For the past 5 years I have been saying I want to run this 50k.  Instead I am volunteering at an aid station. This year I finally got to run it and I  it was a great year to do it.  It was 36 degrees at the start of the race and cloudy. There was a 40% chance of rain.  Rain doesn't scare me. Bring ti.  My game plan was to not push to hard the first have and save my legs for the 2nd half.  Most of the 3,500 feet of vert was in the first 15 miles.  Making the last half very runable.  When its cold I know I don't drink enough.  I tried to drink at least a 16 oz bottle between most of the aid stops and some Mt. Dew at the at the aid stops.  I am not a big fan of gels.  But I want to cut down on my stop time.  I ate one pack of sport beans, shot blocks, GU gel and one Maurton Gel.  I drank 2 of the Maurton drink mix in the last 20 miles.

Most of the hills were runable but I walked the steep parts.  There was many that would run the hills and I would catch up to them later.  The course had a mix of all trails.  Buff out single track, technical descents, sand, cobble stone rock beds, Rocky climbs and jeep roads. Antelope island a barren rocky place.  The west side of the island is desert like. while the east side resembles and African Serengeti.

I ran with a friend for the first 5 miles some where in the back of the top 10. I lost him at the first aid station when didn't stop.  I had everything I needed with me.  I felt relax and comfortable most of the race. On the steep climbs my quads felt sore and tight.  But things eased up when I started running down hill. Many times I would look down at my watch and was surprised at the pace I was running. After hitting the half way mark the trail rolls most of the way to the finish. I averaged a 7:30-8 min pass the last 10 miles. I started finding my grove and chasing down these 2 guys in front of me. Every time I would get close I would start to cramp. I stopped to stretch it out and then track them down again.  After catching the 2 guys I passed them and they jumped in behind me. I just couldn't shake them.  In the last 3 miles there was one last short but killer climb.  We hit the top one of the guys took off and was gone. My legs decided to cramp some more. It was a mental challenge to keep running.  I was ready to be done.

In the end I ran the race faster than my goal.  I finished 7th overall in a time of 4:18.

Beating your goal trumps anything else.  Congrats on a fast time and top 10 finish.

congrats! That's a speedy 50k!

Love the shirt!  Great race.