I really did not have this on my BINGO card a year ago. As little as months ago I was just focused on trying to get healthy, stay healthy, and hopefully finish my first ultramarathon in over two years. I just wanted to have a good solid year of running culminating in one big event to cap it off.

As I started to feel better and believe maybe I could actually finish my goal race for the year I started to think of other things. Like maybe if all goes well at my goal race I will sign up for a second ultramarathon later in the year. But, it wasn’t really a strong consideration in my mind. Just a wait and see type idea.

But, over the years I have had the great fortune to run with a good group of people that show up for the Tyoga Running Club group runs. Their good vibes and energy are infectious.

Tyoga Running Club

The Tyoga Running Club started up a new race last year and were heavily promoting it for year two. The race is a 50k. Something I am totally into. Start time 4 am. I can get up at any hour to run I guess. Cut off time noon. That is an 8 hour cutoff for an official finish or else you get a DNF.

I have only run one 50k in under 8 hours and it was on a flat and fast course. Which by the way Rise and Run 50k is not. Rise and Run is held on the beautiful and scenic West Rim Trail along the Pine Creek gorge. So, not flat and fast. The likelihood I could finish in under the 8 hour cutoff window would be slim in the best of conditions. But I was still considering signing up to see how it would go.

During group runs I would talk to the race director and tell him if I signed up for the race it was very likely I would not make the cutoff time. And he was always super positive and encouraging. “You’ll be fine.”

Did I mention that this 50k as less than a month after my goal race, a 47 mile trail race. I have never attempted anything like this before. The closest I came was running a trail marathon about a month before my first 50k as part of my training. But back then I was in the best shape I have ever been in. I was running much higher volume of miles a week. And I was not just coming back from an injury.

But why let all that stop you from doing something crazy right? As part of their marketing for Rise and Run 50k the Tyoga Running Club put out a discount code on social media. And I took this as a sign that I was meant to sign up and I took the leap and committed to this race.

What’s next

I did finish my goal race in a good place. No problems then the normal leg and foot soreness one expects after an ultra marathon. I was in a good place. Time to rest and recover and just maintain a little balance

Oh, did I mention that between finishing my goal race and running Rise and Run 50k I was scheduled to run my 3rd most miles in a day at a relay event with my friends. I would be running roughly 15 miles over the course of 24 hours.

I really was not sure how to approach the 4 am starting time of Rise and Run. I lived around an hour away, so I could just get up super early and drive down. Or I could drive our van down and sleep in the back on location. I figured between the 4 am start and the likelihood of not sleeping well the night before a race anyway I may be better off being on location so I could sleep as much as possible. I opted for sleeping in the van. (In retrospect I don’t think I would choose this option again, at least not with the same approach I did. It was even more uncomfortable than I had expected) But it was nice to literally Rise and Run.

Rise and Run

This event was super low key, which I liked. It was a fun vibe. There was light breakfast fare available before the race and a big fresh cooked breakfast prepared for after the race.

The course was an out and back. There would be a water refill stop a quarter of the way that runners would hit twice. Then there was a fully supplied aid station at the half way point turn around. In all honesty this really simplified things and had the potential to make things easier for me. But I underestimated what my water consumption would be both on the way out and on the way back and ran out of water both times. But, I learned how to approach this even the next time I run it.

Starting in the dark at 4 am was a totally new experience for me. I have not had many occasions to run on the trail in the dark. For the most part it went ok. I was not fast. My legs were not as recovered from my near 50 miler as I would have liked. I tired quickly.

It was also very humid and warm despite it being dark. Not my ideal conditions for running. I would much rather it be cool to cold, especially at the beginning of a race. The humid conditions just sapped any strength that I had.

It was so humid that there was dense fog and cloud cover enveloping the valley, including the trails all morning long. This meant that it took a lot longer than normal for light to begin to penetrate the woods.

Much more time running in the dark with only our own personal lights to aid in navigation. Normally even the predawn light can really help to brighten things up even in the woods. Twilight hours are almost as good as daylight hours when you would otherwise be in complete darkness. But the weather conditions were blocking out the sun.

I kept my lights on until one ran out of battery and I didn’t turn off and take my headlamp off until I reached the aid station at the half way point. It wasn’t 100% necessary but it was just and added layer of precaution in the dim light s things grew a little lighter. But in the dense forest at times it was still pretty dark.

At the aid station I tried to strongly hint that I would like to drop here. They were not having any of it. When the great crew there asked what I needed I repeatedly replied that a car ride back to the finish would be nice. They just kept telling me I could do it and to keep going. Even when I insisted that I would never make the cutoff time, the reply was but don’t you want to see how close you can get. And then once you are close don’t you want to just finish anyway even if it is after the cutoff. They were not susceptible to my low mood. They just kept inspiring me to push on.

Just keep going

And so I did. I refilled my hydration. I grabbed some nutrition options. Stowed my headlamp and my GoPro. I had taken my poles with me in case I needed them. I decided now would be a good time to get serious and take those out and put them to good use.

And then it started to rain. Literally as soon as I left the aid station for my return journey.

For some people this may be a terrible turning point in their run. For me it was a welcome reprieve from the heat and the humidity. I don’t do good in the heat and humidity, so I would much rather run in the cooling rain and make the best of it with the inevitable trail conditions than continue to be too hot.

And boy did it rain. Bucket and sheets of rain. Cats and dogs, and maybe some elephants too.

The rain lasted almost my entire return trip to the finish line. Luckily the trails remained in relatively good condition despite constantly running in water. Streams of water flowing in the trails. Running with me on the downhills and against me on the uphills.

But, I made good use of my poles where I could. I am glad a brought them. If nothing else they helped my confidence in the rain. There was some areas where it was difficult to use them because of the thick vegetation growing so close to the narrow single track trails.

I felt like I was making good time during portions of the run back to the finish line. I started to think that I would possibly finish in time or at least not too far off from the cutoff time. Oh the delusions of a tired ultramarathon running mind trying to do math. Thow art a cruel bitch.

I was so tired due to the early start and lack of sleep that I actually took a no doze at some point during my trek back to the finish. I have never done that on a race that was not a 100 mile attempt.

I only had one real low this entire race and it was during the climb right before a nice downhill to the water refill station. I was tired and drained and feeling depleted. I ate a Picky Bar here to restore my energy and vigor. It helped get me out of that low and I felt really good on the downhill going into that water station.

Ultramarathon delusions

When I reached the water stop I was feeling good and confident. Thinking I must be getting close. Overconfident apparently. I felt so good I opted not to get any more water. Thinking that with all the rain I was probably cooler and drinking less water. I’ll be fine. But I did grab some fancy crackers which really hit the spot. I think I will need to remember those as fuel next time.

I was way wrong on water consumption again. I had run out of water before reaching the turnaround, why I thought it would be any different on the way back I cannot explain. More tired ultramarathon brain delusions.

Just after leaving the water station I had my only fall of the entire race. I slipped and fell sideways. I caught myself on me left hand before completely hitting the ground. But I hurt and felt a definite crunch in my shoulder. But at least I did not injure the critical components, my legs.

Once I ran out of water and clearly had no idea how much longer it would be I decided I needed to just power hike the rest of the way so I wouldn’t get dehydrated. It was slow going.

After making a wrong turn and adding a little extra distance to my 50k I eventually did cross the finish line. I was well over the cutoff time.

But here is the thing, even though the Tyoga Running Club had to wait much longer for me to finish than they should have had to they were all still super upbeat and happy. They all still hung around for a while after I finished and talked and laughed with me.

The trail and ultra community is something that can never be underestimated. They will always be there for you.

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