Last Saturday, I ran my first trail 50k. If you spoke with me last Sunday, I’d tell you I would never run another. It seems though, with each passing day, that maybe, just maybe, I’ll run another 50k someday.
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The “Junkyard Dog 50k”, put on by Trail Dog Running, started and finished at the Sunburst Skihill in Kewaskum, WI. I was pretty nervous for the race, for a number of reasons: I’d never run 31 trail-miles before; the weather forecast was everything from 90 degrees and high humidity, to thunderstorms and high winds; and, oh yeah, I was planning to wear a running-skirt for the race (something I’ve done in training and in a cosplay-context, but not amongst other runners before). My goal for the day was to complete in 8-8:5 hours, definitely less than 9.
When I got to Sunburst, it was ominously dark, raining, and very respectable winds a’blowing. I checked in, got my bib, and stood with my friend, Beth, who had gotten me into training for this race in the first place. Alongside the other 50k-ers, we stood beneath the building’s awning, waiting for the rain to stop. The race was supposed to start at 7a, but due to the thunder and lightning, we didn’t hit the course till 7:30.
Many of the runners seemed a bit nervous – I think there were a lot of other first-timers at the race. I talked with a woman from Chicago, a man from the Twin Cities…seems people came from far and wide for this race! Trail Dog limits the race to 100 runners, but there were only 25 men and women registered. We inched into the start/finish lane, the start was given, and off we went!
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This truly was a Kettle Moraine trailrun – we started up a hill, continued further up a hill, wound our way through the wet woods, across slightly muddy fields, and – pushed by gravity and momentum – skittered back down the hill. We made that first 5k-loop, and then headed out onto the Ice Age Trail and began our 45km out-and-back.
As there were 4 other races happening that morning, there were plenty of aid-stations in the first half of the race (an aid station at or near each turn-point). The course was pretty much all single-track – from grass to dirt to dirt/rock to tall grass to gravel to pine-nettle-covered soft dirt. And hills, oh my goodness, All The HILLS.
The first half of the race, I did pretty fair – kept a decent pace – ran the flats, walked the steeper hills, and kinda, tried to hang with other runners, or at least keep them in sight. The aid stations were all staffed by friendly, concerned volunteers, and stocked with all sorts of snacks – pretzel bits, M&Ms, oranges and strawberries, electrolyte-water, water, and beer and soda for those more daring! I mainly stuck to fruit, some beef jerky and pretzel bites, and water, some electrolyte capsules. I did try some energy gels and ewwww – those’re a “developed taste”.
I got to the turn, began my return confidently … and then basically puttered out. I just >couldn’t< run fast, and as I approached the marathon distance, I felt a blister developing (dang wet socks!). Still, I kept going – I wasn’t going fast, but I was going. I swung my arms, walked fast as I could on the hills, and tried to put some pep back in my steps on the flats. I bet I went through the last 8-9 miles of the race without seeing another person – it was just me and trail.
I saw where the need for mental stamina existed. I caught myself often thinking “just walk a little while, you don’t need to prove anything – you’re here…” and then would have to re-ramp my brain up and pick up the pace. Luckily, the weather never got too bad after the morning’s start. There were breezes in the trees, the open-to-the-sun meadows were relatively short-spans, and by the time I reached the wide-open meadows, clouds had come in.
Once I reached the 28-mile mark, I began to actually recognize where I was, and how close I was to the finish. I was able to run again. I picked up my pace and just kept a “you can do this, you can do this” mantra in my head. I crossed the fields, curved back through the woods, and as I rounded the final corner, I saw Beth and my dad, waiting for me. I hollered a loud “WHOOOOO-HOOO!” and kept running towards them. Crossed the finish line, where Mom and Dad, Beth and her mom, and son, were and I finished in 8:34:58. I’d done it – my first 50k! I came in 20th, out of 22 finishers, out of 25 folks who started the race.
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Trail Dog Running put on a good race – the aid-stations were well-stocked, the volunteers were supportive, and all the other runners were encouraging to each other. That was, I think, the best part of the run – that every runner and I, as we passed, would share words of encouragement with each other.
Also, my running skirt may have gotten a few glances, but it performed flawlessly. It was comfortable, felt good, and unlike shorts, I never needed to pull it down as I ran. I >will< be running more races and training runs in it!
