I run therefore, I am!

It was cool in the morning about 58 degrees. I did a warmup but immediately started sweating. Yuck. I lined up and the race started very very slow! I am not used to that but I didnt want to charge so I stayed back to mile 1 to see what our times would be. 6:15! Holy crap way to slow. so I sped up and got right up to the main pack and they were running a 5:40 pace which felt comfortable.  I stayed just behind the 3 guys in front within a hundred feet by myself.  No one was really close behind so I felt good. I did my first loop which hit mile 7 still behind and saw my family for the second time and felt pretty good. there were some sharp steep up hill pieces which I felt ok on the first 3 loops. My second loop put me right about mile 12 and I still sat right behind the leaders.  The third loop I couldnt find my drink that I put on the drink table and it bugged me but found it later down a few miles at the next station. They didnt label the stations from 1-5 like the boxes at the expo that I put them in. On a sharp turn I saw a runner from Columbia about 200 meters behind me about mile 15.  By the start of the 4th loop he was up to me. I wasnt fading at all and staying at a 5:45 pace.  I saw my family again and as the Columbian got next to me he passed me with a surge and I wasnt about to push my pace. I hit mile 16 and he was only 15 feet in front of me. He was waving me on to get next to him so I did. I really dont like doing this because I concentrate on them more than myself but I did it. We got to mile 18 and I heard another runner approach us. It was an Italian that I knew had posted a 2:27 time so he had a good strategy to set behind us and then go. I let him go as well as the Columbian. When I hit mile 19 there was a sharp up and the Columbian surged up it and that was it. I couldnt seam to go. I felt stomach acid big time and was afraid of puking on the bridge but I held it in until a porta potti. I jumped in it and let it all go. I should have done it in the grass because it was an unpleasant sight.  I got back out and felt ok but it only lasted a quarter mile. I really slowed down and couldnt get into a groove. 6:45, 7:15, 7:45 then started hitting 8's and 8:45's. I was so depressed, I couldnt seem to get moving no matter what! My legs werent really cramped up but my head felt like I had the flu. super hot. I kept slashing water on me and doing everything. I actually stopped at the stations and tried drinking more fluids. Nothing could help and I was just going to have to survive. Several people passed me in the last 7 or so miles and would cheer me on but it only depressed me more.  Im mad that things didnt go my way but I really enjoyed the atmosphere of fans yelling GO USA! Such a cool feeling I have to tell you! It was fun to cheer on the 70 year old runners as well. There was a 65 year old that passed me and he looked absolutely awesome!  I have a lot of wouldve shouldve couldves in this race but am glad I competed.  

Met up with Kim Dion's running group of about 16 people. We Started up in the mountains somewhere an hour and a half drive from Calrsbad. It started at about 6000' and we ran Extreme trail mostly down for 8 miles and all up on the way back. It was some serious climbing! We walked a lot! to hard to run.I could still feel my legs from the marathon but it was a good arse kicking. I stayed close to Kim so no weirdos bugged us. lol We got to mile 15 with a mile left and ran smack dab into a bee swarm. Thousands of them! I went about 50' into them and had to turn around. They were attacking my sunglasses. Luckily one of the group had his vehicle on a road near there everyone opted to jump into his suv and ride back to the start. One of the runners got lost for an hour or so but was found and we had a good solid run.