I was down there to see most of the race, and it was so interesting to see the type of people who enter 50- and 100-mile races. It's a different breed, for sure.
Even though I wasn't racing, it was an honor to be there to see so many people accomplish a task that seems insurmountable. Special thanks to my Mom who stayed with the kids so I could go down and help out Zach and Mark!
I interviewed Zach before the race (see that post here), and I wanted to do a follow-up to get his reaction about how he thought the race went.
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Honestly, it was easier. It was probably still the hardest physical thing I've ever done, but it was still easier than I anticipated.
In what ways did you think it would be harder?
I thought I'd be dealing with cramps and muscle fatigue to the point of not being able to run, but I didn't have issues with either one.
What was hardest part about it?
The duration of dealing with being uncomfortable -- on the verge of pain. If you take Vertical Plyo (from the Insanity: The Asylum program), there are 20 minutes in that workout that are worse pain than what I felt during the 50 miles. The difference is that in Vertical Plyo, I know a break is coming, whereas during the run I knew that I was going to be uncomfortable for a long time.
How did you fuel your body before and during the race?
I typically eat a really healthy diet anyway, so I didn't change a lot leading up to the race. My pre-race meal was pretty much what I've always eaten before a race, which is oatmeal, fruit, and Grape Nuts. Also right before the race I took some E&E (Energy and Endurance formula).
During the race my biggest concern was taking in calories early, so I began eating at the first aid station three miles in. There was an aid station every three to four miles, and my strategy was to deplete my water bottle by the time I reached the next aid station. Then get some food at each station. Typically it was bananas or peanut butter and jelly. Later in the race as I started having trouble wanting to eat anything I changed over to eating gels.
You said by the end of the race you felt bloated from eating so much.
It may have been either an overeating, overhydrating, or too much sodium, but I did feel bloated. However, I wanted to err on the side of too much hydration and sodium in fear of cramping, especially considering it was unusually warm (temperatures were in the 70s).
What was the atmosphere like on the course with the runners?
The first lap everyone is very happy and cheerful. Everyone is talking and encouraging each other. That decreased with each lap, and by the time you're past about 16 miles there was very little talking. The course starts to thin out and you see more people walking. Facial expressions turned from enjoyment to determination or pain.
How did the dynamics between you and your running partner change throughout the race?
Similar to what happened with everyone on the course...we started out excited and had a plan in place to take turns who would lead, alternating at each station. Halfway through the race we weren't saying much to each other, and when we did it was abrupt and to the point, almost to the point of being rude. Our plan took a back seat and whomever felt like leading would take the lead.
Tell me about some of the strange things you saw on the course.
Two things stand out. Coming back in on our second loop, a young woman was walking toward us going the opposite direction on the trail, and she was pumping her breasts with a portable breast pump. Later at an aid station I saw her again with another young woman and a small baby that I assume was hers, and she was pumping again. It was early enough in the race that I knew I couldn't possibly be hallucinating, but I did ask Mark if he just saw what I saw. All I can say is that is some serious dedication!
The other thing happened about halfway through the third and final loop, I heard a commotion in the brush off the trail, and a 250-pound feral pig comes out of the brush running parallel to me along the trail. He overtook me, thank goodness, and crossed in front of me over the trail. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I knew I didn't have the energy to take on the pig or get out of the way, so I just kept running. I think we just woke him up. At this point it was possible that I was hallucinating, but Mark screaming behind me, "Watch out for that pig!" reassured me that I was not.
Your goal was to run 50 miles in less than 10 hours. You made it with two minutes to spare. Tell me about the last 28 minutes of the race.
On the first two laps we found a landmark that gave us a good estimate of a 30-minute mark to the finish line. We knew we could use it to gauge our finish time at the end of the race. On the final lap we crossed that landmark at 9 hours, 31 minutes. I told Mark we had to put the hammer down to make it in 10, and he said "take off, I'm right behind you." We ran the last 30-minute section in 27 minutes on our final lap to come in under 10.
How did you feel when you crossed the finish line?
It was very emotional. I was very excited about completing it. I think part of the issue is that there are so many points in the race when you think, "Why am I doing this? I should just stay here at the aid station and eat some of this food." There are so many temptations to quit. Only 85% of people who started the 50-mile completed it, and just 67% completed the 100-mile. I felt like I just learned a lot about what you're capable of accomplishing if you put your mind to it.
When you finished your 50-miles, how did you feel that there were 100-mile participants who were only halfway through? They still had 50 miles to go.
I had two completely opposite thoughts and feelings. One that I was very thankful that I was done, but the other was a feeling that there are people still running out there, and maybe I should be joining them.
Does that mean you're thinking about trying a 100?
I haven't decided yet. I think I would like to try a 50 again first. There are some things I could have done differently to make it a better experience, even though for a first time this was pretty amazing.
I'm thankful that my wife came down to take care of me. I appreciate her support even when she doesn't understand why I'm doing something.
How was that pancake breakfast the next morning?
It was awesome. I had two pancakes with pecans baked into them, covered in syrup, along with two fried eggs and hash browns.
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Workout of the Day
It's a recovery week (obviously!), so we just did a 20-minute "Flow" yoga routine from Les Mills Pump.
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