Jemez

Awesome run at Jemez. Going in I thought I could be just under 12 hours. So to go 10:44 was a nice surprise. Don't think I'm in any better shape than years past, but for some reason I've found myself really getting after things in the second half. My old 50 mile plan was to start slow and then hike the final 30 miles. My past few races have, for some unknown reason, actually had me in a hurry to get to the finish line.

Still down with the slow start, however. Had to take a dump about 3.5 miles into the race, allowing tons of folks to pass. Not worth the effort to get by them on the singletrack, so I strolled into the first aid station at five miles in almost one hour.

Didn't start passing people until the climb up Caballo Mountain. Ran a lot of that and hiked hard the rest of it. Reached the top in 31st place and started down in 34th place. Had to spend some time taking in the view up there. A bunch of folks flew past me on the way down, was probably in 40th place at Caballo Base, mile 14.

Very steady over to Pipeline (mile 17) and Valle Grande (mile 21). Probably about 30th place at VG, but as I looked out over the huge open field I could see runners lined up. Hammered the next section, the big climb up and over to Parajito Canyon (mile 28.7). Passed at least a dozen runners, including the top female. Ran that downhill section as hard as I've ever raced in a 50 miler. Finally dropped the top chick for good about a mile before the PC aid station.

Decided to keep it going after Parajito. Ran the entire way from Parajito to the Townsite Lift, most of which I had walked two years ago when I ran this race in 13:37.

I had been climbing strong all day, so I really wanted to hammer the final big climb of the day up the ski hill. Hiked as hard as I could, getting a huge boost when I passed Rick H. The decent down to the ski lodge wasn't pretty, I'm horrible at steep downhills, but I didn't let it ruin my day.

Left the ski lodge, mile 36, 8:15 into the race. Nick was on his first beer by this point. As was I, since $100 was at the ski lodge with PBR, but Nick could enjoy it a lot more since he was finished with the race. Started having thoughts about a sub 11 here, but I had given a lot to get up and over the ski hill and was hurting pretty bad at that point.

Ben Woodbeck, who recently wrote an article on pacing Diana Finkel at Hardrock for TrailRunner magazine, was right on my tail shortly after leaving the lodge. Normally I'm not in this guy's league but today I decided to drop him. Ran hard all the way over to Pipeline (mile 39). He was still there. Really hammered over to Guaje Ridge (mile 43). He was still there.

Ran out of my mind, as hard as I could possibly go, down to Rendija Canyon. Several times I told myself, "sprint for the next 10 minutes and get rid of this guy." I would do that, and at the ten minute mark would think to myself that there was no way he was still there, then peak back to see him still there. Ugh.

Finally broke him at the Rendija Canyon aid station, mile 48.1. I chugged a Fat Tire and started to head out, and he didn't answer the bell. Can't believe how hard he pushed me from the ski lodge over to this point, taking me from wondering if I could be close to eleven hours to allowing me to slack the final two miles and finish way under that mark.

Passed one last 50 miler over the final 1.9 miles to finish in 10:44:36, good for 12th place overall.

Now begins the taper for the Arkansas River Bluegrass Marathon...