In the spring of 2016, I fired up to run 100 km for the first time in my life. In order not to turn off the intended path.
Preparation and force majeure
The preparation went very well. Marathon in May for 2.37, training half for 1.15 in June and 190-200 km every week for 7 weeks up to 100 km. I was ready perfectly. I felt the strength to compete for prizes. I got all the necessary equipment. And although last year's participants said that there was no point in buying trail shoes and trail shoes, I didn't listen to them and bought inexpensive trail shoes. Plus a backpack, gels, bars. In general, everything is basic for the race.
But as always, things cannot go so well. Exactly one week before the start, I get a cold. And quite a lot. Knowing my body, I understood that I would recover in three days, therefore, although I was upset that the strength would go to the disease, I still hoped that they would be enough to run in the declared rhythm. But the illness decided otherwise and lasted until the very start. And I got sick very well. The temperature jumped from 36.0 to 38.3. Periodic cough, "shooting" in the ears, runny nose. This is not all that my body gave out before the start.
And a couple of days before leaving for Suzdal the question arose whether it was worth it. But the tickets were already bought, the fee was paid. And I decided that at least I would go on an excursion, even if I didn't run. And he drove off, hoping that maybe at least on the way his condition would improve. But the miracle did not happen ...
On the eve of the race - road, registration, organization, starter package
We got to Suzdal by two buses and a train. We arrived at first to neighboring Saratov by bus, the journey took 3 hours. Then another 16 hours by train to Moscow. And after that, by bus from the organizers, we got to Suzdal within 6 hours. The road was pretty tired. But the expectation of such an event was overshadowed by fatigue.
Although when we saw the queue to register for the race, the emotions subsided. It took about 2 hours to get to the coveted tent, where the starter package was issued. There were more than 200 people in line. Moreover, we arrived at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and the queue disappeared only in the evening. This was a decent flaw of the organizers.
Having received a starter pack, which lacked several elements that were originally announced by the organizers, for example, an adidas shoe backpack and a bandana, we went camping. Still, they spent a lot on the road, so they were not ready to pay 1,500 for a hotel room, or even more. For camping, 600 rubles were paid for one tent. Quite passable.
The tent was set up 40 meters from the starting corridor. It was pretty funny and very convenient. At about 11 pm we were able to sleep. Since the start for 100 km and the start for other distances were divided, I had to get up at 4 am, since my start was scheduled for 5 hours. And my friend, who showed up for 50 km, was going to get up at half past 7, since he still runs at 7.30. But he failed to do this, because immediately after the start of 100 km the DJ began to direct the "movement" and woke up the whole camp.
On the eve of the start in the evening, I already realized that I could not recover. He ate one by one cough drops until he fell asleep. I had a headache, but probably more from the weather than from illness. I woke up in the morning at about the same time. I put another cough candy in my mouth and began to dress for the race. At that moment, I began to seriously worry that I would not be able to run even the first lap. To be honest, for the first time in my life I experienced the fear of a race. I understood that the diseased organism was greatly weakened, and it was not known when he would run out of all his strength. At the same time, I also saw no point in running slower than the pace I was preparing for. I even do not know why. It seemed to me that the longer I run, the worse it will be. Therefore, I tried to keep an average pace of 5 minutes per kilometer.
Start
More than 250 athletes competed for the 100 km distance. After the parting speeches of the DJ, we started and we rushed "into battle". I did not expect such a sharp start at 100 km. Those who fled in the leading group ran the asphalt section along Suzdal in the region of 4.00-4.10 minutes per kilometer. Other runners tried to hold onto them as well. I tried to keep the pace around 4.40, which I did well.
Already in Suzdal, we managed to turn in the wrong place in one place and lose precious minutes and energy. At the 7th kilometer, the two leaders were already 6 minutes ahead of me.
Right in the city, the organizers decided to make a small trail segment - they ran up a rather steep hill and went down from it. Most of the hill descended at the fifth point. It was at that moment that I realized how good it was that I was in trail running shoes, as I calmly descended the hill with an easy run.
The beginning of the "fun"
We ran about 8-9 km along Suzdal, and quite unexpectedly turned onto the trail. Moreover, focusing on the stories of those who ran last year, I expected to see dirt paths with low grass. And I got into the jungle from nettles and reeds. Everything was wet from the dew and the sneakers became wet within 500 meters after entering the trail. The markings had to be looked out for, the path was not perfect. There were 10-15 people running ahead of me, and they could not tamp the road.
In addition, the grass began to cut her legs. I ran in short socks and without leggings. The organizers wrote about the need for long socks. But I didn’t have a single “used” pair of such socks, so choosing between one hundred percent calluses in new socks and cut legs, I chose the latter. Nettle also burned mercilessly, and it was impossible to get around it.
When we reached the ford, the sneakers were already completely wet from the grass, so there was no point in taking them off. And of course we passed the fords pretty quickly and we can say imperceptibly.
Further the road went in approximately the same vein, thick grass, periodically alternating with tall nettles and reeds, as well as rare but pleasant dirt paths.
Separately, it is worth noting a cascade of 6 or 7 ravines, the time at which was recorded separately. As it turned out, of those who ran 100 km, I ran this cascade the fastest. But there was no sense in this, since I still did not get to the finish line.
After running 30 km I began to catch up with the group of runners. It turned out that I ran to the leaders. But the problem was that it was not me who ran quickly, but that the leaders were trying to find the marks and stomp their way through the grass that was taller than a human being.
In one place we got pretty lost and for a long time could not understand where to run, for 5-10 minutes we ran from corner to corner and decided where the right direction was. At that time there were already 15 people in one group. Finally, having found the cherished mark, we set off again. They walked more than they ran. Grass up to the chest, nettles taller than human growth, the search for the cherished marks - this continued for another 5 kilometers. These 5 km we kept one group. As soon as they entered the clean area, the leaders broke loose and rushed off the chain. I ran after them. Their pace was clearly at 4 minutes. I was running at 4.40-4.50. We got to the feeding point at 40 kilometers, I took some water and ran third. At the distance, another runner caught up with me, with whom we got into conversation and, not paying attention to the sharp turn, which, in fact, was not marked in any way, ran straight into the city. We run, we run, and we understand that there is no one behind. When we finally realized that we had taken a wrong turn, we ran about one and a half kilometers away from the main road. I had to go back and catch up time. It was very disappointing to lose strength and time, especially considering that we ran in 3-4 places. Psychologically I was severely knocked down by this "escape to the wrong place."
Then I wandered a couple more times and, as a result, the GPS in my phone counted 4 km more than it really should have been. That is, in fact, for 20 minutes I ran in the wrong place. I am already silent about the search for the road, because the entire leading group got into this situation and we were all looking for the road together. Well, plus those who ran behind, ran along a packed path, and we ran on virgin soil. Which by itself did not improve the result. But here it is pointless to say something, since the winner of the 100 km stayed first throughout the race. And I was able to withstand all this.
Leaving the race
At the end of the first lap, when I ran in the wrong direction a couple of times, I started to get angry at the marking, and it became more and more difficult to run psychologically. I ran and imagined that if the organizers had made a clear marking, then I would now be 4 km closer to the finish line, that I would now run with the leaders, and not overtake those who had already been overtaken before.
As a result, all these thoughts began to develop into fatigue. Psychology means a lot in long distance running. And when you start to reason, and what would have happened if NOT, then you won't show a good result.
I ended up slowing down to 5.20 and running like that. When I saw that the one whom I was 5 minutes ahead of me before the unfortunate turn in the wrong direction ran away from me for 20 minutes, I completely unstuck. I had no strength to catch up with him, and combined with fatigue, I began to crumble on the go. I ran the first lap in 4.51. Looked at the protocols, it turned out that he ran fourteenth. If we remove the lost 20 minutes, then it would be the second in time. But this is all reasoning in favor of the poor. So what happened is what happened. In any case, I did not reach the finish line.
I went to the second round. Let me remind you that the beginning of the circle ran along the asphalt along Suzdal. I ran in trail shoes with poor cushioning. I still have traces on my feet from a fungus that had been earned long ago, back in the army, which represented some mini craters on my foot. When your feet get wet, these "craters" swell and in fact it turns out that you run as if there are small and sharp stones in your foot. And if on the ground it was not very noticeable, then on the asphalt it was very noticeable. I ran through the pain. For ethical reasons, I will publish only a link to the photo of my "beautiful" feet. If someone is interested in seeing what my legs were like after the finish, then click on this link: http://scfoton.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00190.jpg ... The photo will open in a new window. Who doesn't want to look at someone else's feet. read on)
But the worst pain in my legs was from the cuts on the grass. They just burned, and, anticipating an early return to the trail, and again running on the grass, I decided that I could not stand this anymore. Putting all the pros and cons, I decided not to run out of Suzdal and get off in advance. As it turned out, the second circle was already packed by the athletes, and there was practically no grass. But in any case, there were enough factors other than this to not regret his deed.
Chief among them is fatigue. I already knew that soon I would start alternating between running and walking. And I didn't want to do this at a distance of 40 kilometers left. The disease still sucked the body and there was no strength to continue the race.
Results and conclusions of the race.
Even though I retired, I finished the first lap, which gave me the opportunity to see some of my results.
The lap time, that is, 51 km 600 meters, if we subtract the extra kilometers that I ran, it would have been 4.36 (in fact 4.51). If I ran individual 50 km, it would be the 10th result among all athletes. Taking into account the fact that those who ran 50 km started after the cobblers, and therefore ran along the tamped track, if I ran clean 50 km, then the result could well have shown close to 4 hours. Because we lost 15-20 minutes looking for the road and making our way through the bushes. And this means that even in a sick state, I could have competed for the top three, as the third place was shown by the result of 3.51. I understand that this is reasoning "in favor of the poor," as they say. But in fact for me this means that even in a sick state I was quite competitive in this race and the preparation was excellent.
The conclusions can be made as follows:
1. Do not try to run 100 km when you are sick. Even at a slower pace. The logical action would be to reapply for a distance of 50 km. On the other hand, at 50 km, I would not have got the experience of running on absolute virgin soil, which I got when starting with a hundred workers. Therefore, from the point of view of the future experience of participating in such starts, this is more important than the prize in the 50 km race, which is not a fact that I would have received.
2. He did the right thing by running with a backpack. However, when you can take as much water as you need with you and food, it simplifies the situation. It did not interfere at all, but at the same time I was not afraid to be left without water on an autonomous site or forget to eat at a food point.
3. He did the right thing that he did not listen to the advice of many participants last year and did not run in ordinary sneakers, but ran in trail shoes. This distance was created for this shoe. Those who fled in regular wear regretted it very much later.
4. No need to force events in the 100 km run. Sometimes, to maintain the average pace, which I declared myself as a goal, I had to overtake right through the bushes. There was, of course, no sense from this. I didn't gain much time by such overtaking. But he spent his strength decently.
5. Run treil only in gaiters. Rugged legs were one of the main factors why I didn't start the second lap. Only the realization of how the grass would cut me again on the living was terrifying. But I didn't have socks, so I ran in what I had. But I got experience.
6. Do not catch up with time by accelerating the pace, if somewhere there was a failure at a distance. After I ran into the wrong place, I tried to catch up with wasted time. Except for the loss of strength, this gave me absolutely nothing.
These are the main conclusions I can draw at the moment. I understand that my preparation went well, I was feeding on the track strictly according to the schedule. But illness, wandering and unpreparedness for the track and trail, in principle, did their job.
Overall, I am satisfied. I tried what a real treill is. I ran 63 km, before that the longest cross without stopping was 43.5 km. Moreover, he did not just run, but ran along a very difficult track. I felt what running on grass, nettles, reeds is like.
In general, next year I will try to prepare and still run this route to the end, making all the necessary changes compared to this year. Suzdal is a beautiful city. And the organization of the race is just excellent. A sea of emotions and positive. I recommend to everyone. There will be no indifferent people after such a race.
