Down to Run Endurance Challange - Run

This run was the hardest run I've ever done. This includes all other trail HMs, all marathons, and the 25k trail run through the Everglades that almost resulted in heat stroke! In retrospect, I am happy I did this race, but I will not run it again unless they change the course.

Peter asked if I wanted to do this race. I probably would have said yes anyway, but since it had been since July since I did a race with him and another brother (Mark), I was happy to say yes and get back into having a family race. Plus I really love trail races. I knew it would be a hot and humid race and would be hard, but I was not prepared for just how hard.

We arrived at the site shortly after 6, picked up our packets, sprayed bug spray on ourselves and made the obligatory bathroom run/s. While waiting in the ever present line for the women's bathroom (yay, indoor plumbing!), I noticed a number of woman were wearing gators. I've run a number of trail runs and have never felt the need for them and have never noticed many other racers with them; but this race quite a few people were wearing them. That made me a bit suspicious. I became even more suspicious when I found that there was a booth set up with people selling them. Hmm, maybe I should buy a pair. In a very smart move, I did. Neither Peter nor Mark felt the need. Silly boys.
The atmosphere of the race was like all other trail races i've done - very laid back,, lots of nice people, and a lot more really fit people v the normal road race. This race also offered a 50k, 10k and 5k. I'm not sure how many total racers there were, but I'd guess not even 500.

Anyway, the music was playing, coffee and other food flowing and nervous energy was high. There was concern that the course would be very wet since there had been lots of rain during the week, but a report was given that the trail was dry. Other than a couple of muddy sections, the report was correct. The 50k was to start at 6:30 and the HM at 7. I didn't hear why, but the 50k was late starting which pushed back all the other races. We started at almost 7:20. Which means the sun would have a chance to get even higher. Not what we wanted.

Finally, it was time to race. The first half mile was packed and we walked in a couple places because of the number of people trying to fit into the winding single track. The three of us stayed together, made some moves around slower runners and finally got into a nice pace. My plan was to try to keep the pace b/w 8:45 and 9 - terrain dependent. Peter and Mark and much faster runners than me, but planned on doing that pace at least for the first half.

The first 4ish miles jumped between single track with roots and service type roads. Some spots on the service roads were a bit soft, but nothing too bad. We were right on pace. Then we came to a service road that was all messed up. It looked like someone had come through with a shovel digging for gold. I wondered if there were wild hogs in the area and they were responsible for the condition of the trail. Whatever the reason, it slowed us done a little bit. We then came to a couple of boardwalk crossings. Again, the pace slowed on the rickety boardwalks, but not too bad and it provided a nice break from the trail. And then it happened. Sugar sand. Miles and miles of sugar sand!

If you have never run in sugar sand, you are a lucky person. Running in sugar sand is like running on the beach. Not the part near the water, but in the middle of the beach. Except, it's worse as the sand is even finer. When running in sugar sand one usually tries to run on the edges where it is less horrible. Unfortunately, for most of the never ending trail of sugar sand the sides were just as bad as the middle.

When we first entered the sand, we had no idea it would go on for as long as it did, so I was not too upset. I figured it would switch back to single track pretty soon, just like the early portion of the trail. But it just kept coming. Then came the hills of sugar sand! There shouldn't be any hills in the area; so what was up with these rolling "hills". We speculated that they were man-made to allow ATVs to have some fun, but really, we have no idea. What was really discouraging was when I crested a hill (and I use that term loosely, but for us it was a hill of sand), all I could see was more sand. Ugh. I started to get really discouraged. My pace dropped dramatically in the sand and my brothers pulled away. I started to walk sections. I never walk in races. My legs were getting fried and I started to worry about trashing myself so much in this race that I would not be recovered properly for Flying Pig 2 weeks later.

On top of one of the dunes was an aid station. Peter and Mark were there waiting for me. Good brothers that they are - even though I had started to curse them for getting me into this mess :)
I grabbed a gatorade and walked to them to tell them to go on and not worry about me. Peter gave me some peanut M&Ms. At this point of the trail, the park abuts a housing development. In the backyard of one house were 2 dogs - a german shepherd who looked a lot like Gunnar and a Great Dane. They were behind a chicken wire type fense, so they were easy to see and easy to pet. I walked over to them and petted them. That's right, in the middle of my race I stopped to get some dog-time! This is not my normal race M.O., but I was both physically and mentally struggling. I saw one of the race officials and asked how much more sugar sand. Someone yelled out - til the finishing line. The guy I asked said about a half mile. That brought my spirits up a bit. Too bad he lied. It was way more than that. After I had been running for what seemed like forever, I asked a woman who was heading towards me (the 10k runners were coming toward us) if I was almost out of the sugar sand. The look on her face told me all I needed to know.

Finally, I was out of it. It was about 5 miles of deep sugar sand, but I was now free from it!! ( so glad I bought the gators!)The trail looped back on itself and now was an out and back. So, I got to run the two boardwalks again and the section of torn up trail. But I was out of the sand and so happy that I lost a little focus on my footing and in between the 2 boardwalks I caught a toe on a root and fell. Onto my right shoulder. My surgery shoulder. Ugh. Thank goodness I did not extend my arm to try to break my fall, but rather did the tuck and roll. I am sore from it, but I did not do damage to the repair! Yay!!
The sun was pretty high by now and the humidity was high, so I was thrilled to come to the next aid station where one of the volunteers had a gallon jug of ice water that she offered to pour on my head. I happily said yes. It was freezing, but oh so good!!
I tried to pick up my pace, but my legs were done. Mainly hamstrings from above the back of the knees into the glutes. Surprisingly, my quads and calves felt ok or at least weren't yelling at me. Since I was so leg tired I was concerned that I would get sloppy and catch another root, so I really had to concentrate on my footing. Thankfully, I had no further mishaps.

At this point, I was really struggling. Yes, I was leg tired, but it was even more a mental struggle. I hated the sugar sand and allowed myself to feel sorry for myself. This is so unlike me. Finally, I gave myself a good talking to :) and told myself to suck it up, get out of the funk and deal with it. There were only about 3 miles to go and that was no big deal. Sure, the race did not go as expected, but it was a beautiful day and I was out sharing an experience with my brothers. So I shut out the demons I allowed in and kept moving. Until the the aid stations (there were 2 more left). At each one, I stopped long enough to get a drink and get water poured on my head.

In between the last 2 aid stations I came upon a guy who was walking and suffering. I told him we only had about 1.5 miles left ( I lied to him by about .25 mile) and encouraged him. He perked up and began to run with me. We stopped at the last aid station together and ran almost the rest of the way together. I "pulled away" with a bit more than .25 mile to go.

Finally, I crossed the finish line!! Mark was there waiting for me. He finished at least 10 minutes ahead of me. We don't know for sure how much ahead b/c he somehow lost his bib and it had the timing chip. Peter had to run off immediately upon finishing to make it to his daughter's volleyball game. he is the coach, so he sort of had to be there!!

We hung around the site a bit longer listening to the music and talking to people and then left to meet Peter and my niece and SIL for an early lunch.

At lunch we had burgers (mine was vegetarian) fries, beer, and a brownie sundae!!




Train in sugar sand!! Or better yet, not do a race with 5ish miles of sugar sand!!!

None.


I love trail races and I like challenges and I like hard races, but running in so much sugar sand is not something I care to do again. If they don't change the course, I will not do this race again. I really feel for the 50k people who had to do it 2x!!!