Race Morning:
We decided to meet at Joe's around 6:45am. The race was at 8:30am and we needed to pick up our packet. This was probably a little too late to leave in hindsight. It is probably 60-70 minutes to get out there. I packed a wide variety of gear for the race not knowing what would be in store for us. I ate a Honey Stinger waffle on the way and drank a bottle of water. Mixed in a Potassium pill and some Shark salt as well. I decided to load up my fuel belt with Skratch Labs lemon lime and took three Cherry Lime GU's. I didn't plan on using the aid stations at all for 13 miles. We got there with about 20 minutes to spare so we got ready to race and went straight to the tent to pick up our packets. The group consisted of Joe, Matrix, Fred, myself and one of Joe's friends Chad met us there. There wasn't really a lot of wasted time. I think the race started about 10 minutes after my bib was attached to my race belt. The Matrix is really fast and we contemplated two options. Let everyone go and start late (it was chip timed) hoping to pass people after the herd thinned or bite the bullet and work our way to the front. We were probably one third to halfway back in the pack to start.
Race:
Once they gave the go, me and the Matrix started making our way to the front as much as possible. .54 miles into the race is where we got lost last year so we were looking to go the right direction this time. When we got to the point where we got lost last year, the trail was cut off and there was no problem going the right way. Having to pass so many people so early meant maintaining a higher pace that I could sustain for 13 miles. My first two miles were 8:56 and 8:46. Most of those were in the deeper sand which is tough on the legs. After things thinned out, I settled into a nice rhythm and just ran. I was passed by a few people but not many. I passed quite a few here and there. The first aid station was around mile 4 but I just kept cruising. I like the fact that I can use my iPod. I was able to settle into my own little world. Miles 5-8 seemed like a lot of work and they weren't clicking off very quickly. I was in a sort of no man's land in the race and really didn't see anyone up ahead to pace myself with in several sections. I was finally passed by a few guys and used them as a pacer for a few miles. I think they changed the course in a few spots this year and we were directed through a few wooded sections that I did not remember from last year. The second aid station was going to be at mile 10 or 11. I was going to need the portapotty when I got there. Unfortunately, they did not have one so I blazed on. I got to a place where I could follow a side trail off the main path and then was able to get going again. It cost me a few minutes. When I jumped back on the trail, I saw Joe about a tenth or two ahead of me. He was having a great race. It probably took about a mile to catch him or at least it seemed that way. He was shocked to see me when I went by but he was really running well. The miles were really coming fast now and I felt good. I passed several more who had passed me when I stopped. When the dam came up, I knew we were almost home. By my watch, I was close to the 2 hour finish pace which would be really good for me. Coming up the hill after passing the dam is some work and it is uphill all the way to the finish from that point. The distance last year was 13.4 miles so I was using that as my guide. Once you cross the road after the dam, it seems like a non-stop uphill climb to the finish and is very difficult to pass people. I decided to dig in and let things happen, good or bad. When I reached the parking area, I was shocked. The course was going to be just a tad over 13 miles. Somewhere, they took some distance off. When I went across the finish line, my watch said 1:59:44. My actual race time was close to 2:02:28 by my watch. I don't know what the official time is. That's an average of 9:11 per mile. Very fast for me and I was very happy. They haven't posted the results yet on the web site but from memory I was in the 40s for my overall race finish of 300 participants. I shaved close to 17 minutes off from last year but didn't get lost.
(L to R Joe, Fred, Matrix, Chad, me)
Post Race:
I saw the Matrix on the way into the finish. He finished 14th overall at around one hour and forty six minutes. He didn't think he was in great shape going into the race. Seemed pretty good to me. Joe was only about a minute behind me so we were really close. He was happy too. I think Fred was close to 10 minutes behind Joe. He has been traveling a lot and hasn't been able to consistently train but he had a really good time as well. We had a free beer and some BBQ before taking off. This is a great spring trail race. Both times, it has been completely different. I felt really tired after the race and my legs were shot. I put a lot into this one. As always, I wonder whether I could have pushed the pace more but I'm satisfied with the results.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/466740075
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