50 miles...Achieved

Its been a few weeks since I ran the Nashville Ultra. I have since healed, began running again, and now that the post race buzz has worn off, I feel I should talk about it.

The gun fired at 7 am on a chilly Saturday morning. The first 8 miles were cool but breeze-less. When the sun started to peak over the horizon exceptional amount of fog was created. It was beautiful. We were running east so the sun illuminated billions of tumultuous water droplets that swirled behind the competitors in front of me. The street signs and mile markers steamed as they absorbed the rays.

I passed by my crew (Jessica, Liam, Mom, Blaize, Jenny, and Izzy) at 5 miles who had neglected to get any of my race food prepped. "They have food in that tent!" I was told. They didn't quite understand that you can't just switch diets from what your used to on race day. I have no idea what going from pretzels to doritoes would to to my performance but I wasn't going to risk it.

At 8 miles, we turned around. With the sun at my back I cruised back to the start line. T run was beautiful so far. All green ways, parts suspended along a rivers edge cliff.

At mile 16, I snacked on some PB and J, applied copious amounts of vasseline around parts that rub. and was off again. There was an incredible walking bridge over the Cumberland that ended in a significant decline. As I crossed it, I couldn't stop myself from pondering what it was going to feel like to run back up this at mile 49. Chilling.

The next aid station was at mile 22 (my arches were starting to hurt). A really nice park that was quite busy. Baseball players, family reuinions (with awesome smelling BBQ) and trails I have ran before. We exited the park on the same trail as in the Tom King Classic. I headed through some industrial areas on my way downtown.

At mile 28, Blaize joined me on a bicycle for the rest of the race. It started with another steep pedestrian bridge and we were downtown, searching diligently for the white painte the said, "NU" with an arrow telling us our next move. Downtown, although big, doesn't last long when trying to cover 50 miles. Sooner than I could have imagined we were back in another industrial area (still on a green way), beside train tracks complete with a train  following us at the same speed as us blowing its horn incessantly.

Soon enough we were back on a green way along the river.

In making a long story short. I ran a long time. 10:28.