3 minutes.  180 seconds.

Brief amount of time that cut my Fruita experience short.  Overall, beautiful rugged course on Colorado’s Western Slope.  Miles & miles of climb, high alpine desert.  Strong mountain bike/rock climbing community.  Colorado’s version of Moab 🚴

Took off slow, power-hiked in a conga-line of runners UP UP UP.  Over 9k elevation.

Stomach wonky.  First Colorado trail of 2024, little/no altitude training… felt a bit flatlander.  Ate light, hydrated often.  Pushed/worked thru the nausea.  8-9 miles, course would flatten out for miles.  Allowed me to break free & enjoy the open expanse.  Red rock, cliff canyons, spectacular view of the Colorado below.  Cool temps this day — pretty much perfect, traversing high arid desert.  Completely exposed, heat would be a suffer fest.

3rd Aid Station on, hung with a group from Oregon/Virginia.  All graduated Virginia Tech days past.  One guy in the bunch struggling.  Marathoner/fit but notta lotta altitude ’round his DC home.  Couple of us stayed behind, kept his spirits up, feet moving forward.

Unfortunately, that’s how I’d end my day.

Course went long by half-mile so… after 18+ miles, we arrived at the day’s only cutoff station @ 12:03pm, 3 minutes past Cinderella hour. Explained to folks I was feeling GREAT & could certainly finish remaining 13 miles over the next 5 hours (course limit).

This day, rules were rules.

Post-race, 90% of my run friends say you ignore them & go on.  Refuse to give up your bib.  They expect that.  Huh?

Not me.  Just a chump I guess.  Higher [integrity] standard, that goes far beyond trail racing.

So… that’s how it ended.  You take off your bib & give to RD.  They eventually provide transport back.  That’s what happens when you DQ… & now I know.  2 of us chose to run over the saddle on an ATV road, extend our day & forego the SAG wagon experience.

Today stung.  Didn’t end by choice.  Wasn’t meant to be.

Will return to Fruita this November (Kessel 60K).  Not sure if Desert RATS will make a future calendar.  Thankfully there’s a lotta race options that probably better align with my run standards.  Strong believer we support our trail community/young old new experienced… especially in my home Colorado.  Was told I should have left him, drop a pin location on my cell phone & share at the aid station.

Come on.  Think we’re better than this.

DQ Disappointment

Bib pickup, quick swing thru Downtown, pricey fish dish at Ouray’s Bon Ton.  Marathon ready.

Welcomed the cool high-altitude temps at Saturday’s Start – that’d save me the first 2 hours.  Ridgway to Ouray ‘n back.  Wide-open dirt road course, evergreen-lush first couple miles, sun-exposed as elevation climbed.  Topped out near 8000ft.

If one can manage the constant steady UP, some of Colorado’s finest alpine scenes.  Little Switzerland.

Trail road peaked 9 miles in, big valley descent next 4 miles into Ouray Hot Springs Park (marathon return).  Day’s race elites ran the Half.  African men & women pushed fast on-the-left, closely followed by the area’s best college runners.

Took electrolytes early & often but stomach-emptied at mile 10.  Tough GI day.  Negotiated the course turnaround, headed back UP to Ridgway, dropped to a walk after 15 miles.  Disheartening for the entire field to pass one-by-one on the return trek back.

Sun, altitude.  Dizzy-staggered next hour.  Drop, notta option ‘til mile 21 – dirt trail void, people AND vehicles.

Aid at 21 doused [me] with ice, refilled my hydration pak.  Sucky day – only 5 miles more.  These are the days I question why?  How?  Courage stripped, frustrated.  Nerves raw, stomach pulsing/throbbing, throat dry from vomit charades.  Push thru the pain.  Anything is POSSIBLE.  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.  Infommercial mantras no longer working.  Physical struggle.

Ultimately I’d finish; new PW end time [Personal Worst].

Dehydrated, chilled, body shaky.  Paralysis right side of my face.  TIA, medic says.  Don’t know the term.  IV bag, long drive home tomorrow.  Virtually INSTA-BETTER Sunday – 80%.  Full motion before work Monday.  Unexpected, crazy scary.

When blood flow to part of the brain stops for a short period of time, also called transient ischemic attack (TIA), it can mimic stroke-like symptoms. These symptoms appear and last less than 24 hours before disappearing.

Ok.  Breathe, exhale – one step at a time.  Doc visit, blood work, endoscopy in 2 weeks.  Relapse?  STOP, let it go.

Airport pickup at 5pm; Stephen’s local thru Saturday.  It’s Birthday Week – MY birthday 😊

Mt. Sneffels Marathon and Half Marathon
Running @ Ouray, CO, 8/11/2018, by HAL Sports

 

NAME  BIB  M/F  CITY  CHIP TIME

K R Haga  30  M  LOUISVILLE  06:24:27

Colorado Road-trippin’