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Damn the torpedos! Blues Cruise 50K – 2022

Damn the torpedos! Blues Cruise 50K – 2022

Published by Patrick Durante on October 5, 2022

What went right?
It was cold at the start so I took arm sleeves, gloves, and compression for my legs. This was my 9th time doing Blues Cruise, and I decided that I was going to throw caution to the wind. I didn’t really care if I got an age group award. I knew I had the training in the bank to PR and this was going to be the weather for it. I set the “virtual partner” on my Garmin at a 9:00-minute pace for the race. Only 4 out of the 31 miles were slower, either because of an aid station or a big climb. I was FAST at each aid station, no chatting, just grab n’ go. Things really started to pick up once I met Zach Landis. He was moving FAST, so the two of us shared some miles together pushing the pace. It was hard, but it never felt THAT hard. Eastern States 100 increased my propensity to suffer. I can hurt 10X more than I thought I was capable of. I ran with that mindset of, “this isn’t ES100 pain”. I also used music at the start and just stayed in my little world and kept grinding. Watching the pace of each mile and I kept hitting my target with relative ease and comfort. A large majority of that was related to the weather. The conditions of the day will dictate your performance in these things, and I think people sometimes forget that.

The list was light for what I carried:

This was an extremely light kit for this race. I think one of my biggest issues in past seasons is not utilizing aid stations. I tended to carry too much food/water. I would rather keep it light with just the bare minimum for weather like this. A first-time mistake is to take way more than you need, but I think I only realized that after 9 of these damn races.

Patrick Durante in Blues Cruise 50K 2022
Running with my little action cam on my head.
Photo Credit: AC Squared Photography

What went wrong?
I didn’t need my gloves. I forgot the race was cupless so I couldn’t take soda at one aid station. This was almost a perfect execution of a race, not much went wrong. My Insta360 Go2 died halfway and I missed some funny moments, that might be the extent of what went “wrong”. The camera is tough to shoot with because you have no screen. That’s why I also bring the pocket DJI camera as a backup.

What would I have done differently?
NOTHING! This was a year of a bunch of PRs and I attribute that to new running friends (Alex, Kellen, and John), a change in mindset, and gratitude to be alive and able to do this. My mantra this year is “I don’t mind what happens” and I just kept saying “Funk it! LET’S GO”! I told myself that racing is exciting but really doesn’t matter in the whole scheme of things. Who cares if I bonk or blow up, it’s just another BC in the books, and in a few years nobody cares, hell a few days I won’t even care. Live in the moment! Live in the mile! SMILE because there’s only a handful of these types of races you will do in your life!

The best moment in the race for me was when someone said I was in 12th place. I knew it was only halfway and I could catch a few people. I started to visualize holding the oar. I WANTED to hold the oar! I would NOT be stopped from holding the GOD DAMN OAR!!! That just kept repeating in my mind, “OAR OAR OAR”! Does anybody need an oar? NO! WTH am I going to do with this thing?

This type of performance comes from perfect weather, good rest, and NO MENTAL DAEMONS! I had just read The Relationship Handbook, and this part really stuck out.

Insecurity is the source of distress and all counterproductive behavior. Thoughts of insecurity periodically pass through our minds. If we dismiss these thoughts, we will remain secure, our ideal selves: easygoing, joyful, compassionate and wise. If we harbor our thoughts of insecurity, we end up in a state of distress.

George Pransky

Another way of saying it is “Change your thoughts, change your world”. You actually don’t have to listen to what your mind is telling you. Realize that low moods pass. Just because you have a bad day or bad mile, doesn’t mean you will have a bad race. I kept this mindset with me the entire time and I think it paid off.


This feeling can not be described.
Photo Credit: AC Squared Photography

I have been recording almost all my races and throwing together a little montage for myself and my kids to enjoy. I do this to show them how running can change your life if you let it.

My First Ultra – Blues Cruise 50K

Published by Patrick Durante on October 6, 2011

Blues Cruise Ultra 50K
The Loop

So how did I get here? That’s what I usually ask myself.  It’s always when I ‘m pushing myself to some new extreme or event that I had never done before.  I was browsing this subreddit when I came upon the video “Running Madness”.  If you haven’t seen it you can check it out here (WARNING:  You may feel the need to enter an ultra after watching. )  That video helped spark the idea of, “Would it be possible”?  Would I be able to get ready for an ultra in under 2 months?  I had already put in a decent amount of training to complete Steelman a few weeks ago.  In my previous post, I had mentioned I was following this schedule.  I would fit the long runs in during the week with running to work, and then get the rest in during the weekend.  At least that was the plan…

This same time last year, I was preparing for the Philly marathon and having some issues with top-of-the-foot-pain.  I worked hard to correct my form, I even recorded myself running on a treadmill to analyze it.  That information helped me correct my form and I haven’t had an issue since.  I’ve done high mileage and some of the hardest runs to date.  So everything was falling into place, if I was able to get in more miles and stay injury free the ultra would be easy, right?  Well that’s what I originally thought, I would later find out that they made a HUGE change to the course.

I felt as though the training was difficult but not unbearable, I actually started to really enjoy my long runs to work.  They were a time to relax and unwind, except for the part where I run through a state park at 5:30AM in the dark.  Running in the dark was a new experience and I picked up this.  Either way, most of my miles were done with a mix of road and light trail.  This didn’t fully prepare me for the new course this year.

The starting/finishing line of the race
Stephan Weiss informs us how much we will suffer.

Of course the night before the race it starts raining.  This has me worried about what conditions would be like, and to top it off, it starts pouring on the way there.  I know that this won’t be good for the trails, I had run a trail race earlier in the year, the Mt. Penn Mudfest, in the rain and nearly twisted my ankle twice on the course.  The idea of doing that again was starting to worry me, I was fortunate in the fact that the rain stopped right before the start of the race.

So the race is off and I seeded myself near the back.  I know I’m going to be in for the long haul and I wanted to avoid as much pain as I could.  I was amazed at how fast some people went out, I guess I was expecting more of a leasiurly pace but that wasn’t what most seemed to be doing.  They have you start with running on the road for a half mile before you enter the trail.  It was 98% trail, there was only a few short sections where you had to run on the road.  Most of the time you spent it running parallel to the lake, or opposite corn fields.  The rain had made conditions very slippery.  I can’t count the number of times I had to catch myself from slipping on mud and going down.  The week before I had spoken to multiple people who had done the course last year.  They all said the same thing, it wasn’t much of a challenge, and it’s relatively flat.  They had done an out and back but this year they opted for one big loop .  The first 10 miles were relatively easy, as you can see from my Garmin data below, the difficult hills didn’t come till later in the race.  I had done hill work but nothing near the level of what I experienced.  Looking back, I know I should have spent more time with hill training.  I had heard from someone else that you should walk the larger hills of a trail race, so that’s what I did.  I think this helped save my legs for the finish.

Stream crossing at the Blues Cruise Ultra 50K
That's COLD!

If I had to say anything about the people you meet in a trail run, it’s that they just seem to be a nicer group.  I talked to a few different people along my 31 mile journey and they were all very friendly.  I actually took a spill going down this one hill and a guy took the time to stop and help me up.  He even turned around and pulled the tree root out of the ground that tripped me so it didn’t get anyone else.  You don’t experience this when you run the big city marathon.  Everybody has their headphones on and focused on their run.  There’s a bond between trail runners as you suffer the course together, it makes you talk to your fellow runner.  That, and the fact that there’s not 20,000 people running the race at the same time.

I had an additional “ace up the sleeve” to help me get through the race.  My parents were actually worried about me heading out on such a long run, my Dad offered to drive up with me.  In the “Running Madness” video they talked about pacers, so I asked him if he would be willing to meet me for the last portion of the race.   I can’t begin to explain the difference this made, after mile 22 I had been running alone.  When I got to the last aid station to meet up with him, he had already run 4 miles out to meet me.  I was dead at this point and my legs were in pain, but when I got behind him to finish out the last leg of the race it gave me a second wind.  I was able to pick the pace up and continue on to the finish.  I wouldn’t have done nearly as well for those last 4 miles, the most difficult to complete.  I can see why a pacer is so critical, especially if this had been a longer race.

My pacer helped me get through the race
"Pacer Dad" helped me finish the 50K

When I did cross the finish line it was the single best experience in running to date.  I have never felt such a sense of accomplishment as I did completing that race.  As for my results, I was 17th with a time of 4:45.  I’m pretty happy with all things considered.  I learned a lot in this race, and I learned just how critical your pace can be.  I should have taken it easier on the start, maybe walked a few more hills, and pushed a little harder on the downhills.  This was the most fun I have ever had running a course.  The aid stations were packed with good food and good people.  I can say for sure that I will be showing up next year.  I heard they are doing the course in reverse!!!