Notes
Flatrock 2017. A beautiful night of camping with Koontz, Eric Schrag, Massanari, Megan, Toby, Doug and Rita Peters, and Jaap and Hanneke VanBeirjeik and a perfect morning for a run on the Elk City Lake Trail. I decided to start slower this time with no hesitancy to walk through some of the challenging terrain in the first few miles. Getting behind a group of about 12 folks that did some walking up hills forced this strategy. At first aid station, we passed, a number of these folks and started passing others as we kept a more steady running pace. Eric Schrag ran with me the whole day in spite of my regular encouragements for him to go ahead. With a 25-30 mile base, he was clearly in better shape and he finally went on ahead after the last aid station. The last few miles walking/running with my own thoughts were heavy with memories of Russ...a meaningful and somber trek. He was with us all in spirit and helped push us through to the end of the run and camaraderie in the hours after while we cheered others in to finish.
In addition to a more sustainable pace throughout this time, I think my purposeful and regular fueling (3+ bottles of Gatorade/Heed, 12 Gatorade chews, 3 Gu packets, a dill pickle, two electrolyte tablets each at second and third aid stations, and some potatoes at first aid station and chips at last aid station) both helped me keep from cramping. I may have gotten a little crampy on the last asphalt stretch, but aside from just feeling spent, I was able to finish strong without going into major calf/quad/hip lockdown mode like in year's past at Flatrock.
At 3:09:36, it was my slowest finish ever of four total (2014 @2:56:04, 2012 @2:40:57, and 2011@2:54:43), but it was also I'd say my most enjoyable.