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 station workers said “Don’t let it intimidate you!” Well, I WON’T! I’ve got this! Bring it on!!!
Ahem.
It turns out there’s a reason the two dune areas are called “Dunes of Heaven” and “Dunes of Hell.” Dunes of Hell, was, in a word, terrible. This was the first time I seriously thought I had gone off course, because it just didn’t look like a place you’d be running, much less doing an organized trail race.
First of all, the dunes got steeper. Now there was no running up- it was exhausting just to walk to the top. These weren’t just “Florida hills,” they were HILLS. How did these get here??? We don’t have hills like this in South Florida! Then, you couldn’t even run down the other side effortlessly, because there was often no clear path. The sand was obscured by weeds, so you couldn’t see if you were stepping down on solid ground, or possibly a hole. Did you know it’s very, very hard to carefully run down a steep hill?
And, by now the sun was out in full force, the temperature had climbed into the 80s (the forecast showed 87 for that day),there was of course no shade, and the sun reflecting off the white sand made it feel even hotter.
One of the worst parts about this section is that it was one of the longest stretches without aid. It was 5.2 miles to the Dunes of Hell aid station, and that is a long, long time when you’re trudging up and down sand dunes.
The other thing was, I was all alone. I did not see a single other runner for almost the whole five miles! Where was everyone? Why did I think I liked running alone? I hate it! I knew there were people behind me, but I started imagining that they would all drop out (or miss the cutoff times) and that I was the very last one out there. At one point I tripped and fell- nothing was hurt, but I ended up with sand all over the front of my body and my hands, which just added to the “fun.” It was a long, demoralizing stretch.
Then, as I was finally getting close to the aid station, I saw another runner! HELLO, NEW FRIEND!
I caught up to him and said “That was a lonely stretch!” He agreed, and told me his story. He was a young guy (well, probably around 30, which seems young to me) and he said he had started the race really well, running fast, but then his calf cramped up BEFORE Dunes of Hell, and he had to navigate his whole way through with a painful cramp. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been- it was hard enough on two good legs.
I offered him a salt tablet (I had extras) but he said he had been taking them, had been doing everything possible and was just hobbling along in pain. And then… we made it to the Dunes of Hell aid station at mile 18.5.
I felt like they gave us extra love here, because we had just been through what I now know was the hardest part of the course. As soon as I got into the aid station, I asked for a Coke. You guys- I haven’t had a Coke in seven years. I had to cut myself off when I quit sugar- but desperate times call for desperate measures.
They gave me an ICY COLD COKE, and while I drank that cup of magic, they filled my water bottle and cap with ice. A man came and put a tube sock, filled with ice and knotted at the end, around my neck (AHHHHHH!) And then he said something extraordinary: “You’re doing great- you’re in the top ten females.”
WHAAAAAAAAAT???
HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??? I asked him how many females were in the race (eleven, perhaps?) and he said “Oh, at least twenty. But we haven’t had very many women come through yet.” WELL.
He treated me as if I were leading the race, making sure I had everything I needed, assuring me again that I was doing great, and sent me on my way. I ran out of there, elated.
That feeling of elation lasted about… half a mile. We were done with Dunes of Hell, but were now re-tracing our steps through Dunes of Heaven. HOW did I run these hills the first time??? I could barely run the flat parts now. I just felt like my feet were digging into the sand and not going anywhere. And, this was the other long stretch between aid stations. The next one wouldn’t be until mile 24.
I hadn’t been planning to put on my music this early, but I decided I needed it. At the aid station one of the volunteers had said the ice sock would keep me cool until about mile 22, and then I would just have two more miles after that. So I broke up that section- just get to mile 22. Okay, now get to 23. Just one more mile…
Shortly before the aid station I saw my friend, the guy with the calf cramp. In all the excitement at the aid station, I hadn’t even realized he left before me, or was ahead of me. But now he was walking and I came up to him again.
He said that the sand was killing him, and we agreed that it would be easier after the next aid station- then we would be back on mostly dirt trails.
Finally, we were at the mile 24 aid station. Once again, they filled my water bottle, gave me ice cubes for my cap and bra, and refilled my neck sock with ice. And, this time the good news was: the next aid station was only three miles away, and that was the LAST ONE. After that it would be four miles to the finish. Calf Guy and I looked at each other and I said “We can do it!”
I quickly texted my husband to give him my estimated time of arrival, and started off. I put my music on again, and those miles passed relatively quickly. Shortly before the next aid station I saw a guy sitting by the side of the trail. I ran up to him and asked if he needed help, and he told me that he had injured his toe miles ago, that he thought it was broken, but that he was still going to finish somehow or other. He told me to run ahead of him and that he would pace off me to the aid station.
Aid station mile 27!!! The guy with the broken toe said he had to sit down, but there was no way I was going to sit (it would be so hard to get back up!) At this aid station they had a hose and doused me with cold water, which felt so, so good. And then I was off for the last four miles.
I was feeling pretty good! I mostly ran, but we were back on the part of the trail with a lot of ruts and roots, and I didn’t trust myself to run over them at this point. I walked any really technical parts, but was mostly able to run.
During this four miles it really sank in that I was going to finish this race. I mean, all along I thought I was going to, but now I really knew it. I didn’t cry when I crossed the finish line, but I did get choked up a couple times during these last four miles. And then…
With less than a mile to go, there was Calf Guy again. I actually felt really bad- I didn’t want to pass him at this point, but I thought I was going to have to, because he was walking. As I came up behind him I said “Boy, you’re probably really sick of seeing me.” Of course he denied it, but I would imagine having me overtake him again and again was a reminder of how difficult this race was for him.
I asked him if he wanted to run to the finish with me and he said he didn’t think he could, that his calf was that bad. But suddenly, in the distance, we could see the finish line. When he realized how close we were he decided he would try to run. So we ran together.
Right before the finish I pulled ahead of him, not because I wanted to beat him, but partly because I was so excited and partly because I felt like it would be awkward to finish together. I mean- we weren’t really that good friends. It’s not like we were going to cross the finish line holding hands (I didn’t even know his name.) It just seemed like someone should go first, and I was the one able to put on a burst of speed. But as soon as I crossed, and he crossed, I turned around to give him a high five. WE DID IT.
My husband missed seeing me finish by about one minute. I was literally still standing in the finish area when he arrived. But that’s okay- crossing the actual line wasn’t the most profound moment. It was the little moments along the course that stand out- running strongly through Dunes of Heaven, getting the ice sock at mile 18 and hearing that I was in the top ten females, the feeling of leaving the last aid station and knowing I was going to finish. I even stopped along those last four miles to take a picture, because I wanted to always remember those little pink flowers.
My finish time was 7 hours, 31 minutes. 54 people finished this race, and of those, 11 were women. I was the sixth woman. Right in the middle- I’ll take that any day! I had the odd experience of running much slower than the women in front of me, and much faster than the women behind me. Other than passing two women early on, I ran by myself, or with men who were having some sort of an issue, which is kind of funny. Not funny that they were having issues, but funny that that was my “group.”
To be honest, I’m surprised there were so few women overall. Supposedly there were over 20 who started- did the rest of them DNF? How many men didn’t finish? Why was the ratio of men to women so lopsided?
One of the many things this race showed me was that I have a lot to learn about trail running. But I will learn! This adventure was just the beginning.
Part 2 is here!
I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics. If you like race recaps, go check them out- there were a lot of races this weekend and should be several recaps linked today!
59 Responses
Brilliant achievement, I’m so so happy for you!! And a wonderful race report – I have tears in my eyes reading it. Mine took me 8 hr 18 and was FAR less technical, so massive kudos and I hope you’re really proud of yourself!
In my first marathon I ended up running with a middle-aged Norwegian woman – my people – a man from Alaska who was not noticeable injured though a larger guy, and an upset Czech guy who hadn’t trained properly and then had put his race t-shirt on to do the race, it had rubbed his, erm, chest, he’d taken it off and – because he was in his 20s – he was worried he hadn’t done enough gym work on his abs to warrant running without a top on! So you never know, do you!
Thank you Liz! That’s a funny assortment of “friends” from your first marathon. Yes, you never know.
big congrats!!! what an impressive performance!! can’t wait for part 2.
Thank you Coco! Part 2 is coming up!
Incredible, Jenny!! Well done! You didn’t only finish, you finished really well!! Excellent pacing.
Actually, your photos do give a very good impression of how difficult those dunes were. I can’t imagine running up and down those for hours on end. It’s very tough on the body. How did your body feel after the race? The hamstring/achilles combo?
Do you have access to the race results? It would be interesting to see the final DNF ratio.
Looking forward to part 2!!
Thank you Catrina! I’m really surprised that my calves and hamstrings were NOT sore afterwards- how did that happen??? My quads are very sore, and the ankle that I twisted is very sore (but not injured.) And I had weird, random aches and pains, like my left bicep (?) and the middle of my back.
Wow Jenny, you kicked **** in this race! Congrats to such a great performance! I feel bad for the calf guy and the toe guy though.
Those dunes must have been quite heavy to run. I remember a trail I used to walk in Sweden years ago, it had some parts with sandy dunes and it was really hard even walking.
Hope you’ve had a few good days resting!
Thank you Susanne! Oh yes, I’m resting! As a matter of fact Tuesday I usually go to the gym after work but instead I’m sitting at Starbucks 🙂
I feel really bad for those guys too. But, they showed incredible perseverance to get through it.
I got a little choked up at the end, Jenny. What an accomplishment! This was a fantastic recap and your elation and triumph are so vivid!
Thank you Suzanne! This race was an incredible experience and I wanted to do it justice. I’m glad you appreciated it!
I’m with Suzanne… I got teary eyed too.
This sounded sooo hard. .. I can’t even imagine it. Trail racing is another breed of running. I do love the idea of support and aid stations which you never see in a road race.
But you did it and you must be so proud. When’s the next one??
BTW: My calk injury in 2019 was walking up a dune in Florida.
Darlene, I’ll bet your calf injury was from a sand dune near where I did this race- in Jupiter (Hobe Sound?) I’m glad I didn’t know that ahead of time!
Yes, trail running is another brand of running, but I can say that this was easier than running a road marathon in 90 degrees “feels like” temps. They really took the heat seriously and had all sorts of ways to cool us down, and it made a huge difference.
Thanks as always for your support!
yes. Hobe Sound where my friend lives. but was the same day as I had done a half marathon in the morning so probably contributed to it.
I almost cried reading this too! I’m just so freaking proud of you, Jenny! What a huge accomplishment. Those dunes look STEEP!
I love the guy telling the aid station workers he would like a “new pair of legs” and laughed when you first met your “running partner” and labeled him as your NEW BEST FRIEND <3
Also, what a great summary of the race. I read this like it was some bestselling novel – literally on the edge of my seat.
Yay, yay, yay. Thanks for bringing all of us readers along for the ride: from the moment you announced you were going to do this race until these recaps we have all been so excited for you.
Thank you Elisabeth! I’m glad you enjoyed the recap. The whole race was such an incredible experience and I wanted to do it justice. And yes, in retrospect I have to laugh at my “friendship” with Calf Guy. I wonder how he remembers it???
Wow, wow, wow!
My eyes are tearing up with happiness for you. You are amazing.
You did it and you crushed it!!!
Thank you Coco! Honestly, my eyes are tearing up reading these comments.
YASSSSS!!!!!! What a payoff for creating your own training plan and doing what was right for you every step of the way!!!!
I have no plans to take up running again, but this race sounds so fun. I can’t wait to read part 2 and it’s OK with me if there’s a part 3, 4, and 5. All of the parts! I don’t even drink pop and I was drooling when you wrote about the coke.
Ha ha… I could easily write parts 1-10 until everyone was thoroughly sick of hearing about it. I’ll probably finish with just a part 2 though!
Oh wow, Jenny. Wow!!! I have to say that you and Calf Guy going together made me a little choked up. What an experience! And you did so very well, just finishing would be “doing very well” but you did better than that!!
Those dunes though!!! Running on sandy dunes, yikes. I have to say that I find it much easier to run uphill than down; I find it VERY unnerving and uncomfortable to run down a steep hill.
Yayyyyyy this was just so great to read, Jenny!!! I’m so happy for you!
Thank you so much Nicole! I think running downhill is a skill, one that I never practice. Well, it’s something to think about for next year!
I’m so happy for you! You did it! What a wonderful sense of accomplishment you must feel and to have your training pay off like that so that you were feeling good for so much of the race must have felt absolutely amazing! I was on the edge of my seat reading this, even though I already knew you had finished the race – it seems like it was really technical and kind of scary, to be honest! I can’t wait to read the second part!
Thank you, Engie! I’m kind of glad I didn’t know how technical the race was going to be ahead of time, because I would have been even more scared than I was. But it all worked out, and was part of the adventure.
HOLY WOW!!!!! So so SO proud of you, Jenny!!! I remember my first full marathon in a similar way…no tears at the finish, but all kinds of happy memories of things along the course. I’m so glad the t=entire race went so well for you. I love the stories of you and Calf Guy, LOL. Way to get it done!!
Thank you Kim! It is funny how you’d think the finish line would be so emotional, and then it’s almost anti-climactic in a way. I’ve heard a lot of people say that.
Amazing, amazing job Jenny! I will echo other comments to say I am so proud of you. I know that you’ve dealt with injuries on and off so to read your race recap, for a 50K especially, is just so great!
Thank you Kim! Yes, you’ve had to hear about a lot of injuries and setbacks over the past few years. It’s nice to ba able to share a triumph.
What an amazing recap! CONGRATS, JENNY! What an experience… You showed up strong and ready and that’s just how you ran it.
Thank you Lindsay! Yes, it was an incredible experience.
You go girl! That course sounds really challenging. For me high heat is my worst enemy, and probably sand is my second worst, and you conquered both! To answer your questions at the end, I would guess that unless you saw the official roster, I would take anything number related that a volunteer gives you with a grain of salt, i.e. there may not have been 20 women who started. Or if there were, many of them could have DNFed. As for there being very few women, welcome to the club! This is a normal occurrence and I would guess that many of my races are about 25%-30% women, and this has gotten higher over the years! Some of the first ones I did or the longer ones I have done are closer to 20%.
So Kyria, I guess you won’t be coming down to do this race, ha ha… it’s all about heat and sand. And also I guess I’m used to road races where there are a lot more women. I’ll just have to convince more women to do it with me next time!
I HAVE CHILLS!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!
And I totally would have held calf guy’s hand. I’m obnoxious like that lol!
This is the best story of triumph and victory! YOU DID IT! AND YOU KICKED ITS BUTT!!!!
I am so glad it was such a positive experience for you! That makes it even better.
PS – sugar sand sucks. I can’t believe you ran on all of that!
Thank you Jenn!!! I think if I had held Calf Guy’s hand he might have killed me. But I could be wrong!
Epic accomplishment Jenny. Well done. I loved following on with you through your story. Those dunes do sound like hell, but you got through them. I bet you must feel elated.
I’m wondering if it’s better to go into these things not knowing how difficult the course is … once you’re there you just have to soldier on and by not knowing you sign up and avoid the worrying about just how difficult it really is going to be.
Great point, Melissa. I only live an hour from this park and I thought about driving up there to preview the course. Part of it was a time thing- it was hard enough getting my long runs in without adding two hours of driving- and part of it is what you said- I decided if I previewed the course, it would just scare me. Better to go in not knowing, in this case.
Those dunes did look big!! Well done! You totally should have grabbed that guy’s hand and crossed the finish together! 🙂 We have a friend who does that as a joke when we run together at club races (and there is a photographer). Awkward!! haha! I’m going over to part 2 of your recap now…
Ha ha, that would have been SO awkward! I’m laughing just thinking about it.
Congrats on an awesome race! This is a huge accomplishment. Running on that terrain sounds so challenging. For my last marathon it was on dirt trails which actually felt so soft it reminded me of running on sand, making it so much harder. Even though I prefer running alone I think it would be nice in a long race to have someone to talk to at times. I’m glad you found someone on the course for that- even if you didn’t hold hands at the finish! 🤣
Thank you Lisa! Running on a trail will slow you down (even if it’s a smooth dirt trail) so if you were trying to run your usual pace, it probably did feel hard.
Oh WOW!! Yo9u make it sound SO EASY to have that kind of grit and determination when it is of course anything but. Congratulations!!
Thank you Sarah! It was hard, but it was also fun. Well, for the most part!
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! You did so awesome!! I’m so glad you ran a successful race and your placing w/in the females is awesome! Way to go you! It sounds like overall you had a great race experience. The heat and lack of shade would be SO VERY HARD!
Thank you Lisa! I did have a really great experience. The heat was hard, but they really did a great job of cooling us down at the aid stations.
Congratulations!! I’m so impressed! I think it’s great you were able to cross the finish line with a “friend”; love you high five! (Im too shy to do that lol).
I once tried a 10k in Oleta Park. My first race ever. I DNF. I got scared I was lost and ran towards where I heard people lol so I cut the course short.
I’d be interested in your calf stretches.
I had to look up Oleta Park. i live in Boca so I don’t get down to that area much, but it sounds really nice! Sorry that you had a DNF there- but that also shows that the park must be pretty big with a nice trail system. I’ll check it out someday. Thanks for your kind words- and I think this is the first time I’ve ever high-fived someone at the finish line of a race. I must have been delirious.
I am just so very happy for you! What an accomplishment after the last few years of nagging injuries for you. Huge congrats Jenny!
Thank you Deborah! Yes, I did have a tough two years there… it feels good to be past that.
“Crossing the actual line wasn’t the most profound moment”. Are you kidding me? That is the best part! Congrats! I LOVE this recap. I got emotional reading it because I know running a 50k is tough.
Thank you Zenaida!!! I know- it’s funny but crossing the line was almost anticlimactic. But it was a great moment because it meant I could stop!
Wow, what a race, Jenny. Some of the trail really looks like there was no trail at all… and all the sand. Damn. You did amazing (and encouraged others – Calf Guy! – along the way. Sometimes camaraderie goes a long way!)
Congrats on making 6th female! That’s really cool!
Thank you San!!! It was an amazing experience.
AHHH JENNY! I am so late commenting but I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. What an amazing feat and to have such a positive experience, too! I am so glad you were able to run this race and felt so strong, even during the sloggy parts. Those aid stations sound amazing and so encouraging! CONGRATS!
Thank you Stephany! It was such an amazing experience. Everyone there was so encouraging and friendly. I want to do it again and again!
YAY, JENNY! (Picture Kermit the Frog waving his arms while you read that, please!)
You did an amazing, amazing thing. Those hills. That sand. Those TEMPERATURES. My goodness, I’m amazed that you were able to keep going, and thrilled, of course, that you did! Can’t wait to see what the next race is!!!
Thank you Anne!!! I can’t wait to see what my next race is, too. I still haven’t decided on one but there are a bunch to choose from.
What a fabulous accomplishment, Jenny, congrats! And thanks for such a detailed recap, I enjoyed reading every word and felt as if I was right there with you!
Thank you Debbie! It was really an incredible experience and I wanted to share it well.