2019 Colorado Crossing 50k

The Background

I had a tough race at Alamo City Ultra 50k.  Wanting to go into Arkansas 100 on a better note,  I signed up for the Colorado Crossing 50k.  I'd be able to get in one more training run before Arkansas. Plus, this would be the last year TROT would put on the race.  Colorado Crossing features river crossings on boats, so this seemed like an adventure not to miss.

The Race

I could not take off work, so I ended up going to sleep early, then getting up at 1 am and driving to the Schaffer Bend Recreation Area.

The first 3 miles feature some fun hills.  Then at about 4 miles you get to the first river crossing.  I didn't know quite what to expect, but there was a line of runners waiting with life jackets on.  It took a few minutes for a boat to arrive.  About 6 or 8 got in and we all paddled across, with a volunteer steering us.  It seemed about a football field to get to the other side.  I really enjoyed it.  I remember I got it into ultrarunning because it seemed like an adventure out of The Lord of the Rings...this was like crossing the Anduin!

On the other side of the river were about 3 miles of fast, flat trails.  Then you cross the river again at the same spot.  These river crossings were nice forced breaks that kept me feeling fresh.

After the 2nd river crossing it was a mile and a half back to the start.  The loop was listed at 10 miles, but it might have been a bit shorter than that.  So this would be well below 31 miles.  But that was totally fine with me.

On the second loop, I was still feeling good.  I wanted to prove my fitness, so I made it a point to continuously run to 20 miles, minus hiking hills. 

At the end of the second loop, it got hot.  I've learned heat really drains me in a race but I fought against blowing up.  I walked bits but mostly ran the last loop.

On the last crossing, I was in a canoe with another 50k runner who would be finishing.  And there was another boat that landed the same time with about four runners..who knows if they were 50k or 50 miles.  Regardless, I decided to race.  I left the group of four behind but the 50k runner kept pace with me.  I pushed and left him behind.  So many races when I was running it in the last mile or two, I wouldn't have it in me to keep up with a runner who'd leave me behind.  It felt good to have that strength at the end.

At Alamo, Rob and I had joked that I always look bad when I am running.  At the finish he joked, "There's our worst looking finisher, every race!"  I love it...that's my badge of honor.

I finished in 6:49, 18th out of 47 finishers (top 38%)  and 48 starters (top 37.5%).  This was a good performance for me.

Reflections

Colorado Crossing was a super fun race: hills, flats, boats.  I'm so glad I got to run it before it was discontinued.  I like having a medal that you can't get anymore.

The finish in the top half of the field lifted my spirits and gives me confidence.  Now it is 3 weeks until Arkansas.  I feel fairly fit.  I am going to give it my all and not give up.  I just need to keep moving...18 minutes a mile.

Let's see what happens!

2019 Alamo City Ultra 50k

The Background

I went into the Alamo City Ultra 50k excited about running.  I had finished in the top half of the field at Habanero 100k two weeks earlier.  While it was a tough race, full of emotional and physical pain, the good performance energized me.

I got busy and did little running in the two week interim, three short runs.

Terri and I drove up to San Antonio Saturday.  We were tired so we just went to the hotel and watched Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain.

The Course

The Alamo City Ultra is a really cool course.  A 5.4 mile loop, the first mile and a half is steep climbs and descents, like Bandera.  Then follows some smooth trail to the aid station at 3 miles.  There is a short paved section, then you turn off into a soft, smooth trail.  Finally, it ends with the same steep climbs.

The Race

I started off pretty well and the first two loops were uneventful.

The third loop I started to feel fatigue.  Forgetting to bring my buff, I had no system for storing ice, and it was hot.  I also think I got a bit behind on calories.  Whatever the reason, I struggled through the rest of the race: weak, dizzy at times.  I struggled to keep up 20+ miles a mile hiking.

Rob checked on me at the end of the fourth loop and, seeing me still sweating, pronounced me ok.  By the end of the fifth loop, he again asked if I was okay and I said yes.  He remarked to others that its okay, I always look like this.  I said, "Yes!  I always look like crap.  Good race, bad race.  I finished in the top half of Habanero, looked bad the whole way."  We all laughed.  Rob is a great race director.

When I was hiking, I did feel very bad.  But I remembered the depression of a DNF and the satisfaction of a finish.

It wasn't all misery.  Towards the end, I chatted with a guy named Jose who was attempted to finish his first ultra.  I also talked briefly to a runner named Katy who was doing the 50k two days in a row.  Such stories inspire me.

I mixed in a bit of running on the last loop and finished.  Rob high fived me and asked how it was.  I said I felt bad today but a finish is always worth it.

Reflections

I finished way back at the end of the field.  Regardless, I'm proud I kept going.  I felt immense peace at the finish, like always.

So what happened?  Several possibilities:

• I got behind on calories.
• I got too hot because of a lack of ice.
• Maybe I haven't trained enough.  I've tried to use races as long runs and take it easy in between.  Maybe I'm undertrained.  But I ran well at Colorado Bend under a similar training schedule. 
• Maybe I just had a bad day.

The answer is probably a combination of all of the above.  I am not sure that I should train a lot harder, as I want to run a long time.  

I decided to sign up for the Rough Creek Marathon.  Two weeks before Arkansas, it will be a chance to assess where I am.  I missed running Rough Creek anyway, one of my favorite races.  I think I will run a 20 mile long run on the sidewalks to make sure of my fitness between now and then.

Thanks to Rob, Trail Racing Over Texas, and the volunteers for putting on a great race!

2019 Habanero 100k

The Background

Previously, I ran Capt'N Karl's Muleshoe Bend 60k and Colorado Bend 60k.  I only did 3 or 4-mile runs between the latter and Habanero, focusing on rest and longevity.

Before the race, I listened to the TROT podcast with Rob Goyen and Augustine Negrete on Habanero.  They offered advice that really helped me:  long sleeve shirt, never skip ice, let the race come to you. They also said, even if you trained in the heat, you won't be prepared for the type of heat at Habanero, with the sand baking at 120 and radiating up towards your face. I had done heat training and this was true!

I had a pleasant drive west to Cat Springs, passing through the countryside and small towns.  In Hempstead, there was a road race going on with a lot of Army people, which motivated me.

I somehow forgot my gaiters and bandana and bought some at the TROT store.

The Course

Habanero is a 10k loop at 7il Ranch, all sand and grass.  The good thing is except for about ten yards of singletrack, it's all wide trails so I could use my regular headphones and people could go around.

The Race
Loops 1-3:
The heat was brutal.  I was doing 12-minute miles at first, then started hiking more in the third loop.  I just told myself to make it until the sun went down.

Loops 4-5:
I bounced back a bit.  It cooled off some around 5-6 o'clock.  I started listening to music. I remember when I finished Loop 4 Johnny River's "Rockin' Pneumonia" was playing and I was rocking!  I first told to save it up until I had a 60k left, a Capt'N Karl's, then save it till 50k.  Mostly hiking, scattered running.  I made a lot of 16-minute miles hiking, which I thought was good.

Loops 6-8:
Sleep deprivation hit in loop 6.  Wanting to save a couple of bucks, I did not put fresh batteries in my headlamp since I had only used them once at Colorado Bend.  The headlamp shone but that little bit of less power, plus I think the angle I had it pointed, made the trail darker and induced sleepiness.  I switched out the batteries when I got to my dropbag and that helped.  Plus I started drinking Coke and took some caffeine pills.  I ate some food, quesadillas, and it got better.

I was hiking nearly everything.  At this point, the suffering was intense and I did not want to suffer more.  In the end, I don't know if solely hiking reduced the suffering, as it was just one long, endless slog. Maybe running would have made me feel like I was competing more and lifted my spirits.  I did focus on moving fast, doing 16-18 minute miles mostly.  I stopped playing music to clear my head.

I had thought there was something in my left shoe and tried to clear it out, but it turned out there was a blister developing from the sand.  It started to hurt enough to make me seek help at medical at the end of the 8th loop, and I never go to medical!  A kind volunteer taped it up.  This cost over 20 minutes.  My head was so messed up I had to ask if I had crossed the line to get credit for the loop.

Loop 9:
50 some-odd miles in, I hit a profound low.  Despair.  I thought, "How can I run Arkansas 100 if this feels this bad?"  I am nearly incapable of crying, but came close to tears.  Didn't cry though.  I remember thinking I would need therapy after this race!

I probably looked in shock at the end of the loop.  But there was nothing to be done but head out for the final loop.  I wasn't going to quit after 56 miles.

Loop 10:
I rebounded on Loop 10.  Putting on music, I found I could run and knocked off the 3 miles to the midway aid station before I knew it.  I passed some people; who knows it they were running the 100k or 100 mile.  I put in a couple walk breaks and ran it in.

Normally I'm reserved, but said to the lady keeping time at the finish, "Jesus Christ, that was tough!"

Reflections

I finished in 18:38, 16th out of 44 finishers (top 36%) and 61 starters (top 26%).  Also, the ultrasignup percentage, based on my time versus the winner's time, will be about 74%.  This is good because mine is usually in the 60s.

I had DNFed my first attempt at Habanero with 2 loops in 2018.  That day I was sick with a cold and suffering from my back injury.  It feels good to come back and finish a race I had DNFed.

I've come to realize I have no way of knowing where I am in the field.  Apart from the last loop, I barely passed anyone on the trail.  Since it was a multiple loop course, it would seem I would be passing people.  I think I do a lot of passing at the aid stations because I try to be quick there.

After the race, I could barely walk because of my blister.  I had to crawl out of my bed at one point.  Terri brought me a medicated blister band-aid which really helped.  I ordered two large pizzas with extra cheese and pepperoni and hot wings.

When I was in my low points, I thought there was no way I would run Arkansas 100.  How could I do a longer race when this one was so bad? But:

1.  Arkansas will be cool.  It was the heat that was the worst and put me in a bad mindset.
2.  I ran 100k at Jackalope Jam and 50 miles at the Green Ultra this year and neither were misery. I could run a good first 100k at Arkansas then figure out the rest.
3. I got in a bad mindset.  The mind is controllable.
4.  I averaged under 18 minutes a mile, which is fast enough to finish, even with intentionally going slow and losing time to injury.  I can finish Arkansas.
5.  I don't want to give up on my dreams.
6. Even if I suffer, it would be a day and it would be worth it.

So I'll run Arkansas.  I've got in my 100k, so I've got my base training.  I'll just try to keep it under 18-minute miles and keep going.  I finished at 6:38 am...I'll only need to make it to noon the next day.

Thanks to Rob Goyen, Trail Racing Over Texas, and the volunteers for putting on a great race!

2019 Colorado Bend 60k

The Background

I raced Capt’N Karl’s Muleshoe Bend and it went well.  I had not planned to race again until Habanero, but an opportunity came up where I was free for Colorado Bend.  I love Capt’N Karl’s races, so I could not resist.

On the way up, I visited the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, just as I had one year ago before Colorado Bend.  Presidential libraries are some of my favorite places to be.

After both my GPS and my MP3 player died at Muleshoe, I decided enough was enough and bought a Coros GPS watch with a 35-hour battery life.  I wasn’t sure if my MP3 player issue was that it wasn’t charged enough, so I just charged it a long time to see how it would do.

At Muleshoe, I was running as fast as some were power hiking, so I worked on this, hiking 15 or 16-minute miles.

I drove up with the Beatles – Live at the BBC.

The Race

I saw a runner I knew, Jimmy, at the start of the race and we said hello.

I started at a brisk pace, which for me on the rocky terrain was 12-minute miles.

On the back half of the first 18-mile loop, I hit a low and slowed.  My MP3 player died again, which I had only played for 2 or 3 hours.  I really don’t get it.  It plays for multiple runs during the week, then dies at the races.  The loss of music didn’t help.

I rallied on the second loop.  I still wasn’t moving fast, but I power hiked the rocky bits and ran the smoother bits.

Along the way, I saw another fellow runner I know, Jon, working an aid station and said hello.  I chugged ginger ale and Coke on ice at the aid stations.

At some point around marathon distance, I realized that I could possibly finish in under ten hours.   Last year, when my back was hurting, I finished in 10:02, so beating that time was motivation to move it.  Plus, when I hit a smooth bit, running relatively briskly felt good to get some mileage done.

I was in a good frame of mind, knowing the miles would pass, one at a time.

I passed a few people, back and forth.  Hoping to beat ten hours, I went straight through the last aid,

In the last three miles, I passed a runner and tried to put some distance between us in the smooth sections.  Then I saw her headlamp right behind me as I rounded a turn.  I ran hard.

With a half mile left, the trail breaks out of rocky single track into smooth double track, headed to the finish.  When I popped put onto this, I knew the other runner was close behind.  I ran hard, when I looked back, I saw her headlamp maybe a minute back.  I finished about a minute ahead of her.   I’m proud I fought as hard as I could.

Reflections

This race had a lot of interesting numbers:

I finished 20^th out of 47 finishers (top 42%).

This is my 40^th finish, marathon distance or longer, at age 40. 

This is my 10^th Capt’N Karl’s 60k finish.

I finished in 9:49:22.  Three weeks ago, I finished Muleshoe in 9:49:35 – 13 seconds difference! But Colorado Bend is a much tougher course, so this was an improvement.

I also beat last year’s Colorado Bend of 10:02.  That year I had hurt back which really slowed me, but I will take a thirteen-minute improvement as a win anyway. In running, we take our victories when they come.

This was again a 16-minute pace for 37 miles, which if I kept it up would be around 27 hours for 100 miles.  This gives me confidence I can finish the Arkansas Traveler 100 in October.

This was a really good race.  I kept picturing that headlamp behind me on the trail and battling it.  It made me feel good.

After the race, I got some wings to celebrate.

Next up is Habanero 100k in two weeks. That is going to be epic!

2019 Muleshoe Bend 60K

The Background

After taking a couple months off running, it was time to train for a new season.  This time the goal race would be the Arkansas Traveler 100 Miler. 

I chose this race because it is a Western States qualifier.  I haven’t gotten a qualifier since 2014.  Arkansas is drivable from home which will save on costs.  Further, while the Traveler is a huge challenge, it is not at Hardrock-Qualifier level of difficulty.  I need something a bit more manageable than the Bear, which I DNFed last September, for a return to the 100 mile distance.

I planned three training races leading up to Arkansas: Muleshoe Bend 60k, Habanero 100k, Alamo City 50k.  The plan is to race less to be fresh for the Traveler.

I got in a couple of 50 mile weeks leading up to Muleshoe.  My one 20 mile run included some walk breaks.  So training was ok but not great.

On the way to the race, I visited the LBJ Presidential Library.  I have a goal of visiting as many presidential libraries as I can.

The Race

Despite arriving to the race early, I forgot to put on band-aids!  When the race began with a short out-and-back, I had to swing by my drop bag to get them. This meant I was at the very end of the 60k group to start.  This was actually okay as I had less pressure and like running solo. 

I had a moment, as I often do, in the early miles where the distance seemed big and I questioned why I do this.  But this was brief.

I passed a few people but chugged along at the back of the pack.  I probably passed more people at aid stations than on the trail.

I listened to music for the first half with one earbud, but then my MP3 player died!  I forgot to charge it ahead of time and I don’t think I charged it long enough in the car on the way there.  I switched to my GPS watch for motivation to play the game of chipping away to miles.  But I knew the watch would die before the end too.

I never hit a really bad patch.  I was tired sometimes but kept running, albeit slowly.  

Along the way I saw Jimmy, who runs a lot of the same races at a similar pace.  We chatted a bit and  finished about five minutes apart.  I felt good enough to try to chase headlamps and passed some folks.  

There were a few moments of profound peace.  I was where I was meant to be doing what I was meant to do.

I finished in 9:49, middle of the pack.

As always, there was great satisfaction in completing a long race.

Reflections

I need to sort out my technology.  First, I need to see how many hours battery life my MP3 player has and get a backup.  I also need a GPS watch that won’t die in four hours.  I can invest a bit in my running.

Don’t forget band-aids.

I ran the whole way, minus some very brief walking breaks due to terrain or just to take a breath. This is good given I did not train super hard.

When I ran with Jimmy, his hiking pace was the same as my super-slow running pace!  My running pace varied, but this is a signal I need to work on my power hiking.  

This was my fourth finish of Muleshoe.  I like finishing races multiple times. And I love the whole feel of Muleshoe:  a night race, Grateful Dead music and quotes, a tough but manageable distance. 

Average pace was 15:49, which is about a 26 hour 100 miler.  Obviously, you can’t clearly extrapolate the time, but this gives my confidence I can finish the Arkansas Traveler 100 in 30 hours.

When I began running again after the break, it improved my mood and outlook.

I’m excited about running.  Next stop is Habanero and I hope to dial it in for that.

2019 Green Ultra 50 Miler

The Background

I had originally planned to end the winter season after Jackalope Jam.  After it went well there, I felt I still had a bit of running left in me before a break.  Then I noticed a race that would coincide with Spring Break - The Green Ultra at the Millican Reserve in College Station.  It was only $80 and a little over an hour away.  Most importantly, the class I teach on Saturdays at UHD would not be held, so I could run it.

I chose the 50 miler with an eye to next season.  Three weeks earlier, I had run 100k at Jackalope and when it was over it felt manageable - even though it was farther (by far!) than I had run in years.  I wanted to solidify that feeling that 50 miles to 100k is manageable. That way, I could go into next season, with the goal race being the Arkansas Traveller 100, mentally prepared - at least as much as possible.

The Course

I had no idea what to expect from this course.  It turned out to be muddy, twisty bike trails.  I had done little trail running this season: training on the roads, two road marathons, and Jackalope Jam, which was on a smooth, one-mile out-and-back trail.  So the terrain was a factor.

Because of the muddy conditions, the race organizers change the course to a short out-and-back followed by three 25k loops.

The Race

There is always slight nervousness running a race for the first time, for me especially about getting lost.  The course was well-marked thankfully.

I chugged along at an even pace, slowed of course by the mud.  I hit a low at the end of the second loop, about 50k in.  After running most of the way to that point, I walked the last section of the loop, saving up for a final push.

Turning on my music and setting my GPS watch (which only has about 4 hours battery life), I came back to life.  I played the game of make it through one song, make it another mile.  3 miles clicked off quickly.  I began struggling a bit, but ran to mile 5 of the loop (40 miles in) before a mile or so walk break.  Then I ran to mile 11 of the loop (about 46 miles in).  I took another mile walk break then ran in the last three (with a couple short walks thrown in).  Another race done.

Along the Course

Approaching the finish

 Reflections

I ran most of the race - always a benchmark for me for a good performance. I've slowed a bit now that I've hit my forties; in my 30s, this might have taken 11 hours and change instead of the 12:22.  But that's just fine.  I'm still alive and running.

I think I accomplished my goal quite well - 50 miles was tough but not mental agony.  Now I can look at the Traveller and say ok, take it easy to 50 or 100k, then take it from there.

This was a good season.  I finished all my races.  I had fun.  I didn't over race.

Now it is time to rest up - then start it up again at Muleshoe Bend in July.

2019 Jackalope Jam 100k

The Backgroud

The winter season was going well.  I ran a couple of marathons, Houston and USA Fit, mainly as training runs.  After the latter, I noticed I was running smoother and faster (for this now middle-aged man, anyway).  Most notably, the back pain that had slowed me for a year and a half was almost completely gone.

Then it was time for the Jackalope Jam.  I wanted a no-pressure goal race for the winter.  At The Bear 100, along with other long ultras I had attempted, there was the weight of the distance, the feeling of failure if I didn't make it.  While this is a part of ultrarunning, for this winter I just wanted a challenging but low-key event.  

The Jackalope Jam was perfect for this.  A timed event, there would be no DNF, just however many miles I ran.  An hour and half from my house, there would be no expensive travel.  Being a flat one mile loop (half mile out, half mile back), the course and logistics could not be more manageable.  By signing up for the 72 hours, I'd have ample time to run whatever I wanted.  Also, since I teach Saturday classes this semester, the Jam was one of the few ultras I could run without cancelling, which I don't do.

I worked a lot on my mind,  writing down what I would do when I felt like quitting.  Trying to get in the mood, I watched Unbreakable the night before.

The Race

My plan was to run easy when I felt good at the beginning, then try to keep running off and on as long as possible.  

For the first 20 miles or so I clocked off 10-12 minute miles, barring occasional runs to the car or aid station stops.  

At around 20 I hit my first low point, and struggled to get to 50k.  Cold and misty, I shivered as I walked.  The old question of why I run these races came back.  Heading to my car to change wet clothes, I had a really hard time going back out into the cold.  I could just call it quits a 50k.

I told myself, just run one more mile and see what happens.

Putting on my headphones for the first time, everything changed.  I ran and sang along to old favorites like John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels" and Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark."  

The good vibes didn't last forever, and the miles from 40-50 were a struggle.  But I consistently mixed in running with hiking.  I wasn't giving up.  50 miles would be huge.  I hadn't run that far since 2014.  100k...I'd get a buckle.  The thought of wearing that buckle through the spring motivated me to press on.

I made it to mile 51, 100k in sight.  Then I made a mistake...I went to my car.  By this point it was absolutely nasty, cold and wet.  I thought I'd just rest up a few minutes for a final push, but before I knew it I had sat and slept for an hour.  When I tried to head out again, I shivered in the cold.  I couldn't face it.  Since many were only running this timed event in the day, it was all too easy to convince myself to wait until daylight.  

The punishment for my weakness was sleeping in car, sweaty and cold.

When the sun came up it was time to run again.  12 miles to go to 100k.  Even with comparatively few miles to run, it was hard to start up again.  Luckily it wasn't that cold.  I was able to run and clocked off the miles, running the first three, mixing in running and hiking for the rest.  The last mile was 10:34!

The Start

Reflections

Lessons learned:

1. Don't go to your car.  It's too easy to not want to go back again.  Next time I'll just get a plastic crate to use as a dropbag.

2.  Music really helps.  

3.  I'm getting in good shape again.  I'm slower than in my 30s, but I still felt strong after 100k.

This was a big race for me.  I ran farther than I had in years.  I had been questioning whether these ultras were still for me.  Yes, I had a low point where I wanted to quit, but I bounced back.  Getting to 63 miles was a struggle, but it wasn't abject misery.  I enjoyed a lot of it.  

I could have kept going.  I could have walked to 100 miles.  I didn't have it in me this day to do it, especially in the cold and rain, but I could have done it.  If I attempt 100 miles again, that is good to know. 

So now I get to plan a summer season.  What that will be I'm not sure.  But it will be fun to plan more adventures!

Thanks to Rob Goyen, Trail Racing Over Texas, the volunteers, and Terri for the support.

2019 Houston Marathon

The Background

I DNFed the Bear 100 for three reasons.  The first was a back injury.  Before the 2017 Night Moves marathon, I hurt my back pumping up an air mattress and ran the marathon, in pain every step.  The injury persisted, at varying levels, for over a year.  It felt okay for the first of the Capt'n Karl's races, but by Colorado Bend it hurt and kept hurting through the Bear.

The second was burnout.  I started to feel emotionally drained that fifth race of the season, Colorado Bend.  Looking back to 2013, I had four good races before burnout.  I think a good rule moving forward is no more than four races a season.

The third was not being in the moment.  I was in the process of finalizing an agreement for a new job while in Utah, and my mind was there, not the race.  I can't run 100 miles unless my mind is dialed.

Thus, I made it 30 miles at the Bear then dropped.

I took two and a half months off.  I healed, recharged, and started running again in December.  The plan was to run a couple of marathons, Houston (my best road marathon, 3:41 in 2012) and USA Fit (my first marathon finish in 2011).  Switching to road would be a change of pace after years of trail. As I am making progress in life, it's kind of nice to revisit the past.

These races would be in preparation for the Jackalope Jam 72 Hours.  I plan to run about 36 hours (I have to teach class on Saturday which is why I'm starting the 72 Hours on Thursday).  Wanting to avoid the time and distance pressure of another 100 miler, I'm just going to see how many miles I can get.  With 100 miles in my heart.

I didn't get in a 20 mile training run before the race, which is always my minimum for proper training.  Running 15 miles one weekend, I got tired and said I would do 20 another time, which I never got around to.  Mistake!

The Race 

Cold on race day, I enjoyed the atmosphere of a big city marathon wearing my hoodie, cap, and gloves.  I had been running eight minute miles in training,  Going out at a comfortable rate, I stayed under nine minutes a mile through mile nine, when my legs started hurting.  Slowing, I changed the game plan, just trying to run every step.  Which I did.

Splits

Split	Time Of Day	Time	Diff	min/mile	miles/h
5K	07:33:31AM	00:26:36	26:36	08:34	7.01
10K	07:59:47AM	00:52:52	26:17	08:28	7.10
15K	08:27:08AM	01:20:13	27:21	08:48	6.82
HALF	09:03:45AM	01:56:50	36:38	09:40	6.21
25K	09:29:04AM	02:22:09	25:20	10:27	5.75
30K	10:01:15AM	02:54:20	32:11	10:22	5.79
35K	10:37:05AM	03:30:10	35:50	11:32	5.20
40K	11:13:10AM	04:06:14	36:05	11:37	5.17
Finish Mat	11:28:38AM	04:21:43	15:29	11:21	5.29

Reflections

I was able to stay focused on one mile at a time and keep on running.  My back is in great shape, hardly hurting.   After the race, my right ankle was a bit inflamed, so I waited eight days before running again.  I was busy at TCTELA anyway.

The post-race satisfaction is always worth it!

Next up is USA Fit. I'll see if I can improve my time.  It will be another training run for Jackalope.