Dirty Burg 50K

On July 12th I ran in the Dirty Burg 50K which was put together by Switchback Endurance located close to Grand Rapids, MI.  It was my first time running this race.  The race was essentially 5 loops of 6.2 miles (10K).  I wasn't quite sure how running so many loops would mentally affect me.  Usually each loop is more like 13 miles so this was a big change both mentally and strategically.  Going into the race I felt like I was in pretty decent shape so I started out near the front of the pack with 5 runners ahead of me.  I have learned that by starting out slower you can get stuck behind others who might be going slower than you would like.  With the race starting at 6am, the shaded trail was rather dark for the first couple of miles.

As I started to get into a comfortable pace I could see one person ahead of me and another was behind me, not wanting to pass.  We came out of the woods and all of a sudden I could see the start/finish area which was a surprise considering my watch only said 5.3 miles.  GPS watches aren't quite as accurate when running on trails...so after doing the math I knew my watch would say around 28 miles when I finished the race.  After the first loop I was gauging my progress and effort by how long each loop was taking.

I felt really good the first 3 hours, it was a very humid day but the trail was shaded about 90% of the way.  At about 3 hrs 10 mins into the race I hit a low patch...I had been running by myself for a while and was starting to lose motivation as my body was fatiguing.  A couple things that help me refocus and perhaps take my mind off of suffering are these: count cadence for 1 minute (should be in 80-90) range, focus on getting to the next aid station, and keep positive.

I have developed a sort of philosophy on how to approach different aspects of the trail.  I use the letters H.C.H.

HAMMER the downhills, take what they give you and use it to your advantage.

COAST on flat stretches, maintain a consistent flow like running on a road.

HARNESS the uphills, take small and short steps trying not to expend too much energy and effort.

Keeping those words and thoughts in my head helps me run a much better race and have confidence.

Overall I really enjoyed the race, I ended up finishing in 5:54:48 and 6th overall.  The trails were challenging and fun.  I was able to meet some new people and grow relationships.