Canceling My Dr Pepper Appointments

It has been four weeks since I last had a Dr Pepper, or any type of soda for that matter.  I guess you could say I was addicted.  While being addicted to Dr Pepper won't deplete your savings, land you in jail, or push your family away, constantly losing the battle of will with your addiction takes its toll.  About a year ago I decided to relax my diet a bit.  Not that it was ever good, but I decided that I would be okay with a few Dr Peppers in moderation.  The plan was stop after a week or so.  The "or so" part turned into a year, much of which was spent struggling with trying to stop, and feeling more and more powerless and out of control.  The harder I tried to stop the more I consumed.  The bottle I drank at lunch turned into a bottle at lunch and one with dinner.  Those two bottles were joined by another at break.  Before long the diner bottle was accompanied by an after dinner bottle.  I was consuming 1000calories everyday in Dr Pepper alone!  I always felt bad about it in a self-loathing sort of way.  The days I tried to break the cycle are too numerous to remember.  There were countless times when I would tell myself, "Today at break, no Dr Pepper" only to find myself in the store with one in my hand.  "What the hell is wrong with me?", was my thought on several occasions.  I would immediately begin bargaining with myself.
"Okay, since we're here and all, go ahead and drink it but tonight you have to go for a run."
-"Sounds fair."
"Agreed then, Dr Pepper now, and a run after work."
-"We got this!"

Run100+ : Kettle Moraine

Years ago before I started running and carrying on with all this endurance nonsense I saw an episode of Jeep World of Adventure Sports that featured the Badwater ultramarathon.  I was blown away.  I never knew people could run that far and in those conditions.  The voices in my head agreed that we should do that.  Not Badwater but that we should run 100miles.  The thought of doing it felt right.  I knew it would be difficult and physically demanding but it made sense to me for some reason.

I trained up through the usual distances and eventually ran a 50miler and a 50k, but then I got sidetracked and the 100miler was put on hold while I did some other awesome events.  I competed in several multisport events like Triathlon's and biathlon's,  I even joined an adventure racing team and competed in a couple 36hour races.  Eventhough I was distracted by all these other events the 100miler was still looming in the background but never forgotten.
I agreed to run a 100miler in 2013 with my friend Cheri and we chose Kettle Moraine for our race.  It fit with our timeline and has a reputation for being friendly to beginners.  Make no mistake my goal is to finish this race not attempt it, that being said I know that a lot can go wrong in 100miles and success is never a guarantee no matter how well you trained.  I am running this race as part of the 100+Project and I would hate to fail, so if I have to cherry pick a course and maybe run very conservatively in order to finish so be it.  I doubt very much that finish times will be on my mind when (if) I cross the finish line anyway.
I'm looking forward to all of the long runs that are coming up.  Some people like to hang out at bars with their friends but I prefer to do my socializing on the trail.

How I Registered for the Rock & Roll St Louis Marathon by Accident

In just over a month I will be running the Rock & Roll St Louis marathon.  Way back on National Running day (June 1st) RNR was offering a discount for registration.  In need of a Fall race to train for that would also be a springboard to running Kettle Moraine 100 in June 2013 I figured why not?  I hadn't run a marathon in a while and thought it might be fun to do a little PR chasing.
When I went to the website to register I was shocked by the cost.  Even with my $20 discount it was still $95!  Talk about expensive!  Now I wasn't certain if I wanted to run it anymore.  That's not entirely true.  I wanted to run it, but I didn't want to pay $95 for the priviledge.
I was sitting there with all my information filled out on the form.  Name, age, credit card, etc.  The debate in my head was going back and forth like a table tennis match.  Yes, No,Yes,No...and then it happened...my finger touched the track pad on my laptop and my fate was sealed. 

Flatlanders Race Report by Jim Donahue

At the beginning of September my friend Jim ran the Flatlanders 12hour held by the SLUGS at Fenton City Park.  The course was a 1.4mile asphalt loop, that runners ran around for either 6 or 12 hours.

The following is Jim's report of the race.

Welcome New Visitors

Thanks for dropping by stay a while and look around but if you came here because of the article in today's  St Louis Post Dispatch please click the link below and check out the actual 100+Project website.

100+Project

In a couple days I will have completed the account of my experience paddling from Kansas City to St Charles during the MR340 paddling race.

Also look for announcements about other events like the upcoming 12hour training run on 11/11/12, as well as my future fundraising efforts.

• Run100+: Running 100miles at the Kettle Moraine 100 in Wisconsin
• Canoe100+: Canoeing the 300+mile length of the Illinois river from Chicago to Grafton
• Hike100+: Through hiking the 200+mile Ozark trail section in Southern Missouri

Ultimate Direction Fast Draw Plus Review

The following review was originally submitted to the June 2012 Red9Runners News Letter.

The hot humid days of a midwest summer have arrived making hydration more important now than at any other time of year.  As the mercury rises runners use every trick in the book to take in fluids while out in the heat.  Some stage water at strategic locations, others carry a hydration bladder on their backs, and some even carry a regular plastic bottle full of water with them.  There are many solutions but the important thing is to find a solution that works for you.

I dare you to find a better handheld.

For the past 5years the solution that has worked for me is the Fastdraw Plus handheld from Ultimate Direction.  I have been so happy with this handheld that I have never felt the need to use anything different.   I did have a handheld made by another company before the Fastdraw but it leaked and the valve was not easy to use.  On a recommendation from another runner I tried the Fastdraw and have never looked back.

The Fastdraw is a 20oz 100% BPA free bottle that comes with a Kicker valve and a hand strap with a small pouch.  The bottle itself is semi-transparent allowing the user to keep track of how much liquid is left in the bottle.  The hand strap is useful to help prevent fatigue when carrying a handheld and the pouch has enough room to carry a gel, ID, and a car key.  It will carry what you need for a medium distance run.  The hand strap and pouch are easily removed when they inevitably get gross, and can be washed with the rest of your running gear.  

ProTip: For days it is really hot fill the bottle a quarter to a third full and put it in the freezer the night before then top it off before you go for a run. 

The feature that makes the Fastdraw stand out from other handheld bottles is the kicker valve.  The valve is a soft silicone rubber bite valve that is simple to use and does not leak whether it is in the open or closed position.  Using the Kicker valve is easy, simply extend the valve to its open position bite down on it and squeeze the bottle.  The water or your liquid of choice really flows well, keeping you hydrated without missing a step.

If you are looking for a way to stay hydrated while on the run give the Fastdraw plus from Ultimate Direction a try.  Many people have told me that they cannot carry a handheld when they run, and at first I felt the same.  It was surprising how quickly it became second nature.  Give it a try, you won’t be sorry.  Like I said before I’ve been using these bottles for five years, and they have performed exactly as they should, truly the Ipod of water bottles.

ProTip: Invest in a baby bottle brush to clean the bottle and the valve,  and don’t forget to rinse the bottle after each use.

*I have no financial interest in UD and was not asked to do this review. Furthermore I was not sent a free sample to review. That being said If the good people at UD were to feel like sending me a little something as a thank you for writing this review like a free sample to give away I  wouldn't turn it down.

Storage for keys, a gel, or maybe both.

April Fool Creek Run

During the "Wild Running" phase over the winter I got to looking at the creek that runs through our local trails and thought, "that is another trail that is always overlooked".  I decided to run it, and while I could get people to follow me off the trail up and down steep ravines through deer trails, over and under fallen trees, they balked at the idea of getting their feet wet in the cold.  I assured them it would be okay, but there were no takers.  I waited patiently for a good time to do it, and finally decided that today would be the day.  I let a few people know about my plan and my friend Jim was the only one to show up.  I didn't know what it would be like down in the creek since we really only get glimpses of it as we run high above it on top of the ravine.  It's one of those things that could have gone either way.  Either way though it would be a good adventure.  We ran a little over 5miles on the regular boring old trails and then descended into the creek.  Jim had said he was feeling lousy and was going to pass on the creek part, but he followed me in without hesitation.  We ended up not running the creek from end to end because the going was getting really tough as we were also trying to clean out some of the garbage.  I had my water bottle, camera, and a bunch of garbage including a glass Clorox bottle in my hands, which made some of the log jams really difficult to cross safely.  When we decided we couldn't carry any more trash we headed up and out.  Next time I'll bring bags or leave the trash.

Total Reboot!

Q: So what do you do when your computer starts to get slow and bloated with cookies?

Visit Savage Chickens for more hilarity!

A: Reboot it!
A couple of years ago I read an article about the shelf life of PR's (Personal Records).  The Basic premise was that having a 17min PR for a 5k is great, provided you didn't run it 20years ago when you were on the high school cross country team, and you currently run in the high 20's if at all.  I agree with this philosophy whole heartedly.
As most of you know the quality of my running has diminished considerably as of late so I won't bore you with details.  During this mornings run out on the trails I was so disgusted with myself that I decided to wipe the slate clean of all my old PR's, and start over.  Lets face it there is know way that I could come close to any of them without extensive training.  Plus I feel like Brett Michaels, nobody wants to hear his new music they just want to hear "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", I don't want to run all slow and bloated all the while talking about the time I used to run well.  I'm too young to be a HasBeen!  Which brings us back to the Reboot.
Starting today everything is new again.  It will be a long slow climb back to where I was and an even farther climb to where I want to be.  I just don't want to be the Brett Michaels of running anymore.

No offense to Brett Michaels.  His music is probably awesome.

Route 66 10k

Here is the race report for the Route66 10k.
Enjoy...

A Challenging President's Challenge

For the past 5years I have been logging activities on the President's Challenge website.  Five long years.  This goes all the way back to the beginning when I got involved in a walking program during my lunch time at work.  I have been using this website longer than any other fitness related website.  I achieved the President's Active Lifestyle Award, the Presidential Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards.  Early on these awards were very motivational, everyday I would add my activities and watch my point total rise, everything was fine in the world.  There were some bumps along the way, for example for a long time I was in the category that only allowed me to log 750points each day, which in the beginning was no problem since my only activity was walking for 45minutes which netted a whopping 156points.  Later on though it really started to suck, like the time I ran a marathon that was worth almost 2500points but I only got credit for 750.  Eventually I did find out that there was another category that gave me credit for everything.  The point totals for awards were double in this new category but at least I wasn't short changing myself anymore.

In 2007 I earned my first Gold award, thinking I had made it to the top of the heap.  I am number one, numero uno, the big cheese.  Or am I?  Gold is the pinnacle right?  I have seen the Olympics once or twice, and it always goes: bronze, silver, gold with gold being the highest of the three.  That's why there are sayings like "You don't win a silver, you lose a gold".  This is why I was surprised to learn that there was another level higher than gold.  What's that you say? What could possibly be higher than gold?  I'll tell you what could be higher than gold.  PLATINUM that's what.  To earn the Platinum Award all I have to do is earn one million points.  Now I know when some people get involved in these types of things they log every single thing they do all day long.  I am not one of those people and at the same time I am not saying there is anything wrong with that but for me this challenge has always been about fitness with some nice awards to keep me motivated.  I know the awards will come and yes I wish I could get there quicker but logging one hour of house cleaning as a workout just isn't me.

So for the past four years I have been whittling away at this one million point challenge, and this is the part where you would expect me to tell you how close I am to achieving this long sought after goal, and I would except for one small problem.  I don't know anymore!  Not too long ago the good people running the President's Challenge decided that it would be a good idea to update the website.  They did a really nice job and everything looks great and works great.  There was however one small problem, when they rolled out the new website I was missing somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred thousand points.  I never kept track of my points because I trusted the website to do it for me.  I know that I was missing that many points because not long before I had made it to the halfway mark, and was relieved that I had fewer points ahead than behind.  It was kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel moment.  Needless to say I was pretty upset!  After searching for a contact email address I sent off a polite note informing them of the error, and before I had time to get angry and send off a not so polite email I had my points back and everything was right with the world, for a while.

Lately I have been noticing that my point total shows 735,740points, this is not correct or at least I am relatively sure it is not correct.  It also tells me that there are 454,011points until my next award, which is the aforementioned Platinum Award.  With out going into all of the complex math, let me just assure you that those two numbers do not add up to 1,000,000.  On the Awards page itself it shows that I have earned 545,989points and that I am 56% of the way to earning a Platinum Award.  That number plus the other number do add up to 1,000,000, trust me on this one.  My question is, where did the almost two hundred thousand points come from on my total, and why don't they count toward the Platinum Award?

I have always enjoyed the President's Challenge and I think it is a very motivational tool to provide people with a way to track their progress, and anything to help get people off the couch is a good thing in my book.  I will keep logging points until I get a message saying that I achieved my goal, after that who knows?  I suppose I could send another email to find the answer to my questions or I could go back and add up all the points myself but I would rather be out running, or riding my bike, or snowshoeing, and isn't that really what it is all about.

Snowmageddon or Snowpocalypse? You Decide

Last night Mother Nature dropped 12inches of fresh powder on the Edwardsville area.  I woke up early because I knew it would take a while to dig the cars out and get ready to head off to work.  I dug everything out in about an hour and a half of hard labor.  I was taken back to the days when I used to shovel snow as a kid.  Ah, the good old days.  Too bad there weren't any kids out this morning.  I got in the truck and started to back up.  The truck moved a couple feet then the front end started to slide to the right toward the tree.  I did not want to hit the tree but more importantly I did not want to hit the neighbor's car that was parked close to me but on the other side of the tree.  I pulled forward and then tried to back up again, still the front end moved to the right. I was getting closer to the tree so I got out and looked to find that my passenger side front tire was on the other side of the landscape timber that borders my parking area.  It is only a few inches high but combined with the copious amounts of snow it was enough to keep me from pulling out. I called work and told them I was having trouble and would be on my way soon?  After some more digging and scraping I finally made it out onto the road.  Victory is mine!  Not quite, once out on the road basically all my tires did was spin and spin.  After some difficult maneuvering that may have included me pushing the truck, I made it off the street and back into my parking space.  I called work and told them I was going to wait for the plow to come through, but if they didn't come I would just stay home.  As much as I love a day off from work I did not want to use a vacation day.  Well you can't say I didn't try to make it in, and let's face it if you are going to get stuck right outside your house is the place to do it.

Now all that is just a long way of saying SNOW DAY!

YakTrax Pro y'all!

While I was waiting to see if the plow was going to come down my street I decided that it would be a good time for a run.  Why not?  I was already warmed up from all the shoveling and what-not.  Once I was all geared up (including my YakTrax) I headed out the door.  After about a tenth of a mile I had to turn around to get my sunglasses.  The snow was bright and the stuff that was falling was hitting me in the eyes pretty hard.  I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to hit the trails.  That would have been fun.  I ended up heading out on the MCT Nature trail, since the trail head is so close to my house.  The Nature trail is the trail that I first started running on, and I don't get out there much anymore so it was cool seeing all the old landmarks.

When I first turned off the road I was really enjoying the feeling of the semi-fresh (someone beat me out there) snow fluffing up to my shins with each step.  So refreshing.  After the first mile I decided it wasn't so refreshing anymore, it actually kind of sucked.  It was around this time that I started thinking about how far I was going to punish myself.  I decided that I would run to Beth's office and shovel the snow for them since she always hurts her back when she does it.  I made it to rt157 after what seemed like forever and started to pick up the pace since I wasn't dragging my feet through the snow anymore.  Everything was going fine until I saw the snowplow headed toward me.  At first I thought "Oh crap!" but then decided to wave them on as if to say "hit me with your best shot!"  They moved over to the next lane so I guess I won that round.  When I got to the office Beth was surprised to see me, but not totally surprised.  Over the last 20years she has learned to expect the unexpected.

The snow was fairly easy to shovel and Beth's boss said dinner was on him, Score!

I stopped and took this picture with my phone.
It's not blurry that's just how Big Foot looks.

The rest? from running while shoveling the snow was welcome, since my legs were so tired from running in the snow, but with the snow shoveling finished it was time to hit the road.  I guess I should have mentioned it earlier but I don't like to run on the road when there is snow, the cars and the people get pushed too close together.  Like a good runner I switched sides of the road so I could run facing traffic, however this side of the road did not have the shoulder plowed as well as the other.  At one point I had to sprint and duck into a driveway to avoid getting too close to a big truck.  In truth it probably wasn't that close, but it it was close enough.  I switched back over to the other side where I could cut through some parking lots.  Much safer but the drifts going from parking lot to parking lot were sometimes waist high.  Even though they were so deep they were loosely packed so it wasn't too difficult to power through them.  On my way through the Wendy's parking lot a guy in a truck with a plow almost backed into me, that one was close!  From Wendy's I crossed over and ran through the High School parking lot them it was back onto the Nature trail.  Once on the trail nothing interesting happened just a long slow mile and a half to home.

I can't really say how much the YakTrax helped but they certainly didn't hurt.  I plan to use them more this year in different conditions.  I know some people who swear by them.

Even though this was the toughest 5miles I have ever run I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  Running in the snow is by far my favorite running scenario.  Hopefully we will get more snow this winter as long as I can get to work on time.

Tracks and Treads Off Road Biathlon

This year the Metro Tri Club organized a new race, the Tracks and Treads Off Road Biathlon.  The race was a 5k on the SIUE Cross Country course (Mud Mountain) followed by an eleven mile mountain bike on the GORC trails.  Robin Rongey stepped up to the position of Race Director and handled the job admirably.  As a racer and a volunteer everything seemed to go off smoothly.
The weather had been threatening rain which would have been bad news for the mountain bike portion of the race forcing us onto the alternate course.  Luckily the weather held and the decision was made to stick to the original course.  This was the news I was wanting to hear since I signed up for the mountain biking more than anything else.  It had been raining during the days leading up to the race so there were a few mud pits but overall the course was in good shape for riding, better shape for riding than I was.  I forgot to mention this was the first time I had ridden my bike this year, and the course was tough.  I learned that mountain bike riding is not quite the same as mountain bike racing.
I got out to SIUE early on race morning because I was volunteering at registration.  I found Robin and asked her what to do, and she quickly rattled off my instructions.  I wrote a couple of notes so I wouldn't forget anything.  It seemed there was a lot to remember, pink bibs, white bibs, race day entry fees, USAT registration, etc.  Volunteering before the race was really contributing to increasing my pre-race stress levels.  Fortunately my friends Jim and Phyllis were there to help out, and I fear that I had to abandon them in their time of need.  When registration was the busiest I had to go set up my transition area leaving them to handle everything.
We received quite a surprise when we discovered that the ROTC was going to be conducting a training exercise (Cougar Strike) out on the course during the race.  In the spirit of cooperation both groups decided to make the best of what was obviously a scheduling error.  The ROTC had the woods and we had the trail.  They even used one of their simulated artillery rounds to start the race.  The BANG was pretty LOUD and there was no question that the race had begun.
I stayed with Jim Cedor and Jake Mongler at the start of the run but decided it would be wise to back off the pace a bit to conserve some energy for the bike.  I always feel really wore out when I run the Mud Mountain course, not sure why maybe it's the grass.  I asked Gary Wilson who was volunteering as a course marshal if I could use his bike about half way through the run.  He thought I was joking.  As I was running up the hill to the transition area I pulled my Honey Stinger gel out of my pocket and sucked it down.  It probably would have been just as fast to do it in transition.  I finished the run somewhere around 24:50(?) not great but there was plenty of race left to either make up time or lose ground.
Once I got into the transition area I was all business (usually I linger a bit too long) because I thought I saw Jim Cedor sitting on his bucket with his back to me.  I hopped on my bike and I was off.  Surprisingly I beat Jim out of the transition area.
On the way to the single track a few guys on cyclocross bikes zipped past me.  Going into the race I figured that I was a strong enough runner to outrun some of the good cyclists, and that they would catch me easily enough in the second half of the race.  So there were no surprises when they passed me.  I will admit that I was a little nervous about the bike portion of the race since my biking skills were a little rusty and the course conditions were not ideal.  Once we hit the single track the guy in front of me went down.  Seriously 20ft of single track and already I am swerving around a downed rider.  I asked if he was alright he said that he was so I kept going.  To be honest I was glad to have an open trail in front of me.  The first section of trail was the one with which I am most familiar, I've ridden it, and run it many times so it was good to shake off the rust on such a familiar trail.  I caught a couple of people and passed them, they were fast runners but not particularly strong mountain bikers.  That's one of the things I loved about this race it brought people together that maybe would have never competed together, and maybe to some degree the playing field was leveled just a bit.  Maybe.  I slowed down so a faster rider could pass me and when I came around a corner there was a huge mud bog, this thing was sloppy and slippery, quite challenge to ride through.  The guy I let pass made it through but I hadn't regained my speed from letting him pass, so what I should have done was dismount and portage my bike across the hostile terrain.  In the split second I had to make a decision I decided to see if I could ride through.  It was one of those decisions that you know is wrong as soon as you make it.  I hit the bog and immediately all forward momentum ceased.  Gravity did the rest.  I said "oh shit!" as I tipped over.  So there I was like a hog in a waller.  My right (top) foot popped right out of the pedal while my left (bottom) foot took a little more convincing.  It was actually kind of a struggle to get my foot out and I was a little panicky thinking that someone was going to come along and use me as a bridge to get across the mud.  There were some ROTC guys in the area and I must admire their professionalism because I didn't hear any of them laughing at me.  They must have recognized me as a veteran and out respect waited until I was out of ear shot to laugh.  Go Army!  I made it to my feet and pushed my bike to the other side of the bog.  Pretty much my entire left side was covered with mud but I wasn't hurt so it was time to get back in the race.
It wasn't long before I was just flat out tired but I kept pushing on, and on.  I caught up to within striking distance of a couple people but I didn't pass and took the opportunity to rest for a minute.  They would pull away from me on the ups and I would catch back up to them on the downs.  That's pretty much how the first loop went. A couple more people passed me in the first loop like John Slosar but I fully expected that to happen it was only a matter of time.  I thought Jim Cedor would have caught me by this time but he was no where in sight.  I encountered a couple more mud bogs on the course and decided because of my previous experience I would dismount and run across.  Looking back I wish I would have tried to make it through, what the hell I was already muddy, and had a change of clothes waiting in the van.  Oh well maybe next time.
I passed the people I was behind just before the second loop, and ducked back into the trail behind the 3rd place woman.  I know she was the 3rd place woman because all of the volunteers would yell "3rd place woman!" at her or basically words to that effect.  I stayed behind her for the rest of the race.  She offered to let me pass a few times but I knew what I had left in the tank, and despite getting a second wind it wasn't much. Since she was fighting for an overall position it was better for her to be in front of me.  Eventually she put a pretty good gap on me so I felt that my decision not to pass was justified.  A couple more people were creeping up behind me.  It was getting close to the end and I did not want them to pass.  I kept thinking of Gandalf at Moira "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"  Somehow I found the energy to speed things up and by the time we hit the Delyte Morris Bike Path I had stretched my lead on them.  Once on the path I put my head down pedaled like there was no tomorrow.
Now I will be the first to admit that I am not the best rider so I was kind of nervous that on the flat as a pancake Delyte Morris trail they would close the gap enough to catch and pass me on the up hill section leading to the finish.  I didn't want to look back because I was sure that I would see them right behind me.  I got to the end of the DM trail section and turned back on to the Mud Mountain course for the race to the finish.  This section is all grass and was sapping my speed big time.  My legs were screaming at me, but it was almost over.  As I rode up to the final ascent before the finish I tried to stand up to eek out a bit more power from my legs.  Quickly I realized that this was not an option because my legs had nothing left to give.  My only option was the small chain ring.  I clicked the shifter and wouldn't you know it my chain came off.  For the second time in this race I was having an "Oh Shit!" moment.  I know how to put my chain back on but for a couple paralyzing seconds I didn't know what to do.  Something had to be done and quickly before the previously mentioned riders caught up and passed me.  For a split second I thought about picking up my bike and running with it.  Yeah that sounds crazy but I was in full on panic mode.  Good thing for me I came to my senses, flipped the bike upside down got the chain back where it belonged, flipped the bike over once again and hopped on.  Apparently the gap on the other riders was bigger than I thought because they were just now making the turn off the trail to head toward the finish.  I rode as fast as I could and crossed the finish line.  The two riders behind stayed behind, and that made me very happy.  I was completely wore out and was glad that it was over.  This race reminded me of a few things, I hate the Mud Mountain course, I love to mountain bike, and my body is not in as good of shape as my mind tells me it is.
At the transition area I saw Jake and we talked about the course and what not.  I mentioned that I was surprised that I beat Jim Cedor.  Jake politely informed me that Jim had been finished for some time, and as a point of fact I had not beaten him.  So for the whole race I thought he was behind me, and I kept pushing trying to keep him there, haha.  I should have known better since he is a much better rider than I am.  If that was him that I saw in transition, which now I think wasn't, he would have quickly passed me out on the trail with my narrow lead anyway.
My finish time was 1:50:56 which is a good time.  I'm happy with it at least.  I placed 3rd in my age group and 18th over all.
I have to give a big Thank You! to everyone that made this race happen.  The decision to participate was sort of last minute, and it was certainly the right decision.  The race was not that big this year but I am sure that once the word gets out next year's race will be big.  I know I will be back but I am going to need to get a lot faster to compete with all of the strong runners and riders who stayed home this year.
Once again Thank You to everyone involved for putting on such a high quality event.

Namaste