Lions, Tigers, Bears, an Arthritic Tortoise, and a Mountain Lion Did Nothing Fatal at the Inaugural Bryce 100

Julie W

Okay, let me preface this by saying that this is not your typical race report. It’s more of an epic tale of survival. But I guess that’s what running “hundies,” as they are known in the ultramarathon world, is all about. And it’s also a bit of a cautionary tale, for those who are planning their first hundy.

I BLAME MY DAD

I would also like to state up front that I blame my dad for this whole experience. He visited Bryce Canyon, in southern Utah last fall and told me that it was without a doubt the most beautiful place he had ever been.  Coming from a man who has literally traversed this entire country multiple times, often on his Harley motorcycle, I did not take this assessment lightly. 

Of course, he told me this merely to encourage me to visit one day, NOT to run 100 miles there. However, he should have known better. After all, he has known me literally all my life! Anyway, after getting off the phone with him, I immediately looked online to see if there was an ultramarathon there. And lo and behold, it turned out that there not only was one, it was the first ever Bryce Ultra Marathon 100. I took this as a sign (a good one), and immediately signed up (click here or on pic, below, to view a YouTube video (not my video)! highlighting the beauty and magnitude of the Bryce 100).

I’m not going to bore you all with my training for this race, as I want to get to the fun part…the actual race. But suffice it to say that I had run multiple ultras, up to 76 miles in distance, and have been using Bryon Powell’s book “RelentlessForward Progress” to train. Also, after switching my diet to primal/paleo about a year ago, my training has been going much better, and I have had no issues with GI upset, etc. during longer races (this had been a problem in the past). If you would like to know more about the primal lifestyle, visit the website marksdailyapple.com, or feel free to contact me. 

BEFORE THE RACE

Okay, on to the fun part…the trip!  Having never run at altitude (elevations during the race would range from 7,500 to nearly 10,000 feet), I felt it best to arrive a week early to Bryce. Although it takes 3-4 weeks to really acclimate (making more red blood cells, etc.), most experts believe that the majority of acclimation occurs within the first week, including significant adaptations of respiratory function. Plus, altitude sickness is usually worse in the first few days. Also, I figured if I were going to travel all the way to Utah, I should make a nice vacation out of it and see some sights beforehand. 

This turned out to be the best decision I could have made, as I was able to do two run/hikes of 9-10 miles the weekend before, and enjoy other fun activities (horseback riding, scenic drives, tours of the area) in the days leading up to the race. I stayed at the famous historic Ruby’s Inn, which is more like a little town unto itself, adjacent to the canyon entrance. It was great, as the shuttle into the canyon picks up right there, many tours leave from there, and they even had a grocery store, so I could cook my own meals (something I always try to do before an ultra). Oh, and the best ice cream and really cool rock shop, too!  I highly recommend this place if you ever visit Bryce.

An inevitability with an inaugural race is the unknowns. I wasn’t too worried, as the race director had also directed the Zion 100 the past two years, and it apparently went smoothly. I got a little nervous due to a couple of last-minute course changes, however. The first change occurred a couple weeks before the race, and led to a drastic increase in the total elevation climbed…from around 18,000 feet to around 26,000. 

The second change, which literally occurred a couple of days prior to race day, was a mixed blessing. Rather than being a complete out and back, they had decided to end the race at Ruby’s Inn. While this was great news for someone like me staying there, it would require that I either leave my car at the start and take a shuttle back afterwards (when I would no doubt be exhausted), or find a ride to the start. I immediately went on Facebook to look for someone to carpool with, and through the magic of social media was rewarded within the hour by an offer from Sarah (who will from here on out be referred to as “Tiger.” 

Drop Bags Ready:
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

We agreed to meet in the lobby at 4:15, and her crew would drop us at the start. Ah, a crew…what a lovely concept! One thing I kept hearing from folks was how “brave” I was to be doing this race without a crew or pacer. I had frankly not given much thought to this, as I had never had either in any of my previous races, with the exception of two friends who walked through the night with me in the 20in24 race. Frankly, I didn’t really see the need for such luxuries, as you could leave drop bags at every aid station (approximately 5-9 miles apart). I mean, what could possibly go wrong? More about that later.

Race day pre-dawned with a prediction of perfect weather (highs in the 60’s, lows in the 30’s and no humidity or chance of rain). I met Tiger right on time, and was introduced to her crew: Eric from Chicago (hereafter named Bear) and Leo from SoCal (hereafter named, you guessed it: Lion). 

From Left: Lion, Tiger and Bear
Before the Race

The ultra world being small as it is, it turns out that I had met Lion a few weeks earlier when I ran the Leona Divide 50 miler. I had referred to him at the time as “Flag Pant Man,” due to the fact that he ran the entire race in 90 degree heat wearing American flag pant skinny jeans. He did this to honor his father in-law, a veteran who had recently passed away. I recognized him immediately, due to the fact that he was wearing the same pants to pace Tiger in the last 50 miles of the race. A true glutton for punishment, I’d say, considering the chafing that would no doubt ensue!

AND WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING

The race started as the sun was coming up, and we were treated to one of the most beautiful stretches of the race right at the beginning. This portion of the course was added later, and was one of the reasons for a course change. It was definitely worth it. I had decided from the start that I would go at my “arthritic tortoise” pace, as they had already stated that you could finish after the 36 hour cutoff and still receive a beautiful artist-designed belt buckle at the finish, although your time would not be “official” after the cutoff. 

Things were going really well, until I started the leg between the 3^rd and 4^th aid station. All of a sudden, it seemed like we were going straight up a very rocky path forever. Although I never had altitude sickness per se, I was definitely feeling the effects of the thin air, and had to pause many times to catch my breath. This very difficult leg was made better by my having partnered with an MD pathologist from the University of San Francisco named Harris (hereafter called trekking pole guy). 

We passed a good 3 hours together comparing diseases until he trekked his way on ahead. During our conversation, I learned that he had done the Hardrock 100 and was planning on going again this year. I was quite impressed, as this is known to be one of the hardest ultras in the world, with elevations of 14,000 feet requiring a 48 hour cutoff! He made me feel better by telling me that the Leadville 100, which I had already signed up for this August, was an easier course than Bryce, despite a higher peak altitude (12,600 feet).  

I shuffled into the 4^th aid station (just over 26 miles in) very concerned about my ability to finish this race. I didn’t know it at the time, but that leg was the hardest of the entire course. Tiger was already there, and looking very exhausted, if not outright defeated. She was having trouble eating and drinking, and this was affecting her not only physically but mentally as well. Lion and Bear were doing what they could to help, but I had concerns that she was done for the day. I certainly hoped not. 

Amazingly, being true to her nickname, Tiger kept going, and stayed around 10-15 minutes behind me for most of the day. This enabled me to visit with Bear and Lion at the aid stations, who served as my honorary crew as well. They were awesome!

The remainder of the daylight hours passed relatively uneventfully. People often ask me what I think about while running for hours on end, and truthfully you don’t have a chance to think about much except where you are putting your foot in the next step. Otherwise you will fall on your butt! In this respect, running an ultra becomes a moving meditation, and I think this is why I love it so much…you have to be in the moment. 

Thinking about where you’ve been, and especially about what is still to come, can be damaging on many levels. The course was primarily single-track, with some double-track 4WD road, and although most was not terribly technical, you definitely need to watch your step. I had brought my IPod, but never had the desire to use it. The terrain was wonderfully variable, with steep rocky stretches, gorgeous aspen groves, and of course, the amazing pink rock formations, known as hoodos, that Bryce is famous for…they look like they should be on Mars!

Beutiful Hoodos

I Think We're On Mars!

Around 8PM, I began to ascend a seemingly endless series of switchbacks leading to the Pink Cliffs aid station at mile 45. Along the way, several runners passed me going the other direction, as they had reached the 50 mile turnaround well ahead of me. They all said the same thing: “not much further to go,” and “you are going to be amazed by the views up there!” I had already learned from previous ultras not to trust the “not much further to go,” as you really have no concept of distance out there, and I tried to ignore that part. I was very curious about the view, however, and also concerned that I wouldn’t make it before sunset. 

At this point, I was mainly walking, and my stomach was giving me trouble for the first and only time that day, probably as the result of having some vegan broth at the last aid station. When will I ever learn not to try anything new in an ultra, particularly if it might have gluten in it? Redoubling my efforts, I made it to Pink Cliffs about 10 minutes before the sun went down, and was not disappointed. It was breathtaking! However, the wind was literally howling, with temperatures dropping rapidly, and I didn’t stay long. 

Trail Along the Ridge

I had also underestimated how slow I would be going, and my headlamp was at the 50 mile turnaround. Fortunately, I had stowed a flashlight in my bag just in case. I threw on my thin jacket (my other clothes were also further down the line), and headed out. It took me around 2 hours to go the roughly 5 miles between Pink Cliffs and the turnaround. The last 2 miles seemed to take forever, as the trail was very narrow and rocky, and I didn’t encounter very many folks at that stage. Although the night running was pretty cool, as the stars were amazingly bright, I could see how this might mess with my head if I were to do the whole night alone.

THE FINISH

I arrived at the 50 mile turnaround at 10:50, and was informed by the wonderful volunteers (all of the volunteers for the race were wonderful, by the way!) that they were still open for another 10 minutes. I was a bit surprised by this, as I had assumed that if the cutoff had been extended they would extend the aid station cutoffs as well. This was apparently not the case, or at least no one had told them. I was then informed that Pink Cliffs would close at 1AM, two hours after this one, and the next one at 4AM. I wasn’t worried about Pink Cliffs, as even if I didn’t make it there by the cutoff, I would still have plenty of water, etc., but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t make it to the next one by 4AM, in the dark, descending very steep and rocky paths. 

An added problem was that many of the aid stations, including those three, had no way of communicating with one another due to their remoteness, and therefore no one would know I was out there to wait for me or look for me if I didn’t show up. It was at this point that I made the very difficult decision to stop at the 50 mile point. I was too worried to go it alone in the dark, with no pacer, crew, water, etc.  

Lion and Bear were there waiting on Tiger, and I knew I could get a ride back with them.  I had never DNF’d a race before, and I was very emotional. The kind volunteers gave me a beer, wrapped me in a blanket, and let me grieve. Lion was quick to point out that DNF stands for “Did Nothing Fatal,” and everyone seemed to agree that I made the right decision.

Concerns then turned to Tiger, whom Lion and Bear had not seen since the aid station prior to Pink Cliffs. Their car couldn’t access Pink Cliffs, and because they couldn’t communicate with them, they were pretty sure she had dropped there or was en route slowly, perhaps hurt. It was very stressful, and Lion decided to head out towards Pink Cliffs, sweeping the trail as he went. Another man was looking for his wife and stepson, and Lion promised to look for them as well. Shortly after Lion headed out, a truck pulled up with Tiger in it. She had dropped at Pink Cliffs, and was looking worse for wear. The most concerning thing was her cough, which was wet and nearly constant. 

Concerns immediately went to pulmonary edema, which is a common symptom of altitude sickness. However, we had also inhaled a great deal of dust that day, so it was possible that was the problem. Either way, we wanted to get her down off the mountain as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it took another 1 ½ hours for Lion to return, so we holed up in the rental car with the heater on. 

The Rental Car.  You Can Imagine How Dirty We Were!

When Lion got back, he had some very scary news to report: As he was scanning the areas off the trail, he saw two green eyes. He thought at first that it might be a bear, but then the eyes quickly dropped towards the ground, and he knew it was a large cat. He kept running, turning his head periodically to look over his shoulder for the cat. 

Sure enough, a mountain lion came out onto the trail and stared at him. He quickly turned around, spreading his arms wide to look bigger, and the cat kept walking off the trail. WHEW!! Unfortunately, while looking over his shoulder, he stubbed his toe hard on a rock, breaking it. OUCH!! That didn’t deter him from running the other 3 plus miles to pink cliffs, though, proving yet again that ultrarunners are both tough and crazy! It was really frightening to think that I had just come up that trail 15 minutes earlier. That cat had been there all along, watching the headlamps going by. Fortunately, he decided we weren’t worth the trouble. We probably smelled too bad!

Hello Mountain Lion!  Good Kitty :)

Well, that’s about it. In the end, we all survived (Did Nothing Fatal), and had quite an experience. Lion and I went later that day to watch the runners crossing the line after 35 hours. It was hard to believe that we had gone through all that, showered, slept, had breakfast, napped, etc, and they were out there all that time! I got to see a lot of folks I had met on the trail at the finish, including Trekking pole guy, and handed out some belt buckles.

My impression of the race is that it is definitely doable, but I should have trained more with hikes, like in Bear Mountain, as much of the course was not really runnable. Also, if I’d had a crew, or even just a pacer, I could have kept going despite the closing of aid stations. I won’t make this mistake again. The race director has promised to do something to improve communications. It was an amazingly beautiful course, and I would recommend it. I will return next year...for the whole distance this time! Lion is already planning to sign up…can’t wait to see what pants he will be wearing. Thanks for reading!

-Julie W

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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

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A Tale of Two Sundays

Julie W and Lara K

From the Blogmaster: This blog post was co-authored by Julie W and Lara K. -Dave K

INTERNATIONAL LOVE -- 

THE "PEEPOLZ MARATHON" REPORT

LARA
Marathon Sunday.  Although we couldn’t have guessed it a month, or even a week out, it would really be a day like no other.

Having taken the “semester” off from marathoning, I expected to spend the day once again, volunteering at the Flyers PowerGel station, and maybe even running a few miles with a teammate.

But the events of October 29th changed everything.  I’m not gonna rehash things here.  You all know how things played out.  And on that Friday evening, emotions ran the gamut from acceptance to relief to anger to just maybe feeling a little lost.  I wasn’t even running the race, but I felt them all with you.

Then my awesome Flyer teammate Julie W posted on Facebook:

“I have a proposition...an impromptu marathon in Central Park on Sunday. Four loops just like the old days. We can dedicate it to the hurricane victims or to Laurie H. or whatever feels right.”

That was exactly what the doctor ordered.  And from what was witnessed through various social media channels, many many others seemed to be on the same wavelength...

So I headed to the park on Sunday, honestly a little apprehensive...based on what I had witnessed over social media the few days prior, quite a few people may have been taking some of the lyrics of David Guetta’s song Titanium a little too seriously... ”Stone-hard, machine gun.... Fired at the ones who run..."

Would we be welcome, or met by hordes of protesters and the like?  I need not have worried, as Central Park was absolutely MOBBED with runners.  Many wearing their orange NYCM race shirts.  Many wearing their race bibs.  And probably many wearing what they would have worn for the race as well.  And there were no jeers from the crowd, only cheers.  Restored all faith in humanity for me :)

Running Through a Cheering Tunnel

So at Engineer’s Gate, Julie said a few words of thanks to everyone before we all set off at the symbolic start time of 9:40 am (if you’re not sure why that’s symbolic, the answer will be later in the story ;-) )  In the early going, Julie had International Love by Pitbull playing on her iPod, which I felt was very appropriate for the day.  

Flyers Ready to Run

The first loop of the park was just taking things in.  All the runners from around the world, whether they were doing 1 loop or 4, for fun or a hard effort, and everything in between.  The spectators on the side cheering their heart out.  Recognized some locals (Brian H!), and many holding the signs they would have held if the show had gone on.  Little bit of a shame they had people running around the finish line instead of through/under it, but I guess some things are sacred :)  

Stephanie T Does a Finish Line Leap

I had the pleasure of sharing the second loop with our Thursday Nite Run leader Michael R, where we had a celebrity spotting of sorts!!  Yep, pasta party speaker Amy Hastings with her running partner Kim Smith were logging their mileage among the crowds in the park!!  (And rumor has it Meb Keflezighi was out running as well!)  Was a cool sight –– the elites wanted to be one of us that day.  And right around the 102nd street transverse was another celebrity spotting –– our very own Pat D playing the bagpipes...not quite the Willis Avenue Bridge, but was great to see him doing his thing :)

Pat D Gets a Thumbs Up from Julie W

My two loops done, I stuck around at Engineer’s Gate to cheer on my teammates going longer, and, well, everyone else too!! Central Park was a party still going strong.  Lots of runners still out and the crowds were as deep as 5th Ave.  Some spectators even had out their own “finish line tape” anticipating their loved ones’ finish.  And eagle-eye Glen W spotted a runner in a “Seoul Flyers” singlet and we had a photo op-see, the Flyers are EVERYWHERE!

To sum it all up, what I witnessed in Central Park on that Sunday was just so much caring and love, and a sense of renewal.  I walked (well, ran) away from Central Park proud to be a runner, and declared on Facebook that “Others may think otherwise, but from what I witnessed today, runners are the best people. ever.”

International love, indeed.

JULIE
A wise man (my father, actually!) once said: 

“You can’t change what you can’t control…you can only change your reaction to it.” 

And although he wrote this to me after the Yankees got knocked out of the playoffs this year, never was this phrase more apt than post-hurricane Sandy. I grew up in the south, land of epic storms, and I actually “rode out” hurricane Andrew in 1992 while in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. However, nothing prepared me for the devastation wrought upon New York and New Jersey by Sandy. Despite having seen thousands of images on the news as well as in person, it still feels so unreal to me.

Another wise old saying is that “hindsight is 20/20”. I’m sure the NYRR staff are feeling that phrase deeply having gone through the “on again, off again” NYC Marathon once Sandy had done her worst. 

Of course, it would have been better to cancel the marathon earlier and save those traveling great distances the headache and disappointment associated with a last-minute cancellation. And they should have anticipated the community’s reaction to going ahead with the race in the face of so much destruction. However, I don’t think anyone really knew the full impact of this storm until days later. And the bottom line is that I personally feel that although they made the decision too late, they made the right decision.

Given the fact that the race was canceled at the last minute, it was understandable that many folks (Flyers and non-Flyers alike) were shocked and disappointed to learn that they would not be running two days later. Once the initial shock wore off, I felt it was time to “make lemons out of lemonade” and hold “The Peepolz Marathon” anyway, Sunday morning in Central Park. 

The idea was simple: 

• Show up at 9:40 (the original start time of the race), 
• Run anywhere between 1 to 4 loops of the park, and 
• Have fun doing it. 

Stephanie T, Julie W and Lara K
Having Fun on the "Peepolz" Run

The idea quickly caught fire and gained momentum, and before we knew it our Flyers had organized not only a sizable running contingent, but a large group of race supporters (complete with a table setup by Glen W and friends).

Glen W with his Table and Friends

I figured there would be others running in the park that day, but I hadn’t counted on the sheer volume, international showing, and number of enthusiastic supporters out there. I literally got choked up walking up to Engineer’s Gate that day, and it was only the first time of many that day I would tear up.

Some of the most memorable moments were the large group of French runners coming in the opposite direction, cheering their hearts out, the Brazilian contingent handing out water along the way yelling “fresh water, no additives or artificial sweeteners…we made it ourselves!”, and the children handing out their Halloween candy to strangers. 

VIVE LE FRANCE!!

The NYC Parks Department had wisely anticipated the crowds, and was instructing bikers to get off and walk their bikes near the marathon finish line. Despite the amount of congestion and need to re-route runners around the finish line rather than through it, things went surprisingly smoothly. And at the end of the day, I think we all came away with a renewed sense of the resilience and determination that makes each of us proud to call ourselves a runner.

INTERNATIONAL AID: 

THE "BAD KIDZ ON THE BUS" TRY TO DO GOOD!

JULIE
For me personally, the only “fly in the ointment” about organizing the Peeps Marathon on Sunday was the fact that I would not be able to join a group of fellow Flyers in Staten Island to aid in the relief efforts there. So, when the opportunity came up through JackRabbit Sports and NYC MORE (Marathon Effort of RElief) to head out on the following Sunday, I jumped at the chance. 

Again, I was pleased to see many of my fellow Flyers were up to the task.  The idea was to bus 500 folks out to three of the hardest hit areas in New York: Staten Island, The Rockaways, and Long Beach. Groups left from three of the JackRabbit locations, and those leaving from the UWS went to Staten Island. We had four buses going to this location, and each bus was dropped off at a different site deemed most in need based on their inquiries the day before. 

Julie W and Brian H

I was on the bus with Reyna F, Victoria S, Shira Z, Lara K, Nick J, and Brian H. As you can imagine, we were like the “bad kidz on the school bus” during the nearly 2 hour ride over, but our fun and games came to an abrupt halt once we saw the extent of the devastation. 

Our bus was the last to drop off folks in the Tottenville region, which coincides with the southernmost point of New York State. When we got off the bus, we were instructed to break into smaller groups and go house to house to ask folks if they needed help. We were told to be somewhat persistent, as folks might be proud and afraid to admit they needed anything. 

Shira Z Carrying Supplies
To Bring on the Bus for Toting to Tottenville

The first house we came to, Nick approached two gentlemen who were coming out of their house and asked if we could do anything for them. To my delight, they spoke up right away and said if we were game for it, they needed two folks to help tear down the bottom portion of sheetrock from their first floor, which had been badly damaged by flooding. 

Nick and I decided to take on the challenge of demolition, and spent the next few hours happily encased in plaster dust, smiling the whole time. The guys turned out to be great…very down to earth “New Yawkers”, and a lot of fun to work with.  The younger man, Steven, said that he was so grateful we came by as he had just been looking around and getting very discouraged,  trying to figure out how he and his father, Frankie, were going to get all that work done by themselves. He said that we were just the motivation he needed…and we were certainly thrilled to help! 

With Frankie and Steven

While we were there, the Red Cross truck came around with food and beverages. Steven said they came by twice a day, and that the NYC Dept of Sanitation trucks came by non-stop to keep up with the loads of debris being put on the street. It was nice to see that things were finally starting to get organized.

After Nick and I finished up at Steven and Frankie’s , we headed over to a large house that was literally the southernmost property in New York State. Most of the other folks from our bus were already there. 

LARA
It was what was once a beautiful house on the water, complete with a long deck leading out to the shore, the glass windows letting whoever was inside see some beautiful sunsets on the water.  When we approached the house, we could not believe our eyes –– it looked like it was standing on stilts, the whole first floor had been washed away.  

The family felt lucky to have survived (by taking refuge in the attic) but you can tell it was devastating to lose a lifetime of memories.  We all got to work helping clean out the attic and the second floor and eventually debris outside.  When we were throwing out what had been damaged from the storm, we found a lot of trophies, medals, an old NYRRC race bib, even an old Runner’s World log filled in with entries of various runs and workouts-one of the daughters had been a champion cross country runner back in the day.  We could tell the experience was incredibly heart-wrenching for the mother –– she couldn’t look at the years of memories that had to go, but she was so appreciative for the help and gave us all numerous hugs and thanked each of us.

Before leaving for the day, we took a look at the next block over, which we were told was hit the hardest.  There were two homes completely leveled.  Another that had the front and side completely destroyed and gone, the red “Unsafe” sign had to be put on the wall by the fireplace since there was no longer a front door.  Sh*t had definitely gotten real.  I almost wanted to cry when seeing scenes like that throughout the day....

Picture Speaks for Itself :(

But on a more positive note, I was incredibly impressed by the sense of community, I definitely felt the “we are in this together” sentiment and the optimism that remained despite the horrible situation –– “we will rebuild.”  Our crew was exhausted on our bus ride back to Manhattan (no, not “the city” ;-) ) but felt incredibly fulfilled, which was definitely worth the trip to Staten Island and then some.

JULIE

My feelings at the end of the day echo Lara’s. Never have I felt more humbled and at the same time proud of the human spirit and the incredible strength people can show in times of adversity. I will always remember our day on Staten Island, and the people I met there. May we be ever grateful for what and, especially, WHOM we have in our life!

- Julie W/Lara K

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