I have been on a forced taper the last 3 weeks fighting some injuries. So I was quite rested going into this race. I felt very good the first half of the race, staying with the leaders the first four miles, and finishing the first 25k in 2:00. This was 8 minutes faster than I had guessed I would do. This was a tale of 2 halves. Within a mile of the 2nd loop I started having stomach issues, and my energy was gone. I had not kept up on water or fuel very well the first 25k. And now my stomach was not wanting anything to help things along. I ran when I could, and walked on and off the up hills. With about 7 miles to go my groin muscles started to cramp up, so I threw down some calcium and more electrolytes. They eased up some, but being nauseous everytime I ran from about mile 18-26, really slowed things down. Then leaving elephant head for the last time my stomach finally started feeling ok, so I picked up the pace for a bit, caught a couple of guys who had passed me and was doing good, but with about 2.5 to go I had a side ache that felt like someone had stuck a knife in my ribs. Dealt with it as best I could the last couple of miles but couldn't keep up with the 2 guys anymore. Finished the 2nd loop 48 minutes slower than the first lap. It was a fun race, even with the issues. | 