So I did it.

It’s official.

I am an ultra Marathoner!

I wonder if I can keep this status if I only run one.

Hmmm

I have to admit

This was the hardest thing that I have ever done both physically and mentally.

To push myself so far when all I really wanted to do is stop.

But this is why we train so hard.   The training teaches you to push forward.

My Mantra on the second loop became

Run if you can, Walk if you must, but NEVER stop!

The problem with this mantra is that more times than I wanted, I had to honestly answer that “Yes, I can run.”    I didn’t want to, but I could.   So I ran.   I also reminded myself that the quicker I got to the finish line, the sooner I could stop and it would be over.

I’ll be honest.   It was brutal.   It was the hardest event I’ve ever done.   It taxed my body and brain.   My legs were heavy.  My knee had a twinge pain towards the end.   My thighs were on fire.   The logs which didn’t seem so bad the first loop were mountains the second.

Loop one was made “easier” because I was traveling near a group of other runners.   Loop two for the most part, I was by myself.   There was no one to shadow pace with.   There was no one to try and keep in my site.   There were miles that it was just me unless you count the speedy runners going by (and I mean speedy).    You can see the difference in the loops with the time.

Although loop 2 time does include time in “camp” refilling water bottles, putting more chaffing cream on, and other such things.   Realistically I probably only spent 15 minutes or so in camp.   I needed to keep moving.

I am sore.

I am tired.

Stairs are a bitch.

but it was amazing.

I am an Ultra Marathoner now!!

Yes, there is more to the story, but this is enough for today:)

The Dirty German 50K is in 10 days.     I love signing up for challenging races when it seems so far off in the distance.    Then lo and behold before you know it the actual event is upon you.   When you are in the midst of training it is easy to not think about the actual event.   That is for another day.   Besides your too busy training to really worry about it.

Then…..

Taper Time

or

Is it taper crazy time?

The brakes get put on and even though you are still running, your not running nearly as much.   Your giving your body a chance to rest, to prepare, to be ready.   The problem is that during this time, your mind no longer is occupied with the training at hand but with what is coming up.   Thoughts like….

Why did I sign up for this?

Will be able to do it?

Why did I schedule a Cub Scout meeting the day afterwards?

Will I be able to walk when I’m done?

Then on top of these thoughts, your (or maybe it’s just me) mind is also filled with the logistics of the race……

What do I need to bring?

Should I wear my trusty Fitletic hydration belt or my new hydration vest?

What should I take for fuel?

Why did I sign up for this?

The temperatures are supposed to also be in the high 70’s.   It has been VERY cool here as of late and then there is also the worry of running in the heat when your body isn’t used to it.

Do I need to bring my trusty bucket to haul my gear?

How far apart are the aid stations?

On and on it goes……..

My town is having a 5K the same day as my 50K.    Part of me thinks that running a 5K sounds nice:)    My 9 year old asked me why I was running a 50K?    He’s probably not alone in this question.    My answer to him was simple…

I’m running it because it is a challenge.   I don’t know if I can do it and you should always try to do things that you think you can’t do.   You should have goals.

It’s going to be a wild ride and I’m sure I will live to tell the tale:)    It may not be pretty.   It sure as Hell is going to be hard and I’m going to have to give it all I’ve got and then some.    Bottom line is no matter what the time or how it turns out, it is worth it.

It is already worth it.

What do you do during taper time?

Most of the time, I ignore my Facebook memories posts, but sometimes….Sometimes, you have to take a moment and say, “Wow.”    That happened to me yesterday.   Scrolling through Facebook and a 2014 memory post pops up where I wrote:

“Running my first half marathon, Superhero Half, on May 18th”

Damn, that was only 2 years ago!    It seems so long ago to be honest.    I can’t believe how far I’ve come in just 2 short years from running my first half to preparing for a 50K.   How the Hell did that happen?    I know it’s really because of my Mom’s Run This Town group.    It all just snowballed….

I remember thinking about signing up for the Superhero half because people in my group were posting about it.    I remember going on a group run and dear, sweat Janna telling me, “Yeah, you could do that.”    Then I remember that fateful car ride to the race where I realized that I KNEW NOTHING!    Robyn, Dawn, and “Diane”  were all talking race strategy and pace and I sat in the back of the car thinking….. Ummmm,   Ummmm, Ummmm….

I had no plan.   I had no pace.   I had no goal.    I had no idea what I was getting myself into or where it would lead.

I will say I did really well for a race I probably wasn’t prepared for or had no idea how to actually run it.    What I did do is shadow my fellow MRTT Mama’s for probably the first half the race.   Then Janna and I ran the second half together dodging Klingon singing runners and my tired legs.   “Diane” kept us moving and her knowing what she was doing paced me to a sub 2:10 which I had no idea what it meant at the time.   Official time 2:09:24.

The rest they say is history……

It is amazing to me that this has only been 2 years.   I’ve learned SOOOOOO much in this time.   I’ve learned the importance of fueling, pacing, training, and so much more.    Yes, running is just running; but running properly is so much more.  I’ve also learned that even with everything I’ve learned, I still don’t know much.

I can’t believe just 3 days shy of my two year anniversary of my first half marathon, I will be hopefully finishing my first (I mean only) 50K.

Holly Smokes…….

There have been lots of changes in these last two years.   I think the most obvious can be seen in pictures…

Superhero half

Superhero Half May 2014

Marine Corps Marathon October 2015

I never imagined that running would be such an important part of my life.   It’s been a wild, wild ride and can’t wait to be able to say that I am an Ultra marathoner soon.  (Hopefully!)

Some days you want to run in a group.

Some days you want a short run by yourself.

Some days though not only do you want but need a long run alone.

Yesterday, I set out to do 20 miles solo.

There is something to be said to doing runs on your own in training.   Yes, you are usually surrounded by people when you are at an event.   That being said, you are still running it on your own.   You have to prepare for those long miles or at least I do.

I also had another reason for hitting the trails alone.    My training as we know has been spotty lately.   I needed to do these miles on my own to prove to myself that I could not just mentally but physically.    That I could push myself just for myself.  Due to time constraints though I didn’t hit the magic 20 mile mark, but that didn’t take away that I did 17 on one of the harder local trails.

Yes, this is the trail.   This is probably the toughest part of the trail especially as it came after 10 miles.

This is a much happier part of the trail:)

  I did it alone (although I did have virtual support of my tribe).

I walked away from the run tired, with blisters, and very hungry.   I also walked away with knowing that the Dirty German is right around the corner and an I got this attitude.   Will it be easy.   Hell NO!    But if it was easy, everyone would do it.

And if you haven’t figured it out yet, I don’t like to be like everyone else:)

I will say that yesterday was a perfect day to be out on the trails.   The leaves have not all filled in, so the sun was shining through the trees.   I could see the magnificent blue sky.   Temperatures were perfect for a long run and being out on the trails reminds me of places of my youth.   My grandmother literally owned half a mountain and it was our playground.  Seriously.

Now, I do take precautions when going out for a solo run especially a trail run or at night.   It is different from a solo run in town where you most likely can stop a passing car, call a friend, or even knock on someones door.    Not that the trail I’m running is like running deep in the woods, but you are on your own.    So here are some safety precautions that I will share with you.   Some are over the top, but I have a VERY security conscious Best Friend that would not be happy if I didn’t take them.  I’ve gotten “yelled” out for not following them before:).

1. Make sure to take proper fuel and hydration.
2. Check in either on FB or via text, so people know approximately where you are and when.
3. Let people know when you are safely finished as they may worry.
4. Carry a whistle.   This is two fold – you can use it to scare off animals on the trail or you can use it to alert people to your location if needed.
5. Carry Pepper Spray
6. Make sure that your phone is fully charged.   I have a Mophie juice pack that allows my phone to stay charged for hours and hours and hours.

Some of these may seem overboard, but I am after all the mother of a Boy Scout.    Be prepared is always better than regret.

What safety precautions do you take on your runs?