Thank You! It should be a fun weekend. A couple more friends have decided to come with us nad run as well. We've got the tent, sleeping bags, cook stove etc ready. There isn't any pre-race meal so we're bringing our own pasta and meatballs to eat. Our friends are leaving Sat night after the race but we're going to stay and enjoy the post race festivities and come home on Sunday. I know you're not supposed to experiment with new clothes but I still bought myself a new shirt today to wear-it has the local running/skiing store and the local running club I belong to logos on it. It was raining out when I got done working so what else was I supposed to do but go shop! I was supposed to run today but didn't feel like it so I'll run tomorrow instead (I was planning on taking tomorrow off). Jack's going to a July 4th 5K race but I'm not! I see staying in bed past 6am as a treat and a leisurely trail run in the backyard with recently mowed and freshly sprayed with cow manure hay fields. Can't wait to sleep with the windows open tonight! I'll be thinking of your party Leslie-have fun! Kelly

Thank you! I did have a good time and a good day. The short version is that I finished in 9:10:?? by my watch- I don't remember what my official time was and the results aren't posted on the web site yet. I was hoping to be under 9 hours but being what it is I still placed 10th overall, 2nd for the women and 1st Master female. It was a nice course with a little bit of everything-fields, trails, pavement and dirt roads. It was very well run, the volunteers were great, the camping area was nice too-it's primitive with no electricity or running water but that wasn't a huge inconvenience since we knew that ahead of time. The race was the Finger Lakes Fifties with a 25K, 50K and 50M option about 15 miles outside of Ithaca, NY. Well worth making the trip. Kelly

"It was raining out when I got done working so what else was I supposed to do but go shop! " Women. "Am in taper mode for my 50k in Ashland, OR, on Saturday. The Siskiyou Out and Back (SOB). So far, the weather report says 85 for the day. Ugh!" How did the race go?

I still placed 10th overall, 2nd for the women and 1st Master female. Kelly

Great race Kelly! Did you say this was your first 50M?

Hi Guys - Haven't posted a report yet, but thought I'd let you know I DNF'd. Missed the first cutoff by 10 minutes. My biggest problem - nutrition/fueling. Did a really lousy job of it. Was a really good learning experience . . . and humbling. On the upside - No bowel issues! The Imodium worked great!! And I'm ready to tackle it again next year and finish!!! BTW - The overall winner - a young man named Max King (AG 19-29) finished in 03:42:36. (How in the he!! is that humanely possible?!?) Here's a link to the photos I took: http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x194/fatozzig/sob%202008/?action=view¤t=29e9ffca.pbw Yes, there are a lot of photos, but I estimated it only took me a couple of minutes max to take them all. Not counting the ones at the finish line, the last 9-10 were taken after I was told I wouldn't make the cutoff. I figured no sense in killing myself getting into the aid station if I wasn't going to make it.

Oldguy-this was my 4th fifty. I've done the VT50 forthe past 2 years did the Stone Cat 50 last year as well. Next up is the full Jay XC Challenge.

Hey Kelly Good Luck at the Jay. I have two friends heading up to VT to take on the full Jay also. It's is their first ultra. Do you think they could have found an easier one for their first one? Dan My Blog http://breakhearttrailrunning.blogspot.com/

Do you think you would have make the cutoff if you didn't stop to take pictures?

My coach asked me the same thing and I thought hard about it. Excluding the photos of the parking lot at the end, the last 9-10 scenic pics were taken after I was told I wasn't going to make the cutoff and once I got back to the parking lot (even the view from the parking lot was gorgeous). The others - I keep my camera in a front pocket on my pack and have gotten pretty adept at getting ready for a pic while on the move, stop and take it, get going again while putting the camera away. So in all honesty, I think I may have spent 2 minutes total. Although was initially hard to admit, if I'd made the first cutoff, and even the 2nd, I would not have made the 8.5 hour cutoff. My legs were gone. I would've finished, but it would've been more like 9-9.5 hours. Next run I will try to keep the picture taking to a minimum . . . but, doggone it, I was in such awe of the beauty around me up there, I couldn't help myself.