24 Hours of Moab

More like 16 hours and 32 minutes of Moab. That's how long it took me to travel 53.7 miles. If I had to give a single reason for stopping short of my goal, I would blame the blisters. I can't blame them though. Certainly they hurt like hell, but I new there would be pain. I feel good about the run, and I definitely felt better than I did in Boulder. I still wasn't prepared for the amount of discomfort I felt, and the focus obscuring power of exhaustion. Without the help of Grant, I don't think I would have done the last lap. In terms of the goal I had set, this run was a failure. However, I gained some seasoning and upped my longest run by over 3 miles. Live and learn.
What now? I'll rest a day or so more, and get back at it. I'll tweek my training a little, even though I feel like I trained smarter than ever. I'll drop some pounds, maybe get down to 170. I'll organize my gear more efficiently, because when I needed some things (like sunscreen) during the run, if there were more than two steps involved in getting it, it was too much to handle. I'll dial in the footcare situation. Lastly, I will continue to pull hard, stay focused and learn from the amazing group of people I have the honor of training with.
Running ultra marathons has given me a new view of time and distance, and time and distance from the everyday gives me a chance to see things a bit more clearly. It's sobering how small your troubles can seem when you are pushing through pain and discomfort in a wild and unforgiving place. Similarly, the things and people you take for granted are seen in a new light and put in their right place. Thanks to everyone.