“Pink Ladies” before the 7 am start |
As part of President Kennedy’s push to increase the physical fitness of the country, the inspiration behind the JFK 50 came from Kennedy challenging military officers to be able to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions. As the oldest 50 mile race in the country, this event has been referred to as the “Boston Marathon” of ultras.
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No headphones allowed due to terrain |
Walking a half mile or so to the start from the briefing area reminded me very much of the walk to the start of the Boston Marathon- nervous tension in the air, excited chatter among participants. The first 5K was a steep road incline that gained 1100 feet in elevation. By the start of the Appalachian Trail (AT) section, we were all gasping for air. I had a reality check when someone mentioned the Alpine Rescue Team’s availability for injured runners on “the mountain”…in my mind, we were just going to be on a big hill, not an actual mountain.
Towpath extends a full 26 miles |
Having been conservative in the early miles, we settled into a more aggressive pace. Usually uItras are quite lonley, but this was different with 1100 participants. Most of us were constantly leap-frogging each other due to stops at aid stations and run/walk strategies so it was easy to recognize others and make friends. Others called us the “Pink Ladies” and we soaked up advice from experienced JFK veterans.
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Wearing the “vest of shame” |
I was able to keep the calories and hydration up- something I didn’t do at Dances with Dirt 50K or North Face Endurance Challenge, when my body rejected food after about mile 25. With aid stations situated every 4 miles or so, I focused on keeping whole foods going in as long as possible. No stomach issues this time at all- in hindsight, it’s because we took a little longer than usual at the aid stations during the first 35 miles and I actually had time to chew my food thoroughly and went with items that were easy to digest: boiled potatoes, tomato soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels, M&Ms, cookies. Having said that, I’m probably the only person who ran 50 miles out there and didn’t end in a calorie deficit!
If you get to the aid station that completes the towpath after 3pm, the policy is that you have to wear a reflective vest the rest of the way. The one handed to me was bright orange and horrible. Didn’t these people know I was trying to look cute during all 50 miles?
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How do I feel? Like I’ve been hit by a truck. |
The course description in the JFK entry mentions “gently rolling” roads during the final segment. After 42 miles, these roads were not gentle to my already beat up legs in the slightest. My body didn’t begin hurting until this point- the combintion of the hills with the hard surface was brutal. Even though it was painful, I still felt better than a lot of folks we saw (or maybe we looked that bad too and just didn’t know it?!). A testament to incorporating crossfit into race training, we passed at least 20 people in the final miles. Since I’ve already completed B&A Trail Marathon, this didn’t count as my Maryland…but that didn’t damper my excitement when I finished mid pack in 11:07:39.