Old Man Still running

	miles	clock goal	Goal	2009 actual	place
Start	0	6:00 AM	0:00
Lap 1	15.5	8:35 AM	2:35	2:15:58	11th
Lap 2	30.9	11:20 AM	5:20	5:10:24	22nd
Lap 3	46.4	2:25 PM	8:25	8:26:13	24th
Lap 4	61.9	5:45 PM	11:45	12:12:54	23rd
Lap 5	77.3	9:30 PM	15:30	16:20:53	23rd
Lap 6	92.8	1:30 AM	19:30	21:35:47	39th
Partial Lap 7	101.4	3:30 AM	21:30	23:46:59	35th

I'll write a detailed race report later in the week.  This race was held at a desert park in Fountain Hills, AZ, northeast of Phoenix.   The 15.5-mile laps were run in alternating directions.  As you can see I started at a blistering pace, keeping the front-runners in view for the first 5.5 miles.   I wanted to bank some fast miles before the weather got hot, high around 82 degrees.  During Lap 2, I settled into more of a sustainable 100-mile pace.   Lap 3 was hot, hot, hot.  I still managed to stay on my goal pace.   Things cooled down nicely during Lap 4.  I was able to run the loop before it got dark.  Things fell apart during Lap 5.  During hot-weather races, I tend to go into a major bonk after sunset.  The first year I ran Wasatch this happened.   For about eight miles of the loop, I was thowing up over and over again.  When I finished the loop, because I had been running without taking in enough calories and sodium, I went into a major bonk.   My pacer from Gilbert, David, met me and the poor guy had to endure a 5-hour loop.  At the aid station around mile 87, I finally had to lie down on a cot with a warm blanket. I stayed at least 20 minutes and watch runner after runner pass me.  I felt very helpless.  I wasn't generating body heat and was stilll bonking with a terrible pit in the stomach.   Finally, still on the cot, I drank a double packet hot chocolate.  That warmed me up and put calories in  my system.  Within a couple miles I finally started to run again.  I shifted my goal to do everything I could to break 24 hours.  It would be very close.  During the Partial Loop 7 I was able to pass several runners, running the hills with strength and the downhills with speed.   Despite my huge challenges, I earned the sub-24 belt buckle.   That was the roughest six hours I had spent running in a very long time.  But somehow I fought through it.  Most runners would have DNFed.   250 runners started, and 125 finished.  Despite the easy course, this race is tough.   I like the alternating laps, because I could greet friends and see how far they were behind.  Some were as much as 20 miles behind me.

Dave James won the race, crushing Karl Melter's course record.  He finished in 14:20. Amazing.  He double-lapped me during his partial lap 7.  I was on lap 5.  He was 32 miles ahead of me.   I was able to keep up with him at that point because he backed off to save something for the JFK 50.