Mississippi 50

My strategy for this race was a lot different than the previous year...looking at the entry list, I hardly recognized any of the names that might be in contention. There were certainly perennial runners there from the state that I knew of, but none that had posted results lately. Having come off the RR100 attempt 4 weeks earlier and then squeezing in another big mileage week, I knew my legs were not going to produce the fastest result, but my endurance level was very high, giving me confidence that, unless one of these guys is going to come out bucking, I had a good chance for a two-peat.
So off we went at 6am into the fog- and smoke-filled air (from the scheduled forest burnings). The day was guaranteed to be a hot one, the hottest so far for the year, and it did not disappoint. So back to the strategy...My plan was to go out blazing on the first of three loops, and stretch out the guys behind, making them work hard and be as uncomfortable as I was. I went out on the first loop with the eventual winner of the 50k, and our loop split was a 2:06. After flying through the aid stop, I took off again, and eventually settled into a more comfortable pace, knowing that if the rest wanted the win, they would have to work now in the heat to make upo the time. On the loop, there are two out-and-back sections, so at each one I could gauge the guys behind. The first time I saw them, I thought I might be in trouble.
There were two pairs, both of which looked to be enjoying themselves..which is not what I was hoping for...at the second out-and-back I looked at my watch and got a split on the first group of trailers...16 minutes...ok, now I felt a bit better, but knew that I was running out of steam, and that the last loop would be crucial. So as the temp rose to above 80, off I went on loop 3. Felt good until about 3 miles left, and the bottom fell out. I coulodn't absorb any water, and the heat was kicking my tail, but I pressed on, determined to finish this thing out as hard as I could, even if that meant to the detrement of my now frizzled legs. As I got to the turn around of the last out-and-back on the loop, I anxiously counted the time until the 2nd place guy came...but he never did. I finished up my last loop with my slowest split, but knew that I had done what it took for the day, and I knew that I had done my best.
As always, the Salomon S-Labs did the trick! Still the best light debris trail shoe I have worn...and the Patagonia shirt gave me no issues whatsoever, and cooled me off when the wind blew, which rocked! A HUGE shout to Kris Whorton! She freakin' killed it! Just check out her last lap split! It was great to see both the Whorton's out there! Thanks to all the guys at Rock Creek for the support, and it is a pleasure to be a part of the team!