Croom Trail 50K Race Report

I'm an ultrarunner again!

Well, technically I am. While a 50k is technically considered an ultra, the first true "bragging rights" ultra is 50, so I'll give that a go in a month. But anyways, I broke the ultra barrier this weekend and here's the promised race report:

I left work around noon on Friday and finished packing. I was feeling pretty nervous about the race, so I read an article written about the Barkley Marathon, which made me feel a lot better about the distance. If those guys can finish even one loop of that race, I can do 31 miles on a marked trail in Florida! On the way there, I noticed that it was a full moon out. Not only that, but it was blood red. I called my parents and Emily to ask if that was a good or bad sign, and it was a split vote. Oh well, tomorrow will be what it will be I guess. I got to Brooksville around 9:30 or so, checked in, and pretty much crashed.

Woke up at 5:20 and got ready. This was the first race where I went with gym shorts over triathlon shorts to try to avoid the wicked chaffing that I was getting with the just gym shorts routine I was going with before. I also tried a product called Body Glide, which I am now willing to buy stock in, but more on that later...

I left my room around 6 and drove to the start. It was a dusty gravel road to the start, and my car is now filthy from it and the bugs that hit my car on the way down. I got my race packet, threw my number on my shorts (ultrarunners put their numbers on their shorts, and since I was to be part of their club again, I guessed I better start doing that) and threw the bag in the car.

It's true from all the race reports I've ever read. You're standing at the start, wondering what the day is going to bring, and you expect there to be some big, symbolic start, something meaningful, a warcry, anything. Nope, the crowd just starts moving forward. That's the start, no gun, no yelling, just running. I guess I like that better, I just always expect more...

The first mile was down the dusty gravel road so that we run the extra mile (its a 15 mile loop, times two is 30, plus this mile gives 50K). A lot of the trail was sandy, which surprised me. I would say a quarter of it, but a few of the big hills were sandy, which made it harder. The course was well marked with orange spraypaint marks and ribbon, which made it easy. Only one turn could have been better marked, but luckily there was group in front of me that caught it the first time. This group consisted of the people I ran much of the race with. A guy named Dave (I think) who went to law school at Duke and Stanford, but he didn't keep with the group long. I also ran with an AF reservist from Macdill AFB named Tim and a girl whose name I forget (the race results haven't come out yet, so I can't go look up names). I finished the first lap and made it to the first aid station of the second lap with them. The aid stations were very helpful, serving coca-cola, energy drink, water, M&M's, and chex mix. The first lap went well, sticking with Tim and his friend, walking (some) of the uphills and getting out of the aid stations quickly after thanking the volunteers. The second lap didn't go so well. I started to overheat, as it was a moderately hot day out (85 degrees) and overcast, so it didn't feel as hot as it was. I had a slight headache the whole way and I felt like I couldn't drink enough water. That and my roommate who had borrowed my camelback left a gu packet that somehow opened into the pocket where my saltsticks were, dissolving them into the orange gu. No electrolytes for me today!

Someone told me this was Bundy's Pit, where the serial killer Ted Bundy buried some of his victims... creepy!


I made it through the second aid station and quickly made it to the third, which seemed odd when the aid station volunteers said it was only 2.5 to the finish. I left with an older gentleman (68 years old) and ran/walked with him for a while, who informed me that their estimate was bullshit, and that it was at least 6 to the finish! We talked about his history of ultrarunning, that he started in this 11 years ago and has ran a 50k in the desert in July. He seemed very upset that he was moving so slow with his age, but we talked about how much better it was to be doing ultramarathons at 68 when I know plenty of 20 year olds who can't finish a mile. I started to pull ahead a little and felt a little better, so I thanked him and wished him luck, and sped off.

The rest of the race was almost a big blur, except for when Joe from work texted me about a party he was having for Easter the next day. He told me to bring a dish or dessert, so I made him tell me exactly what to bring as I was having trouble thinking at the moment. The next thing I remember is seeing a sign saying "Camp/water 0.2 miles ahead"! Yes, the finish! I started moving with whatever energy I had left, and finished in 6:28:something. My older friend finished about 10 minutes after me. I waited for him at the finish line, congratulated him, and called Emily and my parents to tell them about the race as I hobbled to my car.

Oh, and on the way home, I got one of these, even though Emily said not to:


My knee hurts now, and my back is really sore, worse than my legs! My knee seems like a tight IT band, so I'm stretching it out now as I have two days off, and my back just needs a heat pad. I also have that "I slept too long and I'm dehydrated like a hangover" headache, which sucks, but I'll take it, as I had a great but difficult time yesterday. I feel very confident that I can finish the 50 miler now that I finished the 50k. I don't know that it will be an amazing finishing time, but barring injury, I'll make it.