C M's Staging Area

This was my first 50 miler and I thought it was great for someone like me. I am new to ultra running and I thought this race was “easy” and inviting. It’s easy in the sense that there are no technical trail elements or wild elevation changes. The heat, humidity, and running right next to heavy traffic are the major challenges. I live in Miami (every run from April to October is heat training), so the heat had little effect on me. People who live north of Orlando, Fl should definitely put significant time into heat training. And everyone should use ice bandanas. I’ve never used ice on my runs before; what a game changer! There are a lot of fast runners in this race, but there are a lot of slow runners like me. I still felt welcome, like a participant, even though I came in 4 hours after the first place finisher. I had quite a few crews, other runners, race volunteers, and random strangers cheering me on along the way and at the finish line. It lifted my spirits everytime. Even the guy that does the race timing, Mike Melton, was enthusiastic and seemed really into the race spirit. It’s a really friendly event. Aid stations were amazing. All of them were fully stocked (I’m a middle pack runner) and staffed when I came by. I didn’t utilize my drop bags much, but it was nice to have a safety net. I ran 50 miles uncrewed without any troubles, but I also train without any aid. The views along the route are amazing; it’s hard to not take pictures every few miles. My biggest concern was 7 mile bridge. I HATE running near cars. The bridge was not as scary as I thought. The orange cones put along the road did a good job of keeping cars at bay. I recommend any race organized by Bob Becker.