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Chris and Barbara Each Run 50-Mile Relay Course... ALONE!

Event Photos | Relay Team Report | Chris' and Barb's Reports

Chris and Barb after their race

Chris and Barbara individually completed the Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Ultra Marathon.
The following are their accounts of the event.

QUICK SUMMARY: For those of you who would like a condensed version of our race report, here goes: 

  • Lots of training, double long runs on weekends, no life.
  • Tussey Mountainback 50-miler: small ultra (40+ runners) with many relays (60+ teams, including one fielded by Polly, Randy, and Brian). Hilly course.
  • MOUNTAINOUS course. Beautiful scenery, nice people.
  • Running, running, some walking, eating, drinking, running, walking, more eating, some pain, some ibuprofen, more hills, mental agony, physical agony, more ibuprofen, 40-mile mark, wow, burst of energy, exhilaration, keep moving. 46-mile mark, all downhill from here, running faster, passing people, finish line in sight, go for it.
  • Chris finishes in 7 hours, 27minutes 3rd overall male, 2nd “Open”; Barbara in 8 hours, 52 minutes. 4th overall female, 1st Master.

Here’s the uncondensed version:

April 2006: Having just run Boston, but not having the performances they were looking for, Barbara and Chris weren’t sure what to do next.  They had logged many miles through the winter, and didn’t want to let that training go to waste.  Barb’s father, Paul, was a bit of a local legend having run many ultras (anything more than a marathon) back when the sport was in its infancy and the races were run on tracks – over days.  Attempting an ultra seemed like a logical progression – a fall 50 miler.  And 6 months away hardly seem a daunting task.

August 2006: As spring turned into summer, many hot weekends were spent doing back to back long runs – as much as 30 miles each.  Staying up late, drinking, FUN -  all were sacrificed for the “cause”.  But still with months to go, the 50-miler hardly seemed real. After reading “Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes just as the 26 week training program began to wind down with race registration deadlines rapidly approaching, did the reality sink in and the gross error in judgment became fully realized. Sure, 4-5 hour casual runs in the park were fun, but doubling that – in a race - was a whole new and disturbing proposition.  But with a Wanderers relay team on board (thanks, Randy),  reservations made, no significant injuries to speak of, they knew there was no turning back.

Friday, October 6: Barbara and Chris head to State College. Cool, calm, and organized when they left Philadelphia, they were now nervous wrecks. Mountains surrounded them in all directions. “Will we be climbing that one?” “Or maybe THAT one?” “Why did we think that training in the Wissahickon would prepare us for these kinds of mountains?” “Uh, my ears just popped”, “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Saturday, October 7, 7:00 a.m.--Despite the near full moon, it was dark and maybe only 40 degrees. Stripping down at the last minute, the gun went off promptly at 7:00AM with about 40 ultrarunners at the starting line (the relays would take off in waves at 8;00, 8:30, and 9:00). Armed only with the words of wisdom – “just don’t go out too fast!”--things started to get interesting. What exactly did “too fast” mean when you’ve never run an ultra before, let alone one with 5,000 in elevation climbs? The race started at the base of a ski area, and did not crest for some 4 miles. Not too bad with fresh legs, but certainly a sign of things to come.  A race like this is never won in the first 20 miles (though we expect it is often lost).

Below you can read Chris’s then Barbara’s accounts of their race experiences…

chris mooreCHRIS' Race Account:

With little to base his gameplan on, I proceeded to go out a bit cautiously hanging back with a group just behind the two leaders at what seemed like a very manageable pace. The leaders were in sight til about mile 12, the first significant transition zone  By top of a hill at mile 17, I felt as though I was holding back a bit too much, and had to venture out solo. The next Ultra Transition Zone around mile 20 came and went followed by a ridiculously long, and moderately steep uphill.

At this point running alone became questionable.  Still though,  the scenery was beautiful – Happy Valley seemed to be a few weeks deeper into fall than it is here,  both foliage and views at elevation were impressive. Passing both the 25 mile marker and the 26 mile seemed significant and help keep spirits up. Intermittent walking became more frequent as this hill did not end til the 27 mile marker. 

Finally cruising downhill, hoping to make up for some 10 min+ miles,   I caught up to the second place runner right at the 30 mile Transition Zone;  only to both be passed from out of nowhere by a runner somehow not needing to stop and refuel.  But having company again was helpful however short lived.

By now we were in the thick of the relay runners, each of them offered encouraging words, as they passed us easily.  There had been warnings about the course and some hills in the late 30’s.  They proved true and a long moderate incline became a steep wall causing even some relay teams to have to walk.  At the top of this ascent, mile marker 40 and euphoria began to set in.  Not that the last miles were going to be easy,  but you knew now that you could finish  - that and maybe some weird  endorphine rush.  

By this point I had stopped eating,  due to an uneasy  stomach,  but felt like the remaining energy was coming from training and within.  I finally got to the turn around at 44.5 and began to head home.  I passed the final Transition Zone, not stopping,  just chugging some Gatorade without breaking stride. I  heard a familiar voice,  Polly and Brian, but I don’t think I could do much more than mumble a reply.  

Having heard in advance that the first four miles were all uphill, we also knew that the last four were downhill.  I was starting to feel pretty confident, and right about 46 mile marker the road turned decidedly downhill. For the first time in hours I checked the watch. Just under 7 hours. The next runner behind me may have only been a few minutes at the turn,  but I knew if the last four were downhill,  I had a good chance of maintaining 3rd  place.  I picked up the pace significantly.

Miles 47 and  48,  and I began to realize that it was going to really hurt.  Sure I had been sore and tight since the teens,  but two miles on steep asphalt with 2 more to go, the quad burning began to ratchet up. But then I caught a glimpse in the distance of another runner.  Sure it was Wonder Woman (on a relay team with Batgirl), but that didn’t matter.  It was what I needed to ignore the pain. And as I drew closer,  I saw another relay runner even further ahead. 

49 miles and  I passed Wonder Woman finally able to return the favor and offer her some support.  ½ mile to finish and I passed the next relay team with the finish in sight.  I may not have been noticably sprinting but it sure felt like I was and crossed the finish line at 7:27:28.  

I Grabbed some Coke, chips, candy corn and pretzels, anything I could not because I was hungry or anxious to eat,  but knew I needed it. I congratulated the first two runners,  and soon enough I began to wonder about Barbara’s progress.  Despite my better judgement,  I jumped into my truck,   and proceeded  to drive back up the race couse. 

Thrilled at my accomplishment I yelled and cheered for all runners as I passed them.  I saw the Randymobile and then Miss Polly looking cheerful and strong.  Waving, I continued to drive recklessly hoping to get back to mile 45 to offer some support to Barbara. Team Barbara was just exiting the last Transition Zone,  she was all smiles.  She knew that she too was going to finish and I was excited to tell her that it literally was all down hill from there.

barbBARBARA's Account of the race:

THE EARLY MILES: “This is easy!”
Unlike Chris, I was lucky enough to run with a group of 5-6 runners almost from the start. We entertained each other, kept each other on pace, and offered emotional support for the hilly miles ahead. They quickly became my lifeline. Donna, Tom Sr., Tom Jr, Sharon, Brett—I had never met them before, but I spent some of the most intense hours of my life with these fellow runners. It was also great to see the Wanderers relay car driving by cheering as I was on the side of the road squatting to pee (other runners were heading thick into the woods to be discrete, but I decided that was a waste of time). In short, the hills were a challenge, but we ran slowly, walked some, carefully paced ourselves, and passed the 25-mile mark not much worse for the wear.

MILES 30-40: My Descent to Hell
I am not quite sure when or where it happened, but by mile 32 or so, I found myself alone. I had fallen behind my group, mumbling something to them at a transition zone about not waiting for me. I was devastated. Not only was I in all-over physical pain, but without my “gang”, my mind started playing nasty games with me. “Just keep them in sight,” I told myself. But by mile 34, they were nowhere to be seen. I popped some ibuprofen, tried to eat some solid food, and made an agreement with myself to keep moving no matter what. I knew I would finish, but 18 miles is a long and lonely distance when you’re feeling emotionally and physically drained.

MILES 40-50: Elation
And then two miracles happened: 1) I passed the 40-mile mark, and 2) I suddenly caught a glimpse of my old gang not too far in the distance. My energy returned, my pace picked up, my mind calmed down, and I ran with a hyper-focus I rarely experience. By mile 42 I reached my group again, and we enjoyed a happy reunion. I entered the final transition area feeling stronger than ever. Seeing Chris and hearing a quick report of his great race was a further boost. When he informed me that the last four miles were all down hill, one other woman and I took off and let gravity do its work, We ran the fastest four miles of our entire race! By the time I saw the finish line in the distance, I couldn’t contain my tears. I felt happy, exhausted, overjoyed, numb. I did my best to “sprint” to the finish, where I hugged Chris, the race director, and my “group” as they crossed the line. It was a glorious day.

Event Photos | Relay Team Report | Chris' and Barb's Reports

 

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