Zane Grey Report

What a great day for the WMRC. Jamil won the race, Joe did a great job RD'ing and I will never run that race again...again.

After Higgie and I were kicked out of our cabin for the night, we settled on Motel 6 in Payson. It was smelly with weird stains all over place. Then Chip called and asked to stay with us, we said sure, come on up and bring some Pine Sol. Since we were supposed to be staying 1.583 miles from the start and now we were 18 miles from the start we had to get up extra early just to make it there in time. No worries, Higgie was in charge.

The early morning started out with me on the phone with my home security co. in Phx. They called me 5 minutes before the race telling me my alarm was going off and there was a gas leak in my house. Well, not much I can do from Payson so I gave Higgie all my info and told him to take care of it and I left to go try to catch up with the other 120 + runners that have already started.

ZG starts with about a 1.5 mile climb up the rim and levels out with great views and rolling trails coming into the 1st aid station. I got there in about 1:40, 15-ish min behind my goal. Oh well, it was gonna be a long day anyway.

Chip and I took off for AS #2 and were making good time over the next 9 miles. A good climb starts every section at ZG and this was no different. While I felt better this year, I wasn't moving much faster. So we pulled into mi 17 at 3:25, working our way back to the front of the pack but wasting a lot of energy doing it.

Over the next 8 mi section, Chip started to pull in front and soon it would be the last I would see of him. He ended up 6th pl and an hour ahead of me. While I was still in reach of a good time I could feel a bonk coming on so I started pounding water and gu's and ate a sandwich at mi 25 AS. I hung out there a little bit and then started to hike the little climb out of there. At the top I could see all the way across the next valley, how far I had to go and it hit me, "I HATE THIS RACE!"

I kept going and overcame that down cycle and actually had a good time of 2:05 on that 9-10 mile section. This race is never ending rocks, pricker bushes and heat. Twisted ankles and thrashed legs await at every turn. Up and down and never able to get into a rhythm, I just wanted to go find my pacer to have someone to talk to.

I pulled into 33 mi AS and found Higgie and Kirk waiting to help. We got something to eat and drink and Higgie and I headed out to the long section of 33-44 mi. Higgie and I never made it to this section last year so it would be good to see.

On the first long climb we passed a friend of mine Steve who will also be at HR this year. As my pacer, Higgie has many duties. Carry my bags to our hotel room, wash my car when Honey throws up on it, mainly keep me moving when I feel like crap late in a race. The last part he is very good at. Until...... we start heading up the 1.5 mile steep climb at mile 38 and a chick, yes a chick, named Andi passes us and Higgie starts talking to her and all of the sudden, boom, higgie is now pacing her and I am about 100 yds behind. WTF Higgie, you're fired! I start to freak out a bit and yell up the canyon, "am I dragging something" looking behind me, it felt like I was dragging an old tire or a fridge or something. I was moving very slowly. We finally got to the top and Higgie remembered where his bread is buttered after I slapped him upside his head. We start to pick up the pace and I start to recognize some of this trail as we are heading into mi 44 and finally the last section.

In 44 AS, there is the friendly face of Lizzy girl. She gets us everything we need, takes our picture and sends us on our way. We have again another long slow steep climb out of 44. This is only about 2 miles until it evens out a little but I am starting to get really tired and wonderig when the next girl will pass me and then I will be all alone as I watch her and Higg run off into the sunset. Higgie is a smart pacer, he starts taking pictures because he knows I will fake run while the camera is out. So click, click, click and run, run , run. We are making good time and guzzling gu's and starting to have fun. All of the sudden we can hear the highway and the finish line, I get all excited and ditch Higgie for once. I cross the finish in 11:43. What a great day of training. I will never do this race again.

At the finish, my legs are tired and my stomach is growling, I have a beer and some chili and wait for some other runners to come in. ZG is a great race that I will never do again. Higgie! Drive me home! Thanks for helping out, I had a fun day.