On June 20th I ran my first-ever 50 mile race and crossed the finishline in first place. It was a total surprise to me. Since then, several running friends have asked that I write a race report on how I did it.  I started the race with several very conservative goals and I think those goals are what allowed me to win….

First, let me point out that it was just an average year, I finished in 9:37:30. That is nothing compared to Matt Carpenter’s winning time a few years before of 7:59:44, or other elites who have finished in 8 hours, but I did run consitantly strong at a pace faster than I anticipated, so I feel like I ran the race pretty well.

Having never seen the course, but being very familiar with the Rockies, I started the huge, counter clockwise loop at 5 in the morning with about 200 runners.  Many had headlamps, but I skipped a light and didn’t miss it. We trotted out at an easy jog along a gradually climbing road.

The race has 3 major climbs. A 4,000 foot climb from the start to 9 miles, another 4,000 foot plus climb from 15 to 24 and a 1,700′ climb from 41 to 44. There are lots of little climbs in between. As Carpenter said, “For the most part, if you are not running up, you are running down.”

Friends who had done the race before said I should expect to walk a lot of the big climbs. Trying to run would just waste enery.

I had three goals going into the race:

1. FINISH: Running 50 miles would mean keeping careful track of nutrition, hydration and blisters. I wouldn’t finish unless I kept all systems humming along.

2. FINISH IN UNDER 11 HOURS: In training runs in the mountains above Colorado Springs, I had regularly been moving at just under 5 mph and feeling good. If I could keep it up, I knew I could meet the time goal.

3. FINISH IN THE TOP TEN: Looking at previous results, I knew if I could finish in less than 10 hours, 30 minutes, I could probably do it. It seemed within my reach.

To achieve my goals, I knew I had to go out easy. I’ve seen a lot of people in mountain races start fast and blow up half-way through. In a 50 miles, I figured that would be especially true.

On the way out of town, I was way back in the pack, chatting with other runners at an easy jog. In about two miles, we turned into Alpine Gultch where a single track crosses a creek about 8 times. I knew there were sometimes bottle necks at the crossings, so I wanted to get ahead of the main pack before the single track. I entered that section in about 20th place and set off at an easy trot. Whenever I hit short, steep sections, I walked. After the last creek crossing, at about 10,500 feet, it gets steeper, and I walked most of the time.

I breezed through the first aid station without stopping and climbed above treeline. This was my favorite part of the race. There was good visability and phenominal views from a high ridge. I picked up a number of places here and at the top was in about 12th place. From there it was 4,000 feet down in about five miles. I knew downhills can beat you up worse than uphills — beside the potential for blisters and twisted ankles, flying down hill puts a huge strain on your quads, so I took it easy. When it was gentle, I stretched out my stride, but when it was steep or rocky, I went slow.  I was passed by two runners on the way down.

At mile 15 is the Williams Creek aid station. My plan was to change socks, pick up an extra layer, and do some eating. My support crew was late, but showed up about 30 seconds after me. I filled my water bottle with half water, half cytomax, drank an Ensure protien drink, changed my socks, pulled out an extra layer, and in the rush to leave, forgot to tie it around my waist. I would wish I had it later.

From there the course very quickly starts a huge climb again. I was feeling pretty tired at that point, and not sure I would finish, but I caught a much more experienced runner at the beginning of the climb, who had finished in the top 10 before. He was walking, so I figured I should too.  We ran all the flats on the climb and walked all the hills. We split up at Carson aid station, where I just grabbed more water and cytomax. I poured about 12 ounces of Coke into my water bladder too.  For food, I had been taking a hit of Hammer Gel every 30 minutes. It seemed to be treating me well.

It started getting windy as I reached the ridge at mile 23. We were told to expect thunder storms. I could see them coming. My strategy on the ridge was to never power walk so fast on the uphills that I could not jog on the level spots. Using that strategy, I gradually passed a number of runners.  It started to snow at around mile 26. It was wet, big flakes that soon soaked me through.  I had on a thin nylon windbreaker, a poly T shirt and shorts. I was cold, but not dangerously so, and I new it would warm up the lower I got, so I hurried on.

By Divide aid station at mile 30, I was in 4th place.  The number 5 runner was right on my heels, but he stopped to eat solid foods at the station. I just filled my water bladder with water, cyto and coke and headed on. The snow got very heavy and the trail was muddy. There was perhaps an inch on the ground, but visibility was poor. Had it been a nice day, I might have walked here, but I was desperate to get out of the weather, so I ran on.

At mile 31 I spotted two runners a half mile ahead of me.  I didn’t manage to catch up to them for 8 miles. On a long downhill I passed runner no. 3, who, because of cold or lack of food, was clearly done. He was almost walking. At mile 40 I ran into the Slum aid station. I had been planning to change into warm, dry clothes here, but as I arrived, I saw the number 2 runner leave, and since I had dropped 3000 feet, the snow had turned to rain and was quite pleasant for running. I still had plenty of gel and water from the station 9 miles before.

Next came a 1,700 foot climb. It was basically a power hike. I had been warned to watch for overheating here, but since it was 50 degrees and raining, that wasn’t an issue.  I slowly realed in the no. 2 runner using the same strategy I had used on the ridge: keep enough in reserve on the ups so you can jog on the flats.  There were not many flats, but there were enough that I caught no. 2. Right as I did, he caught no. 1  At first I thought no. 1 was no.2’s pacer.  I had to ask to make sure.

I power hiked past them in a big meadow at the very top of the climb. I had about 300 meters on them when I crested the climb and had such a rush from being in first place that I never looked back. My downhill legs were still fresh from going easy on the first and second downhills. This time I opened it up and gave it all I had.  I never saw the other runners again.

It is a steep, jarring descent down to town and I kept worrying that the others would catch me on it, but when I hit town there was a four-block straightaway where I could look back and see there was no one behind me.  From there is was just a trot to the finish line.

THINGS DONE RIGHT

Weekly mountain runs between 20 and 33 miles long, all in bad weather, which paid off, and all using the exact same nutrition strategy, so I knew it worked.

Took it easy, so I still had plenty at the end, when the others were done.

Remembered to eat and drink plenty, even in the last 10 miles.

THINGS DONE WRONG

Did not have enough clothes for the snow.

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