Satan's Sidewalk 150

 

Satan’s Sidewalk 66.6-Hour — the hellish big brother to the Dreadmill 48-Hour. The event is a fixed-time virtual race where runners tick off as many miles as they can or care to, all on a treadmill, in 66.6 hours. The rules are essentially the same as the Dreadmill 48, requiring time-stamped photo documentation to verify completed mileage. Satan’s Sidewalk also has a 66.6K option for those not interested in going the distance, plus an Outdoor Folly option for those without treadmill access and those without the level of stupidity required to run in place for 2 days, 18 hours, and 36 minutes. 

My goal for the Satan’s Sidewalk 66.6-Hour was 150 dreadmill miles. I wasn’t able to hit the distance at the Dreadmill 48 in December and wanted to give it another shot with the extra 18.6 hours. I still had to manage kids and chores during breaks, but less so than during Dreadmill. At any rate, this time I didn’t have to manhandle a queen mattress from bedroom to garage while the clock was ticking. The 2024 Dreadmill 48 also helped me learn to listen more to my body and come up with a workable routine, rather than wing it like I did for 2023’s Dreadmill. It turns out multi-day treadmill ultras are less dreadful and satanic than most people think. 

Logistics were easy. I’d keep all my normal gels and stuff on a table with cold drinks in a cooler. While running at home, I could access my kitchen at any time for some real food. I made a spreadsheet to track mileage and elapsed time as I progressed. Audiobooks, music, and YouTube would provide the necessary distractions. 

I took a Thursday and Friday off from work, giving me four days with the weekend included. I actually started at 8 p.m. on Wednesday using the Proform ‘mill in my basement and went on to hit my first night’s goal of 35 miles. Then I showered, ate, and crashed for 3 hours on the basement couch. The night’s entertainment included NBA legend Bill Walton’s audiobook memoir Back From the Dead, read by the author, and, after I started getting sleepy, my curated playlist of dreadmill music cranked up loud. 

After dropping the kids off at school, I went straight to Island Health & Fitness for another 35 at the gym. The gym is in the building where I work and has a little more scenery than staring at my basement wall. My coworker Anthony even came down during lunch and paced me for a mile. Reaching 35.0 meant postponing showering until home — kinda miserable when it’s 15° F outside, but with the psychological benefit of hitting that session’s target. Then I picked up the kids at 5:00 and we went home for dinner. 

I knew the second night would be rough. I planned to sleep an hour without an alarm, which quickly turned to 3 hours and a late night start on the ol’ ‘mill. I had trouble moving until some yerba maté caffeine worked its magic, then cruised through another 20 miles. I planned for 25, but the late start nixed that idea. The extra sleep was so worth it though. A tendon in my posterior left knee started to get angry during every walk-to-run transition, but it was manageable. Miraculously nothing else hurt. 

Day two was, as Yogi Berra would say, déjà vu all over again. Crank out the miles with headphones, allowing each song to dictate the pace, while half paying attention to the closed captioned TV movies. This time I managed a 7-hour 50k at the gym with enough time to shower before getting the kids. The session’s target was 30 miles, so I felt good about driving home with 121 behind me. 

29 miles to go — barely even an ultra distance. This is what I told myself; believing it was another thing. The kids crashed around 7:00 and I spent some time with my wife, catching up on the day and watching TV while eating pizza. I could’ve eaten like 40 pizzas but settled for one small one — a vegan cashew curry pizza from nearby Salt Point Brewing Co. 

The third night’s goal was 15 miles, which would give me plenty of time in the morning to finish before the final 2:36 p.m. cutoff on Saturday. But the night’s start was rough. I walked 6 miles while watching the Angry Video Game Nerd on YouTube and waiting for the pizza to digest. I just couldn’t motivate myself, and after an hour it became a struggle to keep my eyes open. By now I’d covered 127 miles in 50 hours, with 8-9 hours of cumulative sleep. I know some serious ultra runners that can manage this quite well but I ain’t one of them. 

A one-hour “power nap” on the basement couch with the lights on and all the sudden I’m resurrected. I quickly found my groove and blew right past the 15-mile target, taking a break at mile 140.0. No pain other than the aforementioned minor knee irritation and one non-fatal toe blister. It was then I knew I’d push through to the end and finish before sunup. I started to get sleepy at mile 146 but kept at it and finished around 5:30. No crowd, no finish line, no medal. Just my own sense of accomplishment for at a difficult thing I’d never done before. 

Thanks again to Benn Griffin of BURCS for organizing this and partnering with invaluable cancer charities. For the most part I enjoyed another round of audiobooks and ear-shredding 90s rock n’ roll while getting a little exercise. My legs are trashed as I write this and I’m way behind on sleep and already considering the next treadmill virtual race, Spring Surge.

Afterword

I did receive a belt buckle and a fancy 150-mile hoodie in the mail, plus a third place award. I’ve also found that many of the songs on my race playlist are burned into my mind and I receive involuntary flashbacks of zombie jogging in my basement at some ungodly hour of the night. 

100 Dreadmill Miles

​I’ve run numerous ultras over the past 10 years, but nothing quite like the Dreadmill 48 Hour Endurance Challenge. Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like — muster as many miles as possible on a treadmill within 48 hours. Most participants went for a minimum of 100 miles, myself included. The milestone gets you a sweet new belt buckle and the accomplishment of reaching a nice round number. 

The event is a virtual race in which you register on UltraSignup and complete the run anytime in the month of December during a continuous 48-hour period. All miles need to be documented, as there are top 3 and finisher awards at stake. Those who complete 50 miles get a finishers coin. 100 miles earns a traditional pewter belt buckle. 150 miles or more gets you a gold plated version of the buckle and copious bragging rights. There’s also a 100-mile division, where runners complete exactly 100 miles as fast as they can while adhering to the 48-hour time limit. For this race less than a 100 miles is a DNF. 

It works like this. Email race director Benn Griffin telling him the day and time to start your 48-hour clock. Run as much as you can, exclusively on a treadmill. Whenever the treadmill stops, take a time-stamped photo of the treadmill’s display. When you’re done running, email all photos to Benn to verify what you’ve accomplished. Following the event, mileage is tallied up and posted

2021 Cayuga Trails 50

It's been more than six months since the 2021 Cayuga Trails ultramarathon and I'm finally getting around to writing something about the race. This recap will be to the best of my recollection, kind of like Proust triggering vivid memories with his madeleine and tea, but far less boring and long-winded.

The course was modified extensively in 2020 due to COVID-related permit restrictions. It retained a similar course for 2021, with the staging area at Robert Treman State Park but in a different spot than the original layout. The modified course still covered most of the same trails, but was made a little tougher by an off-trail section near lower Buttermilk Falls. The format was essential this: Start at Treman Park's Y Camp. Run a 10-mile loop around the park and back to Y Camp. Then run a 15-mile lollipop loop that leaves Treman, passes through the Lick Brook preserves, and loops around to lower Buttermilk Falls State Park and back to Y Camp. 50-milers do this circuit twice and 50k runners do one full circuit followed by a 10k mini loop. Those running the shorter Lucifer's Crossing race only do the 10k loop. An aid station is set up every 4-6 miles. 

I came into the race not feeling my best. Two weeks prior I ran 19 miles on the course with two fast friends—Rich Heffron and Adam Pacheck—who pushed the pace and left me hurting. I thought I'd be fine after a day or two, but I still felt sort of beat down

Ultra Reading

What better way to relax after a run than to grab a snack and kick back with a good book. Anyone who knows me or regularly reads my blog knows that next to running, reading is my favorite pasttime. I enjoy polishing off pages by the dozen and will pick up pretty much anything that looks to be entertaining, interesting, or thought provoking. Reading helps me relax and open my mind to various viewpoints and different ways to express oneself through the medium of paper and pen (or keyboard and monitor.)

So what does any of this have to do with trail running? Well, there are three books in particular that I read a few years back that first got me interested in the sport. It was through these books that I first discovered ultramarathons even exist, let alone that I (and many other non-elite athletes) are more than capable of running beyond 26.2. These three books are a must-read for any current or aspiring ultrarunner, and the first two are both entertaining and educational for the general population,

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

[This post is more of an experiment in creative writing as I retell my experience at the Virgil Crest 100. It is heavily influenced by several novels I've read and borrows from some of them. Click here for a more straight forward recap of the day's events.]  

04:54

 

I can feel the heat closing in, feel them out there making their moves - those tiny seeds of doubt planted deep inside my cerebral cortex at such an early hour, destined to grow and blossom into a vast web of self-pity. As I slowly make my way toward the Rock Pile, those seeds are beginning to grow at an alarming rate. There seems to be a direct correlation between the arc of the sun and the declining state of my well being. Surely the mercury has not yet hit its high point of 85 degrees, but I already feel the lack of sodium intake is contributing to my loss of appetite and the dull pounding in my skull. 79 miles to go.

"Just make it to the Rock Pile."

As I plod onward I am passed by runners in the opposite direction, some looking like a million bucks and others ready to throw in the towel. As I walk up Hauck Hill Road I am reminded of my last training run on this part of the course, getting eaten alive by black flies in 90 degree heat. The flies appear to be satiated today. At least that's something positive I can dwell on for now.

I reach the end of the road and make my way through the winding singletrack to the Rock Pile aid station at mile 25. My head is still pounding and I my confidence quickly diminishing. As the orange blazed path snakes its way deep into the heart of Kennedy State Forrest, staked heads and severed limbs are exchanged for magazines. Yes! First one, then dozens of copies of Ultrarunning Magazine

Smile... Tomorrow Will Be Worse: The Virgil Crest 100

[This is one of two race recaps I wrote about the 2015 Virgil Crest Ultras. Click here for the other, which is more an experiment in creative writing than a conventional race report. Click here to read the race itinerary document I created for my crew. ]

One late September evening, while volunteering to provide food and assistance to a bunch of runners at the Hitching Post, is when I first got the itch. I decided then and there that I'd like to run this thing as a 100 mile debutante. It felt so epic just to be there, filling water bottles for 100 mile runners coming into mile 44 or 56 late in the evening. Knowing what these warriors had already endured, and what trials lie ahead throughout the night, brought a certain level of respect for all those attempting to go the distance. Having marked half the course the day before, I knew it wouldn't be easy. I'd have loved to spend the night at the aid station if I didn't have to leave at 10:00 PM to go to work at the hospital.

I spent nine months training for the 100, starting in late January, and come September 19 I was ready to go. My successful run at the Green Lakes 100K three weeks prior gave me some much needed confidence going into Virgil Crest, while the adverse weather conditions and uphill battles at the Whiteface SkyMarathon in late June helped me prepare mentally. After scrambling last minute to finalize my pacer situation, I had created a step by step game plan to help me get through this monumental task. The night before the race, I drove out to Virgil for packet pickup and to check out a

Virgil Crest Game Plan

[I've included here a separate post which is an exact copy of the Google Doc I provided to my crew. It lists my ETAs for every aid station and what I planned to do at each, the contents of my drop bags, and descriptions of the individual course sections. The document is posted here as it was originally written, errors and all. It's remarkable how accurate I was in predicting the ETAs - I listed times without really knowing what I was doing, and most of them were within a few minutes of my actual time. The only additional part is the miscellaneous photos at the end of the post. Click here and here to read two differently written accounts of my race experience.]

Virgil Crest 100 Race Itinerary

Listed here is what I think is my best strategy for completing the 100 miles, given my level of fitness, knowledge of the course, race rules, and safety precautions. Below is a breakdown of what I will hope to do at each of the 15 aid stations and a brief description of what I will be facing in between each one. It may sound a little long winded, but I want to provide as much detail as possible. Please keep in mind that we are guaranteed to be thrown curveballs mid-race and that everyone will NOT go exactly as planned. Where possible, I will try to provide backup plans for certain possible

Green Lakes 2015

Ah, the Green Lakes Endurance Runs. Back for another round, I decided to give the 100K a go as my final training run for Virgil Crest. That meant double the pleasure and double the fun I had during the 50K last year and the year before. (Race report from 2014.) My main goals for the 100K (62 miles) were to make sure some of my new gear is in working order for a race situation, to further dial in my nutrition, and to spend a long day on my feet. The tricky part was to remember that I'd need enough left in the tank to recover adequately during my three week taper between Green Lakes and Virgil. The common "I have no goal time" statement of course was always a lie. In the back of my head, I thought a sub 12 hour finish seemed reasonable, but I had to remember it was low on the priority list. I was telling people I wanted to finish before 7:00 pm when the park's swimming area closes so I could cool down in the water immediately afterward. A chance to hop in the lake meant breaking 13 hours.

Race Summary

 

The course is a loop of mostly flat trails, about half of which is exposed to the sun when the trails deviate from the woods for a few extended stretches. The loop is repeated eight times for the 100K, with access to a drop bag at the start/finish area.

Midway through lap 7. Photo: Tom Garby

In brief, the 100K went pretty well. It didn't really hit me until a few miles into the race that today would be my longest run ever by a full twelve miles. I was forced to push that thought aside and focus on pacing to avoid starting out too fast and burning out in the second half.

I got worried as I started feeling the first bits of fatigue around mile 20. I thought I could easily breeze through the first 50K before experiencing any signs of slowing, but to no avail. Laps three and four weren't terrible, but felt like more of an effort than I was hoping for. I made it through the first half in about 5:30 - not a bad split to go sub 12:00, but I already knew this time was not in the cards today.

Laps five and six were a struggle. I managed to keep moving in part because of all the 50K runners still on the course that I was able to converse with. This helped to take my mind off the pain and the monotony of such a repetitive course. On lap seven, my friend Tom, who was out for a long training run on the trails, kept running into me at different points and told me to keep moving because I was looking strong. I knew it wasn't true, but hey - sometimes those little

Definitely Maybe: Cayuga Trails 2015

Over the past few weeks I've been on a kick listening to one of my favorite bands of all time - the one and only Oasis. The short drive from my house to the starting area found me blasting several of the band's more up-tempo tunes to get pumped and ready to rock. As if that wasn't enough, I had an array of Oasis songs playing in my head throughout the race like some bi-polar DJ performing a freestyle mash-up for the first time. Amazingly, it seems many of the Gallagher brothers' songs fit the tone of the race and reference themes that I revisited throughout the day (albeit when taken out of context). What, then, could one of most most successful and iconic rock bands in history have in common with a bunch of grungy, sweaty weirdos running through the woods? I mean, what's the story, morning glory?

Hello! It's good to be back!

On the starting line, once again surrounded by 200 plus trail runners, I took a good look around. Strangely enough, it felt like only yesterday since I last toed the line at the Cayuga Trails 50. The day's forecast seemed to change every hour, and last I checked it was expected to be cloudy with scattered rain showers. Nobody ever mentions the weather can make or break your day. We could only hope the stairs wouldn't be too slick and the mud would be minimal. Some might say we will find a brighter day. 

After five long months of training and preparations we'd finally be setting off in under a minute's time. I intentionally stood near the back of the pack to avoid going out too fast, and was so far back I couldn't hear the traditional sounding of Ian's ram's horn as the countdown clock reached 00:00:00. Little things they make me so happy, but it's good to be free.

Cayuga Trails 50: Final Preparations and Additional Resources

With only a few days to go before the Cayuga Trails 50, I feel like I'm as ready as I could possibly be. The previous five months of training have been a lead-up to this coming Sunday. The last few weeks have been a combination of running on the course and getting in an ample amount of hill work. I'm hoping to run a PR for the 50M with the secondary goal of beating last year's time here, and feel like I have a good chance to do both.

The fun starts tonight (Friday), as Scotie Jacobs and Ithaca Beer are bringing back the Lucifer's Steps brew in conjunction with the race. The brewery is hosting a MUT runner social gathering of sorts, along with a pre-race briefing. The Race festivities continue tomorrow with the Trails in Motion Film Festival. Even if you are not running the race, considering checking out the Film Festival on Saturday afternoon, held downtown at Cinemapolis. I attended the festival last year and it was well worth it! (Click here for a full rundown of the race schedule of events.) There will also be mid-race live