A race is a both a test of your training and your reward for it. On Sunday, I ran the Rocks and Roots Trail Series 30k. It was my first race since the Indiana Trail 100 and I went in with very few expectations. Over the past month, I’ve been focusing on increasing my speed and strength, adding in rowing and Pure Barre classes twice a week. Rather than setting a time goal, my plan was to put my training to the test by pushing myself hard from the gun and to hold on for as long as I could.

1st Loop (North)

The course is set up as a figure 8, split into a north loop and a south loop. As we took off on the north loop, the temperature was clear and around 32 degrees, perfect race day weather. Everyone was excited to start moving, jockeying for position on the small bridges and boards, trying to avoid the mud and standing water in the first half mile.

As we settled in, I felt at ease pushing to a pace that hadn’t felt even remotely comfortable in the past. It felt effortless, and my mind wandered to the endless possibilities of my upcoming goals this year. I’m pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire loop because I was just so happy to be out on the trails racing again. Even a quick fall over a tree branch didn’t phase me and I finished the first 10k in 1:14, ran straight through the aid station and started on the South loop.

2nd Loop (South)

On the South loop, there are multiple stream crossings and tons of downed trees across the trail. As I started into the loop, I chatted with a few other runners about their upcoming races and kept pushing.

I started losing momentum about a mile in, slowing down to get over the fallen trees and wading through the first stream crossing. At this point, I began to get in my head. Questioning how long I could keep up this pace, and also noticing the aches and pains starting to creep in. This led to losing my footing on the technical terrain because I was losing focus on the trail.

This is the battle that we all fight in a race of any length. Can we overcome those voices in our head that tell us that we can’t do it? Luckily, I was able to catch myself and end the downward spiral fairly quickly. I knew that my husband and kids were waiting for me at the end of the loop. Seeing them cheering me on reminded me to get out of my head, be in the moment, keep moving forward and work harder to stay positive.

3rd Loop (North)

As I re-traced the North loop, the temperature had risen to a comfortable 38 degrees. The ground was now soft and there was no way around the mud that now covered the trail. I did my best to stay on my feet, often sliding down the slick declines.

I kept up my pacing until around mile 14 or so when I hit a root with my shoe and turned my ankle. As I yelled out in pain and slowed to a walk, a runner came up behind me and asked if I was OK. I let her know that I just needed a second to shake it off, and she could pass by me. Instead of going by, though, she stayed with me. In a minute or two I forgot all about my ankle as we continued on for the remainder of the race together.

In trail running, we are all out there to see what we are made of. To overcome those doubts that pass through the mind. It’s a race, but when you fall out there on the trails, there is almost always someone there to help you back up.

I finished the race in 4:05:08 which was 39 minutes faster than my time last year. I went into this race with very few expectations but I came of it motivated to work even harder.

Onto the next…50 Miles at The Get Lucky 50/50 on March 21st.

“You are only as mentally tough as your life demands you to be. An easy life fashions a mind that can only handle ease. A challenging life builds a mind that can handle challenge. Like a muscle that atrophies without use, mental strength fades unless it is tested. When life doesn’t challenge you, challenge yourself.“

-James Clear

One of the things that I love about being an ultra runner is answering questions friends have about this crazy sport!  So this post is for the majority of people out there who are curious and probably confused about why anyone would put themselves through this.

1. Do you sleep during 50 or 100 mile races?

No, I personally don’t sleep. If I did, I most certainly wouldn’t make the race cutoffs. The not sleeping part of a 100 mile race is my weakness. During the Indiana Trail 100, I was a walking, shuffling, running zombie once my body realized that it was 3am and I should be in my warm bed. The amazing thing was though, once the sun started to rise, I felt so much better!

2. Do you go to the bathroom during an ultra?

Yes! There are usually porta potties, but if not, you just go along side the trail. You lose all sense of decency after running a certain amount of miles!

3. Do you eat during an ultra?

Definitely! Eating can make or break you in an ultra. I practice eating different foods during my long runs so that I can find foods that don’t upset my stomach. I prefer to eat Spring Energy Gels and drink Tailwind.  Anything longer than 20 miles, I usually start supplementing with real foods like mashed potatoes, rice balls, potato chips and pretzels. I also drink A LOT of Coke. I would never drink it in my daily life, but during an ultra, my body craves the sugar and caffeine.

4. Do you stop at all or sit down during an ultra?

There are chairs at the aid stations at most ultras, but the only time I ever sit down is to change my shoes. The second you sit down, your muscles tense up and it’s so much harder to get moving again! I get in and out of the aid stations as quickly as possible. I grab what I need and keep moving. Every minute that you stop is another minute added to your time. I learned this the hard way.  At the Outdoor X 12 hour Run, I stopped at the main aid station on every single loop and at the end of the day it added up to an entire hour!

5. Why?

This answer is different for everyone. For me, most days , it’s curiosity.  I’m curious about my limits. How far can I run, how far can I push myself both mentally and physically? When I reach my physical limits, how far will my mind take me from there and what will I find on the other side of the suffering that one experiences after running for hours and hours?  Ultra running may seem extreme to some, but to me, that’s where life is in it’s simplest form.  Put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. 

“The only limits you have are the limits you believe.” – Wayne Dyer