Stayed up in Park City the night before the race so was able to get a good night's sleep. Got to the field house and talked to Teena for a few minutes before getting in a quick mile warm up to get a feel for how the legs would respond. Could tell that it was not going to be my day. Was surprised to see Jeremy at the start. Glad he was there because I would have somebody to run with. The race started with a loop around the Newpark development. The first mile was flat and we ran it in 6:32. A little faster than we wanted so we backed off the pace and ran the next mile in 6:45. It got ugly from here. The next 5 miles were a gradual climb and I really struggled with the pace. It slowed to 7:00 then all the way to 7:15. I was really frustrated but in hindsight it was probably appropriate considering the elevation gain and altitude. Around mile 4 I felt like I was getting lulled into a slower pace than I wanted so I surged ahead of Jeremy. Hit the turnaround just at mile 7 and was in 8th place. It was mostly downhill from here and it felt a lot better. The pace dropped to the 6:30's. I went back and forth with another runner for the rest of the race. He really pounded the downhills and I made it back up when the course flattened out. Had a few second lead on him until we got to the barn and I made a wrong turn and had to backtrack a bit. He built a little cushion on me but I eventually made it up and held him off for the rest of the race. Even though I felt the first half was too slow, I was really worn out the last few miles of the race so it must have been an honest effort. Finished in 1:29:33 and 8th overall (2nd age division). I was hoping for something a couple of minutes faster but am fine with the results. After the race, I drove back to the 20 mile mark to wait for Teena. I really had no idea if I would be able to run the last 10K. I took my phone with me in case I had to bail on her and call for a ride. Teena came in a few minutes ahead of schedule and was looking strong. She grabbed what she thought was a Gatorade at the aid station and it turned out to be somebody's "special" drink. She asked me to taste it and it was most definitely not Gatorade. I ran back to my car to grab a bottle of Gatorade for her and sprinted to catch back up to her. That really wore me out and I wasn't sure that I could finish. Settled into a good pace with Teena and it felt good. I really wasn't much of a pacer. I just ran with her and witnessed her great race. She did really great. Talked with Paul after the race then had to take off. My only regret of the day was not seeing Smooth. I wish I had time to stay and run a few miles with her but I was pressed for time. | 