Billed as "Indiana's Toughest Footrace," which is likely true, OPSF5050 offers a 14 mile fun run, a 50K and a 50M. Naturally, I went with the 50M. Knowing nothing of the race or the course, I used social media to gather information and all I got was...mud. And hills. But mainly mud. This brought back nightmarish images of the 2011 HUFF, which had several stretches of ankle-deep mud. Not to mention the waist-deep water crossings. Both of which beat me up pretty badly. But that's how we learn!
Overtime picked up at work, and I was slightly concerned about not getting enough mileage to turn in a respectable 50M time. Finishing is one thing, racing and really pushing yourself is another. Many days I had to work 6:30am - 5:00pm (on my feet all day minus breaks) and then hustle to the gym to get a 2 or 2.5 hour run in before they closed. This made for some long days but I kept telling myself it was worth it. Plus, I rationalized, the extra time on my feet at work was toughening up the legs!
I decided to not taper all that much, because I HATE tapering and wanted to stay sharp. I did back to back 20s the weekend before the race, and a hard 14 on the treadmill the Monday before. I was ready.
For ultras that require travel I usually borrow my grandparents van because it has more room than my car, plus XM radio. I hadn't planned on doing that since I only had about a 75 minute drive, but at the last second I decided to borrow it. I ended up taking a lot of gear just in case, and XM radio is always soothing on long drives and race mornings!
The start/finish of OPSF5050 is at a remote campground in the forest, and I arrived at about 6:00am. I picked up my packet/bib and returned to the van to lay everything out. Rain was not on the forecast, but MUD was. I had planned to change shirts halfway through the race, a plan that I stuck with and certainly helped me out. I brought different gloves and hats, too. All of this helped me stay relatively dry and aside from some slight hand numbness after the sun went down, I was never cold during the race.
It's tough to gauge pace or a finishing time on an unknown course, so I just ran comfortably, pushing the pace in places where I could and running conservatively when called for. I missed a left turn in the first loop and lost about 15 minutes and came into the s/f in 3:06, completing loop 1. "OK," I thought. "Not shabby." I changed socks, which turned out to be pointless because my feet were wet the entire day. Plus I wasted a few minutes simply messing with my shoes, as they were CAKED with mud. I came back in after the 2nd loop, having covered about 29 miles in pretty much right at 6:00. Over 50% done! Only a little more than 20 miles left!
Shortly after I started the 3rd loop, I started to feel bad. My energy was waning and my breathing was getting harder and harder. Not good. I hydrated and devoured two peanut butter and honey sandwiches and a gel, and after about 10 minutes my energy returned! Never underestimate the power of peanut butter. I was still cruising along, never pushing too hard and never letting any negative thoughts into my head. I am a firm believer that negative thoughts affect physical performance. I knew it would be a grind and just kept telling myself the finish line is the ultimate reward. And, unlike IT50, this 50miler had music (my iPod crapped in April so I ran about 45 miles without tunes...ugh). It was just me, Phish and the trail.
I came in from the 3rd loop at about 9:32, ahead of the cutoff and still feeling great. I downed a shot of Yerba Mate energy (thanks Bob Lynch for opening it for me!), a Clif Bar and a gel and was ready to head out for my last abbreviated (8 miles) loop. I went out and had to come back because I forgot my gloves...that would have been a nightmare, I think.
The sun was starting to go down and it was getting chillier. Overall I felt pretty good, minus some occasional twinges in my calves. After each loop I made sure to drink Pedialyte and I think that helped stave off cramps. I hit the last aid station with about 3 miles left and they asked if I needed anything. I downed two cups of Heed and said "No thanks, I'm ready to finish this bad boy up." I turned on my headlamp and made my way to the finish.
The last leg of the course is fairly technical, compounded by the fact that it was dark and I am not the strongest night runner to begin with. I walked 90% of it, given the hills and the mud. I was not about to face plant in the mud or lose a shoe IN THE DARK and have to stop and look for it. I was cruising along and finally came to the sign that said "start/finish" with an arrow to the right. I said to myself "fuck yeah!" and picked up steam to the finish. There were several volunteers there and they cheered me home as I finished in about 11 hours and 45 minutes. The energy and support was amazing! I can't say enough about how great the aid stations were all day.
When I stopped running I started shivering, so I sat down by the fire to try and warm up. Sipping Pedialyte, I was still shivering so I finally went out to the van, cranked up the heat and changed into dry clothes (duh). I gathered my stuff, thanked the volunteers and left at about 8:00pm.
All in all, I am very pleased with my performance. It certainly lived up to the billing of "Indiana's toughest footrace." I also made a few new friends, which is always a highlight of any ultra.
No more races for 2014...unless someone talks me into running the HUFF. I'll use Land Between the Lakes 50M in March as a tuneup for IT100 in April, which I plan on making my first 100 mile race!
OPSF5050...definitely on the radar for next year!
(Photo credits to Indiana Trail Running)
