Saturday morning rolled around and the nerves were in full force. Was I going to hurt myself really bad? Would I know when to call it if that started to happen? Could I even run 26 miles without complete and proper training?
The race was paired with the Mt Mitchell Challenge, a 40 miler to the summit of Mitchell then back down. We all started together in Black Mountain and headed up past Montreat then on some really great single track. The views were absolutely stunning! And I was feeling fantastic! Ah, 6 miles in anyway. It was great fun chit chatting with fellow runners and trying to figure out if my pace was good, and where I might be at in the marathon. After we exited that really nice section, the trail became a bit more difficult. Loose rocks and roots, gravel and standing water were mainly what the trail consisted of. More like your normal trail race, but this was a marathon or a 40 miler! The danger of twisting an ankle, or worse, doing a face plant were ever present. At an hour and a half I started to look for the marathon leaders to come screaming past me on the way back down to black mountain. It was at this time I tried to eat my first of three(I was hoping) energy gels. It was really tough getting it down, but I did it and washed it down with some water from my hand held. I was so happy I had a bottle with me so I didnt have to stop and get water. Perhaps I should have had some energy drink though...
I saw the leaders of the marathon coming back down, 2 of them, so I knew I was close to the turn around. Then I saw my buddy Mark Ledyard calling my name and I knew I was there. There were a few faces I knew at the turn around on the parkway, it was cool. I glanced up to the summit of Mt Mitchell and thought, man I am glad I am not heading up there! I ran into the turn around aid station and said, "what do I do now?". Monica Curwen said, "Go back down!". So I did. Its all downhill from here! Or thats what I THOUGHT anyway. And I was in third as of then. Feeling really good because I know I can get down some rocky trails pretty quick. I started hauling down the mountain calling out to the racer still coming up. Man I was feeling great! Well, almost. That gel I took was threatening to find its way back up on the jarring of the trail.
After a couple of miles down the trail, it leveled out a bit and I noticed I wasnt alone in third. Damn! I also noticed my energy was flagging alarmingly. Oops. Maybe this wasnt such an awesome idea after all. Me and the guy with me traded the lead for a couple of miles, him getting a lead on the flats, me pulling ahead on the steep sections. But then he told me we werent heading down the way we came up on the soft single track, but down another gravely switchback section AFTER we ran 2 miles of flat trail. And thats where my hopes for getting on the podium slipped away.
I knew I didnt have much in the tank, and definitely not on some flats. No gravity, no way. He pulled ahead and I was alone. All alone. My brain wasnt functioning as it should either. I came to the last couple of miles on the road back into Black Mountain and I started to think I was off course. There was nobody in sight either direction, and though there were flags to follow, I was thinking those were the flags for the course on the way out. By this time I was jogging at best. 9+ minute miles probably. I ran a mile or so and finally saw a guy and asked him if I was on the course, and I was. He then helpfully pointed out I had 12 more minutes to go. "Oh No! There is NO WAY I can run 12 more minutes!", I either thought or said. I put a really scary grimace on my on my face, head down, and kept going. I looked behind me, and inexplicably, there was no one there. Could I somehow still finish top 4? Yes. Barely. On the way around the lake to the finish two guys finally did come up behind me, but I somehow found enough to kick it in a little to hold them off. Right after crossing the line a had to liberate the gel that so badly wanted freedom from my belly. Whoa! A marathon! And a tough one to boot! Thank you to all the support volunteers out on the course, you guys were awesome! I had a fantastic time, for 20 miles anyway!
