From the Ultralist:

Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 12:45:43 -0500
From: Andy Cable
Subject: Race Report - Houston Ultra Weekend

2/25/2006, Bear Creek Park, Houston Texas

Got to the race location at 6:30PM Friday. Found out that BuffaloBear had registered earlier, but he had gone. Talked to some of the 48 hour runners at the aid tent, telling them "you have less than 2 days to go".
The next morning, I got to the course in time to see the 12-hour and 100 K participants start at 7AM. I reintroduced myself to Peter Bennett and Yen Nguyen. They are from Houston, but they put on a small 50 K in Connecticut in November, 2004. I was one of 8 people at that 50 K, and
the only Connecticut resident in the race.

Before the start, I put my stuff under Beth Katcher's ironing board, which was right next to the course at a point 50 yards before the aid tent. Beth was the only female in the walking division, and she joked that she would start off with her "victory lap", and then call it a day.
There are 6 walkers and 1 runner in the 24 hour race. The walkers pose for a group picture before the start of the race. The picture is on Ollie's blog. The walkers are Beth Katcher, Larry Block, Ollie Nanyes, Doug Brown, Andy Cable, and Jens Borello.

Started in last place. Jens, Beth, and the runner start out pretty quickly. I talked with BuffaloBear for the first mile. Then caught up to Ollie.

Caught up to a few 48 hour runners. One of them was wearing a Sri Chinmoy shirt, so I asked him if he had ever done any of the long races. It turns out he is Abichal Watkins, who has completed the 3100 mile Self Transcendence race the past few years. The other runner is Dave
Luljak, another multi-day specialist, who finished 3rd in the recent 72 hour Across the Years. I introduce myself, and Abichal says he has heard of me. That pretty much makes my day.

Walked another 3 laps with Ollie. Then he had to deal with a hot spot, so I picked up the pace. At this point, it starts raining, and it rains for about 6 hours, sometimes a light drizzle and sometimes heavy rain.
I got to 10 miles in 2:11:20, and my plan was 2:15, so I am a few minutes ahead of schedule. At this time, I feel pretty good, so I attempt to lap Ollie, figuring it will take a few hours to do it. Ollie is wearing a yellow shirt, so it is easy to spot him on the other side of the loop. Later in the morning there is a soccer game on one of the fields, and one of the teams is wearing yellow shirts, which makes it impossible to pick out Ollie on the other side of the loop.

I get to 20 miles in 4:14. The second 10 miles averaged 12:16, which is a bit too fast, but I still feel fine. Then I saw Ollie about 2 minutes ahead of me. (really 25 minutes behind me since I am lapping him). I start to catch up in the first half of the lap. Then I realize that if he stops at all at the aid tent, I will be ahead of him. So I stay about 1 minute behind Ollie for the next mile. After he gets through the aid station I catch up to him.

Both my knees are bothering me a little. I anticipated this might be a problem, so I had taken a Motrin just before the start of the race and another at 4 hours into the race. Ollie and I walk at pretty much the same pace. I have a bit more raw speed in the shorter distances, but he does quite a bit more distance training. (at this point in the race I am over 20 miles for the 23rd time in my life.) Most of Ollies 50ks are faster than my second fastest 50k, 6:48. Most of his marathons are
faster than my second fastest marathon, 5:35. And we're both math people, so we have lots of common ground for conversation.

Somewhere around here my right knee locks up. I had stopped for about 15 seconds in the bushes, and when I started to walk again I felt a sharp pain in my knee. The pain is too much and I can't go on. Ollie walks off, oblivious to my plight. I feel like the main character in Stephen King's "The Long Walk". I lay on the wet ground and elevate and stretch my bad leg in every direction I can think of, hoping I can salvage my race. After about 3 minutes of stretching I attempt to walk again, and can proceed slowly with less pain. Eventually the pain is replaced with the appropriate dull ache, and I am back in business.

My plan calls for me to get to 40 miles in 9 hours. Technically I am on target as I get to 40.16 miles in 8:58. Eventually I get to 50 miles in 11:20, which is both right on target and a 50 mile PR for me, having only done one other 50 mile race in 12:06, Lake Waramaug in 2003.

I get to 52 miles in under 12 hours, and then take a long break in the rest tent. I lay on a plastic bag on the ground with both legs elevated. This lasts for about 20 minutes. When I get moving again, it takes me 20 minutes to do the first half mile, and 15 minutes to do the next half mile. I eventually get up to 20 minutes per mile, but now I am stopping for hot chocolate after every lap. My goal is to get to 100 K, which I do in about 16 hours and 20 minutes. This is technically
a PR for me, but it should be easy to improve on this.

The character of the race changed for me once I was defeated. I started enjoying the company of the other runners. I talked with Henri Girault from France, who was doing yet another 100 K. I did my final lap with Deb Richmeir from Colorado. Deb ended up with the most mileage in the
48 hour race, with something like 146 miles. Then I went back to the hotel and got a few hours of sleep before the award ceremony at about 8AM. After that I did a few bonus laps, one with Dave Luljak, and 2 with Abichal Watkins.

I'll probably do another 24 hour race. At my current fitness level it would require perfect conditions to walk 100 miles in 24 hours. Next time I might just do a casual 80-90 mile walk. If that goes well, I might consider some multiday events...

Andy Cable