As the race started, I tucked behind Chip, who had a really nice flashlight. I just kept thinking "today will be a good day." "Don't sweat the small stuff," but in reality was freaking a bit. A lot can happen out there, and dammit, I was going to finish. In my head, I needed to be on top of things, so that I wouldn't need the flashlight.

1-8
These miles were pretty uneventful. IT was quiet. IT's always quiet at the start of an ultra - so many people thinking (Maybe even just waking up) - a good time to just take it all in. In the first 8 miles you have a pretty good climb that take you over to the edge of the woods with a great view. Of course, if you look to far out, you'll catch a rock and nearly die.

So lets talk rocks. I am used to rocks. I run rocks, I love rocks. Now with all the rain and snow, the rock get loose. And with the infrequency of the trail being used, the rocks are both loose and ROUND! So these aren't your average trail rocks. I had to make sure that I was careful all day. In the last month, I took two crazy falls, both jamming my left knee on a rock. Each time, my knee swoll like a golfball! With these falls two weeks a part, I was concerned. Any additional knocking of this knee could have sidelined me for the race...

The first major stream crossing happens at mile 8. Stream crossings are fun. I took the first couple easy - who really wants there feet wet in 40-degree weather???

8-17
These miles were painful. Why? I dunno. I started to "fall apart" pretty bad. Stomach pains. Mentally, I held strong, but I was fading. Jacob came up behind me, and I kept urging him to go. He was being polite, but he finally went.

I made a quick decision that this was MY race. My body was not going to dictate this. So mentally, I said to myself deal with it. I decided to suck on ginger and eat a salt pill. As I was rounding the next aid station, Jody and Honey (the awesome local female runners) started gaining on me. Now lets back up - I didn't want to win the race, but I did want to be ahead of schedule. I told myself that they couldn't catch me until after mile 33. So, I took off. Let's be clear - in my head, they were both going to catch me and beat me, but I just wanted it to happen later.

17-25

This is when the race gets better for me. I turned on my music, tucked behind a guy that I could just "follow," and turned on auto pilot. Actually, he kept a pretty aggressive pace for me - running up little hills, so (as I told him) he was "keeping me honest." He didn't really want to chat, and neither did I, but we both enjoyed each other's company. I like being in my head in these types of races.

Nothing really spectacular about this section except the streams, rocks, lack of trail markings (making i easy to get lost). Okay, I will say one thing about the trail. Getting lost in the section was pretty easy, but somehow, I managed to stay on course, and I think it's because I was "at one" with the trail. Call me hippie, call me crazy, but I felt like I knew the highline trail - it's quirks, its weaknesses, etc - so I never really got off the trail.

25-33
And this is where I took off. So at one point, Jacob, the orange shirt guy, and Aaron's twin (jeepfleeb) and I were running in a pack. I was in the middle. When they let me lead I just ran off. Not intentionally...I was just feeling it. There were a lot of runable sections here, and I took full advantage.

I was really in the zone. I knew 33-44 were the lowest points in the race, so running these parts fast really would put me way ahead of my goal. I thought that if I was going to fall apart it would be between 33 and 44.

33-44.

Coming into 33 is pretty great. The last major aid was at mile , so we got to see all of the supporters. I tried not to take too long at aid stations. So I fueled up and went on my way. The coconut water here was damn good!!!

I caught up to Nathan - the youngest Coury brother. He was doing his first trail 50. I asked him how he felt and he said "everything hurts. It hurt more to walk, so I decided to run everything." HA! We chatted, and he told me his big brother, Jamil, was only a half and hour ahead of us. We decided to try to catch him, only Nathan wasn't feeling it. I ran on without him.

Supersecret goal here was to run 33-44 in less than three hours...no biggie, right, except that like 2000+feet of climbing here and the terrain. I just dug deep. Took in the scenery, listed to my tunes and enjoyed the day. A few more times, my stomach started to feel woosy, and every time that happened, I took a ginger chew and a salt tab. It worked okay.

The day felt hot, and with all the burnout, everything was superexposed. But, fear not, I am solarpowered. The heat didn't stop me, and actually helped me pass up a couple of people.

33-44 is also the section with tons of downed trees. This is how Karl Meltzer (the guy who was had an hour lead over the field at 33) broke his arm. So, this part of the course, especially requires caution. They really do mess with your running rythmn, which after already on the course for 9 hours is not necessarily fun.

At some point, I decided, I was not only going to finish, but if I pushed it, I could finish sub-12. I flipped the switch in my mind and decided "this was it".

44-FINISH
At the aid station, I downed a coconut water and sped off. I had 1:30 to run 6 miles, with 1000 feet of climbing at the beginning two miles. I started climbing a realized I was out of water. OMG! I might have Fucked myself...my mind started playing tricks and doubting my body. Then, my body starting revolting - I felt sick to my stomach.

NO! This would not stop me. Sure in my head, if I finished over 12, I'd still make my goal of FINISHING! I dunno, though, I knew I had sub 12 in me...no time to be lazy.

I went for it still. Fighting sickness and cramps and the inability to each calories that I need, I told myself it was only 6 miles. And really after the climb (which sucked BIG donkey balls), it was only 4...

So I climbed. And I passed some guys...and I hurt, but what really finally flipped the switch was seeing Jamil. I yelled at him in the distance. It fueled him to keep going. And it flipped my swtich - no more pain, only sub 12.

We finished :30 seconds apart!!

NOTHING!!

Once I sat down and processed it all, I was laughing and joking with everyone. I finally felt like an ultrarunner!!


Thanks everyone for believing in me...it really was bittersweet to kill a race that I DNFd!