A grand adventure, after having a few days to recover... I have to say what an amazing race... had you asked me this right after I would have cursed the race and said I'd never do it again.. but now reflecting back I think I will... the obvious for me is that I'd like to see what I can do better trained, the longest I have ever run at one time is 26.2 and never even close to the terrain I ran on Saturday(ouch)! I have done multiple 10hr bike races, and I think that did help on the mental side of staying somewhat strong during the race!
Overall the race went great through 33 miles... I really felt surprisingly strong, I was running with some great people switching leads off an on...Louie from New Mexico was a great help, I ran with him for awhile!
After AS #8, I could feel a change in how I felt, everything became more difficult, I was saved by a group of 3 who passed me and I just told myself to stay with them as long as I could... ended up dropping one and staying with the other 2 along the entire cross mtn run to "the climb", this helped unbelievably to keep running during that section.
Hit the hill and just got after it... very slowly got after it... pretty much stayed with both guys most the way up, one of them pulled away after the "wonderful" false summit and then I pulled away on my own going into the last climb!
I was really anticipating getting to the summit and getting after it for the final 10 miles... that all came crashing down right after I came over the top, my legs were finished my left knee(behind my knee) seized up and I could barey lift it... I shuffled down to AS#9 ate some food and filled the camelback and got going again, only to be deflated by all the wet, slippery, deep snow, I was walking and frustrated and beat up! My Mental MOJO was gone, I didn't care about keeping the gels going or the ECaps, I stopped doing everything other than drinking! Got passed by 4 guys that I had run with earlier in the day off and on! The trail just kept going and going and going and not as downhill... crosshill with a fair bit of slight uphills, I was flat out wasted and wanted to quit, I kept looking down thinking this is a joke everyone kept from me, I am going to come around the bend and the Tram(which I don't think is even there anymore) above Bridal Veil is going to take me down to the finish.
The Tram never came and I just kept moving along somewhat running... asked a couple people how far(not a good idea) 20 minutes just to AS#10... auuugh.... ran/walked the long horse pasture and finally made it to AS#10 sat down asked what time it was(I didn't wear a watch, which was good I loved not being bothered by time), they said 4:23... I knew I could make the next 3.5ish by 5pm... got up without getting my camelback filled and started running, just as I did this I heard kids yelling "go dad" and 100 yds away there was my whole family... I completely lost it, I started sobbing right there by myself, I told myself to pull it together which I did enough to pass them and give a few words that came across to my wife that I was mad... not mad just a wreck and had to stay tough for the 4 boys!
Seeing the family helped me incredibly, I got on the paved road and got into a good pace, I have no idea how fast but fast enough to finish off the last few miles and come in 1min and 35 sec over the 12 hour mark... which I don't care that much about, 12 hrs shizzz I made it!
I was beat up bad, ran through the finish line walked to some open grass and collapsed and started crying again to myself!! good thing no one was around...
Great event had no idea it would be that mentally and physically taxing, but happy I did and will do another some day! | 