Race vid from last year: Yakima Skyline Rim – 25/50k – 2014 from Project Talaria on Vimeo.

Overall
Executed the strategy (finish and not get hurt). Ran super conservatively. But couldn’t really pick it up so late in the race (and on the last climb) to make it under 9 hours (which seems ridiculous, but the climbs and the descents were both very technical and long). This finish time was an hour faster than my 50 mile time. I really thought this one was going to break me — but it didn’t.

I took my Black Diamond z-poles and they were great on the steep climbs, but difficult to stop and put them away. I ended up using them all day – which saves the legs, but leads to a slower running pace. So making the transition to running didn’t go very well. And where I would have pushed it to run, I just walked fast and poled on. So.. no more poles in 50k’s.

I ran the course (and hiked a lot), but I did not race it. I need to remember the difference.

Hydration+nutrition
I stayed too long at the halfway aid station, but I felt terrible going in (which means nutrition probably wasn’t good on the way in) – I was extremely hungry and thirsty. I ate half a pb&j. and started to eat the nut butter from my drop bag. Felt a lot better and then shoved off. Very very hot.

From mile 16 – 25 I let myself get dehydrated. I ran out of water about 2 miles from aid. Not sure how I could have mitigated this unless I drank more water at the turnaround – but I drank nearly 40oz and then filled up with another 40. I was peeing dark urine and experienced a lot of pain – I was thinking that this must be what passing a kidney stone is like – but worse. At the 25m aid I took 3 s-caps, drank water, ate a clif shot, some potato chips and then left. The only time I hesitated was at the start of the final climb. It was extremely steep (put out your hand to touch the trail). And I began very slowly, one step at a time.

The jeep trail to final descent was very runnable, but I mostly power-hiked stopping to pee often. The last descent was steep at the top – like 30 degrees+ but then mellowed out and I ran it back to the finish.

I quickly rehydrated, ate some pizza and then changed and started the drive back to Portland.

The good
No chafing at all. Lots of body glide and zinc oxide worked well all day – as did the new no seam undies. Shorts were cool all day, no chafing with the new shirt (Salomon). Didn’t feel like I needed compression shorts or calf sleeves. Wore sun sleeves all day and didn’t get any sunburn on my arms (only my hands and lips).

The bad
Poles – never again.
I was carrying too much crap – shell, emergency blanket, phone, probably too many gels.
Lighten things up for Beacon Rock and go sub-7 hours.

New race kit
2 handheld bottles
1 waist 10oz
5 gels (replenish at aid stations)
clif blocks / nut butter
s-caps

The ugly
Slowest 50k I’ve ever run, but don’t feel so terrible about it. It’s an understatement to say the course was extremely difficult – it was brutal with 9,500ft of climbing. The conditions were hot and dry. I’m okay with the result – and I’ll be back to race next year.