I really should have won. I was 30 sec behind #1 and 10 min in front of #3. Here is how it happened. Woke up at 6:30 and made it to the race at 7:30 and it rained a bit during the drive. The rain cooled it down to 65 but it was still low 80's by the end of the race. Everybody went out really easy it seemed. After one mile I was in 2nd with seemingly nobody near me except #1 right in front of me. But around mile 3 during some switchbacks I saw that there were about 10 people in striking distance. I stayed in #2 until the first water stop at mile 5 where I took the lead. The guy was right on my tail, but it was a long downhill section so I dropped him with some real speed down the hills. Overall the trail was not flat, but the slopes were all pretty gradual. I only walked up hills twice late in the race and was able to really kill the downhills. So then at the mile 8 aid station, I realized someone was right behind me and it wasn't the guy who lead the first 5. I took off and immediately fell sliding quite a bit. I got up and got going just in time to keep the lead. This guy stayed on my tail despite destroying the downhills and going up hills very comfortably until after the water stop at mile 11.8 which was the last water stop. I could have dealt with one more in that heat but it was just enough to get me through. Again here there were some pretty gradual downhills but this time they were more technical. So I finally dropped this guy and eventually couldn't see him even on pretty long switchbacks because as I learned later he had fallen. I fell another time as well and added some sand to my dirt smeared body. Then the heat really started getting to me, and not being able to see the #2 guy I slowed down. I really had no idea how far I was from the finish because it was a loop course and I wasn't even wearing a watch. I didn't realize that the guy was gaining on me until he was right behind me. I held him off for a few hills but then he passed me and I knew it was no use. Had I known that there was only about 1/2 a mile left I would have pushed a bit harder, but I didn't have much and I think he had quite a bit left. As I said earlier I finished about 30 sec behind him and 10 min in front of #3. I beat the previous course record by 7 minutes but since I got 2nd I did not set the course record. I only did the 1 day of the stage race, but the guy who beat me also just did the one day and the guy in 3rd didn't finish the first day because he got lost and only ran 14 miles. And I feel that even though the 4th place guy ran 22 miles the day before I still owned him as he finished 12 minutes after me. I wish I had worn my garmin as I sort of doubt that this course was a full 18 miles. I think more like 16-16.5. If it was a full 18 miles I am really happy with the 7 min flat pace that I managed on trails.
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