So last year I decided to run the Pemberton 50K trail race as a relay with my friend Kelsey. After we took first place and set a new course record my whistle was wet. I started thinking that I could do the entire thing myself, and even be somewhat competitive.
Fast forward one year:
I find myself toeing the line of shaving cream in the dirt, that marked the start and end point of the 2011 Pemberton 50k. To make this year a little more special the race would start at 5pm, meaning that everyone would run at least half of the race in the dark. This not a road race with street lights, this is out in the middle of nowhere in the desert on trails, in the dark!
I had planned in my mind to really train for this race and to shoot for a fast finish time, of course having never ran a Ultra or having never run a race on trails in the dark, I didn't really know what "fast" would mean. Unfortunately, I never really put in the kind of training I would have liked to be as competitive as I could have been, and went in to race day not having run farther than 18 miles in over two months, and I only did that once. Oh well, just give it what you can on that day. I know it will be a "PR" as long as I finish!
The race director yells go, and we do. I started off running with the top guys, these are the guys that run 100 mile races on REAL trails all over the world, and in the dark, so I thought just see what happens. Well mile 1 = 6:37, ok keep going and see what happens, mile 2 = 6:35, ok, are you stupid, this is more like my current marathon pace for a road race, back it off some.
So I let the top 3 or 4 guys go, to never see them again.
From here I decided to just run comfortable and try to go as far as possible before it gets dark.
Heading into the last 10K of the first 15.5 mile loop It is down hill all the way, I already started feeling my quads, and knew that it would be a painful recovery from this race, (little did I know how bad at this point), I came through the first loop pretty much unscathed, 1:52 minutes, just as I started loop number two It was time to click on my new head light Mary got me for Xmas. Instantly I noticed that my pace was dropping and not because I was tired (at least not yet), but because I could not see all of the little ups and downs quick enough. I also had not seen another runner for over 10 miles and just decided to do what i could and get myself to the finish line without breaking something, especially my clavicle again. I had one relay runner pass me 3 miles into the 2nd loop and that was it, no one else until the finish line. Where my beating the shit out of myself came was from throwing on the brakes every time I went down a sharp hill, so as too not fall, in addition to that I was also holding my neck in a weird position so my light would hit the ground and that caused a unbelievable pain in my traps for the 4 days following the race. Anyway, I finally made it back to the final 10k section, again straight down hill. My quads where SCREAMMING!!!!, but I thought to myself I can either lay down here and take a nap and wait for Mary to come by or I can just suck it up and get it over with even with the knowledge that my legs are in a world of hurt, and it is going to take a few days to recover from this. So I dug in and trashed myself all the way to the line. I ended up finishing 7th Overall, and 2nd in the masters division.
I guess not bad considering, but way slower than I thought I would be able to go. I ended with a finish time of 4:15, I was shooting for 3:59:59, but just didn't handle the night running well.
After finishing i climbed into the back of the Xtrerra and sleep for a few minutes and waited for my Mary too finish her first Ultra as well. She Freakin crushed it breaking the 5:30 mark and ending up 11th woman overall, finishing :01 second behind the great Pam Reed. Wow, what a great story to be able to tell. Finishing your first Ultra with Pam Reed. great job sweat heart, you ROCK!!
Ok, off to ice my legs and get ready for the next running extravaganza.
Fast forward one year:
I find myself toeing the line of shaving cream in the dirt, that marked the start and end point of the 2011 Pemberton 50k. To make this year a little more special the race would start at 5pm, meaning that everyone would run at least half of the race in the dark. This not a road race with street lights, this is out in the middle of nowhere in the desert on trails, in the dark!
I had planned in my mind to really train for this race and to shoot for a fast finish time, of course having never ran a Ultra or having never run a race on trails in the dark, I didn't really know what "fast" would mean. Unfortunately, I never really put in the kind of training I would have liked to be as competitive as I could have been, and went in to race day not having run farther than 18 miles in over two months, and I only did that once. Oh well, just give it what you can on that day. I know it will be a "PR" as long as I finish!
The race director yells go, and we do. I started off running with the top guys, these are the guys that run 100 mile races on REAL trails all over the world, and in the dark, so I thought just see what happens. Well mile 1 = 6:37, ok keep going and see what happens, mile 2 = 6:35, ok, are you stupid, this is more like my current marathon pace for a road race, back it off some.
So I let the top 3 or 4 guys go, to never see them again.
From here I decided to just run comfortable and try to go as far as possible before it gets dark.
Heading into the last 10K of the first 15.5 mile loop It is down hill all the way, I already started feeling my quads, and knew that it would be a painful recovery from this race, (little did I know how bad at this point), I came through the first loop pretty much unscathed, 1:52 minutes, just as I started loop number two It was time to click on my new head light Mary got me for Xmas. Instantly I noticed that my pace was dropping and not because I was tired (at least not yet), but because I could not see all of the little ups and downs quick enough. I also had not seen another runner for over 10 miles and just decided to do what i could and get myself to the finish line without breaking something, especially my clavicle again. I had one relay runner pass me 3 miles into the 2nd loop and that was it, no one else until the finish line. Where my beating the shit out of myself came was from throwing on the brakes every time I went down a sharp hill, so as too not fall, in addition to that I was also holding my neck in a weird position so my light would hit the ground and that caused a unbelievable pain in my traps for the 4 days following the race. Anyway, I finally made it back to the final 10k section, again straight down hill. My quads where SCREAMMING!!!!, but I thought to myself I can either lay down here and take a nap and wait for Mary to come by or I can just suck it up and get it over with even with the knowledge that my legs are in a world of hurt, and it is going to take a few days to recover from this. So I dug in and trashed myself all the way to the line. I ended up finishing 7th Overall, and 2nd in the masters division.
I guess not bad considering, but way slower than I thought I would be able to go. I ended with a finish time of 4:15, I was shooting for 3:59:59, but just didn't handle the night running well.
After finishing i climbed into the back of the Xtrerra and sleep for a few minutes and waited for my Mary too finish her first Ultra as well. She Freakin crushed it breaking the 5:30 mark and ending up 11th woman overall, finishing :01 second behind the great Pam Reed. Wow, what a great story to be able to tell. Finishing your first Ultra with Pam Reed. great job sweat heart, you ROCK!!
Ok, off to ice my legs and get ready for the next running extravaganza.
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