Fifty Miles

The forecast called for rain and seasonably warm temperatures on Sunday, September 24, 2006. Waking to a night sky and humid air, I prepared to start the Vermont 50 Mile Ultra Run at 6:35AM.

The first 10 miles seemed the hardest. I didn’t have that feeling of euphoria that I sometimes get when I run. From the get-go, my stomach didn’t seem to want to cooperate. The culprit: in my Nathan Hydration Pack, I carried a mix that was too sweet and too thick. (I should have begun with a Red Bull Energy Drink like I normally do. Some lessons are hard to learn.) By the time I reached the second aid station, 12 miles in, I finalized the exchange of this tangy orange mixture for plain H20. I started drinking water (along with a salt tablet every two hours), and I started to feel better.

The off-road terrain covered 9000 feet of climbing. While I tend to persuade myself to like hills, I overlooked how many hills I would have to climb. The fact that this was a race whose host is Ascutney Mountain Ski Resort should have been a big clue. Sometimes, it is better not to know.

The climate was a typical New England treat. It’s been said, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. It will change.” The overcast day lingered a bit in the morning, giving way to the sun popping through the clouds, then being beat out by torrential rain which came and went like it was part of a parade. Wind spun leaves like confetti in a wedding. It truly was a whirlwind of weather conditions. I approve. I like seasons.

With the rain, the trails became slippery and muddy, and, in some cases, overtaken by little streams of water. 32.7 miles in, at aid station #7, I changed into a second pair of (dry!) Montrail trail running shoes. I did not have a single blister (or chaffing for that matter). What a blessing!

I had never run more than 32 miles before and I still had 18 more miles to go. I was feeling pretty good now. Running seemed much more automatic than it had in those first miles. I had managed to eat a turkey sandwich, a few potato chips and some red grapes. Coolrunning.com calculated that I burned 5254 calories by running 50 miles. How many calories are in a turkey sandwich and a few salty chips? Not that many!

So, I wouldn’t say that “I hit the wall” because I don’t believe I did. I wouldn’t say that “I wouldn’t do it again” because I think I will. I wouldn’t say that “this 50 miles was the first notch in my ultra belt” because it isn’t. I would say, “I ran 50 miles. 100 miles is possible.”