McNaughton Park - Pekin, IL. A 10 mile loop designed to kill. The race director is known for making courses impossible to finish (ask about the 10 mile race that he doesn't give race numbers, but logs with your number in spray paint) and I knew this and I planned for it, not well enough it would seem.

The race was simple, 3 distances, 2 starts. Those running the 150 started Friday at noon. The rest of us started Saturday morning at 6. I made the decision to drive down Friday afternoon since it was only a 2 hour drive.
During those 2 hours I think I experienced every possible emotion. Excitement had filled me for days leading up to this event, but that was quickly replaced with fear with every raindrop that hit my windshield, and every gust of wind attempting to blow my car off the road. That fear turned into dread when that rain began mixing with snow.

I arrived to my hotel, checked in, and proceeded to the start line. I pulled into the park and saw a simple banner "Welcome Ultra Runners" No expo's were set up, no vendors, no commercialism, just tents, a fire, and a great support crew.

At this point the rain had turned into a mist, but the damage had been done. Three days of rain had turned the course into hell on earth. I met up with a few other guys doing the 100, we walked the first mile of the course, picked up our packets and went to the nice warm hotel to leave the 150's to run through the night - I'll see plenty of them in the morning.

4am wake up
All through the night I heard the storm laying waste to the outside of my hotel. I suited up in layers, and headed out to the course in the dead of night.

6am Race Start
The sound of a bullhorn is my sign to start placing one foot in front of the other and don't stop for the next 12 hours.... My first Ultra experience had begun.
200 of my closest friends and I head down the first mudslide with the base camp still in sight and immediately the slipping begins. I tell myself to take it slow, don't do anything stupid. I let myself get passed over and over and find myself towards the middle of the pack, frankly its a good place to be right now. The first part of the course is a loop through a marshland and its nice and flat with the wind ripping through reminding me that it is 31 degrees. After a mile and a half we make our way to the first climb. I have to admit, it was intimdating to see so early. Being at the middle I was able to see all the others attempt to get up this hill, running was no longer an option, it took small steps and both hands to make it up this climb. At the top there was a short flat taking us near the base camp where bagpipes welcomed us to the start of our day.
The following 2 miles were laced with short creeks, downhills that forced such strong stepping to stay stable, this early I would have never guess that this would be my downfall. After 4 miles was down we climbed our way to the first aid station. I felt great, I ate a little food to keep my energy levels up, refilled, and moved on - check the garmin, been running 12:30 minute miles. Amazing considering how slow it was on the hills.
The next 3 miles involved so many more hills requiring sure feet and both hands, but the big challenge was a large creek crossing which had water up to my hips, it was cold, but expected, just keep moving, you've had wet feet before. I actually led a pace group of about 8 people through the rest of this loop. I met my match on hills where there were ropes setup to pull myself to the top - this race is intense, more than I expected or planned for, but I'm loving every second of this.
2:08 First loop down - Damage report - Right ankle turned on a climb. - Left big toe, blister forming time to pop that.
Refuel and Refill and start the second loop.
Everything was familiar and the second loop actually started better than the first - I knew what was coming and I knew what to expect. I knew the low spots in the creeks, the unstable rocks on the climbs, but most importantly I was able to ration my supplies between aid stations.
I led the same group of 8 into the second loop, we took the uphills very easy but ran the flats and some downhills.
Mile 15
It was at this point on a downhill when I felt my knees start to get sore. I've ran marathons before and I told myself that everything starts to hurt at these distances. I kept going at the same pace.
Mile 18
I'm paying dearly for pushing through the knee pain - what started as mild discomfort was beginning to be blinding pain on every downhill stride. I slowed down and went to a brisk walk to base camp.

2:19 Base Camp - Mark 2
Advil, electrolytes, and protein rich food.
My legs felt good, My energy levels were high, and my lungs were doing what they were trained to do. My only concern at this point are my knees.

Start of the second loop
I ran slower on the flats and took my downhills much, much slower. It was too late, these downhills were murder on my knees.
I stopped at the first aid station - mile 24. and evaluated my options.
I can finish this race at the full 50 mile distance, but have a huge risk of serious injury that could ruin the rest of my season. I could finish this loop, do the first mile again and call it a day at 50k. Option 2 won.
I finished in just over 8 hours. The third loop took me almost as long as my first 2 loops combined. I know I made the right choice. This was my first DNF.
I have had a hard time coming to terms with dropping, but with my knees still hurting a full day later I feel good about what I did. I have finished a 50k in about 8 hours, given the difficulty of the course and the conditions of the day I am proud of my times and distance.

Next year I might have to tackle the 100, but for now I know to train slow on the downhills and remember "Slow is steady, steady is fast"