The Glorious Runners High at the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k

Taken from my Garmin watch via Garmin Connect.

Friends, the 50k was spectacular.  I was in no way prepared for the hills or the distance, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the fantastic runner's high that went along with it.  I was so in love with running, with my friends, and with life all day on Saturday.

The event truly started Friday evening, when I headed into the city with Beth and Richard for packet pick up; an informational meeting hosted by the North Face; and dinner with team B.A.L.L.S. (for Beth, Amy, Laura, Laura, and Sora), friends, and significant others.  We all stayed in the city that night (thanks Tim!), so that we could be near the race-day shuttles that would carry us across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin for the race.  You really can't beat a pre-race slumber party as you're surrounded by friends and have no time for nerves.  (We also had a slumber party before the LA Cancer Challenge 5k - good times!)

Saturday morning was chilly, and the weather forecast called for rain.  The sun was expected to rise about the same time as the race was supposed to start, so we huddled at the start/finish area in the dark hoping for good weather.

Alex took this shot of the start/finish area that morning. 

The team before the race. 

The reward at the end. 

At 7 am the race was off.  I ran step-for-step with one of the Lauras, chatting on the flats and down hills. We figured that if we were able to hold a conversational pace, then we weren't going out too fast.

It was a hilly course, and I had been told that even professional ultra runners walk the uphills, but my goal was to run as much of the race as I could, even if my uphill running pace was not much faster than a walk.  Together, Laura and I ran up the first few hills and then slid down the muddy down hills.  We said a quick hi to Alex and Richard, our wonderful cheerleaders and crew captains, at mile four.  Before we knew it, we were making our way up the 1500-foot climb to the crest of Mt. Tam.  I led the way for a good group of runners, keeping a steady but realistic pace all the way up.  We got to say hello again to Alex and Richard at the top.

After the crest, things got harder.  Rain, mud, and poor footing meant we had to really slow down over portions of the race.  There was a long stretch of stairs that were just impossible to run up.  And, while the first part of the race flew by, the portion after the crest crept by.  We thought we were at mile 22, meaning we were in the single digits for miles left (nine), when we were actually somewhere around mile 18 or 19.

Since I knew I wasn't truly prepared for this race, I had taken a lot of sugary gels early on.  I thought the extra calories would make up for my poor training and keep me from crashing as quickly.  Unfortunately, what I think all of the sugar did was freak my stomach out.  I stopped being able to take in sugars or fluids about the time we left the crest of Mt. Tam, which was not even half way into the race.  I did my best to keep running, figuring that I would eventually absorb everything.  When the stomach cramps got really bad, I asked Laura to lead so that I wouldn't have to focus on pace as well as keeping my pain in check.  She was wonderful and kept us going right at the same pace.

The cramps passed (literally, unfortunately) just before the big climb around mile 23, about the same time that we discovered we were miles farther back than we'd expected.  That particular hill was a mud slide. We'd take one step up and slide a half a step back.  I ended up on the edge of the road, pulling myself up using the dry and craggily bushes lining the path.  At this point I lost Laura.  I was feeling good now that my stomach was no longer cramping, and I was determined to get up that hill.  Laura said she was going to take it a bit more slowly, so I pushed ahead.  I figured she'd catch me on the downhill anyway.  I kept pace with an old guy with a Juneau shirt and a woman with a tiny water backpack.  We'd been running "together"since the beginning, so it was fun to push each other up.  The old guy was a pro at walking up hills.  I learned that when people say even professional ultra runners walk up hills, what they mean is that they sprint walk up hills.  He was so good at walking up the hills that I was simply happy that I could still run up hills faster than his sprint walk.

Alex and Richard were waiting around mile 25, in the valley between the last two big hills.  When I got to Alex, I finally gave myself permission to walk.  We walked through the aid station, while I tried to explain that I hadn't been able to take in fluids since mile 15.  We switched out my sugary water for plain water and then I was on my way.

Unfortunately, giving myself permission to walk at that aid station meant that I had a difficult time pushing myself to hold a run during the last major hill.  I would run for a minute, then walk for a minute.  Eventually, I was alternating between running for 30 seconds and walking for a couple of minutes.  Finally, I was just walking.  Once I crested the final hill, I promised myself no more walking.  And, I kept that promise.

I finished the race in 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 25 seconds.  I was sandwiched in between the Lauras, who finished 25 minutes ahead of me (she rocks!) and three minutes behind me (so close!).

We were all rainbows and unicorns at the finish from the flood of endorphins coursing through our brains.  I can see why ultras are addicting.  We were definitely high.  We danced, ate, screened our running shirts, traded stories about the race, and laughed at Alex in the hurricane simulator.

The race course was beautiful, and the experience was spectacular.  I'd definitely run a 50k again, but next time I'd actually train for it!  It would be fun to compete!