Bill's Bad Ass 50k: Officially an all weather ultra runner

Goal: 4:38-4:49 depending on weather conditions
Result: 4:50:40, first female, second overall
Strava map: Strava map

     I like running in hot weather. Not necessarily running fast in hot weather, but then in an ultra, you don't really run fast. Going into the BBA50k I worried that I would struggle in the cold weather. I spend every other winter run on the verge of hypothermia so this is not an unfounded fear. But if I ever actually want to tackle Hardrock 100 I'm going to need to get used to some cold weather ultra running. I was invited to apply for this race by Bill Wagner after the Buckeye Trail 50k. The race is free with a donation to the sponsored charity. Girls With Sole benefited from the donations this year.
     This race has the most gain that I've ever tackled. More than 4,000 feet of elevation gain in six five-mile loops with one last brutal mile up "candyass mountain" on the Furnace Run trail. That last mile has plenty of my nemesis...stairs. I can't even run up stairs fresh. After this race I've realized that if I continue racing trail races in Ohio I'd better get so that I can run stairs.
     I approach the first 15-20 miles of these trail 50ks in a relaxed manner. I do my best to feel out the personality of the area. Making friends with the trails is what I call it. Every area has a different feel. This trail had a pretty relaxed aura. On a loop course like this I learn where exactly to place my feet at every step and I copy this pattern for each loop thereafter. I think this is why I have such a good record with falls. I'm alone for a great majority of these races and I do a lot of strange things in my head as the hours go by. I create entire back stories for why I'm out in the elements running slowly for hours, usually involving a post-apocalyptic theme. I listen to a selection of songs on repeat for days before the race so that I get a "song in my head" that will be good to listen to in the later miles. For the later miles I get very focused. I stuff down the caffeine in the last couple of aid stations and tackle the final miles with intensity for the first time in three plus hours. Basically, I'm allowed to race at this point. This doesn't mean I get faster! The body is pretty tired at this point.
Loop description: through the covered bride, up the flooded single track along the river and through the pines, cross the road onto the first long incline. Down into the technical across four creek crossings, smaller inclines after #1 and #3 and then the steep incline after #4. The steep incline is the only place that needs to be hiked. Along the ridge for a mile or so, then down the stairs and through the pine forest, through the bridge back to the parking lot. My least favorite sections were the long, non-technical stretches along the ridges. I felt like I had to run too fast through here and it wore me out.

Starting out on the first loop. Photo credit: Mark Shelton

 
Loop 1: 42:13 Raining to start so I was soaked through in the first five minutes. Pretty sure I set all of the Strava CR on this loop. I had no idea I was going this fast! I ran most of the loop with an experienced ultra runner from PA. I was trailing him for most of it actually. My feet were wet and numb and I was generally cold so it was probably good that I was moving. Effort felt easy.
10 oz of watered down Gatorade

During the first loop. Photo credit: Mark Shelton

Loop 2: 43:57 Still raining for this loop and the flooded trail going out on a new loop numbed my feet completely. I couldn't feel them until I started coming down the stairs on the other side. My Saucony Peregrines were also pinching my feet because they were new. The guy from PA was still with me on this loop, running just ahead of me. It started turning to snow and I had my only doubtful thoughts of the day during this time. This is just too cold for me! You can get warm any time now, body. Hiking up the steep climb after the last creek crossing felt a little harder this time.
10 oz of watered down Gatorade and 1 Gu Roctane
Loop 3: 45:38 I started out alone on this loop and never ran with anyone from here on out. I started lapping people in droves and they were all friendly and stepped off the trail if it was too narrow to pass. I felt bad that a lot of them had to hike because I knew they must be cold. I finally started to feel a little warm running the inclines in the technical. It stopped raining and the wind dried me off a bit. I started the song in my head: Greenlight by Pitbull. This ended up being the smoothest feeling loop and though my feet still hurt, the rest of me felt good. And no knee wrenching!
6 oz of watered down Gatorade 
Loop 4: 47:02 This was my most cautious and worst feeling loop. My feet hurt so bad that I was sure I had sprained every one of my toes. I started flat-footing the climbs to alleviate the pinching but this slowed me down. I definitely had a few desperate moments where I fantasized about pulling them off and throwing them over a ridge, continuing barefoot. The Gu didn't feel good in my belly and I kept burping it up. It also started hailing and began to get windy. I managed to run every climb except the steep one and I made it my goal to run these hills on the next two loops, no excuses! The trail was getting mucky on the long ridge stretches and this slowed down those sections. I never once checked my watch the whole race until the last mile but I knew I was slowing down a lot this loop.
6 oz of Gatorade, 1 Gu Roctane, 2 bites of honey stinger bar

Does my smile look a bit forced? I think this was the beginning of the fifth loop. Photo credit: Mark Shelton

Loop 5: 49:22 This loop wasn't bad. My feet loosened up from flat-footing the climbs instead of toesing them and this improved my mood dramatically. My knees still weren't wrenching. The long first incline was pretty tough for this loop but I got up it with zero hiking. At every incline I visualized myself running it on the final loop. My glutes and hamstrings were getting zapped by all the climbing and the hike up the steep hill was ROUGH. A large tree branch came down on the side of the trail mid-loop, so that was disconcerting. I guess getting killed by a falling tree in the woods wouldn't be a terrible way to die. I think I lapped Angela during this loop and talked with her briefly as I passed. I saw at least two minors out doing this race and that is just incredible. The tenacity and endurance that they have will serve them well in both running and life!
1 cup of coke, 1 cup of water
Loop 6: 49:22 I came into the aid station and asked for coke and water. Kristy was there volunteering and the Bills started heckling about me taking her course record. I think they knew that it was pretty safe on this day! This was my longest aid station but I didn't linger too long. I felt amazing for this last loop. That's the caffeine kicking in. The inclines were tough to run up because my hammies and glutes were seizing up but then I would get to the top and all the blood would rush back into my legs and I'd feel great. I hiked five steps on the incline after the third creek crossing and that was it. I got into the mindset of "maybe I will just do this all day." Like it would be easier to just continue loop after loop all day rather than finish, have to get cleaned up and drive home and carry on with my day. That and I might have to socialize a bit after I finished, which is always unwelcome after being alone on the trail for hours. The flat section along the ridge was completely torn up at this point. Sticky, deep mud that was impossible to move through at a good speed on tired legs. One last zoom down the stairs and I said goodbye to the pine forest. I'll see you again next year!
Candyass mountain: 13:06 Complete disaster. I locked up on the stairs, almost sat down on them when the Bills made fun of me hiking them (I didn't really mind haha), then locked up AGAIN going up the regular hill. I finally reached the "candy" half a mile up, where I looked for the regular candy because I was hungry and wanting a Snickers bar. Nope, not going to snack on crickets on the way down! I booked it back down the hill at about 6:45 pace trying to break 4:50. Coming down the stairs I realized that I was FREEZING.

Finished! Photo credit: Felicia Fago

    

I swear I'm going to try these. Soon.

When I finished I kept repeating that I was cold. Then I couldn't find my drop bag because I had covered it with my coat and in my lethargic state I'd forgotten where I'd even put it. I hardly remember any of the conversations that I had with Hugh the timer, the Bills and Kristy. I was very, very cold. I hurried up to my car and turned the heat on high as I shivered my way home. I had about a half-hour hot bath then took the kids out to eat before I had to be at work at 4 p.m.

Your shoes are your lifeline. Keep them on Renee!