Haulin A at Haulin Aspen

Another race in the books, this one with a happy ending. My first victory on home soil in a race not categorized as a trot (I won the Turkey trot in 2008, which was my first ever victory in Bend).

Well today I wasn't stellar but had a pretty good race. I was able to finish the difficult course (2500 ft elevation gain) in 2:51:19 and actually set a course record, which I'm pretty certain will last until next year when it is broken. Timewise I had hoped to break the 3 hour barrier as it hadn't been done before, and ultimately had hoped to run a sub 2:55:00. I accomplished both, but was a bit disappointed how lousy I felt the last 4-5 miles. I had this vision in my head I would be charging towards the finish line over the downhill and flats, but somewhere around mile 20-21 my quads disagreed with the plan. I started to worry the second place runner was going to swallow me up, but apparently he was also hurting a bit.

The race actually started great. My legs felt nice and fresh and I was able to run a relaxed pace while distancing myself from the field. I thought I had a huge lead on the pack only to realize at mile 12 that someone was only 1-2 minutes back. I caught a glimpse of him on the massive mile 12 hill climb and was convinced he was catching me. I didn't panic though and continued to run as relaxed as possible up the hill. For those who haven't experienced this hill, it is punishing. I whined about it in an earlier post and I will whine about it again in this post. I fortunately today was ready for the multiple false summits and kept plugging away, trying to save something in my legs for the downhill portion. When I reached the top, I was able to change gears and start running some decent miles. I did have a quick spill at the mile 14 aid station, but was able to get back up with only a few scrapes on my hand and leg. Really the next 6 miles of single track were great. I knew I was in for it however because any little rise in the terrain fatigued my quads. By 20-21 the lactic acid set in and even the sharp turns began to bother my legs a bit. I had a little reprieve when I came upon the half marathoners. It at least made me feel fast again as I passed the walkers. Then the fast half-marthoners, Santi, Jeff Matson, and Martin flew by me making me feel slow again. I normally am able to fly down the technical rock section, but today I was slow. Just ask Santi, who I had to pull off the trail for so he could pass me. As each half marathoner passed me, I made certain to check there were no marathoners on my heels. Even though each told me nobody was in sight, I couldn't convince myself of it, so kept pushing on. Eventually I reached the flats and labored through the park for a couple miles before seeing my family, which gave me energy for about 5 seconds. I knew I was close to the finish by that time and that I had enough in the tank to not get passed. I eased up so I could look nice and fresh for my finish line photo and smiled as I crossed the line.

After the race Andy and I were able to enjoy a soak in Tumalo Creek. I swear that can't be much over 32 degrees. As a huge bonus, my sister in law Jeannie and her husband Shay watched our kids for a few hours so I was able to rest while Katie went on a 3 hour run at Tumalo Falls. I actually feel pretty good right now. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Coach Andy has given me a light recovery week before we get back on it. By the way, a little plug for Andy. If anyone is considering a coach, Andy is really good and I would highly recommend him.

jc