PIneland Farms 50 mile trail race --May 25, 2008

A quick report on Pineland Farms (will follow up tomm with full race report), as have to get the kids out on this holiday day...I drove up with Frank on Saturday --we had the best time visiting Portland venues (beer tasting --big burger also at 3-dollar dewey's)--we got our race stff at maine running co. and met up with Sarah, Nate, adam, anthon, wayne, meredth and eddie and staci -all friends running the 50 miler (staci the 50K) ---we got up bright and early (I had tossed and turned until midnight) at 4:45 and drove to the Pineland Farms campus where the 50 mile race -3 loops of 15 miles plus 5 -started at 6 a.m. I ran the first 11 miles (beautiful shaded trails, up and down ridges and across open fields)with anthony and wayne. I didn't feel great. I had a tight calf and felt tired and tight, and conceded that I am over-trained from the 3 50Ks and the races I have done since Umstead. Took it vey easy at a 12 minutes pace and walked the hills. Frank was about 20 minutes ahead. They sped up and I hooked up with Diane and chista, 2 women running my pace --we finished the marathon in about 4:45, and I started to feel better. (This was Diane's first foray beyond 26 miles, and she ended up finishing in 10:12!!!). I caught up with Frank at mile 33 --he was walking from dehydration -we stayed together until mile 40, when i realized that I could come in under 10 hours and set a PR. I was feeling good from the walk breaks and didn't need to walk anymore. I cranked out the last 7 miles in an 11 minute pace, and passed all the men and chista, who had passed me. I went by Wayne and Staci at mile 47 and said hello --wayne said anthony was having a great day (he finished in 9:27, setting a big PR)- I ended up finishing in 9:38 --4th woman overall -and a PR by 21 minutes. Wayne followed in 9:45 and Frank in 10:10 --we cheered on meredith and eddie and adam, had burgers and beer.
Everything worked out except for traffic -arghh -on the drvie home.