I ran this race as good as I could have for my level. I stayed on track for hydration but never felt the need as much since the race was in POURING rain. It was the best sport activity I have had since football in the rain and I loved it. Took my first hammer gel shot at 33 minutes and by the time we turned onto Elm street (about a mile later) I was feeling right and put the hammer down. I know for a fact I was turning some sub-9 minute miles at this point of the race. However it was the end of this street (about 5 miles) that was my undoing. There is a long sloping hill going up to Pisgah Church road. I ran that well and passed people. From there the course slopes down for 0.5 to 0.7 miles, goes up a hill, crosses a lake and goes up a HILL to Lake Jeanette Rd. By the time I made it to the top of the HILL I could feel it coming. At the top was the 10 mile water stop and I was feeling pretty bad. Lake Jeanette was not bad from a hill standpoint but everytime I tried to speed up the feeling was coming on. By the time we got to Country Park I was in trouble. I knew there were 2 hills there and I was running on empty. At the beginning of the first hill was the start line and my watch was at 1:55. I made it up the hill (almost crabbing) and tried to get it under control but was starting to "grey out"in my vision badly. I had to walk for about 1 min to get under control and took off again. At the 1:55 mark I was less than a mile from the finish. After getting my sight and breathing back I finished pretty strong up the last hill and across the finish line.

Maybe the bonk was nutrition, maybe it was how hard I ran. I wanted 2 hrs bad in this race and went for it. I would run more hills in training now that I know this course. I like the course alot and would not change how I ran the race.

Staggered over to the curb and sat down. Everytime I stood it got grey really quick and I just ended up bent over again. Training partner and I went to the food table and got some Mexican food from Qdoba but I was still greying out. Finally remembered what a tri-team member told me at Mision Man last year and got a Coke. Feeling went away in less than a minute. Next race of this distance I will have some flat coke with me for the end of the race.
Got home after hanging out and got in the hot tub after some pancakes and bacon. My legs feel much better now than they did at the same time after my last long run.


The last hill took it out of me but maybe there was a bonk in there as well. My legs were gone and that weird feeling just got stronger as I got to the end


This was a good race for me that I enjoyed. I'll take rain over heat any day and again I like the course. I cannot have the "feeling" when I get to White Lake for the HIM next spring. This race taught me a good lesson on learning to deal with a bonk. Even with the bonk I ran sub-10 min. miles average and was very happy with that. I feel like I could have easily hit or broke 2 hrs.