Short entry about my first 50k last saturday.
So I wasn't sure I was ready for 31 miles but I couldn't wait to try it. I had asked Marc Thompson a fellow ultra runner and friend I really look up to for advice if he thought I should do it. He said yes. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone who does these pretty often. As the weeks came closer I had a small injury in my left ankle but felt in up my shin up to the knee. So I decided to take it easy and rest the last two weeks before the race. That is very hard to do. All I wanted to do was run and feel ready for it. I had ordered tailwind online (drink mix with calories) and got it in the mail and was excited to try it out. Also Marcs advice before race day. So I rode my bike for 15 miles or so and my leg felt pretty good. I iced it after the short ride since it hurt a bit. So the tuesday before the race I went out for 6 miles with arizona night runner in the white tanks at night. I was going to go nice and slow and ran with Daron who I only met one time. We had great conversation and he gave me a lot of tips for saturdays race. Im sure he was tired of all my questions. After the 6 miles I expected my leg to be really sore. It did the exact opposite and felt 100% somehow. I was ready. So when I feel ready what usually follows is a razor and I bick my head. Finally race day.
I rode to pass mountain in Mesa with Kevin Westover. Picked him up at 5:15 and headed to circle K and I bought a doughnut cuz I was hungry. Risky but felt right. I was nervous but slept good and felt good. We arrived to meet up with Kevins buddy Chad. We checked in got out bibs and I used the bathroom one last time just in case. We sat around heaters until 5 minutes to start time where I saw Marc and met Michelle who Chad and I met up with on the trail and ran with for awhile.
The race started and Chad and I were all the way in the back which is where I wanted to start. I was determined to go as slow as I could make myself. Marc had told me take it very easy the first half and the second half even easier. So that was my goal. Chad and I had never met so we chatted it up. Several people were getting jumping cactus in their shoes including Chad. Later a guy was moving over for chad and I to go by him and he leaned right into a cactus. We 3 stopped and removed all the needles from him arm and side. I told myself I wasn't going to look at my watch the first loop of 2. I didn't want to overwhelm myself. I stuck to it. By the time we hit the first climb up pass mnt I was feeling good. Did some power hiking to get through some of the steep slippery parts. Chad and I ran into Michelle around the top of loop one and she asked if we wanted to pass. I didn't have it in me and her pace was perfect. I told her for some reason if anyone falls on the race its usually me. She was maybe 100 yards a head or me not 5 minutes later and I fell. Ha ha. My water bottles I hold in my hands caught my fall and Im sure Chad had to hold back laughing but instead asked if I was okay. I was not a scratch somehow.
Loop 2 started and I told myself the next 6 miles I would drink 4 water bottles each 16 oz. I did that and had 2 full bottles for the last 9 miles and the big climb. I lost chad about this point. I didn't realize he got sick at the aid station. The climb was tough and slow. I power hiked much more this time. I was feeling gassed. Chad caught me just shy of the top and told me about feeling sick but he flew by and I never caught hime again. I tried pretty hard. I had been running about 5 hours by then and looked at my watch and thought wow I might be able to make 5:30. So I started to give it all I had. I was hauling. I felt like it anyway. I really wasn't when I looked at my times after. I got close to Chad towards the last 2 miles but again my energy was gone. I past the last aid station where I had to get new band aids for my nips on lap one. yep. haha. The people were clapping and cheering me on as I ran past. Its amazing to me how that simple act will give me so much more energy. Maybe even some crying feelings. Yep Im a softy. The last mile was the hardest of course. Through sand too. I did let out a little scream when I almost stepped on a black and white striped tail that was sticking out a hole. I wasn't about to stop to investigate. As I past the finish it felt great. Not many people were still around since our race was the last to come in. I was shocked when Kevin told me I had finished 15th. I had no clue I was towards the front of the pack. I finished at 5:48. It felt great and I can't wait to do it again. My next goal in 50 miles or 100k. Whichever happens first.
