Just in case i wasn't having enough trouble figuring things out, there are some new and exciting unknowns brought about by this years experience in leadville.
There was nothing spectacular or really even out of the ordinary leading up to saturday's effort. I had a fairly normal week leading up to the race, full of my typical lethargy i get on a good taper. The only thing abnormal was come race morning the lethargy never lifted, i just dug deeper into the hole of sluggishness.
I was up early and had a light breakfast, mixed nutrition that would last through the 1st 20 - 25 miles and should get me to the fish hatchery. Sara and i were at the start between 3:30 and 3:45, Her brother Eric and dad were out to support her for the weekend.
I went through one last check, the morning was warm so i had only a long sleeve and hat on. there was the usual hooha leading up to the start and then the starting shot and we were off in a grand old walk to the front and starting line. oh so reminiscent of those lovely marathon starts where they cram too many people into too small a space.
yes, this is exactly why i prefer trail runs, to avoid just this predicament. i was hoping to finish leadville this year and not have to return for this part of the experience. Sara and i were together for the first couple miles then we drifted apart and were on our own journeys.
i was feeling ok for the 1st 3 - 4 miles, then shortly before we turned into the single track the lead filled my legs. hmm, i'm sure this will pass. so i kept plodding along.
as i followed the train into the woods around turquoise lake, even the small inclines warranted a walk. i tried drinking and getting in my calories, hoping this would help shake off the sluggishness.
At mile 7 I saw Eric and Craig, smiled briefly and kept plodding along. things continued to degrade as i made my way to mayqueen. Roughly 2.5 hours for the 1st 13 miles and i wasn't getting any better. I grabbed a sandwich at mayqueen, washed it down with some water and continued to drink my calories.
I was coming to grips with the fact that it was likely going to be a much shorter day then i expected. another bad day. going up towards hagerman pass proved as slow. it wasn't long before sara passed me. she smiled and continued on.
I walked much of this section, and the dirt road leading up and over. I attempted to run some of the flat sections, but there wasn't anything there. I was able to muster a very meek showing on the descent down to the road leading to the fish hatchery.
when i got on the road, Eric and Craig were waiting there, smiling and offering words of encouragement. i grimaced and commented that i may be getting a ride from them at the fish hatchery. I had 20 minutes to make it the 2 miles to fish hatchery before the cutoff.
i mustered the best jog i could and beat the cutoff out of the fish hatchery, which promised me another 7 or 8 miles of struggle trying to keep things moving forward. I was hopeful i'd catch Eric and Craig before they left the outward bound section so i could finish my day up.
Unfortunately i was too slow, and saw them leaving as i was heading in. There was another 3 or 4 miles to the next aid station, then 9 more into twin lakes. so i figured i'd have another 1/2 marathon before i'd be done. I did what i could to maintain a steady jog through the rest. On the climbs it was all i could do to keep moving forward, running or jogging wasn't even a remote thought.
things continued to descend into a pretty abysmal state. I couldn't get enough calories in and there was no energy coming back out. when i finally got to the next aid station, i was informed i was too slow to carry on: 7:30 for 30 miles off a relatively fast section of the course. yeah, that's not gonna cut it.
today definitely wasn't my day. I have no idea what happened, i just know my legs were never there, and with every step, i felt like someone was sucking more energy from my body.
perhaps it's time for a little rest and relaxation. I need to figure out my energy issues before things get any worse.
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