I quietly went into this race with an injury, my right quad had been strained the week before during a speed workout on the track, but I had taken it easy since then and it was starting to feel better so I thought I'd be fine. It turned out I wasn't, and the quad turned into a quad AND a hamstring. But I'm not quite sure that was my biggest problem on Saturday...those honors would go to the brutal amount of climbing/descending and a failure to replenish a depleted stock of calories. Oh yeah, and there was the issue of the temperature rising from 59 at the start to 91 at the finish. I was shocked at the amount of climbing involved in this run, and it shocked my legs to the point of failure around mile 20. This meant I was going to have to dig pretty deep into the 'well of resolve' in order to even cross the finish line. Those who know me well, know how I feel about quitting, so that wasn't really an option. I honestly thought a few times I was gonna collapse in the middle of the trail and hope someone would come along to pick me up eventually. I just suck, absolutely suck, at the fueling game when it comes to ultra running. I can't for the life of me figure that part out. No matter what I eat or drink, my stomach and sides seem to cramp, which in turn eventually makes my legs cramp, and when that starts, you're in for a long day. Anyways, I dug deep, like, to the core of the Earth deep, in order to finish with a time of 7 hours and 5 mins, with the Garmin measuring about 30.59 miles.
I attribute some of my failures to the fact that I am very green to this sport, and to struggle is probably normal. But I'm also hard on myself and would like to see improvement a little quicker than its probably going to happen. Regardless, I know that in order to finish a race that is 50 miles long where I will burn around 6000 calories, I'm gonna have to put some calories back in if I think I'm gonna finish on my own two feet. I have also lost quite a bit of muscle these last 2 months, and am starting to feel pretty weak, and the fact that a few friends have made the comment 'you look skinny' (with that sideways smirk stating that what they really mean is you look sickly) lets me know that I need to better balance this last month before Big Cedar on Oct 31. So here's what's gonna happen before my date with 50 miles:
The gym will be my home.
I will gain at least 5 lbs of muscle back.
No more long runs over 2 hours.
The treadmill at 15% incline will be my new track...and I will embrace it.
A fueling plan and race strategy with my crew will be drafted AND implemented on race day!
I will eat like my life depends on it.
I will show up ready to smash 50 miles.
All in all, I still had a blast at McKinney Roughs. The camping was great and we watched a pretty motivating endurance and adventure sport movie with beer and popcorn at the outdoor amphitheater the night before the race. Finishing something this tough always breaks you down a little, but it's also what makes you stronger and more prepared for the next test which is why I love this sport so much. It's not just running; it's accomplishing a feat of endurance and showing yourself what you're truly capable of in times of extreme adversity. I'll be proud to toe the line at the next race knowing that I've put everything into accomplishing my goal of 50 miles, and with my family and friends present, I will be proud to finish for them.
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