I’ve done the 30 mile race at the Born to Run Ultramarathon
5 times (now 6 times). The “vibe” on the ranch where
the race is held is immeasurably positive, kind, and free-spirited. The book, Born to Run, initially inspired me
to run ultramarathons. You can feel the spirit of the book there at the race. I’ve met many of the characters from Born to
Run here, including Christopher McDougall, Jenn Shelton, and even the
Tarahumara directly from the Copper Canyons!
Outside of the race, I’ve been lucky to meet Caballo Blanco, Scott
Jurek, and Ann Trason. You can consider me a Born to Run “otaku” of sorts! If
you haven’t read the book, read it.
Maybe it’ll inspire you to run a few miles or send you on a pilgrimage
to Los Olivos in May!
I arrived in Los Olivos on Friday afternoon after a 4.5 hour
car ride (30 minutes charging the Tesla). I had done a 20-mile long run in
March but then pulled a calf muscle on a short run soon thereafter, so my
training has been less than ideal. I had
no idea what would happen to me during a 30 mile race. After a few 12 mile training runs in April, I
felt confident enough to roll the dice and take a chance on the little
adventure. My main goal for the race was
to have fun and just finish.
There is always a beer mile race at the Born to Run ranch
the day before most of the races start (10, 20, and 30 mile). Folks generally
bring 4 beers of their own choice from home.
The rules are somewhat loose for the race. One guy did tequila shots instead of beer. A
few people teamed up to do a beer mile relay. I had done the beer mile in 2014
and had a blast but always feel conflicted about doing the race. Conventional
reasoning would suggest that activities involving alcohol could negatively
affect any physical activity the next day.
Of course I threw all caution to the wind after meeting some amazing new
friends (they supplied me with 4 free beers). You only live once, right?
I told myself that I would just take it easy during the beer
mile and play along to increase the “fun factor”. And oh boy, did it increase
the “fun factor”. A tipsy me is apparently wilder
and more likely to dance and participate in crazy stunts. I finished the beer mile like a pro. I downed
the beers quickly and ran the mile in about 10.5 minutes. Not long after the
beer mile, there were sock wrestling matches taking place with random
volunteers. It didn’t take much to
convince me to join in with one of my new friends. I ended up losing but still had fun.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, but the good vibes,
the live music, and new friends made everything feel magical. Being slightly intoxicated probably
contributed to the euphoria (lol).
Fast forward to race day. The strategy for long races where
I feel undertrained is pretty simple, in my opinion. Make sure to fuel and hydrate as well as
possible. Walk the hills. “Run until running feels too hard, walk until walking
feels too easy.” Everything fell into place during the race. I ran well, hydrated and fueled well. The
last few miles felt harder, but even then I felt confident and strong. I ran a consistent pace throughout the race.
I passed the 20 mile mark at 4:32, and finished in 6 hours and 47 minutes. My
Garmin watch showed that I ran for 4:03, walked/hiked for 2:29 (mostly due to
the hills), and was idle for 14 minutes (probably at the aid stations). I was
37th place out of 55 finishers. No one else really cares about how
long it takes us to finish these races.
Times and placement are just numbers that hold little intrinsic value.
If you’re happy with the numbers and it helps with the overall joy and
experience, good for you. And yes, I was
very happy with how it all turned out.
I felt nauseous after the race. Various muscles would
randomly cramp up on me for rest of the day.
While taking off my shoes, my feet, calves and stomach cramped up on me
all at once, leaving me writhing in agony.
I was probably mildly dehydrated. My stomach had probably shut down from
the finish line sprint I attempted (and failed at). Despite the post race discomfort, I was
overjoyed with everything else during my eventful weekend. After a couple
hours, I said my goodbyes, packed up and left camp. I was secretly hoping to make it home for a
birthday dinner for my daughter, but never made it in time. I missed out on some Saturday night fun on
the ranch, but wasn’t too bothered by it.
My cup was already overflowing with blessings and joy.
What I ate/drank during the race:
I took 2 salt/electrolyte pills from the aid stations. I
probably should have taken a third late in the race. I carried a handheld
bottle with water that I would drink and occasionally douse myself over the
head when I felt hot. I carried a ziplock bag with dried mangoes for calories
in between the aid stations. At the aid
stations, I tried to eat bananas or watermelon with either coke/cola or ginger
ale.
Other interesting notes about the race:
There were three Tarahumara runners racing, which always
seems to add a little magic to the experience.
Special Dedication:
I dedicate my race to the late Martin Whitcomb, who has
sadly passed away. Martin, you have
always been such an inspiration to me over years. I’ll always remember your
kindness and the joy you brought to these events.
