Today was my last day of steps before the race on Saturday.
I'll take both tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday off so that I can have fresh legs for the ultra.
I can't wait to see these ultramarathoners again. There is an instant kinship between people who do 50Ks and 100Ks, even if they are competitors. Me? I'll be run-walking the race. I have no expectations of myself besides running as I please. Let's face it. Some of us who run are actually kind of terrible at it. In truth, I have no innate running ability. I have been in the back of the pack in almost every race I've been in. It doesn't matter, to me, or to anyone else. We runners don't know how to NOT be runners. Not all runners run the distances we will run this weekend nor will they run as slowly (or as quickly) as each other. But we can all share in the meaning we find in those hours spent running. We make each other laugh, tell tales, and share in the unique camaraderie of the world that is called "running," filled with the amazing people we call "runners."
The good thing about running an ultra is that only one thing can hurt at one time. You know your feet are going to be messed up and it doesn't do any good to complain about them or look at them. That's the mindset you have to adopt if you're going to do a race like a 50K. Obviously you want to take care of your feet as much as possible, but it does get to the point where you say, "Well, if I don't look at them I just won't know how bad they are." That's the mentality you have to adopt. If your right foot is hurting and then your left foot starts hurting, then the good news is the one that hurts the worst is the only one you're going to think about. And so all you have to do is think about one thing at a time and don't get overwhelmed by all the other things that are hurting.
Truly, once you finish the race, your feet will be destroyed. You've been running on very tired, swollen feet, and your feet swell so much. I mean after the race when you take your socks off, it doesn't even look like a foot anymore. Holy cow, is that MY foot? It's madness, and it'll take several days for that swelling to go down, even if there's nothing wrong with your feet. It's just that you've spent anywhere between 8-20 hours standing, and that's something your body is not used to.
I will say this. Running an ultra is a crash course in gratitude, patience, perseverance, and the rewarding feeling of knowing you've pushed through walls and come out on the other side. I'm not a gifted athlete, but I am tenacious. And in ultramarathoning, that can take you a long ways.