Greenland thoughts

Not much to say about the race. Kinda figured I'd do well since I've been training so hard lately. Not sure of my official time, but it'll be somewhere around 4:23:50. My current PR, and the time I so badly wanted to beat, was 4:22:55, set at the Rocky Raccoon 50K (Huntsville, TX) in 2005.

Ran my first three loops almost perfectly. All of 'em were in the 62 to 64 minute range. Wasn't wasting any time at the aid stations. Drank some water, threw down a salt tablet (took one per lap), and I was off. But even though Greenland is pancake flat compared to the stuff I usually run, there are some hills out there and they really grind you down lap after lap after lap. Add to that a fierce headwind you had to deal with for the first four miles of the loop and by lap four I was really hurting.

Though it sucks to miss your PR by less than 60 seconds in a race so long, I'm happy with my performance. Easily the hardest I've ever pushed during an ultra. For once, I wasn't just worried about relentless forward motion to the finish, I was actually pushing for a good time and trying to keep a quick pace. Probably ran over 90% of the race, only taking a few short walking breaks on the last lap when the wind was deflating my spirits. Most ultras, I'd guess, if I were having a good day, I'd run 60% to 70% of the race.

Another unusual thing about this race was that I didn't carry anything on me. No camelbak, not even a water bottle. They had aid stations about every four miles, and that was fine for me. Finally got a little parched at the top of the final hill, about three miles to go, so I grabbed some snow and chewed on it just to wet my throat. Had a hammer gel at the halfway mark and some twizzlers at the final aid station, and that was it.

Think I hit the marathon mark in under 3:30, so I was happy about that. Started falling apart immediately thereafter, but it was a nice comeback after my 5+ hour debacle at Salida. The guy who I outkicked over the last two miles at Salida, Bob from Boulder, wasn't too far behind me this time, and we laughed over beers afterwards how our times at the 50K were a lot faster than our Salida times.

Also happy with how I toughed out that last lap despite how bad I was hurting. Nobody passed me, and there were quite a few folks trying. The top female surged real hard on the last hill, and got within shouting distance of me. But once we crested the hill I surged and she couldn't hang. She still ran a great race considering it was her first ultra. After she finished we were talking and after I congratulated her on a great race I told her, "I knew you were coming, but I didn't want to get chicked today." This pissed her off, and she gathered her stuff and left almost immediately. Probably home to give her man a blow job and cook him supper, I guess.

Congrats to Ritz who finished the 25K, the longest she's ever run. I should blame her for the lack of a PR for me, since she wouldn't move over when I lapped her and made me go around her wanker ass.

Anywho, I'm hurting today much worse than after any other ultra I've done, including Leadville. Next up is the Collegiate Peaks 50 miler out in Buena Vista. My current 50 mile PR is 8:47, run on a Sunmart course that is a lot easier than BV. But I've run BV in under ten hours before, and I'm in much better shape now, so I plan to attack my PR out there too, and I'll be disappointed if I don't get it.