Lean Horse 50: My first 50

August 27, 2011 Hot Springs, South Dakota

The pre and post race road trip, Mt Rushmore, the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, and “crewing the crew” deserve a post all for themselves.  This report is just about my first 50 mile race.

Part One: The Mickelson Trail - Miles 0 - 33

Team Lean Horse! Greg, Erin, Troy, Me, Byron, Kevin

Somehow, I found myself standing among 100 mile, 50 mile, and 50k “fun run” runners in the middle of absolute BFE on a beautiful morning in South Dakota.  Now, I’m a pretty confident runner.  I think I’m a smart runner, an experienced runner, and a strong runner.  I know the things I do well and I knew that this race would be an outlet to show myself that I am all 3 of those things.  What I didn’t know was just how far 50 miles actually is and how much more I have to learn and experience.

Beautiful sunrise.  We're headed left. 

Erin and Byron, #bestcrewever, are so different from each other in so many ways which made them the perfect crew.  As all the runners are nervously milling around Erin’s very quiet and taking pictures and video.  Byron is loud and encouraging and pumping us up.  I need a little of both in my life and ran back to give Erin a quick hug before we were off.  I just about cried my eyes out right then.  

BEST.CREW.EVER.

Kevin and I had hoped to stay together until he made the turn around at mile 12 for the 50k.  We found ourselves with a big group of other runners.  A few 100 milers from Canada and a 100 miler from Boulder.  Turns out he was at the 24 Hours of Towers run that Beth took me to in July.  He even remembered hearing about me, “the girl from Dallas that just flew in and drove straight to Towers.”  We had a great time talking with everyone and hearing their stories.  We’re running a nice conservative pace, averaging about 10:45.  My legs don’t feel great, but they don’t feel bad, I could tell we were at altitude (approx 4,200 to 5,500 ft) and that it would take a couple hours for my legs to shake out.  Not worried at all, I definitely have a few hours to kill. 

As we come to the Argyle aid station where Erin and Byron are and I decide to use the porta-potty since it was there.  I ask Erin to get me some things and I stand in line.  My nutrition plan was water in my pack (Ultimate Direction Wink...it’s the best) and in my handheld I had one scoop of Perpeteum and one scoop of Heed.  I had been running with this mix this summer with great results.  Today, not so much.  Already in 8 miles it was making my stomach queasy.  Unable to do much in the bathroom I hurried back on the trail and took a GU instead of my mix.  I didn’t end up catching back up with Kevin but really enjoyed this 2 mile stretch of being by myself.  I really like to make sure I’m running the pace my body needs and it’s hard to tell that when you’re in a group.  

As I was running out of the aid station Erin and Byron drove by and I yelled at Erin in good fun, “Hey ya Jack Ass! You overfilled my Wink! It’s leaking all over me!”  She made Byron run down the trail, take my pack, empty some out, and run it back to me.  It was so funny.  I realized when I was running without the pack for a bit that it felt really good and thought maybe I would switch to just handhelds (I had one in a dropbag) later.

So, the trail at this point is just what you would expect from a rails-to-trails.  Very smooth and gradual.  You can’t tell by looking if you’re on a hill, but your legs could definitely feel it.  Then all of a sudden you would be going downhill and I would yell (to no one but myself), “I knew it! I knew I was on a hill!” It’s very, very open and while it’s a pretty area of the country it got old fast.  It’s the same scenery the whole time.  I ditched my camera early, there would be no videos on this race, I needed all my energy to go to the task at hand.

Wide open...

Byron and Erin know me pretty well and I had reiterated before the race that I probably wouldn’t ask them to do much.  I really wanted to see their faces and it would help me to know they were up ahead waiting on me. I’m pretty self-sufficient and have been in all my races up to this point.  (I’m one of those women that gets mad when a man does stuff for me.)  Well, turns out, I was the exact opposite.  From the first time I saw Erin at Argyle to the end of the race I let them (wanted them to) handle everything.  I would think about what I needed while I was running so I could tell them exactly what I wanted and then I just stood at the aid station table stuffing my face with cantaloupe and potato chips while they refilled all my stuff.  It felt like a break from thinking to just put it in their very capable hands.  

Byron crewing me!

So, I’m running, it’s getting hot, Kevin’s turned around and Greg’s up ahead of me.  I am running with the two Canadians and starting to struggle a little bit.  After the Pringle aid station there was a 5 mile stretch that was really hot.  The direction we were running provided zero wind and it was right next to the highway which was annoying.  The right side of my face and arm were getting slammed by the sun and I was wanting to take some walk breaks.  I started cramping in my calves at mile 16.  

My calves and cramping.  This is nothing new for me.  I have dealt with this since I started running and so I know what to do and how to handle it.  However, I have never had it this bad.  EVER.  It was all I could do to stay one step ahead of the cramping from mile 16 to 50.  More on this later.

During this 5 mile stretch I start to see the 50 milers come back towards me so I know my turn must be soon.  I get to see Greg and talk with him for a second, he looks great and strong.  Always the competitor, I count the number of women ahead of me.  I count 4 women and I make the turn at the same time as another girl, Maggie.  So Maggie and I are 5th and 6th.  Knowing I could be top 5 women is a big source of motivation for me and I carry that motivation to the end of the race.  I LOVE out and backs because I get to cheer for and see other runners.  I love trail runners and ultra runners so much.  They are everything that I love about humanity and the sport of running.  They are the most encouraging, unselfish, caring group of people.  I was so excited to see people and I was cheering so much that I got short of breath and got a side stitch.  This made me laugh out loud. 

I’m really excited at this point.  I made the turn around!!! Woohoo!!! I just ran 20 miles like it was a walk in the park.  Exactly what it should feel like for a 50 miler.  My running stride is feeling really good and I’ve dropped my pace down to about a 10:30.  The terrain is climbing a bit and I add in some decent walk breaks here.  I’m always keeping an eye on my over-all pace because deep down I want to break 11 hours.  At this point, I could almost break 10 so I’m thinking I’m doing great.  If only I understood what was coming...

Get back to Pringle for the second time and my spirits are high thinking I had just run a marathon and I get to see Byron and Erin.  Only 8 miles to go to get back to Argyle and make the turn off the trail and onto Agryle road.  This turn marked the last part of the race and in my head, the turning point of the race.  I knew if I got to the road in good shape, I would be fine.

Coming into Pringle the second time

The next 4 miles my spirit falls out of me.  I can’t stop my legs from cramping, it’s slightly uphill and I’m getting overwhelmed.  I’ve been by myself since the turn around at mile 21 and I realized I’m going to be by myself until the end of the race.  I’m still having some stomach issues and struggling to get myself to eat.  These were a long 4 miles for me.

I finally get to the Lime Kiln “Key Lime” aid station and I talk to the women running it.  I said I’m really having a tough, tough time controlling the cramping in my calves.  I can barely run sometimes and I am taking in a ton of salt. They asked where I was from and then said “Well, you’re really used to the heat but not this dry heat.  See how dry your clothes are? The dryness whisks all the moisture away from your body and doesn’t retain any of it.  You have to just keep taking salt and more salt.”   These ladies changed my race for me.  I had been thinking all of those things.  It was hot, but I’m from Texas and I’ve been doing Bikram yoga all summer.  It wasn’t really the heat that was bothering me and I realized it was dry but it took having these women logically tell me out-loud what was happening to help me not freak out.  So...I kept popping salt pills trying to stay one step ahead of the cramping.

The awesome aid station volunteers that pulled me out of my cramping funk!

4 more miles to Argyle and I’m starting to feel better.  I see Erin and I’m finally full of smiles.  I felt so good being able to smile for her, all the other times I had seen her I was so serious and quiet because I was overwhelmed with the prospect of running 50 miles.  At Argyle I only had 16 miles left.  I was so excited to turn onto new terrain and start the final trek to the finish.  I hung out for just a bit at the aid station, dropped my pack and switched to two water bottles.  I had water in one and the perpeteum/heed mix in the other.  I thought I would try it again. (Silly, silly Michelle.)  She asked if I wanted to know what I was in for on this road because she had just driven it.  I told her I had heard it was really hilly but I love hills and my legs would welcome the change of muscle use.  She’s walking with me and we see a HUGE hill.  I get excited because it’s exactly what I want.  I turned around towards her, throw my hands up in the air and yell, “ONLY 16 MILES!!!!!!!”  She smiles and yells it back to me.  I was so incredibly happy and proud of myself.  There were never any thoughts of quitting at anytime during the day but know I really knew I was going to do it, I was going to run 50 miles.

All summer I had practiced power walking long hills and running hard down so I was thinking I am good to go on this.  However, here is the part of the story when I realize, although a smart, strong, experienced runner I still have many, many things to learn.  I came to this race with the intention of experiencing my lowest of lows and learning how to bounce back from it.  I wanted to hurt, I wanted it to be really, really, really hard.  It was.

Part Two: Argyle Road to the Finish.  Miles 33 to 50.  The longest 16 miles of my life.

Let’s see.  Argyle road is 11 miles long.  It is not paved, it’s a dirt, pebbly road.  There is ZERO shade anywhere.  There are lots of cows and a lot of hills.  My calves and shins are cramping.  My stomach hurts.  I think I have to go to the bathroom, this is not going to wait.  I keep looking for A tree.  Just ONE freaking tree.  It’s miles before I can find A tree.  Really?!?! I’m not looking for a forest or even a tree to hide behind.  There’s no one out here, I’m totally over having privacy.  If I’m going to stop though I want some damn shade!  Finally, I see a tree and decide to use it.  I carry Wet Ones with me and I’ve never had to use it in a race before, I’m so thankful I have them because I really didn’t want to lose a sock. Haha!  Ok, feeling much better now and not 30 seconds after I get back on the road I see my little green Honda Element come towards me.  Yay!!! The Best Crew Ever is here!!! They play me some Britney and refill my water bottle and tell me about Kevin and Greg.  They tell me Kevin had a really hard time on this road and even almost dropped but rallied and finished 3rd overall Male in the 50k! I’m so proud of him for not giving up and a little consoled that he struggled on this road too. Then they tell me that they are going to find Troy and won’t see me until the end.  Ugh, my heart drops but I know I can’t be so selfish.  There are 3 other runners out there that need them just as much as I do.  I tell them I’m fine, I’ve got this, and off they go. 

This isn't from Argyle Road...it was on the Mickelson Trail but you get the idea.  ONE tree and lots of SUN.

The next 3 miles are a mix of running and walking and constant cramping.  I just can’t stop cramping.  My calves cramp going uphill, my calves cramp going downhill, my calves cramp walking flat road.  It just won’t stop.  It’s so very hot (later found out it was 102) and although I’m not bothered by the heat like I am in Texas I am really bothered by the intense sun.  I just need some shade, that sun is burning my skin.  The sunscreen that was on my arms bubbled and I had hundreds of tiny bubbles all over my skin.  A guy that I had passed before the Argyle aid station caught up with me and we ended up leap frogging for the rest of the race.  We never ran (or walked) together, just kept leap frogging.  After the race he told me, “That little shit, I just can’t drop her!” That made me laugh so hard.  It really helped having him out there on the road with me.  If I saw him running I would think, “Come on Michelle, if he can run, you can run. RUN. PICK UP YOUR DAMN FEET.

Finally the aid station, 6 miles into Argyle.  The woman tells me the next aid is 5.5 miles away.  Great, I think, I can do that.  I conserve my bottles, drink 3 glasses of Poweraide and 2 glasses of coke and I’m out of there.  This time I fill my bottle with Poweraide instead of the Perpeteum/Heed.  This did the trick.  No stomach issues and I finally got the cramping under control.  *Note to self. Try new things earlier!!! I didn’t really cramp for the next 4 miles.  I’m really tired though so my run is very slow and my walk is even slower.   I start thinking about the amount of water in my bottles and that I have 1.5 miles until I can refill them.  Well, 1.5 miles comes and goes and there’s no aid station.  We turn off the road and onto a grass trail and I think it must be wrong.  Where’s the aid station?!?  I’m walking now just watching my over-all average pace get slower and slower.  I’m so incredibly thirsty.  I kept thinking about my Bikram teachers and how they say as long as you hydrated before you got here it’s all in your head.  The water just makes your mind and mouth feel better.  I try to tell myself that but it’s so hot and the road is so dry and dusty and I just need WATER.  

My typical self-shot from the trail.  

Looking back on this, what I really needed was more calories.  I didn’t take in enough during this stretch because I wasn’t thinking but also because I didn’t have enough fluid to wash down the GU.

I finally get to the aid station over 6.5 miles later and just burst into tears.  I tell the very nice aid station girl who was all by herself (thank you volunteers!!!) “I’m sorry, I’m just feeling really emotional because I’m so thirsty.  Can you please help me.”  Guess what? She’s out of Poweraide and Coke.  My two favorite things.  Kill me. For the first time all day I sit down. I sit down and cry and watch my over-all pace go from being able to break 11 hours to not being able to.  I only have 4.1 miles to go and I am at the lowest point I’ve ever been in any run.  I consciously tell myself that’s why I’m here.  I am here by choice.  I wanted to experience this low and I want to rally.  During Jemez this summer and Chattanooga this summer I never felt this, I had really good strong races this summer.  That’s why I signed up for the 50.  I needed a harder challenge.  This pep talk gets my ass up and on the road for the last big hill.  

My walk is SO slow.  I tell myself these 4 miles are going to take me 2 hours if I don’t run.  My run is a very slow 13 - 14 min per mile shuffle but it’s getting the job done.  We’re in town now on paved road and I’m shuffling.  (and yes, I’m thinking about the song while I’m running and giggling)

A mile from the finish about to make a pass (roadkill) :)

Looking at the DQ sign and shuffling

I’m about 1.5 from the end and I turn around to see if any girl is going to catch me.  I had passed a girl on the trail before Argyle so I knew I was 4th female.  What do you know...there’s Maggie.  I see her and can’t believe that I have held her off for 27.5 miles and she’s going to pass me in the last freaking mile.  No way.  I’m so thankful for her and her strength because it kept me moving.  At the waterfall, 1 mile from the finish, there are Byron and Erin.  Oh, here come the tears again.  They stayed in the car, moving slowly, just ahead of me.  Them being there kept me running.  I turn the corner and see the Dairy Queen sign.  It’s official, tears are now streaming down my face.  The race description had said, when you see the DQ it’s time for your finishing kick.  I run it in to the finish, throw my hands in the air and my calf immediately cramps.  Haha, so stock.  

Cramping and Finishing

Greg is there as well as Byron and Erin.  They tell me I’m 15th overall and hand me a 1st place Age Group award.  My heart feels remarkably calm and the tears stop.  I’m so glad Greg is there.  It’s such a wonderful thing to have someone else that knows and understands exactly what you just went through.  Maggie finishes about 5 minutes after me and tell me she would see me running and think, “Go girl!! Way to run those downhills!!”  So sweet, I’m sure her unspoken encouragement helped keep me going. 

Team First 50: Team 1st Place AG

 This experience was everything and more that I hoped it would be.  I thought going into it that I would be able to find a pace and as tired as I would be I could hold it.  In every race and stage race I’ve done this has been the case.  No matter how tired I was, I could find a running pace and I could keep it.  This was not the case today and it was a really good lesson to learn.  I don’t feel sad or bad at all about not breaking 11 hours.  I had it for 46.9 miles but I went to Lean Horse to learn more about myself and what I was capable of.  I didn’t go to Lean Horse to break 11 hours.

What’s next?!? : )

Official time: 11:14:26, 1st AG 30-39, 4th Overall female, 15th Overall 

Thanks to Erin for the majority of the pictures!