Photo credit: Esther Searcy (@esthersearcyphoto). It was my first 50 miler and I was in the restroom when the race started. I was one minute behind the pack and because of the distance, I was okay with it. I was feeling strong, I ran at a steady pace (no walking) while it was cooler, after clearing the initial single-track congestion. After the aid station at the halfway point (out and back), my glutes and legs were feeling heavy, so I started walking and running from that point on. At mile 36, my self-talk was about keeping my feet moving and finishing my first 50 miler. Mentally I was in a good place because I was confident that if I kept my legs moving, I would be able to finish. After 40 miles the toughest sections of the course were the downhills. My right leg below the quad felt weaker than my left, so I paid close attention to my stride mechanics from that point on. It got hot from mile 30. I was using evaporative cooling techniques at each aid station by pouring ice in
