Marlin

What an awesome but hard trail race this was,  got started on time at 5 am and just started out at a nice and easy pace as I had ran this race last year and there was big hill climbs starting at mile 4 mad it up the 1st hill at a run walk pace and headed down to the first aid station and had to turn around and climb back up for a few mils and the the biggest hill of all was up to Keystone Mtn.  Got over that one and had passed alot of runners on that section and felt strong running strong on the back side of the hill.  Hydration and nutrition was going well and was able to hold a good pace and even ran up some of the smaller hills.  Got into Squaw Creek A.S. and asked how many runners had droped going over Keystone and they said alot at around 10 to 12 at that time.  From Squaw Creek  to Buster Lake was all up hill and had to keep my focus. So happy to get to Buster Lake and was all down hill from there, pace alittle slower as the quads were getting tender now.  Seen my wife with 5 miles left and gave me some great energy and felt great going into the finish. Got something to eat and a cold beer and talked with other runners and Gray and Paul and went to bed.  Finishe in 20th OA and 1st in AG