5/31/2019 20.02 miles/32.22 kilometers
What a blast!
YTD: 383.56 miles
N.B. 20.02 miles was over the course of 4 separate runs of 7.36, 3.03, 4.64. and 4.99 miles each.
So, yeah! Ultra Ragnar Niagara 2019 was an amazing experience and exactly the kind of (slightly extended) weekend I needed. Drove to @coffeeandmuscles‘ place to meet the team on Thursday where we loaded up a 12 passenger van and set off to Canada.
Arrived at our hotel and hit up the hotel restaurant for some quick bites and just a little bit of karaoke.
Woke up before dawn to drive to the starting line to get our first runner off at 6:00am.
My first run had a nice long uphill that went through a nice little town, then some fields, then a quaint little neighborhood. I’m not sure where I picked up the face full of gnats but I didn’t get to count them as kills. My feet felt pretty alright throughout and I ran the hole 7.36 miles.
My second run I was still feeling pretty good as I wound through what seemed to be a nature preserve on either side of a pollution control plant (and boy could I smell SOMETHING on the second half) - but I picked up the speed a bit and got my fist two kills.
My third run seemed to go pretty well too - I guess the several hours of rest ended up giving me just enough to keep it going. It ended in a bit more of an urban area where I was greeted by lots of smells - skunk, restaurants, and cigarette smoke.
While I did pretty well on re-fueling ahead of my first 3 runs I did a pretty lousy job for my 4th run. It was dark, I was cold, and the only thing I had to wear for more warmth was my already damp wool long sleeve. I warmed up sure enough, but after about 2.5 miles I felt like I had to walk for a bit, so I did.
Ended up taking a few more walk breaks, but managed to run it in to the next exchange.
6/1/2019 12.93 miles/20.81 kilometers
What a slog fest!
YTD: 396.49 miles
My fifth run started out pretty well, but I was really dreading the run that I knew would take me over the marathon mark in cumulative mileage. I was pretty beat both physically and mentally. The first part was through a wooded park along Lake Ontario. Kind of spooky in the total dark at 4:00am especially after hearing about our first runner’s recent skunk and coyote “encounters”. Armed with a handheld in addition to my headlamp I set off. After the park I ran through an apartment community that was still under construction so still kind of spooky, and finally routed along a terribly long stretch of highway that seemed to go on FOREVER. And especially MORE foreverer when my watch ticked off more distance than I thought the run was supposed to last with no exchange in site, so I ended up walking a lot more than I wanted.
Not remembering much distinctive about my 6th and final run. Seems like my walk breaks started right at mile 1 and were pretty regular until the end where I took a bit more.
Ended up having to stop for a couple of crosswalks. Other than getting a few kills, seeing a dead possum and 3 (yes three!) dead baby turtles, and being confused who I was handing off to (oh wait, that’s not @coffeeandmuscles!), I was just happy to be DONE.
The back of my medal says “... Magic happens outside of your comfort zone.” and not gonna lie that’s totally hitting me HARD in the feels every time I think about it. And then @littlerunnergurl sends me a description of these kinds of events: “It’s like having fun, just different”. I’m just floored by this whole experience. And not 5 minutes after telling @coffeeandmuscles I wouldn’t do another one I had already changed my mind.
Looks to me like I ran 32.95 miles in a little under 6 and a half hours time on my feet. Granted I had some rest time in there but in my mind this makes me kinda/sorta an ultramarathoner? Dunno! Guess I can just sign up for one, right @excelwithpassion?
