Leading up to yesterday, I was very nervous about my ability to handle 50 miles, especially considering the difficulty I had at Hyner last month. I decided on Saturday that it was too pretty a day not to run, and I figured I could work out some of my nerves if I hit the trail for a few miles. I treated myself to a section of trail at French Creek that I had never run before and realized that no matter what happened during my race, I had the gift of getting to play in the woods all day without having to worry about getting home in time for Larry to get to work, or having to cut it short because I worked later. The Dirty German would be a day to just enjoy.
Sunday morning dawned clear and crisp, and was one of those mornings that the full moon hung in the cloudless sky well after daylight. I was up by four, because I had a bit of a drive to get to the race. Not being confident that I'd be able to drive a manual after 50 miles, I met my dad at his house and enjoyed being chauffeured to Pennypack Park. Never having been there before, I was surprised at this gem within the city limits. Check in was a breeze, and I was pleasantly surprised to see several members of my running club both running, as well as volunteering. This gave me a certain sense of comfort, as my family wouldn't be there to cheer me on until the end; Larry had planned on bringing the boys down to the city later in the day for a few kid-friendly activities, and the plan was for him to show up at the finish around 7pm-when I thought I might finish if all went well.
As the race started, I didn't have the nerves that I've dealt with in the past; I felt a quiet sense of calm. The 50 mile option had us complete a 3.5 mile loop before hitting the larger loop, and then we rejoined the other runners. The course was beautiful; I was taken by how old some of the oaks were along the trail. Their diameter was larger than my arm span, and I kept thinking about how truly tiny I am within the universe. I was in a good place mentally. As I hit the aid stations on the first loop, I saw more Pacer friends and settled into a routine with food and hydration. I ate either banana or fig newton at every station and had them refill my pack every other. I have been experimenting with Nuun, and this combination of hydration and real food seemed to work best for me. Every two hours I was also making sure to take some potato dipped in salt, as I felt I needed it.
When I got back to the start/end of the first full loop at the 19 mile mark, I changed into well-worn road shoes. I have several pairs of trail shoes that I've been experimenting with, but nothing I can wear for really long distances. I chose to start in my Asics, but I felt hot spots on my big toes that I needed to address. This was a quick stop and then I was off again.
The second loop went just as well as the first. I was humbled because one of the volunteers whom I've had the pleasure of running with previously had WON MMT 100 the previous weekend. He gave me some encouragement, and told me I looked strong- that meant a lot. I knew at this point that I was running faster than I thought I'd be at this point, but I continued to go by feel and keep the pace.
At the next aid station I asked what the mileage was. I don't own a GPS watch, so I'm never certain. This station happened to be the 50k mark for the 50 milers, and I was shocked to see my time was 5:48- 33 minutes faster than my previous 50k PR!! Still, I felt great, so I pressed on.
I started the final loop feeling stronger than I'd imagined I would. My walk breaks really were pretty minimal, but I did give myself permission to walk a bit when I hit this awful macadam section...I don't mind running road when I'm running a road race, but I've noticed that I get really annoyed with it during a trail race, and more so 40+ miles in. I had been leapfrogging with a very nice man for a few miles prior to this, and we had some good conversation. It was also his first 50, and we talked about how much of a high we were both on almost being finished. It's nice to chat away some miles, and our conversation was a pleasant diversion.
My new trail friend and I stayed together for a little while longer, mostly running, until we hit a little section that I was referring to as "no man's land" in my head. I had given myself advanced permission to walk a bit here, and it really wouldn't have been bad to run, but it was a rutted, grassy path through a pasture, and I also dislike running on grass for some bizarre reason. My friend pressed on and I found a tune to listen to.
Music during a race is a first for me. I'll listen on the treadmill, but I never run outside with music. Being in uncharted distance territory, I had figured it would be prudent to allow myself this indulgence on the last lap if I desired, but I neglected to put my headphones in my pack. I decided to just play something through the speaker on my phone, and this worked well. A little Nine Inch Nails and some Eminem were just what I needed to push a little bit more. As I came out of the woods and neared the finish, I was almost teary when I thought about what I had just accomplished, but this quickly passed as I heard people cheering for me. No matter what the race, I typically have a little burst of energy at the finish, and this was no exception. I probably looked stark-raving mad sprinting at the end of a 50 miler, but it did get me 9:50 instead of 9:51, so that's okay.
Some of my Pacer friends were there to congratulate me, and I took some time to chat and relax. I had called my husband to let him know I was done early, so he was making his way to the park. As I turned toward the parking lot, I saw two very important but unexpected people walking toward the finish with lawn chairs: my parents! I ran up to them, and my dad was in total disbelief. He knew when I was hoping to finish, so he thought they would have plenty of time to show up and surprise me. It meant the world to me that they came to see me do this. My dad was pretty bummed that he didn't get a picture of me crossing the finish, though, and has been razzing me that my watch was broken.
As the race started, I didn't have the nerves that I've dealt with in the past; I felt a quiet sense of calm. The 50 mile option had us complete a 3.5 mile loop before hitting the larger loop, and then we rejoined the other runners. The course was beautiful; I was taken by how old some of the oaks were along the trail. Their diameter was larger than my arm span, and I kept thinking about how truly tiny I am within the universe. I was in a good place mentally. As I hit the aid stations on the first loop, I saw more Pacer friends and settled into a routine with food and hydration. I ate either banana or fig newton at every station and had them refill my pack every other. I have been experimenting with Nuun, and this combination of hydration and real food seemed to work best for me. Every two hours I was also making sure to take some potato dipped in salt, as I felt I needed it.
When I got back to the start/end of the first full loop at the 19 mile mark, I changed into well-worn road shoes. I have several pairs of trail shoes that I've been experimenting with, but nothing I can wear for really long distances. I chose to start in my Asics, but I felt hot spots on my big toes that I needed to address. This was a quick stop and then I was off again.
The second loop went just as well as the first. I was humbled because one of the volunteers whom I've had the pleasure of running with previously had WON MMT 100 the previous weekend. He gave me some encouragement, and told me I looked strong- that meant a lot. I knew at this point that I was running faster than I thought I'd be at this point, but I continued to go by feel and keep the pace.
At the next aid station I asked what the mileage was. I don't own a GPS watch, so I'm never certain. This station happened to be the 50k mark for the 50 milers, and I was shocked to see my time was 5:48- 33 minutes faster than my previous 50k PR!! Still, I felt great, so I pressed on.
I started the final loop feeling stronger than I'd imagined I would. My walk breaks really were pretty minimal, but I did give myself permission to walk a bit when I hit this awful macadam section...I don't mind running road when I'm running a road race, but I've noticed that I get really annoyed with it during a trail race, and more so 40+ miles in. I had been leapfrogging with a very nice man for a few miles prior to this, and we had some good conversation. It was also his first 50, and we talked about how much of a high we were both on almost being finished. It's nice to chat away some miles, and our conversation was a pleasant diversion.
My new trail friend and I stayed together for a little while longer, mostly running, until we hit a little section that I was referring to as "no man's land" in my head. I had given myself advanced permission to walk a bit here, and it really wouldn't have been bad to run, but it was a rutted, grassy path through a pasture, and I also dislike running on grass for some bizarre reason. My friend pressed on and I found a tune to listen to.
Music during a race is a first for me. I'll listen on the treadmill, but I never run outside with music. Being in uncharted distance territory, I had figured it would be prudent to allow myself this indulgence on the last lap if I desired, but I neglected to put my headphones in my pack. I decided to just play something through the speaker on my phone, and this worked well. A little Nine Inch Nails and some Eminem were just what I needed to push a little bit more. As I came out of the woods and neared the finish, I was almost teary when I thought about what I had just accomplished, but this quickly passed as I heard people cheering for me. No matter what the race, I typically have a little burst of energy at the finish, and this was no exception. I probably looked stark-raving mad sprinting at the end of a 50 miler, but it did get me 9:50 instead of 9:51, so that's okay.
Some of my Pacer friends were there to congratulate me, and I took some time to chat and relax. I had called my husband to let him know I was done early, so he was making his way to the park. As I turned toward the parking lot, I saw two very important but unexpected people walking toward the finish with lawn chairs: my parents! I ran up to them, and my dad was in total disbelief. He knew when I was hoping to finish, so he thought they would have plenty of time to show up and surprise me. It meant the world to me that they came to see me do this. My dad was pretty bummed that he didn't get a picture of me crossing the finish, though, and has been razzing me that my watch was broken.
 |
| One of my biggest fans |
 |
| Mom is another big fan! |
