Treasure Coast Ultra Recap: Work With What You Have
On Saturday, I ran the Treasure Coast Ultra. There were several different races in this event: a six hour run, a twelve hour run, an adventure race, and a 5K. In the days leading up to the race, I got a couple alarming emails saying things like “You will pick up your kayak…” WAIT. My WHAT? Oh, that’s for the adventure racers. I signed up for the twelve hour run, but there was something for everyone. Because of my recent injury, I was in no condition to run for twelve hours, but the format of the race was in my favor. We ran a 4.3 mile loop over and over again. We were given chips to velcro around our ankles: … and after every lap we ran over a timing mat so our distance could be recorded. The start of trail ultras is always very chill: And we were off! Although it was only a 4.3 mile loop, the terrain varied. There was a nice, grassy section: and then a section where service vehicles had obviously driven on, making the ground rutted and uneven. There were also three of these: The first time I tried to go around, but it was impossible. The only way through was through, so everyone learned to just wade right in. As the loops went on, I came to look forward to these huge puddles, because they cooled my feet down. Also, the three puddles (or, mini-ponds) were towards the end of the loop, and each time I came around I was looking forward to regrouping. Unfortunately, it was a hot day. Sometimes we have temperatures in the 50s and 60s in November, but not today. It got up to 85, and for the most part it was sunny. After two loops I started serious heat mitigation strategies, which included getting ice from a cooler at the start area, and putting it in my bra. That would cool me down for a while, and by the end of every loop I was looking forward to getting more ice. On the first loop, I was running along happily when some runners behind me called out to me- I had missed a turn and had to re-trace my steps. I felt really silly, since it was marked! But then… a little while later I saw some runners cutting across the park towards me- they had also missed the turn, and ran quite a distance before realizing it. The second time around, I MISSED THE SAME TURN AGAIN. This time I ran for a while before I noticed that the runner who used to be in front of me wasn’t there anymore. Uh oh. I then looked back and saw him way off in the distance, behind me and to the right, ARRRRG! I retraced my steps, took the turn and continued on. The third time… I missed it AGAIN, but realized it very quickly, and turned back. What in the world is going on at this turn? Well- it’s hard to tell, but the turn is actually a very sharp right, and it also looks like the arrows could be telling you to veer gently to the right (which is INCORRECT.) I’m happy to say that after three times, I didn’t miss that turn again. The first couple loops, I wasn’t feeling great. I just reminded myself that the way I felt at that moment was NOT the same way I would be feeling in an hour, and I was right. I ran a third loop, a fourth loop, and fifth loop, which put me just over 22 miles. But I knew I had one more loop in me. I wanted to run the last loop knowing that it was my last. I amused myself by saying goodbye to each part of the trail- “Goodbye, wooden bridge. Goodbye beautiful green grassy area. Goodbye TRICKY TURN THAT I MISSED THREE TIMES. Goodbye least favorite part, where the trail is so narrow and the grass is so long that I can’t even see whe- GAAAAH!” Yep- I fell. I stumbled over a root and went down, landing on my right side. I felt a jolt of pain in my low back and hip, and I had some scrapes- but luckily I was okay. I got up and kept going, but it confirmed my decision to make this the last loop. Goodbye puddle-ponds! You can see some of the adventure racers here (I believe their race included running, cycling, and kayaking.) Goodbye sandy area. I won’t miss you! Right before the end, I saw this guy: And then, I was done. As I said, my Garmin showed 27 miles, but my official total was 25.8. Looking at the results the next day, I found that my 25.8 miles put me last in the standings. There were seventeen of us altogether who ran the twelve hour option, and a couple people ran one more loop than me. If I could have hung in there for one more, I wouldn’t have been at the bottom. But… six loops is probably more than I deserved to run, given my training, so I’m happy with it. OH. And the overall winner was a WOMAN who ran 55.91 miles. GIRL POWER. To keep these recaps from getting WAY too long, I divide them into two parts. Coming up tomorrow, Part 2: What I Ate, and What I Learned. Question: if you HAD TO run one of these events, which would you pick: one of the runs, the adventure race, or the 5K? (If it makes your decision easier, some people walked the 5K.)