Tushars 100K Recap

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

I wasn’t in a talkative mood. Race day jitters still get to me, even though I’ve been racing a long time. I stood on the starting line with the first wave of runners, each of us different but similar. There were men and women from across the country, ready and waiting. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the moment and start too fast. I promised myself to keep the pace controlled and steady for at least the first half of the race, and as I jogged into the darkness of the morning, I did just that.

Tushars is a notoriously difficult mountain race, starting at 10,000 feet and gaining about 17,000 feet over 62 miles. Last year, I ran it somewhat on a whim and the race got the best of me. This year, I trained, hard. I spent a month in Colorado acclimating my legs and lungs. I drove to the mountains every weekend, relishing the views, the difficulty, the terrain, and the comradery. I knew what to expect, and I trained hard and smart.

For the first 28 miles, I felt good. I was following my nutrition and hydration plan, taking liquid calories alongside Gatorade chews, salt tabs, and hard food at the aid stations. Fueling has been my biggest challenge since I started running ultras, and the struggle would unfortunately persist later in the day, the altitude getting the best of me. At one aid station, my friend…