I thought this was going to be the race where I'd get some redemption, I was wrong.  I ran this race in 2013 where I suffered immensely from nausea, causing me to walk (drag?) in what were definitely run sections.  Last year I had to drop down to the 23k due to an injury.  My training was better this year and had two recent races that went very well, no speed records, but solid performances for me.

I knew weather was going to play a factor with temps forecast into the upper 90's.  Heat and I have an understanding, we avoid each other.  Like Kelly (lace), I will gladly rise at 4:00 AM to run to avoid the heat and that's what I've pretty much done the entire summer.  Likely not the best strategy.

The race started at 7:00 AM (the 50 milers at 5:00 AM, the 23k at 8:00 AM)- would have been nice to start at 6:00, but they might have a reason not to start until 7???  Temps weren't too bad at the start, guessing 50's.  I was hoping to get close to a 8 hour finish, which would have been over an hour better than 2013 time- it was very reasonable goal considering how much walking I did in 2013. The course this changed year, they removed the 3 mile-ish Forest Service (gravel) road sections (2 miles in the beginning, little over 1 at the end) with all single track.  To accomplish this they had to come up with a new starting/finishing point, they did, but it also added ~ 1.5 miles to all the courses and a really tough 600'-ish climb.  I'm pretty sure the old course records will stay safe w/ this change (or will have to have use asterisks).  I'm familiar enough with the course I determined rough splits I'd need to get a 8 hour finish.

I started out in the middle of the pack and stayed roughly there until the first aid station (Jackson Ck 4 miles in) and hit my split spot on.  From there started a long uphill where I was able to pass several folks.  The next aid station was approximately 8 miles out with a couple of steep climbs and then a steep (technical) descent to the Teepee Ck Aid Station.  The temps had increased significantly, but I felt pretty good through this stretch and again hit the mark I was shooting for.  The next four miles to the Elk Park AS is really rough (~ 2500' of gain) and it was after this stretch that the wheels came off in 2013.  A mile or so into the climb I started to slow, stomach was a little off and I was cramping a little- nothing too bad, but not good either.  I kept slowing and soon started to get passed, I typically get passed a lot in a race, but rarely on walking uphills.  The wheels were coming off pretty quick now and I stopped at one point and actually started to descend.  I gathered myself and turned around and kept trudging up to Elk Park.  I had to stop often and my pace had really slowed.  I finally made it to the aid station.  I ate, drank and rested, but didn't feel any better.  I took off from the aid station with the hope this would pass, it didn't- it was worse.  It literally felt like my legs had been replaced with molten lead, I went about a mile or so and decided that it was time to accept the fact that it wasn't going to turn around for me.

It's not a pleasant feeling heading in the wrong direction back to the aid station passing folks headed the right way.  I told the aid station folks at Elk Park it wasn't my day and I was bagging it- that wasn't real pleasant either.  The thing about a remote mountain race is that when you bag it, you still have to get back out.  From Elk Park that meant another 6.5 miles (albeit most of it downhill).  It was a long, slow 6.5 miles out and the heat had really ramped up and no escaping it.

When I hit the finish line it appeared to folks hanging out that I had secured a podium finish, nothing could be further from the truth.  I didn't feel very grand with my first DNF, but with the temp at 93 degrees and climbing, I definitely made the right decision.  I would have been out on course at least two and a half more hours (possibly much longer???).  The optimistic side of me is winning out and looking at it as simply a tough 24 mile training run 

I should add that the carnage didn't stop with me.  My youngest DD is visiting from Milwaukee and signed up for the 23k race.  She is in pretty decent shape, but doesn't get to trail run much and has nothing in the way of steep mountain ascents/descents.  I told her to take it nice and easy, and walk all the uphills.  She got in with a good group and they were making pretty good time.  The heat didn't bother her and she has been running in the heat and humidity of Milwaukee.  She was about 10 miles in (two miles shy of Teepee Ck) and had all the tough uphills out of the way.  A steep descent into the Aid Station and about 2.5 miles of mostly runnable trail to the finish.  As she started the downhill (very technical rock) there was a loud a pop, everyone in her group had also heard it.  It was her knee that had popped.  The group had to go on and she limped here way into the aid station.  One of the aid workers massaged it and put ice on it.  It helped enough that she was able to make it the next 2.5 miles to the finish, slow, but she made it.  We took her into the Urgent Care clinic where the doc said she had torn her meniscus.  His prognosis was pretty positive though and thought that with rest and ice, she should be good to go.  She was obviously disappointed as she was well on her way to a good finish.  She said she's definitely going to do it again and get some redemption, that makes two of us.

pre-carnage

Sorry you didn't get your redemption.  Hope DD just has a sprain and not a meniscal tear, as the meniscus doesn't heal on its own.

Crazy weather you've been having.  What is the normal temperature supposed to be?

I'm sorry about your race, and I hope DD heals quickly.   The course sounds brutal.    Thanks for sharing the RR- and hopefully next year you can get your redemption.

Ah geez. Sorry about the DNF. The sun out there I suspect is pretty strong and you are more exposed than back here in the east. You've had a great season so far though so now worries. I hope your daughter is ok. Meniscus tears are no fun. Hope it's just a strain like AT said.

Sorry to hear you had to take a DNF.  Might be time to take a well deserved break from some of that brutal terrain you run and let the legs rejuvenate.