Rhett

Avalon 50

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Location:

Lake Havasu City,AZ,

Member Since:

Sep 29, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

23 marathons

6 Bostons (2007-2011, 2017)

3 Half Ironmans

2 Ironmans

3 50 Milers

1 Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim

Marathon PR:

     2:59:00 St. George 2008

     2:58:03 Boston 2010

 1/2 Marathon PR:

     1:25:41  Havasu Half 2009

     1:24:09 Painter's St.George 2010

 Half Ironman PR:

      5:25:02  HITS Havasu 2014

5K PR:

       18:23  LHC Turkey Trot 2014

        18:22  LHC Turkey Trot 2017

50 mile PR:

        7:56:14 Avalon50 2016

Short-Term Running Goals:

Break 3 hours again

Doing it a Boston would be sweet!

It was sweet!

UPCOMING RACES

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

Have fun!

 

Personal:

Married

4 kids

Optometrist

 

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Salomon Sense Pro 4 Lifetime Miles: 320.00
Salomon Ultra Pro Lifetime Miles: 387.00
NB 1500 V6 Lifetime Miles: 219.00
Adizero Pro Lifetime Miles: 57.00
Hoka Clifton 8 Lifetime Miles: 346.00
Brooks Ghost 14 Lifetime Miles: 343.00
Brooks Ghost 14 #3 Lifetime Miles: 163.00
Inov8 G270 Lifetime Miles: 20.00
Race: Avalon 50 (50 Miles) 07:56:14, Place overall: 13
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
50.000.000.000.000.0050.00

AVALON 50

Today was the day I officially became an ultra-marathoner.  This was my first race ever over 26.2.

Blake and I left Havasu Friday morning around 8:30, caught the Catalina Express ferry at 2:00 and were on the the island in the cute town of Avalon around 3:00.  We checked into our hotel and took a quick walk around town. It's very small so didn't take long.  We then went back to our room, got our drop bags together, and went and picked up our race bibs and dropped off our drop bags.  We had dinner at the Lobster Trap and naturallly had fresh caught lobster.  We then retired to our room and settled down for a good night's sleep.

We awoke at 4:15 and got ready.  The race start was right outside the front of the hotel.  It was way low key.  We weren't even exactly sure which way we were supposed to run until we asked another runner.  Exactly at 4:59:50 (I was looking at my satalite watch.) We quietly heard a man saying 10, 9, 8, 7... and the race was underway at 5:00:00 exactly.  

I've never run this far so I'm not sure what kind of pace to run.  A few guys shot off fairly quicklly, but Blake and I just ran a nice easy pace like we were going out for a nice easy long run.  It was dark, so we were all using lights to see.  From the first step we were heading uphill, not too steep at first, but by mile 2 it was getting steeper and steeper.  We ran most of the first 5 miles of climbing, but in some spots it was too steep so we power walked.  I think it took over an hour to do the first 5 miles. (My watch froze up at mile 46.3 of the race and I lost all my data.)  We then started downhill and it was still dark.  At this point I dropped Blake. I run in the dark on trails all the time, he doesn't and he didn't put fresh batteries in his light, so he didn't feel comfortable running fast down the hill.  Basically I ran, and ran, and ran, and also did a lot of power walking up steep hills for a long time by myself.  Once the sun came up around 7:00 it was beautiful to see the island and the ocean.  

I don't think there was any part of this race that was flat. We were always either going up or down and quite often it was REALY steep.  Some of my miles were in the 17 minute range and a lot of my miles were around 7 minutes.  Blake planned on not running the whole race. He went out about 20 miles and then went back to the drop bag station (around mile 34) and waited for me.  It was great to see him and at that point I was still running strong, when I was not having to walk because of the steep hills.  I left that aid station in 4th place! Crazy, my first ultra and here I was at mile 34 in 4th place.  I was pretty excited.  Then at mile 36 all the steep hills caught up with me, and both of my hammys cramped.  I haven't cramped running since my very first mararhon in 2004.  I guess it is only fitting that I cramped in my very first ultra.  

For the next 3 miles I could only walk.  I tried to run a few times and the hammys would cramp right back up.  Wow, I forgot how painful that is, and how much it locks your legs up for a while.  During these 3 miles I was passed by a number of runner.  About mile 39 I gave it another go, running super slow at first and then gradually picking it back up.  Blake did a good job reminding me to keep it slow.  We were running with another guy at this poing who had done this race a number off times. He told us that if we could get to the last aid station by 12:00 we had a chance of finishing under 8 hours, but the next few miles after that aid staion were really steep uphill.  We arived at that aid station at exactly 12:00 to the second.  I downed some coke (it was the only thing I could stomach at that point) and walked on.  I didn't think we were ever going to summit the mountain, but when we finally did, I knew the last few miles were all downhill...steep!  I took off leaving Blake and ran as fast as I could down that mountain.  ( Was running right around 7 minutes I think. )  When I finally saw Avalon I was so excited.  I ran hard to the finish and crossed the line in 7:56:14 and 13th place overall.

Blake came in a few minutes later and we went and stood in the ocean for about 15 minutes to ice our legs.  It was cold.  Thanks Blake for sticking with me and helping me finish that race when I was cramping and didn't know if I would make it.

I really enjoyed doing the ultra and hope to do many more.

Altra Superior Miles: 50.00
Comments
From Burt on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 13:10:04 from 71.223.34.62

Great job, Rhett!

From Derunzo on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 15:23:27 from 98.229.177.205

Super Impessive! Nicely done on what sounds like a very tough course.

From DaleG on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 17:51:23 from 66.87.126.89

Nice job, Rhett! Very impressive for your first ultra. You did as well as I expected because you're in great shape. Have you decided on your next ultra?

From Tom K on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 12:39:17 from 66.87.122.16

Wow. You kids and your ultras! Bananas! It sounds like you picked a pretty tough course for your first one. All the other ones ahould be easy from here on out, right!? How long are you giving yourself to recover from this?

From Teena Marie on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 22:11:38 from 199.79.55.13

Hmmm . . . So lobster is the pre-race food of champions, huh? Who knew!!!!

Seriously Rhett, you are amazing!! I think you very well may be proving the theory of aging wrong! Crazy impressive, especially sub 7s at the end!

A huge congratulations!!! You are so RHETTICULOUS!!!

From Rhett on Thu, Jan 14, 2016 at 08:54:04 from 24.121.249.174

Tom, I took Sunday off, as always, then Monday did some stationary bike and elliptical and then have been doing easy recovery runs the rest of the week. Today my legs felt back to normal, so tomorrow I resume my normal training with a half marathon. :)

Teena, I don't know about all that, but thanks.

From Smooth on Sun, Jan 24, 2016 at 20:35:03 from 97.126.140.197

Wow! excellent job on your first ultra!!! and a tough course to boot! Way to go Rhett!!! :)

Blake sounds like a great friend!!! :)

From Rhett on Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 09:08:41 from 24.121.249.174

Smooth, thanks. Doone keeps me posted about your facebook blog so I hear all about your running antics in the hospital. :) I was just saying to Doone on Saturday that I missed you on the blog, but I it is totally understandable with all that has gone on with Larry. I'm glad to hear he is home out of the hospital. Keep him there!

From fly on the Wall on Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 16:18:54 from 168.180.63.241

Well done Rhett! 50 miles is far. I think 50k is enough for me.

Reading your report made me want to go back to Catalina. As a kid we used to sail to Avalon with my grandfather. I've camped their and hiked the island's peaks. I used to go to scout camp on Catalina, just north of the Isthmus/Two Harbors.

From Rhett on Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 18:47:30 from 199.117.154.8

Mark! Good to hear from you. Are you still running on the trails up above your home? Doing any racing? I have come to love the trails and the longer distance over the last year. I'm hoping to do more ultras in the future.

From fly on the Wall on Thu, Feb 04, 2016 at 14:13:49 from 168.180.63.241

Still running and some still on those great trails behind my house. No longer runs in a long time. My last race was Ogden last spring!

From Tom Slick on Sat, Feb 27, 2016 at 13:51:03 from 97.43.195.219

Way to go Rhett, You da man!!!!

From I Just Run on Wed, Mar 02, 2016 at 08:52:37 from 108.178.73.170

Wow...nice job! Seems you're made for the ultra's. :-)

From Rhett on Wed, Mar 02, 2016 at 11:07:14 from 24.121.249.174

IJR, I did find myself wishing I was running a nice long trail ultra during the marathon last Saturday. I really want to start doing more of those and fewer marathons. For now I'm signed up for another marathon in May though.

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