Ran up a bunch of mountains in the foothills for a long time. Forgot to eat for the first 2 hours because I was frozen solid and then felt the worst I have ever felt running and almost gave up to sit on a knoll and call for a rescue. My legs didn't work and my hands were so swollen I couldn't see my knuckles and they were really painful - I obviously had done something wrong.
I somehow made it back from the dead and rallied back down to City Creek and up to Morris Meadow where I ate a bunch of potato chips and drank some coke and picked up Fritz and Roo who happily paced me to the finish.
I've done pieces of the course before, but never the whole thing so I'm just happy I survived. It was actually a good experience to feel that horrible and be able to make it back. I was a mental basketcase and was afraid I was actually going to pass out and then I would feel stupid because somebody would have had to help me...
Dumbest thing I did was leave my jacket and gloves at the first aid station because as soon as I turned up Dry Creek the wind hit and it couldn't have been more than 30 degrees with windchill and I was in a tank top and shorts! My hands were so cold they were totally numb and I hiked up uncle effer shivering with my hands on my bum for reals.
I then ran the downhill too hard just to warm up. Climbing up from City Creek I noticed how swollen and painful my hands were and then I freaked out when I realized I had only had one GU and 2 sips of water in the 2 hours and 45 minutes I had been out there. So began a serious mental battle where I honestly thought I was going to die so I slowed to a crawl and ate and drank until I felt better. And amazing as it is, it worked!
The last 5 miles, with Fritz and Roo, were the most fun! I felt good and actually ran my fastest Dry Creek time ever. This was the first time ever I didn't get angry with Fritz for running ahead of me :) It was nice having someone push me and it made me happy to see Fritz and Roo bounding around on the trails together!
I finished and stuffed my face full of chips. I obviously needed salt! I took this race a little too casually (over 12,000 feets of ups and downs should not be taken lightly!) and if I'm really going to run a hundo I need to take this fueling and electrolyte thing seriously! And layer, I'm still cold!
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