Green Lakes Endurance Runs 50k Race Recap

The short version is that I had a great race. I finished in 5 hours, 16 minutes and 41 seconds. I placed 36th out of 98 and was the 7th female finisher. And I had so much fun. It was hard and tiring definitely, but it was just one of those days where I felt lucky to be outside running.

The long version:

I spent yesterday organizing and packing. I had a lot of stuff, but ultimately didn't end up over packing by much. I had food, gels, gatorade, my handheld bottle, my 4 bottle belt and then shoes and clothing. I brought multiples, just in case and it worked out well.

This morning I woke at 3:15 am. I slept in the clothes I was going to wear to the park, which including my T-shirt from the Buffalo Marathon because I had such a great race and I was hoping it would give me some positive running vibes for the race. I pulled my hair back and hairsprayed it in place, but left the rest for later. I made and wrapped two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then made some instant oatmeal to eat on the road.

It took about an hour to get to the park. Of course google maps took me to the back entrance of the park which was gated off! By this time it was 5:05am and the emails from the race director made it sound like they were going to be strict about the packet pick up times. I found my way to the front entrance and parked, only to realize that I had to walk over a quarter mile to the race area. In the dark. I made it, and got my bib and t-shirt. Once I got back to the car, I changed quickly and then we drove to the parking lot that was next to the race area.

I debated about what to wear quite a bit. I had my favorite Brooks running skirt and my favorite shorts. I ended up going with the shorts because it's easier to go to the bathroom in them, and it was a wise choice. I also wore a headband for the first time, by SweatyBands, and it really worked. I never wear headbands because they fall out after a few minutes, but this one stayed put for the entire race.

The race area was basically a building that was off to the side of one area. The path leading to it had the start/finish line with the timing mats, and the aid station was set up just past that. I waited around for the pre-race meeting which started a few minutes late and lasted about 10 minutes. I ate a PB&J during the meeting, which pretty much reiterated the information on the website and in the emails. I was getting nervous seeing all of the other racers who looked more prepared than I felt. We moved down to the starting line and then we were off.

It was about 55 degrees at the start, so I decided to do the first lap without carrying any food or fuel. There was an aid station at the four mile mark, and I didn't want to carry anything I didn't need. I started in the very back and it was very congested for the first mile and a half. The path was only wide enough for 2 people in most places, so it really took a while to thin out. The first part is flat and follows the side of the two lakes before heading uphill into the woods. I didn't realize that it was common to walk the hills until I saw everyone else doing it. The first hill on the course is the steepest and most technical part of the course, so I followed suit and walked up. Most of the runners were walking all or most of the uphills, and I was torn. Compared to the hills I am used to, these were really pretty minor and I wasn't getting winded running up them. But I also didn't want to make a rookie mistake and regret it later. So the first lap I followed what everyone else was doing. Once you get up the steep hill and through the woods, you come out into an open field. There is a 6 to 8 inch dirt track in the middle of a 6 foot wide mowed path. It was harder than it looked to find good footing, but there were some gorgeous views. In the later laps the sun was pretty hot, but there was usually a decent breeze, so it wasn't too bad. The aid station was great. The volunteers were so positive and helpful and they had everything laid out and stocked so it was easy to get what you wanted and keep going. The first lap I didn't stop. It was still cool and I wasn't thirsty yet. I did have to pee though, which wasn't easy, at least in terms of finding a spot. I was very glad I opted for the shorts though, because it made things a lot easier and faster. I ended up having to stop and go 5 or 6 times during the race, which was a pain in the butt, but at least there were no lines for a porta potty.

After another mile, you head back into the woods going downhill on a gravel section, then going down the steep hill we came up earlier. The course winds around the other side of both lakes and back around to the start/finish area. I hit lap 1 at 1:23:44.

I grabbed my handheld with water and stuff two ClifShots and some sport beans into the pocket. I took half of a PB &J and some cookies, then took off again. I ate the food as I ran, and then when I hit the steep hill, I walked while eating a ClifShot and drinking some water. At any given time there were probably 3 or 4 runners near me and I kept passing them and then getting passed by them because I was running most of the hills and taking the downhill sections a bit conservatively to save my knees. At the aid station I drank some Mountain Dew and had some more cookies, and took off again. I was really close to a couple of runners and for the most part was following their pace. I finished the second lap in 1:20:59.

I was surprised that I had a negative split and started to get hopeful that I might break 6 hours after all. I refilled my handheld, replaced the ClifShot I had taken, changed my shoes, and grabbed my iPhone and headphones. I again reached for the Mountain Dew and cookies, before taking off on my third lap. I had a good amount of energy left and with the runners even more spread out, was able to run my own pace. The music really helped to keep me moving at a slightly faster pace and the lap seemed to go by rather quickly. I took another gel and water on the steep hill, the some Mountain Dew, cookies and crackers at the aid station. I let loose a bit on the downhill sections. I finished the third lap in 1:18:57.

I ditched the handheld for the last lap, but drank a bunch of water and stuffed a ClifShot in my shorts pocket. This lap seemed to take a bit longer, but I had my music on and turned it up a bit on less-populated sections of the course. I also kept trying to figure out my split times and what my finishing time might be. Trying to do math in my head while running is a great way to keep myself occupied, even if I am completely incapable of doing anything more complex than 2+2. I kept telling myself that I'm only going to finish my first 50k race one time, and this was it. I really went all out. I still walked two steep sections, but otherwise I ran everything. It helped me to stay in my groove. I grabbed some water and mountain dew from the aid station, but skipped the food. I totally let loose on the downhill section and just ran almost as fast as I could for the last couple of miles until I hit the last stretch, about 3/4 of a mile and I just ran as fast as I could. I finished in 5:16:41, with a huge smile on my face.

It was an amazing race. The weather was perfect, the race support and aid station volunteers were beyond great, the course was beautiful and scenic and not too technical. And I really enjoyed just being outside running. And I can't wait to do it again!