MUDFEST!! Today I ran the Timp Trail Marathon. It was rainy, snowy, and muddy, muddy, muddy. Oh did I mention there was a lot of mud. I don't think that I could overstate how much mud there was. Last night when I went to bed it was raining hard. This morning when I got up it was raining. I drove to the race start and picked up my packet in the rain. I saw Davy Crockett at the start and also a friend of mine named Ryan. We got underway at 6:00 a.m. It was raining slightly when we started. Ryan and I started out running together. Here is a elevation map of what we were about to do. 
The race started out going uphill. No flats to even get warmed up on. After 2.5 miles the rain turned into snow mixed with rain. Some stretches were cold and I was wishing I had a hat on. The mud on the trail stuck to my shoes and made them heavy. After only a few miles the back of my legs were covered in mud. The first aid station was at mile 6. Ryan dropped back after that, but I was feeling good, so I started picking off runners. The next aid station was at mile 11. This aid station had our drop bags. In my drop bag was a dry pair of shoes, sock and a wind breaker. I change quickly but lost some of the advantage I had gained. Heading back out on the trail, it didn't take long before my clean shoes were caked with mud, but at least they were dry for a few miles. At mile 12 was the signature climb for the race. It was a .8 long climb up a steep slope called the 'Green Monster'. Today it should have been called the 'Brown Monster' because of all the mud. I went into power hike mode and regained my position in the race. The next section was probably my favorite. The trail went up a canyon with a rock wall on the left and a steep hill on the right. I passed several groups of scouts hiking down the trail. It was fun because each group I went passed cheered me on. At about 14.5 miles I saw Davy Crockett ahead of me. Not long after that I passed him, we exchanged greetings and I didn't see him again until after the race. At mile 15 was the third aid station. The volunteers there told me that I was in 11th place. I thought "Wow, I have a chance at making it into the top ten." I pushed onward but didn't see anyone up ahead. The crest of the climb was at mile 17. At this elevation there was about three inches of snow. Making the trail slushy. I was able to recover from all the uphill and had a good pace going downhill. I thought for sure that I would catch the next guy, but still didn't see anyone. At Battle Springs the trail heads back uphill. This was the muddiest section of the course. The trail was like a small river and my feet went slosh slosh with every step. It was a slow uphill. The next aid station was at mile 20. At this aid station we joined with the half marathoners for the rest of the course. There were now runners in front of me but I didn't know if they were in my race. The half marathoners were easy to catch. I think this was the back of the pack for that race. At 24 miles I saw another marathoner ahead of me. I recognized him from the start of the race. I reeled him in and passed him a half mile later. The tale end of the race was difficult for me. It was downhill, but I was losing energy. The notion of finishing in the top ten helped keep me moving. The trail went around one last corner, then the finish was in sight. I finished in 5:05:09 and in tenth place. I made it and was quite pleased. After the race I ate two bowls of chili, visited with a few of the other runners, and headed home. This was probably the toughest race I have ever run. I will do it again next year, but hopefully it doesn't rain. | 