In each of the last 4 years I’ve closed out the race season by running the Seashore Nature Trail 50K – a flat, fast, fun event which takes place on the trails of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. With the Cayman Islands Marathon taking place just 3 weeks previous, the plan was to keep racking up the miles and treat “Seashore” as a stepping stone towards the Rocky Raccoon 100 on February 1st . That being said, I gambled a bit and logged just over 70 miles in the 5 days leading up to the event, hoping against hope my legs wouldn’t totally fail me come race day.
With last year’s 1st and 2nd place guys both running again, my race plan was very similar to 2012 – start off conservatively, and if the legs were feeling good, pick up the pace at around Mile 20 for a strong finish. Race conditions would be unseasonably warm (mid-50s to start, potentially rising to low-70s by noon), but after the recent hot weather training/marathon in Grand Cayman, I wasn’t overly concerned about the temperature.
The early miles went well and pretty much according to plan. Billy and Alexander (last year’s 1st and 2nd place guys) started off fast, with another unknown runner tagging along at a good clip. I settled in to 4th/5th place with local runner Andrew Hoffer, and enjoyed an extremely pleasant 18 miles in his company. I train on the trails of First Landing State Park pretty much each week, so the territory was familiar which allowed me to relax and enjoy the race.
Fuel for the first 15+ mile loop was just a couple of Island Boost packs and a couple of caffeinated SaltStick capsules chased down with water. As is always the case, both Seashore aid stations were manned were enthusiastic, knowledgeable volunteers who create so much noise it can almost be distracting. We blazed swiftly through the first station without grabbing a thing, but made sure to slow down and take in much needed fluids 4 miles later at the second station right before the tricky Osmanthus loop.
Coming out of Osmanthus we were both feeling good, and ticking along nicely at just over 7:00/mile pace. It was cool to head back along the main Cape Henry Trail and pass other racers heading towards Osmanthus, and great to see Ally looking strong and enjoying herself with her partners in crime Roy and Mike. Several miles later as we approached the mid-way turnaround point, race leader Billy Edwards was already heading out on his second loop. We figured he was about 1.5 miles ahead of us at that point, with 2nd place guy Alexander only a hundred meters or so behind Billy. A minute or so later we crossed paths with the 3rd place guy (Blaine?) on a slightly annoying sandy section of the trail. Finally we reached the end of the trail where I was able to pick up a 200 calorie serving of Tailwind Nutrition from my ever-supportive mother-in-law. Love it when a plan comes together.
So, 16 miles in and still feeling good….nice! Unintentionally, I picked up the pace in the next mile or so. A few sips of Tailwind provided an unexpected boost, and I found myself itching to push the pace even more. I felt awkward at the time, but as we approached the 18 mile mark and the 64th Street aid station, I asked Andrew if he was okay with me making a move. With 13 miles to go, I felt like there was a good chance of catching the 3rd place guy, and if Billy and Alexander had gone off to fast in the early miles, maybe I could chase one of them down too? Andrew was a true gent and said he didn’t mind at all, so without stopping at the aid station, I pressed on.
Just like that, I went from a couple of 7 minute miles to a couple of 6:30s, and felt like I was flying. I’d hoped to at least catch sight of the 3rd place guy, but up ahead there was no-one – just a steady stream of runners heading in the opposite direction. The next couple of miles were also sub-7:00s, and as I breezed by the Cape Henry aid station, someone shouted “Good job, 3rd place runner!” I hadn’t passed the guy in 3rd, figured it was a mistake, and pushed on for the final Osmanthus loop.
The 3 mile Osmanthus loop is always a bit of challenge – not terribly technical, but with enough twists, turns, bridges and roots to slow you down and keep you focused. Therefore, my plan here was to conserve a bit of energy before reaching the Cape Henry Trail and the final push over the last 5 or 6 miles. Steady sips of Tailwind were really hitting the spot, and to be honest I was surprised at how good I was feeling. I downed another SaltStick capsule just as I reached the main trail, and blazed through the energetic aid station without stopping. Despite having eased off the pace on Osmanthus, my last split out of the loop was a surprisingly swift 6:45 – another big boost as I approached the 26.2 mile marathon mark on Kingfisher Trail.
With 5 miles to go, many of the other runners on the course had told me I was in 3rd place, so I figured #3 guy must have dropped at one of the aid stations. More surprisingly, however, I was starting to get time checks that the 2nd place guy was only 3 or 4 minutes ahead and looking tired. Really? Mile 27 was a 6:56, but the thought of catching Billy or Alexander spurred me on like nothing else. The next couple of splits were a 6:48 and a 6:39 and once again I felt like I was flying.
Two more miles to go, and the latest unofficial time check had me at just 45 seconds in arrears to Billy, with Alexander another 4 or 5 minutes in front. Frustratingly, I still couldn’t see either of the runners ahead, but pressed on like a man possessed regardless. I reached the final aid station (1.6 miles to go), ditched the handheld and dug deep for one last push. Then, with almost perfect timing, a little way along the trail I passed Roy, and then Ally. I asked shouted to Ally “Where’s Billy?”, and her reply of “Just around the corner…” was all I needed to hear. Time to go….
“Just around the corner” was spot on. Billy looked tired, and I felt great, although knowing the tremendous athlete Billy is, I was concerned he’d have something in reserve for the final mile. However, once the catch and pass was made, I pressed on and resisted the urge to look back; more aware of the clock ticking than the threat of Billy catching me. With a final mile of 6:39, I reached the finish line in 3 hours, 39 minutes, 3 seconds – a new PR by just over a minute, and one of the most satisfying races of the year.
Post-race was fun. After a short soak in the icy water off the Narrows boat ramp, I enjoyed a brief chat with both Alexander and Billy, then hanging out with Andrew (who gutted out an impressive Top 10 finish), before heading down to the 64th Street to wait for Ally. It was good to chat and keep the legs moving as we walked the 1.6 miles along the trail, encouraging runners who were finishing up their races. After hanging out for a while at the aid station, it was easy to spot “Red Solo Cup Roy” and Ally making their way along the Cape Henry Trail. After a quick refuel, they were both on their way to the finish, with me walk/jogging along for company. Congrats, Ally on a solid first 50K in tough conditions!
Finally, big thanks to Saucony, Injinji, Running Etc., Ultimate Direction, Tailwind Nutrition, Island Boost, FootKinetics and SaltStick for helping me to a memorable 50K PR this past weekend. What a great day on the trails!