It’s hard to know where to actually start this race report. For me, this race really began 15 weeks before the race when I made a plan and started to work myself out of the doldrums I had been in since the Motorola Marathon. The plan was aggressive. The training was tough. And a combination of injury relapses and a sinus infection derailed me for a couple of my toughest weeks. Still, I arrived in Amarillo in the best condition of my life.

I could say a lot about how beautiful the Palo Duro Canyon is, but you would get much more out of going to the web site and viewing for yourself: http://www.palodurocanyon.com. The difference between the canyon and the plains above it are quite dramatic. But the impression from the canyon that I will always remember is looking up at the beautiful night sky at all the stars while the coyotes howled in the distance. I spent the night in the canyon and awoke feeling something I had not felt in many months: COLD! Although it would eventually warm up quite a bit, it would take me 15 – 18 miles before I would be comfortable.

My first ultra experience was probably very common to most peoples in one way. I packed tons of stuff but still left behind some things I needed. Actually I had done quite well except for what I had left in the van back at the campsite, but I was blissfully ignorant of this as I lined up for the start.

We started at 7. Since the sun wasn’t going to rise until almost 8, most of my first loop would be run in the dark. It made for some beautiful scenery as the sky above the canyon started to get light, but it also made for a slow start and some tricky footing.

The 50K is a 6-mile loop followed by two 12.5 mile loops while the 50-milers did four of the 12.5 mile loops. We ran the first mile with the 50-milers before turning right at the first aid station for the last 5 miles of the larger loop. The last few miles of the main loop is the toughest part of the course, and my impression of it would change quite a bit with each lap. But the sun was about to rise, I was finally warming up enough to stop shivering, and I was part of a long train of runners having a great time. I considered walking the up hills, but things were just going too smoothly to slow them down. I finished the first 6-mile loop in 1:02: just over my planned 10-minute mile pace, but that was easily explained by an unplanned pit stop early in the lap.

My cooler and bag were just past the start/finish line. I made a quick stop to drop off my running light and long-sleeve t-shirt, grab my hat, and grab an Ultra Slimfast. I headed back out drinking my Slimfast; I was cold again without the extra shirt.

Fuel was never a problem throughout the race as I had the Slimfast both times I passed the start/finish. I also picked food from the aid stations as I felt like I needed it and seemed to manage that part very well. Hydration, however, was a battle. To start, the Amarillo area is very dry with humidity often in the single digits or teens giving me the feeling that I was dehydrating very early. I’m used to a very humid environment. The plan was to carry two bottles: one for Gatorade and one for water. I learned very quickly that it was useless for me to carry a water bottle. I couldn’t stand the taste of the water. I learned soon after dropping off the water bottle that I couldn’t stand the Gatorade either as it was weak and made with the local water. There were many times that forcing myself to drink was more difficult than forcing myself to keep running.

At the start of the second lap, I was mostly with the same people that I had run much of the first lap with. I seemed to trade positions with the same group many times during the lap. But since the 20K started at 8:00, we were continuously passing the 20K runners. While we started the lap passing long lines of walkers, we continued to pass runners through the entire lap. There is some mental boost that comes with passing other runners that I just can’t explain. Maybe the combination of passing the 20K runners and the fun of running with the group of 50K runners was perfect for me, but the second lap flew by in 2:02. I felt like I had run much easier than I did the first lap. I had even walked the tougher hills, which seemed to have grown a bit since my first time through.

But I knew when I started training for this race that the battle for me would be the last lap. That battle started a little too soon. After another quick stop at my cooler, I made another restroom stop. The delay was enough to separate me from the people I had run with most of the race. Also, we no longer had the 20K runners sharing the trail with us. While the first two laps were with plenty of company, the last one was almost completely alone. At this point I know my pace began to falter. At the first aid station, I refilled my bottle with Gatorade and grabbed several slices of the date bars. While the date bars were good, I found I could stand no more of the Gatorade. I would end up dumping it along the trail and hoping the batch at the next station was better.

It was in the three miles between the first and second aid stations that I realized what I had left back in the van at the campsite: Band-Aids. I only have a problem with nipple rub if the run is really long or I am cold. This race qualified on both of those. Although the weather was finally warming up, the damage had mostly been done. The aid station had no Band-Aids; I slathered some Vaseline on them and moved on. I also refilled my bottle knowing the next aid stop was the same station as the first with the horrible Gatorade. This was almost as bad, but I forced as much down as possible. I also grabbed a cup of Coke on my way out even though I had never had Coke during a run before. I hate to experiment during a race, but I was begging for anything other than water or Gatorade by this point.

I found that although I felt I was moving very slow, I was passing many of the people I had been running with earlier. I was walking almost all of the hills now and running as much as I could. I would be passed only one more time in the third aid station while I drinking a few cups of Coke. The guy who passed me looked much stronger than I felt so I decided to try to follow him. I watched him ahead of me. I walked the places he walked. I ran the places he ran. I managed to cover the three miles to the next station without falling further behind him.

The last three miles of the loop are the toughest. I was trying to remember how easy it was the first time through, but the hills seemed completely different this time. I was cutting it close, but I thought I might still be able to finish in 5:30. I knew I could no longer run the up hills now, but I would walk as fast as I could. And I would run anywhere it was possible. Although I had lost touch with the guy I was following earlier, I was still trying to imitate his strategy. But each time I thought I had climbed the last hill, there was just one more waiting for me. I would pass three more people in those last three miles, but the 5:30 would slip away from me. It was just a little more than I had left.

Looking back now, I have to say that this was the most memorable part of the race for me. Although I didn’t quite perform the way I wanted, I was able to push hard until the end when I really didn’t feel I had it left in me. The satisfaction I got from the effort helped to erase some of the demons that have haunted me since my effort, or lack there of, at Motorola.

The last quarter mile is all downhill. In fact, it is a little too downhill to be run very fast. As you are descending the last little challenge, you can see the finish banner above the trees and hear other runners being cheered as they finish the race. As I completed the last decent and turned down between the lines of state flags which form the final chute to the finish banner, someone snapped a picture of me. I’m sure it cannot be a pretty sight. I’m tired. There is chocolate Slimfast on my shirt. There is blood from my chaffed nipples. And there is more satisfaction than someone should get from running 50K.

Officially, I finished in 5:31:15. It was not as fast as I had hoped, but I am happy. I made a plan. I stuck with the plan. I ran well. And I had a lot of fun. I can’t wait for the next one.

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