This is my second time at Laurel Highlands and I can't rave enough about this race. I've dug out my last year's report of the Laurel Highlands 77 miler - last year was the second and last time they had to re-route the course because of the bridge that was being fixed over the turnpike. Last year's report has a lot of details about the course, like elevation and such. The details about how scenic and gorgeous the trails are continue to hold true. The only thing that was slightly inaccurate in my last year's report and in my memory is how d@mn tough this course is.
The first 8 miles are the toughest part of the course as you go over three little valleys and then a 2 mile 1300 ft uphill stretch with no switchbacks. I summoned all that was left from my HURT hill training and experience. Massive calves to the rescue!! When I reached the top of Mount Laurel and my legs were trembling like jello, the only thing that offered some solace is the valley down below covered in white fog. In that dizziness it looks like a big lake of whipped cream. So darn pretty!
This year there were 123 starters in the 70 miler, which is the most they've ever had in their 33 year history. A lot of really fast men at the start and definitely more women than last year. They all vanished in the fog of the 5:30 start, never to be seen by mere mortals like us. The results are up and the winning time is 11:30, with the female record broken at 13:34 by last year's winner, Debbie Livingston. Just amazing...
Once on the top of the mountain, I had this notion that the course was gently rolling, but I guess it is when you aren't pushing the pace. Everything rolls when one strolls... Last year I wasn't pushing it as hard as this year. I soon realized that though there were many runnable places, the course does not offer too many flats and when it does, you end up running them (because it is a sin to walk anything that is runnable), then you start praying for an uphill to give you a chance to regroup/eat/drink. This routine became pretty much the theme for the race, as I was pushing the pace knowing that I won't be racing for a few more weeks while I'm busy with life.
Stephan and I were close for about the first 46 miles and we started together with the Ontario contingent (6 in total). We quickly separated and then kept leap frogging as I was making my early morning pit stops. Things were going well and I was happy on the first 8 miles, but I realized it was going to be a tough day once it heated up. My legs felt tired from early on and I could definitely feel the effects of Sulphur Springs 100 that I ran 2 weeks earlier. But my springtime injuries and woes seemed to be quiet, so I decided to make it a race. My conservative plan was a sub-18:00 finish, but then I figured I should try to go way under that and just see what happens. Once thing I learned this winter is that if I could finish HURT100, I can finish anything and I reminded myself of that during the race. Easier said than done... Make no mistake, the Laurel course reminded me a lot of the trails in Hawaii, minus the crazy roots, the big boulders and the narrow steep drops on some of the trails. Otherwise, Laurel offers plenty o' black dirt single track full of rocks and a couple of roots, lots and lots of rocky sections and lots of ups and downs on the side of the ridge.
The day was heating up and Stephan and I ended up running together for a long stretch, just making distance, talking about the trails, talking about getting m'am-ed and sometimes just quietly focusing on the trail ahead. We kept saying that maybe we should take it easy in the heat, but once we started to pass people, we got a taste for the race. Stephan says to me "you might be in the top 3". I tell him, "I don't care, I'm just not letting any female pass me." So the race was on and we pulled and pushed each other in the midday heat. I was drinking well and popping my lavasalts based on how I was sweating, not on a fixed time schedule. I wish there were more water stops so I wouldn't have to ration my water, but the way they have it set up adds to the challenge and that's fine, I guess. We must have run together from about mile 26 to 46 and occasionally we had to force ourselves to walk, just to cool down a bit. We both knew we were unwise to go at that pace when everyone was slowing down to save energy.
At the aid stations I was always filling my bra with ice and that is my strategy to keep my core temperatures down. I move the ice cubes under my armpits and around my heart and think cool thoughts.
This is harder for guys, but hey, we should have some advantage over them at least once. I was taking out cubes and pressing them against my temples and the base of my neck and cooling my forehead. It was hot and occasionally the breeze was a godsend, as was the lack of humidity. Before the noon hour I popped a magnesium pill to stave off any chance of cramping and then another one around 3 and another one in the late afternoon. No cramps, just tired legs, but no pains, no blisters, so I was super-happy. Around the 45 mile, shortly before the 46 mile aid station I was feeling I was overheating and running in the red zone. I stopped at a creek to wash my face, neck and pour some cold water over my head. It was so refreshing. I also picked up a couple of palm-sized flat rocks from the creek and put them under my armpits to help cool my rapidly overheating core. It felt amazing, so I ran into the aid station with rocks under my armpits. Stephan says to me he needs to pull in here and stop for a few minutes to cool down before something really bad happens, so he tells me to go ahead and catch the woman that just left as we got there. Quick refill and off I went to catch this lady who kept on my tail for a good chunk of the course, putting some pressure on me.
I was feeling ok, not perfect. a lot of people were walking. This is a 13 mile stretch that will make or break the race for many people. Mile 46 is CP3 and the next stop is CP4 at mile 57. This felt like a long section and I was running out of water. I was pretty much forcing myself to eat (Larabars and other bars, a cookie, mini Snickers bars, a whole banana). I found the banana was an amazingly efficient fuel and ran happy with it. The orange wedges I kept as little rewards when I hit certain mile markers. It was now late afternoon and the heat subsided, but we were running on the sunny side of the ridge (NW) and in full sun sometimes. The mountain laurels were in full bloom (they're about 2-3 weeks early this year due to a short winter). The scenery is really gorgeous here, but I imagine few people manage to take it in. Fields of tall ferns, mountain laurel bushes covered in white flowers, rocks and dirt trails, huge rocks where you run through a mini-maze, just so unique. I was trying to keep a good pace here and continued to adhere to my rule of not walking anything that was runnable. Occasionally I saw the Asian lady I passed at mile 46 and I imagine she was trying to stay on my tail. I would lose her on the rocky downhills, but then she'd appear in the distance after a more runnable section. She and I got to the last CP at mile 57 only meters apart. Here I changed into long sleeves, put on my headlamp and refueled determined to push to the last aid station at mile 62. I remembered there was a jeep road along the gas line and I was dreading it, because I knew she would try to catch me here. I hate flats. Again, we got to the aid station at 62 meters apart and for a second it looked like she was going to head out before me, but she didn't. I mixed my last pack of Vega powder in some ginger ale, grabbed half a grilled cheese sandwich, a whole banana and a couple of orange wedges and I flew out of here. I knew she would hang on my tail, but I also knew I can lose her on the technical downhills.
The last 8 miles are downhill, about 5 miles are more gradual and then the last 2 miles are a sadistic push down the steep side of the mountain. My legs were feeling ok and I could run most of the downhill and I was trying to not brake too hard. It worked ok, then the last 2 miles were tough. I made good time here and there was nobody anywhere behind me. No light, no movement. By now I had realized that I have a chance to break 17 hrs if I keep on pace, so I did the math and figured I can do it. As hard as these last miles were, I found them to be ok, because it was dark and I didn't see how steep the hills were, just ran one stretch after another, looking for the next mile marker and then the next.
With about 300 meters to the finish, I finally saw the lights of the party down below. People cheer as soon as they see a light in the distance, so it feels very welcoming to scramble down the trail and spill out onto the parking lot at the tents that were serving hot food, fresh fruit, cold drinks and good wishes. Finish time was 16:51 and about 10 minutes behind me came the Asian lady, whom I went over to congratulate for chasing me so consistently. Surrounded by her family, with a thick Japanese accents she explained to me this was her first night-time race. Even bigger kudos to her. About 10 minutes later Stephan came in at 17:12 feeling rather woozy, but happy to be done. He managed to keep a good pace and ran well, though he felt he got fried in the heat of the day. At the finish line these thoughts quickly vanish when the pain is over. He had trouble getting himself to eat and drink after the race, so we chatted and waited for our friend to finish. She came in at 17:52, reaching her sub-18 hr goal. A good day for us, but less so for 2 of the Ontario contingent who had to drop.
We drove back to the campsite in Ebensburg, showered and by 2:00AM we hit the tents for some much needed sleep. I had slept a little over 2 hrs the night before and was now wired, but managed to sleep about 3.5 hrs before immense hunger woke me up around 5:30! Snoozed a bit, then packed up and hit the local breakfast diner, Kosta's for a hearty breakfast. The rest of the day was a tedious drive home with the A/C on and lots of stops to stretch and eat/drink. We reserved the same camp site for 2013, so I'm pretty sure there will be another encounter with the beautiful trails of Laurel Highlands.
This is a tough, advanced-level race, but should be mandatory training for anyone considering some of the hard, technical 100 milers out there. The course, the distance between some of the aid stations, the heat and the wildlife (diamondback rattlers and copperheads, plus black bears) make this race a bit challenging, but the finish very rewarding. Great support and awesome atmosphere at the finish line, the aid stations and on the trails.
Now, back to packing up my house and moving at the end of the month. No races for my tender feet for a few good weeks. I'm hoping to get some much needed trail therapy at Limberlost and the next day at the Haliburton training run and then see what I can do at Dirty Girls 48 hrs.
UQ out
!
