UROC: phil’s report

UROC is a race that has intrigued me since it’s origin several years ago–because of where it started: just outside of Charlottesville, VA, close to my wife’s family.

Last year it moved to Vail, CO;

This year it moved to Copper Mt., CO.

I found myself towing the line at the event for the first time, in an effort to gain a coveted Western States Lottery spot.

After signing up, I noticed how repetitive the course was: we had to run through the A-Road aid-station 8 times.  I was worried about that, but I wasn’t worried about the seemingly generous WS100 cutoff time of 16hours.

In the early miles, I felt great, but had a conversation with another runner who was aiming for Western as well.  He mentioned that the cut-off time for a lottery ticket was 14 hours.  I didn’t question him because at the time I felt that even 14 hours was more than generous: boy was I wrong!

I was at mile 30 (A-Road AS, as it was) around 5hr. 15 minutes into the race; feeling great!  After a supposedly 6 mile out-in-back, I was once again at A-Road, mile 36 at 1:30 pm.  It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to run a very easy (in terms of elevation gain and footing) 6 mile stretch!

My heart and resolve sank even further as the aid station personnel now directed me back to the start/finish line to do a 2 mile out-in-back portion.   Back at the start, I nearly quit; I was 100 yards from my hotel.

But then I remembered about Western, and I decided to go for it–after a kick in the butt from an aid-station volunteer.

At 4:30pm, after covering 15 miles in 5 hours and 15 minutes, I was back at A-Road.  I figured I had no chance of making the Western cut-off.  I was dazed and confused; tired and weary of the last 16 miles; I had abandoned running almost altogether, even on the downhills.  I had a splitting headache.

In that head, I had 8pm as the time I needed to finish by to ensure a bid for the 2015 Western States Endurance Run.  That meant that I would need to cover the last 16 miles in 3.5 hours.

I thought, It’s not going to happen.  I didn’t even take the time to think (or remember!) that I truly needed to finish by 10pm.  Giving me 5.5 hours to cover the last 16 miles–the same speed I was already going.   I was in the hotel bed, reeling as I tried to shake my headache. I was back in Seattle before my head cleared, and I realized my miscalculation.

Now it looks like I’ll be shooting for Western States 2016!