When Nathan and I decided that the 50K we were originally signed up for this weekend was no longer worth the trip (the government shutdown meant the course had to be moved to a 4 mile loop of what looked like jeep trail), one of my first thoughts was "Oh man, now I don't get to write a blog post." So, we decided to put on a low key, unofficial 50K here in Charleston so that I could write a report.
Okay, maybe there were some other reasons too. I had trained for a 50K, at least by distance (long run was 30 miles). My trail training was lacking, but all the more reason to get some miles in on trail. Plus, I had tapered, probably more than I should have, and now I needed an excuse for running very little the last two weeks. Nathan was undertrained due to plantar fasciitis, but he had still been looking forward to the race.
Howie helped me get the word out and soon Chad (Eagle Endurance) and Andrew (from Try Sports) were volunteering to bring water jugs, tables, tents, etc. It was much more than I had expected! I got together some snacks of standard ultra fare, Lana added homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, and we had a nice little aid station.
The course was 4 laps of an 8 mile loop of single-track at the Wannamaker North Trail. Or 3, or 2, or 1 lap as you like. Six of us started down the trail (others would join later), chatting about toenails and such. Lana had destroyed 9 of her 10 last month in the Georgia Jewel 100. I was a bit jealous, having never lost a toenail myself. I stubbed my toes as much as it may have been possible over the next 32 miles, but all I got was a lousy blood blister.
The first copperhead tested our spacing. We passed; no one ran into the person in front of them. With lap two came copperhead two, thick, head raised, and slithering toward us down the trail. I stopped a couple feet short of it, and the adrenaline rush helped muffle soreness that was already creeping into my legs. This prompted the christening of the run, "Copperhead 50K."
Nathan and Andrew stopped early in the third lap (Andrew had just run the North Face Atlanta 50 Miler last weekend and Nathan is still battling plantar fasciitis), but Howie had joined us so I still had company for the lap. Howie kept commenting on how quickly the miles were going by. They didn't seem quite as quick to me.
As I filled up my waterbottles for the last lap, Nathan asked me "Last lap another 1:30?" I told him I thought it would be more like 1:35 or 1:40. This was a silly thing to say. It showed I was planning to suffer, so of course I would suffer. Howie was with me one more mile and then I was on my own. In some ways I was glad Howie was gone so the suffering could begin. Makes a lot of sense, right?
The next few miles were the low point of the run. I was tired from carrying two water bottles for all but the first lap, and I was tired of stubbing my toes. It rained a bit, which is usually welcome, but it fogged up my glasses so I couldn't see the trail and stubbed my toes even more. Without the goal of passing other people in a race, I found it tough to stay motivated to keep moving. I had already decided I would allow myself to walk occasionally, so why not walk more frequently and for longer? Once I hit 3 miles to go, I was fine, but I think the last lap served to show me that my "ultra brain" is out of shape.
I ended up running the 32 miles in 6:23. A bit slower than I had planned, but I think it will definitely be helpful (especially mentally) on December 14th for Lookout Mountain 50 Miler. Thank so much to everyone who came out. You guys made it fun!
Jordan
