With Every Race Comes a New Lesson

I did it.  I finished my first 50K and with a bum knee.  I could not have picked a better event to do it at either.  Frozen Sasquatch 25K/50K had snow this year!  Even though I did not think the event and its volunteers could get any better than last year, they did!!!

Running a 50K eight weeks after completing my first marathon was a bit ambitious, I admit..(even more ambitious was my hopes in November for a time under 6 hours…lol =) )  The weather was perfect for running.  It was sunny and in the mid 20s at the start with the forecast turning to the 30s around 11am where I estimated I would be at the half way mark just in time to shed some clothes as the temperature continued to warm in the afternoon.

My knee was hurting before the race even started as I paced the parking lot from end to end, car to bathroom and back a few times.  The race started just after sunrise, 8am, and I began with a good 50K pace.  I kept it up until around miles 8 & 9 - after the 2^nd aid station stop.  The minute I stopped jogging, the more intense the pain became as I tried to pick it back up.  I jogged miles 10 & 11 at a very slow pace where it was on road top.  But, as I approached the uneven surface I quickly came to terms with the fact that if I was going to finish, it was going to be walking.  I reached the halfway mark around 11:30am and was happily met by my father who snapped some pics and gave me a pep talk as I shed some layers and gulped down some homemade recovery drink. (Click here for Garmin map..I had to stop my watch around mile 24 to conserve my battery.)

(Gosh, I have to stop now and say how much better these events are when any of my family is able to be there with me <3 <3 )

Around mile 20 I began to crack.  I broke into a complete panic thinking I may not be able to finish within the 8.5 hours allotted.  The moment I allowed self doubt in, I was flooded with every imaginable negative thought that my tiny mind could conjure up about every finite detail of my life and my world came crashing down around me.  Mile 20 was my slowest mile.  Then... I remembered an exercise my best friend had showed me that demonstrates the difference in one’s strength created by a simple sad or happy thought.  With that I pushed through and left the fear of not finishing behind me. 

In the end I finished strong considering I was not able to walk downhill and bend my right knee at the same time.  The charge I gain from triumphing over whatever battle it is for any particular event makes all the pain worthwhile.  I skipped downhill the last 3 miles and trotted across the finish line.

After much rest and proper recovery time (this time), I can not wait to do it again!

I had my dad snap some pics of the event, click here where you can download them if you were lucky enough for him to catch you!

Also, I wanted to mention that I added a race to my last post that completely slipped my mind when writing that outline.

CharlestonDistance Run 15 mile - a definite must run with a challenging course 

15 mi    road run                                   09/01/2012                           2:07:56, 8:32 pace