Kodiak Race Recap

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

I didn’t really want to write this blog, because this isn’t a success story. Last year, I attempted to run Kodiak 100 and dropped at mile 56. I’d had a long spring/summer of injuries, and to make a short story even shorter, one of those injuries flared up. It wasn’t a sexy reason to drop, but I couldn’t stomach more long months off the trails.

Because I had so many setbacks last year, I was undertrained going into Kodiak. This year, I planned to write a different story. I felt strong, well rested, and well trained. I was smarter about my workouts and smarter about my rest, and when I stood on the start line this time, there was no doubt in my mind that I would finish.

This year, Kodiak was a new UTMB race as well as a Western States Qualifier, so the start line was packed and the energy was electric. I know enough to not get in over my head, so I started steady. For the first 6 miles or so, people were jostling to get around others, running hard downhill and up. I let them go, figuring I’d see most of them later. The front of the pack was well ahead of me, and I settled into a comfortable rhythm.

Normally, I’m a very strong uphill runner, but for some reason, the climbs were leaving me thoroughly winded. Around 20 miles in, there is a large climb and more than one group passed me going…