Lake Youngs 50k

I wasn’t planning on running a marathon/ultra in July, I intended to take it easy all summer and give my body a good rest. BUT… Lake Youngs is a fun, relaxed course… Ric was playing in a tournament only 8 miles away… and I needed to long run on trails anyway to prepare for Haulin’ Aspen in August. My only reservation was that I didn’t want to spend all day out on the trail and miss Ric’s tournament, so I emailed the race director and asked about an early start. He emailed back saying I could start whenever I wanted: just keep track and let the race officials know my elapsed time when I passed through the aid station. (This is why I love ultras: everyone trusts that you will be honest and self-sufficient.)

I decided to start my run at 5 a.m. Last year I ran 2 hour laps so a 5 a.m. start would get me to the aid station right about the time of the official 7 a.m. start, making it easier for the timing crew and giving me a chance of meeting up with other runners. Race morning came and I was a little nervous when I pulled into the dark parking lot. Thankfully, I noticed a car was already there, and soon another pulled in. I dilly-dallied for a few minutes while I waited for the other runner to start… I had visions of running into a bear or cougar on the pre-dawn trail and thought it best to let another runner go first. I officially hit the trail at 5:15.

The first lap was incredible. I love listening to the forest wake up. Birds start singing. Quietly at first, then louder as their voices warm up. The morning was cool and drizzly, almost perfect weather for running. I covered the first 8 miles easily, but the last 2 seemed to go on for ever. I finally hit the end of the first 10 mile lap (and the aid station) just as the official start was underway. Lap 1 – 1:53. I took a few extra minutes at the aid station before heading out again. The mouth piece on my hydration bladder had started to leak, so I removed it from my pack and replaced it with a water bottle. Not as comfortable, but a least it wasn’t dripping all over my singlet. Once again I headed down the trail, this time electing to run counter-clockwise. I had only run this trail clockwise in the past, but the race director allowed your choice of directions after Lap 1 so I decided to give it a go. To my surprise, counter-clockwise seemed much easier. I completed Lap 2 in 1:50. After a quick bite to eat at the aid station I was out again. This time I chose to run counter-clockwise. I plugged in my ipod and let Madonna and Antonio Banderas (soundtrack from Evita) serenade me through my last lap. My last lap was as nice as my first, this race wasn’t nearly as difficult for me as last year. I finished lap 3 in 1:59. I debated for a few minutes on whether I wanted to stop at 3 laps, or run the 1.5 mile out-and-back to make it an official 50k. I elected to run the extra three miles, so down the trail I went one final time. I covered those 3 miles in exactly 27 minutes. Pretty good, I thought, for the final 3 miles of a 50k and that included one big hill in the last ½ mile. I finished a little before 11:30 a.m., hurried back to the hotel for a quick shower before heading to the ball park for a lazy afternoon. Final time: 6:09:00