Peccavi

Post Ascutney I was feeling fine. I was hoping for a solid week of building some miles and maintaining my awesomeness through the epicness of Mt Washigton. 

I was mentally preparing for Washington and knew I had something gnarly in the works (if I run smart). 

Monday - 12 miles with Najem and TPaq on the Sap lines. We rolled and chatted about this and that and cuss. Solid run followed by the miday tradition of crushing wings at tw Saxtons River Brew Pub aka. Pleasant Valey Brew Pub. Solid day, and one say closer. Mental preparation is def in the works as I put together the psyche of a God and ready myself for epicness. 

Wednesday- Zipped out to Ledge Rd for an easy 5. Today was a physical epiphany, and was perhaps the best I've felt since I got sick, no bull/horse/goat cuss about it. I felt amazing and was overwhelmed with confidence. Really feeling ready to cuss things up and it was a scary feeling, feeling this good. 

Thursday - Headed back out to Ledge Rd to bask in the energy of the day before. I'm down with transcendant energies and if it was flowing the day before, I soak it in again. 

Had a great mental conversation and the symbiotic relationship between my psychosis and my amazing physical precense was awesome. 

Friday - Eric MacKnight met me at my place as we were about to embark on a solid adventure to the Whites. Najem and Boj were not far behind and we headed out. Our destination was the Auto Road to pick up our bib numbers. Cussing cuss it takes forever but we made it there in time to get our numbers. 

MacKnight and Najem knew there numbers but I didn't. Someone (name not needing credit) tried busting my balls about not knowing my number, so I had to venture to the board to find my digits. When I returned from the board, I returned with a number a fraction of my buddies, the clerk had to unlock a golden chest infused with platinum and jewels where my number was securely kept.

We then headed out for a flat 3 miles before heading to the hotel and dinner. 

Saturday - Mt. Washington Road Race

Woke up knowing I was going to venture to the depths of all I had and leave it all out there. Today was going to be a great day. 

I had a feeling that I had a shot at a 1:03:high, and was expecting to run well. The race plan was simple: run conservative early, then kill all ahead of me and let their gods sort them out. I wanted to go through half way feeling effortless with my breathing totally under control and then throw everything I had at every section. If it was runnable, I wanted to pick it up and open my stride the best I could; if it was steep, then I was to lock back into my climb gear and pin the needle as close to the red line as I can without blowing up. 

The race started fast, as always, and I wanted to have another year where I only pass people and not get passed by anyone (not one person passed me last year or my first year in 2004). I went through the mile feeling ok, about 35th place, but knowing that a a lot of people ahead of me were souls about to be devoured. 

I slowly started passing people by just locking in to my best low/fast/grind gear. 

By half way I was around 15th place and 32 flat. I mentally prepared myself to not think /worry about the first half and only focus on the second half. I was perfect at half way and the light work was over. The second half has some spots that I run very well and I started changing gears and breaking things up around me. 

I was excited to get to the dirt road. I was in 9th place at the start of the dirt road (5 miles-ish) and started blasting. I went hard and kept the throttle down and kept the throttle pinned. 

This worked and I was ravishing the road like Haiti. By 6 miles I moved into 6th place and was quickly catching 3rd-5th. This was inspiring and insanely motivating and the fire couldn't have been any bigger. 

My mouth is big, my ego is bigger, but my heart is the biggest, I made it hurt. 

This was also short lived, the catching part, and by just before 7 I started to stop gaining and started losing ground on them. This felt like a problem and I had to focus on getting done. 

I had some bizarre thoughts around this same time, this being the most impacting of my whole being: I am an infinitesimal particle speck in a never ending space/universe, but this moment means everything.

I want it more, I need it more, now finish!!! I did everything I could do to finish, I left carbon particles on the mountain. The culmination of thoughts, as above, mixed with the effort and the scenery and overall beauty was overwhelming and I had an hear grinding  finish.

I tried to sprint and change gears, it felt like I was but who knows if I did. With 400m to go I started getting tunnel vision and a little wobbly, but still had to grind. I could see Boj up ahead of me cheering, and that was uplifting. Composure was almost lost, then I had to climb 20+% to the finish... Cuss! 

On the final climb I had to pause and use my hands to catch myself from falling, the cheers and support were instant energy fueling me to the finish. 

1:05:35, 6th place, it was all I had. Cuss yea! Solid effort and an amazing day. 

The Cool Down: cuss me!!! I chatted up Joe Gray earlier in the week and the idea was to run 2 miles of trails, the intersect the road, then 4 miles down the road. This was an awesome idea, but just a cussing idea. Boj, Najem, Jeff Dengate, and myself then embarked on a wild friendship test. We found ourselves heading down the Huntington Ravine Trail, which I later found out that YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HIKE DOWN!!! Yea, that's how gnarly, we cooled down an epicly hard trail. If Joe does that to all his friends, he probably doesn't have that many left. Haha. As gnarly as you want to be!

At the bottom I also found out some sweet news: I will be representing TeamUSA at the Long Distance Mtn Marathon World Championships in Poland! Cuss Yea!!!

Saturday - easy 10 I'm Pisgah with my hetero-lifemate Greg. Decent week, cuss you and cuss yea!