Mt. Evans & EPM double weekend

No disasters this weekend. Couldn't even feel my blister.

I carpooled to the Mt. Evans Ascent with a guy I must've met at some point, but we didn't recognize each other. Justin was a really nice guy and we each had to leave early for different reasons, so it worked out great.
It was LOTS of fun!

I didn't want to blow my engines on Mt. Evans when I had a marathon the next morning, so I just pushed comfortably and enjoyed the scenery. Nearly all the race is above treeline, so snow-capped peaks were nearly always visible.
Last year, I volunteered at this race, so I knew what I was in for. No surprises, and it was a fantastic race.

Mt. Evans 2007 results
Finished 79th out of 262 finishers. So I finished at the 30% mark. Not impressive!
I finished 11th out of 23 in my division, so I'm a really mediocre runner for 45-49 year-old males!
Thought I'd done better. Oh well. Very fun day with no glitches at all.

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Sunday, in Estes Park, I was so very unprepared that I didn't even know if the marathon was a trail race or paved, and I didn't even know what time it started.

I saw Anita F and Gayle Z. Found out the race was paved and started at 7am.

My GPS battery died right after the race started, but I guess that didn't matter. GPS info doesn't mean much when you don't know the lay of the course.

On the ride down from Mt. Evans, a guy told me the EPM was very hot and may not have any water at some of the aid stations, so I took my Camelbak.
It was record-breaking heat. At nearly every aid station, I took a slice of banana and threw 2-3 cups of water on myself. Yeehah!
I took three vanilla Accel gels and ate them all, plus 3-4 electrolyte tabs.

Anita shoved something into my hand before the race. Hammer Energy Surge is ATP, which is the final product your muscles use. I stuck that under my tongue during the final very long climb north of Estes. I don't know if it works, but it didn't hurt.

I never saw Anita during the race until I got a glance at someone entering the high school stadium track as I sprinted for the finish. Anita finished one place behind me.
The last five miles, we were blowing by bonked and sun-beaten people. It was tough.
I wasn't trying that hard, though. After last Saturday's 76 miles, and the blister, and my right foot feeling like it wants to disintegrate, and the Mt. Evans Ascent, I just wanted to chill out and survive in one piece.
About mile 24, I saw a gray-haired volunteer walking along the path. I put my hand on his back as said, "Come on! You can do it! We're almost there!" He just started laughing. He was used to seeing dog-tired, demoralized zombies. I was a refreshing difference.
I loved those final miles. From about mile 21 to the finish, I felt like freakin' Superman. I was grinning and loving life.
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After leaving Estes, I stopped in Lyons to stand in the cold river. Then I went to my brother's place east of Boulder. He was renting a house but bought the house across the street. So I helped him move.
Today, I don't even feel like I ran much. Thought I'd be crippled, but I'm not feeling any discomfort at all.
I still plan to take it easy for a little while. My left knee and right foot did feel like they would crumble during the marathon.