Notes
First off that's right, 27 miles. The course was long and afterwards they told us it was 27. I raced with my Garmin and it clocked it right at 27.03. I went out easy in about 8th place. It felt so freaking slow but the lead pack of 4 was some studs then I was right behind the second group of runners. Up Towers road I clocked a 10:56, 10:05 mile. I'd like o say that they were easy but it was tough. With those 2 miles I moved from 8th into about 5th. I caught the 4th place guy at mile 6 and ran with him to mile 7. Which was the starting line. I thought it was going to warm up so I dropped my hat, gloves and long sleeve at my truck. BTW at every aid station they don't stock cups so I had a collapsible camping cup that fit in the small pocket in the back of my shorts. I didn't want to carry a bottle or hydration pack. It worked fine but every aid station I was slow having to fill it up then I couldn't run with it very well. Felt good until mile 11. The uphill on Indian Summer loop, the switch backs started to get to me. It was so lonely the whole day, minus from mile 6-7 I was by myself the whole time. At mile 14 there was no aid station until mile 19. I began to notice my garmin was not matching up with what miles they said the aid stations were at. I hoped it would pick up on the way back but it never did. The footing was horrible on those miles and I began to struggle. On the downhill to mile 19 I threw my back out. My core was too weak for this kind of race. I was thinking about dropping out at the aid station on mile 19. But they said 3rd place was dying and I could catch up. I looked up about 10 swtichbacks and there he was struggling. I kept thinking about forward progress, screw pace get to him and pass him. My back hurt so it threw off my stride. At mile 26.5 I saw my wife and kids for the first time and she said it looked like I needed to take a shit. I was hunched over terribly and frozen. After I passed 3rd place at mile 20 I knew they gave awards to top 3 overall and I ran in with fear. I kept trying to move faster but I was falling apart. At 21.5 I tried to muscle down some GU but after 1 squeeze I threw it right up. I knew at the point it was water and making it home. Nothing else. The hills were unreal. I kept watching my Garmin after each mile knowing I wasn't going to make it back in 26 miles. The half marathoners were coming in with me, and so when I turned around to see if anyone was coming all I saw were runners. I never would have though 8:40's would hurt so bad. I began to hemorrhage time, I'll try to go back and get my mile splits. Not pretty. I finished and couldn;t do anything. I dropped and broke my finisher medal, dropped my water, I limped to the car, put on 3 coats, pants, and a blanket and laid down in the back seat with the heater on high until I stopped cramping and felt good enough. Got 3rd overall and beat some solid trail runners. I raced good today, not quitting or giving up. I am finally racing good week in and week out. I am more sore than I have ever been.
Splits:
1 7:34
2 8:02
3 10:56
4 10:09
5 7:34
6 7:57
7 7:09
8 7:05
9 7:35
10 8:12
11 7:10
12 7:44
13 9:26
14 7:23
15 7:38
16 9:44
17 8:23
18 8:40
19 9:08
20 10:09
21 10:38
22 9:40
23 10:05
24 9:05
25 9:10
26 8:22
27 8:51 (course a full 27 miles exact)