Trail Mix 50k Race Report
Posting Date: 4/26/17
Current Weight: 175 lbs
Total Miles Last Week: 52
Long Run This Past Weekend: 31 miles at Trail Mix 50k
Me: You in town and doing a long run tomorrow?
Brian K: I'm running Trail Mix 50k at Lake Rebecca tomorrow.
Me: Ah. Shit. Maybe I should just do that. Haha. I wanted to get a longer one in anyway.
Brian K: Totally should. Registration opens at 7am!
....13 hours later
I'm standing in the race expo area at beautiful Lake Rebecca park in Rockford, MN. I have my race bib in hand, my water bottle, my trusty New Balance trail shoes, and a pair of sore legs from a tough leg workout yesterday. And I'm about to run a 50k race.
I remember a few years ago when I first started doing ultras. The preparation, training, and mental stamina that they took out of me was immense. I loved racing, but to prepare for one was a pretty big commitment. I kinda had this pipe dream that maybe someday I'd be able to just jump into an ultra distance event at the drop of a hat, have fun, and maybe even do well. Fast forward three years and roughly 9,000 running miles later, and jumping into a race at the drop of a hat is not a big deal. Kinda cool.
Trail Mix one of the oldest ultra endurance events in Minnesota, now in its 26th year with the 2017 event. I actually did the 25k distance at the event back in 2013, when I first started running. At the time it was held at Highland Park in Bloomington, MN. It was one of my first trail races, and I remember it being a fun event. I also remember looking at the 50k runners and wondering if they must be crazy to attempt a distance greater than a marathon on trail. I now know they were only kinda crazy.
This years event was held at Lake Rebecca Park in Rockford, MN. It is a beautiful park with mostly forested double track, and a little bit of single track. The course is comprised of four 12.5k loops that give you a great glimpse into different parts of the park, from the dense forest, to open prairie, to the ponds, streams, and the lake itself. Race morning was beautiful, with near perfect weather. It was about 45 degrees on the starting line, and was expected to get up to the upper 60's by early afternoon.
The race kicked off at 8am with the typical trail-ultra call to action "3....2...1....GO!" We cleared the start/finish area and were dumped onto a stretch of gravel maintenance road that set a fairly fast pace right out of the gate. About a mile into the loop the course shifts onto the double track trail that weaves through and covers the circumference of the park. The loop is a great place for a faster trail race, as it has only moderate climbs, and features a good handful of sections where you're really able to push the pace. I found the initial trail section to be the hardest, with the most uphill, which made me question if I should incorporate some hiking on the steeper inclines (which I did early on to save my legs). You hit the first aid station around three miles in, and that's when the course hits what I'd consider the fastest sections, between aid stations 1-3. This section of course features mostly wooded single track with a great flow to it, lots of downhill, and lots of nice mild twists and turns that keep you entertained but moving at a good clip. After Aid Station three, things get a little bumpy with pretty constant rolling hills that make you dial back the pace, before hitting the last section near the finish, which brings you back up to a faster pace on open double track and a little bit of pavement. It is a super fun loop, and by the end of the first 12.5k I was pretty happy with my choice to do the race. I was also happy with my time and how I was feeling. I closed out my first 12.5k at exactly a 9:00/mi pace. I continued that trend and came in from loop two still holding strong at 9:00/mi, not feeling any signs of fading.
Half way through loop three I entered the "pain cave," where I really had to grind to maintain my pace, eventually slowing and losing about :15/mi off my average. At this point I realized that there was no excuse to not beat my personal best 50k time of 5:15 (from Afton 2015). As I rounded through the end of loop checkpoint one more time I grabbed an extra gel, turned on my iPod, and prepared to hurt for the last 12.5k to come in with my new goal of a sub-5 hour finish. Loop three was a beautiful display of how to suffer during an ultra. I lived out the last loop in an aid station to aid station format; getting to each station, putting on the biggest smile I could, and attempting to look as fresh as I could leaving it. Breaking the last loop down really helped me stay sane and keep on pace to hit my newfound goal. My stomach also took a turn near the beginning of the final loop, and I stopped fueling altogether. I also noticed that I was beginning to swell up, something that I've battled with a lot in the past. I had kept on my routine of consistent water and electrolytes, but must have gotten a little behind on the electrolytes. Never the less, I couldn't say that I had any excuse to not keep moving strong, so that's exactly what I did. I ran a good chunk of the final loop alongside a runner named Jennifer, who ended up coming in third in the Women's race. Listening to her running stories, and of how she juggles three kids and a full-time job with running, was a great distraction from how uncomfortable and heavy my legs were getting. I crossed the finish line in 4:55, besting my Afton 2015 time by 20 minutes. Pretty cool for a post leg day spontaneous race.
On deck for me is another exciting adventure, Orca's Island 50 miler on 5/13. This is another more spontaneous race that I decided to sign-up for. Orca's Island is about three hours north of Seattle, and a few nautical miles south of the Canadian border. I have read race reports and watched videos that really showcase it as a trail runners dream. It has the 4,000 ft Mount Constitution as the center point, and lush pacific northwest forest covering the island. I can't wait!
Current Weight: 175 lbs
Total Miles Last Week: 52
Long Run This Past Weekend: 31 miles at Trail Mix 50k
 |
| Some beautiful rolling downhill at Lake Rebecca Park |
Brian K: I'm running Trail Mix 50k at Lake Rebecca tomorrow.
Me: Ah. Shit. Maybe I should just do that. Haha. I wanted to get a longer one in anyway.
Brian K: Totally should. Registration opens at 7am!
....13 hours later
I'm standing in the race expo area at beautiful Lake Rebecca park in Rockford, MN. I have my race bib in hand, my water bottle, my trusty New Balance trail shoes, and a pair of sore legs from a tough leg workout yesterday. And I'm about to run a 50k race.
I remember a few years ago when I first started doing ultras. The preparation, training, and mental stamina that they took out of me was immense. I loved racing, but to prepare for one was a pretty big commitment. I kinda had this pipe dream that maybe someday I'd be able to just jump into an ultra distance event at the drop of a hat, have fun, and maybe even do well. Fast forward three years and roughly 9,000 running miles later, and jumping into a race at the drop of a hat is not a big deal. Kinda cool.
Trail Mix one of the oldest ultra endurance events in Minnesota, now in its 26th year with the 2017 event. I actually did the 25k distance at the event back in 2013, when I first started running. At the time it was held at Highland Park in Bloomington, MN. It was one of my first trail races, and I remember it being a fun event. I also remember looking at the 50k runners and wondering if they must be crazy to attempt a distance greater than a marathon on trail. I now know they were only kinda crazy.
This years event was held at Lake Rebecca Park in Rockford, MN. It is a beautiful park with mostly forested double track, and a little bit of single track. The course is comprised of four 12.5k loops that give you a great glimpse into different parts of the park, from the dense forest, to open prairie, to the ponds, streams, and the lake itself. Race morning was beautiful, with near perfect weather. It was about 45 degrees on the starting line, and was expected to get up to the upper 60's by early afternoon.
The race kicked off at 8am with the typical trail-ultra call to action "3....2...1....GO!" We cleared the start/finish area and were dumped onto a stretch of gravel maintenance road that set a fairly fast pace right out of the gate. About a mile into the loop the course shifts onto the double track trail that weaves through and covers the circumference of the park. The loop is a great place for a faster trail race, as it has only moderate climbs, and features a good handful of sections where you're really able to push the pace. I found the initial trail section to be the hardest, with the most uphill, which made me question if I should incorporate some hiking on the steeper inclines (which I did early on to save my legs). You hit the first aid station around three miles in, and that's when the course hits what I'd consider the fastest sections, between aid stations 1-3. This section of course features mostly wooded single track with a great flow to it, lots of downhill, and lots of nice mild twists and turns that keep you entertained but moving at a good clip. After Aid Station three, things get a little bumpy with pretty constant rolling hills that make you dial back the pace, before hitting the last section near the finish, which brings you back up to a faster pace on open double track and a little bit of pavement. It is a super fun loop, and by the end of the first 12.5k I was pretty happy with my choice to do the race. I was also happy with my time and how I was feeling. I closed out my first 12.5k at exactly a 9:00/mi pace. I continued that trend and came in from loop two still holding strong at 9:00/mi, not feeling any signs of fading.
Half way through loop three I entered the "pain cave," where I really had to grind to maintain my pace, eventually slowing and losing about :15/mi off my average. At this point I realized that there was no excuse to not beat my personal best 50k time of 5:15 (from Afton 2015). As I rounded through the end of loop checkpoint one more time I grabbed an extra gel, turned on my iPod, and prepared to hurt for the last 12.5k to come in with my new goal of a sub-5 hour finish. Loop three was a beautiful display of how to suffer during an ultra. I lived out the last loop in an aid station to aid station format; getting to each station, putting on the biggest smile I could, and attempting to look as fresh as I could leaving it. Breaking the last loop down really helped me stay sane and keep on pace to hit my newfound goal. My stomach also took a turn near the beginning of the final loop, and I stopped fueling altogether. I also noticed that I was beginning to swell up, something that I've battled with a lot in the past. I had kept on my routine of consistent water and electrolytes, but must have gotten a little behind on the electrolytes. Never the less, I couldn't say that I had any excuse to not keep moving strong, so that's exactly what I did. I ran a good chunk of the final loop alongside a runner named Jennifer, who ended up coming in third in the Women's race. Listening to her running stories, and of how she juggles three kids and a full-time job with running, was a great distraction from how uncomfortable and heavy my legs were getting. I crossed the finish line in 4:55, besting my Afton 2015 time by 20 minutes. Pretty cool for a post leg day spontaneous race.
On deck for me is another exciting adventure, Orca's Island 50 miler on 5/13. This is another more spontaneous race that I decided to sign-up for. Orca's Island is about three hours north of Seattle, and a few nautical miles south of the Canadian border. I have read race reports and watched videos that really showcase it as a trail runners dream. It has the 4,000 ft Mount Constitution as the center point, and lush pacific northwest forest covering the island. I can't wait!
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| At the Finish Line |
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