Notes
3rd overall with Blaine Metcalf and Austin Turner putting it to me. I knew Blaine would be tough to beat giveing he ran 16:36 3 weeks ago but was glad to have the test. I thought Austin may be someone i could beat on a good day and depending where his fitness is at. TIm hill also showed up and was thinking/hoping I should get him with the past few months of training. We went out and settled right into position of blaine, austin, me, Tim and those positions never changed. Blaine had abt 5-7 second cap in the first mile and next 3 together. After the mile tim fell back a little and i started to let a gap form between me and austin. Hit first mile in 6:38 HR was 160-63 during that mile so was pleased i was pushing which i could feel. abt 1.5 i took dive going around a sharp turn with slick mud and tap a root/rock? just above the left eyebrow which drew blood but nothing bad. Super muddy knees and hands especially right caked in mud. Allowed austin to get a bigger gap and shook the confidence and fight for the next little bit. Sho Gray a 4 miler caught me and went through. Was able to stay fairly close but the first big climb a snagged my right foot and went down quick. this was really frustrating as i lost all momenteum. legs super fatigued as i approached top of the climb and wasn't in good head space. Over the next couple miles there were 2 more good climbs and decents. I wasn't climb well at all frustated with gap to front 2 and the fall. Tim began to close down on me. and probably got within 10 seconds i felt confident he would go around up last climb but i managed to start to gain a rythem again. still not a great climb but enough to build a bit more cushion and once i crested i started to feel better and pushing. Last 2 miles were flatter except a climb up from the bridge from the backside. I felt like i was moving well on the flatter sections. Downhills i was a little shaky at times because not being confident after the falls but don't think it cost me much. Just didn't have any hill strength. 2:54 behind blaine and 1 min exactly behind austin. Without the fall maybe i would have had closer gap to austin and mindset would have been more positive on the climbs but who knows.
Overall a little frustrated coming out of the race because i feel like i failed again having a solid plan on what i wanted out of the race and solid mindset of what i needed to focus on within race when hitting good or tough patches. def thought to much about finish time gaps to front 2 and not in the moment of what i was doing during the middle portion of the race. Didn't have solid mindset of i am going in to push myself and get what i at the day. Positive was i did want to run close to blaine for as long as i could and for 1.5 i kept it somewhat close even though i knew pushing hard. and after the climbs i did get on it to close the race strong. I also got compeitive to keep 3rd even though i had some bad thoughts he would go through. Overall i think shows i am in ok shape that not on a great day had some positives and flat i was relatively even to austin. just bleed way to much time on the ascents.