Well it's that time. I've recovered from Boston and cashed in some of that hard training to score two age group placings at the Ronald McDonald Half Marathon and the Ice Age Trail Half Marathon. Things have gone really well, and I'm feeling great but rather lost. What to do next? I want to go faster and I want to go farther. After spending some time deciding if I should try to improve my marathon time or up the ante in the distance department I've finally decided shooting for a 50 miler is much more exciting to me. I spent last weekend up at the Ice Age Trail cheering and crewing a bit for my friend Ross, who killed the 50 miles on his first inspiring effort. The thought of running a faster PR in a marathon doesn't scare the crap out of me. Running 50 miles does. Therefore, I must run 50.
I've targeted mid-late October as it will to allow me sufficient time to build my mileage and get ready. Plus the weather is great that time of year here in the Midwest. I completed the Wildcat 50K back in Nov. so I'm familiar with the idea of stepping beyond the marathon, but going an extra 19 beyond the 50K is a far cry from the 5 additional miles required of completing a 50K. I plan to take a similar approach though. Training for Wildcat I moved up from running only 3 times per week at a peak mileage in the 30's to 4 runs per week and peaked at 50 miles per week. I had about 4 and a half months to train. This time I'll be moving up from running 4 times per week to 5 and plan to peak in the 70's. Targeting an event in Oct. will give me a good full 5 months to train. It's mostly structural adaptation and since the time course for structural adaptations (bone, ligament, tendon, connective tissue) takes longer than cardiovascular adaptations, I want to give myself plenty of time. The biggest risk for training for this type of an event is injury. I absolutely want to minimize that risk. Right now my running base is in the 20's/30's (miles per week) so I think this will give me enough time to build my mileage without pushing things too far too fast.
So, which 50 to do? I've combed the various ultra calendars out there and have arrived at 4 possibilities. All 4 of these events are quite different with several pros/cons attached. My selection criteria includes that it must be driving distance from Iowa City, fairly low key but still an official race and that the race must be run on trail (definitely NOT pavement). I am also looking for something challenging but within my reach as a first time 50 mile runner. I've outlined 4 options below and would love to know what you think! I haven't made any final decisions yet and it may be a little while before I do. Depending upon which race I choose, I'll also be selecting a 50K several weeks out as a peak training run to prepare me for the 50 miles. More on that later.
1. Glacial Trail 50. The Glacial Trail 50 is run in the Northern unit of the Kettle Moraine Forrest in Wisconsin. Although I've never run up in this section before, if it's anything like the Southern Unit, I know it will have amazing, scenic views. From the course descriptions I've read and pictures I've seen it appears the terrain varies from runnable prairie to rather technical single track. With the event being so late in the year, I do know leaves cover much of the trail and can make it difficult to manage hidden roots and rocks. Here is a nice race report by Peter Konrad who ran GT50 last fall. At $60 the cost is a steal! It's a scenic, challenging course but I'm a little worried I'll get in over my head with all the rocks. Right now I have a recurring issue with my right foot/heel that gets aggravated by running on uneven terrain. That would have to be 100% fixed. The course is 25 miles out and 25 miles back. Not easy to bail. There is a 12 hour cut off, so it's really for the big boys and girls. Yikes! I finished Wildcat in under 6 hours, it had 12,000 ft of elevation change so I think I could do it with the right training but it would be quite a challenge for a first timer like myself. Scariest of all, thus the one that excites me the most!
2. Surf the Murph 50. Surf the Murph is a low-key ultra event in late Oct. It's run on a loop course, with what sounds like only a little technical single track with a lot of very runnable trail. As I found with Wildcat, the looped course allows one to stop by the car to change gear and check a cell phone. Although some would also think it also makes it easy to drop out! There are 3 loops for the 50 mile so I don't think it would be monotonous. I did 5 loops for Wildcat (the last 2 in rain) and was never bored nor tempted to bail so I don't think those would be issues. There is a generous 14 hour time limit, which also takes the pressure off. Although it would be much more suited for a first-timer like me, this one seems like a safer option that GT50 (and thus not as exciting) so depending on how my training ends up could be a great option.
3. Heartland 50. This 50 miler takes place in conjunction with a 100 mile run across the dirt roads amid the tall grass prairie in KS. The 50 mile starts at 6pm so it's were talking primarily running at night on an out and back course. Definitely a different kind of ultra. I love running on dirt roads and I love running in the dark so that's the allure, but I do wonder how I would handle that over 50 miles. Chances of putting down a good time are high due to only rolling hills on very runnable terrain. Much like GT50 and Surph the Murph, the costs is quite reasonable. This race is different and is very high on the "adventure into the unknown" scale so, its definitely got my attention.
4. Des Plaines River Trail Race 50. This is what I would call the fastest of the 4 options. Note I didn't say "easiest", as depending on how you run it could end up quite the opposite. The course is advertised as a very flat, fast and scenic out and back. That could be good and bad. I'm no stranger to hilly terrain as the Wildcat 50K had 12,000 ft of elevation change over the 31 miles. However, one thing I found from running that course is all the power hiking up steep hills forces the pace to be reasonable and I finished feeling better than I had following a flatter marathon. It's quite possible I could run myself into a blow-up on this course! It's also the most expensive at $105.
Regardless of which race I end up choosing, I'm looking forward to logging some epic mileage (for me anyway) this summer, pushing boundaries and finding out new things about myself and running. It will be quite a challenge to up the mileage and keep myself healthy But it's a challenge I'm looking forward to. What are your summer goals? What are the challenges to getting you there? It doesn't matter if it's 50 miles or a 5K depending on where you are starting and where you want to be the challenge is similar, and all the fun is in getting there.
Happy Running!
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