I was going for a big W and a course record, but the rain had just stopped before I arrived and things were looking grim. But none of the people who beat me last year were there, and I was feeling at the top, so all there was to do was to run it! Mile 1 - with a 220 foot gain in the first half mile we don't start this race fast :) I was tiptoeing lightly up the road but rapidly left everyone in the dust. However a few hardy souls started feeling the pace and knocking on the door in mile 2. 7:19, 1 second faster than last year, road in good shape. Could be good! Mile 2 is flat until the little 80 foot bump up to the meadow, you go easy to recover from the climb. I got 7:05, 7 seconds faster. There are four of us duking it out now and nobody else is even close. Looks like a 4 man race! (no peeking at the top) Mile 3 has the fairly docile 440 foot climb to the upper road. I walked it a few times just to conserve, probably should not have done that since I practiced not walking two weeks ago. I got passed by 3 and 4, 1 passed me on the lower road at mile 2. 9:39, 22 seconds slower. Finding a bit of mud but nothing big yet. Mile 4 has the last 40 feet of the climb and then you are on the upper road. Auuggghh!! Mud!! Nooooooo! Looks like CR is out of the question but let's see. The two guys 150 meters in front of mee had never run the course before and did not know that the grass on the side of the road, while unpleasantly wet, did not hide any rocks or holes so while they were slogging it out I was a little less sloggy. 7:17, 20 seconds slower, easy 40 second mud penalty. I moved back into second with first in easy reach at mile 5, none of these guys knew about the mud secrets and it was costing them. But they figured it out as I passed and they fell into line behind, even with the sheer drop off the left side of the slippery grass it was still better than the sucking swamp of doom in the middle of the road. Still, my 6:38 was 11 seconds slower than last year - wet feet are still heavy. At mile 5.5 the mud mostly ends and there is a fast 1 mile descent to the low point of the mid-course at the gun range. I had to stop and tie my shoe, which dropped me back to 3rd. Mile 6 was 5:50, 5 seconds slower. Miles 7 8 and 9 wind gradually up the front side of Timp and then steeply up Dry Canyon. I walked once more, falling to fourth, but then I found my uphill mojo and was able to run. Splits were 7:43, 10:30, and 15:02, 19 faster, 14 slower, and 1:01 faster (!) than last year. I am definitely in better shape :) But rhose guys were getting further ahead, I never saw them again no matter how crazy I got. During mile 10 it started to hail. Seriously? Well I guess there isn't much left to the race. Unfortunately the Mario Kart tracks filled quickly with running rocks and water, making things interesting to say the least. Mario Kart mile splits were 7:14, 6:27, and 6:38, 18 faster, 15 slower, and 11 faster than last year. Very surprising given last year's flawless conditions. Mile 13 and the last half were the ugliest of all. The hail had turned to rain, filling my glasses with water and making it nearly impossible to see the trail. To top it off we get a half mile of the mud road again before the final descent into Timp Park, that was nuts doing it half blind. I had to stop and wipe my glasses out several times so I wouldn't fall over the 40 foot cliffs on the first part of the descent. Once I made it to the main road I burned it in down to a 4:28 pace on the mud-free road and the grass at the end. Splits were 7:02 and 2:46 (47 slower, 2 faster, all weather related). The last half mile was a 5:19 pace. So I didn't beat my old record, although I felt like weather adjusted I did. But I did win masters! And in operation domination, all I need is the age group award. So there. I ate a bowl of chili and bailed before I got too chilly.
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