4:39 Moose Mountain Marathon (Superior Hiking Trail) - 1st Place Overall Female.

Way off than my road race time but who knew that would be my toughest race to date.

I had no idea what the Moose Mountain had waiting for us.  Cripes, roots, rocks, rain to make everything fun in the middle and then they throw in these 3 mountains.  Oh can't forget the bear.

I wiped out in the first 3 miles but got up quick because really? fall already, what a sally.  I had a gal right on my tail and I didn't want her to pass me, but thankfully for single track trails she couldn't or didn't.  i was wearing a camelbak that was rubbing my shoulder raw.  It had to go.  First aid station was 7.5 miles.  I asked if I could dump it.  I knew the next station was at 13.X miles.  It was cool enough so I risked it by not having water with me.  It was so hard to "race", so much focus on what was on the ground and avoiding another crash.  After Mt. Carlton ascent and some guy biffing it, knocking into me and making friends with a tree to stop the fall, we managed to make our way to aid station 2.  I must have looked rough because my husband asked, "what the heck happened to you?"  "Umm, I fell, but I'm good and where's the GU?".   I was in a pack of 4 runners and started to rain and the guy who was leading totally crashed off the end of a bridge from slipping.  I think he dropped or something because didn't see him again.  Survived to next aid station at mile 19ish.  Now it's pouring...awesome.  If roots weren't fun enough when it was dry.  

Two guys were just ahead of me and I heard one yell. "BEAR!"  What? is one of the 100 milers and hallucinating?  Other guy who I knew was on the marathon yelled the same thing.  Something smelled awful, like road kill and I look to my left.  Sure as heck, bear just back in the trees digging at something.  I would have stopped to see what he was up to but if a bear is hungry, I'm not going to be the one he catches.  I passed both guys in the next 400m or so and ran a 7 something mile.

Get through the next two mountains and keep waiting for some phantom female to pass me.  This can't be true, there's no way I'm in the lead.

Final two or so miles and I'm almost there.  Next thing I know..BAM!  tripped on something and nearly face planted in some serious rocks, but luckily stopped my teeth from kissing granite.  Nailed my hand pretty good in the process and got the wind knocked out of me, but must keep moving.  Ha, anyway I'll look bad ass when I finish right?  No more falling, eye on the trail and keep moving.  

Not a finish like a big marathon but best day ever!  I mean where can you race and say you ran with a bear on the course?

The bar has been raised.  And I won a freaking marathon!  I've been wanting to do that since I was a kid.

What have we learned this week? Running more than 50mi sucks. (Really - who would have guessed.) Have a live bear eating something next to the trail is good motivation to keep going.

Educational enough, I guess.

Ben and Willie, that's awesome. Nice job Cory, Mississippi and AP, too. 

Go team Min-E-Sota!

There were a lot of great performance this week, good luck Ilene.

Congrats Willi, Ben and Mississippi.  A bear, damn!

Somehow I was able to pull off a 1:25:19 in the 25k today.  Probably my best race ever... hopefully a good sign for the marathon at the end of the month.  I thought 5:30/mi pace would be rough at the end of a high volume week, and though it was, I surprised myself by being able to pull it off.  Approximately a 1:50sec PR...  Not many PR's over the last few years, much less nearly 2min PRs... still really can't believe it... 

 Nothing better than to read "my best race ever," particularly from the guys who are pushing the upper edge.  Many, many congrats, Ben.  

EGH3

9/8

Fred Brown Relay, Lake  Winnipesaukee, NH

Leg 6 - 6.4 miles - 53:00 - the warm-up leg

Leg 7 - 8.5 miles - <1:10:00 - "not a flat part on this leg". Try to find a rhythm and leave something for leg 8

Leg 8 - 4.4 miles - <36:26 - 3rd year in a row of running this 4.4 miles of pure hell. if I have anything left, I hope to PR this leg. 

 

Total: 19.3 miles - <2:39:26. 

 

Very hilly 19.3 miles. Approaching it as a training run so <2:40 is a good effort for me on those hills. First time running Lake Winnie and not being on Bill Feeney's team. So, a little sad. 

 Leg 6: 53:21 - Lot of stops on this leg. Was uncomfortable. Stomach cramps and side stitches. Drank too many fluids while waiting to run. Kept it really easy since i wasn't sure how much I was going to run or how bad leg 7 would be. 

Leg 7: 1:06:19 - Held back at first since I wasn't sure whether I would run leg 8. My team was late  - the 80° and humidity really hurt a couple people in earlier legs. They start leg 8 at 5p whether you've finished leg 7 or not so someone went in my place. So, if I were to run 8, it wouldn't count. Debated whether I would run it but once I got passed by a rival club team member, I stopped at the chase car, drank some water, said "Fuck this, I'm racing". Passed him back on the next hill and then picked off 8 or 9 more the rest of the leg. Sky opened up with 3 miles to go and it came down in sheets. Rain was in my  eyes and contacts and I couldn't see a thing. Slipped off the pavement once and was worried about running into traffic. Told the chase car with a mile to go that I was done after leg 7.  No sense risking injury in those conditions. Plus, I was one of the cooks for the cookout so was running out of time. 

Leg 8 - DNS

I agree 100% that BEN should be the ! 

 I'm just happy to report back in one piece although bruised and beat up.  Yes, I had no clue what kind of time to report and even if I did and was close, Ben deserves it hands down.

Thank you for taking the time to read my race report.  Next year I'll attempt the 50 mile on that dasterdly course and at least now I know what I'm up against.

Congrats to Extendedsolo, Mississippi, corland and all other racers this week.

This week I rest and plan on a visit to DQ.

Good racing, everyone!