Don't really know how to write up this race report because it was so much different than anything I've ever done running-wise.
I signed up for the 12 hour option a couple months ago before my running went to heck and I began running 100 mile months. Probably should have chose the 6 hour option. I had a sort of goal to do 5 laps (each lap is a run up to the top of Grandeur Peak from the Church Fork Trailhead in the snow. There's a 2,500 foot elevation gain up to the summit at 8,299 feet. There's a couple cold creeks you have to jump filled with pirhanas. I ran the first couple laps in 1:40ish but slowed to 2:11 on the 4th lap. Since I had 3:45 to complete another lap, I could have done it but I decided to live to fight another day and the 4th summit was really hard. I don't want to have to take a week or so off of running. As it is, my legs are pretty trashed and I has this wierd pain in the bones of both feet.
Cool to see Cody Draper and chat quite a bit. I pulled the plug before he lapped me as he came in from his 5th lap 7 minutes after I finished my 4th. He's better at this than me. I was one of the stronger older guys though.
Such a cool event and lots of camaradarie put on by Jared Campbell. The aid tent at the bottom was the best - so much fun I had a hard time leaving it. The one at the top was cool but, obviously, less well stocked. On my 3rd summit all they had at the top was water and whisky which I don't reccomend as an aid station beverage. On my 4th summit they had added some gatorade, coca-cola (I slugged a whole can), and beer.
Before today I had never had a Red Bull but today I had three and a half. I was afraid I might have a heart attack on the trail.
I will do this again next year and complete 5 laps. I will actually train.
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