Run for the Ranch 6 hour: The Aftermath

The short version with links to the other detail posts is here.

I had checked the North America ultra standings prior to the race so knew if I hit my goal of 13 laps I'd be #5 overall - but oh-so-close to #3 and #4 so I wished partial laps could count. I have since learned that most time-based races like this switch to a small loop for the final hour or so, so that people can get the most of the time allotted (noted for future reference!). Another woman ran 44 miles on the same day I ran mine, so I ended up #6. I liked the course for my race but it wasn't flat, and the powerful wind really did not help things. As per usual when I accomplish a goal, I am thrilled with it, but I know I have a better one in me!

I plan to stick with the marathon and 50k for now though. I would like to run a 50 miler when I turn 50 (October 2030), and of course this race made me think very strongly about doing it sooner...because "it's only 7.4 more miles!". I could have run 7.4 slow miles after those 42.6, and I didn't really specifically train for this race. I have made a lot of running claims that didn't come to fruition, including "I'm never running an ultra" and "I'm never going farther than a 50k" (there was also "Once I break 3:00 in the marathon I'll be happy with that time forever." - we all know how well that worked out!) - so no promises.

The biggest surprise for me was that the end miles felt just like the end of a positive split marathon. I thought I'd be going to some new places, but it all felt awfully familiar. I knew I could keep going, but that the pace wasn't going to be what I'd been running. I fully expected to slow down in this race, and because of that it wasn't bothersome when it was happening - unlike in marathons when I slow down I am very bothered! I was a little disheartened that I slowed down before 30 miles, since I'd finished my 30 mile training run so strong, but maybe that day was just a bit better than race day.

I didn't do an actual training cycle for this race, but rather mostly figured I'd piggy back upon years of mileage and marathon builds. I'd been running speed work with my friend who won the Run for the Ranch 1 mile, so my workouts were very not ultra-specific, hah! I'm guessing those things caused me to slow down sooner than I would have if I'd had more focus on this race, but I also greatly enjoyed the feeling of doing "whatever".

The other surprise was that the next day I just felt like I'd run a marathon - actually I was much less sore than I have been after many of my marathons. I thought that my 50ks didn't beat me up too much because they were on rails to trails crushed gravel, but this race was on the road and it didn't beat me up any more. I credit the Alphaflys for a lot of that, but I also think I respond better to long runs and mileage than most. In a marathon it's not the distance that gets me, it's the pace over the distance - even when I have run crappy marathons I knew I'd finish them, just slower than I wanted. A big reason I ran this race to begin with was that running for 6 hours at a relatively slow pace seemed easier than running a fast marathon at the moment.

I already mentioned that I had zero chaffing, courtesy of great rabbit attire. I got two relatively minor blisters under my toes, but that happens to me in marathons too. My body was tired but I didn't feel any unusual or uneven pain. One reason I thought this specific race was the best to dip my toe into the 6 hour world at was because I didn't think I'd have any trouble stopping if I had any unusual pain, since I had very little invested (it was about 7 miles from my house - I have run the race course on long runs)! Fortunately, that didn't happen, but I would have called it if I'd thought I was getting injured at any point. If I travel to a race or invest a lot in some other manner I don't see pulling out happening, even when it probably should.

I think I did okay with my nutrition. I took in 1000 calories, which wouldn't fuel for every mile over 20 but with the slower pace I wasn't burning as much glycogen. Maybe it wasn't enough, but I was pushing what my stomach was used to already so I think much more would have caused other issues. If I had planned this further in advance, I'd have trained my stomach to handle more and to handle some real food. What I took settled well and I had no stomach or GI issues. I took either a bottle or a gel at the end of every lap. I had 2 bottles of UCAN energy + protein (90 calories each), 2 bottles of coconut water (45 calories each, with electrolytes), 6 UCAN Edge gels (70 calories each, all superstarch), 1 SIS gel (210 calories, sugary, tastes awful), and 1 Maurten gel (100 calories, sugary). I didn't take any caffeine, which is atypical for me, but with a 10:00 a.m. start time most of the race was in the afternoon and I knew it would wreck my sleep if I used any.

To sum it up: I am thankful that God gave me this opportunity to try something new and to push my limits! Now the hardest part: some days off.

But it hurts so good!