Finally stepped it up a notch ran my first 50 miler this past December. It was all I expected and I am sure there will be many more to come.
The day before the race it rained all day and reminded me of the last time I ran Sunmart, my first race ever, that the course would be mud sucking running. Sat. morning it was in the low 30's but the wind and rain had stopped so decision time on what to wear. Now you know me, deciding what to wear, could be a all morning proposition. My mind said wear this but then it would change its mind and say wear this, then from behind me the boss, "Chill Out" Barb, said lets go. What the heck take everything and put it in the drop bag and decide on each pass. A tune started playing in my mind about this time, faintly, it was familiar had a good beat but couldn't quite place the song or words. Oh well there are more important things to worry about.
I had a plan for the run and that was to run 15 minutes and walk 2 minutes. I was shooting for a 10 hour time and no injuries. This worked for the first 2 laps then I broke the cycle and tried running at a slower pace with no walking. Tagged along with others when the opportunity arose and even had my "own" group that wanted to tag along with me. Kept looking for Barb at the times when our paths would cross but never saw her. I knew she was ok because at our drop zone I could see the candy & power bar wrappers of her having been there. I change from trail shoes to running shoes after the first pass, the trail shoes were loading up to much with mud plus I had brought extra shoes and clothes and by God I was going to use everything. I don't want to hear the term "girly man" I am willing to get dirty and muddy as the next tennis player. The run was good and about what I expected, what you put into something is directly related to what you get out of it. I had trained "better" for this than the last Sunmart but didn't run enough trails in preparing. That song was getting louder and the words by this time were running though my head and would continue until the finish. One song 11 hours, good thing I like the song.
I made a big tactical error on the last lap. Those of us that were starting back out for the last lap many were putting on headlamps and taking lights with them, this was at 3:03 PM in the afternoon. I was feeling good and being 3 there was plenty of daylight ahead and off I went. The song was really getting loud now and I was sure those around me could hear it to. Well being a "city boy" and in a forest the sun doesn't need no stinkin watch to tell it when to get dark. 4 miles from the finish the lights go out, who hit the switch?. Pitch black, now what? I can barely see my feet and the trail disappears into a black hole. How peaceful, the beauty of solitude..... how hopeless. I look around for a sign from above and there it is, glow sticks have been hung in branches about every 25 yards marking my escape route. Just as the relief set in I then discovered another problem, I can see the glow sticks but I don't have a clue how to get between each. I spent my last 4 miles groping over rocks, stumps and roots to reach each lite, now whether I was on the trail no one will ever know. This greatly increased my time but it also taught me a lesson that will serve me well on future runs.
For those who have never been to Sunmart, the last 100 yards is the "drop zone" made up of tents on both sides leading up to the finish line. I reminds me of when the football team takes the field and the cheerleaders and band line the way and the team runs between them. I come into this "chute" 11 hours into a run, the leaders and most having finished hours ahead, most have stuck around to applaud and cheer our accomplishment and lighting the way with their lanterns. It looked like an airport runway as I approached the finish. This is why I like trail running and the ultras, the people make the race and all egos are check at the start. Everyone is helping the person next to them and the environment and atmosphere of the event is the grand winner.The runners we get our medals, new friends, memories and a challenge met and new goals on the horizon. A promise to new and old friends to meet again and do it al over again.
Oh yes that song you might be wondering what it was. An old Stones song, and one of the verses goes like this: YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU TRY, SOMETIMES YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT YOU NEED. This one verse play on my MP3 player, my head, for 11 hours and 13 minutes. Who needs a IPOD
I was WANTING a 10 plus hour race but as I countinued knowing that wasn't going to happen what I NEEDED was then to call upon my training, continue to go forward and finish.
I greatly enjoyed the run, there was no doubt that I would not finish, I had prepared myself both physical and mentally for this event. Time will always be a problem for me because of my other intrest and the time I devote between two sports. I am at peace with this fact, I can and will get faster but my main reason for trailrunning is for the enjoyment and challenges of each event and the satisfaction of having said I did it.
Happy Trails
Oak