Not This Time

I was totally "nailing it" through 70 miles. Then my engine wouldn't rev.
I power-hiked the climbs, and ran the downhills and easy flats. I walked the flats that were too deep in sand.
Like usual, people passed me uphill and I blew by them dowhill.

My sinuses pulled the same tricks it has been this whole year. My sinuses GUSHED the whole race! I had to blow and wipe every 5-10 minutes the whole race.The congestion caused by my asthma built up like it never has before. Soon after sunset, there was an older woman whole did not look like she was moving very well. I asked her how she was doing but she was worried about me. I sounded like I had the plague!
I'm "plagued" by these airway issues, but I'm not sick. As soon as I get some sleep, all symptoms are gone.

Official final: 85.92miles - further than I have ever run before, even at Leadville.

This DNF bodes very bad. What am I to make of my future prospects? My body always falls apart after 100K.
I have such a heavy schedule this year. I love running and racing, no matter how good or bad I do. So I guess I'll show up at every race and just have as much fun as my body will let me!
Uli Kamm was there. Amazing guy. I lapped him twice, but I'll bet he finished and I didn't.
it's just that we all decide what kind of ultra-athlete we want to be. I want to "run" 100 miles. I count power-hiking uphill as running for two reasons: I've passed many people uphill as they ran and I walked, and because walking uphill is harder than running flats.
I have NO ridicule for anyone who decides to hike ultras. It's just not what I want to do. I dream of a day when I can run uphill and down for 100 miles.

The first lap, though, I went out so slow, and was immediately DFL.

Right now, via a long-range phone signal from either Moab or the airport, I'm sitting in my car on the side of a mesa watching the most spectacular night-time lightening storm over Arches Nat'l Park.