Funest 30k-Pressure is a Privilege

Yesterday’s Funest 30k was a hard race for me due to the terrain’s effect on my injuries. The relentless ups and downs present quite a challenge, not to mention the constant roots you have to navigate over. Throw in the first really hot weekend with a 96% humidity at the start and you have yourself some good old ultra suffering.

To make it even better I set myself the lofty goal of a podium finish, two weeks out from winning a race where I gave my all on a technical course, that took its toll and that I was not fully recovered from due to said injuries. Heap on some life stress and well you get the point.

Right from the beginning of the race I was in the top three, playing leap frog with second, third, and fourth the entire time. Never was there even a breather. It was a straight up hold on as the legs slowly turned to bricks, even though I fueled and hydrated well. On the third loop my neck injuries flared when I did a flying leap to avoid wiping out. I lost second place in the last 2 miles as I slowed down to avoid falling, which was NOT an option. I would finish just minutes behind her while managing to hold off a hard charging 4th and 5th place females getting my podium spot as third female overall.

I was so motivated the whole day by seeing my athletes, Shauna and Britta running so strong. Both bettered their times from last year’s Funest 50k by > 30 minutes on a course that was more difficult and a bit longer due to an added section this year. Congratulations to Shauna on winning second female overall in the 50k! Team Run Natural had a banner day!

I was also inspired by my friend Megan, who was my hostess with the mostest the evening before the race, who took on the 10k, her first in 16 years! Not an easy feat and she rocked it.

Congratulations to all the winners and finishers of the race. What a great and encouraging group you all were. I enjoyed meeting many of you.

Thanks to all the volunteers who had to deal with that heat too! Thanks to Scott and James for an amazing race once again. If you have not run this race you need to do so. It truly is one of the very Funest, and most challenging in the state.