Notes
Awesome time camping and running Sleepy Hollow. Logistics were crazy, but we got it done. I was epic. We arrived about 10pm and got set up, chatting until 11:30ish with Matt. Sleeping wasn't too bad. I don't think I was woken by night sounds more than a few times. Despite my tent raining on me, I was dry in my bag. It had rained all night with temps in the 40s.
Waking I waited for everyone else to wake up, reading Graham Hancock and trying to think of a good coffee strategy. I had left my strainer and stove at home. I got all my stuff packed up and Nye and Matt set down to breakfast. Luckily Matt had a stove and goaded me into solving the coffee problem without driving into town. So I just cooked the coffee in Matt's pot, and poured it through the towel I always wrap my grinder in, and it was fine. My new milk frother/blender worked great. This was a major victory and great start to the day.
The race was excellent. This course was on 'The Dark Side', changing the 2nd climb from a simpe grueling grade to a switchback. I think this was easier, and more interesting but missing challenge. It was impossible to pass on the sitchbacked single track, so no competitive moves and drives. My hips never locked up and I felt I pushed as hard as I should when I could. I did excellent on the downhills with hardly a single complaint from my knee. I found a good hip swing with limited knee swing that guarded the knee without sacrificing the hip. I was also very aware of my shoulders and able to use them very well to lessen impact and navigate the tricky downhill. In fact my shoulders had been sore since jiujitsu Friday, and are now feeling great. I finished a couple minutes behind Matt, and Nye about four minutes behind me. The course was very well marked, with great frequency. The flags were cute, and I could not escape appreciating them like a little encouragement everytime I saw them. My attitude was excellent the whole way, and I had a really effective finishing climb. Time was several minutes faster than previous years on the shorter course, and this with only 5 miles of running in the last 3 weeks, all of those miles in the past week.
The spread of food was amazing, a burrito bar and coffee. Perfect. We had to leave immediately to get Nye to work, and late. He didn't take responsibility for it and left me feeling I was the only one that would try and solve the problem. Had to give him an object lessen and make him aware of this, and this was the only blemish on the weekend. There was a lot that I had done to make this weekend happen that was never acknowleged or appreciated. I had to back down from my own out-going attitude to make room for him to act. That didn't happen, but he left expressing thanks to me for things that I did, which hopefully is progress to a more out-going attitude on his part.