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

Chicago 50K Recap - Fall

Shortly after 5:30 on Saturday morning, I headed from home to the south side of Chicago, along the lakefront, for my second Chicago 50K of the year. Jenelle, Mom, & Dad all joined me, which was a wonderful gift. Traffic was light, so we got to the start very early, and I had more than enough time for the usual pre-race routine (bathroom 30 minutes before start, Clif Bar 20 minutes before start, various stretching / walking / light jogging to get the blood flowing). My friend, Jerry, was also in the race. We started from the 63rd St. beach house and headed north at about 8:30 a.m.

The weather was a bit cold but not too bad for running. The wind was off the lake and also a bit from the north, so the "out" portion of each of the three laps felt a bit tougher than the "back" portion.

I ran a very conservative 50K in the spring, and I ended up running the last mile faster than any other. This time, I decided to run a more aggressive pace and try to keep it steady for all 31+ miles. For the first lap, I was out in 46:25 and back in 46:26 for a total of 1:32:51 (8:58 pace). This was well ahead of the spring's easy-paced first lap, which was about 1:37 (9:22 pace).

I didn't need to worry too much about hydration and fueling for the first lap because of the chilly temperatures. I had bags with Accelerade, sport beans, and GU energy gel in two places. I kept one at the start/finish drop bag area, and my family, who were about 3.7 miles to the north, kept the second. The strategy worked very well, as there was always food and drink nearby to keep me energized.

I took my first gel shortly after completing the first lap, and finished off a pack of sport beans about a half hour later. I was showing signs of fatigue, but cheers and support from Jenelle and my parents kept me going. I reached the turnaround point in 46:39 (9:00 pace). I had more gel and jelly beans on the return trip, along with plenty of Accelerade. I tried to conserve a bit of energy for the final lap, so the return took 49:05 (9:29 pace). I was still on track to beat my spring time, so I ventured north to complete the course one more time and hopefully set a PR.

I wouldn't say that I crashed or bonked in the third lap, but for whatever reason, I couldn't go as fast as I had for the first 20 miles. My mile splits jumped into 9:30-10:00 range. I tried to keep on fueling and drinking. My heart rate was still okay (150s), but the early speed was no longer present. Perhaps I was getting a little dehydrated. In any case, I pressed on, completing the third "out" split in 50:55 (9:50 pace). One surprise on the out lap was seeing my mom walking back south on the trail. I waved and smiled and told her that I'd see her soon at the finish.

After making the turnaround and seeing Jenelle and Dad one last time, it was up to me to keep it together to set a PR. My marathon split was about 4:02:30. I tried to limit my walking breaks in the final four miles, logically reasoning that I could walk all I wanted after the race was over. :) As I approached the beach house, all I knew for sure is that it was going to be close. I made the final turn and crossed the line in 4:49:44 in 32nd place (results are not official yet). After a lot of work, I took about seven seconds off my PR. Heh.

Jerry finished in 4:29:36. He also had trouble in his final lap. However, we were both in good spirits as we chatted after the race.
I had the choice of a green, orange, or blue finisher's medal. I went with orange because I already had a green one from the spring, and it seemed more "fall"-ish than blue. The race shirt is a nice color purple (reminds me of Northwestern), but the script-style lettering makes it perhaps the girliest shirt in my runner's closet. Still, it was a great day, everything was well organized, and all of the volunteers were very helpful and supportive.

Recovery is going well so far. Besides the usual soreness and one blister, there's no real issues. With luck, I'll be in the perfect shape to run San Antonio in two weeks.

Race Stats and Trivia:

Leg	Lap 1	Lap 2	Lap 3
Start to Promontory Point (1.21 miles)	10:53	11:19	12:39
Promontory Point to 39th St. Aid Station (2.48 miles)	22:15	22:12	23:47
39th St. Aid Station to Turnaround (1.49 miles)	13:17	13:08	14:29
Entire Out Leg (5.18 miles)	46:25	46:39	50:55
Turnaround to 39th St. Aid Station (1.49 miles)	13:15	13:53	14:24
39th St. Aid Station to Promontory Point (2.48 miles)	22:10	23:39	24:09
Promontory Point to Finish (1.21 miles)	11:01	11:33	11:41
Entire Return Leg (5.18 miles)	46:26	49:05	50:14
Total Lap (10.36 miles)	1:32:51	1:35:44	1:41:09
Overall Times		3:08:35	4:49:44

• Average Pace: 9:19/mile
• Photos on Shutterfly

Chicago 50K Recap

Saturday, April 5, 2008 was a perfect day to run my first ultramarathon -- the Chicago Lakefront 50K. After spending the night in Evanston, my wife, Jenelle, and I arrived at the race site around 7:15 a.m., which gave me plenty of time to pick up my number and the usual pre-race routine. Joining me at the start was my friend, Mark, who also ran his first ultra. In fact, he had never done a marathon before, though he had done some training runs above 20 miles.

Just after 8:30, the director shouted, "Start the race! Let's go, let's go!" The course was about 5.2 miles long -- we would run three out-and-back loops to give us a total of 50 kilometers (31.07 miles). My goal was to finish in five hours or less, which is about 9:39 pace.

LAP ONE
For the first 10 miles, all I wanted to do was keep things steady, but slow. I managed to do that, keeping my mile splits, for the most part, between 9:10 and 9:30. My heart rate stayed in the 140s, so I was optimistic that I could hold this pace for the entire race.

The course had three aid stations -- one at the start, one at the south turnaround point, and one in the middle. Just past the middle aid station was where Jenelle camped out for the entire race. I gave her a bag of goodies (mostly Accelerade, sport beans and GU energy gel) that I could sample every time I went by. This strategy worked very well, as I didn't have my pockets weighed down with fuel. The first time I saw her, I took the opportunity to remove my jacket and winter hat. I donned a mesh cap for the rest of the race.

The first lap was also the "get to know the course" lap -- the turns were clearly marked, so I didn't have any trouble. Near the south end of the loop, we run for about 1.5 miles on a paved bike path. With the weather being unseasonably warm (though not too hot for running), lots of bicycles, strollers, roller blades, and other folks were out to enjoy it. There were about 180 participants in the 50K, but I ran alongside plenty of people who were just out for a run.

I returned to the start line in about 1:37, and I was well on my way to a sub-5:00 finish.

LAP TWO
For lap two, I focused on fuel and hyrdation. I tried to consume a gel or a pack of sport beans about every two miles, knowing that I would need all the strength I could muster for the final lap. I consumed a gulp or two of Accelerade every mile so that I didn't cramp up. I always took the GU gels with water, usually at an aid station.

By the time I reached the turnaround point (which is also the halfway point of the race), I still felt pretty good, but I could tell that Mark was starting to tire. We split up as we headed back to the start, but we were happy that we stayed together for half the race. Whenever the course winded around, I waved to him. Even though he was half a mile behind me, he still looked pretty good.

During this lap, my mile splits were all over the place. My running speed was slightly faster, but I took some extra time to walk at various points, so the overall pace remained about the same.

I reached the start for the second time at about 3:15. I made a quick pit stop at one of the portable restrooms nearby, and I was off for my third lap.

LAP THREE
About four minutes into the final lap, I saw the course leader making his way to the finish. He ended up crossing the line in an amazing 3:21:11. Wow. Shortly after I saw him, I saw Mark, nearly finished with his second lap. He was still in good spirits, and I wished him all the best on his third lap. I knew it would be a struggle for him, but I was confident in his ability to persevere.

After I passed the middle aid station (about mile 23), I picked up the pace a bit. My heart rate drifted into the 150s, but I wasn't too concerned. I still felt great at the final turnaround, but I wasn't sure what the return trip would be like. About a mile north of the turnaround, I saw Mark one more time. With about six miles to go, he was still moving along! I gave him some more encouragement, knowing that at this point, he could walk to a successful finish if he needed to.

As I continued north, I was firmly entrenched in the "ultra zone" for the first time, and I was a bit nervous about what it would bring. My Garmin Forerunner 305 continued its emotionless way of keeping the distance. It had no trouble counting past 26.2. Lucky for me, my early race strategy worked, and the ultra monsters had no teeth. My legs felt great as I zoomed past runners in the last few miles. Mile 31 was my fastest (about 8:29), and I cruised home in 4:49:51 with Jenelle cheering me on.

Mark finished about 50 minutes later, with a time of 5:40:10. Considering that he's never run anywhere close to 50K before, I think this is a really impressive finish. Congrats, buddy!

Race Stats and Trivia:

Miles 1-5	9:22	9:23	9:27	8:59	9:11
Miles 6-10	9:15	9:22	9:26	9:57	9:15
Miles 11-15	9:32	9:13	10:11	9:12	9:10
Miles 16-20	10:01	8:53	9:04	9:42	9:02
Miles 21-25	10:20	9:02	9:01	9:47	8:42
Miles 26-30	8:59	9:42	8:56	9:04	9:41
Miles 31-end	8:29	0:35

• Average Pace: 9:20/mile
• I didn't measure my first and second half times, but I think my split was about even.
• Fastest Mile: #31 (8:29) Slowest Mile: #21 (10:20)
• My Forerunner measured the course at 31.4 miles, so I adjusted my mile splits a bit.
• Race Photos on Shutterfly
• Marathon runners: Take it easy, and you too can run a 50K!