"When you run your first marathon, more things seem possible. When you run your first ultramarathon, everything seems possible."
~ Michael D'Aulerio
Last Sunday I raced the Mine Falls 50K Not virtually. It was a real, live, in person event with other runners, bib numbers and start and finish lines. I know some of you have already gotten out there again but this was my first official race of 2020 and by the time Sunday rolled around I was giddy like a toddler on Halloween. Seriously, I have never been so excited to race, maybe ever. And while my expectations weren't super high simply on account of the fact that, for me it honestly didn't really matter how organized or well attended this even was, the first annual Mine Falls Trail Running Festival did not disappoint.
Running is such a simple sport, you know? But then, I guess when you're out in the woods for multiple hours during a pandemic it becomes a bit more involved. As of Saturday our forecast looked perfect. The race was taking place up in Nashua, NH which is about a forty minute drive for me. Temps were expected to be in the low 50s at the start and then work their way up to the mid to high 60s for the finish. I have a couple new run friends, Brian and Addie, who are ultra experts and both have been incredibly helpful to me as I have started to dip my toes into these uncharted mega mileage waters. No joke, I would have been up shit's creek without their guidance as I prepared for this rodeo. The race director let us know that there would be water and fuel stations but asked us to consider carrying our own fuel in an attempt to avoid over crowded stops. Fine by me. I've been practicing with a water vest for my last half dozen long runs so I was happy to wear it. I laid out my stuff the night before the race and then checked in with Addie to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I told her headphones were "optional but not recommended" and asked if she thought I shouldn't bring mine. "Fuck that" she said. "I always have to have my music." Clearly I was very glad to hear this from an expert. See how helpful she is?? Since I was driving up in the morning for the 7:00am start, I tucked myself in around 8:45 which is a full fifteen minutes before my usual bed time. I know...crazy.
I needed to be out the door by 5:30, so I set my alarm for 4:45. Oddly my eyelids popped open around 4:15. Too early. Couldn't get going. I went back to sleep for thirty minutes which actually felt like thirty seconds. Holy crap was it hard to roll out of bed at that hour. I slithered down to the coffee machine and started brewing the magic. My dogs, of course, heard me and came down to be fed after which they assumed they'd be getting walked. How they are able to spring to life so quickly at any hour totally blows my mind. I got all my stuff together and got going right on time. It was a quick and easy drive, most of it in the dark, though the sun was starting to rise just as I got to NH. I got off the exit and made my way to 1 Park Street. It was a big, empty parking lot which I thought was odd as I figured the race crew would be in full deal mode by 6:15. I drove down the street, back around the block and over to the lot again. Nope. Nothing. Cue the panic. I got on Facebook and found the race company and a listed phone number. Praise be. I did feel bad calling someone who might not be at the race that early in the morning but I had no choice. Thankfully, Chris, the race director, picked up and explained I needed to go to Park Street Extension which was about five miles from where I was. I calmed myself down and drove over to the right location, reminding myself that one doesn't really need to warmup up for a 31 mile race so I still had plenty of time.
Mother Nature did not disappoint and though it was a little on the cool side since we were further North, it was otherwise perfect. I picked up my bib and shirt, dropped them at my car and walked down the hill to the race start. By now it was about 6:45 so I just took in the moment and worked to keep myself warm while pretending to look super focused as I had no one to talk, too. As you can see, the scene was pretty mellow and absolutely nothing like the start of a typical race which was a welcome change. I was still pretty nervous as this was my first legitimate ultra but the pre-race pressure that I normally put on myself was nowhere near as high.
THE RACE:
LAP 1
The 50K runners would be doing four, 8 mile laps. Normally, this might sound kind of painful. But given how long it had been since I'd raced I probably would have still done it if it was 30 laps on a one mile track. And, I mean, check out the scenery? So, yea, I was totally good with the laps. The entire loop was on trail; a lot of single track and some parts more technical than others. We set off on a main part of the trail but were directed off to the right shortly after we got going. We'd be weaving on and off of that main trail for most of the course. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I felt like I was floating. The miles just clicked by. Pace didn't matter. People were around me, passing me, smiling at me; the vibe was so awesome. I did make the mistake of following the group in front of me around mile three which went off in the wrong direction. The course was marked with pink tape and the lead guy missed a piece that had gone downhill and since I was a newbie I just followed the leader. Lesson learned. They took me about a half mile out of the way but clearly that was all on me. No big deal. Aside from this, I had no other issues and I cruised comfortably through the finish chute on my way to lap 2, still feeling like the situation was almost too good to be true.
LAP 2
This lap was much quieter. The 80 or so of us doing the 50K were now pretty spread out and I was happy to have my tunes for a distraction. I thought I'd have no issues finding my way through the course on my own since I'd already done it. But I quickly realized that I'd leaned heavily on those in front of me during my first lap and found myself having to slow down or even stop once in a while to find the pink tape. I had a couple moments in this lap when I worried that I was backtracking as I saw the tape but felt like I'd already gone by in the other direction. What happens then, I thought? Do I get disqualified? I had no to one to ask so I just kept going and hoping I was getting it right. Finally I saw the set of wooden stairs that were about half a mile away from the finish area and breathed a sigh of relief knowing I'd gotten back to home base.
Katrina in the blue shorts above
LAP 3
The legs were definitely getting tired by now and my excitement was waning a bit. It was also getting a little warm. But, as I set off for my third lap I just reminded myself how lucky I was to be out doing what I love and to embrace it all regardless of how I was feeling. About a mile in people started passing me. Lots of people. They were literally flying by me. I felt a tap on my shoulder and responded with a "yep" meaning, I know, I hear you & I'll get out of your way only to look and see that it was my friend Aaron who smiled and waved as he cruised by me. Several more people passed me and I started to worry that I was falling apart at the seams as I couldn't move my legs any faster. Then Aaron's wife, Katrina, tapped me and said "Hey Trax!" I asked how far she was going and she let me know they were running the 8 mile race. Ohhhhh. Well, that made more sense. We chatted a bit and I ran behind her for a while on the trail until it opened up and she flew off to a first place finish. Seeing them was such a boost for me and gave me a new burst of energy that I so needed at this point. Once I got to the finish area and waved to them again I knew I had enough in me to bang out my last lap. I took off into the woods with an ear to ear grin on my face for my final push.
LAP 4
Cruising past the finish area where those who raced the shorter distances had their feet up and were drinking cold beers....well... that was tough. When you're
talking about 31 miles and change, 8 miles sounds like nothing. But when you're in the woods, climbing up a hill that requires putting your hands down for balance, 8 miles sounds like a GD marathon. I was so ready to be done and I had over an hour to go. Oof. I put my head down and forged ahead. I will say, the
playlist I created for this race was so good I almost felt like I was cheating because I had it and my competitors didn't. Every time a new song came on my batteries would get a mini re-charge, if you will. Thank goodness I listened to Addie as things would have been very different without my music. Picking my feet up over the rocks and roots was getting significantly harder due to the fatigue in my legs. It was also tricky to keep the pink ribbons in site as having to focus on more than one thing was kind of tough. For a while, I had a guy running right on my tail which was kind of unnerving but at the same time it was nice to have his company. The trail was tight but whenever I could I moved to the side in case he wanted to pass which he eventually did. I was happy to give him the lead and follow in his footsteps for a while thus taking the navigation element off the table for a bit. When the trail opened up again he moved to the side and I took the lead back. And this is how we finished. I had one part where, yes, even after three laps I couldn't remember where to turn, so I looked back and he pointed me off to the right. I was very gratefull for that. And once I popped out of that final small section I knew I was home free. Well, I had 2.5 miles to go, but basically home free. Finally, I saw the clearing up ahead and the finish line with volunteers waiting with medals. Sweet Lord above, I was done. It was probably the most anti-climatic finish I'd ever experienced. Aside from the medal guy, no one was even near the finish and those who were were sitting off to the side, totally engrossed in their own worlds. This made me smile. I found a spot in the grass, took my shoes off and just laid in the sun basking in the glory of having successfully knocked out 32 miles.
In the end I ran about a mile extra due to my wrong turn and a couple other small turn errors that I made when I was by myself. My watch has me at an 8:41 average which is just too good because, as you may know, 41 is my favorite number. I placed 7th overall and was the second female across the line. I was thrilled. Though, honestly, none of this mattered. I could have cared less about place and time, but still, it was just really exciting to have this first ultra behind me and to have it go so well.
Note the wooden medal shaped like New Hampshire. I love this. Of the three ultras I've done, two virtual and one in person, all the medals have been unique like this. The ultra world has a whole different character compared to the regular race scene. It's warm and friendly and, as I already said, mellow. And having been racing somewhat competitively for the past ten years or so, it's such a breath of fresh air. I literally can not wait to get back out there. I just need to make a few more friends in the area so I'm not hanging out by myself before and after my next race. Or Steve, my running partner who recently moved to Vegas, needs to come home and start doing these things with me. I'm not holding my breath on this one. Next up....an 8 hour race in NJ. In December. So, yeah. Next level crazy. Bring it.
Listen to this:
Feel Good (feat. Bre Kennedy) - Super Duper
