Javelina Jangover 50km Night Race

One of the things I love about running is hearing about the success of my many running friends, whether it be over 800m on the track or 100 miles on the trail. It always makes me realise that no matter your ability, no matter how big or small your goals, as runners we all push ourselves in an effort to do our very best.

Last weekend my social media feed was alight with endless stories of running success - podium finishes in the Sky Race Series, 100 mile champions, 100km champions, folks running 200 miles, others competing in marathons and half marathons, some people running further or faster than they have before, on road and trail, track and country. It really was amazing to see so many positive and happy stories, and I felt so happy and proud of each and every one that came through that I spent most of the day just smiling.

For me, my weekend racing meant staying close to home this time, as I opted to race the Javelina Jangover 50km race which took place at the McDowell Mountain Regional Park. I had no expectations going into the event, especially having done the Silverton Alpine Marathon just 3 weeks previously, and my main goal was to just get around in one piece and use the race to see how fit I was at the moment. I'd increased my training in the past couple of weeks and was now doing around 60 miles a week, and with not really tapering for the race, I did go into it with relatively tired legs (did I mention I did the Desert Vista "3 Peaks Challenge" just a few days before?!)

Being a member of the Aravaipa Racing Team, I try not to be too biased in my views about the races organised by Aravaipa, but I have to say that every single race I have done that is organised by them has been AMAZING! They have all been very well organised, very well supported, and the trails used for the courses have been challenging at times. To say I am addicted to these events is an understatement, but I do genuinely enjoy doing them and it feels like a big party and a family get together whenever I do the races these days.What's also nice about them is they are suitable for beginners and old timers alike and whilst the front end of the field can be fiercely competitive at times, there is no elitism and everybody is made to feel so welcome.

The Javelina Jangover was no exception and even with it being a night run, there was still an amazing turnout. Opting for the 50k distance again this time, the course would consist of 2 loops of the Pemberton Trail - 1 clockwise, 1 anti-clock and having ran the trail as training runs in recent months, I had convinced myself that the counterclockwise direction would be easier as the climb appeared more gradual. Funny how the old brain works, eh?!

The 50k started at 7.30pm and with already being dark, the head torches were already needed as we set out from Javelina HQ. There were probably around 50 starters and for the first km or so, I was slightly ahead of the entire field. I certainly wasn't expecting that, but I was running the pace I had set myself - at least, it FELT like I was running the right pace but being dark I couldn't actually see my watch - and so I didn't really want to slow down as I wanted to test myself tonight to see how I was really feeling.

Javelina HQ and the start area of the Javelina Jangover 50k

Thankfully some of the guys eventually went past me and I felt like I could relax a little now and not feel the responsibility of potentially leading people along the wrong trail in the dark!

As the light from their headtorches bobbed off into the distance, I eventually found myself running completely alone and it felt like I was the only one out in the dark on those trails. It was a beautifully clear night but there wasn't a great deal of light coming from the moon, so I was extremely reliant on my headtorch showing me the way, making sure that I followed the reflective flags marking the course, and trying to make sure I didn't fall over and injure myself.

The Pemberton Trail isn't exactly hilly, but it is a climb up to the first and only aid station at the 8 1/2 mile mark. It was a gradual climb, not particularly steep, but enough to notice that you are running up hill after a while. The trail was a mix of soft, sandy gravel, some more compact sections where you could really pick up the pace, and then some rocky sections where complacency could see you fall flat on your face. I was enjoying having the variety as it kept things interesting, and I found that I was running pretty strong even on the climb. Not being able to see my watch due to being so dark meant running more by feel - every time I felt my breathing was becoming too laboured, I knew I was running too quick so I eased back a little, wanting to be working, but not to be going too crazy.

I was concentrating so much on monitoring how I was feeling and just enjoying the motion of running that I didn't notice a couple of other runners until I was on top of them. I wasn't certain if they were the tailenders of the 75k race or if I had actually caught some of the guys that had pulled ahead of me earlier on. It didn't really matter so I just kept my focus and moved passed them.

I remembered the trail fairly well from a training run I had done with my friend Kristina earlier in the year, and I knew that there was an undulating section coming up and it was here where I overtook a few other folks which by now I was convinced were actually running the 75k. I was still feeling pretty good, but I was surprised at how much I was actually sweating (it turned out that even though it was late at night, the temperatures were still in the 80's). I was drinking Tailwind which was helping to keep the salt levels up and preventing any cramps, but by eck was I getting hungry! I had only taken a couple of gels this time and I hadn't eaten since lunch time and my tummy was growling away. I knew I needed to eat, but I also knew that I was likely to throw it all back up again if I ate too much, so on eventually arriving at the aid station, I grabbed a handful of potato chips, jelly sweets, some salted potatoes and was sure to drink some coke and ginger beer.

5 minutes later and I was feeling so much better, and as we started the final 7 miles or so to the end of the first loop, I was able to pick up the pace a little again.

This section of the trail was a very gradual decent and it wound its way back down to Javelina HQ. I overtook a few more people here, and I spotted my first snake of the night - a beautiful coral Snake, along with a pretty large scorpion. They didn't bother me, I didn't bother them, and we passed like ships in the night, never to meet again.

As I'd been running along the trail, I had been noticing what seemed like very small cats eyes every so often. They were glowing a pale blue in the beam of my headtorch, and I was puzzled as to what they could possibly be. Getting ever more curious as I went along - they really were a beautiful pale blue colour - I decided to try and take a closer look, only to discover that they were spiders! Who'd have thought that spiders could have such gorgeous eyes?! I wasn't about to get too much closer when I realised what they were, but I was fascinated at what was causing them to glow the way they did.

The trail by now was getting a little more busy and I figured that we must have been getting closer to the end of the first loop. I was ready for some more food and I was also running out of water so I was pretty keen to get there in order to refuel.

The aid station volunteers - as with the ones at the 8 mile mark - were amazing and they really looked after all the runners, making sure they were feeling ok and had everything they needed. I grabbed more of the same - potatoes, jelly sweets, potato chips and this time a small energy/cereal bar, and I made sure to drink plenty of fluids. I had been sweating so much that my singlet was covered in salt and was rigid like cardboard as the salt was drying. I figured I needed to take some salt tablets but on trying to swallow them they just wouldn't go down so I gave up and hoped that the food I had eaten would be sufficient to stop any cramping and to give me enough energy to finish.

We ran the second lap in the opposite direction and for some reason, I had convinced myself that this way round would be easier. I'd completed the first lap in 2 hours 15 minutes, and feeling like I did, I honestly believed that I could challenge the course record of 4.42 if I could keep things going. But the climb back up - although you could hardly call it a hill - did tell on my legs, and I found that whilst I was still running, I was having to walk occasionally to give my legs that bit of a break. I was still overtaking people, but by now I had absolutely no idea what my position was in the 50k. I knew no ladies had overtaken me so I figured that I was currently first lady although that could of course change if I didn't keep things going.

I was intent on remaining focused and just getting to the aid station again. After that, there would only be 8 miles to go and it would be a gradual downhill to the finish. As the trail twisted and turned and rolled across the desert, I spotted a HUGE tarantula having a potter along the trails, I spotted an army of ants out on a mission, and then suddenly the silence was broken by the loudest of barks and howls from the local coyote pack! It sounded like they were right on the trail and with nobody else close by,  I was kind of hoping that whatever meal they'd caught was big enough for their hungry bellies as I really didn't fancy trying to fight off a pack of hungry coyotes!  Still, it was a wonderful sound and makes you realise that wildlife really can survive and prosper in the desert heat.

It seemed to take much longer to get to the aid station than i had anticipated and even in the pitch black, I still couldn't see the welcoming lights anywhere nearby. My head torch had started to go a little dim and the trail was getting more difficult to see so I was a little concerned that I'd wandered off course, especially with no other obvious lights close by.  Thankfully I finally heard the music and cheery chatter, and as I rounded the bend I saw the smiley happy faces of the volunteers.  They were sure to help me to refuel again and offered tons of encouragement before I set off on my final 8 or 9 miles to the finish.

As I left the aid station, I really did start to notice how dark it was and how little light my torch was providing. It was getting so bad that I couldn't see the reflective flag markers ahead on the trail and a couple of times, I noticed that the trail ahead was more rocky than it should have been and I knew I'd wandered a little off course. I finally decided to remove the head torch and use it as a handheld instead,  but even then I could only see a couple of feet ahead of me. My inability to see properly meant that I needed to slow down - I'd fallen far too many times already this year and really didn't want to batter my knees again as they'd been through enough - and I knew then that getting close to the course record was going to be tight. It has taken me around 1 hour 15 minutes to reach the aid station on the first lap and whilst the return journey involved little if any climbing, I knew that my pace wasn't improving and I had left myself just an hour and 17 minutes in which to get back if I had any hope of doing it.

I tried to run fast when I could, but I was stumbling over the rocks on the trail far too much and I headed off course a few times as the trail was difficult to see. I was only losing half a minute or so each time, but those half minutes were adding up and the course record was slipping me by.

Pushing as hard as I dared in the dark, I remember overtaking a couple of ladies and some gents and opening a bit of a gap over them. I knew that I must only have been around 2 miles from the finish but now with just 10 minutes in which to break the record, it wasn't going to happen - I've only ever ran a sub 5 minute mile probably twice in my life and that was a long time ago when I wasn't coming to the closing stages of a 50km trail race at night! With that in mind, I decided to just relaxed and enjoy those last couple of miles whilst gazing up at the endless stars in the clear night sky with the moon high in the sky above. 

It was a beautiful last couple of miles where I felt extremely relaxed and very happy. As I ran over the last bit of sandy trail and crossed the road to the parking lot, I had a big smile on my face. I was first lady in a time of 4 hours 53 minutes and I really couldn't have done any better. Yes my legs felt a little tired and I really was extremely hungry by now, but I felt absolutely fantastic, especially when I saw Andy and the dogs waiting for me at the finish line.

1st lady and 1st overall - Photo Credit Aravaipa Running

As we sat down to the amazing pizza - another perk of the race - I discovered that I had actually won the race overall with the 1st male finisher being just 4 minutes behind me. I hadn't realised that I had taken the overall lead - that must have happened in the latter stages when still chasing the ladies course record - and whilst I'm not really the type of person to make a big issue out of "chicking" the boys - male or female, we all put our best effort into racing and I think it unfair to make a big deal out of "beating" the men! - it did feel pretty special this time knowing that I was the overall champion.

Top 3 Ladies in the Javelina Jungover 50k

All in all, my decision to race the Javeline Jangover was the right one to make. It helped to rebuild some confidence in myself, knowing that I can push harder when I need to, and that although I'm not as fit as I was earlier in the year, I can still run a decent race, It also helped me to come to a very important decision - yes, I will DEFINITELY be running the Javelina Jundred 100 mile race at the end of October.

I didn't get to sleep until nearly 4am that night/morning, but I really didn't mind - I'd thoroughly enjoyed every moment, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a Saturday night. My running mojo is definitely back and I'm feeling competitive again - now I just have to work on getting back some fitness and hopefully some more great races will follow.

Of course before my next big race, I do have the small task of running the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim. Saturday September 24th is the day when myself, Leo and Deb from Calgary will embark upon this adventure. Leo and Deb have had an awesome year of racing and I'm honoured that they will be travelling down from Calgary to join me. It's going to be a day where we can relax with the running with no pressure whatsoever, take our time and enjoy being in the moment. I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures and I'm sure it will be an epic day - I have to say that I'm maybe just a little  bit excited about the whole thing :-) :-)  :-)

My special little pig :-)