The race season is underway! I was attempting my first Ultra of the summer after a very frustrating winter of injury after injury. This weekend was the Spring Desert Ultra outside of Fruita, Colorado. I was signed up for the 50 just in case I felt great, but even this past month I've been having some issues with my hamstrings and overall fatigue, so I was just going to go enjoy it and do what I could. There was a handful of special idiots on board... Fritjof Fagerlund, Peter Sanders, Mike Poland, Pete Stevenson, Eric Lee, Chris Fisher, and myself. Mike Poland was planning on the 25 miles, but everyone else was on board for the 50. This was a beautiful course through amazing high desert. I was having a great race until about mile 12 when my legs started their typical tightening. However, it was about 10 miles further than when they tightened in my last run...so I was pumped! I just slowed the pace down a bit and tried to relax and it actually worked in loosening them up! This would buy me about 20 to 30 minutes before it would happen again. Then around mile 20 they really tightened up and I wasn't able to release it for a few miles. When I did I was able to run hard to the finish but it was an easy decision to call it quits. It took me 5:25:25 to do 25 miles...so not fast at all, but it was the best I felt during a run in a long long time so I was very happy. Plus, I had a blast, so I stopped while I was ahead. It was great to be moving on a trail with minmal discomfort for a few hours. And when the trouble started full on, it wasn;t as bad as it has been recently and I was able to control it for the most part...happy times! The others did very well. Mike finished his 25 miles in 4:40 A great race - though a bit hot later in the day for the 50 milers... |
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