I had a very big Labor Day weekend. The Yeti Snakebite 50K was sandwiched between The ATL 20k and the Big Peach Sizzler 10K. A very Ambitious running weekend!
I started the weekend Saturday, August, 30th with The ATL 20K. My goal as I started this race was to have a nice easy run with plenty of rest for the 50k the next day. As a bonus I placed in my Age Group!
The Yeti Snakebite 50K was next on Sunday, August 31. It was a very hot day in Georgia. This would be an 11 mile, 3 loop course for the 50K. I had begun using Tailwind (www.tailwind.com) for my hydration during recent training runs. I had a cool packed with refills for my pack, along with snacks and other items for my drop bags. Another mom from Peachtree City contacted me a few weeks before asking if she could run with Laura and I, and we gladly invited her to join us for this (her first Ultra).
We started our pace slow and steady, kept reminding each other to hydrate often and not go too fast. By the half way mark we had seen runners in trouble and dropping out, but we continued on our pace. The course had variable terrain with several climbs. There was single track, rocks, steps, and technical sections throughout the race. The half way aid station was fantastic with enthusiastic volunteers who helped us load our packs and supplied really good snacks each time we went through there.
At the end of our second loop, my husband, Ed had surprised me by being at the aid station and showing up to support me. Ed is a fire fighter and EMT and was quickly put to work with all the runners struggling with dehydration, etc. We headed into our final loop feeling strong and ready to complete our 50K. Laura’s family was there to greet us as we finished.
This would all be just the beginning as it only made me want to push to the next level.
Trail Running 100 