June was a busy running month for me. I
didn’t intend it to be that way but as we all know, sometimes shit happens. I’m
not complaining at all, I like challenges. (Or torture, sometimes those words
are interchangeable.) So far in July I've not logged many miles but I have wrecked my bike. Inaugural ride with new pedals/shoes.
Not my most graceful moment. Anyway...let's talk about running.
The first Saturday in June I ran the “Another Dam 50K” at
the Englewood MetroPark. This was my second year running that race and it was a
lot of fun. The weather was perfect, as I don’t think the temp ever topped 70.
Trails were clear and dry. The course is beautiful. The race director and the
volunteers were simply incredible, and the other runners were inspiring.
There’s something way different about trail runners – such a sense of
camaraderie during these races. This year’s time was notably slower than last
year’s, but I met a really cool chick and we spent 20+ miles talking about
life, booze, men, and running. Thank you, AK, you are awesomesauce! ;-)
If you’re a first timer and want to try your legs out on a
50K, this is the perfect race to do just that. And if you’re an experienced
ultra runner and want to try for a PR, this is also a good race for that.
Running an ultra is sort of like childbirth. It hurts like a sonofabitch during the
process, especially toward the end. However, finishing those events and basking
in the afterglow is pure heaven. And just like the pain of labor, the pain of
an ultra is soon forgotten.
Days after that race I decided to sign up for the Dawg Gone
Long 50K at Caeser’s Creek State Park. I feel like I’ve said this before, but I
swear I wasn’t drunk when I signed up for it. I did however, get drunk after I
finished. This race was the HARDEST race I’ve ever done. Here goes…
This event started at 6:30 in the morning. It was also about
an hour away from my house. That meant getting up waayyyy before the buttcrack
of dawn and driving to the park. My friend Steve (he used to be my running
partner before I gifted him to the infamous TJack) was generous enough to
volunteer to do some mileage with me. During the drive down I admit I was a
nervous wreck. I actually called Steve while on the highway and told him not to
lose me when we got to the exit because I was paranoid about getting lost. Yes,
I have GPS. Yes, I have been to Caesers Creek before. No judging. Please refer
back to the “nervous wreck” comment.
One thing worth mentioning is that in the days leading up to
this race, this part of Ohio had gotten large amounts of rainfall. Roads were
closed due to flood waters. Flash flood warnings were being posted everywhere. Race
day dawned gray and rainy…and on the drive down I started wondering what the
hell I was thinking. Am I normal? Am I insane? Who the hell does this shit?
(Those are rhetorical. You don’t have to answer and if you do, please keep your
answers to yourself.)
The temps were in the high 50s and a light rain fell as
about 60 of us stood at the start line. (At the end of June in Ohio. Normally
hot and humid as Hades.) Half of us were there for the 50K, the other half were
doing the 50 miler. Those 50 miler people are gluttons for punishment. Anyway,
the race director gave us some encouragement and directions, and released us
into the wild. Less than a minute into the run we hit the mud. Never in my life
had I experienced anything like that. The trail was a soupy viscous mess that
threatened to suction my shoes off with every step. Then we hit the first
stream…which thankfully cleaned my shoes but soaked my feet. This race
consisted of a 5-6 mile out and back followed by two more loops of 12+ miles
each. And EVERY step of the way was mud. If we weren’t in mud, we were in
water. This water was above my knee level in some spots. So not only did I
worry about ticks (very prevalent in this area this year), I also worried about
leeches. To be honest, I’m still doing tick checks but I’ve stopped stressing
over leeches.
Most of the trail was single track and it was a tight fit.
It was also impossible for me to get into a rhythm due to the mud. This race
also had about 2900 feet of “rolling hills” per each of the long loops…and let
me tell you something – hills and mud make for interesting adventures. If I
wasn’t scrambling up a hill and grabbing onto tree trunks and foliage for traction
I was sliding down a hill and praying I wouldn’t break anything. There were
also stairs in a few spots…and to say those were slippery is a massive
understatement. I’m happy to report the only time I went down was toward the
top of a really steep hill and I basically just slid down on my ass and hoped
for the best.
At the 17-18 mile mark, Steve and I stopped at the
start/finish aid station so I could change my muddy and waterlogged shoes and
socks. This is also where my friend Melissa (an elite runner who’s done over 20
marathons in several different countries and across the good old US of A) met
up to pace me for the final loop. I apologized in advance for what she was
about to experience and prayed that she wore old shoes and didn’t mind getting
mud in places that should never have mud in them.
That last loop was crazy difficult. I expect to hurt during
an ultra but this level of pain and discomfort was new even to me. Everything
from my boobs down just HURT. My core muscles were on fire, as were my hips. I
had a blister on the back of my foot that popped during the race. I could feel
the mud squishing my toes with every step. My quads were screaming at me. But I
kept on going, albeit very slowly. New curse words abounded with every hill.
I came in last place during this race, which felt a little
demoralizing. I later found out one third of the people who started the race
didn’t finish the 50K at all. I’m sure most of them dropped due to the extreme
conditions and the weather. It was a seriously rough race. I am very thankful
to my pacers for sticking with me and for helping me during and after. I feel
truly blessed to have such people in my life.
The race director and the volunteers were (again) AMAZING. The
Ohio River Road Runners Club truly puts on some of the best races in the area. The
aid stations were stocked with a multitude of options and the volunteers had
nothing but positive comments for the soggy and grimy runners.
Recovery time following this event was harder than any
previous race. Navigating stairs was impossible for the first two days. Hell,
stepping in and out of the bathtub elicited a few choice words. I’m sure the
bottle of wine I drank while laying on the couch afterward helped with my
recovery though. Wine has restorative powers, just in case you didn’t know
that.
Initially my next race was going to be in Vegas, baby in
November. But there’s a 50K in September that looks like a lot of fun…hmmm. We’ll
see how that fits in with soccer coaching duties, as I’m the assistant coach to
the 9 year old’s soccer team. (And yes, I may have been drinking when I signed
up for that…no judging, please.)
Happy Running!
