The day started out very well. I was up early, had a light breakfast (2 eggs, guacamole and cheese burrito), picked up Mike and we were off to buena vista. The temperature was pleasant. We picked up our race packets and sat inside the community center to wait for the start. Jamie and Lacy showed up and chatted briefly before we headed to the start line.
Victor came over to me at the start line and we chatted a bit before the start, he was doing the 25, and hoping to finish around 4 hours, so we ran together for a bit early on and chatted about days past. Lacy joined us for a bit before settling into a slightly easier pace. Jamie was about 100 yards or so up, and i presume Mike was up towards the front pack.
A little past 3 miles Victor and i caught Jamie, and we all plodded along together for a bit. Jamie was doing the 25 (she signed up for the 50, however, has been having some off and on it band issues for the past 5ish weeks). I decided to hang with her for a bit and enjoy some good company, and hopefully a comfortable first half. I would pull away on the descents and she'd catch up on the climbs, we ran a good bit of the rest together. Victor was pushing the pace going for his 4 hours, so i let him go.
Somewhere between the 1st aid station (mile 5ish) and the 2nd aid station (mile 11.5ish) Jamie and i went our separate paces. i was feeling pretty good, legs were working well, and breathing was pretty relaxed, there were some incredible views. i had a 6oz flask of honey molasses concoction i was using for nutrition, and 4 gels (not nearly enough for the entire day, but i planned on supplementing with the aid stations supplies). Unfortunately they didn't have much that was working for me. I ate about 1/2 a banana at each aid station, a chocolate cookie at the second aid station, and some pretzels and chips at the third.
about 1 mile past the third aid station i caught up with Jamie again and we stayed together through her finish at mile 25. It was far more entertaining with her jokes and general conversation. plus she was jogging several sections that i would have opted to walk. She asked if i knew when this climb would end, that she'd heard it went to mile 19 instead of 18. I shrugged my shoulders, and told her i was pretty sure it would end at the top. we carried on, grabbing some water and bananas at the 4th aid station (which was about 1/4 mile from the end of the climb).
We proceeded to descend, the early stages of which were a bit steep, and in hopes of saving some of my legs, i held back a bit instead of my usual reckless abandonment. after 1.5 miles the descent eased a bit, and we turned onto some single (ish) track and proceeded to click off the miles.
There were a couple times i am pretty sure Jamie was trying to drop me, she would drop back and then catch up, and continue to pass, thankfully none of these lasted too long. about 1/2 mile from the final aid station, we were greeted by Lacy's boyfriend, Scott, and Jamie's friend (his name slips my mind at present). they were riding along the course cheering on the runners
about 4 miles from the finish/turn around we were at the final aid station. We still hadn't seen Mike on the way back out. Hopefully he was running conservatively and hadn't had any issues. He's been dealing with a bit of on and off fatigue, and some hip issues for a bit.
With about 2 miles left Scott and Jamie's friend passed by us again and slowed to chat for a bit before continuing on to the point we would exit the road and drop onto some fun single track (about 1 mile from the finish). as we approached the finish, Jamie wished me well on the return trip and darted down the finishers chute. 4:27 at the turn around. of course my brain starts working, i may just be able to go a little over 9 hours, surely i can get back by 9.5 hours.
i refilled my water bottle, added 2 hammer gels to it, ate 1 hammer gel, some pretzels and chips, and was off on the return trip. I was still feeling pretty good, and resumed jogging once i was back on the road. I alternated jogging and walking for much of the 5 miles preceding the steeper section of the climb.
About 20 minutes out of the turn around i realized i would have been wise to restock my nutrition, as i had only consumed about 1000 calories over the 1st 25 miles (a bit shy of the 1400 i should have consumed) and all i had for the return trip was 3 roctane gels and the chips and bananas at the aid stations. the next 20 miles would prove to be very interesting.
About 1/2 mile from the top of the climb out, i was reminded that hammer gels don't sit too well with me, and started having some stomach discomfort. I chuckled to myself and thought at least i wouldn't have to worry about the nutrition, even if they had what i needed at the aid stations, it would be difficult to tolerate.
at the top of the climb, i was able to get some alca seltzer which helped settle my stomach for a bit, and i was able to make decent time to the next aid station (mile 35 ish). no chocolate cookies this time through, though they did look tempting, at least in my head, my stomach turned as i looked at them (and such is the internal struggles i endure about food during long events).
I did pretty well for another couple miles, and then the wheels came completely off. always entertaining, especially in hind sight:) i came up to a turn in the course, which was clearly marked to continue to the right. Since the chalk line wasn't completely across the straight ahead option, i was confused. my logic, or lack there off went a bit as follows:
there are a bunch of flags and ribbons to the right, and the chalk line obstructs 90% of the straight ahead option, but i didn't have to step over any chalk (thanks to the 10% without a chalk line) to go straight, so i think the course goes straight. I literally stood there thinking this, and countering it with but all the flagging indicates i should go right for 1 - 2 minutes and would have gone straight even though i kept thinking it wasn't right, until another runner came up and commented that we go right. and i was saved from who knows how much wandering around aimlessly.
at this point i was primarily walking, with some shorter attempts at jogging on the flats and descents. trying to figure out how far to the next aid, about 2 miles, and that's about 11.5 from the finish. 1/2 marathon, i should be able to do that in 2.5 - 3 hours, i hope. i kept plugging away doing my best to enjoy the views.
at this point my stomach was way off again, and i was drinking coke to try and settle it, which didn't seem to be working. it's also the only way i was able to get in any calories. through the 2nd aid station, and i'm hoping to be able to be around 2 hours for the final 11ish miles, and i'm just under 8 hours at this point.
since i wasn't able to eat much of anything, i grabbed my requisite 1/2 a banana, and 2 cups of coke and was on my way. i had some sections i was able to jog and many sections i was walking to the final aid station.
by the time i got there (5 miles from the finish), my stomach was a wreck, i laid down ate some tums, had some ginger chews, drank a couple cups of coke, and watched 4 - 5 runners come in and head out before i was at a point which i figured i needed to move on. i spend 20 minutes at the final aid station trying to settle my stomach enough for the final slog. i grabbed 6oz of coke, filled my water bottle, and was off for the last bit of the day.
i did what i could to jog the flats and downhills, hoping to end the misery as quickly as possible: 2.5 miles of rolling dirt paths later i was looking down to the final 3 mile stretch of road. i was determined to jog every last step of the way back. for the most part i managed to jog it (at between 12 and 13 minutes per mile), i walked a couple short ascents.
as i turned into the parking area for the final 100m, i heard my name and shouts of encouragement, i smiled waved, and continued to slog as best i could across the finish line, and end the day. 10:20 (4:27 for the first 25 miles, and just shy of 5:50 for the final 25 miles, the wheels certainly came off).
all in all it was a good day, i spent several hours with Jamie, 3 - 4 miles chatting with Victor, and got to run with Lacy briefly on several occasions. It turns out Mike was having a bad day, he did what he could to run an easy 25 in hopes of running strong on the back 1/2, but he never really felt like he had anything on the day, so bagged it at 25.
Victor finished just under 4:30, Jamie said she enjoyed the day, and last we talked, hadn't had any issues with her it band.
