USATF 50K Championships

Last Sunday on March 7 I competed in my first ultra race.  The genesis of deciding to do so is outlined in my prior blog.  Basically, I was feeling really aerobically fit, saw the application, and decided to go for it.  Mix it up and try new things.  The race was the 2010 USATF 50K Championships and I took first place in a time of 3:34:26.

  
I planned on going out relatively conservatively and testing the waters from there.  But, I blew this from the first few steps and ended up going out quicker than planned, passing the first mile in 6:40.  I'm usually pretty good about sticking to a game plan, but I think because I was on the fence about how to run it, I just went by feel.  I slowed down a bit the next few miles, but not a lot.  So, at that point I decided to go with it.  I was in a nice, comfortable rhythm and decided that since I didn't know where my boundaries were with the distance the only way I would find out was if I bumped up against them.  I decided that: 1. this might have a very painful ending.  I was okay with that.  And, 2. the given pace/effort would not sacrifice my training for the Boston Marathon.  That was the go-ahead.

I was in a nice rhythm for the first six laps and even the seventh loop (the course was 10x5k loop, which rolled a bit), although if you check out the lap paces on the results page my seventh loop looks slow, but this was due to a bathroom stop.  The last few laps were tough, particularly the next to last lap.  I knew I was fading, but I felt that I "managed the fade" pretty well.

The race was also a great opportunity to practice fueling for the marathon...I took in 4 Hammer Gels (one about every 45 min., although I took one or two of them in half-portions) and water.  Go Hammer!

Overall, the race was a blast.  It was a unique and tough pain to work through the last few loops, but leading up to that I felt smooth and steady.  Everyone at the venue was so nice.  The other competititors in the 50K and 25K were really kind, supportive, and encouraging.  The volunteers did a wonderful job--not only were they spot-on with working at the aid stations, but they really seemed to be enjoying it.  The race director, Amy Goldstein, did a great job and was very personable before and after the race.  If anyone is looking for an introduction into the world of ultra's I would highly recommend this race.  The logistics were easy and the event was wonderful.  Of course, the nice, almost spring-weather didn't hurt, either.

Perhaps one of the best things from the race is that my recovery went really smoothly.  I'm still on the look-out for any latent fatigue or aches, but after two easy days for running, I felt ready to get back into things full-swing.  From here until April 19, I need to emphasize marathon-pace and faster running.  I have been doing workouts at this pace throughout the training segment, but I need to really lock into it at this point. 

The photos are graciously from Mike Polansky, President of the Greater Long Island Running Club.

Race Director, Amy Goldstein, congratulating me on my win.