Ron Herzog 50km

On Saturday, I ran in the Ron Herzog Memorial 50km trail run in Granite Falls. After raining during my driver out there, the weather cleared up, and it looked to be turning into a decent day.
The run is mostly on logging roads, 3000 ft of gain, and there is a bout a four mile stretch on a decommisioned logging road called the "Tank Traps", which involves a little bushwacking, climbing over/under downed trees, and climbing into and out of gullies that were ripped across the road. Oh, not to mention the river crossing, the washout, and a few sections of swampy mud-fest.
I ran the Herzog run last year as my first ultra trail run last year, and I found it quite runnable. This year, I vowed to attack the course and give it my all. And so I did.
I left the starting line running hard, and I heard James Varner and Brock Gavery wishing me well. Brock is a machine, and I knew that he could eventually catch up with me - I just hoped that it wasn't within the 31 miles. My heart rate spike to 160 for fifteen minutes during the start. I kept fighting to relax, but I looked behind me, and a woman (Devon Crosby-Helms) was right behind me. I was scared that I would burn out and that she would blow by me. I ran every hill, only stopping briefly when I was around a corner where she couldn't see me, and I kept pushing. Eventually I got far enough ahead that everyone was out of sight.
When I hit the Tank Traps, I felt better. I figured to increase my lead by several minutes over anybody who was squeamish about falling or getting a stick in the eye. I got poked in the eye once, leaving it bloodshot, but I barrelled ahead, bushwacking with hands in front of my face to guard against the branches, and ducking and dodging to find the best line through all the saplings and downed trees that cluttered the abandoned forest road. I think that my concentration on avoiding obstacles kept my mind of myself and allowed me to relax more. I made it through the Tank Traps without falling once (several runners finished the race with blood running down their legs) and hit the aid station at 2:15, 25 minutes faster than last year.
I forgot about the fairly long (yet gradual) uphill in the second half of the course, but I had enough energy left to keep running it. I felt like Brock was somewhere behind me slowly winnowing the gap between us, so I pounded the downhill, hoping my tendons didn't get inflamed like after White River.
A couple more miles on the highway, and I was crossing the finish in 4:08 (4:10 by my watch though), about a half hour better than last year. Brock finished 2nd in 4:18, then James in 4:26, then Devon (who apparently got lost in the Tank Traps for 10 minutes) in 4:37. I can tell that she is definitely going to be a fierce competitor in future races.
Roger Michel served up cups of soup, and I relaxed at the finish chatting with some of the other finishers for an hour or two before heading home with my cannister of Hammer Heed as a victory trophy.