50 Miles

One of the Three Loops

A couple of months ago I decided to sign up for the Pineland Farms 50 Mile race in Maine on May 29. At the time, I thought it would be good motivation to get myself into shape. I always wanted to try a 100 mile race, and I thought that this would be a decent reality check that would probably get the crazy 100 mile idea out of my head. More than anything else, though, when I signed up May 29 seemed so far away that I thought I had more than enough time to get prepared. May 29 now seems way to soon, and I'm beginning to regret the whole idea. All of a sudden, it seems pretty dumb to try to run 50 miles when the farthest I've ever raced is a half-marathon. Looking forward to seeing how this one's going to turn out.

Here's the course description (My favorite line-"Although there are no major climbs the rolling terrain is unrelenting." Great.):

Participants in the 50 mile race will completea 3.5 mile loop, then 3 laps of the 25km course. The race course is a 25 kilometer off-road roller coaster on well-maintained XC trails that twist, turn, and roll their way through forests and across pastoral, working farmland. The trails are level, wide (12'), and non-technical with no roots or rocks, but very hilly. Although there are no major climbs the rolling terrain is unrelenting. The surface of the trails is mainly grass and dirt sprinkled with pine needles, pine cones, twigs, and small stones. From time to time runners will be directed off the main trail system and into fields. In the fields the course will follow a path cut by local farmers using their haying equipment. The grass is rough and can vary in height in different places. Some of the cut grass may still be on the path making running more difficult. There are no stream crossings on the course per-se, however, the grass in the fields can be very wet in the morning, and there may be wet and muddy spots if it rains just before the race. The paths in the fields are often not level, tilting severely in all directions. Trail running shoes are not necessary, but they are recommended.