| Race Start: The temperature was cool, around freezing, but I was feeling comfortable standing around so I decided to give up my fleece vest and tights… it would warm up quickly after sunrise. Standing at the start line I felt cold though. The race started on time at 6am. The first 30minutes or so it was dark and I used a small flashlight. The skies had cleared from the previous day, and there was a full moon to enjoy as the sun slowly began to rise and light up the sky. I took a photo to try to capture the full moon and the snow capped mountain peaks we were running by, but the disposable camera lacked this ability and the photo turned out disappointing: |
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| Photo #4: Wayne Coates on the trail (with unidentified runners) |
| It was also in this area that I met up with another runner.. she was also from Tucson. She was a very good uphill runner… tick,tick,tick like a clock up the hill. In the 16-17miles that followed, she would pass me on long uphills and I’d pass her on the long downhills.. we chuckled about it . |
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| Old Pueblo 50 Mi Endurance Run Page 2 |
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| My goal at Old Pueblo was to break 11 hours. I was using OP50 as a test... to help me set time goals for an upcoming event this summer. The first aidstation, Granite Mountain, was around 3miles. I arrived to this point in 32minutes. I had made the right choice to give up the vest and tights before start of race, because I was feeling plenty warm. Leaving Granite Mountain there was an uphill that I decided to walk. I heard my name being called from behind and turned around to see Wayne. I was happy to see him, it would be fun to run together. |
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| Photo #5: The strong uphill runner from Tucson. (note snow in upper right hand corner of photo) |
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| The scenery in this section was beautiful. We passed through a field/pasture type of area and the grass was frozen with a layer of frost. This section, between Granite Mountain and California Gulch Aid st (7mi) , is a section we would traverse later in opposite direction after finishing the northern loop of course. I arrived into California Gulch at 7:20am (1:20 elapsed). California Gulch was Geri’s aid station and the first dropbag aidstation. My stomach had been growling the previously mile, so I was happy to get the cans of Boost out of the dropbag . After drinking one can and emptying a second can into my water bottle, I grabbed a PB&J from the aid station table and was ready to continue. So was Wayne. |
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