“It’s only five more miles.”
Famous last words.
These are the words uttered to me over and over again by both Elaine and Pam as they tried to convince me to enter the Croom Fools Run. When I first saw that Pam had entered the race, I immediately went to the website. Within the same race was a 15 mile run, a 50K run and a 50 mile run. I knew she was not at the point to do 50 miles; when she mentioned the word “Ultra,” I knew it had to be the 50K. By way of definition, an untramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of 26.2 miles. The thought of doing a race this long never even entered my mind, but this was a trail run that takes place at Croom which is within the Withlacoochee State Forest in Brooksville (close to Tampa). I knew that if I even had any kind of shot at completing this 31 mile race, running with Elaine and Pam would be my only chance.
“It’s only five more miles.”
I did most of my training at Vista View Park in Davie. There was an equestrian trail in the park which I was told would be similar to the trail I would be running on during the race. I purchased a pair of Brooks Cascadia running shoes, which are made specifically for trail running. My initial observations were the following: 1) the terrain is not smooth like pavement; don’t take your eyes of the trail, and 2) DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE TRAIL! You really have to concentrate more on where you are stepping and less time on observing the nature around you. The training also took a toll on my lower back.
I got to Brooksville the day before the race, and picked up the race packets for the three of us. When I turned into the Withlacoochee State Forest, there were no road signs (or signs of civilization for that matter) for about five miles. The folks putting on the race told me that there would be water stations every five miles (as opposed to every mile) and that the runners would have to check in at these water stations. This would be the method in which they would keep track of all of the runners, since it was a forest with no crowds to cheer us on. The event was limited to a total of 250 participants.
When the three of us arrived at the race the next morning, it was pitch black (there are no street lights in a forest because…well…it's a forest). When the race started, the sun was starting to come up, so we could actually see where we were running. To my surprise (and delight), the trail was much flatter than the one at Vista View Park. The course was marked by paint on the trees (orange for 15 mile and 50K; blue for the 50 mile). Things were going really well, and Pam had only fallen three times so far.
The 15 mile point brought us back to where the race began, and gave us an opportunity to get some refreshments out of our cooler. Four miles later, I was having trouble keeping up with Elaine and Pam. They were willing to stay with me, but I didn’t want to hold them back. BIG MISTAKE!
I was starting to cramp up and had to incorporate some walking into my routine. I was chugging along the best I could, but at the 23 mile mark, the race turned into a complete disaster! I followed the “Yellow Brick Road” the whole time, but it led me to a dead end right in front of a river. Now what? I didn’t have my cell phone with me (not that there was any reception) and no one around to ask for directions. The only thing I could think of doing at that point was to start to follow the blue paint markings that were designated for the 50 mile run. At least it would get me to the finish line. I bumped into a guy who was lost as well, and he figured he had run an extra ten miles out of his way (he was doing the 50 mile race). We made our way to the one and only road in and out of the forest. Some folks who were already finished with the 15 mile race were kind enough to stop and bring us back to where we should have been. They told us that the course was recently changed, so some of the trees were mismarked with paint. We were apparently not the only two runners to get lost, and I figured that I ran an additional four miles. I was now back on track and ready to finish this race off.
When I started to run again, I got cramps in my calves so severe that I couldn’t even stand up. In addition, I almost fainted on three separate occasions. With no one around to help me out, I truly felt as if I were battling for my life more than trying to finish the race. I seriously did not know how this was going to play out. I tried to block out the pain, and massage my calves as much as I could. I eventually crossed the finish line covered in salt from severe dehydration. This was where Mr. Salty was born.
Elaine tried to get me to eat something, but I had no appetite. My original plan was to drive home after the race, but there was no way this was happening. I checked back into the hotel and battled cramps in my feet for the rest of the night. I had no strength to get out of my running clothes, let alone take a shower. I felt better in the morning, but it was quite an effort to drive home.
Jennifer has already approached Elaine, Pam and me about doing the race again this year. I have mixed emotions about it…but after all…
“It’s only five more miles.”
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