It's hard to believe that this will be my 6th Hinson24 Ultra Event! It will be the 17th Hinson24 event. An ultra is basically any distance longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles but usually we think of an ultra being a distance of 50k(31m) or longer. So far I've ran 20 Ultras and 33 marathons or greater distances. A 24 hour race could be any distance you decide because it is whatever you can do in 24 hours. This particular race is a 1.05032m lap around Hinson Lake and will take place on Saturday September 30th at 8am and end on Sunday October 1st at 8am.
Here is their site for more details Registration and Info Site
So far my Hinson24 totals are:
Total Laps at Hinson24=232
Total Miles at Hinson24=348.7312
My First 5 Hinson24 Event Blogs
2016 Hinson 24 84.168m (56 laps) 8th place/323
2017 Hinson 24 79.6696m (53 laps)17th place/328
2018 Hinson 24 55.6184m (37 laps)55th place/382
2020-2021 Hinson24 63.1344m (42 laps)68th/334
2022 Hinson24 66.1408m (44 Laps) 29th/387/500
Training...
I wanted to start with this video because this was the day after our 15th anniversary of GORUN (Greenville Organization of Runners) a club of endurance athletes and/or simply those wanting better health and what I would quickly call "therapy" that I helped to co-found.
This was a great day as I continue to see my son, Landon grow into a man. Unintentionally, he got a PR on his 10k and a PR distance of 8 miles + as we endured a 7 minute run 3 minute walk interval training day. Brad, a rock of consistency through the early days of me running again and starting GoRun was with us. Brad and I met when I helped Todd Cochran a North Pitt Wrestling Coach at the time do a wrestling camp for youth at DH Conley HS. His son Mason was one of the youth wrestlers. Now Landon is a Freshman in high school and Mason is in Med School!! Our daughter Morgan was in GoRun with Mason when they were young. She is now an accountant and out youngest, Kamryn, is in the 5th grade! Don't blink!
The Greenway has been torture at times with these Deer Flies!
UGH!! My ECU XC teammate Rick is out for another year after a bike accident. OUCH!!
Meanwhile I have no clue what is going on with my left knee!!!!
August 28th
Justin E moving up the list!
August 30th
Good News From Rod!
September 1st
Justin E moving up!
9/6/2023
Justin next up!
If you want a good parking spot of choice you need to be there by Friday by noon but you'll get a good spot if you get there by 3pm. You are likely not able to park at start but you can park near the course access near the start where most of us also camp.
T=Porta Potties
(the building has real bathrooms to use too but once the race start it's best not to waste mileage)
S=Start
AS= Aide Station
P=parking
There are plenty of goods at the aide station but if you are like me, you want quick access to your personal battery packs, nutrition supplements, clothes etc. I would bring a tent even if you don't plan on staying Friday night or sleeping any Saturday night. I put my tent close off the race route for quick and easy usage. I recommend camping for the full experience and of course in case you have car or wakeup issues, you are already there. We usually go to a local restaurant Friday night and get our last beer and good eats in. It will be hard to go to sleep but definitely try to go to bed as soon as you can after eating etc. Yes you can have a grill etc. Some even bring coolers and generators etc. It's a big ole fun reunion of ultra and newbie runners! IF you want to go for 100m, you'll need about a 14 minute and some change pace.
"Forward Relentless Progress"
"Walk early, Walk Often"
As mentioned, your chance of a good camping spot decreases the later you arrive. See map above for camping, bathrooms etc. You will pick up your race package at that building. You want to get early to avoid too much hiking with gear etc. I bring our beach wagon.
Yes earbuds etc are ok. Don't forget battery chargers, head lamps, bug spray, sunscreen etc. You will pass bathroom/porta potties every lap about 1.5m. My Garmin is good for about 12 hours so I bring battery packs to keep it charged. The course has a small area of sand about a quarter mile that as Sandra mentions will be a nice area to have gaiters but honestly it's not a hardcore course and any running shoe will be nice. If it's not broken don't fix it. In other words if you don't have blister issues then don't change shoes.
Again with all this, everyone is different.
As mentioned, you can bring a grill and even fish etc. It's a good time but there will be plenty of food for the runners. Of course due to crowding, anyone else is asked to get a race entry which would cover food etc at aide station.
There are many schools of thought regarding strategy. I've seen some not even start the race to later in the day. I've seen some not run during the hot afternoon. The key in my opinion is keep your heart rate low but mix in different gait patterns to change muscles used off and on. I like to do a 6 minute run then 4 minute walk because when you are exhausted it's easier to remember 10minute sets. Bert Kelley did well and hit 100 doing 5 minute run 5 minute walk. The race starts about 2am. Many will change those goals but remember it's a 24 hour race so as Jimmy said, keep moving! Forward Relentless Progress. I agree with him about lots and especially the stopping will definitely make it harder than to just keep going.
A little plug for 2 of my poisons... I have a weight lifting competition Saturday September 9th so I need to make my weight class so I may be a bit HANGRY
Sadly, Jimmy Buffett recently passed... as an ECU Pirate, I would say we lost one of ours...a Pirate.
The only concert of his I was able to go to was when I was a Freshman at ECU
