I was expecting to finish Saturday’s race nearly one full hour slower than my actual finish time. My training plan for the Prairie Spirit 50k was only three weeks long, coming off of my winter conditioning plan. I would typically have 4-5 long runs of 20+ miles heading into a 50k, but I only had two 13-mile runs and one 22-mile run. I kept mileage under 10 miles all winter long while recovering from the Heartland 100 race. While I didn’t feel like I had lost all of my long mileage base, I knew my body had not been pushed this hard for quite some time. Over a 4-month break, I spent more hours lifting weights and doing DDP Yoga than I ever have. I also spent more time completing body-weight exercises, including squats, sit-ups, and push-ups. I was predicting a 6:00:00 to 6:15:00 finish the night before dinner. Tony Brown said, “I think you are going to PR”. I thought he was crazy, but as it turns out, he was on to something.

The race started out a bit rocky. I did not feel very comfortable with my stride or gait, and my pace began slowing down around mile 4. Then a voice in my head spoke up and said, “you can get a PR today if you want it bad enough.” I started feeling strong around mile 8 when my pace picked up. I knew I could break 5:40:57, which was my personal record by the time I hit 13 miles. I then set a new goal at mile 18: to break 5:30:00. It’s been a long time since I have felt so great on a long run, and I did not see my pace slow down until the 20s. During mile 28, I ran into a fellow runner named Stephen. We had passed each other a few times early in the race, but he pulled way ahead of me miles earlier. Stephen was struggling and said he was going to walk it in. I encouraged him to run 2/1 intervals with me and finish strong. We had a great time over the past few miles, and the time to the finish flew right by. We finished 10th and 11th respectively, good enough for 2nd and 3rd in the men’s 40-49 division.

Without a doubt, the time I spent in the gym and with DDPY prepared me for this race. I added 6 pounds of muscle mass while increasing my flexibility by at least 10%. Cross training and time off made me a better runner.

It was a fun event, and I was able to escape with no injuries, just sore muscles. I’m feeling almost back to normal after a few days of cryotherapy, compression, and DDPY. Next race up will be the Heartland Spring 50-miler. I’m ramping up mileage through the spring to prepare for the Honey Badger 100-miler in July, which will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

All glory and praise got to my Savior, Jesus Christ for making this possible. Without Him, I am sitting on the couch in pain with spinal stenosis. “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” -Psalm 63:3-4

Photo credit to Mile 90 Photography – the best in the business!