by Kevin Buyck

1st time beyond the 26.2 race report.  My training was a little lacking due to Little League and softball schedules but I was able to drive up to Piseco for a 22 mile out and back on the NPT 3 weeks prior to the event.  I felt pretty crappy by the end and had to drive home using the cruise control because I couldn’t extend my legs without cramping.  Not a great omen for the big day.

I arrived at Poplar Point campground Friday night about 6:00 pm with my support crew consisting of my wife and three kids.  The bugs were plentiful but nothing compared to the deafening sound of frogs throughout the night.  Staying close to the start did have its advantages since I was able to getup at 5:30 and leave for the start at 6:00.    

Hydration and nutrition strategy:
2L camelback filled with Gatorade along with a 20 oz handheld in case of extra water requirements;
Clif bars, gels, and powerbars in a fannypak.  
Note to self – Saving a couple ounces of weight on the minimal size hydration system with barely enough storage to hold a map of the course is pretty stupid if you have to strap on a retro 80’s fanny pak of which I overpaid for at EMS to hold actual food.  I digress.  

With absolutely no experience in this type of race I decided that 8 hours was a reasonable goal so I informed my wife that showing up at Wakely by 1:30 or 2:00 should be fine.  I am directionally challenged so navigation was my biggest fear.  I had the map, the write-up from the website, a compass, whistle but no GPS.  I had to draw the line somewhere.  After the obligatory pictures and pre-race briefing – we were off.  I waited for about 2/3 of the runners to hit the trail before I grabbed a spot.  Starting out too fast with no clue would have been a recipe for disaster.  A little dramatic but it made sense to me.   The only things that stuck out in my mind during the first 10 or so miles were seeing the gentlemen in the FleetFeet racing singlet from Rochester (my hometown) almost kill himself slipping on a rock at the Jessup river crossing.  Luckily, he was uninjured.  The other was the look on the hikers face at the first Spruce Lake leanto.  I couldn’t help but ponder the question of how he was able to haul the rather large cooler he was standing next to, all the way to this remote site. Hmmm.  Plenty of time to think this over while I over aggressively sucked my bladder dry during the 1st half of the race.  Passed a few, got passed by others during this stretch.  Normally I am somewhat competitive during a race but it was very easy to accept the idea that I should just worry about my own race, mainly finishing in one piece.  

Only navigational quandary.  Sampsons bog was beautiful to look at but after crossing the bridge I missed the left hand turn going up the bank.  I had to really stretch my imagination to visualize a trail continuing to follow the bank.  As I asked myself out loud “Do I have any idea where I am going?”  I happened to turn around at the perfect time to see someone climbing the bank to the trail that I didn’t see.  I back tracked and was on my way.  Flashback – I was once lost near Old Forge in the woods for 6 hours when I was 10. (Yes I have issues with these woods)  

This report is getting long so I’ll cut to the chase.  I filled my handheld 4 separate times and used the iodine pills for purification.  I only waited 15 min on the first one (30 min recommendation) but escaped harm.  Cramping was a big issue and I had to lay down on a bridge at the 27 mile mark to recover for 30 minutes.  That’s when I remembered that someone recommended Endurolytes to me a week earlier and I told them that I never have cramping issues. Riiiiiight.  Eventually I recovered enough to run/walk the rest of the way.  I wish to thank the very concerned runners who passed me while laying on the bridge or sitting on the trail and paused to check on my well being.  I got to the ˝ way point in 3:30 and finished in 7:52.  (Only 3 hours short of winning this race…so close….) I was leaking oil badly but finishing under my arbitrarily determined goal was sweet enough for me.    

Thanks to Paul from Newark Valley for the help keeping a decent pace in the last 2 or so miles.  The post race soak in the river was soothing to say the least.  Thanks again to RDJim for organizing a great race.  I plan on being back next year to improve on my time.  Sorry the report was so long.  I like to watch myself type.   Hey Jim.  Any awards for longest race report?