Threading the needle
Shooting the gap
But for the daylight hours of March 23rd, we had glorious, calm, cool weather perfect for a long run. The sun might have even peeked out.
This was Jim's first 50k, and I was so happy that he would have great weather for it. There's really nothing worse than preparing for something and then having it affected by something out of your control. Weather is always a factor in big races, but this time we were blessed.
The 50k on Antelope Island, Utah is two laps of a very runnable loop around the lower slopes of snow-covered Frary Peak. On our training run the week before, the trails had been perfectly dry, but lots of rain this week brought made them muddy, a little slippery, and all the snow was gone.
I was treating this like a very fast race, and went out with no pack, no food, and just a empty bottle in my pocket with my powdered homemade drink mix. I think of it as rocket fuel. It was cool and cloudy so I wore a shirt and arm warmers too. I don't overheat easily so that would be fine for the first loop. Each loop was 3 equal sections between aid stations. I was hydrated so I didn't need any water on the first section, and even though it was uphill, I managed to run most of the gentle gradient. Five women passed me at that point, and although I kept them in sight for half the race, there was no reeling them back in.
At the first aid station, I filled up my bottle and set off on the tough middle section, a nice mile and a half down hill and then switch backs up again. I was wearing Merrill Barefoot shoes for the first time in a race (or at all for that matter!) I had tested them in a Spartan race, liked them, and worn them hiking once. They are so light that my foot turnover felt so easy. I ran a 7:05 mile down that next mile, which for me is amazingly fast. My average speed over an ultra is about 11- 12 minute miles. I even managed to run a lot of the gentle switchbacks back up again.
As I headed back down to finish the first half, a buffalo ran in front of me! They had been out in force this morning, but mostly just standing or laying around. This one was running, faster than I could run, and crossed the trail. I played it safe and stopped well back to give it space. Jeez, they are big...I waited until it went over the hill, and then tried to have eyes in the back of my head to make sure it didn't loop back around and run after me.
The last section back down to the start/finish is VERY runnable, and I was feeling great this year, finishing the first 25k loop over 15 minutes faster than my time last year. I think a little bit of anemia was slowing me down then. At the midpoint, I tossed my shirt, hat and arm warmers, drank the last of my water and took a couple Essential Amino Acid tablets and other supplements. I grabbed a new empty bottle of drink mix and was out of there within a minute.
Thirsty. I took off knowing that I should have stopped and drank a little more, but felt confident that I could make it another hour to next aid station. I walked a little more of the hill this time around, and could feel soreness creeping into my legs.
It felt amazing to fill my bottle, and I set off with a 1/2 liter of water. I drank half of that almost immediately, and ran a 7:17 mile down that same section, which still amazed me as my legs were now pretty sore. My water ran out on the switchbacks, which I now had to walk as I was feeling winded, tired, and thirsty. My legs no longer had that "spring" which had allowed me to dodge puddles, hop over rocks, and avoid trail hazards. The next few miles stretched out into agony.
The aid station appearing was a relief. Until I walked up and they said they had run out of water! More coming but I couldn't afford to wait. Ouch. Thirsty and dry. The girl there poured my bottle half full from her personal water bottle, and they had plenty of soda so I ran off with a can of Coke. I drank a little, filled up my bottle, smashed the can and put it in my shorts pocket. Yes, it fit 'cuz I had huge pockets in my Gypsy Runner shorts!
Then I started looking for Jim. According to my calculations, if we were both on pace for our goals, we would meet up just after this aid station. Sure enough, there he was, powering up the hill with his poles! He was feeling tired, but moving well, and happy with his race so far.
I now had 5 miles left and less than an hour to make my 6 hour goal. My quads and calves hurt, my lung were burning, and I knew I would make it only if my brain could force my tired legs to keep going. I had to walk the last short uphill and then I could run all the way to the finish. Unfortunately I found myself just in front of a guy making the worst phlegm sounds I've ever heard. I didn't know if he was having a baby or hacking up a lung! I couldn't get ahead of him walking on the hill, and I couldn't shake him running the last few miles either. You know who you are, blue shirt, blue hat guy!
I couldn't slow down and let him pass me, so I suffered through his hawking and snorting and spitting almost all the way to the finish. I wasn't sure I could make it under 6 hours, but then saw the cars and had 12 minutes left and knew I had it. Barely. I finished in 5:58:36.
A whole group of apprentice massage therapists had their tables set up at the finish. I ate twizzlers and drank root beer (awful I know) and then got a massage. It got all my muscles loosened up a little as I waited for Jim to finish. He came in a full 12 minutes ahead of his goal pace and ran all the way to the finish line. Amazing!
I didn't carry my phone this race, so I borrowed some photos from the Wasatch Mountain Wrangler's Facebook page. Thanks everyone, nice photos!
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