The inaugural Noble Canyon 50K ultra marathon started at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. The event headquarters were based in the small town of Pine Valley, California, which sits at 3,000 feet above sea level and 45 minutes east of San Diego. The air was much cooler compared to earlier in the week, and the forecast called for temperatures to reach the mid-70s by 2 p.m.

My preparations for this race consisted of a month and a half of various outdoor activities, including a 50-mile ultra marathon, a 27-mile high-altitude trek, 33 miles of backpacking in Yosemite National Park and a high-alpine mountaineering expedition to the summit of Mount Russell.These outings were coupled with a series of diverse workouts, including open-water swims, bike-commuting, yoga, trail running, and an hour and half outdoor fitness workout consisting of cardio, calisthenics, plyometrics and flexibility.

Throughout the past month, I’ve experimented with many different energy gels, bars and fuels to devise a strategy for an efficient endurance nutrition plan. I trained with these products to make sure they were right for my body for these high-output activities. During the race on Saturday, my nutrition plan proved fantastic as I felt sufficiently fueled for the entire 33-mile effort.

The course set out in a 16-mile climb to the 6,000-foot summit of the Laguna Mountains. My pace during this steady climb was influenced by a fellow ultra-runner who I met during the Mt. Disappointment 50-miler in August. We ran together for the first dozen miles of Mt. D at a 10-minute mile pace, which proved to be too ambitious for my first 50-mile effort. As I slowed down, she maintained the same pace for the entire 50 miles to finish 15th overall. Saturday was different, as I was able to stick with her at this pace for the most difficult section of the race course. At the 16.2-mile aid station, it was brought to our attention by a race official that we were among the top-30 runners.

Having completed the most difficult section of the course, I knew I needed to settle in and focus on the next 10-mile portion of the race. As I slowed my pace down to ingest an energy-gel packet, my ultra-running buddy pulled ahead and continued her consistent pace (She went on to finish 16th overall). I would only see fleeting glimpses of her as this section of the trail flowed on spectacular single-track, working its way in and out of a forest through beautiful meadows. The field of runners had spreadout and I was alone on the trail. I felt confident and knew that all I had to do was maintain this pace until mile 21, where the trail reconnected to the first portion of the course and began the final descent back into Pine Valley.

After arriving at aid station four (21.6 miles) I was thrilled to begin the steady elevation drop because I had completed the two most difficult sections of the race and this section would pass much faster than the climb that started the day. The descent of the Noble Canyon trail varies greatly in terrain. This is the top mountain biking trail in San Diego County, so there are tightly-packed sections that build speed mixed with highly technical rock sections that slow running to a cautious walk. This continued for the next hour as the sun began to heat up and the finish line gradually approached. I hit the last aid station and took down two small cups of soda to regain mental clarity from the caffeine. I thanked the group of high school cross country runners who volunteered to spend their Saturday in the middle of the woods to help with this aid station and set off in the final section of the race.

The downhill speed was tough on my tired legs but I was in the zone and concentrating on carefully choosing each step to maximize the efficiency of my stride. I emerged from the trail into the parking lot 20 minutes shy of the six-hour mark. The last stretch of the course felt like a dream. I felt like I was floating and could no longer feel my legs as I made my way along the side of the road toward the finish line. The heat radiated from the asphalt surface as I thought about my first 50K in March, which I completed in 6 hours, 15 minutes. That course was much less technical, so crossing the finish line and finishing this race in 5:49 was a major accomplishment. Out of the 134 runners who started the race, 123 finished and I was 27th.

Being one of the youngest in the top 30 and shaving 25 minutes off of my time made me feel really good about my training and the progress I’ve made since the Lake Hodges 50K in March. My recovery time has also improved as I have already begun to feel better. I’m excited for the next adventure, which will take place in two weeks. Stay tuned for more info on the Palisade Traverse, where I will climb five, 14,000-foot mountains in one weekend. Thank you all for your support. If you have any questions about nutrition products, training strategies or trip planning, feel free to post a comment or send me an email.