Trail Marathon 50k
Yesterday I completed the Trail Marathon 50K race in Pinckney Recreation Area that follows the Potowatami Trail. It was a beautiful fall day and the race began about half an hour before sunrise. I finished in 5:34 which put me in third place for females! This race was fantastic and followed one of the most scenic trails in southeast Michigan.
The trail began at 7:30 and we took off with our headlamps. I was pretty worried about running on the trails in the dark since I have yet to do that but with all the other people around it wasn’t too bad. The single track start made for a conga line of people so I happily started off very conservative since I was stuck behind people. Once a few miles had passed I had made distance between the other runners and I felt like I was the only one on the trail. The first half marathon loop felt nice and moderate and it felt like any other training run. I was taking in water and calories and feeling good. I started the second half marathon loop and a few miles (about halfway through the race) my legs started to feel tired. I was still able to take in water and calories and move at a decent pace so I was good. When I came around again to complete the last 5 mile loop I was dead. My legs were so sore and they felt like lead. I walked a ton of this portion and struggled with every hill. Once I finished though I was so stoked! Even though this was my first 50K I felt like if I had a good day and it didn’t rain I would be able to push for around a 5:30 finish time. Had I pushed harder in the last loop I think I would’ve been able to get closer to that but not bad for a first 50K!
A lot of things went well in this race. My nutrition and hydration was spot on. Last year when I ran my first marathon I consumed maybe one gel and a 12 oz water bottle. I felt nauseous more than half of the race and ended up really struggling. This time around I really tried to focus on nutrition during my training and long runs. I was able to find a few options that worked for me (Tailwind, Huma, Clif Bloks). During the race I took in over 2 liters of water and about 1400 calories. Based on my finish time that was about 250 calories per hour which is within the recommended 200-300 calories per hour. I had no nausea and just a little bit of stomach discomfort for a couple miles but nothing that affected me too much. In the last loop I could’ve used a few more calories and water just to give me an extra push. Overall my nutrition was great!
Another thing that went well was finishing the race with a time that I was hoping to get. My training was great and really prepared me for the terrain and distance. I had ran the Poto trail a few times so I knew what to expect. Between the long runs, hill repeats, and workouts, I am way fitter than I was last year and it made for a successful race!
Of course though there are many things that I could’ve worked on. I stressed over every single detail and every single possibility. I worried that it was going to rain. I worried that I was going to fall on the leaves. I worried that the wooden bridged would be too slick. I worried about running in the dark. I worried that I wouldn’t finish. I worried that I would get hurt. I worried that I would be late to the race. I worried about what outfit to wear. I created so much anxiety for myself. At the end though all those small details didn’t really matter. I had trained and I was ready. I just had to go out and run. There were things I could control and other things that I couldn’t but worrying about them all was unnecessary.
I wish I would’ve been a bit more mentally tougher. I started off pretty moderate but towards the end when my legs felt trashed I felt like I almost gave up a bit. I started to walk a lot and just slowed down. I wish I would’ve been able to push through that mental barrier and push through the soreness in my legs a bit more to have moved faster. To calm my anxiety I kept telling myself that the pace didn’t matter but I wish I could’ve been a bit more competitive.
I definitely should not have just stopped moving once I finished my race and sat in a car for 1+ hours of driving because that did not help the soreness in my body. Oops!
As for future training, I definitely need to work a bit on my upper body strength. Carrying a vest with 2 liters of water and calories etc made for a sore back and arms the next day. Had I just had a bit of a stronger upper body I think that would’ve helped. Overall strength in my legs could be improved. After two fractures on my left leg, I could really feel the imbalances in my leg and how much more I lean on my right leg to pull me through. Need to find more single leg exercises to strengthen my left leg so it’ll work as hard as my right. I also think I could work on more time on feet. I complete all my training runs and get the mileage in but I also sit in a car for over 2 hours a day to commute and sit at a desk at my job sometimes so I think adding in more walking or even biking would help my legs not feel so sore after double digit mile runs.
Regardless, I’m super happy with my first 50K race and thrilled I was able to even complete a race during this year. Time to recover and think about what’s next!