It's over. And it hurts....
My first ultramarathon is complete and all the training and preparation paid off. The day before the race i did everything to keep my mind off the race so as to not psych myself out: worked on the car for a few hrs, mass amounts of laundry, etc...). Thankfully it worked and i went on to prepare my list of medical supplies, food and gear for the race. Once that was done i felt much better about toeing the line the next day.I also woke up with a pinched nerve in my neck and i couldn't look left which put me in the dumps a bit about my condition for the race.
5am arrived and I popped out of bed like a kid on caffeine. Coffee brewing, eggs boiling, got showered, packed the car and was off! After about an hour drive up to Guilford in the dark, we got to the school where the start/finish area was. I checked in and began with my pre-race preparations which included gobs of vaseline, stuffing my packs with Gu's and fighting with my bib number to put it on my shorts straight.
An hour later, everyone(about 125 people) was corralled into the start area where we all join in on singing the national anthem together, and then with a very nonchalantly :"on your mark, get set, go" we were off. One guy was singing away some classic rock song (I think) while we looped the field to break up the runners before hitting the single-track trails.
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crossing street to aid 1/5
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I was pretty familiar with the 1st part of the race (the stick) as i had ran it a few times in sections. The course is in a lollipop shape. We race north up "the stick" to the single loop and then back south down the "stick." As the field spreads out a bit and we pass by the first aid station 2.5 miles in, I try to tell myself to slow down so as to not kill myself in the first parts of the race. My ego was fighting me as I let runners pass me but i swallowed my pride and knew i could pass them later on. It was going to be a long day.
The single track turned into a dirt road for about 5-7 miles until we reached the 2nd aid station at Bluff head. I had Bridget and my sis, Julia as my crew with my bags of stuff and i saw them at the first station cheering me on but didnt see them at #2. I shrugged it off, filled up my bottle and continued on. I made the turn back onto the course and all i saw was a 45 degree climb up the side of the mountain. I got halfway up and to my surprise was the crew girls waiting for me! I waved them off (as i did a few more times during the race) and continued the climb up Bluff head.
This part of the race was much more technical that the rest of the course. Walking was a necessity in many parts just so i didnt take a dive onto a bed of sharp rocks. At this point i met up with a guy from Rhode Island, Kenny, who was doing his 2nd 50k. From that point on we ran together until the last aid station. The 3rd aid station(1/2way point) showed up after a short bit that passed through some horse farms and a quick road section. A small bichon dog actually followed us at this point for about a quarter mile. About 2 minutes after i left the 3rd aid station i realized i had lost my ipod which was tracking my mileage. I didnt have the energy to turn around and thankfully it was returned to me by a fellow runner!!!
After some more rocky sections and winding through more thick woods aid station 4 appeared out of nowhere and my crew had literally just gotten there with my gear. I took another Gu and advil from them as my left knee had begun to bother me. At this point my legs were beginning to cramp intermittently and i needed to keep moving. Kenny took almost no time here and gained about 100 yards on me. I kept him within view until we reached the stick again and i caught back up. From aid station 4 to 5 was 8 miles and it seemed like an eternity. The company of another runner really helped and as we approached the last station, i had a bit of adrenaline kick in and i created a cushion between Kenny and I
I arrived at aid 5 with the crowd cheering, cowbells ringing, and signs telling us that there were only 2.5 miles left. LONGEST 2.5miles of my life. I powered through the parking lot, crossed the street and back into the single track. By this point my right leg was stiffening up and i was praying i wouldn't trip in this last section. I did have a slight trip but didnt quite fall, thanks to a very sturdy tree that caught me halfway to the dirt.
As i neared the finish line, i could hear cars passing by on the parallel road and i saw several hikers on their way out. As i came into the finish i took a last look at my watch and realized that i had accomplished my goal of racing under 6 hours with a time of 5hrs 42min. I felt beat up but accomplished. I got 19th place overall and 2nd in my age division!! I was being fed pretzels, candy corn, apple cider and an assortment of other great foods, however, my stomach was not up for a feast at that moment. Not until later that day was i able to put down some solids without upsetting my stomach.
My first ultra was a great adventure and i hope to do more in the future. My appreciation for those who do 50mi and even 100mi races has increased 10 fold and i aspire to be at that level one day.
I thank the race director Jerry, and my crew, Bridget and Julia for supporting me and cheering me on the whole race. It really meant a lot that they came to keep my spirits up.
