Dirty German 50k
Dirty German Endurance Festival is held each year in the beginning of May. The festival includes three different running distance on and off trail. If you run a 25k (15.5 miles), you do it because you can, 50k (31.2) because you rock, and a 50miler (50 miles) because you are cuckoo. The three distances travel the same path through the Penny Packer Park in the surrounding area of Philadelphia. The scenic route go up, over, through the park and on the walking/biking path that runs straight through.
This would be the second time I toed the line in Penny Pack Park, but this time the weather was very different. Throughout the week leading up to the race we had weather anywhere from 65 to 90 degrees, every day the rain was also either there or nonexistent. The race director emailed us explaining that the course could in fact be muddy so wear the correct shoes for the hills. I packed my Altra Superiors for their last race and a plethora of clothes, because well, we have no idea what the weather was going to do. The previous year it was a nor’easter, no I am not kidding, a real Nor’easter. It down poured throughout the entire race, my fingers blew up to sausages, and my skin had lost all the oils. At the start of this year’s race it was a wonderful 55 degrees and the humidity wouldn’t creep in until I was almost finished.
The race was set up with 4 aid stations roughly 3 miles apart. The new addition of an aid station one and a half miles out was a really nice touch, and was a godsend at the end of the race. Each aid station was equipped with a burner and pans to fry up some delicious goodies. I felt like I was at an all you can eat buffet at one point; 5 different drinks, 15 different candies, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, bacon, and my favorite boiled potatoes. I would like to say I tried everything at each station, but alas I only had potatoes and mountain dew. The bacon I smelled did really make me salivate for it, which I ate when I got home! If you have never had potatoes while running an ultra, I suggest giving it a shot. The salt helps with your muscles from cramping and keeping in water, the starch is easy to digest so there is not stomach problems, and the carbs will keep you going for the rest of the event.
I started the race just as I do normally, start my watch and start to breathe to bring down my heart rate. The TOMTOM watch I use fits snug on my wrist. I wear it backwards so I don’t constantly look at it to see my time. The 50 milers are already off and I am jealous of them. To me, they are like the elite runners out there, able to push their bodies to limits I know nothing about yet. The RD counts backwards in German from 10 (which I think is an awesome touch), the German music plays and we are off.
My first 15.5 miles are met with little to no frustrations. I start out to fast like I normally do. I have planned to be running at a constant 9 to 10 minute pace. My mistake was not watching my pace throughout the entire race; mile one through 5 was perfect right in that sweet spot, mile 6-13 however I was at an 7:30 to an 8 minute pace. This would bite me later when my legs are a bit thrashed. The beginning of the race mile 1-9 was nice wooded paths and some foot trail roads. Beautiful, silent, and scenic would be how I would describe the first 9 miles, it also seemed to be mainly downhill, which should have had my little conscience saying, you’re screwed later. I loved the river crossings throughout the first half of the race, cools off my feet and gets me moving. The last 6 or so miles of the race were switch backs and uphill. Some of the uphill’s were gradual, which really pulls at your hips and your calves, while others were basically straight up for 200 meters.
Throughout the first lap of the course I ate my usual Honey stingers waffles and gels, it is what I have practiced with, it was what I knew. I had more than enough to get me through both loops, but I knew I would be leaving my waffles for some good ol’ German trail food. My feet felt great after the first loop, my knee was bloody because I missed a jump over a log, but all in all the first loop was just about as perfect as I could get it. I fished the first loop in 2:02, which turned out to be a 8:15 minute average pace. I knew I had done something wrong.
Bin break time, I refocused on my new loop. I hit a bit of a wall during the last 5 miles, I wondered why I was doing this, why would I continue, what is driving me? My brain at that point told me nothing, it gave me no solace to the questions I had, would I quit and take a 25k? The bin break was a great welcome, like I said I had to refocus and eat. Normal bin break food in: princess soup, orange, cliff bar, and a row of peeps. Yes, I eat peeps with every race…every…single…one. I know how people think about them. My mood changed, I was excited for the next loop.
Second loop, went out with a few people. We stayed together for the better half of the beginning three miles. We leap frogged throughout that half and when they stopped at the first age station, I continued on. I didn’t need food or drink at this point so I wanted to just keep trudging along. I ate a cliff bar on the next climb, and realized I had messed up. I should have taken a short break, maybe had something with salt, maybe some soda, but I knew I messed up by the way my feet felt. The speed of the first half caught up and started to make my feet and knees throb. I pushed through though, the pain made me wince every so often, but it wasn’t to the point I needed to stop. At the next aid station I decided to walk for the first time in the race. I made it 26miles of pure running. I walked for roughly 200meters, ate like a pig: mountain dew, cookies, potatoes, and pickles, and continued on. I started to pick it back up right after those 200meters, so to say I walked at all, it’s kind of a joke, but I wanted to be fair.
As I rounded a corner that would take me back to the start of the race I became elated and miserable at the same time. Happy, because I was just about finished this rough course with a much nicer PR, miserable because the pain in my feet was getting unbearable. So, what does any ultra-runner do? Stop and pee. I needed that break. I ate some more food at mile 28 and felt a little better, I went a bit slower through the water and felt it rush and cool my feet.
Mile 28.5 we were going back into the woods. There was a small group of runners I went by and then a guy by himself up the ways. He told me to go by, as I did I told him it was a bad idea. We then started talking about the race and about how much better it was than last year. We ran together for at least a mile and then our conversation turned to “why” we ran. He told me first that it was to get in shape for sports in college after he had been out of shape for a year or too. He said it started with a mile, then progressed farther and farther. I bet any number of the people reading this right now would say the same thing. “It started with a purpose, it started with the first mile.” When I started to share I said exactly that, it started with a purpose and with a mile, but it continued with a mindset that has pushed me farther. I started to think about my middle daughter, when she was first born there were some complications. She was my second born and my first girl, I was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure she was perfect. The doctors called us the night we brought her home and said she had a bacteria in her blood and we needed to get her to A.I. DuPont right away. Grief stricken, we raced to get everything together and she stayed in the hospital for over a week. The visit turned out better than perfect, they had messed up and she was going to be just fine. That entire week I couldn’t focus on anything but making sure she was fine; seeing her with tubes, a tiny body in a bed, and all the worry that comes with it. Life has so many hiccups in it, this was a big one, but she came out fine, we are a whole family, and life moved on. Talking to him just opened up a flood gate of tears that I had never cried for my daughter at that time, I was scared and nervous, but I never cried. I was running in front of him so he probably didn’t even know I was crying, but it felt great. Here I was explaining this event in my life that changed me to a 21 year old, and I’m a 36 year old having a good cry. It was something I needed I suppose. The final mile and a half went by quickly, I had almost brand new legs and feet and I felt like I was flying. Nothing hurt, the tears in my eyes were making me smile, but I didn’t stop them. Anyone on the course would have thought I was hurt, but I was just really, really happy thinking of my daughter Abby. I finished the race in 5:45:32 seconds. That’s almost an hour faster than the previous year. I sat down at my bin, ate my banana and the German sausage they provided and watch Woody, my new friend continue onto his last lap for the 50 miler.