Originally Written: July 2018
I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing this race report right now… It honestly feels so surreal. If you would’ve asked me 7 years ago to run I would’ve thought you were crazy….. 7 years later, I’m running my first ultra marathon.
I fell in love with running, the community, and everything about the sport. Whether it’s watching/following the Boston Marathon, the Barkley Marathons, Western States 100, or the Olympics, I’m all about it. I’ve spent an ungodly amount of hours watching youtube videos on Ultra Running and listening to running podcasts. I’ve even crewed at Ultra Marathons for friends. However, I never thought I would actually be running one myself.
5:00 AM
The alarm goes off and I roll over to turn if off. 5am came all too quickly. I looked at my phone to see Cameron already texted me and was eating an omelet. I had packed up all my gear the night before so all I had to do was throw my hair up in a pony tail, get dressed, and brush my teeth.
Here’s the aid bag lineup:
- Spenco Blister Kit
- 21 GUs
- 3 Honey Stinger Waffles
- 4 Different Flavors of Nuun
- Buff
- Ibuprofen
- Nathan VaporHowe Hydration Pack
- Extra Socks & Compression Socks
- Pro-tec Travel Roller Stick
- Body Glide
The plan was to always have one soft flask filled with Nuun and one soft flask filled with regular water. I also planned to take a Gu every 45 minutes to an hour.
Once Cameron, his girlfriend, and her mom picked me up I ate 3 Honey Stinger Waffles on the way there. That gave me about 420 calories pre race in my system. I chose Honey Stinger Waffles because I knew I could run after eating them plus they wouldn’t be heavy on my stomach. The nerves began to set in and I started to question everything I did to prepare. Did I train enough? Did I bring everything? Is my nutrition going to work?
When we reached the state park, we checked in at the shelter, gathered our race bibs, and started preparing ourselves for what mentally was about to happen. Cameron’s girlfriend, Katherine, and her mom set up camp/an aid station for us and then we headed to the start.
7:00AM
The official start time. We embark on the first of many 5 mile loops. Here’s how this race works: There’s a 5 mile loop of trails and you have 12 hours to do as many laps as you possibly can. However, if you don’t finish your final loop by the 7pm (the time cut off), then those last 5 miles don’t count. Cameron and I took the first lap easy. As we knew we had 12 hours a head of us, and we just wanted to get to know the course. Using the runners in front of us as pacers, we made it through the first lap without a problem. Cameron has run 3 other Ultras before this one, so I trusted him when it came to pacing the first lap.
After stopping in at the main aid station, I refilled my soft flasks (one with nuun and one with regular water). Additionally I grabbed 2 more Gu’s and headed out for lap number 2. During this lap, I picked up the pace some, now that I was familiar with the course. I knew where the questionable areas to run were. ( I did not want to roll my ankle within the first few laps lol). The course was mostly single track dirt trails and rocky. There were 3 or 4 stream crossings and with all the rain this year plenty of mud pits. (You’ll see later how my shoes look absolutely destroyed). Lap 2 passed by with no problem the first 10 miles felt really good. I was on pace to reach my goal of 50k.
THE WALL
I completed the first 20 miles within the first 6 hours of the race. My legs began to ache and my knees were definitely feeling the effects from all the impact. By lap 5, I had begun to feel a pain I had never experienced before. Every rock I had to run over felt like a mountain. The bottom of my feet ached from running on these rocks and it began to feel like I was running on legos. (If you’ve ever stepped on Legos you know the type of pain I’m talking about). I had to walk on this lap more than I wanted, and I began to worry I’d get off pace to reach my 50k goal. Luckily, after running 4 laps already, my muscle memory kicked in as they seem to remember every incline and decline that was ahead. The lactic acid build up became pretty excruciating as I had to mentally tell myself to put one foot in front of the other and push through. I knew if I just kept going I would eventually become comfortable in the pain.
Here’s the thing when I run. Even on the shortest runs, the first mile is always the hardest, but if you just push through, past mile 1 you start to become comfortable in the uncomfortableness. This race was no exception. Even when I hit the wall at mile 22 I just had to keep going. It took all my physical strength to start running again. My legs felt like bricks and my feet were nothing but pain. Mentally, I felt pretty great up to this point. I think what makes people good at Ultra Marathons is their ability to mentally push through the lowest of the lows. If you ever hear the stories of some of these elite ultra runners, they usually have something traumatic or challenging they are battling. Think about it: Rob Krar struggles with severe depression, Scott Jurek’s mother had Multiple Sclerosis (his story is incredible, I highly recommend reading Eat and Run), and the list goes on. Ultra Athletes know how to endure, whether you are a pro or not. I guess we are just good at suffering.
To be completely honest, I don’t think I could have done this race mentally if it wasn’t for all the things I’ve gone through the last 10 months. The last 10 months have entailed my mother being diagnosed with health issues, the end of my 4 year relationship, my brother dealing with some personal trials, working 2 jobs, and my dad’s MS. Now I don’t list these things out because I feel sorry for myself. I don’t. At the end of the day I know God has a bigger plan for my life and luckily he is willing to help carry my burdens. My point is, life is like an Ultra Marathon. There are going to be highs and lows. So cherish the highs and endure the lows. Running this ultra and the pain involved is nothing compared to that emotional suffering I went through. If I could survive those things, I could definitely finish this Ultra. It’s all about perspective and how you look at life.
MILE 30
After pushing past “the wall” I finally made it to lap 6. This was the moment of truth. This was the lap that put me in the running to reach 50k. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment, than to run 31.068 miles. I had plenty of time. I began to tire of eating only Gu so I tried to eat a tiny bit of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich they had at the aid station. Luckily, that was exactly what I needed and my stomach handled it beautifully. I finished that last loop at 30 miles and then was faced with a decision.
THE DECISION
After running 30 miles I was faced with the decision to either:
1. Run the out and back to the 50k point and call it a day or
2. Try to run one more 5 mile loop
The Catch: I had to run the last 5 mile loop before the 7pm time cut off. If I decided to go to the out and back point to make it 50k, I had to be done for the day. Once you choose to do the out and back you can’t run anymore loops.
I had 2 hours, plenty of time. However, I was afraid something would happen, whether It be hitting another wall or my legs giving out. I did not want to miss the time cut off and only have my official race results be 30 miles. 30 miles wasn’t enough for me. It had to be 50k at least. I was at the main aid station where Katherine and her mom were. I told them my concerns and they looked at me and told me I could do it. “You can do the 50k out and back portion and be done or you can make it 35 miles. It’s up to you. But I know you can run 35 miles, you have plenty of time.” Katherine’s mom said those words to me and I realized I didn’t come all this way to quit now. I had to go for it. Go big or go home, at this point. I began running. This final 7th lap was probably my fastest. The adrenaline started pumping through my veins and I wanted this so badly. I couldn’t think about anything else other than how good it would feel to run 35 miles (more than my 50k goal!).
THE FINISH
I bring in that 7th lap with 45 minutes to spare. I could not believe, I just ran 35 miles. I’ve never run anything nearly that far before this race/training for it. It was the most surreal moment of my life. Finishing this race is one of my biggest accomplishments ever. I think it was such a huge deal to me because I wasn’t convinced I could actually do it. During the race someone told me that Ultras become addicting, and now I can see why. I don’t know what’s next for me, but it would be cool to eventually run a 50 miler. What an incredible experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you ever want to try an Ultra Marathon I highly recommend the Cacapon 12 hour race or something similar. It’s a challenging course, but still runnable. Additionally, it’s a good place to figure out where you are at physically. You can figure out how long you’re capable of running and how far. Worse case scenario, you just stop running and call it a day. It’s a 5 mile loop so you’re never really more than 2.5 miles from the start. The directors of this race did an incredible job and gave me a memorable first ultra marathon, and for that I am grateful.
