Report from Stone Cat trail races show NETT having strong results

NETT was well represented in the Stone Cat Ale trail races this weekend on a chilly early Saturday morning (races kick off at 6:15 AM-brrrrr). Official results are now available , and Paul Young finished the marathon in fifth place in a PR time of 3:27. In the 37.5 mile (three laps) distance, DimaD finished in first place chose to call it a day in 4:57 (on pace to set a record in the 50). And Karen Ringheiser and Dima Feinhaus also both finished the 37.5 miler as the first and second women (HAH!). So that's three people each doing 37.5 miles for the FIRST TIME.

And Jennifer Shultis overcame some early issues to finish THIRD WOMAN in the full 50 miler (note the first two women were a mere minute apart in a course record time!). Here’s her report:

“Marathoners and Ultras all started together, but the marathoners first had to go out and do a short prologue - a one time 1.2 mile loop before proceeding to do two 12.5 mile loops. This meant that all of the marathoners had to work their way through the maze of trails congested with slower ultra runners. This was my first 50 miler, so I probaby went out too fast. In fact, when Paul Young (marathoner) passed by, he wisely advised me to watch my pace, but on the first loop I felt like I was coasting so I just let it ride. My problem was, umm, let's just say I had to go ...I ran the first loop in 2:03 or so then decided to go into the school to use the bathroom. Mistake! Major time suck...6 minutes. By the time I grabbed food and something to drink, I had been there 7 minutes. I actually even had a little trouble warming my legs back up after stopping, but after that mistake I knew to just use the woods (ahhh nature...). I have no idea what any of my loop times were after that, but I know I was hitting 40 minutes pretty dead on each loop getting to aid station #1 (at 4 miles) and then another 40 minutes to # 2 at 8 miles (for the first 3 loops), so I was holding close to a 10 minute pace. That seemed like a pretty casual pace.

Then someone told me I was 5th female leaving aid station #2 on the third loop really??). Shortly after I passed a woman and she couldn't hang. I was pretty excited to be in 4th and wondered could I move up another spot(?), but I was really feeling "it" now. I came into the turn-around at the start/finish and saw Dima, Karen and Dmitry all there. I would have loved to stop and find out what they were doing (quitters!! Just kidding -they each did 37.5 miles or 3 loops!!), but I decided to get in and out of the aid station as fast as I could. I knew the less time I spent there, that meant the less work I'd have to do on the course. Karen gave me a grilled cheese, I wolfed down a cup of gatorade and split--I wanted to be done. Then, surprise, surprise...on the way out I saw a woman coming in who I KNEW had been in front of me before (WTF?!?!). I never saw her when I passed her--she must have been in the woods herself??--so now I was thinking I was in 3rd place for women?? WOW! But then the fourth loop got really hard. My calf had been hurting me since the 2nd loop and now both legs were really stiff and hurting. I was hobbling a bit and I started getting clumsy.

I fell twice and kept stubbing my toes (Ouch!!!). My pace was really suffering, but after the last aid station, I started to feel pretty safe in 3rd place. After all, not a soul had passed me in the last loop and a half. I knew I just needed to put out enough to hold my position...


But then as I let myself walk this short hill about 2 1/2 miles from the end, I looked back and saw that the phantom woman ( the one I had never seen as I passed) was now back and she was catching me! Yikes!!! I started running as the trail turned out of her sight and just prayed(!!) that a) she had not seen me, and b) that if she had, that she hadn't seen me walking (detecting weakness). I have no idea where it came from, but I put my head down, clenched my fists and ran it in as fast as I possibly could. I literally have no idea where it came from--I'm not that competitive fo a person, but this one I wanted. I never let up and it's a good thing as that woman was probably less than 2 minutes behind me crossing the finish line.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me and my story. I guess I'm pretty excited as I never thought I'd do so well. I WAS 3rd female (yippie!!) 19th overall and my time was 9:13 and a lot of change (closer to 9:14 than 9:13).”


And DimaD has pic here.