Sierra Nevada Endurance Run 50 miler

Yesterday was the Sierra Nevada Endurance Run 50 mile race and marathon. I raced the 50 mile with friend Kara and Sam raced the marathon as a training run to prep for Dick Collins Fire Trails in 2 weeks. I signed Sam up for the race on Friday and apparently my handwriting messed up her registration so CONGRATS to Sam on her 12th place in the men's 40-49. (should have been 4th place in the women's, KILLER!)

For this race I was worried about 2 things. 1) Heat and 2) every muscle in my body seizing up and not letting go. For the past 3 weeks I have been so tight in my back and hips that I thought 50 miles might turn me into a mannequin. The heat came to be, the mannequin pose never happened but I did turn into another mall staple, the mall walker!

First things first, the heat. Turns out we got lucky and it was forecast to be 15 degrees cooler than the day before of 105. Whew. Still way to hot for this girl.

All smiles.

The race started at 6:30 am and I was sweating in no time. I knew this was going to be tough. The course was amazing with rolling hills, nothing big but no real flat either. There was rock formations, gorgeous water and great vegetation to make the trail fantastic. All was well into mile 10. Into mile 18 too, then we started up the hill and that is when it got hot. This was an ordinary hill I wouldn't normally think twice about but it made my core temperature sore just from power hiking. A flat section before mile 22 helped me run again and it felt okay.

Sam cools off at one of the aid stations. Ultrarunning centerfold! Photo courtesy of Brian.

Then it just got hot. HOTAHOTHOT. Yes, I am a wimp around heat but boy I was woozy. I had ice, sponge baths and dreamed of slurpees but really I was barely under the threshold for cooking my brain. I had to walk slow to keep from fainting. I was so excited to see Brian at mile 28 to pace me, something to take my mind of things!

The 2 mile canal along the route was awesome for cooling down. Mile 29.

I jumped into water twice during the race and it was worth all the delay it caused for sure. I felt like a pig wallowing in the mud but for sure it saved me. I never had issues with tightness all day but I did have some sort of Achilles flare up that slowed me down to mall walker pace but hey, I was moving! I won't go on and on about that because really, who knows what happened and why but I moved on (at a barely detectable pace for some of it but always made forward progress).

In the end another PW! 12 hours and 20 minutes. Right after the finish superstar Jessica, crew chief for my last 50, called thinking I wasn't checking in with her, never thinking that it could have taken me that long. Ha, I was so happy to tell you I wasn't dead! So this summer I have run a personal worst at the marathon, 50k and 50 mile and I never have learned more.

From this race I realized:

• I often kid around blaming genetics for my slow speed and poor athletic talents but really I am blessed with the ability to eat anything at anytime. Maybe better than the ability to run fast when you are an ultrarunner!
• I am tougher than I think I am. Cool.
  
• My brain is my strongest muscle. I better make sure I keep it on a good workout plan!
  
• 50 miles is far and 90 degrees is hot, so if it takes me 12 hours, well still better than dropping or not starting at all!
• Running slow is still running, grace isn't always with you and getting it done is what counts.
  
• It all means nothing if you can't share it with friends. Thanks to everyone for the calls, emails, texts, good thoughts. I am so lucky.

PS- a shout out to my pacer, Brian. Brian is the best partner, boyfriend, pacer ever. He was encouraging without being annoying, helped me dig deep when I wanted to kick something and made me feel proud of my accomplishment even if it was a tad on the slow side. Nice job Brian at your longest run (by time) ever!