Race Recap: Elena Zeller Yeti Challenge 50k
On November 21st I completed a Yeti Challenge 50k which seemed rather daunting in August but ended up being a blast! It was also a great reminder of how amazing and supportive the running community is. If you haven't heard of the Yeti, it involves running 5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours. I added an extra mile along the way to get to a 50k.
If you're like me, you've discovered that you need a training plan to keep running and keep sane during the pandemic. I signed up for a 4 month virtual race series called Love the Run You're With through my favorite podcast and online running community, Another Mother Runner. We started with a virtual relay in August, and did various races throughout the fall, culminating in the "Go Long" event in November which could be various combinations of 5 miles or 5k over 16-24 hours. I initially thought I'd work out the math so I'd complete a marathon over the 24 hours since I didn't get to run New York this year. However, in chats with my virtual relay team, I got more and more excited about doing the full Yeti and eventually just decided to add the extra mile and do 50k. Because I've been working so hard to avoid risk wherever I can since I work with kids in person, taking this kind of risk with my running seemed like something I needed to try.
My training consisted of following the running plan I was given from Another Mother Runner, running 5-6 days a week (which is more than I usually have done for other races). I think my longest run was 14 miles and my plan had me break up that run into two sessions that were 4 hours apart to simulate the race conditions. I also tried to run more after dark so it didn't seem as scary.
The night time running idea made me realize I needed more help than just the virtual community--I needed to talk to runners in Brooklyn about how to do an overnight race here. And NBR members were so helpful--those that had run a Yeti before, those who had done much longer ultra distances, and also my fellow Caboose Crew runners who volunteered to run with me!
I decided to start the race at 10 pm on Friday and ended after my 6 pm leg on Saturday. This did require waking up for 2 am and 6 am legs, but I liked the idea of being able to shower and have dinner after my last leg and then go to bed! The schedule worked pretty well--the hardest wake up was the first one at 1:15 because I was so cold, but I soon got into a routine of layering up, drinking hot Nuun and heading out the door. I was also able to go back to sleep after the first three legs so I think that helped me not feel too exhausted.
I ran my first leg (10 pm) with Erin Sanders, who I ran my last marathon with. She has recently moved to Atlanta so we talked on the phone the whole time and it was so fun. We both realized we should have tried this earlier! I did lots of nice easy neighborhood loops, including one lap of the track.
For my 2 am and 6 am legs, Mary Harvey was my personal cheerleader. She kept me entertained with all sorts of stories and made me use the Pulaski and Williamsburg bridges to take walk breaks. She also provided snacks and weather reports, as well as reminders to pick up my farm share. Amazingly, 2 am felt perfectly safe, probably because all the bars closed at 10. And part way through the 6 am leg, the sun came up which was so encouraging--like a reminder that this was something I could do.
At 10 am, I met up with Dawn Maldonado who I think I last ran with in February, while training for the NYC Half. It was so great to run with her and feel like we were on a training run again. The sun was out and we both ran in shorts which felt amazing. We did a nice flat out and back along Kent Avenue. While buying coffee afterward, I remember feeling a bit of a runners' high and not dreading the miles I had left.
My 2 pm leg I ran with my friend Melissa who isn't a runner--she decided to accompany me on her bike. While we were running, she reminded me that I was almost done with a marathon. I felt sore by this point but not like I was in the last few miles of a marathon. I knew I still had enough energy to keep going, even though I was getting tired.
I ran the final leg over the Kosciusko with Liz Fedden, another Caboose Crew friend. It was so helpful to have her to talk to and to help me watch out for obstacles since I was tired and it was dark again. I used Mary's technique on the uphills again and I felt tired but so amazed that I was almost at the end. I did my last mile on my own, listening to a running playlist and somehow was able to finish my last mile fastest than all the rest, on the track. Liz and Illona Pattie and my daughter Emalyn were all there cheering me on. It was so amazing to still feel fast and strong after so many miles!
Throughout the whole race I had texts pouring in from my support crew as well as my virtual relay team--I felt surrounded by love and encouragement. I hadn't realized how much I needed that as well as I needed to take a physical risk. The pandemic has forced us all to make choices about how much time we spend with people and for me, as a single parent, there have been lots of moments of loneliness. This running experience began as me making a choice to do something with my body after so many months of no choices and became a way to feel tremendously supported and loved. I'm so grateful for all of you who were virtually or physically present to help me. I'm going to keep going back to those texts and photos next time I'm feeling the quarantine blues. I know we have some more dark months ahead of us, but I'd encourage you all to keep getting out there and try something harder or different from what you usually do.
