Sleepy eyed in the motel room on race morning...that flat jack or something like that which Deb needs to do for our granddaughter.
Runners walking up on the dam for the start of the race...the race was 25K, 50K and 50Mile. We foolishly lined up near the back causing a very slow start for the first several miles.
Our friend Michelle Roy is cold....Michelle is always cold! ;-) (Well, it was 24 degrees)
Deb, Michelle and Goat teammate, Bedford Boyce.
Almost time to go!
Bedford cruising along the trail just behind me.
Line of runners up in front.
Here comes Bedford again!
The trail was rocky all day long
Line of runners picking their way through the rocks, some were 50 milers, some were 50Kers and some were 25Kers! Deb is waaaaay back of this line with Bedford.
Some 25K'ers coming back to finish down the Torry Ridge Trail.
I'm at the top, notice the snow....this is central Virginia!
My LaSportiva Crosslites I was trying out today, not a good choice for a rocky trail.
Aid station one, 7.3 miles. About 2:15 to get here. We will next see this aid station at mile 27, then again at mile 43. The 50 mile course is an out and back loop with a tail in the middle.
That is Marty of Camp Marty, look at the size difference!
This is at aid station #2, Kennedy Peak mile 13. It's warming up!
Views all day long of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Mountains
Deb coming down the hill on the out and back tail section. The out and back was basically a long climb up, then down the other side, and back up and down again.
Deb wanted to take my picture, too....I'm only about 15 minutes ahead of her.
Michelle (in her red hot pants) coming down right behind Deb. They eventually hooked up and both missed the cutoff at mile 37 (and still only 15 min's behind me)
Wasatch Speedgoat Mountain Racing teammate Mike Mason on his way to a 4th overall finish in the 50 mile.
One of the many stream crossings. They were ankle to calf deep and felt great on my sore feet!
The start of the climb up to Camp Marty again, mile 27.
Someone coming back down...
Waterfall crossing
Biker coming up behind me, you can not tell the steepness of the trail by the camera, but by how much he's leaning. It was maybe 20-25% incline , based on my usual 15% treadmill training and possibly 2 miles long
Bogie (Bogdan Dumitrescu) coming down! Bogie ran well today, the training is paying off!
Camp Marty #2, mile 27ish. I'm still feeling great, this is where Deb and Michelle were cut from the 50 mile.
Here's where I turnaround....duh!
Down and around the loop again...only 16 miles and I'll be back, but its all down, then all up with a small flat section in the middle.
Here I am standing on top of that waterfall from before looking down to the river.
Kennedy Peak the 2nd time, mile 37.1.
Bye for good, Kennedy aid station!
A school bus on the side of the trail, almost back up to the top. (How the heck did this get here?)
Finally! The last aid station! Mile 2.9...and still feeling great.
The welcome sign
The welcome sign with the real Marty goofing off!
Still up high about 2 miles from Marty's
These rocky trails were just killing my feet in my little racing flats...ouch!
...but every now and then it did get nice.
Sherando Lake, about a mile ot the finish! (and I'm stopping to take a picture, what's up with that?)
Done! 32nd overall, 1st over 50 in 11:33...
Deb joined me for a photo at the finish...
Showing off our Goat Skins...Deb also won her AG, but in the 50K. She ran 36 miles in 8:40 after missing the unfair cutoff at mile 27, but wanted the 50 Miles! (Now it's time for a beer and a steak!)
