12/13/2022
Didn’t think I had quite enough to say about this race to warrant a video chat, so here’s the quick (“quick”) recap:
Perfect day to run, low 40s, no wind, overcast. It was raining when I woke up, but didn’t get a drop on me during the race - lucky timing. Course was a bit wet in spots, but no puddles. Hard pack gravel trail the whole way. No turns, nothing but full speed ahead. Couldn’t get lost on this course if you tried. Anybody looking for a half marathon, 50K or 100K PR attempt, this is your race. At certain points, all I saw up ahead was a trail that appeared to go straight, forever, heading towards a point of singularity that could never be reached. It made me think of the Road Runner painting those tunnels on the walls that he’d run straight through and then Wile E. Coyote would smack right into the wall. Always felt bad for that dude, he was only following his natural instincts and we all gotta eat. It also made me think of that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when the guards are watching Lancelot running towards the castle from far away, and he just keeps running but not getting any closer 😂.
Around mile 4 two dogs were standing on the trail, watching runners go by ahead of me. I saw a few people just 30 seconds ahead of me run right past the dogs, no issues. I approached warily and of course one of them must’ve smelled my fear, barked and lunged towards me. I stepped off the trail onto a slight downslope and wound up bruising the outermost bone on my foot from the awkward landing. Couldn’t believe it. It instantly felt like I was running with a big pebble in that shoe. Stopped to take of my shoe and see if I could mitigate it at all, but there’s was nothing I could do really. It was an annoyance for probably the next 20 miles, until gradually fading into just background level discomfort. I surely felt it the day after the race and again today tho - should fade soon, but it was a legit irritation. Freakin dogs man… they’re all after me all of a sudden. Maybe I should switch to a cat person.
After that early near-disaster, everything went remarkably smoothly for ~60 miles. I kept anticipating the wheels were going to fall off, but they never did. The pace was sustainable and my hydration and nutrition were consistent and on point, which has historically been much easier said than done for me. I kept myself mentally engaged by just focusing on micro goals, especially in the 2nd half. Ok just get to mile 35, ok now get to the next aid station, ok now just hold this steady pace until the turnaround, etc. It’s a lot easier to digest an ultra when you take it in small bites instead of thinking after 26 miles, “oh s**t, I still have 37 miles left”. I did think exactly that, tho. The key is to follow up that thought with “shut up, don’t think that, OOH LOOK AT THAT BIRD!”
This race has two turnaround points, so you run past everyone else in the race, twice. I could see the 3 dudes ahead of me and knew they had distanced me quite a bit and were running strong. Also knew there was nobody close behind me. But most importantly I knew the guy who was DFL was looking super happy, cruising right along with a buttery smooth jog/walk gait, with a whole damn baguette sticking out of his backpack. He looked like he was ready to circumnavigate the globe with that French bread. Probably had a nice Cabernet in that pack, too. Hero.
I’ve heard many people say how ultras are more mental than physical, but that had never been my experience until this race. My legs did get sore of course, but without any hills or technical trail to navigate, they pretty much felt the same at mile 60 as they did at mile 20. The only thing physically that was really starting to give out on me were my Achilles. I wore my light, springy Asics, and they do a number on my calves. I’m paying for it this week. I’ll be hobbling around like the Tin Man until Friday probably. Oh well, worth it.
That was a bit of winding and disjointed recap, but here we are. If anybody read all that and has any questions about the race or my experience, please feel free to ask in the comments or message me privately if you’d rather. Now it’s time to enjoy a break from running for the rest of the year, focus on strength and XT, and see if I can be a halfway decent coach!
