North Face Endurance Challenge

Richard W. Frank

The North Face Endurance Challenge

In 2008 our focus has shifted from straightforward marathons to trail running so-called ultra-marathons. Our major spring race is The North Face Endurance Challenge, which is put on by, you guessed it, The North Face. They have several race distances in their series of races around the countries.

Now that Meggan has covered 26.2 a number of times, she set her sights on the 50 mile (?!) race while I set my sights on the rather more modest 50km (31.06 miles). The race was on April 12, 2008 in Bear Mountain, NY. I should have know what to expect given the elevation map on the website.

The Endurance Challenge video

Elevation profile of Meggan’s run

Finish Line Festival after the weather cleared

It was another horribly early morning and a rushed coffee and bagel before driving the rainy 25 minutes south from our hotel in Newburgh to the starting line. Meg’s 50 mile race started at 5am, and my measly 50km race left at 7am. We arrived with 15 minutes to spare, and we made our way to the starting line. There were about 100 runners milling around and remembering at the last minute that they had to pick up their timing chips, which are usually in the goody bag. Meggan nervously put hers on her right shoe and double-checked her Camelbak, headlamp, and other gear. I had forgotten the camera, but I had the chance to take a quick picture with my phone before the gun (actually bullhorn) went off, and Meg and the rest plunged into the darkness.

Relieved that she got off okay, I returned to our rented Pontiac Grand Prix and tried to get a bit more sleep before my start. This was predictably unsuccessful.

Meggan seconds before the starting gun looking cheerful and not the least bit overwhelmed

The hardest part of any challenge, whether a race, a conference presentation, or meeting the in-laws is the downtime and anticipation before the event. Enough with the planning, the training, the obsession, let’s just do it. As I was thinking this as I tossed and turned in the driver’s seat, the thunderstorms returned. Finally, it was my turn to suit up and wired with nerves pretend to stretch and walk around as the minutes ticked by to the start.

And then it was upon us. The prerace jitters kept us running until the first main 800 foot climb. That climb over wet rocks covered in leaves set the tone for the next sixteen miles. The aid stations were placed slightly more than five miles apart which provided a good way to mentally break up the race into more manageable chunks. At each aid station I would stop briefly to refill my Camelbak, gulp down some cold Accelerade, gummy bears, salt potatoes, pretzels, and anything else I thought my stomach could handle. The volunteers were as helpful as any I had seen anywhere, and this being an ultra I took more time to actually stop aid the aid stations instead of blow on through.

The first part of the run was pretty much up and up. The route did not detour away from the peaks or contour around at a reasonable altitude. No, it was up and over anything in sight. This made it hard to really “run” the uphills and everyone was either hiking or doing a shuffle-trot. I hit the second aid station at 3:02, and as I was filling up I asked if the volunteers had seen Meg come through. They said that they were not supposed to officially tell me, but she had checked in at 3:05. This was a relief and got me going a bit faster. Meg had covered the same course in the dark and through a horrendous thunderstorm and had covered the 11 odd miles of hell in only two or three minutes more than me. Good to hear that she was motoring along.

The second half of my run was completely different than the first half. At the 15.7 mile aid station, I had my bag of goodies I had dropped off the day before. I quickly sat (a bit shakily I must admit) into a folding chair and switched into new socks. I reapplied sunscreen and gulped down a Clif bar to take on the rolling hills that dominated the rest of my course. Although the course was easier, the first half had taken a toll on my quads, and it became harder to motivate myself to motor up the hills as I had several hours earlier. I met and talked to several of the other runners that I was roughly pacing, but most of my time was spent checking out the scenery and looking out for the ever-present sharp jutting rocks and roots. I had brought my Ipod shuffle along for the ride to help me up the hills, but I found that after an initial song or two up that initial hill, I preferred to listen to the forest (and to the sound of other runners behind me). It seemed to defeat the point of being out there to only try and isolate myself in my own head. I do have to admit that I could not get Kanye’s “Stronger” out of my head for the longest time.

I finished feeling better and less destroyed than I have finished most regular marathons. There is something to this trail running thing. Maybe it was the endorphins, but even after almost nine hours I felt like I could keep going for several more hours. Heck, I could do a 50 miler.

Now, a week or so later our bodies have recovered, and we are planning the rest of our running season. The pain is forgotten but the bruised toenails serve as both a reminder and an inspiration. I think that both of us might be finishing a 50miler sometime later this year. You know, 50k wasn’t thaaat bad!

Here is the official race report and the few official photos taken at the race.

Promo video for the Endurance Challenge series.