By January of this year, I had already scheduled two races: a 50 miler in August and the looming 100 miler in November. I was casually looking around for a few more races to fill my schedule. I decided I would make a return to the Mohican 50 miler, and my training schedule called for a 50k race in mid-May. I stumbled upon a little race in Yellow Springs, Ohio that piqued my interest. Two trail loops through John Bryan State Park with about 2,000 feet of gain, and a price tag of just $45? SOLD. The Tie Dye 50k seemed like the perfect training run/race for me.
Three weekends prior I had completed the "No Wimps Challenge" at the Pinckney Trail Weekend, including both a half and full marathon on back to back days, and my body hurt for a good four days after that weekend. This is pretty normal for me after a race and when I felt ready I laced up my shoes to get ready for the Tie Dye 50k.
As the race drew closer, I discovered that my friend, Leanne, would be there (yay!) and also my cousin's wife's cousin, Todd, would be there, running his first 50k, and I was looking forward to meeting him. Then it was time to hit the road-a girls' trip, accompanied by my mom and two daughters, to stay with my aunt and uncle and family for the weekend. The night before the race, we were scheduled to attend a pasta dinner benefit for my cousin who is planning a trip to Quito with her church group-the perfect meal for me!
And then it was race day! Leanne and Todd happened to pull in within minutes of me and we all coincidentally parked together. After packet pickup we chatted and gathered our gear, applied lube and sunscreen, and snapped a few pre-race photos.
After that, we headed to the start area for some last minute instructions and info about the course: watch out for the fallen tree with poison ivy on it at Mile 3, follow the orange flags which would be on our right side throughout the race, and the location of aid stations along the course.
There was a quick countdown from 5 to 1 and then we all headed out. No fanfare, no gun, no starting timing mat. Just go. And we did. The fastest runners took off in a hurry, and quite a few of us mid-packers fell into a line as we navigated the single track trail. There didn't seem to be many ups and downs, and I was following a long string of runners. I felt that I could've gone a little faster, but held back because I knew there was a lot of race to go.
Just past Mile 6, we climbed a short hill and came around a corner to find a group of runners stopped. Standing still. They were lost. And so were we.
When had I seen the last orange flag? I couldn't remember. I had just been following along with everyone else! Come to find out, a few of those stopped runners had gone nearly three miles in the wrong direction. We decided to backtrack a little bit and eventually ended up on a main park road. And when I say "we", I mean there were about 40 of us. 40 people standing in the middle of the road, not sure where to go. WHERE WAS THE TRAIL?! We ran in one direction down the road, stopped, turned around, and ran the other direction down the road. Nope, must be back the other way, and we headed back again in the other direction.
Finally, someone came along who had run the course before and herded us all across a parking lot and back into the woods. And there was an orange flag! How did we even get here? And how did so many of us miss a turn on the trail?! This was a first for me. Anyway, I was glad to be headed in the right direction once again, and began navigating a rockier trail that was gradually descending down into the forest. And then it started raining. It was a light rain and I didn't really mind it since it was already a warm day and the humidity had been at 100% since the start of the race. I finally made it down to the bottom of the forest and the skinny trail led me along the Little Miami River, which cuts through this state park. Off in the distance I could see the runners who were ahead of me and I couldn't wait to navigate this section of the course!
It was rocky, and rooty, and there was often no trail at all, but this was my favorite part of the course. The runners had really spread out by this point, and I didn't have anyone right behind me, urging me onward, which was nice. I wanted to take it all in.
The trail followed the river for a while and finally took a turn to the right and the climb up and away began. There were some gradual switchbacks and a few steep climbs, but the rain was still light and the trail wasn't too slippery. YET. This part of the course was a bit more challenging and I was quite happy when things leveled off and the first aid station came into view. The aid station volunteers told me I was at Mile 9, but my GPS watch read 10.31. Crap. I had gone more than a mile out of my way when I had gotten lost. I grabbed a couple of pb&j squares and some orange slices and headed out on a little four mile loop that would bring me right back to this aid station. This loop started down a wide road and then quickly veered off onto a tight single track trail filled with short climbs and descents and a few minor stream crossings. At the very back of the loop I was high above the river and I could see a gorgeous waterfall.
And then BAM. I was on the ground. I guess that's what I get for not paying attention! I wasn't hurt, and luckily no one was around to see me fall, but I was covered in mud. I kept running and came upon a small, clean-ish stream where I took a moment to rinse my hands and knees off and then I was on the go again.
As I headed back to the aid station, the sky got darker and I heard a rumble of thunder. Do they postpone ultras for storms? I didn't know. I arrived back to the aid station in the rain, and you'd think it was sunny and 75 degrees. The volunteers were filling packs and making sandwiches and offering words of support to all of us and there was no mention of the storm. OK THEN! 3.5 miles and I'd be back to the start/finish aid station before heading out on my second loop. I had met up with a couple of ladies at the aid station who had also gone off track like I had and I followed them for the next couple of miles. This section of the course had a lot of steep climbs and sharp downhills, and things were starting to get a bit slippery with the constant rain, but the ladies were talkative and the distraction was a welcome one in those conditions.
When we got about a mile from the aid station, they stopped for a break and I pushed onward. I was completely drenched at this point and was beginning to calculate in my head how long the second loop would take me now that everything was getting so slippery. I finally got to the start/finish aid station, which was Mile 16-ish, and dried off enough to text my mom and aunt that I had one loop to go. They were planning on being there for the finish with my daughters and I didn't want them to wait too long for me. I again snacked on a couple of pb&j squares and took my obligatory orange slice photo.
There weren't many runners in the aid station area and I had to ask a volunteer which way to go to head out on the second loop, as there was no one to follow. So, I headed out solo, in the rain, for loop two. I was only minorly muddy at this point and I snapped a quick pic.
After a short distance, I was back on the single track trail for the second time. I was completely alone and the dry, rocky trail was now filled with unavoidable puddles and mud and it felt like an entirely new course. It had stopped raining and I was feeling good. I decided to pick up the pace a little bit.
I ran along through the mud, thinking how strange it was that there were no people around. I came to Mile 19 and again hopped over the fallen tree with poison ivy and kept on running. Finally I could see someone up ahead. I passed her shortly, and another woman not long after that, and then I was alone again. It was getting darker and there was another rumble of thunder and then it started to rain again. Except this time, it was POURING. I mean, it was raining so hard that it felt like it was coming up from underneath. And I was having a blast! My shoes couldn't have been filled with more water, the mud on the trail was so thick it was like running with suction cups on, and I was having the time of my life! I was ticking off the miles effortlessly and passed a couple more people, but the trail was mostly quiet. When I got about five and half miles into this loop, I started paying attention. I didn't want to get lost again. Orange flag, orange flag, running, orange flag, so far so good, orange flag, running and running, orange flag, running and running and running...where was the next flag? It must be around the next corner. Or maybe the next corner. Had I missed a turn? I didn't think so. And running, and running. And no more orange flags. SHIT! At this point, I had gone too far to turn back and I knew I'd be to that main road again shortly. And there it was. And I felt like an idiot. I had once again added over a mile to my route. So I grudgingly ran up the road, and over the parking lot, and ducked back into the woods and onto the trail and back to the land of orange flags. Still, I had no idea how I had missed the turn TWICE! Ugh. At least I was among some runners now. I stuck with a group of guys as we headed down the rocky trail towards the river once again. Everything was slippery and muddy now and the downhills needed some extra attention unless you were interested in taking a very fast detour to the bottom! By the time I got back down to the river, the rain had stopped. It was cooler down here and there was a slight breeze and I got to traverse the trail along the river all alone and it was amazing. When the trail turned inward and upward once again, I started passing hikers and walkers out enjoying the park, now that the rain was finished. The leader of the groups would usually yell out "ANOTHER RUNNER" and they'd all stand to the side to let me pass. Near the top of the first climb I heard, "HERE COMES ONE WITH PIGTAILS AND SHE'S A CUTE ONE!" Gah! Get me out of here, I thought! And then it was smooth sailing into the next aid station. I said, "Are there any other runners out here? I haven't seen anyone in miles!" They laughed and assured me that I was not truly alone. So, I headed out on that quick four mile loop and made a mental note to not look at the waterfall when I got there. I didn't want to fall again! I try to limit myself to falling only once per race! After about two miles into the short loop, I ran out of water. Why hadn't I refilled it at the aid station? Not smart. And then my watch started beeping at me-it was about to die. Perfect. Oh well, I only had about four or so miles until the finish. I could get some water on my way back through the aid station and I could go without GPS to the finish. Before I finished that short loop, I passed a guy walking. I asked if he was ok to which he responded, "I'm out of water, my watch and phone both died and WHERE IS THE AID STATION?" I tried not to laugh, and said the same thing had happened to me and assured him that the aid station was less than a mile away. As I left that loop I noticed a gorgeous old tree just standing there, watching us all pass by.
I quickly refilled my water at the aid station and headed for the finish. Just three more miles. I knew they weren't the easiest three miles of the course, but I was feeling good still. This was so weird to me! Usually, the last five miles of a 50k are horrid for me and all I want is for the race to be OVER. But today? Today I was loving every minute of it. I climbed the hills and slid down the muddy descents and kept on running. I could hear voices every now and then on the switchback portions, but I never saw another runner in those last few miles. With just a mile to go, the trail opened up into a grassy field area, where there is a pavilion. It was packed with people and it was very quiet. Just as I ran by, I heard a minister say, "You may kiss the bride!" and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. I guess I timed that right! And then I was in the homestretch. Another short climb and a few twists and turns and I could see my family in the distance. I ran towards them, and as I left the forest and headed for the finish, there were cheers and clapping and high fives from my loved ones.
I crossed the finish line in 7:13.55 and was the 6th female to finish. Not bad considering I had run two (much to my dismay) extra miles because I had gotten lost! I was completely drenched, from rain and sweat and other disgustingness, I'm sure, and was sooooo muddy.
But still, I felt good. I had felt good the entire race. I was happy with the outcome and I think it was good mental preparation for the Mohican 50. This was my elevation chart from the TieDye 50k.
It pales in comparison to the climbs I will be facing at Mohican, but for me to run this 50k with the ease that I did, is a hug confidence boost.
I met up again with Todd and Leanne after the race and we shared our tales of adventure with each other. I cannot say enough good things about the trail running community. There is nothing like sharing a day in the woods with runners who tell their stories and share their tips and tricks and leave you with little pieces of themselves. And to have an actual cheering section waiting for me at the finish? Well, that's definitely a first. They definitely motivated me to finish strong and give my best effort and I am thankful they were there.
So what comes after a 50k? Well, I cleaned up the best I could with water bottles and wet wipes, completely stripped naked in the parking lot (shielded by a towel thanks to my mom), put on some clean clothes and went to Young's, where I sat in a red rocking chair and enjoyed some ice cream. That's a pretty good ending to a great race day.
