I did my first ultra today, and it was also my first time to see what trail running was like.
It was just a blast. The weather was so-so. About 45 degrees and cloudy. It had rained most of the day on Friday so we expected some mud. It was a loop course and got muddier every loop. They had a 25k start after us, the a relay race.
I had no real idea what type of pace I was going to be able to run, so I started out with a friend who has done quite a few ultras. We did two loops together, then I pulled away, or he slowed down.
Right after I left him, about 17 miles I started thru some mud and whoops there goes my shoe and I take two steps in almost ankle deep mud. I starting laughing, grabbed my shoe, stuck in on and off I went. I wondered if a mud filled shoe would make for more blisters. That sure never happened in the marathon.
Okay so now I know to slow down thru the mud a bit.
It was strange to walk the hills, but towards the end I see why, you make almost the same progress. About 28 miles I was 3rd place women, when a gal passed me who I passed just before the shoe in the mud ordeal. She was just motoring along and I wasn't quite as springy.
I ended up 4th women and 11th overall, with a time of 4:09:48. I was also the top masters woman. I was very happy with that. I have done no training on trails, being until now, they all had snow. .
It was just great, and not nearly as stressful as a marathon is for me. I did well with taking GU and obviously taking fluids.
My last two laps were 9-10 minutes faster than the first two.
The overall winner was a woman, 4th & 10th were also ladies. Pretty cool. The first place gal did 7:02 pace I believe, she was an animal.
Listening to people talk, it seems as if most do mulitple ultras during the year. The gal that passed me was doing Grandma's full, Paavo Nurmi marathon and some ultras in between. She said I will recover faster. We'll see, as she was 12 years my junior.
Enough said...
Karen
