UltraVT Synchroblog: Why do you run?

What role does running play in your life?

Well… I can’t imagine life without running…

Running (or just being on a trail moving) IS life!

When did you start running and why? 

I started running when I was 13 after I quit doing ballet. I’d be doing ballet for 11 years and, after being told by my instructor that I would never be a professional ballerina (my life-long dream!) because my body was shapped wrong, I walked away. My mom had been running marathons for a while and was getting into trail running, so when I started going to public high school that fall for 10^th grade I joined the cross country team. I LOVED the days that we ran in Beaverdam Park – our local trail system – and especially LOVED the hills! The competitive side of cross country was kind of enjoyable, but I was still a little timid comparing myself to others, especially after 11 years of ballet. I just wanted to run on the trails forever, in the privacy of the woods, where no one was watching me. So that’s what I did.
But sometimes, I still love competing. :)

If you could only run one last run, where and with whom would it be and why? 

Hmmm…

I would want it to be someone breathtakingly beautiful. The John Muir Trail. Through the redwoods. Maybe along Big Sur. Across the Pyrenees, or the Andes, or Ireland, or Iceland. Somewhere absolutely gorgeous that’s I’ve never been before, because that’s why I trail run – so I can see more of the world, faster.  

I would like to do this “run” with my boyfriend Fletcher. We’d eat turkey sandwiches and take tons of pictures. It would be an awesome, multi-day adventure.

Which is better, trail running or road running?  Why? Groups or solo? Pick a side (for both) and defend it, or rather, advocate for it!

Hands down, trail running. It is so much more relaxing, both mentally and physically. The woods smell good. The trails are soft. You can hear birds and other wildlife enjoying the beautiful woods, just as you are. You can escape on a trail.

I haven’t run on the road since 1988.

I like to do about over half of my runs solo, and the rest with others. Solo runs are nice, especially on a hard day when you just want to escape and be alone to clear your head. I need my alone time! But group runs can be fun as well, especially when exploring a new trail or area where you don’t particularly want to be by yourself! Our team is always a fun time.

Leatherwood 50k Race Report

“How are you doing?” I said to the man in front of me as we worked up the climb.

“Oh, fine. Hard to tell at this point.”

“You doing the 50miler?”

“That’s what I signed up for.”

“Well, this is only temporary.”

“That’s a great way to look at this. But you’ll have eaten, showered, and napped before I finish!”

“Maybe…” I still had 13 miles left and felt like I could fall asleep.

“I shouldn’t be complaining. We should embrace this mud and rain...but not too much! It could be worse.”

The theme of Leatherwood 50k (and 50miler and 10k) is “ANOTHER uphill?”

Added to that theme this year was “Embrace the Mud.”

I took my shoes out of my car last week, just as they had cemented themselves to the carpet in the back of my Jeep. I washed my sock yesterday (as in 16 days after the race, and now all of my clothes are coated in a fine layer of glittery mica and other clay minerals.

Rain was inevitable, and with rain comes muddy trails. I watched the forecast for Ferguson, NC all week, and watched the prediction for Saturday, March 29th transform from 65 and sunny to 58 with 100% chance of rain. I approached this race blind to the style of trail we’d be running on, but definitely studied the elevation profiles of both loops. With that much gain and loss, it was bound to be a muddy, slippery day.

This was only the 2^nd race I’ve done outside my usual VA/WVA comfort-blanket ultras, where everyone knows everyone and each race is a family reunion. The pre-race briefings and camping is basically a party, with everyone catching up on everyone’s lives and fun runs they’ve been doing in between. But after being out with injury since August, I needed a race where I wouldn’t know anyone and didn’t feel any external pressure to have a perfect race and set a new PR. I needed new trail, a hard course, and a relaxed atmosphere. Leatherwood 50k was the perfect pick.

The first 3 miles were pleasant: running on pavement, then climbing up a gravel forest road, then finally single-track at the top of the mountain. I didn’t know anyone I was running with which was weird but also really refreshing.

Most of the first 12 miles were extremely hard. The 50 milers started an hour before us wimpy 50k-ers, so they got the trails all broken in for us. In many sections, I was sinking up to my calves in sticky, clay-rich mud (FYI clays are permeable, but not porous, so they soak up a lot of water but have a hard time letting it go). The uphills were steep and slippery, the downhills were steep and slippery. It was raining. Everything was wet. I ran with Phyllis for a while, and she – like everyone else – was a little down from the course conditions and commented that it was going to be a long day. Around my 15 she let me pass, mentioning that she might not go out for the second loop (But I knew she would! And she did!)

The course consists of 2 loops creating a figure-eight: the first about 16 miles and very difficult and the second about 14.5 miles and less difficult than the first but still hard.  I came into the midway aid station already covered in mud and soaked to the bone. It had taken me about 3 hours and 48 minutes to do the first 16 miles, and I was starting to fear a 7:30-8 hour 50k…which wouldn’t be awful, but I didn’t really want this to take that long! I got my pack refilled with water (water, water, everywhere…) and ate some Oreo’s. Fletcher asked me how the course was, and I laughed in response. I wasn’t sure how to describe it yet. I told him I was feeling good and wanted to get the second loop done in less than 3 hours.

The second loop starts with a big climb up some big hill called "Death" or "Annihilator " (I don't remember - something scary) but honestly I couldn’t be bothered by the climbs and descents at this point, because what was really making this 50k hard and hurt was the mud. The freaking mud. Mud for days. I kid you not – each step sunk at least past my ankles into clay mud – the sponge of the Earth, as far as mud goes. Raising your foot from the ground was like lifting weights. Each step ended with sliding and losing your balance. The rain continued and my arms, shoulders, and back began to ache from being so tense – trying to stay upright and moving forward at a respectable clip. Around mile 20 we hit pavement which lead to an aid station and a sizable creek crossing. I stopped at the aid station to eat some salty chips and chug water. I have a hard time eating and drinking when it’s raining (I just don’t think about it), and I could feel my body craving salt and fluids. I kept running down the pavement and checked my watch. I have 8.5 miles left and was on the verge of finishing under 7 hours. I was also in 1^st place for women and 6^th overall, according to the nice volunteers at the last aid station. This was a position I had never been in before, and I couldn’t help but feel excited and proud of myself.  The thought of finishing first female has crossed my mind several times before race day, but I tried to keep it oppressed, with finishing healthy and happy being the priority.

I was really, really tired for the last 7 miles. The final aid station was about 6 out from the finish, and the rain has finally cleared up to a light drizzle. My legs felt like they’d run a 50 miler already, no doubt from the relentless climbs and heavy mud that now encased my shoes. I was pushing hard, on the verge of breaking 7 hours. The miles were dragging, and I was walking more than I wanted. I fell on one of the steep slippery descents – out of put exhaustion and zoning out – with about 4 miles to go, but I landed on my hands and stomach so it was okay. I had passed a few people a while back, unsure if they were in the 50 mile race or the 50k race. Finally, I could see the tennis courts – our landmark indicating that the finish with within the mile. Hitting the gravel road at the bottom of the final descent made my legs feel like jello, but I pulled out (what felt like) a fast sprint to the finish.

I crossed the line, and nothing really happened. I stopped my watch: 6 hours and 43 minutes! Perfect! There was no clock showing me my time in glaring red numerals, no crowd of people applauding my valiant effort to conquer the mountains, no annoying music to totally throw my mood from calm and spent to agitated. The mist has turned back to a light rain, so everyone was under the covered area that hosted the start/midway/finish line aid station, and under the porch on the cabin next to the finish. I took my pack off and stumbled around the field, holding my aching back and looking for Fletcher. The race director made his way over and shook my hand, announcing me as 1^st female finisher and 5^th overall (I must have passed someone!) and gave me my trophy.  Fletcher found me and helped me over to a picnic table under the covered porch so I could take my shoes off (which were essentially bricks of clay), and he went and got me my warm clothes and the most satisfying cheeseburger of all time ever.

Leatherwood 50k was definitely a great experience. It was very different from most of the ultras I’ve done in the past, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there! It was very low-key, well-marked, and challenging (especially with the rain and mud). I knew only about 3 people there, and I had no idea what the trails were going to be like. But I needed to go race somewhere else, on new terrain, with no pressure on me to break a record or PR. The only expectation I want is a finish! Winning was also cool- I’ve never placed 1^st female before! I felt like I had a solid race, and yeah, my time was slow, but so was everyone else’s! I hope that all of my races this year continue to the strong and healthy. Thanks to the wonderful race directors of Leatherwood Ultras and to all the volunteers who had to tough it out in the rain!

See y’all at Promise Land 50k!