So I have some bad news and I have good news as well. The bad news is that I did not get selected to be one of the 2000 participants in the JFK 50 miler. While this blog was originally intended to be an inside look into a runner's mind as she migrates from road racing to trails and ultras (specifically the JFK 50), I recognize that one must be flexible in their plans and understand that things don’t always work out the way you’d like them to. With that said, I will honestly tell you that when I found out, I was pretty bummed.
When I got home last Tuesday and saw my returned envelope to the JFK 50 miler group, I literally dropped all of my things I was carrying on the stairs in the stairwell and tore open the envelope, hoping to find my acceptance letter. Instead, I found a small slip of paper stating that unfortunately I was not selected in the lottery to participate. They mentioned I could send in a check for $500 (plus the $125 entrance fee) to be placed into the lottery for the charity team. I thought about it for a second and then realized every one of the apparent 10,000 applicants who didn’t get into the race were going to do the same thing. I didn’t want to be let down again, so instead I let this one go. I slowly gathered my things, walked up the stairs to my apartment, and called the family to let them know the news. I certainly was bummed, but I also believe that every setback can also be a blessing in disguise. And if you know anything about me by now, you know that I am not going to give up on the quest to do an ultra all that quickly.
That night, after moping for a bit and making myself some hot coco, I began the process of finding the back up plan. To find ultra races, again these are any race above a marathon, there is one website is better than the rest: The UltraRunning.com Calendar. If you are looking for shorter trail races, I would suggest looking online at your local running store’s calendar to see what they have available. Also there is the American Trail Running Association's Calendar, they have a lot of good races listed as well. So by browsing through these sites, I found many different options, but many of the 50 milers around November and December were in CA or the Midwest. I don’t want to travel far for my first ultra and had even been hesitant about driving the 2.5-3 hours north to the JFK 50. However, I was out of luck. Then, the second time scrolling through the list, something caught my eye. It wasn’t a 50 miler, but it was relatively close. The Seashore Nature Trail 50K taking place in First Landing State Park, near Virginia Beach, VA seemed do-able.
So, like any self respecting runner would, I spent the next 2 hours scouring the internet for more information about the Seashore Nature Trail 50K. This is what I found: the race is held on December 18th at 8am, 2010 will be the second year the race is running, it is run on a relatively flat course on hard packed dirt (with some mud and snow and leaves mixed in), I could only find course maps for last years course, which seems like it’s a kind of out and back loopy course through the woods of First Landing State Park, and it has a cap of 300 runners (I think I may have been the first person to register for this race for 2010). Oh and I forgot to mention, at this ultra in addition to a race T-shirt and a finisher’s medal, you get a windbreaker jacket with the race’s emblem on it. Awesome! I decided to think about it for a few days and then make a decision.
On Sunday morning at around 9am I made my decision. I would run the Seashore Nature trail 50K the weekend before Christmas. I quickly pulled open my boyfriend’s computer and signed up for the race. I then did a little dance upon receiving the confirmation note that I was registered. I now have about 4 and a half months to plan and train for this race. Since I am running mostly at sea level, I am fairly confident in my abilities to do well at this race. I also am going to spend the next few weeks getting my entire body stronger before launching into a training plan for the 50K. In regards to training, this time around I am seriously incorporating biking into the plan in an effort to both strengthen and heal my ever-broken legs. I am very Very excited about all of this. Having the confirmation of registration underway, I feel safe that I can start planning and training without worry (which has been what it was up until this point). So in the long run I am grateful to do this race over the 50. It gives me time to give that extra prep for the 50 mile race that I will surely do. I even have my eyes on a 50 mile race in February 2011, the Destin 50 Mile Beach Ultra. Good, even great things are on the horizon.
Stay motivated and safe out there in your travels and have an excellent day.
You were always good at making lemonade, keep pushing Soft Hands.
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