Iron Lodge - October 2023

THE VERMONT 50
CARLY EISLEY WAS THE 2ND PLACE FEMALE FINISHER!.

On 09/24/23 Iron Lodge member Carly Eisley participated in The Vermont 50. A 50K Trail run and placed 16th overall and was the 2nd place female finisher! Let that sink in for a second.

50K! As in kilometers. or 31.069 MILES!
Below is the placing of the top 10 female athletes:

The Vermont 50 is an annual race held during the last weekend of September at Mount Ascutney located in Brownsville, Vermont. After hearing about her amazing performance, I had a lot of questions for Carly and wanted to share her responses. Below are the questions I had, and Carly’s answers..

What was the race format like? (Like how is it ran? Heats? Does everyone start at once? Is there 1 big loop? Everyone starts together, and it is one big loop with aid stations every 3-6ish miles. There is a 50-mile bike race (my husband races this, so the Vermont 50 is a very special race in our household) and a 50 mile run that starts at 6 am, and the 50k run started at 8 am.
How many participants where there? Not sure - there were 181 registered, but I don't know how many people just didn't start vs didn't finish.
Is a race like this ALL Running? Or is there some power hiking involved? This course is very runnable (meaning the terrain isn't super steep or rocky, so there aren't any sections that you really HAVE to hike, where some races, especially in the mountains, you really can't run up some of the hills. I tend to lose a lot of time when I hike so I ran almost the entire course, which is a first for me.
Was the course treacherous? Hills? Wet? Slippery? Very hilly, but a lot of dirt roads and jeep roads. Some more rocky and rooty single track trail. Overall the trails were in great shape. Some muddy and slippery sections but nothing too treacherous. This is a great course for a first ultramarathon since the terrain really isn't terribly difficult as far as the footing goes.
Did you get a metal for finishing? (Spartan Race / Tough Mudder etc.) Everyone gets a finishers medal, and I won a bottle of VT maple syrup for getting second place.
What is your athletic background? High school cross country? Track? I ran cross country and played basketball and softball in high school. Continued to run a little here and there after that and gravitated back to running after college and when I was in grad school. I also raced a season of mountain bike races and did a few adventure races.
When did you start Trail Running? I think in my early 20s? after college. I have a close friend I've been running with since then and we spent a lot of time running around in the woods together. I found that I really enjoyed that, more than anything else I have ever done. I always liked hiking so running in the woods was just a great extension of that.
What made you decide “Oh, I think 26.2 miles (marathon) on pavement is just not enough of a challenge for me, let me see if there is something crazier”? Did you lose a bet? Was it punishment for a crime you would rather not talk about? How was ‘ultra trail running’ introduced to you? Is that even what it is called? Hahahaha. I had never done a road marathon before I ran my first ultra. I really have no interest in them... I've only run one (Athens, in Greece, as part of a vacation and I really didn't like it much lol). I got it in my head I wanted to try a trail race and maybe a trail marathon, but there weren't many of those. I overheard a coworker talking about the Vermont 50 and realized if I could go 26 miles, I could go 31, it’s not that big of a difference. So, the 50k was my first ultramarathon (yes... it's called ultra running), back in 2008. My finish in the Vermont 50 this year was extra special, since this was my 13th year doing the race and it's where I got hooked on trail running and ultra racing. I've done lots of races since the 50k, I have also run a 50 mile, and one 100 mile race, and have traveled around the country to do them. The races are a combination of a mental and physical challenge; a study in what your mind can get your body to do.
How did you prepare for this race?
1. Did you carb load? I eat a ton of carbs all the time when I am training for races. My training runs are long, and carbs are endurance fuel! In the few days prior, I increase my carb intake and drop down protein and fiber some, but I don't follow any specific diet and I don't really count calories or carbs.
2. What kind of hydration system did you have? (Camel-pack? Little water bottles on a belt? I'm a big fan of hydration packs. I use a Salomon pack (adv skin 5) for most of my races. It holds two soft flasks in the front which are easy to get out to refill quickly so I don't waste time. Sometimes just a handheld bottle if it is a short race or there are a lot of stations to refill.
3. Did you pack food? I used spring energy gels for this race. I set my Garmin watch up to give an alert every 45 minutes and I take in a gel (~180 calories) then (the ones I primarily used are called Awesome Sauce lol). I supplemented that with some Untapped maple syrup packets (citrus salt. pure sugar but they go down easy and are so good), and I ate a few gummy bears and one half of a pb & j while hiking up a big climb right after an aid station. The aid stations are stocked up with lots of food, usually sugary stuff like gummy bears and candy, chips, boiled potatoes with salt, pb&j, and electrolyte solution. Since this was a "short" race I just carried everything I needed to save time and not have to stop much. For longer races I eat more real food, I especially like potatoes.
4. With a race like this do you have a support team? I didn't. I could have for a couple of spots, but it wasn't necessary for this one. Lots of volunteer support and I wanted to keep moving quickly so I didn't stop much. The weather was very mild (low of 50, high of 60 and overcast) which helped, I didn't need a lot of stuff or to carry a lot of water or layers.
5. Do you listen to music / headphones during the race? Nope. There is a bike race at the same time and in the 50k you are around a lot of bikers, so I needed to be able to hear them coming up behind me. Traditionally headphones aren't allowed at this race; I think they changed it so you could use ones that don't go in your ear (like the shokz bone conduction headphones) but I didn’t feel comfortable using them. Plus it helped me to stay mentally in the race and not zone out. I don't run with headphones very often if at all, actually.
How did the training at the Iron Lodge help your race? It MADE my race. I am stronger than I have ever been. I prefer races that are hilly and in mountainous areas, and my climbing and descending are better than I have ever been. I was able to run hills I would have walked in the past, and I was able to run hard downhill, right down to the very end of the race. In years past I never had the strength to run like that late in an ultra. The strength and stability I have gained (and am continuing to gain!) have made me feel super strong on the hills and I am able to maintain a better pace for longer on hilly and technical terrain.
What other training do you do? Hiking, cycling (mostly gravel bikes and mountain bikes), and yoga (sometimes... I'm not super good about doing it but it helps a ton).
Besides physical activities, how else do you take care of yourself? Sleep is the biggest thing. I don't let myself get sleep deprived, it helps tremendously with daily training and recovery. We have a whole bunch of recovery aids (rollers, massagers, etc.) and I try to use those regularly. Maintaining mostly good nutrition without being super strict about it. More making sure I’m eating enough; being hungry has no place in endurance training. If I'm hungry I eat. If I'm still hungry, I eat more! I cut back on alcohol a lot over the past several years too and that has helped sleep and recovery. Now it’s just a beer or glass of wine here and there.
Do you feel you are at your peek endurance athlete shape? Past it? Or haven’t reached it yet? Or don’t care? I don't think I've reached it yet! Who knows. This has always been about having fun for me. I don't often get very competitive with anyone but myself, and I think I am continuing to grow and improve. Ultra running tends to be an "older" runner sport so I think I'm setting myself up well to see what I can do over the next few years!
Do you have any goals for the future? In the immediate future, I'm going to do the North South Trail in Rhode Island with a friend, unsupported (meaning we have to carry everything we need for an 80-mile run and can't accept any outside help at all) .... Why not make something hard even harder? I have no specific goal other than to continue to build strength, improve speed, and keep on running. I'm hoping next year will be my best yet, but if not... as long as it’s fun it doesn't matter.
If someone would like more information about Trail Running is there a local resource where people can go to get more information if they would like to become part of a group of trail hikers / runners? Any upcoming promotions? There are a couple of good trail groups in Connecticut. The CT Trailmixers are one, and the Shenipsit Striders are another semi-local running club (I'm a member of the striders) - they both frequently have group runs for all abilities. There are also some local groups that organize hikes (Friends of Pachaug locally in Voluntown). If you enjoy the trails, there are always opportunities to volunteer also. The Connecticut Forest & Parks Association is a statewide group that maintains all of the blue blaze hiking/running trails in the state, I am a volunteer with them. There is a great event run by a close friend of mine that is a local trail challenge through the winter, to get people out on trails on the CT/RI border, called the Border Patrol Challenge https://www.trailraceri.com/bpc. It's a ton of fun and a great way to stay motivated, check out new trails, and keep running/hiking through the winter. Hikers welcome! Registration isn't open yet but will be soon.

If you want to challenge yourself and would like to participate in the next Vermont 50 I would suggest start with a smaller race and work your way up to it. The 31st Vermont 50 will be held on September 29, 2024, so you have time to prepare.

At the Iron Lodge Strength Club, we have a saying: “Life has become so easy that strong, self-confident, healthy, mentally tough people are the exception to the norm. Be Exceptional!” I am so proud to have a member like Carly at the Iron Lodge because she epitomizes this mantra and is without a doubt EXCEPTIONAL!