Hi everyone, it’s been a long time since I’ve done a race report so I’m gonna give it a go here. Apologies, this may be a long one.
Around eight weeks ago. I looked at my year’s running and thought “I want to do something bigger this year“ I originally had some bigger plans, but they fell through with my parent’s illnesses, but now they are both settled into a new nursing home and fairly stable so this seemed like a nice window to try something. I’ve been doing comfortable 20K Sundays for the last few years, so my thinking was “I just need to ramp up from 20 to 50”, which is more or less what I did with some cut back weeks in between, and for the most part it worked. There were a couple of snags along the way. One where I got attacked by a dog on my 35K effort 🙄 and then my 40K effort was very much a slog in the heat that I prepped poorly for and more or less crawled around the last 10k. So I had no great expectations about what the 50k would hold. One thing I learned last year training for Berlin was the importance of sodium. so I made sure I factored it into my training and my race, and as a result, I didn’t cramp up like I did last year at the end. It was incredibly tiring - the last three laps especially - and it’s a bit disheartening when you pass 42k and you have to keep going and then for this race you actually pass 50k and you still have to keep going 3.5k or so because the loop is a little bit beyond 5k. Those last 3k feel like an eternity. Having said this, the tone of this particular race was positive, with aid stations at both ends of the loop with happy, supportive volunteers, and lots of good food. So you could hear them hooting and whistling as you approached, and you immediately felt more hopeful. The scenery was just beautiful, our trees are just starting to turn now with lots of yellows and oranges and fire reds. Plus much of the run was along the edge of the lake, and on bridges over the calm water which was lovely. The weather was absolutely perfect. The temperatures were cool but not cold, which is exactly what you want as a runner. There are however, several patches of exposed sections versus shaded wooded sections, and the temp difference from the sunny spots to the wooded spots was actually quite dramatic so I never could take all my layers off because I would get quite cool in the woods. There were a few hills too and I was able to run the shorter ones for most of the laps. There were a couple of long steeper hills that everyone walked which almost seemed insurmountable by the last lap but everyone was in the same boat, so we were all facing the same thing. Had some lovely conversations with some nice people along the way too.
Today I am quite sore but in a good way and nothing feels broken or torn, which is nice. I came in 22nd out of 75 and third in my age group and managed a PR for my 50K which I was happy with because at the time it did not feel like it 🙂. Going to take some downtime now and think about what’s next. Happy running everyone.
Written by
Decker
Ultramarathon
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Huge congratulations Decker. 50k (plus !) is just an amazing distance to run- full stop really. Add to that the truncated preparation period, finishing 22nd out of 75 and third in your age group, and emerging injury free, you have achieved something really special today. You are an incredible athlete and it is a privilege to have you back here. Makes my 10 miler next week feel like a walk in the park! Hope you celebrate this properly 🍻
Thanks BC. I think I’ve learned to manage my injury issues by taking rest days seriously and working within my limits. Cutback weeks are something I do now too which really help. I’ve learned so much in the last few years. I also did this with a three day weekly run schedule, which is very different from the 4-5 day structure I used to push myself on. Nutrition was the big learning curve this year. Next year I really want to focus on strength work (without injury). I need to slowly build a habit base for it first. In this race I ran beside a 73yr old gentleman for some time who ran Boston multiple years and finished a 100k run this year, so I am still very much inspired.
That all sounds very organised and competent Decker. I met a man in his mid eighties last time I did a Park Run. He told me that he had started running in his mid seventies and was running the Berlin Marathon this year. It is amazing what can be achieved if we look after ourselves. Have a great week.
Wow, what an achievement, fantastic run - congratulations Decker 😀 Third in your age group is excellent. The route sounds very picturesque with a lake and trees. A rest and feet up sounds a good idea!
Thanks skysue16 I didn’t get the chance to take many pics this time but here is a shot from the last time I did this race. It was very much the same this year. Very happy we have a long weekend to recuperate!
What a fabulous read Decker . I can’t fathom 50k, so your achievement is beyond what I can even imagine. You had an excellent result too, and I bet you’re so pleased it went well. 😀
You and me both with strength training and making it a habit. My lack of it was evident during my HM last weekend and the last few kms were tough. My fault! I think us runners need to help ourselves, and that’s an obvious way. 💪
Enjoy your downtime, and I hope your parents continue to do well. 🥰
Thanks kindly cheekychipmunks Yes I am pleased with the result. Especially since I felt like I was so far back at many points. We had 10k racers, and relay teams running circles around us! 🙂
Yes the strength work is not something I enjoy but it is necessary. Hope we can both manage it this year.
Massive congratulations 👏👏👏 I can't even imagine 50 kilometres, and on trails too.....more forgiving than concrete roads I guess.Can't wait to see what you do next, enjoy your downtime and planning 😁
You are such an incredible runner Decker, that’s an amazing achievement right there and then to come 3rd in your age group and a PB!!! What can I say except huge congratulations and very, very well done. You are a legend 👏👏👏💪💪☹️❤️
Well done Decker . It sounds beautiful, though it's just dawned on me that you had to do ten laps of a 5k+ circuit! That freaks me out far more than the overall distance - not that I could get anywhere near that these days.
Thanks Cmoi yes the short laps are both a blessing and a curse. They are good to have easy access to the aid stations at either end, and they are a curse when you have to run through the finish gate 10 times watching the shorter distances and relay folks completing their races. A number of the 50k solo pack started an hour early so we were all out of sync. 🙂
Thanks my parents are doing well. I just got back from seeing them.
I admire you for having the motivation and determination to run so many laps, especially when you see others finishing. In the trail marathon event I did, the only places you were allowed to retire - other than for injury - were the aid stations, at roughly 8.5k, 18.5k and 35.5k. Gave me an interesting new perspective on keeping going.
So pleased to hear that you get to see your parents and that they're doing well. Long may that continue!
That’s interesting. I think Haliburton I did last year was like that too. I suspect because many sections were a bit remote and they needed to track all the runner locations for safety.
That's exactly it Decker . Quite a lot of the early marathon route sections were inaccessible by road and on challenging terrain: by 8.5km we'd done roughly 440m+ and 194m-, and by 18.5km around a further 530m+ and 235m-. Aid stations were strategically positioned and a couple also served as checkpoints.
Fab run Decker , as your result and PB shows! Well done! 👏 👏👏 50km is one heck of a long way - and a distance I am only ever likely to cover in a car (🤣) so you have huge respect from me.🙌 Some great photos too! 🙂
Thanks Sandra, yes it was a long time to finish those final laps :). I agree the photos are great - All from the race photographer - always included free at these races. This is a nice change from road races where we have to pay for every shot.
Thanks MW. I am relieved it worked out. It really is a pretty spot. I am okay with laps for this type of race. Makes it much easier to plan your drop bag contents.
No plans yet but I’ve started to look at the options. Might be doing some gear shopping soon too.
I’ve got that option open to me in Feb. It was open to me last year but I wasn’t recovered sufficiently after the November marathon. That annoyed me as I’m aware I’m not getting any younger 👵🏻
It has everything going for it. I figure if I pay up now I’ll do it. Or at least give it a good go 🏃♀️
It will have a tiny field of runners I suspect, which suits me 😎
Ours had a flex start too, so several runners started an hour before me. It’s a nice, quieter start too I would imagine. It sounds like a safe option for a 50. If you are feeling it I think you should go for it while you have the window to do it. 😊
It’s going to be a small field as that’s the organiser’s specialism. He only needs 15 runners and it’s a goer 😀🏃♂️🏃♀️ An earlier start than the main pack could be just me 😁.
Very nice! I think I got 1200-1300 km on my old speedgoats. I don't mind paying fir good gear if it lasts. My Salomon sense rides are holding up really well this year
I follow the exploits of Seth Demoor on YouTube and he really likes Salomons. He was donning a box-fresh pair prior to the the Pike’s Peak Ascent on a recent video
They’re usually race red 🥰 They must be good. He won!😀
Great report Decker and what an amazing result ,you should be so proud of that and your enthusiasm shines through, over 50k is amazing,Congratulations!"💪🏃♂️👌⭐x
Thanks very much Ali. It was a challenging race but also a really nice event run by a great team of people. It was lovely to do this in dry weather for a change. Last time it rained so hard they had to change the course as the lake edge broke down in spots.
Thanks Lavender1962 yes the weather was perfect and the scenery was lovely. The race was not easy but was more manageable than the last time after some lessons learned.
Going back a few steps to ‘ the importance of sodium’. It’s crucial. Electrolytes need topping up daily rather than just before/during the race. I routinely pop a few tablets every morning (and more if l go out to sweat) and it makes a massive difference. We forget that we’re losing salt through sweating even in the cold months.
I sweat the same rate as lizards and still take them, just in case. I’m active pretty much round the clock and have recently passed the tender 60 barrier in my final trimester so I’m looking after my engine parts as well as l can. 😉
Wow! Congratulations on another 50k, that's some achievement. I'm thinking of giving it a go next year, but I'll see how my marathon goes next weekend in Dublin. 50k seems such a huge distance. But I know and have heard of some that do it many times a year and I'm in awe of you and them...
Thanks kindly. Well you’ve already done a marathon and a 50k is only another 7.8k so I am sure you could do it moving forward from your marathon distance! Best of luck with your upcoming marathon too!
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I think that photo was taken early on. There are a few at the end where I look horrible 😂. 
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