My First Forty-Mile Run Day 2,225

            

       Ran on Saturday, May 23, 2020

      Wrote on Wednesday, May 27, 2020

https://www.strava.com/activities/3500260090

 

         I was up at 4 a.m., but still unsure how many I planned to do or where I was going to run. I had been reading a book that had training plans in it, and the guides suggested running your longest run three-weeks before your race, not four-weeks which I had planned. I had spent the week thinking about it. I had been training according to some guidelines, but in reality I was holding myself back most of the time. I was running more than even the hundred-mile training plan suggested, but I had read something two-months ago that suggested doing the distance of your race over two-days back-to-back between three or four times, so that’s what I was doing.

         I previous did 30 and 20, 26.2 and 26.2*, 35 and 15, and now I planned to do 40 and 10. I decided to split up the distances like this mainly because I didn’t know what was harder to do. Is it easier to do 40 and 10 or 26.2 and 26.2? I was going to find out.

         I kind of figured I would end up not being able to do one of those fifty-mile weekends, so I didn’t really think I would have the option to maybe opt out of the last one. I still hadn’t run an all trail long run yet, and that fact was nagging at me. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.  

         So I spent too long getting ready that morning, I packed a cooler with water, three-apples, and a container of my homemade chocolate peanut butter. I also grabbed a containing of cashews and almonds. I tried not to think about all the time preparing was taking and ended up arriving at the trail head at 5:45 a.m., At first I saw a big closed sign, but it was in front of the entrance to the Lone Elk Park, so I wasn’t sure if that meant the trail was closed too.

         I found the lot deserted and quickly went over to the map. It took me a few minutes to see the sign for the start of the trail head, but once I did I immediately made my final preparations before starting. I was only carrying 30 ounces of water, but I thought that should be enough for thirteen-miles, which is all I would need because the trail was 6.5 miles or thirteen as a there and back.

         I still hadn’t convinced myself I was going to run forty-miles, but I figured I would run as much as I felt like and probably do at least a marathon distance. The first couple miles flew by and the trail was wide and mostly clear of debris. I remember struggling to keep a quicker pace, and thinking maybe my road shoes were going to work out fine, and then I crossed a little creek, and took a picture. A little while later I was walking across a tree trunk, which was fun. At first I was able to avoid the mud by the river by taking a rocky path close by, but eventually the mud wasn’t avoidable, and I was sliding all over the place, but kept going. I was glad I did because right after the mud, I ran into a huge field that was open and lovely. I took a few pictures.

I felt like I had been running forever, but it had only been four-miles at that time. I put my camera away for a while, and went a little quicker, and continued to run up a hill that got progressively rockier. I had to walk a few times and seriously banged my toe and almost fell three or more times. Once I got to a plateau there was a bench next to clearing, so I took a picture. Then a deer was standing right next to me frozen, and I took a picture. I kept going and found my way to the end of the trail. I was at about 7-miles. I had added a little in the open fields. I looked around at the end of the trail to see what was there and turned around. I thought wow—round one half done. I turned on some music and was going a little faster on the way back, but then I found myself back at the end of the trail again, and I laughed to myself having made a dumb mistake on a there and back. A lady who saw me looked confused, “weren’t you just here?”

         I couldn’t really figure out where I had made the mistake on my way back, but suddenly I found myself going the right way and the familiar fields again. On my way back I was doing the math and knew I would hit 15 miles for my first round.

         The first round had really beat me up, and thinking about doing forty seemed really impossible now. I had gone slow and my feet were already hurting. I pushed those thoughts away and drank more coffee at my car. I also ate one apple with chocolate peanut butter. I refilled all my water bottles and texted my wife, just in case she didn’t know where I was.

         She said she had looked me up on Find my Friends, and not to worry. I had already spent too much time cutting up my apple, so I left without texting with her too much.

         I was already beginning to miss my infant now ten-months old. She would wake up and wonder where I was. I changed into my sandals and headed back out for round two. Round two went faster than round one, the sandals being a huge improvement over the shoes. I did get mud on my hand for the first time, but rinsed it off in a creek, and was fine. I didn’t bring my camera, and was really feeling better and pacing faster too. I hit the top of one of the hills on the other side around mile twenty and got confused. There was some people there taking a break and they tried to help me, but I ended up going the wrong way anyway, “which way to the closer trail head?” I asked. I couldn’t remember the name of the park at the end.  

         “This way takes you to the river,” a man told me. I had just come from the river, but still I went that way and ended up not making it back to the end of the trail, but I figured since I did it twice last time it would be okay. I added a little in the fields again and was almost at twenty-eight when I made it back to my car. I decided to run around the entrance a little and saw a bunch of people in line to go into the Lone Elk Park that was closed earlier.

         I sat down and ate my second apple and called my wife, “How is everything going? How is our baby?”

         “She is great, but I can tell she misses you.” We were talking on facetime, so I could see her making her excited sounds and movements.

         “I know I am going to do more, but not sure how much more . . . I am only at twenty-eight right now.”

         I ended the call and walked over to the map. I saw that there was supposed to be a trail around the park that people were driving through. It said it was four-miles. I figured I could do at least four more miles and then see how I feel.

         I ran through the park and saw the Elk, which was the main attraction. I kept my distance from the Elk and the cars, and ran over to the entrance to the trail. I ran it as far as it looked like it went and did three-miles total after I was back at my car getting more water. I also decided to go ahead and eat my last apple. I didn’t feel like eating any of the nuts I brought, so all I had were the three apples and some chocolate peanut butter for the duration of the run.

         As I was filling up my water bottle when a guy came up to me and asked me about the trail. He kept his distance and I told him about the terrain. At first I thought he was a runner, so I figured we could start together at least and I could show him through the part by the river, but he was riding his bike. I told him to go ahead and I would catch up with him when he hit the mud. He thought I was joking, but a few miles later he was walking back from the mud field not knowing where to go next.

         I convinced him it wasn’t that bad and walked him through the mud. He seemed like a nice guy and was trying to get back into biking after he had experienced some setbacks in his life. At this point I was getting close to my turn around point. I was almost at mile 35.5 then I would get to head back to my car and be done. Those miles at the end were pretty tough. I wasn’t at the point I couldn’t go on, but seeing so many changes in the weather through the day made me feel ready to be done.

         There was also a lot of other people out at the beginning of the trail head now. I saw a young couple moving with determination about a mile and half from the start. A guy moving at a faster pace than me stopped and talked to them and told them about the mud and how they should probably just give up now.

         I could tell the miles were getting to me because I was so annoyed with this guy and this couple, really for no reason. I had a hard time letting the runner pass me; even though, I was on mile forty when he did, and he was probably on mile five if he turned around where I think he did.

         I couldn’t help, but say “the mud really isn’t that bad,” as he passed me. Now I was walking some up the hill at the end, but I was getting impatient too, so I felt compelled to run when I could.

         I don’t drink soda or eat fast-food, and don’t really think about it that often; however, as I was driving home I had hankering for an orange soda and maybe the impossible whitecastle sliders would be good too.

         I went home instead and drank carbonated water and ate tortilla chips: they were delicious.

 

*I originally I planned on doing 25 and 25, but the day before I decided it would be more fun to do back-to-back marathons.