As I drove to the North Face Endurance Challenge – Northeast
Regionals at Bear Mountain, I was anxious.
I’ve raced here 3 times before and have never had a great day on these
trails. I spent most of the spring on
and off injured, and wasn’t sure that my fitness was there. I hadn’t really raced an ultra in months, and
so even the 50k seemed overwhelming to consider.
But, once I put on my trusty TrailRocs and the race started, I finally relaxed. I remembered that I do ultras because I am
passionate about running and the trails.
I enjoyed the camaraderie of numerous runners out there, catching up
with old friends or meeting new one, and seamlessly passing the miles. I kept my head up and took in the views of
the Catskills, smiled as I cruised over single track, and enjoyed racing
through the trees. I remembered that
this is why I run, and took in the miles and experiences. As I slapped Dean high five at 20 miles in, I
realized that my legs felt ok – my injury wasn’t bothering me, my fitness was
holding up, and I only had 10 miles to go.
My anxiety about the race had been unfounded.
With 3 miles to go, and nothing but downhill to the finish,
it was the first time I really let go and opened up the stride. I was the first female, and was finally going
to have a great day at Bear Mountain! I
had a smile plastered on my face, and embraced the fatigue in the legs. I worked with the racers who were near me, as
we all charged towards the finish. I
cross the finish line and literally jumped for joy. I had conquered the Bear, I had overcome my
injury, I had enjoyed 50k of joy, passion, and beauty, and I had loved every
minute of it. This is why I run…
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