I finally ran my first ultra marathon - The Goblin Valley 50k. That was one of the neatest experiences I've ever done in my running career.
Video
Very brief recap:
26 runners ran the ultra marathon
Miles 0-5: Felt horrible and thought I was going to have to take the the sag-wagon back to the start.
Miles 5-20: I got stronger with every mile. We walked all the uphills. I was very on top of my hydration and food intake.
Miles 20-23: I had a potty stop here. I started to loose steam...I'm not sure if it was from stopping or just because I was getting tired.
Miles 23-27: Feeling strong and enjoyed a nice long downhill stretch.
Miles 28-31: Definitely tired at this point. One of my favorite parts of the whole race was to see the spectators on top of a large bluff....the people were tiny. I knew once we saw spectators we were close to the finish. BUT....we had to climb the large bluff. THEN we got to the parking lot and the finish line was 10 feet away on the right. But we had to run through the goblins on the left....this included a sharp, sandy decline...running through sinking dirt...lots of twists and turns and big climbs. Finally, we crossed the finish line.
There were many contributing factors for this amazing event. First (and foremost) was running with Rachel and Paul. Most of the other runners were alone and I couldn't imagine being out there for that many hours by myself. Though I didn't talk much, I responded to the conversation in my head and was just grateful for their being there.
I LOVED the laid back feel of the ultra. I liked walking up the hills. I liked that no one asked me if I had run Boston. I liked that the front runners took time to hand out high-fives. I liked that I could run slow and long and still feel like a winner.
The course was beautiful. God's artistic hand was definitely noticed in this state park.
I will definitely do more ultras! I still have some unfinished marathon business to finish, but I can see ultras in the futures.
THANK YOU Rachel and Paul for giving me the experience of a life time!
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