Just arrived to Chicago after my first ultra in Kettle Moraine State Park in Wisconsin. Had not done any trails before this and my longest run was a fast 22 miler three weeks ago.
Arrived early to the race and the weather was a little chilly (mid to high 40s) but perfect for a day of running. It was cool to huddle around the fires and meet the other racers though. Dean Karnazes gave a short speech and off we went.
The first 10 miles are the most technical part of the course with lots of ups and downs and rocky terrain. Compared to other courses this one is fairly easy but its perfect for folks like me who are just starting out. This is the part that can undo your race as you're feeling good and pushing the hills and sprinting the downhills. I was with a friend and he was cranking it up the climbs so I jogged them and would catch up on the flats. I ran the downhills and not having any hills to train at in Chicago, this would come back to bite me later on.
At mile 12 or so we hooked up with a chatty group going at a good pace and decided to pace off of them. At mile 15 my quads started to hurt and I knew right away that the downhills were to blame. It hurt, but not enough to slow me down. I just hoped it wouldn't get too bad and I could keep running till the end.
From mile 12-20ish it's fairly flat but super pretty running in wide open prairie. The sun was out but it was nice and cool so it wasn't too bad. At mile 20 another technical section with climbs and downhills starts again and from mile 22-26ish its loose sand. This is the worst!!!! You had to run on the side of the trail where it was slanted to avoid the sand which was super hard to run in and almost unavoidable. I hate sand now, I can't stand it. I don't want to see a beach for a while. FU SAND!
The last 4 miles where really painful, especially mile 28 where there's a very long downhill section where my quads where screaming. I was power walking down but I was still keeping good pace and not slowing down too much. Once I hit the last 2 miles it was next to the road, all flat, and I was in my element going at a nice pace but ready to finish.
I crossed the finish in 4:34. First in my 35-39 age group and 14 overall. Not bad for my first ever ultra and trail race. I'm super stoked but sad I couldn't stick around for the podium picture.
I gotta say, running on trail is hard but awesome. Those 4 and a half hours felt faster than running 2 hours on the road. You're always looking at the trail, jumping from side to side, avoiding obstacles and its impossible to zone out. LOVE IT!
50 miler next? Maybe. The dude that won it did it in 5:30ish for a 6:50ish min/mile pace. Ridiculous!
Arrived early to the race and the weather was a little chilly (mid to high 40s) but perfect for a day of running. It was cool to huddle around the fires and meet the other racers though. Dean Karnazes gave a short speech and off we went.
The first 10 miles are the most technical part of the course with lots of ups and downs and rocky terrain. Compared to other courses this one is fairly easy but its perfect for folks like me who are just starting out. This is the part that can undo your race as you're feeling good and pushing the hills and sprinting the downhills. I was with a friend and he was cranking it up the climbs so I jogged them and would catch up on the flats. I ran the downhills and not having any hills to train at in Chicago, this would come back to bite me later on.
At mile 12 or so we hooked up with a chatty group going at a good pace and decided to pace off of them. At mile 15 my quads started to hurt and I knew right away that the downhills were to blame. It hurt, but not enough to slow me down. I just hoped it wouldn't get too bad and I could keep running till the end.
From mile 12-20ish it's fairly flat but super pretty running in wide open prairie. The sun was out but it was nice and cool so it wasn't too bad. At mile 20 another technical section with climbs and downhills starts again and from mile 22-26ish its loose sand. This is the worst!!!! You had to run on the side of the trail where it was slanted to avoid the sand which was super hard to run in and almost unavoidable. I hate sand now, I can't stand it. I don't want to see a beach for a while. FU SAND!
The last 4 miles where really painful, especially mile 28 where there's a very long downhill section where my quads where screaming. I was power walking down but I was still keeping good pace and not slowing down too much. Once I hit the last 2 miles it was next to the road, all flat, and I was in my element going at a nice pace but ready to finish.
I crossed the finish in 4:34. First in my 35-39 age group and 14 overall. Not bad for my first ever ultra and trail race. I'm super stoked but sad I couldn't stick around for the podium picture.
I gotta say, running on trail is hard but awesome. Those 4 and a half hours felt faster than running 2 hours on the road. You're always looking at the trail, jumping from side to side, avoiding obstacles and its impossible to zone out. LOVE IT!
50 miler next? Maybe. The dude that won it did it in 5:30ish for a 6:50ish min/mile pace. Ridiculous!