50k Fun!

Michelle, Melissa and Me, Jenny coming to the end of loop one on the way to our first 50K!

Pigtail's Run, Lake Youngs, Kent, Washington

The "Dirty Girl Gaiter" gang!

Well, I made I through my first 50k at Pigtail's Run. It was a lot of fun and I feel great. I headed to Starbucks to begin my morning and met a couple of other Y Run Club runners there who were also heading up to Pigtail's Run. We got our coffee and headed over to the Y to meet up with everyone else and to carpool. We were excited and ready to go! Once at the park, we stayed inside the car for a bit to stay warm, then put shoes on and gathered supplies for the bag drop area. The weather was perfect. Cold at the start but once we were off and running everything warmed up. The course is

gravel path, maybe a service road. It is rolling hills with flats in between. It is mostly forested and at times runs alongside semi-rural roads. When I signed up for this race, I had the notion that I'd only run two loops for 19+ miles. Then I really felt ready to do more and signed up to run three loops for 28+ miles. Then today Michelle was saying that if she decided to run three loops then she was going to do the extra out and back for the 50K. So I decided that it was only 2.2 more miles and that I could do that too. Seems like nothing after 28 miles. I started off running with Michelle and Melissa for the first two loops. We had a great time running, laughing and telling stories. The first loop we had to get acquainted with the course. None of us had run the entire loop before. Michelle had run part of it a couple of years ago so everything was new. I like that part of the adventure. Just before the end of our first loop, Amy and the other Michelle, who had only run one loop, came back to meet us and to take pictures of us. It was fun to see them. As we finished our first loop, I ran and made a pit stop, grabbed my second water bottle, and a PB and J sandwich. I don't have a problem eating and running at the same time so I headed out, sandwich in hand. We finished the first loop in 2 hours. Loop two was equally as good as the first. I have to add in a quote here from Michelle. At the beginning of the loops, withing the first half mile, you have to run past a particularly stinky swamp area. There was a man about 50 yards in front of us, when Michelle said, "Does that guy in front of us have gas?" I almost fell over laughing. Michelle always does this to me, something to make me laugh and not be able to stop. I was glad we weren't further into the run, I can get the uncontrollable laughs after about 17 miles or so. Anyway, I was feeling very well and looking forward to running the rest of the course. We anticipated being looped on this lap, which only 10 or so people did. That surprised us. Around 4 miles into the second loop I made a pit stop in the woods and headed back out. The rest of the loop was fairly uneventful as I can recall anyway. At the aid station this time I again made a pit stop. I also had to loosen my shoelaces. They were too tight and the tops of my feet were hurting. Loop two was completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I only had a half a PB and J this time and again left with it in my hand. I ran this loop by myself. I told Michelle and Melissa that I would do this during the second loop. I love to run with Michelle, but I wanted to run at my pace for this loop. After two loops of walk breaks at regular intervals, I felt strong and ready to run. I thought that I would take walk breaks on loop three also, at least on the hills, or as I felt I needed them. But as I went on, I felt great and ran the whole loop, plus the out and back without walking. It was great. I missed the conversation, but thoroughly enjoyed the solitude. I caught up with a woman we had played leap frog with on the first loop and several more people towards the end. I even sang worship songs out loud as I ran probably miles 5 and 6 of the loop. It was raining and I noticed that my ponytail made swishing sounds on the back of my jacket. I was really enjoying myself. As i ran down a fairly long downhill portion along a road that was fairly rock, my legs for the first time felt wobbly and I slowed down a bit to avoid falling. I noticed someone ahead of me at the bottom and thought maybe I could reach them within a mile. once the trail evened out my legs felt strong again and I picked my pace back up. I have to be careful on the downhills. They are harder for me. I need to take care of my knee that I had surgery on. I'd almost rather run uphill. I knew now that there was probably 3ish miles back to the start, and then the out and back section for 2.2 miles. I also knew that there were two more hills before the out and back and a doozy of a steep hill that we had run down three times already and now would have to run down and up once more on the out and back. Along this section I did pass that man from the hill and two others as well. I was so thankful when I reached the spot where you could see the parking lot and I knew there was only a little over two miles left. When I came into the aid station area, people cheered and clapped. Eric and Steve yelled and I waved. I just wanted to get there and get out because I wanted to finish! When I left the aid station to begin the third loop, I glanced at my watch. 4:15. I set a goal to finish the third loop in 2 hours. I finished the third loop in 1:54. Now I wanted to be done in 6:15 total! So I took off without talking to anyone. I knew they'd wonder why, wanting to know how far behind me Michelle and Melissa would be, but there was to be no talking! I passed the men I had passed earlier on my way back out and managed to gallop my way down the really steep hill without falling, dreading the challenge of going back up. That 1.1 mile out seemed like it took forever. Once I hit the 50K turn around I noticed a bit of a twinge in my left hamstring, letting me know I'd run 29 plus miles. It wasn't painful so I just kept going. As I past the other men again, I said" almost done, just the last little bit." they laughed. As I approached the big, steep hill, two mountain bikers came up from behind. They passed me earlier in the loop. I jokingly asked the second rider who was going the same speed as I was running, if he would pull me up the hill. He said that they "were going to go the easy way on the road" and he left the trail for the road running alongside. The other guy said he was going to ask me to push him up. I laughed and said that I was going to run to the top no matter what. I did. I don't think I was going too fast, but I made it. I pumped my arms and took deep breaths. I wanted to grab the fence and pull myself along but before I knew it I was at the top. I thought I would pass out for a second, but then I hit the nice easy downhill to the finish. Eric greeted me and the end. I stopped my watch. 6:15. I finished the last loop and the out and back in two hours. I felt great! I was happy. Now I could tell the guys that I didn't really know how far behind me Michelle and Melissa were because I didn't run the last loop with them. I changed and went to get some hot soup and sit by the propane heater. Michell and Melissa came in to finish their third loop about 40ish minutes later. Eric and Steve went on the out and back with them and they finished overall about 25 minutes later. Their overall time was 7:08. They did fantastic! Way to go! It was a great experience. I'll definitely do it again. My knees are achy, but that is always true. I did experience something else that is new. Blisters under my callouses on the balls of my feet, both feet. They don't really hurt though. I'm glad about that.

I learned that it is good to go out slow and to finish strong. I pushed myself on the third loop and it felt really good. I like to feel like I gave it everything I had. I did that on that last loop. I am tired now, but still feel like I could run tomorrow. We'll see how those stairs feel in the morning.

Grace and peace to you.

Melissa, Michelle, and Me, Jenny (I look wierd in this photo, I resized it wrong or something)