A True Tale by an Ultrarunning Birdhouse Owner

(Editors Note: The following article is courtesy of the Western Mass Athletic Club Trail Running Newsletter)

The awards given out at this year's race were home-made bird houses. Mine is engraved: "1st Male Master 50 + Finger Lakes Trail- 50 mile run"!

I can hear some of you real ultra runners snickering already even before my official time is posted in the results for all to see. Ten hours, forty three minutes, and four seconds, to run a fairly easy 50 miles? And the fact that there was only 20 something runners entered in the 50 miler, and several quit at the 50K mark! Well, I did tell you in the title of this story that I'm really an Ultra Runner Wannabe. I know, I read all the articles in our newsletter and in Ultra Running magazine about how so many of you zip through some of the 50 and 100 mile runs like a walk in the park and are already looking forward to the next one before you're even finished. Well, this article is probably not for you then, it may even bore you because it's written for the rest of us, but this is my story of how I got to this point so here it goes.

Having been a runner for going on 18 years now I was always looking for something different to try. I can remember when 10K road races actually went up some of the biggest hills around and would get several hundred people to run in them. Then the local chapter of the Piss and Moan club somehow persuaded all the race directors to change to dead flat 5K's and that's all that was left in this area and " the thrill was gone", so to speak. Luckily, my brother talked me into trying a short 10. 5 mile trail race in the autumn of 94 which at the time was the toughest race I ever did, and after my ankle healed about a month later I was eager for more. It is often said of new people who try trail running for the first time that they either accept the challenge and become one of us or we never see them again.

Well-- I've been here ever since, and so began a new chapter in my life as a runner. Having been born and raised in Adams, MA. right there at the base of Mt Greylock, the highest mountain in the state, I played on some of the trails and had climbed to the top many, many times as a kid but to run up and down the Mt the next spring in an actual race was really something special. I was soon hungry for more and each trail race became longer and tougher than the last. Savoy Mt. - - Escarpment - - Wapack - - NipMuck - - not always my best times or best runs but I kept plugging away at it. Four years ago after a good day at the NipMuck trail marathon I picked up a race schedule that had some races called the Finger Lakes 50's listed on it. Up until that point running 4:30 or so for the 26 miles at NipMuck was about as far as I could go but this 50k trail race had me thinking what's another 5 miles? What's another 5 miles indeed, well I soon found out!

According to the dictionary ultra means: beyond what is usual or moderate; excessive; beyond range or limits. In the running world anything longer than a marathon is considered an ultra run. So I made the trip out to the Finger Lakes region in New York to run the 31 miles and quickly learned I am not a natural ultra runner. Oh sure, I finished all right, but the amount of work it took me was far more than I expected it would be. Here I was struggling to finish the last several miles while being passed by runners who still had 20 something miles to go in the 50 mile race, and they didn't even look like they were breaking a sweat. What would it take to run that far for an average runner like me? My original plan was to try the 50 miles the following year at the Finger Lakes (98), but back-to-back hot marathons at NipMuck and Mt. Greylock just 2 weeks before took its toll and I had to stop at the 50K point again. I spent the rest of the year disappointed in myself because of this but I knew I had found a home at this race and with all the wonderful people in the Finger Lakes Running Club who sponsor the race.

Last year (99) finally brought success and I became an official 50 mile ultra runner. I had hoped that more of our members would have taken the opportunity this year to head out to the Finger Lakes and check out the great running at these races, especially after the in-depth article I wrote last year about them. Many people had asked me about it last year but only a few members actually made the trip this year. Rob Scott was one who decided to try out the longer distance and we ended up riding out together. Things couldn't have worked out better and now we will have to call him an official ultra runner also. Way to go Rob! I'm sure he's writing his own article so I won't go into the details of his run, but ask him about his bird house when you see him. I think he hung it from the rear view mirror in his car. At the risk of repeating myself from previous articles, I would like to recap this years' race for you. First, yes, it is a long way to drive, 4-6 hours for most, but with the offer of free camping in the National Forest, it's more of a weekend get-a-way with a race in the middle. And with all the sights to see in the area, the race entry fee and a couple of tanks of gas seems like the best bargain of the summer vacation season. And sitting around the camp fire the night before the race, ( and the night after) talking to old and new friends is something special you just don't get at most races by showing up that morning to run then heading home as soon as the race is over. And this year had to be some of the best weather of the 4 years I've been out that way, warm but no humidity, clear skies and all the stars at night-- and most of you missed it!

How many races have you been to where you get a personal chauffeur to take you to the pasta feed the night before and to show you some of the sights? Diane Sherrer did just that for us. She also made sure none of the runners were sitting alone during dinner, introduced us to the chef and the owner of the restaurant and ordered strawberry short cake for dessert for everybody. And then to sit there all day long during the race to time us and cheer us on was really great of her. Thanks a million! I think she even said she would drive out and pick me up for next years race. (Isn't that what you said, Diane? It wouldn't surprise me if she did.) And every time our race director, Joe Reynolds, came by the camp fire or the picnic tables where we were sitting he had a soda or food or something to give to everyone, and took the time out of his busy directing duties to sit and talk for awhile. And Jim Miner kept us entertained with his wit and stories most of the day and night as did Lorrie and Don. I would also like to thank the lady volunteer at the finish who waited on us hand and foot between loops and after ward, and even did first aid as needed. Sorry I didn't get your name.

O. K. there was more mud than usual, but this is a trail run. Several runners had their shoes sucked off their feet before they knew what happened, but by the second and third loops we were able to run around the real problem areas. Remember this race is run with three loops of approximately 15.5 miles each and one 3.5 mile mini loop to complete a full 50 miles if you're going that far. So almost every 3 miles you come to an aid station. The aid station people were more than pleasant as always and kept us well supplied and moving along. The first loop was a real pleasure with the cool temp at the 6:30 am start. Last year was the first official 25K (one loop) race, and this year there were many runners just doing the one loop. I ran with a couple of ladies for close to ten miles and I think I heard more than I needed to know about ex- boyfriends and jog-bras. In the last couple of miles of loop one I came upon John Carey at the last aid station. John was really there to support his girlfriend Lisa who was running but he probably figured he might as well do an easy 50k tune up before heading off to the Vermont 100 in two weeks. That's the only reason I was able to run with him. As we ran along and were talking he suddenly rolled his ankle but good and had to stop because he couldn't swear and run at the same time. I continued on to the campground/finish area and then started running loop two. You don't know how relieved I was when about 2 miles in I saw John come running down the trail. I told him how I felt guilty that I might have distracted him by talking so much. He assured me that I didn't and I assured him I wouldn't be able to keep up with him (and I didn't from that point on). But soon I hooked up with another runner named John who was from Pittsburgh and he looked like he had been running Ultras for the 30 years he said he has. He was out for the 50K today and we quickly fell into pace and ran close to the next 14 miles together, which most of you know is pretty unusual. What an interesting fellow! We had a lot to talk about as we swapped trail stories. He said " I'll catch up" when he stopped to tie his shoe lace but I never saw him again after that. About a quarter mile from the end of the second loop I began to smell the chicken barbecue that was in full swing at that time in the camp ground. It sure smelled and looked good as I came through. It was at this point I found out that my buddy Jim Miner ( who should have won the bird house) had given in to temptation and stopped at the 50K mark to enjoy the food while fresh.

So on to loop 3 it is. One lady passed me about 1 mile into the loop but after that it was me, myself and I and the great views for the next 19 miles. On several occasions I stopped briefly to soak them all in, and they were as good as I remembered them from last year. Somewhere around 40 miles on a downhill section I started to get a pain in the groin area and had to back off some. It was funny because downhill running is my specialty and here it hurt like hell to run down hill. So for the rest of the way I would run the ups and walk the downs which was alright by me as long as I could keep moving. As the old saying goes: the first half of an ultra run is physical and the last half is all mental, and that statement rang true on this day. Before I knew it I was on the last 3.5 mile mini loop and then there's the finish line. My once a year true Ultra run completed-- and that's my story!

So as I'm sitting here typing this I can look out my window and there on the tree in the corner of my backyard is a bird house. And on that bird house it says "1st Male Master 50+ Finger Lakes Trail - 50 Mile Run." Who would have thunk it!

-- Will Run (aka Will Danecki)