Capitol Peak...DNF at mile 43 in 2006, started the 50 mile, but took a 50k finish in 2007,...finally a 50 mile finish this year! Is it really a finish at Capitol Peak if your fingers and toes aren't painfully frozen though? Of course it is, right? Right?
The plan was to run with *tc for this run. We started out at a brisk pace, then slowed down, then I said I hated leading so *tc took the lead and beat me into the ground for the next 15-20 miles. Really, I can't believe this guy holding his hamstring, saying he's in pain, yet completely kicking my ass until I'm sucking air and water "like it's going out of style." There's no way I could keep up with him if he was completely healthy. I think *tc thought I may be a more talkative running partner, but being out of breath and carrying a "food baby" in my lower gut (I just watched Juno and caught up on the cool kids' lingo), I was not at all running comfortably the first half. Took five full pitstops during the run.
Finally, me out of water, we reach the aid station for the out and back to the peak (although Glen M. and *tc both offered me water, I was in "let's just get to the next aid station!" mode). I slyly asked "can I leave my camelbak here while I go up? It's out of water anyway." Michael Cartwright said of course, we'll fill it while you're gone. Thankfull was I!!!! I got some renewed energy after chugging some water and soda from paper cups, and being camelbak free, headed up the peak. Love the "Eye of the Tiger" music from James and Alison, which got me cruising until I caught up to *tc.
Then we got to the snow. *Tc told me to go ahead so I did, and I didn't feel like I was running that fast, but soon I was far ahead. I love snow running and the sound of it crushing against my feet (funny that Seth hates this sound, it's like nails on a chalkboard to him), and this was slushy snow, so I felt like I could go as fast as my legs wanted and it just cushioned every footstep. At the next aid station I had a rice krispie and a starbucks from my dropbag and decided to keep going, figuring *tc would catch up once we got to "real" running out of the snow. But there was more snow to be had and finally my belly was cooperating and it felt good to be running.
I passed Monica, who was running in third(?) place, on the out and back single track (and kept her lead as the women's winner!). This was my favorite part of the run. I just couldn't slow myself down. I was taking mental notes of the ups and downs and reassuring myself that it wouldn't be all uphill on the way back...which it never felt like it was.
Getting close to the aid station, I passed Wendy who was heading in. "You can catch Arthur" she yelled, which of course got me feeling competitive. He was leaving the out-and-back aid station just as I was coming in. I caught up to him about a mile out of the aid station and he dared me to just try and break 10 hours. Ok then, I'll show you. I took off up the hill and was surprised that I never felt any tightness in my legs from here on out. Despite two more bathroom breaks for me, Arthur got lost and wasn't able to catch up, but would have beat me if he hadn't gotten lost - or so I was told!
I got really light headed before the next aid station and ate a snickers bar, which got me feeling right just as I got to the remaining 6 miles. I had an hour to make it under 10 hours from here. I pushed as fast as I could, and the clay "trench" section didn't slow us down this year, so that helped. A couple times I just thought, "there's no way," but then I'd yell outloud "keep running you stupid #@&!!&@!*!, keep running!" There was a lot of grunting going on! I didn't set a timer on my watch, and it runs a bit fast, so I didn't know exactly how much time I had left to beat 10 hours. It turns out I beat the mark by only 10 seconds. Yay! Although 10:05 would have been just as good, it felt nice to meet that goal.
The finish line was a blast. My favorite part of a race of course! I bummed a beer off Ashley and one off Glen M. and then drove straight home. Just kidding. We hung out until everyone had come in and I was so thrilled to see so many friends finish. Perfect weather, perfect day.
P.S. Mowing my 6" rain-soaked lawn the next day was way harder than running. :)
The plan was to run with *tc for this run. We started out at a brisk pace, then slowed down, then I said I hated leading so *tc took the lead and beat me into the ground for the next 15-20 miles. Really, I can't believe this guy holding his hamstring, saying he's in pain, yet completely kicking my ass until I'm sucking air and water "like it's going out of style." There's no way I could keep up with him if he was completely healthy. I think *tc thought I may be a more talkative running partner, but being out of breath and carrying a "food baby" in my lower gut (I just watched Juno and caught up on the cool kids' lingo), I was not at all running comfortably the first half. Took five full pitstops during the run.
Finally, me out of water, we reach the aid station for the out and back to the peak (although Glen M. and *tc both offered me water, I was in "let's just get to the next aid station!" mode). I slyly asked "can I leave my camelbak here while I go up? It's out of water anyway." Michael Cartwright said of course, we'll fill it while you're gone. Thankfull was I!!!! I got some renewed energy after chugging some water and soda from paper cups, and being camelbak free, headed up the peak. Love the "Eye of the Tiger" music from James and Alison, which got me cruising until I caught up to *tc.
Then we got to the snow. *Tc told me to go ahead so I did, and I didn't feel like I was running that fast, but soon I was far ahead. I love snow running and the sound of it crushing against my feet (funny that Seth hates this sound, it's like nails on a chalkboard to him), and this was slushy snow, so I felt like I could go as fast as my legs wanted and it just cushioned every footstep. At the next aid station I had a rice krispie and a starbucks from my dropbag and decided to keep going, figuring *tc would catch up once we got to "real" running out of the snow. But there was more snow to be had and finally my belly was cooperating and it felt good to be running.
I passed Monica, who was running in third(?) place, on the out and back single track (and kept her lead as the women's winner!). This was my favorite part of the run. I just couldn't slow myself down. I was taking mental notes of the ups and downs and reassuring myself that it wouldn't be all uphill on the way back...which it never felt like it was.
Getting close to the aid station, I passed Wendy who was heading in. "You can catch Arthur" she yelled, which of course got me feeling competitive. He was leaving the out-and-back aid station just as I was coming in. I caught up to him about a mile out of the aid station and he dared me to just try and break 10 hours. Ok then, I'll show you. I took off up the hill and was surprised that I never felt any tightness in my legs from here on out. Despite two more bathroom breaks for me, Arthur got lost and wasn't able to catch up, but would have beat me if he hadn't gotten lost - or so I was told!
I got really light headed before the next aid station and ate a snickers bar, which got me feeling right just as I got to the remaining 6 miles. I had an hour to make it under 10 hours from here. I pushed as fast as I could, and the clay "trench" section didn't slow us down this year, so that helped. A couple times I just thought, "there's no way," but then I'd yell outloud "keep running you stupid #@&!!&@!*!, keep running!" There was a lot of grunting going on! I didn't set a timer on my watch, and it runs a bit fast, so I didn't know exactly how much time I had left to beat 10 hours. It turns out I beat the mark by only 10 seconds. Yay! Although 10:05 would have been just as good, it felt nice to meet that goal.
The finish line was a blast. My favorite part of a race of course! I bummed a beer off Ashley and one off Glen M. and then drove straight home. Just kidding. We hung out until everyone had come in and I was so thrilled to see so many friends finish. Perfect weather, perfect day.
P.S. Mowing my 6" rain-soaked lawn the next day was way harder than running. :)
Photo by Glenn Tachiyama:
