Eric Strabel cruising to his 3rd MMR victory, 2014It’s been three weeks since MMR. I’ve never felt so relieved to have an event behind me. Not that the experience was a bad one - far from it. But I’ve rarely experienced so much anticipation and, in a way, anxiety prior to a race. I think it was the unknown of the all out downhill portion of the course and the significant possibility of bodily injury with such an effort that caused a lot of the ruckus in my head. It seemed that nary a night passed that I didn’t think about some aspect of the race as I tried to fall asleep. And my sleep is the first thing that got better on the night of July 4th.
Now that my first race is behind me, any subsequent attempts will certainly be less stressful. There’s no way a runner can know what that descent will be like from doing it in training. So, you have to race it to know and now I’ve done that. The other aspects of the race - the heat this year, the dust and the fellow competitors - certainly had an impact but were far more manageable than the huge unknown of the descent. Even a seasoned baddass like Ricky Gates admits that the downhill is pretty scary… and he runs for a living.
Gear
Most of the top 10 right here.I quick look at feet at the starting lines of mountain races around here and it quickly becomes obvious that Inov8 rules the roost. Their light racing shoe, the X-Talon 190, is orange this year and there were a lot of orange feet at MMR this year. 
Past years models were red and others were black and they, too, were well represented. The slightly heavier X-Talon 212 is blue and black this year and are popular. In spite of my typically whimpy dogs, I wore 190s and loved them. Very low rise (3mm), aggressive, mug shedding lugs and tight fit make them ideal. I thought my feet were going to get beat up through the thin soles on MM’s gnarly descent but I had no issues. My tricky ankle was better off low to the ground. The only downside is that they likely only last about a dozen descents before getting shredded, at least in heavier runners like me (173 lbs).
Eric Strabel won MMR last year with ankle braces on and this year there were plenty to be seen at the front of the pack. There was no way I was racing without them but many other runners without funky ankles were using them, too. A little more confidence helps when you’re blasting down the scree and through the slippery boulders in the gut.
Conditions
The character of each year’s MMR depends largely on the day’s weather. This year was dry and fairly hot. Not as hot as 2009 which saw both leaders collapse prior to almost winning, but pretty damn warm. With the heat comes dust and slower times. This year was no different. Fortunately, no frontrunners collapsed.
And I don't usually sweat much. Photo: Cole DealWhen it’s hot, the first half of the mountain is a sweltering jungle with the overhead vegetation blocking any breeze and providing the kind of humidity that prevents any evaporative heat loss. The dust hangs in the air, choking all but the leaders. Once out of the trees a breeze usually greets runners although this year it remained still for the men’s race all the way to the top.
Enthusiastic crowds lined the lower half of the course and racers were treated with offers of water dousing every few feet, it seemed. I carried a water bottle for the first half for just such a thing but probably would’ve been fine with all the handouts. “Head or back?” was the common question as spectators asked for our cooling preference. I was hesitant to bring the bottle knowing the weight would penalize me but Karol assured me that the cooling effect would give me speed in return. She feared that the water offered during the women’s event 4 hours earlier might not be there for my race. Better safe than sorry. But it was clear that a whole different crowd had made their way onto the mountain for the men’s event. Plenty of cooling douses to go around.
Pre Race
High bid going at $2,300 for a men's bib.Before I could race for the first time I had to attend the safety meeting required for all rookies. And prior to that was the auction. Now, the auction provides the final opportunity for 10 women and 10 men to make their bid to race. The fervor of the process varies year to year but seems to be getting more heated as the popularity of “extreme sports” grows. The race committee brings in a professional auctioneer and the fun ensues. Women’s bids were significantly less than the men’s, the highest being $850 and the men’s topping out at $2,300. That’s a pretty high dollar per foot ratio. Probably the most significant successful bid was that of Jim Shine, a rookie and this year’s winner of Bird Ridge. Most of us wanted to see him on the starting line, as he would lend more depth to an already thick men’s field. He paid over $2,000 for the pleasure.
Race Day
Big crowds greet former champion and 2nd place finisher this year, Matias SaariSeward is overrun by some thirty to forty thousand people on the 4th of July. Resurrection Bay is one of the centerpieces of Kenai Fiords National Park and there’s plenty to do that weekend. But the race takes precedence over everything and the course is lined with thousands of fans for most of the day.
Always a crowd waiting for carnage at the bottom of the cliff.
Youth
The junior race kicks off at 9:30 with racers going to half way and then taking the usual descent down the lower half of the scree, into the gut and finally down the cliff and on to the finish. I’m constantly amazed at the amount of young running talent that shows up for this race. It’s so cool how many junior champions go on to be serious men and women contenders later in life. The dedication to MMR is unique and these racers come back year after year to throw down yet again.
Allison Ostrander at halfway photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/The 2014 edition saw multi time champion Allison Ostrander not only win again but she managed to run down the boys champion on the way to the line, a feat never seen in the long history of the event. Allison moves up next year and will be a favorite for the women’s title if her half way splits are any indication.
Women
Next up was the much-anticipated women’s race with local Olympic skiing darling, Holly Brooks, returning to challenge last year’s champion and mountain running dominatrix, Christy Marvin. Holly was MIA last year due to injury concerns leading up to the Winter Olympics. But she loves the MMR and has won before. She’s also suffered 3 crushing defeats under varying circumstances that makes her all the more hungry when she toes the line.
Christy, Holly and Najeeby headed to the cliff at the start.Holly was worried about the heat and rightly so. In 2009, she crumpled a mere 3 minutes from the finish right in front of the local Emergency Department. The girl knows how to push. After a few liters of I.V. fluid she discharged herself, crossed the finish line and went back to the hospital to complete her resuscitation. This has become part of MMR lore.
That event was at the front of her mind as the race started. Additionally, recent hamstring issues kept Holly from training the downhill and Christy Marvin’s DH skills are likely the best in the business in these parts. 
Christy Marvin about to go all in on the down. Look of determination defined. photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/Holly knew where her money was going to be made and she more than stepped up on the climb. With two minutes in hand at the top she looked like an easy victor. But as so often happens to the unlucky or unprepared, the DH called in its bet. The punishing eccentric loading, something necessarily missing from her training program, caught up to her big time. I watched from the exit of the Waterfall and Holly looked like a marionette as she hit the flats and started running. Even though Holly still had 45 seconds in hand, Christy Marvin, who descended nearly 2 minutes faster, closed the distance with frightening conviction but missed out on the upset by only two seconds. Great race. MMR rookie and savage all around runner, Najeeby Quinn, rounded out the top three. A little more work on the DH and she’ll be knocking elbows closer to the front.
Great race drama at the women's finish. photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/
Women's podium
Men
After the requisite 4th of July parade, the men’s event took to the streets at 3pm. It was odd hanging out all day, watching the temps climb, eating a little but not too much, and generally feeling nervous about the whole deal. I simply wanted to get going. The unknowns for me were 1) the heat, 2) the dust, 3) the conga line on the trail, and 4) the full-gas descent. I was tired of not knowing. Most standing next to me at the start knew what was coming. I needed to race to know. Goddamn it was exciting.
The crowds and the atmosphere made us feel like rock stars. It’s hard to describe the energy of such an iconic event. I imagine that races like the Bay to Breakers or the NYC Marathon have similar vibes. But MMR is different, mainly because it’s freaking dangerous. People get maimed here every year. I felt a little like a Gladiator as I paced the line waiting for the call up.
photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/And then we were off. I knew the road run would suck a bit but I was warmed up enough and I settled in. A few fat guys passed me but I had a feeling they’d pay when the climbing started. The start of the climb came faster than I thought and I was happy. I was also happy that the line stopped briefly as we entered the brush where the course rears up suddenly and racers shift gears. I recovered just a touch.
At the roots, my intended path was packed with climbers so I veered left. Lance Kopsack, a seasoned veteran who was on his way to completing his 31st consecutive MMR (holy shit!) had the same idea and we scrambled hard passing a dozen or so to our right. 
Lance Kopsack accepting his award for 30 consecutive MMRs.I paid for the effort and tried to recover on the brief flatter section just above. Soon, we were in the tight bushes and weaving through various options. I seemed to take slightly different routes than the masses, as Karol coached me well on some of her secrets.
Between the half bottle of water I carried and the generous dousing from the spectators through the jungle-like conditions, I stayed cool enough to push hard. Once out of the brush, the crowd thinned and I was able to move up as desired. The geek in me kept an eye on my heart rate monitor. I liked what I saw. The long taper leading up to the race had done the trick. I was pegged and felt good. Of course, the heat likely had something to do with the high rates I was seeing, too.
Happy to be out of the jungle. photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/
Ricky Gates photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/
Matias Saari and Brent Knight halfway. photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/The breeze we were all hoping for as we came out of the trees didn’t materialize. That was disappointing. But the open air was far less humid than in the bushes and this helped. Things were pretty spread out at this point but there was a tight group of us pushing upwards. I passed some more racers and got passed by another.
I hit the top and ran/stumbled up the final incline to the rock and rounded the turn, accepting a couple of cups of water to pour over my head along the way. There were three or four of us grouped tightly. They all went the usual way to the right and I headed to the somewhat newer trail 15 meters to the left. As I dropped in I could hear lots of screaming of “ROCK!” and could see big boulders tumbling after the racers ahead. Two guys were stopped in their tracks yelling and watching. This seemed odd to me. Gravity was going to do its thing regardless of what they did. I kept going right on by them.
It was amazing how much debris was moving downhill with us considering the hundreds of descents that preceded us this day and this season. The screams continued from above and large rocks kept careening by me. I glanced back from time to time. This wasn’t helping my speed much but the mountaineer in me couldn’t help it. I’ve seen enough rockfall over the years. As I picked up speed a minute or two down I relaxed and thought I was through the gauntlet. That thought had barely formed in my head when more blood curdling screams filtered down and a TV tray sized buzz saw came whizzing by my leg, missing me by inches. It would have likely snapped my tibia or worse. I let out an enthusiastic “Woooo!,” laughed to myself at my good fortune and continued.
Ricky Gates and Jim Shine in full flight. photo: http://www.alaskasfocus.com/Near the cross over at the scree’s halfway point, there was a victim down, a spectator, it turns out, with an open tib/fib fracture. The only flat spot to tend to her was the trail so racers were redirected uphill and around the rescue workers. It was kind of a momentum killer, for sure. Once by, I picked up speed again and was passed by a guy and ate his dust for a few moments. He inspired me to speed up but my quads protested. I kept waiting for Lance Kopsack, who descends better than most. Sure enough, with about 100 meters remaining of the scree he came steam rolling by. I shouted my encouragement and tried to follow.
I nearly buckled as I entered the gut, hitting firm ground for the first time in five or six minutes. I slipped a bit as I jumped over the first waterfall but hit the next two without any problems. I could feel relief and joy well up inside me as I hit the trail out of the gut and into the woods, knowing I only had the cliff left to go. I could hear the roar of the crowd below. The cliff went without incident and then I was on the road heading in.
Lance was just ahead and for a moment I thought I could reel him in. But those hopes were dashed as the effects of the heat and effort came on and I switched to survival mode for the last stretch. I was actually scared by the idea of someone closing on me and having to sprint hard. I feared the consequences would be ugly. But no one was near and I b-lined across the finish and right to the hoses, plopped my ass down on a bucket and let volunteers go to town. It was delicious.
The pause that refreshes.I cooled down quickly and felt generally fine but I knew my legs were going to be unhappy for a few days. That’s expected. My finish time was 58:34, about 3 minutes slower than I’d hoped. It put me 42nd overall and 2nd in my age group. My downhill was 14:18, which was, unfortunately, about how fast (slow) I thought I’d go. I know I can do better here. My legs simply wouldn’t support me. I have some training ideas to be better prepared. Another year of experience will be invaluable, too.
The real racing was at the front, of course and, although Strabel won easily, there was plenty of close competition on the up. Former winner, Matt Novakovich put in repeated attacks on Strabel on the second half of the climb in an attempt to distance his rival knowing the descent would be his undoing. No one descends faster than Eric and if he can see you, he's gonna pass you. Period. And he did.
Eventual second place finisher and former winner, Matias Saari, played a different game showing his patience on the climb and dispatching the rest of the field on the down. He was 6th at the halfway and closed to 4th at the top. He played his strengths perfectly and was rewarded with his best finish in several years. Novakovich stayed steady a continued in 3rd. Gates admittedly was a little off, probably feeling the effects of traveling the day before the race, but held on for a respectable 4th. Air travel within 48 hours of a race is not performance enhancing. Rookie and bib auction winner, Jim Shine, rounded out the top five.
Men's podium
Closing Thoughts
Looking at my HR data for the event tells me I went hard, harder than I’ve gone in a long time. How much the heat impacted the data is unknown. I haven’t been that tapered for an event in a long time so there’re some variables here that make knowing difficult. The thing is, although my HR was high, I was also stuck behind people at times and not losing ground. My feeling is that having a monitor on and pushing into new territory physically, the monitor likely inhibited me in some ways. I think that without one, I’d likely have passed a few more racers, as my RPE wasn’t through the roof.
Of course, the geek in me loves looking at the data. (Full Movescount file here) It gives me something to write about and keeps my training ideas coming. The best compromise would be to just tape over the watch face and let the cards fall where they may. I think HRMs are invaluable tools for training and racing longer events. It helps with fuel management in ways that are hard to match without one. But in a short event, there’s no need to manage things so tightly. I could also race without one altogether and never know what was happening. If my time improves, it doesn’t matter anyway. We’ll see.
Post MMR festivities at Chez Karol Fink. Might be the best part of the weekend.