My sister, Nicole, invited me to Phoenix for fun and relaxation.  She tossed out the idea of a race.  Little did I know…   We elected to take the optional early start at 5:30 with the forecast hot, clear and not a cloud in the sky. Nicole is well connected to the Arizona running community and she chatted easily with folks at the start line. Meanwhile, I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea of doing a 50K in sky-high temps at elevations above 6500’.  Gulp.   Start to mile 16 We started with a conservative pace, hitting the first aid station at mile 8.  All was well and we enjoyed watching the sun illuminate the top of this desert region and it’s hundreds of beautiful Saguaros.  The feeling quickly passed as the sun loomed down upon us.  I thought the heat wouldn’t bother me too much having run summers in Austin.  Unfortunately, it was too early in the season to take on that much heat and as early as mile 13 my stomach started doing flip-flops.  By the second aid station at mile 16 I thought I was going to see my breakfast again.  I poured some cold water over my head and things improved very temporarily.  We left the aid station even though I had not eaten.  Nicole was having a great day on the course and wanted to help me, but we were both at a loss for what to do.  I have never had stomach problems running and now things were quickly unraveling.  I convinced her to go ahead, neither one of us knowing what to expect of my situation.   Mile 16-20 This is the first hard, steep and exposed section of the race.  Of course, it’s only 4 miles, right?  Only 4 miles unless you live at 400’ elevation and are now at 4000’, it’s already 90 degrees and you’re doing all you can to not throw up.  Oh, and don’t mind the hundred or so motorcycles and ATV’s speeding by all day so that when you’re not fearing for your life you can just choke through their dust.   Okay, okay, enough whining. Sorry.   Mile 20 was going to be the deal breaker for me.  I was just too nauseous so I hadn’t eaten a single thing for at least 2 hours. Even though I was drinking water, I knew if I didn’t get some fuel in I was a goner.  I reached the nice volunteers at AS#3/mile 20, drank some Succeed, e-caped, and parked it for a solid 15 mins.  My stomach was beginning to stabilize but I still couldn’t eat anything solid.  I left in good spirits with an open Gu in hand, optimistic I would get it down eventually.   Mile 20-24   This section had a lot of flat, rocky areas and offered a little shade. Things were finally starting to improve.  One noteworthy occurrence here was helping a young boy after he took a corner too fast on his motorcycle and catapulted himself over the side of a gully.  I must’ve missed that possibility in the race description (?)   Mile 24-28 Reached AS#4 where a St. Patrick’s party was in full swing.  The volunteers had beer, margaritas, a full buffet of snacks, and our drop bags, all in a lovely shaded area.  Feeling the best I had all day, I decided to try my Starbuck’s Dbl Shot. A risky proposition at best, but luckily, it perked me right up.  Once again, I left without eating any food, but with another open Gu in hand. Shortly after leaving AS#4 another runner pointed out the next AS.  Straight up.  I argued that the tiny feature was a weather station.  I was wrong.  Denial has its place on this course.  Even though I had improved dramatically, I just didn’t know how I was going to make it up there.  In my 2 ? years of running I hadn’t encountered anything like this before. Gulp, again.     Mile 28-Finish (31.81) Well, sure enough, I kept putting one foot in front of the other and insanely made it. Unfortunately, by now lots of folks were feeling very bad.  The heat and elevation were taking its toll even on the locals and a handful of folks dropped out in this section.  I made it to AS#5 with that same, unfinished Gu still in hand. The volunteers were awesome with their green beards and Irish music. I sat down and drank some Heed and managed 2 bites of banana, realizing I was actually going to finish this race without vomiting or getting pulled. It’s hard to pick up the pace at 6500’, but I certainly had a bounce in my step and enjoyed the magnificent views!  A steep 2 miles up and then the trail changed radically to big rounded boulders and shady pine trees to begin the decent.  Just then Nicole rounded a corner heading back up the trail for me!  We waved our arms, cheering and cackling like a couple chickens!  We yammered the final 2 miles to the finish line.  I had long since given up the idea of making any cut-offs, just hoping to finish this epic adventure.  I had no idea just how close I was until I crossed the finish line at 10:01:31, just past the 10 hour cut off.   What an amazing day!  The scenery and views were gorgeous and the volunteers were awesome! I’m so appreciative of Nicole for inviting me and coming back up the trail to re-run some of the course! I’m most delighted to have finished and won’t feel the need to ever go back!!