Training Log Archive: biggins

Sierra Crest 50k
Well this probably could have gone better. Smoke forecast yesterday was green in the morning worsening to yellow by lunch, which all told isn't that bad. Wake up this morning and we're already sitting at orange ("unhealthy for sensitive groups"). The race weather guy (every race has one right?) said it's going to get better so that's fine.

Start is fine, the first 10k is flat around the TD valley and goes fast. Then 10 more up and over the ridge back to the start. Feel ok into the aid there, though the smoke seems worse instead of better. Then lots of climb up to the top of TD. For a bit in there I feel super trashy and realize that the visibility is down to 200m or so. Walk most of the steep hills here. Into the aid at 30k and I feel terrible, so I give up on the liquid diet and cram down some gummy chews and MnMs, figuring if I'm walking anyway from the smoke I might as well try something else.

Downhill for a while, where I predictably cramp up and jog it slowly. Then more up that I walk, and decide I'm super dehydrated, despite being on my third 1.5L bladder (it's 10% humidity today after all). Over the other side of the crest and it got super windy and the smoke had cleared up a lot (couple mile visibility), but it seemed too late for that to help. Then a nice flat 8k or so on top that I walked, and a short downhill and back up to the finish, that I also walked.

Walked most of the last 20k, and the best I can figure is because I was pretty bonked, because I wasn't really digesting stuff, because my stomach felt gross, because I ate way too much smoke in the morning. Granted I can't blame it all on that, 50k is still really long for me, so even in perfect conditions I'd be hurting by the end on these hills, but the smoke certainly made it a lot worse.

Got home and checked the history on the smoke map, and turns out it did get better, but only after it went from orange to red to purple to angry maroon ("hazardous") right around 10am. I didn't look up what the epa says "hazardous" stands for, but it's the highest category and I bet running a 50k is not on the list of things to do there.

Anyway good times. It's too bad I'm never in shape for any of the late spring races, which is pretty much the only time you can mostly count on good weather. Then again this year one had a bit of a blizzard so hmm.

C • Brutal 4

Smokier than average this morning. But not too hot yet so that was good.