Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 miles DNF

So what is the DNF? It means "did not finish". As I have said, this is why a lot of folks are drawn to ultra running, the fear or chance of not succeeding. Anytime you go into an ultra event, there is a chance you will not succeed. There are too many factors weighing against you. Weather, terrain, your ability, your health on any given day. So why do people go out and try these events if they are subject to fail. If I find out, I will tell you. There is just a certain mystic about the internal challenge of going up against what sometimes seems the impossible. Having said all that crap, I'll share my experiences I had on the 26th annual Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 miles held in Lynchburg, VA.
The race was started in 1983 by Dr. David Horton. He is a Professor at the Liberty University, made famous by Jerry Falwell. David is a very gifted endurance athlete. He has held many endurance records over the years, including the Appalachian Trail record and the Pacific Crest Trail record. He is noted for creating "Horton Miles". These are thrown into races at various places to challenge the race precipitants. What are they? In fact, they are equal to 1.3 miles to 1.7 miles each. Don't ask where I got those numbers, they are only examples as to how unpredictable they can be.
The trip to Lynchburg started with a gorgeous day for the drive. The Fall colors in East Tennessee were spectacular. As we approached Virginia, the mountains began to grow in height and the colors seemed to explode. The sunshine was bright and the air was clear. You could see for miles. We arrived in Lynchburg at about 02:00 PM and checked into the hotel, The Kirkley. A top notch hotel, with a reasonable rate.
I picked up my race packet and got an extra T shirt from Montrail. We went to the pre-race dinner and race briefing. We had vegetarian lasagna and pasta with rolls and tea, water and coffee, topped off by a 26th anniversary cake and ice cream.
After the great feed and fellowship with other crazy runners, I retired to my hotel room. I had laid out all my race gear so there would be less fumbling and confusion at 4 am. I drifted off to sleep and slept until about 2 am and thought, well this is it, I'm up for the day. NOT, I went back to sleep and slept until the alarm went off. This doesn't happen often on race night.
I got up, dressed and ate a bean burrito and drank a cup of coffee prior to heading down to meet some Huntsville, AL friends to catch the bus that will take us to the remote starting line. The ride out seemed long, but also there was a sense of OH NO, we're here.
When we got to the start, it was time to hit the portajohns to get rid of that extra weight. It was about 40 degrees, not really cold but with nerves it seemed uncomfortable. Back on the bus to stay warm. I had decided to wear shorts, and short sleeve shirt with a cap. This turned out to be the right selection for the day but was cool starting out.
A quick exit of the bus to turn on the GPS to acquire the necessary satellites and then back on the bus to stay warm When you run a long run, there is plenty of time along the way for the necessary warmups. The race started at exactly 06:30 am Z (Zealand time, Clark Zealand is the race director). The first 5.7 miles is run on a paved road. The pace should be faster, since it is on pavement, but caution should be exercised as to not go out too fast. You will pay for it later in the race. My goal was to keep my pace under the cutoff times and my heart rate less than 80% of maximum. I ran to the 43 mile mark in 10 hours and 8 minutes. The cutoff was 10 hours and 5 minutes, I missed the cutoff by 3 minutes and was pulled from the race. I didn't feel all that bad, I was in good company. Tom Green, a finisher for all the 25 previous races was just behind me at 43 miles and missed the cutoff by about 5 minutes. His streak has ended due to a silly cutoff, that has been set by past history with no science behind it. When asked about the reasoning behind the logic of the cutoffs, the new race director Clark Zealand comments were " these are the cutoffs that David has used for over 20 years". Does that make it right? I guess it doesn't have to make sense.
I am disappointed that I did not finish, but I am satisfied with my effort. I only had the urge to quit once at about mile 28 but when I got to to the aid station, I regained my drive and energy and actually felt at that point I could finish. As the old Grim Reaper would have it, it was not to be.

Would I do it again? YES!

What would I do different? Train harder in September and October and lose about 10 lbs. I had a lot going on with my personal life during those months, no excuses, "Life Happens" and you must deal with it. My wife was going through major kidney stones which required surgery along with dealing with her ailing Mother. As I write this, her Mother is in critical condition. As soon as we returned from MMTR, my wife traveled to Alabama to be with her Mother.

I had a great weekend! I enjoyed the weather, the Fall colors, the fellowship and just being part of this crazy world of ultra running.