I have decided at the start of the year, that I would want to take part in more US races this year. So I signed up for the Badwater Cape Fear, Badwater Salton Sea and prayed very hard I would be selected again for Badwater 135. No particular reason except to test myself against the races put on by RD Chris Kostman. :)
Badwater Cape Fear @ Bald Head Island, NC - 21 March (Photo courtesy of Adventure CORPS, Inc)
Traveling and Accommodation
For an overseas runner, it was difficult to get to Bald Head Island where the race would be held. You could choose to fly to one of the nearby airports (e.g. Myrtle Beach, SC or Fayetteville, NC, both of which were approximately 70 miles and 105 miles respectively from the Bald Head Island Ferry Terminal, Southport), or you could fly into Wilmington International Airport, which was still some 34 miles away. Due to my indecisiveness in planning which airport to fly into, I ended up having to either pay a premium price of S$3,200/- (approximately US$2,300/-) for my air-ticket. To get to the ferry terminal, I booked a 45-50 minutes taxi ride for US$70/- which was fairly reasonable. After a flight delay which resulted in missing the connection flight to Wilmington on Thursday night (and had to spend the night at the airport), I eventually reached the ferry terminal on Friday morning, at 10:50am, just 10mins before the next ferry out to Bald Head Island! Luckily all these while, Rodney, whom I would be sharing the accommodation on the island, updated me on the travel arrangement, weather, as well as cellphone coverage on the island. After the 25min ferry ride, I reached the island and Rodney was there to welcome me! We took a short walk to the golf cart, the most common transportation on the island, where Rodney drove to Ibis Rooster - the name of our rented house! (As most houses required you to rent the whole house, it was very expensive for runners who went alone. The cheapest house would cost me US$275/- per night for a minimum of 2 nights. So I decided to share the accommodation with Rodney where I only paid US$105/- per night for 4 nights. This still worked out cheaper than if I booked for a 2-night stay. On top of that, I need not worry about getting lost on the island with Rodney around.) :p
Top Left: Arrival @ Wilmington Airport; Bottom Left: Rodney & Golf Cart; Right: Iris Rooster!
Runners Check-in, Social Mixer, & Carbo-loading
I decided to sleep through lunch as I had a throbbing headache, probably due to the lack of proper sleep in the last 48 hours. In between, I woke up to pack my drop-bag for the Fort Fisher location and passed it to Rodney (who was so kind to help send in my drop-bag). Rodney had to take the ferry to go over to Hampton Inn Hotel on the main island to drop off the drop-bags. He was back to Bald Head Island at about 3:30pm, and we went to collect our Race Packet (runners' check-in) at the Bald Head Island Conservancy. I was not sure if the RD, Chris, could remember me. But I guess he did. After we gotten our "mugshot" taken by Chris for the webcast, we went back to the house to put our stuff before heading out to Coastal Urge for the social mixer. The social mixer was like a party where pop music was played and runners mingled around and had beer (or plain water). I looked around and saw the runners all looking so professional, so experienced, and so knowledgeable. I felt intimidated and decided to just walk around on my own and take photos of them instead. I bumped into a guy, Todd, who would be running his first Cape Fear. Todd was very friendly and we chit chat for a while together with his father (or father-in-law who did last year's Cape Fear) and Rodney. At about 6:00pm, we decided to pick up some stuff from the supermarket next door. Once done, we headed towards the pier where Mojo Restaurant would serve bottomless pasta (as many plates of pasta as you could fill your stomach for the price of one) for the runners. As I wasn't that hungry, I had just a plate of pasta. Then, it was back home to prepare the race kit and rest early for the race.
Race Day
I woke up at 6:15am, had my breakfast and changed to get ready. By 7:00am, we were both ready to go to the start, which was at the lighthouse. It was a nice morning but it felt very cold. After Rodney had parked the golf cart, we took a short walk to the starting line. There, I met Sandra for the first time. Rodney, Sandra and myself had teamed up to take part in the Badwater Salton Sea in May. So it was nice to meet up before the actual race. We chit-chat and posed for photos. I noticed more runners had arrived in the early morning. I tried looking out for the other two runners from Singapore but didn't see them. At 7:51am, they sang the national anthem before Chris flagged us off!
Race Start - First 12 Miles
The first 12 miles of the race was on road, including a 1.5 miles in a trail. Then the 50km runners would run an out-and-back loop of 20 miles on the beach while the 51.4 miles runners would run 2 out-and-back loops of 40 miles on the beach (or thereabout). Although the cut-off for the 50km runners was 9 hours, runners running the 51.4 miles race must cleared the 50km within 8 hours so that they had sufficient time (6 hours to be exact) for the 2nd loop. I didn't know why but I would find out soon. Not wearing a watch for the race might not be the best idea but I knew I just had to make do with my iPhone since I left my Suunto Ambit 3 in the office. :( I set myself a target of 2hrs 30mins for the first 12 miles, and 5hrs for the first loop of 20 miles. This would give me 6hrs 30mins to complete the second loop of 20 miles. It was a frantic start and I found myself somewhere near the end of the pack. Sandra and Rodney were running next to me but I lost them even before reaching the 2-Mile mark!
And so, I just ran my usual race - a slow start but consistent pacing. I was running all by myself along with 1~2 runners in front and another 1~2 runners behind. However, I couldn't tell if they were running the 50km or 50-Miles event. As I turned into Stede Bonnet Wynd (after 6 miles), I saw a few runners running towards my direction (after 9 miles) though I was not sure if they were the leaders. Running on the roads of Bald Head Island was very safe as there were very few cars. Whenever possible, I would run the tangent. Just before reaching the mid-way point before the beach segment, I saw two volunteers standing at the entrance of a trail head. They waved me into the trail and I was happily dodging low-lying branches, hopping over roots. The trail segment didn't look like having a proper path so it was narrow. I quickly caught up with a lady running the 50km and she politely let me passed her. The trail segment was short so it wasn't long before I emerged out from it and completed the 12 miles in 2hrs 25mins!
First Out-And Back Loop - Next 20 Miles
After a quick pit-stop, I left the check-point, which was also the finishing point, for the beach. Before the race, Rodney had told me the beach was as hard as the road. I wasn't sure why was that as the beach I ran on (St John Island, Singapore) was soft, which made the running difficult as you need to expand more energy. I found the beach harder than what I thought though not as easy as what Rodney had described. Being a slow runner meant that I could check out the footprints left by earlier runners, though running on their footsteps wasn't a great idea unless you could plant your feet in exactly where their footsteps were. The waves were coming in and out and it was a beautiful day. Birds were also seen flying over the ocean and beach, while others even stood near the waves! Before I reached the "mid-way point" on the outbound segment of the first loop, I saw a topless guy speeding past me! He was followed by another 2-3 guys and a lady!
The "mid-way point" was 6 miles from the finishing which meant that I need to cover another 4 miles to reach Fort Fisher location - the mid-way point of the out-and-back loop. I took a gel and made my way to Fort Fisher. Before I reached Fort Fisher, I saw Sandra and further back was Rodney. I asked the volunteers at Fort Fisher for a time-check when I eventually reached there and I was happy to be on target. I was on a high for my return trip to complete the first my first loop. I also find it extremely easy to run on the beach. By then, it was low tight and runners were running where the water was previously. I guessed the reason it was easier was due to the sand being made compact by the waves earlier in the morning. I didn't even need any walk break on my way back though I did feel kind of demoralised when the front runners of the 51.4 Miles race complete their race even before I completed my first loop. :( I finished the first loop in 7hrs 2mins!
Second Out-And Back Loop - Next 20 Miles
By finishing the first 50km in 7hrs 2mins, it gave me close to 7 hours to cover the 2nd loop. This meant I could take some photos as well. Though I didn't like loop courses, it was bearable as there were no waves that looked the similar. Also, there were also more kids playing near the beach although the same people were still patiently sitting near their fishing lines, waiting for their catch. I noticed that the waves were beginning to come up higher onto the beach. So the "hardened" beach path for running was getting narrower and narrower. The last 2 miles was tough as I had to move higher up the beach with the tide coming in. I managed to maintain the same pace as my 1st loop and completed the out-segment in approximately 2hrs 30mins. I thanked the volunteers who helped me to refill my water bottle before heading home for the last 10 miles. It was about 5:15pm and I had about 2hrs 30mins of daylight before night falls.
As soon as I stepped back onto the beach, I knew why RD Chris had stipulated for runners to complete the 1st loop within 8 hours. This was to allow them more time (6 hours) to complete the 2nd loop of 20 miles (thereabout). More time was needed because the tide were coming in and runners had to run on the soft beaches, as compared to late morning and early afternoon, when the tide was low. It was very difficult by then as I was tired. I tried to run nearer to the water whenever possible. But in doing so, I had to be mindful of the incoming tides and on a few occasions, when I wasn't alert enough to avoid the tide, or misjudged in how far the tide would be coming in, I found my feet soaked in the cold waves. I was mostly walking by then but enjoying the brilliant sunset. Night fell at around 7:45pm so I had to use my headlamp that I brought. Near the end of the beach, the tide had come all the way into the bushes and I had to walk the short distance submerged in the waves till I exited the beach, onto the road and crossed the finishing line in 12hrs 34mins!
Overall Verdict - 9/10
It was another great race put on by RD Chris Kostman! Difficult (for the slow runners) but with enough training and perseverance, one should still make the cut-off. The last 10 miles of the race was really tough for the slow runners as the tide was coming in and it made running more difficult but fun. For the last segment, it took me approximately 3hrs 5mins to complete, which was an hour slower than the same segment for the first loop. Runners were blessed with great weather as the rain stopped on Friday. Although the wind could be strong along the beach, once you were nicely warmed up, it was actually nice to run which could be why some of the top male runners were running topless. The 3 aid stations had well-stocked food and drinks and they never ran out of food / drinks for slow runners. All the volunteers were so encouraging and helpful and I hoped they had as much fun as us runners. :) Without the enthusiasm of RD Chris and his team of volunteers, as well as fellow runners, I would not have as much fun. Then again, one must train sufficiently and prepare for rainy weather so you would not be fearful of Cape Fear!
Runner Check-in @ Bald Head Island Conservancy!
Social Mixer @ Coastal Urge and Todd with Dad (Bottom Central)!
Carbo-loading Dinner @ Mojo's Restaurant, Next To The Pier!
Race Day
I woke up at 6:15am, had my breakfast and changed to get ready. By 7:00am, we were both ready to go to the start, which was at the lighthouse. It was a nice morning but it felt very cold. After Rodney had parked the golf cart, we took a short walk to the starting line. There, I met Sandra for the first time. Rodney, Sandra and myself had teamed up to take part in the Badwater Salton Sea in May. So it was nice to meet up before the actual race. We chit-chat and posed for photos. I noticed more runners had arrived in the early morning. I tried looking out for the other two runners from Singapore but didn't see them. At 7:51am, they sang the national anthem before Chris flagged us off!
Old Baldy Light House (Left); Me, Sandra and Rodney (Right)!
Race Start - First 12 Miles
The first 12 miles of the race was on road, including a 1.5 miles in a trail. Then the 50km runners would run an out-and-back loop of 20 miles on the beach while the 51.4 miles runners would run 2 out-and-back loops of 40 miles on the beach (or thereabout). Although the cut-off for the 50km runners was 9 hours, runners running the 51.4 miles race must cleared the 50km within 8 hours so that they had sufficient time (6 hours to be exact) for the 2nd loop. I didn't know why but I would find out soon. Not wearing a watch for the race might not be the best idea but I knew I just had to make do with my iPhone since I left my Suunto Ambit 3 in the office. :( I set myself a target of 2hrs 30mins for the first 12 miles, and 5hrs for the first loop of 20 miles. This would give me 6hrs 30mins to complete the second loop of 20 miles. It was a frantic start and I found myself somewhere near the end of the pack. Sandra and Rodney were running next to me but I lost them even before reaching the 2-Mile mark!
Start Of the Badwater Cape Fear 2015! (Photos courtesy of Official Photographer)
And so, I just ran my usual race - a slow start but consistent pacing. I was running all by myself along with 1~2 runners in front and another 1~2 runners behind. However, I couldn't tell if they were running the 50km or 50-Miles event. As I turned into Stede Bonnet Wynd (after 6 miles), I saw a few runners running towards my direction (after 9 miles) though I was not sure if they were the leaders. Running on the roads of Bald Head Island was very safe as there were very few cars. Whenever possible, I would run the tangent. Just before reaching the mid-way point before the beach segment, I saw two volunteers standing at the entrance of a trail head. They waved me into the trail and I was happily dodging low-lying branches, hopping over roots. The trail segment didn't look like having a proper path so it was narrow. I quickly caught up with a lady running the 50km and she politely let me passed her. The trail segment was short so it wasn't long before I emerged out from it and completed the 12 miles in 2hrs 25mins!
First Out-And Back Loop - Next 20 Miles
After a quick pit-stop, I left the check-point, which was also the finishing point, for the beach. Before the race, Rodney had told me the beach was as hard as the road. I wasn't sure why was that as the beach I ran on (St John Island, Singapore) was soft, which made the running difficult as you need to expand more energy. I found the beach harder than what I thought though not as easy as what Rodney had described. Being a slow runner meant that I could check out the footprints left by earlier runners, though running on their footsteps wasn't a great idea unless you could plant your feet in exactly where their footsteps were. The waves were coming in and out and it was a beautiful day. Birds were also seen flying over the ocean and beach, while others even stood near the waves! Before I reached the "mid-way point" on the outbound segment of the first loop, I saw a topless guy speeding past me! He was followed by another 2-3 guys and a lady!
The "mid-way point" was 6 miles from the finishing which meant that I need to cover another 4 miles to reach Fort Fisher location - the mid-way point of the out-and-back loop. I took a gel and made my way to Fort Fisher. Before I reached Fort Fisher, I saw Sandra and further back was Rodney. I asked the volunteers at Fort Fisher for a time-check when I eventually reached there and I was happy to be on target. I was on a high for my return trip to complete the first my first loop. I also find it extremely easy to run on the beach. By then, it was low tight and runners were running where the water was previously. I guessed the reason it was easier was due to the sand being made compact by the waves earlier in the morning. I didn't even need any walk break on my way back though I did feel kind of demoralised when the front runners of the 51.4 Miles race complete their race even before I completed my first loop. :( I finished the first loop in 7hrs 2mins!
Second Out-And Back Loop - Next 20 Miles
By finishing the first 50km in 7hrs 2mins, it gave me close to 7 hours to cover the 2nd loop. This meant I could take some photos as well. Though I didn't like loop courses, it was bearable as there were no waves that looked the similar. Also, there were also more kids playing near the beach although the same people were still patiently sitting near their fishing lines, waiting for their catch. I noticed that the waves were beginning to come up higher onto the beach. So the "hardened" beach path for running was getting narrower and narrower. The last 2 miles was tough as I had to move higher up the beach with the tide coming in. I managed to maintain the same pace as my 1st loop and completed the out-segment in approximately 2hrs 30mins. I thanked the volunteers who helped me to refill my water bottle before heading home for the last 10 miles. It was about 5:15pm and I had about 2hrs 30mins of daylight before night falls.
Aid Station At The Turn-Around Point, Fort Fisher!
The Beach Near Sunset!
As soon as I stepped back onto the beach, I knew why RD Chris had stipulated for runners to complete the 1st loop within 8 hours. This was to allow them more time (6 hours) to complete the 2nd loop of 20 miles (thereabout). More time was needed because the tide were coming in and runners had to run on the soft beaches, as compared to late morning and early afternoon, when the tide was low. It was very difficult by then as I was tired. I tried to run nearer to the water whenever possible. But in doing so, I had to be mindful of the incoming tides and on a few occasions, when I wasn't alert enough to avoid the tide, or misjudged in how far the tide would be coming in, I found my feet soaked in the cold waves. I was mostly walking by then but enjoying the brilliant sunset. Night fell at around 7:45pm so I had to use my headlamp that I brought. Near the end of the beach, the tide had come all the way into the bushes and I had to walk the short distance submerged in the waves till I exited the beach, onto the road and crossed the finishing line in 12hrs 34mins!
The Mid-Way Point of the Out-And-Back Stretch!
The Beach Before Last Light!
Overall Verdict - 9/10
It was another great race put on by RD Chris Kostman! Difficult (for the slow runners) but with enough training and perseverance, one should still make the cut-off. The last 10 miles of the race was really tough for the slow runners as the tide was coming in and it made running more difficult but fun. For the last segment, it took me approximately 3hrs 5mins to complete, which was an hour slower than the same segment for the first loop. Runners were blessed with great weather as the rain stopped on Friday. Although the wind could be strong along the beach, once you were nicely warmed up, it was actually nice to run which could be why some of the top male runners were running topless. The 3 aid stations had well-stocked food and drinks and they never ran out of food / drinks for slow runners. All the volunteers were so encouraging and helpful and I hoped they had as much fun as us runners. :) Without the enthusiasm of RD Chris and his team of volunteers, as well as fellow runners, I would not have as much fun. Then again, one must train sufficiently and prepare for rainy weather so you would not be fearful of Cape Fear!
At The Finishing Point With Rodney and RD Chris!
With Men's Champion, 51.4 Miles (Left); With Trasie and Rodney (Centre); Breakfast (Right)!
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