And now it's time for everyone's favorite post, what was good, what was bad, and what was downright ugly! I love doing these because it helps me remember what worked and what didn't work for future races.
Good: Again just like the 50K, I felt like my fueling was on point even if I went an hour and forgot to eat. I need to just set a timer on my phone. I tried to eat half a Honeystinger waffle every 30 minutes plus supplement that with Colorado Cola Tailwind and a snack every time I saw Tony. I also had a few times where I took a shot of coke. Thanks to the cool weather and no sun, my stomach stayed happy and ready to go. My uncrustable at the half way point really hit the spot.
Good: The weather. How did I get so lucky on both of my ultras this year? I know I have no control, but rain the night before and cold temps at the start were perfection. This lets me know that in the future, I don't need to go past probably April on my ultra selection.
Good: I feel at peace with my decision to stop, just as I did when I ended my first 50K attempt at mile 22. I probably should have called it good at mile 25, but I thought I had enough in me to get to the 35 mile aid station at least. The answer was a resounding no about 3 miles later thanks to what I will discuss in the ugly, but it is what it is. I am very happy with my 50K performance on yes, a much flatter non technical course, but folks I have learned a long time ago I am not a mountain goat and never will be. I have friends who excel at technical trails and I am super duper proud of them, but it isn't me for sure. I need more gentle courses that have generous cut offs for sure. If that makes me a weak ultra runner then so be it. I am fine with that :)
Bad: I totally forgot to eat for a period of time. I just need to set a timer on my phone and deal with it, so that doesn't happen again. Of course I panicked and shoved in like a waffle and half in about 5 minutes flat, and my stomach wasn't the most thrilled for a little bit with said shoving, but I don't think that affected my ability to run.
Bad: I just never could get my breath under control. Not sure if it was the humidity or what, but it made me feel not so great that I was red lining on my heart rate from a very early time on. It was cloudy and cool the entire time which is helpful, but for me if the humidity is up, all of that doesn't matter. I really need to move to a less humid climate LOL! I am not sure if this contributed to me walking so soon into the race or what. Yes, it was super hilly, so I was power walking the hills like a boss, but I still felt like based on my first 50 that I was walking waaaayyyyy to early in the race.
Good/Bad: My hubby now knows what it takes to crew an ultra and he saw some crews in action doing their thing for some of the front runners. Yes, he did leave the course, a big no no in the crewing world, but he bought me these most amazing and beautiful flowers. I had stopped having him come to my races because it is a lot to have him just sit there with Andrew all day long since I am so slow and usually in last or next to last place. Now that Andrew can entertain himself a little better and I can talk to him about the importance of being positive for mommy, I may have to have them come along more often. I know having them there was crucial when I noticed that Stella was off, and it gave me peace of mind that if I really needed anything, he always had what I needed.
Are you ready for the ugly????
UGLY: This huge blister. When I started having burning sensations in the bottom of my foot, I had no clue what was going on. I had gaiters on, so it couldn't be a rock and my socks were the same I always wear, so they couldn't be bunching up. I don't know what caused this blister, but it was more than likely friction due to running oddly thanks to my many injuries I am nursing or the weight of the mud I was carrying on my shoes. In my running career I have had a total of 1 blister in my life (over 8 years, how lucky am I) and it was not in a spot that it would stop my race. It was actually during my first 50 and I honestly don't know what caused it either, but it was not a show stopper like this one. What I have learned post running is that yes, I could have popped it mid run with one of the pins from my bib, but I would have risked infection due to not having a bandage to cover it. I could not accept aid from my hubby on the course and I was 7 miles from the nearest aid station. I have never had a pain like that before and I will forever more lube my feet thanks to Cindy's advice on the matter. I use to wonder how people let blisters make them stop during a race and now I know. There are actually three there, the biggest one and two smaller ones that are deep, but as of writing this several days post race, all are being re absorbed (and yes I wash my feet but I had on black socks when I took this picture LOL).
So there you have it, my good, bad and ugly. As always, this race taught me new things like don't do races with cut offs you can't achieve because it will drive your brain nuts, and lube up your feet you idiot and or carry Band-Aids in your pack. Sigh. If you didn't learn something then it wasn't a good race right? A huge thanks to William Layton photography for the amazing shots. He got some of people running past burnt flint hill's prairie that are just to die for and he stayed till he got us last place runners, which always makes for a super long day, but much appreciated. I still have a lot of what ifs in my mind, but I know I made the right decision and when Andrew gets older and I have more time to train, I will come back to the distance for sure! Someday that 50 mile belt buckle will be mine!
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