This was possibly the hardest race I've ever run. The course seems to somehow defy the laws of physics, even though you start and finish at the same location, it feels like you climb for 80 percent of the time. The downhills are steep and technical, while the uphills are long, drawn-out grueling battles. I doubt that there is more than 2 miles of flat running in the entire race.
I set my goal for this race based on the accumulated wisdom of other Ultra runners who told me to add 30 - 40 minutes to my Holiday Lake 50K time, so I set out to finish in 6 hours.
At times I felt like I was running really well, but at other points during the day I felt like I was hiking way too much, and that the mountain had beaten me. I was evidently not ready for this kind of a mountain race.
By the time I reached the last aid station at the bottom of Terrapin Lane, I was ready to just stop. My legs didn't want to run another step. But I grabbed some food, hiked a short uphill, and set out at a painful jog to meet my wife and friend who were supposed to be "running" in with me.
Through the next 5 miles of rolling hills I set my mind to the task of running in it's most basic form. Focusing on picking one foot up after the other I battled through to the final downhill section to the finish. That is where my "crew" met me. I hurt too much to talk much, I told them to make me keep running.
I somehow managed to get down the last 2 miles of road and finish in 5:51. Nine minutes faster than my goal, but much more painful than I had bargained for. It was over a week before I could run again. And I have Promise Land 50K++ to look forward to next month!
-Todd
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