Christi's First 50K

I just checked the race page - the race is sold out! I'm glad I got my name in this week - especially as I have been telling Christi all this time I will run the race with her. It's her first 50K ever. It's gonna be great.

Christi found the Santa Monica Mountain 50K online some months ago - I think her husband has some friends that are also running in the event. As she has never run more than a half-marathon at any one time, it took a little convincing to get her to sign up for the 50K over the 30K (it should be noted that it also took balls, on Christi's part).

Sure, the 30K may have been more reasonable... but, is THAT what we're shooting for? Reasonable? Um, why start now?

Anyway... Christi resisted a few times but ultimately decided to sign up for the 50K - now that's what I'm talking about! There were many, many reasons she could have provided to not sign up - not having the time to train (she has 4 kids under the age of 6, by the way); having to deal with numerous dietary and physical challenges (she has persistent trouble eating while running and threw up 4 times before our last run... we are just finding out that she may be allergic to dairy); and, well... because it just seemed dumb.

But, ultimately we run these distances for the challenge of it - because we enjoy the run - we enjoy the outdoors - and we like to push ourselves further than we ever thought we could (and the race tees - some of us just want the cool race tees). There are other reasons, of course - and I knew if Christi was going to do it, she would need her own reasons, or she would never stay the course.

But, stay she did - we have trained together on a handful of weekends, but overall she has incorporated her running into her schedule and motivated herself to stick with it, with very little help from me.... and on Sunday, I'll get to be there for the ride!

I am very confident that we will finish, and finish strong - however, a DNF cannot be ruled out. Christi still has some trouble fueling while running, and while she has gotten through 4 hr training runs on less than 1 energy bar, that might not work as well for 6 or more hours. We'll have to see - we have a plan in place to try to keep fueling, but ultimately we'll have to see how it goes when we're out there.

I sure hope to report a successful and triumphant finish for my friend Christi in the next post... I only just realized it, but if she were to DNF, I would be so disappointed - but disappointed FOR her, not IN her. And I know firsthand how she would feel.

I have DNFed before and it put me into a funk that only another race, a successful race, could pull me out of - and I'd rather she just be able to immediately claim the glory that she so rightfully deserves, and move on.

We'll see. We'll both see - I'm excited to get out there with her.