OK where do I start?
Firstly I will freely admit I was undertrained.
Secondly I'd mixed a flask of sutained energy to a paste for the race and flavoured it with a couple of Hammer gels. It was great! When the temps had warmed up enough so I could get it out of the flask! I was wanting to take some of that from early on in the race but I couldn't use it until about mile 10. So my fuelling strategy was way off. That probably had some bearing on my crash at mile 20 or so.
The cold wasn't so much of an issue as I'd expected. I'd bought a load of cold weather gear the night before at the expo so I was sorted. Ear warmers long sleeved shirt and best of all Mizuni breath Thermo gloves - They rock. With arms hands and head warm I was fine. In fact at one point I was getting too hot.
From about mile 20 onwards I was in trouble. Burning sciatic pains in my legs and back. It was agony.
I'd watched my 3:30 finish time go by and my 3:45 too. I was blowed if I was going to let 4 hours pass as well. So I gritted my teeth shut off the pain and ran as fast as I could and still overtook 2 people in the last .2
Over the finish line I collapsed into the arms of one of the helpers (I aimed for the pretty young one but got the old guy instead) I was escorted into the food tent by one of the medical crew.


Train harder. Mix my sustained energy paste a bit thinner.

2 flasks of recoverite and race food. I was too knackered to stretch.


Probably undertrained and the cold.


I love this race. Organisation is excellent. We were kept fully up to date with developments with regards to the weather conditions right up to start time. The towns people turned out to cheer us in. Fantastic support.
Next year is the 10th running. I'll be back for that one.