TLDR: I ran the JFK 50 Mile in 10:38:33 and beat my 2020 time by 2 hours 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
This year was quite different but not without challenges. Two weeks before the event I came down with Covid. It threw a wrench into my build and prep weeks. Instead of a few more key workouts, I spent the majority of the first week on the couch and the next week trying to rest and recover as much as possible.
On race day I was virus-free, feeling confident I could finish and beat my prior time, but not as fit as I would have liked. I had hoped to push myself to go below 10 hours but switched strategy to just run consistently throughout the entire course.
The weather was in the low 50s at the start – a bit chilly for my liking, but I had the right layering in place so I was comfortable and could regulate my temp when the wind would pick up or die down. I started the day VERY easy so I could properly warm up in the first few uphill miles. I walked whenever my heart rate spiked and kept a relaxed pace for the first 16 miles, which are hilly and largely on the Appalachian Trail. The remainder of the run was on the C&O canal and then 8 miles of gently rolling paved country roads.
During the trail section, it was difficult to contain the pace. I really enjoy running rocky, technical trails and had to reign myself in several times so I would have legs left for the flat canal section. My right knee flared up a bit on some of the technical downhills when I was pushing too hard. This caused me some concern because I still had a looooooong way to go. Backing off on the downhill and when the footing was bad was the ticket. My knee settled down and didn’t give me any more issues for the duration of the race.
I was 15 minutes ahead of my optimistic pace when I hit the first crewed aid station at the end of the trail section. A change from trail to road shoes, a refill of the electrolytes and I was off again.
The canal section of the race, about 26 miles, is dead flat and on crushed limestone along the Potomac River. It’s scenic and the leaves were still falling and colorful but I find this section boring. It is also where I had to start walking in 2020. No walking this year, except through the aid stations to grab some potato chips, PB&J sandwiches, and refill my water bottle.
Fueling for this race was very light. Chips, PB&J sandwiches, and some broth from the aid stations for the first 25 or so miles. At the second crewed aid station, I added Heed Sports Energy Drink from Hammer Nutrition to my electrolytes bottle so I had a slow drip of carbohydrates throughout the remainder of the race. This seemed to do the trick as I never ran out of energy. Training low-carb has greatly simplified my fueling strategy over the past year. Now I just concentrate on keeping my water and electrolytes topped up then just graze on whatever looks appetizing at the aid stations.
Because of the two missed training weeks, and recovering from the virus, I was not able to push the pace in the last ½ of the race but could continue running at a steady pace. According to the official timing, I completed the 50.2 miles in 10:34:33 putting my average pace at 12:38/mile. That includes sitting down for shoe/sock changes 2 times at the crewed aid stations and walking through some of the other aid stations to refill water and pick up snacks.
I was surprised how well I was able to run late in the race after being on the couch ill just a week before. Had I not been sick and missed two key weeks of training, I’m confident I could have been under 10 hours. At any rate, this was a checkpoint race for my main goal of a sub-24h 100-mile effort on March 1st. I know my training is on point and will get me there!
Recovery from the Saturday race has been a breeze. Sunday consisted of a lot of rest time and an Epsom salt soak. It’s Tuesday as I write this. I ran 45 minutes last night, slowly, and felt better when I was done than when I started. I’ll continue to run easily but will start extending the durations of my runs for the next 4 to 7 days. Then it’s time to get back to the hard training to prepare for the Mississippi Trail 100 on March 1. I can’t give back any of the gains I made in completing JFK. Onward!