Hello World!
50 miles is a long way! I know a lot of you are going ummmm "we could have told you that, Brooke..." But I survived, more than survived, enjoyed it. I found my rhythm -- once I got off the trails -- and didn't get bored. Our team -- did I mention I was running from a team out of Albany, New York? -- placed second! Hello John and the Albany Running Exchange! If I'd known we were only three minutes off first, I would have rolled down the trail hills --rocks, what rocks? who cares about cliffs? -- and not stopped to take pictures... It was beautiful out there.
This was the 47th annual running of the JFK 50 Mile also known as "America's Ultramarathon." We started in Boonsboro, MD and ran a squiggly, horseshoe-shaped race through the Appalachian Trail near to Harper's Ferry where we picked up the C & O Canal Path. From there it was only a marathon -- ha, feels funny saying 'only' -- along the canal before we headed north to finish in Wlliamsport, MD. Along the way, we passed near Antietam and Sharpsburg.
Ultramarathoning is a different animal than marathoning. Let me start by saying I respect anyone who can get themselves across 50 miles without the aid of a vehicle of some sort. And let me say that I really have a new respect for trail running and those able to do it without killing or seriously injuring themselves. But let me finally say that I now have ultimate respect for someone who can put the trails and the speed together and finish something like this at breakneck speed. Hello Mike Wardian who holds 2nd place for all-time top performers with 5:50:34! For some perspective, it took me almost 10 hours...
I discovered new muscles that I didn't know existed. I learned that you can have pebbles, leaves and unidentifiable mush in your socks and still race on! I learned that it is possible to run on PB and J's, bananas, m&m's -- okay, only had a few of those -- hammer gels, coke -- yes, I did drink one cup of coke and survived. I tried the chicken broth and raced on with pretzels sticking out of my mouth. And I learned that you really can push on and push through and run 50 miles.
The Good: The scenery. Think old historic towns and stone walls, think twisty and hilly leaf-strewn, single-file trails, snaking around boulders with switchbacks. Think 100+ sheer cliff faces with train tracks at it's base, then the C & O canal, the leaf-covered canal path and then the Potomac River, sometimes broad and calm, sometimes fierce with falls. The camaraderie. Think happy people doing what they want to be doing that day.
The Bad: No real nutrition for the first 18 miles save one borrowed GU from friendly runner Kay. My fault, absolutely. My fault for not checking the course map for aid station stops, my fault for not being self-reliant and at least carrying some water, my fault for being so cavalier. Did I learn my lesson? Absolutely. What I was thinking as I waved back to my non-running friends at the start? This is what I had: camera, tissues -- who carries tissues? --, and lip balm with spf! That was it. What was I thinking?! Middle on nowhere, no food, no water, no phone with sometimes no one in site...
The Ugly: No real ugly except the near total face-plant on the Appalachian Trail. Think helicoptering arms and spinning legs and the surreal stoppage of time as your body and gravity and luck decide your fate. Thankfully I survived that one with only some slight embarrassment and no blood. Others weren't so fortunate...
Will I run another Ultra? Absolutely as long as I can count it in my 50 states or continents category. Will I be more prepared? You bet. Like I'd make sure that I always had the basics, you know, food and water. And I'd prepare with some like-course training. If there were trails, train on some trails, etc. See though, the thing was that I didn't really want to know too much. I didn't want to see how far 50 miles was on the map. I didn't want to psyche myself out. I wanted to go about it like it was just a marathon. You know, a big plate of pasta the night before with a few sips of really good red wine, a good nights sleep, a few strong cups of coffee the next morning and a little body-glide. Good to go.
And it really is true, if you're marathon fit, you can finish 50 miles. I remember thinking to myself as I finished 30 of the miles. Only 20 more miles to go. That is like 20 lengths in the pool; that is like some easy 400's on the track. That's right, you can do it. Easy, no problem... And you know what, it wasn't. Once I got on solid, flat ground, no one passed me. I would see someone in the distance and that would be the next person to pass... I say that no one passed me but that is not entirely true. One girl -- she called me 'girl' so I guess I'll call her one -- said "come on girl, hurry up, we've got to finish in under 10 hours." And thanks to her, I did.
Next up: December 5th. The St. Jude's Memphis Marathon. Sharon D. and I are going down for a little running, some bar-b-que eating, Graceland touring and duck spectating -- you know, the ones that parade in a straight line through the lobby of some old, historic hotel. I'll figure that little duck-detail out before we go; some old habits die hard.
Cheers! And it is a beautiful day for a run...
RunningBrooke
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