KC 50k race report part II: the photos

Realized I never posted the rest of the photos from August's race.  They are a mix of photos from race photographers who keep clicking so long as they see a bib number in front of them and also from my Dad's phone.  You can see the progression from 6am dark to 11am sun, fresh race clothes to sweat patterns to fully saturated, calm stride to make-it-work-and-not-be-painful-slog, calm face to oh-thank-goodness-it's-over relief.

6am start.

Rounding the first corner (50 feet into the race).

Ran the first few miles with this guy.  We both started out ahead of our desired pace.  He managed to hold his pace better through the end.

It's always fun to move between inadvertent running partners in long races.

Miss Blue went on to take 1st woman.  Obviously I started too fast if I was in range of her for the first 6 miles....

Somewhere around mile 15, where I didn't see any other runners for 30+ minute stretches.  Thankfully the course was well marked with officials at various corners, or else I'd have thought I were running off through Kansas somewhere.

At the bottom of Hospital Hill.  I didn't study the route that much, so didn't know it was coming (or that it had such a known name until talking to folks after the race).  This was at mile 28.  The moment I rounded the corner I immediately started walking.  One mile at an average 10% grade.  Um, yeaaah.  No way I was running that one.

The one photo that managed to catch my bloated belly.  Increasing temps nearing (or into) the 90s, only GU electrolyte products, no food, a monthly cycle due at any time (sorry fellas, its a regular issue for female racers)... not a good mix on for the belly.

Still trudging up Hospital Hill.  This was moments before my Dad called out "It's all downhill from here!"  Ears too saturated to hear the comment, thankfully.

Is that a smile with only a couple miles to go?  I forget if I was trying to look calmer than I felt.  P.S. That seemingly bulging vastus medialis of my left quadriceps?  Swollen and overworked, nothing else.  I also credit side lighting. 

Now that is a smile.  Specifically "Oooohhhh thank you thank you thank you" before madly searching for oranges and watermelon.

Yup, sums up how I felt at that point.  Glad. To. Be. DONE.

Dunno what's going on here.  Some sort of post-race stumble that wasn't nearly as coordinated as this makes it seem.  Maybe it took me 20 feet to actually stop?  I'd believe that, since my quads were refusing eccentric work by then.