24 The Hard Way- my first 50 mile race in pictures

I'm not feeling like I can put this race into words just yet, so here is a photographic diary of my race.  There are comments along the way to explain some things, but the pictures speak for themselves. 

It was a great experience.  Truly.  There were a lot of ups and downs, and my pain cave was bigger and deeper than any other race I've done before.  Sometimes I got lost in there and had trouble finding my way out.

A day later I feel very good physically and mentally.  Oddly, I want to do this again in the very near future.
I'll write another post when the thoughts can better come together.

Just for photo credit sake, all the pictures with an R after them are courtesy of Randy Sadler (www.randysadler.com).  He's an amazing photographer!!

 

Before the race with my hubs.  He did the trail race, I did the road

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hamming it up with my cupcake friend

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my other good friend who introduced me to Ironman, trail running, and endurance racing

 

ready at the start

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one lap down, 51 to go

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this is a Zebro (a male zebra).  Don't ask...

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John, the guy who started the rugby game we would play all day

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my hubs out on the course

 

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one of my favorite endurance friends

Found the rugby ball in the trees...time to hide it and begin the day-long game of hide and seek

hitting a wall- not feeling great

still not feeling great, but getting better.  Another marathon in the books.

FINALLY!  My first 50K. 

well, not really just *yet*- only at 30.77

 

a quarter mile down the trail I officially got to a 50K 

time to play more rugby hide and seek

6:00 pm- all the 6 and 12 hour runners are done and heading back to the finish line.

Now it's just the 24 hour people left

the itty bitty incline that felt like Everest the longer the race went on

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My friend Randy taking night pictures- trying to give me seizures with his flash

Tired. Ready to be done. About to go deep into my pain cave for about 8 miles.

FINALLY!  50 miles achieved!!!  I'm so happy I'm about to cry.  But my tears would freeze on my face, so I didn't.  Wearing so many layers that I can barely hold my arm out to take the picture.

Yay!  It's official.  50.01 miles.

 

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Showered and back in the morning at the race site to see my hubs finish his 24 hour race

(he won overall male Masters)

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him chowing down after the race

I'm glad I did it.  I wish it didn't take me as long as it did, but I had no idea what to expect.  There was running, walking, and slogging.  There was also laughter, smiles and happiness.  I love how doing this stuff makes me feel (about myself, about my fellow racers, about being alive).  I can't wait to do it again.