Lisa Migrates Ultras: Do-Wacka-WooWoo!

Do-Wacka-Do 50 Mile

Pre-race:

I'm saving for a major truck repair so while this isn't an expensive race it was still hard to give myself permission to participate.

All the way up to the time we were on the road I kept second guessing myself in doing this, spending the money, and all the "what-ifs", the war between our ears.

Road trips with Chrissy are always worth it. It will be a good test of mental toughness, physical readiness and race day strategy.

Start/finish area

Signing in

The Plan:

Manage myself and my thoughts. This race takes us through the start finish area twice to run the 50 miler. With that in mind I had to be there to run the 50 miler and nothing less...... But.... With forecast temperatures in the mid-80's I had to keep in mind that this was a training run not the key race thus if the heat started becoming too much I would have to take a shorter mileage finish. So the challenge is to manage the mindset to run 50 miles but have the smarts and grace to forgive myself for less if that is where the day would lead.

Drink every 10 minutes

Eat every 20-30 minutes

Any sign of stomach distress use Gut Shot, ginger chews or other means to manage it early

Keep my skin out of the sun

Slow down as the weather heats up

Use all the ice allowed

Use ice bandana

Carry enough fuel for the first lap in case they do not have gluten-free food on the course

Chrissy & I waiting to start

Jeff & I waiting to start

First lap: 4 hours 13 minutes

I ran all the downhills and most of the flats.

I took some pictures and really tried to have fun.

I stuck perfectly to the fueling and hydration plans.

Starting at the second aid station I started drinking a pickle juice slushy (about 2 oz each) and a Cutie Clementine Orange at each aid station. As of yet the ice bandana wasn't needed. I left the trekking poles at the start finish area to see what the course was like before deciding if I would use them.

The downhills were super steep and the uphill gut busters though not long. There is rough terrain out there going into and out of gullies. Before finishing that first lap I knew I was going to use the trekking poles for the rest of the race.

Sunrise

Runners heading out

Second aid station, right at the top of a steep gully

Aid Station Management Lap One: (start/finish/drop-bag area)
Left the little camera in the drop bag so I wouldn't be tempted to take pictures
Picked up trekking poles and ice bandana
Reloaded fuel - I have to carry my own as not enough gluten free on course (not a complaint - just knowledge)
10 minutes in aid station

typical view on course

Going off road

Second lap: 4 hours 27 minutes

This lap was all about managing mind and heat. I slowed down some. I drank pickle juice and ate a Cutie Clementine Orange at each aid station and refilled my ice bandana at each aid station. I also wet the sleeves of my long sleeved sun shirt.
The trekking poles were a very wise decision it really helped climbing out of those gullies
It was HOT and the sun beat down. Managing attitude was as important as managing heat.
Hats off to the race organization, they did not run out of water, they did not run out of ice!
I thought I would have to struggle with wanting to quite at 50K. I did not, not once did I want to stop before 50 miles.

3rd Aid Station if I remember right

A windmill with a solar panel <shrug>

Aid Station Management Lap Two: (start/finish/drop-bag area)
9 minutes in the drop bag area, renewing ice bandana, refilling fuel/water bottles. I wanted to change my socks but had left them in the truck and didn't want to take the time to run get them. So out I went with a few hot spots and 16 miles to go. I left the start/finish area with 1 minute left before the cut off. whew!

Start/Finish and drop bag area between laps

Finally, last turn to home

Third lap: 4 hours 40 minutes:
The anticipation built for shade... on this lap the sun would get low and then set, this means RUN!
I got to the second aid station realizing I didn't drink enough so far in this third lap, this is the only time I got behind on hydration during the whole race. So I made note to pay more attention to that as it gets late in the race.
Climbing out of those gullies became harder and harder. At that second aid station I found out I was the last person to continue on to 50 miles. They were going to close down the aid station as soon as I was through it. A volunteer told me that they were going to follow me in their 4-wheeler for the rest of the course. I begged them not to. I told them I run 30 miles alone at night in the woods, I can do this. If they are behind me for 9+ miles that would add stress that I didn't really need.
After they packed in the aid station they caught up to me and told me they had to follow me but they would hang way back. I told them okay and I appreciated them hanging back. I wasn't listening to anything on my iPod at that point but put in my earphones to listen to music so I wouldn't hear the engine of the 4-wheeler. After a few minutes they came up beside me and told me they would go to the next aid station and wait for me. Thank goodness!

Sunset

Steep downhill into a gully

I did see those volunteers along with the volunteer from the next aid station and thanked them for not following me. By now it was sunset time. I had been running the downhills and most of the flats for about 90 minutes. I did take a moment to take a picture of the sunset. I had been out here all day and I had managed it. I wasn't doing a death march. I wasn't crashing, I wasn't thinking I would never run again and I wanted to burn my shoes! - Yes, my feet did hurt!

I saw someone up ahead. I started to think I could pass them, I wasn't going to finish DFL. So I ran, and ran, and ran. I caught up to a friend having a miserable day and a friend who was walking in with her. She encouraged me to go, go, go! It was exciting.

I did use my headlamp. I did get in after dark. I did have the biggest smile on my face! It was a thrill to finish smart! to have run a smart race! to have a challenging course/heat and to have managed it well. This was by far the best managed race in my short running life.