Bighorn 2, Dusty Ole Gramma 0

Interesting race. Love and hate. Hot and cold. Mud and dust. Feast and famine....ok, now I am being silly.

There is no good reason for my DNF. I was ahead of schedule and then I was behind schedule. Basically, I was inflexible. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to step in the mud. I didn't want to run in a second day of heat.

Yep, Friday was very warm. I was conservative until it cooled off. Then I became more conservative. Did I mention mud? Hit the turn around and decided to re-tape my feet. Got cold sitting there trying to make my fingers work. Got warmed up. Left the warmth to go back on the course. Got cold. Went back to the aid station. The end.

There were several highlights. Running with Al from Baltimore. He called me Grandma.

Almost stepping on a bunch of mice!! They kept running across the trail in the dark. Yes, I am sure they were there. Ranie said she saw a bunch of dead ones when she ran back down the trail.

The flowers were magnificent!! The Little Bighorn River was amazing! The canyons were stunning. Running with Ranie is always fun.

Talked with Serena Eley, a young physicist from Los Alamos labs, before the race.  She said she was a sprinter and hadn't really done any ultras. She finished 3rd woman!!!!

The biggest downer? Not getting to run with Cheryl Duran. I really, really wanted to show her the flowers and canyons and rivers.

I pledged never again. I am sticking with that decision. Never again will I attempt Bighorn 100. It is bigger than I am.

I pledged to never attempt another 100 miler. I pledged to withdraw from Never Summer 100K. I pledged to switch from the 50 mile to the 50K at Devil Mountain. In less than 24 hours, I was online looking at Javelina Jundred. I was looking at the course for Never Summer. I was perusing new shoes (magic shoes, AKA Altras, with more cushioning?), checking out different nutrition plans (Tailwind), etc, etc.

Why? WHY??? Why can't I be content with a 50 miler once a year? Why do I keep pushing? Honestly, what the hell is wrong with me? I don't want to be average, or normal, or just a 50 miler. I want to be extraordinary!