a family in the village when my crew requested it at the aid station and they didnt have any) from my crew and my wind breaker and I was on my way. This wasnt before Lydia insisted I put on my long sleeve shirt. Lydia had tried with no avail to get me in that long sleeve the previous crew aid station and I wasnt biting. I felt warm and saw no reason to put on extra clothes and begin to overheat. Lydia was so persistent because all the other runners that were ahead of me had jackets on and some had a long sleeve with a jacket and I was just wearing a singlet with arm sleeves. But I insisted I was good and only took the windbreaker as a compromise:) Well, the lack of clothing broke the camels back. What I forgot about was the 20km steady climb to an elevation of 3,000 out of Tegea. Moreover, the star filled sky became quickly cloudy, the winds picked up, and tiny drops of rain fell for a short time. This may have not had such a negative impact if my pace didnt slow to a screeching halt. The climb became too much for my stomach and lungs as I became exhausted after on my ten seconds of running. The hill and the weather began to expose my bodies deterioration. I stagger into the aid station at 200 km and asked for a blanket as I was chilled and needed to warm up. They didnt have anything. they could only offer a tarp. Moreover, they didnt have hot soup or coffee because they had nothing to heat it with. I was afraid to attorney to get to the next aid station 2+ miles away in fear I may not make it. So, I bundled up in the tarp and had the aid station volunteers try to contact my crew at the next crew aid station and have them drive back and give me clothing. After they had no luck trying to get ahold of my crew by phone, they took matter in their own hands and one of the volunteers drove to the next aid station to get my crew themselves. After a short time, they were back with the clothing. I put on multiple layers of clothing but the damage was done. After a little nausea session, to try to clear the stomach, I ate some dry toast and consumed a little salt water, then proceeded to the next aid station. It took me 1:15 to go three miles. I couldnt walk straight and I could not run because of all leg damage incurred during the day. I really had two choices......drink and eat as much as I could, hope the sun coming up would help with the staggered walking, and walk it in to Sparta 33km away(21 miles) or I call it a day. I unfortunately have been faced with this decision too many times in my ultra running career and it isnt ever an easy one. I wanted to head to the next aid station to see if I would get better. Lydia agreed. David, medically, had a problem with me continuing after the last aid station and was almost insistent that I not continue. David suggested I call my wife and ask her advice, so I did.... Holding back tears of disappointment, I made her aware of the situation. She said she would support any decision I made but she made it clear that whatever decision I made I would live with and as long as I could live with the decision and have no regrets the decision was good with her. I got off the phone. Handed it to David and told them that I was going to the next aid station. But after about 50 yards of walking, I knew this walking pace wasnt realistic. So I turned around, flagged Lydia and David down and told them Im dropping. I ran my body to the end and the end unfortunately was 210km....33km from the finish. The amount of disappointment I was feeling was almost too much to bare and the dead silence that followed in the car leaving the aid station was something I will always remember. How quickly a day can change when your body is on the edge. But when you are trying to do great you take that chance. But if you never take that chance youll never know whats possible.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 05:13:46 +0000
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