I didn't do an amazing job today but felt really really good about the race. It's kind of funny all the things that could possibly go wrong did(well almost). I had to stop for a bathroom trip in the bushes around mile 1. This maybe took 3 minutes or so because I also got covered with about 200 burrs!!!! ACCK!! They were even up my shorts and in my socks..so then I had to stop and get them off...this was time consuming too but I could not run with burrs up my pants...I'm sorry.... Things went well for the next five miles or so..found friend and chatted...then hit a lovely mile uphill with headwind and I couldn't keep up with the three fat guys that were running in front of me and acting as a nice wall... Then I was okay until about mile 8 when I needed to make an URGENT bathroom stop. I was so distracted about it that I didn't take any powerade at the water stop. So after wasting some more time in the restroom I had a blood sugar crash. I knew it was a blood sugar crash and kept plugging along while I pondered what I could do. 1. Wait for the next aid station. 2. Ask a stranger to please give me a little tiny bite or sip of anything they had to help me feel better...it was really that desperate but I was still too shy to ask. 3. Find an edible plant and eat ....thought about sunflower leaves...I've actually studied a bit about herbs and knew they are okay but didn't really want to find out what they'd do to my body at that point. Sasha showed up around mile 10 and ran with me until the water station. He helped alot by getting me three cups and carrying one until I was ready for it. Then he ran with me the rest of the race. The powerade worked and I felt fanastic from then on. I picked it up but 8:30 pace and faster and held it for the rest of the race. Finished strong...didn't eat sunflower leaves and felt overall good about the race.
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