Saturday broughtthe 20th running of the HAT Run (www.hatrun.com) up in Northern Maryland - in Sesquehanna State Park. Now training had not gone well for this edition of the race, with injury (Feb) and illness the week before the race really taking its toll. The enevitable conclusion was that this year was not likely to be a PR performance, but what the hell. THe decsion (against MLW's better wishes) ws that I would throw my hat (no pun intended - honest) into the ring and just see what happened. I was still kind of hoping that divine intervention may come and save me.
So Saturday arrived and with it the early alarm call, up in the dark, creeping around the house desparately hoping (on pain of death) not to awaken the kids. Outside waiting for Sean by just before 7 am. I was hoping to avoid any last minute nerves by being as organized as possible - new lace locks on my shoes, carefully wrapped Cliff Blocs and Cliff Shots in my rear pockets and enough clothes to outfit a bloody army - "just in case". Of course that time on a Saturday raffice wasn't an issue and we were at the venue (the Steppingstone Museum) before 8 am. Registration, bathroom breaks and other preparations were complete well before 8:30 leaving us 30 min to chat to other runners, meet up with some other "Columbian" runners and generally get bloody cold! The Hat Run is always a tough one to judge clothing wise as at 9am it can be (and this year was) bloody cold but with the prospect of running until mid afternoon too many clothes can be a killer. With my lack of preparation I was feeling wuzzy so I went with gloves and two shirts - shorts are a must for this race irrespective of temperatures because of the water crossings. The race package this year was it's usual spectacular self! I am never quite sure how they do it - for the relatively modest entry fee they put on a fantastic race and still have a race package which is far the best I have ever come across - this year a cotton HAT Run baseball cap, a neon green "six pack" cool box and a neon green Brookes heavy weight long sleeved running top.
Conspicuous by it's absence this year was the ususal "spot prize"-give away of hats that usually preceeds the race, one of a couple of subtle changes that I noticed that probably reflects the involvement of two new Race Directors this year.
At a couple of minutes after 9 am the HAT Run started in it's usual very informal fashion - a guy with a loudspeaker just sayiing "Runners Ready - GO!". I was aware from the website that the start had been changed and was ready for an openning loop rather than the out and back road section, so was a little surprized when after extending the road section about quarter of a mile we turned round and headed back to the start. I assumed I had misread. So then on to the usual filed turning into forested single track and the steep decent to the river (which is usually the first water crossing). Then surprise #1 for the day, instead of turning right across the river we turn left up a steep hill - O.K. so this is the new openning loop. Sean and I run together for most of the openning loop before he tells me to go ahead and not wait for him. Two or so miles of trademark HAT Run rooty climbs and decents and we are dumped back on the field and head back to the pavilion. Half an hour in and now the real running starts as we head back out on the first loop proper. Back down the single track decent to the river but this time as expected we ford the river (mid-ankle deep and cold) and head up the opposite bank. By this time I have joined up with James (another Columbian runner with injurry woes). James and I trade stories of torn muscles, IT band issues and minimal training as we trek our way up and down rocky and rooty single track before bursting into the field section that happnes a short way before the first feed stop. I try and relax on this flat untechnical section as I realize I am exerting too much effort at this early stage. After the field it's back into the woods and then a left up another steep climb on a new section. When the terrain flattens out onto a fairly wide grassy trail James asks if we have to do "all those hills" again on the second loop. I feel bad having to tell him no only "yes" but that we haven't actually got to the hilly bits yet! At the station I stop only to get my bottle filled in an effort to chip off seconds from my final time. After the first aid station the fun really starts first a gradual grinding hill, a steep decent then a couple of good climbs that have most people walking at least sections. By now I am beginning to get pain in my right leg which is a bit worrying, but more sinister is the fact that I am starting to feel a bit tired! It is far too soon for that in the HAT run - I try and justify it by reminding myself that we did an extra 3 mile section at the start - but the truth is I am in trouble. The hills after aid station 1 are too much for James and he and I part company - for good as it happens - and I trudge on alone. On the gravel road section just before Aid station #2 (a scetion I really hate) I try to keep it smooth but have to admit to myself that my legs are tired. At Station 2 I am caught by Jesse - a super strong runner who I had figured would break 4:30 easily this year. I decide that if I can latch on his back and keep him in sight at least I would be in good shape. With this in mind I expend far too much energy on the toughest part of the course (the 6 mile section back to the start pavilion). By the time we (Jesse and me) arrive at the unmanned aid station I am essentially done. I hope against hope that we will turn directly back to the start and the final loop but my prayers go unanswered as we are send down another paved downhill section. Jesse loves this but I hate it and by the time we turn back onto single track he is well ahead. On the climbs I crawl back to his shoulder but the reality for me is that "its all over" and I have no chance of staying with Jesse, even finishing is looking an unlikely prospect. As we approach the end of the fist big loop I am tempted to just pack it in and go home. I am trying to convince myself that I can justify this because of the pain in my right leg.
But for some reason when I get to the start/finish area I merely take off my gloves, grab some M&M's and head straight back out. Jesse is still running strongly and soon the gap has formed and will not close again today! The second loop is hell! The uphills are just about impossible and even the flats are difficult enough to keep running on. I try and relax as much as I can and get my heart rate under control but everything hurts. As the end of the fourth hour approaches I decide I will walk for 5 min - regardless of hills or flats - to try and gather myself. But again against my better judgement I end up running almost immediately when the trail flattens out (there must be something about my subconscious that really hates me). After the aid station and I know the work is really going to start; the first climb is O.K. but the second is a long slow drag - the only thing that makes this bearable is the fact that the other runners I see appear to be as bad shape as I am. Some pass me, I pass some but there is little or no talking beyond gasps of encouragement. At the top of one hill I know therev is a large block of exposed quartz that is a landmark for me and when I pass it this time I bend down and give it a tap as I know this means the worst of the climbs before the gravel road are done.
On the gravel road just continuing to run is an exercise in mental and physical endurance. I try to run with no effort, as slow as slow, but even this is difficult and again the urge to just stop is hard to resist. The only thing that keeps me going during this section is the thought of the nice green running top in the race packet. I really want to use it! A DNF would mean I could never wear it so I am determined to finish irrespective of my time. By the time I get to the last full aid station my left leg is cramping - so I take only a short break, grab some Coke and head back off. I ask a steward how far to go and am told 5.2 miles - but three big hills. Oddly I relax on this (the hardest section) and with the glance at my watch confirming that a sub-5 hour run is out of the question I just decide to get through this last section. I run (kind of) all the flats and even some bits of the hills and before to long I am back on the last road downhill with only 1.4 miles to go. As I turn back into the forest I catch a glimspe of a runner ahead in white. Keeping my eye on him helps me pull myself through the last technical section and out onto the field within half a mile from the finish. The guy in white is struggling I can see - he stops once or twice obviously suffering from cramp. I slow and determine not to try and "knick" a place from him at this stage. But as we hit the last little road section he stops again and I reach him. "Cramp?" I ask, "yes" he confirms but makes no effort to start running again so I continue leaving him behind as I climb the last little paved hill to the finish. 5 Hours 7 minutes and it is all over!
Jesse is at the finish, having finished 12 minutes ahead of me - yes he took nearly a minute a mile from me on the last loop - but he looks in worse shape than I have ever seen him! He is clearly sore and cold. He confirms that the course appeared to be very much harder than previously and slow times were the rule rather than the exception. His 4 hr 55 min was good enough for 27th and my 5 hr 07 min for 46th. Saen was the only person I spoke to who actually ran faster this year! So a really fine performance by him. Poor James had a tough time - the IT band flaired up after 12 miles and meant he couldn't even bend his leg - forcing him to stop. He asked me before he left "So..... As I didn't actually finish. Can I wear the race shirt do you think?" What could I say? "Of course" I lied.
So the Hat Run is behind us and a pretty poor start to the racing season for the Dogzbollux Racing Team. THe aim for this race had been a 4hr 20 min run which I hoped would be enough for a top ten place and an age group podium spot. Nowhere near in the end - but even if (despite the harder course) I had pulled out a sub 4 hr 20 min run I would maybe have just about scrapped the top ten but I still would have been about 7th in the 40-49 age group!! Bloody Hell.
Got to say a huge thank you to all the organizers and the volunteers who help put this fantastic race together - it is one of my favorite two races of the year and I will definately be back next year to see if I can get anywhere near 4:30 on this new course - the logical bit of me says "no way".
Cheers
Dogzbollux
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