Notes
Food and Prep: Afternoon before: Pizza Night before: Chicken Finger sub and lots of water 2-3 waterbottles Morning of at 6:00 AM: Chocolate chip cliff bar, half bottle water.. then sips up to race.. 1 goo pack 15 mins before race.
Race: The goal was Top 50 place, Sub 1:14:00 time.
I knew I had to start off really slow because the first 800 meters was really really fast and downhill and flat until you start the hill. My fitness was really in question as my knee and everything has kept me from doing any distance or tempos or workouts for almost three weeks. I was just going to play it by feel. I started off in around 50th I would guess by the time we hit the hill and I was around Tivo, and a few others from the mt series. All of the people that I usually stayed with were way up on me at the start. Craig, Dan, Brandon, Jimmy were all up ahead. I settled into a pace that was conservative for sure, and I felt comfortable. The best part was, I felt comfy and I was still gaining on people and passing them. I got through mile one and felt very much under control. I was no where near oxygen debt and my legs and knee were feeling alright. I kept plugging and running from person to person. I got to mile two feeling very good still. Mile three more of the same but now it was getting to be a struggle get by people, I did go by Brandon and was working on Ben Nephew at this point. I was reeling in Ben as we came around the halfway point. 33:26 at the half. I was starting to get a little tired, but not cardio wise. It was all in my legs and they were just getting heavier and harder to lift. I passed Ben and knew that was about where I was going to wind up and just wanted to keep it there. I could see Mark Mayall and Dave Dunham and Craig on most of the open areas, but they were just too far up to catch. The word on the street was that if you could run 2-3 mins slower on your second half you were having a really solid race and in my head I started to do the math. I knew I was going to have to run a solid second half to break 1:10:00 but still felt pretty good. The first half I was dumping water on my head and trying to keep cool, but it was getting colder and colder as we went higher and higher. I was really starting to feel tired, but the cool air was keeping my head in the game. It started to become a real grind and I was forcing myself to not look up , just keep looking down and grinding. Ben went back by me with abouttwo miles to go and I started to get a little bit confused on how far I had to go. A clear sign that the elevation and stress was starting to take a toll on my body. The hills kept getting tougher and then a small break a little flatter spot called the cow pasture. It is not really flat just flatter... IIt was a good area to try and use some different muscles and I tried to get a quicker step going. After that it was back to the steep stuff and there was only one more little break before the WALL. At this point I was all alone and as you make the turn and can look up at the finish area you just hear people yelling and then you see the wall. Its about a 22% grade 50 meter section that just sucks. The other bad part was that I could see the clock at that point and it read 1:09:43. Crap now I have to sprint in front of all these people cheering and also Andy Schlacattack telling them to cheer me on to try and break 1:10. My legs are giving out , I am starting to see spots as I get to the top of the wall and now its 50 meters to the finish and as I get to the line I see 1:09:59, 1:10:00. Crap! did I make it? As I hit the line it all went black and my legs just shut down. I started to fall face first and lucky for me there were tow volunteers there that caught me before i went into the tar. It took a few seconds to come around and then walk off and get some water. It was such a good feeling to be done. I wouldnt find out till later my place and time but it was really cool to know that on no good training and or distance runs, I could be at 1:10:00. I know that I can run in the 1:06's up there if I get into shape and that will be my goal , but as for next year, just one step at a time... get under 1:09:00 Splits were as follows. : 7:06, 8:44, 9:10,( 33:26 half), 9:27, 9:49, 9:46, 10:01 and 6:03 last .6