USATF National 50k Champs- Bootlegger

11/9/13

After the Headlands 50k, I was pretty jazzed about ultra running and excited to be jumping in. I soon after signed up for the Bootlegger 50k.  My attraction to this particular race was because it had less elevation, was in a desert canyon outside of Vegas, and was the USATF National Championship race for 50k.  Pretty great incentives, right? I pitched the idea to my roommates to see if anyone was down to road trip to Vegas and split gas money, two of my friends even signed up for the 25k.

Training for this race was a little less than ideal. After headlands, I had huge notions of training even harder and longer and doing more.  I guess I didn't really take into consideration how time consuming school would be.  After all, I was literally just studying to get my A's in 18 units of hard science, sleeping a decent amount, spending some time with friends (not much), and getting in some runs.  I thought I'd be running so much more, but I only really had time to average 50 miles a week.  There were some weeks I had a stellar workout or tempo, a great long run (22-23 miles was my max unfortunately), or I got some more mileage.  One such example was when I went up North back to the bay. I ran with the SFRC crew and added on to get 23 hard trail miles on Saturday and then double with a hard, but somewhat conserved NWM 1/2 marathon effort on Sunday.  However, there  were also the not so stellar times that comes with training, no matter what level you are on.  There were the weeks I only got 40 miles, was very tired on a lot of runs, didn't get a quality workout, or just plain didn't have the time to run because of studying and class. Another example was about three-four weeks ago. I was very very sick for a couple days and felt awful on the (probably) 9 miles I got out of that week.  Nonetheless, I did what I could and tried my best. I now know how to manage my time better and commit for the next one.

Ian Torrence counting down

Pre race chit chat!

On Friday the 8th, we all packed into my car and drove the 7 hours to Henderson.  I ate the dinner I had pre made and pretty much went straight to sleep.  I woke up at 5:15 to get ready and check out of our hotel.  We arrived at the start at 6:15 and got my bib. I was just relieved to get to the start after stressing about traveling and worrying about the logistics.  It was fabulous to see Alex Varner and Dylan Bowman at the start and I got to chat it up with several others.  When the race finally started, everybody started very fast, but I kept with my pace and bided my time.  I didn't need to run 6:30s at the beginning of a hot, desert 50k.  I was in 7th place through the first climb, which was pretty challenging, but very cool.  The red rocks were incredible, 

and climbing up to a ridge just after the sunrise was amazing.  I passed the 4 mile, first aid station and had a pretty good clip going. After that aid station, the course meandered through the desert for a couple miles.  There were a couple steep pitches, but it was pretty manageable and even fun.  It was very rocky and technical though.  That part was a bit unexpected and added a lot of difficulty to the course.  After the second aid station it started to get pretty hot out.  We were running back and forth on these really sharp-turned canyons up and down.  The out and back to the last aid station on the loop felt decent at that point, but I was starting to feel tired and dehydrated. I hadn't gone to the bathroom at all that first loop which seemed concerning since I filled up my 18oz bottle twice and had two cups of water or heed.  When I was two miles out, I could see the cars lined up next to the start in the distance and that was such a relief. Just the thought of being halfway done and seeing Taylor and Ashley was pulling me onwards.

Taylor, my fabulous crew!

Off on the next lap!

I ran through the start line, Taylor squirted her water into mine (I was halfway done and it had only been two miles since the last one). She smeared Aquaphor on my face and everybody cheered me onto the second lap. I had passed one woman and moved into sixth place at that point.  A highlight was having Hal Koerner cheer me on! I settled into pace next to a man named Andy, who I found out is from Marin as well! It was great talking to him for a mile, but I felt good and pulled ahead.  The first climb the second time around was pretty brutal. It was so so so hot and there were tons of tourists watching me suffer.  At one point I pulled down my pants to pee, pretty sure 20 people saw my ass, and noticed that the little that came out was dark brown. (shit). Sorry if thats TMI, but this is my account of what happened during the race, and that includes all the nitty gritty gross details.  Once over the climb and down in the back area, where I before felt fast and strong, I felt flat and tired and dead.  I only saw one man in that stretch and I passed him at the mile 19 first aid station.  Heading towards the second aid station was probably the worst part of the race.  I had to climb and meander through canyons and sketchy turnoffs.  It was hot, I was dehydrated, out of water, and just wanted to be done. I knew I wouldn't have the time I had hoped for as the course was a lot harder than expected, but I just kept telling myself to be "ultra tough" and finish and set an age group CR and have two ultra finishes under my belt.  Also, quitting was not an option for me, so just finishing as fast as I could muster was my only goal for moving forward.  However, finding that second aid station was exasperating.  I kept thinking it would be around the next turn and when it wouldn't, I felt like crying (but I didn't; because I was trying to be "ultra tough"). When I finally got to them, I had passed another man and was so thankful to finally see people.

Desert Sunrise!

I started towards the last aid station much happier and had a better pep in my very slow step.  I finally got to the third and my legs and feet were sooo exhausted and beat up from all the sharp rocks.  The volunteers were all very excited to see me and were incredulous that I was 19 years old.  They also told me they thought I was in third place because some women dropped out. This was the caffeine boost I needed and I eagerly grabbed my water bottle and booked it out of there. I only had 2.5 miles left and was ready to be done. Also the prospect of getting third place and making my first podium at A. a race. B. an ultra race. and C. a national championship ultra race.  It felt fast compared to my previous miles but I was still pretty beat and tired on those last 2.5 miles. I pushed forward though and gave it everything I had.  I passed one more man that was not having a good day and about 1/4 mile away I stepped on a rock and felt like I split my foot open.  When I got onto that downhill homestretch… no emotion could describe how excited and happy I was. Everybody was cheering and my friends were lining the way screaming. I dropped my water bottle and flew.  I was high on emotion and finishing that I powered over the line.  I sat down and was immediately surrounded by DBo, Alex and my friends, which I couldn't be more content to be surrounded by.  I ended up getting 5th place and a very cool medal to show for it! I don't think they did age group awards, or they did it later but we had already left since it was getting pretty late to be hanging around the finish.  However, I am now the youngest finisher ever for that race and hold an AG CR for the course.  I set a new PR by only a minute, but hey, it's a PR in unexpectedly tough conditions.  I was told that it was over 100 degrees at various places along the course, which is just unfathomable.

Clearly giving everything I've got towards that finish

As far as nutrition goes, I think I had a pretty good handle on it. I never experienced any cramps or feeling sick. I had a tropical punch shot block every half hour and a salt cap every hour for the first four hours, then I took one every half hour after that.  I took heed at the aid stations and coke the last lap.  Right before the second lap I took a double espresso shot GU, too. I filled my water bottle every station except the very, very first one.  I would like to blame my "bonking" (was it even a bonk?) or just my tiredness and slowness on the middle part of the second lap on lack of hard training and dehydration, which I couldn't have really helped.  I felt like maybe I could've eaten more and I would've had more fuel, but I don't think that was the solution, especially because I felt like I was eating a lot.  However, it was only 46 calories per hour and 16g of carbs.  I will have to learn to either eat more or figure our my exact caloric needs.

"That area over there was hell"

In terms of the competition, it was definitely faster and tougher than Headlands, as it was the national championships. However, there were several females who took it out fast and raced each other way ahead of me.  I saw that one woman that I passed on the first loop maybe twice in a three mile span.  In that sense, I felt like I was only competing against the clock and the elements.  I barely saw anybody out there; it was a very lonely race.  One reason for getting to the next level is that I'd have more competition and can challenge myself in that sense. At Headlands I was constantly leapfrogging with women and chasing them down.  I felt like Bootlegger was almost like a well supported very long run that had others than a competitive race.  

Glad to be done!

After this, I am looking forward to putting my feet up and resting for a week and taking it easy before gearing up for the next one! I just want to say Thank you to EVERYBODY who supported me in this and my endeavors: My family and zealously caring friends, Ian Torrance & USATF for putting on a fabulous race with great volunteers and definitive course markings, SFRC and Red Rock Running Co, and everybody else cheering me on- you all inspire me to push further and explore the physical, mental, emotional, and geographic limits.

5th Place medal!

Photo creds: Ashley Fisher