When: February 7th, 2015
Where: Forks Area Trail System (FATS)
Edgefield, South Carolina
Distance: 40K
Start Time: 7:05 (ish)
Temp at start: 28 degrees F
Temp at finish: 62 degrees F
A while back I talked a fellow ultra-running friend into signing up for the 40 mile option for this race, and I was so pumped and excited to get a 40 miler under my belt! Unfortunately, training did not go as planned for me for a few different reasons. Thankfully, I was able to build up enough distance to feel strong enough for the 40K option, so that's what I set out to do :)
Race Day:
My alarm went off at 2:50 a.m. and I was really confused as to why, so I hit snooze. It went off again at 3:00 a.m. and my eyes shot open, "OH WAIT, I really do need to get up this early on a Saturday!". I jumped out of bed, let the dog out, fed all the animals, got my own breakfast ready for the road, and started getting ready. I was on my way by 3:45 and cruising along I-20 enjoying the empty road...until those dreaded flashing lights appeared behind me. Oops...perhaps I was enjoying the empty road a little too much. I've been so tired of getting stuck in Atlanta traffic that I felt FREE for once! WRONG.
Thankfully (and by that I mean, THANK YOU OFFICER SO SO MUCH!!), he let me off with a warning and a very stern speech about the hazards of speeding. I honestly think he was expecting me to be someone driving home after a night of partying, but instead I turned out to be one of the most sober people on the road and on my way to a marathon. Every item in my car, including my clothing, backed up that story. I was making really good time at that point (for some reason), so I continued on my way at a slower speed.
I was a little nervous about getting lost on the smaller country roads, but I made it there with no problem. I arrived at about 6:00 a.m. It was dark and cold, but they had these amazing fire barrels to huddle around.
I got checked in and picked up my race bib, then sat in the car for a bit to stay warm. I wasn't really nervous at all, but mostly looking forward to running some new trails and meeting new like-minded people. I went into this day with the mantra "Slow and steady will get you to the finish line".
My friend, Sally, lives close to that area and she arrived around 6:30. We chatted while huddling around the fire and ended up making a new friend, Brandi, who was doing the 40 miler as her first ultra attempt. The 40 milers started first, followed by 40K runners and 40 mile relay runners 5 minutes later.
I wasn't familiar with the trails at all and the map looked confusing. I'm very grateful that the routes were marked with clear signage for us on race day!
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
It was a smaller race, which was nice in the beginning since people weren't jumbled up on the narrow singletrack. I pretty easily fell into a nice groove and 12 min pace with a few others for the first mile. I had heard and been warned about the "whoop-de-doos" on the course. A bunch of little up and down hills that are fun for mountain bikers, however, they can quickly tire a runner's legs out if you aren't careful. One of the tricks is to keep the flow and momentum going. Use the downhills to gain speed to carry you over the uphill. Here's an example of the trail from a mountain biking perspective:
I actually found myself really enjoying these parts...in the first few miles anyway :) They were pretty fun! After the first mile, my 12 min pace started slowing to more of a 12:40, and then hovered around 13:00. A guy I was following for the first 3-4 miles informed me that the loop we were on was known to be the toughest with the highest elevation gain of them all, so I felt somewhat justified for slowing down. It was nice having someone to chat with, but we soon parted ways after I slowed down a little more.
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
The first aid station was at 5.5 miles. I was carrying my hydration pack and had everything I needed on me, but we were still required to check-in at every aid station for safety purposes. My plan was to eat gels and energy chews for the first half of the race, then start adding in some solid foods. Carrying most of what I needed also meant I could keep moving through the aid stations and not waste time dilly-dallying around. We had an option for a drop bag as well, but I chose to forgo that option. If I had done the 40 mile race, I for sure would have had a drop bag.
After Aid Station #1 I seemed to get into a running zone and was really enjoying the trails. It was still cold out, but by that point I was warmed up and sweating. I knew if I stopped at all I would start to get cold again, so I kept my "slow and steady" mantra going. I checked in at Aid Station #2 a little after 7 miles in, and then kept on running. It is rare for me to reach a runner's high, but I was feeling pretty high and great between miles 7-12. Aid Station #3 was a little past the halfway mark. I ate half a banana and an orange wedge, talked a little with the super nice volunteers, then was on my way.
I really started to feel the pain after mile 14. My right big toe was having shooting pains when I ran fast downhill and it also felt like a blister was forming under my outer right big toe joint. I have trained in the same socks and shoes on all my long trail runs and never had these issues. I muttered to myself "It's just a flesh wound. Blisters heal. No big deal." and tried my best to move my focus on to something more positive.
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| I started taking more pictures to cheer myself up. It turned into the most beautiful day! |
When I am out on these long runs in the woods, I am forced to strip myself down to the very core. There is no hiding who I am. I am not always proud of the person I am when the layers are stripped away, but I recognize my faults and work to change for the better.
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| When weaker trees start to fall, the strong ones hold them up |
When I made it to the last Aid Station, they told me I had 8 miles left to go. Somewhere along the line I had accidentally stopped my watch...probably when getting something out of my bag...so I had lost track of exact time and mileage. When they said 8 miles left, I got really excited because I was imagining a little more! It was good to have that encouragement from the volunteer staff and it gave me motivation to keep pushing myself to run.
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
I got a little groove going again, but that was a LONG 8 miles for me. My chronic back pain started flaring up in those last few miles. I stopped a few times to stretch it out, then kept on moving. I went into this race not really knowing what to expect for time, and was saying maybe 6 hrs or more. By my calculations, it looked like I would finish in under 6 hours even if I walked a lot of the remaining trail. I just had to keep pushing myself to run the easier sections so I could walk the more challenging ones.
Annnnd....
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
There was the finish line! I heard the cowbells and cheers and....
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I DID IT! Official time: 5:49:24 :)
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| I absolutely love this simple, natural, well-earned medal! |
It was a great (and painful) feeling to have finished the race! I hung around for some time waiting on Sally to finish her 40 miler. The post-race food was an abundance of all kinds of chips, some homemade soup, and more. The weather was perfect for tailgating, and I discovered the back of my Mazda makes a decent bed with the seats folded down flat :)
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
This was the Inaugural Rut Rogue 40's, and they did an AMAZING job planning and organizing this event. Thank you for keeping us all safe, hydrated and well-fed out there. They even had posted hilarious signs on some of the trail (see pics below), such as:
Chaffing the Dream
Run now, poop later
Run now, beer later
Overall it was just a really great event on a perfect day.
Congratulations to everyone who was out there racing. Whether you finished the full distance you set out for or not, you all deserve a huge congratulations and should be proud of every step you took!
Keep smiling and running!
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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| Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto |
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Nutrition Notes:
Breakfast 3 hrs pre-race: 2 gluten free waffles with almond butter, coffee with almond milk, Nuun to drink
Snack 1 hr before race: 1 banana
During race:
4 gels (400 Calories)
2 packs shot blocks (360 calories)
1 banana (100 calories)
2 orange wedges (50 calories)
2 Liters Water (finished my entire 2 liter reservoir)
Total calories during race=910
Post race:
Protein shake with coconut water immediately after
Chips, jerky and a beer while waiting on friends to finish :)
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