Tideland 24-Hour - An Excellent Adventure

I always look at running as an adventure or an experience. Its been since high school that I won a race and those were sprints - 100, 200-meter dashes and 800-meter relays. Yes, recently I have a few age-group top 3 finishers in the half marathon but I generally determine what I can experience in a run, not see if I am going to win. I always try my best no matter and sometimes I run well, sometimes I don't but it is always an experience and there is always something to learn.

I have always wanted to run all of the major distances up through 100 miles. In distance races, Other than the sprints, I have run everything from 5K to 50 miles. I have always wanted to try a 24-hour race because the race is complicated in distance, time and in the management of your body and mind. How many times can you say that you did something, the same thing, for 24 hours?  Yes, I understand that there are distances greater than 100 miles requiring many more hours of exertion. I also know some life experiences require 24 or more hours of focus, but not many. The body and mind are the most complex things on the planet. Running (moving) for 24 hours requires complex problem-solving in both the mind and of the body. That is what appealed to me when registering for my first 24-hour event, the Tideland 24-Hour.

Cindy and I have had some amazing experiences, many related to running, whether she was running or not and some not related to running at all, like a Safari in Africa. We have climbed mountains in Utah, Alaska, hiked to hidden waterfalls, rode 100 miles on bicycles not long after one of her hip replacements (she has two hip replacements and a shoulder replacement and another shoulder scheduled), climbing icebergs (or what's left of them), helicopter ride in Kauai, single-engine plane ride in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, saw Paris from the Eiffel tower, etc. In running she has completed a half-marathon, multiple 5Ks and now in the Tideland 24-hour, 31 miles (the 50K ultra). Yes, she was up to doing the Tideland 24-hour and I loved having her on the course and in our own private aid station.

I have had my eye on the Tideland 24-hour for years, initially when it was called the Croatan 24. It takes place at an optimal time of year in the Croatan National Forest on the Tideland Trail. It is a smooth crushed gravel 1.377-mile loop throughout the low lying Tideland marsh area and through the forest. It is non-technical although you wouldn't know it - more on this later, I am likely the only person who fell on the course.

Since I knew nothing about running a 24-hour race except for the idea is that the event starts and then ends 24 hours later. What one does in between is up to the person - run, walk, crawl, rest, sleep, eat - but the event is for 24-hours.  Of course, I am a preparation person. I have run ultras before and know that you need more "stuff" to support you through the event. With Cindy participating, I wanted it to be an experience for both of us and to be prepared for both of us.

Preparation

Ultrarunning preparation comes in a few different forms: training, logistics, and supplies. There are probably other aspects as well but most preparation falls into these categories. Preparation can also depend on the distance, the course (style, terrain, and technicality), weather and aid stations. The first thing I determined was the course and aid station setup. Tideland 24-hour runs on the Tideland Trail in the Croatan National Forest near the North Carolina shore in Cedar Point. It is 1.377 miles in length, flat with a combination of metal bridge crossings over the marsh and crushed sand/gravel.  There was one aid station at the start/finish which was fully stocked and an area to pitch a canopy, tent or staging area for your own stuff. There is also the Cedar Point state campground that is about a quarter-mile away.

The other consideration in preparation was due to Cindy being registered for the event also. The website says that pacers are not allowed, that if you want someone on the course, please register them. Since they allow participants to come on and off the course as they see fit, I thought that Cindy would enjoy the event also no matter how many miles/laps she did.

Training

As far as distance is concerned, I didn’t do anything different than normal marathon training. I also ran two marathons in October, including the notoriously hilly Baltimore course. I finished both marathons in 4:09 and change. I did experiment with walk/run intervals on training runs. I read that some people use a 25/5-minute ratio of running/walking. After some experimentation, I decided to use an 8/2 interval. This interval worked well but I may consider a 10/1 or a 10/2 interval in the future. I also did more loops around our 1.5-mile lake to get the feel of continuous loops. I didn’t train for any overnight running thinking that the adrenalin of being in the event and 5-hour energy would carry me through, which it did. I was able to run some training runs on crushed gravel/sand so that helped with the surface.

Logistics

Croatan is only 2.5 hours from Durham. It was an easy drive and allowed us to get there on Friday by 1 PM to get the most optimal spot for our canopy, literally on the course. Initially, the plan was to also pitch a tent at the campground ($27 per night). A week before the event, I decided to book a hotel night before the event to get a good night’s sleep, relax and hang out with Cindy. We kept the campsite and pitched the tent in case we needed a little sleep during the event. The tent sat lonely for the entire time – we never used it. The hotel was only a few miles away and I am glad we stayed the night before.

Driving from Swansboro to Cedar Point

Supplies

I have run ultras before and have used drop bags, but I have never run a 24-hour event. For a drop-bag, you must be a bit strategic in what the drop bag contains and where it will be placed. With a 24-hour event, you have access to your stuff every loop, in this case, every 1.377 miles. This is a double edge sword because you may bring too much thinking that you need everything for every possible scenario or not enough thinking you may not need much since you are passing your spot every loop, plus having the race’s aid station available as well. I searched race blogs, race reports for 24-hour supply lists. If there is one thing that I am overly anal about it is having the right “stuff”.  I found some decent lists on the web; some lists were overindulged (i.e. stuff not needed) and others appeared more practical. The weather also could affect which supplies were needed. An early November race could be warm or cold, with or without rain, but likely (very likely) without snow on the NC shore.

Although tents were also allowed at the site, participants could not spend the night prior to the event in a tent at the site except for the campground. The tent area was slightly off course across the drive from the start/finish and aid area. So, the first thing I bought was a canopy which allowed for coverage in case of rain. The canopy could house sidewalls as well in case of cold wind. The one I bought (ABCcanopy) from Amazon also had sandbags to secure the poles. The second thing I bought was a heater run by small propane cylinders (Mr. Heater). We did not need it since the temperature never got below 41 degrees although it could have probably been used. For supplies, I bought 3 medium plastic tubs: one for food, one for medical supplies, lights, batteries and another for clothes and shoes. Most of the food was unnecessary due to having the aid station right in front of us and the plethora of food available around the clock (hot and cold). Unless you have special food and/or drinks, this race has pretty much all you need. I did like having a few items of my own like 5-hour energy, some goodies and a few other drink items like coke. This year I will re-evaluate the food situation. As for medical supplies, I believe that we had the right supplies particularly related to blister kits, body and foot glide, baby wipes (I fell and bloodied myself and the wipes came in handy), anything for overuse injuries (Cindy had an IT band issue and another runner gave her a strap), Aspercreme, Ibuprofen (if you do such a thing). The clothes and shoes were most important considering the change in temperature throughout the 24 hours. It was a beautiful day so there was no need to worry about rain or wind. The range in temperature was between 41 and 65. Be sure to have layers and dry shirts. A dry shirt can completely re-energize you and adding/removing a layer can also. I also ran in 4 different (same model) pairs of shoes.

With all these supplies, I needed to consider Cindy as well. Her specific needs centered around clothes and shoes.  Our set-up, besides the canopy, consisted of a table and two chairs, and a halogen lantern. Besides the camping stuff that we never used, all together we had a canopy, table, two chairs, 3 plastic bins and a cooler.

 Course Tour

When we arrived at Croatan, we went to the staging area and spoke to the race director in order to get our spot for the event. We put up the canopy, our table and a couple of chairs. We then went to the campground and set-up our tent. Campsite #A1 is the closest to the event. We would never be back at the campsite until after the event. We then ventured over to Emerald Isle for a bit of lunch at Surf’s Up Grill and Bar, a few beers and a sandwich. We then walked out onto the pier to watch dolphins playing in the surf.

Our Canopy

Real bathroom and setup of the aid station

The lonely tent that we never used

Dolphin

Beauty of a day at the Ocean

Admiring the shoreline and ocean

Afterward, we headed back to the event staging area to walk the course. It was a beautiful warm day. The course consisted of sandy/gravel trails through marshland with metal and wooden bridges traversing the water and marsh. The path meandered into the forest as well and then back to the staging area. It was truly a beautiful course and likely not one to get bored on due to the changing daylight, the birds, the water, the forest, and the surface.

Pictures From the Tour

We headed back to the hotel to rest, relax and last-minute preparations. We were both happy that we decided to stay in a hotel. We had Domino's for dinner to get in a few extra carbs. The event started at 8 AM so a 6 AM wake-up was in order.

Time to Go

Upon arriving in the morning, we drove right to our canopy and unloaded the other stuff and then parked along the road. The other runners were arriving, and many knew each other. The event is to benefit the Marine Raider Foundation so many of the participants were veterans – active and inactive. Some tents were set up in the field and others had set up their areas around us. It was a cozy little scene.

Both Cindy and I were a bit nervous not knowing what to expect. Our goals were simple – participate for the entire 24 hours. We each paid $4.17 per hour to participate. However, we did have some mileage goals. Although Cindy was walking, I thought that she could at least do a 50K (31 miles). I wanted to do at least 100K (62 miles) but thought that if I could get to 80 miles, I could be in the top 10 of finishers. I was so proud of Cindy for even considering this adventure. She is always up for a good adventure and this one was beyond anything either of us had done before and I loved that we were doing it (experiencing it) together. It adds more meaning when you do these kinds of things together.

Rest before the race

Rest before the race

Our own lap counter with mileage

Getting light before the start

The eventual women's winner in orange and our canopy

The flags are the course and our canopy just beside it

Pretty morning before the start

Gathering for the start

My ultra girl!

So, at 8 AM after the national anthem, the timer carrying the American Flag, lead us on the first loop. Then we were off, on our own but doing it with some new friends. The 8/2 interval was working well so I kept with it until darkness descended. It seemed odd at first being in a race and walking 8 minutes into the race, but I also knew that 24 hours is a different kind of race. Cindy started walking with another walker. There were a few people doing it as a walk. If you think walking is easy, try it over a prolonged period - it's not!. The weather was great at the start - warming to about 45 degrees. I had shorts and a short-sleeve shirt on. Cindy had long pants and a short-sleeve shirt. Frankly, I still can’t fathom or place in my head doing this for 24 hours. A couple of things I noted on some 24-hour websites were: don’t stop at the aid station every lap, try not to sit too long, change clothes when needed. I also felt like I had to monitor myself and monitor Cindy. At one point during the day, Cindy’s fingers swelled so much that her rings looked like they would need to be cut off. I was a bit worried and told her to try and ice. She also developed IT band issues. Our neighbors at the event gave her a band to put below her knee. She also developed some blisters as did I. Blisters on the bottom of my feet were really the only adverse thing I experienced.

brief rest

Still happy

One of Cindy's blisters

Swollen fingers

Through 50K, all my splits were between 15 and 20 minutes per lap. Its exactly where I wanted to be at that point – 6 hours 35 minutes. Cindy had gotten through half of her goal distance in the first 5 hours. Once the sun became bright, I donned sunglasses and put started listening to some tunes for the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t meander at our spot or the race’s aid station, but I did partake in some tasty cheeseburgers, a few snacks, water, Gatorade and coke. I also did a couple of small avocado wraps. I was worried about eating because, in previous ultras, my stomach had given me issues. But, in this race, I managed my food and drink well, even having to pee on a regular basis, always important drinking enough so that dehydration doesn’t set in.

As the sun went down and the glorious colors of sunset turned the sky orange and purple reflecting into the water, I was in awe of the moment and the experience. As darkness grew, the stillness seemed to engulf the moment, like everything stopped, well except for runners and walkers. November 2^nd, 2019 would have been my father’s 100^th birthday. I lost him when I was 20 so I wanted to celebrate by going at least 100K. Although 100 miles gets you into the top 5, a belt buckle and maybe even a win in some races, I knew that I had much to learn about going for 24 hours. 100K can still be celebratory for my father’s 100^th birthday. As darkness settled in, I was 45 miles in and then at half-way, 50 miles in. For my goal, I obviously felt confident to reach 62 miles (another 12 miles) in 12 hours. At this point I knew that I could go for 80 miles and potentially a top 10 finish.  Cindy was struggling with knee pain, but she was also on track to reach her goal. Every few laps I ran up behind her and walked a bit with her, but she always wanted me to keep going. One time after I had seen her, I ran off with a little spring in my step and tripped on the smallest rock protrusion and went down hard onto the gravel bloodying my hand, knee, and elbow. It's purely a non-technical course and here I am tripping and falling. When I got back to our spot, I grabbed the baby wipes went into the bathroom and wiped everything down. That is the other great thing about this event, there is a real bathroom with a sink along with porta-potties.

I couldn't get enough of the sunset - so beautiful!

When darkness set in, I turned off the music and walked, and I walked the entire loop until it got light again. If there was a mistake at all, it was constantly walking this portion of the race. First, I sometimes think walking is harder, second, without changing stride and foot placement, I developed blisters, and third I lost time, nearly 7 to 15 minutes per loop. I should have run at least some of the loop at night. I didn’t experience hallucinations that some people do but I did feel like I was getting tunnel vision from the headlamp and I kept waving away the tunnel. For the next 12 to 13 hours, I walked and rested a bit. At our spot, I may have sat for about 5 minutes. The longest I rested was for 15 minutes and that was probably at 2 AM or so.  I reached 100K 18 hours into the event and took 15 minutes rest. Cindy needed to give her knee a break and as it got cold, she needed to get some warmth as well. She took a 5-hour break but never left the site. Her last two laps were a struggle with her knee pain, but as nice as ultra-runners are, they kept asking her if she was alright. Now consider this, Cindy has two artificial hips and artificial shoulder and osteoarthritis in her spine with stenosis. She continued her journey until reaching 50K. It is truly amazing and shows the fortitude and perseverance of this young lady of 62. Once the sun came up, I felt energized and ran as much as I could the remaining laps getting to 80 miles and a 6^th place male finish and 8^th overall. Heck, the day wasn’t even over because we had to tear down our race spot, pack everything up and then go to the campground, tear down the tent, pack everything up and then drive 2.5 hours home. It was truly an epic adventure.

Lap timing

Headlight illumination

The eery trail

Cindy's favorite bench

Our canopy at the end

Finishing after 23 hours and 40 minutes

6th place male

19th place Femail

111 combined miles

Lessons Learned

• For this race, we don’t need to pack as much food. Bring the essentials and the things you can’t get at the aid station or things you really enjoy.
• Stay in a hotel if possible, the night before and get a good night’s rest. I know, some people will call this lame.
• Don’t bring the camping stuff – it is more to set-up and more to tear down.
• Run more at night.
• For Cindy, pace better and do your own race. I think she got caught up in some early miles with another walker.
• It's possible to get to 100 miles – maybe this year when I am 60. I have scheduled 3 more 24-hour events and registered Cindy for two of them.
• Take turns driving home in short intervals after the event.
• Eat and drink regularly but not a lot.
• Preparation is a key element of ultras - prepare well.
• 24-hour (timed) events are truly fun.

Race Organization

This was truly one of the best organized yet low-key events that I have participated in. Jason LeDoyen and his family along with other volunteers make this a special event in a very special place for a very special cause. The timing was well-done also as I kept an eye on my placement throughout. The hot and cold food was great and all at the right time. We will both be back on November 7, 2020.