Running adventures and more from the back of the pack
Tag: Trail running
I ran this race last year, my first 12-hour endurance event, and completed 48.49 miles. Prior to that, the longest distance I had run was a 50K (31 miles), so this was a personal best, and I was very grateful and happy with it. But somehow, falling shy of 50 miles made me wonder if I could run an official 50 miles in 12 hours. So going into this year’s race, that became my goal.
Over 1,500 runners toed the line and thousands of spectators lined the streets. We were on a narrow road with tall buildings on either side of us. Music was blaring. The announcer was counting down, and a drone flew overhead. The excitement was palpable. And around us we could hear different languages being spoken. Forecast showed 40% to 100% chance of rain all day. It started to drizzle as we waited at the start.
Don’t be afraid to take on Big Hairy Audacious Goals. The worst that can happen is you fail to accomplish them. You’ll still stand to gain valuable lessons and be richer for the experience. But if you do make it, then be ready for what’s coming next. And always, always enjoy the ride.
It was the perfect tune up race leading up to RDL. It gave me confidence that my body is capable of running 68.5 miles (a personal best) in 19 hours. I learned a few things that will, hopefully, help me in the final weeks of training for RDL. But in ultra running, there are no guarantees. 100 miles is a very long way to run, and no matter how well you prepare, there are many variables — some of which are outside of your control. The only thing you can do is prepare to the best of your abilities, toe the start line (hopefully) healthy, and give it your best on race day.
Life’s a Peach.Run 