Fall 50 Recap

Check out some race photos while you read!

Getting There
I took a vacation day on Friday, October 22. David, the relay team captain, arrived at my house in the morning. At about noon, the two of us and my wife, Jenelle, left for Door County. It was a good day for traveling. We arrived at our hotel (the Bridgeport Waterfront Resort) a bit before 4 p.m. My parents also arrived at about that time. My brother, Andrew, who drove in from Minnesota, arrived about an hour later.

Packet Pick-Up and Pre-Race Meal
The six of us piled into two cars and went to the Ladder House, a bar/restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, to pick up our race packets. Everything was very well-organized. I got my solo runner bag, and David got everything for the relay team, the rest of which would be joining him in the morning.

Knowing that our hotel room had a fully-equipped kitchen, Jenelle and I brought pasta and some other items with us for a carbo-loading dinner. To make sure that all six of us would have plenty to eat, we stopped at a nearby supermarket and picked up some bread, drinks, and some other snacks. Jenelle and Andrew did a great job preparing everything back at the hotel. I had my fill of pasta and bread, and I knew my glycogen stores were fully loaded for the big race.

Race Morning
I was up around 4:30 on Saturday morning. I quickly got dressed and ventured outside for a short warm-up. The weather was cool, perhaps a bit cooler than ideal, but still very nice for running. I wanted to be sure that I could stay warm and show off my Team Compassion running shirt, so I wore a tight-fitting black long-sleeve shirt underneath. Yay for layers.

Around 5:15, I gathered with Andrew and my parents, and we all made our way to the start in Gills Rock, which was about an hour away by car. My parents served as the main support staff during the race, so I loaded up the car with plenty of Accel Gel, Sport Beans, and Accelerade that they could give me at a moment's notice.

We arrived at the start with plenty of time to spare. I made my usual pre-race pit stop and downed a Clif Bar around 6:30. As the sun came up, the weather got a little warmer. I handed off my warm-up jacket to my parents, but I kept my purple winter Northwestern hat and a pair of knit gloves. The race started right on time at 7 a.m., and I joined about 100 other runners on the long journey south to the finish.

Leg 1: Gills Rock to Ellison Bay
The course took us off the main highway and down some well-paved side roads. Trees surrounded the path, and it made for a pretty start. It didn't take me long to get warmed up and eased into my planned race pace -- 10 minutes a mile for the first 10 miles. At first, a lot of the runners passed me, but when we approached the first hill, quite a few runners immediately slowed to a walk. This is a pretty smart energy-saving measure, and I was amazed by how many people resisted the adrenaline of race day this early in the race. While my pace slowed a bit, I continued running up the hill and moved up several spots. Of course, it doesn't really matter who is ahead at this point. :)

As the first leg continued, I handed off my hat and gloves to my parents, exchanging them for the black cap I bought at the San Antonio Marathon two years ago. I picked up a bottle of Accelerade and sipped it every so often along the course. With the cool temperatures, there was little risk of becoming dehydrated, but I still drank plenty. More on that later.

Leg 2: Ellison Bay to Sister Bay
At the first exchange point, I gulped down my first Accel Gel with a cup of water. I ended up doing this at every exchange point, which means that yes, I consumed NINE gels throughout the day. There was a significant hill after the first exchange point, but it didn't slow me down too much. We were now back on the main highway. None of the streets were closed to traffic, so plenty of cars zoomed by, but there was plenty of room to run safely.

Mile six was a tiny bit slower because of the Accel Gel break, but I moved along well in the next four miles, which were all between 9:30 and 9:45 each. I was chatting with other runners and feeling comfortable, but I kept a close eye on the heart rate indicator on my GPS to ensure I wasn't going too fast. There was another big hill just before the second exchange point. Once again, I slowed my pace but kept on running.

Relay Team: At about 8:20 a.m., Jenelle and David met up with the rest of the relay team, who would be starting at 10:00. The relay team consisted of David, Scott, Michelle, Maria, and Anna. After a photo, the relay team ventured north to the start in Michelle's SUV, and Jenelle headed north in the Prius to find me on the course.

Leg 3: Sister Bay to Peninsula Park Golf Entrance
The second exchange point was just past the 11-mile mark. This is where I made my first mid-race pit stop. Leg #3 contained the steepest hill on the course, known as Little Sister Hill. It's only fitting that my planned race pace had me slowing to 11-minute miles from now until the end. Rather than simply reducing my running speed, I endeavored to take more frequent walk breaks, doing so for at least thirty seconds of every mile.

Somewhere around mile 12 or 13, I saw the entire relay team for the first time. I knew about when to expect them thanks to the cell phone I carried with me. They pulled over so that I had the chance to meet and say hello to everyone. I had never met three of the five team members face-to-face until this point. They cheered me on and gave me some much-needed encouragement before continuing their ride to the start.

Shortly after that, I saw Jenelle for the first time since early that morning. She was all smiles and full of enthusiasm. At this point, Andrew joined Jenelle in the Prius while my parents continued to navigate the course in their car. I felt pretty special having TWO support vehicles during my run.

As I approached the third exchange point at the golf course entrance to Peninsula park, Jenelle was holding a sign that stated, "My husband can run farther than yours can!" My brother had a sign that showed "Ben's Mileage Chart" and tally marks for each mile I completed. The count was now at 16. Shortly after that, I picked up some more sport beans and gel from my mom, and I was well-stocked for the fourth leg.

Leg 4: Peninsula Park -- Golf Entrance to South Entrance
This leg was the longest (7.4 miles) and the prettiest of the course. It went right along the Green Bay shoreline. The only drawback was that support vehicles were not allowed, so I had to draw strength from within to keep on moving. There were a few other runners in sight, so I chatted with some of them when I had the opportunity.

At this point, it became pretty clear that I was drinking more than necessary. This wasn't a big deal except that I had to make a few more pit stops than originally planned. This became even more apparent later in the race when it started raining, and I was stopping at a portable restroom at every exchange point.

The hills continued during this leg, but I was doing a great job of staying on pace. I was steadily building an advantage. At mile 20, I was about five minutes ahead of my goal pace. The best part was that I still felt great, and my legs were not getting sore at all.

By the end of this leg, I was eager to see my family. They were very supportive the entire race, and I missed their presence during this leg. My brother had his pocket HD camera, and he managed to get over fifty minutes of video from the race. My dad also got plenty of video, and Jenelle took pictures. Mom was always ready with a bag full of goodies, and she did a great job of anticipating what I would be needing further along the course. A big thanks to everyone for their on-course support!

Besides my family, there were a lot of people at the fourth exchange point, which was just prior to mile 24. The cheers raised the excitement level and pumped me up for the next leg of the course.

Leg 5: Peninsula Park South Entrance to Juddville
The course was back on the main highway (42) for the start of leg five. It was after 11 a.m., and there were plenty of cars on the road in the Fish Creek area. I was never worried about getting hit, but I was a bit concerned about following the right roads and staying on course. I knew that the course left the highway At one point, I approached an intersection and didn't know whether to go straight or turn left. I shouted "Does anybody know which way the runners go?" A bystander said, "I think straight." I appreciated his help, but the lack of confidence in his voice was apparent. However, I soon saw the official course markings straight ahead, so I thanked him and continued on my way.

Here comes the rain. A light drizzle began to fall. While I could still run comfortably, I had a feeling that the rain would get worse before it got better. The other thing I noticed was that my cell phone, which had intermittent reception up to this point, had turned itself off and would not turn back on. Weird.

I reached a set of quick uphill turns called "Hairpin Hill". I slowed down as I approached another runner shuffling up the hill. I asked him, "Is this the last big hill?" He responded, "There's one more near the Egg Harbor Dock, but that's it." I didn't realize it at the time, but I think that runner was Sean Ryan, the race director who also happened to be participating as a solo runner.

My pace remained steady in the rain as I reached the Juddville aid station at mile 29. I had run a marathon plus a few miles, and I was still feeling great. Despite the rain, my spirits were high.

Leg 6: Juddville to Egg Harbor Boat Dock
As with the previous leg, the aid station was on highway 42, and then we left the highway and followed a less-traveled road along the western coast of Door County. The rain continued to fall, and it was nearing the point where I would soon be soaked to the skin.

My pacing strategy continued to work successfully. With the exception of the miles during which I stopped at an aid station to use the restroom, all of my splits were below eleven minutes. I kept on eating sport beans and energy gels. While I certainly wasn't as fresh as at the start, I was confident that I could keep going. At mile 31, I was over ten minutes ahead of my goal pace.

At the end of this leg, I picked up more goodies from my parents, and I got my rain jacket from Jenelle. I also handed Jenelle my no-longer-working cell phone in the hopes that she could use the car charger in the Prius to bring it back to life.

Leg 7: Egg Harbor Boat Dock to Murphy Park
I walked up the final hill, which was just past the Egg Harbor boat dock, and for just a moment, celebrated two accomplishments. First, all the serious hills were now behind me. Second, I had completed about 33 miles, a distance I had never run before in a single shot.

As I continued south on Horseshoe Bay Road, reality set in. The rain poured steadily, and I could see big drops falling off the brim of my racing cap. I didn't feel cold thanks to my running jacket, but I still felt wet. While I had seen other solo runners here and there, the course was now quite lonely, except when a relay team member would zoom past me. While I was still pacing well, it seemed like forever between each mile marker. Thirty-four... thirty-five... thirty-six... would this ever end? I could tell that I was fatigued. I had been steadily increasing my advantage over my goal pace, but now I was just trying to maintain that advantage.

I was thrilled to reach mile 37 and the Murphy Park exchange point. I walked a bit more than usual as I gulped down another energy gel. The presence of volunteers and spectators gave me a little pick me up. I also got my cell phone back from Jenelle. It was up and running, so I could freely communicate with support teams and friends and family back home.

Leg 8: Murphy Park to Chateau Hutter
I was a half marathon away from the finish, but the overwhelming sentiment remained, "Am I there yet?" It was still raining. My parents continued to stop frequently in case I needed anything. Looking back, I was thankful for all their efforts, but at this particular point in time, it seemed like they were stopping too much. "You need anything?" "Nah, I'm good." Lather, rinse, repeat.

At mile 40, the sparks of optimism finally developed into flame, thanks to an unexpected gesture from my brother. Andrew got out of the Prius and approached me. As I slowed to a walk to find out what he wanted, he declared that he was going to run with me for a while. Wow. I don't remember our exact conversation, but I asked if he was prepared to run and if he had done any "carbo loading" recently. His response was that he just had several handfuls of potato chips (BBQ Krunchers to be exact). This is going to be interesting. :)

I attempted to run at my usual pace of 10-11 minutes a mile. He stayed right alongside me. We chatted a bit, as this pace is more than comfortable enough for me to engage in conversation. I don't recall him being out of breath. After half a mile or so, the Prius pulled up again. We stopped for a moment so that Jenelle could get a picture. I thanked up for livening up the last part of the race, and I continued my run.

Andrew didn't seem tired after he was done. I spoke with him later, and he said that he was developing a side stitch, and he probably would have been forced to walk if he had gone another half mile. I think he was impressed with the fact that I was still moving well after over seven hours of running.

At the end of this leg, there were less than eight miles to go!

Leg 9: Chateau Hutter to Old Stone Quarry Park
The shortest leg of the course! With the doldrums of the thirty-something mile marks behind me, I was now excited and confident that I could finish the race. My pace was slowing ever so slightly, but I was able to maintain the ten-minute advantage on my goal pace, and I was convinced that I could break the 8:50 barrier.

There were now plenty of other people on the course. Relay team members were passing me regularly, but I was passing a few tired solo runners. I encouraged everyone to keep moving, and I got plenty of uplifting words in return.

Moving right along!

Leg 10: Old Stone Quarry Park to Sunset Park (Finish)
The final leg of the race was exciting for so many reasons. I was tired, but to be honest, there's some marathons where I've felt much worse than I did during the last leg of this race. The rain was finally clearing up. I was thrilled about this, as I wanted to cross the line comfortably with my Team Compassion shirt in view.

With two miles to go, I handed off my accelerade bottle, my jacket, and my cell phone to my parents, dropping all unnecessary baggage for the home stretch. After a quick pit stop, I was full of enthusiasm.

With a mile to go, I was about 11 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of goal pace. A finish under nine hours was just about guaranteed, and I was pretty sure I could break 8:50.

Zoom! I ran the final mile at a faster pace than any other that day. I was passing solo runners and even a few relay runners as well! All of the runners were wearing race numbers on both the front and back, so one could easily determine the identities of other participants.

I approached one solo runner, and running alongside her were several friends or family members who had joined her for the last part of the race. She was moving along well, but I was feeling much better at this point. As I was about to pass, I said, "Great job! Great job! You're almost there!" One of her friends responded, "Yeah, it's amazing what she's done." I realized that my pace and words of encouragement had given them the impression that I was a relay runner. As I waved and passed by the group, the same friend gasped when she realized I was a solo runner. She shouted, "You too! You're doing awesome!" I smiled and continued my semi-sprint to the finish.

I was flying to the end. But as my GPS was nearing the point that would indicate the finish, the line was nowhere in sight. Huh? The road led us into Sunset Park, but having run at least a mile since the 49-mile mark, I still couldn't see the finish. I continued on and finally saw the finish in the distance. As it turns out, the final mile measured about 1.35 miles on my GPS. Now, my Garmin can be off at times, but given my pace during the final mile and the time elapsed, I know that it wasn't off by much.

I was a bit perturbed that the final mile was not measured correctly, but an extra third of a mile was not enough to take away the joy and excitement of running FIFTY MILES. I raised my arms in victory and smiled with delight as I crossed the line in 8 hours, 49 minutes, and 14 seconds. I was thrilled that I broke the 8:50 barrier despite the added distance at the end. By my estimation, the last mile should have taken me about 8:45, but it took me 11:50 to complete. Oh, well! Time to celebrate!

Post-Race Fun
I received my race medal, which is the first medal I've received with a chain instead of a ribbon. It looks like bling! An extra bonus is that it glows in the dark.

Andrew passed me the "Ben's Mileage Chart" sign and gave me the honor of tallying the final mile. I did so and signed my name to the bottom. I got a picture of Jenelle holding the sign next to me while I showed off the medal.

As I was waiting around for word on the progress of the relay team, I suddenly got quite cold. Andrew was nice enough to loan me his jacket so that I could keep warm. I ventured into the post-race party tent for a plate of pizza. Solid food -- yum! I soon received word that Scott had started the final leg of the relay team's effort, so we prepared to meet him and cross the line as a team.

The Relay Team Finish and more Post-Race Fun
David and the other team members (besides Scott) joined me in the post-race gathering area. We waited about 100 yards or so in front of the finish line. We soon spotted Scott, and all six of us ran together to the finish. As it turns out, Scott was way too fast for the rest of us, especially me, and zoomed ahead. However, David and I were all smiles as we crossed the line. It was official -- Team RunningHungry had completed the challenge of the Fall 50!

Most of the team joined my family and me in the post-race area for more pizza. I ate and ate and ate. It was wonderful. We chatted about the race. Each person, whether runner or spectator, had a slightly different view of it, so it was exciting to hear from everyone. I was totally stuffed with pizza, breadsticks, and chocolate cake by the time we got back to the hotel. What a day! I had no trouble at all getting to sleep that night.

Heading Home
After a light breakfast, we all packed up and headed home. Andrew left for Minnesota, but before leaving, he gathered up all the photos and video we collected from the race on his laptop. He's going to put a video together for me as a Christmas present. I'm thrilled that he is doing that for me, as that's better than any gift I could ask for. Besides, I still have to work on a video from the Sunburst Marathon that I ran in June!

David, Jenelle and I were on the road shortly after Andrew and my parents left. We got back to Kenosha in plenty of time for David to be able to comfortably drive back to Ohio without it being too late.

Final Thoughts
It's really tough to describe the feeling of accomplishment after running for nearly nine hours straight. Perhaps I'll do it again someday, but for now, I am just taking it easy. I'd like to say thank you again to everyone has supported me in this endeavor, especially those who pledged to support Compassion International via the Running Hungry site. As I write this, the total amount raised is over $2,200.

Race Stats
Here's the mile splits, separated into 5-mile legs. Keep in mind that the legs listed here do not correspond exactly to the legs mentioned above, as the exchange points were anywhere from 3.0 to 7.5 miles apart.

Leg 1 -- 49:45 -- 10:07, 10:01, 9:48, 9:54, 9:55
Leg 2 -- 48:45 -- 10:22, 9:32, 9:32, 9:38, 9:41
Leg 3 -- 52:38 -- 10:18, 11:04, 10:27, 10:26, 10:23
Leg 4 -- 53:28 -- 10:33, 11:29, 10:12, 10:40, 10:34
Leg 5 -- 53:07 -- 10:38, 10:22, 10:32, 11:23, 10:12
Leg 6 -- 52:50 -- 10:09, 10:37, 10:58, 10:54, 10:12
Leg 7 -- 54:11 -- 10:09, 10:55, 11:50, 10:32, 10:45
Leg 8 -- 54:40 -- 10:54, 11:46, 10:52, 10:39, 10:29
Leg 9 -- 55:33 -- 10:37, 11:32, 11:40, 10:58, 10:46
Leg 10 -- 54:17 -- 10:59, 10:55, 9:58, 10:35, 11:50*
Total -- 8:49:14
*Final mile measured approximately 1.3 miles on my GPS