Fueled by friends, fun, and Fritos

This past weekend, Scott and I packed our ultra bins and headed to run 6 Hours on Lover’s Lane.  The event sounded perfect for where I am with running:  trails, flexible distance, and no pressure.  And since recently coming off of the Ghost Train waitlist, this event served as a great training run to remind myself what distance feels like as I look ahead to a 30 mile goal.

After way too many days of heavy, soupy, humid weather, we caught a break!  Not that it didn’t get warm, but it was much more comfortable to run than it had been.  We had several friends we knew were running that day, so it really felt like home.  As we got closer to the starting time though, I noticed Ali was nowhere to be found!  I just met Ali as a fellow volunteer at Vermont 100 in July and was looking forward to sharing some miles with her.  With maybe 5 minutes to spare, she whipped into the parking lot and was racing to get her bib# as we started the race.

No chip timing needed!  A quick sharpie mark and off for another loop!

Very soon, Ali caught up to me and we chatted through a couple loops.  The loops were a bit under 2 miles in length and we “got to” run as many as we wanted within the six hour timeframe.  Soon into the run, I knew my time with Ali wouldn’t last, as she was ready to lay down some strong miles that day.  The loops enabled us to see each other throughout the day, which made it fun and encouraging for us all.  I also got to see Amanda, Rob, Ashley, and even Scott several times.  

Although I packed my usual ultra food/snacks, I quickly realized that Fritos were going to be my fuel of choice.  I stuffed a handful in my vest pocket at almost every loop.  A side of Fritos with my sandwich?  Yes please.  A side of Fritos with my watermelon?  Sure, why not.  A side of Fritos with my Fritos?  Don’t mind if I do….

This was my first experience running a short loop course repetitively.  I wasn’t sure if it would feel monotonous after a few loops, but I was pleasantly surprised that it really never got boring.  Each loop presented decent elevation (~300 ft), so after 14 laps, I sure did feel it.   By the end of my time at Lover’s Lane, my watch said I completed 25.2 miles.  Although briefly tempted to bring my mileage to 26.2 to reach the marathon distance, I couldn’t fathom running another step once I stopped. 

Today I feel good and a lot better than I have after other non-trail, flatter races of that distance.  I was thrilled with how I managed my run and fuel, my final mileage total, and the fact that I ran the full 6 hours.  I highly recommend this event if you enjoy a low-key, friendly, encouraging atmosphere with great food and great people.  Stickers, trucker hats, and maple syrup (for top 3) were fun swag as well. 

If you're looking for me, you can find me where the friends, fun, and Fritos are!

Ali and I celebrating after a fun day in the woods!