North Face Endurance Challenge

At last! After months of increasingly long mileage, early Saturday morning runs (followed by slightly less early Sunday runs), gallons of Accelerade, a pair of new shoes, dozens of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches and Gus, I tackled the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k this past Saturday.

(Endurables club at the start)

Together with training partners from the Endurables group and Crossfit, we began at 7 in a cold, semi-darkness above Rodeo Beach. (The 50 milers had already started out 2 hours earlier at 5am under starry skies.) I was excited - feeling trained and rested and fed and ready. Running over trails we'd done repeatedly in training, the miles and hills seemed to tick by effortlessly. Under a cloudless sky they were familiar and inviting and as always, the beauty of Marin lay spread at our feet.

(Up Miwok Trail)

(Down to Pirates Cove)

(Up Dias Ridge)

Jessica rallied a great group of GGTC peeps at the Mile 8 aid station for a boost of energy and encouragement. (Thank you Jessica, Cheyenne, Helen, Ariane, Jeff and anyone else I'm forgetting!)

Jenny and I synced up shortly after that and never left each other's side. I can hardly remember what we talked about - work, family, food - but it kept me completely unaware of the passing miles and hours. At Pantoll, we ran into Edie and Ken on their 18th mile of the 50 miler and pondered if we could ever do the same knowing Steep Ravine and the Matt Davis Trail lay ahead of them. Mile 26 came and went. The 6 hour mark came and went. And remarkably, no real pains or problems. We were...having fun. Right? Fun? I think we were still enjoying it then. I don't remember not enjoying it - except maybe halfway up Dias Ridge, or coming down one of the rockier descents. We were well-trained little grasshoppers. (Jim/Rachel, you did us right!) It was actually enjoyable! At Shoreline Hwy (24 miles), Rick finally passed us, practically skipping through the aid station and looking super strong.

(Rick passing us at aid station - our Mile 24, his Mile 41)

And finally, after the long slog up Marincello which was all WALKING (goal for '09 - run it) we hit the last aid station around Mile 30 and cruised the rest of the way to the finish line, tired but not depleted.

(Jenny and me at finish line!)


(With Dean Karnazes, courtesy of Rick)

Things that stand out:


1. Jenny telling me we had just done 20 miles. I really had no clue.
2. Realizing we'd been running for 6 hours. Again, I had no clue.
3. Muir Beach aid station peeps!
4. Seeing all the familiar faces from my training groups at the start.
5. Champagne with Jessica at the end (absolutely perfect!)

(Jessica comes bearing champagne and smiles)

6. Dean Karnazes's legs. Wow.
7. Seeing all the familiar faces at the end! Seeing everyone finish.
8. Running strong the last 5 miles when I had no idea what i'd be capable of at that point.
9. No chafing, no blisters.
10. The really cute guy Rick said organized the race course.
11. Having a friend to run with from start to finish.
12. The scenery!

(Dustin and Saul from Crossfit at finish)

This was an amazing event. I can't imagine a better race to do for my first 50k. It was hard, it was hilly (13000+ elevation loss/gain), it was beautiful, it was long (33 miles to be exact, longer than a 50k distance) and I got to share it with a great group of people.

(Sunset over Rodeo Beach)

After lingering at the finish listening to everyone's stories, watching the awards ceremony, feeling tired but good and just a little giddy from the champagne, I left just as the sun was setting. I was elated and just a little sad that it was over.

(image layout borrowed from Rick)

Andrea said I left her a message earlier today using the words "super awesome" almost a dozen times. I went to bed on a high and woke up on a high - the high that comes with training hard for something, through the peaks and valleys that come with pushing your body to do more - through the peaks and valleys of everyday life - sharing a goal with your training group and ultimately, seeing that goal come to fruition. There is almost nothing that compels me more and brings me a greater, more satisfying sense of accomplishment.