In a recent Talkultra podcast Zach Miller discussed (transcript of the interview by Ian Corless) his impressive victory of 2016 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships and mentioned: 'But you never go out there and race a full 50 miles in training.'
I started brainstorming right there how to fix that this Christmas. I must run a 50 Mile training run!
Christmas Day, 7:02am. I'm getting out to run 50 miles on familiar local trails. The weather is great with slightly above 0°C temps. I start my GPS, turn on my headlamp and head into the darkness. I have prepared well for this - by watching Die Hard the previous night.
Welcome to the party, pal.
Fast forward to evening, 70.8K down. I'm home for my third and last 'aid station' visit to grab food. I'm tired. My legs hurt. I crave for energy, but lack appetite. I feel like it would make sense to quit this stupid training run now. I've hit the Great Wall.
Please don't let me die.
Then I realise Die Hard's bad guy Hans Gruber represents that familiar voice in our head rationalizing us into giving up.
Happy trails, Hans.
I drag myself out to shuffle in the final 10K. I see very few people, certainly not any runners.
80.7km down. I stop my GPS. It's 9:40pm. I finish Die Hard 50 Mile Training Run in 14 hours 38 mins.
If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year's.
1 comment:
Impressed that you actually did the 50 miles just for "training". How many of us sign up for our first long ultra as the "practice" or training run before a more significant similar race? I know I do. My first 50 mile was only preceded with 50Ks. Good job.
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