After reaching a new goal, I find that it isn’t a bad idea to jot down some notes about the experience. So here it goes...
I had signed up for Boulder Field 50k in December 2017 along with my husband Scott who signed up for the 18 miler as a hike. With 9-months to prepare for both of us... I really wasn’t too worried about either of us finishing the miles. For Scott this was going to be his longest distance and considering his heart issues this was going to be an awesome goal. Our friend Kelly was signing up as a hiker and considering her medical background that provided a level of comfort. As my second 50k, I felt confident finishing... I just wasn't sure how fast I could do it. Really excited for both of us! I might have been more excited for Scott than he was for himself.
2018 turned out to be a pretty turbulent year for Scott. Without going into all the details, he was in and out of the hospital with some heart related issues (pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and another heart attack). We weren’t sure if he was going to be able to do this hike after all. But if you want to meet a bad ass, Scott is that guy. He recovered and walked his way back to where he was going to be able to do this! As for me, I had been doing training that was attempting to keep my heart rate low for most of my miles. I’d save up my hard miles for the weekends when I’d meet up with some amazing athletes who always pushed me outside my comfort zone. Between the PennyPack Trail Runners Group and the Montco Runners Green Lane crew, they really helped me improve. Plus, they always provided many miles of smiles and ad hoc yoga on the trails and Brownies... can’t forget the brownies!
Fast forward to race day... I had been stalking weather sites for the days leading up so I was mentally prepared to encounter humidity (again). Confident in my outfit choice and the ginger braid crown to keep my hair from smacking me in the back, I was ready to go! 7am race start - let’s do this! Scott and I exchanged hugs and he knew my goal was to try and catch him before he finished. The course is basically a figure eight. The 50K does a 12-13 mile loop back to the start and then continues on for the last 18 which is the route for the 18-milers. The 18-milers started 30 minutes later. I know you aren’t supposed to have time goals in these types of races... but I did. I wanted to get in under 6 hours as my aggressive goal. 6:20 was doable but tough and 6:40 was very attainable. If I pushed for 6, maybe I could catch Scott!
I knew that the first loop was going to be the more difficult section. I had planned to hold back some, but alas I never can seem to do that. I always seem to go into races with the intention of going out easy...it has yet to happen. My adrenaline always takes over and before I knew it we were at the first aid station 5 miles in. I forget exactly where the first creek crossing was, but I recall the line of people trying to carefully balance across the rocks. I always chuckle to myself as I just splosh through the deepest section I can find and pass them all. You are going to get wet and muddy - the race director made that abundantly clear during the morning announcements. Embrace it! After the first aid station you have to go out on an approximately 5 mile loop then make your way back to the same aid station. They have a fun bridge that sways a bit going over it. I used the bridge the first time and the second time I opted to cool off and skip the bridge = fun!! I was super excited that the aid station had some sort of orange drink which I thought was Fanta soda! A recent run with some amazing ultra runners introduce me to the feeling of Fanta soda at 16 miles. Amazing is all I can say. So I thought, OMG FANTA!! However, it was only Gatorade. I was sorely disappointed!
During that first 10, I had resigned myself to the fact that under 6 probably wasn’t going to happen unless I found some less technical stretches to really plow through. I normally love to run down hills super fast, but at the first decline I noticed that it was a bit slippery on the rocks. A little too slick for me, so I opted to forego the rapid descent in an effort to maintain my life and limbs. I had settled in for a bit chatting with a gentleman who was go-proing... I think he has video of my feet sploshing through the mud. The trail was so well marked, I only had one questionable spot just before the shades of death where I wasn’t totally sure which way to go. Luckily a hiker with his dog came around the corner and I asked if he saw runners and pink ribbons and he did! The Shades of Death is so beautiful. Lots of rocks and roots to traverse.. so much fun! As we left the Shades of Death, I was slowing down a bit. It felt like a cruel incline that wasn’t giving up as we made our way back to the start line to take on the second loop. My left ankle was a little shaky and had already slipped a few times. I mentally yelled at it and told it to behave. I ended up chatting with a young kid who was doing his first 50K which helped to pass the time. Once I got back to the start line, I refilled my drink in order to head out for the last 18 miles on the hunt to catch Scott!
As I made my way to the first section of trail I was excited to stretch out my legs with some faster running until I reach what looked like a very long stretch of soup with floating boards. Thinking back to my first 50k, the Dirty German monsoon, I thought that maybe I just bring mud and water to these events? Typically I just hop in the mud, but I was trying to conserve energy and make up time so I was going to try to use the boards. But alas those boards just sunk. So I opted to hike it. The next set of miles leading to the infamous Boulder Field were a strange mix. I had a few miles were I was able to really run, and then there were sections where you had to mind your step. I mentally went back and forth between finding it annoying and fun. I looked around at one point and noticed I was pretty much by myself, yet I kept hearing this sloshing noise. Then I realized it was my stomach! Note to self: work on not drinking TOO much fluids! I am always thirsty it seems. So I have been trying to just swoosh water in my mouth and spit it out. The coke was so good at the aid stations that I think I downed too many of them!
Boulder Field was amazing! There was a younger pair of runners who had passed me earlier that were in the field traversing it already. I was given advice to not overthink it, and try to use the smaller boulders. Before I knew it, I was passing those two. They commented that I was doing a better job than they were and I replied “Thank you but don’t jinx me!” They don’t know I’m actually a serious klutz! I wasn’t exactly floating but I actually felt graceful. After the Boulder Field I looked at the aid station and saw Bacon! I wanted that bacon.. but my stomach was telling me no thanks. So I filled up on a diluted Gatorade (not Fanta) and headed out.
I struggled for a bit after the boulder field but ran into my friend Kelly who was hiking. I gave her a sweaty hug and that perked me up. She said she hadn’t seen Scott since the start as she had to go back to change her shoes. I thought maybe he was just up ahead and I could catch him yet!! Miles 22 - 26, I am not sure how it happened but I felt pretty awesome. I think it was the fact that we were sailing down a nice gradual decline and in the middle of all that there was this neat tunnel with a stream that I got to sit and kneel in. The runner in front of me just sort of chuckled... as I knelt down and washed my face and I exclaimed.. “AMAZING!” It gave me a nice refreshing jolt (and this time my phone was up higher on my vest! I sort of sat in a creek before with my phone and accidentally saturated it). Then I remembered it was a race, so I got up and continued on and quickly caught up to the guy who left me in the water, literally. There was one other spot on my journey, don’t recall exactly where, .. but I came upon on a man and his son. The man turned to his son and said, “watch for the runner”... I said thanks as I passed them and then basically dove into the creek. I heard him say to his son, “Look at the runner in the water!” It amused me tremendously as I felt like an animal in the zoo. “Son, look at the silly runner rolling in the water. Just don’t feed them.” Okay he didn’t say that, but it would have been funnier if he did.
Coming up to the mile 26 aid station or thereabouts, the guy held out his hands asking for my water bottle to fill. As he topped me off with a Gatorade/water mix, he expressed confidently to me and the three other runners there that the course was short and we only had 4.5 miles to go. I looked at my Garmin which I think missed some miles and said to the guy, “you wouldn’t lie to us?” He assured us he would not. I will forever think of that as the Liars aid station because the last miles seem to take forever. As I made it out of the aid station, I caught up to one girl who also heard the proclamation of only 4.5 more miles. We chatted a little, as we both seemed to enjoy the idea of only 4.5 more miles. I ended up passing her for a bit but knew she and the two others from the aid station were right behind me so that kept me moving. I kept yelling back to her and the two others who were with us in the last stretch, please just shout if you want to pass. They declined. I guess I was their rabbit for a little. And then we got to the hill that felt like it made the green lane hill a zit on it’s back. It just never ended. The go-pro guy caught up and passed us somewhere in this section. He asked if I ever caught my husband. I told him no and he declared awesome for my husband and headed off. Somewhere in this section was the only other spot where I was a little confused about which way to go. It really was clearly marked, with pink tape hanging from the trees, I just couldn’t make out that a trail was really there. Thankfully the folks I had been running with called me back to put me on the proper trail!
The last few miles were tough and I came upon one of my running buddies from the Green Lane trails who is a powerhouse. Unfortunately it wasn’t his day and his knees were hurting. We chatted for a few until I was able to muster up some strength to push on for the last bit. Although, I’d swear by now we were 8 miles past the liar’s aid station we were hitting the last stretch! I could see promise of a finish line soon and then WTF was that? It felt like someone stabbed me in my lower right ab!! Every step hurt. I walked a few steps hoping it would settle.. it was a little better but it still felt horrible. A few runners nearby encouraged me to push on. I thought to myself, as I had several times throughout the race, embrace the suck. There are people you know and love who are suffering everyday and they have no choice but to go through things they can’t avoid. You paid to be here and suffer. Just get it done. Embrace that suck... and somehow I did and managed to cross the finish line as fast as I could.
I never did catch Scott. He was waiting for me at the finish line. As I was handed my finishers award they asked my age and told me I was 1st place Female Masters! I was stunned, I am still stunned. I even went back and double checked that they didn’t get it wrong. They insisted the award was in fact mine to take home. I ended just under 6:20.. my middle goal. It was a fun and beautiful race. Totally worth the suck!
