A Leisurely Jog Through the Woods: North Face 50 Mile Race Report

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time...   

It's been a while since I posted an update, but I have been a busy boy.  Since April I PRd at the 10k (38:21), ran my first 50k, and trained for a 50-miler.  I'm pleased to report that it went well, I finished, and had a great experience.

I am posting this to reflect on the day and perhaps help others who are thinking of training for this distance.  Before I started this journey I read many blogs and race reports like this one to try and understand what I was getting into, get some training insight, and gain some confidence that I could indeed do this.  I hope the same holds true for any of you wishing to take on this challenge.

Training

One of the things that I have read repeatedly in books and blogs is not only the importance of the long run, but doing as many long runs as possible that replicate the course you will be running on.  As the North Face Endurance Challenge in Wisconsin would be a trail race, I wanted to try and get as many runs on trails as I could.  I began training in earnest at the end of May, so I had roughly a 14-week buildup to this race.  For the 10k training I was running roughly 60 miles per week, and I remained at about that level for my 50-mile training, proving that super-high mileage is NOT necessary to finish a 50-mile run.  However, I had many things to distract me that were really fun, but did take me away from training - I ran in three 200-mile relays: an ultra relay in June (Madison to Chicago), another in August (Ragnar Great River in Minnesota), and a 12-person relay (The Fred in Western Michigan).

While these were great experiences, I needed to recover from the ultra relays and this definitely cut into my mileage.  Fortunately I was able to do enough to get it done - I did about 10 runs or so that were 20 miles or more in those 14-weeks, and two weekends I did back to back long runs (running roughly 40 miles in the two days).  I also spent a couple of weekend days out at Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin, running what would be parts of the race course for the 50-miler.  I can say with confidence that this was vital to helping my mental state during the course of the run and that the Ice Age Trail has quickly become a favorite running spot, well worth the 2-hour drive there from my house.  I also did several runs at the Palos Hills Forest Preserve in the Western suburbs of Chicago (including a self-supported 26.2 mile run) and a run at Island Lake State Park in Michigan.  This helped really prepare my body to use lots of different muscles, as I quickly learned trail running is much different from road running.

The aftermath of a particularly muddy training run

I developed a race strategy early and stuck to it - run very slowly and walk the uphills - and then practiced it on all of my long runs on trails.  My goal was simply to finish and I think mentally this helped me relax in the days leading up to the race.  I had to set aside much of the competitive douchebaggery that people who know me well are quite familiar with, because quite frankly for all of the success I have had running on roads, I am a very, very average ultra runner.

The final piece of the puzzle was nutrition and hydration.  I went back and forth between running with handheld water bottles and a hydration vest and I found that I was more comfortable with the vest.  I tried to figure out what kinds of things I could eat on the run, and I found that Clif bars and Honey Stinger waffles were good go-tos in addition to gels.

I also did a 2-week taper, and I honestly will probably never go back to a 3-week one for marathoning (although I did do a pretty steep taper - after a 60 mile week I only ran about 35 miles the next week and then runs of 5 and 3 miles the week of the race).  I felt extremely fresh and rested for the race.

The Race

I took the Friday off of work before the race and drove up to pick up my bib number and then to Ottawa Lake to set up camp.  Even with poor planning I managed to grab a campsite a few weeks before the race and when I arrived I could see the tents set up for the race.  The start of the race was only a 5-minute walk from my campsite and that was a big win.

Ottawa Lake is a really beautiful lake and park in the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit in Wisconsin.  Having been there before from training I was really looking forward to spending some time in the area and exploring it a little bit more.  Once camp was set up I took a walk around the grounds, visiting the start and finish area and then hopped in the car to grab an early dinner.  I remembered from my research of the area that there was an Italian place in North Prairie and I found it easily enough.  I ordered my go-to pre race dinner:  spaghetti and meatballs.

I headed back to camp to rest up a bit and my wife and mother-in-law met me there.  We took a short trip to make sure they knew where the aid stations would be at so that they could find me.  Soon after it was dark and time to hit the sack.

I slept pretty poorly but this was no surprise - I usually do before a big goal race.  I set my alarm for 3:30am, but I didn't need it - at 3am I was up and having breakfast - banana bread with peanut butter.  Yum!  Fortunately our campsite was near a bathroom/shower facility and I was able to body glide up, take a poop and get dressed without disturbing my wife and mother-in-law.  I filled up my vest with water, packed a few gels, a couple of Clif bars and a waffle, and by 4:30 was walking down to the start.

My mindset was simple - don't think about the entire race distance.  Focus on getting to the next aid station, and enjoy the opportunity that I have to run in an amazing trail system.  Eat the elephant one bite at a time.

It was crazy how cold it was in the morning.  I had on a short sleeve shirt, arm warmers, shorts and gloves and was still pretty cold.  There had been some rain in the area a couple of days before, so I had on my Salomon trail shoes, but I packed a pair of road shoes in my gear bag that my wife would have just in case.  When I arrived at the start I was thrilled to see that they had space heaters set up.  Really nice touch.  Just before the start Dean Karnazes said a few words but I couldn't understand any of it - the sound system wasn't the best but really, who cares...nothing he was going to say would make any difference.  And just like that, we were off.

Scuppernong Loop - Miles 1-7

It was pitch dark and looking around at all of the other headlamp lights, I realized very quickly that mine sucked.  My main goal here was to not let the excitement of the morning get me carried away, but it also became to find someone with a good lamp and run near them.  After a mile or so on the roads we ducked into the woods and onto a trail I was pretty familiar with from training.  The Scuppernong trails were nice and wide with good footing and a few rolling hills.  I took my cues from the other runners and walked every uphill.  I felt really uneasy during this stretch and was certain that I would fall due to the poor lighting, but I managed to remain upright.  I don't recall my pace exactly, but with all of the walking it was around 11 minute pace, which is where I wanted to be at.

Around mile 4 or so, it became quickly apparent that I needed to use the bathroom again.  For some reason lately this has been par for the course with me - a small poop followed shortly after by a larger one later in the morning.  After running a little longer I knew I was going to have to take a detour at the first aid station.  I did manage to get a Clif bar and a gel down on this loop though.

When I arrived at the aid station I asked if there were any porta-potties.  The only place I could go was on the other side of the parking lot.  Ugh.  So I had to jog across the parking lot to handle business...that sucked.  But at least now I was free to keep going without discomfort.  Amazingly, we had already been running about an hour and 20 minutes, went by fast.

Ottawa Loop - Miles 7-11

The next section was a gentle 4 mile loop on the Ottawa Trail system, just across the street from Scuppernong.  The sun started to come out and the runners started to space out more and I started to settle in.  I had never run this exact section before, but it was mostly flat and soft and very runnable.  After feeling like I was just surviving waiting to use the bathroom in the first loop, I settled in here and passed quite a few runners, running closer to 10 minute pace.

I got to the 11-mile aid station, and grabbed a salty potato and it tasted awesome.  Never ate that before, but I only ate one out of caution and it worked out great.  Then, shortly after, Dean Karnazes himself strolled into the station.  He is much shorter than I am, but very compact and lean.  My wife described him best I think - he's really built efficiently for running.

Dean Karnazes at Aid Station #4 (21 miles in)

Ice Age Trail - Miles 11-21

I took off out of the second aid station and went to chase down Dean, who had left just before me.  I eventually caught him on a rocky stretch and passed him, muttering something like "A bit rocky, huh."  He stayed right behind me for a bit and then I ran in a group with Dean for a while.  He seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  We talked about races with a couple of other runners and he mentioned being in Dayton for the Air Force Marathon and I was excited, being a University of Dayton grad and said "Go Flyers!".  That led into a conversation about the Marine Corps Marathon which he was also familiar with and it was fun to chat with him and made the next couple of miles go by quickly.

The early portion of this stretch on the Ice Age trail is mostly downhill but rocky, but it then smooths out after a couple of miles and is very flat, and very scenic.  I guess Dean got tired of talking to us though, as he eventually blew by me with a couple of other guys and I did not see him the rest of the race.  I looked down at my Garmin and we were doing 9:30 pace at one point and I needed to reign it in.

This part of the trail was very familiar, and eventually I settled into a high-9 minute pace, with a couple of short walk breaks to get down gels.  I started to really feel strong during this stretch.  The sun was starting to creep over the horizon and it lit up the prairie portions of the trail beautifully.  I hit the mile 16 aid station and walked through it to eat a waffle.  A couple of miles later I hooked up with one of the guys I was running with in the Dean group earlier.  He explained he was running with the group but they were getting carried away pace-wise and I liked this guy immediately.  We talked about different places to run, road racing, and ultimately agreed we both preferred trails.  I am usually not a super-social person during races but this really helped break up the monotony of the run.  Miles 18-21 were a blur, and before I knew it, I was at mile 21, where I would see my crew for the first time.

McMiller Ski Trail Loops - Miles 21-35

My wife Catherine spotted me coming into the station immediately and shouted "There's Kevin!" and I knew right away that she was going to be an amazing boost for me.  I probably spent more time than I needed to at this station, but it was great to visit with her and my mother-in-law, and pet my dog Rudy who seemed pretty fired up to be there.  They told me a funny story about how she got out of her collar and started running aimlessly down the road...yep, that's my girl.  I grabbed some Gatorade (which I was really looking forward to as the Nuun was not getting it done for me) and headed out to the McMiller loop, where we would be running 7 miles out and then 7 back on the same route.

All smiles at mile 21

I probably should have spent more time running and less time petting Rudy...

This part of the course was also new to me, but it was stunning in its beauty.  Definitely my favorite part of the run in terms of scenery.  The trails were nice, wide, grassy trails that were easy on the legs, but very hilly.  The hills were constant and some were quite steep.  I was actually really pleased that I was able to run about 10:45 pace through here.  My buddy that I picked up earlier was out of the station before me, but I eventually caught him right before the 28 mile aid station.  I was also tracking down a woman who was running strong.

My Garmin was giving me the low battery warning and I knew it was just a matter of time until it died. Fortunately my wife loaned mer hers to use for the second half of the race, but it too died for some reason before I could even use it.  I think I need to upgrade my Garmin - the 405 just does not get the job done for ultra running.

Catherine, her mother and Rudy were at mile 28 and asked me how things were going.  I felt great.  In fact, looking back, this was probably the high point of the race for me.  I was already half way done, and only a little over 5 hours in, and I felt really strong and had a great attitude.  Even the volunteers told me I looked great.  I was starting to wonder if I could potentially break 9 hours, but I was very quickly about to venture into unknown territory distance-wise, and tried to reign that thinking in.  I gave Catherine her Garmin back and she loaned me her Polar watch, which was not a GPS watch, but would help me keep track of the time of day, which proved helpful.

I also did not see Dean coming back on this out and back portion, and I thought for sure he dropped out, however I learned later that he finished in just over 8 hours, so I guess he made it to a part of the McMiller loop that was not an out and back part, or I just didn't see him, who knows.

Munching on a PB&J at mile 28.  The high point in my race for sure.

At the aid station I had more Gatorade and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which I also held down fine.  I thought so far I was doing well with getting calories down, I was eating something roughly every half and hour and was probably getting about 400 calories an hour.

I left the aid station a little faster than the one before and I eventually caught the woman I was following and ran with her for a while.  She was from Nebraska and was an ultra veteran.  I asked her what she was shooting for time-wise.  She said 9 and a half, and then asked me the same.  I told her I went out thinking 10 hours, but that I felt good and that 9 and a half sounded doable.  She agreed, and said that if I was still feeling fresh at this point that I had a great chance to break 9 and a half.  I made a comment about the sun coming out and the weather starting to warm up and she advised making sure I got some salt in over the course of the next few hours.

I guess I was going a bit fast for her at that point, because eventually she said, "have a great run" which let me know she was dropping back.  Too bad really, talking with her was nice and lifted my spirits.  I ran 31-35 pretty much alone after that; I did not see anyone for quite a while.  I noticed at this stage that drinking water was making me feel a little queasy, and I was starting to think I was over hydrating, as I started to feel the fluid slosh around a bit.  I made an conscious effort over the course of the next couple of hours to get some salt in me and wait until I felt thirsty.

At the mile 35 station (the same as the mile 21 station) I saw Catherine and her mom for what I thought would be the last time.  I still had a lot of energy at this stage, but I could tell my stomach was starting to reject a lot of my go-to foods and calories, so I could not drink a ton of Gatorade.  I did manage to get some chicken broth down though.  For a moment I felt a bit dizzy when I stopped at the aid station but I quickly recovered.  Before I knew it I was running again.

Houston, we may have a problem.  Feeling dizzy for a sec here, but I was able to pull it together,

McMiller to Moraine Ridge - Miles 35-41

My least favorite part of the course was coming up - the Moraine Ridge horse trail.  It's an extremely sandy and rocky stretch that is pretty much all steep uphill climbs with almost no downhill.  I walked every uphill and managed to keep going but I was really starting to feel the miles.  I was running totally on feel at this point, as I only had the time of day to go on.  I was a little behind 9-hour pace, and during this stretch I let it slip away.  It was hard work just walking some of the uphills.

I made it to the mile 41 aid station and Catherine and her mom made a surprise appearance which helped a ton.  I was starting to crave fruit for some reason and I was able to get a Gatorade and a couple of orange slices down, which helped tremendously.  As I was leaving this station, my wife reminded me that I beat my 50k time in the first 50k of this race, and I had already gone farther than I ever had before.  Her yelling of encouragement prompted a few onlookers to remark to me that I had already accomplished something truly remarkable, and I started to get emotional.  I honestly don't know what was keeping me going at this point, I was starting to have an out-of-body experience.  I just kept telling myself to bear down and keep moving.

These signs were so helpful,

Nice to see Rudy making friends...and posing for photos too!

Moraine Ridge Trail - Miles 41-48

I had run this portion before and I knew it was relatively flat, but I was really running out of gas.  I knew I would finish at this point, and I also knew sub-10 was pretty much a lock.  I also knew that I had let sub-9 slip away in that last segment, so I had to find a new goal which was a little tough mentally, but I came up with two - my friend from the 3:20 runners world thread Nick Polito's 9:19 mark in one his 50-mile races (check out his blog on the right - Running Italian - it's excellent), and 9:30.

I had no idea how fast I was running through here, but I definitely had to walk more during this stretch. I was starting to really pant even on the rolling hills through here, but I just kept thinking that I need to keep running and keep moving as much as possible.  The runners from the 50k and marathon races had merged onto our course, and it helped me a lot to pick them out and pass them.  Right before the mile 45 aid station, the woman I was chatting with earlier caught me here and she looked really strong.  It lifted my spirits to talk with her a bit, but it also deflated me a little as I was just not feeling great at this point.  She blew through the station, but I was still having fruity drink cravings, so I grabbed some pink Nuun which actually tasted awesome compared to earlier.

Getting to this aid station lifted my spirits, and I started to run harder (but not necessarily faster...lol).  We made a left turn, and knowing the course the way I did, I knew we were off the Moraine trail (finally!) and headed for home.

The Finish - Miles 48-50

There was one last aid station, 1.8 miles from the finish.  I knew this because I was out of breath and asked the volunteers how long we had to go.  One said, "You're going to be a happy boy in 1.8 miles, just hang in there."  You're not kidding lady.

There was one more long uphill that I walked, and after that I knew it was downhill or flat until the end.     That was the last time I walked.

I got back onto the road I had been on over 9 hours before.  It was crazy how fast it went by, but it was also crazy the range of emotions I went through, from feeling on top of the world at mile 28, to feeling depressed at mile 45, to knowing I was going to finish 50 miles.  I saw the tents and the large red arch for the finish and tears welled up.  I thought of everything from my injury over the winter, to my struggles as a young man in high school and college, to some of the people who thought I wouldn't amount to anything, to my parents who never stopped believing in me, to my amazing wife who supports what I do and who I am no matter how crazy.  It's cliche but it's true - it really is all about the journey.  Running is just one big metaphor for life and that's a big reason I love it so much.  I knew this one was really special though.  I spent the entire day on the trails - no music, no distractions, no drama.  A leisurely jog on the trails among family and friends.  A distance I wasn't quite sure I could complete when I started.  But I did complete it.

I crossed the finish line after 9 hours and 23 minutes of running, teary-eyed and exhausted.  I broke down and cried when it was over.  I have never done that before at a race.

There were two boy scouts handing out water and a medal, and they kindly waited for me to collect myself.   My wife came over and hugged me, as I sobbed in her arms.  She simply said: "You did it.  You ran 50 miles."

This was my pose for the finishing photos...

...and this was how it really felt to finish 50 miles.

Post Race

My stomach was all messed up and I couldn't stomach the thought of eating or drinking anything substantial right after the race.  I did really want to collect my shirt though, that said "50 miles" on it.

I took a dip in the lake right after and the water was nice and cold and really made me feel better, but I was sore all over.  My wife and mother-in-law were so incredibly patient with me.  I can't explain how incredible they were, they attended to my every need which was so great.

After the swim I got down a Frappuccino and I was starting to crash and I just wanted to get home.  On the ride home my stomach was getting back to normal and I was craving pizza.  Shortly after arriving at home the pizza was delivered and it tasted amazing.

This morning I am sore, but surprisingly not cripplingly sore.  I actually feel s little better than I usually do after hard marathon running.  I will probably take this week off completely and just see how things go.  I have a bib for the Chicago Marathon in three weeks, but I can't even imagine running that hard at this point.  I will probably just jog it and use it as a training run.

I feel really good about my effort in this race, even though as far as 50M courses go, this is a relatively fast course and I had a pretty average finish (75th out of 225 or so starters), but I learned a lot in this race and I am thrilled to now have a 50-mile ultra under my belt.  Moving up to the 100k and above distances are not outside of the range of possibilities but I am going to enjoy this one for a while.  Then I have to get my shit together and prepare to race a marathon in Philadelphia in November and then run my first Boston next April.  Regardless of how those races go however, doing this race made my year - this was no question my number one goal for the year.  Anything I accomplish after this is just a bonus.

Thanks for reading.  A huge, huge THANK YOU, to everyone who supports me, I hope you all know how much it means to me.

-K