Earth Day 50K: Mud, Elevation, and My First Ultra
Introduction:
On Friday, April 17th, Shane and I made the trip up to northern Illinois for my first ultramarathon. This one had been on my mind for a while… not just because of the distance, but because I genuinely didn’t know how I’d handle it once things got hard. The race was put on by Ornery Mule Racing and took place at Veterans Park in Crystal Lake, which ended up being the perfect setting for a long, grinding day.
The course was set up as six 5-mile loops, all on mostly single track with constant elevation change. Nothing about it was flat or easy. Each loop had right around 800 feet of climbing, which didn’t sound too bad at first, but it added up quickly. By the later miles, every hill felt a little steeper than it should have.
The single track made things interesting right away. At the start, everyone was packed in tight, and there wasn’t much room to move. It took a little time before the race could really spread out and settle into a rhythm.
One of the more memorable parts of the course was the creek crossing; twice per loop, around miles 1.5 and 3. Earlier in the week, northern Illinois got hit with a ton of rain, and it completely changed that section. What probably would’ve been a quick step-through turned into deep mud and standing water.
At first it was kind of fun. You just accepted that your feet were going to get wet and kept moving. But as the laps went on, it got worse. By lap six, that section was completely torn up. At one point my foot sank six or seven inches into the mud, and it sprayed all over my legs and shoes. There was really no way around it… you just had to go straight through and deal with it.
Before the race started, I made sure I was set up as best as I could be. I got there early and grabbed a parking spot that backed right up to the course so I could use it as my own aid station. I definitely overpacked, but I’d take that over missing something important halfway through the race. Having everything within reach made a difference, especially as the miles started to stack up.
The rest of this blog will be a lap-by-lap breakdown of how the race played out, along with my nutrition plan and the gear I used at the end.
Pre-Race:
Before the race, it was mostly about getting everything set up and dialed in. I used the time to organize my aid station so everything would be easy to grab throughout the day, picked up my bib from the Rotary Building, and spent some time stretching out and loosening up.
We got to the course around 6:30, so there was a lot of waiting before anything actually started. I ended up sitting in the truck for a while, trying to stay warm and just keep myself relaxed. It was right around 40 degrees out; no major wind, but just enough to make it feel a little colder than it already was.
As it got closer to the start, I made my way over to the line around 7:55. That’s when it really started to feel real. I took a few minutes to look around, check out who I’d be running with, and just take in the different types of ultramarathon runners. You could tell right away everyone had their own approach, their own pace, their own plan.
After what felt like a long five minutes, the horn finally went off… and just like that, we were off
Lap One:
Like I mentioned earlier, the first loop was crowded. With the 5k, 10-mile, 15-mile, and 50k all starting together, it took some time before things could spread out. Early on there was a staircase section that backed everything up a few times and forced people to stop.
I had to keep reminding myself not to fight it. It would have been easy to get frustrated, but I knew going out too fast or wasting energy trying to pass people would hurt me later. The goal was to stay controlled early and try to pick things up after lap three if I felt good.
Before the first creek crossing, the course was actually pretty calm. There were some long hills and constant turns, but the trail was well cleared and really enjoyable to run. It was easy to settle in and find a rhythm.
Then came the creek.
All the rain leading up to the race had torn that section up. Even on the first loop it was muddy and slick. I still tried to stay somewhat clean, watching my footing and looking for solid ground. That mindset did not last long as the race went on.
The back half of the loop is where things started to feel more real. That is where the elevation hits and you start to understand what 800 feet of climbing per lap really means. Nothing was steep enough to stop you, but it just kept coming and slowly wore the legs down.
Toward the end of the loop I started to notice some tightness in my calves. Nothing serious yet, just something in the background.
I came through lap one in 55 minutes, right around an 11 minute pace, which was exactly where I wanted to be.
Lap Two:
Lap two felt like more of the same, just without the congestion. The field had spread out enough that I could finally run my own race and settle into a rhythm.
The focus on this lap was consistency. I made a conscious effort not to overrun the hills. It was tempting to push the pace, especially since I was feeling good, but I knew the real race wouldn’t start until later. I wanted to stay efficient and make sure my legs, especially my quads, were still there when I needed them.
I came through the second lap in 52 minutes, which was a little faster than I expected. That was a small red flag. It felt good in the moment, but it told me I might need to dial things back slightly to avoid paying for it later.
At this point I was still feeling really strong. A third of the race was already done, and everything was under control.
Nutrition was locked in. I was taking in about 60 grams of carbs per hour, and my stomach was handling it well. No issues, no adjustments needed.
I had planned to change socks every other lap, but once I got moving I decided against it. Everything felt comfortable, and I didn’t want to risk changing something that wasn’t causing problems.
Lap Three:
Lap three is where everything started to click a little more. The runner’s high kicked in, and I felt locked in and gritty in a good way.
I came through the half marathon mark just over two hours, which gave me a big boost. At that point I knew I was on pace to be well under six hours. Looking back at last year’s results, the winning time for the 18–29 group was 5:36 for the 50k, and I realized I wasn’t that far off that kind of pace.
That was exciting, but I also knew I had to be careful not to get carried away.
This lap was the first time something started to feel off physically. I noticed some mild quad chafing, probably from the 2-inch split shorts. It wasn’t bad yet, but it was enough to make me think about changing. I decided to push it one more lap before taking the time to deal with it.
I also stuck with the decision not to change socks. At that point I was committed. Everything felt fine, so I figured I would ride it out and see if I could make it through the whole race without switching.
Even though I felt like I had backed off the effort a bit, lap three ended up being my fastest yet, right around 50 minutes. That caught me a little off guard. It felt controlled, but the time said otherwise.
Lap Four:
Lap four was where I started to feel the early signs of fatigue.
Nothing dramatic yet, but it was there. Nutrition was getting a little harder to take in, my lower back started to ache, and my hip flexors were tightening up. Up to that point everything had felt smooth, so this was the first real reminder that there was still a long way to go.
Unfortunately, the creek crossings had turned into a complete mess. The mud was deep, and I had stopped trying to avoid it altogether. Every pass through, my legs got more and more covered. It was just part of the course now.
Luckily, my shoes were holding up well and keeping most of the water out. That made a bigger difference than I realized at the time.
At the end of the lap, I made a small but important adjustment. I switched out of the 2-inch split shorts and into something a little longer to deal with the chafing. It was a simple change, but it made a big difference and gave me a bit of a reset heading into the next lap.
I also started mixing in some solid food. I grabbed a few handfuls of pretzels to settle my stomach and ate about half of the Italian sandwich I had packed before heading back out for lap five. That helped more than I expected and gave me something different to work with besides gels and fluids.
I finished lap four in 54 minutes, still holding a solid pace, but I could feel the shift starting. Up to this point, everything had been controlled, but I knew that wasn’t going to last if I kept pushing the same way.
With two laps left, the focus had to change. I told myself I needed to stay conservative and run smart, because those final ten miles were not going to come as easily as the first twenty.
Lap Five:
Lap five was a grind.
By this point, the fatigue had fully set in. My hip flexors were burning, and my lateral quads felt shot from all the climbing we had already put in. The effort was catching up, and there was no way around it.
Nutrition started to become a problem. Gels were hard to get down, and that worried me a bit with one full lap still ahead. I knew I needed the fuel, but my body wasn’t as willing to take it in.
Mentally, this is where I had to reframe things. I kept reminding myself that this was more than just a race. It was preparation for the 100 miler in September. If I started backing off here, I knew that mindset would carry over later. This was a chance to dial in pacing, nutrition, and mental toughness under real stress.
By this lap, I had switched to walking every hill. It was the only way to keep things sustainable. That adjustment helped me hold something on the flats and descents, which became the focus.
One thing that really stood out was how punishing the downhills were. They were fast and steep, and every step sent shock through my knees and ankles. Even now, a day later, I can still feel it.
My quads were starting to go, and every step turned into a balance between pain and forward movement. It wasn’t smooth anymore. It was just about continuing to move, one step at a time. This lap finished around 1 hour and 4 minutes which showed exactly how my body was feeling.
Lap Six:
It is hard to speak negatively about the final lap of a race. There is something about it that feels different. It is rewarding, a little bit fun, and the finish starts to feel real. You can almost taste it.
But that does not mean it was easy.
The fatigue was fully there, and the course was not letting up. The final creek crossings were the worst they had been all day. The mud was so deep at that point that my foot sank a good six or seven inches. My shoes were completely coated by then. Honestly, it was kind of fun in a strange way. At that point, there was no reason to fight it.
The front half of the lap felt long. I knew I was close, but five miles is still five miles, especially at the end of something like this. Every section seemed to stretch a little further than it should have.
Once I got into the back half, I settled into a simple plan. Run the flats and descents with purpose, and hike the climbs at a steady pace. Nothing fancy, just forward movement.
With about a mile and a half to go, I knew I had it. That was the moment where I made the decision not to stop at all until the finish. No breaks, no hesitation. Just keep moving.
And that is exactly how it played out.
I crossed the line in 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 16 seconds, finishing second in the 18 to 29 age group. Sitting down after that felt just as good as finishing.
Overall and Conclusion:
Overall, I am really happy with how this race went. It was a great first ultramarathon experience and gives me a lot of confidence heading into summer training. For my first 50k, I am very satisfied with the result, especially considering my watch had the course at around 4,800 feet of elevation gain.
Looking ahead, I know exactly where I can improve. More time on the Stairmaster is going to be a priority to build climbing strength and reinforce the connective tissue in my legs. That is an area that will matter even more as I start preparing for longer races.
This race also gave me a lot to take away on the nutrition side. I want to incorporate more solid food for my 100 miler instead of relying so heavily on gels. At the same time, I need to keep training my gut so I can better tolerate the gels I do use. The Precision Fuel and Hydration products worked well for me and made tracking simple, so that is something I plan to stick with moving forward.
I also want to thank my best friend and fraternity brother Shane for letting me stay with him and for crewing the race. Having that support made a huge difference, even if it meant a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call.
Ornery Mule Racing put on a great event, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to get into trail or ultramarathon racing.
Nutrition Flowsheet:
Pre-Race:
2 Homestyle Rice Krispy Treats
20 Oz Redbull
16 Oz Gatorade Endurance Packet
Precision Fuel 30g Carb, 100mg Caffeine Gel
Lap 1:
700ml water (softflask)
Electrolyte Drink at Aid station (1/3 Bottle)
Precision Fuel 30g carb gel (at 30 minutes)
Precision Fuel 30g cab gel (at 55 minutes (aid station))
Lap 2
700ml water (softflask)
Electrolyte Drink at Aid station (1/3 Bottle)
Homestyle Rice Krispy Treat
Lap 3
700ml water (softflask)
Electrolyte Drink at Aid station (1/3 Bottle)
Precision Fuel 30g Carb, 100mg Caffeine Gel (toward start of lap)
Handful of Pretzels
Precision Fuel 30g carb gel (towards end of lap)
Lap 4
700ml water (softflask)
Electrolyte Drink at Aid station (1/3 Bottle)
½ of an Italian Sandwich
Lap 5
350ml water (softflask)
Precision Fuel 30g carb gel (only had half)
Handful of Pretzels
Lap 6
350ml water (softflask)
Handful of Pretzels
Gear I Raced In:
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine Trail Running Shoes
Socks: Arc’teryx Merino Wool Socks
Shorts: Bandit Running 2in Split Shorts and Hoka x Ironman 4in running shorts
Tops: Arc’teryx Long Sleeve Base Layer with Built in Sheisty, Tri-LOCO team T-shirt, Arc’teryx Long Sleeve Dri-fit shirt
Packs: Solomon S-Lab Trail Pack, Bandit Running Belt, Solomon and Precision Hydration Soft Flasks
Hats: Precision Hydration x Fractel Hat and Arc’teryx waterproof trail hat.
Glasses: Oakley Sutro
