A story that kept getting better

This is going to be a fun story to remember. We got to the camp with barely enough light to set up camp in the middle of a thunderstorm. Yeah, I have to stop trusting those weather reports, because 20% chance of precipitation is looking like 100% crappy...

After trying to heat up a half-warm dinner, I just had to think to myself that next year I'll have to sign up for the pre-race pizza! I sat for a while under the pavilion and listened to some of the stories. I heard something about 168 steps and how painful they were. How the climb up Apple Orchard Falls went on forever. What I found most promising was that everyone seemed relaxed and enjoying the pre-race atmosphere. I thought I would retire early and try and get in some dry clothes. I had to bail a little bit of water that had gotten in the tent before I had the rain-fly in place, but everything else seemed good to go. Now warm and dry, I wouldn't have to go back out until the morning when hopefully it will have stopped raining (thank goodness for wide mouth Gatorade bottles...)

How did I find the Promise Land, anyways?

Easy: I stumbled across it on the internet! I had never heard of the series, nor am I a person who is a trail runner (yet...) I have spent some time on the Fairfax County Cross-Country Trail and Burke Lake Park, but normally I frequent the bike paths. The first leg of the JFK 50, my only other ultra to date, was the first rough and tough trail experience I had faced.

But how could I say no? Actually, what I thought was, "I gotta do this!" I read the course description and looked at the elevation profile. I browsed a couple of race reports and just knew that I had found a challenge I would have to take on. I even twisted my running buddy's arm (it didn't take much) to join me in this adventure. I'm fortunate enough to say that after the race he wants to come back next year too!

So it begins

Starting out on a dark road is a really good trick for your senses. I was in good spirits and moving along with the rest of the pack. My brain would not remember how steep that climb was until later, when last three miles demolished what was left of my quads. I always like reaching the first aid station and focused on a mental map of the course and where I was. I couldn't get a good signal on my Garmin, which was disappointing because I really like capturing all of my running data! Sometimes I think I run just to collect the data to go and analyze. I would get spotty reception throughout the course, but enough to make a Google-map flyover of the course! There's nothing quite like reliving a day of running in pseudo-real time over a 3-D visual map... ah, joyful bliss!

I learned something today

I have read many other course descriptions and other stories from the race. I'm not sure that I can add anything to the descriptions that isn't already there, and I didn't have any particularly profound thoughts or a life altering experience to talk about. I just had fun running and here are some of the experiences, impressions, and observations I had during the course of the day:

• A big "Thank You" to all of the volunteers that helped out throughout the day! Everyone was so nice and the food and beverage selections were excellent! The aid stations provided physical nutrition, but the smiles and encouragement were the "mental nutrition" to help me on my journey. By the way, chocolate doughnuts dipped in salt somehow taste amazing!
• Every runner I conversed with along the way was friendly and I enjoyed hearing their stories, learning from their experience, and the unspoken fellowship of those willing to go out and run ultras in the mountains
• I don't pick my feet up when I run. I kicked rocks, stubbed my toes, and almost tripped about a dozen times. The only one that really hurt was on the way down from Sunset Fields around mile 28 where the seizing up of the large muscle groups in a desperate attempt to keep my balance while moving quickly down the hill hurt much worse than my toe!
• I found ways of tip-toeing over precarious rocks and leaping over boulders to avoid getting my shoes wet while crossing the various water hazards on the trail. I was amazed to see the other runners just walk right on through like nothing was there. If this is normal, I have a lot more to learn about trail running, or perhaps need a special pair of "trail-shoes" with whatever technical design that is meant to handle this type of situation. I only got my shoes muddy once.
• Yep, the climb up Apple Orchard Falls went on forever, especially after reaching the sign that said 0.9 miles to go to the parkway. But the "168 steps" weren't so bad. I enjoyed the falls (we truly paid for the view), but this was the section where I stopped running the flats and the downs and just power-hiked all the way to the top. This is also the part where my initial goal of a seven hour finish eroded and I decided to let it be whatever it would be (but there was no chance I was going to let it be more than eight!)
• The last section to the finish felt like hitting my quads with a hammer on every step. It was hard enough to put on the brakes, but running freely down that grade didn't seem like a wise idea at the time. The idea is to run, not to tumble down the hill. I just got back to thinking, "You can't buy pain this good, you've gotta earn it!"

The last word

For my first mountain race adventure, what a great experience! I could have signed up for some 10k or 10 miler as an introduction, but I'm a believer in "trial by fire," and somehow I knew that anything less wouldn't have been quite the same. I'm glad I had the opportunity to come out and share the day with so many other people running and supporting these events and I'm looking forward to next year!