Sorry in advance for the long report.
I am pretty excited about this race. I have been wanting to run a Boston Qualifying time and a sub-3 for a while and it just hasn't come together, but today it did!
The morning started off a little sketchy with a bus getting stuck in the canyon. We waited for someone to pull the bus out for about 45+ minutes. The race was scheduled to start at 6:40, but we were not even dropped off until 6:45. By that point I had spent an hour and forty five minutes on the bus. I don't know exactly when we started, but it was some time after 7.
I knew that I needed to hold back the first couple of miles because of how steep the decent is from Guardsman Pass. I had told myself that anything between a 6:45 and 7:00 would be appropriate for the first mile or two. I knew I could make up any time I lost in the canyon just past the s-curve where things get pretty steep for a while.
So, the gun goes off, I am one of the first to cross the start line, and immediately 35-50 people pass me. One guy takes off at a dead sprint. He had to be doing a sub-5:00 pace. The back of his singlet read "LASP." I knew that a company called the L.A. Speed Project had sent a male and female to the race to try and win. This was the male, and he was flying. (more about him, and the female, later). About a quarter mile into the race I told my buddy next to me not to worry and that we would pass 25% or more of those 50 in front of us around mile 8 or 10.
The first mile was right around 6:45. Right where I wanted it. I would have the exact time for this report, but my watch fell off twice during the race and broke the second time. (more on that in a minute as well). Mile 2 was a little faster. I think it was 6:38. I was still happy with that. I avoided a big crash at the mile 4 aid station thankfully. Half way through the station I grabbed a water cup at the same time the guy in front of me did. Keep in mind this station is pretty congested. As I grab my cup, the guy in front of me completely stops running. I squeeze my cup, pull my arm in front of me, and plant my elbow and forearm right in the guy's back as I side-step/hop over and around him. I don't think anyone went completely to the ground, but there was a decent pile up that I barely avoided.
For the next several miles I was in the 6:30s. I was feeling great and knew I was where I needed to be. My calves were tightening just a bit but nothing to be too concerned about. At mile 8, we came to Mill D Flats where you can access Donut Falls. This is about the only "flat" section of the canyon. As predicted, many started to fade and the lead pack thinned out. There was still no sign of the LASP guy since the first turn of the race. The female had been 50 meters or so ahead of me until mile 7 or so when I passed her and never saw her again.
The rest of the canyon felt great overall. I never really had a low point. My calves were tightening, but I just kept telling myself to stay relaxed and to keep my stride short. Around mile 12 I had an average of 6:33. I decided that I better clip off a couple faster miles where the canyon was at its steepest point down from the s-curve. Right about when I had that thought my watch popped off and bounced behind me. I stopped and picked it up to find the pin had slid out on the band just enough to come off. I managed to get the pin back in and get the watch back on. I told myself to stay calm and speed up a bit. I hovered around the 6:00 area for a couple miles and exited the canyon at mile 16.6 at a 6:28 average.
Coming out of the canyon we went through the light and then turned down the steep road toward the dog pond. We turned onto the new path by the Old Mill and then crossed the road into the Cottonwood Corporate Center. At mile 17.75 my watch fell off again. This time I figured I would just hold it and not try to get it back on my wrist. For a quarter mile or so I looked at my watch and saw I was at a 6:20 pace, the same pace I was at when it fell off. This is when I noticed that it was frozen and was completely non-responsive. Thankfully I knew I only had about a mile to go before I was planning on meeting up with Hille to run the last 7 or so miles. Just after mile 18, I handed my watch to my wife and met up with Hille.
At mile 19 I looked to the left and saw the male LASP runner (the one who sprinted from the start) standing and gingerly walking on the side of the road. I assume he underestimated starting a race at near 10,000ft and decending roughtly 5,000ft. It felt good for whatever reason to pass him even though I knew, by the look on his face, that he was in pain.
I started to feel pretty crappy after mile 20. I could tell I was in a low point and my calves were really starting to hurt. It was tough to know exactly what to do because I didn't know what my average pace was anymore. I periodically would ask Hille our pase as I knew we were slowing considerably. I got a little bit of another wind at mile 23, but it didn't last long. With 2.5 miles to go my left hamstring started twitching. I could feel that it was on the verge of locking up. I knew that if it seized I would be done and I wouldn't break the infamous 3-hour mark.
I asked Hille our average since he joined me and it was a 7:37. I tried to do some quick math knowing that I was close to a 6:30 average before my watch broke. I figured I could still come in sub-3 if I stayed under an 8:00 min pace to the end. With my hamstring and calves this was feeling difficult but doable. It certainly was different and slightly annoying not having the time on my wrist. As I made the final turn into the finishing chute, I saw the clock read 2:58 something. I knew I had done it. My hamstring was firing like crazy and I am sure I looked like a total wreck. Right before I crossed the line I saw the clock turn to 2:59. I was in a special kind of pain, but felt so good!
I know I couldn't have done it without the help and support of a lot of people. Specifically, my wife for letting me run so many hours during the training weeks. I know it is tough to have me away from the family. My buddy Brayden who handed me bottles at some of the aid stations and encouraged me along the way. Also, Hille is the man for joining me and being my watch. He pulled me through the darkest point of the race. And, Tyler for giving me coaching tips and believing that I was a lot faster than I believed.
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