I decided to run the Frigid 50k as a training run for the upcoming Vernal Equinox 48 Hour Race.  It is held at Last Straw Farm, the same location for the Winter Solstice 9 Hour race. Originally, it was supposed to be a 10k looped course with one aid station. The decision was made to switch it to a 2 mile loop a few days before the race. This was for safety reasons because the temperature was being predicted to be a windchill of -11.

I spent a lot of time during the days before, trying to gather clothes that would be weather appropriate but still breathable. I don’t usually get nervous about running in bad weather but the day before the race, I definitely felt on edge.

Race Morning

The morning of the race I loaded up the trunk of the car with extra clothes and snacks. I pre-filled water bottles with electrolyte solution to keep things simple. The trunk would serve as my own personal aid station. 

When I pulled into the farm, they directed me to park right next to the trail.This would give me easy access to my car whenever I needed it. I checked in, put on my bib and gathered in a barn with the other runners. There was also a relay that would be run at the same time as the 50k, making it impossible to tell how many people would actually be running in my race. There were probably a total of 25 people there for the pre-race meeting. 

The Start

We started off running on the trail in the opposite direction that I ran during the 9 hour race. The course was slightly different to make it a full 2 miles. The race director had driven an ATV around the trail the night before to create tire tracks for us to follow. But unfortunately, the snow was still fairly thick. Even though I had plenty of breathable layers on, I noticed right away that the body glide that I had applied to avoid chafing, was freezing on my skin. My Dad had warned me to keep my core dry and warm to avoid hypothermia. So right away my mind was racing trying to decide what to do about this. I pulled out my phone to connect it to my air pods to listen to some music for distraction. But because of the cold, my phone was already dead. 

I ran 2 loops trying to figure out what to do about my phone and cold core. I decided to make a quick stop at my car to fill up my water. (During this time, the cap to my water bottle had also frozen!)  I pulled out the key faab but the car wouldn’t open! I had brought my husband’s car and wasn’t very familiar with it. So I stood there for about 15 seconds panicked. My phone was dead, I was cold, I had no way to contact anyone and I had no music or water. I forced myself to pull it together and start moving again. I chanted over and over to myself “figure it out.” After another mile, I realized that the key faab must be frozen so I put it into my glove to warm it up. 

Mile 8

At the 8 mile mark, I tried again and it worked! I put my phone on the charger, filled up my water and grabbed some food.  All of these distractions had taken my mind off how cold I was. I felt comfortable again so that worry was alleviated. 

I continued to run loops at a steady pace and felt ok.  At around 15 miles I was tired from trudging through the snow loop after loop. Mentally, I felt burnt out. I started negotiating with my mind, trying to convince myself it would be OK to drop out. I went round and round with my mind. But deep down, I knew the whole time that I would never let myself quit. 

Mile 20

Finally at 20 miles in, I called my husband and put him on speaker phone while I continued to run. I felt overwhelmed by the conditions. I had just lost a glove, was suddenly confused at where I was on the course. I told him I was only going to go 25 miles since it was only a training run. He also knew that I wouldn’t quit and told me to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. He said, Tomorrow you aren’t going to even remember how cold and uncomfortable you were today. I knew he was right, so I kept moving and forced myself to embrace the moment. 

My watch had been slightly off all day and I stopped counting loops early on in the race. As I came around again at around 25 miles, the race director told me that he would check to see how may loops I had left. At this point in the day, most of the other runners were gone. The parking lot was nearly empty, and I had only seen 2 other people in the last couple of hours. 

As I came around the other side of the lake, he told me that I only had 3 more laps left! I thought I had 4-5 to go, so this lifted my spirits. The last 3 loops I kept moving steadily with the end in sight. I took it all in on that last loop and tried to enjoy the end of what had been a very challenging day.

The Results

90% of the races that I have run in the past year have been in terrible conditions. From heavy rain and lightning, to sloppy mud, and now to thick snow and negative temperatures. During each event, I spend some of this time completely miserable and hating life. But through it all, I have convinced myself that I am at my very best when I’m running in terrible conditions. What I may lack in speed, I make up for in toughness and mental strength. It’s all about pushing through the doubts and finding strength on the other side. Every time that I do this, I gain more confidence and determination to keep working harder and reaching higher.

When the results came out later that night, I found out that only 9 of us finished the 50k, and I was the only woman!