JFK 50-Mile Ultra Marathon

Stephanie T

Blogmaster's Note:  This Flyers Blog entry was written by Stephanie T, enhanced by her husband Ray's photography, and includes additional perspectives provided by her partners in crime, Felicity L and Julie W, as so noted below.



Stephanie:  I am a planner. This is a fact I begrudgingly admit.  During my morning subway commute to work, I plan out my schedule for the day to the minute so that I maximize the use of my time.  I schedule my vacation plans with my husband to the hour. I also, as most distance runners do, follow a training schedule and establish a goal pace for my marathons.

I knew long before my training had started for the JFK 50 Mile that I would find it difficult to plan out the logistics for this race. When I received the exciting news on May 10^th that my race entry had been accepted, I had just started to run up to 8 miles at a time –– the most mileage in more than six months –– due to a knee injury. I recognized that I had over-trained last fall, and was now slow and out of running shape.  However, I was confident that I would be able to train the “right” way this year, and for my first ultramarathon at that!

The JFK 50 Mile Race Confirmation Mailed to Participants

The JFK 50 Mile is a race of historic significance, making it all the more special.  It was first held in the spring of 1963 and was one of numerous 50 mile events held around the country as part of President John F. Kennedy's push to promote physical fitness.  The initial inspiration behind the event came from President Kennedy challenging his military officers to meet the requirements that Teddy Roosevelt had set for his own military officers at the dawn of the 20th Century.  It is the only original JFK 50 Mile Challenge event to be held every year since the challenge was launched.  Many many military personnel continue to participate each year.  This year marked the 50th running of this illustrious event.

MONTHS BEFORE RACE DAY

Stephanie: The first planning-related obstacle I tackled was finding a training schedule for an event of this distance.  We’ve all come across numerous 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon training plans in magazines, in books and on the internet, but a 50-mile one was hard to find.  After sifting through online forums for advice, I was directed to read Bryon Powell’s Relentless ForwardProgress: A Guide to Ultramarathons, from which I created a schedule, in conjunction with the New York Flyers’ Marathon Training Program—the book became the foundation for my training.

I followed my 4.5-month schedule closely as long as I felt good and strong, and I learned from last year to give myself days off when I felt too tired or sick. I completed three 14, 16, 20 and 24-mile long runs, two 18-mile back-to-back runs and one 50K long run, and I mixed in a lot of long bike rides and yoga classes, mostly during the first half of training.  I immediately grew accustomed to running with a hydration pack, in which I stored my water, food and extra clothing, and realized I preferred using it over a fuel belt (I tried carrying a bottle, and hated it so much I hid it behind some bushes after the first of four Central Park loops one day!).

I practiced and enjoyed eating solid food on my long runs, mostly PB 'n' J quarter sandwiches and halves of Honey Stinger waffles, a practice that I learned is the norm in ultras.  I started using salt tablets during long runs, and discovered that water plus salt worked much better than Gatorade for me, and diminished feelings of nausea I used to experience during runs.

Felicity: To be honest, I didn’t really follow a training plan. Basically, I did the Flyers Tuesday night speed work outs, Thursday night runs, and a long weekend run. I’ve found that I get injured easily when I run more than three times a week, and this schedule works really well for me. My long runs (not in order) were 33, 31, 30, 27, 25, 23, and a bunch of 20’s. I also travel a lot for work, and often to places where running is impossible, so my training schedule was pretty unorthodox.  I did a lot of my long runs in the Palisades trails (as well as trails in Arizona and Kenya) which I think definitely helped my trail running skills and prepared me well for the Appalachian trail section. I don’t like eating solid food on long runs and have trouble eating enough, but I found that the Hammer Sustained Energy powder mixed with OJ kept me going for hours!

Hartford Marathon + 4.9 Miles = My First 50K Run!

Julie:  This would be the third ultra I would run this year (having run a 12-hour in June and a 24-hour in July), so I already had a good base. I followed the same training plan as Stephanie, jumping right back in after taking two weeks off from the 24 hour race. This was the same program I had used for the 24 hour race (except I followed the 100 mile plan for that one). Stephanie and I actually met one another at the Hartford Marathon, which we were using as a 50K training run. Yay, marathons as training runs! 

I also tried to listen to my body rather than doggedly following the training plan, and there were times I cut back a bit, particularly if I had run a race or hard run the week before. I did very little (read: no) cross-training, other than occasional brief workouts with my kettle bell and walking between 3 and 6 miles to and from work and 5 miles on Sundays with a friend. 

Unlike most ultra runners, I prefer a waist pack, which holds two 24 ounce bottles and plenty of pockets for gels, electrolyte capsules, etc. I don’t like carrying things on my shoulders, and find I don’t notice the pack at all. Most of my training was done on roads (which came back to haunt me a bit on the Appalachian Trail), with shorter long runs on the hills of Central Park, and longer ones around the perimeter of Manhattan for the most part. 

After having experienced stomach upset trying to take in lots of gels and solid food in my 24-hour race, I decided to make a drastic change in my eating habits and adopt the primal diet. I also found the book The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Dr. Loren Cordain particularly helpful. The idea is that over time, you train your body to use stored fat as its primary fuel source, rather than sugars. This enables the endurance athlete to not only run longer without “hitting the wall”, but also to drastically limit the amount of calories required during endurance events, thus decreasing the chances of stomach upset, etc. 

For my long runs, I mainly fueled with a superstarch drink mix called Generation UCAN, but still took in the occasional gel if needed. I also only drank water and supplemented electrolytes with Saltstick capsules. 

WEEKS BEFORE RACE DAY

Stephanie: The next planning-related obstacle was one that truly took me by surprise— I would not be able to plan a race pace nor could I predict my finish time!  When I looked to my ultra friends for advice on how to pace myself, my friend (and Team In Training coach) Mike B. responded: “The thing with ultras is that the courses are all so different, compared to run of the mill road races that one 50K or 50-miler cannot be compared to another, and they certainly (if it's a trail ultra with some decent elevation gain) can't be compared to a marathon.”  I had at least started with a pace group for my last seven out of 11 marathons, so to think that I wouldn’t be able to determine a race pace was mind-boggling to me at the time (but makes complete sense now post-race!).

Felicity: Totally agree. Really hard to predict! I knew the trail section would be slow but not having run it before, it was hard to estimate. I crunched some numbers and came up with an estimate of 10 - 10.5 hours, which turned out to be correct. As my first ultra though I really was just focused on finishing rather than on time.

Julie:  Ah, the blessed variety of the ultra! When asked what my predicted finish time was, I always said I just wanted to finish under the 12 hour cutoff. This was the first ultra I had run that had strict time cutoffs at various points along the way, and while this stressed me out a bit at the start, I found it was also a great motivating force to run harder! I found that imagining the race as three races, as Stephanie outlines below, helped me to better prepare mentally for what was to come.

DAY BEFORE RACE DAY

Stephanie: The day before the JFK 50 Mile had finally arrived, and I was overwhelmed with excitement and nerves! I felt like I had a golf ball stuck in my throat, and my heart beat faster every time I thought about the race!! My nerves were diminished as Flyer Julie W, Flyer Felicity L, Felicity’s boyfriend Zack B, my husband Ray T. and I shared running and other stories (such as Julie often works with dead rats, and Felicity tapered in South Sudan!) during our pasta dinner at a local Italian restaurant.  Ultra-veteran Julie also shared a great piece of advice with us, one that I recalled throughout the race—she advised us to break the race up into segments that felt doable. She suggested three races:

(1) The first 15 miles on the Appalachian Trail;
(2) A marathon on the C 'n O Canal tow path; and
(3) The final 8 miles.

In my mind, I no longer thought of the race as a 50-miler, but rather three smaller races, a last-minute change in perspective that would prove to be of huge help..

JFK 50 Mile Map & Elevation Chart

Julie:  This day was filled with unexpected stress for me, as I experienced car trouble on the way and almost didn’t make it to the hotel. Fortunately, there was a car rental place within walking distance of where I was staying, and although they only had a giant white “soccer mom” minivan left, I gladly took it. I make it a habit to stay in a hotel with a kitchen the night before a big race so I can prepare my own food, but took a chance and had dinner out with Stephanie and Felicity. I was very glad I did this, as it helped calm my nerves, and it felt good to offer advice to the “newbies”…they didn’t really need it though.  Plus, the chicken smothered in cream sauce and butter that I ate was SO good. And by the way, I don’t work that much with dead rats…mostly mutant mice. They are FAR more interesting!

RACE DAY!

Stephanie: On race day, Ray and I walked together from a high school where the mandatory pre-race meeting was held to downtown Boonsboro, MD along with over a thousand runners and their families and friends to the race start.  We quickly found Julie, Felicity and Zack, and, without any warning (or national anthem or speech), we heard a gunshot to signify that the race had begun!

Stephanie, Julie W and Felicity L

Felicity: I really loved this part of the race! The trail was super-pretty and more run-able than I expected. Here and there the trail was a bit crowded, but as my main goal was to just keep moving at a reasonable pace and not fall on my face, it wasn’t a major problem. I actually finished the first 15 miles about half an hour faster than I thought I would, and didn’t feel too worn out – though moving on to the relatively easy terrain of the towpath was a relief for my ankles!

Stephanie: My quads felt sore and my feet and ankles beat up at the start of the towpath . A man named Don approached me who inspired me with his story.  Don was an ultrarunner who had a heart attack and open heart surgery only a year ago. Only months after surgery, Don continued to run 50 and 100-mile races, though at a much slower pace now. He simply loved to run.  I lost Don during a Port-A-Potty break at Mile 22, and only then realized how monotonous it was running on the towpath.  The scenery never changed—water to the left, trees to my right, and brown leaves beneath my feet. 

Mile 15 – The End of the Appalachian Trail

By the time I saw Ray and Zack at the Mile 27 aid station, I was struggling—physically and mentally.  I only now realized the toll that the trail had taken on my body, and the thought of having to run nearly another marathon was more than I could bear. Ray let me know that they would meet me again at Mile 39, and I contemplated ways to call him to tell him I wanted to stop.

I never called Ray.  I continued to contemplate the idea until Mile 36, when the physical pains subsided, and a switch went off with the realization that I only had a “short” long run to go—I could finish this.  I picked up the pace and smiled widely as I approached them again! I savored nearly every item that was offered at the aid station—a blueberry bagel quarter with cream cheese, an orange slice, chicken noodle soup, red velvet cake, a half of a banana and Coke—as my handler Ray restocked my hydration pack with water, and helped me slip it back on.

Mile 39 - Ray Refills My Water Bladder
(As I Refuel On Red Velvet Cake, A Blueberry Bagel Quarter
AND A Piece of Banana)

Felicity: The toughest part of the race for me was miles 27 to 39… knowing that I’d gone a long way but still had some hours to go. And it didn’t help that I was expecting the Mile 39 aid station at Mile 36 (optimistic/can’t read properly). I’d been able to keep up a strong pace so far though, so I knew that as long as I kept moving I could beat the 12-hour cut-off no matter what. I found the towpath really beautiful as well — not too monotonous!

Felicity Approaching Mile 39 -- Finally!

I think I hit the nutrition really well –  until Mile 40 I only drank my Hammer drink concoction, water, and two granola bars – and felt great; I was able to take in enough calories and felt pretty strong throughout the entire race. The caffeinated shot blocks I added in at Miles 40-50 helped too J    But I didn’t want to start experimenting with all the aid station food, so I only paused long enough for water. And in fact this saved me a lot of time in the end – a lot of faster runners would pass me on the towpath and then I’d catch them at every aid station. One of the pieces of advice I’d read about this race is that since there are SO MANY aid stations (like every 2-4 miles) you need to be strategic about getting in and out because it’s easy to get distracted and lose a lot of time.

Stephanie: I continued to run out the towpath, slipping on the “vest of shame,” worn by runners that didn’t arrive at mile 41.8 by 3pm, onto the last 8 miles on asphalt, and toward the mile 46 aid station, toward Ray, but barely stopped when I reached it, knowing I was almost there!  I trotted up and down the rolling hills, enjoying the sights of cows and the smells of farm land.  The skies were black when I ran toward the finish line. A man’s voice behind me screamed, “I’m going to get you. Pick it up!” I responded, “Let’s do this!” as I sprinted and leapt to the finish!

Finished!

The JFK 50 Mile was the most challenging race I’ve ever run on so many levels.  The unplanned elements of training and the trails proved to be one of the most exciting aspects.  Ask me in another month if I’d run another again!

Felicity: What an amazing race! My bf Zack, Stephanie's husband Ray, and Flyer Derek C. were a great cheering / photography / handling crew. And it was really fun to have a couple of awesome Flyer ladies to have dinner with the night before and start off the race together. The race itself was incredibly well organized, great volunteers, beautiful course – would definitely recommend the JFK50. 

Julie:  One of the things I love most about running ultras is the “small town” feel they have, even in one as big as the JFK 50. The start in the middle of town was so cool. One potential mistake I made was to jog the entire 2 miles up the road before the entrance to the Appalachian Trail. I hadn’t studied the map well enough to know about this part, and it kind of went against my idea to walk all the hills. Who knows if it cost me any time later in the race, but something to consider if I ever run it again. The most physically trying part of the race for me was the trail, as it also beat up my quads and ankles pretty badly. I also fell three times (fortunately on soft leaves) and turned my ankle once. I’ve never been so glad to get off a mountain! 

I found the tow path “marathon” to be a mental challenge, due to its flat tediousness. I was actually looking forward to the hills of the last 8 miles, so I could have an excuse to walk again! I passed the time talking to various folks and “being in the moment” as much as possible, not thinking about what was still to come. I even started to name some of the folks whom I kept seeing, like the “most colorful man” wearing fluorescent green/yellow attire. He turned out to be named Les and was a New Yorker as well, as I found out after the race. The last 8 miles through scenic farmland was really a “run/walk” in the park, as by that time I knew it was all over but the crying (which I did with 1.5 miles to go…getting choked up and tearfully thanking the aid station volunteers). I even managed to “sprint” to the finish (at least it felt that way…although I probably was going like 4 mph at that point!).

"Thanks" Brightroom for  Lettting me "Borrow"
This Teensy Little Pic -- Yes, That's Me, Julie W,
Waving and Smiling on the Trail :)

Due to concerns about stomach issues, my nutrition for race day was far simpler than Stephanie’s:  I ate a banana, a packet of almond butter, and two hard boiled eggs two hours before the race and followed this up with two packets of UCan 30 minutes prior to the start. During the race, I took in a total of 3 packets of UCan, 5 gels, and two packets of almond butter. My energy felt great, and my stomach gave me no issues. I also felt mentally strong the whole time…no ups and downs. 

Immediately after finishing, I had a recovery drink called Mike’s Mix and managed to choke down a slice of pizza before being accosted by Stephanie carrying pizza, a burrito, a Twinkie (where did they find those?), and a HoHo. Proof of her ironclad stomach can be seen in our finisher photo…notice the pizza crust still clutched in her left hand. 

I also felt this race was the most challenging I have run to date, at least physically. The variety of terrain, while nice mentally, takes its toll. And while I easily beat the time cutoffs, that little voice in my head never stopped reminding me that they were there (or maybe I was just hearing things due to lack of calorie intake!). Additionally, this was the most prestigious ultra I have ever run and I felt honored to have been a part of it, particularly in its 50th year! 

On the bus back to the start to pick up my “soccer van,” I sat next to an elderly man who had run the race 21 times…what an inspiration! And I also chatted with some folks who are planning to run the Western States 100, which has been on my bucket list for a while. You don’t have to wait a month to ask me if I will run another ultra…I already have 4, possibly 5 planned for next year, including my first 100 miler! I’m also so happy that I got to share this experience with Stephanie and Felicity…they made me very proud!

Blogmaster's Other Note:  Steph, Felicity and Julie were too modest to include their incredible race result times in their write-ups, but if you're curious and want to be impressed on how fast they chugged up and down and around and along this 50-mile rugged route, you should click HERE.

-Stephanie T, with Felicity L and Julie W