First Ultra Race Report and After!

On September 17th, 2010 I ventured over to home. I was going home for the night because I had quite a trek in the morning and wanted to get a lot of sleep (and carbs!). This trek was going to test my body to a limit it has never seen before. This was going to require a lot of motivation and spunk as my high school coach used to say.

The night before the race was relatively weird for me. I had been very tired all day and figured there was no way that I was going to be able to race in the morning. I decided to go up to the high school cross country practice and see how the guys were practicing. I found out the next day's meet was going to be at Boardman and I wished the guys luck as they were up some stiff competition. I noticed Jerry Dugan had been in pain the past two days and was battling a possible stress fracture. He was pedeling relatively hard on the bike and creating a nice wind for myself.

Then, I saw my good friend Steve Bada and talked to him about the upcoming Akron Relay Marathon and we traveled over to Dicks Sporting Goods to get some fuel for the next day. He was telling me of past stories of races and even last years Akron Relay.

Then, I get home. I'm starving. It's 6:00PM and I hadn't eaten since 11 that morning. I decided to eat some pizza, but not just any pizza...Ianazone's 14" Pizza, White Pizza!! I ate all but two peices and it was very good! The, it was around 8pm, I popped in one of my high school dvd's from cross season and decided it was time to motivate myself.

At 10PM I hit the hay and decided I needed to get a lot of sleep for the next day.

I woke up, was groggy all morning and was not feeling like doing 31 miles. I decided I'll make some tea and get ready for this thing. I boiled the water, poured my tea, which felt like an eternity but it was my morning routine. I also incorporated a shower that morning to wake myself up.

Then, it was time to head out the room. Oh crap, I forgot my breakfast! I went to Sheetz, saw a few runners, got a banana and breakfast bar. Then, it was time to go to Mill Creek Park.

Arriving to Mill Creek, I had a few volunteers stop me and say, you must be Taylor Sowers and I have heard a lot about you. I was impressed but I just said a friendly "thank you" and "I hope it was all good things..." It was. My race then was about ready to begin. I popped in my iPod and got ready and in the zone!

Race gun goes off, which was more of a yell, and the steps now pluttered on the pavement. Getting to the first staircase I was doing well, running with one of my buddies, Jon Bolha. It was good to have someone join me for the first few miles. I had the African music beating as my heart was beating in my chest. It was so worth it and great to run to. It will definitely be a future choice.

I really don't remember anything before mile 15, so the rest was just a blur...

The next 15 was going to be a long one. I was ready for it and determined to finish. My legs hurt, my mind was beat, cramping then kicked in, powergel was then in store. My body started to gradually feel better and then I was in the grove again.

The next thing I remember, is at a mile stop. I got back to the Covered Bridge and asked the gentlemen there if they had known what mile it was. They claimed 28 and I had 3.25 to go. I thanked them for all their work and continued on my way. During the next three miles, I walked, in agony and thought to myself, I came to run, and run will be the way I finish. I walked for two miles and then ran the last mile, off and on too. It was good to finally see the finish and see where my run would then be completed.

I got to the finish, my parents were there and I was glad to finally be able to sit down. I grabbed a beer from one of my friends, Jeff Musik and then met with my mom and dad. I was so excited and was bound to have a nickname. My dad exclaimed "I don't know if I am of high order to give you a nickname," but I wanted one from my dad. I am now known as Tiny Tronk, or TT for short.

For the next week, I got Bronchitis and was unable to run, until today and today begins a trek towards another Marathon. I will continue the races because the line is only subjected to one race, in my mind, there is no finish line and the races will still pile on. Good night everyone. Happy trails in the morning, I will be hitting the roads bright and early.

Final thoughts before tomorrow.

Let me start off by saying, that I feel like I am in the best physical shape of my life. I have been running for hours nonstop and doing it rather early in the morning (starting time is typically 5:45AM). I usually run between one and two hours on a constant basis, and have been doing this for the past month for preparation for the 50k and the Columbus Marathon in October.

That being said, my physical shape has also been great because I ran the most amount of miles in one week, and that was last week. I ended up doing 100 miles in seven runs and am now mentally tough for this 50k set ahead of me tomorrow morning.

All of this added in, is allowing my mind to flow freely back between "Am I ready or not?" I feel that I am, I know that I am, but I'm not so sure my legs will be 100% tomorrow in order to run for the distance that is ahead of me. I guess it's the typical back and forth motion that exists in every runner, especially when there is a new distance at hand.

Tomorrow = 8AM start. 31 miles. I hope I got this.

"It's not that I had the guts to finish, it's the fact that I had the courage to start."

The countdown begins.

This week marks less than 2 weeks before my first ultramarathon. Right now, I have mixed emotions about it. I hope I can do it! I know that if I put my mind to it like I have been putting in my training, then I should be doing alright. I also decided that I am going to do the Akron Relay Marathon the Saturday after YUT-C and then do the Columbus Marathon on Oct. 17th, and finish up with a 5k the following week. It's going to be brutal, but hey that's what running is for! Mentally challenge yourself and great things will come from them.

Also, I am set on this triathalon stuff. I am going to end up training for it after Columbus. I have four guys up at school that are into it, one's hardcore training for it, so I will have someone to motivate me through it. That's all for now.