Last Call 50 Miler Race Recap
After dropping out of the Last Call 50 Miler in 2021, I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted to come back and try again. On one hand, my pride wanted to come back and show everyone that I was capable of finishing this race. On the other, I doubted my abilities and thought maybe trail and ultra running isn’t for me.
Mid-March of this year, I decided to pull the trigger and try again. I also had some tough trail 50Ks scheduled in the coming months that I hoped would help condition me for the 50 miler. But, after dropping out of the Sinks Canyon 50K in June, I started to doubt myself again.
The Last Call 50 Miler is a very unique race. You start at mid-night after taking an optional shot of whiskey and cover 53 miles of trails with about 9,000ft of elevation gain and loss at altitudes ranging from 9,900ft-12,000ft. This one is not for the faint of heart--especially at that altitude!
The Day Before the Last Call 50 Miler
Because of the midnight start, I got to sleep in and spend the afternoon prepping my gear and food for the race. I was lucky enough to have my friend Calvin come out to drive me to and from the race and be my one man crew.
I was nervous the whole night leading up to the race. My shot glass was shaking in my hand and I was trying not to spill any whiskey. That shot of Breckenridge went down smooth and helped my nerves a bit.
Start Line to Tarryall Aid Station
Just a few minutes after lining up on the track behind the start line, we set off for the darkness! I remembered that the miles before the first aid station were all gravel and a steady uphill. So this year, I just paced myself and alternated between walking and running so I wouldn’t wear myself out.
This year the aid stations seemed to be lit up more than they were last year, which was a huge help. After some potato chips and a bathroom break at the first aid station I went forward to the trails. By this time, the only light around were those of our headlamps and the moon (when it wasn’t hidden by the trees).
In the dark, all I could focus on was finding the pink ribbons marking our course every so often. I also downloaded the race's app with the race course map. I also had a paper copy of the map in my pack just in case. Leading up to the race, I started to get really scared that I’d get lost in the dark, so I came prepared.
After some more miles, I talked with another runner. She pulled ahead of me on the downhills, but once we hit one of the steeper hikes up I caught up. We ended up running through the night together which was a HUGE mental advantage.
Last year, I was so far behind the rest of the pack, I ran several miles in the night alone. This coupled with the lack of sleep before the race, lead to a meltdown and destroyed any mental strength I had that day.
I was very thankful to have someone to run with through the night. It was also interesting to hear her stories of trail running, ultra running and her journey of solo hiking The Colorado Trail. This is one of my favorite things about trail and ultra races. You get to meet people who have interesting backgrounds and stories. You also get to socialize more than you would at a big road race where most people have their headphones in and don’t talk to each other.
By the time we reached the Tarryall aid station the sun was just starting to come up, but we still needed our headlamps to guide us there. We also made it to the aid station with plenty of time to spare before the cut off. This was also only 1 of 2 aid stations where our crew was able to meet us.
I picked up some extra food and electrolyte drink from Calvin and gave him an estimate of when I’d arrive at the next crew accessible aid station. I felt really good knowing I not only beat the aid station cut off but also got there earlier than I did last year. I was starting to feel more confident in myself and knew I had a good chance of finishing the race.
Tarryall to Poor Man's Gulch Aid Station
We only had about 5 miles before reaching the Trout Creek aid station--which is the aid station I dropped out at last year. By the time I reached Trout Creek, the sun was up and I was feeling energized. I had a big smile on my face leaving Trout Creek knowing that I was feeling a lot better at this point mentally and physically than I felt at last year's race.
The views from this point on were breathtaking! Clear blue skies, wildflowers, trees everywhere and you could see small patches of snow on the mountains nearby. Luckily, I didn’t run into any bears, angry moose or mountain lions. I only saw 1 deer run by and got to enjoy the trails and focus on pushing forward.
I was about 2 miles from the Poor Man's Gulch Aid station when the seam of my sock starting to rub and irritate one of my toes. I got to Poor Man’s Gulch at 10:00am–right on the dot–with 45 minutes before the cut-off time. I was able to take my time to rehydrate, eat, shake out the dirt from my shoes and socks and wrap my bothersome toe in a band-aid so I didn’t end up with a nasty blister at the end of the day.
Calvin was there and helped me shake out my shoes, made sure I had all the supplies I needed for the remainder of the race. He said I looked really good. I told him I felt really good. By this time were were 32 miles in. Normally at this mileage, I would have intense foot pain that would put me on the verge of tears. Since there were some steep hills early in the race, I got to take some hiking breaks which helped alleviate some of pounding my feet would have normally taken.
Poor Man's Gulch to the Mines
Before this race, the longest I’d ever run was 32 miles. As I left the aid station, I headed out into the unknown distance wise. What I did know, was that I was about to embark on the STEEPEST climb of the race.
Not too long after leaving Poor Man’s Gulch, that typical foot pain started to set in and I started to feel fatigued. I had to force myself to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and kept eating regularly to avoid bonking.
We had 7 miles before the next aid station, but with the climbing it was a LONG and BRUTAL 7 miles. I would go miles at a time alone before seeing any other runners along the trail. It was peaceful to be out on the trails alone and take in the scenery.
There was one section of the climb that was so steep my watch showed that I was going at a 40 minute mile pace. In the month leading up to the race, I hiked some steep trails in Colorado but none were as steep as this one! I took 50 steps at a time then took a few breaths before working on the next 50 steps until the trail started to flatten out a bit.
By the time I reached the High Park aid station, I knew the steep climbs were behind me. At worst there would be some rolling hills, but nothing as steep as what I’d just finished. From here I ran out to the mines. The mountains in the distance were eye level with me. I no longer had to look up to see the snow patches on the peaks.
After leaving High Park towards the mines I reached the 40 mile mark. Running for more than a few minutes at a time was a struggle. I had to alternate running and walking more often even though the trail was mostly flat. This was where I started to physically struggle and had to rely on my mental strength to get me to the finish.
Along the way to the mines, there was a bit of rain and some small hail. Then, with the mines in sight, I heard the first roar of thunder. I knew that by this time of the day, we’d likely encounter a thunderstorm. I was just hoping it wasn’t bad enough to cancel the remainder of the race.
I reached the mines and picked a sticker to place on my bib to show I did make it to the mines and didn’t cut my trek short. I even saw a patch of slushy snow nearby with a very encouraging slogan etched in it:
From the Mines to the Finish!
I turned around and started to head back to the High Park aid station. This would be the last full aid station of the race so I took my time to eat and rehydrate once there. I was the only runner there at that time and got to talk with the volunteers. They were both ultra runners and one of them had completed the 50 miler last year and wanted to help out at the race this year.
They were both very supportive and encouraging, made sure I had plenty of water and reminded me I only needed to maintain a 3mph pace and I could still finish on time. I appreciated this morale boost since I knew I’d most likely be doing these last 9 miles completely alone. I knew I’d be able to finish--I had no more doubts to hold me back. It was just a matter of pushing through the miles and getting the work done.
During this stretch I still battled the foot pain and fatigue. I alternated between walking and running more frequently since I couldn’t run longer than 2-3 minutes at a time.
As I made my way down the trails back to town, I encountered a few steep downhills. Some weren’t too bad, I just had to trot down with short, quick steps. There was one section not too far from the 50 mile water station that had a sharp decline and was very rocky. I had to be very careful down this section. The last thing I wanted to do was get injured this close to the finish line.
I made it down safely and jogged along some flatter, softer trail sections. The wind started blowing HARD and I heard thunder rolling in. But it didn't last long. The weather stayed calm for the remainder of the race.
I then passed the unmanned, water station at mile 50. It felt so good knowing the finish was less than an hour away! I ran on the same roads we ran up in the first 3 miles of the race. I knew I was getting closer to town when I passed by a few cars driving up the road and heard someone cheering me on from their home nearby.
I was finally closing in on the finish and was within minutes of completing a feat that just 1 month ago I doubted I'd be able to accomplish.
Once I reached the start/finish area, I saw Calvin waiting for me. We gave each other our customary fist bump before I hopped on the South Park High track to complete my victory lap through the inflatable arch at the finish.
Conclusion
I was in excruciating pain after the race. It's normal for me to be sore after a race, but with the additional miles and elevation change the pain was a lot more intense after this one. To my surprise, I was able to walk normally and was just a bit sore the day after the race. I kept looking at my medal throughout the day still in awe of what I’d just done.
It was tough, but I’m glad I came back to show myself I could finish!