DNF at Rattlesnake Dick 50k: Embracing the Struggle

Gysel Parajon(MM8995) – Some race days are great while others don’t go how you might have expected. This past Saturday I attempted the Rattlesnake Dick 50k, a beautiful out and back trail race from Cool, CA to the Rattlesnake Bar at Folsom Lake and back. I wanted to run a more local race, go farther than my usual 26.2 miles, plus it had a generous time limit of 10 hours, which I thought was perfect for a hot day.
I started out at a pace that I thought I could maintain throughout the day for the first couple hours, but then slowed down by mid-morning when the heat really started rearing its ugly head. I had enough water on my person, put ice around my neck, back, and chest, and kept moving. Time-wise I was doing okay by the second and third aid stations, but then I ran into a couple runners who warned me about rattlesnakes they came across and that honestly scared me. I have never seen rattlesnakes in the wild. I didn’t know exactly what I would or should do if I ran across one so I walked and scanned my surroundings for far longer than I should have. Once I realized I was in danger of missing the first cutoff I got over my fear right-quick and hauled ass to the turnaround point. I made it there 4 minutes too late. The RD, Martin Sengo was sorry but explained why I couldn’t keep going and although I was disappointed, in myself, I understood. I did have the pleasure of finally meeting @davidlateano at the aid station who gave me a refreshing drink and @trailrunningadventures volunteers who gave me some great snacks for the ride back to the start. Thank you!!
Despite not finishing I had a great and fun day and will be back next year! On another plus side I got to run long again with Brad and Mary, who had also volunteered on the course of the race! Later on they introduced me to the world of pedicures! No, never have I ever!
Thank you @auburnultrarunner and volunteers for taking care of us runners, the ice was very, very helpful, @facchinophoto for the runner photos, my friends and family for the support, and my son for letting me follow my passion. It won’t be long before he joins me at these events. 😊