Midnight 50K Race Report

The Midnight 50K run began at 8 pm at Lake Sylvia, about 40 minutes from Little Rock. The entire run is on forest roads. There were 2 full equipped aid stations, one at 7.5 miles and one at the turn around at 15.5 miles. It had been so hot lately but news came that it would be a cool run so that made me very happy!
I went to the race with the intent to run the 25K even though I wanted to run the 50K. I just did not feel I was trained to do a 50K. A month earlier I got sick with some type of respiratory infection and when I got better the heat came! Never ever did I live in such a hot state! almost every day this summer, temperatures were in the 90's, which in Belgium would be like a heat wave. When I started training again, I would have to quit after running 3 miles! Soaked in sweat and unable to breath properly drove me to limit my running. I did start biking but with an average of 80 miles per week on the bike and 20 miles in weekly running time, I knew I was not prepared to do a 50K!
Mostly, I was afraid I would get hurt from not being prepared. I was not afraid of staying out for hours and taking it easy, walking more than running. I was conflicted. I wanted to complete the 50K as that was a goal I set last year but I knew it was not going to be pretty and I did not want to end up crippled for a month after the run. I decided to sign up for the 50K and than drop to the 25K. I just thought to myself, you never know...
So I huddled at the back of the pack when they started the race and ran extremely slow! I really felt that I was going way to slow but I told myself to take my time and just enjoy the moment. Really, this was the first time in a long time that I was feeling great while running. The temperatures were fantastic! I packed everything to run a 50K, just in case so I have enough sport beans to last me over 7 hours, just in case. The first miles are uphill and I took it easy. The mood was great and there must have been almost 100 people there! Way more than last year. Last year I ran my first trail race by completing the 25K and there were not that many people than but it was a lot hotter at that time. As I ran, I started to set goals and told myself that if I would make it to the 7.5 miler aid station below 2 hours, I would continue. If it would take me 2 hours or longer, I would do the 25K.
I got to the 7.5 mile aid station in an hour and 25 minutes! I was so surprised! I was feeling awesome and had a big smile on my face. I looked around and asked: "So what do you think? Should I do the 25 or 50?" One guy looked at me and said: "You look so fresh, keep going!" So that is what I did. He also said that he was going to drop to the 25K so I could keep his friend "Charles" company! I ran ahead and met Charles on the road. He is from Memphis and a software development I believe. We ran together for about 6 miles I think. He was a lot stronger on the hills and I seem to be quick on the downhills so we kept up with each other until about 2 miles from the turn around.
I love it when I see people running back from the turn around and actually predicted the first 4 being "Nick, Jamie, Darby and Paul". In the end, Darby had some GI trouble and Paul passed him. Seeing them run back made me so happy. They are amazing runners and I get to run with them! (ok, well far behind them, but still :)
I saw Charles again at the turn around and after almost 3 hours, we were on our way home! I could not believe that I felt so happy. I really think that with the stress of the summer coursework I needed this run! I needed to be outside moving so that is what I did, I just kept going! I lost Charles after a few miles, ran quickly past the 7.5 mile aid station again and was about 5 hours into the run when I felt pain for the first time. My left quad was not cooperating the way I wanted so I thought I slowed down but I actually ran negative splits! At the last 2 miles, I met Karrie, Jamie's wife and we ran to the finish together. That was nice given that at the OT 50K, Doug and Jamie ended up finishing together!
I believe that we finished with a time of 5 hours and 42 minutes. I went into the lake for a bit, which did wonders to my legs. Than I drove to Little Rock and well, between 3 am and 8 am did really not sleep well. I was so scared that I would feel as I did the day after completing OT. When I finally got up, I was a little sore in my left quad but I was feeling great and very happy! In the afternoon, I even went on a 12 mile ride and felt great! I will take it easy this week but I am just so amazed that I feel this good.
What's next? I would really like to start training for a 50 miler. Perhaps I will pace someone at Traveler again which could be like a 50 miler.

My first ultra!

Ultra Running! My first 50K

After one year of training and failing to train, my year goal finally arrived! Running the OT 50K!
Let me provide a little history. Ever since I was younger, about 16, I wanted to learn a new physical activity every year and so I did: scuba diving, dance, archery, down hills ski racing and last year I got a little taste of cycling and trail running. I never liked running and I believe it is because I simply got bored too quickly when I ran on the road. Coming to Arkansas changed that completely. I met my boyfriend who was into ultra running and the notion of being in constant movement surrounded by nature was something that sparked my interest.
Off course I started running too fast too soon and got injured two times. Once I ran with a blister and overcompensated on the other side and last year in September after pacing a friend for 32 miles (mainly walking), I received an IT issue as a reward! Having a IT band problem is not fun and I ended up having to stop running for 2 months only to start running again very slowly in the new year. The first time I saw my boyfriend run an ultra was last year at the OT 50. He set his personal and course record, running the 50K in 4 hours and 16 minutes. I seem to think I had something to do with that ;) But seeing him run, watching everyone cheer each other on and feeling at home in that warm and supportive environment made me want to do it as well. So I said next year is my turn! I set my goal that OT 50 in 2009 would be my first 50K and kept with it. I started really training in February and tried to work up to running a long 20 mile trail run but my longest run on single track trails ended up being like 17 miles. Before this race I did run two other shorter races to get ready: a 20 and 25K, two of which I did fairly well in and gave me confidence to try the 50K. As April rolled around, I realized I had a lot on my plate: the AAHPERD conference including 2 presentations, my mom's arrival and visit for 2 weeks and the OT 50K! I kind of feel that April has been a continuous marathon but keeping myself busy kept my spirits high. I had a wonderful learning experience at AAHPERD and had an amazing time with my mom while she was here. I said good bye last Wednesday evening and rested on Thursday and Friday before the race.
I ended up buying a Nathan race vest and just walking around the block once to see what it felt like. A friend had one and recommended it to me. During races I always end up with stomach problems and loosen my hydration pack that sits around my waist with a result of it bouncing around when I am running. That really hinders my run so I thought this race vest may just do the trick and it did! I hardly felt it was there.Before the race I picked up the necessary nutrition supply I needed which included:
- 8 baggies of sport beans
- banana for before the run
- chocolate ensure for before the run
- chocolate milk for after the run
I also had packed 3 carb boom gels for in the first hours of the race.


I have a difficult time eating throughout the race and needed 200 calories at least each hour so eating the sport beans allowed me to stay on top of my nutrition.
I was extremely nervous the day before the race and took half a dosage of a sleeping aid which made me sleep 8 hours before the race. This was awesome as I really felt rested. The race began at 6 am so we had to get up at 4:30 am in order to be ready to run by 6. The weather conditions were not that great and when picking up my race package on Friday evening I was informed that the Pinnacle mountain hike was excluded due to the rain. That was disappointing to me because the 1000 feet climb was the biggest challenge of all and I was ready to try it! However, when we arrived in the morning, there was no rain in sight so the race went on as planned and we all had to do the 100o feet climb! The temperature was amazing, just perfect. I was not cold at all. I wore a T-shirt and skort and was ready at 5:45 am.
The great thing about running an ultra trail race is that people who are at the start either run the race or assist in the race. It is not like a marathon where you have 100s of people watching you run. I really like that. In fact, the majority of the race I ran by myself. I ran all alone with not one person in sight for most of the time and that is the neat thing about trail running.
Another great thing about running the OT 50K as my first ultra is that many of the people helping and running in the race I got to know through other racing events. The OT had 4 aid stations but as it was an out and back you actually had 7 aid stations. They are all between 3 ad 4 miles apart so you can supply yourself with water and food.
At the 3 days of Sylamo (a 3 day race: 50K, 50M, 20K) I was able to work at an aid station and loved it. I admire those people who work the aid stations because you stand around for a long time, up to 12 hours at times or more depending on a race. The volunteers did an amazing job!
I usually do not pick up a lot at an aid station in the fear I will get stomach problems so I stick with my routine: 1 piece of banana, a cup of coke with salt and refuel on water. I rarely pick up anything else. I was not used to running with the race vest and as it was difficult to estimate the amount of water in the pack I stopped a lot to get water and lost time. Next time I know I can get by with refueling only once as I think it holds 2 liters.
As people gathered by the start, we did not wait too long before Chrissy (race director) said to go run. It is funny because we don't all sprint away but slowly get going, some even starting with a short walk. I had a plan in mind. As I did not know what to expect, but had ran several pieces of the course, I decided to run the road part (2 to 3 miles) using a 10 min mile speed or something faster like that. I notice that if I start off slow, I never get going later in the run so i decided to run at a decent pace and slow down later. I ran the road part fairly well, I did not feel as long as it felt in the past when I ran it. The surprise came when I hit Pinnacle Mountain. I had hiked it several times but running the 3.5 miles before hand took its toll and that hike was extremely difficult for me but I just told myself to put one foot in front of the other and I made it!
When I was huffing and puffing on the top I thought to myself, great, only 26 miles more to go!
Going down Pinnacle scares me so I was focused on the boulders and placing my feet correctly.
The miles that came after went ok, the longest part was between Vista and Turn Around. Previously I thought I ran that part but I never did it correctly so it was much longer as I expected it to be. Anyway, coming at Turn Around I was happy to refuel and run home. My stomach held strong until about mile 20 when I did feel kind of heavy, loaded, bloated and all of the above. At that time I came across a smaller aid station manned by Bob, a trailrunner that I knew from previous races. He is always so motivating and last year he told me when I ran my first ultra he would give me a sticker that said "ultramarathoner". He knew I tended to have stomach issues as we talked about that during practice runs for Traveller. So when I arrived he asked me how my stomach was and when I said so and so he said: "drink this V8 and take some rock salt with you!" I did what I was told and that V8 did wonders. I felt alive again! Together with the rock salt my stomach settled down and I felt good about running again.
After running for 4.5 hours I started to feel it in my legs. At that time I thought about my students and the fact that I made myself accountable to reach that goal by getting them involved. So I said to myself: "You can do this, you are not a quitter, just one foot in front of the other." After 5 hours my mind started to wander and I did flip my ankle about 7 times in the race overall but kept going. At times I thought maybe I was just going to quick, after all, it was my first one and it was about finishing. My goal was to finish under 7 hours and I was going to make that. The last 10 miles were the toughest. I ran through the last aid station and when they asked if I needed anything, I just said: "no, just want to finish" and ran on. I hit the road part and turned to music to motivate myself. At that time, with 3 miles to go, I knew I would make it. I would make it under 7 hours and I would for the first time complete an ultra. I got a little emotional at that time and was quite sore but kept going. I crossed the finish line to see my boyfriend and was extremely happy that I accomplished this highly physical task. I was exhausted, everything was shaking but I was very happy. I ended up finishing with a time of 6 hours 27 minutes and 50 seconds. I was 3rd female and 9th overall and was really happy with the result. If I train hard, I can try to aim to finish under 6 hours next year but I know I pushed it and gave it my all, physically and mentally.
Running an ultra is one thing, walking the next day is another. Apparently this gets easier every time you run ultras but as I woke up the next morning I felt like I was run over by a truck. Everything hurts and 12 hours later everything still hurts. Any movement is difficult and driving from Little Rock to Fayetteville was a shore! I actually needed to physically lift my leg with my hands when I had to push the gas. Good thing I have an automatic!
Anyway, the pain is nothing compared to the experience of yesterday. It was one of the best days of the year and I am so glad the OT was my first 50! It was really the only goal I had set forth as I was not sure if I could do it but as people say, if you put your mind to something, you can move mountains!
What's next? I kind of really want to run the 3 days of Syllamo next year but that may be out of my reach for another year. Perhaps a 50 miler next... who knows..