Race started good. I had a bottle of protein powder and peach crystals. Hit my goal pace of 7 min km leading up to the first set of switch backs, although had to slow down a bit for a couple up and down sections. Hit the switch backs and realized very quickly that my plan of run 50 vertical meters at a time would not work. It was steep and there were big rocks and sharp rocks and uneven rocks, although some of this stretch was smoothish. Run one minute hiked one minute. Averaged a 11 minute km up here.

Hit the first aid station. I was sucking on my concoction, about half down, just had them fill up with water (mistake) grabbed some gummie bears and I was off. Felt good. Kinda evened out here for a bit, put some running in for about 5-10 minutes. Then back to going up, 1 minute running 1 minute walking, but only for less than a km, then it was really up, and the terrain was brutal, scree, not good. So hiked it up for 3 km. Hit the turn around at 2:20.

So, I am doing the marathon right, and there is a cutoff of 12:30 at 27 km, which is supposed to be 4 hours after race start (but actually was like 3:55) Anyway, I do the math, I have an hour an 35 minutes to make it down, hit a 7 minute pace and I will be fine. So I start running, and I am doing it, only stumbled maybe once or twice, watching the ground, picking my spots, I ran down the scree. picked some sweet and salty bars up at the 17 k aid station between 17-20 I walk a couple slight inclines but then bomb it down again ( I am averaging about 7:30 min km, not fast enough to make cut off but this part is a bit more challenging. Get to the 20 k aid station, filled up my bottle with water (dumb) and some chips or gummies, I don't know.

So now going down the second set of switch backs, feeling good running good, these switch backs have tighter steeper turns so I lose some time there but whatever.

Come out of the forest (the bottom set of switch backs are tree covered) into the sun. I have 5 km and 35 minutes to make cutoff. I know it is going to be tight, most of the elevation is behind me but it is still a gradual down hill so you can hit a pretty good pace. I figure, try for 7 minutes still, if I am a little late, beg and plead (the race started 5 minutes late after all).

7 minute pace last for about 1.5 km.

Then my right side is in moderate pain. My right arm is numb. I am walking now. My left arm, my face, my nose all numb. oh oh. Not good. This happens over the period of about 300-500 meters. I am done. Beat, my breathing sky rockets, although I think my pulse was fairly normal. I am hungry, and thirsty. I am out of water. I cannot remember when I really started to worry. Actually, I think even at 23.5 km I thought I had a chance, so probably at 24, about 3 klick the the aid station and I was reduced to about 12 minute per km pace. Brutal. I was sweaty and cold and my legs started to feel like they were not quite working. Then the stragglers started to past me, a couple asked me if I needed anything, I said no (dumb).

The last 500 meters to the aid station were bad. I mean I was not quite doing a Julie Moss walk but not good. Slow. Brutal. I saw the aid station about 100 meters, thankfully right at 27 km. I yelled at the volunteer "I need water" lol, he points at the table. LMAO. I say it again, more urgency, he comes running. I make my way to his little table, he says, "why don't you sit down" I say, "good idea" he says,bad news is you didn't make the cut off, I am like......OWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEE, as my calves start to cramp in the most horrible way that I have ever felt. Anyway, I drink tons of Ultima (should have been drinking that stuff all along) he stretches my calves out and pours cold water over them, I stop crying (whole thing takes like 3 minutes), and hobble the last 2 km to the finish for the 29 km race (which I probably finished in last place).


train more
not drink water
buy one of those hydration backpacks.
eat something
train more
train with a backpack
train more
run more

I mean I hit my time goals, almost. I am not sure if I would have made the cut off if I had hydrated and ate, although probably. But the rest of the run probably would have killed me, as my buddy who got to the cut off at after 3 hours or so took another 2.5 hours to finish the 15 k loop. Would have liked to try though, you know?

3 big cookies, veggie stew, banana, apple, tons of Gatorade. Hung around waiting for people to finish.




See above. Learned a lot. I clearly have lots of work to do. It was a good experience.

My first DNF. It hurts. I mean I know I wasn't trained for it, I did some hill work, but didn't really put the volume in. My own fault.


Can't really fault them for the lack of aid stations, was as advertised. Small race, caps at 150 people because in the park. They do the moose mountain run, which is what I ended up doing, the Telephone Loop (a 16 k loop with some up and down) and the marathon which is a combination of them both.

Great grub at the end, good price, nice hoodie.

I will be back next year and give it another shot. At least have the right gear.