2016 Pere Marquette Trail Race

2016 Pere Marquette Trail Race
7.8 Miles 
2nd Place Overall
52:29 (6:43)

"Down But Not Out" I think might be a fitting theme for todays race. When I woke up this morning there were a few different scenarios running through my head on how my race could play out today but what actually happened today was not one of them.

This was my 3rd year running the Pere Marquette Trail race. I love this event, the course, the atmosphere, the people, every year I have to return. In years past I have gone into this race in good shape but never 100% because of the time of the year being in late December. I am usually on downtime. This year I was actually ready. Ready to go, in my mind, I was ready to go high 47's low 48's. Within that first 400' + foot climb up to the top of the bluff I could tell that I was going to feel good. My legs felt light and I felt fast.

Just before the 2 mile mark I was bombing down a hill and my foot hit a bad spot and my ankle pronated and I heard a pop. I tweaked it so bad I hobbled trying to run again for a few feet but couldn't. I had to sit down on the side of the trail in pain and couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. Walk back to the closest aid station and drop or just try to walk out the rest of the course. I started walking back up the hill to the aid station and decided to turn around and just start walking. I was doing a hobble run/limp type of thing trying to run again and getting feeling back in my foot. I don't know what it was but I got almost mad about the situation I was in and got a dose of adrenaline and I just started going again. Im not sure how many passed me but Im thinking I fell back to 11th or so. I started booking it, and my ankle somehow felt fine, uphills and down. I knew I'd pay the price after the race though with my decision to keep going. I kept pushing. I worked my way up to 4th before the road. On the long downhill section after mile 3 I could see 3rd and 2nd a ways up. I just kept going trying to stay positive and I could feel by adrenaline starting to wear off because after I fell I was going all out to catch up. The rest of the way I was wondering if Id see 1st place. I just kept pushing. After running the stairs section I bombed down the hill to the finish. I felt like I was flying. A 1/2 mile to go a lady at the big rock said go get em. I took that as Caleb was close. I ended up closing hard and finished in 52:29. A lot faster than I thought Id end up when I fell. I finished 24 seconds behind Caleb. Caleb had a great day and congrats to him, his win was well deserved.

Looking back I can't really explain physiologically what happened. Going from down and out, debating whether to finish or not to running the rest of the race hell bent on catching back up. But now as I sit here typing this race review my ankle is wrapped in ice and Im hobbling around the house. I can see the ligament because its bruised and its very defined. I can put a little weight on it but it looks like Ill be icing, resting and stationary biking for a while. I could dwell on this race and play the what if game but it is what it is. This is the current situation Im in and I'll just have to deal with it one day at a time. I appreciate all the kind words after the event. Also, a congrats to all those who competed today. I'll be back next year stronger than this year and ready to go again. Till then.


Results:
http://racesonline.com/events/28th-annual-pere-marquette-trail-run/results/2016