Training Log Archive: guerfondler

Results were just posted. Turns out I beat the better runner from Winnipeg by four minutes! Must have passed him in an aid station. Fell ten minutes behind Zimmerman. 5th in AG, 16th of 99 total runners. I'll take it.

Surph the Murph race, advertised as a 50K, but actually two loops of about 17.5 miles each. Course changed since my last race, with single track replaced by a short section on pavement. Beautiful weather, with 40 degrees climbing to near 60 by my finish.

My hope was to run this as fast as three years ago. I haven't trained as hard but, given my stupidity last time, thought I might accomplish that anyway. I fell in with a guy from Winnipeg, and we ran together several miles. From our conversation it became obvious he is a better runner than me. Hearing his pace goal, I knew I had to let him go.

Next I went back and forth with a woman from Zimmerman. I would gain on the downhills and mud pits; she on the uphills. So we started talking and stuck together through the aid stations. With her help, I hit the half-way at 2:44, right on target. All was good until reaching the marathon distance, where I started slipping. I let her go on a long gradual climb, and ran alone for the remainder. I passed several 50 milers, but was quite surprised no one passed me, as my watch said I was moving rather slow. I was able to run up the last steep hills to finally get to the finish.

Second loop took 3:08, which was disappointing. Obviously, running more miles each week would have helped me hold the pace.