Race report for my 50 miler, sorry for the wall of text guys!
Indiana Trail 50/100 miler
April 28th 2013.
I impatiently awaited the starting gun to go off for my first 5 mile trail race, the road ends 5 miler as part of the Trail Marathon weekend in Pinckney Michigan, and truthfully my first running race of any distance since I was 15 years old. I pretty much had no idea what I was doing, I'd been training and running for 4 months but never ran a trail, never did hill work, so when that starter pistol fired I just took off and ran hard. Then I tripped and fell on a root a couple miles in, I shook myself off kept running, then half mile later face planted a second time and tore up my knee. Humbled, exhausted and with a bloody knee I finished in 48:10 but I was hooked on trail running. And this was the first day I'd heard of something else. An ultramarathon. There was a 50K that day on those same trails and I thought to myself, “Those people are insane! 5 miles was hard enough I couldn't imagine doing 31! You'd have to be superhuman!”
April 26th, 2014
It is 4:45am I'm driving to Chain O' Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana, my girlfriend Katie in the car next to me, and I was remembering that 363 days earlier I thought a 5 mile trail race was difficult. Today would be my first 50 miler and the next step in my goal of running in and finishing a 50K, a 50 miler and a 100 miler before my 30th birthday in May 2015. I'd already accomplished the 50K in January in the Yankee Springs Winter Challenge, there was a foot of snow on the trails that day and after the first 15 miles it began to snow quite hard at times, which lead to me getting lost on the trails, finding my way again and my first 50K finish was more like 58K finish.
As I pulled into the parking lot for the start of the race, I told myself and Katie that I wouldn't be getting lost today. I checked my gear and drop bags, and at 5:45 kissed Katie one last time, lined up in the starting corral and found another local runner from my area, David Potter. He was running the hundred miler and we had agreed to at least start together.
At 6am the starting pistol went off and we were off, like a ghostly army of headlamps and reflective gear on parade through the double track trail. Dave and I made small talk those first few miles as the sun rose on the horizon, but soon after the first Schoolhouse aid station became separated. I continued on making small chat with a fellow ER nurse Steph, as we slower made our way through the first loop. It was beautiful in those woods watching the sun rise, and I was encouraged by what I was running through, lots of rolling hills mixed in with flat sections, the next aid station Rally Camp came and went quickly as I dropped my headlamp in my drop bag, and continued on and after a short section of single track, came upon a small road section with the first big hill of the day. The rest of the first lap was uneventful, I came into the 2nd Schoolhouse aid station and immediately after this aid station is the biggest hill on the course. That will be unpleasant at mile 47 I thought to myself.
Lap 2 began with a welcome surprise, cookies! David's wife had baked some wonderful oatmeal raisin cookies for him and was gracious enough to share. That was a great pick me up! My hydration and fueling had been going great at this point, my pace was a little quick but I was feeling good and after another kiss for Katie I continued on with Steph, we made it back to the next schoolhouse aid station and then the doldrums started for me. My legs started to ache, my mind started to sow seeds of self doubt. By the time I made it to Rally Camp aid station at the halfway(25 mile) point of the race, I was in a bad place mentally and my fueling/hydration had started to get messed up. I did a few things immediately at the aid station. Pickles and pickle juice, stopped my garmin because I was obsessing over my mileage, and focused on just reaching the next aid station. I started to feel better from the pickles and focused on that next aid station. I fell back on the 3-4 minutes running then 1 minute walking and walked all the uphills and attacked the downhills. Before I knew it I was at the last aid station and only 2.6 miles from the start/finish line again.
I pulled into the start/finish line finishing lap 2 with Katie's smile to greet me again. She knew the plan, shoe change, a cookie, beef jerky and pickles. With her help I switched from my Merrell Ascend Gloves, to my Merrell Bare Access 2's for more and softer cushioning. I also grabbed my food and shuffled off for my 3rd and final lap. I knew at the start of this lap I was going to finish this 50 miler but now it was going to be a race against the clock. I wanted to finish under 11 hours and I was at 6 hours 54 minutes! As I approached the 1st aid station again I noticed something strange, a bottle of Jack Daniel's Whiskey, curious I inquired who was that for? The runners they told me! Pour me a shot then! And digging out my cell phone take a picture of me while I down a shot of whiskey at mile 34 of an ultramarathon! I chased the whiskey with a shot of pickle juice and some food. This moment of levity greatly boosted my mood and with a little alcohol in my stomach, I definitely found my 2nd wind. My legs were certainly hurting but I found I could just push through the pain. I got in a pretty great rhythm of alternating running/walking and slowly cruised into the Rally Camp aid station one more time.
Fueling up one more time with pickles, mountain dew and potato chips, I thought to myself only about 8 miles left!! Unfortunately, my 2nd wind was starting to wind down and the pain in my legs returned with a vengeance. Gritting my teeth and teaming up with one of the 100 mile runners I set out. The back half of this course has many more hills and now the hills looked like mountains to me! My calfs and quads screamed for mercy at times but I wasn't letting myself listen. I was going to finish this race. I kept attacking even though I knew I was slowing down, finally after 5 long miles I could see the schoolhouse aid station in the distance. I fueled up quick as I could, sent a quick text to Katie to expect me and set out with 43 minutes to cover 2.67 miles and break 11 hours.
That big hill I mentioned earlier? It seemed gigantic to me at this point. But sensing I was getting a 3rd wind, I walked as quick as my legs would let me up the hill. Cresting the top I again ran the downhill and keep pushing forward. Suddenly I was out of the woods and I could see the start/finish across the lake! Putting my head down I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and there was Katie screaming for me to run and suddenly I was across the finish line. I was done!! And in 10 hours 55 minutes 31 seconds! I had a medal around my neck and suddenly Katie was in my arms and I couldn't stop crying and hugging her.
Post race thoughts, are all positive. The course was beautiful, the weather perfect. The aid stations and management of the race was top notch. Many other races could learn a thing or two about how to run a race from these race directors! I will definitely be back next year!
So after 16 months of running I've got a snowy 50K under my belt, and an awesome 50 miler conquered. I've got a 100 miler to go and 13 months until I turned 30, I can do this.
I'm looking 45 square in the eye and I just hope I can get one marathon in me at some point.
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