Race report...when things are going well everything is great...When things fall apart - then it usually goes pretty bad.

Other than falling apart several times on the way back it went well enough. I started out at 8:30 AM with the crowd - and right off the start, I was going at a faster clip than probably wiser. I knew it - but the legs were talking and not listening to the head. I thought I would at the very least control my pace and then start picking it up once I was settled into the trails and got my footing down. But I was hemmed in with runners behind me and pounding runners all around me. Into the greenbelt we dove into - and made pretty fast time to Jericho. We didn't have any problems with traffic - I barely paused at any of the streets as I crossed - just check the lights - figure the distance/speed of approaching cars and then just run for it. Ran up to Stilwell thru the RR tracks and then under and then over to the top of Stilwell with a bunch of guys pounding after me. But I dropped some of them before I got to the glider field on Stiwell - and then chased down two runners in front of me - and hung with them. Course was well marked - and these guys - if they were first timers - they didn't miss a beat following the arrows and yellow ribbons. At about this point - the leader for the 50k comes plowing thru from the opposite direction.

Once the rolling hills got started again after the fields, I picked off the two runners and crossed over to Stilwell Lane where I got some gatorade. Continued down to 108 where two more 50k guys were going back. I start looking for you - trying to see if my pre-race estimate of where I would cross paths with you was right (and if my estimate was right - then so would my estimate of your overall race time). I refueled with a gel as I crossed over 108. Up I go towards Lawrence - still making good time - passing runners and hikers at this point - going in either direction. Finally cross paths with you just before Lawrence Hill - and kept going - about an hour for me - 2 hours into the race for you. Sucked it up as I cross over to tackle the Cold Spring Harbor section.

I knew that I was going too fast not only from the time on my watch and also just judging from the training runs - I had never set a pace that fast to get to Lawrence and Cold Spring in training. More than that - was the fact that the 25k runners returning in the opposite direction wearing the pink colored numbers - were few and far in between. Rightaway - I knew that was wrong and I going way too fast if I was so close to the top runners in the 25k field. I got into Cold Spring Harbor turnaround - and ahead of Don - probably 3 or 4 minutes. His plan wasto follow me - but I had bolted away at the start - and he never caught up. But he caught up to me as I was leaving the turnaround aide station and heading out. He told me to go slow and wait for him to catch up so he could follow me back. I thought about for a split second - and kept going - it's a race!

But as it turned out - either he jinxed me or payback karma was being a bitch. I got out of Cold Spring Harbor section fine - even through the rain and thunder rumbles and all that. But as soon as I crossed over Lawrence - I blew up completely - both calves gave out - the left worse than the right. I cramped up badly - and was reduced to a limp. 3-4 people passed me just like that. I managed to recover a little - limp along, walk along - and then had to completely stop - and Don went right by me with another guy. Mind you - not complaining - my cramps was my fault and my problem - and if he could keep going with the other guy - then more power to him.

Went into survival mode for a while - walking, stretching and pit stops etc. Recovered somewhat by the time I got to 108 and the terrain eased from treacherous to more predictable. Another gel, more electrolyte...and then rolled along. Got to Stilwell Lane just as Don took off - so not too far behind. Drank some more gatorade, and then dashed off after Don and the guy he was running with. Didn't think I would catch them - and doubted that I would make it very far without cramping up again - was in semi-survival mode at that point anyway. But did pretty well - and at one point, I saw Don just ahead of me by maybe 50' yards or what have you. I continued up the trail and got to the top of the hills - and came out onto the glider field again. I looked ahead to the opposite end of the field - expecting to see Don ahead of me on the far end of the field. Didn't see him - and right away - I knew that he and his friend took a wrong turn somewhere. He was running better than me - but I should've been able to see him at the far end of the field ahead of me - even if I was faltering and limping and running. But he wasn't there - so the only conclusion was that he took a wrong turn somewhere with the other guy.

Got down the RR tracks, up and over the top once again...and picked up two guys in the process. They followed me back to Jericho - we refueled - cross the street without a hitch - and then crossed Woodbury shortly after. The two runners stomped after me through the southern end of the Greenbelt all the way back to Northern State - dogging my heels. When I popped out on the over pass - I died completely - and was passed by those two finally. I walked, stretched and eventually made my way back for the last 1/2 mile. Don followed about 5 minutes later - andthen my friend Kerry was just 50 seconds or so back. Don figures he lost 10 minutes circling Stilwell with the other guy before he found 2 other runners and hooked up with them to head back. Kerry was 2nd woman overall. Pretty good for 60 years old eh?

All things considered - even with the foul up - I'm pretty happy with the overall time - it could've been worse - and it was still under what I estimated would be a 'good' race. If I hadn't cramped up - then that would've been gravy on top of the whipped cream and sprinkles...but hey...