50K Years Old Run! (That's 31 in Statute Units)

Woke up early, strapped on the Vibram FiveFinger KSO's, some Injinji socks and my trusty Race Ready shorts then zipped out to Lake Calhoun around 4:15 am to prepare for the inaugural running of the Twin Cities Ultra Festival 50K. Patrick mobilized his awesome folks and wife to help out with things, and they did a wonderful job. Thanks so much for helping out!

Wynn Davis showed up in the dawn's early light as well as Kurt Decker and his wife Sonya, Eve Rembleski, Mark Hanson, Bill Parker, Patrick's wife's brother (or friend - sorry, I can't remember which...ULTRA BRAIN!) Paul and of course, Patrick Russell. I doubt there will ever be another official race I am in where I can remember all of the runner's names!

a gerhard richter-esque sunrise

I was pleased that I got my birthday day as my number...#6! Shortly after pinning it on, we lined up in a very impromptu fashion and Kurt sent us off to the short out and back that would make it an official 50K. I didn't want to go out hot, so I kept it at about an 8:45 pace to start out with (not too slow, since I also didn't want to waste the fact that I was feeling good and wanted to put some miles in the bank before it got hot).

My goal was to run around a 5 hour 50K. I know it's slow, but whatever...I really just wanted to finish and not be totally wrecked at the end.

The humidity crept right up on you once you started running, especially during sunrise. I quickly doffed my white Under Armour tee-shirt in favor of being naked as a jaybird from the waist up. I was also very generous with my water allotment and S-Cap intake, because I was sweating pretty good right from the get-go. I fueled on about a cup and a half of mixed nuts, raisins, 2 Clif bars, 3 GU Espresso Love flavored gels, and four S! Caps. I drank a little bit of the Ultra Clip they had at the aid station, but plenty of cold, cold water was my saving grace. I definitely kept hydrated, my 'output' volume was good to the very end of the race, and I 'outputted' about once every two laps.

I ran alone for a good portion of the run once Mark passed me (very early on). Eve joined me for my second or third lap. She's so genuinely nice and fun to talk to. I got to hear about her awesome run at Afton and her plans for the rest of the year. She would tear up a 50 Miler anywhere she decides to go.

Lake Calhoun in the early morning ain't nothin' like running at Afton!! My favorite sight of the day was the girl walking around in multi-colored spandex covering (most of) her body and wearing what looked like a swatch of porch screen strapped to her head. My other favorite was the rollerblading guy who was belting out a Prince tune as he cruised on the bike path...ahh, good ol' Minneapolis!

I was just trying to run easy and keep my HR below 80% for the first twenty miles. Past that, where it or my pace would end up was anyone's guess. Everything was feeling great until about the sixth lap, when my groin and hips felt really tight as I ran down the last mile of the loop. Every time I got back to the aid station, I tried to stretch out a little bit. Every time I left the aid station, it felt better, so it must have worked. I also had a pretty good dull pain in the bottom of my foot, a little in my arch, coming back from the ball of my foot. Such is life on the roads!

It was about this time that I saw Patrick at the aid station and it didn't seem like it was his day. He's got time to tryout still, and he's probably about the fastest guy out there, so I'm sure he'll get it. He spent the rest of the day helping out the remaining runners and probably plotting his revenge on the 100K, somewhere. I will say that he lapped me and gave a kind shout no fewer than about seven times while I was out there...he is blazing fast.

Eve and Wynn joined me for my eighth lap and ran interference on the throngs of people out enjoying the lake (there's really no reason to run five and six abreast on the path, is there?! It got crowded!). Eve and Wynn were like the secret service. I would have loved to have been better conversation at this point, but I was just focusing on getting through the third to last lap, going easy the second to last lap and hammering (as much as I 'hammer') the last lap. Eve helped me with the rickety pump on the north side of the lake and we discussed our love of the GU Espresso Love flavor.

Hell yes.

Wynn and Eve were both very encouraging and awesome company. I wouldn't have had nearly as good of an 8th lap without them. Can't thank them enough for helping out!!

The ninth lap, however, sucked. I decided to run alone because Wynn and Eve had already put in so much time with me as I dogged it around the course. I had to stop twice due to gastro-intestinal issues (no more steak burritos the night before a big run...only chili dogs from now on). My feet were also really starting to smart at this point, just due to the constant friction and repetitive motion of running on the road. Twenty some miles on trails is WAY different than the same distance on roads. I had no idea where anyone else was at this point, I just assumed they'd all lapped me without me noticing and were sitting in cozy chairs sipping cool drinks in the shade.

Mark and Sonya made it look very easy early on in the first lap and I hadn't seen them again. Both of them have a very pleasant gait. Efficient and with a nice, rapid turnover. I was ahead of Paul and also did not see him again. Bill Parker didn't run the race, but I swear he must have done almost as many laps (in the opposite direction as the race) as the racers because he was out there like, all day, always with a kind word!

I came in from the ninth lap and lo and behold my dad showed up to give me encouragement (as well as tell me how I'd already be done if I was on a bike...cyclists). Pops ran with me, Wynn, Eve and Kurt for about a half mile of the last lap, but then I decided to go for broke and see if I could hold the pace I started out at and he couldn't hang, so I had three of the most talented runners I've ever met, Eve Rembleski, Wynn Davis and Kurt Decker leading the way for my last lap! How cool! Kurt and I had a chance to talk a bit while Wynn and Eve did the secret service thing again. He's very humble and full of gratitude for his family and life.

Kurt is headed to Leadville soon, so visit his blog and wish him luck!

Not that I was going real fast, by their (or anyone's) standards, but 8:45's at the end of 28 long miles on the road felt to me like I was doing warp speed 7. I don't know how the real fast people do it...especially on the roads!

I asked Eve and Kurt how far it was to the finish and Kurt led the way towards a gradual increase in speed -- why it would ever seem to matter at the end of a 50K to want to push to the finish, I have no idea, it just feels damn fine to do. Patrick and his dad waved me in through the finish and I walked very slowly to the tent, sat down, mixed my Endurox and wondered how anyone could do this for 100 Kilometers or more. Whew! New found sense of awe for what the ultra runners I know do at 50, 62.137 and 100+ mile runs.

In any case...I got the 50K years old run done! one mile for every year on the planet, baby! Maybe next year it'll be a faster attempt...I learn more about my capabilities with every long, long run I do.

fivefingers at the finish

I packed it up, walked glacially slow to the car then my dad took me out for the best caramel roll I've ever had at the Isles Bun Shop. Then it was home for a wonderful ice bath. I'm feeling kinda sore all over, but definitely not as bad as my first 50k. I feel like I kept a pretty even pace, despite having to stop a couple times for bathroom breaks (big difference between stepping off of a trail and waiting for a porta-john to open up!).

Thanks again Wynn, Eve and Kurt for the company. Thanks Patrick and co. for putting on a fun race! Let's do it again next year!

wynn, me, patrick, sonya and mark

In lieu of a weekly recap...I'll just say that I did one other six mile run this week (and I'm glad I didn't do more than that!). Total mileage: 37.37 mi.