2012 Marathon National Championships in… letdownville.

Well, it isn’t going to do any good to wait another day to write this report because it’s still going to seem like a mouthful of excuses. So let’s just get straight to the point–I flopped, underachieved, blew it, etc. Yeah sure it all boiled down to the rib injury I sustained last week in Georgia. I had stayed off the disabled list all year and to have it all fall apart just one week before the race I had targeted as my comeback metric was a bitter pill to swallow.

The stage was set for a great race. Less than three hours away in Bend meant relatively painless travel and trails I had at least ridden once or twice in my life. The race had also attracted the strongest field ever assembled for a USA Marathon Championship. This was going to be as good as it got for an opportunity to show off the best form of my life. Then the run-in with the log in GA happened and the tailspin (literal AND figurative) started. As I collected my wits trail side at Fool’s Gold, one of my first thoughts after: “wow, glad I still have a leg”, was: “so much for a good ride in Bend.”Even though I didn’t immediately perceive the rib injury as serious, as anyone who damages them knows it just gets worse and worse as the minutes, hours, and days go by. Laying down was pretty excruciating and sleep was restless at best. After two 100 mile races on consecutive weekends I needed recovery and it just didn’t happen. As the race began I went backward. I may have even been dead last for awhile and by the time we reached the first feed zone around the 15 mile mark I was in a deep deficit. I could tell by the reaction of some folks as I passed that they were a little shocked by my position. Shoot, so was I!

Finally I seemed to find a rhythm and pace that was manageable albeit slower than I have ridden since April and put my head down trying my best to quit making mistakes that cost me any more time. Slowly I began to work my way back through the field as other riders began to tire and slow down. Unfortunately I still was losing time to the guys I hoped to be “racing” but I was able to enjoy the ride as the day wore on. Slowly the number of tracks in the volcanic moon dust diminished to a handful or two and the dust that signaled a rider ahead was harder and harder to find. After the last feed zone, I only smelled dust at the bottom of the Tiddlywinks descent but wasn’t able to close the deal after making several costly mistakes on the following climb to the finish.

In the end I managed to head home ninth place. Not the top five I had envisioned and expected up until a few days ago but at least a testimonial to what I’ve done best throughout my cycling career–persevere against the odds, beat adversity and never giving up or quitting. I suppose that will be enough to keep me going!