As of this past Saturday at approximately 3:15 PM, I earned the title of ultramarathoner 🙂 I crossed the finish line of my first 50K at The North Face DC Endurance Challenge tired, covered in mud, and solidly on cloud 9. It was an incredible experience.
I’m planning to have a full race recap next week, but I’m going to take my time with it to make sure I do the day justice. In the meantime, here’s a recap of my week of training leading up to race day, as part of the Weekly Wrap link up.
This link up is hosted by the wonderful MissSippiPiddlin’ and HoHo Runs. Click on either link to see who else is joining in and to link up as well!
Monday – Super light cross training – a few planks and some ab stuff.
Tuesday – 3 mile run on the treadmill. I was already starting to freak out about packing for race weekend and I chose to just run on the treadmill after work to save time.
Wednesday – 3 mile trail run in the evening at a nearby park. This was my final run before my race. I took it nice and easy and thought about race day.
I also made a point to run the quarter-mile long ‘inspiration trail’ at the park to pick up a little extra inspiration/motivation for my big day. 😉
And I finished my run watching the sun set over the mountains. This short, easy run helped calm my nerves in that moment and I felt at peace with and excited for the challenge that lay ahead.
Thursday – Rest.
Friday – Rest. Picked up my bib for race day!!
Saturday – The North Face DC Endurance Challenge Series 50K! I had an amazing experience. The course was beautiful, despite the extreme mud conditions we ran through for over 20 miles. We also ran through rain, wind, sleet, and snow (multiple times, on and off) and temperatures ranging from the upper 30’s to mid 40’s. I finished in 8:11:54. It was slower than I expected, but I’m still darn proud of that finish. Those were tough race conditions any day, but especially for my first ultra. What a day! I can’t wait to share the whole story with you.
A HUGE thank you to my husband Barry, my dad, Debbie, and my friend L and her fiance for being out there to support me. They crewed for me, cheered me on, gave me things to look forward to during the race, and even ran with me. My day would not have been what it was without them!
Also thank you to all of those who supported me during training and who sent me well wishes before the race. It meant so much to see so many cheering me on!
Sunday – Rest. I was pretty sore and stiff when I first got up, but the more I moved around the better I felt. Basically all of the muscles in my legs were pretty sore, especially all of those little stabilizer muscles in my core, hips, and ankles. The crazy thing is I felt better than I have after either of my road marathons. Sure, I’m sore, but I don’t have that deep ache you often get from running long distances on pavement.
Total Miles: 38 miles
Who else got some spring snow this weekend?
Turkey Runner 
Congrats! I can’t wait to read your race report 🙂
You are an ultramarathoner!!! So proud of you! It was a tough day out there but you did it!
Thank you!! I’m proud of you, too! First marathon AND first ultra… what!? That’s so awesome. WE are ultramarathoners. Wow.
Congratulations!!! I’m thrilled for you and so happy it was a great experience. I look forward to reading your recap!
Ultramarathoner! I love that photo from mile 21/22. Those trail conditions look tough. Muddy trails are so hard to get a grip on– I hope you didn’t lose your shoe in it. (I’ve had that happen before. Always a shock). I’m excited to read your recap. I also love the quote on the rock from your mid-week 3 miler. So true!
Congrats again!
Luckily I did not lose my shoes. I tied them tight! The mud was definitely of the shoe sucking variety, and there were a few times where I sunk in almost to my ankle and worried my shoe was going to come right off! I hope your race went well!
Congratulations, ultramarathoner! You are an inspiration! What a long time to be on your feet and in those conditions too. Yikes at that mud. It looks like it would just suck on your feet. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the experience. That’s so important and you went into it with peace and the right attitude. I look forward to your recap. Thanks for linking with us Meagan.
Congrats! You’ve worked hard for this moment. Ultras are challenging in unique ways. Especially when you add mud, cold, or crazy weather. But, nothing leaves you feeling more proud!! So happy to read you had a wonderful experience.
I was honored to be a small part of your day, and thank you for allowing me to run a few miles with you. I wish I could have spent more time with Barry and Roger, but I’ll see them at the end of the month. Rest up! We’ve got a lot of miles to cover in Richmond – just hope they’re not so muddy!
They better not be… I think we have paid our dues at this point!
Way to go Meagan!! No joke, I was out running yesterday on a tough trail and found myself thinking about your race. I’m happy to hear it went well and you had a good time!
Thanks, Jeano! Good to hear from you, too 🙂
Yes!!! Great finish time and looking forward to hearing more!
Wahoo! Congrats! Can’t wait to read the full race report.
Wow!! That mud, you are a rock-star! Congrats on getting it done 🙂 The conditions sound very tough.
Congrats! That’s awesome!!! Sounds like a great race and you enjoyed it despite the rough course. 🙂
Congrats! That mud looks crazy. Not only are you an ultra marathoner, you got it done in crazy conditions 🙂
Congratulations on your finish!!! Such an amazing accomplishment! I look forward to reading your race recap.
Phew, 8+hrs on your feet with undesirable weather conditions – definitely an endurance challenge and congrats on your big achievement! I don’t know if I will ever tackle an ultramarathon but would like to try a trail race sometime. I’ll keep an eye out for your race recap -I’m sure it will be a great read.
I hope you get a chance to try a trail race sometime. I started doing them about a year and a half ago and I really love it. They can definitely be tougher, but the atmosphere is just so different from road races. I think trails definitely make you a stronger runner overall, too.
Wow you ARE an UltraMarathoner!!!! Woo Wee! That is just super Meagan I am so very happy to see you did it, and under those conditions too! Just wow! You are Beast I tell ya!
Now I want to see a picture of those shoes!!! HA.
I look forward to reading the recap!
Super job lady!
Thank you! I realized I never took an actual picture of my shoes – boo.