Race Report - 2011 Mind The Ducks 12 Hour Race

This event was not really in the "plan." Mary entered to try to break the age group record for 12 hours (and nearly did) and I joined to support her. After joining, I learned that I will have my right knee totally replaced 5 weeks after the race. I didn't really plan to compete but decided I could start walking and see what happened. After starting very slowly, I began to loosen up. The right leg caused two severe pains with each step - one picking it up, another putting it down. I decided to try a little running. Every 3rd mile, I would run from the end of the mile to the timing line, which was a different distance each lap. After doing this 8 times, I was unable to run anymore. I kept walking, and wound up with 38+ miles, walking the entire 12 hours.

As you can see in a photo below, several times I was running near the eventual female race winner. She ran 67 miles, or so. I am about to lap her, again. Or not.

I was also running with the eventual female veteran winner. Once again, not lapping her either. She ran 57.564 miles.

A week after the "event" my knee is pretty angry. It was the worst yesterday, and today feels marginally better. This was probably my last run, and my last ultramarathon.