Bent Oak 50k Race Report

I want to share with you an experience and explore my inner being. What is my why for running ultramarathons? Or, why does anyone do a hard thing?

How can I explain such an experience when so few people have any conception of what it feels like to run an ultramarathon? Or even a marathon? What even is an ultramarathon? When I share with a face-to-face person about running, they often complain about running in high school or in the army, or how they have a bad knee. This response is unsatisfying and anyway, I realize that they have no conception of what I am doing. Often, I don’t share at all because I don’t want to evoke this response.

Three weeks ago, I did a 20-mile training run. I felt very good as I got to 20 miles and believed I could do the other 11 miles to complete a 50k (31 miles). I felt good because I had been eating numerous chews during this run. I learned earlier this year that if you don’t get enough calories in an ultramarathon, then your prefrontal cortex goes offline. If your prefrontal cortex goes offline, your decision-making center isn’t functioning, that is, you’ll be trying to make decisions with the older part of the brain which is only interested in survival. Practically speaking, when my body is low on fuel then I don’t want to eat and I only want to get in the car and go home. But now I know how many of these chews per hour will keep me happy and feeling good.

There was a 50k race 3 weeks away. Should I sign up?

I watched the weather. It takes me 7 hours to do 31 miles. If it is too cold or too wet, I can’t do it. But the weather looked dry and pretty warm so I signed up.

Completing an ultramarathon is for me a very controlled operation. In a half marathon, my focus is on maintaining speed. In an ultramarathon, my focus is on nutrition, hydration and run/walk pacing. The two largest problems are related to nutrition and mental condition.

1. Calories, enough to keep my prefrontal cortex from going offline. It seems now that about 200 calories per hour when going at a 13-mile-per-hour pace will suffice. I ate 5 Skratch chews at the 2.5 mile mark of each 5 mile lap and took one gel at the 5 mile mark of each lap. I also had Gatorade in my flasks and drank two Ensure protein shakes.

2. The mental, the trickiness of the brain. In every marathon or ultramarathon, my brain looks for ways to cheat or cut corners without anyone knowing. Or quitting with some good excuse. The cheating part I don’t do but I feel it all the time. Battling with my brain lets me know that I am a mind, not a brain, but this battle sure is difficult. I do sometimes quit with some excuse. In the Bent Oak, I had no excuse. My body felt good. Since my prefrontal cortex was online, I was able to imagine how bad I would feel if I cheated or quit; and to imagine how good I would feel if I completed the race. Since my prefrontal cortex was online, and my body felt good, I was able to choose the good feelings of finishing the race.

3. Blisters and other injuries. For Bent Oak, I taped my toes with hydrogel and coated them with Bag Balm. No blisters occurred. My knees were taped around the kneecap and braced. No pain occurred. My feet are a little deformed so I modify my shoes. I used Asics Nimbus 25, with added padding on the tongue and heel, and the toe had a hole over my big toe to prevent blisters and black toenails. No problems occurred.

4. Base of hours or miles per day. I have for nearly a year now been going about 300 miles per month, plus some cross-training and weight lifting. My long runs are either 16 or 20 miles at ultra pace. I think it is not necessary to do more than that because longer than 50k, the completion of an ultra relies on mental endurance.

Why? I had a physical and mental experience. It is something to cherish. I got the experience of being governed by the success mind while aware of the quitter mind. I got an experience of self-depletion. The reality of an ultra is a created reality. People participate voluntarily. The act of running laps for 50k or 50 miles is essentially unproductive, or in fact, destructive to the physical body. Each person finds their own meaning, usually interior. Sure, elite athletes win races and receive money or accolades. But most runners do not receive any accolades, except those expected from their families. All I can really say is that I liked accomplishing the process and can’t wait to do it again. I am justified in calling myself an athlete. Honestly, I am amazed at myself. Though 65 years old, I haven’t lost a step in the ultra-realm. I know a few other ladies my age who are still running, but the vast majority of sixty-somethings are completely sedentary. I’m unbelievably happy to be an athlete and still doing these races.

Three days later, I got to go to the gym, sit on the stationary bike, put in the earbuds, close my eyes, and listen to an amazing preacher. I am still amazed and cherishing my 50k. More to come.