Xterra Cheyenne Mountain State Park Trail Run

26.2 Miles 3:45:05 8:35 average per mile
1st Place!
8:30 am) 30's Cold, Windy, Rain, Snow & Mud
Going into this race I did not feel good at all. I have felt run
down all week. I even took some days off due to fatigue. Morning
of the race woke up and felt no better. This was the worst I ever
felt on the morning of a race. Plus to make matters worse the
conditions outside were not ideal to say the least. Of course
though I was going to give it a shot I always do.
I got to the park and sat in my car with the heater on. I was
chilled. I really considered just leaving. I called my mom and
she even encouraged me to just go home. I'm stubborn and I
decided well I'm here I will give it a shot and at least try
to do one loop 13.1 miles. Race was delayed and we got started
a half hour late. This really was no big deal though as I was
not that anxious to get going anyway.
Race got under way and right away I noticed my breathing was
very labored not a good sign. After a few miles my breathing
settled down but I just felt tired. By mile 8 I almost convinced
myself that I would drop out at 13 miles the end of the first
loop. This was not an easy decision for me as I have never had
a DNF. Got to my 11 and was still not great but no worse started
to think maybe I will not drop. Finally made it to the end of
the first loop and not sure what happened but quiting was not
an option and I kept on going. It was like a switch went off
I got past that negative thought pattern and my brain switched
to race mode finally. My energy picked up and I started running
faster. The course was getting very muddy on the second loop
but I was still running faster than the first loop.
I was pulling away from the other runners that were right with
me at the end of the first loop. I was gaining confidence.
I was strong the entire second loop I only slowed the last
few miles due to conditions more than anything else. My new
shoes were awesome. Yes they slipped around in the mud but I'm
pretty sure any shoe would slip in that mud. I wore the new
Brooks Pure Grit trail shoes.
So the lesson I guess I learned from this race is never give up!
If you feel bad it can turn around. I now believe you should only
DNF if it's due to injury or a true health concern and not just
fatigue.
So this was my 27th marathon and first marathon win. Only my
3rd ever win at any distance. I hope I can get a few more wins
before I get too much older.