Hainesport Endurance Run 2023: 50 miles in 12 hours

Backstory

It’s August 2022. Joey is running the 12 hour event at Loopy (4 mile loop at Cooper River Park). I come out to cheer Joey and the other runners on. Nothing deep.

Regina and Theresa are there. They’re also running the 12HR.

As the 12 hour mark approaches, Regina tells me Theresa is about to hit her furthest distance yet: 40 miles! I was in literal awe. That’s FAR AF forreal. How? Why? Could I?

While we waited for Joey and Theresa to come through on their last lap, me and Regina got to talking and she really inspired me to sign up for a 12 hour event. She made it seem so possible, like I wasn’t crazy for thinking about it. And that maybe I’d actually be good at it.

The race ends and everyone packs up to go home and get some rest. But I’m still thinking – “could I really do a 12 hour race? Do I even want to do that” lolll

Sign Up & Set Goals

A few months after Loopy, I decided to sign up for Hainesport Endurance Run 12HR 2023. And I had 10 months to train until the big day.

Naturally I set some goals…

C goal: go the full 12 hours

B goal: 32 miles (considered ultra distance)

A goal: 50 miles (huge stretch for me but at the time I just heard about a girl putting up 50 miles in 12 hours at her first race – I thought, maybe I could do that too?)

Training

In those 10 months, training got HARD. I had some real long days out there in all types of weather. 4-6 hour long runs were the norm. A 20 mile run in the pouring rain on a Saturday. A part time job I was 1000% committed to. All my free time went to runs, workouts, recovery.

I used the 10% rule starting with a mile a day, increasing the miles 10% each week. 3 weeks build up, 1 week deload. Weekly back to back long runs, speedwork, hills, recovery miles, strength training, preventative work, sleep. It all added up. I ended up getting my peak week to 60 miles. Calories, salt, water, protein all played an important role in the build up.

Race Day

Hainesport came up quickly and I was ready for it. I told myself over and over again that this is a celebration of all my hard work over the past 2 years. That all the miles I put up are gonna pay off. That it’s just like working a double being on my feet all day. I can do this.

Race day I was all smiles. I ran, walked, danced, sang. Friends and family came through to show their love and support. There was so much cheering and laughing. A mf party to say the least.

7 hours in, I hit my B goal: 32 miles (considered ultra distance). I’m officially an ultra runner. I hit a joint and take a celebratory beer with me on mile 33. Life’s good.

Pain Cave

Then mile 40 hit and shit got real. At this point I was so focused on 50 that I promised myself to keep moving no matter what.

2.5 hours to go, my calf started to cramp up BAD; I had to push through a major charley horse for over an hour. My muscles finally loosened up as I got more salt in me (thank you LMNT).

By the time my calf relaxed, I realize my feet were beat tf up, which I didn’t notice before because my calf was in so much pain. I start to feel all types of blisters & my toes were jamming the front of my shoes bad.

I took a break to retie my shoes which helped a lot, but the last two hours were an actual struggle bus trying to move with the pain in my feet. I had 5 miles left to hit 50 with just over an hour to go.

I couldn’t afford to give up any more time, so the game plan was: No more breaks, fast walking plus as many jogs as I could get in. “Keep smiling, keep going” was my mantra for miles.

I remember being 2 miles out from 50. At this point, I’ve been racing the clock for miles trying to keep my pace up. There was 30 minutes left on the clock which meant if I did the last 2 miles at a 15:00 minute pace I would hit my A goal. Cutting it real close since I was moving at a 13-14 minute pace.

Finish

Last lap, I’m moving good, still hurting, but now starting to get emotional. “If I keep moving like this I’ll hit my A goal. We’re almost done. Keep moving.” One step after the other, as fast as I could.

I turn a bend and see @gracemackel hitting her last lap and it gives me the energy I need to finish strong. I got hype, put on a banger, and started running to the finish line (got a 400m PR lmao).

50 f’cking miles in 11:55:57 – 4 minutes to spare!!! If I had to hit the bathroom 1 more time I would of hit the cut off. Without my crew, I couldn’t have gone the distance.

Special Thanks

Thank you especially to @joediandrea and @beastcoastpro. We did it! Made my dream a mf reality. Thank you thank you thank you!

Gear & Nutrition

Fueled by tailwind and LMNT wearing Hoka Clifton 9s

Learning Lessons

Give your skills time to build up.

Strengthen those little muscles in and around your feet.

Hitting a big goal = setting weekly goals + accomplishing daily goals…week after week. You either do or do not.

Try toe socks next time? Go slower in the beginning?

Things might feel tough now, but it’s temporary. The pain will pass.

Feel it out. Strategy gives you structure, Intuition takes you far.

A healthy loving support system at home is everything.

Bring your pup if you’re allowed to, makes everything better.

Overall Thoughts

This was the hardest, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done for myself. I showed up in ways that I didn’t know possible. There were so many times I wanted to say no, but said yes instead and followed through.

And every time I kept a promise to myself, my confidence grew larger and my light shined brighter. I feel like a snake who had shed her old skin or a hermit crab who found a new shell.

Life is just hitting different in the best way possible. Set a hard goal and get after it. You won’t regret it.