Frisco 50k: Before it all began

The prequel - because I never really wrote about deciding to run this race! 

This is the first post in my detailed race recaps; the short race summary (with all other recaps linked) is here.

I started toying around with the idea of giving the 50k a go back in December.  I'd spent several years chasing marathon PRs, and I realized that while I still loved marathon training I was a bit disgruntled with the race itself, since I'd poured so much into it and didn't achieve my biggest dream goal.  I'd read somewhere that 50k training is just marathon training with back-to-back long runs, which to me really just seemed like a way to make marathon training even better.  Since I was coming off a 2020 wrought with hip issues, I wasn't sure if running an ultra was the most intelligent goal, but I started experimenting with 14 milers on Saturdays followed by 12 milers on Sundays in December 2020 to see how my body responded; a pre-training per sae. 

I didn't tell anyone about my goal initially, because I wanted to be able to stop training at any time if my hip gave even a peep.  For awhile my husband was the only one who knew, but it wasn't long until people in my running group started putting two and two together (or, more accurately, 14 and 12).  I then kind of just got used to my new normal and forgot that I'd never written a post about what I was doing - although people reading my monthly recaps or following me on Strava likely also put two and two together before I really said anything about it.

After one of many long runs

Another piece of this decision was the uncertainty of race cancellations.  I wanted to do races that were for sure going to happen - even more so once my plan A spring 2021 half marathon (Little Rock) cancelled.  I felt confident that Frisco would happen, plus no travel plans were required.

I was quickly hooked on the back-to-back long runs and as my season plans came together I mapped out a training plan (I coached myself this season, which historically has not been an intelligent idea, but which I did really well with this time around).  One of my local training buddies, Colin, was already interested in running a 50k at some point, so it was easy to talk him into training with me for this one.  After we were rolling in training, I also talked my friend Andrew, who lives in Kansas City, into running it.  Both of the guys are close in pace to me in the marathon, and I knew how boring the race trail was so having company on it was very appealing!  We all got very excited about it together too!

Although running 31 miles never seemed like an easy feat, it was always less intimidating to me than running 26.2 miles at 6:15 pace.  Initially I didn't really know what 50k pace I was aiming for, and my biggest goal was always to complete my first 50k, but my goals continued to evolve from there.  I looked up the overall female state record (then 3:59:55) and decided it was achievable, so that goal came next, and achieving it would automatically take care of the course record.  At some point I got it in my head that I wanted my average pace to start with a 6, then I decided I wanted to run a sub-3:00 marathon split, and as the race neared I decided that 6:45 pace was my goal but I'd be happy with any pace average starting in 6 (this was mostly all based on the fact that I thought I was in shape to run 6:15 pace for a road marathon).  In retrospect, there was really a lot I didn't know when this goal arose, but one feeling that never changed was that this was a really great goal for me!  I LOVED the back-to-back long runs, and it really was the marathon training I adore, but even better.

The story continues here...