After a couple years of running, I found reasons to attempt the 50k distance. I was coaching my high school cross country team and wanted to push myself to new adventures as they would be pushing themselves during the season. I also wanted to get my off season started on a high note. I wanted to use this 50k to build mental strength for when I attempt the Wildflower long course (again!) and hopefully beat the course (at least in my heart)!
Anyways, months ago, I signed up for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k in San Francisco, California. Its a race that's basically in my own backyard! Extremely accessible and I would be able to train on the same course as race day.
Race Outfit
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| Race day outfit! |
I am including this piece because in my own search, I couldn't find many people's outfits for running a trail race of this nature. So here is my own 50k race outfit and my experience:
- Nike Dry-Fit Tee - The weather at that time was unpredictable. It rained a few days prior and I had no idea if it would be warm or cold, so I opted for a short sleeved t-shirt (which was nice when the sun came out to cover my shoulders from any burns). I kept it loose - which is different from my normal style but again, I was trying something new and it actually was not bad. It did mess with the fit of my race belt though.
- Victoria Secret Sports Bra - Fantastic running bra! Kept me from bouncing all day long. While I love it for running marathons, there were so many down hills that there was a bit of chaffing. Next time, I'll make sure to use some bodyglide for the anti-chaff.
- Running Skirts Arm Warmers - These have great cuffs that I was able to wear over my hands at the beginning of the race, so i didn't have to carry any gloves. These are size small but were not as tight as I would have liked. But they did provide the warmth that I needed. I eventually took them off as the race heated up and progressed.
- Salomon S Lab Advanced Skin Belt - GREAT! It was my fault that I began the race with it fitting weird. By the first down hill, the belt was flopping around everywhere! My mistake was that I wanted to wear it on my hips. I think that could have worked but I figured out this belt works best on my waist. I just needed to tighten it up and loop a little knot on the side. Once I figure that out, this baby was sweet! It kept me hydrated when I needed a bit of water between aid stations. There was really no need to wear a huge hydration pack when there were aid stations about every 3-5 miles. The last time I ran a trail race, I used my hiking hydration pack and found that holding that much water was not necessary and just caused my shoulders and lower back to ache. This belt was fabulous! Held a couple gus, a flexible bottle of water, as well as my arm warmers that I had taken off mid-race.
- Running Skirts Run Buns (shorts) - Super cute! Sparkly! Colorful! Everything that I like about shorts! As for running in them, they were okay. Maybe I was just having a chubby leg day but I definitely got some chaffing on my inner thighs. But nothing that a little bit of bodyglide couldn't help. Would I wear them for other races? Absolutely!
- CEP Compression Socks - Purpose of these were to protect my legs from the inevitable mud on my calves as well as for warmth - again, the weather was a bit unpredictable. Compression was probably not necessary for this distance (as it was so long). I would have actually preferred to wear my Injinji Women's Trail Midweight Micro toe socks, which possibly could have prevented the blister that I got on my big toe. But that blister healed within a day, so its no big deal. But these socks did a great job for the race. My calves felt totally fine the next day and the following week. So maybe they really did help me during the race!
- Newton Boca Sol Trail Running Shoes - LOVE THESE SHOES! I've been training on cross country trails with these shoes. I've been training in the Marin Headlands in these shoes. I've loved them! They are fairly light (compared to other trail shoes I have tried) and they give me the bit of burst that I have become accustom to when I wear Newtons. Though I will always love my Newton Gravity's for road racing, these are my definitely pick for trail shoes!
Start of the Race
The weather was brisk in the morning and I was glad that I wore a couple layers. The shuttle to the start was extremely convenient. Living only 3 blocks from the Marina Middle School shuttle pick up allowed me plenty of time to get ready at home and hop on a bus very easily by 5:40am. The ride was dark and quiet, as everyone was mentally preparing for the race. A few people were chit chatting but I kept to myself. It was just too early and cold to make conversation with anyone just yet. As we got closer to the start, it was fantastic to see the 50 milers running through the hills with their headlamps on.
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| Taken Thursday Night before the race - The ground was soaking wet and I was nervously anticipating the crazy race ahead. |
The race start was a bit nerve-wrecking. I didn't know anyone and there were no seats. The ground was wet, so sitting on the grass wasn't going to happen. At that point, I reminded myself to bring 2 small camping chairs for tomorrow's race - I would be watching my husband complete his half marathon on the same course. With all the rain from earlier in the week, I could barely fathom the effects of the downpour on the trails but there was no turning back now. I, fortunately, found a couple familiar faces before the start of the race, which really eased my nerves. I didn't quite know why I was so nervous, it is not like I was looking to win at this race. I simply wanted to see if my body could endure a 50k.
After greeting a few people at the start line, the long race began. We raced down the first hill and after about 2 miles of running, I forced myself to slow down. While I knew that I had energy, I didn't know how I would feel after all of the hills and miles of this course. My body wanted to go faster and my mind knew it could go faster, but I chose to keep a steady pace. The weather was nice and soon after the start, I regretted wearing my arm warmers. I took those babies off after the first hill and they stayed in my Salomon S Lab Advanced Skin Belt for the rest of the race.
Steep and Wet Hills
The day went on with many uphills and down hills. It was comforting to go up hills that I have already seen previously. It helps the mind know that this is a possible feat as I had done parts of this race before. I ran up many of these hills during the Mt. Tam 30k (which was also a great race!).
The trails were extremely muddy and puddles were lengthy. The first quarter of the race, I attempted to keep my feet dry. I was worried that wet, muddy feet would give me blisters. But by the time I got to Cardiac Hill, there was no way to get out of the water. There were a couple super speedy 50 milers and 50k-ers already descending as i (along with a huge group of other runners) was making my way up the switchbacks. So as they came down, the people heading up hill made way for them (since we wanted to help them get to their super fast times). But the only downfall was the slippery mud that we tried to stick to when the speeders made their way down the single track trail. There were definitely many falls and I took part in it.
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| Top of Cardiac Hill with all the muddy gloriousness! Yup, I was happy! |
I tried to keep my cute new running skirts shorts clean but with all of that mud, there was little hope. I slipped in the mud and got my side all muddy. But after that fall, I realized that what we were doing as racers was ridiculous. It was so silly how I would try to run and the ground was still holding onto my shoe! Maybe I'm crazy but I thought this whole thing was hilarious! We were out in the Marin Headlands running through the mud! A jolt of energy came from that and it kept me sane(?)... or kept me crazy cause from then on out, I was giggling from how silly we all were and how fun it was to be running straight through all the muck and mud! There was no longer time to dwell on staying clean and dry. That hope was long gone and now it was time to just have fun and get dirty!
The Aid Stations
Passing through the aid stations was the best! These folks were out there all morning and afternoon (and even night) to help us runners endure this course! They helped boost our morale when they dropped and kept supplying us with fantastic nutrients. There was never a time where there were limited supplies at any of the aid stations. My go-to's that day were saltine crackers and pretzels. First of all, I love crackers and pretzels! And second, I definitely had enough salt and electrolytes to get me through the race. They offered so many things! They had cups of m&ms, white potatoes, soup, and so many other treats! It was pretty amazing!
Seeing some familiar faces at mile 18 and 23 were kind of the best moments! When my eagerness dropped, a new aid station popped up and my homies were there to cheer me on! It was incredible how those few seconds and bouts of cheers truly helped me get through this race! As a result, I came out the following day and made sure my husband (and many friends who were doing the half marathon, 10k and 5k) got as much support as I could provide.
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| Mud!!! And lots of it!!! *See shoes... I swear they were teal when i started! |
Second Half
By the time I got to the turn around point (mile 18), I felt great! My friend, Rich was up at the top and ensured that I was feeling good and ready to conquer the final portion of the race. The downhill felt amazing! There were bits and pieces of muddiness but as the sun shown down on us, the puddles were slowly drying up and I was able to race past them.
My major slow down happened after the mile 26 aid station. It was a long uphill that my body was just not happy about. But, fortunately, there were a couple other folks out there who were struggling up the hill with me. This made me realize how trail races were a completely different type of racing for me. People that I met were all rooting for each other. We were out there talking to each other and rooting for the other person to push and give their best. The people that I met out on the course were all fantastic and I am so glad I got to spend a bit of time getting to know them which helped loosen the focus of the pain of the uphills.
But as the hill went on, the competitive side of me jolted and told me that it was time to run. I got through those last few hills with some jog-walks. I would make little markers in my head of when I would start jogging and how long I needed to endure that pace, then I would give myself a bit of time to walk.
After many miles of uphills and down hills, it was sheer determination that was pushing me. Once I hit the final aid station, I knew it was basically all down hill from there. I took in a couple potato chips and a swig of cola and made my way down the long hill. I felt great and I knew there was a little less than 3 miles left of the race. I knew I could run in the final bits.
It was about 2 miles of down hill, half a mile of flat terrain and the final half mile was up a very gradual hill. By the time the final mile approached, I told myself to suck it up, and run the entirety until I hit the finish line. I finished wit
h a time of 6:28:24. While I am so competitive with myself that I would want to get a faster time, I am thoroughly happy with my performance. I am proud of myself for sticking with this distance even when I kept telling myself to change it to a more accessible race that I knew I could do. I challenged myself and I am thrilled that I came to do what I said I would do.
This race was pretty incredible. I felt great at the end and could not wait to find my husband! There was no cell phone reception up there, so I just had to hope he would find me. But since I wasn't going anywhere soon, I piled a bunch of amazing food on my plate and chowed down while I waited for Patrick to find me.
All in all, the 50k was amazing! The views during the run were absolutely spectacular! The terrain was difficult. And the experience of running the trails and meeting new people was absolutely worthwhile. While I don't know if I would do that distance again, I am so happy that I pushed myself and completed it.
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| Muddy Muddy Ice Bath that felt soooo soooo good! Probably one of the reasons why I wasn't sore the second day out. (who knows how many other racers' feet have been in this little tub of water... yeeuck.) |
p.s.
Post Race:
A couple things that hurt but definitely made my legs happy the next couple days were:
- Foam Roller Stretches! They hurt so bad but they honestly help your muscles feel great the next day!
- Massage Stick: What you can't reach with the foam roller, massage it out with The Stick! My calves hated it at the time but there was a huge difference in how I felt the day after compared to my husband, who hates both the Foam Roller and the Stick.
- Eat healthy following the race: Though you will want to eat as much junk as you can (cause, hey, you deserve it) don't do it! Your muscles are like little hungry animals and they feed off of the nutrients that you are putting into your body. The more veggies and good stuff you eat, the better your body will feel post-race.
Pretty simple, right? I don't go crazy with any of my training demands - this could possibly be a downfall but I don't think so. I am a believer in moderation in everything. You need to make sure that you aren't going too crazy in training, or else your spouse will despise you. And you also can't go too crazy with your nutrition, cause your body (and your spouse!) will not like you. You gotta know whats good for your body but also take in some treats... cause you deserve it! Enjoy racing! And HELLO Off-Season!!!
Bonus Pic: So proud of the hubster for doing a fabulous job on his race on Sunday!
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| My Hubby finishing his half Marathon (3 weeks after his wrist surgery!)! |
