Monroe Cross Trail 50 Miler

 Back in December, I got an email from UltraSignUp with a list of upcoming races. I scanned down the list looking for something that might interest me. A race just outside of Orlando Florida caught my eye.

This was the Monroe Cross Trail 50 Miler. This course is a point to point race from New Smyrna Beach over to Debary, Fl. I read through the details, and being point to point, runners had to provide their own transportation to the start. I messaged my daughter to see if she would be interested in crewing me. She did, and so I signed up. 

Flash forward to last Saturday morning, I rolled out bed at 3:45 AM, and drove the 50 minutes to the start. 6 AM starts are rough. 

While a headlamp wasn't required at the start, having one was helpful. Seems there is enough ambient light to see. Although, at the road crossing it was helpful to see the raised islands. 

The temperature was about 42 but I was probably a bit overdressed. Still, it was nice to be warm while we waited.

We walked to the 1/4 mile to trail start, and at 6 AM, we started. I really didn't have a goal. This was just one of those go and do races. 

A couple of guys took up leading. I was running with a woman and another guy for a while. A couple of miles in the two guys were pulling away so was the woman. I kept looking at my Garmin. I was running what I wanted so I let them go. No point in chasing with 45ish miles to run. 

At the first access point, the woman headed over to the porta potty. As for me, I continued down the trail. There is a lot of long straight sections. I found it best just to stare at the trail just head rather then the 3 or 4 miles of road before the next turn. 

Around 7 miles, I met up with my daughter for the first Camelbak exchange. She is pro now. She keeps me moving. 

In the distance, I could still see the two lead runners but barely. Mostly, what I could see is the blinking red lamp that he had on the back of his pack. 

I am not sure what mile that it was but I see them go around this bend in the trail. When I went around it, I don't see the blinking light any more. What I see in the far distance is this red light. At first, I thought it was the same blinking light but I could make any sense as to how he could have gotten so far ahead. 

As more time past, dawn came up, and I could see them again. I guess that he turned it off. 

Around 10 miles, I realized that I was closing the distance on them. I checked my Garmin a few times. I was staying pretty much on pace. The miles were varying by about 10 seconds but otherwise, I was running with in my window. 

Just before 12 miles, I was able to catch up to them. Then, I lost touch for short time at this aid station. They kept running while I took the time to refuel. 

A mile or so later I was back running with them. We ran several miles together chatting about training. Then, another runner came up and passed us. At first, we thought that this was just some random runner, but in the back of my mind, I wasn't so sure. This is a pretty remote section for someone to just be out running. Plus, from sweat showing through his shirt, he had been running pretty hard. 

A few more miles past, and he pulled out to maybe 150 yards. I also noticed that they two guys that I was running with were starting to lag back. It wasn't long before I was running solo so I decided to keep this guy in sight just to know for sure if he was in the race. 

At 22 miles, we hit the next aid station. He stopped so I knew that he was in the race for sure. My daughter had me in and out ahead of him. I figured that he would catch back up considering how fast that he had been running. Then, 1, 2, 3, 5 miles past, and he didn't come back up. At a bend in the trail, I glanced back to see where he was but I didn't see anyone. 

I turned and looked up the trail, and I took stock of how I was feeling. I felt that I could hold this pace for the rest of the race. 

From then on, I just kept moving. 

I also kept my head on a swivel. There are a lot of road crossings, and some of them are blind to the driver's seeing the runners. At each one, I always did a quick check in both directions. 

The course has one 5 mile out and back section along Lake Monroe. I figured here that I could see if anyone was close. 

I hit the turn around, and then I kept looking up long the edge to lake to see if anyone was coming. I ran probably a mile or more before I met anyone in the race. 

My legs were a bit stiff from the wind off the lake. While it was about 70, and it felt warm to me. After so many miles, my legs don't like any wind. 

I followed the road back to where I could pick up the trail and head for the finish. The course isn't hilly. Crossing the bridge twice - once each way was hard but in some ways it felt good because it changes the muscle groups. Probably the steepest hill is in the last half mile on the trail. It kicks up pretty hard but it was short. 

After taking the lead at 22 miles, I ran solo for the final 28 miles. I finished in 7 hours and 27 minutes and 12 seconds. According to my Garmin, I cover 50.39 miles. 

Kudos the race organizers for all their efforts. They put on an awesome race.

I got this awesome blue hoodie for my efforts. It is really nice. I love it. 

I also want to give my daughter a huge "THANK YOU". She had done several races with me, and she has the crewing down. I can never thank her enough. 

The Cool Down Runner