12/6/08 North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miles Race Report

3:00 AM

Of course, I did not sleep well but did manage to get some in before the alarm woke us all up. I immediately scooped some coffee into the press and emptied instant oatmeal packets into a mug before heading to the lobby to fill both with hot water. Dressing for a race is always such an odd moment because I am so dry and fresh at the moment but know that at the end of the day, my body and clothing will be completely wrung out in ways I cannot even imagine.

We drove to the shuttle drop off (thanks to Ruth, who is an AMAZING navigator pretty much anywhere she goes) and I got on one bus while Cheryl and Ruth got on the spectator one. We were dropped off in the pitch dark and filed into the start/finish line area.

After a quick race meeting, we were off at 5:00 AM. All 172 (38 women) of us in the pitch black with our headlamps as the only light. It was a very low key start with everyone jogging easily and chatting. We started to spread out pretty quickly and all I could see was the outline of the mountains, the stars overhead and little lights from the faster runners bobbing ahead to indicate the road ahead.

I did embrace this part of the run but wished after an hour for the sun to rise so I could see beyond the tiniest ring of light from my headlamp. During my first rest stop, I really was not hungry for anything but circled back to grab some food after remembering Cheryl's gentle supportive words "If you don't eat, I will shove it down your throat..." Continuing on, we were treated to some of the most stunning views and got to see and hear the waves crash as we ran along a technical rocky path on a steep sea cliff.

Cheryl and Ruth were waiting for me at the rest stop at mile 18 and I was sad to see that they were freezing after waiting for so long. For a moment, I felt guilty because it took me so long to get there but I knew I was keeping a reasonable pace and the elevation was already more difficult for me than I had imagined. I had 12 miles to go before coming back to that same rest stop at mile 30 when Cheryl would run with me, so I dropped off my long sleeve shirt and gloves as I headed out.

There I hit the most brutal descent and at one point, there was a LADDER. Apparently it is famous but it was not super easy on tired shaky legs. I took it backwards.

After descending into what seemed to be the bowels of the earth, we ascended for a very long time through a beautiful trail with switchbacks where I got to see the roots of trees, and then the tops of those trees and over and over again.

After a seemingly unending out and back (sensing a theme here?), I finally made it to the rest stop where I got to pick up Cheryl at Mile 30, who paced me for the next 14 miles. I also got to see Katie and how already wound up she was :) and knew I would need her energy for the last leg.

We set off descending right away and picked up another runner, Nikki who had gotten lost and fallen a couple of times and decided to stick with us for a while. Side note: My knees and quads are actually beginning to ache as I type this two days later! Cheryl kept us moving and eating and drinking and when it was flat, we got a nice pace going. During the second half of that leg, I started to get slower and slower as the hills continued and my right IT Band started to, what I can only describe as "seize up" creating a lot of pain in my right knee especially during descents. Cheryl kept going telling me stories about her endurance events (she is a very accomplished athlete who still holds unbeaten world records 20 some years later). I figured that if she could tough it out without many of the conveniences we enjoy, then I could suck it up for one day.

She really pulled me through the last part (through tears and all) and I am so grateful for her encouragement and techniques to help me manage the pain while moving forward although I got no energy whatsoever from that stupid bush we passed ;). Four and a half hours later, we finally finished our 14 miles together and made it to the aid station at mile 44.

She happily handed me over to Katie with instructions that I did not pay attention to as I tried to stall as much as I could by sampling anything I could at the aid station table. Katie finally dragged me away, and bounced up the hill like Tigger while I reluctantly followed. Her friend Hans, mentioned after that he knew there would be trouble when they saw Katie running up the hill and me, much further behind not walking at any great speed.

The sun was setting just as we started out and as the light disappeared as our contest of wills began. Me, wanting to walk, preferably stand still and whine. Katie, wanting to finish this 6 miles before the next day. She tried lots of motivational talk and ideas, and I rejected many of them straight out although after a while, I was just too tired to argue and just let my legs try to follow. The pain in my right leg got worse and a couple of times, I would just yelp with pain and could not move another inch. Until, of course I did move that painful inch and then another and then another.

There were a few times when she would say something like "at this marker, we are going to get moving" and I would respond incredulously "but I AM moving" and really was to the best of my ability.

My running pace at that point was equal to a brisk walk for her. Almost 2 hours later, we finally hit the finish line because of her persistence and I am so grateful for my amazing support staff, who surprised me with t-shirts and carried me through the entire race in one way or another. It takes a village to get me through 50 miles and 10,700 feet of elevation.

No, I do not plan to run 100 miles anytime soon but I will do another 50 miles, maybe one with a little less elevation...