I entered into this race back in July, when I exspected to be working locally. But things changed, and I have been working in Las Vegas, as well as a lot of overtime. So I found it hard to find the time to run long miles or enough days to find any time at all. I have however, been working out at home and following a good nutricion plan.
Well, race day arrived, and I had only two things to look positive towards, I am 20 lbs lighter than the last race, an I am well rested. I drove, and parked, at the finish line, slept in the back of my truck, and at 4am took a shuttle to the start line. All nite it was drizzlely and cold. By morning, it was cloudy and cold still. The shuttle ride was on a long curved road, so I took some dramamine to avoid any motion sickness. We seemed to drive down hill forever, which only ment comeing back up on foot. But, it wasn't long before we were flying across the desert floor, arriving at Pinyon Wash some 15 minutes before start time, [6am].
Still cold, I had 3 layers of clothes and a pack to put them in, for when it warmed up. I got a couple of minutes of streching in, before the start began. Every race I say he same thing, but never seem to pull it off. I know better than taking off too fast, and warming up rather than wipeing myself out. This time I was going to try though. I also need to make Qualifying time of under 11hrs, to qualify for longer races. Because I had such long lapse of time between completed 100 milers. So I will need to watch the clock all day.
6am sharp, under a dark desert sky, we all took our first steps towards a 50 mile goal. I started in the very back of the pack, in a fast walk but nothing more. We all taveled over a sandy wash, that was packed due to the recent rain. I took my first shirt off in about 15 minutes, and was down to my base layers by sun up. I fell into a pack of people whom were paceing about the same way and cause of conversation, time went fast, and we were now at mile 5, Boulders Aid Station.
Staying up on food, water, and endurolytes, I began climbing a dry boulder waterfall, and on to another long dry sandy desert wash. The wash seemed to go across a vast desert and through some small valleys and onto a steep road that climbed to a pass and gave us our first down hill. This was a relief on the legs and put my tight schedual back on par.
We are now at mile 12.1 Pinyon Mtn. Keeping up on food water and endurolyte, we made our way down a long dirt road, being dusted out by a couple in jeeps, then onto a nice trail, that zig zagged through an array of desert flora, but you needed to be extra careful of the cactus and other prickely plants. I was still takeing it easy and made it to the 3rd Aid Station only 5 minutes ahead of needed pace.
Upon reaching Blair Valley Aid Station, mile 17.5, I was now 1/3 of the way, well warmed up and ready to bring it on. I took off my pack, put it in a box of return to finish line things and grabbed a bottle of water, endurolytes, caffein pill a couple of advil and took off in a slightly quicker pace. Soon the Advil kicked in and I was numb. The trail went in a nice gully, out onto the dsert floor, then back into a large wssh. I picked a good pace through all this, and began passing a lot of people. Soon I was at the beginning of Mason Valley Truck Trail, and at the next aid station.
Mile 23.5, Oriflamme Aid Station, went by fast, and I was now climbing steeply up the road looking far ahead at the Laguna Mountains from some 3000 feet below. I picked a hard steady pace, passing probably 20 people before the top and onto a nice single track to the much needed aid station. I was out of water, the sunny desert was now replaced by a foggy, cold, Laguna Mountains.
Sunrise Aid Station was my quckest In and Out, I was now at Mile 28.7, a few minutes ahead of where I need to be and was soon going into my first low point of the race. Pushing so hard up that hill, took its toll, and now I was paying for it. I knew though to just wait it out. So I began walkin more and not pushing as hard. I was soon out of water, and the aid station could not come soon enough. Once I got faked out by a group of cars, thinking it was an aid station, to be only disappointed when the ribbons guided me the other way.
Paso Picacho mile 34.5 was a nice Aid Station. I rehydrated, ate a lot of potatoes and took off up a muddy trail analyzing my time and mileage. Things were looking tight but I was trying to be possitive. It was a long, cold and wet 4 miles to the next aid station, but the feeing of ending was beginning to take shape.
Four Corners mile 38.5, I had some chicken noodle soup and began another cold and wet section of singletrack trail, that looped around back to Four Corners. On the last section comeing down hill at a fast pace, I tripped for about the 3rd time but, went down hard, this time. I got up quick, shook it off, wiped my water bottle off and proceded.
Back at Four Corners mile 41.4 I was told I had 9 miles left. I looked at my watch and had 2 hrs and 9 minutes. that was perfect, and I left in good spirits. That was short lived though, as I began climbing a steep rock trail that seemed to never end. I was beat now, and gave it my all, to the top and was high in the pines, in dense fog that was bleeding off the trees, in he form of rain.
Now soaked, cold, and behind time, I am at mile 43.3 Cherry Flats Aid Station, where I had 1hr 14 minutes left. I was told I had 6.5 miles left but mostly down hill. I began running as fast as my worn legs could take me down a fire road. The sun began peeking through, and I began getting views of the finish line. I was battleing negetivity, wornlegs and my watch. Things were not looking that good. I tripped a couple of times, and every time the trail switched to up hill I could barely run. At 20 minutes left I saw a trail marker, that said hwy .4 mil and I knew it was at least a mile after that. I hesitated at 1st, for most of me felt defeated, but soon found myself pushing myself as hard as I could bare possable. Soon I crossed the Highway, with 13 minutes left, I fought myself to run faster, but negetivity was takeing its toll. I knew if I made it to the next road, wth a minute left, I would make it, but there was no sign of a road. There was 3 minutes left, then two, and I just gave it my all.
My watch said less than a minute, and there it was about a hundred meters ahead. Running a fast as I could, I rounded the last corner, and saw the large LED Clock, reading 10hrs 59min 46sec. With a few dozen people screaming cheers, I now had 13 seconds to go, and another 100 meters. I nearly paused, but after a short hesitation I went into a sprint and crossed the finish line with only 2 seconds to spare. My time was 10hrs 59min and 57 seconds, I was th 4th in my age group 16th overall and one of the 84 runners to complete that day.
This race is not a good choice for a qualifying race, but is very fun race, with an array of beautiful contrast of enviroments. I definately will want to run that race again.
