On Sunday, I ran the Sweat, Swat ‘n Swear 50K in Inverness, Florida. My goals for this race were to 1) FINISH, and 2) not complain about the heat. I’ll tell you right now that I achieved both of them. WOOHOO!
Was there sweating? Yes, about 20 gallons worth. Was there swatting? No! Either the bug spray I used worked, or the flies weren’t out that day. Was there swearing? Read on to find out!
Inverness is a four hour drive from where I live. I drove up there on Saturday afternoon, and on the way I listened to this episode of the Everyday Ultra podcast with Joe Corcione, “How to Destroy Race Day Anxiety.” His #1 tip was “Trade expectations for appreciation.” I decided to make that the theme of my race.
The race started at 6:30 am, at the Mutual Mine Campground. I was there nice and early, and as I was doing some ankle mobility exercises, I let it all soak in- three months ago I couldn’t even walk on my left ankle, let alone run. Now here I was ready to start a 50K race and honestly- I couldn’t even tell which ankle was the one I sprained. Time- and a lot of hard work- really does heal all wounds.
The race started, and we were running on some nice single track trails. The weather was beautiful! It wasn’t hot yet, and I was feeling good.
After a few miles, I noticed something puzzling. There would be times when I felt like I was working harder than usual, and then times where running felt very easy. Finally I figured out- these are HILLS. Very gentle, rolling hills. We don’t have these things in South Florida! It didn’t bother me- I was just happy to know why my effort seemed to vary so much. As a matter of fact, I was cruising along feeling really good until at mile eight…
I suddenly felt a sharp, pulling sensation in my right calf. WHAT IN THE WORLD. Is this a cramp? I walked a little and tried to massage it, but it wouldn’t go away. Remember Calf Guy from my Dunes 50K race recap?? The poor guy had a terrible cramp in his calf and had to hobble through most of the race.
Oh NO! Had I become Calf Guy???
I didn’t really know if this was a cramp, or a strained muscle- I’ve never had this happen before (but what better time to start than mile 8 of a 31 mile race?) I just continued on. The calf hurt with every step, but the good news was, it didn’t seem to be getting any worse.
I left the 10 mile aid station the same time as another runner, and as we were running about the same pace we ran together for a while. His name was Mark, and we talked about various races we’ve done. I told him my sob story about the Forgotten Florida, and he said he’s done numerous 50k’s, some 50 miles races and one 100 mile race. As we ran on together, I noticed something extraordinary.
Mark wasn’t wearing a hydration vest or any kind of waist pack. The only thing he had with him was… a bottle of Dr. Pepper. Sometimes he would hold it, and sometimes he would put it in the pocket of his shorts. WAIT A MINUTE! Is that really Dr. Pepper in your bottle? Yep. Is that all the fuel you’re carrying? Yep. He said he’s a “minimalist,” and drinks water and eats a little of whatever they have at the aid stations, but otherwise he just carries a bottle of soda.
Sure enough, when we got to the 14 mile aid station, he drank some water while the aid station workers filled his bottle with Coke. And speaking of that aid station… while I was grateful for every aid station and every volunteer that day, Mile 14 aid station won first prize.
They were making WATERMELON SLUSHIES. Did I want one? OH YES I DID! Wow, that tasted good. We continued on our way- me with my flasks filled with water, and Mark with his bottle of Coke.
We ran together for about four more miles, and I started to notice Mark’s pace was getting a little erratic. When he was running it was great, but then he would take walking breaks. Now, walking breaks are fine- actually, necessary- but his were getting a little meandering. At mile 18 I decided I would do better on my own.
I told him I was going to put some music on and run ahead for a little. He said “Oh, my company isn’t good enough for you?” and… it was a little awkward. I mean, I think he was kidding but I wasn’t entirely sure. I assured him that I had planned all along to listen to music at mile 18 and he said, again, I hope jokingly, “Oh, so you’re one of those runners.” Again… awkward.
I felt bad, but with all due respect- did I really want to tie my fate to a guy running with a bottle of Dr. Pepper in his pocket? It was time to run alone. I did think I would see Mark again later, and as a matter of fact I told him that as I ran off- but unfortunately I didn’t see him again.
My music really did pep me up, and I was feeling pretty great. Compared to the 20 mile run I had done the week before, which wiped me out, I now had a ton of energy. Yes, it was hot, but there was a LOT of shade on this course, which we don’t have in South Florida, and that helped tremendously. I got to the 21 mile aid station feeling good.
Now once again- I’m grateful to ALL the aid station workers that day (and I made it a point to tell them all) but if Mile 14 won first prize, Mile 21 came in last. They were helpful; they were encouraging; they filled up my water flasks; but they made one fatal mistake. They told me there was a “hydration only” station coming up in two miles- there were several of these unmanned aid stations along the course- and this was not true. We’ll find out why this was so important in a bit.
Soon after I left that aid station, the trail changed abruptly. Up until then it had been either fairly smooth, with some sections of semi-challenging roots, but overall fairly runnable. Suddenly, I was confronted with an incredibly treacherous, hilly, rocky section, and I thought “this CANNOT be right!” There was a hiker coming in the opposite direction, and I said “Did you see runners coming this way?” He said, a little dubiously, “Well, yes, but they weren’t running. More like walking.” GEE, I WONDER WHY.
This section was barely walkable. It was more like scrambling gingerly to avoid falling and breaking my neck. It was frustrating to be suddenly moving so slowly, when I felt like I could be running. But- that’s a trail race. Trails are not smooth! They have roots and rocks. So I kept making my way forward.
It seemed to go on forever. Just when I thought I could start running again, there would be more huge rocks sticking up from the ground and I just couldn’t risk it. This section took FOREVER. If there was going to be any swearing, this would have been the time for it- but I was too busy just keeping upright.
Finally I could run again, and by the way, this did not make my calf happy. Continual running was painful enough, but after all that walking, it was very hard to get running again. But I did, and I “knew” the hydration station should be coming right up.
When I didn’t see it at mile 23, I thought “that’s okay! Distances are never exact in a trail race,” But when I got to mile 24 and still didn’t see it, I started to get a little anxious. It wasn’t that I needed water- I still had some in my flasks- but I hadn’t seen another runner for a long time and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was going the wrong way. I thought I was following the flags, but that whole last section had been so treacherous, with so many twists and turns, that I wouldn’t feel comfortable until I saw that hydration station. Finally, at mile 24.5, I came around a curve in the trail and saw this:
While I was re-filling my water, another runner came up! I wasn’t alone out there after all! We commiserated on the awful rocky section, filled our bottles with water and made use of the ice in the cooler, and she ran ahead of me.
It turned out we were running about the same pace, but I have to say it was LOVELY to have someone to follow! She had on a bright yellow hat, so I just ran a couple hundred yards behind her- I didn’t have to worry that I was going the wrong way anymore (of course, she could have led us both off course- but luckily that didn’t happen.)
Now it was just a matter of getting to the mile 28 aid station. It was officially hot AF, my calf was not happy, and I was looking forward to finishing. Starting at the mile 14 aid station, I had been putting ice in my bra, down the back of my hydration vest, and in my hat- but it was still hot. At this point, my calf demanded that I walk up the hills. But I kept moving forward, and finally made it to the aid station.
Guess what? We had gone in a big loop, and the mile 28 aid station was the same aid station as mile 14!!! They informed us that now they were serving Gatorade slushies, and did I want one? OH YES I DID!!! I was so hot, so thirsty, so tired- you can’t even imagine how good a cup of Gatorade and crushed ice tasted. They were super encouraging and sent us on our way- FOR THE LAST THREE MILES!
Now it was all about the heat. There was no more shade. I don’t know the temperature, but the predicted “feels like” of 98 felt about right. Did I complain? NO! I realized it’s a tradeoff- shaded, woody areas also mean more treacherous footing. Trees have roots (did you know that?) At this point, I could deal with the heat better than I could deal with uneven footing. It was also pretty flat so my calf was able to run consistently.
Those three miles were long- longer than you could ever imagine- but finally I was done. I crossed the finish line in 7 hours, 55 minutes.
I’m not going to question why my time was 25 minutes longer than the 50K I ran last year. I’m not going to let that- or the fact that I was 12th female out of 17- ruin the fact that I had an epic adventure out there. I truly dropped my expectations, and appreciated every single minute of the day. In spite of the heat, the rocks, the pain in my calf, I would do it all over again tomorrow if I could.
Coming up tomorrow- Part 2, The Aftermath
71 Responses
Can you really compare trail run times, and 25 minutes over that length doesn’t seem like a massive difference? Congratulations on a great race. You made a really gutsy comeback from injury. It looks like a pretty nice trail, especially the first bit, with its very overgrown forest.
Thank you Melissa! The trail really was nice. Very different from South Florida trails, which made it extra fun.
Wooo hooo! I’ve been thinking of you for two days, refreshing Feedly like crazy today hoping for a recap. I’m so glad you finished feeling good about the experience! And what an experience it was! Such a bummer that your calf hurt but so impressive that you kept running through it, for dozens of miles! You are amazing! Congrats!! I’m so thrilled for you.
Thank you so much Noemi! Believe me, I was not going to DNF this race unless I was carted out of there on a stretcher. The calf pain was unpleasant but manageable.
Brilliant, well done! That section sounds terrible, at the worst place to have it, too (I had a relatively flat cornfield and a friend with jelly babies popping up at that point in my one 50k!). So pleased you got it done!
Yes, that was a bad place for the rocks but it could have been worse! Like any point later in the race would have been even harder. Thanks for your kind words!
Congrats, Jenny! Well done!
Good job on making this your race – your running buddy Mark should have encouraged you to go ahead instead of making you feel guilty for leaving him behind. Not very sportsmanship-like.
Enjoy your recovery!
Thank you Catrina! I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t see Mark later on to make sure we were still “friends.” I have to admit I missed his company when I got to that rocky section.
Omg. I know about calf pain. Had it for 16 out of 26 miles. Never before or after.
You’ve convinced me to never run trails. lol.
But congrats!!!!!! You did it!!!!!!!
Yes, Darlene I thought about you and your marathon! It was so similar- WHY did it happen??? Mine actually still hurts, not sure what’s up with that. And… I know you enjoy hiking on your trails- you probably could run but why push it.
Mine was my left calf… but yes massaging did nothing.
I do enjoy walking trails since I am so clumsy.
So which 50 miler are you signing up for now?
Ha ha, great question- I”ll be lurking on Ultrasignup tonight. : )
Wow! This seems like a massive success story, especially considering your ankle/maybe less than ideal training cycle. When we didn’t hear from you right away, not gonna lie- I got a little worried!! Not because you aren’t incredibly capable of running these distances, but heat is no joke and heat stroke is real! So I was nervous when I heard how hot it was on Sunday. But thank goodness you are okay and you FINISHED and it sounds like you did amazing!! Congratulations! What an accomplishment!
Thank you Kae! I had to start driving back home shortly after the race (ugh.) When I got home I pretty much showered and went right to bed, and then wrote the recap on Monday- and I also had to work on Monday! So it was a whirlwind, even to get this post published by today. Thank you for thinking of me so much!
YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Not to be catty, but what was Mark’s finish time?
Thank you Birchie!!! Ha… Mark finished about an hour after me. I’m very glad he finished and very glad I didn’t stick with him!
I am so glad you had a successful race! I was a little worried and had texted with Kae about you! We are like your blog moms, stressing out in the upper Midwest. Ha. I am so glad you finished and had a great experience (or as great as you can in such intense heat!).
But come on Mark! Why be so awkward! That is a very odd way to act. Usually everyone is just running their own race and if you run alongside each other for awhile, great! But you rarely finish a race with that person!
Well, I didn’t mention it exactly but Mark was kind of an odd guy overall. I mean- running an ultra with a bottle of soda in his pocket was just the tip of the iceberg, I think. But- I’m glad I met him and I’m hoping to see him at another race sometime.
Thank you for thinking about me! I know- I should probably do something like post on instagram at least. I’ll explain the after-race schedule in tomorrow’s post.
Jenny!!!! I woke up this morning and thought “I get to find out how Jenny’s race went!” I am SO happy for you. So happy! You did it! You did it! I am thrilled for you – wow, those rocky sections look really difficult! And hills too, when you’re not used to them. But wow, you did it. I hope your calf is not still sore – you did not become Calf Guy despite it all.
Sorry about the weirdo making things awkward. Maybe he was high on all that sugar. I was so stressed reading about the lack of aid stations – I did worry you were going to say it was the wrong trail! Whew.
Also, love the expectation/ appreciation. That is a beautiful concept.
Thank you Nicole!!! I’m touched that people were thinking about me and wondering how it all went. Yes, being out there and not being 100% sure I was going the right way was a little stressful!!! But it’s all part of the adventure. People get lost in races like this all the time- glad I wasn’t one of them.
Jenny!!! I was GIDDY to open up Feedly this morning knowing (hoping!) that your race recap would be up as promised.
I am so freaking proud of you. SO PROUD! Aside from Mark (that sounds hopelessly awkward) and the hilly climb, this sounds like an amazing experience. I’m thrilled you didn’t end up swatting a lot of flies, and those watermelon/gatorade slushies sound divine after running in the heat.
You did it and you would do it again in a heartbeat. This is just wonderful news, my friend!
Thank you so much, Elisabeth! I thought about my blogging friends during the race- knowing I was going to share it all in the recap really helped carry me through the hard parts. I felt like I had friends watching over me!
Yay!! You did it all! HUGE CONGRATS!!! Glad you didn’t have to swat, but it must feel good to get the sweating and swearing out for a while.
Speaking of swearing, WTF, Mark?! That reminded me of the Man v. Bear debate all over again!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-man-vs-bear-question-sparking-viral-tiktok-meltdowns
Thank you Maya!!! And, I hadn’t heard that Man vs. Bear debate. Ha ha- I might take the bear! Lots of bears are harmless! Although, I guess you could say the same about men.
Big congrats on your finish, and for staying positive throughout the race! I never really give myself goal times for ultras because every course is unique, and it sounds like this one was more technical than you’re used to, which is probably why it took you a little longer. Where I live the trails are usually very rocky and I’m always impressed by people who can run over the rocks like they’re nothing, because I’m just trying not to fall or break an ankle!
Great job on tackling a tougher course in the heat!
Thank you Ashley! Yes, I’m definitely not used to technical trails. I’ve seen people run over them nimbly, so I know it’s possible. I want to get better at it but it’s hard for me because there just aren’t technical trails in my area. Same with hills! Those are two areas where I could definitely improve.
Jenny, you are AMAZING! You managed the calf, weird Dr. Pepper vibes, AND all those roots?! Those slushies sound like they were game changers. I’m so glad you can appreciate the experience, but I hope you are also celebrating getting this done! WOOHOO!
Thank you Lindsay! I’m definitely celebrating the finish. It feels good to take a break this week!
Yay, congratulations!! I’m so glad for you! It seems you went into this race with a good, relaxed mindset and I think that makes a big difference. The trail looks absolutely lovely! That rocky part looks rough – like what we climbed at the Gougane Barra trail in February. It’s quite hard work getting past such areas!
Enjoy your recovery!
Thank you Susanne! Yes the trail was lovely. I could have done without the rocks, but that’s all part of it. I’m definitely enjoying some downtime this week!
Congratulations, Jenny! You did great and I can’t wait to read part 2. Dr. Pepper guy sounds a little weird – I hate being put in those awkward situations with odd comments like that. Yay for Yellow Hat girl leading the way. During a race, it’s always nice just knowing you’re not out there alone (or off course like someone else I know).
Ha- I did think of you, Debbie! I like running alone, but sometimes it gets a little TOO lonely. And it’s nice to have someone else lead the way.
YAY JENNY! I am so proud! And was I a bit of a stalker and looked up your race time myself this weekend?! MAYBE. HA. I was so happy to see that you had finished and not too far off your goal time, either! I’m glad it was a good experience even with the calf pain.
I am never going to forget Mark, lolololol. Running a 50k WITH A SODA IN HIS POCKET!!!!! What in the world?!?!
Thank you Stephany!!! And I’m touched that you cared enough to stalk me : ). Ha- I’ll never forget Mark either.
Woohoo! I’m so happy for you!
I love that mantra — works in so many situations!
LOL on Dr Pepper guy but bummer that he made things awkward.
I hope your calf is ok today.
Thank you Coco! My calf is STILL sore, but I think a little better? I went for a walk and that felt good. And yes- that mantra will work for anything.
Woot woot! Congratulations, Jenny! This sounds like a smashing success — what a comeback after your disappointment earlier this year. Love that you made it all about appreciation instead of expectation. Super impressive!
The whole Mark thing is so perplexing! What an unusual person. Disappointing that he made some judgmental sounding comments, though. He has his way of running and you have yours, why not just respect that?!
Hoping your calf feels better soon!
Thank you so much Suzanne! It was definitely a comeback. And- Mark is definitely an odd guy! I think he would be odd if you met him in real life and not just while running an ultra.
My calf is… a work in progress. Luckily I have nothing coming right up so I can slowly nurse it back to health.
Yay!! Congrats on your finish! This encourages me that I’ll be toeing the line in Berlin and yes I sure will be thankful! That’s funny about Mark, the soda and the comments! It does sound awkward! Getting lost in a trail race would be so stressful. I’ve had that feeling before 😫 So glad the bugs were not an issue too!
Thank you Lisa!!! Yes- my injury healed, yours will heal too. i know sometimes when you’re in the middle of it you have doubts. But I have faith that you will be running in Berlin, and I’ll be reading your race recap afterwards.
YOU ARE AWESOME!!! That is AMAZING. Honestly I am so so impressed at anyone finishing a race in those conditions! 31 freaking miles!?!?!? I hope you celebrate this it is definitely a huge success and a win, and also thinking about where your ankle was 3 months ago – WOOHOOO!!!!
Thank you SHU! We both have a lot to celebrate right now : )
Wow!! That’s so amazing. You finished!! Woot woot!
It’s CRAZY that all you talked about was your calf and not your ankle. Bodies are so weird.
Yes, isn’t that weird??? I’ll bet you didn’t expect that (of course, neither did I…)
Jenny that’s amazing! Congrats on a great race, especially after your challenging few months recovery wise! It’s funny, when I read the recap you make it all sound not that hard, and then when I read long you were running, OVER 7 HOURS, I realised how epic the whole effort really is. Also, love the attitude. Thank you for sharing such a great recap, 🙂
Thanks so much Sophie! Honestly, it wasn’t that much of a struggle until the very end… well, like from mile 25 on. Before that it was normal highs and lows. Thanks for reading and thanks for your kind words.
Oh, yes! This is amazing! I was thinking of you all weekend and am so happy to see this news.
First of all. As a Diet Dr. Pepper enthusiast, I would 100% trust the guy with the Dr. Pepper. We know what’s up.
Secondly, that rough patch and worrying about being off course sounds terrifying. I’m so glad it was just bad info from the aid station and not you being lost.
I’m so sorry about your calf and the heat, but you did it! And you crushed it! I’m so proud of you!
Thank you Jenn!!!!!!! Okay, maybe I was too harsh about Mark. He did end up finishing the race so he knew what he was doing!
Huge congratulations to you Jenny! I had my fingers crossed for you but I knew you would make it! Well done your hard work really paid off
Thank you Deborah! I appreciate your faith in me, and the kind words as always.
Congrats Jenny! Great recap. Yes, there are those weirdos who don’t fuel during an ultra-but that is not the norm. I think it’s good that you ditched him. I had to laugh about your issues with the rocky hilly section because THAT WAS MY WHOLE LAST TRAIL RACE! And yes, it was as brutal as you experienced. Those nice piney cushioned trails in your photos look just perfect.
Who cares where you finished? YOU FINISHED! Congrats!
UGH!!!!! Okay, then your race sounds hideous. I know trails have rocks, but I like to at least have the OPTION of running during a race! Most of these trails were really nice though.
Yay! Congratulations!!!! I was liking Mark and his funny trail runner ways until he was weird when you wanted to run alone. Come on, Mark.
Gah, I forgot how awesome aid stations are at ultras. The slushies sound phenomenal! Yay! So glad you had those and ice to help with the heat.
I LOL’d at the hill comment because I was very confused by a hill at my last race.
Thank you Kim! You really have to live and run in South Florida to understand how flat it is here. I think you live near Chicago- I grew up in that area, and while it’s not “hilly” the ground at least slopes up and down every once in a while!
Yes, at the aid stations we were also offered potato chips, fruit, pickles (I ate one when my calf cramped up- it didn’t help) soda- all the usual stuff. Ultra aid stations are very fun!
A HUGE congrats to you!! I am so happy for you. Ugh, those comments that Mark guy said were weird. So what if you are one of those runners? It is best not to make comments at all.
Thank you Zenaida! Yeah, Mark was a weird guy- who knows what he was thinking.
Yay! Congrats!
“did I really want to tie my fate to a guy running with a bottle of Dr. Pepper in his pocket? “…. this made me laugh out loud.
You meet (and write about) the most interesting humans on your races! I mean I love reading about your perseverance and account of the route, but I’m really here for the people you meet.
Yes, I do have to say- it seems like every race there’s an interesting character! Thanks for your kind words.
Very nicely fine! I love how your attitude of appreciation dominated & kept you on task. Awesome accomplishment!!!
Thank you so much Kim!!!
Congratulations! What an awesome and exciting race recap. What a great result too. Amazing work!
I also love the Dr. Pepper guy story. I know ultra runners can be an interesting lot… and he sounds interesting haha.
Once I did a mountain biking event which had smoothies half way around and it was the best fuel station ever. So glad you got them twice!
Thank you so much Rachel! I appreciate it- thanks for reading.
I DO remember Calf Guy, and now I will remember Dr. Pepper Guy (that’s so funny to me— I can’t imagine working that hard in that heat and having…warm soda to drink.)
Congratulations!!!!!!! (I would have been SO scared during the stretch where you weren’t sure if you were on the right trail— YEESH.)
Yes, that’s a great point- for most of the time, that soda was WARM. Yuck!!!
Way to go Jenny on finishing an amazing race. I can’t even start trying to comprehend how you would pace a 50k trail race, so the fact that you were 25 minutes slower than your last race means NOTHING…. I mean obviously the path/terrain makes a huge difference.
Anyway, you’re a rockstar… esp. pushing on when there were not other runners around. That would get me really freaked out… but you were indeed on the right path!
OMG, yay you. Wow. Your persistence is inspiring. I don’t know if I would have lasted with the calf issues.
But I also think I would have felt less bad and more relieved about leaving weirdo Mark and the Dr. Pepper behind. It takes all kinds, doesn’t it?
Huge congrats Jenny! Sounds like a tough race in tough conditions, but you are tougher! Way to manage your anxiety by leaning into gratitude. Yikes Mark sounds kind of creepy. Glad you were able to break away from him.
Jenny! What a fun and interesting race recap to read. Congratulations! The slushies sound incredible.
Such a weird interaction with that guy! What the heck…so strange. I guess it kept your mind distracted a bit though thinking about it!
What an adventure, thanks for sharing it with us!
I know I am late to the game, but NICE WORK!! That is great that you got it done, and in the heat of Florida in May! That is definitely something to be happy about. I love that you followed the yellow hat; sometimes that is all we need, a little beacon to follow, to get us to the finish line. That guy Mark sounds weird; usually ultrarunners are good people, so maybe he was just undernourished or having a bad moment. Mile 18 is the typical bonk for a marathon, so maybe that was his issue? Let’s just say that it was! 🙂