Running for a Longer Time

Posted byNicholas RadfordPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

One trick for getting into the right headspace to complete a difficult challenge–facing down a previous failure or looking to improve from an earlier success–is to revisit the previous attempts. In the past, I’ve used this blog to share my experiences training for and completing marathons. From Seattle to Walt Disney World, and even to the top of a mountain, you’ve been there as I relive what I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy about these new challenges. But, once I graduated into ultra running, I had seemingly forgotten what had brought me to the game. In October of 2023, I completed my first ultramarathon: The Cougar Mountain 50K, but I didn’t write a word about it. It’s not that I forgot–far from it–but I just kept having other things to write about. Video games, horror movies, and year-end recaps took up my precious little life. But now, as I am set to face down my second 50K ultra race, I stand before you ready to relive the challenge of my previous race and reinforce what motivated me to try another.

After completing three marathons, one in 2022 and two in 2023, I sunk deeper into distance running culture and started catering my social media experience as such. I started following ultra runners like Andy Glaze and Sally McRea for inspiration. I hadn’t considered doing an ultramarathon until I learned that my old college advisor from SOU, Allison Burke, has been doing ultras over the last few years. I always admired and looked up to her–she was the reason I picked my major. That said, I saw these pro runners doing 100 and 200-mile races and thought, “maybe someday in a few years I can pull that off, but not now.” Then I learned that anything above the 26.2 miles of a marathon was considered an “ultramarathon,” and I was sold. A 50K is 31.07 miles–a mere 5 miles more than a traditional marathon. What a perfect stepping stone! So, I started looking for a race I could try out, and eventually landed on the Cougar Mountain Trail Run 50K. 

Many local ultramarathons are a series of trail runs that build up to the big race at the end, and Cougar Mountain is no different. Unfortunately, I discovered the series too late to do any smaller races and familiarize myself with the area, so I made a point to run around part of the course in the weeks leading up to the race. But, it wasn’t enough to properly prepare me. The course has runners racing down Cougar Mountain, near Bellevue, WA, then up and down Squak Mountain twice, before finally traversing back up Cougar to the finish line back at the top. The total elevation gain is about 7200 feet, and I felt it. 

The struggle was real.

While it wasn’t my first experience doing a trail race, it was my first that had a substantial incline. The Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon was almost entirely downhill, which allowed me to run faster without expending as much energy. The consistent climb of Cougar Mountain (and Squak) took it out of me. I ran a good pace during the downhill and flat portions of the race but mostly walked during most of the uphill parts. Despite the consistent changes in speed, I kept up a good pace until my second trek up Squak. The incline became more than I could handle on such low calorie reserves. The biggest lesson I learned from that race was to make sure I have real food before and during the race, instead of just liquid and gummy calories. After I hit the wall, I also realized that the steep climbs up and hard running down also did a number on my knees, which started to ache something fierce. Those two factors combined to make the last 8-9 miles the hardest I’ve ever done, which tanked my time. 

I wanted to quit so many times–my first time having those thoughts during a race–but I knew I would have to eventually get back up to Cougar Mountain’s peak since that was where my car was parked, so I pressed onward. The sun was also catching up with me, and I was cooked if I didn’t finish the race before dusk. The race organizers wisely set a cutoff time that allowed them time to search for any stragglers before nightfall, but I was more worried about just getting back to my car than finishing the race at that point. Fortunately, no search and rescue was necessary, as I avoided the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) by a whole seventeen minutes, and stumbled across the finish line with a time of 8:43:19.

It was an eye-opening experience, a wake-up call, if you will. I had struggled through marathons, sure, but I’d never come so close to not finishing a race. I was humbled. During these longer races, I end up thinking something along the lines of, “this sucks. Why am I doing this? I’m never doing this to myself again.” But, fortunately, those thoughts often melt away with the jubilation of crossing the finish line and completing a really hard thing. Those feelings did not immediately melt away after the Cougar Mountain 50K. It took time and reflection to finally settle on a course of action moving forward. I would improve. I would complete another 50K race, and I would finish with a better time. My time challenging The Mountain was not over. 

But first I decided to buy some donuts. 

I didn’t want to jump right back into the ultra game. I wanted to build up some confidence and stamina by doing regular marathons for a bit, so I signed up for the Seattle Cherry Blossom Run Marathon–a race that was not available last year when I completed the half marathon version. Unfortunately, due to budget and manpower restraints, the full marathon portion of this year’s race was canceled. Since I had already completed the half marathon last year, I deferred my registration to next year, hoping they would be able to hold a full marathon then. I’ve set a rule not to double up on any races. There are so many races to run that I should never need to run the same race twice, at least not for a very long time. 

I had already scheduled my celebratory tattoo appointment–I get a grass starter Pokemon tattoo after every marathon (or above) race that I finish and I was set to get Snivy next–so I had to rush to find another race to do before the appointment. Fortunately, the Squak Mountain 50K popped up in my feed to pressure me into trying another ultra, right off the bat.

So, here I am, writing this blog mere days before the big race. I feel much more prepared than I was last time. I have more experience now, and I can build off of that. Maybe by the time you’re reading this, I’ll have either finished successfully or DNF’d hard. I’ll let you know the results as soon as I can. Wish me luck!

THE WORLD IS YOUR BURRITO!

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