Notes
First time at elevation, the Ghost Town 38.5 was a lot of fun. You start about a mile high, and get up to about 7000' over the first 10 miles. There's no flat parts to this course; you are always climbing or descending. The first and last 6 miles are on pavement, with the majority of the race on a dirt path/jeep road with a couple miles of single track and a few miles over broken rocks that some folks drive on but I can't really imagine how.
I didn't eat or drink nearly enough (well, I did, but it sure doesn't seem like it.) I had expected the 70 ounces of water in my pack to last me 4 or 5 hours at most with the amount I've been drinking at sea level, but I only drank 20 ounces from the pack with (at most) about another 20 ounces from aid stations. For a 6 and a half hour race, that's not nearly enough. I also only took 3 gels and about a third of the gummy bears I'd carried with me...again, not nearly enough. But, I got through.
I felt great for the first 25 miles. Erin, Nate and Emily were manning the Hilltop Aid Station, and right before reaching them I was having some trouble breathing and that lasted 5 or 6 miles, but I started feeling better as I got near to the turn off at Junction Station and once I saw that somebody had dropped (well, he eventually finished a few hours later) and that both of the guys that had powered by me as I was struggling were visible up ahead on the road, I got another wind and ran the road section on the way back much faster than I had on the way out. It took me about 2 miles to catch those guys, and I managed to put 6 and 14 minutes on them in the last 4 miles of the race.
I was definitely thirsty the last 6 miles but didn't bother drinking then because I felt that I was moving at a good clip and knew I was almost done. I was well enough hydrated (I stopped 5 times to relieve myself during the race) but I can't believe I got by on so little water.
I finished 5th overall (of 68) and won the Marty Duchow award for being the first low lander (anybody that lives below 1000 feet elevation - I live at 148 feet elevation.)
More to follow when I get my race report written up.