Our family spent last weekend in Columbia, SC, participating in a trail race series (50k for my husband, 25k for myself) and hiking with the kids and dog. On Saturday morning, the kids and I set up shop by our car to cheer for the runners as they began the 50k trail race— tailgate open, camping chairs, coolers for a picnic, books, blankets to stay warm, dog bed for the dog— we were going to be there all day! After the runners took off, breakfast completed and a game of bean-boozled, the kids and I set off hiking hoping to run into my husband, Chris, along the course. After a 5-mile hike through a beautiful pine forest, we finally ran into Chris after the 14-mile marker. The kids were excited, but I was frozen like an icicle and ready to get back into the car. The kids cozied up with a pile of blankets in the back of our car with the dog (on the dog bed) and watched a movie. Not only did they look warm, they requested I open the car windows because they were too hot— I, on the other hand, was still frozen like a gallon of ice cream that was stuck in the back of the freezer for months and set out on the kitchen counter to melt. Just when I began to thaw, Chris called to tell us he had about 5 miles to the finish. I bundled the kids up again, and off we went back into the forest— meeting Chris with .5 miles left in his race, our oldest ran him to the finish line. It was a fun day; however, all of the time hiking and playing outside in the cold left me feeling exhausted.
I woke up the next morning feeling grouchy and dreading the 16 miles of cold I signed up for — I did not want to run and was trying to think of reasons to instead hang out in the warm hotel room. Unable to come up with a good excuse to defer my race number, we soon arrived back at Harbison State Forest with what I thought was just enough time to grab my number, use the good ole’ porta-potty, and start running. This time around, I was early…super early, and waited an extra 40 minutes in the cold (Chris thought the start was at 8:30 when it was actually 9:00) — “UGH” was my inner monologue. I bounced around to the music playing over the loudspeaker to stay warm in the meantime.
The race began with a horn blast, a few barking dogs (especially ours), and spectators cheering along the trail’s edge. My brain immediately focused on a few bothersome sounds— the gravel crunching beneath hundreds of feet, the heavy mouth-breathing from the runners around me, my hydration pack’s water spout bouncing against my number, and the water sloshing as it tossed side-to-side on my back. Early on in the run, I looked down at my watch to see my pace and I face planted in the dirt. Needless to say, I felt grumpy! Yikes! I looked down at my watch (again) and I was only at mile 3. I needed to turn things around and fast!
I began thinking about the kids, Chris, and the dog— they were probably off at a park having a great time playing, or maybe hiking again in the forest and picking up pinecones.
I recalled the last time I ran this same race— it was 2020, right before Chris left again for the Middle-East and before COVID hit. My friends drove up early on a Saturday morning to run the 50K. This was my second ultra-marathon. I remember the encouragement from my friend, Beth, as I arrived at the halfway mark during the 50K and how her words and presence boosted my spirits. It was uplifting seeing Jess as we realized the course distance was longer than 32 miles!
I thought about a Stroller Warrior friend from Ramstein. Molly and I ran the Jungfrau Marathon together in 2019. Our families enjoyed a pre-race meal the day before the Jungfrau that included a pot of fondue from a mountainside restaurant— one of the most delicious meals of my life! I am incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful friend who also enjoys racing up tall mountains!
I woke up the next morning feeling grouchy and dreading the 16 miles of cold I signed up for — I did not want to run and was trying to think of reasons to instead hang out in the warm hotel room. Unable to come up with a good excuse to defer my race number, we soon arrived back at Harbison State Forest with what I thought was just enough time to grab my number, use the good ole’ porta-potty, and start running. This time around, I was early…super early, and waited an extra 40 minutes in the cold (Chris thought the start was at 8:30 when it was actually 9:00) — “UGH” was my inner monologue. I bounced around to the music playing over the loudspeaker to stay warm in the meantime.
The race began with a horn blast, a few barking dogs (especially ours), and spectators cheering along the trail’s edge. My brain immediately focused on a few bothersome sounds— the gravel crunching beneath hundreds of feet, the heavy mouth-breathing from the runners around me, my hydration pack’s water spout bouncing against my number, and the water sloshing as it tossed side-to-side on my back. Early on in the run, I looked down at my watch to see my pace and I face planted in the dirt. Needless to say, I felt grumpy! Yikes! I looked down at my watch (again) and I was only at mile 3. I needed to turn things around and fast!
I began thinking about the kids, Chris, and the dog— they were probably off at a park having a great time playing, or maybe hiking again in the forest and picking up pinecones.
I recalled the last time I ran this same race— it was 2020, right before Chris left again for the Middle-East and before COVID hit. My friends drove up early on a Saturday morning to run the 50K. This was my second ultra-marathon. I remember the encouragement from my friend, Beth, as I arrived at the halfway mark during the 50K and how her words and presence boosted my spirits. It was uplifting seeing Jess as we realized the course distance was longer than 32 miles!
I thought about a Stroller Warrior friend from Ramstein. Molly and I ran the Jungfrau Marathon together in 2019. Our families enjoyed a pre-race meal the day before the Jungfrau that included a pot of fondue from a mountainside restaurant— one of the most delicious meals of my life! I am incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful friend who also enjoys racing up tall mountains!
 Jess and I post Harbison 50k in 2020 |  Picking up race numbers for the the Jungfrau Marathon in 2019 |
I reminisced about a fun team road race in 2019 with my Stroller Warrior friends from Fort Belvoir. A bunch of us organized teams of 4 and split 26.2 miles. I ran about 10 hilly miles before I passed the tracking device to my team mate. One Stroller Warrior ran a double leg totaling 17 miles to replace a sick team member! Afterwards we all enjoyed a post-race celebration in a gymnasium where many of us SW members- families included- talked about the racecourse. It was a fun race with amazing friends and the longest run I had completed postpartum!
 Members from SW Fort Belvoir run the the George Washington Relay in Maryland |  Passing the timing chip to Sarah |
Before I knew it, 13.75 miles of trail had passed, and I was at an aid station getting some Pepsi to help push me to the end. These happy memories helped me break through the running wall that I hit very early during the race. This experience helped me realize the importance of not only physically training for athletic endeavors, but also training the mind to stay positive. I am grateful to have incredible memories with my Stroller Warrior friends and family that help me overcome obstacles.
How do you overcome hitting a wall during a race? Please share your stories!
Happy Running,
Rose
How do you overcome hitting a wall during a race? Please share your stories!
Happy Running,
Rose
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