Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Boston Training
In 6 days I will be running the Boston Marathon! I recovered from the South Carolina track race quicker than expected- I feel like every 100+ mile race I run I bounce back faster. Physically, at least- I was able to run 5 miles the day after the race but I was an emotional mess for days after! After that first week I ran 50+ miles the next two weeks. I incorporated speedwork, lactic threshold runs, and hill work (in the Low Country, that means bridge repeats!). This past week I tapered down to about 40 miles, and I started back at Bikram yoga for crosstraining. I only plan to run about 10-15 miles this last week, so I can go into the marathon with fresh legs. Right now I am feeling pretty good, although my back's been a bit sore, and I've been having trouble sleeping- I have chronic insomnia that comes and goes, and unfortunately it's on an upswing. But my legs feel good, and I haven't had any trouble hitting the paces I want on my runs. I'm not expecting anything spectacular next week; it's only my third road marathon and I haven't been specifically training for it. Looking at my "3-tier" goals, my A goal for this race is to finish sub-3:30, B is to re-qualify for Boston (under 3:35), and C is just enjoy the experience of running such an historic race! I know plenty of people who train for years to qualify for Boston, and I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to run there- I plan on making the most of it however I can.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
South Carolina 24 Hour: Sometimes it Just Isn't Your Day
Well. This is difficult for me to write, as I'm still really emotional about the race. I got off plan within a few hours, and my race was pretty much shot at that point. The first couple of hours felt great- I was running well and racking up the miles. But after about 3 hours (1 pm) it started getting hot. Very hot. I'm guessing high 70s, which combined with bright sun on a blacktop track started doing a number on me. First I got a stitch in my side that wouldn't go away. I kept running but it was painful. Then the pain moved higher up, just under my left ribcage, and I could feel the pulsation of my heart which really freaked me out and made it difficult to breathe deeply. Kelley Wells and Joe Fejes were there to help, and gave me a wet towel and helped calm me down. So that crisis was averted, but then things got worse...
I ate a piece of bacon and sweet potato at around 2 hours in, but that was the last solid food I could keep down for a very long time. I lost my appetite and could only take in ginger ale and slushee. At first I was able to keep going, but before long the lack of calories started catching up to me. I kept walking but I just couldn't get running again. I knew I had lost my chance at the team so I was really emotional...I kept crying and apologizing to everyone for letting them down. I talked to Alec and Ray K and decided to at least give it until dark to see if I could pull it together a bit once it was cooler. At about 9-10 hours in the sun went down and I did start running again. But as I still wasn't eating I could only keep that up for about an hour. At 11 hours in I was only at around 50 miles- I was supposed to be at 70! I came very close to leaving, but at Ray's suggestion I decided to lay down for a little over an hour, then try to eat and run again- at least that way I might get a 2nd "training run" in in the morning, avoiding the experience being a total waste.
I laid down from 11 hours in until 12.5 hours in, then attempted to eat a chik-fil-a sandwich...and suddenly I could! It was almost miraculous. I put on some warmer clothes and headed back out for the last 11.5 hours. I continued to run at close to a 5mph pace the rest of the race, which made it the fastest "back half" of a 24 hour I've done yet. I managed to keep my emotions at bay while running, just trying to enjoy a strong 2nd half and think of it as a "100 mile training run" as opposed to a disappointing race. I tried to concentrate on the positives. I got to meet and talk to some amazing runners, and see incredible performances- new 200k records for male and female, plus 2 women and one man made the national team. Although I was disappointed in my own performance, those runners were a joy to watch and they deserved all the accolades!
When all was said and done I ran about 52.5 miles in the first 11 hours, and 56 miles in the last 11.5 hours, with a total of 108.819 miles. I am trying not to be too hard on myself, as I am still learning this whole 24-hour thing, and I am at least proud of myself for coming back strong in the 2nd half. I know even the best runners have a bad race, but it's hard knowing that if I had been able to run my first half like I did at Delirium I would be on the team right now. I also can't help wondering if I had tried laying down earlier in the race, whether I would have had time to come back and salvage my performance...but there's no way to know. In any case I learned something that could be valuable in the future, and I proved to myself I can finish a race strongly, running consistently even in the last hours. That was my "attainable" goal going in, so at least I made one of my 3 goals!
I know my endocrine system is highly screwy right now thanks to running for 24 hours, so I'm very up and down emotionally. Intellectually I know I have a few chances this year to make the 2015 team, and as I'm still young and new to running I'll have many more chances after that as well...but I'm really paranoid that I lost out on my best chance. What if next time I would need 133 miles to make the team instead of 123? What if I never improve enough to get to that level? I know I'm being silly, that my training has been haphazard and with good coaching I have a lot of potential to improve. But it's one thing to know something in your head and another to believe it in your heart. All I can do right now is remind myself that it's my screwy hormones making me feel this way, not reality. And once my body recovers my number one priority is training to make the 24 hour team in 2015- I am far too stubborn to give up on my dream after one disappointment!
I ate a piece of bacon and sweet potato at around 2 hours in, but that was the last solid food I could keep down for a very long time. I lost my appetite and could only take in ginger ale and slushee. At first I was able to keep going, but before long the lack of calories started catching up to me. I kept walking but I just couldn't get running again. I knew I had lost my chance at the team so I was really emotional...I kept crying and apologizing to everyone for letting them down. I talked to Alec and Ray K and decided to at least give it until dark to see if I could pull it together a bit once it was cooler. At about 9-10 hours in the sun went down and I did start running again. But as I still wasn't eating I could only keep that up for about an hour. At 11 hours in I was only at around 50 miles- I was supposed to be at 70! I came very close to leaving, but at Ray's suggestion I decided to lay down for a little over an hour, then try to eat and run again- at least that way I might get a 2nd "training run" in in the morning, avoiding the experience being a total waste.
I laid down from 11 hours in until 12.5 hours in, then attempted to eat a chik-fil-a sandwich...and suddenly I could! It was almost miraculous. I put on some warmer clothes and headed back out for the last 11.5 hours. I continued to run at close to a 5mph pace the rest of the race, which made it the fastest "back half" of a 24 hour I've done yet. I managed to keep my emotions at bay while running, just trying to enjoy a strong 2nd half and think of it as a "100 mile training run" as opposed to a disappointing race. I tried to concentrate on the positives. I got to meet and talk to some amazing runners, and see incredible performances- new 200k records for male and female, plus 2 women and one man made the national team. Although I was disappointed in my own performance, those runners were a joy to watch and they deserved all the accolades!
When all was said and done I ran about 52.5 miles in the first 11 hours, and 56 miles in the last 11.5 hours, with a total of 108.819 miles. I am trying not to be too hard on myself, as I am still learning this whole 24-hour thing, and I am at least proud of myself for coming back strong in the 2nd half. I know even the best runners have a bad race, but it's hard knowing that if I had been able to run my first half like I did at Delirium I would be on the team right now. I also can't help wondering if I had tried laying down earlier in the race, whether I would have had time to come back and salvage my performance...but there's no way to know. In any case I learned something that could be valuable in the future, and I proved to myself I can finish a race strongly, running consistently even in the last hours. That was my "attainable" goal going in, so at least I made one of my 3 goals!
I know my endocrine system is highly screwy right now thanks to running for 24 hours, so I'm very up and down emotionally. Intellectually I know I have a few chances this year to make the 2015 team, and as I'm still young and new to running I'll have many more chances after that as well...but I'm really paranoid that I lost out on my best chance. What if next time I would need 133 miles to make the team instead of 123? What if I never improve enough to get to that level? I know I'm being silly, that my training has been haphazard and with good coaching I have a lot of potential to improve. But it's one thing to know something in your head and another to believe it in your heart. All I can do right now is remind myself that it's my screwy hormones making me feel this way, not reality. And once my body recovers my number one priority is training to make the 24 hour team in 2015- I am far too stubborn to give up on my dream after one disappointment!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Pre-Race Jitters
Oops, I haven't posted since my Delirium recap! It's been crazy over the last few weeks with schoolwork, but I expect things to ease up a little now. Two weeks after Delirium I raced a local 5k, which didn't go too well. I went out faster than I'm used to only to be forced to stop and stretch when my calves cramped up. I ended up with a time of 22:43, although I know I should be capable of a much faster time. Once again, proof that I need to focus more on speed!
This weekend is the South Carolina 24H track race, and I am more nervous than I've ever been before race day. The race is certified, and intended to be a last chance qualifier for the national team. So although I'm one of only about 20 competitors, the quality of runner is incredible. One woman has already qualified for the team, and the rest are all capable of it on a good day. I looked them all up when I saw the entrants list, which may have been a mistake, since I'm so intimidated...then again, I always prefer to be prepared. As far as the men go, they're not my competition but it's still crazy to think I'll be running in the same race as the US 100-mile record holder!
Basically, I look at the list of women with myself included and think, "one of these things is not like the others". I don't feel as if I belong with runners of that caliber, although I'm trying to become more confident in my abilities. As always, I'm trying to just focus on my own race strategy and not worry about the other runners. It's also important to keep reminding myself that this race isn't my last opportunity. I will be running as many as 3 more certified 24-hour races in 2014, so if nothing else I hope to learn from this weekend in order to improve in future races!
I've heard it's smart to go into a race with 3 goals: one that is attainable no matter what, one that is challenging but quite possible, and one that reaches for the stars. So my goals for this weekend are: 1- reduce walking time and continue running, at least in short bursts, even at the final hours of the race. 2- cover 120+ miles to reach women's qualifying standard. and 3- beat enough of the women to be selected for the national team...since goal 3 depends on the performances of others and isn't within my control, I will add: or cover 125+ miles (which, on current results, would be sufficient to make the team). So, good, better, and best- I'll see in just a few days which of these goals will be met! And I'll keep reminding myself there's always a next time...
This weekend is the South Carolina 24H track race, and I am more nervous than I've ever been before race day. The race is certified, and intended to be a last chance qualifier for the national team. So although I'm one of only about 20 competitors, the quality of runner is incredible. One woman has already qualified for the team, and the rest are all capable of it on a good day. I looked them all up when I saw the entrants list, which may have been a mistake, since I'm so intimidated...then again, I always prefer to be prepared. As far as the men go, they're not my competition but it's still crazy to think I'll be running in the same race as the US 100-mile record holder!
Basically, I look at the list of women with myself included and think, "one of these things is not like the others". I don't feel as if I belong with runners of that caliber, although I'm trying to become more confident in my abilities. As always, I'm trying to just focus on my own race strategy and not worry about the other runners. It's also important to keep reminding myself that this race isn't my last opportunity. I will be running as many as 3 more certified 24-hour races in 2014, so if nothing else I hope to learn from this weekend in order to improve in future races!
I've heard it's smart to go into a race with 3 goals: one that is attainable no matter what, one that is challenging but quite possible, and one that reaches for the stars. So my goals for this weekend are: 1- reduce walking time and continue running, at least in short bursts, even at the final hours of the race. 2- cover 120+ miles to reach women's qualifying standard. and 3- beat enough of the women to be selected for the national team...since goal 3 depends on the performances of others and isn't within my control, I will add: or cover 125+ miles (which, on current results, would be sufficient to make the team). So, good, better, and best- I'll see in just a few days which of these goals will be met! And I'll keep reminding myself there's always a next time...
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Delirium 24 Hour
On February 8th I ran the Delirium 24 Hour race in Ridgeland, South Carolina. I went in feeling undertrained and unprepared, as I feel before all my races. I've been called a "sandbagger" as I usually predict a worse race result than I actually get. But really it's just in my nature to worry, and I would rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. Also, my taper combined with an annoying virus sapped my confidence a bit, and the end result was I was unsure I could make my goal of 110+ miles.
As it turns out, I needn't have worried- I ended up with 115.26 miles, placing me at 1st female and 3rd overall!
My race plan was based on my "reach goal" of 120 miles. I'm still new to 24 hour races, so I knew I needed to expect a significant slowdown overnight. With each lap being 1.695 miles, I would try for 7 laps every 2 hours for the first 12 hours, then move to 5 laps every 2 hours in the last 12 hours. That would give me just over 122 miles. I started out in a group with Sara, Emily, and Bren, running just under a 9:00 pace- a bit faster than I had planned. The end result was 8 laps in the first 2 hours instead of 7, which gave me a bit of a buffer. I slowed down a bit after that, but still kept to an overall 10:00 pace, reaching 50 miles at 8:20 (a new pr for me!).
Everything was going well. Although parts of the trail were very muddy, the rain stopped after about 4 hours and the sun came out and made everything more pleasant. I had a bit of I.T. band pain early on, but I took an ibuprofen and had Alec roll my leg out with my stick, and was able to get past it. For the first time in several races I had no stomach issues either. I was drinking water or coke every few laps, and eating some bacon or occasional vanilla Ensure.
At the 12 hour point I had completed 41 laps, just over 69 miles. I took a slightly longer break to enjoy a carrot cake cupcake my friend Kara had brought me for my birthday, and asked Alec to join me for a lap or two. That's when I hit the low point of my race. During that lap, I suddenly got a sharp stabbing pain on the top of my right foot. I had never felt anything like it, and it was bad enough to make me cry out. I slowed to a walk and was okay, but as soon as I tried to run again the pain stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to push through the pain in case it was a stress fracture- I have some important races coming up and I can't afford to be sidelined long-term.
Power-walking with Alec I was still able to get 2 laps per hour, which meant I could still get 105-110 miles by the end, but I hated the idea of just walking all night. Plus I had been having such an amazing race up til then. My muscles weren't too fatigued and I had plenty of energy to run, so it was awful to be held back- I was so angry and frustrated I cried! After 3 hours of walking we came across Ray "the K" and I told him the situation. He recommended I re-lace my shoe to skip the area that was hurting. It wasn't anything I would have ever thought of, but I was definitely going to give it a try. Immediately, it was like night and day- for the next four hours I was back to running the 3 laps per hour I had done 10 hours ago! My race was back on.
I reached 100 miles at 19:02 (huge pr for me!). Although my foot was worlds better after the re-lacing, it began to ache again. I knew I could walk the last 5 hours and still break 115 miles, so I decided to stick to that and avoid aggravating whatever soft tissue issue was happening with my foot. Kara walked with me for the next few hours, and I really enjoyed the company at that hour. Once the sky started to lighten I went back to walking the last few laps on my own. I finished lap 68, 115.26 miles with over 23 minutes to go. I knew I had time for one more lap, but I was 15 miles ahead of the next female, and I was ready to call it a day!
In the end, there were 70 24-hour runners, 12 of whom got their 100-mile buckle. This includes some great Lowcountry friends of mine who reached their first-ever 100- so proud of Sara, Bren, Andrew, and Masumi! In addition, this was overall winner Robert's first 24-hour race, and he finished with just over 120 miles! And although they didn't all buckle, almost all of my other friends reached new distance PRs as well! Given the rain and mud, that says so much about their determination.
I ran Delirium on my birthday, and I couldn't ask for a better celebration. I got to spend all day and night with some of my favorite people! I can't even explain how much it means to me to be part of this amazing running community. Between volunteers, runners, and crewers, everyone is so incredibly supportive. Special thanks to my husband, Alec, for crewing and walking with me, and my friend Kara who did the same. On top of the super fun time, I ended up with an amazing race as well. Despite 7 solid hours of just walking, I passed 115 miles in just under 23:37. Under better conditions, such as pavement or a track, I have no doubt I could run an additional 5-10 miles.
Due to my pessimism and fear of "jinxing" myself, I tend to be hesitant to really talk about my running goals. But I have a bit more confidence after this race, so I will now admit my major goal is to qualify for the national 24-hour team. For women, this requires a minimum of 120 miles in a certified 24-hour race, and the top 6 overall performances are chosen for the team. I really believe I'm capable of this- it's a matter of time and experience, but I think it's a result I can get in the next few years! Going forward, I plan to focus on speedwork and running while fatigued. I think this will allow me to maintain more even splits for the second half of a 24-hour race. I'm not sure exactly what results I'm capable of, but I believe I've been given a certain amount of talent, and it's my job to live up to that potential. Right now I'm dealing with a certain amount of soft tissue pain so I'll be taking it easy for the next 1-2 weeks, but I can't wait to see what I can accomplish in the future!
As it turns out, I needn't have worried- I ended up with 115.26 miles, placing me at 1st female and 3rd overall!
My race plan was based on my "reach goal" of 120 miles. I'm still new to 24 hour races, so I knew I needed to expect a significant slowdown overnight. With each lap being 1.695 miles, I would try for 7 laps every 2 hours for the first 12 hours, then move to 5 laps every 2 hours in the last 12 hours. That would give me just over 122 miles. I started out in a group with Sara, Emily, and Bren, running just under a 9:00 pace- a bit faster than I had planned. The end result was 8 laps in the first 2 hours instead of 7, which gave me a bit of a buffer. I slowed down a bit after that, but still kept to an overall 10:00 pace, reaching 50 miles at 8:20 (a new pr for me!).
Everything was going well. Although parts of the trail were very muddy, the rain stopped after about 4 hours and the sun came out and made everything more pleasant. I had a bit of I.T. band pain early on, but I took an ibuprofen and had Alec roll my leg out with my stick, and was able to get past it. For the first time in several races I had no stomach issues either. I was drinking water or coke every few laps, and eating some bacon or occasional vanilla Ensure.
At the 12 hour point I had completed 41 laps, just over 69 miles. I took a slightly longer break to enjoy a carrot cake cupcake my friend Kara had brought me for my birthday, and asked Alec to join me for a lap or two. That's when I hit the low point of my race. During that lap, I suddenly got a sharp stabbing pain on the top of my right foot. I had never felt anything like it, and it was bad enough to make me cry out. I slowed to a walk and was okay, but as soon as I tried to run again the pain stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to push through the pain in case it was a stress fracture- I have some important races coming up and I can't afford to be sidelined long-term.
Power-walking with Alec I was still able to get 2 laps per hour, which meant I could still get 105-110 miles by the end, but I hated the idea of just walking all night. Plus I had been having such an amazing race up til then. My muscles weren't too fatigued and I had plenty of energy to run, so it was awful to be held back- I was so angry and frustrated I cried! After 3 hours of walking we came across Ray "the K" and I told him the situation. He recommended I re-lace my shoe to skip the area that was hurting. It wasn't anything I would have ever thought of, but I was definitely going to give it a try. Immediately, it was like night and day- for the next four hours I was back to running the 3 laps per hour I had done 10 hours ago! My race was back on.
I reached 100 miles at 19:02 (huge pr for me!). Although my foot was worlds better after the re-lacing, it began to ache again. I knew I could walk the last 5 hours and still break 115 miles, so I decided to stick to that and avoid aggravating whatever soft tissue issue was happening with my foot. Kara walked with me for the next few hours, and I really enjoyed the company at that hour. Once the sky started to lighten I went back to walking the last few laps on my own. I finished lap 68, 115.26 miles with over 23 minutes to go. I knew I had time for one more lap, but I was 15 miles ahead of the next female, and I was ready to call it a day!
In the end, there were 70 24-hour runners, 12 of whom got their 100-mile buckle. This includes some great Lowcountry friends of mine who reached their first-ever 100- so proud of Sara, Bren, Andrew, and Masumi! In addition, this was overall winner Robert's first 24-hour race, and he finished with just over 120 miles! And although they didn't all buckle, almost all of my other friends reached new distance PRs as well! Given the rain and mud, that says so much about their determination.
I ran Delirium on my birthday, and I couldn't ask for a better celebration. I got to spend all day and night with some of my favorite people! I can't even explain how much it means to me to be part of this amazing running community. Between volunteers, runners, and crewers, everyone is so incredibly supportive. Special thanks to my husband, Alec, for crewing and walking with me, and my friend Kara who did the same. On top of the super fun time, I ended up with an amazing race as well. Despite 7 solid hours of just walking, I passed 115 miles in just under 23:37. Under better conditions, such as pavement or a track, I have no doubt I could run an additional 5-10 miles.
Due to my pessimism and fear of "jinxing" myself, I tend to be hesitant to really talk about my running goals. But I have a bit more confidence after this race, so I will now admit my major goal is to qualify for the national 24-hour team. For women, this requires a minimum of 120 miles in a certified 24-hour race, and the top 6 overall performances are chosen for the team. I really believe I'm capable of this- it's a matter of time and experience, but I think it's a result I can get in the next few years! Going forward, I plan to focus on speedwork and running while fatigued. I think this will allow me to maintain more even splits for the second half of a 24-hour race. I'm not sure exactly what results I'm capable of, but I believe I've been given a certain amount of talent, and it's my job to live up to that potential. Right now I'm dealing with a certain amount of soft tissue pain so I'll be taking it easy for the next 1-2 weeks, but I can't wait to see what I can accomplish in the future!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Altra Ambassador
I'm proud to say I was chosen to be an ambassador for Altra Zero Drop shoes in 2014! I had never heard of the brand before winning a pair at Iron Horse Endurance Runs 100K last February. I delayed a bit in ordering them, but finally got my Altra Intuition 1.5 in May. They felt comfortable right out of the box for a 6 mile run, although I was still a bit skeptical. The zero drop didn't stand out too much to me, as my previous shoes were only a 4mm drop, but the wide toe box felt a bit odd on my relatively narrow feet. However, the next week I was doing a 24-hour run to raise money for the Challenged Athlete's Foundation, and I thought the Altras would feel great after my feet began to swell. I wore them for 11 hours/38 miles and was very happy with them, so I decided to keep running in Altras. Over time, rather than feeling odd, I realized how much more natural and comfortable it felt to actually be able to spread my toes in my shoes as I ran! Although Altras have a relatively high stack height compared to other zero drop shoes, they are thin enough to give you some ground feel with your toes. I think it's the perfect balance! Last summer I bought a pair of Lone Peaks to use for my trail races, and I have been running solely- no pun intended- in Altras ever since! I'd highly recommend the brand to any runner, although people coming from a more traditional shoe should transition slowly to any zero drop to avoid straining the calves and achilles. For anyone reading, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about running in Altras :)
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Sickness and Taper
The past few weeks have been crazy. I started a new semester of school which really kept me busy, and although I got a few good night runs and speedwork in, I had to scale back my training a bit. Hopefully as I adjust to my new classes and schedule I can commit more time to training. On the plus side, I've started going to Bikram yoga regularly, and I'm really enjoying it. It's got to be good conditioning for hot-weather running, and I think it's helping my strength and recovery as well. I'm not sure if I can afford it once my intro rates expire, but perhaps I can swing it as a once-a-week type thing!
Then about a week ago I got sick. Nothing super serious, and at least it coincided with my taper for Delirium- but with only 6 days pre-race I'm worried I won't be recovered enough to run my best at Delirium. It started with a sore throat, then progressed to chest congestion, and now chest congestion and a cough. I'm hoping this virus is on its way out, since when I get sick a cough is often the final symptom before I recover. In any case I've been drinking a lot of tea and generally being lazy, which makes me feel bad about my training but is probably for the best. I've mainly just been walking, doing core work, and an occasional Bikram class. I think I'm taking all the right steps to recover, so it's really out of my hands. I'll just hope for the best, and do what I can at Delirium. After all, it's only February, and I've got plenty of races coming up this year where I can really bring my A-game!
Then about a week ago I got sick. Nothing super serious, and at least it coincided with my taper for Delirium- but with only 6 days pre-race I'm worried I won't be recovered enough to run my best at Delirium. It started with a sore throat, then progressed to chest congestion, and now chest congestion and a cough. I'm hoping this virus is on its way out, since when I get sick a cough is often the final symptom before I recover. In any case I've been drinking a lot of tea and generally being lazy, which makes me feel bad about my training but is probably for the best. I've mainly just been walking, doing core work, and an occasional Bikram class. I think I'm taking all the right steps to recover, so it's really out of my hands. I'll just hope for the best, and do what I can at Delirium. After all, it's only February, and I've got plenty of races coming up this year where I can really bring my A-game!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Charleston Fatass 50
Well, January is off to a strong start! On New Year's Day I finished up my vacation with a great 20 miler in DC- a steady 9:00 pace for 15 miles and a speedier 8:15 pace for the last five. After driving home on the 2nd, I ran a three-mile progression on the 3rd before heading up to Charleston for the Fatass 50 Mile on January 4th. I stayed over with my friend Masumi and his girlfriend Katie, who live only four miles from the start of the run. Masumi would be running with me, while Katie was kind enough to offer us aid from her car as she met up with us at different points.
We headed out at 5:30 am, waiting in the car until nearly 6 as it was windy and barely more than 20 degrees- actually far worse than the weather in DC while I was there! My plan was to maintain about a 10:00 overall pace for as long as I could, hopefully all 50 miles. There were probably about 20 runners, but only a handful of us were planning on running the full 50 miles. At 6 am we were off! I began running with Masumi and Robert, a very fast local who only had time for an easy 20 mile training run. The first few miles took us into a trail in the dark, where our overall pace was about 10:00, but we soon sped up. Next came the first (and biggest) of many bridges that day- it was horribly windy and cold, and I was grateful to be wearing my fleece, hat, and gloves. I was having a good time chatting with Masumi and Robert, who was pushing the pace a bit closer to 9:00 than 10:00, but I felt great so I rolled with it!
After heading back across the bridge we got back to the start and met up with Katie at about 14.5 miles. I dropped off my headlamp and took a quick bathroom stop. We also came across the run organizer, Brett, who was driving around with his daughter offering aid as well- the Honey Stingers he gave me over the next few hours were a huge help!
As this was only the second time I'd been to Charleston, my sense of direction wasn't the best. I mainly just followed the arrows painted on the road, so I can't describe the route very well. We headed over another bridge, and I waited for Masumi at a bathroom stop. After 20 miles Robert had to leave, and I continued on with Masumi. Around 25 miles in, I started pulling ahead of Masumi, although I hadn't increased my ~9:30 pace. I slowed down a bit and found out his I.T. band was beginning to hurt. We met up with Katie around 27 miles, and took a short break so Masumi could use my stick to roll out his leg a bit. The next stretch would be a long, low bridge up to the 50k point, and Masumi decided to see how he felt at that point, to decide whether to continue.
I pulled ahead of Masumi on the bridge (which seemed to last forever), and met up with Katie and Brett on the other side. I waited a few minutes for Masumi, but as I suspected he would be stopping at 50k I made the turn around and headed back. When I passed him he confirmed he would be stopping, and with that I was apparently the only person running 50 miles! I knew once I got back over the bridge I'd only have about 16 miles left, so I felt pretty good about the situation. I had been pausing my Garmin at stops, and with my overall running time was on track to finish in under 8 hours.
Brett had given me some basic directions, but I was glad to see him and his daughter every few miles to confirm I had it right- after 6+ hours of running in a strange city I couldn't trust my ability to stay on course! I was told that due to the high tide a small section of beach running was cut off, so I'd probably have to make up a bit of distance at the end to make it an even 50 miles. After a few more miles (maybe around the 40 mile mark), I saw Katie and Masumi again. He had showered and changed, and they were now both supporting me to the finish. Around 44 miles in I suddenly started to feel light headed. I had been hydrating and eating so I still don't know exactly what the issue was. I stopped to talk to Katie, Masumi, and Brett, who told me the next few miles would take me out onto a causeway and back. Given the wind on the causeway and my dizziness, I decided to modify the course a bit, just in case that combination pushed me into traffic! Brett was fine with this as no one else was running the 50 mile course. In any case with less than 6 miles to go I was absolutely not stopping.
The next few miles were pretty funny. We were on side streets with almost no traffic, so Katie drove along with me- looking like a bit of a creeper at 6 mph! But I really appreciated her concern and wanting to look out for me. At about 47 miles I told Katie and Masumi the route I would take around the neighborhood for the last three miles, and they drove off to wait for me there. I was still feeling a bit dizzy, but having no trouble running the same ~9:30 pace as before!
As I came up on Katie and Masumi, I realized I was short a few tenths of a mile, so I turned around to re-run the last block (as Masumi was about to take a picture of me finishing- must have looked pretty silly!). Finally I sprinted in to stop my watch at exactly 50 miles- just over 7:51 on my watch. However, to count this as an "event" rather than just training, I'm calling the time 8:43, which was the elapsed time since the 6 am start. After all, in a race no one will call a time out so I can take a break! The elapsed time was a bit past my goal of 10:00 pace, but I'm not concerned. I was able to run consistently throughout the day, and while in a race I would have also stopped for a bathroom break, I would not have stopped to wait for a friend, so the breaks would have been shorter and less frequent. Overall I was super happy with this run! I had a great time despite the cold and wind, and I felt great and ran consistently. Definitely feeling confident with less than a month until Delirium!
We headed out at 5:30 am, waiting in the car until nearly 6 as it was windy and barely more than 20 degrees- actually far worse than the weather in DC while I was there! My plan was to maintain about a 10:00 overall pace for as long as I could, hopefully all 50 miles. There were probably about 20 runners, but only a handful of us were planning on running the full 50 miles. At 6 am we were off! I began running with Masumi and Robert, a very fast local who only had time for an easy 20 mile training run. The first few miles took us into a trail in the dark, where our overall pace was about 10:00, but we soon sped up. Next came the first (and biggest) of many bridges that day- it was horribly windy and cold, and I was grateful to be wearing my fleece, hat, and gloves. I was having a good time chatting with Masumi and Robert, who was pushing the pace a bit closer to 9:00 than 10:00, but I felt great so I rolled with it!
After heading back across the bridge we got back to the start and met up with Katie at about 14.5 miles. I dropped off my headlamp and took a quick bathroom stop. We also came across the run organizer, Brett, who was driving around with his daughter offering aid as well- the Honey Stingers he gave me over the next few hours were a huge help!
As this was only the second time I'd been to Charleston, my sense of direction wasn't the best. I mainly just followed the arrows painted on the road, so I can't describe the route very well. We headed over another bridge, and I waited for Masumi at a bathroom stop. After 20 miles Robert had to leave, and I continued on with Masumi. Around 25 miles in, I started pulling ahead of Masumi, although I hadn't increased my ~9:30 pace. I slowed down a bit and found out his I.T. band was beginning to hurt. We met up with Katie around 27 miles, and took a short break so Masumi could use my stick to roll out his leg a bit. The next stretch would be a long, low bridge up to the 50k point, and Masumi decided to see how he felt at that point, to decide whether to continue.
I pulled ahead of Masumi on the bridge (which seemed to last forever), and met up with Katie and Brett on the other side. I waited a few minutes for Masumi, but as I suspected he would be stopping at 50k I made the turn around and headed back. When I passed him he confirmed he would be stopping, and with that I was apparently the only person running 50 miles! I knew once I got back over the bridge I'd only have about 16 miles left, so I felt pretty good about the situation. I had been pausing my Garmin at stops, and with my overall running time was on track to finish in under 8 hours.
Brett had given me some basic directions, but I was glad to see him and his daughter every few miles to confirm I had it right- after 6+ hours of running in a strange city I couldn't trust my ability to stay on course! I was told that due to the high tide a small section of beach running was cut off, so I'd probably have to make up a bit of distance at the end to make it an even 50 miles. After a few more miles (maybe around the 40 mile mark), I saw Katie and Masumi again. He had showered and changed, and they were now both supporting me to the finish. Around 44 miles in I suddenly started to feel light headed. I had been hydrating and eating so I still don't know exactly what the issue was. I stopped to talk to Katie, Masumi, and Brett, who told me the next few miles would take me out onto a causeway and back. Given the wind on the causeway and my dizziness, I decided to modify the course a bit, just in case that combination pushed me into traffic! Brett was fine with this as no one else was running the 50 mile course. In any case with less than 6 miles to go I was absolutely not stopping.
The next few miles were pretty funny. We were on side streets with almost no traffic, so Katie drove along with me- looking like a bit of a creeper at 6 mph! But I really appreciated her concern and wanting to look out for me. At about 47 miles I told Katie and Masumi the route I would take around the neighborhood for the last three miles, and they drove off to wait for me there. I was still feeling a bit dizzy, but having no trouble running the same ~9:30 pace as before!
As I came up on Katie and Masumi, I realized I was short a few tenths of a mile, so I turned around to re-run the last block (as Masumi was about to take a picture of me finishing- must have looked pretty silly!). Finally I sprinted in to stop my watch at exactly 50 miles- just over 7:51 on my watch. However, to count this as an "event" rather than just training, I'm calling the time 8:43, which was the elapsed time since the 6 am start. After all, in a race no one will call a time out so I can take a break! The elapsed time was a bit past my goal of 10:00 pace, but I'm not concerned. I was able to run consistently throughout the day, and while in a race I would have also stopped for a bathroom break, I would not have stopped to wait for a friend, so the breaks would have been shorter and less frequent. Overall I was super happy with this run! I had a great time despite the cold and wind, and I felt great and ran consistently. Definitely feeling confident with less than a month until Delirium!
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