Uncharted Territory

Before just about ever ultra I've run, there's always been something I've worried about going wrong during the race. Whether that be a concern about getting injured, forgetting some necessary gear, do I have the right shoes for this distance; there's always been something that keeps nagging at me no matter how many times I've told myself not to worry about it. The days leading up to this race were no different, though I did have better reason to be slightly more concerned. After all, before that day I had never run more than a 50k. But the thing about all these worries is that they always have a way of working themselves out. I may not be so lucky for every race after this, but so far there's never been anything that has bothered me in a race so much so that it ruined my time.
When I toed the line at 6:30 am, I knew that the money was in the bank and the only thing left I had to worry about was running here and now. Since the Dizzy Fifties race is nothing more than laps around Monte Sano, the course consists of only about 12.5 miles of unique trails. There's the 4 mile North loop, and the dreaded 5.6 mile South loop and you run these loops a certain number of times depending on your target distance. So for me that would make 5 laps (plus a small 2.25 mile loop everyone runs once at the beginning to make the distances work out).
The first north loop went by quickly. I spent those 4 miles chatting with Rob Youngren and Blake Thompson about what kind of pace I should be shooting for today and about how they were headed down to the krispy kreme challenge after this loop to pound a dozen glazed and then come back up the mountain to finish off the 50k.
The first time around the south loop I didn't think it was so bad. I was running with a different group of guys this time, including Todd Henderson, but it still helped to pass the time. On the last leg of that south loop the trail is situated kind of on the side of a steep hill and I heard what sounded like a bunch of deer (no pun intended) running and jumping around in the ravine. I tried to look over to see if I could see any and suddenly a doe bounds up from the hill side and starts sprinting along side the trail I was running on. He was no more that 3 meters away from me. I could see the fog from her breath and moisture clinging to her nose as she ran past and darted back down the hill from whence she came. I took it as a good omen, or at least a good way to start the day. The first south loop was the most enjoyable loop of the race. The rest were not so much.
The next couple of loops weren't too eventful. I tried not to think too much about the distance I had gone or what was still to come. It was kind of helpful to break it up into segments.
Having just finished the third iteration of the north loop I pulled into the central aid station and decided to take a bit of a longer break than normal. Clinton Winkles and John Nevels checked on me to make sure I was getting all the necessary salts and fluids and making sure I didn't stay there for too long. Then I was off to start that South loop once again. The south loop isn't really a challenging loop as far as the terrain is concerned. It's actually pretty flat. It's just that this loop is very boring. The trails get very monotonous, especially after having run them so many times already, and just when you think you're getting close to some sort of turn around point, it loops back around in another direction.
Sometime along that 3rd south loop I hit the 26.2 mile mark. I sorta joked with myself thinking, "wow, I had so much fun on that first marathon, I think I'll run another," which is pretty much what you do when you run 50 miles. By the time that loop came to an end, I was hitting a wall. For a good 3 miles of that south loop I was not feelin too spiffy. I never felt like I was going to have to quit I just really felt like it was going to be a long day of work. I finally got back to the aid station and cracked open my mountain dew. I had some chips and salty foods and took a few extra S!caps (pills containing potassium and sodium) and started off once again. I was now in uncharted territory. I had just completed 50k of running and now I was running some more.
"Run until you feel like you can't run any further, then keep running."
Interestingly enough, I started feeling a good bit better. Earlier I was feeling kind of woozy, like I really needed a nap but that caffeine boost must have helped. (I hadn't consumed and caffeine for the last week and a half so it would be more effective on race day.) Another north loop down and another south loop to go until Joe Maxwell would come and act as sort of a pacer for the final loop.
6 hours had past. 35 miles finished. I just needed to muscle my way through one more south loop before I had some company to get my brain off of the distance. Interesting, I thought, how it seems like you were just at certain land marks on the trail even though it had been about 1.5 hours since you had seen them last.
1 lap left. Every bit of trail I covered now would be the last time I would cover it today. The north loop went by quickly enough. I felt like I had gotten into a zone. Yeah my legs hurt, but I had just run 44 miles, what else was new? The final south loop was all that was left. My pace quickened. I could taste that finish line. I took one final S!cap and a GU and took my final walk break of the day. I started again, knowing that the next time I walk, I would be past the finish line.
49 miles down and only one to go and I was haulin. At least I felt like I was going pretty fast, compared to the pace I had been going all day. There were now 2 things between me and the finish: the trail ahead, and boy scouts. The kids had swarmed the trails and didn't leave a whole bunch of room for me. I was moving quick and when I asked them to move and they didn't get out of the way the first time, I had no time for politeness. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" I roared past an unamused scout master wondering who this guy thought he was.
Finally I hit the road. The finish was nearly insight. No more running now, I was bolting down that last 50 meters of trail to the finish line.
The sun was only slightly visible through the trees to the east when this journey began. 8 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds later and it now was settled on the other side of the mountain, preparing for its early winter decent over the western horizon.