The Five Essential Keys to Staying on Course on a Trail Race and not Getting Lost

"I'm not lost for I know where I am. But where I am may be lost." 

Winnie the Pooh 

Sometimes when I run, it feels so good that I am almost lost in the euphoria.  This was one of those moments.  I was on a new half marathon trail race and was in a good stride cruising downhill through the forest. There is not a better feeling for me than running in nature carefree and loving Mother Nature.  Nothing could break this euphoric feeling I was positive.  Then I looked around and saw no trail markers and said to myself “where the f@#!& are the trail markers! Oh crap am I lost again?” I turned around and looked uphill and saw another runner coming down the hill.  Thank God, I thought to myself.  When she came up to me I said “Where is the trail?” She looked at me with a perplexed look on her face “I have no idea I was just following you!”  I was a little miffed I mean we are lost and it is my fault but could you somehow make me not feel so stupid! I regained my composure and said “You made a big mistake.”

I looked around.  We could go back uphill but I was not really liking that option.  I scanned the forest and luckily it was mature forest with the trees spread apart and I spied another runner not far from us.  He was moving slowly but steadily. He at least looked like he knew where he was going.  When we met up with him he showed us the trail blazes.  It was slow going.  The trail was not a well-worn path and all three of us spent our time searching for the next trail blaze.

In that few minutes, when I realized that I had missed a marker, thought another runner could help only to find we were lost together, yet to recover with the aid of another runner I had experienced three of the five essential keys of trail racing about staying on course.  Two were broken and one was followed.

In my work, I have driven to every corner of my home state of New Jersey, and I pride myself on my great sense of direction. I do not having to rely on some GPS APP to get me to a destination.  Yet on trail races I have not been as fortunate.  I have made wrong turns, stopped and backtracked because I am sure I must have missed a turn, often I slow up, because I am nervous that I have not seen a race marker in a longtime and begin to question myself.

So, if you are a trail runner who has experienced a few mishaps of losing your way than these essential keys will make your race more pleasurable.  If you are a road runner thinking about doing a trail race you can use this as a guide so that you are better prepared.

1)      Pay Attention! -  As runners we all love being in the zone.  The running feels free and easy. It is almost mindless and meditative.  That is fine on your regular training runs but not in a trail race. That was my first mistake in my example.  You must always be on the lookout for trail markers or ribbons, whatever the race is using to guide the racers.  Seems easy but as you run on uneasy terrain you also have to look down or you might take a header. Like me if you might miss a slight turn because the path seems to go straight. The forest is full of false trails and unmarked trails. I always tell people who are road runners, that are doing a trail race that you have to assume that your pace will be slower because of the terrain. I always forget to tell them it will be slower because sometimes you have to stop and ask for directions.  Even the best runners make mistakes. Elite ultra-trail runner Jim Walmsley famously got lost while leading the pack in the Western States 100 because he flew by a turn because he was running so fast.  (Not an excuse I can use.)

2)      Do Not Follow Anyone Blindly – That was the woman’s mistake who followed me.  We tend to assume that all the other runners know where they are going.  Sometimes you like their pace and they are almost like your personal pacer. I was in a trail race where the lead pack made a wrong turn not even half a mile into the race but luckily someone just behind them kept on the right route but they were rather embarrassed. I will also note that this is good advice for life in general. Do not follow anyone blindly.

3)      Group Think is Helpful – This is what happened when we came upon the third runner.  Even though he was on course it was a difficult trail to follow and our pace was slow in large part because we had to always pause, before we found the next trail marker. This has happened to me in a race in Utah in which the terrain was comprised of slick rock and was up and down so it was difficult finding the trail ribbons.  There were four of us running and pausing and it was much faster to have four pair of eyes searching for the next ribbon than just one. See the next rule for another bonus to group think.

4)      Listen to the Race Director – Before every race the race director will describe the course and how it is marked. He or she will also describe maybe some tricky parts of the course. Almost all, of which you will completely forget when you start running. You will come upon a spot with two colored trails and you can’t remember if he said stay on the red trail or leave the red trail by the lake? This is where group think can be helpful because if there are four of you in cluster there is better chance that one person remembers. In addition, if they are an experienced race director they will say it in such a way, that it leaves you with the distinct knowledge only a complete dolt would get lost.  This of course will make you feel even worse when you go off trail. You are not only lost but you are obviously a dolt.

5)      Everything looks the Same and Different – It is amazing especially in shorter races that the terrain you are running on all looks the same whether it is a dense forest or desert floor you may run a few miles without any distinguishing landmarks like a mountain view or a lake. So if you go off course you may not know it right away.  Many races use ribbons (Pink is a favorite color) and I always get nervous when it seems like a longtime since I saw ribbon. On that race in Utah as we were running through the slick rock one of the runners said “Are we going in circles? This looks familiar.” We were not going in circles but they were right it all looked the same. I have seen people go off course on a loop trail race and not on the first loop either. I stopped one racer on an endurance race from going the wrong way and we had already been running this short two and quarter mile loop for five hours!

It is also amazing how the same trail can look completely different.  Just try reversing your normal trail run and see how different it is. In addition, if you are doing a race and it includes running at night the same trail looks completely different in the dark guided only by a headlamp. In fact, that is what inspired this blog when I posted a short video about running overnight and looking for markers a few fellow racers posted that they had gotten lost at night even though they had run the loop many times before.

Hey, look despite all my wise advice, things happen.  On one race I was on I caught up to the lead pack because someone had stolen all the trail ribbons for about two thirds of a mile including coming to a junction. Leaving us to guess which direction to go because none of us could remember what the race director had said about this junction.  Unless you are doing the Barkley or some other crazy race you will survive getting lost.  If you are like me with no hope of winning it is a nuisance but not the end of the world. Enjoy a great day running in Mother Nature with other trail runners.  Things really don’t get much better than that.  Even when I was lost with other runners we all enjoyed a good laugh and made fun of each other. It is always reassuring to know that you are not the only dolt in the race.

Ultra Races Finding Supportive People in an Unsupportive World

I was once again finishing another of my 3.25 mile trail loop runs on my 24 Hour Endurance Ultra when Elise was finishing her last loop and calling it a day.  She had achieved her goal and had other brutal races coming up so she was saving her body for them. A smart move.  As I continued on she yelled out to Lou the race director “Ray is crushing this course!”  Lou responded “Keep going Ray!” I smiled and made a wise remark that I can’t remember. If a total stranger had observed our banter, they would have assumed that we were three old friends meeting up for our one, of many races. They would be wrong.  I knew Elise less than 24 hours and this was the second time that I had met Lou. 

That is the magic of running races particularly ultra-trail races. It is a place in which trust, support, and friendships are built almost instantaneously.  A place in which everyone is striving to improve and push themselves. A place in which you feel pain, misery, happiness, and pride all at the same time. A place in which everyone is cheering and supportive of each other. A place that stands out in this ever increasingly divided and politically polarized world. Because it is a place of solidarity and unity.

An ultra-trail race may be the most egalitarian place I know.  You are judged in very simple terms. By your running ability and your positive attitude.  All the runners know the elite runners and marvel at their ability to run not just extremely long distances but at a fast pace.  Yet even us mediocre runners get praise because we are pushing our bodies and our minds to it limits and everyone knows it. It is an unwritten rule as well, that everyone is encouraging to each other. As I run and an elite runner is either lapping me or on their way back from a loop that I am just starting, they almost always say “looking strong” to me even though I am racing like a Kia to their Jaguar. Cheerfulness is always valued as we all push ourselves.

The other thing that is amazing is that I have no idea of anyone’s socio-economic status as we run.  Our running gear camouflages our social status.  I don’t know if someone is a wealthy doctor, lawyer or someone who struggling to make their rent payment. It is so nice that people are not judged by where they live or how much money they make but on their ability and their friendly personality.

I can’t think of a truer reflection of the American ethos than the ultra-race scene.  You are strictly judged on your ability, your effort, and your positive attitude towards others. That’s it. Not on who you vote for. Not how wealthy you are. Not on your race or religion. It is truly a community and that includes the race directors and the volunteers.

Okay I will admit that most of us are a little quirky and our family and friends will attest to that.  After all who else but a slightly quirky person pays to run for 24 hours?

(A shared fire at a race)

On most of my ultra-trail races I have made not only friends but having a shared experience of getting through a struggle with someone. In my first ultra a 50 mile run two woman Denise and Jen joined me and we survived the ordeal together. In a 50k my new friend Fletch and I made it to the end despite his muscles seizing up. In another 50k Scott and I battled for a mile or two bringing out the best in each other. In my 100 mile run Ilene moved on her crutches inspiring me to push myself while Celeste persevered through digestive issues to finish with a personal long.  Besides Elise on this 24 Hour Race Felipe and Dave were two runners who I saw often and we all pushed each other.  All these people and more, inspired me to push on and I hope that in some way I returned that favor.

Elise and I ran only one of our loops together and as we chatted, she told me why she ran ultras and asked why I did.  I mentioned how I love to push myself to its limits and how great it feels to finish one.  How when you finish one you feel that you can do anything. Yet I knew my answers were missing something.

I don’t know if Elise will read this but now I know the rest of the answer. I forgot to tell her that I love the people at an ultra-trail race.  I love meeting people like her and all the others I mentioned, plus many others. It is inspiring to be around people pushing themselves to their limits.  Okay maybe we are a little quirky but that endears them even more to me. I know that this sounds corny but I know that on some of these races when things got very difficult I know that if something bad happened I could truly count on my running colleagues (That once again includes the race directors and race volunteers.) to keep me going.

Now I know that this sounds even cornier but to me it is truly an honor to run an ultra with these other runners.  They are people who are giving it their all even if they fall short, people who are nonjudgmental, people who are tough, and people who are inspiring. I am truly a better person for having met all these people.

When I got back from my race and told my wife about my experiences. She said it sounds like you enjoyed my time with “your people”.  Yes that is one more reason I do trail races, to be with “my people”. My wife meant it more to make fun of me and all the other quirky runners. Yet to me it is a badge of honor to be with these quirky people. Because in a world where everyone seems ready to pounce on you for anything it is good to go to a place where everyone is ready to pounce on you with a smile and positive support. They are my kind of people.

An Aging Runner Trying to Push Back his Cutoff Time

I was sitting in my living room reading with my wife when both our cellphones beeped with a text message. It was not a happy message. A friend of ours was diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis was grim.  In recent months, we have had a family member suffer a heart attack and another pass away from COVID. Welcome to our life as over sixty year olds.  

Those who are in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s may not understand the slight difference but as you age the conversation in your circle of friends and family starts to shift and people’s health becomes a larger portion of the conversation.

How did I cope with the news? The next morning I signed up for a difficult trail half marathon and a short while later I signed up for a 24 Hour endurance run.  I know that is not normal coping method in dealing with aging but as I told my wife “I have a gift from God that I can run ultra-marathons in my sixties and shouldn’t squander it.”

Life is like a long race maybe the ultimate ultra-marathon but like most long races it has a cutoff time. I normally do not have to worry about cutoff times in races. I easily come in well before those times.  I am also not being morbid and talking about my own death.  I am however concerned that maybe one day my health will prevent my body from running.

While I am confident in my abilities as a runner after all I had just completed my first 100 mile trail race six weeks from sixty-second birthday.  As I age there are two things that become clearer with every day.  Time is a very limited commodity and our health is maybe our most precious asset. 

When I was younger, time seemed almost unlimited and good health was something I took for granted. Yet I soon realized that waiting for the “right” time to do something was impossible because there is almost never the “right” time for anything. This is something that is true at all ages. There is always a reason not to do something.

Knowing that I have limited time has freed me to push myself. To try ultra-marathons.

For example I was infatuated with the idea of running an ultra-marathon.  I wanted the challenge and believed I could do it if I trained.  Even though I was 57 and had not started running until I was 50 I knew that if I trained I could do it. I knew however that my life schedule was hectic and finding the time to train would be near impossible, so it would be better to wait. Then it hit me “I am 57 freaking years old!  I don’t have the luxury of time to wait until I have the time to train.”  So I signed up for my 50 Mile Run and amazingly found the time to train. The same thing happened four years later at the age of 61 when I signed up for a 100 Mile Challenge. I had become infatuated with the distance of 100 miles and the challenge but wasn’t sure the time was right but then it hit me “Do I want to just dream about it or do it?” Because I did not want to leave this world never knowing if I could do it. I signed up for a 100 Mile Run.

The point is our biggest disappointments in life are not the things we did but the things we did not do because the “time” was not right! Waiting for the right time is akin to watching life pass you by.

I should also note that COVID-19 has had an impact on my desire to do things sooner rather than later. We all know events that we really wanted to do that were cancelled. We also know people we may have lost, not even necessarily from COVID, that we never got a chance to see. I think that many of us now realize how precious our time and health is.  I know that for me personally having been sidelined by COVID and thinking that I may never run again made me even more aware of how limited our time is and how precious our good health is. It also made me realize how fragile it all is.

Time is a limited commodity. There is however one way to increase your time and that is with good health and fitness. I know everyone can point out someone who lived into their 90’s who smoked like a chimney and drank a bottle of whiskey daily.  They can also name someone perfectly fit who ran marathons and died in their 50’s. In fact so can I.  Yet in general, we all know that exercise is better for us.  In my view, it not only increases your time on this earth but it improves the quality of your time on this earth.

I stated earlier that my fitness and ability to run ultra-marathons is a “gift from God”. However is some respects it is a gift, that I bequeathed to myself. God may have given me some natural talent and free from any chronic conditions. Yet I spent time nurturing my gift mostly through running.  I was not going to take my health for granted anymore when I turned fifty. 

That is when I realized that my time to be active and fit was limited and I may need to do something to extend it.  A friend asked me years ago when I was in my early fifties how long do I think I could still do all the obstacle and trail races I was doing.  I had no answer for him but in my head that maybe when I turn sixty I may back off.  That was the cutoff time I created. Now that I am in my sixties and I am going stronger than I was when I was fifty, I realize that I am not going make up my own cutoff time I will just wait until my body tells me.

I called my friend who had cancer and he was in good spirits.  He seemed comfortable and at ease with his own mortality. I hope that I would be like that when I face my own mortality.  It affects me even more that he is younger than I. I almost feel guilty that while he is in his situation I am having fun running long distances in the forest.

The next day it was an early fall crisp morning and I savored my morning run. Like most runs it seems to get more enjoyable the further I get into it. The first mile is always one in which I try and find my rhythm. Maybe that is life itself. We spend the first part finding our rhythm and then we mature and get comfortable. Then it hit me as I was coasting on the second half of my morning run.  I spend a lot of time reminiscing about my past and thinking about my future but not enough time living in the moment. Those are the runs that I should enjoy the most. Yes a future ultra is great moment but I realize I need to enjoy the present and my daily runs. Those are the runs that extend the cut off times.

Am I Closer to Scott Jurek or the “Dude” from the Great Lebowski When I Run?

As I am running my normal weekend long run, like many of you after a few miles or so, a serene and happy feeling comes over me. My “runner’s high” and I am feeling great I am imagining that I am crushing my trail run like the legendary ultra-runners Scott Jurek or Courtney Dauwalter. If you are a road runner who is partial to marathons, maybe you feel like you are at that moment emulating the Kenyan, Eliud Kipchoge or recent U.S. Bronze medalist Molly Seidal. The Endorphins have kicked in and everything feels great. I hate to be the one to tell you but science is beginning to say that you are closer to a stoner such as Cheech and Chong or the Dude when this feeling comes over you!

Some recent studies seems to indicate that endorphins are not the chemical that induces that “runner’s high” but that it is something called Endocannabinoids which are akin to cannabis. When I read the NY Times article Getting to the Bottom of the Runner’s High this past March, at first I thought this does not make sense. Stoners after all are not known to be high energy, while runners on the other hand can’t sit still. (I know newspaper links are now not open to everyone but if you can’t get access here is a link to review of one of the studies. That way you know I am not making this up!)

The studies however were very thorough and included mice, dogs, humans and ferrets. I mean using ferrets brings it to whole other level. After all how many bogus studies do you know that have included ferrets? That is because the first thing you would say is “you compared runners to ferrets in this study?” that must be a joke. So obviously only a serious study would have the guts to do that.

While at first I was a bit skeptical of these studies my real life experience started to affirm the studies’ findings. In fact they may want to use my observations to help build on their research. I warn you however, that you runners may not like it, especially if you are an ultra-runner.

Runners have Ravenous Appetites – One of the major reasons people become runners is so that they can eat. Eat not just a little but a lot, and also eat whatever the heck they want. Our appetites are equal to any stoner’s with the munchies. Take me for example as your average runner. Even my own family who live with me look at what I have devoured and say “you ate all that!” Don’t get me wrong I do try and eat healthy and for the most part I do, even when I snack. At the end of the day after a long day of running and working and I am sitting in the den I will stuff myself with a plant based supply of food most notably potato chips, nuts, and beer. I know many runners and their appetites are voracious. The only thing that separates us runners from the stoners when we eat, is our cool race shirts.

Have you seen the Food at Ultra Aid Stations? – I mean at the ultras that I have run I have seen the following, Gummy Bears, M&Ms, chocolate chip cookies, pretzels, potato chips, quesadillas, Coke, pizza, and pickle juice! I mean how many social gatherings have you been to where the host supplies pickle juice? Can you imagine a friend inviting you over to a swanky party saying “We have filet mignon, lobster, caviar, the finest French wines and of course the best pickle juice.” I mean the only other people who would drink pickle juice are a bunch of stoners.

When we get to the aid station there is no delicacy or manners used in cramming the food down. In fact, on an ultra-marathon the closer you get to an aid station the more you begin to think about the food and drink. It is like you are going through a menu in your mind about what you are going to eat or drink.

If a couple of stoners stumbled out of the woods after toking some weed, and stumbled onto an aid station at an ultra race and saw the food. I can hear them now “Whoa maaan, it’s a f#@%$ feast!” Once again the only thing that would differentiate them from the runners is their clothing and maybe they smell better than the runners since they would not be all sweaty and dirty.

Cannabis is being legalized Across this Nation – While I l know Americans love stoners in movies especially for their comic relief but do they want to emulate them of have their kids be one? That has been why I have been perplexed by the strong movement to legalize cannabis in many states. Yes, I know that there are medical and social reasons for this movement but that does not always spur change. Then it hit me. Everyone wants to be like a runner. They are a jealous of our ability to move. They want to experience the runner high but without actually running. They are looking for the easy way out. While I continue to vacillate on the issue of legalizing marijuana this idea of people getting the “runner high” without running is not an argument in its favor. In fact, it kinda irks me.

The Race Scene is a Party – Yes before a race we are all happy and excited. Many of us are addicted to races and sign up for as many as we can fit into our schedule and budget. Yet it is not before the race when the cannabis kicks in but at the finish line at the end of the race where everyone is smiling and exchanging high fives. Even those people who are in awful pain after the race, are smiling and laughing. We are guzzling a beer if available, chatting with complete strangers about the course. You couldn’t find a happier silly group, even at a stoner’s party.

While we may all debate the chemical cause of the “runner’s high” there seems to be a consensus as why us humans evolved to make it a necessary function. On the plains of Africa in our prehistoric era the biggest advantage we had is that we had no fur and could sweat which meant that we could run long distances in a pack and run down our prey. While researchers don’t say this I might add that after running miles and miles in the dirt, our sweaty odor probably kept predators away as well. A hungry lion took one whiff of a sweaty, boney, and dirty human and said “Yuck! Let me get myself some fresh aromatic warthog”.

So where does this leave us runners? Is it endorphins or Endocannabinoids (cannabis)? I will let you decide. As you are running and you feel great you will be thinking my endorphins are kicking in. On the other hand, when you rush to an aid station and eat your gummy worms, Oreos, and drink your Coke will you say that it is your Endorphins? Or when you are home after a good running day and are sitting there eating your snacks after a full meal will you also be thinking about your endorphins? In the end, it really doesn’t matter which it is because you stand out as a runner because of your cool race shirt.

Life Lessons Learned Running 100 Miles that we all Could Use

I was laying on my hotel bed after completing the Forbidden Forest 100 Mile 30 Hour Endurance Run trying to rest my body and sleep but I couldn’t.  My body was in too much pain.  Whenever I rolled to a side it hurt. I had not slept in almost 40 hours but sleep was not coming easy.  I had showered and eaten so the next thing I needed was sleep. Yet it was the one thing eluding me. I had taken some Ibuprofen to ease the pain but that seemed to have no effect. It was as if my body was rejecting the idea of rest, or more likely it was telling me this is what happens when you do stupid things like running 100 miles.

My wife was observing this, wondering if she would also not get any sleep because of all the flailing and moaning I was doing. Eventually however the pain subsided and I fell asleep.

The next morning when I awoke my body felt much better but I was definitely a little stiffer than usual and moving slower than normal. While my body may have been moving slower my mind was racing. You cannot run a hundred miles for the first time without reflecting back on the experiences and reliving all the parts of the race, the good, the bad, and the strange. (Like a moth fluttering by your headlamp and landing in your ear!) The race may have been over but the experience was not.

There are things that we all know in life but we really do not internalize them until we experience them. That is what happened to me. I learned a lot about achieving success and pushing yourself beyond your limits not just in a race but in life itself. You may be thinking to yourself “Ray do I have to run a hundred miles to learn these life lessons?” The answer is “no” because I did that for you! You can thank me later.

What are these life lessons about succeeding and achievement?

It ain’t easy! – We all tend to look for the easiest path to get to where we are going. Whether that is in our careers or personal life. There are whole industries built on selling little pills that will make us thinner, more muscle bound, or even happy. Yet the easy path rarely leads to great achievement.

Running a hundred miles is not easy and to be quite frank, I was not 100% certain that I could do it.  It was exhausting to keep going and as I explained previously I was in extreme pain for a while after the race. There were obstacles that I had to overcome, in order to succeed. However the feeling of accomplishment that I felt after finishing the race was in direct proportion to it’s difficulty. I felt like I was on cloud nine after finishing this race because of how it tested me.

Think about your greatest successes in your life, and what made them standout in your mind, it probably was because others were not sure you could do it.  Maybe even you were not sure. It was a great success because it was not easy.

Many years ago at work I told my boss and a senior colleague that I think that I could get the governor to speak to our members.  They looked at me and politely stifled their snickering and said “go ahead try”.  I ended up doing it.

The point is we have to challenge and push ourselves. Nothing great will be achieved, if we just take the path of least resistance.

Go find your challenge. If you are a runner, find that race. If not, I am sure that there is a challenge that you have, maybe you only thought about it to yourself privately. What are you waiting for?

We Need Other People – I like to think that I am a badass because I ran a 100 miles but the reality is that while it is great individual achievement, it was not a solo act.  I had a crew that would get me my water and food so that I did not have to think about it.  I could tell them what I would need at my next pit stop. This all saved me precious time. My wife would also be scanning my face to look for signs of dehydration, overheating, and general exhaustion.

Maybe more importantly than the physical help they provided, it was the energy they gave me by cheering me on.  When you have friends and family cheering you on it gives you extra energy.

It was not just my crew that gave me that mental boost, it was Celeste’s crew (She was my tent neighbor at the pit stop. I discuss her and others in my first blog as well as my second from the race.) who also cheered me on.  The race director and the race volunteers were all positive.  My friend Ian Hockley also stopped by and cheered me on and boosted my spirits. Anyone who is runner knows that other runners are always so supportive.  As a rule, we always cheer each other on.  Strangely, even my Facebook friends who were following my race posts gave me energy.  Even though I did not have time to read them while I was running I saw my notifications light up and I knew that they were all positive. This all boosted my spirit.

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything it is that we are social creatures.  Yes, we can stay at home and have ample food and shelter, be with our families but what we missed was all our other friends and family.  There is an energy you get from other people, which we sometimes forget about and it is powerful. A co-worker may have been an integral component to one of your major successes at work.

The key is to surround yourself with positive people who help inspire and push you.  Not negative people who always bring the energy down.

Me with Ian Hockley

Planning Matters – We can all successfully “wing it” once and a while but that is usually the exception not the rule.  I was not going to be successful just “winging it” on this race I had to plan my training and think through all the details of the race. That meant, my food, hydration, gear, obstacles such as heat or rain, as well as my pace in order to make it to the end. That plan included when I would change my shoes, socks, and shirt. When I would probably need different foods. If I had no plan then I would have no finish.

Natural talent and ability can only take you so far.  There was a young runner, who had a most smooth gait when he ran. He passed me about five times and I was sure that he would break the course record because it was looking so effortlessly to him.  I remember we were both checking our laps at the same time and he was four laps in front of me and was leading the second place runner by almost two laps.  When he heard he was leading and closing in on fifty miles he asked no one in particular “Should I slow down?” I thought that was an odd thought for such a talented runner. As we entered the night I remember thinking to myself I had not seen him in a while.  I later asked about him and learned that had dropped out. This was not only his first 100 mile race, it was also his first race ever! He really had no plan and burned out despite his talent.  I hope that he is not too discouraged because he has talent he just needs to plan a bit.

In America there is a mantra “Mind over Matter” yet while we all need a strong will to succeed, I will say “that matter – matters”.  You may want it badly but poor planning and training will derail even the most strong willed.  On all the ultras that I have run I would say the runners I saw who were ill prepared rarely finished.

Earlier I described a great success at work when I promised to get the governor. I did not wing it I had a plan and worked it constantly till I succeeded.

Channel your Inner Badass – the Mental Game – Running a 100 miles or pushing yourself to past your limits at any distance is not just a physical challenge but is also a mental challenge. Often times a great mental challenge. There will be times no matter how well you planned when things will go wrong maybe an injury or the weather.  You will be exhausted, sore, cold, and just want to stop.

I stopped writing when I got this point. Because the clichéd sayings came to my head.  You have to “dig down deep” show “grit and determination” as if “mental toughness” is a switch you can just flip on and off.  I am no expert on the mental game of a 100 mile race or any race for that matter, or even having mental toughness in life. All I can say is what worked for me in both instances. Though getting through the low points of a race are easier than some of the low points in life.

For grueling races I can train in bad conditions so that as I say I am “comfortable with being uncomfortable” I also never look at the entire distance when in an ultra-marathon. I break it into segments or legs. Like going from aid station to aid station. In this loop race getting to certain numbers of loops.  Those smaller chunks of distance are always attainable. If you think of the whole prospect of running another 50 miles you can get overwhelmed, but if you say I have to go another 5 miles you are okay. The key however is to keep moving forward. As they say “if you are in hell keep moving till you get out”

This lesson from an ultra is very apropos for life itself. When my father had passed away I was stuck wallowing in my sorrow. When you suffer a death of a loved one it can really hit you hard. Even if you know it is coming, you don’t know how it will affect you until it happens.  For me I tend to get stuck as I said wallowing in my own sadness.  The only way out was to start moving forward again into my regular life of work and family. It is like an ultra-marathon, just keep moving forward.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others – This is counter intuitive because it is after all a race. In a race you place people by order of time or in this case distance.  Yet as any runner knows while there may be thousands of entrants in a race or maybe even only seventy five most of us have no chance of winning the race.  You are in essence competing against yourself. Trying to bring out the best in ourselves. Our successes and accomplishments are relative. My accomplishment of 100 miles was no greater or maybe even less than Ilene’s doing under 20 miles on crutches and suffering from a bone disease.

In life we all tend to compare ourselves to others as well.  We look jealously at friends and neighbors who have a bigger house, better cars, and go on more spectacular vacations. In the work place it seems everyone is watching each other and judging whether someone really deserved that promotion or not.

In a race I cannot control what the other races do I just have to concentrate on my actions to achieve success. The same is true about life we can control our own actions and efforts but have little to no impact on most other people and it is wasted time and energy to do so.

Enjoy and Reflect on the Journey – Nonrunners may not understand this but no matter what the distance the race is, runners share a bond and are always supportive of each other. It is why we are always signing up for races because the energy is always so positive. This is even truer the longer and tougher the race is because of the shared challenge and one could say shared misery.

On this 100 mile race I made new friendships with Celeste, Ilene, and the Race Director Lou. I had a shared experience with my wife and daughter. I could reflect even while in the midst of the race about how lucky I was to have the ability to even, attempt this challenge. While I was focused on getting to my final destination I thoroughly enjoyed the entire race atmosphere.  I talked to some runners who did not get to 100 miles and they too just loved the journey even though they did not get to their goal.

While important in a race it is even more important in life to enjoy the journey. Too often we are only focused on destinations like a promotion or new home and do not take enough time to be thankful for our friends and family. It is so important to take time out from a hectic life to spend with those people who love us.

To think I had to run 100 miles to learn all this. Now you may challenge my lessons if you want but first run 100 miles and then get back to me.

The Last Runner in the Forbidden Forest - In and out of the Dark – Part 2

As I came into my aid station, darkness had completely settled in on the last loop and I had to use my headlamp to finish the loop. I was over 50 miles in but in order to get to 100 miles, I wanted to have about 80 miles in by around 8am.  That meant covering thirty miles in the dark. It also meant doing it completely on my own. My daughter had left and my wife would go back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest after this pit stop. I hugged my wife and headed into the dark forest knowing what I had to do.

What did I have to do? I had to as they say “Embrace the Suck”!

Embrace it I did. For this race, most people spend a great deal of time on their conditioning, their gear, and their nutrition, but there is a fourth part of pushing yourself to your limits and that is the mental game.  I spent months visualizing the obstacles and difficult moments that I would face. More importantly, I spent months visualizing how I would overcome them.  I also always run even in bad conditions such as temperatures as low as 1 degree and as hot as 90 degrees. I also run in rain and snow.  This running in bad conditions had trained me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

That being said I had never run on a trail before in complete darkness and I would be doing it for about eight hours. All of a sudden, my world became very small. Basically, it was just what I could see with my headlamp. Which was bugs flying at me as well as other bugs scurrying on the trail at my feet. The bushes, stumps and rocks took on eerie formations. It was not the same trail as in the daylight.

My world also became quiet and solitary.  There was no longer the banter among the runners like there was during the daylight. In fact, there were fewer runners some had dropped out, others were sleeping and as the night wore on there were even fewer runners. There was no crew at this point so I would pop in to my camp get some nutrition and pop out.

I was alone with my thoughts, which is always a dangerous thing. While my mind did wander about bad things such as being attacked by a bear or a coyote or harkening back to the movie the Blair Witch Project, for the most part I was focused.  Correction I was laser focused on miles, getting to 70 miles before I would even consider resting or napping.   

The miles started to pile up and I was amazed at how good my body felt even after over sixty miles in.  One problem I had was that my watch did not sync up with the course so I was off by almost .2 miles every loop which does not sound like a lot but after 30 loops or so it adds up to miles.  They had a laptop at the starting/finish line which recorded your loops and miles.  Every few loops I would check in to see my miles.

My view for eight hours

I finally got to a little over 70 miles at about 3:30AM. I felt a little tired so I decided to see if I could take an hour nap. I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet up in a camp chair while my butt plopped in another chair as I tried to nap. While I did not fall asleep the rest plus some food, a Coke, and a change of socks and shoes, did me good and I was out and on the trail a little after 4:30AM.

I was feeling strong again and was going at a steady pace in fact I was passing other runners who were mostly walking. I also noticed that very few people were running. Soon the sun was trying to break through and I notice that some birds were chirping to greet the sun, much like some birds had done at dusk the night before to say goodbye to the sun. Besides the singing birds the other thing that greeted us in the morning were the bugs, they were nasty flies that flew into my sweaty hair. They would also bite me through my shirt. Yet I was glad to shed my headlamp and to be able to see the trail in daylight. I also noticed almost everyone I saw was walking.  There were a couple of runners that passed me and one was Daniel who would go on to set the course record with 127 miles but there were very few and I surmised that once they hit a 100 miles they may have stopped.  Most of the other participants that were left, had come to the realization that 100 miles was not to be, but they trudged on trying to accumulate as many miles as possible.

Not only did the birds and the sun return but so did Ilene. I met her fiancée who was also in the race, and we cheered each other on. It made me feel great when the two of them cheered me on as I passed the pavilion one time. Sometimes those little things are so big.

My wife showed up a little after 6AM and I told her I was at about 80 miles and she was bewildered.  I replenished my water and headed out checking my miles as I passed the gate and now it was my turn to be bewildered it said 75 miles.  Now five miles may not sound like a lot but it also meant time. It was also a psychological hit. That deflated my optimism a bit. This is when the mental game kicks in.

While I did not panic. Okay maybe I did a little. I recalculated my pace and time and realized I was now cutting it close.  I will admit it is hard to do math after running almost 80 miles. Maybe I had just lost count I thought to myself.  I told my wife I would be pushing it a bit because I was cutting it close and I did not want to fall a couple of miles short because I calculated wrong. I had ate a lot before my wife got there so I would not need a tremendous amount of fuel but I did need water.  I would bring a small water bottle with me and just get an exchange from my wife every time I went by.  I figured that I would pick up a few minutes each loop by shortening my pit stops. After I had done four loops and was feeling better about my time.

In the middle of all this Lou the race director yelled to me as I was starting another loop and said “We have breakfast sandwiches, please eat”. I said “I am pushing for that 100 mile buckle and it is close.” He gave me an ice pop and said “after this loop, eat.”  Frankly, that ice pop really hit the spot and tasted better than any sandwich.

I had picked up some time with that morning push and was feeling pretty good that I should be at loop 41 with only four left. I checked the laptop and I was at loop 40.  I was perplexed and I finally said something to the man operating the laptop “I think I am short a loop?” He said he would audit my loops. I headed out without much enthusiasm because I had little hope that they would find anything. While my enthusiasm was low, my determination was high and I really pushed myself. As I came around again and crossed the line again my wife was there and he said “You were right it missed recording a loop. You only have three loops left”. I was ecstatic.  This meant that even if I walked the last three I would make it. I ran them however, albeit very slowly.  Whether it was psychological that I knew I had my goal in hand or if all of a sudden fatigue set in I found my strength had diminished.

As I was taking my last three relaxing loops I noticed no runners were left until I had come upon Fernando who was easy to remember because for most of the run he had 80’s rock playing as he ran.  This time however he was joyously walking and singing as he strolled through the forest. While he did not look, or sound, anything like Julie Andrews singing “The Hills are Alive, with the Sound of Music” he had that same joy. He asked me “How many miles have you done?”  It was a question I had been getting often.  Because with a loop, people know who are accumulating miles. I told him I had a loop and a half left.  He smiled broadly “This is my last mile!” I congratulated him and kept trucking.

As I came around my last loop I looked at my aid station to see my wife, daughter, and PJ hanging out and they were a little surprised that I was finishing the loop so soon. They scurried to the finish line so they could videotape me crossing the finish line. Unlike other races when there is someone to greet you at the finish line this loop race only you and your crew know.  I did however go directly to Lou for my 100 mile buckle. He hesitated and I could tell he was going to say that he was out, but even the evil race director part of him, could not be that cruel.

I looked at my finisher’s medal and my buckle so happy and filled with pride. I thought to myself not many people can say that their greatest athletic achievement occurred at the age of sixty-one.

I was the oldest and the last runner to reach 100 miles, but it was a race with no losers. Even the people who did not reach 100 miles won. Celeste never intended to do 100 miles was trying to do 62 miles ended up doing 80 miles a personal best. Ilene just pushed herself, and while she did not even make 20 miles, her effort to me was the most inspiring of anyone’s.

I plopped down in my chair and relaxed at my camp, which was one of the few camps still up.  Most people had broken theirs down. I had not just relaxed in over thirty hours. I had learned a lot about myself, and actually life itself, on this journey. Which I will have to discuss in my next blog. That will have to wait but at that moment I had my finisher medal and my buckle, and an experience that will last a lifetime.

Getting my finisher medal and buckle from the Race Director Lou

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Runner in the Forbidden Forest - Half Way There – Part 1

Our lives are a series of choices we make every time we get to a fork in the road until we get to a destination that seemed inevitable.  It is as if that destination was your chosen goal even though you never really thought too much about it. You were making of what you thought were short-term decisions that led you to your current place.  That is what happened to me when I decided to try to run 100 miles in at least 30 hours. I had already done six ultras, three 50ks and three 50 milers, which should have been enough for a sixty one year old man. I have nothing to prove to anyone, yet for some reason I have something to prove to myself. I had worked hard over the recent years on my fitness (I describe this fitness journey in an early blog The Journey from 0 to 50 after the Age of 50) I guess with ultra-running the next distance is always calling you. It didn’t help that I was watching numerous YouTube videos documenting people succeeding and failing in their 100 mile attempts.

It was inevitable that I would succumb to the calling of the 100 mile distance. So, in the depths of snowy winter and with COVID-19 still wreaking havoc in our lives, I signed up for the Forbidden Forest 100 Mile, 30 Hour Endurance Race.. I gently broke the news to my wife that “I had found a great race for my first 100 mile run!” (Keep in mind I don't think I even told my wife I was looking to do a 100 mile race.) She immediately shot back “What do you mean your first?” I kinda hemmed and hawed and finally did what any husband would do, just ignored the retort and changed the subject. Then I said we would be able to see our daughter who lives in Connecticut.

I upped my training and I was very confident about my training and planning for the race. That is until two days before the race when unexpectedly seeds of doubt began to creep into my head.  A hundred miles is a long way I thought to myself. You have to run at night. Finally are you positive you can do this? The answer was a resounding “Maybe!”

The day before the race, I got there early and was the first person to check in. The excitement and confidence almost immediately came back as I met the Race Director Lou Loban. Like most race directors, he had a sense of humor. Race Directors of ultras are an interesting breed, they on one hand want you to have a great race and take pains to meet all your needs but on the other hand they take a little pleasure in knowing that you will suffer.  I am sure that if we had a psychic do an analysis of their past lives they at one time all worked in a torture chamber during the Spanish Inquisition.

Lou treated me like I was his personal guest at a family party. He load me up with race bling, which as any runner knows is a great feeling.  I started talking with other runners who were slowly yet steadily, coming in.  The party was just starting. I love the race scene but this race scene was different.  Since this was a short 2.23 mile loop you could set up your own aid station with food and a change of clothing and gear. My wife and I setup my canopy with the chairs and table.  The food would wait until the next day.

I also met my tent neighbor Celeste. We had both done a virtual race together representing Dylan’s Wings of Change who I was raising funds for running this race. When I saw on a Facebook group site that she was doing the same race I reached out to her to see if she would like to share resources she gladly accepted because at the time, she thought she was primarily doing this race solo. Eventually this turned out to have been one of the smarter moves I made for the race. Because while she was not solo and neither was I, in the end we both had crews that cheered each other on and it was definitely great to have us both get positive energy from total strangers.

The next morning I was like a caged animal ready to run yet while I was completely ready and set up by 7am others were just starting to set up their camp. The start was not until 8:30am so I had to be patient. Looking out over the field of canopies and tents, I had the sensation that this was not race as much as it was a festival. I was surrounded by people who I did not know, yet there were no strangers. We were an ultra-running tribe.

There was a little confusion at the start since we thought it was a wave start but everyone just paused and then started all at once. Like most races I do, I probably started out a bit too fast.  I was at a pace at around 11 minutes per mile, which was not a pace that I could not keep up for 50 miles. Let alone 100 miles.  That was okay my plan was to be steady for the first ten loops and than slow the pace down. It is interesting in ultra-marathons that you often find yourself in a pack of runners with a similar pace and then slowly but surely you spread out.  Eventually you find yourself alone like I did to figure out the right pace to finish the 100 miles in 30 hours. Even though this was a short loop the 78 runners or so were soon spread out.

My race was not with the other runners. My race was with the clock.  The race was basically a math problem.  I just had to keep moving at a steady clip with rests built in until I got to 100 miles. You really could not walk too long or you would fall short. This meant constantly checking my watch seeing if my pace would get me to the various goals I had set for myself.  I wanted to get to 50 miles in about thirteen hours.  That would give me sixteen hours for the second half. (Yes I know that adds up to twenty-nine hours but I was calculating in a nap.) Still to get to fifty miles I still had to actually run fifty miles.

Now I am not one who believes in omens or signs but as I was running my fifth loop I saw a large hawk feather falling to the ground almost directly at my feet. At first I thought it had fallen from another runner but who would be running with a feather? I had already passed this spot several times, so it could not have always been there previously. I picked up my newly found treasure and ran with it in my hand until I got to my aid station less than a mile from where I found it. I took this find as a good omen, a sign that I would succeed.

The one thing that I was a little hesitant about on this 100 mile race was that it was a series of 45 loops.  Would I get bored with the same scenery?  On other shorter ultras there were always different vistas and views that kept me excited and motivated I would not have this on this race. It ended up I loved the loop.  The trail was rolling with short climbs and descents.  Definitely runnable but definitely not a smooth easy trail. The reason I loved it though was that I could concentrate on my pace and not be distracted. I also was never far from food and water so I did not have to carry a lot.  I would carry just enough water to always stay hydrated a simple thing but extremely important, especially since it was a hot humid day. I just had to find the right pace and I did. 

Mile 27 with Ian Hockley

The other thing that was completely new to me was having a crew.  All my races had been solo acts and I would use the aid stations provided or on some loop races bring my own supplies but on this race my wife would be my crew most of the time and my daughter and her boyfriend would also join in. So we were all new to crewing but soon fell into a routine of me coming in and they helping me with my fluids and food.  My wife even would cool me down with an icy cold wet cloth during the hot parts of the day. I am pretty sure I would not have finished without them.  It changed from being “my” race to “our” race.

I also probably stopped too often and lingered too long at our camp but it was not only great to hear my crew cheer me on but Celeste’s crew did the same thing.  This event is actually more of a mental challenge than it is a physical challenge and the positive energy from a crew cannot be dismissed at all.

In a long race you have your ups and your downs.  For some reason as I was coming into mile 27 I was not feeling great about my race except when I jogged into my camp there was Ian Hockley from Dylan’s Wings to cheer me on.  We hugged and he interviewed me and gave my wife some pointers on crewing. While I would have loved to stay and chat I had miles to cover.  He walked with me for a short time and we discussed doing it next year.  He really lifted my spirits and I was back going at a steady clip.

This spirit lifter by Ian plus a good meal reenergized me and I was back at a steady pace.  I was also passing more people on the loop trail. It was not that I had increased my pace but that I was keeping the same pace and the others were slowing down. I was actually amazed at how strong I felt. After 30 miles and I was moving strong and steady and I passed a runner rather easily, she was astonished and said “What is with you? You got a second wind?” I smiled to myself because I knew I was going strong.

I don’t want to give the impression that I was a leader in this race far from it but I was definitely on pace to finish with time to spare and while not leading I was definitely in the upper half.

The other advantage to a short loop ultra is that you get to see the same runners often and there is banter and a sharing of energy that occurs.  We all quickly give each other a positive comment whether we are being passed, or passing someone else.

One person however really stood out as someone who inspired me to keep going and it was not because she was going to get to the 100 miles. No, far from it.  Her name was Ilene and she was completing the course on crutches.  She was going to push herself as hard as she could to get as many miles as she could.  I called her my hero.  I thought if she can give that type of effort so can I. I mean what excuse do I have? 

Ilene and I on the trail

One of the reasons I wanted to get to fifty miles as fast as I could is that I had to run at night and that is something I had no experience with so I wanted to accumulate the miles during the daylight because I figured (correctly) that the pace would be slower in the night.

Well I reached my goal of 50 miles slightly ahead of schedule at twelve and a half hours. Bon Jovi’s song Livin’ on a Prayer was stuck on in my head courtesy of my daughter’s boyfriend PJ singing it. Because of the line - Woah, we're half way there.

In reality though the Bon Jovi song that should have been going through my head is It’s My Life with the line - It's my life, It's now or never. Because darkness had set in and I was entering the part of the race I was most nervous about.  Running through the night in the dark. That is because I had the least experience with this. While I felt strong I knew the hardest part was coming.

(To Be continued.)

Is it too Late to not Become the United States of WALL-E?

One of my favorite Pixar animated movies is WALL-E.  I like it because of it is a fun movie but a movie with some great messages especially about the future. In the movie about 700 years in the future humans are living in a spacecraft because Earth is uninhabitable. In one scene, they show all the captains of the ship on the wall and over that time you see each captain grow heavier in the face till you come to the current captain who is extremely heavy.  You soon see why because all the humans move around on automated chairs and do not have to walk or move to do almost anything.  In fact, standing and walking is near impossible because we have evolved to a species that does not need to.  The computers and robots provide us with everything. We get around by automated chairs.

While I think that the writers were on to something with the human race heading towards a life of complete laziness they got one thing wrong.  The timing seven-hundred years, is way too short! We are streaking towards that time fast and may get there in my lifetime! Let me give you a short abbreviated history on the evolution of our laziness.

Let’s start with the 1960’s and the TV. I could go back further but we will stick to my lifetime. It was great the whole family could gather around and not move and be entertained.  There was however a major problem you had to get out of the chair and walk seven or eight feet and change the channel. This is obviously a lot of work and by the 1970’s we had the remote control. What also came with the remote control was the recliner and we did not even hide the need for this chair by marketing it as the Lazy-Boy. Nothing screams man of the house more than a man in in his Lazy-Boy with a beer in one hand, the remote in the other, a bag of chips on his lap, while he is watching a football game yelling and screaming at how lazy, pampered and over paid the athletes are.

Yet this was just one aspect of our evolution to complete laziness. We are well on our way to becoming complete lazy asses in all aspects of our life. That includes dining, shopping, working, and raising our children. The pandemic that we are experiencing has only sped up our pace.

At the same time the TV was becoming our major cultural force so was the fast food industry. They were popping up everywhere, and people could run in and grab a quick meal and the kids might even get a toy and be on their way.  Except that the walking of thirty feet or so was too much, so the drive-in window was invented. What a glorious concept. One could get your daily supply of saturated fat without moving you ass!

It stayed that way for a while but in recent years we have grown weary of driving to the restaurant especially since the pandemic and then companies like GrubHub and DoorDash popped up and almost any meal you want can be delivered to your house.  This delivery system used to be the domain of pizzeria’s and Chinese restaurants but eventually others figured out they could make money off of Americans tendency to not want to move.

With the pandemic many people were working from home so they did not even have to drive to work or for that matter even get fully dressed.  That was too much work so they only got half-dressed at best with a nice shirt and blouse. The COVID pounds started to accumulate as our groceries and meals came to our front door. While the pandemic thankfully seems to be coming to an end, the extra weight that many people put on is still with them.

Now I know that some of you who are optimistic will be putting faith in our youth and the next generation.  They are well educated and will lead us out of the laziness cycle. I hate to break it to you but the upcoming generations are better at laziness than their parents. Why? Because we raised them that way. Also because there is money to be made in computer games.

In the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s kids were basically told to go outside and come back for dinner. When a parent wanted to punish a child they said “go to your room!” Now-a-days the room is their sanctuary with kids able to “hang out” with the friends from each other’s bedroom and play video games.  If you want to punish your child now, you can do what parents did in the olden days. Put your child out the back door and say “have fun” and come back in a few hours. There is however, a downside to this, it is most likely the next person at your front door will be someone from child protective services investigating you for child abuse.

In addition, the idea of the star athlete is changing.  While the top athlete, still does retain their coolness they are being challenged by some kid in his bedroom called a gamer.  They now even have something called “Esports” with virtual leagues, games and tournaments.  Our future athletes will no longer need strength, speed, and agility, but be experts with a console.

Finally, we are getting so lazy that we don’t need to turn on the house lights, play music, or even look up the weather.  All we need to do is ask Alexa or Siri to do it for us. All from our recliner with our delivered food on our lap.

Well I have painted dark picture for our future and you may be asking is all hope lost? Well I think it probably is, but that does not mean there is not a slight glimmer of hope.  While our fellow Americans are zooming to a lifetime of life on their butts, we should refuse to capitulate.  We runners need to keep bucking society. runners ( Now I know other people move, like swimmers, bikers, hikers, and walkers but this is my blog and I am a runner.  Those other groups of people are our allies who just need to follow our lead.) It will not be easy.  Your friends and family may think that you are slightly crazy for all your running and think of you as the oddity in your family. My own son makes fun of his old man who will not admit he is old and runs trail races with no purpose. Yet I persist.

At the end of WALL-E the only way for the captain to save civilization was for him to actually move his body which for him was near impossible but he did it. He was the hero.  We runners need to keep moving not just to stay fit but because it is our patriotic duty. We are America’s last hope.

Advice for Finishing an Ultra-Marathon from a Non Ultra-Marathoner - The Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Challenge

If you are like me, you saw the videos and photos of all the smiling, happy racers at the starting gate and the finish line of The Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Challenge.  Splashed in, you saw the spectacular views that were calling your name.  Like me, you pictured yourself running The Challenge.  This is true for almost any ultra-marathon - the marketing lures you in.

The videos and photos always show the top finishers and they are practically sprinting to the finish line.  You will see all those happy, smiling people at the starting gate. While watching all that is inspiring, if you are like me in the middle of the pack in two races and towards the back of the pack in another, you should erase that video from your mind because that (most likely) will not be your race.

That was me four years ago -- a 57 year old man who had never run anything longer than a half marathon and thought he could do 50 miles easily.  The crazy thing is, I did it not once but three times!  While it is not easy, it is certainly possible as my accomplishment can attest too.  First of all, there are 49 other miles that are not on the video highlight.  Those 49 miles are between the beginning and the end, which highlight videos don’t always capture but should not be taken lightly at all.  While I did finish the race, I saw many people who did not.  I observed that there are lessons to be learned from them as well.

Meet the Doubters – While you will be excited and pumped up after signing up for the ultra, others will not share your enthusiasm.  As I did The Challenge, I talked with other runners and almost all of them had someone tell them they couldn’t do it.  Stay away from those people because those seeds of doubt may crawl into your head as you run.  I met one woman, Linda, who was an avid runner and a marathoner, who was told by an ultra-runner that a 50 mile run was too big a jump and that she should do a 50k.

It may be impossible to avoid all the doubters.  If that is the case, what I did was use the doubters as a motivational tool.  They are the ones who I want to tell first that I did it.  I also kept going because I did not want to go back to work not finishing the run, as that feeling would be awful.  I met another woman, Jen, whose (almost) entire office told her that she couldn’t do it.  Yet when we met up, I told her let’s finish this race no matter what, so you can show your co-workers your medal.  I think that helped get her to the finish line.

Mother Nature is Not Your Friend – I know that the purpose of the race is to preserve land and most ultras are in beautiful areas.  It may seem counter to the purpose, but be prepared for what Mother Nature has in store for you.  The three times I did the race it rained and was cold.  Especially the second year.  This was without a doubt the main reason people did not finish.  It is one thing to run 10K in shorts and a t-shirt on a cold, rainy day but quite another to do 50 miles.  Instead of being out in the elements an hour or two, you will be out in the elements 10 to 15 hours and you can easily get hypothermia.  I know because I saw so many runners ill prepared for the cold and rain.  Linda, who I mentioned earlier, brought along garbage bags with cut-outs for her head and arms so she could stay dry, and it worked.  I packed a poncho and it was amazing how much warmer that thin poncho kept me.

I brought something for all different types of weather, and then the night before decided what to wear and put in my drop bag after viewing the weather reports.  While I did not have the opportunity to run in sunny, warm weather, if it was warm I was prepared.

Prepared for Mother Nature

Stay Confident – One of the reasons why the weather is such an obstacle is that it plays tricks with your head and your confidence.  You not only wonder if you can go another 20 miles or so, but you wonder if you can tolerate being cold, hot, sore, wet for another four or five hours.  Negativity has a way of creeping in when things are not going well, and believe me, somewhere along the line something will go wrong.

You need to develop mind games that keep you focused and staying positive.  For me it was breaking the race into finishing the various legs, not finishing the entire 50 miles.  So when I got to the last leg (which was at mile 37), I could say that now that all I have to do is a half marathon, which I have done before.  When I was cold and wet despite my gear, I told myself that I have been colder during the numerous Tough Mudders I had completed.

On my first race, I made a wrong turn that forced me to run an extra six miles.  The hard part of that was not the extra mileage, but the way it shook my confidence, which did not come back until I met a new friend.

Meet Trail Angels and Take in the Views –As I previously alluded to, I made a wrong turn during my first race.  My confidence was shaken, and it was like a cloud of negativity following me (as were actual rain clouds).  It was not until I met another racer, Jen, did my spirits lift and my confidence return.  I would also mention that she was in just as bad shape, if not worse than I was, but having another person just to talk with helped her as well.  We later met up with another woman whose race partner could not finish.  We all became close through the end of the race.  I called them my trail angels.

The next year when I did the race, I made it a point of starting conversations with fellow runners, which was a very positive experience.  You will be surprised that for miles you will be running with the same people, so why not talk with each other?  In fact, everyone was so encouraging to each other that we, in essence, kept each other going.  I ran with one man for several miles just because he liked my pace.  I ran with a complete stranger for 15 miles who really kept a good pace.

I should also mention that there were numerous day hikers and rock climbers on the trails, and almost all of them were cheering the runners on. Not to mention the race volunteers who are so positive. You must and I can’t over emphasize this enough always thank the volunteers. Without them you will not make it to the finish line.

While my fellow racers kept me positive and confident, so did the beautiful landscape.  Even in the rain, the views were inspiring.  Awosting Falls made me stop to take in the sights and sounds of the water.  I know, believe me I know, that you just have to keep going to finish, but every once and a while you also need to slow down and take in views of a truly beautiful place.

Be a Trail Angel – As I have run this race three times, I have been a trail angel to others. During the first race, I gave away one of my water containers to a runner who was not prepared.

The last time I ran, I brought along some Ibuprofen, (I had tweaked my knee a few days before the race so it was hurting) and twice near the 37-mile mark, I overheard two runners looking for aspirin from the medical staff, only to hear they had none.  I told them that I had Ibuprofen and they eagerly accepted it.  They both thanked me profusely at the finish, indicating that they were not sure they would have been able to finish without it.  Can’t tell you how great that made me feel.

Keep the Pace - The first time I did The Challenge, I walked the last 20 miles because my new best friend, Jen, had hurt her knee and could not run.  I figured a regular walk was not much slower than a slow run -- boy was I was wrong.  The second time I ran almost the entire time, albeit not very fast but consistently.

I mentioned Linda before, she had a timer, running four minutes and walking one minute.  I stayed with her a long time, but eventually at the hills could not keep up.  I continued that ratio and actually found a second wind the last 13 miles, which was one of my faster legs.

The second time (in much worse weather) I was able to finish in daylight, while the first time it was closer to midnight. A slow steady run really helped.  I didn't linger for long at the aid stations.  The first time I ran, I sat to rest and it took my body a long time to get going again.

Bad Weather Training – As I stated, the longest I ever ran before the Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Challenge was 15 miles the first time and 20 miles twice since then.  With my schedule, it's difficult to do very long runs of 20 or more miles with any regularity.  I did however, run often and completed two long runs on back-to-back days.  What I found extremely helpful was running in any kind of weather whether it was snow, rain, frigid temperatures or even sunny, hot days.

This accomplishes several things.  It gets you accustomed to dealing with all types of weather conditions, and I soon realized that once I started running I was fine.  You don’t want the first time you run in a cold rain, to obviously be in an ultra-marathon.  It also helped me overcome the weather as being a factor in breaking my confidence, and I could honestly say that I have run in worse weather.  As far as I know, you can’t simulate the weather on a treadmill.

Just as important as the mental aspect, is the physical.  If you brave the elements, you will find out how to dress for the different weather conditions and what gear works best.

I am also noting that you should train on hills.  Running on flat ground is one thing, but the hills drain your energy.  I would also recommend that you do some trail running because it's a lot different than running on a road.

Use a Drop Bag and the Aid Stations – If you plan it right, you do not have to carry much food or water with you because there are aid stations frequently available.  I was able to refill my water supply and graze on some snacks as I went along.  The first time I did it, I was carrying too much food and found that I could get by solely on the aid stations for food, though I did carry some.  This is a matter of preference.  There may be certain foods that you are partial to, so bring them.  I have to say that the hot chicken broth with brown rice at one aid station really lifted my spirits, and the second time I ran was really looking forward to the aid station because I knew what food was there.

Since I am not an ultra-runner, I found that the drop bag was great.  I changed my soaking wet sneakers and put on warmer, dry ones for the second half.  If you will be ending in the evening like I did the first time, you will greatly appreciate your flashlight or headlamp.  The drop bag definitely helped me prepare for the poor conditions.

The Challenge will Stay with You a Long Time – Some things are hard to explain unless you have experienced them, and I believe that completing your first ultra-marathon or any ultra for that matter (if you are not an ultra-marathoner). Technically, I suppose that I am now an ultra-marathoner since I have completed it for three years in a row.  I have also completed three 50ks since my last one.

There are very few instances during a lifetime when you feel you can accomplish almost anything, but that is how I have felt each time I finished the Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Challenge.  Every time I complete The Challenge, I carry the finisher medal in my pocket for a couple of weeks. This is unusual for me because normally I am thinking about the next event, but for some reason, this one is makes you feel great for a long time. 

I was at the farmer's market where I am a regular, and the woman behind the stand saw my shirt that had imprinted “Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Challenge” and she asked, “You really did 50 miles?” I said yes, and before I knew it she was putting a free soup in my bag.  It is that sense of awe that you get from others which gives you a tremendous sense of pride (I have to admit having gray hair and doing 50 miles probably helps impress them as well.).

You will get remarks like I got several times -- "50 miles! I get tired driving 50 miles.”

Not to make it too idyllic, you will most likely be very sore for a week or so.  To top it off, on two occasions I have lost toenails, but not to fret they do grow back.

As I was slowly but steadily trudging along at about mile 40, a person walking in the park said to me, “You are killing it man!” Now I know that while I was not walking the race, I was hours behind the leaders and told him that I was not killing it.  He replied, “Only about 1% of the populace can do this so you are killing it!” You know what? He was right -- I killed it, and so can you.