The race report, just a little late but here it is. The friday before the race was looking pretty good , but such was not the case at the begining of the week. They were saying rain and 37 to 40 degree's. That Friday it was 50 and sunny after a week of clouds and cold. The prerace meal was awesome as always with roast, chichen in cream sauce, a slaw H/M bread and potato's with a desert you cannot resist.
That was Friday and Saterday was another very different story. As 99% were already asleep I had been awake till 12:30am and finally asleep about 1:00.
Weather had said it was really going to be 50 and partly sunny that looked as if it was going to come true at daybreak, but it was going to be a far different story in an hour and what a difference it makes.
Then it was all to change the wind gradully picked up an the clouds rolled in like a fog and the temps dropped. It had been the coldest run I started at 37 deg that never got warmer. I had the shoes running shorts 3 tech shirts, a Nike zipper v-neck pullover with my never forgoten amber sunglasses. If I only would have remembered my hat!! Because as you see there's no wind break or tree.
It was all good up in through the first 8 miles to the first aide station (Battlecreek) where I think quite a few of the other runners wished I would have shut up along the way. There is always people from all over and very few from just Kansas. For me that's the fun of this run. You get to see so many inspiring things in this race last year a 77 yr old man and this an amputee in the womens race. I kept up with her for a half mile, as I had to tone it back. Both were in the 100 and finished under the 30 hr time. But from that point on here come the hills. They are not the mountains but the idea of going back though those after 35
miles is a real thought. As we made our way through I think the worse part of the course I believe it dipped in temp.
Getting to the next aide station was even cooler (Lapland) a straight in you face or left side wind driven. No time to really stop a couple cups of soda and quick fill of the pack an I was off. The volenteers are great I just want to say!
That I thought was rough coming into that with the cold north wind. Though I forgot or was as I should of was not thinking of the last 9 to the turn around. Probably some of the most open part of the 50 mile course. I made it to through that last 9 miles to the halfway turnaround and just could not decide what I wanted to eat no one had any rock salt so I had a PBJ and a couple cookies. There also it was my fault but I tried to tell them that orange drop bag could go back but it never made it, or the other at Lapland. You ask why, because I'm an idiot that didn't put his number on his bags. I headed on the way back and I just had a 4 hr and 15 minute 25 miles which was not good. The wind was at the back and like last year I was on my own for the next half. I knew I still was in good a good place but didn't know how far back though but I thought I could catch possibly one or two I didn't know how far ahead they were. It was a long cold and lonly run to catch someone I could never see.
I made it back though Lapland and a quick soda, cookie brownies and a half fill of the camelback I was feeling good and blew through battlecreek. I had 2 hot on my tail and I am not letting the get me. I ran though to the next unmanned aide an called that I was coming in. I got to battlecreek / 150th made a time an distance check which was not good and I so wanted to walk and I knew at the end of the road was the last corner. I have been able to see the watertower at the finish for the longest time. I made the corner and it's amazing the feeling to see the finish line and the sprint you can actually pull off.
It is not the time I had hoped for, with no PR 3 minutes and 18 second shy. I take it with running with all I had on I think that was damned good. Now next year to knock off the 100 mile side of this race.
