Norris Dam 12k

10 Degrees when I woke up! Windy conditions, Sun was coming up with the promise of warming to 35 degrees. As I drank my morning coffee and checking weather, email and the such on the computer, I began to second guess my decisions. Drive 85 miles on one of the coldest, windiest days of the year to run one of the toughest courses around. If you are not familiar with Norris Dam park, it has long steep grades that are called hills! Mountains are more like it. Enough whining.
The drive up found moderate traffic in Knoxville, and as i neared the Dam, the second cup of coffee kicked in. a quick pit stop at the restroom and I was back on the road trying to locate the race headquarters. I had ran this race back in 2006 with a decent time around 57 minutes and took 2nd in my age group of 50-59. This year, the age groups were cut down to 50-54 and with the extreme cold weather, I figured a 3rd place would be a given due to only 3 runners in my age group would show up. Now I don't go to races to hunt for hardware (awards). I learned early on when I was in my 20's that I was not a front runner and never got into chasing the glory of my name being called out as an age group winner. As I aged, I have gotten some awards, but few and mostly due to attrition. I have seen a lot of runners over the years stop running, some from injuries but a lot because they lost the edge and couldn't win their age groups anymore. ( SOAPBOX BEGINS HERE) This truly sad, since the benefits one receives from the training and races far outweigh the "glory" one receives in post race awards ceremonies. In fact, over the years I have noticed something that grips me to no end when it comes to award ceremonies. As the front runners and age group winners receive their awards, they load up and go home. Everyone watched as they received their awards and applauded their efforts. They did not have the respect or common courtesy to stay an extra 5 to 10 minutes to return the recognition that the older runners should receive. Huntsville Track Club (which I didn't renew my membership with this year due to headphone restrictions) is one of the few clubs that starts the awards ceremony with the oldest runners and works their way down. I applaud HTC for this.
Enough of the soapbox!

The race started on hillside and fortunately a long downhill. I was able to click off some 6:30 to 7:00 miles for about 3/4 mile, then an uphill slowed the average to about an 8:30. After about a mile and half, another long, steep downhill, again some fast times for "The SNAKE". Having done this before, I remember that on the way back, we had to run (?) back up these hills argh! We ran across Norris DAM, there the bitter, wind cut into the knit gloves on my hands and my handlebar moustache was becoming frozen with moisture from when I exhaled and had a few bugercicles. We climbed another long hill into a cabin area where the wind was not blowing at all. I had pulled my fingers out of the slots in my gloves and tucked them into my palm. Now the fingers were warm but sweaty. On the way back across the Dam, the wind seemed more intense due to the direction. It was a cross wind but more in the face coming back that on the way out. After the DAM, we approached that long steep hill I had mentioned earlier. By this time, my legs were feeling the effect of lactic acid build up due to the fast (faster than I'm used to) pace and hill climbs. Part way up the hill, the Ultra runner in me kicked in and I walked. No one passed me on the hill but maybe they gained some on me and perhaps the runners ahead built a bigger lead, who knows. I had to keep my heart rate below 95% of my max or risk crashing and burning.
There is a long downhill just before the finish where you can stretch things out and make up a little time, but someone made the finish line about a quarter of a mile up a hill. There, I'm done, 1:05 and change. A full 8 minutes slower than 3 years ago.
I have noticed since i started running ultras back in 2006, I have lost some of my speed, not that I was fast to start with. This is one of the reasons I ran this race to start running shorter, faster runs and fewer long, slow runs.
Afterwards, there was a DAM chili contest and the runners were the judges. I ate 3 bowls of chili, one was ok the rest were not up to my chili standard. the one I liked, did win the contest so I guess my taste buds for chili is pretty common. I tried to get my wife to enter her chili this year and she actually bought the stuff to make it. When she saw the weather report, the trip was off. So, I'm enjoying her chili this weekend!
Dead last in my age group, about 6th. My speed has gone, and the competition in the 50-54 age group was undeterred by the 15 degrees at race time. Legs today has some tightness but it was a great training run, exactly why I went. Next week, Mountain Mist 50k. Goal break 7 hours. Wish me luck.