North Face ECS DC 50 Mile Race - 7 June 2014 - A Challenging Introduciton to the 50 Mile Ultra Marathon

10:49:51 Chip and 10:49:58 Gun
141/257 Overall and 16/29 M40-44
Second ultra of 2014 and Third overall ultra
First 50 Mile Ultra Marathon

One of my primary running goals for this year was to run my first 50 Mile Ultra Marathon and looking at options back in December 2013 the North Face Endurance Challenge Series DC seemed like a reasonable option on relatively flat terrain.  I found however, that this was still a challenging race.

Preparation and Race Plan.  I had started building trail running into my training back in January and had tried to include a second longer run on the weekend in addition to my normal Saturday long run.  I had completed a 50K back in February and ran  a back to back marathon weekend at the end of April.  In addition, I ran a good portion of the course in a May training run.  I was a little unsure of what I was capable of running and decided to aim to average around 11:00 minute/mile which would bring me in soon after nine hours. 


Race Morning

Race Day.  Race start was schedule of 05:00 which meant a very early start to the morning.  Conditions were quite good at the start with temperatures hovering around 55F.  The start at Algonkian Regional Park was well organized and the race go started on time.  The start was brisk, looping a soccer field, before heading out on paved path and gravel road, which allowed the pack to get space out a little.  The start of the third mile saw the transition onto single track Potomac Heritage Trail running through a marshy area and then along side a golf course, where I had my one fall for the day, catching my foot on a tree root.  This section of the course was in fairly good shape but with a few spots with slick mud.  I ran this section at a good clip averaging between 9:30-10:00 minutes/miles.  Around the six mile point, the course traversed through a series of small but sharp climbs and descents in Seneca Park before dropping back onto the Potomac River flood plain. 

Potomac River Floodplain

There was one significant creek crossing around the nine mile point. 

Creek Crossing

Mile 11 brought another series of sharp climbs onto bluffs above the Potomac River before dropping back down to the river and entering into Riverbend Park.  The course through Riverbend Park was a series of gravel road, meadow and single track that finished with a steep 150' drop from Artillery Bluff into Great Falls National Park.  I pulled into main Great Falls aid station at the 14.8 mile point at 2:42 into the race.  My stop at the aid station was not as quick as it should have been but I was soon heading out to begin the first of the three seven mile loops around Great Falls NP.  The first section of the loop was a moderate one mile climb on a gravel road before transitioning onto the rolling  "Ridge Trail" which was largely double track.  This section began with an out and back onto the Difficult Run Trail which included a fairly sharp 100' descent/ascent down to Difficult Run. 

Difficult Run at Great Falls NP

Next up was the Swamp Trail which included a sharp single track descent and then a somewhat technical 800 yard section of rock hopping. The loop then concluded with a couple of miles along the historic ruins of the Patowmack Canal and short technical section along the Great Falls gorge before finishing the loop at the Great Falls aid station. 

Remains of the 18th Century Patowmack Canal

Although for the most part the loop was not overly technical, there was enough rolling trail that I struggled to keep my pace much below an 11:30-12:00 minute/mile average.  Throughout the run down from Algonkian park and the first loop I had also struggled with getting some debris into my shoes which led to a few extra stops.  In addition I found that speed lace lock on my Hoka's was not keeping my shoes as tight as I would have liked.  I finished the first loop of Great Falls (21.7) miles at 4:15 and the second loop (28.6 miles) at 5:35.  By mid-morning the temperatures had cracked into the 70s and were headed for the low 80's but for the most part the course was shaded and the humidity wasn't too bad.  I also found that by the second lap that I was struggling to eat, particularly any solid food which was going to come back and bite me later.  I finished the third lap of Great Falls (35.5 miles) at 7:14 into the race, switched over to my Brooks ASR shoes and headed back upstream for the last 15 miles to the finish at Algonkian Park.  I ran well leaving Great Falls NP, with a solid climb back onto Artillery Bluff and put down a couple solid miles (10:30-11:00 minute/miles) before bonking just after the 39 mile point.  I struggled into the next aid station (painfully slow) and was able to take on a couple of gels and some candy, finding enough energy to get back into the game.  The next nine miles were largely run around at a grinding 13:00 minute/mile with regularly walk breaks.  The final few miles of the course were somewhat less shaded and the bright 84F sun did little to improve the situation.  I was able to muster a little extra speed over the last mile or so to meet-up with my family and cross the finish line with my son. My first 50 mile ultra was complete at 10:49:51.  Links to my MapMyRun files ( Part 1 & Part 2 ). 

Race Bib Pick-up, Start & Finish, Bling and Travel.  Race packet pick-up was available at either the North Face stores in Georgetown and Tyson's Corner on the Thursday/Friday prior to the race or at the start on race morning.  The start/finish area was well laid out with normal amenities including North Face gear, food and Sierra Nevada beer.  On-site race day parking was limited to the 50 mile runners, with the other participants parking off-site and taking a shuttle to the start/finish area.  Race bling was typical including a race technical shirt, medal, Buff (the purpose of which I'm still trying to determine) and water bottle.  I simply drove to and from the race, but with a 05:00 start there are a number of local hotels around Dulles Airport. 

Race Bling

Final Thoughts and Lesson's Learned.  The North Face 50 Miler ended up being a little more challenging than I had first appreciated.  In particular, race day reinforced the need to continue to work on my ultra marathon nutrition to avoid bonking, continuing to develop my technical trail running to gain speed on single track and the need to get through aid stations more efficiently.  Although I really like the cushioning in my Hoka Bondi's, I think I will be switching from the speed laces to normal laces to get tighter fit on the shoe.  I really enjoyed the North Face 50 Miler and it was definitely a little more challenging than I first appreciated.

First 50 Mile Ultra Marathon in the books

Now on to the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon next weekend in Williamson WV on 14 June 2014.