Seneca Creek Greenway 50K

So the last week of training was different from all the others thus far. Instead of putting in steady daily mileage I went for it and did a 20+ mileage day, knowing I had a 40 mile run on Saturday. And the easy days would give me my 75 miles.  By the end of my run on Tuesday, ending up around 21.25 miles, my ankles and feet were aching, which believe it or not I have Never felt before. Nonetheless I wasn't very concerned knowing I had three days to fully recover.....skipping over the carb loading, the biking, the swims and the yoga and we'll jump into Friday- pre-race prep. Only a couple things to note here, but they must be acknowledged.

Pre-Race Friday: ME- scared/ excited, anxious, feeling still under the weather although I have never progressed to any sort of symptomatic illness.... trying to pack for my 6 mi prerace, the race depending on condition the clothing changes, the caloric consumption and liquid/ e'lytes changes.... I may have kind FREAKED out. :) Like I usually do.. And most likely will continue to do (since it always works out well- I have lots of positive reinforcement. Anyway, I posted my most authentic cry for support and received enough support to cover every mile.

My heart was so touched by the kind words and thoughts shared. I want everyone to know how grateful I am that you are there to remind me that I am in fact strong-willed and quite able. Thank You!!

So Saturday... raining but 48.... 48... thats it VERY different from 36... I was THRILLED!!! So after getting slightly lost I parked and ran my 5 mi warm up, then proceeded to change- by which time the rain ceased- EVEN bettah!!! ;).

So i checked into the race, had half a double shot- which is like a single shot ;)... and headed out for 1 more mile and then met up with everyone at the starting area. 

REady-set-go: And from there It was mud-ridden slip and slide for the first 4 mi, at which point someone at a road crossing yelled, "watch out- that next section is muddy" We all laughed, thinking, it's already muddy dude.... onward we romped... and yes, the mud got more intense... each step was a battle for balance and to gain even minimal distance as your foot slid back (the opposite way of the finish-line!). The hills were small, the water was cold, but nice as rinsed off the shoes and kept my aching feet at bay.

Miles passed, and annoyingly I'd decided to wear my GPS, since its my longest training run, but this kept the ongoing calculations of the fact that I was 6mi deeper into this, and I was beginning to fatigue at my 20mi mark... 14 miles into the 34 miles stretch... only 20 more to go.... But other than my mind playing with me, I was having a BLast, the trail was consistently windy, unsteady, a constant challenge. Plus, not gonna lie, being one of the top women is always nice cuz nearly every guy you pass offers a tini-tiny confidence boost (thanks to the mothers born in the 50's who rave about equality... love you mom)... Means little, but there is a bow of respect from the male runners that is very kind and is certainly not- yet in my experience- present with other female runners- So thank You Guys, lol.

Anyway, One step at time, mileage ticked off, I only fell on my face once, took enough time to check my hand for blood.... (there was none) and kept moving.... no new pains developed post fall, so assumed through my head to toe assessment that I always take intermittently that I was still A-OK to keep pushing, so naturally- I did.

Around 23 mi- by my watch (so 29 miles) I was tired... felt better than I did in my first 50K muscularly, but the fatigue was actually greater. My hip flexors were screaming from playing slip n slide although for now the running was nearly slip-free. A few miles to go, and that changed.... the mud was Ridiculous in the last 2-3 miles of our adventure. The hills were slightly more extreme, but most of us walked 'em anyway- (ouch- to say the least). Anyway, as it always does, the finish line came, 4:58, jogging through with Dave for a the end of a great race. 2nd Female, only about 5 minutes behind #1... (just happened to be a lot closer than the 32min I was behind #1 out in Cali :) ). 

Highlights: 

Pre-Race Facebook support!

The first river crossing- I love natural obstacle courses!

The weather was great- dry, cool, and sunny post-race!

Meeting new running friends, and having running partners for 75% of a long training run... not to mention I just like meeting people- they're awesome.

Windy trails are fun! elevations changes are great too- even though they don't always feel like it.

The people cheering- I never realized before how much I LOVE cow bells !!

The support/ volunteers- I didn't get lost- always a plus!

Free food during/ after the race!

The picnic was great- met even more ppl, got BS about running for 3 hours+.. Great Times!

Coming in 2nd Female... was a very unexpected treat, very grateful.

7 weeks Till 50MILES!

Thanks Again everyone for making it seem do-able- You're all an inspiration to me every day!! <3