Maverick Peak X Series - Long (46k) 2019

Had booked for the 64k Ultra but realised I'm locked in a vicious cycle of running undertrained, then breaking myself, then not being able to train at all, then running the next race undertrained and ...

So I dropped to the 46k option with the goal of completing without breaking myself. Secondary goal was beating the cutoff followed by a PB compared to my two closest races. 

Like last year it was crazy hot but at least this time I didn't have a sprained ankle so I was hopeful. 

Well I totally underestimated the terrain. It wasn't just the vert but the fact that the majority of the course was so technical. Sharp stones and roots, (literally) crazy paving, really narrow heather-lined paths that made me keep kicking myself in the ankle. And so much of it on the downhills.

We started 15 minutes late, due to an evil farmer locking the gates and parking his lethal tractor in the way, but I still missed every cut off point by 5 or 10 minutes even after I engaged on a suicidal downhill duel with a reject from Wonka's chocolate factory (seriously dude, your running club's colours must have looked way better on paper) but the race organisers were chilled and I still bagged a medal even though I finished 1 min 47 secs over the cut off. 

Above: I was only smiling cos i thought I'd overtaken another runner. Turned out to be the official photographer. 

Below: Lose (the will to live) Hill in the distance.

Top of Win Hill. Only 3k to go.

Finish - finally. 

8:01:47

Things I learned 

Unlike my last race I kept eating - whenever I felt grumpy I ate. Good strategy. And rather than deciding that I fancied a certain food and then eating it, I ate a little of something and then decided based on how it felt AFTER eating it. This worked really well. 

My size 11 trail shoes meant only 1 blister - big toe as usual - but no bruises (apart from where I'd repeatedly kicked my left ankle) and no tendonitis. Maybe the kicking was down to my massive boats, but it could have just been lack of overall fitness/form and the stupid narrow trails. My ankles were destroyed by the technical trails. 

I topped up the hydration pack at every opportunity - good move. And relubed after 35k (meant to do 25k but forgot). Still got SOME chafing but that was not applying it in the right spots.