So much for optimism. I just could not get my training volume up enough to feel like I was going to be able to run a 50 well. Plus, my chronic hip/hamstring pain had been getting worse (or certainly not getting any better) and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to run that distance without potentially causing damage (I've since found a great physical therapist who has really helped).
This may partially be why I kept thinking referring to the race as 'only 25 miles' (this year, due to a small reroute, it was actually 26 miles) - 25 seems short when you've been planning for 50.
The race started - and finished - at Lory State Park just outside of Fort Collins. The morning was chilly, but warm enough to feel relatively comfortable starting in short sleeves (one of my trusty MacDonald Forest 50km shirt) and light gloves. A fire had gone through the park and adjacent Horsetooth Reservoir just a few months ago, so we had a few-mile start on dirt road. This helped to spread out the field a bit, but soon enough we were on our first climb.
I have to admit, I hadn't really looked at the course map prior to the race. I figured with a name like 'Quad Rock' there would be some decent climbs - and there doesn't seem to be any route in the front range that doesn't involve a fair amount of elevation. I also had it in my mind that this was 'only a 25 mile' race; I was vaguely aware that there was 5500' of elevation gain, but again, this didn't really phase me. What I failed to really appreciate until about half-way through the race was that instead of coming in the form of multiple ups-and-downs, the elevation in Quad Rock came in 3 very discrete chunks.
I happily surprised myself by passing a number of people on the ups. I've been trying to work on my climbing, and although I know I still wouldn't be able to keep up with Tejona and Lobo back in Corvallis, I think I've gotten better. Unfortunately, I am really bad at running down hill. Especially steep, somewhat technical down hills like on this course .... and pretty much everywhere in the Front Range. This is partially a technical issue (there is some 'form' to downhill running that I still don't have), partially a confidence issue (my knees bear the evidence for why I tend to put the breaks on a bit too much), and partially a pain issue (although my hip and foot issues have gotten somewhat better, they still act up the most running down hill).
So ... pass people going up, get passed going down. Repeat, then repeat again. A little frustrating.
But ... the course was really pretty. Mostly single track winding through forests and meadows. The water was flowing strong in the creeks, but despite all of the snow we'd had in the weeks leading up to the race, for the most part, the trail was pretty dry. The aid stations were well stocked and staffed with great volunteers. I think I did a fairly good job with nutrition, but could have probably drank more - I still had water left in my pack at the end of the race. One of the aid stations actually had cooked up some bacon for us (rule I most frequently break on races: don't eat anything during a race you haven't eaten during a training run) -- and I have to admit, it was one of the most excellent things I have ever eaten during a race. (I believe in the past I've said that about pbj, push-pops, ....)
I managed to pull out a good kick at the end - enough that I felt like I had too much left, which reinforced my belief that I need to get better at running down hill. I didn't make my time goal of 5 hours max, but had a decent finish - 5:37:52, 25th woman out of 67, 86th out of 167 overall.
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