Humbled and challenged at UROC 2012

Humbled and challenged are the 2 words that describe this race for me. I came into this race feeling strong. My goal time was to run a 9hr- 9:25 and I would get into top 5 and get some cash!! I felt like a kid at the pre race elite panel. A who's who amongst ultra runners was there. For some reason I still wasn't intimidated. Wake up and christy, Abby and I drive up to wintergreen. Still not to nervous. So we are off and I tell myself to stay in the top 10 and hold on. But everyone wanted to be in the top 10. We were running super fast down hill. I thought these super fast marathoners were not suppose to run these technical downhills this fast I told myself. I held on! Needless to say by the time we got out of wintergreen drive my quads were already busted and we had more than 40 to go. Not good! All day I was chasing shingi a runner from Japan that was a 100k rd world champ. I just kept running! Saw my wife and Abby a couple times at some aid stations. Then at about mile 32 I saw them and went into a single track 8 mile out and ask section. Made the mistake of only taking one bottle and ran out of water 3 miles in. I kept eating but was very thirsty. As the front runners past me I saw Max King, Sage, David riddle, Jorge m, David Mackey, nick Clark, and other killer runners. Ten the thought occurred to me that I was expecting these guys to die? These guys don't die do they? Every single one of them are winning races somewhere in the nation any given weekend! So I went into a negative spiral. Maybe the thirst, the fact that I knew that the likelihood of coming in top 5 was against me and that I saw Ellie greenwood only a couple of minutes behind me along with some other great runners. I came out the out and back the same place but mentally I was shot! I finally got water. My wife reminded me that Ellie was right behind. To be honest I didn't really care. I have never wanted to quit a race more than now. The negative thought kept following me for the next 10 miles. Then Ellie passed me. I thought ok now is a good move. Stay with her and let her pull you in! Wrong! I could not stay with her for the life of me. I tried! But she just kept getting further and further away. I did not walk a step but still kept losing her. The negative feelings subsided when I finally saw my family, my friends that drove from Lynchburg to cheer me on. I smiled and thanked them so much! I felt ok again. Ok to finish. Ok to fight through such negative feelings. The road didn't treat me well and the last hill back up wintergreen was almost unbearable. I finished 11th over all and 10th male. Finished in 9:23. I was humbled by how fast the guys and girl in front of me ran. I have to admit that I was disappointed that I could not dig deeper than I did. Yet 10th male in this field was a good feeling. My wife told me it was not my best race and that she felt like the other runners had a pocket they dug into that I have I just didn't dig deep down into. I probably would have to agree. So I will train harder, smarter, differently so when the time comes to dig deeper I can find that pocket!!! As always thanks to my sponsor theaidstation.com for all my trail running Supplies.