Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Colorado 22.6 miles A beautiful clear morning dawns on the start line for the race. With this being the last goal race for the year, excitement easily overrides nerves and second thoughts. Months of training and planning have culminated up to this point. Confidence is high. The participation is small this year. There is a 400 limit, due to National Park Service limitations, and there appears to be less than 200 at the start. However, spirits are high, and there is already talk of the beer that awaits everybody at the finish. Coors Light, or Bud Light. Pick your poison. The start goes off without a hitch, and before we know it, we're climbing up to the top of the canyons that make this monument famous. I'm expecting a 11-11:30 minute pace for the first half of the race, given the climb that I'm in for. Already, I'm snapping pics with my camera phone, hoping that everything comes out alright. Its easy to get distracted, given that everywhere you look, the scenery is stunning. Before I know it, I'm hitting the 9 mile mark at 1:33. Are you kidding me? I need to start thinking about holding back for the descent, and pay better attention to my nutrition intake. But everything is going great! The final hill is shortly before the 12 mile mark, and when it swings into view, it looks like a monster waiting to claim its next victim. 1/2 mile long, and what appears to be 200' elevation from the start, people are already walking at the base of the climb. You know what? I've trained too much on the hills to let this thing make me walk! I power my way up the hill, and turn the corner heading downhill. 2 hours in, and more than halfway there. The downhill is a welcome sight! To see that everything is downhill from this point on gives me hope that I can beat my predict of 4 hours, maybe even hit 3:30. I try not to think about the possibilities, and get back to reality. It is the last part of many races that claim many dreams. The aid stations were great, and the Orchard Mesa Lions Club was no exception! These guys were enthusiastic, encouraging, and did great with the water handoff that so many haven't perfected. It was at this point that I started to have problems. The cup split in half when I pinched it (to gain better control of the water, and so I wouldn't choke), and spilled all over the front of me. Normally, this wouldn't bother me, but my little iPod that has been with me for 2 years of running got rained on. My attention was split, and I did the unforgivable for when you hvae your groove going. I stopped to walk. Welcome to the wall. I has purposely worked on walking during long runs so I would be able to get running again faster, with good results. This time, I had forgotten my Enduralytes (similar to Race-caps), and had been avoiding Gatorade so far for fear of rebellion in the stomach. Once I slowed down, everything went haywire, and I wound up walking for 2 miles, trying to get the muscles to stop cramping. Finally, at mile 19, I was able to get back on the horse, and start running again. 3 more miles to go. The last 3 mile are a blur, as they tend to be. But I was able to finish in 3:46:35. Much better than I would have ever expected, especially given the disaster at miles 17-18. I would recommend that everybody go to this race at least once. It is the experience of a lifetime. Happy running. Map is located at http://www.runningahead.com/maps/0c90dccfee694b4a891ba0f16cf14ba0 Feel free to hit the elevation and satellite buttons! Here's the slideshow!http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii117/jamesd71/RimRockRun2008/?albumview=slideshow

Nicely done!

Well done James! Nice pics, too. Now I really want to go do this one. Maybe next year i'll be a little more kind to my legs in the fall so that I can!

Its funny, I was thinking after the race that you would ave no problem with this one. If you get long long hill workouts in you have this race figured out. But the last 4 miles drop real fast. Its a doozy!