When Xander said he wanted to do an ultra this year, we suggested the ultra challenge. None of us were up to the 100K distance (since Amy and I have done it before), but with the Tough Tarmac and Tough Trail options on the table, we came up with a creative plan. I offered to start in the middle of the night with Xander and bang out the Tough Tarmac challenge (I’d already done the trail version). Then I’d hand him off to Amy and Elizabeth, who were game for the Tough Trail challenge (they’d already done the road version). This way we’d all get to spend time supporting Xander through this challenge while fulfilling our own goals.
I got a few hours of sleep the prior night, waking around 11:40 to have a quick protein drink and head out to the track in Trumansburg. We started around 12:15 with Xander running a super-fast mile while I ran a moderately fast mile. Run Rabbit Run was just a short drive away, and I loved showing this to Xander in the middle of the night. As we approached our car after the first loop I saw a vehicle parked next to ours, lights on. Uh-oh! Turns out it was one of Xander’s friends who’s now a park ranger. She saw us parked there and when we rolled up from Black Diamond, she said “I figured that was you!” We weren’t in any trouble: she was checking in to make sure we were okay. It was a nice social connection during the run. As we turned from South Street onto Main, I made sure Xander knew the rest of the course and implored him to take off. I knew what lay ahead so I was happy with my pace, but his legs were fresh and he appreciated the downhill on Falls Road. Lakefront Loops felt mercifully short after Run Rabbit Run. These miles clicked by relatively quickly but I had to walk a short stretch since I had spots in my field of vision. It passed quickly and I got some Gatorade in me once we were back in the car.
I’d never seen the Freeville course before. We both knew it’d be difficult but I wasn’t prepared for what would happen to my calves. I carried 2L of water on my back for this and we ran the first half at a deliberate pace, both opting to listen to our own music, running through the darkness side-by-side with our waist headlamps showing the way. At the turnaround, confident that he could follow his Strava app back to the car, I told Xander to keep going. He had a few Honey Stinger chews and some water and took off like a shot. A few miles after the turnaround I no longer saw his bobbing red light in the distance and felt pretty despondent. My calves were starting to cramp and I’d settled into walking a few minutes for every mile I ran. At about the time I’d covered marathon distance, I ran out of water. I called Amy first to share how I was doing, and we hatched a plan to have her come to Brooktondale to get Xander after he ran the fifth course, as I felt I’d have no ability to run it. I called Xander next, and he offered to drive back along the course and bring me water, for which I was immensely grateful. I ran-walked the balance of the distance and changed my shirt and shorts for the third time (it was incredibly humid, but gratefully no precipitation).
Xander headed off into Valley Views with his RunGo companion and I started hiking, confident that he’d have a great run, get picked up on time by Amy and Elizabeth, and enjoy the rest of his day. My day was about over, and I knew I could hike 6.4 miles in about 2 hours. I called my brother to say hello and listened to a few podcasts. I bought a 1L of water with me and generally enjoyed seeing the views, yelling at the aggressive dogs, and seeing Brooktondale wake up. Amy and Elizabeth drove by me and offered encouragement, too! Light rainfall misted me as I made the final turn on the course, so I didn’t escape the day without a moderate amount of precipitation. I made it back to the car Amy’d left me (gotta love virtual keys) and drove myself home, enjoying a cookie and Gatorade as my reward (the Market opened a half hour after I finished, too long to linger).