11/13/14. so i won the lottery again, or how i begin to plan for my first 50K.

so i won another lottery, but its an different situation this time.  it's long been a personal stretch goal of mine to run my first ultramarathon trail run.  I have thought about this one over and over the last few years, and just thought it was too far and not something i could ever do.  i remember when i ran my first mile on Tuesday, 5/17/2011 (walked most of it, actually).  Shortly thereafter, I read a book by Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.  i was awestruck.  the ultra sounded like the coolest thing in the world, and it sounded like something i would never ever be able to do.  seriously.  i was not a athlete, I had never played a sport, I had never had fitness as a priority, and i hadn't run a mile since my senior year in high school (when 1 mile was required to pass gym class and graduate).  an ultramarathon?  might as well say that at age 41 i decided to become an astronaut and fly to the moon.  unrealistic at best. 

But after what i've done the last several years, I'm kind of feeling like anybody, with proper training, can run a marathon.  I'm living, breathing, running, proof of that.  but now i want to see if i can go farther.  so anything over 26.2 miles is technically an ultra, but 50km is the first real increment that is recognized as an ultra.  i won the registration lottery and i'm registered for the Gorge Waterfalls 50K trail run in Oregon, March 29, 2015 (next spring). it runs 50km point to point along the columbia river gorge, lots of technical single track trails, approx 6000 feet of positive elevation gain, by and through a bunch of waterfalls.  it looks like an incredible experience.  this ultra trail run is no World Marathon Majors.  its limited to about 250 runners.  its 50km (31.1 miles), through the woods, trails, and waterfalls, lots of elevation gain.  i am not going to worry about time, or pace, or place.  this is totally for the hell of it, and totally for me.  I'm not going to create a bunch of pressure for this event, no countdown, no frenzy.  its this simple - I want to test my strength and my endurance and my will, and i want to do it on the most memorable ultramarathon trail run i can find.  I'm doing this for me and i want to have a great run.  i want to enjoy this, as much as you can enjoy running in the woods for somewhere between 6-9 hours.

its not to say i won't have a training plan.  and i will likely end up running more miles per week than i did preparing for Berlin.  but there won't be any self-inflicted pressure/concerns regarding a PR when its my first ultra.  plus, every ultra event is different.  you can't compare Lord Hill to Grand Ridge to Cougar Mountain to Orcas Island to the Gorge Waterfall.  they all ultras, but they are all different.  different trails, different elevation gains, different circumstances.  the only common factor is the net distance.  I am going to run 50K, i don't care how long it takes to finish, and i am going to do this for me.

but even so, i still have that feeling, the one where you feel like you are on a roller coaster, just about to top the crest of the hill, and you can see the free fall coming fast.  so exciting.

the run: http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/gorge-waterfalls-50k.html

a course preview video (this is awesome) : http://vimeo.com/109987928