Running 8:00:00 [3] 43.0 mi (11:10 / mi) +7831ft 9:31 / mi
shoes: Hoka Challenger v2 (Grey)
well... this didn't go how I had hoped it would. felt great from the gun and was just cruising. Long hike up to Mt Werner and I was sitting some where in the top 15 on the steep ski run hike and not pushing. once we got to the fireroad i was going super easy and right with a bunch of guys. everybody was shifting all over the place. I think I was around 5th or 6th as we hit the first aid station at mile and i was feeling awesome.
I was cruising on the single track to the next aid at 11.8. Not pushing at all and just rolling the descents. i was just in my own head and thinking about a bunch of random stuff. right before the aid station i rolled up on 2nd-4th with another guy right behind me. I refilled at the aid station and was out before some of the guys but was caught on the long descent down Fish Creek Falls. It's pretty technical and I wasn't going to push it. Got the road with a good group and just sat in. Got the Olympian hall aid at mile 22 feeling great and got to see Maggie, Fi, and Lucy. Spent some time restocking and i was out.
My plan was to dial it back even more now since I was closer to the front than I wanted to be. I power hiked the steep fireroad climbs and this where things started to weird. I couldn't stop yawning all of a sudden and I was just feeling like I wanted to take a nap. I popped some caffeine and kept eating and drinking. I cam around a bit by mile 28 and was just rolling the descent into that Cow Creek aid station at mile 30.1. I felt ok but i was starting to get a gnarly cramp in my gut. I've got them before and usually get them to go away rather quickly.
I jogged the flatish two miles to the start of the next climb and my gut just started seizing up. every time i would run it felt like i was getting stabbed in the guy. this usually happens when i am dehydrated... and i was. hadn't peed in a while and when i did it was dark. so weird. i was drinking a lot, more than normal. a mix of roctane and water. so a good mix.
the next 10+ miles were me shuffling and hiking the climbs and not trying to jog the descents... but it wasn't happening. I walked a lot just hoping my gut would release because my legs felt good and the wanted to go. I kept trying but could run more than 20 steps without my gut totally seizing. so fucking weird.
The final 3 miles sealed the deal for me. it had been a couple hour of not being able to run already and i couldn't even jog the 3 miles fireroad to the aid station. luckily i brought a headlamp "just in case". Maggie tried giving me tough love and tried to get me back on it. I sat outside we went inside to the aid station to warm up and eat. I ate some ramen but it went right through me.
it wasn't that hard of decision. I hadn't really run in about 3 hours and I couldn't imagine just walking another 60+ in the below freezing night. so i quit.