Signed up for my 2nd 50k race

It's done. I sent my application to the 2014 West Virginia Trilogy 50K race. I cannot wait to start training for this. I copied and pasted below my notes (from a prior post) on how to beat my time this coming round: 

IF.....I were to run West Virginia Trilogy- 50K again next October....what would I do different, or the same?

               So I am very much considering running the West Virginia Trilogy 50K race again next year. I have been thinking hard about what I would need to do different to have a PR (a personal best in time). Here is a list of what I would need to do to be better prepared. 

1. Twice a week do hill repeats lasting 45 minutes to an hour. The course is very hilly. I mean VERY hilly. Two of the mountains seem like you are climbing 45 degrees for half an hour each. 

2. Have a more solid base in running where I am running, before even FORMAL training begins, at least about 30 miles a week. Approximately 5 Tuesday, 5 wednesday, 5 Thursday, 12-15 Saturday. 

3. I would take both Thursday and Friday off again but this time leave home Thursday morning and get to the mountains during daylight and spend the night in a tent. This time around we got there very late and then we had about an hour an half drive to our hotel. If I tent right at the mountain, I can sleep better and be more relaxed in the morning. 

4. I need to shed a few pounds in order to improve my pace. I am currently working with www.Myfitnesspal.com to get me there. 

5. One run a week should be speed work. 

6. One run a week should be in the Rock Creek Trails. 

7. Run through all deep, muddy puddles, NOT try to run around them. In fact, the cold water from the mud puddles feel amazing on hot, swollen feet from hours of running.

8. Don't bother changing at all! If my feet are wet, they will only get wet again within minutes of changing them. 

9. Vaseline on toes. I have lost 2 toenails from the impact of the 10+ hours of racing. I don't mind losing them, they are often seen as a 'badge of honor' in the Ultra community, but the care they require after tends to get annoying. 

10. No hydration pack. Yet, DO carry two hand held hydration bottles. Also, any GU's I will carry should only be in a fanny pack. 

11. Again, carry my splits expectations on me...not on a paper....maybe sharpie it on my arm. Maybe tape it to a water bottle, but certainly do not carry it on paper. 

12. Run thorough all streams, DO NOT try to hot from rock to rock. 

13. Wear pants, non-compression pants. 

14. No need to bring earphones.....no matter what, you need all your senses awake!!

15. Do wear a visor. It will help with rain and sun.

16. Do consume 200-250 calories every hour and consume electrolyte pills hourly. 

17. Do run ALL flats, no matter how rocky, no matter how slippery, no matter how wet and muddy. 

18. Have a picture taken alone at the finish line. 

19. Leave to go home before darkness sets in. 

IF.....I were to run West Virginia Trilogy- 50K again next October....what would I do different, or the same?

               So I am very much considering running the West Virginia Trilogy 50K race again next year. I have been thinking hard about what I would need to do different to have a PR (a personal best in time). Here is a list of what I would need to do to be better prepared. 

1. Twice a week do hill repeats lasting 45 minutes to an hour. The course is very hilly. I mean VERY hilly. Two of the mountains seem like you are climbing 45 degrees for half an hour each. 

2. Have a more solid base in running where I am running, before even FORMAL training begins, at least about 30 miles a week. Approximately 5 Tuesday, 5 wednesday, 5 Thursday, 12-15 Saturday. 

3. I would take both Thursday and Friday off again but this time leave home Thursday morning and get to the mountains during daylight and spend the night in a tent. This time around we got there very late and then we had about an hour an half drive to our hotel. If I tent right at the mountain, I can sleep better and be more relaxed in the morning. 

4. I need to shed a few pounds in order to improve my pace. I am currently working with www.Myfitnesspal.com to get me there. 

5. One run a week should be speed work. 

6. One run a week should be in the Rock Creek Trails. 

7. Run through all deep, muddy puddles, NOT try to run around them. In fact, the cold water from the mud puddles feel amazing on hot, swollen feet from hours of running.

8. Don't bother changing at all! If my feet are wet, they will only get wet again within minutes of changing them. 

9. Vaseline on toes. I have lost 2 toenails from the impact of the 10+ hours of racing. I don't mind losing them, they are often seen as a 'badge of honor' in the Ultra community, but the care they require after tends to get annoying. 

10. No hydration pack. Yet, DO carry two hand held hydration bottles. Also, any GU's I will carry should only be in a fanny pack. 

11. Again, carry my splits expectations on me...not on a paper....maybe sharpie it on my arm. Maybe tape it to a water bottle, but certainly do not carry it on paper. 

12. Run thorough all streams, DO NOT try to hot from rock to rock. 

13. Wear pants, non-compression pants. 

14. No need to bring earphones.....no matter what, you need all your senses awake!!

15. Do wear a visor. It will help with rain and sun.

16. Do consume 200-250 calories every hour and consume electrolyte pills hourly. 

17. Do run ALL flats, no matter how rocky, no matter how slippery, no matter how wet and muddy. 

18. Have a picture taken alone at the finish line. 

19. Leave to go home before darkness sets in. 

Last long run before first ever marathon

             We hear a lot about how runs have a way of deciding on their own how they will be. Some days you may come to the start of a workout with all the pieces you need to have a good run (good sleep, good nutrition, etc) and still have a crappy run. This was a great run until about the 2nd hour when I noticed I had left or dropped my bag of electrolyte/salt pills. I had no idea how essential they were until I noticed my energy quickly drop at mile 14. Normally, when I have only 6 miles left my mind happily thinks, "only 6 more miles."This time, the 6 miles seemed like a very long way to go to the finish. Nevertheless, I did finish the run.  The day was absolutely beautiful too, just enough cool air, no humidity, and the fall colors were everywhere. I passes over this bridge and could see the Marine Corps Marathon runners making their way. I also got to see tons of houses decorated for Halloween. Below is one of the most astonishing house I got to see. This one is on Massachusetts just north of the embassies. 

                 In 3 weeks I will attempt to run my first marathon ever. I think my strategy will be to take it slow and easy at the beginning and start in with music at the halfway point. I have never been to Philly in the daytime so I'm sure there will plenty to keep me busy and engaged. I will also be very diligent to hydrate often and get at least 200-250 calories per hour via Gu's or actual foods.  

                     On another note, I have also been accumulating a mental list of what I would do different if I were to do the West Virginia Trilogy 50K again next year. I try to get this list up soon. But a huge part of me is convinced that I may just do it again next year.....funny how ones mind works. The first thing I told my husband after coming back from my first ever 50K was, "That was the stupidest and most exciting thing I have ever done. But I don't think I will do it again." A day later, I started thinking about strategies I  could use to make myself go faster and the challenge started calling me. So, I think the thing with ultras is that the challenge is one you actually fear you might not get, so when you do the rewards are actually so much more rewarding. In my mind, I can do a marathon easy, but an ultra, will all the mud, unpredictable rocks, cliffs and distance is not a sure thing. THAT is what makes it so much more interesting than a marathon......the fact that it's not predictable, not a sure promise....it's a tease, a carrot that calls and calls....

West Virginia Trilogy -50K

               This journey begins somewhat roughly. Let's just say getting to the race was an endurance event all on its own. The weather has been very rainy for a day at this point. But even with the rain, I almost did not make it out the the race. My friend, who had agreed to come along with me, had to take her mom to the hospital the night before we were due to depart and I was getting mentally ready to go alone until she called to continue our plans. Therefore, the moons aligned and voila!, we were in my car headed to West Virginia. 

             The enchantment with the mountains quickly wore off as it got dark and we found ourselves driving on top of mountains with very little visibility due to fog/clouds, steep drops and lots of fast moving cars from obvious locals who were used to such conditions. 

         We soon discovered we were.....TADA!!! OFF the grid.....In fact we were off the grid 90% of the trip, no phone, no internet, no GPS. With the exception of the hotel which was in the town of Elkins, over an hour away.  

                  This is an image of the hotel room. The hotel, The Days Inn at Elkins, apparently use to be a hospital. Despite very low reviews was not bad at all. Maybe it was just because we were tired, but it was pretty much alright as a hotel, but its look brought me back to my kids' c-section births in hospitals. You see, at the time I had my c-sections (one on 2004 and another in 2007) I had felt my weakest ever. Not only did I feel like a failure at not being able to deliver my children naturally, as we had planned in both instances, but I also felt unable to do the most basic things afterwards for a long time. Ironically, this race made me feel my strongest, so it was a very interesting contrast to remember me at my weakest and be in that similar space at my strongest.

                The morning of the race it was still foggy and misty. This image below is the way the field looked right before countdown.

                  Spruce Knob Mountain is absolutely gorgeous. Even in it's foggy, soggy state you could not ignore it's stunning beauty. 

            Around mile 11, the lower back of my right thigh started to ache, it started small and got pretty intense very fast.  I knew exactly why this was happening. The tension held in my legs while driving for 7 hours in the mountains the day before had weakened those muscles. I tried several times to ignore the blunt pain and run  anyway but would lose my balance. I often found sticks to help me balance and chose to continue speed walking and half running where it seemed less slippery. 

                          Because of the enormity of the trail, the small number of runners (67 total, 21 of us females) and my slow pace, 80% of my time on the trail I was all alone in the forest. These randomly placed orange markers (see below) marked my 'path' and each time I saw them I got this surge of bliss. I did not want to get lost and seeing those markers meant I was AT least on target. Just catching a glimpse of them far away brought such a deep sense of relief each time. Understand that this being my first ever race over 13.1 miles, I was like deer in headlights and had I know all I did not know I would have never left my front door. I did do one other run in the woods before in Northern Virginia, but the technical nature of this race far surpassed any idea I held about it's difficulty. See elevation chart below. 

                  A lot of the single track looked like this.....wet, soggy, stony. Part of me wished there was no cut-off so I could actually stop and enjoy the beauty all around me. 

           Look at this amazing view. This is what the path looked like. Gorgeous, but not an actual path. 

                  I realized somewhat late that what most slowed me down was that for the first half of the race I was trying to avoid the mud. Only in seeing the deep shoe gouges in the mud did I begin to realize that the runners in front of me were actually just walking right through the mud. Only in the end when I began to realize that I might miss the cut-off did I begin to walk right into and through the mud puddles. My feet felt tired and swollen, so the gush of water from the mud that would enter my shoe each time felt terrific. In addition, the score of stream crossings also felt amazing on my feet. Ice cold water would rush into my shoe each time and make my feet feel amazing. I welcomed the many, many stream crossings, they helped clean off the mud and were icy mini foot spas. 

          Part of the rewards of making it to the top of any mountain is the view. The view below was amazing. Truly feeling on top of the world here. 

                    About 3 hours before my finish I met Gavin. A guardian angel sent from above. He was running behind me picking up the orange markers. Apparently I was the last runner. He became my companion for the last 7 miles and I am sure I would not have finished this race without him, at least not by the cut-off. Gavin has a deep love for the woods and I had an absolutely delightful time talking to him and learning all about the woods and all things running.

             To think that these woods are rarely seen made me feel like a nymph in the woods, part of some magical kingdom. Absolutely stunning and gorgeous everywhere you look.

            This is me.....tearing up already 2 miles from the finish, full knowledge that, HECK!!, I am going to actually finish this thing. It was a very emotional moment for me. As a new runner who has only been running for one year, who a little over a year ago could not even run one mile, this was a huge accomplishment.  The voices in my head had been telling me for months, 'you don't belong in these races', 'you won't finish', 'you will quit and not finish' and a part of me knew better. A part of me believed in magic. Therefore, to actually finish this race, that has terrified me for months, and had kept me awake many nights was more than I could handle. At the finish line the tears just came rolling down and it felt absolutely amazing. The cut-off was 10.5 hours and I  crossed the finish line at hour 10:29:45. To add to the emotions already pouring out of me, the amazing WV Trilogy Volunteers, who are seriously the most supportive folks on the planet in my book, were all at the finish line screaming my name and counting down, urging me one, as I sprinted like a crippled deer to the finish line. They alone make me want to come back and do this race again. They were amazingly supportive and not once did their belief in me flinch.

                     This is me at the finish line with one of my two guardian angels, Gavin. I was bawling and laughing and overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

            This is my other guardian angel, Jenna. Jenna and I have been friends since I was 19. We had a blast turning all creepy, odd, scary, tense moments into an adventure. I doubt she'll be coming with me to WV EVER again, but who knows, maybe like me, she'll begin dreaming of the gooooorgeous mountains and seeking a similar adventure next year. Besides, I need to cut that pace down not that I know what the heck I am doing. 

23 Miles Saturday, 9 Sunday.....getting there, slowly but surely

                                      I needed to report about my run this weekend. As always, doubt sets in during the week about whether I would ever be able to do this and I wake up Saturday morning with a huge knot in my stomach. The words, 'Will I be able to do this?' keeps coming up in my head and I promptly shut it down. I had most things ready the night before and slipped out of my apartment at 5:10am. The whole city slept and only a few cars were seen on the dark streets of Connecticut Avenue heading north. It felt absolutely peaceful and looked beautiful watching the sun rise over the next 2 hours. I was listening to an audiobook for the first half of my run and it made the time pass by so fast. Before I knew it, it was 11 miles in and I was sailing. At one point I passed this farmer's fruit stand and bought one giant peach and ate it while running. It was just what I needed after the repeated artificial flavors in the GUs began to get old. My path took me downtown where the 50th Anniversary King Speech was being celebrated. People were beginning to gather and I took some pictures. My course had to be adjusted some due to the street closures but I kept it strong. I ran from DC to Maryland and back to DC and instead of 22 miles I did 23 miles. I had miscalculated the milage and with all the street closures I was still 2 miles form home when I hit 23 miles. I know I could have easily run that extra 2 miles but did not want to jeopardize 'the mission'. So I made change at a pharmacy and got on the bus, all sweaty and smelly. I think back know and surely I must have looked odd. But I sat there glowing, in complete bliss knowing I had just run 23 miles....my longest ever.
                                        In some 50K training schedules, like mine, a second long run is called for the next day. I had thought it was 8 miles, which is what it's been for the past few weeks, but this time it was 10!! I decided to run 9 seeing as I had run 23 and not 22 the day before, and that way the total milage would be true to the planned schedule. I was worried that the next day I'd be in total pain and run like an injured duck, but I was actually faster than my normal pace for this distance. I took on some hills pretty powerfully too and was flying on the second half of my run.
                                      I am not sure what made my healing process much faster. I think these long runs in a row allow your body to heal faster. I always take a LONG hot soak right after any long runs, and both my hubby (who is also a runner) and I swear by the long hot soak. I took a hot soak after both runs and I felt perfect in the evening. Not even sleepy, not lethargic, not weak the way I use to after a long run. So it occurred to me that yes, I must be getting stronger. I do drink tons of water all day long and always carry a bottle with me everywhere and I also drink about 30oz of self-made veggie/fruit juice daily, without fail. Anyway, I am a teacher and start school back up today and feel just fine. I have a few other things to share about my finding about the right shoe to share, but since it's time for me to get ready for work, it will have to wait. Have a great run! see you later.

Update on Training for my First 50K in the Fall- Week 5 of 16

             I am 2 days away from completing week 5 of my 16-week 50K training I designed for myself. These next 2 running days, Saturday and Sunday will be very telling of whether or not I will actually be able to do this race. You see, Saturday, I am due to run 18 miles, and 8 on Sunday. Remember, for ultra races the trainings call for 'running on tired legs', hence the long miles Sunday after the long, long run. We are still in New York, at my mom's, and there are no hills and although the training calls for running on hills, at least once a week, I have not been able to do them at all for 3 weeks now. Those 'hill' muscles will have a rude awakening when I go back to DC; I guess I'll have to take it real slow at first. Anyway, things have been going very well otherwise. Been doing my miles and staying on with the schedule.

                Running in and around my mom's in Freeport, Long Island has been different to say it mildly. There are basically NO runners anywhere on the street. Occasionally I have caught a glimpse of a lone runner at large parks, but oddly enough, they all run wearing weights, humongous backpacks, or sweatshirts in 90 degree weather, in the MIDDLE of the day. Yeap, totally crazy, I know. While running on the bike path that leads to the beach though one will see just a tad more runners than on the streets, oh and walkers too. Mostly people on bikes though, going very fast, just zooming past you as if they were racing at the Tour de France, then a lot of walkers and a sprinkling of runners. I miss my hills in DC and mostly I miss my trail runs in Rock Creek. I can't wait to get back home to run on MY streets, but I am also having a blast here at my mom's....

               Wish me luck on my run this Saturday. 18 miles. Never run that long or far before and I am pumped. Being a mom, I am planning on going to bed early and start running at 5am. I have not quite figured out my route yet, there are pockets of areas that are not too safe feeling for a woman in general, so, I figured staying on a larger road might be the best option. Will update on both runs Sunday.

50K training: Terrified, Yet Determined

                       I am both terrified and determined concerning my 50K training that began this week. There were a few days right after I paid for registration in which I simply felt this was all a terrible idea and I was very ready to just call and cancel. As a way to help me figure out what I should do next, I began researching 50K trainings online and decided that I could easily combine the parts of each that I liked to make my own training plan and came up with this one. It takes into account the fact that I already run long miles every weekend and the fact that I have already have a solid running on which to build on. I am also fully trusting that, although I can't imagine myself doing 31 miles now, that as I faithfully follow the training program in the next 16 weeks I should see myself get stronger. For now I will try my best to keep up with my training days and not get injured as I increase my weekly miles. 

Started on my 50K training schedule!

                         Started my 50K training schedule. It will be 17 weeks long. It's modeled after this one I found online at http://running.competitor.com/files/2012/11/46_nat_r1.pdf . It's amazing how much easier it is to convince myself to get up in the morning to run when I am following a program. Inside, I am still very undecided about whether or not this race will take place, yet, I am at the moment determined to give it my best shake and not get scared off my resolve. Trying hard not to stress over the logistics of getting to a race at 7am-ish that is 3 hours away, etc.....will need to work out the details as I get closer to the date and if I am able to stay on course. I am depending on being able to have more time this summer to keep up the miles.
                           Last week I was about to call and cancel my registration. I got scared all of the sudden. The enormity of the miles got to me and I needed to allow myself to be unsure for a couple of days in order to work it all out in my head. But this week, I am less fearful of the milage and more determined to get it done, even if I have to walk the whole way! Besides, unlike some 50Ks I researched this one does not have a cut-off. In the meantime, all I have to worry about is covering my miles, doing the training schedule as listed to the best of my ability and not getting injured as I up the miles in the coming weeks and months.

Decided on my first 50K!!!

Okay, I am super exited and yet, super nervous....my name should be under the list of entrants soon.

Finally found a great 50K to do in the fall. It's the West Virginia Trilogy 50K.

Here are some links I found that give more info....anyone else interested in running and training for it with me? Obviously we would not be able to train together, but it would be nice to go through the training process with other people.

Online info:

***A blog entry: http://www.ultratrailgoddess.com/2011/10/wv-trilogy-50k-race-report.html

***Race report from official site: http://www.wvmtr.org/events/west-virginia-trilogy/kathy-wolf-race-report-10/

***And another race report from the official site: http://www.wvmtr.org/events/west-virginia-trilogy/diana-st-charles-race-report-10/ 

***and yet another: http://wvultrarunner.blogspot.com/2010/10/wv-trilogy-2010-co-rd-report.html http://wvultrarunner.blogspot.com/2010/10/wv-trilogy-2010-co-rd-report.html