Running 50 km in the Land of Peet's

[yellow]

So, some of you know that I've rekindled my love affair with running, though we're taking a different path this time and so far things seem to be working out. I thought I would put our relationship to the test over the weekend by running my first 50 km race.

Now I've run marathons on pavement, but this whole running-for-a-really-long-time-on-trails business is pretty new to me. Suffice it to say that I am completely, thoroughly hooked.

I chose my first 50 km wisely: near sea level in Woodside, California, billed as an "easy" 50 k (if there is such a thing), with only 4,530' of climbing, and in a mild climate. I was doing all I could to help ensure success.

I went into the weekend with a terrible head cold. I almost bailed on the run completely. But since we'd already purchased airfare and all the stars were aligned, I had to at least give it a shot. I could always bail on the 50k and do a shorter distance.

There were a grand total of 41 50k finishers, of which I was number 20...midpack like the old days (of the 41, I think there were 7 women total, and a woman won the entire race! But I digress...). I had no goal for time or pace or any of that, as my focus was to finish and still feel human. There were about 300 runners total, as there were other distances offered up that day. 50km was the longest distance.

All my hill training paid off. The first 12k or so were uphill through a beautiful redwood forest. All up, no breaks. But it was a shallow grade and really not that tough. I enjoyed the sights and smells (bay trees!). The trail then rolled along for a while and at about 15-20k I went through my usual self doubt litany. But lo! there is an aid station and who is there but my darling hubby, who presents me with a new flask of Perpetuem paste and a peck on the cheek. At this point I had to decide if I wanted to keep going on the 50k or turn around and just do the 35k. I opted to keep going because, well, I'm stubborn that way. And dammit, I'd come all the way from Utah to do this silly run.

The trail then proceeded to go down, down, down which meant that I would again have to run up, up, up to get out of it since it was a loop. The down was fine as I've completely battered my quads on 30%+ slopes over the last 8 months at home and can now run downhill like a champ, without fatigue. On the up part, I switched off between running and walking as I felt I needed to, but at some point missed a turn and before I knew it, was off course and LOST IN THE REDWOOD FOREST!

I retraced my steps, but not far enough, back and forth, until I got smart and decided to retrace farther, at which point I saw another human who showed me the way. I figure I lost about 10-15 minutes and probably added a couple of km to the total distance.

Turns out the person who showed me the way was a kind and very funny Brit whom I ended up running the rest of the race with. I ended up pushing him to a 50k PR and he ended up tempering my pace so that I finished with gas in the tank and feeling really, really good. I probably could have run faster, but decided that running with this gentleman and having a good time were more important. As it was, I made a friend and really enjoyed the trail and scenery.

The finish was downhill, which means that I smoked the last 10k. My total time (including wandering-in-the-woods-lost time) was 5 hours, 52 minutes, and 3 seconds. I felt so good after I finished that it was spooky. I got a special "first ultramarathon" coaster for my favorite beverage, a nice T shirt, and a whole lot of great memories. It was a fantastic day.

I am most definitely doing this again!

[maillotpois]

We've chased you all over the forum tonight. Finally, the story!!

Bowing down, repeatedly. You ROCK!!!!!

Wow. My quads are sore just reading. (I did a PCT run last year when I was "off" the bike. TOUGH event. Even the 12 k I did was hugely tough.)

[SadieKate]

OK, I'm not even going to talk about my Bootcamp pitifulness.

[Wahine]

Way to go Yellow!! I'm so glad you got to do the full run and what a great story. That's just wonderful. And to think that that darn head cold nearly destroyed all your plans. EEEEK, that was close.

I'm so happy for you, you did really well. What a great time!

[Grog]

Great job Yellow! Awesome run. I'm almost (almost, really not more than that) tempted to sign up for one!!

I love how you decided to enjoy your last 10K.

Congrats!!

[Veronica]

Yowza! But you make running sound like it can be fun.

V.

[SadieKate]

Good for Mr. Mojito Master!

Psst, I think there is a mutant in our midst.

[Shiraz]

Yellow, you are amazing!!! I am so glad you were able to run and did so well!!

[yellow]

Yowza! But you make running sound like it can be fun.

It CAN be fun. But it takes a while. And you have to mentally be ready for what it hands you. By mentally backing off an running with someone for the second half, I was really able to enjoy my fitness and enjoy the run. Yeah, I could have probably gone faster, but I really couldn't think of a good reason to do that.

If you run for health and enjoyment, then you should enjoy it, whether it's 0.2 miles, 2 miles, or 20 miles.

[Tri Girl]

Congrats on your milestone accomplishment, Yellow!!!! I'm so thrilled for you! I have a number of ultra-marathon runner friends (who let me tag along for shorter training runs with them ) and I think it's just amazing that you can do that. Endurance sports are all about mental toughness. Glad you found yours and kept your wits about you when you got lost. And btw, very nice finishing time!
Now, do you have any pics of this monumental accomplishment?

[yellow]

Glad you found yours and kept your wits about you when you got lost. And btw, very nice finishing time!
Now, do you have any pics of this monumental accomplishment?

Oh, I wasn't really that lost...I just made it sound more dramatic than it really was. I mean, all I had to do was turn around and retrace my steps, but I was a little scatterbrained at that point.

I do have one picture, but it kind of sucks. Hubby ended up working the aid station all day and thus couldn't really take pictures. He took this one of me at the finish, though. Not very flattering, but it's proof that I was actually there. There was a photo outfit there but they were long gone by the time the midpack 50k finishers were coming across the line.

[Tri Girl]

Great picture! Thanks for posting it. Again- congrats! I've looked at 50K training plans just to see if it might be possible (or that I'd be able to tackle one injury free) and there's no way. You're just too cool!

[SadieKate]

It's a great picture . . . because you're obviously running -- not walking, shuffling, rolling, clawing, falling, being dragged, [fill in the blank with your own word] across the line.

[Lise]

Yellow!

How cool that I tune into TE for the first time in months and find your amazing story! I'm at work, and the hospital computer won't let me see your picture, but I'll look again from home.

What a great story. I am so impressed that you've found this new love. Myself, I could barely *walk* when I was in Salt Lake. That training at altitude must have amazing benefits when you run at sea level. How cool.

A hug to you, and scritches to the pups! Lise

[Trek420]

Lise! Good to "see" you