the rat race

[jeff]

Over the years I’ve trotted along a few Turkey Trots, buffaloed my way
thru a dozen Buffalo Stampedes, galloped a couple of Groundhog
Gallops, hobbled thru a Charlie Horse, and ran like the world was
coming to an end in a one of a kind Martian Panic. Although I’ve run
a lot of creature races, both worldly and outer worldly, I have never
ever got caught up in a rat race until this past Saturday.

The Rat Race took place at Wells Mills Park in Waretown, deep in the
heart of the Jersey Pine Barrens. Waretown is known for its bluegrass
and piney music which can be heard regularly at the town’s landmark
Albert Music Hall. Wells Mills Park is a county park with 50 miles
of trail within its 1000 plus acreage.

The Pine Barrens stretches for over a million acres in the middle of
New Jersey. The Hindenburg crashed and burned in the Pine Barrens
(Lakehurst). A few years earlier the “Lindbergh of Mexico,” Emilio
Carranza, also crashed and died in the Barrens as well. A 12 foot
high memorial to his life can be found about 20 miles from the start
of the western trailhead of the 50 mile long Batona (Back to Nature)
Trail. Ong’s Hat is the official name for that trailhead. Not
much there except for the pines and one all by itself Greek restaurant
(food is good). From 1988 thru 2002 I drove regularly to that
trailhead to do long Sunday morning runs on the forgiving sand and
pine needle single and double track paths that make up the Batona and
other unnamed tracks that are encountered out there in the
pinelands. I frequently encountered Boy Scout troops as well working
on merit badges, and birders looking for birds, even dogsled teams
training for races, but rarely did I cross paths with runners except
for the Johnsons, Clive and Janet, a local couple who I cheered on
every year at the 6 day Weston race at the Cooper River track in
Pennsauken.

It’s been 10 years since I’ve run in the Pine Barrens and nearly 20
since I actually raced there, but at Wells Mills Park I was back in
the rat race. There were actually two races, a 10K and a 20K, with the
latter being two laps of the former. The course meandered throughout
the park on mostly single track that bucked and bounced along with
plenty of twists and turns thru pine trees and blueberry bushes. I
suppose the course is similar enough to the Groundhog Gallop or
perhaps that loop in Weymouth Woods. Whatever it felt good to be
loping along on a breezy drizzly end of March, watch out for that
root, kind of day.

And at the end of the day or at least the end of the race, hot
macaroni and cheese awaited as well as hoagies and on tap Heineken.
Award winners received wedges of yellow cheese. I thought they were
made from wood, but someone blogged that they were of cement? The
tech tee shirts were also yellow. I don’t miss the rat race. I
retired from it years ago. I did enjoy this version, though, and
despite a flight delay, I still had just enough time once I got back
to Raleigh to race over to the fairgrounds and the book sale before it
closed.

[Russell Worth Parker]

All,

 

I've read anough great race summaries here, I thought I would add my own. 

 

On Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 7:30 AM I stepped off on the Bel Monte Bad to the Bone 50K in Wintergreen VA. The race directors, Gil and Francesca from the Charlottesville Running Company, have been running this race for at least four years (I did the 25K 3 or 4 years ago) but have moved the course from Sherando Lake Park due to traffic/permission issues. They offer  50 mile, 50K, and 25K runs and a 50 mile bike ride (that starts at 7 AM). The race ends at Discovery Ridge at Wintergreen Ski Resort. The start is about 7 miles away as the crow flies and they had great shuttle service using the resort's shuttle vans. Shuttles ran continuously from 5:40 AM till 6:50. The resort offered 20% off their rooms for racers.

 

I stepped out of the room at 6:30 to a solid downpour, debated taking a jacket and decided to suck it up all day. I had done a particulary atrocious job planning for drop bags etc,  so I was anticipating a high level of suck. I walked a quarter mile to the shuttles and got a ride to the start. My two compatriots (first time ultra runners but Ironman distance veterans) were already there so we sat under a picnic shelter in the rain with all the other lunatics. The race (50m/50k/25K) started promptly at 7:30 and featured a 2.6 mile out and back leg to stretch out the field, which it did very effectively. I planned to start slow and taper off from there, so I got in the back of the pack, headed down hill, turned around and slowed down for the 1.3 mile up hill.

 

From there it got challenging. The race is in the Blue Ridge mountains. That translates to a lot of steep up and down, a lot of narrow ridgelines, and a lot of sharp fist to head sized granite. The trail was well marked with orange engineer flags and lead to rest stop one at about 8 miles (I think). I was moving slower than I expected so was already worried about timing out. The next rest was at 13.1/15.5 miles. There was a flat 1.7 mile out and back that started and finished at the rest stop, a nice touch as I was able to get down a lot of calories over that 2.4 miles. That was important, because the next 5 miles featured a slow, steady elevation gain for 3 miles before beginning a hellish ascent to the top of a mountain and a rest stop. I caught my Ironman friends on that mountain and reminded them of  the slow guy's ultra mantra, "walk early and often."

 

I hit the mile 20 rest stop at the top of the mountain again very concerned about timing out, so I crammed down some sugar and headed out in a lashing, cold rain and pretty stiff wind. I hooked up with a guy from Greensboro named JD who had decided due to cramping it was not his day for 50 miles, so the race crew let him switch over to the 50K. Kudos for their flexibility and dedication to helping everyone have a good day. Kudos to JD for staying in the race (and beating me by several miles) and really keeping me moving. We clicked along together for about 8 miles and then he stepped out leaving me to enjoy what had become a beautiful blue sky and sunny run along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Views were awesome. I hit the rest stop at what should have been the 27 mile mark with about 1:15 left to cover 4.9 milesto make the 9 hour cut-off. Here is where things get interesting.

 

The night before, the word went out that the course was a bit long at 33.68 miles. OK, no biggie, I paid for 31, I got some bonus miles, great. With that said, at least 5 folks I talked to said their Garmin GPS watches showed them at 31 and change at that last rest stop, thus per GPS, the race was about 35.5 miles in total, an assertion borne out by consistent measurements on numerous GPS. Again, no biggie, just interesting and certainly an impact on making cutoffs predicated on 31 miles.

 

Now before anyone accuses me of whining, I am not. It is a GREAT race with a very attentive, generous, and fun race crew (about the best I've seen actually). Just be ready to run a little farther, a little faster if you do this race. So, back to what matters. The race goes straight down hill for a mile or so after the 27 or 31 mile (whatever) rest stop, then straight up hill to the finish at the top of Wintergreen mountain. That was a test. The last mile or mile and a half featured a run through the woods on a barely there trail that ends at the top of a snow covered ski slope. I was saying some words that would not make my mother happy at this point. I ran down the slope, kind of post holing  in the snow and in to the finish. I made it in 8:58, 2 minutes before the cutoff, but it should be noted that everyone thereafter still got a medal and folks waiting on them to clap and cheer, even folks coming in hours later. I thought that was a great touch.

 

Post race, we sat in the ski lodge or on the porch, listened to a great live band they had, and compared aches and pains, while cheering on subsequent finishers. All in all a great race and a reminder why I do these things.

 

My one recommendation: If you stay over at the Wintergreen after the race, get a room on the south side of the building. Our room was over a ball room where there was a fraternity dance and the bass lines kept me up past midnight. The manager gave us another 25% off that night which I thought was generous.

 

Best,
Worth Parker