Going Nowhere Fast

That's the story of running an ultra on a treadmill in a nutshell. I got motivated this weekend to go out and run 50k just for fun when I saw that the Yours Truly 50k was going on. I didn't get motivated quite enough to actually leave the house and do it though, so I decided I'd knock out a 50k on the treadmill one morning this week. I was also inspired by Bill Gates' letter this week regarding the Gates Foundation's commitment to actually increasing its spending this year despite decreased incoming funds and the down economy. Put it all together and I decided to donate the entry fee I might have paid for a 50k race today to a great charity. It seems really important in this down economy that we all do our part to continue to support those in even more need than ourselves if and when we can.

So the 50k went well today. It was not terribly eventful. I woke early and was at the gym shortly after it opened, chose a treadmill, and set up my little mini-aid station on the floor next to it. I decided to use the time to learn more about our new President and began listening to Obama's Dreams From My Father while running. It definitely helped the hours pass and kept my mind elsewhere. The treadmill shuts off automatically every hour, so those were my built in quick aid breaks. My end time was 4:08, probably one of my fastest 50k's ever, but I'll be excited to get back on the trails for the next one!