I've run the 50K distance twice, once in 2019 and once in 2020. In February 2021 I turned 68 so I thought .... "New Challenge! Run 68 kilometers to celebrate 68 years of life". On my Birthday it was below zero so that wasn't a good choice to attempt the run. I waited for a better day and Thursday, February 25 it was a balmy 22° going up to 39° for a high. The plan was to run the 6 mile asphalt path around Stony Creek seven times (42.25 miles = 68 kilometers).
I loaded the car with food and drinks and change of clothes and Garmin watch charger. It was very convenient to park right next to the path with public restrooms on the other side of the path! Perfect Aid Station for every 6 miles.
I started running with my pack containing 16 oz of water with 3 scoops of Tailwind fuel (calories and electrolytes). Tailwind works better on the stomach than Gu gels. At the car I had additional fuel: 8 Honey Stinger waffles, 4 x 16 oz water/Tailwnd, 2 x 16 oz Iskiate (this is a mixture of chia seeds, water, honey and lime juice. a recipe from the Copper Canyon Raramuri "Running People"), small boiled salted potatoes cut in quarters and finally a flask of dill pickle juice which is used in later stages of the effort to stave off leg cramps.
My goal was to maintain an 11:30ish min/mile running pace.
Long distance running is more mental than physical. That is what attracts me to projects like this. I've listened to many ultrarunners describing their mind "telling" their legs to keep moving even though their legs acted like they died! Another important bit of advice I've heard over and over, is that in ultra running there WILL BE low points and those low points WILL pass. They are almost always temporary. The purpose of long distance efforts like this is to train or convince your mind to believe that this is true, that low points will pass!
This plan of running in the 11's worked well for lap 1 then lap 2 then lap 3 (18 miles now) Stayed in the 11's.
The 4th of 7 laps started the mental battle. It just so happened that my pace started slowing after mile 21. I think the main reason for that was because I was thinking "I'm ONLY halfway!" In retrospect, I should have thought "wow! I've passed the halfway point!". my pace slowed to 12:50 with some walking the up hills like most ultra runners do. Lap 5 was hard with paces slowing to 13's including uphill walking. Now my mind was debating giving up and chalking it up to completing my 3rd 50K. But I've put this much effort in, how can I waste it? That would be disappointing!.
I got back to the car after the 5th lap and was fueling on potatoes, honey stingers, Isikiate and pickle juice (yum, yum), when two running friends showed up just finishing their run around the lake. They were commenting how boring it is to always run here because its the only pace plowed and runnable. The trials won't be runnable til maybe April and the ashpalt is hard on the feet. That's when I told them I was just about to head out for my 6th lap! They said "you sure don't look like you ran 30 miles!". That one comment gave me the courage to set out for the pentultimate lap! I figured I could run/walk 2 laps at 15 min/mile and finish in 3 hours. Well I was averaging 13's 14's for that 6th lap but my left foot toes had sharp pains depending on how my feet landed. They even hurt walking. Actually I found a slow stride at about mile 34 that minimized the pain. The plan was to remove the shoes and socks when I got to the car at mile 36 and check it out. It was either going to be a blood soaked sock from toe nails cutting into the toes or broken toe(s).
Another ultra runner mantra is "just keep moving forward, as long as you're moving forward you are getting towards your goal". So ouch, ouch, ouch I went.
When I finished lap 6, at the car I took of my left shoe and socks and.... there was no blood. No sore toes to the touch. I put on two pairs of new socks, getting rid of the toe sock which might have been the issue(??), Foot felt fine besides both feet being sore from 36 miles and over 7 hours of asphalt pounding. So off I went for the last lap!
Run down hills, walking up hills we go! 13's and 14 min/mile paces ahead of the 15 goal. I was visualizing the Garmin watch showing 68 kilometers. Such satisfaction for meeting my goal.
At mile 38, the Garmin 235 running watch showed a "low battery" warning! OH NO! This cant be. At least 45-50 minutes to go to my goal. IT.CAN.NOT go dead before I'm done, So now, how could I waste the time walking uphills? My pace improved from 13-14"s to 12's for miles 39-42! It took that Garmin warning to convince my mind to convince my legs that they had more in them. I was running much better and feeling fresher for the last 4 miles of a 42 mile run! Unbelievable!
By the time I reached the car I still had that 0.25 miles to make 42.25 miles or 68 km but I stopped at the car and connected the Garmin charger to get enough charge to finish. When I connected the charger, it said there was still 10% remaining! Really? Oh well, I needed that motivation and it sure worked. Thanks Garmin!
Ran the last bit so the Garmin showed 42.25 miles for 68 km run at 68 years old!
Project completed, Mission Accomplished!
Getting younger!
