Phoenix Trail Fest 2023 Ultramarathon Race Recap

This race was on 4/22/23 at Lake Lurleen in Tuscaloosa, AL.

It was my FIRST ultramarathon event!

Before this race the longest distance I had gone was about 15 miles during training for my half marathon in February. I wanted to run a marathon after that, but for some reason it sounded like a good idea to not only run an ultramarathon instead, but also do it on a trail which I didn’t have a lot of experience with at the time.

Pre-Race Preparation

I was totally undertrained for this race in terms of weekly mileage and trail running, in general.

Although I was feeling strong as a runner after the half marathon, I knew that this race would be very difficult for me.

My goal was to finish the event and try to stay hydrated and fueled up as much as possible. I took Tailwind and water for my flasks and some gels.

Race Day

Morning/Pre-Race

Weather was great on the race morning. It felt cool in the morning but the day would be fairly warm as the hours went on.

I had my typical yogurt+granola+fruit breakfast a couple of hours before race start, was able to get some business done, and lined up at the back of the starting line.

Start Line

I was nervous at the line because it was my first ultra event but I found a small group of other runners near the back that seemed to have the same goal as me – finish with dignity – so I hung out with them.

The Race Itself

The race was broken up into loops of 12.5 miles each.

For the first loop, I hung with a small pack of runners at a reasonable pace and ended up having a great time chatting, swapping tips, etc. We made a plan to run the second loop together too.

After the first loop, I took a small break, refilled my flasks, etc. I was starting to feel some cramping in my legs, but it didn’t seem major while I was moving. However, I was basically unable to bend over to adjust my shoes. This was a red flag that I wasn’t really grasping at the time.

My family had also stopped by to see me after the first loop so I hung out with them for a few minutes!

I got separated from my pack and set off on loop 2 by myself.

Loop 2 wasn’t great for me. I was slower and my legs were really starting to bother me. I started having some blistering on my left heel, fortunately a random person helped me out with a little Squirrel’s nut butter and it helped a lot.

I finished loop 2 without much fanfare, took a little break. Unable to bend over, bad cramping in my legs if I did anything but stand or walk forward.

I set off on loop 3 with low spirits as I was NOT feeling great. About halfway through, cramping all the way, I really hit a low point and felt miserable. Fortunately, a lady came up to me and checked to see how I was doing. When I mentioned the cramping, she offered me a salt tablet which I took. The salt tablet helped and we ended up finishing out the race together although I’m sure I held her back on her normal pace.

Post-Race

Immediate Aftermath

I felt great after the race except for my cramping. It was a HUGE PR for me (15>37.5 miles) so I was really jazzed about the result.

Recovery

When I got home, there was actually a late birthday sleepover underway for my oldest girls so there were kids running around and festivities. Fortunately, there was also fried chicken.

I was a bit surprised that I didn’t seem to have the hunger I thought I would and that post-race beer didn’t taste good either. What I did want to do was lie down with my feet elevated and rest. I also added some compression socks.

I slept okay and the next day I was very sore but it was manageable. The soreness was gone after a few days.

Results

Definitely a solid result for me, all things considered, because of the huge distance PR.

Analysis and Reflection

I think my biggest takeaway was that I was just flat out undertrained and it made the event miserable. My goal for my next event was to finish without being miserable.

Conclusion

Great event, I recommend that you run this race if you have the option!