Monday, April 18, 2022

Race Recap: Earth Day 15 mile trail race

For the past couple of years, I've had my eye on the Earth Day Trail races, held at the same trails where I ran the Frozen Gnome 10k in January. The pandemic put those plans on hold, but this year, the race was a go. Several of the women from my Trail Sisters group were planning on running, so it made it easy for me to commit. There are 3 distances: 50k, 15 miles, and 5 miles. I optimistically signed up for the 15 mile (25k) distance--thinking it would be a good training run for Ice Age in May. I've been building my miles over the past couple of months, spending most of my time on trails. Having run these trails before, I knew to expect a lot of hills. I felt both mentally and physically strong and ready for this race. 

I woke up early and fueled with coffee and a mango protein smoothie. The weather was cold--32F/0C at the start--and it wasn't expected to warm up much. I wore a bright floral Inknburn pullover and my Brooks Momentum thermal tights. My old pair of Brooks Cascadias were cleaned up and ready to go. Once I arrived at the race site, I picked up my packet and returned to my car to warm up. Oh, the irony of sitting in a running car while waiting to run an Earth Day race, am I right?

At 7:50, I turned on my Garmin and headed over to the start line, where I ran into one of my Trail Sisters, Jennifer. Our group leader, Ilisa, was there to cheer us on with posters that she had made. We also saw a couple of other Trail Sisters and posed for photos. After a quick announcement, we were off to run our first of what would be 3 5-ish mile loops. We headed down a hill towards a pond and immediately were caught up in a bottleneck on the path. All 3 distances took off at the same time and there were a lot of 5 mile runners. Jennifer and I reminded ourselves that this first loop would be slower due to congestion from all the runners on the single tracks. 

Loop one was at times frustrating, getting stuck behind slower runners and trying to pass them when we could. There was a guy who would fly down the hills and then immediately stop to walk, something both of us found annoying. He told us this is how to run ultras. I've never run an ultra but I'm thinking no, that's not how it's done. Several people fell along the trail, tripping over tree roots. We always stopped to make sure they were ok. In spite of all that, we finished this loop feeling good about our time.

We stopped to hug Ilisa on our way to starting loop 2. In contrast to the clogged path from the first loop, we had the path pretty much to ourselves. This was much better! But it also gave us more time to notice the climbs. Or maybe it's because our legs were starting to feel the fatigue of the ups and downs. At one point, I tried to pass a couple of runners and tripped on something in the path and fell. Nothing hurt, but sheesh! Jennifer got ahead of me, but I could see her pink headband and chased it. I kept reminding myself of what the coach from Fluid Running says during sets of 3s in the workout: the 2d one is the hardest and the last one is the last one. That helped me get through this loop. I finished loop 2 a little behind my rabbit but kept going to start the final loop while she stopped to get Gatorade. Starting to feel fatigued, I was afraid if I stopped, I wouldn't want to get going again. 

Not stopping to fuel was a mistake. At the end of loop 2, I was still sipping water, but I should have stopped for some fuel or brought Tailwind. My legs were really hurting after the first big climb on loop 3. I stood at the top of the hill and looked ahead, thinking about all those hills I was going to have to climb again. I reminded myself that I can do hard things and I flew down that big hill. I was greeted by the same bunny-costumed enthusiastic volunteer I saw on the first two passes. "You got this!" he said. "Last loop!". As painful as this final loop was, the miles ticked by. For the third time, I saw my friend Leanna cheering runners on at the top of another hill. She looked cold! I told myself that if she could be out there, so could I. I took off through the woods, leaping over fallen trees and enjoying the soft landing the pine needles made underfoot. Over my shoulder, I spotted Jennifer catching up to me. Up and down, around and around, the trail felt like a roller coaster. At about mile 12, I started to not feel very good. My hamstrings were crying for mercy. I dug deep and just kept moving forward.

Course elevation

By mile 14, I hit the wall. Everything was hurting. I could barely move my feet. I did a lot more walking than I wanted to, but I was still able to run down the hills. Once I came out of the woods, I ran the last quarter mile through the grass to the finish line. Ok, I walked some of it but I was running when I crossed the finish line. Ilisa was there to take photos and congratulate me. I was handed a medal and I sat down on the grass. 

After taking a few minutes to catch my breath and gather myself, I got back up and walked over to the aid station, perusing all the offerings. I felt a little foggy and had trouble deciding what I needed. I grabbed a cup of Coke and some trail mix. Does anything taste better than Coke after a hard race? I never drink it otherwise. Jennifer was cramping badly. She had salt crusted on her face. We got her some salty snacks, pickles and chips, and she started to feel better as well. We waited for Elaina, our other trail sister who was running the 15 miler, to come in. It was cold and the wind was picking up. While we waited, we reflected on how hard this race was! I kicked myself for not bringing fuel for the back half of the race. Rookie mistake.

In spite of my painful finish, I am so proud of my finish time. I finished in the middle of the pack, which made me feel much better about my efforts. I felt like I was so well prepared for this race. I knew this was going to be tough but had no idea how hard it would be! The race was incredibly well organized and the volunteer support was the best I've ever seen. The energetic volunteers never quit encouraging the runners and the costumed ones put a smile on my face every single time. One volunteer had a different costume for every loop I ran! I loved the low-key atmosphere--watching the video of the start of the race made me laugh because everyone went out so much slower than I've ever seen at a road race! The runners on the course were all very encouraging, calling out 'good job' even when they were passing you.

This was one of the hardest races I've ever run. It was also one of the most fun. I kept reminding myself that I was running this as a training run, so as a training run, there were a few lessons learned. Fueling was definitely an issue and I'm not sure what I was thinking by not preparing for that last loop. I debated before the race about fueling and now I know that I need to plan for that at Ice Age next month. I still have to work on holding back my pace on the flat sections of the course. But in spite of my pain, I feel that I was well trained for the hills. The only way I could have been better prepared would be to actually train on those trails. We'll see how this race prepares me for the hills of Wisconsin!


What is one of the hardest races you've ever run? What lessons have you learned from a hard race? What's your favorite race fuel?

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics, with the Runners' Roundup: DebbieDeborahJen, and Lisa.

  


33 comments :

  1. Don't you just love trail runners? As much as I love road runners, trail runners have a generous spirit that is unmatched. I'm so proud of you for doing this race and for pushing through all the tough sections. Fuelling is super important especially towards the end so that's definitely a great lesson for the big one!

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    1. There is definitely more of an inclusive, laid-back vibe in trail running! I really like it. I've done a couple 'rookie' things at my recent races and I'll just chalk it up to being out of practice, lol!

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  2. Wow. Just wow. What a race! Congrats. You finished unscathed. I would have fallen numerous times lol.

    NYC Marathon was by far the hardest and yet the most rewarding.

    I've made the mistake of waiting until I was hungry to fuel. I need GU every 4 miles but still I often wait too long.

    I see an ultra trail race in your future...

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  3. Wait- did you not have any fuel for the entire race? No wonder you felt awful at the end! But, you did great. It's true- the second-to-last loop is the hardest (at least mentally.) This race does sound really hard and really fun. I definitely want to do more trail races!
    My fuel of choice these days are Hammer gels. My stomach can be sensitive, but I have no problem with gels. I haven't really experimented with other things though- there are a lot of options nowadays.
    I hope you're getting in some good recovery this week!

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    1. I fueled before the race; the weather was cool and my pace was slow. But yeah, that last loop needed fuel and I'll not make that mistake again! I'm recovering smartly but I do have a half this weekend, so there's that...

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  4. Congrats! Love your race recaps with the highlights, low moments and lesson learned. We all gain from your experience. I've never run more than 13.1 miles and never on trails. I am super klutzy and would definitely be falling a fair amount of the time with injury sure to follow. So I love following your stories of trail running.

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    1. Thank you! I've done a lot of training on my local trails and have been working on agility. I'm glad I only fell once!

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  5. Haha, Wendy, your recap reminded me so much of my race this weekend! That level of exhaustion towards the end of a long and hilly race is unreal. Only that you also had to deal with roots, fallen trees and muddy trail on top of it.
    Well done for persevering!

    It's good that the fueling mistake happens to you now rather than in the race next month. Now you're prepared for everything! How long will the Ice Age trail race be?

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    1. I like to think I'm prepared for everything but you know how that goes, lol! I'm running the half marathon distance of Ice Age and boy am I glad I didn't move up to the 50k!

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  6. Congrats on powering through a tough race! I guess I missed the fact it was 15 miles -- because I was surprised to see the same finish time as my trail half. Except for the 2 extra miles (and the lack of fuel), as I said, it sounds like a very similar race.

    Hard things make us grow!

    Since it was a training run you learned some valuable lessons, so that's good!

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    1. I don't know if I grew from this. I'm still recovering. It was HARD!

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  7. Fantastic race, Wendy! I think loop races are tough. My first marathon did a two mile out and back at the end, they ran us right past the finish line and I was ready to sit down a cry at that point.

    My list of race fuels is short - Hammer Nutrition (gel and/or Perpetuem, along with Endurolytes.) I've tried a variety of others, but my stomach can't stomach sugar or sugar alcohols when I'm running, so that eliminates many.

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    1. I've had several people recommend Hammer products--I may try them over the summer to prepare for my fall races.

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  8. Figuring out fueling and hydration is so tricky! I use Honeystinger chews and drink SIS hydration. I know use it on any runs over 5 m bc I just feel better when I do. Huge congrats to you for jumping into this race. These are the runs that show us what we are made of. Nice job out there!

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    1. I wasn't going to DNF, that is for sure! But wow, was this painful!

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  9. Way to power through a challenging race! Sounds like all of your time on the trails definitely paid off. I hope you are recovering well.

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  10. Congrats on your race! This sounds so challenging. I guess it's kind of the norm to fall on trails? I'm glad you didn't get hurt!

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    1. The trails definitely cause more falls--uneven terrain, roots and other obstacles, and lots of distractions make it easier to stumble and go down! I don't even know what I tripped over, lol

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  11. Amazing job Wendy! This race definitely sounds like it was pretty challenging. Kudos to you for digging deep, especially with that hilly terrain!

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  12. Congrats on persevering to the finish! I love that strategy of the second loop being the toughest, and the third was the last one. I think I've heard a similar breakdown of a marathon (or any long distance), but I never think of dividing a tough race into thirds while in the moment. Just think how easy your half will feel in comparison ;-)

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    1. Ha! It's supposed to be HOT at my upcoming half and I'm definitely not trained for that!

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  13. I think that is the most beautiful medal ever! And you earned it. Great job on a very tough course (made more difficult by the fueling issues). I'm a little jealous about all the trail race options that you have. Not that I'm ready to race but still.

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    1. No one would ever think of great trails in the Midwest, but we sure do make the best of what we have!

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  14. Wow, definitely congrats to you! It does sound like a very hard race. I cannot imagine running a 50k on that course. How are you feeling now?

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    1. I'm fine now-I think if I had done a better job with fuel on that last loop, I wouldn't have suffered so much!

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  15. So hard core, Wendy! That grass picture says it all- you were so strong. Congratulations!

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  16. Congrats on the race and I loved the race recap. Trail races intrigue me, but the falling down kinda scares me. Seems you hit a certain age and falling down isn't that fun. I do a fair amount of off pavement running, but it's flat and there's just tree roots to contend with. I'm planning a full on trails next December, it's flat, but does have alligators!
    Quick off topic question...Do you have a Road ID tag for your CoCo? Has it held up well? My dog lost his home ID tag at doggy day care. I like the ones that go on the collar itself, not dangling ones, but the one he had slides too easily and must have slid off when they took his collar on and off.

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  17. Wow, well done! That does sound tough and you did well.

    I have run an ultra and yes, I walked on hills but strategically and not stopping dead in front of people, etc.!

    My hardest race was the Bumble Bimble 10 miler which I did to accustom myself to racing off road before my ultra. My friend Tara said it would be harder than the ultra and give me confidence and she was right. It was also harder than the ultra and I cried through quite a lot of it!

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  18. Congratulations Wendy! What a beautiful medal.

    I feel the same about Coke- so great after a tough race, but I rarely would drink it otherwise. Something about it calms the stomach.

    Way to push through a tough course!

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  19. It does sounds like a rough race, but that medal makes it worthwhile. Or at least, I hope it does.

    Hope you're feeling better.

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