DNF...
My first attempt at 100 miles and it was an experience to say the least. The race began at 10am and I thought I was starting out slow (8:45ish/mile) and in hindsight, it was too fast, although I was good about walking for 3 minutes after every 25 minutes of running. First problem was GI issues at mile 23 and then I got a little woozy around mile 33--I think from listening to music with just one earbud. Haha. More GI issues around mile 40 but then my stomach felt better the rest of the day/night. I stopped at mile 43 for a stretch and had Panda Express...then burped soy sauce for the next 5 miles. Live and learn...
After mile 50, I could have a pacer. My wife walked/shuffled with me for a couple miles, then each of my boys took a turn as my pace had slowed to 13:00/mile. From 10-midnight I was able to still run a bit by implimenting my old boy scout method of alternating 100 steps of walking/running. The temps were in the high 40's but after 12+ hours of running, I couldn't seem to control my body temps. I was shivering so I loaded up on layers and at one point, had 3 layers of clothing. I walked the next 6 miles and reached 69 miles by 2 AM. When I reached the aid station and sat down, I could tell I could fall asleep in 5 seconds...so I walked to my car and fell asleep for 90 minutes. Maybe a mistake but it sure felt good at the time. I walked again from 3:30-5:45am and got another 6 miles under my belt to put me at 75 miles. My wife showed up at 6 and the clouds that had been threatening all night decided to open up. Buckets of rain and it destroyed me mentally.
Going into the race, I thought 20 hours (finishing at 6am) was a realistic goal. Instead, I found myself sitting there with 75 miles, zero energy, blisters on my feet, tight hip-flexors and rain awaiting me outside the tent. I slowly & painfully walked to my car and fell asleep for another hour. After waking up at 7:00, I walked around my car and EVERYTHING was tight and hurting. Could I have walked 3 miles/hour for the next 8-9 hours and finished under the 36 hour cut-off? Probably. Would it have been miserable every step of the way? Without question. I guess I'm not mentally strong enough...because I called it quits. I drove home, showered, and slept for 3 hours. It was glorious. Haha. In the moment I didn't regret it in the least. However, in the afternoon as the sun came out, there was a slight twinge of regret for not pushing through and attempting to finish. Oh well.
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