Dunes 50K Race Recap- Part 1
Because this recap was so long, I decided to split it into two parts. Part 1 is the general story of my race, and Part 2 will be the nitty gritty about my gear, fueling, and more details about the race and course. According to the website, the Dunes 50k is “Not just a race, it’s an epic adventure. Experience scenic overlooks, creek crossings and rolling sand dunes, where you will encounter the, “Dunes of Heaven and Hell “. 11,000 acres, 16 natural communities, including sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps turning your race into a complete natural adventure. Most of the course is run on beautiful single track trails winding throughout this wild and scenic park”. The race started at 7:00 am, and I got there at 5:45 to get my race packet. I had over an hour to wait, use the bathroom, apply lube, do my calf mobility exercises, use the bathroom again, and organize my gear. I put some stuff in my drop bag, which I would see at mile 13. Finally it was time to line up at the start, and I can tell you that I had a Moment. You guys- I made it to the starting line. I didn’t get sick or injured. I said all along that if I made it to the starting line, I could get myself to the finish, and here I was. I stayed toward the back, because I knew I would be running a conservative pace, and I also knew that some of the trail at the beginning was single track. I didn’t want to start too far forward and be pushed to run too fast, or have to continually step off the trail to let people pass. We started off, and a group of runners took off ahead of me. Fine! Let them go. I did have to step off to let a few people pass, but overall I felt like I started in the right place. The beginning of the race was relatively cool (upper 60s) with the sun just coming up. The first four miles were on dirt trails, but I was surprised at how technical some of it was. There were places with deep ruts, and as one runner passed me he said something about hogs. At first I thought he said I was hogging the trail, but then I realized he said “The hogs really tore up this trail.” Yes, there are wild hogs down here and they can do a number on the trails. It made this section harder than I thought. Somewhere in the first six miles I twisted my ankle- you know how you twist it and feel a jolt of pain, but are able to keep running? But you know it will hurt later? That kind of twist. I made mental note that I would have to BE CAREFUL on the way back, because we would be retracing this section near the end of the race. The first aid station was at mile 4, and I was feeling great. I got new ice in my water bottle, but I really didn’t need anything else. The next aid station came up quickly at 6.2 miles, and I was still feeling really fresh. Then we started the “Dunes of Heaven.” I was scared of the dunes. I had done a lot of training on sandy trails, but not dunes. I figured I would manage it when I got there, possibly walking up the hills and running down. Photos never, ever show how steep hills are for some reason, but I tried to capture it: For whatever reason, I was still feeling really good at this point. I found that it was actually easier and more efficient to run up the dunes with short, choppy steps, than to walk. The next aid station was at 10 miles, and the aid station volunteers asked us what we wanted. One guy said “A new pair of legs,” and I realized that I, on the other hand, still felt really fresh. It was starting to get hot, and one thing they had at every aid station was a bucket of ice water and huge sponges which they would wring out over your head. Yes, please! They also filled my water bottle, put ice in the pockets of my ice hat, and gave me ice for my sports bra. I ran out of there feeling good. The next three miles still felt good, and a surprising thing happened- I started passing people! I was still running most of the dunes, and there were people struggling. But I was enjoying myself. Up until this time I had been mostly running by myself, other than occasionally being passed by or passing other runners. I have to admit, I loved it. I know people talk about the camaraderie of trail running, but I love running by myself. So far this was a great run through a beautiful park, on trails someone else had marked for me, with aid stations along the way. What’s not to love? At every aid station, when they saw runners approaching, the volunteers would ring a cowbell and cheer. I came into the Dunes of Heaven aid station at mile 13 by myself, and had a reception that made me feel like a celebrity. This was my only time to see my drop bag, so I switched out my empty gu wrappers and loaded up with more fuel. The volunteers filled my water bottle with ice water once again, gave me ice for my bra and hat, and when they saw me taking a picture of this sign, offered to take one while I posed. Look at me! I look positively jaunty! I sent the picture to my husband saying that I felt great. At this point I was congratulating myself on all the sand running I did in my training. Coming up next was “Dunes of Hell” and one of the aid